Dharma (Sanskrit: "way of righteousness." From dhri, "to sustain; carry, hold.") refers to the underlying order in nature and human life and behavior considered to be in accord with that order. The word Dharma is used to mean nyaya (Justice), what is right in a given circumstance, moral values of life, pious obligations of individuals, righteous conduct in every sphere of activity, being helpful to other living beings, giving charity to individuals in need of it or to a public cause or alms to the needy, natural qualities or characteristics or properties of living beings and things, duty and law as also constitutional law. Dharma is the law that maintains the cosmic order as well as the individual and social order. Dharma sustains human life in harmony with nature. When we follow dharma, we are in conformity with the law that sustains the universe.

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Dharma is a Sanskrit expression of the widest import. There is no corresponding word in any other language. It

would also be futile to attempt to give any definition of the word. It can only be explained. It has a wide variety

of meanings. A few of them would enable us to understand the range of that expression. Hence dharma can be

briefly said as "that which contains or upholds the cosmos."

Human society, for example, is sustained and upheld by the dharma performed by its members. For example,

parents protecting and maintaining children, children being obedient to parents, the king protecting the

citizens, are acts of dharma that uphold and sustain society. In this context dharma has the meaning of duty.

Dharma also employs the meaning of law, religion, virtue, and ethics. These things uphold and sustain the

proper functioning of human society.

Dharma, is a multifaceted and all-inclusive term with many meanings which includes Divine Law, Law of

Being, Way of

Righteousness, Religion, Ethics, Duty, Responsibility,Virtue, Justice, Goodness and Truth.

The thought of dharma generates deep confidence in the Hindu mind in cosmic justice. This is reflected in the

often-quoted maxims: "The righteous side will have the victory." "Truth only prevails, not falsehood."

"Dharma kills if it is killed; dharma protects if it is protected." "The entire world rests on dharma."

See Four Components of Dharma.

Defining Dharma

Mahabharata the great epic which is acclaimed as the Manava Kartavya Sastra (code of duties of human

beings) contains a discussion of this topic. On being asked by Yudhistira to explain the meaning and scope of

DHARMA, Bhishma who had mastered the knowledge of Dharma replied thus:

Tadrisho ayam anuprashno yatra dharmaha sudurlabaha

Dushkamha pralisankhyatum tatkenatra vysvasyathi

Prabhavarthaya bhutanam dharmapravachanam kritam

Yasyat prabhavasamyuktaha sa dharma iti nischayaha.

SHANTHI PARVA - 109-9-11

It is most difficult to define Dharma.

Dharma has been explained to be that which helps the upliftment of living beings.

Therefore, that which ensures the welfare of living beings is surely Dharma.

The learned rishis have declared that which sustains is Dharma.

Karna Parva — Ch. 69 Verse 58 eulogies Dharma in the following words:

Dharanat dharma mityahu dharmo dhara-yate prajaha

Yat syad dharanasamyuktam sa dharma iti nischayaha.

Dharma sustains the society

Dharma maintains the social order

Dharma ensures well being and progress of Humanity

Dharma is surely that which fulfils these objectives

JAIMINI, the author of the celebrated Purvamimamsa and Uthara Mimamsa, explains 'Dharma' thus:

Sa hi nisreyasena pumshamsamyunaktiti pra-tijaneemahe

tadabhidhiyate chodanalakshno ariho dharmaha.

JAIMINII-2

Dharma is that which is indicated by the Vedas as conducive to the highest good.

Therefore, Dharma embraces every type of righteous conduct covering every aspect of life essential for the

sustenance and welfare of the individual and society and includes those rules which guide and enable those

who believe in God and heaven to attain moksha (eternal bliss).

The question arises as to what is right? Hindu scriptures include the following guidance that should be used to

determine what is right under given circumstances:

svadharma  (individual actions) which are based upon satya (Truth), ahimsã, and moral values are considered righteous actions.

Political, social, and community-related activities, which are based upon unselfishness, satya (Truth), ahimsã, and moral and ethical values are defined as right actions.

Actions that arise as a consequence of ashrama dharma (one's stage of life) are considered good. The dharma of a student is to acquire knowledge and skills, whereas thedharma of a householder is to raise the family, and that of a retiree is to advise and guide the younger generations.

Actions that are associated with varna dharma (one's profession) are considered right actions. The duty of a soldier may be to take the life of an enemy, whereas the duty of a doctor is to save the life, including that of an enemy.

Actions which ensure adherence to the laws of the land are righteous actions. If the laws are unjust, they must be changed through democratic means and non-violence.

In the event of a conflict between individual and social dharma, the social dharma takes precedence. "He who understands his duty to society truly lives. All others shall be counted among the dead," declares Tirukural, a Hindu scripture.

"What you desire for yourself, you should desire for others. What you do not like others to do to you, you should not do to others." (Mahãbhãrata, Shãntiparva, 258)

In a nutshell Dharma defies dogma and thus seeks to instead align the human sharira (body), manas (mind),

and atman (the Self) in harmony with nature. The doctrine of dharma states that right action must be

performed for the sake of righteousness, and good must be done for the sake of goodness, without any

expectation of receiving something in return.

Dharma is often referred as the Principle of Righteousness, the Principle of Holiness and also as

the Principle of Unity. Bhishma says in his instructions to Yudhishthira that whatever creates conflict

is Adharma, and whatever puts an end to conflict and brings about unity and harmony is Dharma. Anything

that helps to unite all and develop pure divine love and universal brotherhood, is Dharma. Anything that

creates discord, split and disharmony and foments hatred, is Adharma. Dharma is the cementer and sustainer

of social life. The rules of Dharma have been laid down for regulating the worldly affairs of men. Dharma brings

as its consequence happiness, both in this world and in the next. Dharma is the means of preserving ones self.

If you transgress it, it will kill you. If you protect it, it will protect you. It is your sole companion after death.

It is the sole refuge of humanity.

Rishi Kanada, founder of the Vaiseshika system of philosophy, has given the best definition of Dharma, in

his Vaiseshika Sutras :-

Yato-bhyudayanihsreyasa-siddhih sa dharmah.

That which leads to the attainment of Abhyudaya (prosperity in this world) and

Nihsreyasa (total cessation of pain and attainment of eternal bliss hereafter)

is Dharma.

Our very limitation is guided under a universal understanding, that of Dharma. The atharvaveda, the last of

the four books of the Vedas, utilizes symbolism to describe dharma's role. That we are bound by the laws of

time, space and causation is only a finite reality, a limitation imposed by the self-projection of the

infinite Brahman as the cosmos. Dharma is the foundation of this causal existence, the one step below the

infinite. Indeed, dharma is the projection of divine order from Brahman, and as such:

"Prithivim Dharmana Dhritam"

— (Atharva Veda)

"This world is upheld by Dharma"

Dharanad dharmamityaahuh

Dharma is called so because it bears and holds up the entire creation.

In short —

Dharma is a collection of universal principles, without which there would be no existence of this creation.

Dharma is the loving hand of the Divine Mother, which protects the entire creation from total annihilation and holds it up for further development.

Dharma is the spiritual mother earth, which bears and protects the entire creation, without which our existence would have no ground.

Dharma is the most beautiful maiden Ushas (goddess of the Dawn), it is her radiance and the reddish glow of her most beautiful face which signals the coming of the sun of wisdom and prosperity, and the departure of the darkness of ignorance and poverty.

Dharma is Sanatana (eternal) and pervades all religions, because it comprises of all that is eternal and internal in a religion. A life in accordance of Dharma is a life in accordance of the laws of Nature and creation; hence it leads us towards evolution, development and everlasting bliss.

The Eternal Principle of Dharma

Dharma is our true place in the cosmic process: in time, in space, in awareness, in thought, deed and desire.

The eternal principle of Dharma determines the harmonious functions of the cosmic machine. In order that we

fulfill our role in the divine play we must behave within our Dharma. That is, we ought to do the right thing, at

the right time, in the right way, and for the right reason. By this we attain balance. To establish balance within

yourself ensures your own welfare as well as the welfare of society. It opens the path prepared for us by the

divine.

A yogi was performing his regular routine of taking a bath in the river, while his followers waited

for him on the shore. When the yogi noticed a fallen scorpion in the water, the yogi immediately

picked up the scorpion. In spite of the intense pain of the scorpion sting racing through his veins,

the great yogi waded through the water towards the shore, and rescued the scorpion. His followers

watched, surprised at the Yogiӳ determination to help the scorpion.

The confused followers rushed to the struggling yogi, only to see a smile of content on the yogiӳ

face. One of them asked him how he can still smile after almost being killed by the very scorpion he

rescued. The yogi responded that the scorpion was only following its dharma, or nature, which is to

sting. Also, the dharma of a yogi, which was to save the life of the scorpion, was followed.

Dharma is a natural instinct in all of us that stimulates us to act at a subconscious level, without

thinking.

The Divine Principle

Dharma is a Divine Principal that is inherent and invisible, but responsible for all existence. Dharma exists in

all planes, in all aspects and at all levels of creation. In the context of human life, dharma consists of all that an

individual undertakes in harmony with Divine expectations and his own inner spiritual aspirations, actions that

would ensure order and harmony with in himself and in the environment in which he lives. Since this world is

deluded, a human being may not know what is right and what is wrong or what is dharma and what is adharma.

Hence he should rely upon the scriptures and adhere to the injunctions contained there in. In short, dharma for

a human being means developing divine virtues and performing actions that are in harmony with the divine

laws.

Dharma is considered to be the first cardinal aim because it is at the root of everything and upholds everything.

For example see what happens when a person amasses wealth without observing dharma or indulges in sexual

passion against the social norms or established moral values. Any action performed without observing dharma

is bound to bring misery and suffering and delay ones liberation. Hinduism therefore considers it rightly as the

first cardinal aim of life.

The Law of Being

That which elevates one is Dharma. This is another definition. Dharma is that which leads you to the path of

perfection and glory. Dharma is that which helps you to have direct communion with the Lord. Dharma

is that which makes you divine. Dharma is the ascending stairway unto God. Self-realisation is the highest

Dharma. Dharma is the heart of Hindu ethics. God is the centre of Dharma.

Dharma means acara or the regulation of daily life. Achara is the supreme Dharma. It is the basis of Tapas or

austerity. It leads to wealth, beauty, longevity and continuity of lineage. Evil conduct and immorality will lead to

ill-fame, sorrow, disease and premature death. Dharma has its root in morality and the controller of Dharma is

God Himself.

Maharshi Jaimini defines Dharma as that which is enjoined by the Vedas and is not ultimately

productive of suffering.

The Way of Living

Dharma is a force that sustains this universe. Wherever there is dharma, we can unearth harmony and balance,

both individually and socially. Dharma is a universal principle that lives in all societies, allowing for peace and

brotherhood to grow among all people, not just certain religions.

If one studies today's society, we can say that dharma is gradually declining from the age of the ancient days to

this day. In his dying speech, Bhishma tells Yudhishthira that in the fourth age of Kali Yuga (our present age),

"dharma becomes adharma and adharma, dharma". If we live in on the basis of lust greed, and to

accumulate possessions, money, and sensual pleasure by the demands of the mind and senses, it will become

difficult to follow the path of dharma. People are becoming gradually more restless and out of balance. The guilt

that they contain is so large that they are concealed from the world of happiness. Earning money is a stressful

negotiation between necessity and greed. The world is full of egoism, materialism, and hatred. In the modern

world, carried away by the mechanical way of living, people don't care for nature, culture and art, which is the

root cause for all the problems they are facing and suffering today.

Eightfold Path of Dharma

The Mahabharata, in which is found the Bhagavad Gita, describes the eightfold path of Dharma.

"Worship, study, charity, austerity, truth, forgiveness, compassion and freedom from greed, this is

the eightfold path to Dharma.

The first four can also be performed by a hypocrite, but the last four can only exist in a great soul."

Essence and purpose of Dharma

In Shrimad Bhagavatam, Prahlada, one of the greatest devotees of Shri Vishnu, summarizes the essence

and the purpose of Dharma :-

"May there be peace in the whole world. May the wicked become peaceful and gentle. Let all people

pray with their hearts for peace and mutual wellbeing. May our minds resort only to that which is

auspicious and good. May our thought be fixed on Lord Vishnu without any selfish motive." (5-18-9)

So accordingly it can be said that a Dharma is only a true Dharma, if :-

1. It shows us a path to bring peace to the whole world.2. It transforms the hearts of those who want to harm and impels them to promote peace, not

disturbance.3. It teaches its followers to pray for world peace and for physical, psychological and spiritual wellbeing

of all beings.4. It teaches a method to reach a state of consciousness where our mind only follows that which is

auspicious and good for all of us, and avoids that which is harmful to others and ourselves.5. It teaches devotion to the supreme Lord while at the same time eradicating selfish desires from our

heart.

So concisely, the purpose of Dharma is world peace, and transformation of the hearts, while its essence

is prayer for universal wellbeing, noble thoughts, and selfless devotion. So, in one word Dharma is

- Universal Love.

If You Protect It, It Will Protect You

Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha

Dharma protects those who protect it!

Though the results are slow, person of dharma realizes the atman (Self), understands one's nature, does all

work as perfectly as possible, and lives a full life with happiness. That is why dharma is very important and

necessary for everyone. Honesty pays, but people do not have the patience to practice it, said Swami

Vivekananda.

Incentives of Dharma are visible to only those who follow it. The quote, "know till you try" applies in this

situation. We need to think about dharma before we do anything. So, before gambling, dharma says, "Gambling

is bad. You lose money and credibility. Your good name will be destroyed." Until and unless the gambler

understands this, he is bound to suffer. Another example of suffering would be when a person buys the most

demanding car; only to see his neighborӳ car, which happens to be better than his car. Now this person's

happiness suddenly disappeared since someone else has a better car than him. This is fake happiness; the true

happiness comes from the atman (Inner Self). Some have not experienced this happiness yet, but they will not

know the feeling without seeking it first. Whoever practices Dharma finds the peace, joy, strength, and

tranquility within themselves.

Dharma is the harmony of thought, word and deed. This is the mark of true humanness. Protecting dharma is

an essential duty of every individual and society. Without dharma, the life does not continue. Hence great

sages have toiled to save dharma forever. Today's societies must continue that spirit.

"In whose heart resides Dharma or benevolence, for such a person there is nothing that is difficult

to attain." says Goswami Tulasi Das.

Dharma helps us to get rid of the animal part and develop the human in us. Therefore it is a path that helps us

to become a perfectly developed Human Being. It is the only path that leads to everlasting peace, prosperity

and joy in this world.

The Eternal Truth

Dharma is the greatest and the most valuable contribution to humanity by Bharatvarsha (India), and it is the

central concept in religions and philosophies originating in India. These religions and philosophies are

called dharmic traditions. The principal ones are Hindu Dharma or Sanatana Dharma, Buddhism or

Buddha Dharma, Jainism or Jain Dharma andSikhism, all of which emphasize Dharma (the correct

understanding of Nature) in their teachings.

Essentially, dharma is the orderly fulfillment of an inherent nature or destiny. Relating to the atman (Inner

Self), it is the mode of conduct most conducive to spiritual advancement, the right and righteous path.

All our present day problems are a direct result of disregarding 'Dharma' , under the influence of a materialistic

philosophy, in the belief that it alone can usher in happiness and secure the welfare of the people. Now it is

becoming clear that human problems multiply as we go on multiplying our lust and desire for material wealth

and pleasure and that the solution to all the problems, Social, Economic and Political, which the world and our

nation are facing, in particular the crash of our moral edifice is, Dharma alone panacea. There is no alternative

to 'Dharma'. This is the Eternal Truth. This can be realized, if we understand the real meaning of 'Dharma'.

Persons who render selfless service to other human beings are the greatest.

Persons who carry on their profession, avocation or business with self interest,

but without exploiting and causing any injury to those who deal with them are good.

But those who give trouble to or exploit others in utter selfishness are demons in human form.**

— Nitishataka-72

Is Dharma religion?

Generally the equivalent of Dharma in English is considered "religion". However, this translation is based on a

fundamental misunderstanding since if "religion" means :-

1. the condition of belonging to a religious order,2. a particular religious or monastic order,3. a particular system of a belief in a supernatural power,

Then Dharma has nothing to do with religion. In this sense, the Sanskrit word for "religion" can be

"sampradaya" or "Mata", but not Dharma.

If "religion" means belief in a superhuman controlling power, entitled to obedience, reverence, and worship,

then it is just an aspect of Dharma, viz. devotion to the Divinity. In this sense, the Sanskrit equivalent of

"religion" can be "Shraddha" or bhakti", but not Dharma, because, as described above, the true realm of

Dharma extends far beyond just that.

Either way, Dharma is NOT religion.

https://vedavichara.com/the-vedas.html

Aim HighSeek balance and happiness each day as you set your sights on yoga's four aims of life.

By Hillari Dowdle

Photo by Yoga Journal EventsThe new year is the traditional time to stop and ask yourself an important question: Am I leading a well-balanced life? It's easy to get bogged down in the details, in setting goals that relate to how you think you want to look, or act, or be in this world. But consider bypassing all the particulars—the numbers on the scale, the bank account balance, the starting or stopping of habits—in favor of a deeper approach that can reshape your whole life in a positive way.

The yoga tradition offers a paradigm for such deep self-examination: the purusharthas, or four aims of life. They are dharma (duty, ethics), artha (prosperity,

wealth), kama (pleasure, sensual gratification), and moksha (the pursuit of liberation). The purusharthas are the blueprint for human fulfillment, signposts that

point us to a successful, satisfying, balanced existence in the world. Working with them can help you create a satisfyingly balanced life at the deepest and

most holistic level.

"We all have a desire for a meaningful life. The purusharthas are the means that can help us achieve it," says ParaYoga founder Rod Stryker, who wrote

a book about the purusharthas that's called The Four Desires. "They are, in a larger sense, what practice is really all about," he says, adding that the

purusharthas offer a yogic perspective on how to engage skillfully in the world.

Cosmic Clues

The purusharthas are elaborated upon extensively in the Mahabharata, the epic Indian poem that contains The Bhagavad Gita, and are interwoven with

yogic philosophy at the deepest levels. But they have their roots in the Rig Veda, the most ancient and revered of Hindu scriptures. "What the Rig Veda

suggests is that the purusharthas are the inherent values of the universe," explains Douglas Brooks, a Tantric scholar and professor of religious studies at

the University of Rochester. "The cosmos is considered a living being, and the issues of law, prosperity, desire, and freedom belong to it. These are not just

human concerns or psychological concepts. When we engage them as human beings, we are aligning the microcosm with the macrocosm. The cosmos is all

laid out for you; your job is to get with the program."

To fully grasp the purusharthas, Stryker says, it pays to parse the meaning of the word itself. Purusha means, roughly, "soul"—the essential Self that is

unchanging, that isn't born and doesn't die, but belongs to the universe. Artha means "the ability" or "for the purpose of." Taken together, Stryker explains,

purushartha means "for the purpose of the soul," and the very concept asks that you take the broadest view of your life. Are you managing the day-to-day in

such a way as to support your inner work?

Each one of the purusharthas has many scriptures dedicated to it (the Kama Sutra, the Dharma Shastras, and the Artha Shastras, among others). To truly

understand all four would require a lifetime of study. Still, learning the fundamentals is useful, especially to the contemporary practitioner who's simply

looking to find more joy and meaning in life.

Here, we provide a guide for working with the four aims: dharma, artha, kama, and moksha. Once you have an understanding of the individual components

of each of the purusharthas, you can assess the role they play in your life by contemplating the questions related to each one. You can then begin to analyze

how well balanced they are in your life.

"The purusharthas are a sophisticated way of living in balance," says spiritual teacher and Yoga Journal columnist Sally Kempton. "But they demand

reflection. You have to constantly ask yourself, Which of these areas am I emphasizing too much? Am I having a good time but not being as ethical as I

could be? Am I a great yogi but haven't yet figured out how to make a living? Am I incredibly ethical but still at the mercy of every passing feeling or thought?

Am I so rigid in my practice that if I can't do 90 minutes, my day is ruined? Anything you don't deal with will come back to bite you later."

Put simply, the purusharthas can offer a way for evaluating your life, making good decisions, and contemplating pragmatic dilemmas—like whether to spend

time with your young child, or go back to work to save for her college education—in a way that honors the highest ideals of life. "At the end of your life, you

will ask yourself, 'Did I live this life well?'" Kempton suggests. "And in my view, you will feel good about it to the degree that you balanced the purusharthas."

Dharma: Duty

Let's just say it up front: dharma is a big word. It's translated to mean "duty," "ethics," "righteousness," "work," "law," "truth," "responsibility," and even the

spiritual teachings related to all the above (as in the Buddha dharma or the Hindu dharma). The meaning of the word is synonymous with your very purpose

in life—with having the strength to get up each day and do what needs to be done.

"The easiest way to define dharma is to look at the verbal root, which really means 'to make firm,' 'to establish,' or 'to create structure,'" Brooks explains. "It's

about that which gives life order—about stepping up to your own responsibilities, about working within the structure to serve yourself and society." There is a

universal dharma, known as sanatana dharma, which is thought to underlie the very structure of existence. It is the source of the fundamental ideas of right

and wrong that are deeply embedded in human consciousness. But along with that universal order, we each have our own unique, individual dharma,

or svadharma, the result of our birth circumstances, karma, and talents, and the choices we make in life as it unfolds for us.

"Dharma [refers to] the actions that you are engaged in, in this life, and there are many different levels," says Gary Kraftsow, Viniyoga founder and the

author of the book Yoga for Transformation. "As a father, my dharma is to raise up my son. As a yoga teacher, my dharma is to show up to class, to

give interviews, and to transmit these teachings. As an American, part of my dharma is to pay my taxes. Whatever you are doing, your dharma is to do it

well, to serve yourself and serve life in the present moment, to keep moving forward toward a sense of personal fulfillment."

For some, our dharmas reflect a clear calling: farmer, teacher, activist, parent, poet, president. For others, not so much. But you don't need to have a calling

to have dharma, Kraftsow says. Dharma means sustaining your life, meeting your family obligations, participating in society—and sometimes even a low-

level McJob can enable you to do all that. "If you hate your job so much that it's sucking the life out of you, it may not be dharmic for you," he says. "But

realizing your dharma sometimes means accepting where you are."

Still, dharma can be a moving target, especially here in the West, where—in our ideal world, at least—we're not bound by caste, family, gender, or racial

roles (those, too, are forms of dharma). "Dharma is a relative concept," says Anusara Yoga founder John Friend. "It's tricky—ask a Tantric philosopher

whether a specific action is dharmic, and the answer is always 'Well, it depends.' I like to think of it this way: Given all of the variables, what is it that best

serves both you and the greater good? Dharma is ultimately about enhancing life."

And it generally involves honoring your ethics—doing right by yourself, your family, your community, the world. "For Westerners, dharma is the ethical basis

on which you live your life," Kempton says. "It's your bottom line. I like to translate it as 'the path of the good.'" Your dharma should govern your every action

and decision in life, Kempton says. To understand your own dharma, and to measure how well you're living up to your ideal, she suggests that you ask

yourself a few key questions: What is my role in the world? What are my obligations? Which ones feel right? When I am serving the highest good, what am I

doing? Am I on a path for the good? How can I best serve the world around me? What would Martin Luther King do? (This is Kempton's personal favorite—

though you could substitute your grandmother, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or anyone else you consider a paragon of dharmic living.)

Artha: Prosperity

For the purposes of this article, it makes sense to define the word dharma first—in some ways, all of the other purusharthas should be viewed through the

lens of dharma. Certainly, this is true of artha, which is defined as "material prosperity," "wealth," "abundance," and "success." Artha is the material comfort

you need to live in the world with ease. Moreover, artha is the stuff—the capital, the computer, the business suit—you need to get your dharma done. Artha

is, simply put, that which supports your life's mission.

Many philosophers would put artha first on their list of purusharthas, for a simple reason: "If you don't have enough food to eat, you don't have a place to eat,

or you don't feel safe, forget the other three," Friend says. "Artha sets a basic level of material comfort and resources so that you can facilitate all of your

intentions in life." Artha refers to things—your apartment, your car, your pots and pans. For a writer, the essential artha is pen and paper; for a yoga

practitioner, artha is time and space for uninterrupted practice. It can also mean the knowledge, understanding, or education you need to get along in the

world—something you certainly need to pursue the dharma of a doctor, for instance. It also means good health. And, of course, it means money.

Like dharma, artha can be a moving target—especially here in the West, where lifestyles vary from ascetic to excessive. "When I used to teach the

purusharthas, artha meant food, clothing, and shelter," Kraftsow says. "Now it means food, clothing, shelter, a cell phone, and Internet access." That's a little

joke, of course, but it also points to a fundamental truth: What you need depends on who you are. "What artha means for a beggar is the begging bowl; what

it means for a business executive in Los Angeles is driving a Lexus," Kraftsow explains. "If you're doing a business deal, it means looking the part—you

might need a nice suit or a good watch to look professional. The yoga community shouldn't get the message that you can't have a nice car or a watch. You

might need those things to play your role." Just don't get carried away by the notion that artha is everything, or that more is always better—easy traps to fall

into in a culture like ours, which tends to measure success in terms of material gain only. Brooks says that a perceptual shift may be needed to deal skillfully

with artha. "Wealth is not a bad thing—and there is no zero-sum game," he says. "What artha asks us to do is learn to live skillfully in a world of material

objects that exist for our benefit. It's not about rejecting the world, but about figuring out how to be content with the things you own, borrow, or steward. And it

requires that you ask yourself: What do I see as truly valuable?"

Brooks asserts that we are not human without artha; Kempton agrees. "Artha is the skills we develop to live a successful worldly life," she says. "I've found

that if human beings don't get artha together in one way or another, they feel bad about themselves. Artha is one of the basic human dignities—to have

enough money to live on, to care for your family." To learn to work skillfully with artha in your own life, try asking yourself the following questions: Knowing

my dharma, what do I need to play my role in the world? Where do I place value? Do I have enough? Are my things making me happy, or are they stealing

my joy? Am I afraid of having more? Am I afraid of not having more? What does wealth mean to me besides money?

Kama: Pleasure

According to Rod Stryker, kama, or the desire for pleasure, is what makes the world go 'round. "Desire for pleasure is what drives all human behavior," he

says. "Kama relates to pleasure, and that can be sensuality," he says. "But it's also art, beauty, intimacy, fellowship, and kindness—it's what brings a sense

of delight to our lives. And there can be pleasure even in sacrifice." Kama gets some bad press, Stryker notes, possibly because it's the purushartha most

likely to run amok. Excessive kama can lead to overindulgence, addiction, sloth, greed, and a whole host of other "deadly sins." But it is good, and indeed

necessary, when it exists to support dharma. "If we set kama in the context of dharma, we understand it to be a part of the richness of life," Stryker says.

"Every accomplishment has been sought for the pleasure that it provides. We live in service to a higher purpose, but along that path there is the pleasure we

take from family and friends, art, love, and harmony in the world around us." Brooks agrees, saying that, whether we deal with it skillfully or not, there is no

life without kama.

Shining the light of awareness on your desires can help you focus on the ones that honor the true essence of life. "The conscious pursuit of kama is a

profound yogic practice," Kempton says. "To practice kama yogically means to practice being fully present with whatever you're experiencing. There are

many levels of pleasure, from eating a pizza to finding a meditation practice that allows your heart to expand. As a yogi, you learn to distinguish. You

know which pleasures are saturated with god consciousness and are drenched in the ecstasies of the soul, and which ones leave you depleted or lying to

yourself about what is really going on." Brooks notes that focusing on the right kinds of pleasure can lead you toward your dharma—and help you fulfill it with

passion. "Passion is never the problem," he says. "Passion is the solution." Find your own solution by inquiring deeply about your own pursuit of pleasure.

Ask yourself these key questions: What am I passionate about? What brings me pleasure? Am I enjoying my life? Am I happy? What do I care about? What

do I most desire? Am I hooked on anything? Are my pleasures leading me toward or away from my life's purpose?

Moksha: Freedom

Moksha, or liberation, is widely considered to be the pinnacle of the purusharthas. "The whole game is that you want to be free," explains John Friend. "You

want 'freedom from' and 'freedom to.' Freedom from suffering and from that which is blocking you from realizing your own power and connection to life. And

you want freedom to express your own creativity as fully as possible, freedom to live fully and be happy." In its broadest, biggest, and most grand and

elevated sense, moksha means achieving nirvana, or the complete liberation from the cycle of incarnation. "Moksha is about getting off the wheel

of samsara [the cycle of suffering caused by birth, death, and rebirth]," Kempton explains. "You can be a good person who is living a dharmic life, taking care

of yourself and your family, enjoying your family life and your career, but all of that will be ultimately unsatisfying unless you are also doing the practices that

can lead to moksha."

But moksha doesn't have to be some other place and time or some exalted state to be reached, irrevocably, only once and to the exclusion of the human

experience. "The question with moksha is whether it is a goal, or whether it is your nature," Brooks says. "In other words, do you become free, or are you

born free? One view is that moksha is a kind of otherworld—that it's the opposite of dharma. The other argument is that freedom is your nature, that it's here

and now. Every time you look into your baby's eyes, you get a hit of moksha. You don't feel confined by that responsibility of being a parent; you feel that it

offers you the deepest sense of your own freedom and choice." Simply taking time to remember your own inherent freedom, in other words, gives meaning

to your dharma—and everything you do in life. Practicing yoga, in a very real sense, is practicing moksha. "You are as free as you experience yourself to

be," Brooks notes. "Consider the idea that it is because you are so free that you have to bind yourself. What do you choose to commit to?" And that is a

question of dharma.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when assessing the role moksha is playing in your life: What am I doing to free myself from activities and

perceptions that make me unhappy? How can I not get caught in my emotions? What do I choose to bind myself to? Do I feel trapped? Can I be free from

blaming myself and others? How can I make my mind free?

Balancing Act

The key to working with the purusharthas paradigm is to constantly examine not only the essential concepts and their role in your life, but also how well

balanced they are. Are you working so hard to put your kids through school that your life feels like an endless grind? (That's too much dharma, not enough

kama.) Are you so trapped in pleasure that you're neglecting your duty to your friends and family? (Too much kama, not enough dharma.) Have you become

so focused on making money that you have no time to meditate? (Too much artha, not enough moksha.) Are you spending so much time getting blissed out

at the yoga studio that you can't swing this month's rent? (Too much moksha, not enough artha.) The balance between them will constantly shift—by stage

of life, by month, by week, even by the minute. A young mother, for instance, will naturally emphasize the dharma of raising her children, and her artha will

be about providing for it. An elderly man facing the end of life will turn toward moksha, ready to leave artha and dharma behind. A business executive

entering contract negotiations will focus on artha and dharma; a college student on summer break will indulge in more kama. All that is as it should be. The

work of balance isn't literal—it's an effort to face the world with all of your pieces intact, to live in a conscious way that leaves no part of your Self behind.

That work, of course, starts on the yoga mat. "Yoga is virtuosity in being human," Brooks concludes. "The purusharthas tell us that we must meditate on our

roles in the world, our values, relationships, and passions. These are not concerns to cure, extinguish, or transcend. They are simply part of being human,

and embracing them is loving life."

Fine-Tune Your Life

The four aims are the pillars of a fulfilling life. In the following self-inquiry practice by Sally Kempton, you'll consider where your current priorities lie and how

you need to shift them to create a deeply satisfying life. Don't worry about getting your whole life in order at once—do the exercise each week, and you'll

become more in tune with yourself, more present with the world around you.

Here's How: Find 30 minutes in which you can be alone and undisturbed. Create a cozy space, and settle into it with a journal, a pen, a candle, and a

comfortable seat (a meditation cushion or a chair).

Light the candle to signify that you are in a sacred space. "A candle symbolizes the flame of the inner witness," Kempton says. Breathe deeply, close your

eyes, and relax for a few minutes.

Begin to think back over your activities of the preceding week. Consider all of the things you did related to your dharma. How did you serve your family,

your community, and yourself? What were your obligations? Did you meet them with ease? What ethical tests did you face, and how did you deal with them?

Record the answers in your journal.

When you've exhausted your thoughts about dharma, consider artha. What did you do this week for the sake of your livelihood? What did you do to

maintain your health? What did you need to support yourself? Did you get it? Write the answers in your journal; note your concerns and anxieties.

Next, think deeply about kama. What actions did you take solely for the purpose of creating more joy in your life and in the world? What were your greatest

pleasures? What were your strongest desires? Were you able to realize them? Write down your thoughts.

Then, record the activities you engaged in for the sake of moksha. These might include yoga, meditation, prayer, chanting, spiritual reading, or self-inquiry.

Did you find a feeling of freedom? Which areas of your life feel constricted or burdened? What do you need to do to liberate yourself? Write down the

answers.

When you've gone through each purushartha individually, analyze the balance between them. Looking at what you've written, see where your emphasis

was in the past week. Which parts of your life were unattended to? Are you working too hard in one area? Not hard enough? What are the consequences of

your priorities? Formulate a simple statement about the way the purusharthas manifested themselves in your life, something like, "This week, I worked hard

to meet my obligations, but I felt burdened. I took the most pleasure from my friendships. I didn't find time to work toward liberation."

Finally, formulate an intention for the coming week. You might set an intention related to each of the purusharthas, or you could focus on one or two that

need more of your attention. Record the intention in your journal. Then say it to yourself—first out loud, then inwardly. Close your journal, blow out the

candle, and ease back into your day with a new understanding of your soul's priorities.

Taking time each week to think about the purusharthas will enable you to see how your life's priorities are constantly shifting and let you do some

troubleshooting whenever unease and unhappiness arise. "Yoga is one of the great tools humans have for recognizing meaning, and the purusharthas let

you see whether you are living a good life," Kempton says. "If you are not finding joy in your practice, there is something wrong with your practice. If you

aren't able to operate ethically, you'll know that changes are needed."

Hillari Dowdle, a former Yoga Journal editor, lives and writes in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Four Purusharthas.

Swami Atmananda

…….. Purusharthas means that for which a person strives for. It implies our goals of life. It

is extremely important that our goals of life should be very very clear. Just as before

starting a journey we should be very clear about our destination, so also before starting

any worldly or spiritual effort, we should very clear as to what we are trying to achieve,

what is our goal. The scriptures also before talking about the various sadhana-the means,

first tell us about the sadhya-the end. As it is the lack of knowledge of goal which results in

absence of enthusiasm to take up any sadhana, so it is very important to know our goals of

life, our purusharthas.

Looking within to identify the goal :

…….. To understand our goals of life we should not look outside, as to where the world is

going, but should rather look within, as to what do I really aspire & want. For this we should

ask ourselves a very fundamental question - What is that attaining which I will be fully

satisfied ? Dont be in a hurry, take your own time and discover the answer to this

important question. You will find that most of our so called goals are only means for some

other end, they do not really come under the category of goals. We find that very few

people have clarity about this fundamental thing. They may say that they are modern

educated people and do not blindly follow anyone, but this is what they are doing, blindly

following others, for the simple reason that they themselves are not clear as to what do

they really want. They join some rat race and in the end realize that they have been on a

meaningless trip, by then it is too late. So lets pause and try to know what is it that which I

really want, what is that attaining which I will certainly quench my thirst. Lets look within,

introspect & discover. The knowledge of Self starts with such fundamental questions. The

scriptures do not ask us to blindly follow someone but only help us conduct this inquiry.

This is called the inquiry into Purusharthas of life.

Artha - seeking security :

…….. The first & foremost thing which everyone is seeking is security. Every person

appears to be basically insecure, and that is not a comfortable feeling. Whatever is

understood by each person to even remotely provide us some security becomes our goal.

Money is the most important worldly resource to provide us some security, so that's what

people want - desperately. The amount of desperation is many a times directly proportional

to the extent of insecurity within. We cant think of life without money. If we were not so

insecure then there would not have been any thoughtless desperation. It would be just one

important thing for which necessary intelligent efforts are called for. Money is not only a

means to some security, but it is also a means for getting enjoyments, comforts of life.

Remember discovering security is our main objective and as money plays an important

part to play here lets recognize it as our First Purushartha, called Artha. Money plays a very

important role in life but is never a complete answer to the problem of providing complete

security. Nevertheless, every person must be taught the art of acquiring money and bring

about a sense of freedom & independence.

…….. The most intelligent way to acquire money is to discover a way by which money runs

after you and not vice versa. For this it is extremely necessary to specialize in a particular

field which is compatible to your nature & capacities, and make that specialization a means

to serve the society. If you really love your work, if you are a specialist in your field, if you

have an attitude that through your work you contribute to the society in some positive

way, then rest assured money will follow you. In & through this pursuit it is extremely

important to remember that people with lots of money do solve some of their initial

problems, but discover new avenues of insecurities, and one of them is how to protect this

hard earned money itself.  Don't become complacent after acquiring some wealth, because

the very reason for which you have got all this itself is yet to be really achieved. While

striving to get more & more money always ask this question to yourself - Am I fully secure

now ? Never be overwhelmed by some achievements so as to forget your own real

aspiration. Keep striving & inquiring till you become really secure within. However, to begin

with do discover ways & means to acquire necessary wealth. 

Kama - the art of enjoying pleasures :

…….. Having acquired some money, having got some security the next step for everyone is

to use this money for your comforts, enjoyments & fulfilling your duties, desires &

responsibilities. That which we want next is the experience of fulfillment, joy & bliss. As

various sensual enjoyments are seen to provide that experience we go for them. So

fulfillment of our desires is the second Purusharthas – called Kama. Lets remember that we

do not acquire or enjoy the objects for objects sake but for the sake of a satisfying blissful

experience. The moment an object starts giving us the opposite we change our paths. So

even though we should & do realize that various objects are means to some end, and not

the very end itself, still we should learn the finer secrets of making the best of our

enjoyments & experiences. Our full availability is the secret of making the best of all our

enjoyments. A person whose mind is free from all worries, hankerings and egoistic

problems alone is available for experiences. Necessary training is required for bringing

about such a mental disposition.

Dharma – conscientious living :

…….. The third purushartha is called Dharma. Dharma is always mentioned first whenever

the scriptures talk about the four purusharthas - Dharma, Artha, Kama & Moksha. This is

because of its all-round & far reaching benefits to help bring about an ideal disposition

which facilitates attainment of all other purusharthas. The word Dharma has wide

implications, and no english word does full justice to it, yet in the context of our discussion

we can say that Dharma implies a conscientious, orderly & holistic living. Man is a social

being, he lives amongst his own kind, in group, and every person has to attain his or her

purusharthas of artha & kama. This being the case it is necessary to frame some ground

rules in the spirit of live & let live. That's the spirit behind Dharma. It makes us sensitive to

others, makes us care for others, it brings necessary magnanimity to look at others as part

of one whole. It helps us to expand our family, brings about a holistic vision. The moment

we see the whole world as one great whole, we also become sensitive to a supreme

intelligence, who has not only created this beautiful world & cosmos, but is also running

the show. As no effect is possible without a cause, we infer the existence of a creator when

we see this beautiful creation. If creation is so beautiful, how will the creator be. Dharma

thus wakes us up to the existence of God. Dharma does not make us afraid of God, but

rather shows that he is someone who deserves our greatest love & reverence. We are his

creation, act as per his dictates, will live as long as he likes and will leave when he so

wishes. We cannot influence his wishes but should know his ways & means and live

accordingly, in a spirit of surrender & love.

…….. The basic spirit of science is to conquer nature while dharma motivates us to respect

it and live in tune with it. Science, even though says that there can be no effect without a

cause yet does not accept any intelligent cause of the creation. They prefer to say it was all

an accident, a big bang that started this whole process. Dharma on the other hand says

that the creation is so orderly, beautiful & purposeful that we cannot in our wildest dreams

think that this is all a product of an accident. We are simple minded people, who on seeing

a creation believe in the presence of a creator, and plan out our lives accordingly by

keeping him into account, always. We look upon the whole creation as a great, grand

orchestra which is already presenting a beautiful music, we have just joined the orchestra

and should be sensitive to the harmony and tune ourselves to it. Just as only that person

can enjoy the music who becomes sensitive to it, so also only that person can enjoy the

holistic living who sees a basic harmony & order around.

…….. The benefits of turning our attention on God, being sensitive to his ways & means,

the order & harmony etc. are so great that even if God was not there we would have loved

to invent him. But as he is very much there so the question also does not arise. When we

accept the existence of someone who is an embodiment of knowledge, power, love,

compassion & holistic vision, then anyone who loves & reveres such a being will not only

be free from various self imposed problems, but will also start being an embodiment of all

what God represents. The train is already moving we unload ourselves and live life fully,

without worries. Acceptance of God is the essence of Dharma. This not only helps us

become a better person here but also helps us to attain our Artha & Kama in a better way

too. Not only this but acceptance of God prepares us for our real goal of life, called Moksha.

Moksha - freedom from all limitations :

…….. The fourth Purushartha is called Moksha, literally it means liberation. Liberation is not

some posthumous state to be attained later after death, but is a state to be attained right

here in this very life. Lets see this also in the context of our discussion. Until now we have

seen that every person wants security & happiness, and thus should learn the secrets of

Artha & Kama, which are the means to acquire relative security & pleasure here in this life.

This journey should be a very conscientious one too, we should be sensitive to others and

thereafter live our lives. Now, presuming that there is a person who has learned the art of

acquiring wealth, enjoys the various pleasures nicely, and also cares for his brethren

around, what more does one want. He appears to be an ideal person, what bondage does

that person have. What is that from which he needs to be liberated from ? Well, the great

thinkers of Vedic times want us to see this more deeply ? Has a person who wanted

security and acquired enough wealth become really secure ? As long as we have to depend

on anything whatsoever reveal a state wherein there is no insecurity whatsoever ? Doesn't

the very necessity to hang on to some crutch show some lack, some weakness within ?

Fine, we have various worldly pleasures at our disposal, but doesn't the very necessity to

get more & better pleasures show that our cup within is yet to be full ?

    Real security within will be revealed only when the very desire to get security becomes

redundant. So also the dawn of real happiness will be inferred only when there are no self-

centered desires any more. Not that such a person will be averse to prosperity or comforts,

but is not averse to absence of these too. Motivations at such levels disappear, such a

person is at home every where. Such a state of existence alone is real freedom, that's

liberation. Liberation is freedom from a sense of lack, a sense of insecurity & fear. This is

possible when a person discovers that he or she is free from all limitations of time & space,

that one is really the transcendental reality itself. The taking of ourselves as a limited being

is an erroneous conclusion of our mind. This is not true. If there is one basic reality in the

world then that reality should be the basic essence of all. That is what the Upanishads are

thundering - you are that. Turning our minds from all other preoccupation's and starting a

process of deep introspection to realize our basic essence is what Moksha is all about. It is

not turning away from life all together, but till you discover your true Self. Having known

your true being live like a a truly healthy man, this is how all avatars and saints lived. A life

that leaves your footprints even on the sand of time. 

Uncoloring your Colored thoughts through Yoga

by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati SwamiJ.com 

The following table symbolically explains the way in which thought patterns in the mind field can be colored with fear, aversion, attachment, egoism, or ignorance of our true nature (the five kleshas described by Yoga)(Yoga Sutra 1.5, 2.3). These colored thoughts (vrittis) are the obstacles blocking the light, peace, and joy of the core of our spiritual being. Reducing the coloring is the key to non-attachment (vairagya) and freedom.

Klishta (colored) and Aklishta (uncolored)Vrittis (thought patterns)

in the field of mind

See also: Witnessing the coloring of thoughts Witnessing the five kleshas Stages of attenuating coloring 

The Yoga Sutras explains that Yoga is the mastery (nirodhah) of the subtle thought patterns of the mind field (sutra 1.2), and that when this happens, the Seer, the True Self rests in its true nature (sutra 1.3), which is called Self-realization. Patanjali further explains that these interfering thought patterns are either colored (klishta) and lead to suffering, or they are uncolored (aklishta) and do not lead to suffering (sutras 1.5, 2.3). These thought patterns may be of people (such as the example above), objects, opinions, beliefs, or even the instruments with which we experience, including senses and subtle aspects of mind. They are the colorings of our samskaras, the deep impressions that drive our karma or actions.

While the process of Yoga meditation has to do with the three practices of concentration, non-attachment, and expansion of the conscious state, the key to the process is the uncoloring of the negative or not-useful thoughts, allowing the klishta vrittis (colored thought patterns) to weaken into aklishta vrittis (uncolored thought patterns). The result is the realization of the Self that was there all along, under the layers of false identity. It is like removing the cloudsthat obscure the view of the deepest inner reality.

 Gradually reduce the coloring through Yoga Meditation and related practices.

The process of reducing the five kleshas of fear, aversion, attachment, egoism, and ignorance of our true nature is somewhat like uncoloring the boxes in the examples above. The klishta vrittis gradually fade (in four stages) into aklishta vrittis through meditation and the many ancillary practices of Yoga. Eventually, they become completely uncolored (aklishta) in the inner fire of meditation. This does not mean that one becomes inert or robot-like, without enjoying life and the world. Rather, it means that the coloring is not dragging us around by our senses, either externally or internally.

The thought patterns are not eliminated, but with the coloring attenuated, they lose their potency. The colored thought patterns become mere memoriesthat can no longer control, disturb, or distract our attention. Meditation comes more easily as the colorings progressively become weaker. We can more greatly enjoy life in the world while realizing the spiritual truth of the center of consciousness, the realization of the Self.

 

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This site is devoted to presenting the ancient Self-Realization path of the Tradition of the Himalayan masters in simple, understandable and beneficial ways, while not compromising quality or depth. The goal of our sadhana or practices is the highest Joy that comes from the Realization in direct experience of the center of consciousness, the Self, the Atman or Purusha, which is one and the same with the Absolute Reality. This Self-Realization comes through Yoga meditation of the Yoga Sutras, the contemplative insight of Advaita Vedanta, and the intense devotion of Samaya Sri Vidya Tantra, the three of which complement one another like fingers on a hand. We employ the classical approaches of Raja, Jnana, Karma, and Bhakti Yoga, as well as Hatha, Kriya, Kundalini, Laya, Mantra, Nada, Siddha, and Tantra Yoga. Meditation, contemplation, mantra and prayer finally converge into a unified force directed towards the final stage, piercing the pearl of wisdom called bindu, leading to the Absolute.

http://www.swamij.com/klishta-aklishta.htm

Karma

http://www.swamij.com/index-yoga-meditation-karma.htm

Karma and Non-Attachment by Swami Rama 

From: The Essence of Spiritual Life   

From The Essence of Spiritual LifeBy Swami RamaISBN 8190100491 (Buy)

Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site)

Karma

A person performs actions and is remunerated. The fruits of the actions motivate him to perform actions again, and then again he is rewarded. It becomes a cycle: the fruit arises out of the action, and the action out of the fruit. From time immemorial, life has proceeded in this manner. This is called the wheel of karma.

The law of karma is equally applicable to all. Our past samskaras are deeply rooted in the unconscious. These latent samskaras, or impressions, create various bubbles of thoughts that express themselves through our speech and actions.

It is possible for the aspirant to get freedom from these samskaras. Those who can burn these samskaras in the fire of non-attachment or knowledge, are free from the bondage created by them. It is like a burnt rope that has lost its binding power, though it still looks like a rope.

When latent impressions, though still in the unconscious, are burned by the fire of knowledge, they lose the power of germination, and will never grow. They are like roasted coffee beans. You can use them to brew a cup of coffee, but they have no power to grow.

No one can live without performing actions. When you perform actions, therein you reap the fruits of your actions. “As you sow, so shall you reap.” Nobody can escape from this law.

When you reap the fruits of actions, those actions inspire you to perform more actions. Seemingly, there is no end. This creates a sense of helplessness. You cannot live without doing your duty, but when you do your duty, you find yourself caught in a whirlpool. You are not happy because duty makes you a slave.

The first thing you should learn is how to perform your actions, yet remain unaffected. Your duty should not give you stress and strain. It should not make you a slave.

You just need to change your attitude. Decide in the morning that you will do your duty lovingly, no matter what is expected.

If you think like that, you will find that you will not be tired at the end of the day as you usually are.

You have no alternative but to learn to love your duty. Then it becomes easy. If you do not love something, and yet you do it, it creates a division in your mind, and gives you stress. Learn to create love toward your duties. It can be done.

This is called human skill, human effort. Grace dawns when you have completed your human efforts. Therefore, do your human efforts with love. Learn to love.

It is possible to live perfectly on earth if one is able to work and to love—to work for what one loves, and to love what one is working at.

Non-Attachment

If you really want to enjoy life and be happy, learn to practice and understand the philosophy of non-attachment.

Often Westerners think that the philosophy of non-attachment is impossible to practice. If you dive deep into the thinking process, you will find out that it is the only philosophy that helps.

Non-attachment is like a fire that can burn the binding power of past samskaras.Non-attachment does not mean indifference or non-loving. Non-attachment and love are one and the same. Non-attachment gives freedom, but attachment brings bondage.

We have come from the unknown, we will return to the unknown. We should be grateful to the Lord, to Providence, for whatever we have. All the things of the world are meant for us and we have the right to use them. However, they are not ours, so we should not possess them. We have no right to establish ownership over the things we have, because they have been given to us to use, but they are not ours. We should use them as means, but we should not possess anything.

Learn to love all the things of the world, just as means but don’t get attached to them. This is the secret—the philosophy of non-attachment.

Realization of the greatness of the Divine Force and the evanescence of the objects of the world results in pure vairagya, (dispassion). In the light of dispassion, or non-attachment, the aspirant attains freedom from his desires, whims, ambitions, and anxieties.

Being free from all distractions, he can undertake his practice wholeheartedly. Non-attachment enriches the nature of his practice. Practice combined with non-attachment helps him to continue his search until he reaches the goal.

Archery and the Art of Reducing Karma through Yoga

by Swami Jnaneshvara BharatiHomepage 

The law of karma,A universal principle:

As you sow, so shall you reap.

Reducing karma through archery: The ancient sages of Yoga and Vedanta use the metaphor of Archery as a teaching tool for how to work with and reduce karma through the process of Yoga meditation. In Yoga Meditation, Karma is of three kinds: Sanchita, Kriyamana, and Prarabhda, using the metaphor of three kinds of arrows in archery. Karma Yoga is the Yoga that emphasizes doing Yoga while also doing actions in the world, or Meditation in action.

Index of this web page:  Three Kinds of Arrows & Karma Arrows in the Quiver (Sanchita karma) Arrows in Flight (Prarabhda karma)Arrows in Hand (Kriyamana karma)  Improving Your Aim Letting the Stray Arrows Fall Reducing the Arrows in the Quiver Being a Peaceful Archer  Meditation in Archery 

See also:Karma and the Sources of Actions, Speech and Thoughts

   top 

Three Kinds of Arrows & Karma

Arrows and Karmas: 

There are three kinds of Karma (further described  below): 

1. Sanchita, the vast storehouse of yet unseen impressions  

2. Kriyamana, those currently in front of us to decide or act on   

3. Prarabhda, consequences already playing themselves out 

Similarly, there are three kinds of arrows:

1. Quiver: Arrows in the Quiver (Sanchita karma)

2. Hand: Arrows in Hand (Kriyamana karma)

3. Flight: Arrows in Flight (Prarabhda karma)

This is a very practical tool: The metaphor of the arrows is a practical tool for daily life. The mind easily recalls the visual imagery, which serves as a reminder to do a good job of "shooting the arrows" of actions and speech. 

Decisions: The quality of our decisions leads to the quality of our actions, which means the level of our archery ability. 

Consequences: The aim of the arrows also determines the quality of the consequences that come back from those actions. 

Deep impressions: Those consequences come to rest in the bed of our subconscious as deep impressions (Samskaras) which determine our Karma. 

Recycling: These Samskaras will at some point lead to further thoughts, speech, and actions, that again lead to more consequences. 

Learn to have a good aim: Remembering to act as a skilled Archer is very useful for making decisions that will later have positive consequences on our mental, emotional, and spiritual lives. The key is becoming "a good shot" with the arrows in our hand, while accepting that some of our previously shot arrows are causing painful, unavoidable consequences that need to be dealt with wisely.  

Karma means actions: "Karma" literally translates as "Actions," and is the playing out of the actions resulting from the latent habit patterns, or Samskaras, that are stored in the depth of the mind. 

Stages of karma: There are three stages through which karma flows:

1. Impressions from past consequences: First, there are the deep impressions which come as a result of the storing of consequences from previous actions, and the natural feedback from the senses receiving input. (arrows in the quiver)

2. These impressions come forward: Second, these deep impressions come to the forefront of one's life at some point in time in the future, whether or not it comes with conscious awareness. (arrows in hand)

3. Actions and speech spring forth: Third, there are then actions and speech that spring forth, with or without the wisdom of conscious choice. (arrows in flight)

See also: Karma and the Sources of Actions, Speech and Thoughts

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Arrows in the Quiver (Sanchita karma)

Accumulated impressions: The karmas in the quiver are the accumulated deep impressions (Samskaras) that have been collected over our entire history. Some arrows have been added to the quiver (new Karmas) and others have already been shot (old Karmas), and are no longer in the quiver. 

The formula of karma: The total of the arrows (Samskaras) in our quiver today is the net of the new arrows added, minus the old ones that have been shot. These arrows and deep driving habits in the quiver are called "Sanchita Karma." 

Current karma = Old samskaras 

+ New samskaras added - Old samskaras that have played out

It takes time: Because of the process of playing out old Samskaras while new, more useful ones are added, it takes time for one's balance of karma to improve. In other words, it doesn't happen overnight (recognizing that God, grace, or guru might help).

Predispositions are awaiting opportunity: Along with the playing out of our current Karmas in flight, we also know that there are many predispositions, habit patterns, or Samskaras that there awaiting an opportunity to come into action. Though we may not know exactly what these are, by observing our actions we can infer some of these predispositions. 

Examining and attenuating karma: By a good job of preparation, balancing life, and learning to be a good Archer, one can eventually examine the Samskaras in the quiver during Yoga Meditation and Yoga Nidra (Yogic sleep). In this way, deeper habit patterns can be attenuated or eliminated through Meditation, provided one has become trained as a good Archer. 

Colored and uncolored impressions: Yoga science speaks of colored (klishta) and uncolored (aklishta) thought patterns. When these deeply colored thought patterns are regulated, and their coloring has been reduced through good archery skills, then one may move on to experience Self-Realization. 

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Arrows in Flight (Prarabhda karma)

Arrow already shot: The arrows in flight are the Karmas that have already started to play themselves out, either in our inner world or in the external world. These are the arrows that have already been shot. The arrows and our actions still in flight are called "Prarabhda Karma." 

They have to run their course: An arrow in flight cannot be called back. It must complete its journey.  Thoughts, speech, and actions that have been set in motion cannot be called back. They too will run their course, bringing consequences or fruits. (Some say that this Karma can be altered by grace.)

New decisions can help: New decisions can be made that balance out the effects of previously shot arrows. This is a good thing to do, as it improves the overall mixture of arrows in flight. However, the original arrows still move towards their fruition. 

Learning to accept our consequences: The lesson for the seeker of Self-Realization is to accept that there are physical, mental, emotional, social, cultural, familial, financial, or material consequences of all of our previous actions (shot arrows). These simply need to be accepted as realities from which we now move forward in our spiritual quest. 

The here and now: The arrows in flight need to be dealt with from the stance of the here-and-now, in the context of how we shoot today's arrows. 

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Arrows in Hand (Kriyamana karma)

The arrows in hand are the most important: The arrows that are in our hands today are the ones that we currently have a choice about where to aim and how to shoot. The arrows and choices in our hands today are called "Kriyamana Karma" (also called "Agami Karma" or "Vartamana Karma").

Becoming more aware: To be aware of the nature of wants, wishes, desires, attractions or aversions is very important. By being aware of our motivations, we can consciously shoot the arrows by choice, rather than unconscious habit. 

Making good decisions: Through cultivating awareness and practicing conscious arrow shooting, we become better at aiming our arrows as well. We make good decisions about our thoughts, emotions, actions, and speech, rather than having these happen solely out of conditioned response. 

Formula for archery: So, the formula, starting with Awareness, is: 

Awareness of motivations: Awareness of motivations allows us to learn to shoot arrows out of choice, rather than habit.

Conscious arrow shooting: Through conscious arrow shooting, the aim gets better with practice.

Outcomes improve: As the aim gets better, the outcomes are more favorable.  Net karma goes down: If the outcomes are more favorable, net Karma goes

down. 

Primitive urges are the background motivation: Behind our actions are many thoughts, emotions, desires, samskaras, and primitive urges. By being aware of the process leading to actions, we can make wise choices about those actions. (See "Karma and the Sources of Actions, Speech, and Thoughts") 

Arrows in daily life: One may have either a few arrows, or many arrows in the quiver (little Karma or a lot of Karma), but what is important is how we deal with the Karma presenting to us in our lives today. This is the art of Archery and reducing Karma. The law of Karma is universal; as you sow, so shall you reap. The words and cultural contexts may differ, but the principle remains the same. Learning to be a Master Archer is the key to mastery over the bondage of Karma. 

Deciding what is the target: Where to aim our arrows is a critically important question. If we don't know what the target is, then it is rather difficult to aim well. Our arrows are shot almost at random, at every want, wish, desire, attraction, or aversion that pops up into the mind. 

Understanding the purpose of life: Deciding what is the target means to understand the purpose of life. If the Archer has a sense of the purpose of life, using whatever words best describe that personally, then there is a target that all of the arrows can be directed towards. It means that one's decisions are increasingly made in accordance with what brings one closer to the chosen target.

What actions will serve Self-realization?: For one who chooses Self-Realization as the target, then decisions are made on the basis of what brings one closer, or leads one further away from that Goal. 

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Improving Your Aim 

Is it useful or not useful?: This is the most important aspect of the Archery metaphor. It means asking our deep Wisdom, "Is this useful or not useful?" about specific options in front of us. "Does this bring me closer or further away from the goal of Enlightenment?" "Should I do it, or not?" By consulting within in this way, answers will come. 

Consulting Buddhi: In the Four Functions of Mind, the part that knows, decides, judges, and discriminates is called Buddhi. It is through the cultivation of Buddhithat one becomes a better Archer, training Manas (the lower mind) to follow the wise instructions of Buddhi, rather than just following the old habit patterns inChitta (the storehouse of Samskaras, or deep impressions and habits).  

Determining actions by choice: It is a matter of actions being determined by the choice of Buddhi rather than by the unconscious impressions arising from the quiver. It works something like this: 

Once the target, or purpose is known,  When Buddhi can make choices,  And when Manas will listen,  Then the arrows of action are shot in more accurate ways,  And there are fewer negative consequences,  As well as a greater number of useful consequences.   These useful impressions are stored in the quiver.  In turn, these arise to motivate further useful actions, And we experience an overall reduction in our Karma. 

The aim improves by consulting Buddhi: Through this repeated cycle of utilizing Buddhi to determine the aim of the arrows of action, one becomes a better and better Archer. As we become a better Archer, the process of reducing Karma works better and better. 

What to do with the fruits of actions: An important key to shooting our arrows well has to do with the question of who is to receive the fruits of the actions. There are three general choices of where to give the fruits of actions: 

1. The fruits come to me. 

2. The fruits are given to others.  

3. The fruits are offered to God. 

The question of what to do with the fruits of actions is an important part of Karma Yoga, the Yoga of Action, which prepares one to do the deeper practices leading to Self-Realization. 

Selfless service: Consequences of actions breed more actions, and in turn, more consequences. This cycle happens because of one's attachment or aversions to the fruits of the actions. However, the more one practices selfless service, giving away the fruits of the actions to others, then the less those fruits turn into negative consequences that feed the cycle. 

For example, if one is attached to the financial fruits of his or her job, then those financial fruits might be used to seek pleasure in the external world. When those external pleasures end up being inadequate, one might end up seeking even more fruits in an attempt to feel satisfied. 

Other fruits might be, for example, the accolades, recognition, or the internal feelings of accomplishment coming from actions. These too can leave one in a painful cycle of seeking greater and greater fruits in an effort to feel whole and fulfilled. 

A shift in attitude about fruits: However, if the same person has a shift in attitude, whereby the fruits of their labors are for others, such as family, friends, customers, clients, society, or humanity then one is free of the fruits. In other words, one learns to give away the fruits of the actions. Then the inner motive is to serve those other people, not merely to feed one's own sense of personal needs. 

The paycheck, accolades or recognition will still come and be enjoyed, but it is without expectation that these fruits themselves are capable of bringing happiness. When the fruits are given up, then one is free. The feelings of wholeness and fulfillment can then come from within, regardless of the outcomes of the actions. 

Refinement leads to freedom: It is an ongoing feedback loop of shooting arrow, refining one's aim, and shooting again that leads to being a good Archer, and to freedom from the bondage of Karma.

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Letting the Stray Arrows Fall 

Reducing the In-flight arrows: When we start improving our aim, and thus creating fewer attachments and aversions, we also have to deal with the arrows that are already in flight. Some of these in-flight arrows are painful, some are pleasurable. Whether bringing pain or pleasure, the consequences of these previously-shot arrows continues to come, until those arrows find their final destination and completion. 

A simple process: There is a simple process to reducing the in-flight arrows: 

We allow the arrows to fall where they are headed, accepting that some of them were poorly aimed. Past decisions are bringing current consequences. We accept these

consequences and their responsibilities, as we stay focused on the arrows in hand. We allow the old arrows to run their course in such a way that we don't add more negative consequences to come. 

Not becoming diverted by the in-flight arrows: Because of these stray arrows, one may easily become diverted from the path of Self-realization. Those old arrows, shot long ago, continue to come and cause problems. Often what happens is that due to these old arrows, still in flight, we end up firing more arrows along the same off-course path. We can end up having just as many arrows in the air that are off-course, rather than seeing the number go down. 

Being kind to ourselves: The solution is to be very kind with ourselves, as we cultivate persistence and patience. We may want spiritual energy, grace, or shakti to come to us, yet one of the first forms of that comes as determination. To have, cultivate, or pray for such determination is an essential practice on the journey to Self-Realization. 

Becoming a good Archer in making useful decisions, developing determination, and practicing patience, form a powerful combination.

Then, the number and intensity of off-course arrows of Karma gradually goes down, as the number that are on-target increases. 

Gradually our karmic focus shifts, as we move more and more towards a greater integration of mind, and reduction of samskaras

Then our meditations and contemplations can progress more smoothly and quickly on the Journey Within. 

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Reducing the Arrows in the Quiver (Sanchita karma)

The past impressions: The entire collection of the deep impressions (samskaras) that forms our past karma is the Prarabhda karma. Mostly, it sits in latent form until such time as some of it is ready to come to life, first in the mind-field, and then in the external world through actions and speech. 

They start a cycling process: As these impressions turn into action, their consequences often come back through the senses, get processed by the mind and make still more impressions in the deep unconscious. The cycle of impression-action-consequence-impression goes on and on. 

Be more mindful of choices and actions: However, by being more mindful of the nature of our choices and actions, we can allow our karmas to play themselves out, while not replacing them with new binding consequences being added to the quiver. Then we can have a reduction in the total Karmas stored in those Samskaras. 

Examining and attenuating the latent arrows: The combination of having fewer arrows in the quiver and fewer negative arrows in flight leads the aspirant to do an even better job of examining and attenuating those remaining Samskaras during Yoga Meditation. 

It can seem to be getting worse: Paradoxically, the Karmic arrows in the quiver might come to the surface in big clusters. It can seem that problems in life are getting worse! The life, consequences and actions coming forth might appear to be very unspiritual. This is the reason that there are stories of saints doing outrageous behaviors, as some of the few remaining Karmas manifest. 

Self-Realization does not require removing all the arrows: The experience of the Self does not depend on having 100% of the Samskaras removed, such that there is no more Karma. Self-Realization does not stop the flow of the Karmas playing out, nor necessarily remove the latent Karmas in the storehouse. Though some of the seeds of karma may become so weakened or "burned" in the fire of Consciousness that they can no longer bear fruit, others remain. 

The potter's wheel continues to turn: The sages use the metaphor of the potter's wheel. After the pot is made, the potter's wheel continues to turn because of its previous impetus. So too, the Karmic impressions in the quiver continue to drive thoughts, actions, and speech. However, the aspirant becomes better and better at directing those forces when they arise. Even Patanjali (codifier of the Yoga Sutra) gives instructions of how to handle breaks in enlightenment by continuing to purify the latent impressions. 

Efficiently working with karma: At this phase of Archery training, one has become a Master Archer, and does an efficient job of working through the remaining Karmas while remaining in the world, but above the world. 

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Being a Peaceful Archer

Archery in Yoga Meditation: Having a good aim in decisions and actions of daily life reduces Karma by having "the new" come into play, as "the old" works itself out. The same process is also done during Yoga Meditation. 

Meditation in Action: In the external world, the Yogi allows the old Karmas (the arrows in flight) to play themselves out. In the internal world, the Yogi also allows the old Karmas to play themselves out, as the inner drama is observed from the vantage point of a Witness. For this reason, both "Meditation" and "Meditation in Action" are a part of Archery and the Art of Reducing Karma. 

Seated meditation: In seated Meditation one allows the thought patterns come forward, learns to be undisturbed, unaffected, and uninvolved in them. They come, and they go. In this way, the intensity of the coloring of the deep impressions gradually attenuates. This is a process whereby the colored Samskaras (klishta) gradually have their coloring dissipated, as the thought patterns move towards being completely uncolored (aklishta). 

Meditation and Meditation in Action: When the Samskaras weaken through Yoga Meditation, they can be more easily played out in daily life. When the Samskaras weaken through the actions of daily life, then they can more easily be played out in Meditation. The two practices of Meditation and Meditation in Action go hand in hand.

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Meditation in Archery

Good Archery removes the veil over the Self: Being a good Archer does not in itself bring Self-Realization. Rather, it is a means of reducing and removing obstacles. Learning the art of Archery reduces Karma so that one can rest in the stillness and silence. 

Then, through the practices of Meditation, Contemplation, Prayer, and remembering Word or Mantra, the Self that has been there all along can be Realized. 

Regulating Lifestyle andthe Four Basic Urgesby Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati 

SwamiJ.com 

It is self-evident that there is a relationship 

between lifestyle and meditation.

Index of this web page: 

Developing a Lifestyle conducive to meditation   Lifestyle and the Four Basic Urges    Value of emphasizing four areas Regulating and Observing the four fountains 

Food   Sleep   Sex   Self-preservation 

See also the article:Four Primitive Fountains

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Developing a Lifestyle conducive to meditation

"Lifestyle" is a very broad subject, containing many cultural, social, and religious connotations. Here, we are not trying to suggest guidelines or rules from any particular cultural, social, or religious perspective. The suggestions of yoga are universal in nature, and can be effective for all people, regardless of backgrounds. 

Imagine athletes going out for a day of endurance or competition, but that they had never done any training. There had never been any prior physical exercise. There was no effort to do relaxing things before their show time. They always ate really unhealthy food, loaded with fat, sugar, and salt, but low in nutrients. They stayed up late at night, with irregular sleeping patterns. Their family and social life was in chaos. They had many unexamined mental and emotional challenges. 

Such an athlete might do okay with a few of these areas of life a little out of line, but in total the athlete recognizes the need for balance, particularly as the time of their event approaches.

The same is true for meditators, probably even more so. Common sense makes it self evident that there is a relationship between lifestyle and the ability to relax, peacefully introspect, and become calm, balanced, or centered at the levels of body, breath and mind. 

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Lifestyle and the Four Basic Urges 

According to yoga psychology there are Four Basic, or Primitive Urges, which are the desires, wants, needs, or necessities for:

1. Food

2. Sleep

3. Sex

4. Self-preservation

These four are sources or fountains: This is not to say that there are not other desires in the human being, but that these four are at the root of many of the others. We can also call these the Four Primitive Fountains, as they are the sources, or fountains, from which many other desires arise. 

See these four primitive urges in the graphic in the article: Karma and the Sources of Actions, Speech, and Thoughts

Marketing people know about them: Advertising and marketing people are well aware of these realities. Just reflect on what we often see in advertising. We see people eating, relaxing in one way or another, having romantic interactions or facial expressions, and are often focusing on issues which are a threat to us in some way. The product or service being marketed is suggested as a solution for fulfilling one or more of these urges. 

The same is also true of the movie industry. Is it not true that many (or most) of the movies deal with some challenge or threat to overcome, usually having a romantic involvement, that is often set in restaurant or a bedroom? Though the themes of the movie may be similar, it is the diversity of possibilities that brings the entertainment, much like life itself. 

Regulate them intelligently: To suggest that we regulate these Four Primitive Urges does not mean that somehow we become instantly impervious to the urges. It does not mean renunciation of any of them, or having a boring life. It does, however, mean the intelligent regulation of these inner drives in ways that are healthy and allow us to be able to move forward with our spiritual practices.

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Value of emphasizing four areas 

Though there may be many other wants, wishes, desires, needs, or necessities arising from these four, the fact that there is a small number (four) at the core can make the situation much more manageable, and less sensitive for us to discuss and learn in non-judgmental ways. 

Again, there is a tremendous diversity of ways in which different peoples might regulate these four primitive fountains. However, exploring these four areas helps us to see the whole process of lifestyle management much more clearly. This can be adapted to individual cultural, social, or religious backgrounds. 

If we try to address many different aspects of lifestyle management, it can seem a bit overwhelming, somewhat like we might never be qualified to begin yoga meditation. Seeing only four areas to focus on (although they are big areas) can provide a certain simplicity to the process. 

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Regulating and Observing the four fountains 

The Four Primitive Urges in all people are for food, sleep, sex, and self-preservation. There are two aspects to dealing with these Four Primitive Urges:

Regulating or directing the urges themselves in such a way that they do not create obstacles for the student of yoga meditation. This means making good lifestyle choices. (Regulation is the topic of this section)

Observing the internal functioning of these primitive fountains, and their relationship to the four functions of mind (manas, chitta, ahamkara, and buddhi). This means paying attention to your actions, speech, and thoughts. 

As the student both regulates these urges and also observes their influences, it will become much clearer how these urges are effectively “fountains” from which spring specific desires, wants, needs, and expectations. 

One increasingly comes to see how these four lead to emotional responses, control ones habitual thinking, and unconsciously direct actions and speech. The source of samskaras, the latent tendencies or impressions buried in the latent unconscious, will become known to the student of yoga meditation. 

To better understand the way in which the Four Primitive Fountains operate, see the article entitled: Karma and the Sources of   Actions, Speech, and Thoughts . 

These two factors of regulation and self-observation are somewhat like the metaphorical question of “Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?” In fact, the two continually recycle, one into the other. So there is “chicken—egg—chicken—egg” and so forth. Regulation and observation also recycle as “regulation—observation—regulation—observation.” 

Attaining a certain degree of regulation creates an improved environment for self-observation, and that more lucid self-observation brings an increased ability forregulation through clarity of choice and increased determination. 

Gradually this beautiful dance between regulation and self-observation leads the student towards the contentment of a trained mind, which is then capable of helping one develop deeper yoga meditation.

As you progress in your practices, please remind yourself of how self-regulationand self-observation go together, like the left and right feet when walking. Be kind and gentle with yourself as you move forward.

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Food 

See also the article: Diet and Meditation 

If you have any question about the relationship between food and meditation, just remember some big meals you have had on holidays or other festive occasions. 

You may have eaten more food than you should have, and foods which are not quite as healthy as they could be. You will probably recall that many of such foods, as tasty as they are, have more fat, sugar, and spices. Such foods are often processed so much that

the nutritional value has been significantly reduced, while chemicals have been added in the factories. 

Now, think about how you felt after eating all that food. Did you feel tired? Sleepy? Stuffed? Heavy? Answer honestly how you felt. Did you feel like meditating? What would have happened if you had tried to meditate even if you waited a couple hours after eating? 

This is not to suggest that you are not going to “live it up” on occasion, but the point is this: 

You already know that food has an effect on your state of energy and your state of mind. You don’t need some swami to tell you that. You also don’t need doctors or clinical research reports to tell you that there is better food and lesser food. We all know something about food quality, although we may not follow the food wisdom we already have. 

Exploring what foods to eat can be an extremely complex task. There are hundreds, if not thousands of books, many videos, and lots of health programs. It is not our intent here to replicate all of that work, nor to try to tell you the perfect diet. However, there are two simple principles in yoga relating to food that can be extremely useful to keep in mind. Then, whatever choices you make about food can be made in the context of these two principles. 

Nutrition and Cleansing: Food has to do with stuff coming in and stuff going out—the process is as simple as that. Thus, there are two parts:

1. Nutrition

2. Cleansing

The body does a great job of cleansing itself, within limits. If we put high quality food in, then the body can easily process it, and pass what is not needed. 

If we put larger quantities of lesser quality food into the body, then the body must work much harder to remove that which is not needed. When the body has to work harder to eliminate the higher volume of low quality material, the effect is that the waste is not being removed as quickly, and is then stored in the body. The result is that the body has a higher level of toxicity. 

The other factor is the nutrients coming in. If there are insufficient amounts of nutrients coming into the body, then the various systems of the body do not work as well. We do not feel as well physically, mentally, or emotionally. One may even take in large quantities of food, high in calories, but low in nutrients. The effect is that one can literally be starving while still getting lots of calories. 

The effect of these factors is that meditation is not as good on a low quality diet, if meditation is even possible at all. With a good diet, meditation can come more naturally. 

The two principles of cleansing and nutrition work hand-in-hand, and they do this quite well if we will remain aware of a few simple principles. The function of mind called buddhi (which knows, decides, judges, and discriminates) is cultivated in relation to these two principles cleansing and nutrition. 

As you eat, or make food choices, simply be aware of the relationship between the particular food and its nutrient value, and its cleansing potential. Then ask yourself, "Is

this food good or bad, or somewhere in the middle? Is it healthy or not healthy? Is it rich in nutrients? Does it pass easily or have other cleansing benefits?" 

Even when you choose to have a food that is not so good, you are eating with full awareness. Gradually, you will come to improve your diet, whether this happens naturally, or by use of some outside resources or guidance. 

It may be useful to read some of the many new books on diet and nutrition, or attend some classes on how to cook healthy food. Many hatha yoga and yoga meditation teachers, doctors, hospitals, and health food stores know where such classes are offered. 

Water: Once again, giving food advice can be an extremely complex matter, while at the same time simple. While you are working on improving food choices, as discussed above, there is one simple practice that is fitting for everybody, and that is to have enough fluid intake. The best way to do this is to drink lot of water. 

Recommendations on the amount of water to drink vary, but as a minimum, eight large glasses per day is a good place to start. This means about two quarts or two liters. Even double that amount is a good amount the keep the system cleaned. One rule of thumb is to note the color of your urine. After sleeping, and taking in no fluid, it naturally has coloring. However, if you notice during the day that your urine is clear, it is a good sign of getting enough water. 

The best way to take water is to use room temperature water, and just drink it down. If you are not used to this, it might take doing it a few times to be comfortable with it. Once you are accustomed to it, it is quite beneficial. 

Vitamins and holes: There are also many opinions about taking vitamin supplements, and while it is not intended here to get into that debate, there is one principle that is worthy of note. That is, you can sometimes have a "hole" in your nutrient intake. There may be even a single important vitamin or mineral that you are not getting in your diet, and you don't even know it. 

One approach to deal with this is to take a good multivitamin on a regular basis. Or, you might want to do this for a short period, say 30 days, and notice if you feel any different. If you notice any difference, you may have discovered you have a "hole" in your diet, and can explore what is needed to fill that deficiency in your food intake. Or, you can adjust your vitamin intake to take care of that deficiency, or continue with the multivitamin. Again, the point here is to be aware of the possibility of a "hole" in your nutrient intake, so that you can deal with it. 

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Sleep 

Having regularity in sleeping patterns is quite important for yoga meditation. It means having both a regular time to sleep and a regular time to arise. Such straightforward regulation of sleep patterns, though seemingly basic, is an extremely important foundation for meditation. 

While it is true that one advanced in yoga meditation requires less sleep, this does not come solely from discipline of sleeping little. That the  dream cycle of sleep is therapeutic is recognized both by psychologists and yogis. The usefulness of the dream cycle has to do with the processing or playing out of wants, wishes, and desires that are not allowed space in our waking state. 

The yogi, on the other hand, becomes more familiar with the contents of his or her mind. These streams of thought patterns are allowed to play out during the witness stance of yoga meditation. Then, when it is time for sleep to come, there is less need for unconscious processing time. The yogi willfully goes to deep sleep, rests at all levels, then arises into the waking state, refreshed, to go on in external activities. 

There are typically five dream cycles per night, each of about 90 minutes in length. Generally, the first two are deep sleep, and the later three cycles are of progressively shallower dreaming states. This is the reason that one often recalls more easily those dreams that are just before arising in the morning.

As the yogi begins to be more and more open to, and accepting of the natural stream of thought patterns, the later cycle is needed less. Thus, one may find that four cycles are sufficient, or about six hours of sleep per day. As life becomes even more balanced, and the unconscious is increasingly witnessed and accepted in yoga meditation, the fourth cycle may gradually begin to fall away. Four to five hours of sleep then becomes sufficient. Eventually, an advanced yogi may find that three hours of sleep is sufficient (and even that three hours is done consciously through yoga nidra, yogic sleep). 

One may also notice that the quality of sleep improves with the shift to acceptance of thought streams in yoga meditation. One may increasingly find that time is spent resting, but not really sleeping. For example, one may still be lying down for 6-7 hours, but find that a portion of that time is only half-asleep, as streams of images and impressions are witnessed, so as to allow them to lose their strength. This is a part of the process of attaining non-attachment, or vairagya. 

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Sex 

Yoga does not mean abstinence from sex, as is sometimes misunderstood. There is a practice called Brahmacharya, which is often translated as celibacy. The word literally translates as "resting in Brahman," or "cultivating the awareness of the Absolute Reality". 

The effect of this practice of constant remembrance of the Oneness, Divine, Truth, or God  is that the senses are not so easily distracted. Thus, the regulation of the senses is the natural byproduct of the very positive practice of remembrance of Truth. It is definitely not a case of "white-knuckled" restraint of the sexual urge, or of any of the other sensory desires. 

There are two paths, the path of renunciation, and the path of worldly life. In one there is complete abstinence from sex, and in the other there is wise regulation of the sex life. Both are valid paths. 

We are a diversity of peoples, societies, and cultures, and there are many different ways in which we learn what is proper sexual conduct. It is not our place in this writing to dictate what is and is not proper sexual conduct. It is a matter that each person must decide for himself or herself within the context of his or her own life circumstance. 

The issue of sex and sadhana (spiritual practices) is very practical. Regardless of one's background, it should be self evident that a poorly regulated sex life can lead to external problems in life, as well as internal anxieties. A well-balanced, healthy sex life can leave one with peace of mind and emotional stability. That peace of mind and emotional stability, while not directly causing meditation, allows a stability from which meditation can more easily occur. 

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Self-preservation 

Self-preservation is the deepest and strongest of the primitive urges. To regulate the primitive urge of self-preservation means you need to feel safe in your personal world. This includes such factors as reasonable levels of family, social, environmental, and financial security and stability. 

Theoretically, if you were a highly advanced meditator or a wandering monk, you would realize that none of these factors could disturb the tranquility of your meditation. However, those who live “in the world” must acknowledge these necessities. The key word is having reasonable levels of security and stability. Develop a lifestyle which is one of reasonable security and stability.

There is no amount of external security which can bring the complete contentment which is being sought. That can come only through knowing your deepest Self, where your own Self is the Self of all, where there is no longer an “other” which is perceived to be a threat to self-preservation. 

Along the way, the meditator discovers that fears are gradually being seen clearly, and understood as misunderstandings in the unconscious. The fears begin to evaporate as limitations. Then the meditator comes to know that yoga meditation really can be done in virtually any place or circumstance.

Four Means and Six VirtuesSadhana Chatshtaya / Shatsampat

by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati SwamiJ.com 

Four Means of practice (sadhana chatushtaya), which include Six Virtues (shatsampat), are cultivated on the path of Self-Realization by the school ofVedanta or Jnana Yoga. These allow a clear, steady foundation for the three stages of the practices of listening to the teachings (sravana), reflecting on those teachings (manana), and deep contemplative meditation on those principles (niddhidhyasana).

1. Discrimination (viveka): The first of the four means is that of discrimination. It is the gradual unfolding of the ability to explore and discern the difference between the real and the unreal (sat and asat), the permanent and the temporary (nitya and anitya), self and not-self (atman and anatman). Discrimination (viveka) is also a foundation principle of the Yoga Sutras, and is included in Sutras 2.26-2.29, 3.53-3.56, 4.22-4.26, and 4.29.The forms of misunderstanding (avidya) mentioned here have also been described in Yoga Sutra 2.5.

2. Non-attachment (vairagya): As a natural byproduct of discrimination, there is an decrease in attraction to the objects of the world and the inner desires for those worldly fruits. It is a process of gently reducing the coloring of attractions and aversions in the inner field of mind. This dispassion does not mean abandoning ones responsibilities to other people or to fulfilling of ones duties to society at large. One who has successfully cultivated non-attachment is actually more effective in the world, as well as more prepared for the subtleties of seeking Truth. Non-attachment is also a major foundation of Yoga, and is described in Yoga Sutras 1.12-1.15.

3. Six virtues (shat sampat): Six virtues, areas of mental training, and attitudes are cultivated so as to stabilize the mind and emotions, allowing the deep practice of contemplative meditation to be performed.

1) Tranquility (shama): Intentional cultivating an inner attitude of tranquility, peace of mind, or contentment is a foundation on which the other practices can rest.

2) Training (dama): Training of the senses (indriyas) means the responsible use of the senses in positive, useful directions, both in our actions in the world and the nature of inner thoughts we cultivate.

3) Withdrawal (uparati): With a proper inner attitude of tranquility, and the training of the senses, there also comes a sense of satiety, or natural sense of completeness, as if no more of the sensory experience need be sought.

4) Forbearance (titiksha): Forbearance and tolerance of external situations allow one to be free from the onslaught of the sensory stimuli and pressures from others to participate in actions, speech, or thoughts that one knows to be going in a not-useful direction.

5) Faith (shraddha): An intense sense of certainty about the direction one is going keeps one going in the right direction, persisting in following the teachings and practices that have been examined and seen to be productive, useful, and fruit bearing.

6) Focus (samadhana): Resolute focus towards harmonizing and balancing of mind, its thoughts, and emotions, along with the other virtues, brings a freedom to pursue the depth of inner exploration and realization.

4. Longing (mumukshutva): An intense, passionate, longing or desire for enlightenment and liberation from the levels of suffering that comes from the repeated cycles of suffering and delusion. It is a longing that is so strong that it gradually swallows up all of the other, smaller desires.

Three stages of practice: Built on an increasingly solid foundation from these Four Means and Six Virtues, one is ever more able to follow the three stage practices of: 1) listening to the teachings (sravana), 2) reflecting on those teachings (manana), and 3) deep contemplative meditation on those principles (niddhidhyasana). For contemplative meditation, one might deeply absorb and merge with the wisdom of the great contemplations or mahavakyas, or reflect and meditate on the deepest meanings of the OM Mantra.

Archery and the Art of Reducing Karma through Yoga

by Swami Jnaneshvara BharatiHomepage 

The law of karma,A universal principle:

As you sow, so shall you reap.

Reducing karma through archery: The ancient sages of Yoga and Vedanta use the metaphor of Archery as a teaching tool for how to work with and reduce karma through the process of Yoga meditation. In Yoga Meditation, Karma is of three kinds: Sanchita, Kriyamana, and Prarabhda, using the metaphor of three kinds of arrows in archery. Karma Yoga is the Yoga that emphasizes doing Yoga while also doing actions in the world, or Meditation in action.

Index of this web page:  Three Kinds of Arrows & Karma Arrows in the Quiver (Sanchita karma) Arrows in Flight (Prarabhda karma)Arrows in Hand (Kriyamana karma)  Improving Your Aim Letting the Stray Arrows Fall Reducing the Arrows in the Quiver Being a Peaceful Archer  Meditation in Archery 

See also:Karma and the Sources of Actions, Speech and Thoughts

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Three Kinds of Arrows & Karma

Arrows and Karmas: 

There are three kinds of Karma (further described  below): 

1. Sanchita, the vast storehouse of yet unseen impressions  

2. Kriyamana, those currently in front of us to decide or act on   

3. Prarabhda, consequences already playing themselves out 

Similarly, there are three kinds of arrows:

1. Quiver: Arrows in the Quiver (Sanchita karma)

2. Hand: Arrows in Hand (Kriyamana karma)

3. Flight: Arrows in Flight (Prarabhda karma)

This is a very practical tool: The metaphor of the arrows is a practical tool for daily life. The mind easily recalls the visual imagery, which serves as a reminder to do a good job of "shooting the arrows" of actions and speech. 

Decisions: The quality of our decisions leads to the quality of our actions, which means the level of our archery ability. 

Consequences: The aim of the arrows also determines the quality of the consequences that come back from those actions. 

Deep impressions: Those consequences come to rest in the bed of our subconscious as deep impressions (Samskaras) which determine our Karma. 

Recycling: These Samskaras will at some point lead to further thoughts, speech, and actions, that again lead to more consequences. 

Learn to have a good aim: Remembering to act as a skilled Archer is very useful for making decisions that will later have positive consequences on our mental, emotional, and spiritual lives. The key is becoming "a good shot" with the arrows in our hand, while accepting that some of our previously shot arrows are causing painful, unavoidable consequences that need to be dealt with wisely.  

Karma means actions: "Karma" literally translates as "Actions," and is the playing out of the actions resulting from the latent habit patterns, or Samskaras, that are stored in the depth of the mind. 

Stages of karma: There are three stages through which karma flows:

1. Impressions from past consequences: First, there are the deep impressions which come as a result of the storing of consequences from previous actions, and the natural feedback from the senses receiving input. (arrows in the quiver)

2. These impressions come forward: Second, these deep impressions come to the forefront of one's life at some point in time in the future, whether or not it comes with conscious awareness. (arrows in hand)

3. Actions and speech spring forth: Third, there are then actions and speech that spring forth, with or without the wisdom of conscious choice. (arrows in flight)

See also: Karma and the Sources of Actions, Speech and Thoughts

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Arrows in the Quiver (Sanchita karma)

Accumulated impressions: The karmas in the quiver are the accumulated deep impressions (Samskaras) that have been collected over our entire history. Some arrows have been added to the quiver (new Karmas) and others have already been shot (old Karmas), and are no longer in the quiver. 

The formula of karma: The total of the arrows (Samskaras) in our quiver today is the net of the new arrows added, minus the old ones that have been shot. These arrows and deep driving habits in the quiver are called "Sanchita Karma." 

Current karma = Old samskaras 

+ New samskaras added - Old samskaras that have played out

It takes time: Because of the process of playing out old Samskaras while new, more useful ones are added, it takes time for one's balance of karma to improve. In other words, it doesn't happen overnight (recognizing that God, grace, or guru might help).

Predispositions are awaiting opportunity: Along with the playing out of our current Karmas in flight, we also know that there are many predispositions, habit patterns, or Samskaras that there awaiting an opportunity to come into action. Though we may not know exactly what these are, by observing our actions we can infer some of these predispositions. 

Examining and attenuating karma: By a good job of preparation, balancing life, and learning to be a good Archer, one can eventually examine the Samskaras in the quiver

during Yoga Meditation and Yoga Nidra (Yogic sleep). In this way, deeper habit patterns can be attenuated or eliminated through Meditation, provided one has become trained as a good Archer. 

Colored and uncolored impressions: Yoga science speaks of colored (klishta) and uncolored (aklishta) thought patterns. When these deeply colored thought patterns are regulated, and their coloring has been reduced through good archery skills, then one may move on to experience Self-Realization. 

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Arrows in Flight (Prarabhda karma)

Arrow already shot: The arrows in flight are the Karmas that have already started to play themselves out, either in our inner world or in the external world. These are the arrows that have already been shot. The arrows and our actions still in flight are called "Prarabhda Karma." 

They have to run their course: An arrow in flight cannot be called back. It must complete its journey.  Thoughts, speech, and actions that have been set in motion cannot be called back. They too will run their course, bringing consequences or fruits. (Some say that this Karma can be altered by grace.)

New decisions can help: New decisions can be made that balance out the effects of previously shot arrows. This is a good thing to do, as it improves the overall mixture of arrows in flight. However, the original arrows still move towards their fruition. 

Learning to accept our consequences: The lesson for the seeker of Self-Realization is to accept that there are physical, mental, emotional, social, cultural, familial, financial, or material consequences of all of our previous actions (shot arrows). These simply need to be accepted as realities from which we now move forward in our spiritual quest. 

The here and now: The arrows in flight need to be dealt with from the stance of the here-and-now, in the context of how we shoot today's arrows. 

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Arrows in Hand (Kriyamana karma)

The arrows in hand are the most important: The arrows that are in our hands today are the ones that we currently have a choice about where to aim and how to shoot. The arrows and choices in our hands today are called "Kriyamana Karma" (also called "Agami Karma" or "Vartamana Karma").

Becoming more aware: To be aware of the nature of wants, wishes, desires, attractions or aversions is very important. By being aware of our motivations, we can consciously shoot the arrows by choice, rather than unconscious habit. 

Making good decisions: Through cultivating awareness and practicing conscious arrow shooting, we become better at aiming our arrows as well. We make good decisions about our thoughts, emotions, actions, and speech, rather than having these happen solely out of conditioned response. 

Formula for archery: So, the formula, starting with Awareness, is: 

Awareness of motivations: Awareness of motivations allows us to learn to shoot arrows out of choice, rather than habit.

Conscious arrow shooting: Through conscious arrow shooting, the aim gets better with practice.

Outcomes improve: As the aim gets better, the outcomes are more favorable.  Net karma goes down: If the outcomes are more favorable, net Karma goes

down. 

Primitive urges are the background motivation: Behind our actions are many thoughts, emotions, desires, samskaras, and primitive urges. By being aware of the process leading to actions, we can make wise choices about those actions. (See "Karma and the Sources of Actions, Speech, and Thoughts") 

Arrows in daily life: One may have either a few arrows, or many arrows in the quiver (little Karma or a lot of Karma), but what is important is how we deal with the Karma presenting to us in our lives today. This is the art of Archery and reducing Karma. The law of Karma is universal; as you sow, so shall you reap. The words and cultural contexts may differ, but the principle remains the same. Learning to be a Master Archer is the key to mastery over the bondage of Karma. 

Deciding what is the target: Where to aim our arrows is a critically important question. If we don't know what the target is, then it is rather difficult to aim well. Our arrows are shot almost at random, at every want, wish, desire, attraction, or aversion that pops up into the mind. 

Understanding the purpose of life: Deciding what is the target means to understand the purpose of life. If the Archer has a sense of the purpose of life, using whatever words best describe that personally, then there is a target that all of the arrows can be directed

towards. It means that one's decisions are increasingly made in accordance with what brings one closer to the chosen target.

What actions will serve Self-realization?: For one who chooses Self-Realization as the target, then decisions are made on the basis of what brings one closer, or leads one further away from that Goal. 

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Improving Your Aim 

Is it useful or not useful?: This is the most important aspect of the Archery metaphor. It means asking our deep Wisdom, "Is this useful or not useful?" about specific options in front of us. "Does this bring me closer or further away from the goal of Enlightenment?" "Should I do it, or not?" By consulting within in this way, answers will come. 

Consulting Buddhi: In the Four Functions of Mind, the part that knows, decides, judges, and discriminates is called Buddhi. It is through the cultivation of Buddhithat one becomes a better Archer, training Manas (the lower mind) to follow the wise instructions of Buddhi, rather than just following the old habit patterns inChitta (the storehouse of Samskaras, or deep impressions and habits).  

Determining actions by choice: It is a matter of actions being determined by the choice of Buddhi rather than by the unconscious impressions arising from the quiver. It works something like this: 

Once the target, or purpose is known,  When Buddhi can make choices,  And when Manas will listen,  Then the arrows of action are shot in more accurate ways,  And there are fewer negative consequences,  As well as a greater number of useful consequences.   These useful impressions are stored in the quiver.  In turn, these arise to motivate further useful actions, And we experience an overall reduction in our Karma. 

The aim improves by consulting Buddhi: Through this repeated cycle of utilizing Buddhi to determine the aim of the arrows of action, one becomes a better and better Archer. As we become a better Archer, the process of reducing Karma works better and better. 

What to do with the fruits of actions: An important key to shooting our arrows well has to do with the question of who is to receive the fruits of the actions. There are three general choices of where to give the fruits of actions: 

1. The fruits come to me. 

2. The fruits are given to others.  

3. The fruits are offered to God. 

The question of what to do with the fruits of actions is an important part of Karma Yoga, the Yoga of Action, which prepares one to do the deeper practices leading to Self-Realization. 

Selfless service: Consequences of actions breed more actions, and in turn, more consequences. This cycle happens because of one's attachment or aversions to the fruits of the actions. However, the more one practices selfless service, giving away the fruits of the actions to others, then the less those fruits turn into negative consequences that feed the cycle. 

For example, if one is attached to the financial fruits of his or her job, then those financial fruits might be used to seek pleasure in the external world. When those external pleasures end up being inadequate, one might end up seeking even more fruits in an attempt to feel satisfied. 

Other fruits might be, for example, the accolades, recognition, or the internal feelings of accomplishment coming from actions. These too can leave one in a painful cycle of seeking greater and greater fruits in an effort to feel whole and fulfilled. 

A shift in attitude about fruits: However, if the same person has a shift in attitude, whereby the fruits of their labors are for others, such as family, friends, customers, clients, society, or humanity then one is free of the fruits. In other words, one learns to give away the fruits of the actions. Then the inner motive is to serve those other people, not merely to feed one's own sense of personal needs. 

The paycheck, accolades or recognition will still come and be enjoyed, but it is without expectation that these fruits themselves are capable of bringing happiness. When the fruits are given up, then one is free. The feelings of wholeness and fulfillment can then come from within, regardless of the outcomes of the actions. 

Refinement leads to freedom: It is an ongoing feedback loop of shooting arrow, refining one's aim, and shooting again that leads to being a good Archer, and to freedom from the bondage of Karma.

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Letting the Stray Arrows Fall 

Reducing the In-flight arrows: When we start improving our aim, and thus creating fewer attachments and aversions, we also have to deal with the arrows that are already in flight. Some of these in-flight arrows are painful, some are pleasurable. Whether bringing pain or pleasure, the consequences of these previously-shot arrows continues to come, until those arrows find their final destination and completion. 

A simple process: There is a simple process to reducing the in-flight arrows: 

We allow the arrows to fall where they are headed, accepting that some of them were poorly aimed. Past decisions are bringing current consequences. We accept these consequences and their responsibilities, as we stay focused on the arrows in hand. We allow the old arrows to run their course in such a way that we don't add more negative consequences to come. 

Not becoming diverted by the in-flight arrows: Because of these stray arrows, one may easily become diverted from the path of Self-realization. Those old arrows, shot long ago, continue to come and cause problems. Often what happens is that due to these old arrows, still in flight, we end up firing more arrows along the same off-course path. We can end up having just as many arrows in the air that are off-course, rather than seeing the number go down. 

Being kind to ourselves: The solution is to be very kind with ourselves, as we cultivate persistence and patience. We may want spiritual energy, grace, or shakti to come to us, yet one of the first forms of that comes as determination. To have, cultivate, or pray for such determination is an essential practice on the journey to Self-Realization. 

Becoming a good Archer in making useful decisions, developing determination, and practicing patience, form a powerful combination.

Then, the number and intensity of off-course arrows of Karma gradually goes down, as the number that are on-target increases. 

Gradually our karmic focus shifts, as we move more and more towards a greater integration of mind, and reduction of samskaras

Then our meditations and contemplations can progress more smoothly and quickly on the Journey Within. 

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Reducing the Arrows in the Quiver (Sanchita karma)

The past impressions: The entire collection of the deep impressions (samskaras) that forms our past karma is the Prarabhda karma. Mostly, it sits in latent form until such time as some of it is ready to come to life, first in the mind-field, and then in the external world through actions and speech. 

They start a cycling process: As these impressions turn into action, their consequences often come back through the senses, get processed by the mind and make still more impressions in the deep unconscious. The cycle of impression-action-consequence-impression goes on and on. 

Be more mindful of choices and actions: However, by being more mindful of the nature of our choices and actions, we can allow our karmas to play themselves out, while not replacing them with new binding consequences being added to the quiver. Then we can have a reduction in the total Karmas stored in those Samskaras. 

Examining and attenuating the latent arrows: The combination of having fewer arrows in the quiver and fewer negative arrows in flight leads the aspirant to do an even better job of examining and attenuating those remaining Samskaras during Yoga Meditation. 

It can seem to be getting worse: Paradoxically, the Karmic arrows in the quiver might come to the surface in big clusters. It can seem that problems in life are getting worse! The life, consequences and actions coming forth might appear to be very unspiritual. This is the reason that there are stories of saints doing outrageous behaviors, as some of the few remaining Karmas manifest. 

Self-Realization does not require removing all the arrows: The experience of the Self does not depend on having 100% of the Samskaras removed, such that there is no more Karma. Self-Realization does not stop the flow of the Karmas playing out, nor necessarily remove the latent Karmas in the storehouse. Though some of the seeds of karma may become so weakened or "burned" in the fire of Consciousness that they can no longer bear fruit, others remain. 

The potter's wheel continues to turn: The sages use the metaphor of the potter's wheel. After the pot is made, the potter's wheel continues to turn because of its previous impetus. So too, the Karmic impressions in the quiver continue to drive thoughts, actions, and speech. However, the aspirant becomes better and better at directing those forces when they arise. Even Patanjali (codifier of the Yoga Sutra) gives instructions of how to handle breaks in enlightenment by continuing to purify the latent impressions. 

Efficiently working with karma: At this phase of Archery training, one has become a Master Archer, and does an efficient job of working through the remaining Karmas while remaining in the world, but above the world. 

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Being a Peaceful Archer

Archery in Yoga Meditation: Having a good aim in decisions and actions of daily life reduces Karma by having "the new" come into play, as "the old" works itself out. The same process is also done during Yoga Meditation. 

Meditation in Action: In the external world, the Yogi allows the old Karmas (the arrows in flight) to play themselves out. In the internal world, the Yogi also allows the old Karmas to play themselves out, as the inner drama is observed from the vantage point of a Witness. For this reason, both "Meditation" and "Meditation in Action" are a part of Archery and the Art of Reducing Karma. 

Seated meditation: In seated Meditation one allows the thought patterns come forward, learns to be undisturbed, unaffected, and uninvolved in them. They come, and they go. In this way, the intensity of the coloring of the deep impressions gradually attenuates. This is a process whereby the colored Samskaras (klishta) gradually have their coloring dissipated, as the thought patterns move towards being completely uncolored (aklishta). 

Meditation and Meditation in Action: When the Samskaras weaken through Yoga Meditation, they can be more easily played out in daily life. When the Samskaras weaken through the actions of daily life, then they can more easily be played out in Meditation. The two practices of Meditation and Meditation in Action go hand in hand.

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Meditation in Archery

Good Archery removes the veil over the Self: Being a good Archer does not in itself bring Self-Realization. Rather, it is a means of reducing and removing obstacles. Learning the art of Archery reduces Karma so that one can rest in the stillness and silence. 

Then, through the practices of Meditation, Contemplation, Prayer, and remembering Word or Mantra, the Self that has been there all along can be Realized. 

Karma

Reducing Karma and the Sources ofNegative Actions, Speech, and Thoughts

by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati 

This article is available in print:

 

The word Karma literally means action. It may appear that Karma is happening to us, as if some outside force is causing good things orbad things to come to us. However, it is really our own innerconditionings and processes that are leading us to experience outereffects or consequences in relation to our own actions.

 

 

Outline of the process of Karma: The process of Karma is outlined in the chart at the left. 

As you scroll down through this article, you will find detailed descriptions of each of the stages on the chart. The particular section being described is highlighted in blue in the accompanying chart.

It is also useful to read these pages about karma:

Three Types of Karma   Reducing Karma - Yoga Sutras   Karma and Non-Attachment Karma articles Index  

Law of Karma: The law of Karma is a universal process, whereby causes lead to effects. This is something that all of us are already familiar with, whether or not we use the wordKarma to describe it. Newton's third law of motion, that every action leads to a reaction, is an application of the law of Karma. Whether we are talking about physics or daily life in the world, it is extremely useful to understand the law and process of Karma so that we may regulate or direct the process. We can soften the impact of the playing out of our past Karmas, and can choose our own future Karma if we are willing to put in

the effort to learn how to do it.

Remember the Bliss beyond Karma: When journeying through the process of Karma, it can start to feel a bit heavy with all the explanations and inner explorations. The best companion on this journey through Karma is to remember that we are trying to experience that Bliss, Joy, or Absolute Truth, which is beyond, behind, or underneath all of the Karma. By remembering that the goal is Joy, Bliss, or Absolute, we (and the mind) will have a focal point and a context for all of the efforts put into sadhana (spiritual practices). Above all else, seek that Joy or Bliss.

See also the article:Bindu: Pinnacle of Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra

 VIDEO: Sam Skara, Terminator of Karma 

(More YouTube videos by Swami J)

 

Two Essential Terms

 

Two essential terms: To understand the meaning of Karma, and to reduce its control through Yoga, one needs to understand another term, and that is Samskara. Karma literally means actions, and those actions come from the deep impressions of habit that are calledSamskaras.

These two act together: Our actions and speech bring us experiences or consequences in the world. Those, in turn, lead to further creation of deep impressions (Samskaras) in the basement of the mind. Later, those latent impressions come to life and create still further experiences.

We must deal with both: If we want the higher insights and freedoms, we need to deal with both our actions and these habits. 

Samskara is the most important principle: The most important principle to understand about Karma is the principle of the Samskara, those deep impressions. It is those deep impressions or seed habit patterns, which are at the root of ALL of our Karmas, whether we think of that Karma as good or bad. There are two general things we need to do in relation to those Samskaras: 

External: Allow some Samskaras to wisely play out externally in our life, in ways that allow us to become free from them recycling into more and more loops of habitual actions. (See Archery article)

Internal: Let go of other Samskaras internally by attenuating the colorings of attractions, aversions, and fears through the processes meditation, contemplation, and prayer.

Karma Yoga: To purify or attenuate the Samskaras while one is doing actions in the

world is the Yoga known as Karma Yoga. This involves being aware or mindful of our actions and speech, and seeing their sources in emotions and the subtler processes of the mind. Karma Yoga also involves doing our actions in ways, which are of benefit to others (service or seva), freeing ourselves from the cycles of feeding egotism.

Subtler freedom through Meditation: The subtler, finer colorings of Samskaras are systematically encountered, weakened, reduced, eliminated and transcended through the process of meditation. This is outlined in greater detail in the Yoga Sutras, including the first 25 Sutras of Chapter 2. 

Cycling process of the inner instruments: To experience the Eternal Self beyond the many forms, one needs to experientially understand the cycling process of the inner instruments that drives Karma (actions). This cycling process between actions and the deep impressions also is affected by the inner thinking process, the emotions, primitive urges, and the ignorance called Avidya. All of these are infused with or operated by the pure consciousness, which is at the core of our being. (These are described in the article.)

Attenuating the deep impressions: By observing this process in one's own inner laboratory of Yoga Meditation, the effects of deep impressions (Samskaras) can be reduced, and thus, Karma regulated. This process of attenuating Samskaras and Karmaincreasingly allows attention to shift to the viewing point of Witness of it all. 

The cycle of actions (Karma): 

...arises from a mostly unconscious thought process,  ...that is inspired by the inner passions of "I-am-ness"  ...and specific desires ("I want..."),  ...that is filtered through layers of deep impressions (Samskaras),  ...that are inspired by primitive urges  ...that first arise with the individuation of the wave from the ocean of Oneness.

 

Three Freedoms

 

Three freedoms come: There are three general stages of freedom that come from this process of dealing with Karma: 

1. Freedom from Actions: Freedom from the bondage of Karma (actions), meaning that one does not necessarily have to act out of habit, but is free to make choice. 

2. Freedom from Thought: Freedom from the bondage of Thought, meaning that one has the ability to regulate thoughts and emotions in positive ways, not being merely dragged around by the conditionings of the mind. 

3. Freedom from Ignorance: Freedom from the bondage of Ignorance, meaning that one has become free from the primal forgetting of ones True nature, and of the temporary, painful nature of things. 

Emerging freedoms: These three freedoms emerge in stages. The direct experience of the Center of Consciousness, the Self, leads towards all three of these freedoms.

Observe and Regulate your actions and speech: One of the first things to do in sadhana (spiritual practices) is to regulate actions and speech, promoting the positive and useful, while setting aside the negative and not useful. This is the first part of breaking the cycles of actions and reactions, or Karma. In Yoga, this includes practicing the Yamas, which are not harming, truthfulness, not stealing, remembering higher truth, and not being possessive (Yoga Sutras 2.30-2.34). Initially these practices might be done on the more surface level, like behavioral psychology, but later are done on a subtler level through meditation (Yoga Sutras 2.10-2.11). Then the roots of those negative or not useful actions and speech are dealt with through meditation at the level of Samskaras (See the Samskaras level on the chart).

Witness your Emotions and Thoughts: Observe your emotional reactions during the day and you will easily notice that most, if not all of them are one of two types. The emotions are either in getting what you want (or successfully avoiding what you don't want), or not getting what you want (or failing to avoid what you don't want). These emotional reactions will cluster around happiness or pride when we get our way, and frustration or jealousy when we do not get our way. These reactions might be intense or very mild. One of the most straightforward and useful practices in observing these emotional reactions is to ask ourselves, "What desire is being fulfilled here?" or "What desire is not being fulfilled here?" In either case, it is very useful to witness these emotional reactions, as they give us clues about the underlying Deep Impressions (Samskaras), and can help us see the way the Four Primitive Urges (see chart) set the stage for these. Then they can be systematically attenuated, eventually revealing the joy and Truth underneath.

Remember and observe the basic forms of Ignorance: It is extremely useful to notice from time to time the many ways in which we forget the subtler realities in our busy daily lives. Avidya means ignorance, to not see clearly. Avidya literally means without-knowledge, as the a- means without, and vidya means knowledge (See Yoga Sutra 2.5). We may observe, for example, some frustration when something we own breaks, is lost, or is stolen. The root of the frustration comes because of forgetting the temporary nature of things. When somebody says something negative about us, we might feel hurt or become defensive because of the root forgetting of who I

am, thinking that I am my personality. Remembering the reality of things can help lead to freedom, though we will also need to deal with these in subtler meditation. (See the Avidya/Ignorance level on the chart )

 

About the descriptions below...Descriptions from inner to outer: The descriptions below explain the process of Karma by starting at the subtlest level and then progressively moving outward. One after the other, the process emerges through these levels until there is finally a playing out of actions (Karmas) in the external world. The particular section being described is highlighted in blue in the accompanying chart.  

Center of Consciousness

  

Center: Underneath all of the levels and layers of inner process affecting Karma is the Center of Consciousness (or whatever name one chooses to call it). Understanding the process of Karma and its sources does not require one to use or believe in any particular term or concept for this ultimate level that we are here calling Center of Consciousness. The principles and processes of Karma apply to all people, regardless of how we might conceive this core of consciousness.

Conditioning: It is the conditioning of this otherwise pure consciousness that relates to Karma and the sources of actions, speech, and thoughts. The Center of Consciousness has been placed on this chart so that we can see the way in which this conditioning process happens.

Be ever mindful of your Center: Cultivate an attitude of constant awareness of the core of your being, or center of consciousness. It doesn't matter whether you use these terms, or refer to that center as Self, Soul, Atman, or some other name. It is very useful to be mindful of that center while doing your actions in the world. Attention may not be there continuously, but can pop into awareness from time to time. This allows you to see the way in which the center is, as the name says, the center from which all of the other deep habits, emotions, thoughts, actions and speech emerge.

Remembering often: To recall this center of consciousness is a frequent reminder thatwho I am is independent of these habits or Samskaras (though we are responsible for them), much as if we were to see ourselves as being electricity, independent of the machines or instruments we might operate. This practice is a real key to internalizing or remembering the whole of this process of Karma, and learning how to deal with it. This is often called Meditation in Action or Mindfulness.

 

 Avidya / Ignorance

 

Avidya/Ignorance: Avidya means ignorance, or to not see clearly. Ignorance does not mean stupid or lacking in intelligence, but refers to the root ability to ignore.

Wave forgets it is ocean: Imagine an ocean, which is an ocean of consciousness, and that the wave forgets that its essential nature is that of the ocean itself. That forgetting, or ignoring, allows the wave to think that it is an individual, independent of the ocean. We humans do this too; we forget we are part of the whole, and declare, "I am so-and-so."

See also Yoga Sutras on Avidya or Ignorance:

Sutras 2.3-2.4 on five colorings Sutra 2.5 on four kinds of Avidya

Kinds of Avidya: The aspect of Avidya that has to do with our fundamental forgetting that we are part of the whole is an extremely subtle part of our being. However, this process also manifests in more surface ways as well. For example, Avidya (ignorance) sets the stage for us to confuse pain for pleasure, impure thoughts for pure thoughts, temporary for long lasting, and our actions as being our identity. You might want to read through Yoga Sutra 2.5 on types of Avidya.

Opens the door to Karma: This primal forgetting or ignorance of Avidya allows for thepossibility of the chains of Karma, or cause and effect. Imagine for a moment that you were a totally enlightened sage, and that you never, ever, lost touch with your eternal Self. If you were in that state, you would be free, at all times, even when actions were playing out! However, those who are not free, who do have Karma, are influenced by this foundation of Ignorance or Avidya. In forgetting our True Nature and falsely identifying ourselves with the objects of the world that are stored in the mind, we are subject to the playing out of the seemingly endless cycles of desires and actions, cause and effect. The whole process of Karma begins with, or rests on the foundation of Avidya or Ignorance.

Avidya/Ignorance is like Forgetting...

The wave forgets the truth that it is ocean, thinking itself to be the grand shape, which it has temporarily taken.

For a while, it takes on the rupa (form) of wave.Finally, it remembers its true rupa (form) of ocean.

The two coexist, though one is true, and theother, though beautiful, is only relatively true.

So too, we humans forget our true nature,but, through Yoga, can remember.

Avidya is an ability: This Avidya or Ignorance is actually an ability or skill, in addition to being the most subtle obstacle; it is not all bad. While it is true that Avidya masks our True Nature, it also allows us to function in the world. Imagine that you did not have the ability to ignore all of the thoughts going on in your unconscious mind at a given moment. This could be a state of what psychologists call flooding of unconscious material, which might be called psychosis. If we were masters of non-attachment

(See Yoga Sutras 1.15-1.16), then we could be completely open, with no Avidya or Ignorance, and we would be unaffected by that flood of thoughts. That would be a state of complete freedom from the bondage of Karma, the bondage of thought, and the bondage of Avidya. However, in the meantime, it is good to see how Avidya sets the stage for the play of Karma, so we can do the practical work in our daily lives as spiritual aspirants.

 Four Primitive Fountains

 

Four Primitive Fountains: All creatures share some common drives, which form the root of all other drives, wants, wishes, or motives, which might be more specific in nature. While you might see other nuances within these, there are four basic urges for food, sleep, sex, and self-preservation.

Food Sleep  Sex Self-preservation

Others come from these: These are calledfountains because other drives spring from these four, combining and recombining in many complex combinations.

See also the articles:Lifestyle and the Four Basic UrgesFour Primitive Fountains 

Generalized urges: These four primitive urges are very generalized, while the ensuing experiences of life lead to more particularized drives, habits, or conditionings. Thus, for example, all creatures have a drive toward sustenance, which we can broadly call food. However, humans have a narrower range of appropriate food compared to others. For example, the food of an algae growing in a pond might be different than what people eat. As our food drive becomes more particularized, we might develop a predisposition for healthy food or tasty food, for apples or chocolate.

Also open the door to Karma: As was mentioned above in relation to Avidya or Ignorance, these very broad Primitive Urges also allow for the next level of conditionings to occur, where we start to get a real feel for the nature of Karma and how we actually deal with it in our spiritual lives and meditation practices.

 Deep Impressions / Samskaras

 

Deep impressions drive Karma: There are many layers and levels of Samskaras, the stored impressions resulting from actions and desires, asleep in the unconscious.

Latent, but with potential: In their latent form, these Samskaras have no immediate impelling force to action, but only the potentialfor such action. These are the driving force of our Karma. Sometimes the Samskaras become active, and then they motivate and control the mind and the emotions, which in turn leads to the possibility of actions (Karma).

Sleeping desires: Just as a person may sleep, these latent impressions are usually asleep, so to speak. It is only when they become active that they stir into active desires.

Two essential terms: To understand the meaning of Karma, and to reduce it's control, one needs to understand another term, and that is Samskara. Karma literally means actions, and those actions come from the deep impressions of habit that are called Samskaras.

These two act together: Our actions and speech bring us experiences or consequences in the world. Those, in turn, lead to further creation of deep impressions (Samskaras) in the basement of the mind. Later, those latent impressions come to life and create still further experiences.

We must deal with both: If we want the higher spiritual freedoms and insights, it is necessary not only to deal with the external actions or behavior, but also with the deep,internal impressions or Samskaras. These must be systematically encountered, weakened, eliminated, and transcended.

Karma Yoga: To purify or attenuate the Samskaras while one is doing actions in the world is the Yoga known as Karma Yoga. This involves being aware or mindful of our actions and speech, and seeing their sources in emotions and the subtler processes of the mind. Karma Yoga also involves doing our actions in ways, which are of benefit to others, freeing ourselves from the cycles of feeding egotism. (Four Paths of Yoga: Jnana, Bhakti, Karma, Raja)

Subtler freedom through Meditation: The subtler, finer colorings of Samskaras are systematically encountered, weakened, reduced, eliminated and transcended through

the process of meditation (See Yoga Sutras, including the first 25 Sutras of Chapter 2). 

Cycling process of the inner instruments: To experience the Eternal Self beyond the many forms, one needs to experientially understand the cycling process of the inner instruments that drives Karma (actions). This cycling process between actions and the deep impressions also is affected by the inner thinking process, the emotions, primitive urges, and the ignorance called Avidya (See Yoga Sutra 2.5 for more info about Ignorance or Avidya). All of these are infused with or operated by the pure consciousness, which is at the core of our being.

Attenuating the deep impressions: By observing this process in one's own inner laboratory of Yoga Meditation, the effects of deep impressions (Samskaras) can be reduced, and thus, Karma regulated. This process of attenuating Samskaras and Karmaincreasingly allows attention to shift to the viewing point of Witness of it all.

Samskaras must be examined and purified: To make progress in regulating Karma, the Samskaras need to be examined and purified, which means to gradually attenuatetheir intensity, until they can finally be completely purified in the inner fire of pure consciousness. This is an important part of the process of Yoga Meditation and Yoga Nidra as tools to deal with Karma.

Uncoloring Your Colored Thoughts

Yoga Sutras: Breaking the alliance of Karma: The key to breaking the cycle of karma is that the connection between seer and that which is seen is set aside (2.17). This allows one to avoid even the future karmas that have not yet manifested (2.16). Ignorance, or avidya (2.5), is the cause of this alliance (2.24), and eliminating this ignorance is the means of ending the alliance (2.25). This, in turn, breaks the cycle of karma.(See Yoga Sutras 2.12-2.25 for deeper explanations on the process of breaking the alliance of Karma.)

See the beginning of this article: The relationship of Samskaras to the whole of the process of karma, and this relationship is also explained at the beginning of this article.

See also these articles:

Three Types of Karma  

Reducing Karma - Yoga Sutras   Uncoloring your Colored Thoughts   Four Functions of Mind  (particularly chitta, the storage of Samskaras)

 

 Emotions

 

Emotions: These three lines in the chart relate to Emotions, and are further explained in their individual sections.

Which comes first? It is a very common to ask, "Which comes first, thoughts or emotions?" The answer is, "both!" By understanding the law and process of Karma, this is easy to see.

When the Deep Impressions or Samskaras are triggered or awakened, they align with the primary Emotion of Desire itself.

The emotional process then leads to a thought process that is typically only partially conscious.

This leads to the surface mental awareness of the thoughts and the ensuing actions and speech.

Latent thoughts > Emotions > Active thoughts: Thus, we see that the latent thought impressions (stored from our countless experiences) lead to an emotional process, which then lead to an active thought process, which, in turn, leads to actions and speech. This Active thought process occurs through an aspect of mind called manas in Yoga science and sensory-motor mind in psychology.(See manas in the article, Four Functions of Mind)

Witness the Emotions often during daily life: It is extremely useful to become a witness to our own emotional processes during our actions in the world. Isn't it true that we often, and easily observe the gestures, body language, and emotional reactions ofothers? If we can so easily see it in others, we can also see it in ourselves. By clearly seeing our own positive and negative emotions (those are the culprits), we can promote or strengthen the positive, useful emotions like love, compassion, benevolence, and acceptance (See Yoga Sutra 1.33 for meditation on these positive emotions). Witnessing our own body language, speech, actions, and our emotional reactions will give us a mirror reflection of our Deep Impressions or Samskaras. It also allows us to see the predictable ways in which the Four Primitive Fountains (food, sleep, sex, self-preservation) play out. Thus, we not only learn to regulate our emotions in positive ways, but also come to see the roots from which they arise. This self-witnessing in daily life is a major part of Karma Yoga, going along with doing our actions selflessly for others.

 Emotion of Desire / Kama

 

Desire as it's own entity: Kama is desire itself (a different word than Karma, which meansactions stemming from desire), and is one of the two primary emotions (along with ahamkara).Kama is the mother of all other desires. It gives rise to both the desire to satisfy the senses, and the beneficial desire to help others selflessly.

Desire is a single process: Regardless of the particular object being desired, the process of Desire itself is the same. The same wanting, wishing, or longing, etc., is there. Think of examples in your own life and you will see this clearly, that there is a fundamental wave of Desire, which then associates with particular objects.

Kama, not Karma: Note the the word for desire is kama (without the letter "r"), and that the word for actions is karma (with the letter "r"), which are two different words and concepts.

Think of your favorite desires: Whether the desire is for your favorite food, the comfort of family life, success on your job, money in the bank, or a new car, the desire itself is the same. With some reflection, it becomes easy to see the way in which the prime desire allies itself with the particular objects. This is not bad, and is not to suggest that one should suddenly attempt to abandon all desires in the world. Rather, it means being aware of how the unconscious process of karma works so that those desires do not make you a slave to their intensity.

Kama is the prime desire: Kama is the prime desire, and from this impelling force arise all of the other, specific desires. It is this prime force of kama which motivates a person to do anything and everything. Kama is blind desire that has not yet been related with any particular objects or thoughts. It is the nature of kama that it has no sense of discrimination, judgment or understanding. Kama then associates itself with deep impressions (Samskaras), and that combination then motivates one to do something simply to fulfill that desire—solely because it exists.

Desire pulls one outward: All of these desires draw one outward, into the domains of mind and the physical world, so as to seek to fulfill the desires, either in Dreaming or Waking states. The fulfilling of these desires is Karma, stimulated by kama.

One desire stands alone: There is one desire that stands alone as different. That is, the desire for Truth, Reality, Self, or God, and this desire alone draws the attention inward, past all of the other desires, conditionings of Samskaras, Karma, and Primitive Fountains. (See the paper on the koshas.)

Association of Desire and objects is key: By seeing the way this uniform process of Desire associates with numerous objects, we come to see a universal need to gain some degree of mastery over the process of Desire itself. If we can do that, even to a small degree, we can start to regulate our actions and speech, which alters our consequences in beneficial ways. This changes the Deep Impressions or Samskaras in the basement of the mind.

 Unfulfilled Desires / Fulfilled Desires

 

Desire combines with Samskaras: In the previous section on the Emotion of Desire itself (Kama), desire is seen to be its own motivating force. It is a coloring, so to speak, which then associates with the latent impressions (Samskaras) in the bed of the lake of the mind. There is one essence of desire and manyobjects to which it might associate. Thus, there may be countless possibilities of "desired objects," while there remains only one coloring of desire itself.

Desire works in 1 of 2 ways: Once there is a particular desire (or aversion, which is also a desire of sorts), there are only two possibilities: 

1. You do get what you want.2. You do not get what you want.

 

When desire is NOT fulfilled: If one's desire (kama) is not achieved or fulfilled, then there is the emotion of frustration or anger, which is called krodha. Anger results from unfulfilled desires that one has not learned how to arrange, to pacify, or to understand. It means that there is a desire that needs to be understood and resolved. Jealousy, matsarya, comes when one doesn’t have something that he wants and someone else does. 

There are many other words that describe the subtleties of emotional resistance when desires are not fulfilled. However, they all involve a sort of "pushing against," similar to that with anger. 

When desire IS fulfilled: If one's desire (kama) is achieved or fulfilled, then there is the emotion of pride, or muda, having what others do not. When one attains what is longed for, then attachment comes; this attachment is called moha. Moha is the incorrect sense that, “This is mine!” When one is attached to something, one becomes greedy, which is called lobha. Once there is attachment to something, it is as if one can never have enough. 

There are many other words that describe the subtleties of emotional attraction when desires are fulfilled. However, they all involve a "drawing towards," similar to that which comes with pride or greed. 

See also this article on Emotions:Two Faces of Emotions in Yoga Psychology

Four Meditations on Positive Emotions: Yoga suggests meditation on four positive emotions as a means of stabilizing and clearing the mind. These four are meditations on love, compassion, benevolence, and acceptance (See Yoga Sutra 1.33 for meditation on these positive emotions). Meditation on these positive emotions is done both by being mindful of them during the day, and also consciously, intentionally practicing them at your regular meditation time. Meditation on these attitudes brings a tremendous amount of freedom from difficult relationships with the people in our personal lives, and our fellow humans in general. To feel an ever increasing sense of love, compassion, benevolence, and acceptance is a beautiful experience.

Preparing for advanced meditations: In relation to the whole of the process of dealing with Karma and enlightenment, these meditations on attitudes or emotions are preliminary, and set the stage for the more advanced meditations to come later. In the later meditations, the aspirant is seeking out the roots, which are beyond, or deeper than the emotions, however beautiful and alluring those might be. The seeker of enlightenment is seeking all of the levels of freedom (described above), so as to

eventually experience the highest Bliss and Truth beyond.

 Emotion of Ahamkara / Ego

 

Either way, Ego may increase: Whether desires are fulfilled or not fulfilled, Ego can increase.

If desires are fulfilled, Ego can increase because of the pride and other emotions associated with attaining ones goals. Ego even further takes on the identities related to those objects of desire.

If desires are not fulfilled, Ego can increase because of the frustration and other emotions associated with not attaining ones goals. Ego seeks to defend its stance, and thus increases.

Either way, one can end up facing the challenge of an increased sense of Ego.

Ego and desire are two primary emotions: Egoism, or ahamkara, is one of the two primary emotions (along with the prime desire, kama). Notice carefully how this works.

Two meanings of "Ego" It is extremely important to understand that the word Ego is used in two different ways. One is the psychological use of the word and the other is according to Yoga. Both are equally valid and the terms can properly be used in both ways. However, it is necessary to know the two concepts so that it is easy to discern which way the word is being used in a given sentence.

See the section on Two Egos in the Four Functions of Mind article.

Ego gives individuality and separation: Because of ahamkara, we are individuals, but then ahamkara also separates us from the whole. This “I” refers to ourselves as separate from others, and becomes the center of our lives.

Four functions of mind: To understand the origin of ahamkara (the "I"), it is very important to understand the Four Functions of Mind. We are like a wheel, which needs both spokes and a hub to rotate. The hub is the still Center of Consciousness and the four spokes are the four functions of mind, one of which is ahamkara. The Four Functions of Mind are:

Ahamkara, the ego or "I-maker" Manas, the sensory-motor mind that directs the ten senses

or indriyas Buddhi, which knows, decides, judges, and discriminates Chitta, the storehouse of all of these, along with the

countless deep impressions).

 

Emotion is stronger than intelligence: Intelligence has no power before bhava, the power of emotion. But intelligence, if properly handled, can channel emotional power so that we can use it positively. Learning to use bhava properly is essential to successful living and working with Karma. If one can use that emotional power, the highest state of ecstasy can be attained in a second’s time.

Spiritual bliss is not an emotion: It is important to note that the emotions of personality that interact with mental process are at a different level of reality or consciousness than the bliss, or ananda that is deeper in our being. This is explained in  an article on the Koshas (sheaths), paying particular attention to the descriptions of manamaya kosha and anandamaya kosha.

 Thoughts

 

Actions come from thoughts: No action (Karma) can ever be performed unless we think of, or want it to happen at some level of mind. 

Habit patterns define personality: Our personalities have been woven by our habit patterns (Samskaras and Karma), and our habit patterns are the result of our repetitive actions. If we look at ourselves closely, we will realize that our habits really are our personality. In a sense, we become our Karma, while at the same time the true Self resides there, underneath, all along. 

Emotions control thoughts, which control actions: The real motivation for actions (Karma) is our thoughts. All of our actions are controlled by our thoughts, and all our thoughts are controlled by our emotions. Compared with our emotions, thought has little power.

 Actions and Speech

 

Mind functions through ten senses: Actions and speech involve the use of the five active senses (karmendriyas) of eliminating, reproducing, moving, grasping, and speaking, and the five cognitive senses (jnanendriyas) of smelling, tasting, seeing, touching, and hearing. The mind functions through these ten senses (indriyas). (Each of these operates sequentially from the first five chakras.)

Conscious is controlled by unconscious: Whenever an event occurs that relates to an impression in the deep bed of the mind, then the deep impression or Samskara becomes active and starts the process of manifesting theKarma. The conscious mind is actually controlled by the unconscious, which is why we can have some difficulty making progress in our growth and spiritual life. 

Consequences control our lives: All of our actions bring responses that leave an impression in the unconscious mind. These impressions become our Samskaras and then control our lives. Thus, a cycling process continues, day after day, life after life, and this process is known as Karma.

Training the senses and actions: The training of our senses and actions (indriyas) is a most important part of breaking the cycles of Karma. See the article Training the Ten Senses or Indriyas, which describes the following graphic:

Training Speech with mantra or affirmations: It is common knowledge that the self-

talk or chatter we do internally has an effect on our mind. Negative inner talk creates negative impressions in the basement of the mind (the level of Samskaras), which, in turn, play out through the levels described in this article, once again leading to actions and speech, and more karma. One of the finest tools for dealing with the chattering, negative self-talk is mantra. By repeating mantra over and over and over, the cycle can be weakened, if not broken (not meaning the suppression or repression of thoughts and emotions that need to be examined). One might use a single syllable seed mantra, a longer mantra, a short prayer, or a simple affirmation. Whichever is used, it becomes a constant companion, repeating itself, over and over, like a song that becomes a mental habit, thousands of times a day. This extremely useful practice can only be appreciated by experimenting with it for some time.

 Actions/Speech & Samskaras

These two act together: Our actions and speech bring us experiences or consequences in the world. Those, in turn, lead to further creation of deep impressions (Samskaras) in the basement of the mind. Later, those latent impressions come to life and create still further experiences.

The Goal: The goal of meditation and contemplation is to know the pure Center of Consciousness. To to do this we need to regulate our actions and speech and reduce the Deep Impressions or Samskaras. This process eventually allows the light of the True Self to come shining through.

Good decisions and practice: Two major keys in this process are to make good decisions about our daily life and spiritual activities and to then follow through on the actual practices. Together, these are like the left and right feet walking the journey of Self-Realization.

 

Archery and the Art of Reducing Karma

Fearlessness and Faith by Swami Rama 

From: The Essence of Spiritual Life   

From The Essence of Spiritual LifeBy Swami RamaISBN 8190100491 (Buy)

Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site)

Fearlessness

Fears, if not examined, will develop strong roots, though they are often rootless. Fear invites danger.

Self-preservation is the instinct that remains always vigilant to protect the body. This instinct is useful up to a certain extent, but it should not become an obsession in life. When fear becomes an obsession, all spiritual potentials become dormant. Fears are never examined—that is why they are able to control human life. They should be examined boldly.

Fear has two faces: I might lose what I have, and I might not gain what I want. These two thoughts should not be entertained, and cannot be when you remember your mantra or the presence of the Lord within.

Fearlessness is very important. One should constantly remain in spiritual delight, so that no fear is entertained. Fearlessness comes from knowing that God is with us, and that we are with God.

Faith

Faith based on direct experience bestows the clarity of mind that is necessary for functioning in the world of objects, and for penetrating into the many unknown levels of life. Such faith can never be challenged, whereas blind faith is always subject to scrutiny.

Belief in God, and experiencing the presence of God at every moment, are two different things. Before the actual direct experience of the Truth, one may believe in the existence of God, but that belief remains imperfect.

True belief, which is known as faith, comes after direct experience. Faith born from direct experience becomes a part of the aspirant’s being, and such faith protects the aspirant like a mother protects her child.

A belief established on the solid foundation of the Truth is a source of strength. A belief based on the direct experience of the Truth, and not contradicted by logic and reasoning, is known as shraddha, or faith.

Such faith is established over an extended period of time. Repeated experiences add to the maturity of the faith. Direct experience of the Truth removes all doubts and leads an aspirant to a decisive understanding. Such an understanding becomes an inseparable part of his being. Knowledge becomes firm and he does not feel it necessary to seek verification from others. He knows that he knows. Such is his faith.

On the basis of that faith, he starts his quest and reaches his goal. Belief in God may lead one to a series of disappointments. Faith in God leads one to God.

Four Primitive Fountainsby Swami Rama

From Conscious Living  

From Conscious LivingBy Swami RamaISBN 8188157031 (Buy)Audio:ISBN 818815718x (Buy)Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site) 

The word stress has become a hot word today. We all talk about stress. Was there stress in ancient times too? There was, but it was called ignorance. Today stress means stress, we don’t accept that it’s part of ignorance. A human being is a citizen of two worlds, the world within and the world outside. He suffers because he has become an outsider. Those who are insiders do not suffer on account of this modern disease called stress. Times have changed. Nowadays, human life is governed by the economy. From morning till evening we do not know why we are rushing, where we are going, without any destination. The moment you become aware of yourself, understand something about yourself, you will really enjoy life. If you examine yourself, you’ll see that you like to enjoy life in the external world on all levels—the five senses and the mind. Who’s preventing you from doing so? Who gives you stress? Outsiders do not come to tell you to become stressed. What is the reason for stress? What is the cause of your suffering? You all are reactionaries. You do not have convictions. You may think about things, but you have not built an individual philosophy of life. I say, if you devote only ten minutes every day to yourself, you will not suffer on account of this stress.

The question is where does stress come from? Let us examine this. A human being cannot live without doing actions, it’s not possible. And when he performs actions, he

reaps the fruits of his actions and those fruits motivate him to perform more actions. This goes on and on, there is no end, and it becomes a whirlpool from which he cannot escape. When you examine your actions, you will find that your actions are commanded and controlled by your mind. If you do not think of doing something, you cannot do it. Your thought virtually is your action. Your thoughts, in turn, are controlled by your emotions. And from where do your emotions arise? They arise from four primitive fountains called food, sleep, sex, and self-preservation. We human beings are still primitive because ahara, nidra, bhaya, mai-thunancha, food, sleep, self-preservation and sex, still control human life exactly as they do in the animal kingdom. That is why they are called primitive fountains. You eat food, animals also eat food. You sleep, animals also sleep. You indulge in sex, animals also do so. You are afraid and all the time you are protecting yourself, as is the case with animals. You form a group, a particular group, animals also do the same. What is the difference between a human being and an animal?

There are four kingdoms: the kingdom of rocks, the kingdom of vegetables, the kingdom of animals, and the kingdom of human beings. In the process of evolution, a human being has attained the status of having choice, of being able to choose what he wants to do and avoiding that which he does not want to do. Self-control is found in the human kingdom, but an animal is controlled by nature, by the four fountains. Therefore, a human being has to take responsibility for his own deeds and actions. Definitely a superior being, he can communicate with others, narrate, discuss, talk and decide. So, by the creative use of emotions, a human can control his thoughts and hence, his actions. Emotional power is highest of all powers in a human being as far as the external world is concerned. And all emotions arise from the four primitive fountains. If these four fountains are properly understood, arranged and regulated, there will be no stress.

These fountains will help you in knowing and understanding your actions. You can find out the source of any problem that you have. You are angry today, and your children do not know why you are angry. You cannot beat your wife because you are afraid of her. You cannot beat your child because if you beat her, your wife, your whole family, even your neighborhood, will take you to task. So you take out your belt and start beating your dog. The source of your anger could be bad food. Bad food is that food which is not nutritious. Bad food is that food which agitates your nervous system. Bad food is that food for which there is no place in your body. Childhood training seems to be important here. A great musician is born in a musician’s family. Why not outside? A great businessman is born in a businessman’s family. We see how the environment affects the childhood and the child. Food has been a disaster for human health all over the world.

Food could be disastrous and yet no doctor asks you what kind of food you take. You go to the doctor and say, I have a pain here, but you didn’t tell him why. What are your habit patterns, why do you have pain? There was a woman who had diabetes. Her husband said, “Honey, please don’t take sugar.” She replied, “I don’t take sugar. Don’t nag me.” She was a Secretary in the Government of India, a highly placed person. He said, “I want your urine to be tested.” Do you know what she did? Instead of sending a urine sample, she sent water. So Dr. Pandey, who was a famous pathologist, told me, “Look at this, Swamiji. What is this? She sent me water.” He wrote, “Instead of sending urine, your wife sent water. Please ask her to send her urine before I examine her.” She was surprised and wondered, “How can he know the difference between water and urine?”

So take care of your diet. Learn to eat that food which is right for you. If you clean your teeth properly, chew your food well, simple food which is healthy for you, which contains both liquid and solid, both vegetables and fruits, you will be healthy.

Once you have understood food, then you should understand deep sleep. Being able to sleep deeply is very healthy. Many of you daydream. Whole night you are going through the dreaming process. What is dream? Dream is an intermediate state between waking and sleeping. When you go from your living room to your bedroom, you go through a

passageway, a gallery. Dream is the passageway between waking state and deep sleep. Though dream is therapeutic, it robs your sleep. If you go on dreaming, thinking that it’s very therapeutic, you won’t sleep. This way insomnia develops, and it is your own doing. You should go consciously to deep sleep.

What is deep sleep? You have not discovered it. You will not find books on the subject of sleep, about what sleep is. It’s such a practical subject, but you don’t find books on the anatomy of sleep. A human being conventionally sleeps for eight to ten hours. It is not needed. No creature, no human being, can sleep more than 2½ hours. Rest of the time he tosses and turns in his bed, half sleep and half dream. Because it’s night, you feel you have to sleep. It’s a myth. If you learn to sleep for 2½ hours, deep sleep, you will be rested. So you are deprived of sleep, you do not know why. You think when you are tired, then you should go to sleep. I say, do not do that. Sleep voluntarily. Make a determination, “I have to sleep 2½ hours and after that I have to wake up and do my duties, do my work. I have plenty of work to do.” Why should we waste ten hours for sleep? What a waste of time and energy! Sleeping ten hours! Eating another three to four hours, fourteen hours? Look at the time we waste in dressing and just painting and polishing ourselves, becoming presentable. Another few hours spent in the bathroom. And what do you do with what’s left of the day? Gossiping, talking to each other, about each other. What a waste of time!

So let me first tell you how to sleep and what sleep means to you. If you cannot sleep for some time, you cannot think right. In the morning you say, “I’m tired.” When I look at you, you look tired and you have to use cosmetics to present yourself to others. It’s not needed. You should be fresh in the morning if you have slept well. In the West, 75 million people are taking sleeping pills because they do not know the art of sleeping. And there is a way of sleeping that is called yoga nidra, how to sleep consciously and wake up on time. I observed many people like that. I went to Gandhiji’s ashram with his son Ramdas who was the editor of the Times of India. And I saw Gandhiji sleeping exactly at the same time each night and waking up without any alarm. If you do not have a watch and your telephone is not working and if you have to go to the airport at five o’clock in the morning, you wake up before that. There is something in you which has got that power, that’s called sankalpa shakti, the power of determination. So if you learn to sleep, you do not need more than 2½ hours, not at all. I myself cannot sleep more than 2½ hours and if I do, my body starts aching. I have to sit and do some work, either meditate, finish my ablutions, write a poem or make a sketch. I have to do something.

So first of all let me tell you not to waste eight to ten hours trying to sleep. According to the school of Buddhism, the greatest sin is not killing someone. No, no, no, greatest sin is called sloth, laziness. You cannot expect anything from a lazy husband. Housewives get upset because husbands are very lazy. I’ll tell you one secret. The moment you wake up, immediately sit down. Don’t remain inside the blanket, tossing and turning around, asking for a cup of tea. When tea comes, you say, “Hmmm, let me sleep some more.” Train yourself. No one is going to help you in these areas. These subjects are not discussed in books or by teachers. All the teachers are repeating what they have heard, there is nothing practical. We know and know that we know, but we do not know how to practice, that is a serious problem. How to sleep? Before you fall sleep, for ten to fifteen minutes you should practice yoga nidra, voluntary sleep, how to sleep. If you learn how to sleep with the method of yoga nidra which has been examined and proven to be very useful, it will be very good for you. If you are tired after eight hours’ work, then ten minutes’ practice of yoga nidra will give you energy for another eight hours. This I have noticed. I don’t claim anything unless it is based on scientific findings. And if you go on practicing, in a few days, sleep will be under your control, just like the way food is.

So I say, how much time do you waste when you sleep. If you are not sleeping well, if the quality of sleep is not good, you will have stress. And nothing can help you. Doctors can help you only so much. They can only cure a few diseases which are called infectious diseases, they cannot help you with 70-80% of diseases that are called psychosomatic diseases, created by your own mind. The whole world is sick and the sick are treating the

sick. Hospitals are built by neurotics and psychotics live in them! And who collects the rent? Doctors. We are all groping in darkness. The time has come, awareness has expanded. Therefore we should learn the art of living, the art of joyful living. I have not seen a person who perennially smiles and claims, “I am happy in the world.” Anyone you ask, says, “I have a problem.” There is an art of sleeping, knowing how to sleep.

Sleep is a mystery. If a fool goes to sleep, he emerges a fool, nothing happens to him, there is no transformation. But if a fool goes to the deepest state of consciousness, he comes out as a sage. There is something beyond sleep. You have three states: waking, dreaming, and sleeping. Two people decided to visit a sage. They went over and they sat down beside him. One of them fell asleep and the other started conversing with the sage. One who started conversing was in samadhi, the other was asleep. It’s very close, very close. You can take benefit of sleep provided you know what it is, how to sleep. It’s an art. You sleep because your wife says, “It’s ten o’clock now, switch off the lights.” And you have come home with a catalogue of worries, a bundle of worries. You do not know what to do with those worries. But if you have a little bit of understanding, “Well, at night I cannot handle you, my worries. I can help you tomorrow morning, solve you tomorrow morning. This is the time for rest.” If you start having a dialogue with yourself, you can help yourself. Before going to bed you should learn to breathe deeply. I am trying to give you a glimpse of that life which is a realistic, practical life.

One day I thought, “Let me experiment and see what happens when I’m falling asleep.” And I could not sleep for many days. I wanted to watch how sleep comes. When there is no content in your mind, then you get sleep. Before you sleep, learn to breathe deeply, release from your system carbon dioxide, the used up gas, and inhale deeply. With this pleasant feeling go to sleep, and you can avoid nightmares. Don’t just say, “relax, relax, relax, relax,” and then try to sleep. Relaxation is not sleep. That’s why the method of relaxation which includes breathing works on two aspects, two spheres, body and breath, food and pranic sheaths. And then mind has to relax. But if you suggest to yourself, “relax, relax, relax,” this suggestion is hypnosis, not relaxation. And we are all hypnotized by ourselves everyday. And then you hypnotize your wife, and your wife hypnotizes you. You are under the spell of hypnosis all the time. And that’s not a creative way of studying or a creative way of learning. So, when you understand the method of sleeping, “I have to sleep, I don’t have much time. I have to get up, I have to teach, I have to write, I have to compose a poem, I have to make a painting. When do I have time?” With this determination, sankalpa shakti, you go to sleep and wake up exactly at the same time. I was taught that and it works with me. Those who know me closely know that I don’t sleep at night. The best time of my life is at night when I can think, write, read, compose poems, do things. I’m not telling you to do this because your life is different.

You are laughing. In Germany, I was speaking in Hamburg before a huge crowd. I told a long joke, which took me a few minutes. And my interpreter, wonderful interpreter, translated it in such a way that everybody fell down from their chairs laughing. And just in few seconds’ time! I thought, “I have wasted much time in learning English, Sanskrit and other languages. I am going to learn German.” After the lecture was over, I asked her, “Tell me, how did you translate such a long joke in a few seconds’ time?” She said, “I told them, look, the speaker is telling a long joke, so please laugh.” One should maintain a sense of humor. You know, laughter is a good exercise. After taking your meals, you should learn to laugh. With your children, with your wife, laugh. Come on, with laughter, you remain very healthy. Sleep and food, if these primitive fountains are regulated, I tell you, you will enjoy good health. Your walk will be a dance, your life will be a poem, a song. The flower of humanity will bloom the day we understand these primitive fountains.

As sleep can be and should be regulated, you should also regulate another appetite called sex. It’s an Eastern taboo. People don’t discuss it. They think it’s a sin to discuss sex. Parents do not know, either. They eagerly tell their children, “Now you are grown up, you should get married.” They collect a good dowry and they look out for a good boy or a good girl. But they don’t teach their children what marriage is, why they are getting

married. So sex has remained a mystery throughout, “Oh, don’t talk about sex, don’t talk about it. It’s vulgar.” And the minds of many people are haunted by this primitive fountain all the time. You think about it, but you do not talk about it. And wife and husband, I have not seen them happy, pardon me, anywhere in the world, in the East or in the West. I traveled far and wide and asked them, “Are you happy?” “Hmmm, partial happiness.” They lean on each other and they call it happiness. Wife needed someone, she was insecure, so she got a husband. Husband needed someone, a companion and he got a wife. There is no adjustment.

You talk about God. Tell me, from morning till evening, when do you need God? When you are hungry, you eat. When you are thirsty, you drink. Where do you get that idea, God, God, God? You do not deal with the issues which are directly related to your body, breath, senses, and mind. You waste your energy in thinking of things. So two people like to enjoy sex. Of course there is a joy that you derive through that union, physical union of man and woman and that’s called vishayananda. But you cannot expand it. You have to keep repeating it. For a moment you feel joy, and then you remain sad the rest of the day. The momentary joy cannot be expanded forever and ever. That vishayananda is not paramananda, or supreme joy. Therefore, where is that art of living in which two people know how to enjoy the union, physical union? You cannot enjoy because you don’t have mental and physical control, you don’t. Let me tell you about a sociopsychological survey in the United States, a very advanced country, an open country. The surveyors went to a nunnery and asked the highly respected Mother Superior, “Ma’am, do you smoke?” She said, “No, not at all.” “Do you drink?” She said, “No.” “Do you have sex?” She said, “No.” All the surveyors were surprised. She added, “But I have a small vice.” “What is it?” they asked eagerly. She replied, “I lie.”

What is sex? What does sex mean to us? Now, a simple point I am going to tell you. Men and women by nature are created a little differently, biologically. And they should learn to understand each other. If they do not understand each other they can never be happy. Their whole life they live together, depriving each other because of their ignorance of sex. You need to understand something about it. What is this thing called sex which is so important? It is of no use just shunning that particular aspect of life. One should understand what it is. Why does it control my life? Why have I been thinking of it all the time? What is it that I cannot live without it, why? Why does a husband want to go to another woman? Why are there so many divorces? In the Western hemisphere, 50-60% of marriages end up as divorces. Sex should be regulated. Man has got a different mechanism than a woman. Biologically they are two different beings and they should understand each other. It is a man’s world, it has always been a man’s world. Man has never tried to understand woman. This is true, this is true. She’s like that horse who tastes the iron but the ironsmith never tastes the iron, even though he works with iron his whole life. Woman is a great power on this earth. If you put a pebble on a man’s tummy and tell him to walk for two hours, he cannot do that. A woman can carry a child for nine months without any difficulty. She goes through labor, it’s like going through death. She goes through it pleasantly. If a man has a fever, oh my Lord, the whole neighborhood knows about it! Even biologically, you will find that there is a very low incidence of heart attacks among women, and many of these heart attacks are because of congenital defects. But man has heart attacks because he cannot tolerate stress, he has no shock absorbers. This field is totally unexploited because a woman has been used only for a particular purpose, “She should wait for me when I come home, inspire me.” In my opinion, educational systems in the whole world need some modification. And children’s education should be totally handed over to the mothers. One of the great poets says, “Give me the first seven years of my life, the rest you can take.” But there is another poet who says, “A woman, a mother, should be trained twenty-two years before her marriage.” A good mother will be responsible for creating good citizens and then we can expect a good society. That’s why they need good care and respect, this is my point.

But what do you do with the natural urge, biological urge? Let us be realistic. You can ask a question, “What does a swami, a renunciate, do?” Yes, a swami is taught upward traveling. Best part of the initiation that is given to a real swami, from an authentic

tradition, is that upward traveling where he enjoys without engaging in sex. When you release that semen you feel joy. A swami is taught, “Hey, if you feel joy when you release semen, think how much more joy you will experience by retaining it through upward traveling.” Oh my Lord, this is a great joy. But it is an uncommon teaching. It cannot be made available for everyone to practice.

After understanding food, sleep, and sex, you should understand self-preservation. You want to preserve yourself, that’s instinctual. Whenever there is a natural disaster, your pets know first, dogs know first, cats know first. Why do you not know? Because instinctual knowledge in you has diminished, mental knowledge has developed and your mind has limited capacity. It always tries to measure the whole universe with it’s little ruler. There is another higher realm of knowledge that is called intuitive knowledge, which is beyond all the levels of your mind. So you are afraid all the time, “I will lose, I will lose, I will lose.” Fears, many fears. All the time from morning till evening, you remain conscious of yourself and you remain protecting yourself, no matter what happens to others.

I have seen one aspect of life and that is maternal aspect. There is a place called Azamgarh in India, where in my early days I used to walk about barefoot. A wild elephant suddenly appeared in front of a mother who was walking holding her child’s hand. When the elephant suddenly appeared, the mother pushed the child behind her and stood firm and said, “Stop there!” And you know, the elephant stopped. That demonstrates how great is a mother’s love for her child, the greatest solace in life, a real symbol of love, though that’s also changing now.

You remain conscious of yourself all the time, “What if something will happen to me, something will happen to me.” Fear invites danger. You are afraid all the time, you are inviting danger, don’t do that. I will tell you what happens. I was standing on the bank of the Ganges at Rishikesh when I was twenty-three or twenty-four years old. During those days I used to look towards the sun and move according to the sun the whole day. It is one of the practices. You don’t do that, Ok? I did not know that there was a cobra beneath me. Sometimes I used to sit and then I would stand up. There was a swami watching from a distance and he shouted, “Swami, please don’t move, there is a cobra beneath you.” Naturally, I looked and saw the cobra. So, what did I do? I ran. And the cobra started chasing me, chased me up to fifty or sixty yards. I said, “I have never seen a cobra, a snake, chasing a human being like this.” Then the swami told me, “Look, the cobra did not chase you, you were dragging it behind you. Your mind was so terrified, so afraid, that fear got concentrated and your negative mind dragged the cobra behind you.” When you are afraid, you actually affect others. Fear invites danger, remember this. When you become negative, passive, and you are afraid, you invite danger for yourself. Don’t get afraid for no reason. Don’t remain under the pressure of fears.

Modern man is full of fears and he does not examine those fears. You should learn to sit down and examine your fears. What are my fears, what fears do I have? Nobody wants to examine their deepest fears. Sit down and try to examine what are the fears in my life. Will my husband desert me? Fear. Will my wife leave me? Fear. From morning till evening you are afraid of something. What kind of life is this? How can you enjoy life under the pressure of fears? So modern man wants to enjoy life, wants to have joyful life but he remains under the pressure of fears. He should learn to examine fears. Fear of not getting what he wants, fear of losing what he has. That does not allow you to enjoy life. Therefore, you should have understanding so that you don’t entertain fears.

You have all heard about the former Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi? A brave lady, not even afraid of bombs. I remember an incident with her. She was staying in a government guest house and I was staying in the next one. Suddenly at night she screamed. People thought that it might be the swami. So guards came and knocked on my door instead of hers and they found me seated in meditation. The Superintendent of Police said, “No, no, it’s not him. Find out why she screamed.” Who could ask the Prime

Minister why she screamed? And she continued to scream. Finally the Superintendent of Police and the District Magistrate asked, “What can we do?” She shouted, “Open the door.” They said, “It’s locked from inside, ma’am.” “Kick the door open.” They kicked and broke down the door. There was a single spider going up the wall. She was not afraid of bombs, of bullets, but she was afraid of a small spider!

Sometimes we all have such fears. Fears that we don’t discuss because we have created a mask around us. “How can I talk about my fears to my children, my husband, my friends? What will they think of me?” You keep the fears within you. That fear grows and grows and grows. I have gone through that. I was afraid of snakes. My Master knew this. So one day he said, “Come here, pick up these flowers.” There was a heap of flowers and I picked them up. There was a snake in the heap. I said, “Snake, snake.” He said, “So what?” He was in front of me and said, “I am here. I won’t allow you to die.” I said, “This is a black snake.” He said, “Whether it is black or blue, bring it to me. You have to choose whether you respect your fear or you respect me.” With great fear I walked up to him. He said, “Son, this creature is the cleanest in the world. There is no creature on earth which is cleaner. This is a most ancient creature on the earth, who lives on trees, who lives in the water, who lives on the land. Why are you doing this to yourself?” I said, “It bites and man dies.” He said, “Human being is a greater snake than the snake itself.” And the dialogue was going on, and I was holding the flowers and the snake. Finally he said, “Come on, touch it like this, but not that way.” And that snake put up her hood and let me pet her. I said, “Sir, is it your tame snake or a wild one from the forest?” Thus my fear went away.

You should learn to examine your fears. Why are you committing the mistake of not examining your fears? Learn to examine your fears. A woman is afraid. If her husband is late from work, she will telephone the police station, the hospitals to find out what has happened to him. Why? Why think negatively all the time? Do you know what happens, what you are doing to yourself? Fear invites danger, remember this. Don’t put yourself in danger.

From these four primitive fountains arise the streams of emotion. Your emotional problems are related to one of these four fountains, there is no fifth fountain. I am putting before you twenty-five years of experiments and studies. Somehow or other, all your fears, all your emotions are related to these fountains. Those emotions could be converted into creative emotions. Gauranga knew how to use emotion and attain a state of ecstasy. All the great men of the world, somehow or other came in touch with this, their emotional power. Wisdom through mind, through thinking, is not complete. Wisdom through emotion can lead you to heights of ecstasy. All the great sages following the path of bhakti or love, came in touch with this power.

So these four fountains, food, sleep, sex, and self-preservation, are related to each other closely, very closely. There was an Irish woman, whom I respected very much, I respected her like my mother. I never saw my biological mother in my life and so never missed her, but I really miss my Irish mother. She helped me establish the Himalayan Institute in the United States. Sometimes we used to fight with each other. At night she would quietly go to the refrigerator, eat, and in the morning swear that she had not eaten anything. I said, “Mama, it’s not good.” She said, “Son, I promise I’ve not done anything, I’ve not eaten anything.” She would forget. When habit becomes deep-rooted, then you give up. There is compensation, law of compensation. She was not married, the psychological analysis was this. And in an Irish family, they are very conservative and she used to control all her brothers, their wives, children, and everybody. She was the head of the family. And she did not get married for the sake of the family. Remember this formula, this point, all of the body is in the mind but all of the mind is not in the body.

We talk of God, we talk of this bible and that bible, we talk of this religion and that. It’s of no use if we do not understand the very basics in our life. Learn to regulate these four fountains, because all your problems come from one of these four. For example, you may

be sexually frustrated and you don’t speak of it to anybody, because the customs, the culture, society does not allow you, does not permit you to talk. And you go on bottling those ideas which you cannot share with others. Then finally you become a mental wreck, create psychosomatic problems for yourself. Not only that, if you are eating bad food it can happen. If you don’t get sleep, if you don’t understand how to sleep deeply, you are not rested. In the state hospital I visited in Kansas, I found everyone sleeping—eight hours, ten hours, twelve hours, and relaxing. I fought with the doctors. What you call relaxation is very dangerous. If you go on relaxing your muscles, a time might come when the muscles will lose their function. It’s a simple, simple scientific law.

Sleep is a necessity of both body and mind, please remember this. Food is a necessity of body first. Sex could be a biological necessity, but actually it originates in the mind. If it is not in the mind, you will not do sex. So you should see, which is important, what is first prominent in the mind and what is prominent for the body. Sex affects mind first, then body. Food affects body first, then mind. Sleep affects mind first, then body.

You are the victim of your habit patterns. Who are you? You are the sum total of your habits, that’s what you are. And your habits are the result of your repeated actions. Your actions, your deeds, are related to the four fountains. There are no books available for it. There are no books available on practical subjects anywhere, I tell you that. Self-discipline is missing in our educational life. Where are the teachers, the curriculum where children are asked to walk straight, to talk straight, to be gentle and straightforward? There is no such curriculum. These basic points are missing in our daily life. These disciplines should be introduced in the schools, they will be very helpful. Something about food, something about sleep, something about sex, something about self-preservation; these should be taught to our children. It will help them. We have to understand the primitive fountains if we want to lead a free, happy, joyous life.

Four Fountains and the Root of Attitudes 

by Swami Rama From: The Essence of Spiritual Life   

From The Essence of Spiritual LifeBy Swami RamaISBN 8190100491 (Buy)

Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site)

If you analyze your mental attitudes, you will learn that those attitudes have roots deeper than mere thought. All the roots of your attitudes lie in the primitive fountains: food, sex, sleep, and self-preservation. If you really want to do sadhana and understand life and all the motivations that drive your life force, you must understand these four primitive fountains. Any problem that you have can be seen as related to these four sources.

Food

Dietary habits play an important role during sadhana. The sadhaka should be careful in having such a diet that does not pollute the body or agitate the nervous system. Sugar, salt, and fat should be curtailed. This will give you a joy that is derived from having a healthy body, breath, and mind.

Meditation should not be done when you are hungry, when you have overeaten, when you are tired or sleepy, or when you have any digestive problem. Select a suitable time and do it.

Sex

Many people live for sex, but when the opportunity comes, they cannot enjoy it. To experience this enjoyment, a person needs inner strength, and sometimes this is not there. Because of your food habits, or because you have not had enough rest, or do not know how to receive quality sleep, the body is not coordinated with the mind. Then you do not find yourself capable of doing those actions or behaving correctly with the other person when you are performing the sexual act, and you are always afraid.

Sex is very injurious if it is done without love. Some people do it like a mere physical exercise, but this is not a healthy way to approach sex. Your appetite for food is directly related to your body, but sex is not directly related to your body. Unless the thought or feeling comes into your mind, you cannot do sex. Sexuality occurs in the mind first, and then is expressed through the body. The desire for food occurs in the body first, and later food affects the mind.

Sleep

The joy and pleasure that are provided by sleep are higher than any other pleasure, even food or sex.

The process of sleep provides rest for your body. Sleep is the state in which there is no content in the mind. If you make your mind free from conscious thinking, then you will go to sleep.

When you sleep, you often feel tired in the morning because you don’t know how to have good quality sleep. Sometimes you cannot sleep because you have many anxieties and many issues to resolve. Even if you get the best sleep, you are still tired, because a part of yourself—your mind—still remains awake even when you go into a deep sleep.

Six or seven hours of sleep are good. To force oneself not to sleep is unhealthy.

Learn to wake up before sunrise, no matter what happens. Sloth or inertia is the greatest of all sins that hampers human progress.

Yogis practice a different sort of sleep called yoga nidra. Using yoga nidra, they voluntarily go to sleep. The sages understood that sleep does not give complete rest, and they discovered the method called yoga nidra in which you learn how to go to sleep and yet remain conscious.

In this state, even though you are in a deep sleep, you can record all the things occurring around you. The whole world believes that you are in a state of deep sleep, but actually you are fully aware and rested. In this method you can give your body complete rest, you can make your breath calm, and your mind serene.

Self-Preservation

Among all these forces, self-preservation is the strongest in both human beings and animals. If your life is threatened, you try to run away or seek to protect yourself with all your might and skill. There is an inherent fear in you that you might lose your body.

Fear exists because you fear losing what you have, or not gaining what you want.

When you learn something about these primitive fountains and how to cultivate them, then it becomes easier for you to control your diet, or your sleep, or sexuality. You should learn such self-control because you are a human being. To preserve and maintain your body, eat good food. Learn to sleep when you are tired.

Moksha

Enlightenment and Freedom by Swami Rama 

From: The Essence of Spiritual Life   

From The Essence of Spiritual LifeBy Swami RamaISBN 8190100491 (Buy)

Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site)

Through self-analysis you come to know that you are not only a physical being, you are not only a breathing being, you are not only a sensing being, and you are not only a thinking being. You have a body, breath, senses, and mind, but you are something more than this.

People continue to build shrines, chapels, churches, and temples. You don’t have to do this, just realize that you are a living shrine. The day you have attained the knowledge that the Lord lives within you, you will be in samadhi. All questions will be answered, all problems will be resolved.

As you progress in the practice of meditation, the mind becomes one-pointed and calm. Such a tranquil mind begins working in accordance with the intellect. No contradiction remains between the functions of mind and intellect. The impurities of mind, such as doubt and conflict that usually pollute the intellect, are removed from the mind. Intellect is no longer disturbed by the activities of the mind, and you experience an extraordinary inner peace.

Intellect is described in the scriptures as a mirror that is in very close proximity to Atman. As long as the mirror of intellect is clean, it reflects the clearest and least distorted vision of Atman. If the intellect is colored with the thoughts and feelings of the lower mind, it presents a distorted picture of the Atman. According to the Upanishads, one should remove all the impurities from the mind, and make the mind free from all doubts and conflicts, so the intellect can be as pure as crystal.

An intellect free from the influences of the lower mind finds itself in a well balanced state. Only such an intellect is capable of making an aspirant self-confident and self-reliant. Through such an intellect, the meditator knows that the goal of life is not far away.

An intellect free from the disturbances of the lower mind attains the illumination of the Atman from above. Darkness belonging to the realms of mind and senses cannot exist in the light of an illumined intellect. In the absence of all thought constructs, the lower mind merges into the intellect.

When intellect is absorbed in the Divine Light, that is the state of samadhi, the state of fearlessness and immortality. As long as one takes refuge in worldly objects, the body, pranic energy, and the forces of the lower mind, one remains a victim of old age, death, and rebirth.

When the intellect is fully illuminated by the light of the Atman, one becomes fearless. At the dawn of spiritual enlightenment, the mind and the intellect find their place in the

kingdom of Atman, and one thereby attains freedom from the pairs of opposites such as pain and pleasure. This is the highest state of freedom.

When an individual learns to expand his consciousness or unites with the universal consciousness, then he no longer remains within the bounds of his karma. He is totally free.

You should do your duty in the world with love, and that alone will contribute significantly to your progress in the path of enlightenment.

One who dwells in the domain of the Atman does not belong to a particular family, society, or nation. Rather, he is part of all of humanity. He loves the welfare of all, as much as he loves his own Atman.

Swami Rama:On Guidance & Practice

2-minute recording of Swami Rama speaking on Guidance and Practice of yoga meditation: 

click here for sound (It's a large file, so may open slowly) 

See also the list: Swami Rama Articles

Following is a transcript:  

“Sometimes, guidance helps. That’s for sure.

“When you are not successful, in completing, accomplishing what you want, after making efforts, then somebody whom you trust, who really is selfless, who doesn’t charge fee all these, for these things, 

...you should sit and say, ‘This is my problem--can you help me?’

“If he is a good teacher, he’ll say well, if it’s within my field, I will. If it is not within my field, I am sorry, you should find out somewhere, or you go to such and such person. It becomes easy.

“I give you practices--you never come and see me, never tell me, what the problem is. I ask you ‘How are you doing?’ ‘Fine.’ Even you are sick, you call ‘Fine,’ you see.

“Now, perhaps I can help you, serve you. ‘I help you’ means serve you.  It benefits me instead of benefiting you, you see.

“My master always used to say, ‘Highest of culture, peak of the culture of human civilization is that, when every human being likes to work for others, then the whole world will have a society of joyous people.’

“Unfortunate thing is everyone, all of us, are selfish. A teacher is selfish. He wants something from the students. He looks at the pockets of the students.

“And the students look at the teacher to know, but never practice. Sheer curiosity, ‘I want to know more.’

“‘You want to know more, but how about practicing?’

“That guarantee I cannot give, sir.”

Yoga SutrasIndex of Articles:

The Yoga Sutras covers the whole range of meditation practices, including those for the beginner as well as the highly advanced meditator. However, when you look at the scope of the Yoga Sutras, it can appear that it is only for the advanced practitioner. It is important to read the Yoga Sutras with an eye towards seeing what applies to you now, at this current stage of your practices. With that perspective, you can learn what is presently useful, and also see where you are going. 

Main Page of Yoga Sutras   on the SwamiJ.com site : This summary page contains links directly into the Sutras themselves. It is easiest here to just scan this page, and click into a section that is of interest at the moment. This is a good page to visit often.

Introduction to Yoga Sutras pages : This link will take you into the Introduction page of a collection of over 40 web pages, totaling hundreds of pages if you were to print them on paper. After you read the Introduction, you will want to scan the other pages related to the Yoga Sutras.

196 Yoga Sutras listed : This is a running list of English translation of all 196 Sutras. There are direct links into the more detailed Sutras.

Narrative Yoga Sutras : Presents the sutras in paragraph format, which is a more familiar style of reading for most of us.

7 Keys to the Yoga Sutras : By understanding these seven practical suggestions, the rest of the Yoga Sutras is more accessible.

Questions and Answers : Each of the questions in this Q&A also has a link to the sutra that contains the answer. 

Now, Then, and Therefore Yoga Discipline is Being Explained Yoga Darshana and the Goal of Seeing Reality  

  Book Reviews on Yoga Sutras commentaries   Encyclopedia/Glossary  

  Bindu: Pinnacle of Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra

Chapter 1 of Yoga Sutras

Chapter 1 of Yoga Sutras: Concentration, Samadhi Pada   What is Yoga? (1.1-1.4) Witnessing and Uncoloring thoughts (1.5-1.11) Practice and non-attachment (1.12-1.16) Types of concentration (1.17-1.18) Efforts and commitment (1.19-1.22) Direct route through AUM (1.23-1.29) Obstacles and solutions (1.30-1.32)

Stabilizing and clearing the mind (1.33-1.39) Results of stabilizing the mind (1.40-1.51)

   

Chapter 2 of Yoga Sutras

Chapter 2 of Yoga Sutras: Practice, Sadhana Pada   Minimizing gross coloring (2.1-2.9) Dealing with subtle thoughts (2.10-2.11) Breaking the alliance of karma (2.12-2.25) The 8 rungs and discrimination (2.26-2.29) Yamas and Niyamas, rungs #1 and 2 of 8 (2.30-2.34) Benefits from Yamas and Niyamas (2.35-2.45) Asana, rung #3 of 8 (2.46-2.48) Pranayama, rung #4 of 8 (2.49-2.53) Pratyahara, rung #5 of 8 (2.54-2.55)

   

Chapter 3 of Yoga Sutras

Chapter 3 of Yoga Sutras: Progressing, Vibhuti Pada   Dharana, dhyana, and samadhi, rungs #6-8 of 8 (3.1-3.3) Samyama is the finer tool (3.4-3.6) Internal is seen to be external (3.7-3.8) Witnessing subtle transitions (3.9-3.16) Experiences from samyama (3.17-3.37) What to do with experiences (3.38) More from samyama (3.39-3.49) Renunciation and liberation (3.50-3.52) Higher discrimination (3.53-3.56)

   

Chapter 4 of Yoga Sutras

Chapter 4 of Yoga Sutras: Liberation, Kaivalya Pada   Means of attaining experience (4.1-4.3) Emergence and mastery of mind (4.4-4.6) Actions and karma (4.7-4.8) Subconscious impressions (4.9-4.12) Objects and the three gunas (4.13-4.14) Mind perceiving objects (4.15-4.17) Illumination of the mind (4.18-4.21) Buddhi and liberation (4.22-4.26) Breaches in enlightenment (4.27-4.28) Perpetual enlightenment (4.29-4.30) Knowables become few (4.31) Gunas after liberation (4.32-4.34)

Yoga Sutras - 7 Keys to PracticeSwami Jnaneshvara Bharati

SwamiJ.com 

Focus on a few key suggestions: One way of making the Yoga Sutras simpler and more accessible is to initially focus on a small number of the more straightforward, practical suggestions that contain foundation principles and practices. Following

are seven such practices that will open the door to the deeper practices of the Yoga Sutras.

1. Make choices that lead to stable tranquility

2. Reaffirm your convictions regularly

3. Be vigilant about the coloring of thoughts

4. Use 1 simple solution for 27 forms of negativity

5. Train your mind to be one-pointed

6. Witness everything

7. Discriminate at all levels

1 Make choices that lead to stable tranquility: In yoga, one of the central principles against which all decisions in life are made is the question of what will bring you in the direction of a stable tranquility (1.13). This is the meaning of the word abhyasa, which means practices. Cultivating and training yourself in this art of decision making will consistently lead you in the direction of inner peace and Self-realization. Repeatedly ask yourself, "Is this useful or not useful? Will this lead me in the right direction or the wrong direction?" Then, you can move in that direction with conviction, and in a spirit of non-attachment (1.15).

Some of the related sutras: (1.13, 1.12-1.16) 

2 Reaffirm your conviction regularly: Of the core attitudes to develop and reaffirm, none is more important that virya, which means the energy of conviction and persistence (1.20). Often we seek the emergence of kundalini shakti, the spiritual awakening, but the first form of that to emerge is sankalpa shakti, the shakti of determination. It says, in a strong voice, "I can do it; I will do it; I have to do it!" Perpetually having this attitude as a companion will keep you going when the path seems to be filled with obstacles. With this attitude, the same ego that is seen as an obstacle becomes a best friend. Paradoxically, determination goes hand-in-hand with letting go, surrender.

Some of the related sutras: (1.20, 1.19-1.22) 

3 Be vigilant of the coloring of thoughts: The joy of deeper meditation comes through uncoloring (1.5) the mental obstacles (1.4) that veil the true Self (1.3). This process of cultivating uncolored (aklishta) versus colored (klishta) thought patterns permeates the Yoga Sutras and is a core principle of the practices. It involves minimizing the gross colorings (2.1-2.9) and then dealing with the subtler colorings (2.10-2.11), so that the alliance with karma can be broken (2.12-2.25). It is extremely useful to be ever mindful (1.20) of these colorings, particularly as they apply to attractions, aversions, and fears (2.3). By being gently, lovingly mindful of the colorings both in daily life and at meditation time, they can gradually

be attenuated (2.4). This increasingly thins the veil over the true Self (1.3).

Some of the related sutras: (1.5, 2.1-2.9, 2.10-2.11, 2.12-2.13)  

4 Use 1 simple solution for 27 forms of negativity: There are many positive suggestions in the Yoga Sutras for actions, speech, and thoughts, including the five Yamas of non-harming, truthfulness, non-stealing, remembering the creative force, and non-acquisitiveness (2.30-2.34). However, we often are not able to completely live up to these high standards. Whenever our actions, speech, or thoughts are contrary to these principles, they may be accompanied by anger, greed, or delusion. They may be mild, medium, or intense. Thus, there are 27 combinations of these three triads (2.34). Though we may never have counted the combinations in this way, we are all familiar with the diverse way in which negative emotions can cause problems. However, there is a single principle in dealing with these that is elegantly simple (though certainly taking a great deal of effort). That is, retrain the mind by repeatedly reminding it that this is going in the wrong direction, and will bring you nothing but unending misery (2.33, 2.34). While this can sound so simple as to be of little use, it really is extremely effective in clearing the mind, and is well worth studying closely and practicing every day. It opens the door for subtler meditation.

Some of the related sutras: (2.33, 2.34) 

5 Train your mind to be one-pointed: There are several predictable obstacles on the inner journey, according to Patanjali. These include illness, dullness, doubt, negligence, laziness, cravings, misperceptions, failure, and instability (1.30-1.32). However, there is a single antidote that deals extremely effectively with these, and that is to train the mind to be one-pointed (1.32). Whether the means of one-pointedness is mantra, a short prayer, a remembered principle, or being focused in the work you do, this seemingly simple practice is profoundly useful. It must be practiced and experienced to be fully appreciated.

Some of the related sutras: (1.30-1.32, 1.33-1.39, 2.41)  

6 Witness everything: There is a single process that threads its way throughout the Yoga Sutras. That is to systematically observe, explore, set aside with non-attachment (1.12-1.16), and go beyond each of the levels of reality and our own being. The meaning ofwitnessing is a simple formula: 

Witnessing = Observation + Non-attachment

To witness everything involves systematically disentangling from the thought patterns (1.4), witnessing thoughts (1.6-1.11), cultivating

remembrance or mindfulness (1.20), moving through the levels of awareness (1.17), and dealing with the gross (2.1-2.9), the subtle (2.10-2.11), and the subtler (3.9-3.16). (See also the article,Witnessing Your Thoughts)

Some of the related sutras: (1.4, 1.6-1.11, 1.17, 2.1-2.9, 2.10-2.11, 3.9-3.16)Article: (Witnessing Your Thoughts) 

7 Discriminate at all levels: The entire science of Self-realization of Yoga rests on discrimination (viveka). Discrimination is used to make choices that bring stable tranquility (1.13). The purpose of the eight rungs of Yoga is discrimination (2.26-2.29). Razor-like discrimination (3.4-3.6) is used to separate the seer and the seen (2.17), so as to break the alliance of karma (2.12-2.25), and to get past the four mistakes of ignorance, or avidya (2.5). The subtler discriminations involve many subtle experiences (3.17-3.37, 3.39-3.49), as well as mind and consciousness (3.50-3.52, 3.53-3.56), with the highest discrimination leading to absolute liberation (4.22-4.26).Ask yourself: One of the most simple, straightforward, and useful ways to practice discrimination is to reflect on your actions, speech, and thoughts, and ask yourself, "Is this useful or not useful? Helpful or not helpful? Is this taking me in the right direction or the wrong direction? Is it better that I do this or do that?" Measure your responses on the basis of what brings you closer or further to Self-realization. Ask yourself questions such as these, and answers will definitely come through discrimination.

Some of the related sutras: (1.13, 2.5, 2.17, 2.12-2.25, 2.26-2.29, 3.17-3.37, 3.39-3.49, 3.50-3.52, 3.53-3.56, 4.22-4.26)

Happiness is Within by Swami Rama 

From: The Essence of Spiritual Life   

From The Essence of Spiritual LifeBy Swami RamaISBN 8190100491 (Buy)

Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site)

Three things are important: first to learn to love your duty, and second, to have the concept that all the things of the world are means and are not meant to be possessed.

The third thing is to remember to be happy in all situations. No matter where you go, in any situation, whatever you do, morning, afternoon, and night—learn to be happy. Never forget that!

Whatever people consider happiness to be is a concept and varies according to age and experience. Many people are content, whether they have something or not. Others are never content, no matter how much they have.

Happiness is not what you want, but wanting what you have.

In some villages in India, they still use a method of drawing water from a kind of well in which a wheel is pulled by horses or bulls, and it brings up the water. Once a horseman, riding through a forest, got tired and thirsty. He wanted his horse to drink water so he went to the well. The machine that draws water from the well was making a lot of noise, and that noise was very annoying. When the horseman took his horse there, the horse tried to run away from there.

The horseman said, “Please stop this sound, for my horse is running away.”

The other man said, “If the sound stops, the water will also stop.”

The horseman asked, “What to do?”

The other man replied, “Create a condition for your horse, so that the horse will drink water in this situation.”

You have to create such a condition in this world to live happily. That requires human effort. Otherwise, the water will stop. You are all wanting to stop the sound, the noise, the pollution. Yet, if you go to the forest where there is nothing, you will be disturbed by the rush and roar of the wind.

You cannot find peace anywhere because there is no peace within. Peace does not mean that nobody should make noise. The noise will continue. Still you should have peace within. In all situations you should be peaceful, no matter what happens.

There is a problem with your concept of enjoyment. You need an object to enjoy, and then you depend on that object. You search for an object, and you work hard to obtain that object; then you are disappointed, because no object has the capacity to give you enjoyment. Enjoyment is a concept, an internal state, that you have to create. Enjoyment means every moment of life should be enjoyed.

You suffer from your thinking. Mind is like a small foot rule, that has no power to measure or fathom the deeper levels of your being. Mind and heart together, in a systematic way, can help you to attain contentment.

Contentment is the first and foremost virtue that should be cultivated. It comes only when you have done your duties to your fullest capacity without worrying for the results. It is a virtue that always helps and never disappoints the seeker.

Do not keep undecided thoughts in your mind, for they disturb the equilibrium and create sickness. Life is very short and you should learn to enjoy every moment by remembering the Lord of Life, and always assuming your body to be a shrine of his living presence.

The Lord of Life is love. Never get sad. Be happy and take care of your happiness. Jump in joy without worrying for the future. Why remain serious? Let you learn to jump in joy and smile all the time. God bless you.

Happiness is within and the source is the center of consciousness, love, and wisdom.

Inner Peaceby Swami Rama

See also the list: Swami Rama Articles  

INNER PEACESwami Rama

Inner peace and happiness is a subject that concerns everyone, It concerned the ancients, and it is our concern today as well--to understand how we can be happy. We always think that people somewhere else are happier than we are, but that is not true. Everyone is restless; everyone is unhappy. And the reason is that human beings have not understood the source of happiness. No matter where you live, no matter what you have in the external world, no matter how many things you own, if you do not have peace within, you will never be happy.

To understand this, you will have to understand two things. One is called "within" and the other is called "without." Accordingly, there are two concepts for living, One is: make yourself happy in the external world, and you will be happy within. The other is: make yourself happy within, and you will reflect that happiness outside. But there is also a middle path: you can do both. You can make yourself happy in the external world through your attitude as you perform your actions and speech in that world, and at the same time you can maintain happiness within by being constantly aware of the Reality that is beyond body, mind, and senses. Actual knowledge comes when you start understanding both.

We all expect to be peaceful; we all expect to have happiness within us; and that is why we like to enjoy things. Even the smallest enjoyment comes with the hope of finding peace within. But we sometimes find that the enjoyments of the world create more turmoil than going without them would. Try to think of a single pleasure of the world that brings you lasting happiness, that brings you lasting enjoyment. You cannot. Suppose, for example, you have a watch. That gives you pleasure; but if you lose the watch, then that same watch becomes a source of pain. You depend too much on the things of the world. You think that after having this thing or that thing, after acquiring this thing or that thing, you will enjoy life and finally have peace. But it never happens. The things of the world cannot bring happiness; peace of mind does not depend on anything external, and without peace of mind you can never be happy.

So first of all let us try to see how our peace of mind is disturbed, how our mind remains in turmoil; for if we really want to understand our emotions, we can learn to be happy. There are many people in this world who enjoy life by being cheerful, by being in a state of tranquility. They maintain that state because they have learned to create a bridge between the external world and the internal world. People generally fall into one of three categories. Those in the first category do not understand the cause of their own turmoil. Those in the second category analyze the cause, but they cannot handle it, they cannot remove it. But there is a third category of people who know and understand the cause of turmoil, and who then remove it. These people remain free from inner and outer conflicts.

The Vedas, the most ancient scriptures, say that when our senses are not a source of distraction, when our mind is calm and quiet, when there is no inner turmoil and conflict, then we have attained the highest state of wisdom. Actually, the path of enlightenment is very short, but it is difficult to tread because we always expect that someone from outside will come and enlighten us. But this does not happen. Unless you are prepared to take responsibility for yourself, to understand your own inner being and your own internal states, you will not find happiness. You have to learn to do that.

BRIDGING THE TWO WORLDS

Though the worlds within and without are different, they are not totally separate. So you will have to learn to create a bridge between them. If you do not know how to live in the external world you will never have happiness. You cannot, for life and relationships are one and the same. You cannot separate them. Somehow, somewhere, everyone is related to something, to someone. Even a swami is related to his practice. He has no worldly relationships, it is true, but he is concerned about his students, about their progress. We should learn to deal with these relationships. This is very important, for if we do not do that, then we are constantly blasting our inner peace. If we leave our duties, if we run away, we will still have problems because we carry our mind with us all the time no matter where we live, and the source of our problems is in our mind.

Some of you will say you have done your best in the external world, yet still you are unhappy. You should remember one thing: it is the ego that comes in the way of your relationships. For example, two people may have decided to live with each other, but most of the time they are on their own ego trips. "I want this," one says, and the other says, "I want that." That I and that want come between the two of them and create a problem. So in relationships ego stands as one of the biggest barriers. Modern egos are very strong because people do not get training in taming the ego. We all have different wants, and if we try to fulfill them without regard for others there will be conflict.

You should not expect to gain happiness from others. Everyone asks, "Do you love me?" But there is no need for doing that. You can find out within how much you love a person, and that is exactly how much that person loves you. Do not ask, "Do you love me?" That is not love, but expectation. You are expecting too much from others. Just love, and you do not have to ask the question. The whole world suffers because everybody says, "Do you love me? Do you love me?" You expect others to love you, and yet you do not love. Love does not mean expectation, love means awareness. If you are aware that in everybody's heart, deep within, there is eternity, you will love that. You will be able to say, "I love you not because of your body, senses, and mind. I love you because you are an eternal shining flame. We are like lamps, and your eternal flame is shining the same as the one in me. I love that flame." Saying "I love that flame" means that you are loving yourself when you love others. It becomes very easy. So you should learn to change your concepts, change your attitudes toward life a little bit and make it into a poem, a thing of beauty.

One of the sages I met in the Himalayas said to me, "I don't know why people are bothered so much; it is very easy to enjoy life." So I said, "What is the formula, sir?" And

he said, "Life needs adjustment. Its goal is contentment, but those who do not know how to adjust--how can they attain their goal?" When you cannot adjust yourself in the external world, the whole problem lies with your inner understanding. So learn to study your inner processes, and then you will be happy.

But modern people have no time for insight. They do not want to sit calmly even for a few minutes. And if they do try, then they start thinking, and this leads to turmoil. But it is not our thinking process that creates the disturbance, that makes us petty and small. It is something called emotion. No matter how much wisdom you have, no matter how much you understand, it will not help you if you have not organized your emotional life. No amount of book learning can help you do this. Even if you know the scriptures, you cannot be happy if you have no control over your emotions. So you should learn to study where the emotions are coming from and why they are creating problems for you. You have to find the way to divert and channel these negative emotions.

One way to do this is to learn to control your attitude as you perform your actions and speech in the external world. Nobody knows how you think; people know you because of your actions and speech, and this is how you relate to the external world. So if you know how to direct your speech and actions, you can know how to live peacefully in the external world. The wound from a bullet can be cured, but the wound from a word is not that easy to heal. If someone is very harsh to you, or if someone has spoken something that you cannot forget, that wound is still there. Speech is very powerful; action is also very powerful. So only those who know how to conduct their actions and speech can be happy in the external world. Behind our actions is that which motivates us to perform them, and that force is called desire. If you are always saying, "I don't know why I did that, and I am sorry," then you are lying to yourself. You know why. Even if you do not consciously remember the reason for being compelled to do something, you still know it. Many of your actions are controlled by your unconscious mind, but any part of you that motivates you to do something is also yours, and you can learn to control it, too.

FOR ME BUT NOT MINE

How do we perform actions in such a way that they do not become a source of problems for us and for others? If we learn to change our attitude, we will be happy. When we have to do something, we should find out how to do it in such a way that we are not attached to it. All the things of the world are meant for us to enjoy--but they are not ours. All of our pleasures and joys are marred when we start owning things, for if we try to possess things we become attached to them. Nothing belongs to us. That which gives us problems is our "my" business: "My house, my car, my bank, my this, my that." Wherever our my is attached, that gives us problems. We get attached to these things--and attachment brings misery--and then we cannot enjoy them.

Do you know that the words we use most the whole day, from morning to evening, are I, my, and mine? All the time we tell people, "I have done this; I am sad; I am happy; I am rich; I am poor...." Whatever we do we always use that I. But suppose someone were to say, "Well, sir, you are talking of your I all the time. Can I know what that I is?" You would have to keep silent. If someone were to say, "Is that body your I? you would say, "No, it is merely my body." So where is the I that you want to express all the time? What is that I of which you are talking all the time? Have you known that l? Where is that l? When you start studying yourself, you become aware that you have to know one thing: you have to know the I that is within you. And there is only one way of knowing it. You must ask yourself the question, "Who am I?" If you ask other people, "Who am I? What are we trying to do? What is God? What is Self? What is Self-realization?" they will think that you are crazy. But for knowing yourself and your I, you do not have to consult others. You have the power to find out for yourself.

If you put yourself in a completely dark chamber away from all light, then where are your hands? You cannot see your own palms, yet you know that they are there. What is that

which tells you? Who tells you that your hands are there? Who tells you that you still exist? For knowing your own existence, you do not need any outside light. You have the capacity to find out within yourself. So first of all, you should learn to know yourself, and the ancients say there is a way to do this. If you were to ask a sage, "Who am I? Am I this body?" the sage would say, "No, you have a body, but you are not the body." "Then am I the senses?" "No, the senses are different from you." "Then am I the breath?" "No. Body, senses, and breath are not at all you." "Oh, then I think I must be the mind." "No, the mind goes through modifications--through the thinking process, through thought patterns, through analysis--it is constantly fluctuating. So you are not the mind." "Then who am I?" "You are seated behind body, senses, and mind. That which is peeping through the mind, senses, and body, that you are."

When you start understanding yourself, when you begin to cease to identify with your body, senses, and mind, then you will find that your own self is an eternal wave; your own self is a child of immortality. That which creates problems for you is your mind, because you are constantly identifying yourself with its thought patterns. You do not know, you do not think, that there can be something more, something deeper, higher, and stronger than the thinking process. You think, for example, "My husband said I am a bad woman. So, I must be a bad woman. My son also says I am bad. And my friend the other day told me I am bad. I am definitely bad." You have accepted these suggestions from outside. But you have not cared to make the effort to truly understand; you have not cared to look within. So you feel guilty, and you are suffering. This happens with everyone. You should sit down some time and think about it. Do not blame all these things on God, saying, "God made me like this, so I am like this." God made you beautiful, but you make yourself miserable. And you also have the power to make yourself happy. Both are of your own doing. You can transform your personality by understanding this.

BEYOND BODY, SENSES, AND MIND

How will you transform your personality? By being constantly aware of the Reality within, which is not body, senses, breath, or mind, but beyond that--that flame, that light, that life. Remind yourself: "I am not body, I am not senses, I am not mind--so who is there to create problems for me? This body, these senses, these thoughts have no power to create problems for me, so why am I suffering? I am suffering because of my association with the body, senses, and mind. It is all right to have them, to use them and enjoy them, but when I become attached to them and identify myself with them, I am bound to suffer." Suffering comes when you have something and you do not know how to use it. If you are aware of this, you will quickly come to realize that you have all the things you need; you simply need to learn how to use them. That is all.

So you should know the technique for using the instruments that you have. And that is, you should be constantly aware-- inside--of the Reality. "I am beyond body, senses, and mind. Who is there to make me suffer?" If you say "God," then that poor God should suffer more than we because he would be responsible for having created a whole world of suffering. If you believe that God has created such a miserable world, then there is no need for believing in God. But God has not created a miserable world; it is we who have created a miserable world for ourselves. All the miserable conditions in the world have been created by us, and we can remove them and be happy. So constantly be aware of the Reality that is beyond body, senses, and mind. And when you do your actions, think that all the things of the world are meant to be used and should be used--they should be enjoyed. But know that they are not yours. Then you will be happy. Happiness is not something that we cannot have. It is our right; it is our birthright; we are working for that; we live for that; we hope to continue to live for that.

You talk of other worlds, other dimensions, unknown things. You should not do that. You should understand the nature of the known. You are not satisfied with the things of the world, but it is the nature of the world that nothing is permanent.  Everything is subject

to change; everything is decaying; everything is dying. Accept this fact--and then live in the world. Do not talk. about the unknown. Do not expect the unknown to come and enlighten you; do not expect the unknown to suddenly drop in and make you happy. Make yourself happy by understanding that the light of lights is within you.

That which is called God or the Lord is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. If he is not within you, then he is not a great Lord, he is not omnipresent. If he is omniscient, then that means that the knowledge of God IS within you. And If he is omnipotent, then the Lord in his full majesty must be within you. So that which you consider to be God is within you in his full majesty. You do not know that because you rely on your body, which is subject to change. But there is something that does not change--something beyond the body, senses, and mind. It is that light, that flame, that eternity--which is within you--that does not change. It is called God within you.

So remember, you are not so miserable as you have made yourself out to be. You are God, too, and cultivating this constant awareness within you will help keep you from false attachments, from identifying yourself with your body, mind, and senses. So you must say to yourself, "Body, mind, and senses are mine, but they are not me, for I am that eternal flame which is not subject to change, death, and decay." This awareness should always be with you.

So how do you live in the external world? How do you find inner peace and happiness? By creating a bridge between the internal and external worlds, by adjusting your attitude when you perform your actions and speech, and by being constantly aware of the Reality within.

An Inspiring Challengeby Swami Rama 

(From A Call to Humanity)

See also the list: Swami Rama Articles

"We must not create a wall between our worldly and spiritual lives. 

"People disorganized in their worldly life search for spiritual wisdom in seclusion; whereas, if organized properly, they can have all the means and resources that are of utmost importance for spiritual enlightenment. The purpose of human life is to make the best use of the resources that nature or God has given us. 

"There are typically two kinds of people. Some are involved in the world and are busy in their self-centered activities. Others renounce their families and do not participate in worldly life at all. There are very few people who use discrimination, work hard for their self-fulfillment, and at the same time, contribute to the welfare of society. People belonging to these two categories have an incomplete world view, and therefore, strive for their limited goals. 

"In our modern age, where the standard of living has been facilitated by science and technology, we must learn to make the best use of our ample resources. A lifestyle that is suitable for both worldly fulfillment and spiritual enlightenment is the best. 

"Those who strive to attain personal enlightenment and help others light their lamps are the true leaders of the human race. Blessed are those who are useful for themselves as well as others. They attain the highest goal of life here and now. Right in this mortal world, they become immortal and their wisdom guides humanity on the path of immortality. 

"Today’s society is waiting for selfless, spiritually enlightened, well-balanced leaders to guide them in how to live happily here and hereafter. Such leaders or reformers will not come from outside our society. They have to be born, raised, and trained right in our own society. We are the ones to become our own guides, our own leaders, and we are the ones to enlighten our own lives. 

"Get up, my friends, arise: attain knowledge, and dedicate your life to the service of your fellow beings." 

KathopanishadThe Mystery of Death and 

the Meaning of Life by Swami Rama

From: Sacred Journey  

From Sacred JourneyBy Swami RamaISBN 8188157007 (Buy)Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site) 

The Upanishad examined in this book is the Kathopanishad, a scripture that unveils the mystery of death and the meaning of life.

An old story is told about the beginning of time. The universe was in the process of being created and not everything was yet in order or fully functioning. Before the universe could be totally engaged, the Creator had one final task to complete. To help him complete this task the Lord summoned an angel.

The angel came. The Creator told the angel that he, the Lord, had one last job to do in the making of the universe.

“I saved the best for last,” the Creator told the angel. “I have here the real meaning of human life, the treasure of life, the purpose and goal of all this that I have created.

“Because this treasure is valuable beyond description,” the Creator continued, “I want you to hide it. Hide this treasure so well that human beings will know its value to be immeasurable.”

“I will do so, Lord,” said the angel. “I will hide the treasure of life on the highest mountain top.”

“The treasure will be too easy to find there,” said the Creator.

“Then,” said the angel, “I will hide the treasure in the great desert wilderness. Surely, the treasure will not be easily found there.”

“No, too easy.”

“In the vast reaches of the universe?” asked the angel. “That would make a difficult search.”

“No,” the Creator said pondering. Then his face showed a flash of inspiration. “I know. I have the place. Hide the treasure of life within the human being. He will look there last and know how precious this treasure is. Yes, hide the treasure there.”

This treasure and the search for it are the subjects of the Upanishads. Given the nature of human beings, that treasure was indeed well hidden. As the Lord said in the story above, the last place human beings will look for the ultimate Reality is within themselves. They will look to all the diverse objects of the world for meaning, and each time, with each well-meant effort, come away with nothing worth having. In this way a perpetual cycle of births and deaths is created. They spend life running after things that are only temporal and when death comes they are empty handed, with just an invitation to do it over again.

The Upanishads say the ignorant person keeps accepting that invitation, but the wise person sees the futility in the endless pattern of death and rebirth, and looks within for that which is eternal.

According to the Upanishads, that which we seek within is called Atman, the pure Self, our real identity, that, as the Bible says, is in the image and likeness of God. The real Self is not recognizable by the senses or the mind. It is the hidden treasure within the soul, and dwells in the innermost chamber of the heart. It is very subtle, unfathomable, and eternal. It existed at the beginning of creation, exists now, and will continue to exist in the future.

The phenomenal universe, as the Upanishads explain repeatedly, is impermanent and constantly changing, evolving, growing, decaying, and dying. It goes on endlessly this way—coming, going, dying. That is its nature. Anyone who becomes attached to the phenomenal world with all of its changing forms is sure to come to grief in the end. Yet the phenomenal world plays a role in bringing a person to the realm of the immortal. The pain and fear of death that are natural to the material world are meant to guide a person toward wisdom. A time comes when the individual realizes that there must be more to existence than this. Then he or she begins to seriously look for an alternative as the ultimate purpose of life.

The Upanishad examined in this book is the Kathopanishad, a scripture that unveils the mystery of death and the meaning of life. Of all the Upan-ishads, Kathopanishad is the most lucid and accessible on the knowledge of Atman here and hereafter. It clearly defines the alternatives confronting humanity concerning the purpose of life and the ultimate choices that have to be made.

This Upanishad is a beautiful, poetic explanation of the mystery of life and death, the law of karma, and how to attain liberation from grief and distress. It is composed in one hundred nineteen mantras and constructed around a dialogue between a spiritually minded young man named Nachiketa on one hand and Yama, the king of death on the other. Yama, unlike portrayals in Greek or Roman mythology of the king of death, is not something dreadful. He was the first man born on the earth to die and was a self realized master. In this scripture, Yama may be compared to the highest discriminating intelligence of the human being, while Nachiketa represents the lower mind, albeit with strength and courage.

The dialogue between the two reveals the character of a dedicated but yet unrealized spiritual seeker. Nachiketa is someone we can understand as well as admire. Though he has many doubts, his faith is indisputable. Above all he harbors a deep desire for the highest knowledge and ultimate happiness.

Nachiketa is tested by Yama to determine how strong his desire for truth is. Is it stronger than the attractions to the things of desire in the world? Yes. Nachiketa renounces

everything for the sake of Self-realization. Above all else he wants to know Atman, the real Self.

In his faith Nachiketa knows that all the pleasures, even the highest joys of life, do not continue forever. They pass away, leaving pain in their wake. No matter where one goes, or what one does, as long as worldly desires are present there can be no real peace. It doesn’t matter whether a person lives totally in the world, surrounded by and fully partaking of the world’s pleasures, or in the wilderness apart from all enticements. Whenever there are desires for worldly things there will be discontent.

Death is no more an escape from all these desires than is the barren desert wilderness. People cling to their desires till death and drag them all back with them again to the worldly plane where they can be fulfilled.

It is only in practical daily life that people can deal with desires and attain self-control over the senses and thoughts that drive the desires. People must learn to rise above desires and see their limited value. Only when they rise above desires and gain mastery over their senses and thoughts will they begin to realize real joy. They will see that as they let go of their attachments to worldly things, including their own material bodies, they will begin to experience a sense of peace of immeasurably greater value than any wealth or comfort material existence could ever offer.

Nachiketa understood this innately. You might say his conscience was directing him, and he had the courage to follow his conscience instead of tracing the well-worn steps of so many others who chose the path of material pursuits.

The path described by Yama in the Kathopanishad is the path of yoga, whose aim is the spiritual union between the individual soul and the supreme Self of all.

Keys to Successful LivingBy Swami Rama

See also the list: Swami Rama Articles

Keys to Successful LivingSwami Rama

Everyone wants to be successful in life, but where are the keys to success? Do we have to go out and search for those keys, or do we have those potentials already within ourselves? When we begin to examine life, we can see that it is divided into two aspects -- life within and life without; internal life and external life -- and we can see that these aspects are of equal importance. Even if we have renounced the world, gone far away from civilization, and live in the wilderness doing nothing but meditation, we cannot ignore external life. We still have to see that we eat, do our ablutions, and perform our practices on time. So life in the external world is as important as life in the internal world. Even one who has renounced the world has to understand the word relationship properly, because life itself is actually relationship. The body is related to the breath, and the breath is related to the mind. The body, breath, senses, and mind all function together as a unit. So life virtually means relationship, and thus the art of living and being requires an understanding of one's relationship to the external world and the relationships within oneself.

All human beings have inner potentials, but many people are not aware of those potentials and do not know how to use them to have a successful life. Those who are not happy internally can never be happy externally; those who are not happy within

themselves can never make others happy. Those who do not love themselves can never love others.

If we are not happy, how can we be successful in life? Success lies in our happiness. The keys to happiness lie within us, but our modern education does not teach us how to find them. It is helpful to have a few formulas to practice in daily life to make it more successful. I have not created these formulas; they are derived from observations based on experience. There are five points to remember: first, how to decide things on time; second, how to study personal habit patterns; third, how to conduct ourselves in the external world; fourth, what attitude to take; fifth, where to find happiness. To attain success in life, one should learn and apply these five points.

Deciding Things on Time

The first point to understand is the philosophy and science of decision -- how to make decisions on time. The most successful person is that person who knows how to decide on time. There are many extraordinarily brilliant people who understand things very quickly, but when the time comes to make a decision, when an opportunity comes, they withdraw and are not able to act. They do not know how to decide. They know they should learn to decide on time, but they don't do it. They always say, "Well, I knew it. I understood the key, but I did not act in time." Though they may think correctly, and accurately understand the situation properly, they suddenly lose confidence. This is a world of competition; someone else is always trying to attain the same thing we are. So if we do not decide on time, someone else will attain what we want. Time is valuable in the external world. A tender bamboo can be easily bent, but if we try to bend a mature bamboo, it will break. That which we have to do today, we should not postpone for tomorrow, but we should also not make decisions in haste.

We may have a setback if we make a wrong decision, but our mistakes will teach us. Many people avoid making decisions their whole lives, so their decisive faculty of mind, the faculty of discrimination, becomes rusty and dies. Such people become totally dependent on others. When we study the four functions of the mind -- buddhi, the faculty of decisiveness; ego, the principle of identity; chitta, the storehouse of impressions; and manas, the importer and exporter of sensations and experience -- then we become aware of the power of the will. Will power is that something within us that comes forward and says, "Do this. It will be helpful for you." Training the internal functions helps us to understand the decisive faculty of the mind, without which we cannot be successful. [See also the article on the Four Functions of Mind]

We should understand our capacities and potentials, and then we should express ourselves in the external world with full confidence, acting without any reservations. Thus there are three steps in performing an action: first, forming an opinion within ourselves; second, expressing our opinion to others; and third, executing our opinion in action.

Understanding Habit Patterns

The main thing that one should learn in life -- and it is not taught in the home or in the schools -- is self-analysis. We should learn to analyze ourselves. If we really want to understand ourselves, we can analyze our personality by understanding our habit patterns. This is not difficult. We should simply try to be consciously aware of every action we perform and realize that our actions are virtually our thoughts. Without thought there can be no action. Habit patterns and thoughts are revealed through behavior.

There is a branch of psychology called behaviorism that is based on this concept. But one should understand that external behavior alone cannot reveal everything about a person. Laughter, for example, cannot be analyzed behaviorally. If I were to laugh, you might

also laugh with me simply because I was laughing but without understanding why I was laughing. Your laughter is out of sheer reaction. Then you might laugh a second time, this time at yourself because you did not understand why you were laughing and yet you laughed. You might also laugh a third time because you finally understand what I was laughing at and you now also find it funny. All three times your laughter might seem the same to others, but each time it had a different motivation. So internal states cannot be understood through behavior analysis alone. Only a small part of oneself and others can be understood through observing behavior. But knowing our habit patterns can help us to analyze and understand our personality.

What is personality? The word "personality" comes from the root persona, which means "mask." Our personality is a mask that we wear. We don't have to wear a mask when we are by ourselves; we wear a mask to express ourselves to others. Our personality is a character, and that character is composed of certain habits. Each of us has numerous habits; so when we want to understand our personality, we should understand our habit patterns. A habit pattern is a conscious thought or action that one repeats again and again. This creates a groove in the unconscious mind and forms an unconscious habit. Unconscious habits are stronger than conscious habits. All habit patterns are self-created. When we sit down and try to understand which of our habits control our life, we see that there are many deep-rooted habits within us. We should learn to study them. Once we become aware of harmful thoughts and emotions that have created deep grooves in the mind, we can begin to change them by creating new grooves. Then the mind will stop flowing to the old grooves and start flowing to the new ones. In this way we can change our habits.

You should also learn to execute your intentions. For instance, many people have very good intentions to do something nice for their neighbors, and they think about it all the time, but then those thoughts are never executed, they are never allowed to become actions. We have many thoughts that have never been executed, and that is why we are miserable. If we learn to select those thoughts that are helpful and then allow ourselves to execute them, that brings fulfillment, and life will be happy. We create misery for ourselves when we do not bring our good thoughts into action. One of the French writers has explained this concept beautifully: "All good thoughts that are not brought into action are either treachery or abortion." Good thoughts are those that help others and that help us also. Bad thoughts are those that obstruct our progress and create barriers for others.

Deep-seated habits can keep you from doing that which you know would be good for you to do. You become helpless because of the obsessions and addictions that are caused by your habits. You may continue in a habit that you know is not good -- that is neither healthy nor helpful and that should not be done -- because the habit has become so deep-rooted that you are powerless to change your behavior. Society does not help you change your bad habits, and there are very few places where you can get help. Many people who are in the penitentiary know that what they have done is a crime, but the force of habit led them to act improperly. Their faculty of discrimination within functions -- they understand what is right and what is not right -- but their deep-seated habits have motivated them to do something that is not good, that is not acceptable. Actually, no one should be considered either a good person or a bad person. In traditional English law, when someone was punished, he was told, "We are not punishing you for yourself. We are punishing you for your bad habits."

Controlling the Primitive Urges

Habit patterns are very strong motivations in life; we should not ignore them. We should not create a defense mechanism and say, "Well, so what if I have this habit?" We should learn to study our habit patterns and work with our habits to change them. There are very few basic habits, and they arise from four fountains: food, sex, sleep, and self-

preservation. By understanding these four primitive fountains, we can understand our habit patterns, and then we can learn to change them and to transform the personality.

Food is the first basic urge. If a husband tells his wife, "Don't overeat," she may say, "I overeat because of you. You don't pay attention to me, so I have to overeat." Sometimes when the sexual appetite is not dealt with properly, people overeat. This is the universal law of compensation. If we maintain a nutritious diet, we will not have any problem from the primitive fountain called food. Food goes through the body and then affects the mind, but sex originates in the mind and then is expressed through the body. If our mind is balanced and we have attained emotional maturity, then we can deal competently with the sex urge. For it is the mind, not the body, that deals with sex. The poor body cannot handle the rush, the flood, of mind, and so almost no one is sexually happy. To have a balanced sex life, one should understand that a calm, tranquil mind is very helpful.

Sleep is another primitive fountain. We consider ourselves to be extremely knowledgeable and highly advanced, but we do not know anything about how to sleep. It is very important to understand the anatomy of sleep. If you wanted to go to sleep right now, you could not do it because you need many accommodations to create the proper atmosphere for sleep, but yogis know how to go to sleep voluntarily, remain conscious, and then wake up at the exact moment they had determined they would. People go to sleep just out of habit, but we should learn to train our will so we can go to sleep or wake up anytime we want to. And when we sleep, we should be conscious. This is possible. There are methods for going to deep sleep, recording what is going on around us, and then waking up and remembering it. Yogis know these methods and have demonstrated them scientifically. People do not need to sleep as much as they are in the habit of doing. We can go to the state of deep sleep for just two hours and awaken totally refreshed. This has been observed by scientists who have done research on the anatomy of sleep. If we know how to sleep, we can give complete rest to the body and to the conscious mind anytime.

The fourth fountain is self-preservation. Fear comes from the urge for self-preservation, and when fears are deepened, they create phobias. People are always trying to protect themselves; they are always afraid. It is good to protect ourselves from the physical world, but it is not good to protect ourselves from the mental world -- that is very dangerous. People should learn to face their inner fears and to understand why they are afraid. People always want to avoid unpleasant things, and so they never examine their fears. That is why they have innumerable fears within them. Most fears are unexamined, and they are imaginary; they are not valid. "My husband has not come home. Perhaps he has had an accident. Perhaps something awful has happened!" Why imagine only the negative; why not imagine the positive also? "My husband has not come home. Perhaps he has won the lottery today. Perhaps he has become a millionaire!" People are in the habit of creating imaginary fears, and when they don't come true, they forget them. They don't go back and analyze those fears. Even when people know that their fear is imaginary, that self-created fear still makes them miserable.

Even when people are in love, they are afraid of the beloved. "Perhaps she is angry. Perhaps I have done something wrong and made her unhappy." People are also always afraid of their enemies. People form a strong habit of being afraid of everything. But when they learn to examine their fears, they realize that all fears are imaginary. Imaginary means there is an image within. We receive an image from outside, from our relationship, and then we create an image within; we have millions of images within us. To be free from all fears, we must learn to face fearsome images and to examine them. Fears are extremely dangerous, but they are all self-created. Learning to live free from the fears that arise from the urge of self-preservation is very important.

Living in the External World

How can one live successfully in the external world? It is very difficult to live in the external world, to put up with the world, to deal with the whims of many people, to please everyone. So it is helpful to have a few principles to apply to the various situations and circumstances we find ourselves involved in. Then alone is it possible for us to be successful. We have numerous experiences every day -- some pleasant, some unpleasant. But there is one category of experience for which we long: the kind of experience that guides us, that motivates us to do something helpful for others and for ourselves. But such experiences are very rare.

We waste our time and energy. Even the time and energy that we think we are spending in pleasure we do not enjoy, because we do not really know how to enjoy the things of the world. But we can learn how to do this; all the things of the world can be enjoyed. The renunciates say, "Your world does not have anything. It's not a good world. All things are fleeting, all things are changing. All things are momentary, and nothing makes you happy. Why are you in this world? Why do you not renounce?" But they are wrong. We can live in the world and learn to use the things of the world as means. As St. Bernard says, "Learn to use the things of the world, but love God alone." The things of the world should not be loved. Their nature should be understood, and they should become means, but they should not be loved. When we use them, we tend to get attached to them -- that is not healthy. We should love God alone, and we should learn that all the things of the world are to be used solely as means for attaining the center of love. The Lord of life is called love. We should learn to love our responsibilities and to discharge our duties lovingly, without any attachment.

Western students think that it is not possible to love someone without attachment. But perhaps the word attachment is not understood. Love is different from attachment. In love we give -- we do our duties lovingly -- and that is entirely different from attachment. Attachment is unauthorized. In attachment we become blindfolded and selfish. In attachment we expect all the time and we are never fulfilled, and thus we become miserable. There is not one single thing that we can say is really ours. We can have things -- and we should learn to look after them properly -- but we should not try to possess them. In attachment people are afraid. "This is mine. What will happen to me if it dies? What will happen to me if it is destroyed?" People remain constantly under the pressure of the fear of losing what they have or of not gaining what they want. The whole problem of fear arises from these two sources.

Most people are not aware that they are on a voyage. They are in the habit of collecting useless garbage, and it creates problems for them. People should learn to understand that needs and necessities are different from wants and desires. If we need something, we should have it, but we should not uselessly want to have unnecessary things. In studying the lives of great people, we find they share one trait that has made them successful: they do not take what they do not need. Once when Buddha was going as usual from door to door with his begging bowl to beg for alms, housewife shouted at him, "You idiot! You are so healthy, so strong, and so handsome. You were a prince! Why did you renounce your home and start troubling us? Every day you come with your begging bowl. It has become too much for us." She was very angry because the whole city was full of renunciates, and there were very few householders; it was a problem for the householders to feed all the monks. She became so angry that she picked up some filth and tried to give it to him. He smiled and said, "Mother, I don't need it." He started to go on his way, but one of his disciples got angry and told the woman, "I am going to kill you for behaving like this with my Lord!" Buddha turned back to him and said, "You are not my disciple. You have not learned anything from me. If somebody wants to give you something undesirable, don't take it. If somebody says you are bad, don't accept such a negative suggestion." We should learn to understand this point, and then we can go through the process of life unaffected.

But instead of remaining unaffected, people allow their cultural values to make them dependent on external suggestions. We are blasted by suggestions all the time, and the power of suggestion is immense. If ten people say that we look ill, then we begin to feel

sick. If someone says "You ugly person," then your whole day is ruined. But if someone says "Oh, you look beautiful then you say "You have made my day." You are already beautiful, but if nobody appreciates you, you don't believe in your beauty. You should learn to appreciate and admire yourself; you should learn to understand and come in touch with that beauty which is within you all the time. You are already beautiful just as you are! You do not need others to tell you are beautiful. You should not become dependent on others' opinions; you should not try to know yourself through others.

There is a very dangerous characteristic in this culture: people make themselves dependent on each other. People live on suggestions; they are swayed by whatever anyone says. People are in the habit of always wanting and expecting attention from others, and this is very dangerous, because then life becomes totally dependent on others. This is the worst trait I have seen in Western culture. Wives nag their husbands and husbands criticize their wives because they expect too much from each other. When people become dependent on their relationships, when they expect too much from their relationships, then they are bound to suffer.

When a girl goes to school, the thought that constantly lives in her mind is that she will meet a good boy, get married, and be happy. But there is no Bible in the world that says marriage will make someone happy. Marriage does not make anyone happy; it is only a means for happiness in life, and if this is understood, then it is very good. But if one expects too much and thinks that marriage is the answer to all the vital questions of life, then that person will find only disappointment. People grow up with unreal expectations about marriage, and the philosophy of marriage is not taught. What is the purpose of marriage? What is the philosophy of remaining single? If a single person does not know how to use his time positively, and if he has no personal philosophy of life, then he becomes perverted. Those who are unmarried are not happy, and those who are married are also not happy. Marriage is like a fortress: those who are inside cannot come out, and those who are outside are rushing to get in. So I have not seen anyone who is happy. This does not mean that people should not get married; the institution of marriage is very necessary. If it crumbles, all of society will crumble. This is a great discipline for human society.

Developing the Proper Attitude

What should our attitude in the world be? It should be that relationships and all the things of the world are means. The world has never given anyone enlightenment, but at the same time it is impossible for one to get enlightened if one does not live in the world. What helplessness! The world does not give enlightenment, and yet we have to live in the world. Therefore let us understand that the world should be a means for enlightenment. There are two ways of using the world for this purpose: first, you can have the attitude that you will not allow the world to disturb you, so that you can thereby get enlightenment; and second, you can have the attitude that you can use the world to help you, so that you can thereby get enlightenment. Both attitudes should be applied. One should have the same attitudes toward relationships: "I will behave in such a way with my spouse and children that they don't disturb my inner peace; I will behave in such a way that they become helpful to me and that they also grow."

You should first have the attitude that no matter what happens, you will not be disturbed. Otherwise, when you get something, you become emotional and imbalanced, and when you don't get something, you become depressed and disorganized. This means that you do not have the proper attitude behind your thinking and behavior. Great leaders like Moses and Jesus had to face many serious problems, but they had the proper attitude. That attitude can be built only when you consider all relationships in the external world and all the objects of the world simply as means, not ends. Then it doesn't matter if today you expect something to become your means, and tomorrow you see that it will not. When your attitude toward the external world is that all the things of the world are means, and not disturbances, then you can find happiness.

Where Is Happiness?

If happiness were external, Americans would have it. Americans have many things, but they are not happy. Many people are very nice to others, but they are not nice to themselves. They have a mechanical way of behaving nicely with others, but they do not know how to be happy within themselves. They are creating a great conflict, a split personality, by pretending to express a happiness that is not there. Happiness is not in the external world; it is not attained through objects. People spend their whole lives wanting to have this and have that; they love objects, and they cannot love without objects. But the day you learn to love without an object, that will be the day of greatest happiness. When one learns to love God, that is love without an object. God is not an object; God is beyond all objects. So love without an object is love for God.

Happiness lies within you, and you should learn to use all things and apply all means to attain that happiness. This inner happiness is in a dormant form; you have to unfold yourself to experience it. Therefore you should learn to be still, so that the godly part in you can reveal itself to you. "Be still and know that I am God." What a great promise! This is the greatest aphorism. Many Christians and Jews think that there is no meditation in the Bible, but this one sentence reveals the entire philosophy of meditation.

Every human being should learn to be calm and quiet, and to see God in others. Then you can be detached from the nongodly part, and you will be loving the godly part. You are a shrine of God. I should love you because I should love God in you. It's good to love people because everyone is a temple of God. People do not worship the walls of a temple; their love is directed toward that which dwells inside it. So whomever you love, love God in that person.

I pray to the divinity within you.

Living on Purposeby Swami Rama

From: Sacred Journey  

From Sacred JourneyBy Swami RamaISBN 8188157007 (Buy)Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site) 

We are all making a sacred journeyto our true, divine natures.

Fear is removed and life is enjoyed only when there is a purpose in life. We need to ask ourselves if life has a purpose. What is the meaning of life? Usually we begin asking this question when we have experienced a great deal of pain after suffering the loss of property or relationships. We’ve seen the emptiness in getting more material wealth or fame or power. We’ve seen how fleeting the pleasures of those are. We’ve begun to say, “If wealth, fame, and power do not give happiness, then what does?”

Out of our pain we begin to suspect there is something more to life, that life is not limited to what our senses experience. We may only suspect. Our knowledge of anything beyond the world of forms—that which we see and hear, and so on still may be barely a whisper deep within us, but the possibility is worth the exploration.

The exploration begins by establishing the philosophy that there may be something more to life. That philosophy at least gives a direction. With a philosophy life takes on more meaning and immediately begins to take a different shape. The intention to learn more provides focus and focus gathers energy. There is joy in that alone.

With only the vaguest of goals and our motivation still only a whisper, we begin to see the objects and relationships in our lives differently. They are no longer the center of our lives The pain inherent in the loss of them, or in the fear of loss of them, is not so intense.

Having such a philosophy that suggests a greater meaning than owning and keeping changes life’s atmosphere. A sense of freedom grows. Gradually we begin to detect that it is not owning and keeping the things of the world that matters, but something else—perhaps giving and letting go.

Yet these thoughts remain only faint sounds within us, especially since we have heard all our lives so loudly and distinctly that acquiring possessions and wealth and power, and having sensory pleasures, are topmost in priority for a good life. Nonetheless the faint inner sounds continue.

The second step is to reorganize one’s life. As with all great transitions of mind and changes of old habits, the second step is done gradually, as personal capacity allows and grows. For instance, as the shift is made from a philosophy of acquiring objects to one of a greater purpose, our needs diminish. Materially, life becomes simpler and less burdensome. Following a philosophy that life may have greater meaning, we begin to see that we don’t need relationships with others in the same ways. We don’t need others to give us something. We don’t depend on relationships for what we can get from them. We can be more free in our relationships and the emphasis changes from needing and taking in a relationship—whether marital, parental, filial, or any other—to giving. Emotionally, life becomes lighter.

This philosophy and reorganization usually mean our lifestyles become less opulent and require fewer distractions. More is given away. Less is needed. Concerns for health change. Ironically it seems to be those who are most afraid of dying who do the most to hasten the process by eating rich, heavy foods, ingesting too much alcohol, and smoking. Their fear of death draws them to the sensory pleasures that bring death about more quickly. With a philosophy that says there is more to life, we naturally shift to a healthier diet and more exercise.

Other changes also come about. As we expand from the narrow viewpoint that the priorities in life are material and sensory wealth, to a greater view of life with spiritual purpose, then not only do we change in lifestyle habits and relationships, but we see the world differently. If we no longer think we were dropped somehow by accident onto this planet to get all we can, then we see that is also true of all other people. If we are here for a greater purpose, then so are all five billion plus inhabitants of the planet. Our sense of community changes. Our family grows. We realize we are part of a global community, all brothers and sisters on a long journey, though on different paths.

No longer can we do work that might harm other people, or harm the world in which we all live. If we have jobs that pollute the environment, or create difficulties for other people, we will feel obliged to find other work.

At the same time we no longer feel threatened by the differences in other people. If all five billion people on the planet are here for a higher spiritual purpose, then the differences in race, color, and beliefs are ultimately superficial. These differences, along with everything else happening on the planet, are serving the higher spiritual purpose. Race, color, and creed are part of the different paths toward the same goal. The fear that

these varieties of race, color, and creed once held, that somehow people who were different were a threat to what is owned, disappear.

In eastern philosophy this wide angle reorganization of a person’s life is called dharma. One sense of the word dharma means to organize one’s life in such a way that individual action is in harmony with interpersonal relationships and with the community, local and global. It implies morality, righteousness, and virtue. A life that is led with unselfishness, harmlessness, compassion, non-possessiveness, and non-covetousness in personal relationships and toward the greater global community and earth itself, is a spiritually healthy life. However, if a person is selfish, harms others, brings harm in some way to the community, and feels a sense of possession of things and people, such a person’s life is contracted, and spiritual progress is hindered.

Another interpretation of dharma is the notion of destiny. Dharma is a person’s duty in life. Put another way, dharma is the path a person takes to best use this life to most effectively reach the goal of life.

A person’s dharma is related also to personal karmas and samskaras. What does a person need to earn, burn, and discard in order to move forward in spiritual life? What is the dharma that can effect that learning and burning? Whether that dharma is to be a carpenter, social worker, fireman, nurse, computer technician, mother or father, Californian or Italian, it doesn’t matter. From a general point of view, no dharma is better than another. From the standpoint of making spiritual progress, being a small vegetable farmer or street cleaner is as valid and efficient a dharma as being president or pope. Each person has a dharma that best suits his or her spiritual needs.

It is vital then to look for and establish a personal dharma that provides a personal set of values to follow and develop, and identifies those duties that will be helpful in the process of personal growth.

In this exploration of something beyond worldly life it is necessary to find a spiritual path. We all need a guidebook into the geography of the heart. We are all making a sacred journey to our true, divine natures. Although that divine nature is so close and so known to us, it also remains hidden in the tangled recesses of our thoughts and desires.

All the religions and spiritual systems of the world come from the human aspiration to know the truth about our real identity. Within each of these systems are maps to that Truth that is shared by all. Some maps are written in Sanskrit, others in Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, or Chinese. Some maps take sea routes, others overland or air. Some guide followers this way up the mountainside, others that way. They all, however, come to the same pinnacle of Truth.

We usually find ourselves in those systems that represent our culture. Religions evolve out of cultures to serve the spiritual needs of people in the context of their lifestyles, environments, and histories. Islam emerged from a particular culture, history and community need. The same is true of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and all the religious systems of the world. None is better than another. They merely reflect cultures, times, and needs. Hinduism in reality is a way of life and a philosophy of life. It is not a religion.

As the world has shrunk with sophisticated communications systems, it has become easier to share the knowledge of religious systems with other cultures. There has been a mixing of ideas and techniques that are benefiting people throughout the world. The great movement of eastern philosophies in the second half of this century throughout the United States and Europe is an example of this sharing.

However, it is important to remember that spiritual disciplines that have become religious systems have been reinterpreted. Institutions have emerged that have become

something other than the spiritual imperative that gave rise to the institutions. Jesus said he was not creating a new religion; he was simply telling the truth. A religious system developed and concealed the truth told by Jesus. The truth is still there, but around it is this new institution and its interpretations of truth.

Jesus said, for instance, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me.” He meant that the way to eternal life, or Brahman, is by knowing the Atman, the pure Self that is embodied by all. The institution that formed seized on the statement and used it as an institutional bludgeon, demanding that people join that institution and take on its dogma or be doomed.

So is the case with Islam. Internal research of Islam has been done by the Sufis. The Sufis have dived deep into the Islamic scriptures and emerged with gems of wisdom. I find that all religions have one and the same truth to share with their community. The fortunate few who have realized this truth know that it is priestly wisdom and churchianity that have created confusion.

The same phenomenon has happened in all spiritual systems. The institutions are meant to protect the truth, and they grow to bind a community together. That’s the meaning of religion from the Latin ligare, to hold or bind together a culture or people of like beliefs. However, often the institution takes on a life of its own, ignoring the truth it meant to teach. The institution and its leaders become more vital than the truth itself. This leads usually to politics, prejudice, dogmatism, factionalism, and sometimes bloodshed with one religious group fighting another. The mentality develops that, “We have the truth, you don’t. God is with us, not you.” All manner of injustices and harm in the name of religion come from this attitude. The egos of religious leaders create a situation where their followers worship them, or fear them, and the purpose of the path is forgotten.

The desirable path is that which responds to the true spiritual needs of the individual, not to the demands of an institution, and not to the whims of institutional leaders. In truly spiritual systems both the institutions and their leaders exist solely to serve the spiritual needs of their members and followers.

Love and Relationshipsby Swami Rama

From Conscious Living  

From Conscious LivingBy Swami RamaISBN 8188157031 (Buy)Audio:ISBN 818815718x (Buy)Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site) 

There are two laws, the law of contraction and the law of expansion. Hate others, you are going through the law of contraction. Love all, you are going through the law of expansion. Learn to love, that is the law of expansion. What does love mean? It means to give, without any expectation, to your own people. This is a school where you learn to give unconditionally. Then you will learn that nothing is difficult for you, nothing is difficult. First thing you should learn is to just give. Instead of arguing with your wife, just give her what she wants. Just give your children what they want. Slowly, you will discover that they have started loving you so much and they have become so very considerate. They will never exploit your generosity. Learning to give is one of the greatest of arts. Give selflessly, to those at home, to those with whom you live. Start doing it there. Love

will completely transform you, for love alone has that power, even death does not have the power to transform you. So if you love, then there is only love, there is no space for you. At present you have likes and dislikes; but with love, there is a sense of equality, you love all, you can never hate anyone. There is that underlying understanding that I will love all and exclude none. You are free. It is a joy that leads to bliss. There is so much expansion of your mind that anything that is hidden, that is unconscious, comes forward as a part of the conscious mind. Why should you be unhappy? You know who is unhappy? One who is selfish. Who is happy? One who is selfless. It’s that simple. I am not telling you to go crazy, giving away all your wealth to strangers, becoming uselessly charitable, no! I am telling you to do experiments at home, with those who live with you. Transforming your personality is the simple way to attainment. Let us not make it difficult.

Your home is a miniature universe. Have you seen the family of Shiva? You Hindus should understand this symbolism. Shiva has got a deadly cobra around his neck. His son Ganesha rides on a mouse. Is it possible for a snake and a mouse to live together? Parvati has a tiger and Shiva has a bull. A snake lives with a mouse and a bull lives with a tiger. Man lives with a woman, a woman lives with a man. It’s a symbol of unity in diversity. O man, learn to adjust your life in such a way that there is no conflict at all. You can do that. Things impossible can be made possible, provided you learn to understand life. So Shiva’s family tells you that there are disagreements, disparities in life; yet our goal is to be aware of, to establish the unity beneath all these diversities. We can do this with prayer, by praying to the Lord within you. Or you can do it with meditation.

There are always conflicts, confusion, with relationships in the world. A wife and husband, traditionally married and living together with all the amenities of life, claim to love each other, yet remain frustrated. Why? Because they do not understand themselves. How is it possible for them to realize life and to understand the goal of life through marriage? Girls and boys think that marriage is the solution to the problems of life. And they get very excited. The girl thinks that one day the prince of my dreams will come forward, I will get married and live happily ever after. The boy also thinks that the day I find my ideal partner, I’ll be very happy. But, nothing happens, because a basic philosophy, basic understanding, basic knowledge, is missing. This is especially so with those from Eastern traditions. They bank more on the sayings of their books and they talk about their ancestors. “Our scriptures are great, our rishis, our sages, were great, our forefathers were great.” But how about you, sir? We have to understand this.

We used to live in the mountains of India, the Himalayas, that you have all heard of and many of you have visited. One day, a prince from a nearby state, who was educated in Oxford, came to visit my Master with all his guards and secretaries. That morning I was standing outside the cave monastery where I was brought up. The prince came forward and said, “Come here, O brahmachari (apprentice). Come here.” I said, “What’s the matter? Who are you?” He said, “I want to see your Master.” I said, “You cannot see him. Don’t order me around and get out of this place.” So his secretary came forward and said, “Do you know he is a prince?” I said, “I don’t care. I am the prince of the Himalayas.” The secretary now became very humble, as did the prince,“Sir, can I please see your Master?” I said, “Ok.” My Master was sitting inside. The prince, affecting the mannerisms of polite society, said, “Good morning to you, sir. You seem to be lonesome.” My Master replied, “Yes, because you have come.”

Don’t forget who makes you lonesome, remember this point. Those who claim to love you make you lonesome. A foreigner, a stranger, does not make you lonesome. Who makes you lonesome? Those who are closest to you. Because you expect too much from others, and others do not have the capacity. Many young boys and girls think that marriage is the solution for life. It is not. It is like a fortress, those who are in it cannot come out and those who are outside want to get in, all with great suspense. One is a helpless state, another is state of suspension. In my opinion, we should all learn to understand something in our childhood and start training and teaching our children so that they understand something about life, learning to examine one’s own self, then

learning to relate with others. We remain strangers to ourselves and yet we try to communicate in the external world with others and that is not helpful. It is creating sickness. I have been doing experiments, I have been analyzing things, I’ve been watching, observing things very subtly. What do we do in the name of love? In the name of love we use others, we lean on others, we, instead of helping, hurt others, we injure others, we become dependent. Dependency is a sort of disease.

When you get married, have four understandings with your partner. We will not fight in the mornings, we will not fight before going to bed, we will not fight while eating food, but the rest of the time if we want to fight, we can fight. It’s very injurious if you do not have such an understanding in life, such a simple agreement. If two people fight, I can stop their fight just like this. You know what I tell the wives? I don’t call them housewives, that’s a bad word. No woman is married to a house, so no one should be called a housewife. I tell them, please, when you are angry, the other person should understand that you are angry, and he should not lose his patience during that time. He should just remain quiet. Simple advice. When do you get angry? Not when you are balanced. You get angry when you are emotional, irrational. But what happens? Suppose you are angry, and then your wife also gets angry, and the children start crying, and even the neighbors also get involved, what will happen? This thought pollution that you are creating will go on expanding, spreading to the whole universe. So learn to understand that the individual family is something great, meant to radiate love to the neighbors, to the whole universe. And for that you need understanding. When your partner is upset, it is best to keep quiet. After sometime your partner says, “I’m sorry.” But if you go on fighting that is not therapeutic, that’s not healthy. I’m not saying that you should both sit in silence and not do anything. I’m saying two wheels of a chariot will lead the chariot in the same direction. And that is very good. Please fight but not all the time.

Don’t fight with a woman, for you will never win. You will be sorry if you fight with her. Once, Nancy Reagan, the wife of President Reagan began to cry after a fight they had. President Reagan, the President of the United States, who had the power to press a button that could destroy the whole world, begged his wife, “Please Nancy, please don’t cry. I, with all my powers, am at your disposal.” But Nancy wouldn’t stop. He used all his powers but he failed. Finally he started crying and Nancy said, “Don’t cry, my boy. Now, you know who the boss is.”

Learn to understand everything about yourself. It doesn’t take much time. You don’t need a swami, a yogi, a scripture or anything. Just be thoughtful. Sit down for few minutes. I have seen a husband saying sorry to his wife 100 times, because she was very calm. Whenever he got angry she remained calm. So after a few minutes he would say, “Honey, I’m sorry.” But if a husband says sorry 100 times a day, he’s a rat. He’s no real husband. I find this type of imbalance everywhere. But if both are calm, understand each other and have this understanding, “Well honey, when you are upset, I will not say anything and when I am upset, please don’t say anything. Let us have this clear contract.” Then there will be no problem. But you don’t want to sort out your problems. The great institution called the institution of marriage has become an institution of misery. I know, because I am a counselor. I have counseled 45,000 couples, and none of them were happy. And those who are happy, I adore them. Two wheels of the same chariot can go travel the road very pleasantly. It’s difficult for a single wheel to do this. So in the world, two people can do wonders, provided they adjust, provided they understand each other.

Attachment is misery, nonattachment means love. First understand that. I am attached to this chair. Is it good? Because it is not mine, I don’t have a right to be attached. I can use it. Husband is yours, love him instead of being attached to him, because a day will come when you two will be separated. It’s nature. It will happen with everybody. Therefore, follow the path of love which is called non-attachment. Attachment brings misery, nonattachment means love that gives freedom. A little bit of understanding is needed. Mothers, you are the builders. You are the first architects of this world. This architecture has come from your minds. Don’t forget that you are superior to men. You

carry a child for eight to nine months. The power that you have, man does not have. If you put a small pebble on his tummy and tell him to walk for two-three days, he cannot do it. You are definitely superior. But don’t be proud, don’t get carried away with women’s liberation. Don’t forget that you are a great mother. When a woman became pregnant, she wanted shelter. She told her husband, “I need a shelter for my child. So far we have been irresponsible. I will have a tender child, how can I look after my child? I need some shade, I need a home.” And he started building a home and gradually that thought became a school called the school of architecture.

Mothers, you are the real architects. This is your responsibility. Man is tired and worn out. You should wake up, get up and build our society. That which man cannot do, you should learn to do, because you can do it. A child’s education is totally in your hands. The seeds which are sown in childhood are the real foundation for education. You have a great responsibility. You are definitely superior and higher than man. Don’t have this complex that I am inferior because I am a woman. You have great powers. When we learn to understand this, we will realize that a great part, a vital part of our society is being misused. Women are being misused, exploited for marketing, for publicity, with posters and all kinds of vulgarity. We should be aware of the wealth we have.

In childhood, the mind remains tender. A tender bamboo can be bent easily but not a mature one. A child’s mind is very receptive. All the seeds sown in childhood grow very nicely. You and I, if we now appear in a high school examination, will both fail. Childhood is something great. A child needs guidance. Actually, there is chaos all over the world in our educational systems. If we impart good education to our children, become selfless examples for them and give them love, perhaps they will grow, become the best citizens of the world and the whole universe will bloom like a flower. Education is very important. An old man is exactly like a child, but full of follies. Childhood is pure without any follies. So when a child grows, he grows with the education that has been imparted by his environment, education imparted at home which you call culture, education imparted by the college and the university. Parents should make some sacrifices for their child and work with the child. But what do parents do? Instead of giving education to the child, they give them their problems. “Do this, do that. If you don’t do it, I’ll spank you.” The child is confused. The child grows but grows with many conflicts. I don’t think we should impart such conflicts to our children, create conflicts in their minds. We should not do that. The parents should learn to meditate and children will always imitate their parents. From childhood they will form such habits which will create their personality and that’s what they become. So, from the age of three, children should learn how to sit in meditation.

An individual creates a whirlpool for himself. An individual is helpless. He has to perform his duties and when he performs his duties he has to reap the fruits. We all have to perform our duties, that is our intrinsic nature. I am not hindering the running of the world and the perfomance of actions. I’m just saying that we, as members of our society, should become responsible. We should learn to give away the fruits of our actions and continue to do our duties with this understanding. Anything that you assume in your life is your duty. You are born in a particular family, in a particular society, in a particular country. You have to do your duties according to your family, according to your society, according to your country and finally to all of humanity. This is what the Gita teaches. Then, society will bloom, the flower of society will bloom in a better way. There are two worlds, the world created by Providence like the sun, moon, stars, earth, and water, and the world created by us, by human beings. I am talking about the world created by human beings and not the world created by Providence. Let us manage the world created by us, let us not worry about the world created by Providence.

In this cosmic cycle of evolution, a time comes when you become a human being. Time is rotating constantly. There are other kingdoms that we have gone through, perhaps; no one knows, I don’t know. When you have become a human being, you have a power, you are responsible for your own actions. What you do as a human being depends upon you. A human being has got three aspects: the animal aspect in the human being, the man in

the human being, and the divine in the human being. All three combined is called a human being. The question is what degree of divinity is in you, what degree of the animal aspect, and what degree of humanness? You will have to analyze that. I am not searching for God. Really I am not because my God is in front of me—all of you. These beautiful faces belong to my God. Anything that dwells in you is my God. I am not searching for God. I am searching for someone, but I have not met him as yet. I am searching for a perfect human being. And wherever I go, I look for him, but I don’t find him. So I am sad. I have visited 156 countries in the world. I have not yet met that man for whom I am searching. Let’s all make the effort to become good human beings, to be good citizens, to love all and exclude none. That is the way to the divine.

I have seen something amazing. When I go to see many swamis, they always ask me, “Do you go into the world and see people, how are they?” They think about you, and you people think about them. So remain wherever you are, enlightenment has nothing to do with renunciation or action. You should learn to build your concept of life and it’s not very difficult, it is your birthright. No matter what cultural background you have, which religion you belong to, if you have not built your personal philosophy, it’s not going to help you. Every now and then, great men come and give a push to humanity as a whole, to help them attain the next step of civilization. What do they do? Can you create a flower, a leaf, a blade of grass? No. The flowers are the same, but these great men change the basket, according to their times.

A good yogi who has received a glimpse of this knowledge starts working with himself. Not by running away from the world, not by abandoning his duties, not by renouncing but living in the world yet remaining above. You know what is your symbol? Your symbol is beautiful, it’s called a lotus. A lotus grows in the water and mud, yet remains above. I don’t have that symbol. I am a swami, that is not my symbol. You are definitely superior to me. A householder’s duty is not at all inferior, provided you remember the symbolism of the lotus.

Selflessness and Surrender by Swami Rama 

From: The Essence of Spiritual Life   

From The Essence of Spiritual LifeBy Swami RamaISBN 8190100491 (Buy)

Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site)

Selflessness

Sit down and quietly think about what you have done in your life, because in the end, during the period of transition, you will have to face yourself. What have you done that is satisfying? Have you done anything selfless—totally selfless?

You go on doing your work and reaping the fruit, and then you hoard. In this way there can be no liberation. All the misery and chaos in the world is because of this. Somebody has an abundance; someone else doesn’t have even a square meal. This disparity and the suffering that we find are created by ourselves.

How can you be peaceful if your neighbor’s house is burning? How can you say you are at peace, and you don’t feel any warmth? Those who understand life, understand the ripples of life. We are like ripples in the vast ocean of bliss.

If you are suffering, I am suffering, though I am not aware of it. How can I live without suffering? If my foot is suffering, definitely my whole being is suffering. We are all limbs of one huge, one great prajapati (being)—the whole universe. How can we live happily? Let us learn not to hoard, but just to give. To whom? Not to strangers. I’m not telling you something impractical. Give to those with whom you live.

Do not work for yourself; that is not the way of life. You will become selfish. Learn to work for others. If the wife learns to work for her husband, and the husband learns to work for his wife, they both will be happy. Problems come when they both become selfish, demanding, and expecting. Learn the path of selflessness. That is the only way of liberation.

Learn to give to each other, and then slowly that learning will expand to the whole universe. One day you will feel that the whole universe is your family, and you are one of the members of that family.

On the path of selflessness there is a great joy.

Selflessness is the singular expression of love.

Surrender

True enjoyment can never be had through the satisfaction of greed, but only through the surrender of the individual self to the universal Self.

When Christ was crucified, he never said, “Sorry, forgive me; release me from the cross.” Christ had conviction. He had faith in God. He had so much faith in God that he didn’t care what was happening to his body. This is something great. One can see the same thing in Buddha and Krishna. Buddha was very calm, and Krishna played the flute. Why the flute, when there are so many good instruments? Why did he not play another instrument, like the vina or the guitar?

A flute has many holes, just as all human beings have many weaknesses. However, a flute has nothing inside; it’s empty. Christ said, “Empty thyself and I will fill thee.”

Having many holes, if you become an instrument of God, a beautiful melody will come through. In all conditions, trust in God who is within you, witnessing your thoughts, speech, and actions.

Self Transformation by Swami Rama 

From: The Essence of Spiritual Life   

From The Essence of Spiritual LifeBy Swami RamaISBN 8190100491 (Buy)

Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site)

For a genuine and everlasting transformation, one must practice a systematic method of self-discipline and self-training. Mere philosophy and intellectual knowledge cannot stand in time of need, if one does not know how to use the essentials of that philosophy in one’s daily life. Applying theoretical knowledge and living with it in daily life is called practice.

Practice requires discipline. Discipline should not be rigidly imposed, but students should learn to commit themselves and accept discipline as essential for self-growth. Imposing rigidity and following it is not helpful at all.

On the way to self-transformation, self-discipline is indispensable to both those who live in the world and those who renounce the world and resort to monasteries. Even those who renounce their homes and duties still carry with them the deep-rooted samskaras sown in earlier lives. It takes a long time to become free of those samskaras.

Becoming a swami or monk is not so important. What is important is to accept a self-disciplined life. There needs to be a bridge between life within and without. Discipline is the foundation of that bridge. People should not be tempted by mere techniques, but should learn to cultivate discipline within themselves.

People have formed a habit of leaning on others. They always want others to help and tell them what to do and what not to do. This is a bad habit. You are a human being; you should take charge of yourself. If you become too dependant on a therapist, a preacher, or a healer, then what’s the difference between you and an animal? It means you are allowing your life to be governed by your trainer. By becoming dependent on such therapies and therapists, your power of self-motivation and self-guidance will never be allowed to unfold. The scriptures, the treasure house of the sages’ experiences, clearly state that self-help alone helps. For such self-help we need a sound method of self-training.

Among all the methods for training and therapies, the highest of all is self-training in which one remains conscious of one’s thoughts, speech, and actions. When you work with yourself you will notice that whenever you calm down your conscious mind, bubbles of thoughts will suddenly come up from the unconscious mind.

In learning to control the mind and its modifications, it is essential to go through the process of self-observation, self-analysis, and meditation. Learning to control the mind, and careful study of the relationship between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind, take a long time. Many times you may think that you have conquered your thoughts and your mind is under your control. After a few days, some unknown bubble arises from the unconscious and disturbs your conscious mind, thus changing your attitudes and behavior.

The process of transformation requires regularity and vigilance. Without regularity it is not possible to transcend one’s habit patterns or transform one’s personality. Patience helps one maintain regularity, whereas self-analysis and observation help one remain vigilant.

At times you may find yourself disappointed and depressed, but if you are determined and committed to self-training and self-transformation, you will certainly find help in one way or another. Do not worry about success, failure is a part of success. However, not to make an effort is wrong.

The kicks and blows and constant battles that I had to go through, I alone know. I am giving you loving advice and I hope you follow it with full determination.

Sadhana and Its Purpose by Swami Rama 

From: The Essence of Spiritual Life   

From The Essence of Spiritual LifeBy Swami RamaISBN 8190100491 (Buy)

Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site)

Sadhana [spiritual practice] is important. It will give you a comprehensive knowledge of life with all its currents and crosscurrents.

It is amazing to observe that most of the people enveloped in sloth and lethargy are not aware that life on this earth is but a brief moment, and that moment should be utilized to purify the way of the soul. Those who do not do their duties and yet expect the best in life, are fools who live in a fool’s paradise.

In life’s primitive paradise, fools aspire to live for a long time. They live perpetually on charity. They are beggars who are burdens to society and even to themselves. These beggars are envious of one another and habitually suspicious of each other, like dogs living upon their master’s favors, showing their teeth, growling, barking, and trying to chew up one another. Their very existence is described as a struggle. Their paradise lacks peace, equilibrium, and tranquility.

I worked hard in my life and attained something that gives me solace. I found out that life is mingled with sorrow and joy; both of these feelings should not be allowed to disturb the course of life.

A human being is not imperfect, but incomplete. Man’s essential nature is a limitless horizon. The call to inner Truth is present in him with all profundity, but his analytical logic is shallow.

Peace cannot be attained through mere speculative philosophy or logic. I am willing to believe that philosophy is useful for the comprehension of the Ultimate Reality, but I do not admit that philosophy alone can lead us to the ultimate goal. However great the philosophy may be, it must be supplemented by faith, emotion, and strict discipline of the functions of the will.

A sadhaka has to go through a series of internal experiences. When a sadhaka’s convictions are filtered by the systematic and organized way of sadhana, the mind becomes penetrating and one-pointed.

An aspirant must control the dissipation of the mind. Conquest over the senses and the mind helps one to attain freedom from the charms and temptations of the world. Free from worldly distractions, nothing remains in the mind but the longing to know God.

Once such an exclusive longing awakens, one becomes absorbed in contemplating and meditating on God. Through constant contemplation and meditation, one begins having glimpses of the Truth, and these experiences strengthen his faith. Growing internally, that exclusive faith becomes the source of inner strength, enabling the aspirant to move along the path until perfection is achieved.

The first detachment achieved by the aspirant is physical, inspiring him to develop the power of instinctive love and knowledge that helps him to relate with the world and nature. Nature has her own laws and helps all creatures to receive her blessings and grace in many ways.

The human mind is complex with all its typical moods, manners, and weapons. The purpose of sadhana is to be free from the magic wonders of the mind and remain free all the time.

Freedom is a divine gift lent to mortals. A seeker of Truth should first have freedom from all time-honored taboos. Mental freedom is an accepted fact and is definitely higher than physical freedom. Free spirit is godly and alone can claim kinship with God.

The potential to realize the Truth is present in every person. In some it remains dormant, while in others it is awakened. The more one directs one’s awareness toward the Divine Force, the more one realizes the emptiness of the objects of the world. That realization helps one to withdraw one’s mind from the external world, and to compose oneself for inner exploration.

All sadhanas, all practices, are meant to purify and strengthen the mind that disturbs your being and prevents you from being aware of the Reality that is within you.

To be spiritual means to be aware of the Reality all the time, to be aware of the Absolute Truth all the time, and to be aware of the Lord within you all the time.

The Mindby Swami Rama

From Conscious Living  

From Conscious LivingBy Swami RamaISBN 8188157031 (Buy)Audio:ISBN 818815718x (Buy)Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site) 

I have not come to teach you religion, for that you already have. I have come to teach you something that you do not have, that which is missing. And that’s called a personal philosophy of life, which will support you no matter where you go. So I will tell you something about the mind and what is beyond the mind. I would like to give you both views, eastern and western, and try to explain to you the various aspects of mind and its modifications, so that there is no confusion and you can start working with yourself. We human beings are fully equipped and we can all attain the goal of life here and now. But sloth or laziness is the greatest of all sins. You have to work hard to learn anything. To learn English I had to work hard. Without working hard how can you accomplish anything? You have to know the language first, then you have to know the practice and finally, you have to follow it.

If you want to work with yourself you should start practicing and watch your activities and not be trapped by self-created misery that rises out of sloth. The question is have you decided? Are you determined to work with yourself? How long will it take? Ten minutes a day to work with yourself. In the external world you can get lost easily, but within, there is no chance of getting lost. Why are you afraid? Afraid of whom? Actually, all the fears are within you, are created by you, all the fears are yours. You have never examined them, that is why you are suffering. Therefore, O human being, learn to work with yourself. East and West meet here, and a day will finally come when all of humanity will say with one voice that the mind is the source of all problems and the mind is the source of all pleasures. They have been trying their best to explore something they do not understand. And this is true.

Whenever you sit down and examine your mind there is some image in your mind. Image within is called imagination. And you are brooding on that image and when that image passes, another image comes. Often, this is how we think, “Who does my neighbour

think she is? She thinks that she has plenty of money. She thinks that she is better dressed than I am, that she has bigger diamonds than me. Who does she think she is?” All the time you go on thinking this way and waste your time and energy. Thus, the purpose of human life is defeated, because no one teaches you how to use this brief span of life such that life becomes productive, creative and fulfilling. But there is a way. This brief span of life can be utilized, and in this lifetime itself one can attain the purpose of life, one can become self-realized.

Many of us think that the mind cannot be tamed, cannot be polished, cannot be used, cannot be made useful. This is not true. Some of the great men have done it. Many of us want to, but we don’t practice. We have to understand something about the mind. You can easily understand the mind by understanding your thought patterns. A thought comes, then another thought comes, then another, another, another and this keeps on going. If you study your brain wave patterns you will find that there is a space between two thoughts. If you can eliminate this space between thoughts, there will be only one thought.

Cleansing the mind, purifying the mind, means learning to train it, just like training or breaking in a shoe. If you learn to train your attention, you can do wonders in the world. In tropical countries, the temperature often goes above 130 degrees, but you cannot cook your meal with that heat because it is not concentrated. Somewhere else the temperature goes down very low. You cannot run your air conditioners with that. What you need is a concentrated source. Similarly, if you train your mind so as to be able to concentrate well, you can transform your whole personality. Even if you cannot change anything in the world, you can transform your life and you can do wonders in your life. There are simple methods to achieve this. We, who are considered to be teachers, have made things very complicated. If they put it simply, perhaps it will be very simple to understand. Also they drag the students towards themselves. I think the subject should be followed, not the teacher. Teacher means knowledge, knowledge should be followed. The individuality should not be given much importance; the subject should be given much more importance. Yoga science suffers on account of this. One teacher says, “This is the right method.” Another teacher says, “No, only my method is the right one.” The poor student is confused. After some time he finds his mind is robbed, his individuality is robbed, his pocket is robbed.

Things are very simple if you learn to be practical. What does being practical mean? Practical means that anything that you think is genuine, you should reflect that in the way you speak and in your actions as well. That’s called being practical. There was a time such people were called apta in Sanskrit which is written like this a;pt;;. Apta is he who thinks and speaks and acts in the same way. With time apta was changed to aap, the respectful form for ‘you’ in Hindi. For, “How are you?” in Hindi they say, “Aap kaise hai?” Ta has gone. Now there is another Sanskrit word called shresht. Shresht means a great person, a leader. That has become seth or proprietor today. No doubt we are undergoing change all the time, but we should not forget the aim and goal of life.

What is this problem with blood pressure? Who is putting pressure on you? What is this heart attack, who’s attacking your heart? I laugh at you people. I have to drop my body as you will, but at least I am happy and you are not. How can you enjoy under the pressure of fear? All these couples here, you are not enjoying at all, even married life you don’t enjoy. The best of the couples that you are, you are not enjoying. Why? Because you are under the pressure of fear of tomorrow, the future. How can you enjoy? Enjoyment comes when you are free from fear. And you will be free from fears only when you go beyond your mind. As long as you remain within the fields of your conscious and unconscious mind, you can never enjoy life; for the center of life, center of consciousness is beyond, that which is called individual soul.

Please remember, all of the body is in the mind, but all of the mind is not in the body. This is accepted fact. The Upanishads, the final and best part of the Vedas do talk about

it, do discuss it, do explain this. Confucius, Buddhists, Zen, Zazen, they all explain it. Everyone found the same problem created by the mind. My mind does not create a problem for you. Your mind doesn’t create a problem for me. Your mind creates a problem for yourself. That’s why the Rig Veda, the most ancient scripture in the library of man, says, tanureva tanno astu bhesajem. O man, you have those qualities, and with the help of those qualities you can cure the diseases created by you.

What is medical science doing today? Every doctor is sick, and the sick are treating the sick and the whole world is a hospital. I’m telling you, this is true. I’m a medical doctor, I’m telling you this. The blind are leading the blind. Where will they go? They will go to perdition. All are experimenting, nothing is conclusive. That experiment which is accepted today, is discarded tomorrow. Nobody should say I am a scientist and my word is final. There is nothing like final so far. Therefore, we should continue making efforts to reduce suffering and make others comfortable. Somebody asked me why do all these hospitals exist? I said for the sake of hospitality! This is true. And even today we cannot extend our hospitality properly. One doctor goes to a patient with a great love and says, come on, cheer up, I will try my best to help you. And another doctor has no time, he gives pills and goes away. There will be a difference in the outcome between the two. Jar, one of the doctors, said that 50% of the diseases are cured by the way the doctor visits and treats the patient.

But I’m going one step further. I tell you that you are your own doctor. The day you understand it, then you will discover something great. There are healing potentials within you. You will come in touch with them when you have stopped becoming negative. Negativity is a very dangerous thing, and most of you are negative. If your husband is a little late coming home to you, stuck somewhere in traffic or in a bar drinking, or somewhere else, you get worried. What do you think? You don’t think positively. You immediately think that he has met with an accident, or he has gone out with another woman. All these negative things you think, nothing positive. So your attitude towards life is totally negative and that’s called self-created suffering. Why is a human being so negative, tell me? Why? There is 70% negativity in a human being, according to psycho-sociological data collected by American society. They are wonderful in collecting data and very truthful.

You are all hankering for approval. You don’t need society’s approval. A wife always looks at her husband’s moods. In the morning he says, “Honey you look nice.” She responds, “You made my day.” It’s bad training from the very beginning. You don’t need to lean on anybody for approval. That’s bad. A day will come when he or she will go away. What will happen to that person who totally leaned on you their whole life? You are making that person miserable. Don’t do that.

Suggestions, suggestions, everybody is blasted by suggestions. You are good, you are bad. Who are you to judge me? How do you know that I am good or bad? And you don’t know yourself? Who is like this? A drunkard. A drunkard who is nude says to another nude person in front of him, “Hey, you’re nude.” He doesn’t realize that he too is nude. In my opinion you should stop being negative and start being positive. This way you will create a dynamic willpower which says, “I can do it, I am going to do it, and I shall do it.” Instead, if you say, “I cannot do it, I am not able to do it,” you are killing human potentials.

I’ll tell you why cancer occurs. Suppose by chance your finger is cut and it starts bleeding. All the cells of your body start rushing toward the damaged part. In a few minutes’ time you’ll find that the bleeding has stopped. Why? Because all the cells rushed to that site of injury. But suppose those cells do not stop rushing, there will be a growth. That is called cancer. You can even prevent such diseases if you understand something that’s called control over your involuntary system. You know I sometimes think that I am so unfortunate that I feel like crying. All that I have done in my life, worked hard from the age of three, nobody wants to learn. People give me money, gifts,

this food and that food, but nobody wants to learn. I think that if I have to be born again to teach you, it will be miserable for me, because I will have to work so hard all over again.

The human body has potential to cure its own ailments provided you know about your body. I don’t discuss religion, so don’t be afraid of me. No matter from which religious background you come from, I want to give you something which you need in your daily life. All the great bibles of the world say one and the same thing—be still, be still. For a few minutes in the morning and the evening, every human being should learn to be still. Why, because you will meet God? No, that’s not necessary. You will be healthy. For your mental health it’s important for you to understand quietness, stillness. During that time, those muscles which do not get rest even in sleep get rested. The voluntary system you can control. You can exercise and develop all of your gross muscles, but you don’t have control over your involuntary system, the subtle set of muscles. For that you should learn to compose yourself, you should learn to be quiet, you should learn to be still, you should learn to breathe in a serene way. Scientists have realized that 70-80% of all diseases are psychosomatic diseases. They originate in the mind and are reflected in the body. These diseases are created by our bad thinking, negative thinking, passive thinking, not having control over our emotional life, not organizing our behavior, not understanding how to behave in the external world which is actually a very simple thing. Therefore, it’s important for a human being, modern woman and man, to relax, to learn how to give rest to that part of the system which we normally do not know how to relax. Only 25% of the diseases come from the outside, are infectious or hereditary diseases. It means 75% of the diseases are not cured by so-called medicines.

So you are your own doctor. The school of meditation says that if you meditate for a few days, a few minutes every day, regularly, you will be not sick. This is called preventive cure. You have seen that there is research going on all over the world, research on cancer, stroke, heart disease, this disease and that disease. Prevention is better than cure. Now the endocrine gland system, chain of glands that secrete directly into the blood stream, is hardly known even by the experts. Very little is known about these glands. But who controls the endocrine gland system? Our mind. If the mind is put in a state of rest through meditation, even the endocrine system can be controlled. Our experiments in the Menninger Laboratory demonstrated that the mind can create cancer and mind is capable of dissolving cancer.

Now there is a word in the English language called gentleman. Actually, it has come from our Sanskrit word manas, which in Sanskrit means mind. Who are you? You are a man, gentleman. If you do not understand what manas, mind is, you do not understand anything about yourself. How can we have control over the mind? If you think that the mind is your enemy, either you make that enemy a friend or you can destroy that enemy. You don’t have the power to destroy the mind. You had better establish friendship with your mind. You should learn to have a dialogue with yourself, a creative dialogue with yourself. Sant Tukkaram from Maharashtra did it, manah sarvada bhakta ponthe bhi jayate. “O mind, learn to follow the path of righteousness. Do not mislead me.” As a friend, Tukkaram talked to the mind. You should learn to have a dialogue with your mind. This dialogue will lead you to understanding your mind. You fight the whole day with your mind. You know that battle, that inner battle, was the very cause and source of the Bhagavad Gita. The whole day you’re fighting, from morning till evening. Either you give up, or you fight but never win. Have you heard of the Gita? Yes, Arjuna means what? Arjun karne wala, one who makes efforts, sincere efforts, is called Arjuna. And he who helps you is called Krishna. So there are two characters in the Gita and their dialogue is meant for all.

We have to find out the secret of polishing, taming, or learning to have perfect control over the mind which is the finest of all instruments. But only a small part of the mind can be grabbed. The totality of the mind doesn’t come under our control because a vast part of the mind remains unknown to us. Many Easterners, those who have not studied Western psychology and philosophy, say, “Oh! Western philosophy is nothing, Western

psychology is nothing.” They are stupid. Freud says something very definite. Freud says that if the unknown part of mind is known, then you know all of the mind. Adler, James, all these psychologists tried to understand the mind. Whatever they understood, in a scientific way, is remarkable. What I learned from both, the interaction of East and West, is that the unconscious mind is like that iceberg which is hidden beneath the water, not known to us. The tip of the iceberg that is seen floating above the water is called the conscious mind, that which is hidden is called the unconscious mind. When we get closer we find that it is not actually the mind, it’s a vast reservoir.

You say the mind is roaming, let it roam. Why are you bothered? It will never go anywhere. It will come back to you. Let it go, don’t follow the mind. I once asked my Master, “How to practice?” He replied, “Mind tells you to go there, but you don’t go. Tell mind, ‘O mind, if you want to go, you’re free to go. What can I do? But I am not going there.’ ” Fighting with the mind is never considered to be control. Therefore learn to lead the mind, make a certain route for the mind to travel and that is called learning to have control over the mind and it’s modifications.

Now I’ll tell you something about the kinds of problems that arise when you try to know the mind. A friend of mine once told me, “On this trail there is a ghost.” It was at night but I did not believe him and I said, “I don’t care. I’ve not seen it and I’m not curious to see it.” We forgot all about this. After one or two months, I passed that way and it was a dark night. Suddenly I remembered that my friend had said that a ghost lived here. Even though I did not believe, why did I remember? Because anything that comes into my conscious mind finally filters down to the unconscious mind which is vast. The totality of mind should be understood, not only a small part of mind, the conscious mind, that we cultivate in our daily life.

Look here, mind roams around and you do not know what to do next. Many people close their eyes and they do not know what to do next. Mind will naturally run here and there. You always complain that mind runs away. No. If you know the system, mind will not run away. If you are trying to prevent the mind from thinking and say, “Mind, don’t think,” well, it’s the dharma, the intrinsic nature, of mind to think. Mind means a catalogue of thinking, a series of thoughts. So when mind has a particular movement, you should simply learn to guide its movement according to your order. That is called control of mind. Not to think is impossible, but to think according to your plan is called an organized way of thinking.

Mind is a magician, don’t listen to your mind. You should learn to educate your mind gently, and help yourself to one day have command over your mind. You should ask yourself, do you belong to your mind or does the mind belong to you? If mind belongs to you, you should learn to use it rightly. If mind belongs to your neighbor, let the neighbor look after it. If my mind constantly thinks of my neighbor and is jealous of my neighbor, it means my mind belongs to my neighbor and not to me.

People talk much about mind control, it has become a hot business these days. It’s not enough to understand that I have mind and how to control it. Often people say, “I am going to teach you mind control.” Nothing happens. In your life you should try to understand something about your body, your breath and about your mind; then it becomes easy for you to understand. I am presenting both views, the Western and Eastern. I have been living in the United States for almost twenty-five years and before that my whole life was spent in the Himalayas trying to understand life with its values, with currents and cross-currents. What I don’t understand, I will tell you, I’m sorry, I don’t understand this. You can talk for hours and hours, but when you are practical you try to understand your mind. You realize that your mind is a great magician. You have to be patient in dealing with your conscious mind. Now you have to determine that anything that comes into your mind will not disturb you and you will allow it to go away. This way you start introspection and then nothing will affect you. Inspecting within is called introspection. Police arrest the criminal, the judge punishes, but the witness remains

unaffected. You witness all the activity going on, you are not affected. With this approach you can go to the higher realms within.

You say mind is powerful, mind is always powerful by its innate nature. But powerful in which way? Towards being creative or towards being destructive? That’s the point. So you will have to train that mind. Your mind and my mind are weak in front of a robber’s mind. When he robs someone, he robs with his full force of will, of one-pointed mind.

A thief, a robber, is a better meditator than a swami. There was a heap of gold behind a thin curtain. A swami and a robber were both asked to sit before it. The robber was concentrating on the gold. Poor swami was not, because he didn’t care for gold; he cared only for God. Why do you want to have awareness, constant awareness? Because you have come to the conclusion that constant awareness will lead you to freedom, that which Buddha calls freedom from all miseries and bondages, a state which is free from all bondages. That’s why constant awareness is needed.

Firm determination is called sankalpa shakti in Sanskrit. “Today I will not move, I will not fidget, because that will bring strain and stress to my body.” Keeping your body relaxed, with your head, neck, and trunk in a straight line, breathe in a serene way and learn to watch your thinking process. Do not identify yourself with the objects of the world, because this way you are forgetting yourself. When any thought comes, you decide, “I am not going to identify with the thought patterns going on in my mind. I will only witness my thoughts. No matter what happens during these moments I will be not disturbed, no matter what happens. Let my preoccupations come forward later. I do not want to be disturbed.” This way you will not identify yourself with the thought patterns, forgetting your true nature. You are in the habit of disturbing yourself. So you remind yourself consciously, I will be not disturbed. This way, you slowly build your sankalpa shakti, determination. Sankalpa shakti is something great. You don’t need an alarm clock, you do not need a watch, your mind will remind you immediately. Gradually expand your sankalpa shakti. If I want to do something, I have a desire to do it, but I cannot do it, and am unable to find the means to do it, there will be no willpower at all. In ancient times, the rishis, the great seers, always used to remember, “I am this, and I am this, and I am this. I can do it, I will do it, and I have to do it, no matter what happens.” That is called willpower. If you want to do something, just do it. Stop thinking about it. Stop doing something else. Just do it, no matter what happens, at all costs. That will create your dynamic will and that dynamic will enables you to create wonders in the world.

Mind cannot be infinite. It has limitations. In one of the Upanishads, the Ishopanishad, it is beautifully stated, anejad ekam manaso javiyo. “A” means no. Where there is no movement, yet runs faster than mind. It’s a description for the atman. It means if atman is everywhere, where can you run? Mind, a great instrument and tool, can create hell and heaven for man, yet cannot run faster than the soul, for the soul is everywhere, mind has its limitations.

Chatushtaya antahakarana. Chatushtaya means four. The mind, antahakarana or inner instrument, is known by understanding four prominent limbs of the mind. As you have four limbs, two legs and two hands, so the inner instrument has four limbs: manas, buddhi, chitta and ahamkara.

Take the wheel of a bicycle. The wheel rotates because of its spokes. If there are no spokes, the wheel will not ro-tate. Further, the spokes rotate because there is something that does not rotate called the hub. If that hub starts moving, then the spokes would not move. This human life is like a wheel. So this wheel rotates on the basis of the spokes manas, buddhi, chitta and ahamkara. This body moves because there are these four spokes within you. Now you want to know the nature of your

soul? You can easily know with this drawing. In the center there is a hub. If that hub moves then nothing will move. That hub is called your soul, individual soul. What is the nature of your individual soul? It doesn’t move, yet it creates all the movements. If this soul starts moving, all other movement will stop. Our individual soul is beyond all movement. All the movements are because of the mind. In the external world everything is subject to movement. Physics says, we are all moving, everything is moving. But there should be some center where nothing moves. Who is creating all the movements, yet does not move? That is the nature of the soul. Because of the soul everything moves, but soul itself is not subject to movement, because there is no power beyond the soul that can create movement in the soul. I’ll tell you what the relationship between your individual soul and the universal soul is. Your individual soul is like a drop of water, the universal soul is like the ocean. Qualitatively, they are one and the same. Quantitatively they are not. They need union and that’s what we are all aspiring for. Why do we hate each other? It’s because of ignorance. Why do you think that this religion is better than that religion? All the religions are one and the same, fundamentally. They differ only as far as nonessentials are concerned.

We have to understand these four functionings of the mind. Now, I’ll give you a new analogy. A human being is like a busy factory. You businessmen will understand this analogy of a factory within you. In this factory, that which is responsible for importing and exporting is called manas. Shall I do it or not? Whenever you do something, that particular agent comes forward, shall I do it or not? I am getting so much commission, so much profit, shall I do this business or not? The nature of manas is always doubting, always arguing within yourself. That which decides what is good or not good for you is called buddhi. The entire set up is called chitta. Chitta is the storehouse of merits and demerits through which you receive all knowledge. All this power of thinking is coming from chitta. The whole factory is managed by ahamkara or ego. Then ahamkara, the I, says this belongs to me, this does not belong to me. See what is happening. Individual soul said, “Ok, Mr. Aham-kara, you become the manager.” And ahamkara forgetting this, took over and said this factory is mine. That is the problem for all of you. Why are you miserable today? You are miserable because you have forgotten your proprietor and you think you are everything. That which separates you from the whole, that which separates you from the reality, that which separates you from the absolute is called ahamkara. The shortest cut is just to cut your ahamkara. When you learn to surrender your ahamkara, that surrender is the highest of all yogas. You can do it through prayer, through meditation, through contemplation. So far ahamkara is being used only for the external purposes. Surrender, used in a beneficial manner, when ahamkara is made aware of the reality of the soul, then that is called self-surrender.

I told you manas means that which has no capacity to decide. Sankalpa vikalpatmakam manah, one nature; another nature, antarmukhi bahirmukhi, it functions both within and without. Buddhi means that which discriminates, judges and decides; these are three main functions of your buddhi. You can term it in English as intellect. When manas consults the buddhi, buddhi gives a decision. Such a manas never commits mistake. So when you are performing some action, manas will always say, “Shall I do it or not?” Let the mind ask buddhi, that faculty which helps manas to decide. If you analyze your mind, it plays a lot of mischief. You go to commit a theft and manas, mind, will tell you, go on, go ahead. But manas will also tell you, if you commit a mistake, if you are caught, you will go to jail. Then manas will tell you, why not enjoy the privileges from the theft? Manas can only think, shall I do it or not, shall I do it or not? Then there is buddhi. If you commit a theft, you will be caught and go to jail, or, if buddhi is bad, if you commit this theft you will enjoy the results. Immediately the decision will be given by your buddhi. All your decisions and judgements depend on the buddhi. So what do the wise do? They consult their buddhi and with the help of buddhi control their mind, that which is always flickering.

So the moment you realize what is manas, buddhi, chitta and ahamkara, then you know something about your mind. A yogi knows how to establish coordination between the four different functions of antahakarana. Then there is no problem at all. But if buddhi

thinks something different, and manas thinks something different, ahamkara goes off by itself, then there is no coordination at all. As you need coordination of your limbs in the external world to be a normal healthy person, so you need to establish coordination within yourself by understanding manas, buddhi, chitta and ahamkara. If you learn to establish coordination between the four aspects of antahakarana, there will always be tranquility within. And that tranquility will help you to do right actions, beneficial actions. When you make your mind, all aspects of your mind, directed and make them travel inwards, flow towards your internal states, fathoming all the subtle aspects of life, then you become aware of the source within you, the infinite library within you.

Let us examine the conscious mind. Even if you do not go beyond the conscious mind, even then it would be very beneficial for you. Just sitting still is beneficial for you. The next step is how to deal with the conscious part of mind. First of all you should understand something about the conscious part of mind. The conscious mind is that part of mind which you use in your daily life, during the waking state. When you are awake, you are using that part of mind called the conscious mind. That part of the mind which is educated by you, cultivated by you, by universities, by schools, it’s but a small part of the totality of mind. Therefore, even though that part is trained, guided and cultured, the vast part of mind remains unknown to you. That part of mind which dreams, which sleeps, is not under your control. But even that part of mind which you are using now is not under your control. When you learn to understand this little part of mind called the conscious mind, you will realize that it is the gateway to the city of life and to that vast reservoir of the mind called the unconscious mind.

When I look at you, my optic nerve receives the image, sends it to my brain, then to my conscious mind and finally to my unconscious mind. And it is stored there. Now I may not see you for some time. When I see you again, I recognize you, because that form which I have stored in the unconscious reminds me that I have seen you before. So that reservoir within you, where you store the merits and demerits of your life, is very vast.

It’s interesting to watch the part of mind which you are trying to train and educate and that part of mind which is helping you to do this. Slowly, you will find that your conscious mind is being expanded. And then you can allow all the thoughts to come up from the basement, from the unconscious mind, from the storehouse. But you should not get involved. Let us take an example. You are asked by your physician to go to the market to fetch some medicine for your ailing mother. On the way you stop at a red light. What do you do during that time? You wait for the green light. You do not go on counting the numbers of the cars, which make and what color. You just go on to get the medicine. On the way, you may meet your girlfriend, you may meet a very good friend of yours. What is your duty? Not to be swayed by these attractions, but to go to the drugstore and get the medicine. When you have a one-pointed mind, you may see someone you know very well, but you may not notice him and just keep walking to the drugstore. Because you are one-pointed in your mind and heart, there is only one thing that you have to do. In such a situation, you do not notice anything around you. Gradually, with this one-pointedness of mind, you catch hold of that part of mind which is not normally under your control.

Another point is how to cultivate the totality of the mind and become creative in the world, yet remain aloof and above. Is there any technique by which one can be free though living in the world? If you ask me I’ll say yes. What is the way? If there is a way, it is only by going within, to the center of consciousness, from where consciousness flows on various degrees and grades. If I chew the whole Bible or Gita or any holy book, nothing happens to me. If I recite all the granthas or scriptures, there is no change. In my country, there are people who have learnt all the scriptures by heart. My father used to do the same thing. What is happening today is that practice is missing from our daily life. If we practice a little bit, we will experience. And that experience will become the guide and that guidance will lead us. May you all practice and at least have experience, a glimpse, so that such experience becomes your guide. If you are patient, you can easily learn to scientifically explore that part of the mind which is called the conscious mind.

But you don’t know how to control that part of the mind which is the dreaming mind or that which is the sleeping mind. Only a very small part of the mind is being used by you. But when you learn to expand the field of your conscious mind, finally everything comes into consciousness and there is nothing like unconscious mind. Learn to expand yourself.

Now, mind has two chambers: one is unconscious, another is conscious. Conscious means that which is used during the waking state. Are you awake? When you are awake then that part of the mind which you use is called conscious. That part of mind which you do not use, which is used during dreaming and sleeping, you do not know. You see how pathetic a situation a human being is in. We boast about our learning, our wealth and our worldly wisdom. But we do not know. A very rich man suddenly dreamt that he had become a donkey. So the whole night he remained a donkey and was so miserable. In his dream, he told his wife, “I am sorry I got married to you. You are such a beautiful girl but I am a donkey.” He totally forgot that he was a rich man, a husband, father, and respected member of a particular community. And his wife at the same time dreamt that she was a queen and her husband was a donkey. In her dream, she realized that it was a mistake to have married him. In the sleeping state, they slept and shared the same bed but they did not know each other. They were dead to each other. They were not aware of each other, of their children, the things they did and shared. They were not aware of any of that.

So you are using only a small part of the mind. You do not know how to use the dreaming part of mind or the sleeping part of mind. Great sages knew this technique, that’s why they are called great. That which you consider great in the world, name, wealth and all this, yes it’s necessary for you. But they renounced all that just to realize. They devoted all their time, their lives, to know and to have perfect control over that part of mind which was active in dreams and that which was active in sleep. The totality of their mind came under their conscious control. Before we did experiments at the Menninger Foundation in Kansas, no one could ever believe that the system which is called the involuntary system according to Western science, could be brought under voluntary control. But after the experiments, all the scientists began to believe that there is nothing like the involuntary system, that everything can be brought under conscious control. Many of you are confused about one thing. If you are a scientist or physicist, you will not talk about the mind but will talk about the brain. If you are a psychologist or philosopher, you will talk about the mind and not about the brain. But you have both. Brain is like a bulb, mind is like electricity, and the wires, the network of wires is like the nervous system. The nervous system is a channel for the flow of electricity. If the bulb is broken, there is no light even if there is electricity and the wires are intact. Or if the bulb is good, but if there is no supply, then too there is no light. So for proper functioning, there should be perfect coordination between all three.

Freud likens the unconscious mind to a bag. You do not know, you are carrying a bag all the time. It is like your shadow. Wherever you go, your shadow follows and will not leave you. You are always carrying that huge bag with you. Anything that you think goes into that bag. You do not know that part of the mind. You are trying to understand your mind, only a small part of the mind. You don’t know the totality of your mind, both conscious and unconscious. If you know how to train the vast part of mind, the totality of the mind, you can do wonders on the earth. Anybody who has done wonders on this earth, anybody who was considered to be a great man, was great because he knew his mind. You do not have to know the soul because it’s already there. In all conditions, the soul is there. What you have to know is your mind, and that’s why you are called hu-man, your own mind. And the moment you know the mind, you can go beyond the mire of delusion created by your mind.

How do you approach that part of mind which is not known to you? First of all, you should try to work with the known part of mind. Suppose you catch hold of my finger. What will happen? My whole body will be motivated to protect this small part of it. And unless you release my finger, I’ll do my best to release it from you. So too, you can approach the unknown part of mind by grabbing hold of that which is known.

The first point is to know how to be here and now. Second point is that when I dream, I don’t have control over my dreams. Even if I want to dream according to my choice, sweet dreams, as you call them, I have no control. If you wish me sweet dreams, I’ll say please don’t wish me something bad. I don’t want to waste my time in dreaming. You have no conscious control over your dreams, over that part of mind which dreams. You have no control over that part of mind which sleeps. The vast part of mind remains buried, remains unknown. Only a small part of mind is being cultivated by you and you are puffed up with pride that, “I have a Ph.D., a D.Litt., I have education, I have money, I have a car, I have all this.” What is my point of view? Human beings are members of a fools’ paradise. I go around the world and I see many, many intellectuals. But I find none of them practical and I cry. I don’t say that you should accept whatever I tell you. I’m just making you aware that a vast part of the mind remains unknown to you. Now there is a third point. That which you consider peace, happiness, and bliss, where does it live? Where does it exist? If it was anywhere in the world, Americans would have found it first. They have even gone to the moon. Where is it? If mind is within, peace should be in the mind, or known by the mind, or known by understanding the mind. What is mind? Now let me tell you something. All of the body is in the mind, but all of the mind is not in the body. How will you know that part of mind which is not in the body? Therefore, to know mind is very important, not to know God because He is already there. You don’t have to know Him. Body is already there, you don’t have to know much about it. But you have to know the mind. So what the scriptures say, mana eva manushyanam karanam bandha mokshayo. By understanding the mind you can be free from all bondage.

With these simple ideas, you can be free from so-called stress. Even in the battlefield, I’ve asked my students to make experiments and let me know. Those who were dead were dead, but those who survived wrote to me. You can compose yourself even on the battlefield. What is the principle of karate and kung fu? Attention, just attention. You don’t divert your mind elsewhere, just one-pointed mind. By making your mind one-pointed and inward, and going to the source of light and life which is the fountainhead of life within you, the center of consciousness, you experience a great joy. Then you can enjoy the world, you can enjoy all the things of the world. But if you don’t have the capacity when you rush with all your desire to enjoy something, you soon get exhausted, you don’t have the energy. You want to enjoy, but you don’t have the energy, you don’t have the capacity. You have desire, but no capacity. Therefore have a desire to enjoy and expand your capacity by learning the simple laws of holistic living.

It becomes easy for one to follow a path if that path has got milestones, so that you know how far you have come and how far you have to go. If from the very beginning you systematically study, follow this path, then it is not difficult. I think I should give you a small schedule. If you know how to sit and spend one month, ten minutes a day for a month, you will come to know many things about yourself. When you sit, the body starts moving. These movements are disturbances. After a few days you will not find gross muscle movements or body movements, but then subtle muscle twitching will create problems. When the body does not shake, does not move, is not twisted from this side or that, when muscles do not throb, small muscles do not twitch, then the body settles into stillness. That stillness gives you great joy. The joy of physical stillness is quite unusual, that joy is not found elsewhere. That joy is entirely different from anything you have experienced so far.

Can you attain that state of mind, that state of wisdom here and now? I say yes, you can do it. I have witnessed a few, not many, but definitely they have done it, and you can do it too. Don’t leave your home in the morning unless you do some exercises and then some breathing, and then meditation. Ten or fifteen minutes is enough. Don’t follow the Hindu way, Buddhist way or Christian way. Don’t get involved in that. Tell yourself, “I am practicing meditation for getting freedom from stress. Because of my ignorance, because of bad food, bad relationships, I am creating stress for myself. I have to be free from stress. And for that I am making effort, for that I am practicing meditation.” Soon you will find that you are experiencing joy, that you are free.

Truth is in Every Heartby Swami Rama 

From: The Essence of Spiritual Life   

From The Essence of Spiritual LifeBy Swami RamaISBN 8190100491 (Buy)

Reprinted with permission of the PublisherCopyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (hihtindia.org)Swami Rama Foundation (site)

Truth is that Divine Force that dwells in every individual’s heart. It is the all-pervading, eternal Reality, uniting all individuals, and finally, linking all of existence in one divine awareness. That Divine Force is called God.

Belief in the existence of God indicates that one is searching for the Truth. The Truth is that which remains unchanged in the past, present, and future. The Truth is unborn and immortal. To know Truth, one needs to purify one’s thoughts, speech and actions. Purification is of utmost importance, because only through a purified mind can an aspirant think clearly and contemplate.

Once we are determined to search for the Truth through purified thoughts, speech, and actions, we are certain to find the way and reach the goal. Truth itself becomes our guide, and without making a mistake we will find ourselves on the right path.

One who believes in God and surrenders to God attains freedom here and now. He knows that he belongs to God, and that God belongs to him. His awareness shifts from the world to God, and he lives a life free from insecurity and fear. He has an unshakable faith in divine protection.

The scriptures constantly remind us that as the ocean accepts a river and makes it its own, God accepts seekers. It does not matter which path they follow or from which background they come. The only requirement is the desire to know the Truth. Once that desire is awakened, all means and resources come together. Water finds its own level. Likewise, a true lover of God finds God.

The highest philosophy is to know that the Truth and God are one and the same, and the highest practice is to search for Truth through one’s thoughts, speech, and actions.

There is something beyond religion. Though essential in the preliminary stage, it does not allow one to be one with the whole. It is like a moth that eats Kashmir wool, trying to prove to other moths that Kashmir exists. Everywhere in the realm of religion I encountered locked doors. If ever one door should chance to open, I was ultimately disappointed by what lay behind it.

God’s existence does not depend on our proofs. There is something wrong with the philosophers and the theologians, for they have the curious notion that God is a kind of hypothesis that can be analyzed and discussed.

I have seen people struggling with death because they do not admit its existence. God to me is a real annihilating fire and indescribable grace. I accept both.

It is easy to believe in God, and to believe in God is definitely better than not believing, however, that is only half way. It is something great when you come to know that:

God is in me. The Lord dwells in me. I am a finite vessel, and Infinity dwells within this finite vessel.

The human being is great, not because he can speak and narrate things, and not because he can feel. He is great because wherever he goes, the Lord travels with him.

No one has seen God. Highest of all, love without object, is God. How to know him? How to enjoy?

Seeing God in everyone and working for others is one way of enjoyment, but that is not so easy. You will have to practice. Remember the Lord all the time and sooner or later, you will be transformed.

The day you come to know that the Lord is within you, you will be free from fears. Then where are you? Where do you exist? If you have that consciousness that you exist separately from the Lord of the Universe, then it means you deny the existence of the Lord of the Universe.

God is all—a personal God, a universal God, and that which is beyond. Start from a personal God, go to the God within, then to the universal God, and finally beyond.

To love beloved God in any object is knowledge, yet to understand God in the heart is real Truth. It is a vain attempt to search for God. Who can there be more wonderful than myself—that is the Self of all.

Those who crave to see God are foolish. When I see him smiling through the face of man and child, and highest of all in myself, I am born a million times, and die a million times, too.

No God is greater than thyself.

Swami Rama of the Himalayas1925 - November 13, 1996

See also: List of Swami Rama Articles  Tradition of the Himalayan Masters  126 Videos (external site link)Swami Rama Teachings (external site) Controversy about Swami Rama

It is said that, “When the student is ready, the teacher will come.” Though there have been many helpers along the way, the teacher who showed up for me was Swami Rama.

While Swami Rama founded many worldly organizations, his greatest gift to humanity was in his bringing the depths of the wisdom of the ancient sages to the modern seeker in highly accessible ways. He did this through his writings and his lectures, and most importantly through his individual presence when training students one at a time.

Swami Rama dropped the body on the evening of November 13, 1996. Although naming no individual person as successor of the lineage, he is succeeded by many people who each serve others in his or her own way. Unfortunately, it is sad to say that there has

been significant politics in the years since Swami Rama left the body, and at least two people falsely claim to be the SOLE successor of Swami Rama.

Please also see the separate article relating to Swami Rama as holding the post ofShankaracharya of Karvirpitham in South India.

ORGANIZATIONS: Over many years a pattern emerged with the various organizations and teaching institutions Swami Rama founded around the world. He would start an organization to disseminate the teachings of the Himalayan masters, the people of the organization would either change or abandon the teachings, and Swami Rama would then renounce that organization. This has happened in Asia, Europe, and North America, and possibly other places. I personally know of at least seven such instances.

By the time Swami Rama left the body in 1996, the only remaining organizations with which Swami Rama was affiliated were the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust and Sadhana Mandir Ashram, both of which are in India. I do not mention the names of the organizations that Swami Rama dropped, because that would sound too negative towards them, and most still claim affiliation with Swami Rama. New people have come to these organizations, and most of their students are probably not aware of this history. It is not my place to reveal those organization names here.

Swami Rama Videos (external site link)Swami Rama Teachings (external site)

Swami Rama - Master of Yoga, Vedanta, and Tantra  

UNIVERSAL REALIZATION: Swami Rama believed in, and taught the universality of the realization of spiritual truths, in the inner chamber of one's own being. He never asked to be followed or worshipped, or for any change in culture, or for or any conversion of religion. Rather, he encouraged self-awareness through practices of yoga meditation and contemplation, with an attitude of self-reliance. The job of the external teacher, he taught me, is to find the teacher within.

e·nig·ma: One who is puzzling, curious, perplexing, and inexplicable.

Swami Rama is, indeed, a most loving, wise and selflessly giving enigma.

FEARS AND THE ABSOLUTE REALITY: Swami Rama continued to spread the teachings his own teacher had given him, that the first goal is to seek freedom from fears, and second, to seek the direct experience of the absolute reality at the core of your being, the center of consciousness that goes by many names.

(Swami Rama on Sankalpa Shakti - Will Power)

KNOWING YOURSELF: Swamiji taught that one should "know yourself at all levels," explaining that "After visiting hundreds of countries I have discovered that all over the world there is one great problem, and that problem is that the human being has not yet understood himself or herself, and tries, instead, to understand God and others."

May, 2007:

SIMPLICITY: While teaching the profound depths of the Himalayan masters, Swami Rama was also committed to simplicity. He writes, "You really do not need to know many things, but you definitely need to practice what you know. It is a sad thing to tell you, but I have not really learned anything new since I grew up. That which I learned in my childhood is what I have been practicing."

That balance of depth and simplicity is one of the most beneficial and loving gifts of Swami Rama to humanity, his many students, and to me personally. This balance has been a major source of inspiration since Swami Rama instructed me to pass on the teachings to others as a representative of the Himalayan tradition.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON SWAMI RAMA

Swami Rama Demo and Interview with Probe Magazine- 1973: Article entitled Proving the Power of Meditation. Swami Rama makes some amazing demonstrations of self-regulation to show that one can control one's bodily functions, including the so-called involuntary muscles. (PDF)

Encyclopedia Britannica Yearbook of Science and the Future - 1973: Contains excerpt from "The Psychic Boom" by Samuel Moffat. Briefly outlines the demonstrations of mind control done in research setting by Swami Rama. (PDF)

Science Year - The World Book Science Annual - 1974: Research report "Ins and Outs of Mind-Body Energy by Elmer and Alyce Green. Describes Swami Rama moving an object with his mind, and creating a photo image with energy through his hand. (large PDF file; over 7mb)

Beyond Biofeedback - on Swami Rama: Research on Swami Rama in the voluntary controls program at Menninger Foundation in Kansas. Included moving of objects with only mind, regulating mind at will on eeg, changing temperatures, significantly changing heart rate with mind alone, and stopping blood flow in the heart. (PDF)

Founded by Swami Rama:

 

BOOKS: People ask me from time to time about the best books of Swami Rama to read. In the links below (in the box) there is an index of most of his books, and also a list of some specific recommendations.

BOOKLET SUMMARIZING TEACHINGS: There is a downloadable PDF file, which is a 39-page booklet on teachings of Swami Rama . It was created by Swami Jnaneshvara in 1997 after having led six one-month residential training programs at Swami Rama's Ashram in Rishikesh, India, at the instruction of Swami Rama. (Click here for other files on the Downloads page)

VIDEO RECORDINGS: One of the best ways to truly know what Swami Rama is saying is to obtain copies of the video or audio recordings of lectures, which have not been edited by other people like most of the books (unfortunately some of the books have been posthumously altered). There are four "sets" of lectures available, each having 7-8 video tapes. There are also five individual video tapes. This is a total of nearly 40 videos, totaling over 50 hours of teachings (there are others that have not been published). If you want to start with a single video, I suggest the one entitled "How to Tread the Path of Superconscious Meditation." The first sentence of the video is, "I will systematically explain to you the entire method of meditation." Some of these videos are available online and are linked below:

SWAMI RAMA VIDEOS ONLINE: Four lectures (41 videos) are online by Swami Rama on Saundaryalahari, the Wave of Beauty, which is a prominent text of Sri Vidya Tantra. The wave of creativity, love and bliss of Shakti is one and the same with Shiva. The lectures contain practical advice on advanced meditation practices of Yoga, Vedanta, and Tantra. These are from an independent site on YouTube. There are also now 85 videos of lectures by Swami Rama on the Yoga Sutras. In addition, there are videos on Mandukya Upanishad and Mundaka Upanishad. All of the videos are practical and useful regardless of whether or not you are familiar with the titles. Swami Rama Videos (external site link)

[ADDENDUM: It appears that the publisher may be in the process of withdrawing Swami Rama's videos from the market. If so, this is a major loss for sincere seekers. It is

possible that the publisher, even though founded by Swami Rama, is moving ever further away from the teachings of Swami Rama in general.]

 

Other pages related to Swami Rama: Index of Swami Rama articles on SwamiJ.com Recording: A 2-minute online recording of Swami Rama Challenge: An Inspiring Challenge from Swami Rama  Topics Index: Brief outline of topics from Swami Rama books  Books: Recommended books by Swami RamaGuru: Article on guru by Swami Rama

Other websites:Website devoted to Swami RamaHimalayan Hospital (founded by Swami Rama)

One of my fondest memories is of the day Swami Rama said to me simply, "You are on the path. I will lead you." He has done what he said he would do, for which I am truly grateful.

- Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

Aathichoodi Poems[edit]

உயி�ர் வருக்கம் ஆத்தி சூடி English translation

அ அறம் செ�ய வி�ரும்பு Desire doing righteous deeds

ஆ ஆறுவிது ��னம் Calm your anger

இ இயல்விது கரவேவில் Help others in whatever ways you can

ஈ ஈவிது வி�லக்வேகல் Never stop others from providing charity

உ உடை�யது வி�ளம்வே�ல் Never proclaim/boast about what you have

ஊ ஊக்கமது டைகவி�வே�ல் Never give up hope/motivation

எ எண் எழுத்து இகவே#ல் Don't despise learning

ஏ ஏற்�து இகழ்ச்�� Accepting alms (begging) is despicable

ஐ ஐயம)ட்டு உண் Share food with the needy before you eat

ஒ ஒப்புர செவி.ழுகு Act virtuously

ஓ ஓதுவிது ஒ#)வேயல் Never give up learning

ஒள ஒளவி�யம் வே�வே�ல் Never talk jealous words

ஃ அஃகஞ் சுருக்வேகல் Never cheat on selling grains (Food)

உயி�ர்மெ�ய் வருக்கம் ஆத்தி சூடி English translation

க கண்செ�.ன்று செ�.ல்வேலல் Don't exaggerate what you saw.

ங ஙப் வே�.ல் விடைள Bend to befriend.

� �ன) நீர.டு Shower regularly.

ஞ ஞயம்�� உடைர Sweeten your speech.

� இ�ம்�� வீடு எவே�ல் Judiciously space your home.

ண இணக்கம் அற�ந்து இணங்கு Befriend the best.

த தந்டைத த.ய்ப் வே�ண் Protect your parents.

ந நன்ற� மறவேவில் Don't forget gratitude.

� �ருவித்வேத �ய�ர் செ�ய் Husbandry has its season.

ம மண் �ற�த்து உண்வேணல் Don't land-grab.

ய இயல்பு அல.தன செ�ய்வேயல் Desist demeaning deeds.

ர அரவிம் ஆட்வே�ல் Don't play with snakes.

ல இலவிம் �ஞ்��ல் துய�ல் Cotton bed better for comfort.

வி விஞ்�கம் வே�வே�ல் Don't wile.

# அ#கு அல.தன செ�ய்வேயல் Detest the disorderly.

ள இளடைமய�ல் கல் Learn when young.

ற அறடைன மறவேவில் Cherish charity.

ன அனந்தல் ஆவே�ல் Over sleeping is obnoxious.

ககர வருக்கம் ஆத்தி சூடி English translation

க கடிவிது மற Constant anger is corrosive.

க. க.ப்�து வி�ரதம் Fasting is good.

கA கA#டைமப்�� வி.ழ் Live according to days.

கீ கீழ்டைம அகற்று Come out of Poverty.

கு குணமது டைகவி�வே�ல் Don't lose character.

கூ கூடிப் ��ர)வேயல் Don't forsake friends.

செக செகடுப்�து ஒ#) Abandon animosity.

வேக வேகள்வி� முயல் Learn by questioning.

டைக டைகவி�டைன கரவேவில் Learn handicraft.

செக. செக.ள்டைள வி�ரும்வே�ல் Don't swindle.

வேக. வேக.த.ட்டு ஒ#) Ban all illegal games.

செகள செகளடைவி அகற்று Don't vilify.

சகர வருக்கம் ஆத்தி சூடி English translation

� �க்கர செநற� நAல் Honor your Lands Constitution.

�. �.ன்வேற.ர் இனத்து இரு Associate with the noble.

�� ��த்தAரம் வே�வே�ல் Stop being paradoxical.

சீ சீர்டைம மறவேவில் Remember to be righteous.

சு சுள)க்கச் செ�.ல்வேலல் Don't hurt others feelings.

சூ சூது வி�ரும்வே�ல் Don't gamble.

செ� செ�ய்வின தAருந்தச் செ�ய் Action with perfection.

வே� வே�ர)�ம் அற�ந்து வே�ர் Seek out good friends.

டை� டை�செயனத் தAர)வேயல் Avoid being insulted.

செ�. செ�.ற் வே�.ர்வு �வே�ல் Don't show fatigue in conversation.

வே�. வே�.ம்��த் தAர)வேயல் Don't be a lazybones.

திகர வருக்கம் ஆத்தி சூடி English translation

த தக்வேக.ன் எனத் தAர) Be trustworthy.

த. த.னமது வி�ரும்பு Be kind to the unfortunate.

தA தAரும.லுக்கு அடிடைம செ�ய் Serve the protector.

தீ தீவி�டைன அகற்று Don't sin.

து துன்�த்தAற்கு இ�ம் செக.வே�ல் Don't attract suffering.

தூ தூக்கA வி�டைன செ�ய் Deliberate every action.

செத செதய்விம் இகவே#ல் Don't defame the divine.

வேத வேத�த்வேத.டு ஒட்டி வி.ழ் Live in unison with your countrymen.

டைத டைதயல் செ�.ல் வேகவேளல் Don't listen to the designing.

செத. செத.ன்டைம மறவேவில் Don't forget your past glory.

வேத. வேத.ற்�ன செத.�வேரல் Don't compete if sure of defeat.

நகர வருக்கம் ஆத்தி சூடி English translation

ந நன்டைம கடை�ப்��டி Adhere to the beneficial.

ந. ந.டு ஒப்�ன செ�ய் Do nationally agreeable.

நA நAடைலய�ல் ��ர)வேயல் Don't depart from good standing.

நீ நீர் வி�டைளய.வே�ல் Don't jump into a watery grave.

நு நுண்டைம நுகவேரல் Don't over snack.

நூ நூல் �ல கல் Read lot of books.

செந செநற்�ய�ர் வி�டைளவு செ�ய் Do agriculture.

வேந வேநர்�� ஒழுகு Exhibit good manners always.

டைந டைநவி�டைன நணுவேகல் Don't involve in destruction.

செந. செந.ய்ய உடைரவேயல் Don't dabble in sleaze.

வேந. வேந.ய்க்கு இ�ம் செக.வே�ல் Avoid unhealthy lifestyle.

பகர வருக்கம் ஆத்தி சூடி English translation

� �#)ப்�ன �கவேரல் Speak no vulgarity.

�. �.ம்செ�.டு �#வேகல் Keep away from the vicious.

�� ��டை#��ச் செ�.ல்வேலல் Watch out for self incrimination.

பீ பீடு செ�ற நAல் Follow path of honor.

பு புகழ்ந்த.டைரப் வே�.ற்ற� வி.ழ் Protect your benefactor.

பூ பூம) தAருத்தA உண் Cultivate the land and feed.

செ� செ�ர)ய.டைரத் துடைணக் செக.ள் Seek help from the old and wise.

வே� வே�டைதடைம அகற்று Eradicate ignorance.

டை� டை�யவேல.டு இணங்வேகல் Don't comply with idiots.

செ�. செ�.ருள்தடைனப் வே�.ற்ற� வி.ழ் Protect and enhance your wealth.

வே�. வே�.ர்த் செத.#)ல் புர)வேயல் Don't encourage war.

�கர வருக்கம் ஆத்தி சூடி English translation

ம மனம் தடும.வேறல் Don't vacillate.

ம. ம.ற்ற.னுக்கு இ�ம் செக.வே�ல் Don't accommodate your enemy.

ம) ம)டைக��ச் செ�.ல்வேலல் Don't over dramatize.

மீ மீதூண் வி�ரும்வே�ல் Don't be a glutton.

மு முடைனமுகத்து நAல்வேலல் Don't join an unjust fight.

மூ மூர்க்கவேர.டு இணங்வேகல் Don't agree with the stubborn.

செம செமல்லி நல்ல.ள் வேத.ள்வே�ர் Stick with your exemplary wife.

வேம வேமன்மக்கள் செ�.ல் வேகள் Listen to men of quality.

டைம டைம வி�#)ய.ர் மடைன அகல் Dissociate from the jealous.

செம. செம.#)விது அற செம.#) Speak with clarity.

வேம. வேம.கத்டைத முன) Hate any desire for lust.

வகர வருக்கம் ஆத்தி சூடி English translation

வி வில்லடைம வே�வே�ல் Don't self-praise.

வி. வி.து முற்கூவேறல் Don't gossip or spread rumor.

வி� வி�த்டைத வி�ரும்பு Long to learn.

வீ வீடு செ�ற நAல் Work for a peaceful life.

உ உத்தமன.ய் இரு Lead exemplary life.

ஊ ஊரு�ன் கூடி வி.ழ் Live amicably.

செவி செவிட்செ�னப் வே�வே�ல் Don't be harsh with words and deeds.

வேவி வேவிண்டி வி�டைன செ�வேயல் Don't premeditate harm.

டைவி டைவிகடைறத் துய�ல் எழு Be an early-riser.

ஒ ஒன்ன.டைரத் வேதவேறல் Never join your enemy.

ஓ ஓரம் செ�.ல்வேலல் Be impartial in judgement.

About 18 Siddhargal

Sri Pathanjali is considered the first siddhar. The information on Pathanjali is available only in Purana's. Pathanjali is considered as a form / incarnation of Adiseshan (the snake associated with Lord Vishnu). Lord Vishnu sleeps over Adiseshan. Once, Lord Vishnu saw the Siva Thandava (the divine dance of Lord Siva) and got extremely happy. Adisheshan could not bear the weight of Lord Vishnu in such a state. So, when Adiseshan informed Lord Vishnu of his difficulty, He was told about the Siva Thandava. Adiseshan also wanted to see the Siva thandava. So he did penance and Lord Siva appeared before him and granted his wish to see the divine dance. Lord Siva told him that he and Viyakramabathar would see his dance in the southern city of Thillai. Thillai is the other name of Chidambaram and it houses the famous Nataraja temple (please refer to the note below for details about the dance of Lord Siva).

Hence, Adisesha came to Thillai in South India and performed poojas for Lord Siva along with Viyakramabathar. Eventually, both of them witnessed the Siva Thandava.

Afterwards, Pathanjali (Adisesha) stayed in Thillai forests for a long time. He wanted to teach his script (Vyagarana Suthiram) to his disciples in the thousand-pillar structure in Thillai. However, Pathanjali was afraid that Himself being the form of Adisesha, his disciples would be burnt when they come near his breath.

Hence, he arranged for a partition between himself and his disciples. He taught his disciples sitting behind the partition. Sixty students (disciples) were learning under him. The students were very much impressed with their master and were anxious to see his face.

Once, a student got very apprehensive and pulled the partition to see the face of the master. All the students were burnt at the same instant. However, one of the students, Kaubathar did not attend the lecture on that day due to an external work. On seeing his fellow students being burnt to ashes, Kaubathar was terrified. Pathanjali changed his form and pacified his student. Pathanjali was very happy that one of his disciples is alive and he taught all the skills to his disciple, Kaubathar. Kaubathar's disciple is Govinda Bhawat Badal, who is also considered as the Guru of Adi Sankaracharya.

There are varied schools of thought that the Pathanjali who wrote “Maha Bashyam” inNorth India is different from the Pathanjali who wrote “Gyana Sutra” in Tamil. As siddhars have been known to live for ages, the period of the life of Pathanjali and the exact duration of his life can not be known. Moreover, there are no definitive texts available about Pathanjali. Both Pathanjali and Viyakramabathar had lived in Tamil Nadu in a period where siddhars had also lived there. Both of them had observed the divine dance of Lord Siva at Thillai in Tamil Nadu. Both of them attained their Samadhi at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. Hence the argument that Pathanjali could not have written texts in Tamil could not be true.

About Siva Thandava

The dance of bliss, or the Ananda Tandavam of Siva is said to symbolize the five divine acts of creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealment and bestowment of grace. The dance of Shiva has been frozen in metal and held in worships in Nataraja Sabhas, in virtually all of the Saivite temples in Tamilnadu. Five of the foremost Sabhas (Pancha Sabhai) are at Chidmbaram (Kanaka Sabhai the hall of gold), Madurai (Rajata Sabhai the hall of Silver), Tiruvalangadu near Chennai (Ratnasabhai the hall of rubies), Tirunelveli (Tamirasabhai the hall of copper) and Kutralam near Tirunelveli (Chitrasabhai the hall of pictures). Other dance halls of significance are Adri Sabhai (the Himalayas), Aadi Chitsabhai (Tiruvenkaadu near Chidambaram) and Perur Kanakasabhai (Patteeswarar temple at Perur near Coimbatore).

‘Siddhi’ means ‘Perfection’ and those who had attained perfection are known as ‘Siddhars’.Jesus Christ himself says in the Holy Bible;Matthew 5,48:”Be ye perfect therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect.”None excepting the Siddhars of India had attained that state Jesus refers to.And it is the Siddhars of south India who had conquered death by “internal breathing”known as “ull moochi” in Tamil(whereby ‘outside’ air is not necessary for breathing),the art popularly known in the U.S. as “Kriya Yoga” popularised by ‘Yogananda Paramahamsa’ in his book “Autobiography of An Yogi”

Siddhars have clearly studied the science of the breath and have even calculated the number of breaths a person expends in his entire life-term.The normal person takes four seconds for one breath cycle(inhalation and exhalation),so works out to 15 per minute,900 per hour and 21,600 per day.If the cycle was slowed down to a breath for every 2 ½ hours,we’d be able to live for thousands of years like Markandeya,Thirumoolar and Babaji who had all lived for thousands of years in their physical body and are living even now amidst us in their “glorious radiant body”.

The new born baby is perfect for its breath measures 12 inches long(from nose-tip to the crown of the head),but after six months or so,the secret mystical opening between the palate of the mouth 

and the crown of the head(kanown as ‘unnakku’ or ‘annakku’ in Tamil gets blocked,thus making us lose 4 inches of breath for the 21,600 breaths per day for our entire life-term and this loss increases greatly when we walk,run,sleep and make love.If the secret mystical opening were re-opened,the ‘third-eye’ too(which lies on its axis)would open and man would be the perfect person he really is;Thirumandiram 1780:

“To His west (right-side) He seated me

“Daily meditate on me” – said He,

“That is the but the Truth that lies seated

Between the crown of the head and the palate of

The mouth

This the Word True,

Cherish it as secret divine.”

The Siddhar at first attains the eight great supernatural powers known as ‘Ashtanga siddhis’ in Sanskrit and ‘Attama siddhis’ in Tamil,they are

“anima,mahima,laghima,garima,prapti,prakamya,isatvam,and vasitvam.”

These powers and other ‘minor’ powers are explained in detail in various yogic as well as religious texts;Thirumandiram 668:

“To become tiny as the atom within the atom (Anima)

To become big in unshakeable proportions (Mahima)

To become as light as vapour in levitation (Laghima)

To become as heavy as the mountain (Garima)

To enter into other bodies in transmigration (Prapti)

To be in all things, omni-pervasive (Prakamya)

To be lord of all creation in omnipotence (Isatvam)

To be everywhere in omnipresence (Vasitvam)

These eight are the Great Siddhis.”

Siddhars could be broadly based into three categories:

1) First Siddhar ( mudhal Siddhar ‘Moola marabu);

2) Intermediary Siddhars ( idai siddhars ‘Bala marabu’)

3) Final Siddhars ( ‘Kailai marabu’)

Before the act of creation,there was nothing,there was no light,no darkness.From ‘The infinite Light’ emerged the five ‘boothas’,the five elements- space,air,fire,water and earth.From the five elements emerged the seven forms of life.

The cause of this emergence which being the infinite Light is the first Siddhar or perfect being.

The intermediary Siddhars are those that are not born of the womb,but enter into other bodies and for the welfare of the world and various life-forms perform various noble acts.

The final Siddhars are those that are born of the womb and by the strength of the Spirit attain the ‘deathless-state’ (‘Saha kalai’),all the supernatural powers and all the arts and branches of knowledge (’64 kalai jnanam’ or 64 branches of knowledge) without being ‘taught’ by themselves or anybody else(like Mahakavi Kalidasa and St.Arunagirinathar,St.Ramalingam) in his ‘Thiru Arutpa:

“The Holy infinite Light full of Grace,

The Holy infinite Light full of Grace,

Most compassionate infinite Light

Full of Grace;

Everything will be revealed to you,

I swear

When you take your breath with all tattvas

In the name of the Almighty

To Chitrambalam.”

Chitrambalam’has a very deep hidden meaning,’Chit’ means knowledge and ‘Ambalam’ means space,in the human body that place is in the centre of the forehead, in- between the eyes,otherwise known as the ‘third-eye’,the eye of ‘jnana’,wisdom.When one through yogic means takes the breath through the ‘sushumna nadi’,an astral nerve located at the centre of the spinal column along with all the tattvas,which are the instruments or concepts of for example the five elements in nature whose concepts are correspondingly located in each of the five lower ‘chakras’(subtle energy-centres) to the centre of the forehead,everything is revealed to that person.The person in a flash becomes the source of all knowledge !

‘Akasa’ or space in its gross form is known as ‘bootha akasa’,but the yogi is able to perceive not only the thoughts,but also the intentions and experiences (in their totality) of others by looking at the finer form of space around the person known as the ‘chit akasa’ which is beyond the experiences of the five senses.

There is even a finer aspect of space known as ‘chitta akasa’ which is beyond that of the mind also known as the above mentioned ‘Chitrambalam’.Its form is that of Divine Wisdom,in this state there is no distinction between the seeker and the object.

Man becomes pristinely pure when he sheds off the five ‘malas’ or stains:

So he becomes the perfected person,the Siddhar.They are the ones who attain liberation,they are not bound to any likes or dislikes,so are free from the endless misery that is the cycle of birth and death.They realize the nine states of the Lord,;Thirumandiram 497:

“They who get rid of difficult five malas (stains),

They become Siva;

They become blemishless,

They are the Siddhars who

Attain state of Mukti (liberation) Finale,

They uproot Soul’s bondage

End cycle of births,

They alone realize

The nine states of the Lord"

Ancient Siddha Poems From Tamil

Siddhar poems form an important corpus of Tamil poetry of circa 16th Century. Though the Eighteen Siddhars are revered by scholars, their poems did not find an important place among the "interpreters" or "hermeneutists" of the Tamil school of interpretation. For instance, the very popular Thirukkural has found interpreters even in the modern Tamil era, [The late Dr.Mu.Varadharasanar]. But only a very few interpreters have tried their hands at Siddhar poems. The following reasons could be attributed to the lack of interpretation:

1. Siddhar poems were quite off-beat for their time.

2. Siddhar poems were hard to interpret due to their

esoteric quality.

3. Many scholars and interpreters thought these poems

belonged to the schema of mysticism and the occult.

4. These poems apparently contained imagery offending

the conventional reader of poetry.

Siddhar poems are so much entrenched in metaphor and imagery that they often resemble puzzles that have to be unscrambled. These poems question the assumptions and basics of accepted Tamil theology. While polytheism was an unquestioned canon of their time they dared to speak of "One Indivisible God". Siddhars like Siva Vakkiyaar have directly attacked the empty and meaningless rituals practiced by the brahmans of their time. Siva Vakkiyaar's poems bear testimony to this point. 

Almost all these mystic poets share contempt for the body. But it is not a mere shunning of the body. They seemed to have reached a point of ennui with regard to the desires of the body so that they wanted to shun the "flesh" and the millions of ailments it is heir to. All of them wanted to subjugate the senses.

Winning, a permanent victory over the five senses offers an absolute control of the body leading to the control of the wandering mind. One of them refers to the five senses as "five thieves". Thiruvalluvar who wrote in the Ist Century A.D. has compared the control of the five senses to the action of the tortoise when it protects itself from the enemy. Siddhars looked at life from a different angle of vision. They also despised and scorned the nine portals of the human body. They were existentialists in another sense. They lived a mendicant's life and slept in the temples when they wanted to stretch their body. According to Pattinathar, even a person with a begging bowl and a dog for company is a "family man". They were misunderstood in their own time since they repudiated the materialistic view of life and claimed that there could be only one supreme God. Very little has been on record about their personal life, except for meager details like place of birth and place of death. Some anthologists have pinned down their community. This socio-economic background information has been handy in the understanding of their imagery.

Some of them might have turned misogenics after enjoying the intimacy of quite a number of women. Despite this fact, their addressee is pre-nubile girl who is referred to as Vaalai pen. Some of their poems indicate [Karuvoorar's poems especially] that this Vaalai is girleen who has not attained puberty, but who is tremendously beautiful.

That Thirukkural seems to have had a strong influence on the Siddhars is evident from many cross-references in their poems:

"As the bird flies away from the egg shell

Should be the friendship of the body to being"

[Thirukkural: Section on impermanence]

Thiruvalluvar, the saint-poet with a strong Jainistic streak, explains the relationship of the body to the

soul in the above lines. Or the impermanence of the body is stressed here in the most epigrammatic manner.

In the section devoted to "Penance" Thirukkural writes:

"All the beings of the world will worship the one Who doesn't slay and doesn't eat that is slain".

In another Couplet he writes:

"When words of sweetness exist, uttering the harsh ones Is like snatching the half-ripe ones rejecting ripe fruits".

The echo of these lines can be found in Pattinathar's poems. Pattinathar has also expressed his wish to be a non-violent vegetarian and as abstainer from killing. Thiruvalluvar has devoted a separate chapter on "Abstinence from killing". From Pattinathar's poems one can estimate that he was well grounded in classics like Periya puranam and Siva puranam. History indicates that the Siddhars who lived in South Indiawere 18 in number. If a yogi is to be accepted as a Siddhar he should be able to perform the following feats:

1. Anima or the ability to turn oneself into a atom.

2. Mahima or the ability to transfigure oneself to the

size of a mountain.

3. Lahima or the capability to become as light as air.

4. Karima or the capability to become heavy as gold.

5. Prapthi or the ability to rule over everything.

6. Vasithuvam or the ability to attract everyone.

7. Brakamiyam or the art of transmigration.

8. Eesathuvam or the ability to achieve everything one

wish for and the ability to enjoy it.

These are called as "Eight Great Siddhis" or Ashtamaha siddhi. These mystic poets represent different communities. Siddha Pattinathar was born into a rich family of merchants in the sea-town of Kaveripoompattinam and he himself was a successful merchant before giving up his materialistic way of life. Badhragiriyar who finally became a disciple of Pattinathar was the king of a province in Thanjavur. Idaikkaattu Siddhar was a goat-herd according to the available meagre records of literary history. Thiru molar is said to have come from Varanasi to meet the Saint Agasthiar of the South. During his journey he happened to stop at a place called Tiruvavaduthurai in TamilNadu (one of the 

states of south India) and felt pity for the cattle that were so much attached to the cattle-herd whose name was

Moolan. Moolan had died of a snake bite and with the help of his inner-vision and power of transmigration; the Siva Yogi shed his physique and entered the dead Moolan's body to console the cattle. After reaching the village where the cattle-herd lived, he left the cattle in the pen and tried to extricate from Moolan's wife who was unaware of the fact that the person who appears as her husband was the Siva Yogi. When he checked for old body he was dismayed because it had disappeared. He accepted everything as the will of God and decided to live in the same village as Moolan and he was later called Thiru Moolar. Another mystic is a Muslim by birth as his name Beer Mohammed suggests. Roma Rishi might have had connections with the Rome of his time. Some like Paampaati Siddhar wrote treaties on herbal medicine and were capable of small miracles in real life. Boghar is said to have visited the Roman Empire to study the herbs of that country for medical application. Boghar was born into a family of potters in China as the legend goes. Pulasthiar is Sinhala by birth. Idaikaattu Siddhar is said to be the author of Saareeram, a book on medicine. Some consider him as the disciple of Boghar. In the advanced stages of penance, these mystics are said to have lived just on air and dried herbal leaves. Some of them able to suspend their bodility functions temporarily if they had to spend their days in a hostile environment. From rhymed quatrains, rhymed couplets based on Thirukkural, to simple folk songs, Siddhars have used a variety of stanza forms to express their thoughts. Catchy lines from the Siddhars sung by beggars can still be heard in the village streets of TamilNadu. Many readers quote these poems or snatches of lines quite unaware of the source. A handful of these poems have been simplified and adapted a lyrics for Tamil film songs. One can read this anthology of Siddhar Poems just to get the basics of meditation and yogic breathing. Another can refer to it to decipher the formula to concoct traditional siddha medicine. Still others can use this anthology to make a deep study to acquire the methods of conquering the five senses of the body. For a serious reader of poetry it is treasure house that has a richness and freshness of its own. One will be struck by the candidates with which these poems analyse God and the filthiness of the body. A few of the sections written by Vanmeegar and Nandeeswarar prescribe the rules for making offering to a deity.

Sri Agasthiar Siddhar

Siddhar Agasthiar, often referred to as Sage Agasthiar is the most celebrated of the siddhars in Tamil language. Agasthiar wrote 'Agathiyam', the first grammar book of Tamil language. There are numerous legends associated with Agasthiar in Tamil literature. There is a temple and a water-falls dedicated to him near Papanasam, Tamil Nadu. Almost all the information available on the internet is to do with Agasthiar and Tamil language and it is difficult to come across information relating to Agasthiar in the tradition of siddhar school of thought. 'Agasthiar Paribashai Thirattu' and 'Subramaniar Suddha Jnanam 100' are some of his well known books.

Sage Agatthiyar : Foremost of the siddhas - An article by Dr. Mandayam Kumar. Acknowledges Agasthiyar as a siddhar. It also relates Agasthiyar with other siddhars namely Bogar, Sattamuni, Nandeeswarar, Pasupathi, Vyagrapadar, Pathanjali, Pulippani and Pambatti. It is very difficult to 

come across an article connecting a variety of siddhars, sages and other people. The author says that the article is based on stories, scripts and other epics. The birth of Agasthiyar is given as the Avittam star of Kumba month (quoted from Sattamuni). This is in contrast to the widely accepted table of 18 siddhars, which indicates Aayilyam star in the month of Markazhi. This makes one wonder whether, the Sage Agasthiya widely talked about in Tamil literature and Siddhar Agasthiyar are the one and the same. The one point that is in common with this article and the current siddhar website is that both say, He lived for over a thousand years.

Agasthiar Universal Mission - The ashram is located in Thiruvannamalai, Tamilnadu.

Sri Kamalamuni

The following information is available about Sri Kamalamuni in the book “ Bogar 7000 ” written by siddhar Bogar.

Song 5729: Kamalamuni was born on the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May - June), his birth star being 2nd part of Poosam.

Song 5725: The siddhar named Kamalamuni belongs to Kuravar caste. He lived for six-eight generations.

Song 5841: Kamalamuni is 4000 years and some 300 odd (days) old. He lived in China for a long time.

However, siddhar Karuvoorar in his book “ Vadha Kaviyam ” (Song 584) says “Maamuni” belongs to “ Kannar ” caste. He does not explicitly say “Kamalamuni”, but mentions “Maamuni”. The author of this article does not understand whether Karuvoorar refers to Kamalamuni or not.

Sri Kalangi Nadhar belongs to Kannar caste. Many people believe that Sri Kalangi Nathar is siddhar Kamalamuni. In the 63 rd song of “ Kamalamuni Suthiram 76 ”, a line says that “ Kamalamuni alias Kalangi ”. Hence it can me true that Sri Kalangi Nathar is siddhar Kamalamuni himself.

In “ Bogar Janana Sasthra ”, it is mentioned that Kamalamuni attained samadhi atMadurai . However as per the table of 18 siddhars, it is belived that siddhar Kamalamuni attained samadhi at Thiruvavur.

About Kuravars

Kuravars form the sixth largest Scheduled Caste population both in Tamil Nadu and in Ramanathapuram district. They make certain household items out of bamboos and palm leafs and sells them to earn their living. They hunt birds and rear country pigs (black pigs) both for their consumption and sale. They also hunt cats from the village side for consumption. Some of them work as fortune-tellers. Since they use the trained Kili (parrot) to predict the fortune of the people, they are also known as kili josiyars. However, they do not go to any other castes asking for food. They are also not required to perform any inauspicious tasks and rituals for other Scheduled Castes. This information on Kuravars is taken from the article "Untouchability and Inter-Caste Relations in Rural India: The Case of Southern Tamil Villages" by A. Ramaiah of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai.

Sri Kamalamuni Siddhar

Sri Kamalamuni Siddhar - The information from Bogar 7000 - This note basically quotes songs from "Bogar 7000" and gives details about his birth star, birth place and his age. It also says that he lived in China for a long time.

Shaking the Tree - By Layne Little - In his / her article based on Bhogar 7000, suggests that Kamalamuni is Kalangi Nathar. Quote: 'Kalangi was a poet in his own right, composing the Kalangi Nanavinda Rahasiyam-30, and using his other name Kamalamuni, he composed the Kamalamuni Nanasuttiram-76'. As, Kalangi Nathar is not listed in the first list of 18 siddhars, this might be possible. However,Wayne Little, does not give more information to quantify the above statement in the article.

Sri Thirumoolar Siddhar

Thirumoolar (Tirumoolar) took the body of herdsman 'Moolan' and wrote the famed script 'Tirumandiram'. His mantras are very simple, but convey a deep meaning in them.

Thirumoolar - The most celebrated Tamil Siddhar - Gives a few widely popular axioms of Tamil language. A very good article on Thirumoolar.

Thirumoola Nayanar - An article on Thirumoolar from the point of view of Shivites. Hosted at shaivism.org.

Sri Machamuni Siddhar

In the Encyclopedic dictionary authored by T.V. Sambasivam Pillai (Reference 1), a strange story is told.

“ Machamuni is a siddhar. He was the child brought up by Pinnakeesar. He is also Pinakeesar's disciple. There is a story that once Lord Siva was preaching Uma Devi. Uma Devi had slept when Lord 

Siva was preaching her. However, a fish was listening to the lecture. Later on that fish was transformed into Siddhar Machamuni by Lord Siva.”

Although it is a story, it is very interesting indeed.

In the 523rd song of “ Karuvoorar Vadha Kaviyam ”, Karuvoorar says that Machamuni is a Sembadavar (Presently categorized under backward classes by Government of Tamil Nadu in Government Order 36, 1996). Sembadavar's are traditional fisherman. From the name Machamuni, it is easy to say that he is a fisherman (Macham mean fish in Tamil). Siddhar Agasthiar in the 218th song of his book “ Amudha Kalai Ganam ” says that Machamuni belongs to Sembadavar caste.

However, siddhar Bogar in the 5700th song of “ Bogar 7000 ”, says that he belongs to “Kalludayar ” caste (The author of this article is unable to understand the exact meaning of this song). Also in song 5873, he says that Machamuni was born on the Rohini star in the Tamil month of Adi (July-August).

Machamuni in his 97th song of his book “ Machamuni Thandagam 100 ”, mentions the words "Guru Nandhi" and "Guru Bogar", while offering prayers to his guru. Hence, it can be said that Siddhar Bogar and Siddhar Nandeeswarar were his gurus.

Machamuni also mentions about the Siva Thandava witnessed by siddhar Pathanjali in one of his songs. Hence, it can be said that he had lived in the period when siddhar Pathanjali and Sri Viyakrabathar witnessed the Siva Thandava in Thillai (for details about this event, please refer to the information on siddhar Pathanjai in this web site). Thillai is the other name of Chidambaram and is one of the 5 dance halls of Lord Siva.

In the book “ Agasthiar 12000 ”, in the fifth Kandam, siddhar Agasthiar says that Machamuni had taken lessons from Kaga Bugandar. He also says that he donated all his wealth to poor people on attaining spiritual salvation. Machamuni attained samadhi at Thiruparankundram.

Some of the books written by Machamuni are

Machamuni Perunool Kaviyam 800

Machamuni Sarakku Vaippu 800

Machamuni Vagaram 800

Machamuni Yogam 800

Machamuni Vaithiyam 800

Machamuni Thirumandiram 800

Machamuni Gyanam 800

Machamuni Vedantham 800

Machamuni Gurunool 800

Machamuni Thitchavidhi 100

Machamuni Thandagam 100

Machamuni Gyana Thitchai 50

Machamuni Sthoola Sukkuma Karana Gyanam 30

Machamuni Suthiram 21

References

Encyclopaedic Dictionary (1938) By T.V. Sambasivam Pillai Vol I-V, Published by The Department of Indian Systems of Medicine & Homoeopathy , Arumbakkam, Chennai - 600 016 (Available for sale from Central Library, Anna Hospital Complex, Arumbakkam, Chennai).

Sri Pambatti Siddhar

The most popular and well known of the siddhar’s is "Pambatti Siddhar" (the snake character) who may be taken to be a true representation of his tribe. He takes the snake for a symbol to represent the human Soul and uses the expression : "AODU PAMBE" (De thou, Dance Snake) as a refrain at the end of each stanza of his poem. The poem of this siddhar is in fewer than six hundred lines and deals with philosophic and spiritual matters in the authentic siddhar pattern with great passion. He sings Lord Siva as the Supreme Power of the Universe. There is a poem on his Guru, Who is credited with super natural powers. He then boasts of the similar powers of his tribe in a mood of fantastic self-adulation, where his imagination runs riot. "We can make men women", he says and adds, "We can destroy" this great universe. He asserts that they have power equal to that of God and can control the elements. He is there, merely expatiating on the Ashtama Siddhis, which is believed to confer eight kinds of devises and super natural powers on those who have achieved it. They are

Anima -- Power of becoming the size of an atom and entering the smallest beings.

Mahima -- Power of becoming mighty and co-extensive with the universe.

Lagima -- Capacity to be quite light though big in size.

Garima -- Capacity to weigh heavy, though seemingly small size.

Prapthi -- Capacity to enter all the worlds from Brahma Loga to the neither world.

Prakasysm -- Power of disembodying and entering into other bodies (metempsychosis) and going to heaven and enjoying what everyone aspires for, simply from where he stays.

Isithavam -- Have the creative power of God and control over the Sun, the moon and the elements and

Vasithavam -- Power of control over King and Gods.

Whether any man ever had or can have these powers is an open question.

He then bursts out that they, like Prahima can create new worlds, make him his servants and live in a status of equality with Lord Siva and make Him play with them. Then there is usual tired against this life and its short lived sensual pleasure. The value of reminciation and sacation is also dealt with. He ridicules ideal worship and the Vedas. Agomas and other Scriptures. The cast differences are denounced by him. He has also several stanzas on mystic knowledge of Yoga.

As a poet, he is not contemptible (deserving to be treated with contempt). He has a facility of expression and an imaginative flavour in thought. He holds that those who have no feeling of love in their hearts can never attain salvation. His God vision is pictured in a fine stanza. This poet uses entirely the common speech of the people and has produced powerful effect.

Each one of the stanzas of his work ends in the world "Aodu Pambe". Probably that may be the cause of his name. He seems to belong to Maruthamalai in Kongunadu. It is given in the work above that he got instructions from Sattamuni. As per the lines "Pathir-ar-Sankarankoil Pambatti" found in the old stanza, which is given as source so far, his place of Samadhi has to be taken as Sankarankoil is Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu (India).

Scripts taken from:

Chapter Eighteen (Pages 364 & 365) of book entitled "Eighteen Siddhars in History of Siddha Medicine" by Mr. N. Kandasamy Pillai, Former Member, Siddha Science Development Committee and Published by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1979.

A Precise History of Sri Pambatti Siddhar Samadhi at Sankarankovil

The nobility and sublimity of the Cobra, which symbolically represents the power of Kundalini in human beings, is hailed with mystical flavor in more than a hundred verses by Sri Pambatti siddhar, each ending with the refrain 'Dance Thou Cobra!'.

He is the last among the noted 18 siddhars. He belongs to the Kozhayi family. TheHimalayas are their ancestral land. Essentially the Kozhayi's were cowherds and sheep herds and dependent on the products of cows and sheep. Slowly they moved out of their place and in due course came to South India . Some say that Sri Pambatti Siddhar was born at Thirukkokarnam, near Pudukkottai and some others in the Pandya Kingdom . Mrigasirisham was his birth star in the Tamil month of Karthigai (November-December). He was considered a manifestation of Lord Siva. On being given spiritual initiation by his Guru Sattamuni, as the disciple changed the five elements into a five-headed cobra, he came to be known as "Pambatti siddhar". There are a few who say that he got this name because he lent symbolically in his verses the image of a cobra to the Kundalini power.

Sri Pambatti siddhar attained the eight supernatural powers called 'Ashtamasiddhi' after performing penance for a very long time in a cave on Marudamalai, near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Also he lived in places like Mahalingamalai in Vathiraayiruppu, Kollimalai,Madurai , Puliyur and Bhavani.

Sri Sivaprabhakara Siddhayogi Paramahamsar was the worthy disciple of this great siddhar. The former was born in a Namboodiri family of Kaladi, Kerala. As the Guru and his follower remained inseparable, they did atonement for 45 years on the Himalayas and came to Sankarankoil. Sri Pambatti Siddhar established the statue of Goddess Gomathi Amman there. Later, at the south-west corner, about a furlong behind the temple, amidst punnai trees (now door number 15, Puliyankudi Road). Sri Pambatti Siddhar got established in the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi (also known as Jeeva Samadhi) at the sacred hands of his disciple.

Some books mention that Sri Pambatti siddhar attained samadhi at Virudhachalam and some at Thirukkadaiyur. However, their claims have no established proof. It may be assumed that Sri Pambatti siddhar would have lived in those places and in order to reveal that the disciple could himself assume the frame of his master, might have got established in samadhi in these two places in the guise of Sri Pambatti Siddhar. This might have been possible for him because Sri Prabhakarar got into the bodies of 15 persons at different times by the unique process called 'Metempsychosis' (Transmigration) and proved himself to be the noble student of his aspired preceptor.

It can be authentically proved that Sri Pambatti siddhar got samadhi only at Sankarankoil. Some such proofs are cited below:

1) In his book entitled "History of Siddha Medicine" written in English by Mr. N. Kannuppillai and published by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1979, under the chapter "Eighteen Siddhars", the author has written on pages 364-366 about Pambatti siddhar and clearly mentioned that he attained samadhi at Sankarankoil.

2) In the hoary palm leaves of Pulithevar entitled " Nerkattum Seval " in the form of a song there are references to the places where the 18 siddhar's had attained samadhi and in it is mentioned that Sri Pambatti siddhar's place of samadhi is at Sankarankoil.

3) Dr. Yogi S. A. A. Ramiah in his book " A Collection of the Verses of the Eighteen Siddhars for Daily Recitatio n" (in Tamil) too makes a similar mention when he records that Sri. Pambatti siddhar in order to attain Svarupa samadhi in Sankarankoil kindled his cobra power of Kundalini.

4) The Gayatri Mantra of Sri Pambatti siddhar is :

" Om Sankaranaalaya Pathivaazh Sittharaaya 

Vechitra Rupaaya Pambatti Sittharaaya Namaha" .

This also makes an identical proclamation.

Thus, beyond doubt, it is established that Sri Pambatti Siddhar's Jeeva Samadhi is only at Sankarankoil and not anywhere else.

The sole disciple of Sri Pambatti Siddhar was Brahmananda Sri Sivaprabhakara Siddhayogi Paramahamsar and that of the latter is Brahmasri Siddharaja Swamiji, who has, at the behest of his Guru, had undertaken the great task of constructing a sacred samadhi Temple for his Guru's Guru. Brahmasri Siddharaja Swamiji had taken up some other truly useful missions to the society. His plan was to construct separate buildings for siddha research centre and for mass feeding, to be housed within the proposed building complex of the siddhar samadhi.

Just in front of the siddhar samadhi lies a big water tank called "Govinda Peri", meant for the annual float festival of the temple. It was in ruins and Brahmasri Siddharaja Swamiji had desilted the tank and renovated its southern and western walls at a cost of about Rs.80,000 and let the people of the 

area of the town to bathe comfortably in it. Also he had renovated the "Govinda Peri Mutt" and established a "Bhakthi Peeth". He had finished construction of two temples - one dedicated to Lord Ganesh and the other to Lord Balamurugan - and they are meant for public worship.

The Eminence of Sri Pambatti Siddhar's Samadhi

Some special features of Sri Pambati Siddhar's Samadhi are presented here:

1) It is a historically recorded evidence that in order to cure Pulithevar, a daring patriot, of his excruciating stomach pain the then pontiff of Thiruvaduthurai used the ant-hill soil on the Samadhi of Sri Pambatti Siddhar. It readily reveals the curative efficacy of the Samadhi soil. Daily devotes who throng the shrine take the soil to their homes as 'Prasadam'. The Tulsi tank water in the temple cures many diseases and protects devotees from many diseases.

2) There is a grill-structure with 18 lamps, just behind the Siddhar's shrine. The Pranava Mantra "OM" is at its centre. There is a "Trident" at the top of the lamps to refer to the Three Lords, born out of the Pranava Mantra. Each lamp encompassing "OM" stands for a Siddhar.

The prayers of those devotees who keep a small cloth packet containing Sesame seeds in each of these cup like lamps, fill with gingelly oil, light them and pray sincerely are heard and fulfilled at once. This is what devotees who gather at the shrine in multitudes often assert. Brahmasri Siddharaja Swamiji himself once directed some of his devotees to observe this rite in order to rid them of the adverse effects of Mars in the 7th house of their horoscope (Commonly referred as "Sevvai Dhosha" in Tamil Astronomy) or the hostile influence of Raghu, Kethu and Saturn. Those who follow these directions fervently get the following favours:

Those who suffer from

Sevvai Dhosha get a good life partner,

Saturn's retardation get peace of mind,

Issues beget children,

unemployed get suitable jobs, etc.

3) There is a big lamp which is kept burning all the 24 hours of a day at the Sanctum Sanctorium of Sri Pambatti Siddhar. It consumes one litre of gingelly oil per day. Sri Pambatti Siddhar protects the interests of those who keep it burning and workship him earnestly. Daily devotees bring garlands, flowers, camphor, incense sticks, coconuts, bananas and other fruits for the daily adoration of the Parabrahamam Statue established on the Samadhi of Sri Pambatti Siddhar. No doubt they get His blessings in full measure.

4) This is an exquisitely carved four-sided idol. At the top it is a 14-headed cobra spreading its hoods, with figures of Lord Vishnu on the east, Lord Siva and splendid Goddess Gomathi on the south, Lord Muruga on the west and Lord Ganesh on the north. This signifies that the 14-headed Cobra, Sri Pambatti Siddhar, contains the Three Lords in Himself. This also implies that HE is Parabrahman Himself.

5) This Siddhar temple is popularly known by the epithet 'Samadhi of the Munificent Philanthropist' for the obvious reason that large scale mass feeding was frequently conducted here by Sri Siddharaja Swamiji. Currently the mass feedings are organized by the S.P.S.S.P. trust. True to the epithet, on the days of Adi Thapas in the month of July-August, a very extensive mass feeding is performed every year. So far 16 such feedings have been accomplished and over 20,000 people are fed on each occasion.

Sri Pathanjali / Patanjali Siddhar

Siddhar Patanjali is the most celebrated of the siddhars in current Yoga schools. His Yoga Sutras have been translated into different languages and are followed by Yoga practitioners worldwide. There is a lot of information about Patanjali's Yoga Sutras on the internet.

Sri Pathanjali Siddhar - The first of 18 Siddhars - This article details Sri Pathanjali as a form of Sri Adisesha and his association with Viyakramabathar. It also mentions that they witnessed the dance of Lord Siva (Siva Thandava) at Chidambaram (Thillai).

HRIH: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. International Language - The Internet Archive of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. It is an "all in one" page, with different interpretations translated in different languages. Has an active Buletin board.

YERC: Patanjali - An crisp article on Patanjali. It conforms with the first article that Patanjali wrote 'Maha Bashyam'.

An Interpretive Translation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras - By Swami Venkatesananda

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Translation by Chester Messenger

The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali - Interpreted by William Q. Judge

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - By Raghagavan Iyer

Sri Sundaranandar Siddhar

Sri Sundaranandar is the disciple of siddhar Sattamuni. It is believed that he got the Siva Linga of siddhar Agastiar, established it in Saduragiri and worshipped it.

Saduragiri Sundara Mahalingam temple comes under the Thaniparai area of Saptur reserve forests in Tamil Nadu. It is located in Watrap, Viruthunagar district. Srivilliputtur is the big city located near Saduragiri. For thousands of years, realized sages and siddhars lived there worshipping the Siva Linga called “ Sundara Mahalingam ”. “Sundaram ” means, the handsome One, “ Maha ” means great and lingam means “ Siva, the Supreme Self ”. This mountain shrine is a considered as a dwelling place of siddhars. This can also be attributed to the numerous medicinal plants available in the SaduragiriMountains . There is also a cave called " Thavasi Parai " in Saduragiri. Sundaranandar and his Guru Sattamuni lived there.

Siddhar Bogar sings about Sundaranandar in songs 5828 and 5829 in his book “ Bogar 7000 ”. He says that Sundarandar was an expert in space travel and samadhi yoga. In songs 5920 and 5921, Bogar gives the following information. Sundaranandar was born on the Tamil month of Aavani (August – September) on the star Revathi (3 rd part). He is the grand son of Navakanda Rishi living in the Kishkinta hills and that he belonged to Agamudayar (Thevar) class.

However, siddhar Karuvoorar in his song 582, says that Sundaranandar belongs to Reddy class. Siddhar Agasthiar in his book “ Amudha Kalai Gyanam ” also says that Sundaranandar is a Reddy in song 218. Sundaranandar attained his samadhi at Madurai .

The following are the books of Sundaranandar.

Sundaranandar Vaithiya Thirattu 1500

Sundaranandar Vaithya Kaviyam 1000

Sundaranandar Merpadi Suthiram 500

Sundaranandar Vagaram 200

Sundaranandar Aathetha Suthiram 104

Sundaranandar Vatha Suthiram 100

Sundaranandar Visha Nivarani 100

Sundaranandar Vakiya Suthiram 66

Sundaranandar Kesari 55

Sundaranandar Suttha Gyanam 51

Sundaranandar Thitchavithi 50

Sundaranandar Thandagam 47

Sundaranandar Kesari Poojavithi 37

Sundaranandar Athisaya Karanam 36

Sundaranandar Sivayoga Gyanam 32

Sundaranandar Muppu 25

Sundaranandar Sivagyana Botham 16

Sri Sundaranandar Siddhar

Sri Sundaranandar Siddhar - Saduragiri Sundara Mahalingam - This article says that Sundaranandar and his Guru Sattamuni are associated with Saduragiri Sundara Mahalingam. As Sattamuni (10th siddha) is his Guru, it can be implied that the table of 18 siddhars might not be in a strict time frame or that several siddhars co-existed in the same time period. The article also quotes information from "Bogar 7000" .

Sri Vaanmeegar / Valmiki Siddhar

Sri Vaanmeegar's birth star is Anusham in the Tamil month of Purattasi (September-October). There is an argument that the Valmiki who wrote Valmiki Ramayana is different from the siddhar Vaanmeegar of the south. However, siddhar Bogar in his script"Bogar 7000" proclaims that they are one and the same. He says that Vaanmeegar is the name of the siddhar who wrote Valmiki Ramayana in song (verse) number 5834. He makes a clear distinction between the names Vaanmeegar and Valmiki.

Further, in his next song (verse number 5835), Bogar says that Vaanmeegar's age is 700 and some odd days. He also says that he is a learned sholar in Tamil language. He also makes a reference about his Samadhi. This author is not able to understand the exact meaning of the second part of that song.

It is also said that Sri Vaanmeegar alias Valmiki wrote Ramaya on getting the spiritual knowledge from Narada. Sri Vaanmeegar's Samadhi is located at Ettukudi in Tamil Nadu.

http://www.sathuragiri.org/siddhars.html

About 18 Siddhargal

Sri Pathanjali is considered the first siddhar. The information on Pathanjali is available only in Purana's. Pathanjali is considered as a form / incarnation of Adiseshan (the snake associated with Lord Vishnu). Lord Vishnu sleeps over Adiseshan. Once, Lord Vishnu saw the Siva Thandava (the divine dance of Lord Siva) and got extremely happy. Adisheshan could not bear the weight of Lord Vishnu in such a state. So, when Adiseshan informed Lord Vishnu of his difficulty, He was told about the Siva Thandava. Adiseshan also wanted to see the Siva thandava. So he did penance and Lord Siva appeared before him and granted his wish to see the divine dance. Lord Siva told him that he and Viyakramabathar would see his dance in the southern city of Thillai. Thillai is the other name of Chidambaram and it houses the famous Nataraja temple (please refer to the note below for details about the dance of Lord Siva).

Hence, Adisesha came to Thillai in South India and performed poojas for Lord Siva along with Viyakramabathar. Eventually, both of them witnessed the Siva Thandava.

Afterwards, Pathanjali (Adisesha) stayed in Thillai forests for a long time. He wanted to teach his script (Vyagarana Suthiram) to his disciples in the thousand-pillar structure in Thillai. However, Pathanjali was afraid that Himself being the form of Adisesha, his disciples would be burnt when they come near his breath.

Hence, he arranged for a partition between himself and his disciples. He taught his disciples sitting behind the partition. Sixty students (disciples) were learning under him. The students were very much impressed with their master and were anxious to see his face.

Once, a student got very apprehensive and pulled the partition to see the face of the master. All the students were burnt at the same instant. However, one of the students, Kaubathar did not attend the lecture on that day due to an external work. On seeing his fellow students being burnt to ashes, Kaubathar was terrified. Pathanjali changed his form and pacified his student. Pathanjali was very happy that one of his disciples is alive and he taught all the skills to his disciple, Kaubathar. Kaubathar's disciple is Govinda Bhawat Badal, who is also considered as the Guru of Adi Sankaracharya.

There are varied schools of thought that the Pathanjali who wrote “Maha Bashyam” inNorth India is different from the Pathanjali who wrote “Gyana Sutra” in Tamil. As siddhars have been known to live for ages, the period of the life of Pathanjali and the

exact duration of his life can not be known. Moreover, there are no definitive texts available about Pathanjali. Both Pathanjali and Viyakramabathar had lived in Tamil Nadu in a period where siddhars had also lived there. Both of them had observed the divine dance of Lord Siva at Thillai in Tamil Nadu. Both of them attained their Samadhi at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. Hence the argument that Pathanjali could not have written texts in Tamil could not be true.

About Siva Thandava

The dance of bliss, or the Ananda Tandavam of Siva is said to symbolize the five divine acts of creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealment and bestowment of grace. The dance of Shiva has been frozen in metal and held in worships in Nataraja Sabhas, in virtually all of the Saivite temples in Tamilnadu. Five of the foremost Sabhas (Pancha Sabhai) are at Chidmbaram (Kanaka Sabhai the hall of gold), Madurai (Rajata Sabhai the hall of Silver), Tiruvalangadu near Chennai (Ratnasabhai the hall of rubies), Tirunelveli (Tamirasabhai the hall of copper) and Kutralam near Tirunelveli (Chitrasabhai the hall of pictures). Other dance halls of significance are Adri Sabhai (the Himalayas), Aadi Chitsabhai (Tiruvenkaadu near Chidambaram) and Perur Kanakasabhai (Patteeswarar temple at Perur near Coimbatore).

‘Siddhi’ means ‘Perfection’ and those who had attained perfection are known as ‘Siddhars’.Jesus Christ himself says in the Holy Bible;Matthew 5,48:”Be ye perfect therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect.”None excepting the Siddhars of India had attained that state Jesus refers to.And it is the Siddhars of south India who had conquered death by “internal breathing”known as “ull moochi” in Tamil(whereby ‘outside’ air is not necessary for breathing),the art popularly known in the U.S. as “Kriya Yoga” popularised by ‘Yogananda Paramahamsa’ in his book “Autobiography of An Yogi”

Siddhars have clearly studied the science of the breath and have even calculated the number of breaths a person expends in his entire life-term.The normal person takes four seconds for one breath cycle(inhalation and exhalation),so works out to 15 per minute,900 per hour and 21,600 per day.If the cycle was slowed down to a breath for every 2 ½ hours,we’d be able to live for thousands of years like Markandeya,Thirumoolar and Babaji who had all lived for thousands of years in their physical body and are living even now amidst us in their “glorious radiant body”.

The new born baby is perfect for its breath measures 12 inches long(from nose-tip to the crown of the head),but after six months or so,the secret mystical opening between the palate of the mouth and the crown of the head(kanown as ‘unnakku’ or ‘annakku’ in Tamil gets blocked,thus making us lose 4 inches of breath for the 21,600 breaths per day for our entire life-term and this loss increases greatly when we walk,run,sleep and make love.If the secret mystical opening were re-opened,the ‘third-eye’ too(which lies on its axis)would open and man would be the perfect person he really is;Thirumandiram 1780:

“To His west (right-side) He seated me

“Daily meditate on me” – said He,

“That is the but the Truth that lies seated

Between the crown of the head and the palate of

The mouth

This the Word True,

Cherish it as secret divine.”

The Siddhar at first attains the eight great supernatural powers known as ‘Ashtanga siddhis’ in Sanskrit and ‘Attama siddhis’ in Tamil,they are

“anima,mahima,laghima,garima,prapti,prakamya,isatvam,and vasitvam.”

These powers and other ‘minor’ powers are explained in detail in various yogic as well as religious texts;Thirumandiram 668:

“To become tiny as the atom within the atom (Anima)

To become big in unshakeable proportions (Mahima)

To become as light as vapour in levitation (Laghima)

To become as heavy as the mountain (Garima)

To enter into other bodies in transmigration (Prapti)

To be in all things, omni-pervasive (Prakamya)

To be lord of all creation in omnipotence (Isatvam)

To be everywhere in omnipresence (Vasitvam)

These eight are the Great Siddhis.”

Siddhars could be broadly based into three categories:

1) First Siddhar ( mudhal Siddhar ‘Moola marabu);

2) Intermediary Siddhars ( idai siddhars ‘Bala marabu’)

3) Final Siddhars ( ‘Kailai marabu’)

Before the act of creation,there was nothing,there was no light,no darkness.From ‘The infinite Light’ emerged the five ‘boothas’,the five elements- space,air,fire,water and earth.From the five elements emerged the seven forms of life.

The cause of this emergence which being the infinite Light is the first Siddhar or perfect being.

The intermediary Siddhars are those that are not born of the womb,but enter into other bodies and for the welfare of the world and various life-forms perform various noble acts.

The final Siddhars are those that are born of the womb and by the strength of the Spirit attain the ‘deathless-state’ (‘Saha kalai’),all the supernatural powers and all the arts and branches of knowledge (’64 kalai jnanam’ or 64 branches of knowledge) without being

‘taught’ by themselves or anybody else(like Mahakavi Kalidasa and St.Arunagirinathar,St.Ramalingam) in his ‘Thiru Arutpa:

“The Holy infinite Light full of Grace,

The Holy infinite Light full of Grace,

Most compassionate infinite Light

Full of Grace;

Everything will be revealed to you,

I swear

When you take your breath with all tattvas

In the name of the Almighty

To Chitrambalam.”

Chitrambalam’has a very deep hidden meaning,’Chit’ means knowledge and ‘Ambalam’ means space,in the human body that place is in the centre of the forehead, in- between the eyes,otherwise known as the ‘third-eye’,the eye of ‘jnana’,wisdom.When one through yogic means takes the breath through the ‘sushumna nadi’,an astral nerve located at the centre of the spinal column along with all the tattvas,which are the instruments or concepts of for example the five elements in nature whose concepts are correspondingly located in each of the five lower ‘chakras’(subtle energy-centres) to the centre of the forehead,everything is revealed to that person.The person in a flash becomes the source of all knowledge !

‘Akasa’ or space in its gross form is known as ‘bootha akasa’,but the yogi is able to perceive not only the thoughts,but also the intentions and experiences (in their totality) of others by looking at the finer form of space around the person known as the ‘chit akasa’ which is beyond the experiences of the five senses.

There is even a finer aspect of space known as ‘chitta akasa’ which is beyond that of the mind also known as the above mentioned ‘Chitrambalam’.Its form is that of Divine Wisdom,in this state there is no distinction between the seeker and the object.

Man becomes pristinely pure when he sheds off the five ‘malas’ or stains:

So he becomes the perfected person,the Siddhar.They are the ones who attain liberation,they are not bound to any likes or dislikes,so are free from the endless misery that is the cycle of birth and death.They realize the nine states of the Lord,;Thirumandiram 497:

“They who get rid of difficult five malas (stains),

They become Siva;

They become blemishless,

They are the Siddhars who

Attain state of Mukti (liberation) Finale,

They uproot Soul’s bondage

End cycle of births,

They alone realize

The nine states of the Lord"

Ancient Siddha Poems From Tamil

Siddhar poems form an important corpus of Tamil poetry of circa 16th Century. Though the Eighteen Siddhars are revered by scholars, their poems did not find an important place among the "interpreters" or "hermeneutists" of the Tamil school of interpretation. For instance, the very popular Thirukkural has found interpreters even in the modern Tamil era, [The late Dr.Mu.Varadharasanar]. But only a very few interpreters have tried their hands at Siddhar poems. The following reasons could be attributed to the lack of interpretation:

1. Siddhar poems were quite off-beat for their time.2. Siddhar poems were hard to interpret due to theiresoteric quality.3. Many scholars and interpreters thought these poemsbelonged to the schema of mysticism and the occult.4. These poems apparently contained imagery offendingthe conventional reader of poetry.

Siddhar poems are so much entrenched in metaphor and imagery that they often resemble puzzles that have to be unscrambled. These poems question the assumptions and basics of accepted Tamil theology. While polytheism was an unquestioned canon of their time they dared to speak of "One Indivisible God". Siddhars like Siva Vakkiyaar have directly attacked the empty and meaningless rituals practiced by the brahmans of their time. Siva Vakkiyaar's poems bear testimony to this point. Almost all these mystic poets share contempt for the body. But it is not a mere shunning of the body. They seemed to have reached a point of ennui with regard to the desires of the body so that they wanted to shun the "flesh" and the millions of ailments it is heir to. All of them wanted to subjugate the senses.

Winning, a permanent victory over the five senses offers an absolute control of the body leading to the control of the wandering mind. One of them refers to the five senses as "five thieves". Thiruvalluvar who wrote in the Ist Century A.D. has compared the control of the five senses to the action of the tortoise when it protects itself from the enemy. Siddhars looked at life from a different angle of vision. They also despised and scorned the nine portals of the human body. They were existentialists in another sense. They lived a mendicant's life and slept in the temples when they wanted to stretch their body. According to Pattinathar, even a person with a begging bowl and a dog for company is a "family man". They were misunderstood in their own time since they repudiated the materialistic view of life and claimed that there could be only one supreme God. Very little has been on record about their personal life, except for meager details like place of

birth and place of death. Some anthologists have pinned down their community. This socio-economic background information has been handy in the understanding of their imagery.Some of them might have turned misogenics after enjoying the intimacy of quite a number of women. Despite this fact, their addressee is pre-nubile girl who is referred to as Vaalai pen. Some of their poems indicate [Karuvoorar's poems especially] that this Vaalai is girleen who has not attained puberty, but who is tremendously beautiful.

That Thirukkural seems to have had a strong influence on the Siddhars is evident from many cross-references in their poems:

"As the bird flies away from the egg shellShould be the friendship of the body to being"[Thirukkural: Section on impermanence]

Thiruvalluvar, the saint-poet with a strong Jainistic streak, explains the relationship of the body to thesoul in the above lines. Or the impermanence of the body is stressed here in the most epigrammatic manner.In the section devoted to "Penance" Thirukkural writes:

"All the beings of the world will worship the one Who doesn't slay and doesn't eat that is slain".

In another Couplet he writes:

"When words of sweetness exist, uttering the harsh ones Is like snatching the half-ripe ones rejecting ripe fruits".

The echo of these lines can be found in Pattinathar's poems. Pattinathar has also expressed his wish to be a non-violent vegetarian and as abstainer from killing. Thiruvalluvar has devoted a separate chapter on "Abstinence from killing". From Pattinathar's poems one can estimate that he was well grounded in classics like Periya puranam and Siva puranam. History indicates that the Siddhars who lived in South Indiawere 18 in number. If a yogi is to be accepted as a Siddhar he should be able to perform the following feats:

1. Anima or the ability to turn oneself into a atom.2. Mahima or the ability to transfigure oneself to thesize of a mountain.3. Lahima or the capability to become as light as air.4. Karima or the capability to become heavy as gold.5. Prapthi or the ability to rule over everything.6. Vasithuvam or the ability to attract everyone.7. Brakamiyam or the art of transmigration.8. Eesathuvam or the ability to achieve everything onewish for and the ability to enjoy it.

These are called as "Eight Great Siddhis" or Ashtamaha siddhi. These mystic poets represent different communities. Siddha Pattinathar was born into a rich family of merchants in the sea-town of Kaveripoompattinam and he himself was a successful merchant before giving up his materialistic way of life. Badhragiriyar who finally became

a disciple of Pattinathar was the king of a province in Thanjavur. Idaikkaattu Siddhar was a goat-herd according to the available meagre records of literary history. Thiru molar is said to have come from Varanasi to meet the Saint Agasthiar of the South. During his journey he happened to stop at a place called Tiruvavaduthurai in TamilNadu (one of the states of south India) and felt pity for the cattle that were so much attached to the cattle-herd whose name wasMoolan. Moolan had died of a snake bite and with the help of his inner-vision and power of transmigration; the Siva Yogi shed his physique and entered the dead Moolan's body to console the cattle. After reaching the village where the cattle-herd lived, he left the cattle in the pen and tried to extricate from Moolan's wife who was unaware of the fact that the person who appears as her husband was the Siva Yogi. When he checked for old body he was dismayed because it had disappeared. He accepted everything as the will of God and decided to live in the same village as Moolan and he was later called Thiru Moolar. Another mystic is a Muslim by birth as his name Beer Mohammed suggests. Roma Rishi might have had connections with the Rome of his time. Some like Paampaati Siddhar wrote treaties on herbal medicine and were capable of small miracles in real life. Boghar is said to have visited the Roman Empire to study the herbs of that country for medical application. Boghar was born into a family of potters in China as the legend goes. Pulasthiar is Sinhala by birth. Idaikaattu Siddhar is said to be the author of Saareeram, a book on medicine. Some consider him as the disciple of Boghar. In the advanced stages of penance, these mystics are said to have lived just on air and dried herbal leaves. Some of them able to suspend their bodility functions temporarily if they had to spend their days in a hostile environment. From rhymed quatrains, rhymed couplets based on Thirukkural, to simple folk songs, Siddhars have used a variety of stanza forms to express their thoughts. Catchy lines from the Siddhars sung by beggars can still be heard in the village streets of TamilNadu. Many readers quote these poems or snatches of lines quite unaware of the source. A handful of these poems have been simplified and adapted a lyrics for Tamil film songs. One can read this anthology of Siddhar Poems just to get the basics of meditation and yogic breathing. Another can refer to it to decipher the formula to concoct traditional siddha medicine. Still others can use this anthology to make a deep study to acquire the methods of conquering the five senses of the body. For a serious reader of poetry it is treasure house that has a richness and freshness of its own. One will be struck by the candidates with which these poems analyse God and the filthiness of the body. A few of the sections written by Vanmeegar and Nandeeswarar prescribe the rules for making offering to a deity.

Sri Agasthiar SiddharSiddhar Agasthiar, often referred to as Sage Agasthiar is the most celebrated of the siddhars in Tamil language. Agasthiar wrote 'Agathiyam', the first grammar book of Tamil language. There are numerous legends associated with Agasthiar in Tamil literature. There is a temple and a water-falls dedicated to him near Papanasam, Tamil Nadu. Almost all the information available on the internet is to do with Agasthiar and Tamil language and it is difficult to come across information relating to Agasthiar in the tradition of siddhar school of thought. 'Agasthiar Paribashai Thirattu' and 'Subramaniar Suddha Jnanam 100' are some of his well known books.

Sage Agatthiyar : Foremost of the siddhas - An article by Dr. Mandayam Kumar. Acknowledges Agasthiyar as a siddhar. It also relates Agasthiyar with other siddhars namely Bogar, Sattamuni, Nandeeswarar, Pasupathi, Vyagrapadar, Pathanjali, Pulippani and Pambatti. It is very difficult to come across an article connecting a variety of siddhars, sages and other people. The author says that the article is based on stories, scripts and other epics. The birth of Agasthiyar is given as the Avittam star of Kumba

month (quoted from Sattamuni). This is in contrast to the widely accepted table of 18 siddhars, which indicates Aayilyam star in the month of Markazhi. This makes one wonder whether, the Sage Agasthiya widely talked about in Tamil literature and Siddhar Agasthiyar are the one and the same. The one point that is in common with this article and the current siddhar website is that both say, He lived for over a thousand years.Agasthiar Universal Mission - The ashram is located in Thiruvannamalai, Tamilnadu.

Sri Kamalamuni

The following information is available about Sri Kamalamuni in the book “ Bogar 7000 ” written by siddhar Bogar.

Song 5729: Kamalamuni was born on the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May - June), his birth star being 2nd part of Poosam.

Song 5725: The siddhar named Kamalamuni belongs to Kuravar caste. He lived for six-eight generations.

Song 5841: Kamalamuni is 4000 years and some 300 odd (days) old. He lived in China for a long time.

However, siddhar Karuvoorar in his book “ Vadha Kaviyam ” (Song 584) says “Maamuni” belongs to “ Kannar ” caste. He does not explicitly say “Kamalamuni”, but mentions “Maamuni”. The author of this article does not understand whether Karuvoorar refers to Kamalamuni or not.

Sri Kalangi Nadhar belongs to Kannar caste. Many people believe that Sri Kalangi Nathar is siddhar Kamalamuni. In the 63 rd song of “ Kamalamuni Suthiram 76 ”, a line says that “ Kamalamuni alias Kalangi ”. Hence it can me true that Sri Kalangi Nathar is siddhar Kamalamuni himself.

In “ Bogar Janana Sasthra ”, it is mentioned that Kamalamuni attained samadhi atMadurai . However as per the table of 18 siddhars, it is belived that siddhar Kamalamuni attained samadhi at Thiruvavur.

About Kuravars

Kuravars form the sixth largest Scheduled Caste population both in Tamil Nadu and in Ramanathapuram district. They make certain household items out of bamboos and palm leafs and sells them to earn their living. They hunt birds and rear country pigs (black pigs) both for their consumption and sale. They also hunt cats from the village side for consumption. Some of them work as fortune-tellers. Since they use the trained Kili (parrot) to predict the fortune of the people, they are also known as kili josiyars. However, they do not go to any other castes asking for food. They are also not required to perform any inauspicious tasks and rituals for other Scheduled Castes. This information on Kuravars is taken from the article "Untouchability and Inter-Caste Relations in Rural India: The Case of Southern Tamil Villages" by A. Ramaiah of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai.

Sri Kamalamuni SiddharSri Kamalamuni Siddhar - The information from Bogar 7000 - This note basically quotes songs from "Bogar 7000" and gives details about his birth star, birth place and his age. It also says that he lived in China for a long time.

Shaking the Tree - By Layne Little - In his / her article based on Bhogar 7000, suggests that Kamalamuni is Kalangi Nathar. Quote: 'Kalangi was a poet in his own right, composing the Kalangi Nanavinda Rahasiyam-30, and using his other name Kamalamuni, he composed the Kamalamuni Nanasuttiram-76'. As, Kalangi Nathar is not listed in the first list of 18 siddhars, this might be possible. However,Wayne Little, does not give more information to quantify the above statement in the article.Sri Thirumoolar SiddharThirumoolar (Tirumoolar) took the body of herdsman 'Moolan' and wrote the famed script 'Tirumandiram'. His mantras are very simple, but convey a deep meaning in them.

Thirumoolar - The most celebrated Tamil Siddhar - Gives a few widely popular axioms of Tamil language. A very good article on Thirumoolar.Thirumoola Nayanar - An article on Thirumoolar from the point of view of Shivites. Hosted at shaivism.org.Sri Machamuni Siddhar

In the Encyclopedic dictionary authored by T.V. Sambasivam Pillai (Reference 1), a strange story is told.

“ Machamuni is a siddhar. He was the child brought up by Pinnakeesar. He is also Pinakeesar's disciple. There is a story that once Lord Siva was preaching Uma Devi. Uma Devi had slept when Lord Siva was preaching her. However, a fish was listening to the lecture. Later on that fish was transformed into Siddhar Machamuni by Lord Siva.”

Although it is a story, it is very interesting indeed.

In the 523rd song of “ Karuvoorar Vadha Kaviyam ”, Karuvoorar says that Machamuni is a Sembadavar (Presently categorized under backward classes by Government of Tamil Nadu in Government Order 36, 1996). Sembadavar's are traditional fisherman. From the name Machamuni, it is easy to say that he is a fisherman (Macham mean fish in Tamil). Siddhar Agasthiar in the 218th song of his book “ Amudha Kalai Ganam ” says that Machamuni belongs to Sembadavar caste.

However, siddhar Bogar in the 5700th song of “ Bogar 7000 ”, says that he belongs to “Kalludayar ” caste (The author of this article is unable to understand the exact meaning of this song). Also in song 5873, he says that Machamuni was born on the Rohini star in the Tamil month of Adi (July-August).

Machamuni in his 97th song of his book “ Machamuni Thandagam 100 ”, mentions the words "Guru Nandhi" and "Guru Bogar", while offering prayers to his guru. Hence, it can be said that Siddhar Bogar and Siddhar Nandeeswarar were his gurus.

Machamuni also mentions about the Siva Thandava witnessed by siddhar Pathanjali in one of his songs. Hence, it can be said that he had lived in the period when siddhar Pathanjali and Sri Viyakrabathar witnessed the Siva Thandava in Thillai (for details about this event, please refer to the information on siddhar Pathanjai in this web site). Thillai is the other name of Chidambaram and is one of the 5 dance halls of Lord Siva.

In the book “ Agasthiar 12000 ”, in the fifth Kandam, siddhar Agasthiar says that Machamuni had taken lessons from Kaga Bugandar. He also says that he donated all his wealth to poor people on attaining spiritual salvation. Machamuni attained samadhi at Thiruparankundram.

Some of the books written by Machamuni are

Machamuni Perunool Kaviyam 800Machamuni Sarakku Vaippu 800Machamuni Vagaram 800Machamuni Yogam 800Machamuni Vaithiyam 800Machamuni Thirumandiram 800Machamuni Gyanam 800Machamuni Vedantham 800Machamuni Gurunool 800Machamuni Thitchavidhi 100Machamuni Thandagam 100Machamuni Gyana Thitchai 50Machamuni Sthoola Sukkuma Karana Gyanam 30Machamuni Suthiram 21References

Encyclopaedic Dictionary (1938) By T.V. Sambasivam Pillai Vol I-V, Published by The Department of Indian Systems of Medicine & Homoeopathy , Arumbakkam, Chennai - 600 016 (Available for sale from Central Library, Anna Hospital Complex, Arumbakkam, Chennai).Sri Pambatti Siddhar

The most popular and well known of the siddhar’s is "Pambatti Siddhar" (the snake character) who may be taken to be a true representation of his tribe. He takes the snake for a symbol to represent the human Soul and uses the expression : "AODU PAMBE" (De thou, Dance Snake) as a refrain at the end of each stanza of his poem. The poem of this siddhar is in fewer than six hundred lines and deals with philosophic and spiritual matters in the authentic siddhar pattern with great passion. He sings Lord Siva as the Supreme Power of the Universe. There is a poem on his Guru, Who is credited with super natural powers. He then boasts of the similar powers of his tribe in a mood of fantastic self-adulation, where his imagination runs riot. "We can make men women", he says and adds, "We can destroy" this great universe. He asserts that they have power equal to that of God and can control the elements. He is there, merely expatiating on the Ashtama Siddhis, which is believed to confer eight kinds of devises and super natural powers on those who have achieved it. They are

Anima -- Power of becoming the size of an atom and entering the smallest beings.Mahima -- Power of becoming mighty and co-extensive with the universe.Lagima -- Capacity to be quite light though big in size.Garima -- Capacity to weigh heavy, though seemingly small size.Prapthi -- Capacity to enter all the worlds from Brahma Loga to the neither world.Prakasysm -- Power of disembodying and entering into other bodies (metempsychosis) and going to heaven and enjoying what everyone aspires for, simply from where he stays.Isithavam -- Have the creative power of God and control over the Sun, the moon and the elements andVasithavam -- Power of control over King and Gods.Whether any man ever had or can have these powers is an open question.

He then bursts out that they, like Prahima can create new worlds, make him his servants and live in a status of equality with Lord Siva and make Him play with them. Then there is usual tired against this life and its short lived sensual pleasure. The value of reminciation and sacation is also dealt with. He ridicules ideal worship and the Vedas. Agomas and other Scriptures. The cast differences are denounced by him. He has also several stanzas on mystic knowledge of Yoga.

As a poet, he is not contemptible (deserving to be treated with contempt). He has a facility of expression and an imaginative flavour in thought. He holds that those who have no feeling of love in their hearts can never attain salvation. His God vision is pictured in a fine stanza. This poet uses entirely the common speech of the people and has produced powerful effect.

Each one of the stanzas of his work ends in the world "Aodu Pambe". Probably that may be the cause of his name. He seems to belong to Maruthamalai in Kongunadu. It is given in the work above that he got instructions from Sattamuni. As per the lines "Pathir-ar-Sankarankoil Pambatti" found in the old stanza, which is given as source so far, his place of Samadhi has to be taken as Sankarankoil is Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu (India).

Scripts taken from:Chapter Eighteen (Pages 364 & 365) of book entitled "Eighteen Siddhars in History of Siddha Medicine" by Mr. N. Kandasamy Pillai, Former Member, Siddha Science Development Committee and Published by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1979.

A Precise History of Sri Pambatti Siddhar Samadhi at Sankarankovil

The nobility and sublimity of the Cobra, which symbolically represents the power of Kundalini in human beings, is hailed with mystical flavor in more than a hundred verses by Sri Pambatti siddhar, each ending with the refrain 'Dance Thou Cobra!'.

He is the last among the noted 18 siddhars. He belongs to the Kozhayi family. TheHimalayas are their ancestral land. Essentially the Kozhayi's were cowherds and sheep herds and dependent on the products of cows and sheep. Slowly they moved out of their place and in due course came to South India . Some say that Sri Pambatti Siddhar was born at Thirukkokarnam, near Pudukkottai and some others in the Pandya Kingdom . Mrigasirisham was his birth star in the Tamil month of Karthigai (November-December). He was considered a manifestation of Lord Siva. On being given spiritual initiation by his Guru Sattamuni, as the disciple changed the five elements into a five-headed cobra, he came to be known as "Pambatti siddhar". There are a few who say that he got this name because he lent symbolically in his verses the image of a cobra to the Kundalini power.

Sri Pambatti siddhar attained the eight supernatural powers called 'Ashtamasiddhi' after performing penance for a very long time in a cave on Marudamalai, near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Also he lived in places like Mahalingamalai in Vathiraayiruppu, Kollimalai,Madurai , Puliyur and Bhavani.

Sri Sivaprabhakara Siddhayogi Paramahamsar was the worthy disciple of this great siddhar. The former was born in a Namboodiri family of Kaladi, Kerala. As the Guru and his follower remained inseparable, they did atonement for 45 years on the Himalayas and came to Sankarankoil. Sri Pambatti Siddhar established the statue of Goddess Gomathi Amman there. Later, at the south-west corner, about a furlong behind the temple, amidst punnai trees (now door number 15, Puliyankudi Road). Sri Pambatti Siddhar got

established in the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi (also known as Jeeva Samadhi) at the sacred hands of his disciple.

Some books mention that Sri Pambatti siddhar attained samadhi at Virudhachalam and some at Thirukkadaiyur. However, their claims have no established proof. It may be assumed that Sri Pambatti siddhar would have lived in those places and in order to reveal that the disciple could himself assume the frame of his master, might have got established in samadhi in these two places in the guise of Sri Pambatti Siddhar. This might have been possible for him because Sri Prabhakarar got into the bodies of 15 persons at different times by the unique process called 'Metempsychosis' (Transmigration) and proved himself to be the noble student of his aspired preceptor.

It can be authentically proved that Sri Pambatti siddhar got samadhi only at Sankarankoil. Some such proofs are cited below:

1) In his book entitled "History of Siddha Medicine" written in English by Mr. N. Kannuppillai and published by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1979, under the chapter "Eighteen Siddhars", the author has written on pages 364-366 about Pambatti siddhar and clearly mentioned that he attained samadhi at Sankarankoil.

2) In the hoary palm leaves of Pulithevar entitled " Nerkattum Seval " in the form of a song there are references to the places where the 18 siddhar's had attained samadhi and in it is mentioned that Sri Pambatti siddhar's place of samadhi is at Sankarankoil.

3) Dr. Yogi S. A. A. Ramiah in his book " A Collection of the Verses of the Eighteen Siddhars for Daily Recitatio n" (in Tamil) too makes a similar mention when he records that Sri. Pambatti siddhar in order to attain Svarupa samadhi in Sankarankoil kindled his cobra power of Kundalini.

4) The Gayatri Mantra of Sri Pambatti siddhar is :" Om Sankaranaalaya Pathivaazh Sittharaaya Vechitra Rupaaya Pambatti Sittharaaya Namaha" .This also makes an identical proclamation.

Thus, beyond doubt, it is established that Sri Pambatti Siddhar's Jeeva Samadhi is only at Sankarankoil and not anywhere else.

The sole disciple of Sri Pambatti Siddhar was Brahmananda Sri Sivaprabhakara Siddhayogi Paramahamsar and that of the latter is Brahmasri Siddharaja Swamiji, who has, at the behest of his Guru, had undertaken the great task of constructing a sacred samadhi Temple for his Guru's Guru. Brahmasri Siddharaja Swamiji had taken up some other truly useful missions to the society. His plan was to construct separate buildings for siddha research centre and for mass feeding, to be housed within the proposed building complex of the siddhar samadhi.

Just in front of the siddhar samadhi lies a big water tank called "Govinda Peri", meant for the annual float festival of the temple. It was in ruins and Brahmasri Siddharaja Swamiji had desilted the tank and renovated its southern and western walls at a cost of about Rs.80,000 and let the people of the area of the town to bathe comfortably in it. Also he had renovated the "Govinda Peri Mutt" and established a "Bhakthi Peeth". He had finished construction of two temples - one dedicated to Lord Ganesh and the other to Lord Balamurugan - and they are meant for public worship.

The Eminence of Sri Pambatti Siddhar's Samadhi

Some special features of Sri Pambati Siddhar's Samadhi are presented here:

1) It is a historically recorded evidence that in order to cure Pulithevar, a daring patriot, of his excruciating stomach pain the then pontiff of Thiruvaduthurai used the ant-hill soil on the Samadhi of Sri Pambatti Siddhar. It readily reveals the curative efficacy of the Samadhi soil. Daily devotes who throng the shrine take the soil to their homes as 'Prasadam'. The Tulsi tank water in the temple cures many diseases and protects devotees from many diseases.

2) There is a grill-structure with 18 lamps, just behind the Siddhar's shrine. The Pranava Mantra "OM" is at its centre. There is a "Trident" at the top of the lamps to refer to the Three Lords, born out of the Pranava Mantra. Each lamp encompassing "OM" stands for a Siddhar.

The prayers of those devotees who keep a small cloth packet containing Sesame seeds in each of these cup like lamps, fill with gingelly oil, light them and pray sincerely are heard and fulfilled at once. This is what devotees who gather at the shrine in multitudes often assert. Brahmasri Siddharaja Swamiji himself once directed some of his devotees to observe this rite in order to rid them of the adverse effects of Mars in the 7th house of their horoscope (Commonly referred as "Sevvai Dhosha" in Tamil Astronomy) or the hostile influence of Raghu, Kethu and Saturn. Those who follow these directions fervently get the following favours:

Those who suffer from

Sevvai Dhosha get a good life partner,Saturn's retardation get peace of mind,Issues beget children,unemployed get suitable jobs, etc.3) There is a big lamp which is kept burning all the 24 hours of a day at the Sanctum Sanctorium of Sri Pambatti Siddhar. It consumes one litre of gingelly oil per day. Sri Pambatti Siddhar protects the interests of those who keep it burning and workship him earnestly. Daily devotees bring garlands, flowers, camphor, incense sticks, coconuts, bananas and other fruits for the daily adoration of the Parabrahamam Statue established on the Samadhi of Sri Pambatti Siddhar. No doubt they get His blessings in full measure.

4) This is an exquisitely carved four-sided idol. At the top it is a 14-headed cobra spreading its hoods, with figures of Lord Vishnu on the east, Lord Siva and splendid Goddess Gomathi on the south, Lord Muruga on the west and Lord Ganesh on the north. This signifies that the 14-headed Cobra, Sri Pambatti Siddhar, contains the Three Lords in Himself. This also implies that HE is Parabrahman Himself.

5) This Siddhar temple is popularly known by the epithet 'Samadhi of the Munificent Philanthropist' for the obvious reason that large scale mass feeding was frequently conducted here by Sri Siddharaja Swamiji. Currently the mass feedings are organized by the S.P.S.S.P. trust. True to the epithet, on the days of Adi Thapas in the month of July-August, a very extensive mass feeding is performed every year. So far 16 such feedings have been accomplished and over 20,000 people are fed on each occasion.

Sri Pathanjali / Patanjali Siddhar

Siddhar Patanjali is the most celebrated of the siddhars in current Yoga schools. His Yoga Sutras have been translated into different languages and are followed by Yoga practitioners worldwide. There is a lot of information about Patanjali's Yoga Sutras on the internet.

Sri Pathanjali Siddhar - The first of 18 Siddhars - This article details Sri Pathanjali as a form of Sri Adisesha and his association with Viyakramabathar. It also mentions that they witnessed the dance of Lord Siva (Siva Thandava) at Chidambaram (Thillai).HRIH: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. International Language - The Internet Archive of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. It is an "all in one" page, with different interpretations translated in different languages. Has an active Buletin board.YERC: Patanjali - An crisp article on Patanjali. It conforms with the first article that Patanjali wrote 'Maha Bashyam'.An Interpretive Translation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras - By Swami VenkatesanandaYoga Sutras of Patanjali - Translation by Chester MessengerThe Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali - Interpreted by William Q. JudgeYoga Sutras of Patanjali - By Raghagavan Iyer

Sri Sundaranandar Siddhar

Sri Sundaranandar is the disciple of siddhar Sattamuni. It is believed that he got the Siva Linga of siddhar Agastiar, established it in Saduragiri and worshipped it.

Saduragiri Sundara Mahalingam temple comes under the Thaniparai area of Saptur reserve forests in Tamil Nadu. It is located in Watrap, Viruthunagar district. Srivilliputtur is the big city located near Saduragiri. For thousands of years, realized sages and siddhars lived there worshipping the Siva Linga called “ Sundara Mahalingam ”. “Sundaram ” means, the handsome One, “ Maha ” means great and lingam means “ Siva, the Supreme Self ”. This mountain shrine is a considered as a dwelling place of siddhars. This can also be attributed to the numerous medicinal plants available in the SaduragiriMountains . There is also a cave called " Thavasi Parai " in Saduragiri. Sundaranandar and his Guru Sattamuni lived there.

Siddhar Bogar sings about Sundaranandar in songs 5828 and 5829 in his book “ Bogar 7000 ”. He says that Sundarandar was an expert in space travel and samadhi yoga. In songs 5920 and 5921, Bogar gives the following information. Sundaranandar was born on the Tamil month of Aavani (August – September) on the star Revathi (3 rd part). He is the grand son of Navakanda Rishi living in the Kishkinta hills and that he belonged to Agamudayar (Thevar) class.

However, siddhar Karuvoorar in his song 582, says that Sundaranandar belongs to Reddy class. Siddhar Agasthiar in his book “ Amudha Kalai Gyanam ” also says that Sundaranandar is a Reddy in song 218. Sundaranandar attained his samadhi at Madurai .

The following are the books of Sundaranandar.

Sundaranandar Vaithiya Thirattu 1500Sundaranandar Vaithya Kaviyam 1000Sundaranandar Merpadi Suthiram 500Sundaranandar Vagaram 200Sundaranandar Aathetha Suthiram 104Sundaranandar Vatha Suthiram 100

Sundaranandar Visha Nivarani 100Sundaranandar Vakiya Suthiram 66Sundaranandar Kesari 55Sundaranandar Suttha Gyanam 51Sundaranandar Thitchavithi 50Sundaranandar Thandagam 47Sundaranandar Kesari Poojavithi 37Sundaranandar Athisaya Karanam 36Sundaranandar Sivayoga Gyanam 32Sundaranandar Muppu 25Sundaranandar Sivagyana Botham 16

Sri Sundaranandar SiddharSri Sundaranandar Siddhar - Saduragiri Sundara Mahalingam - This article says that Sundaranandar and his Guru Sattamuni are associated with Saduragiri Sundara Mahalingam. As Sattamuni (10th siddha) is his Guru, it can be implied that the table of 18 siddhars might not be in a strict time frame or that several siddhars co-existed in the same time period. The article also quotes information from "Bogar 7000" .Sri Vaanmeegar / Valmiki Siddhar

Sri Vaanmeegar's birth star is Anusham in the Tamil month of Purattasi (September-October). There is an argument that the Valmiki who wrote Valmiki Ramayana is different from the siddhar Vaanmeegar of the south. However, siddhar Bogar in his script"Bogar 7000" proclaims that they are one and the same. He says that Vaanmeegar is the name of the siddhar who wrote Valmiki Ramayana in song (verse) number 5834. He makes a clear distinction between the names Vaanmeegar and Valmiki.

Further, in his next song (verse number 5835), Bogar says that Vaanmeegar's age is 700 and some odd days. He also says that he is a learned sholar in Tamil language. He also makes a reference about his Samadhi. This author is not able to understand the exact meaning of the second part of that song.

It is also said that Sri Vaanmeegar alias Valmiki wrote Ramaya on getting the spiritual knowledge from Narada. Sri Vaanmeegar's Samadhi is located at Ettukudi in Tamil Nadu.

Dharma: Think Dharma Think ? 

Doing what you are born to do

Fulfilling our own desires in ways 

consistent with the whole of the flow of 

the universe.

Religious, social and moral. It is defined 

as virtue, morality, religion, religious 

merit, good works; a righteous path, 

self-discipline, the life of 

responsibility and right action; right, 

justice; holding to the law, doing one’s 

duty; practice, customary observance or 

prescribed conduct. In the context of 

social customs and laws it is defined as a 

steadfast decree; a statute, ordinance, 

justice, according to right or rule, and 

holding to the law.

To know your dharma is to know your life 

purpose. Life purpose must be connected to 

dharma if it is to bring you joy and 

fulfillment and if it is to support other 

beings.

Dharma is purpose that is harmonious, 

virtuous and that supports all beings. By 

reviewing your purpose and ensuring that 

it is aligned with your dharma you gain a 

holistic and higher perspective on what it 

is you want to do and achieve.

Definition of dharma as that which is 

performed according to one’s nature, 

swabhava in Sanskrit, and which brings 

harmony. Swa means self, bhava means 

feeling. Therefore dharma is action that 

arises from the feeling of being you. This 

is called your personal dharma and is tied 

to your personality and individuality.

Dharma as a student

இயல்விது கரவேவில் Never stop learning

If you are a serious student of anything 

you understand that to master your art you 

first need to follow a prescribed 

discipline. Whether you study music, 

sport, law, medicine, or meditation, you 

have to consider how much you are willing 

to invest into that discipline and what 

you can give up to become accomplished.

If you wish to become a student then it is 

a good idea to consider developing some of 

the following attributes: a relaxed, 

open-minded attitude; patience and self-

responsibility; the capacity to listen; 

sincerity and industriousness.

In the beginning it is important to test 

the teacher and the teachings so that you 

are confident that they hold authentic 

knowledge.

Once you engage the teachings then it is 

essential to have faith in the teacher and 

the teachings, and also in yourself. You 

need to develop commitment and a resolve 

(sankalpa) to stay the course.

A teacher may wish to transfer their 

knowledge but they can only do this if the 

student is receptive, keen and enduring. 

Then the teacher can pass on their gifts 

and have a truly significant impact upon 

the student’s life.

Artha: corruption, greed, hoarding, money 

is power

Thediponaal vilagi pogum. Vilagi Ponaal thedi varum

 King Narasimha (Mahabalipuram), photo O. Barot, Auroville Pursuit of Goodness(A Selection from Nitishatakam of Bhartrihari) Introduction Harmony, balance and equilibrium marked the ethos of Indian culture in ancient times, and indeed in varying degrees throughout the long and continuous history of India. From time to time, we see India returning to the theme of synthesis, and in every succeeding age the new synthesis assimilated larger and larger numbers of component elements. It is true that there have been pursuits of exclusive claims and counterclaims, there have also been trenchant oppositions between various schools of thought, and there have also been periods of intolerance and persecutions. But the dominant tendency towards mutual understanding, tolerance and comprehensive- ness reasserted itself at the end of every period of conflict and battle. First, we see the earliest synthesis in the Veda. This was followed by the synthesis of the Upanishad. At a later stage, the Bhagavad Gita provided a new synthesis. The conflict that arose in Indian thought as a result of the growth and development of Buddhism was sought to be resolved by the composite philosophy that we find embedded in the Puranas and Tantras. Still later, when the conflict between the various schools of Vedanta became acute, we find in Sri Chaitanya a profound and subtle synthesis. At the same time, the coming of Islam in India provided a ground for the emergence of new trends of synthesis, represented

by Guru Nanak, Akbar, and a number of Sufi saints and philosophers. Even today, as we stand at the head of a new age, we have in India an imperative drive towards an unprecedented synthesis, in which both East and West can meet in a symphonic harmony.Page-141

This turn and tendency towards synthesis requires to be understood if we are not to be baffled by the complex system of ethics that grew and tended to prevail in the Indian society. Dharma, artha, kama,and moksha, these four commonly understood words in the Indian aim of life have rich connotations, indicating that Indian ethics assigned due place to the pursuit of pleasure, kama, and of wealth or prosperity, artha, provided that they were adequately controlled and governed by the pursuit of the ideal law of the truth and the right and of the harmonic balance of the individual and collective development, dharma. At a still higher level, dharma was allowed to be surpassed by an unconditional imperative emerging from unfettered search for spiritual freedom and liberation, moksha. It is against the background of this synthetic aim of life that we can understand how the great representatives of Indian culture came to embody and manifest tendencies towards richness of material life, on the one hand, and overarching detachment and renunciation, on the other:

Bhartrihari, some of the extracts from whose writing we are presenting here, is one such representative of Indian culture. He was a king and yet a great lover and a consummate poet. The three groups of verses which have been attributed to him an devoted to three fundamental moods and motives of life. Each group consists of hundred verses, and all the three combined together have been calledshatakatraya, three centuries. The first century of verses is devoted to the theme of human love and romance, the beauty and joy of sensuous pleasure and ecstasy. The Sanskrit word, shringara, expresses more meaningfully the opulence of ornament, restrained dignity, beauty and delight of love and romance. This century of verses is therefore aptly entitled, shringara shatakam. The second group of hundred verses is sometimes called "the century of morals ", since the Sanskrit title is niti shatakam. But the Sanskrit word niti has a more complex sense; it includes not only morals but also policy and worldly wisdom, the rule of successful as well as the law of ideal conduct. In other words, the word niti includes in its scope observations of all the turns and forces determining the movements of human character and action. Niti shatakam can, therefore, be best translated as "the century of life ". The third group of hundred verses attributed to Bhartrihari is entitled vairagya shatakam. It deals with the theme of disillusionment, detachment and renunciation, which are considered to be necessary pre-requisites of the pursuit of liberation, moksha

The few verses which are presented in the following text have been taken from, niti shatakam. Their main theme is the supremacy of learning and charade Readers will find in them the familiar ideas which are deeply interwoven with thePage-142

ethos of the Indian people. It is an acknowledged fact that India has laid a greater stress on the pursuit of knowledge rather than on the pursuit of power or wealth. The Indian mind considers purity to be worthier of reverence than anything else. That character is of supreme importance requires no debate in India. This value-system has grown up and developed from the life and teachings of numberless sages, seers, saints, thinkers, poets and writers. Today, when this value-system is passing through a difficult stage of transition, it would seem worthwhile to go back to some of the original texts in which this value-system has been described or discussed. This would enable us to ensure that the value-system relevant to the new age which must emerge, assimilates from the past all that is of fundamental importance

to the growth of human personality towards excellence and perfection. It is in this context that a study of Bhartrihari may be considered to be directly relevant.

Of Bhartrihari's life, we do not know anything with definiteness. We do not even know when exactly he lived and flourished. There are conflicting opinions; someplace him in the 1st century AD, while some others place him in the 6th or 7th century AD. According to some, he was a grammarian; according to some others, he was a king. According to one tradition, Bhartrihari was a brother of Vikramaditya. The famous Chinese traveller, Itsing, who came to India in the 7th century AD, speaks of Bhartrihari and his works of grammar. According to his account, Bhartrihari must have lived in the first half of the 7th century AD. But there are evidence to show that the grammarian Bhartrihari lived a few centuries earlier. According to some, Bhartrihari was a Shaiva Brahmana; according to some others, he was a Buddhist. There are also interesting tales that make Bhartrihari a disciple of Gorakhnatha, a Shaiva saint, whose dates, too, are quite uncertain.

According to a famous legend, Bhartrihari was a great king who loved his queen Pingala intensely. One day a visiting yogin offered to him a fruit which had special quality of eliminating old age and death. The king offered it to his beloved queen. The queen was, however, in love with somebody else, and she gave the fruit to him. He was, however, in love with another woman. He, therefore, gave the fruit to her. She thought that the best person who deserved that fruit was the king. She, therefore, offered that fruit to the king. When he received the fruit, the king was shocked, and when he came to know the full details of the story, he felt greatly disillusioned and renounced his worldly life to become a sannyasin. There might be some truth in this legend, and there seems to be a reference to this truth in one of the opening verses of niti shatakam, where Bhartrihari says:Page-143

 

 She with whom all my thoughts dwell, is averseShe loves another. He whom she desiresTurns to a fairer face. Another worseFor me afflicted is with deeper fires.Fie on my love and me and him and her!

Fie most on love, this madness ' minister! 

Niti shatakam is extremely readable, and it is replete with smiles and epigrams. There are a number of translations of all the three shatakas in Hindi and English from the original Sanskrit. The original Sanskrit is relatively simple, although full of poetic beauty. Those who have some acquaintance with Sanskrit can be advised to read them in the original.Page-144

Bodies without mind One who is devoid of poetry, music, and art is verily a beast, even though he does not grow horns and is without tail. He lives without eating grass, and that is the good fortune for the other beasts.  

The praises of knowledge 

Learning is verily the highest beauty for man; it is a treasure concealed and well protected; it places within his reach enjoyment, honour and happiness; it is an object of reverence even for those who are worthy of reverence; while journeying in strange lands it is a friend; and it is the highest deity; learning is honoured by kings, but not wealth; one destitute of learning is a beast.

  Great and meaner spirits

 For fear of obstacles, nothing is begun at all by persons who are low- spirited: ordinary people begin and stop when thwarted by difficulties; but the best of men, though repeatedly repelled by adverse circumstances, do not give up what they have undertaken.

  Adornment 

The hand is laudable when it gives in charity, the head when it submits at the feet of elders, the mouth when it utters the truth, arms when victorious with incomparable valour, heart, when it is quiescent with purity, ears when they listen to Vedic knowledge; these are the ornaments of high- souled persons, even though they have no wealth.Page-145

The ways of the good 

Who would not adore and revere good men who rise by bending low with humility, evidence their own merits by extolling those of others, gain their ends by projecting extensive schemes for others, and censure with sweet patience and calm fortitude the calumniators, whose tongues are noisy with harsh syllables of accusation? Such are their marvellous moods, their noble ways, whom men delight to honour and praise.

  Of benevolent persons 

Trees become bent with the harvest of fruits; with newly-formed waters the clouds hang very low; good men with wealth become gentle; this is the nature of benevolent persons.

   Wealth of kindness 

The ear is graced by Vedic knowledge alone, and not by an ear-ring; the hand by charity, not by a bracelet; the body of beneficent people by kindness towards others, and not by sandal-paint.

  The good friend 

Wise people thus describe the characteristics of a true friend: he dissuades you from sin, urges you to good action, keeps your secrets, publishes your merits, does not forsake you in distress, and helps you in time of need.

  The nature of beneficence 

The sun causes sun-lotuses to expand without solicitation; the moon, though unasked, causes the moon-lotuses to bloom; the clouds yields water without being solicited; good people direct their efforts towards the good of others of their own accord.Page-146

The abomination of wickedness 

Those are the noblest persons who, giving up self-interest, bring about the good of others; those that undertake a business for the sake of others, not inconsistent with their own good, are men of the middle order; those that stand in the way of the good of others for their own benefit are demons in a human form; but we know not  what to call them that oppose the good of others without any advantage to themselves.

  The Aryan ethic 

Cut down desire, have recourse to patience, give up pride, fix not attachment on sinful deeds, speak the truth, follow the footsteps of the good, serve the learned, reverence those that deserve respect, conciliate enemies, do not parade your good qualities, preserve fame and sympathise with those in distress; this is the characteristic of the good.

  Ornaments 

Courtesy is the ornament of the great, temperate speech of the hero, peace and content of the learned, wrathlessness in hermits, noble expense of the rich, forgiveness of the strong, modesty of the righteous; but good character, which is the root of all these, is the highest ornament of all.

                                                                                  

 The immutable courage 

Those of high soul remain immutable and do not deviate even by one step from the right, whether they are praised or condemned, whether fortune smiles on them or retreats from them, whether death is imminent or is still to come after thousands of years. The virtue of courage of a heroic person cannot be obliterated though he be worried; though pointed downwards, the flame of fire does not point to the ground.Page-147

Saraswati (Halebid), photo Olivier Barot, Auroville Character above all 

Better if this body falls from the lofty peak of a high mountain against some rugged surface and is shattered to pieces in the midst of rough rocks;better is the hand thrust into the fangs of a huge serpent of deadly bite;better falling into the fire; but not the wrecking of one's character. 

Page-148

Suggestions for further reading A. Berriedale Keith. A History of Sanskrit Literature. London: Oxford University Press, 1961.

Bhartrihari. The Niti and Vairagya Satakas. Translation and Notes by M . R. Kale. New Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass, 7th Edn., 1971.Vairagya-Satakam. Translation and Notes by Swami Madhavananda. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1981. In Hindi (Sanskrit text with translations, notes in Hindi): 

Dr. Shrikrishnamani Tripathi & Jagannath Shastri Hoshing. Bhartrihari Shatakatrayam. Varanasi:Chowkhamba Vidya Bhavan, 1982. Vankata RaoRayasam. Shri Bhartrihari Shatakatraya. New Delhi: 33 Baba Khadag Singh Marg, 1977.

Śankara, the Teacher

THE Upanishads, Buddha, and Śankara: these are the three great lights of Indian wisdom. The Upanishads far away in the golden age; in the bright dawn that has faded so many ages ago. Buddha, the Awakened One, who, catching in his clear spirit the glow of that early dawn, sought to reflect it in the hearts of all men, of whatever race, of whatever nation; sought to break down the barriers of caste and priestly privilege; to leave each man alone with the Universe, with no mediator between. But scattering abroad the rays of wisdom, Buddha found that the genius of each man, of each race, could only reflect one little beam; and that in thus making the light the property of all men, the purity and completeness of the light might be impaired.

Then followed Śankaracharya--Śankara the Teacher--who set himself to the preservation of the light; to burnishing the casket that held the lamp of wisdom. Busying himself chiefly with India, he saw that the light must be preserved, as far as its completeness and perfection were concerned, within the Brahman order, where the advantages of heredity, of ages of high ideals and rigid discipline could best secure the purity of the light; could best supply a body of men, fitted by character and training to master the high knowledge, to sustain the moral effort that made the glory of India's Golden Age.

p. 4

This task of fitting the Brahman order to carry the torch of wisdom was undertaken by Śankara the Teacher in three ways. First, by commenting on the Great Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gîtâ, he rendered the knowledge of the Golden Age into the thought and language of the Brahmans of his day. Second, by writing a series of preparatory works, of catechisms and manuals, he made smooth the path of those who would take the first steps on the path of wisdom. Thirdly, by a system of reform and discipline within the Brahman order, he did all that sound practice could do to second clear precept.

The system formed by Śankara within the Brahman order largely continues at the present day. The radiant points of this system are the monasteries founded by the Teacher, where a succession of teachers, each initiated by his predecessor, carry on the spiritual tradition of the great Śankara unbroken.

Of commentaries on the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gîtâ, many, perhaps, were written in a gradual series leading up from the simple truths to the more profound mysteries; so that, with one after another of these treatises in hand, the learner was

gradually led to the heart of the mystery which lies "like a germ of generation" well concealed in these matchless theosophic documents. These commentaries were followed by others, the work of Śankara's pupils; and though these works of explanation are very numerous, all those that are published seem to belong to the earlier stages of learning, and leave the deeper passages and problems of the Upanishads still unsolved.

p. 5

But the other part of Śankara's work, the manuals and catechisms for learners, are complete and perfect. They really teach, quite plainly and lucidly, the first steps on the path of wisdom; they point out, with clear insistence, the qualities that are necessary to make these first steps fruitful; qualities without which the learner may remain, hesitating and halting, on the threshold, through lack of the force and sterling moral worth which alone make any further progress possible.

Nor are these necessary qualities difficult to understand. They are not queer psychic powers that only flatter vanity; they are not mere intellectual tricks that leave the heart cold; they are rather the simple qualities of sterling honesty, of freedom from selfishness and sensuality--which have formed the basis of every moral code; the virtues so common and commonplace on the lips, but not quite so common in the life and character.

These treatises of Śankara speak to the common understanding and moral sense in an unparalleled degree. They are an appeal to the reason that has hardly ever been equalled for clearness and simplicity by the sages of the earth. Their aim is Freedom (Moksha), "Freedom from the bondage of the world." This aim speaks to every one, awakens an echo in every heart, appeals to the universal hope of common humanity.

But it is not enough for the mind to follow the lucid sentences of Śankara. "Freedom from the bondage of the world" demands something more. "Sickness is not cured by saying 'Medicine,' but by drinking it; so a man is not set free by the name of the Eternal, but by

p. 6

discerning the Eternal." The teaching must be woven into life and character if it is to bear fruit; it is not enough to contemplate the virtue of freedom from selfishness and sensuality in the abstract.

One of these treatises, "The Crest-jewel of Wisdom," will be translated here. It will be divided according to the natural sections of the text, beginning with the first steps on the path and ending with the complete teaching of Śankara's philosophy so far as that teaching can be put into words. Hardly any notes will be necessary, as

the language of the teacher is lucidity itself. Every word is defined and every definition enlarged and repeated.

It is not, however, the object of these papers to put forward a presentation of eastern thought merely to be read and forgotten. We shall spare no pains of repetition and amplification to make the thoughts of the East quite clear. But much remains to be done by readers themselves. They must make the thoughts of Śankara and the sages their own spiritual property if they are to benefit by them, and as a preliminary for this first chapter of Śankara's teaching, the "four Perfections" should be learned by heart and taken to heart.

The Fourfold Vision of Lifeby Swami Krishnananda

A more in-depth perception of life is the blending synthesis that has been

achieved in ancient times in a concept known as the fourfold aim of human

existence.

The aspiration of the human soul cannot be equated with any kind of

philosophy or objective evaluation – material, social, or otherwise. The soul of

man refuses to be equated with anything in this world. Though it has a

connection apparently with all things in the world, permeating all conceivable

values of life, it also stands above all available values. The aims of human life

have been summed up in a very well thought-out pattern of aspiration

designated as Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.

All values in life which are materially construed are known as Artha. Anything

that can be contacted through the sense-organs is Artha. Anything that can be

possessed as a property is Artha. Anything that is contributory is considered

as a material value. This is Artha. Artha is a Sanskrit word meaning an object

of perception, a content of consciousness; that which is the end result of any

kind of sensory activity is Artha. Kama is the psychological value of human

life. Dharma is the human value which at the same time surpasses itself,

reaching beyond itself in a superhuman grasp of a cosmic principle.

An intelligent investigation into the structure of this pattern, namely, the

coming together of Artha, Dharma, and Kama, will reveal to us the profundity

of this research and its final finding. The spiritual value of life, we may say, is

what generally people consider as Moksha, a difficult term to properly

understand in its linguistic form or even in its philosophical content. The

evaluation of human life is actually from this point of view an evaluation of all

life. When the human individual rises to the level of a spiritual aspiration, the

human ceases to be a limited individual social unit but an embodiment of a

call which is above all individual values or social relationships.

The concept of the values of life as Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha is a

masterstroke of genius of the Indian soil particularly, which did not exclude

from its consideration even the lowest calls of human nature, but were not

satisfied with any of the calls of human nature. While all our desires are

permissible in one way, none of the desires is finally permissible. While all that

we need and call for, and every thought, every feeling, every vision of life is a

permissible and valid evaluation of things from their own point of view, yet

none of them is final. All phases of the vision of life are valid from their own

point of view – every religion is a right religion, a correct vision of things, every

faith is valid in its own way, every vision is complete, every viewpoint has a

validity of its own – anything that you think is a valid thinking. But it is

inadequate.

Here is the necessity for a charitableness that we have to manifest in

ourselves while affirming our own points of view. My point of view and your

point of view and everyone's point of view is a correct point of view, but none's

point of view is a whole point of view. There is something beyond any vision of

things, though every vision of things is self-centered and appears to be

complete from its own stage, level and operative angle. There is thus a

necessity to live a cooperative life. The life that the world expects from us is

not so much competitive as cooperative. Things in the world do not argue one

against the other; they do not compete in a business fashion, but agree to

accept their own limitations and also agree to expect the correlative aspects of

their inadequacies from other things in the world, other people, from

everything. Everyone is sacrosanct, everyone is holy, everyone is complete,

every human being is as valuable as any other human being; everyone is

equally valuable, there is no inferiority or superiority among people. Human

life is a ubiquitous, equally distributed valuation of aspiration to exist, but no

individual human life is complete in itself.

This is to sum up the viewpoint that is placed before us by the pattern called

the fourfold Purusharthas – Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha. They are not four

aims of existence; they are the fourfold vision of a single aim of existence. We

are materially located in this body, we are psychologically operating through

the mind, we are socially existing in the midst of people; we are also vehicles

of an eternity that is permanently acting for the fulfillment of itself in self-

realisation.

Om purnam adah, purnam idam, purnat purnam udacyate;

purnasya purnam adaya puram evavasisyate.