Preface

2 The Goal of Life


There are perhaps only a few among the masses who have ever given any serious consideration to the problem of life. Generally they take a very narrow view of it. The only problem before them is to secure a decent living, well provided with the desired comforts. In other words, to them the object of life is only to achieve the greatest possible comfort and prominence in the world. If they are able to achieve it, they think their life to be a success, otherwise not. They may, however, pass on as great men, philosophers, scientists or politicians and acquire world-wide fame and riches, but their problem of life still remains unsolved. It does not really end with death, for it is only a change of form. Our next life, whatever it may be, begins after death. Just as prior to our present life we have had numerous other lives in different forms, similarly even after our death we may have numerous other lives. The cycle of birth and death continues indefinitely. The problem before us is not to find out a solution of our present life but for all lives that we may henceforth have. In the wider sense, it covers the entire existence of soul in various forms, gross or subtle, at different times till the time of Mahapralaya (Final extinction). There may be difference of opinion over the question of births and deaths, among the followers of different creeds, but it is certain that mere theoretical knowledge of the scriptures will not solve the question. Practical experience in the spiritual field is necessary for the purpose. The question ends when one acquires 'Anubhava Shakti' (Intuitive Capacity) of the finest type and can himself realize the true state of life hereafter. The mystery is, however, explained by the people in various ways, but almost all agree on the point that the object of life is to achieve eternal bliss after death. For this they insist on a life of virtue, sacrifice and devotion which will bring to them the eternal joy of the paradise or salvation or peace. But that is not the end of the problem. It goes on much beyond. Now in order to trace out the solution of the problem we must look back to the point wherefrom our existence has started. Our existence in the present grossest form is neither sudden nor accidental but it is the result of a slow process of evolution. The existence of soul can be traced out as far back as to the time of creation when the soul existed in its naked form as a separate entity. From that primary state of existence of the soul in its most subtle form we marched on to grosser and grosser forms of existence. These may be expressed as coverings round the soul. The earliest coverings were of the finest nature and with them we existed in our homeland, the Realm of God. The additions of more and more coverings of ego continued and subsequently Manas (psyche), Chit (consciousness), Buddhi (intellect) and Ahankar (ego) in cruder forms began to contribute to our grossness. In due course Samskaras (impressions) began to be formed which brought about their resultant effects. Virtue and vice made their appearances. Slowly our existence assumed the densest form. The effect of Samskaras is the commencement of feelings of comforts, miseries, joys and sorrows. Our likings for joys and comforts and our dislikings for sorrows and miseries have created further complications. We generally find ourselves surrounded with pain and misery and we think that deliverance from them is our main goal. This is a very narrow view of the problem.

The aims and objects of life conceived in terms of worldly ends are almost meaningless. We forget that pains and miseries are only the symptoms of a disease but the disease lies elsewhere. To practise devotion to please God in order to secure worldly comforts or gains is but a mockery. The problem before us is not mere deliverance from pain and misery but freedom from bondage which is the ultimate cause of pain and misery. Freedom from bondage is liberation. It is different from salvation which is not the end of the process of rebirth. Salvation is only a temporary pause in the rotation. It is the suspension of the process of birth and death only for a certain fixed period after which we again assume the material form. The endless circle of rebirth ends only when we have secured liberation. It is the end of our pains and miseries. Anything short of liberation cannot be taken as the goal of life although there remains still a lot beyond it. We find but a few persons who have even liberation as the final goal of their life which represents the lowest rung in the spiritual flight. The problem of life remains totally unsolved if we are below this level. There are persons who may say that they do not want Mukti (liberation). They only want to come again and again into this world and practise Bhakti (devotion). Their goal of life is undetermined and indefinite. Bhakti and nothing beyond as they say is their goal. Really they are attracted by the charming effect of the condition of a Bhakta (devotee) and like to remain entangled in it for ever. They do it only to please themselves. Freedom from eternal bondage is not possible so long as we are within entanglements. The natural yearning of soul is to be free from bondage. If there is one who does not like to free himself from the entanglements there is no solution for him. Bhakti is the means of achieving the goal and not the goal itself. The fact as I have stated above is that they are allured by the charming effect of the primary condition and do not want to get away from it at any time. The narrow view that they have taken, bars their approach to a broader vision and anything beyond is out of their sight. Another fallacious argument advanced in support of the above view is that devotion, if practised with any particular object in view, is far from being 'Nishkam' (desireless). The theory of 'Nishkam Upasana' (desireless devotion) as laid down in the Gita emphasises upon us to practise devotion without keeping in view any specific purpose. It really means that we should practise devotion without our eyes being fixed upon any worldly object or without caring for the satisfaction of our desires. It does not stop us from fixing our mind upon the goal of life which is absolutely essential for those on the march. The goal of life means nothing but the point we have finally to arrive at. It is in other words, the reminiscence of our homeland or the primeval state of our present solid existence, which we have finally to return to. It is only the idea of destination which we keep alive in our minds and for that we practise devotion only as duty. Duty for duty's sake is without doubt 'Nishkam Karma' (selfless action) and to realize our goal of life is our bounden duty.

Now I come to the point what the real goal of life should be. It is generally admitted that the goal must be the highest, otherwise progress up to the final limit is doubtful. For this, it is necessary to have a clear idea of the highest possible limit of human approach. We have before us examples of Rama and Krishna, the two incarnations of the Divinity. We worship them with faith and devotion and want to secure union with them. Automatically that becomes our goal of life and we can at the utmost secure approach up to their level. Now Rama and Krishna, as incarnations, were special personalities vested with supernatural powers to work as medium for the accomplishment of the work which nature demanded and for which they had come. They had full command over various powers of nature and could utilize them at any time in a way they thought proper. The scope of their activity was limited in accordance with the nature of the work they had to accomplish. They descended from the sphere of Mahamaya ( ), which is a state of Godly energy in the subtle form hence the most powerful. It is due to this fact that we find excellent results coming into effect through their agency in their life-time. The highest possible point of human approach is much beyond the sphere of Mahamaya; hence a good deal above that level. It may be surprising to most of the readers but it is a fact beyond doubt. The final point of approach is where every kind of force, power, activity or even stimulus disappears and a man enters a state of complete negation; Nothingness or Zero. That is the highest point of approach or the final goal of life. I have tried to express it by the diagram. The concentric circles drawn round the centre 'C', roughly denote the different spiritual spheres we come across during our progress. Beginning our march from the outermost circle we proceed towards the centre crossing each circle to acquire the next stage. It is a very vast expanse. If I speak of liberation, people will think it to be a very far-off thing which can be achieved by persistent efforts for a number of lives. In the diagram the state of liberation lies between the 2nd and the 3rd circles. The various conditions we have to pass through in order to secure liberation are all acquired within about a circle and a half. This may help the reader to form a rough idea of what still remains to be achieved after we have reached the point of liberation which really, as commonly believed, is not an ordinary achievement. After achieving this state we go on further crossing other circles till we cross the fifth one. This is the stage of Awyakti Gati (undifferentiated state). At this stage a man is totally free from the bounds of Maya. Very few of the sages of the past could reach up to this position. Raja Janak was one of those who could secure his approach to this state. His achievements were considered to be so great that even the prominent Rishis (sages) of the time used to send their sons and disciples to him for training. The region of Heart as described in my book Efficacy of Raja Yoga is now crossed and now we enter the mind region, after crossing the fifth circle. The eleven circles after this depict the various stages of egoism. The condition there is more subtle and grows finer still as we march on through the region. By the time we reach the 16th circle we are almost free from egoism. The condition at the stage is almost inconceivable and has rarely been attained by even the greatest of the sages. As far as my vision goes I find among the ancient sages none except Kabir who could have secured his approach up to this stage (i.e., the 16th circle). What remains when we have crossed this circle is a mere identity which is still in a gross form. We now enter the Central Region. There, too, you will find seven rings of something. I may call it light for the sake of expression, which we cross during our march onwards. The form of dense identity as I have called it, grows finer and subtler to the last possible limit. We have now secured a position which is nearmost to the Centre, and it is the highest possible approach of man. There we are in close harmony with the very Real condition. Complete merging with the Centre is, however, not possible, so as to maintain a nominal difference between God and soul. Such is the extent of human achievement which a man should fix his eyes upon from the very beginning, if he wants to make the greatest progress on the path of realization. Very few among the saints and yogis of the world had ever had any conception of it. Their farthest approach in most cases had been up to the 2nd or the 3rd circle at the utmost, and it is unfortunate that even at this preliminary stage they sometimes considered their achievements to be very great. I have given all this only to enable people to judge those so-called great Doctors of Divinity who are said to have attained perfection and are generally accepted as such by the ignorant masses who judge their worth only by their outward form or elegance.

3 Ways and Means


Having determined our goal, the next problem before us is to find out means for the realization of the object. Sages and teachers have elaborately dealt with the subject. They have laid down various forms of practices or 'Sadhanas', helpful for the attainment of what they put forth as the final goal. But for the realization of God, the Indeterminate Absolute or Para Brahma we have to adopt means which lead us to the complete negation. Our goal of life, as discussed in the previous chapter is the final stage where we are nearest to the Superactive Centre or Zero, which is the primeval cause of the entire manifestation and to which everything will ultimately return after Maha Pralaya (complete dissolution). To acquire this state we have ourselves to become zero. No doubt we shall reach that point in natural course at the time of Maha Pralaya, but what we strive for, is to acquire it as early as possible in order to save ourselves from the miseries of innumerable lives. Just as Maha Pralaya or complete dissolution is essential for the return of everything to the origin, similarly for our return to the point we must bring about our Pralaya (destruction) or acquire a state of complete dissolution of all things of our own making. It means we have to be free from all our belongings and assume the same naked form in which we were at the time of creation. Our belongings are a pile of Samskaras (impressions) with their resultant effects in the form of complexities and the diverse coverings which we have gathered round the soul and which are the results of our thoughts and actions. We possess mental and intellectual faculties which are all active. Our mind determines the actions of the body. We see, hear, feel and understand things. We begin to like or dislike them. Desires gradually begin to creep in and affect our actions. The rings go on multiplying and we exert ourselves for the fulfilment of desires. A desire, when satisfied generally creates another to follow in its place. We are seldom free from them even for a moment. We see most of the things with an idea of having them. These desires mould our physical and mental actions and lead to the formation of Samskaras (impressions), adding thus more and more coverings to the soul. Fresh desires every moment and our efforts to satisfy them lead to continuous additions. Their impressions remain on our causal body so long as they are not wiped off through the process of 'Bhog'. The completion of the Bhog of all the Samskaras, formed every moment cannot ordinarily be possible during the whole life. Thus when our life comes to a close we still have a lot of Samskaras in store within us. These very Samskaras become the cause of our rebirth, in order to offer us an opportunity to complete their Bhog, but unfortunately, instead of finishing them we add more than those we have exhausted.

Another serious obstruction in our path is caused by our sufferings and miseries. Almost every one in the world complains of the miseries he is faced with and which he wants to do away with. But he neglects the right means. He thinks fulfilment of desires to be the only way of removing miseries. But that is not the solution. Miseries are commonly considered to be detestable, but there have been sages who voluntarily courted miseries, thinking them to be a boon and have often prayed to God for them. The mystery of the problem will be clear if we look into the origin of miseries. Soul possesses consciousness as a result of God's will to effect creation. The soul likewise began to form its own tiny creation and gathered round it things of its own creation. Now a stir, a motion (i.e., unrest or disturbance) was the main factor in bringing about the creation. Similarly for the tiny creation of the soul too, unrest or disturbance is indispensable. We also possess the force of will which we apply to impart power to the factors necessary for setting up this creation. They appear before us in the form of joy or sorrow, comfort or misery. The mind, too, being constantly active creates within us liking for the one and dislike for the other, introducing the two extremities of a thing. Thus miseries come into existence. This is all the creation of the human mind which results from our ignorance of the right relationship of things. Our passions, emotions and impulses too contribute a good deal in aggravating the troubles and at times cause fierce tempest strong enough to threaten a complete wreck. We generally attribute its causes to circumstances. But it is a wrong notion. Mind is the centre of this outer expansion of man in the form of human body and everything which is exhibited through the medium of the body proceeds from the centre, the mind. If our mind comes to a harmonious state, circumstances and environments will have no effect on it and there will be no disturbance within. Peace and tranquillity shall reign all through under all circumstances. Passions, excitements and desires will lose their intensity and sorrow, joy or misery will disappear from the view. Our desires are the main cause of miseries. So the only solution of miseries is the curtailment of desires. Fewer the desires, lesser shall be our miseries. But to become desireless is another problem. Desires form a network which we are entangled in. The more we try to get rid of it, tighter become the fibres of the net. The only way to free ourselves from the entanglements is to divert our attention from them and fix our eyes on the very Real thing. If we cultivate a habit of remaining unmindful of them, they will soon begin to disappear from our view and consequently our miseries will be minimised. Reality alone will remain constantly before our eyes and everything else will lose its charm or significance.

Total absence of sufferings and miseries in life is, however, impossible and unnatural. In fact they are rather meant for our betterment. They are just like bitter pills of medicine given to a patient to restore health. The misuse of even the best thing creates trouble. So is the case with miseries. Proper utility of everything at the proper time and in the proper way is sure to bring forth good results in the long run. Miseries are really our best guide which make our path smooth. To a man in ordinary sphere of life, miseries are very helpful for his making. Referring to domestic troubles and miseries of a worldly life my Master used to say, "Our home is the training ground of patience and endurance. To endure calmly the adversities of a household life is for us the greatest penance which is the noblest of all other forms of penances. What we have, therefore, to do under the circumstances is not to give way to the feeling of anger or grief but to assume an unquestioning attitude thinking that we ourselves are in the wrong for which we have to forbear with a cool mind. Solitary life in a forest and aloofness from all worldly concerns may be, to some, the means of cultivating patience and forbearance but to us, the taunts and rebukes of our friends and relations is the greatest penance and the surest means of success." In fact, to put up coolly with miseries and troubles contributes much to our betterment, hence they are valuable assets to our progress. It is only by their wrong use that we spoil their effect and thus get deprived of their best advantages.

Renunciation or non-attachment is no doubt an essential stage in realization and we can never be free from the entanglements of Maya unless we cultivate non-attachment. But it does not mean severing our connection with home, the family and all worldly concerns and taking up the life of a religious mendicant. I do not agree with those who hold the view that the only means of cultivating non-attachment is to get away from home and family and retire to a solitary corner discarding all worldly ties. Renunciation effected by such forced means, is seldom found to be genuine, for it is just possible that in spite of their apparent forced detachment from the world, they may still inwardly be clinging to it. No doubt as a householder we have to look after many things, we have to support our family, we have to provide for the education of our children, we have to look to their wants and necessities, we have to protect them from heat and cold, from trouble and sickness and so on. For these necessities we earn and possess money and property. The real evil is only our undue attachment with things which we are associated with. This is main cause of our sufferings. But if we are able to do everything in life thinking it to be our duty without any feeling of attraction or repulsion we are in a way free from worldly ties and have renounced the world in the true sense although we possess and make use of many things. Everything we possess shall, then, seem to be a sacred trust from the Supreme Master, for the discharge of the duties entrusted to us. Renunciation truly means non-attachment with worldly objects and not the non-possession of things. Thus a household life in which possession of things and worldly ties are indispensable is no impediment in the way of renunciation and consequently of realization, only if one is not unduly attached to the objects he is connected with. There are numerous examples of saints having attained the highest degree of perfection leading a household life all through. Renunciation is in fact a condition or an inner state of mind which brings to our view the transitory and changing character of things and creates a feeling of non-attachment with such objects. His eyes are fixed every moment on Reality which is unchanging and eternal and he is free from feeling of attraction and repulsion. This is Vairagya (renunciation) in the true sense of the term. When we have achieved this state of mind we are free from desires. We feel contented with what is available to us. The end of desires means the stopping of the formation of Samskaras. What remains now is only to undergo the effect (Bhog) of the previously formed Samskaras (impressions) which are to be worked out during the course of our life. Nature too helps us in the work by creating field for Bhog in order to remove the impressions of our thoughts and actions from the causal body. When these coverings melt away we begin to assume finer forms of existence.

In order to control our thoughts and actions we have to look to the proper working of the mind which is never at rest even for a moment. I have often heard religious teachers railing at it in bitterest terms, ascribing all bad names to it and proclaiming it to be our worst enemy. The reason is quite plain. They think it to be the cause of all evil within us, and consequently they advise people to crush it and not to follow its biddings. But generally people find it a hard task to restrain the diverse activities of the mind, or to disregard its biddings. Their theoretical advice and lectures in this respect are, therefore, not of much avail to them and almost none of those attending their lectures has ever been able to achieve the object in a practical way. Besides the present circumstances and the environments too contribute much towards the ever increasing activities of the individual mind. Almost everyone, today, feels his life to be a hard struggle for existence confronting acute problems of poverty, insecurity, distress and rivalry and it is almost impossible to keep himself free from its effects. The result is the constant unrest and disturbance of mind. We breathe in the same thing from the atmosphere and are consequently led away by circumstances and surroundings. Our individual mind has become the weather-cock, turning its face at every blast towards the direction in which the wind blows. The real hero in the struggle is one, who braves them courageously and keeps himself free from their effect.

I, no doubt, agree with those who say that every evil has its origin in the mind and which alone is, therefore, responsible for it, though at the same time I may remind them that it is the very same mind that leads us to virtue and also helps us to realize our highest self. So it is not every evil alone that proceeds from the mind but also every good. Hence those who condemn it in the bitterest terms have no justification for it at all. It is really only due to the defective moulding of the mind, and what is actually required, is not the crushing or the killing of the mind but merely its proper training. The mind is like the pendulum of a clock. The clock goes all right so long as the movement of the pendulum is regulated. If it is disturbed the clock is out of order. Similarly for this human clock it is necessary that the movement of the mind be well regulated and adjusted. The methods to mould the mind and regulate its activities are also very simple. Really we have spoiled the mind ourselves by allowing it to wander about aimlessly during leisure hours. The practice has continued for years and it has now become almost its second nature. If we now try to control the mind by putting it under restraint we meet with little success. The more we try to suppress it by force, the more it rebounds and counteracts causing greater disturbance. The proper method to control the activities of the mind is to fix it on one sacred thought just as we do in meditation, and dispel from it everything unwanted or superfluous. In course of time after constant practice, the mind gets disciplined and regulated and much of the inner disturbance is eliminated. The best course to free yourself from unwanted ideas is to treat them as uninvited guests and remain unmindful of them. They will then wither away like unwatered plants and ultimately the same sacred thought will remain predominant. The only way to accomplish it is, therefore, meditation under the guidance of a capable master. By constant practice in meditation the mind will become calm and peaceful and the unwanted ideas will cease to trouble you. I often hear beginners complaining about the wandering of the mind during meditation. From the very first day they expect that during their practice at meditation the mind should remain at a standstill but when they find different ideas and thoughts haunting their mind they feel greatly perturbed. I must clear it to them that it is not the suspended condition of the mind we are striving for in our practice, but only the moulding of its multifarious activities. We do not want to stop its normal working but only to bring it to a regulated and disciplined state. If the activities of the mind are stopped from the very beginning, we probably do not stand in need of practising meditation at all. Meditation is the only process to achieve that end. Concentration is its natural result in due course. The proper method is to meditate all along remaining quite unmindful of the foreign ideas and thoughts coming to our mind during that time. Mental struggle to keep off the unwanted ideas often proves unsuccessful for it causes a strong reaction which is often impossible for man of ordinary capabilities to overcome and which is sometimes likely to result in serious mental disturbance or even insanity. It may be possible for those who by leading a life of celibacy have gained sufficient ojas (lustre) to cope successfully with the flow of thoughts and to withstand the effect of their reaction, but for ordinary man it is almost an impossibility. If instead of struggling to keep off ideas we only remain unmindful of them, very soon they will lose their effect and cease troubling us. They will then be only like dogs barking after a caravan which goes forward without paying any heed to them. When we are attentive to ideas to check them, concentration is naturally there which breeds power and thus they become stronger.

A most common excuse advanced by certain people today is that they are too busy to devote any time to meditation or similar other practice. But "the busiest man has the greatest leisure" is a well-known saying. I think a man has more time at his disposal than there is work for him to do. Their complaint of the scarcity of time is due only to its wrong adjustment. If we utilize our time to the best advantage we shall never have cause to complain that it is short or scarce. There are others who are a bit frank to admit that it is not for want of time that they remain away from devotional duties but for their habitual negligence and sluggishness which they cannot overcome. To them I would say that they are probably never negligent or sluggish in their trade or profession which they attend to with full zeal in spite of all personal inconvenience and even illness, only because some monetary gain or profit is in view. Their longing for the material gain turns them unmindful of their inconvenience or illness, similarly if our longing (or Lagan) for the realization of the goal is great, our negligent or sluggish habits will not stand in the way of our efforts or progress. If we go through the history of ancient sages we find that they had sacrificed all the comforts of life for the sake of attaining Reality. They led a life of austerity and penance, undergoing every kind of hardship and trouble for the sake of the object so dear to their heart. Intense longing for the goal made them blind to everything else and they remained firm on the path not minding the difficulties and reverses that came across their way. Such an intense longing for the object and an iron will to achieve the goal is absolutely necessary to ensure complete success. I may assure you that you can win laurels in the spiritual field if only you turn your attention towards God and proceed with will, faith and confidence, no matter how adversely you may be placed in, surrounded by all the worries and miseries of a household life. Your busy life will then offer no hindrance in your way. Generally people go hesitatingly towards God, thinking themselves to be too incapable and weak to achieve the real thing. A powerful will made at the very first step and maintained all through, shall never fail to achieve complete success. Half the distance is crossed if a man enters the field with a firm mind. Difficulties and dejections will melt away at a mere glance and the path of success will be made smooth. Indecisive attitude leads to half-hearted efforts and generally results in mere partial success or more often in failure. Our firm will enables us, automatically to draw in power from unknown sources, for the accomplishment of the task. A firm will supplemented by an ever-increasing impatience or yearning to achieve the object will enhance the force of our effort and we shall thereby remain in constant touch with the same real thing, catching every hint conducive to our spiritual well-being and progress. Impatience or constant restlessness to reach the goal in the shortest possible time is, thus, by far the most important factor which contributes to our speedy success. We must not rest even for a while till we have gained the real object, the eternal peace and calmness. Intense longing for an object naturally creates restlessness for it and we have no peace till we achieve the desired object. It is, therefore, a very essential thing and must be cultivated by whatever means possible. Thus for gaining the eternal peace we cultivate within us restlessness and impatience at the preliminary stage. It may look strange at the very face of it when I ask you to cultivate the very thing we want to do away with but it is the only way to achieve sure and speedy success. The restlessness thus created is temporary and different in character from the ordinary restless condition of the mind. It is finer and more pleasant. It creates an inlet in our heart for the divine current to flow in and smoothens our passage to the kingdom of God. If you thrust a man down into the water you find that he makes desperate efforts to free himself from your grip. It is only because his impatience to get out of water at once increases his force of effort and he does not rest till he is out of water. Similarly such desperate efforts caused by extreme impatience to reach the goal at once, will quicken our steps on the path of realization and ensure easy success in the least possible time. That is the easiest and the most efficient means of speedy success.

My associates have often enquired from me the method for creating such type of restlessness within them. I may tell them that intense love for the object will automatically lead them to it. When we are in deep love, we shall naturally feel impatient to secure nearness with the loved object. When we are greatly in love with any of the worldly objects its idea comes to our mind again and again, and we think of it over and over again. Now in order to develop Divine love in our heart we have only to reverse the process. If we remember God frequently or for the most part of the day, we will automatically develop love for Him, which if continued with earnestness will create impatience in our heart to secure union at the earliest. Another way of developing love with God is to play the part of a lover as if you are enacting a drama. But it is only for those who are almost incapable of finer means. The method though artificial will shortly bring you to reality and feeling of true love and impatience will begin to agitate your heart.

The most important factor in realization is self-confidence in our own capacity and power to achieve success. It is absurd to think, even for a moment, that we are in any way too weak or deficient to acquire the highest state of perfection ever attained so far even by the greatest sages of the past. We must march on the path of realization like a brave soldier with full faith and confidence, not minding the difficulties or reverses. Dejections and disappointments weaken our will and shatter our firmness. We should meet reverses with a brave heart and should never give way to the feeling of despondency which is the worst drawback and the deadliest poison to spiritual life.

One of the essentials in the making of a man engaged in spiritual pursuit is moderation. It is a very wide term and covers every phase of human activity. It means balance in all senses and faculties, nothing more or less than what is naturally required at the time for any specific purpose without its slightest impression on the mind. Generally, today, we find moderation disturbed in almost all cases. The reason mainly is that we attach undue importance to whatever thing comes to our view and we strengthen it by the force of our thought with the result that it grows stronger over all others. We cultivate this habit and apply it to different things with varying intensity. The result that follows is nothing but disturbance and mental conflict and it is the root cause of all our troubles and miseries. Realization is not possible unless moderation and balance are restored. It corresponds closely with the very real thing which existed at the time of creation, when everything was in a perfectly balanced state. Now after the lapse of time, degeneration crept in. Our senses and faculties lost the balance and everything went into disorder. What we have to do now is to control our senses and faculties in order to restore moderation in them. To cultivate moderation we have to pay special attention to external ways of life too, e.g., gentle and polite language, courteous dealing, sympathy and love with fellow beings, reverence to elders, unrevengeful nature and so on. These habits are greatly helpful in our making. Moderation is a characteristic of nature. If we gain complete moderation we are in a way in conformity with nature and it is the very essence of spirituality.

Lastly the most important and unfailing means of success is the prayer. It connects our link with God to whom we surrender ourselves with love and devotion. In prayer we stand before Him as an humble suppliant presenting to Him our true state and completely resigning ourselves to His will. This is the true form of prayer and as true devotees we must also feel satisfied with the Will of the Master. It is a folly to pray to God for petty worldly ends except in most exceptional cases when peace of mind is greatly disturbed for want of bare necessities. We should always pray to the supreme Master the Omnipotent and the Omniscient alone with a mind totally absorbed in love and submission to Him forgetting even ourselves altogether. This is the proper way of offering prayer which in such a state seldom goes unrewarded. I have dealt with this point more elaborately in my book, Commentary on Ten Commandments of Sahaj Marg.

In the end I may also bring home to your mind that there are different forms and practices for achieving the end. They might lead you on the path of realization to some distance, but how far, I do not propose to discuss here. I leave it to the judgement and the experience of the readers themselves. But I assure you positively that it is Raja Yoga and the Raja Yoga alone that can lead you on to your ultimate destination or the highest point of human approach where you are in perfect harmony with nature, assuming your absolute and pure form. No other form or practice can bring forth such results. It is, therefore, essential to have recourse to this science if you aim at the highest point. The help and support of a truly worthy guide is of course, the essential factor and at the same time a serious problem of the day too, but a true seeker, I assure you, shall never fail to find him.

4 The Guru


Having in view our determined goal and the proper means to achieve it, our next look-out must be to find out the right type of person as our guide, who might successfully take us along the path of realization. In all cases (including those pertaining to worldly attainments), we stand in need of the help of a capable guide. It may, however, be possible that after acquiring some knowledge, we may proceed further by our self-effort. But even then we have to depend upon the experience of the teachers of the past contained in their books and writings. In spirituality the case is otherwise. The need of a Guru or Master, grows greater and greater as we go on advancing and securing higher stages. Books are of no avail to us in this respect. They may help us to acquire superficial knowledge of things to enable us to deliver eloquent discourses on spiritual topics and to win arguments, but practical approach in spirituality through them alone is impossible. Yogic practices and Sadhanas based on knowledge acquired through books, are mostly misleading and even harmful to our spiritual advancement. It is only the helping support of a capable guide that can take us on up to our destination. It is said of Maulana Rumi, a celebrated Persian poet and the author of eighteen books on spirituality, that once he approached a great saint to receive spiritual training from him. The saint asked him to throw all his books into the river, if he wanted to have practical training from him. As this meant to him the loss of his life-long labour he did not agree to it. Several times he approached the saint with the same request but received the same reply. Finding no other alternative, he at last submitted to his demand, threw away all his writings into the water and became his disciple. Actual realization comes only after training in the realm of practice, and for that, knowledge or erudition proves to be of little assistance.

The help of a Guru or Master is, therefore, essential and indispensable for those engaged in spiritual pursuit. There have been cases, however, where sages have attained perfection by mere self-effort, surrendering themselves direct to God. But such examples are rare. It is really a very difficult course and can be followed only by persons, specially gifted with uncommon genius. Guru is the connecting link between God and man. It is through his medium only that we can reach God. He is the only power that can extricate us from the intricacies of the Path. During our spiritual march we have to pass through various points, known as Chakras (figuratively called lotuses). They are the centres of concentrated energy of the Real Power of Divine force inherited by man. They are located in different places within the human frame. The intervening space between the two points is characterised as a network interwoven by numerous intricate fibres. As we proceed along we have to pass through these entanglements of the intervening layers. We have to stay there for a considerable time to complete the Bhog. Bhog does not only mean undergoing the effect of our past actions but it really means passing through the process of unfolding the intricacies of the point which we have already arrived at. Our stay at these points for the purpose of Bhog is often very long and in most cases it is almost impossible to get out of it by mere self-effort. It may, however, be possible at a few preliminary stages but subsequently it becomes quite impracticable. It has been observed that most of the sages of the past who had tried it by self-effort only, remained lingering for whole life on the very first or the second stage and could not cross it. The fact is that at somewhat advanced stages we have to face what may be expressed as the slippery condition of the place. There we may sometimes go up a little but soon slip down again. The same thing happens again and again with the result that higher ascent becomes arduous and well-nigh impracticable. Under the circumstances it is only a forceful push by the worthy Master that can bring us out of the whirlpool. If the Master is not lacking in power and capacity, he will by his own force, push the disciple up out of the entanglement and place him on the next higher stage. It is, therefore, essential that the guide we select must be one of the highest calibre and worthy of the task of tearing off the intricacies at a glance with the aid of the extraordinary power at his command. It can only be one who has himself attained perfection or complete negation of self. Hence we must connect ourselves with such a great power by feelings of love and attraction. It does not matter much what conception of him we entertain in our mind. We may call him our friend, Master, servant or whatever we might be pleased to choose. But he remains after all our guide or Guru, as he is commonly called.

Unfortunately, today, the selection of the proper guide is much neglected, although every religious-minded Hindu believes that it is incumbent upon him to have a Guru in order to satisfy his craving for spiritual benefit. Generally people select any one for the purpose without any regard to his capabilities or worth. They are induced to do so mostly by persuasion or by miracles displayed by those so-called Gurus to attract the ignorant masses. The disciple-hunters are not wanting. They are as numerous as the leaves of a tree, for to most of them Gurudom is a very profitable job, which can secure enormous income which they cannot otherwise earn. Besides they command highest respect and personal service from their disciples. The ignorant masses thus fall a ready prey to these self-seeking professionals. A petty miracle or an ordinary display of something charming or attractive, is enough to attract hundreds of these silly sheep to their fold of Gurudom. A simple threat to pronounce curse upon one who happens to displease them, may bring thousands into their abject submission. Not only this but in order to ensure monopoly of their profession they declare that none but one belonging to the privileged class has the right of being a Guru, whether he may be a Sannyasin or a householder. They claim to be world teachers of religion by birth, irrespective of their capability and worth. Sannyasins, too, you will find these days in multitude posing as Mahatmas and professing to be Jagat Gurus (world teachers). Is it not a pity to find such professional imposters, who are a shame to the nation and the religion, roaming about with complete impunity to cheat and defraud the ignorant people, in order to serve their own selfish ends?

It is high time for the masses to open their eyes and see what havoc has been wrought by them. Gurudom as a monopoly of a privileged class is only an absurdity, introduced by the professional Gurus to safeguard their personal interests. The popularly believed principle that a disciple can never break off the sacred connection with his Guru under any circumstances, is also a cunning device adopted by those false Gurus to make their position safe and secure and is nothing but a fraud. The practice of initiating a disciple (though really based on sound principle) has been much abused by most of the modern professionals who do not understand its real significance. Their only function as a Guru is to breathe a few mystical words into the ear of the disciple at the time of initiation and tell him to follow certain ceremonial practices by way of worship. Their duty to the disciple ends with it and nothing remains for them to do for the betterment of the disciple except to give him their Darshan every year and get their annual tribute from him. Really a disciple should formally be initiated only when true faith exists in him and Divine love takes prime root in his heart. Initiation signifies that the disciple's link has been connected with the Supreme Power. In that case the spiritual force begins to flow to the disciple automatically according to the absorbing capacity he develops in himself. It depends much upon the power and capability of the Master to establish a sound connection for which high calibre is needed. A sound connection once established shall continue as long as the disciple does not secure liberation which in such cases is not a far off matter to be attained after numerous lives. In fact if a disciple is initiated in the right sense as mentioned above by a Guru of high calibre the question of breaking off from him can never arise. But, for the professional Gurus who perform mock initiations to serve their purpose, it is a matter of constant anxiety. Therefore, in order to keep a disciple permanently in their grip, they proclaim it as a Divine dictate that he shall be courting all the miseries of the hell if he ever thought of breaking off from them at any time. The ignorant masses accept it as the gospel truth, trembling at the very idea of doing anything which might displease their Guru. So they always try to put up with all their atrocities in passive submission. I am sure, there is not the slightest suggestion to this effect found in our Shastras. It is only an ingenuity on the part of these teachers of religion. I hold it to be the birth right of every man to break off from his Guru at any time if he finds that he had made a wrong selection or had misjudged the Guru's capacity or worth. He is also free to seek another Guru if at any stage he finds that his Guru has not the capacity to take him beyond what he has already acquired. On the other hand a conscientious Guru must himself, under the circumstances, direct his disciple to seek another, more advanced and better qualified, so that the disciple may not in any way suffer progress. This is the sacred duty of a true and selfless Guru. If, however, permission to break off, sought for by the disciple, is denied by the Guru on account of his selfish motives, the disciple is at liberty to break off from him at once and seek another. No moral or religious law ever forbids him from doing so.

A little advanced among the class of Gurus are considered to be those who teach and preach on the basis of their knowledge of the Shastras and other holy books. They have established orders and Ashrams where they enjoy a kingly position among their followers. They go out and address large audiences telling them what to do and what not to do and explaining to them problems concerning Maya, Jiva and Brahma. People flock to them in thousands to hear their sermons admiring their high ideas and extensive knowledge and regard them as great Mahatmas or saints. They ask them numerous intricate questions and if they are able to answer them out of their stock of the knowledge of Shastras their greatness as Mahatma is established in their minds and they are induced to accept them as Gurus. But really they have, thus, put to test their learning and not the real worth. It must well be borne in mind that it is not learning or knowledge that makes a man perfect but it is only realization in the right sense that makes a true Yogi or saint. It is just possible that the man who has thus impressed you with his outward form, learning or eloquence, may be at the lowest level as regards practical attainments. Knowledge, therefore, is no criterion of a true Mahatma or Yogi. Similarly the real test of a Mahatma or Guru is not his miracles or his extraordinary ways and manners but only his practical attainments on the path of realization. The popular meaning of a Mahatma as a great individuality does not seem appealing to me. I would define a Mahatma as the most insignificant being or rather a neglected figure, beyond all feelings of greatness, pride or egoism, dwelling permanently in a state of complete self- negation. There are some who hold the view that knowledge being the preliminary stage of realization is essential and indispensable.

I do not agree with them on the ground that knowledge is only an achievement of brain whereas realization is the awakening of soul and hence far beyond its scope. In books on spiritual science we read much about the conditions of mind at various spiritual stages and get acquainted with them but as regards practical attainments we are far away from them. We can talk to people about those conditions, advance arguments for and against them and establish our superiority in learning but inwardly we are quite ignorant of them. We attend lectures and hear sermons on Gita, we recite portions from Gita regularly every day, we read commentaries on it written by great men of learning but what practical effect is thereby produced upon us? Has any one of us been ever able to acquire practically any one of the conditions depicted in it? They may, however, repeat the words "World is Maya, Man is Brahma" and so on, but inwardly they are quite unconscious of what they speak in words. None has ever been able to develop the conditions, discussed therein, just as Arjuna did when he heard it from Lord Krishna. Gita as we have it today is really a commentary on what Lord Krishna spoke to Arjuna on the eve of the battle of Mahabharat. Lord Krishna had actually transmitted the very conditions, explained by words of mouth into the heart of Arjuna with the result that Arjuna was literally feeling the same condition prevailing all over, both within and without. Thus it was, that every word which he heard descended right into his heart producing a permanent effect. The cause of failure of modern teachers and preachers of Gita to produce the desired effect upon the mind of the hearers is their lack of power to transmit those conditions. The various conditions of mind discussed in the Gita are really the different stages which a man comes across during his march on the path of spirituality. They develop automatically from within. Formal means adopted to acquire a particular state of mind at a premature stage increases internal grossness which is detrimental to our progress.

A real teacher is not one who can explain to us the soundness of the religious dogmas or who can prescribe to us do's and don'ts. Almost every one of us knows enough of it. What we stand in need of, from a Guru is the true impulse to effect the awakening of the soul and his direct support in the course of our further march on the path of realization. Such a man we have to seek for, if we aim at success. It is, therefore, evident that while judging a man for our spiritual guide we must take into account not his learning or miracles but his practical achievements in the field of realization. A man who is himself free can free you from eternal bondage. If your Guru is not free from the bondages of Samskaras, Maya or Ahankar it is not possible for him to free you from those bondages. Suppose you are bound to one pole and your Guru to another, how is it possible for your Guru to free you from the bondage? Only a man who is himself free can release you from the bondage. People have, in most cases, gone astray for this very reason as they have submitted themselves to the guidance of such unworthy teachers, whose primary motive is perhaps mere self-aggrandisement or some personal gain. With this view in mind they are generally found to be eager to maintain their position and prestige by false impositions. To them it is probably the greatest shock to their pride of power and position, to acknowledge the superiority of anyone more advanced or better accomplished. This is nothing but Ahankar in the crudest form. If you submit yourself to such a Guru, you are sure to inherit the same feeling of pride which is the worst type of grossness and is sure to hamper your spiritual advancement. Liberation is never possible so long as this evil exists. Spirituality is in fact such a superfine state of mind that every other thing will seem to be heavier or grosser in comparison to it. The delicate feeling caused on the senses by the sweet smell of a rose is far heavier. I may express it as a state of perfect tranquillity and moderation, in complete harmony with nature. In this state of mind all senses and faculties are so to say, in a sleeping (or dormant) state. Their working becomes automatic, bearing no impression upon the mind. Perfect peace is one of its high stages, although the real thing is still onwards, when even the consciousness of peace fails. For the consciousness of peace, too, causes some weight upon the mind, though it is very insignificant. When we are really quite unconscious of the very presence of peace, we are in true sense free from the impression or the weight of the feeling. The condition at this stage is peculiar. It is really neither Anandam (Bliss) nor otherwise. Words fail to express the real condition of this stage. Such is the condition we have finally to achieve for which he and he alone can be capable Guru, who is permanently abiding in the condition described above, and has the power and capacity to transmit by his will force the spiritual state into the heart of the Abhyasi and to remove complexities and obstructions therefrom. None below this level is fit to impart spiritual training to others.

It is a matter of greatest regret and pity that this age-old process of Yogic transmission originated and widely practised by our ancient sages has now gone into complete oblivion in the very land of its origin, where today, only but a few might feel inclined to believe it even. Some people try to ridicule it by misinterpreting it as nothing but mesmerism or hypnotism. I have explained this point in my book Efficacy of Raja Yoga. Here I may assure you that spiritual training for the attainment of higher stages is only possible by the process of Yogic transmission and by no other means. Frequent reference to this process, in the present society of educated persons, has led certain religious teachers, today, to defend their inefficiency in this respect by explaining to the people that there is nothing peculiar about transmission. It generally happens, when you are in the company of a Mahatma or a saint, that you are to some extent relieved of your disturbing thoughts and feel comparatively calm for a while. This they claim to be due to the effect of transmission by the Mahatma. Those who offer this explanation, mean only to deceive the public with a view to white-wash their incapacity. What they interpret as transmission is really the automatic radiation of the pious Paramanus (fine particles) from the Mahatma. It affects all those assembled there with the result that calmness prevails to some extent so long as they are there. It is only a natural process and has nothing to do with transmission. It is not only from a Mahatma or saint that such Paramanus (fine particles) radiate but also from everyone whether pious or wicked, saintly or devilish. If you are for some time with an impious or morally degraded person you find similar impious Paramanus radiating from him and affecting you, with the result that you find your thoughts flowing in the same channel for the time being. The effect of such radiation remains only for a little while and disappears when you are away from it. This is the reason why often religious teachers are found to be making complaints of the indifference of the people to follow what they preach to them. They say that people, when they go back after hearing their Upadesh (sermons) cast off all they have heard then and there retaining nothing of it in their mind. I think it is not the people but the teacher or the Upadeshak (Preacher) who is really to be blamed for it, for he has not the capacity or power to transmit what he means to preach from the platform. Similar views are expressed in connection with Sankirtan performances. The peaceful atmosphere created on such occasions is claimed to be due to the effect of transmission. It is really the result of vibrations produced by the sound of singing in a chorus. We experience the same thing at all music parties which we attend. On such occasions our mind is mostly focussed on one and the same thing which is in our view, and we are, for the time being, unmindful of other things. In Sankirtan, as our thoughts are located on some pious ideal we begin to feel the same thing in our heart automatically. It has nothing to do with transmission. Power of transmission is a Yogic attainment of a very high order by which a Yogi can infuse by his own will force, the Yogic energy or Godly effulgence within any one and remove anything unwanted in him or detrimental to his spiritual progress. He can exercise this power not only on those assembled around him but on those, too, who are away from him. The power can be utilized in any way at any time. One who has got command over this power can, at a glance, create temporarily or permanently, a condition of the mind which is far ahead of the existing condition of the mind of an Abhyasi and which otherwise will require a life time to be achieved. It is not only a vain assertion but a bare fact and may at any time be practically verified by anyone who pleases to do so. Sages have often, through power of transmission changed the entire nature of a man at a mere glance. The wonderful examples of the great sages like my Master, Samartha Guru Shri Ram Chandraji Maharaj of Fatehgarh, Swami Vivekananda and others offer ample proof of it.

The solution of the problem as to what sort of man should be selected as a guide or Guru is not difficult to seek. When our eyes are fixed on the final goal we can never be satisfied with any one who appears to be short of mark. Every saint or Yogi has got his own level of attainment and of self-elevation. If we attach ourselves with any one of them with faith and devotion and secure merging with his highest condition, we will ourselves attain corresponding elevation. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary to select one, of the highest attainments as our Guru. If unfortunately we are somehow or other induced to select one of inferior attainments we will correspondingly be lagging behind in our final approach. Ordinarily a spiritual teacher should never consider himself fit for training others, unless he has secured his approach up to Brahmand Mandal at least (also known as Virat Desh) where everything appears in the subtle form, before it actually takes place in this material world. When a teacher has connected himself with that plane or sphere, he is constantly in touch with the inexhaustible storehouse of power. On the other hand if a man takes up the job of training others in spirituality before acquiring this stage, he not only begins to lose his own power but is contaminated with the Samskaras and grossness of those under his training, with the result that very soon he himself gets spoiled. In our mission permission to impart training is not generally granted at this stage even. Really a man is fit for the work of training only when he does not entertain in his heart the slightest impression of being a teacher or Guru. I believe that if the idea of being a Guru crosses his mind even once in life he becomes unworthy of being a Guru for all his life. The very presence of this idea shows that he cherishes in his heart a feeling of self-importance or greatness. The consciousness of being a Master, if maintained, soon develops into pride, the crudest form of Ahankar, and consequently into its resultant defects, which are the worst drawbacks in a Guru. It is, therefore, essential for a man to get rid of these evils before he comes out into the field as a Guru. God is the real Guru or Master and we get Light from Him alone. But as it is extremely difficult for a man of ordinary talents to draw inspiration from God direct, we seek the help of one of our fellow beings who has established his connection with the Almighty. It is thus quite evident that if a man comes out as a Guru or Master he has usurped the position really due to God and as such it is nothing but mere blasphemy. He must, therefore, treat himself as the humblest servant of God, serving humanity in the name of the great Master. There will thus be no room for Ahankar and for its resultant evils which are unfortunately too common nowadays. Reality is totally absent where these evils prevail. A Guru or teacher must, therefore, banish from his heart even the slightest feeling of greatness and superiority and consider himself as the humblest associate or a servant of humanity. My Master of revered memory was an example. All through his life he treated his associates as brethren. The idea that they were his disciples never once crossed his mind. He was ever ready to offer personal services even to his disciples and very often he did it without letting it come to their knowledge. I think and feel it as an essential thing for a Guru to give up his masterly position and feel himself an ordinary servant of humanity. His claim for personal service from the disciples has no justification except in cases of dire necessity and that too only to an extent to which he himself is prepared to render to his disciples. Most of the so-called Gurus nowadays encourage the practice, because it offers them personal comfort and feeds their vanity. They say that by touching the feet of Guru, or by massaging his limbs the magnetic currents pass on from the Guru to the disciple which helps the disciple to form pious Samskaras. Thus by this practice the disciple draws in much of purity and piety from his master. It may be true, but let me question them for a while whether the same thing is not possible if the Guru renders the same service to his disciple. I think none can dare deny it. Evidently then the motive at the back is nothing but personal comfort and ease. In my humble opinion the process should now be reversed in accordance with the need of the time and the Guru should himself render such services to his disciples. Really the position of Guru is very strange. If he feels himself as a Master and hence far above his associates, it will be an Ahankar of the worst type in a Guru. It is really the look-out of the disciple to devote himself to the service of his Guru with love and devotion and not the right or privilege of the Guru to demand it. I am reminded of an instance. A simpleton once approached one of such prevalent type of Gurus and offered to become his disciple. The Guru, delighted at the prospect of one more addition to his fold of Gurudom, began to teach him the duties of a disciple. "You should," he said, "be in complete submission to your Guru, attending all the time to his personal needs and services. You should prostrate before him every morning and evening and go to bed after the Guru is asleep and get up before he wakes." The poor fellow finding himself incapable of doing all this, innocently questioned: "What will be the result if I failed to act in strict accordance?" "You will be turned out and doomed" was the firm reply. "Then, Sir," he added politely, "It shall be very kind of you, if you accept me as a Guru." We often come across instances of jealousies and frictions between a Guru and his disciple. What is all this due to? It is only on account of selfish interest or personal gain. A Guru must, therefore, necessarily be quite devoid of any personal motive or selfish interest. He must be totally free from all feelings of pride or greatness. He must be a selfless man and a true servant of humanity at large, teaching people out of pure love without any ulterior selfish motive of name, fame or money. He must have his access up to the farthest possible limit and must have the power of Yogic transmission. Such a man we must seek for, as our guide if we want complete success. It is better to remain without a Guru all the life than to submit to the guidance of an unworthy Guru.

5 Spiritual Training


Our present moral and religious degradation is due mostly to our environment and to our wrong training. Proper moulding of mind is altogether neglected in all phases of education and training. Every possible effort is made to provide for worldly training of the right type in order to enable a man to secure a decent and comfortable living, but the proper training required for the realization of Self is totally neglected. Least significance, if at all, is attached to this most vital problem of life. Reciting daily a few verses in praise of a god or goddess or observing certain mechanical formalities by way of worship is all that the masses are taught to do. They do it for their whole life but probably without any gain whatsoever. Internal calmness still remains wanting in them. Activities of mind such as desires, temptations and emotional outbursts remain as they were ever before. The main purpose of training is that a man should begin to imbibe within him as much of godly attributes as possible. If this is not achieved the system of training is defective and consequently of no avail. Proper making of a man must be the natural result of the right type of training. Proper making comprises of the right moulding of mind with due moderation in the exercise of all our senses and faculties. Thus the right type of training under the guidance of a capable master is by far the most important factor in our proper making without which higher attainments in spirituality are never possible. Most of the people have, in some way or the other, a natural inclination towards God, yet those who succeed in realizing God are very rare. The cause is defective guidance and wrong training which leads a man away from the real path with the result that he is lost forever. Now for a man of ordinary capacity it is a pretty hard task to judge whether his training is rightly directed or not. A man tamely and unquestioningly follows the instructions of one whom he has accepted as his Guru and practises as he is required by him to do. It is very difficult for him to ascertain whether he is being guided along the right path or not. This is a great problem before the people who are themselves quite ignorant in matters concerning realization. You will find numerous teachers of religion who will tell you not to eat garlic, onion or carrot and insist upon you to adopt Sadhanas and practices which have no real significance or a hundred other such triflings which will never lead you even a step nearer to reality. This is no training. Such teachers are really deceiving themselves as well as those whom they teach. You must be sure that unless internal peace, calmness of mind, simplicity and lightness follow as the natural result of your practices, you are proceeding on the wrong lines and that your training is defective.

Methods of spiritual training, commonly adopted by most of the teachers, today, are based on hard and fast rules which often do not correspond with our worldly life. Hence in most cases they prove to be impracticable for those leading a worldly life. Generally teachers induce people to practise restraint by adopting a particular form of living disconnected with worldly concerns and to practise devotion for hours together. Evidently such a type of training is not meant for people in general who cannot dissociate themselves from worldly ties or devote so much time to their devotional exercises. It is for this reason that their preachings do not produce the desired effect and in spite of their best efforts they fail to mould them accordingly. The fact is that they are more theoretical than practical. Is it ever possible for the masses to renounce the world for the sake of liberation? Certainly not. What good then do the common people derive from their teachings? Some of them are even bold enough to proclaim their mistaken notion that higher attainments in spirituality are not possible in a Grihastha Ashram or household life. It really means that they have nothing to impart to the common people except telling them certain superficial things such as frequent bath in the Ganges, feeding the fishes with flour pills or reading the scriptures over and over again. The real problem before us is not to provide means for the spiritual training of a chosen few who have renounced the world but of people in general whose duties in the world besides devotional are manifold and which they cannot safely ignore. They in fact fail in their duty if they neglect any of them. To them it is essential that their spiritual as well as worldly life must go side by side equally resplendent and for this we have to discover the right means.

Proper spiritual training, fitting closely with the present worldly life is, therefore, the only thing required for the spiritual growth of the common people and which has so far been unfortunately neglected. For such a type of training we stand in need of help from outside in most of the cases. This help comes from the Guru or the Master, who is the only person able to shape our destiny. When this help comes, the spiritual life is awakened and the higher powers of soul are roused to help our growth.

Such impulse is to be sought only from one of our own fellow beings of the highest calibre, who may be within our approach ready to solve our difficulties at any time. The practice of seeking inspiration or guidance from gods and demi-gods or from some departed soul treating it as Guru or Master is in most cases very dangerous. Similar is the case with those also who seek guidance from their inner voice, as they call it. I have come across people who lay great stress upon their inner voice which they think to be the real guide in all controversial matters arising in the mind. We have concrete examples of people relying on their so-called inner voice who are found to have been misled in the spiritual field. Really what they think to be their inner voice or an impulse from the departed soul is only the play of their indisciplined mind. This undesirable practice, if followed for some time, makes the mind so much unduly powerful and over-active that it begins to question and answer by itself. This the people often misunderstand as a stage of Yogic attainment where one acquires the power to intercommune with departed souls. They are really far away from it. The inner voice or the voice of the real self is no doubt never misleading, but how many there are who are advanced enough to catch it. To most of those who profess to follow the inner voice it is quite inaudible. They are merely befooled by the wonder-working tendencies of the mind which can create anything and everything by itself. It can even present fearful ghosts to their view or make them hear strange voices in trees and stones. This is all due to the activities of the mind in its indisciplined and polluted state. Unless the coverings of Mal, Vikshep and Avaran are removed and the mind is brought to a state of perfect poise and moderation, inspiration or guidance from the inner voice is meaningless. Most of those who pose to follow the inner voice or seek guidance from a departed soul are really following the dictates of their own unregulated and indisciplined mind. It is mere hallucination. If we develop this vicious habit we are lost for ever. It leads us to constant mental worry and harassment. I know of a gentleman, prominent among the so-called Bhaktas, who professed that he had secured direct connection with the soul of Tulsidas, the author of the Ramayan, whom he had taken as his Guru. He went on for some time feeling exultant over his supposed achievement. Later on, a discord arose between him and his celestial Guru which soon developed into a bitter quarrel on account of which, as he used to say, he was constantly belaboured and harassed mentally with the result that his mental equilibrium was almost shattered and he felt extremely miserable. It was after two years of hard labour with him that he was cured of this evil. Then he was able to understand that it was all an illusion or self-deception and what he understood to be the inspiration from the soul of Tulsidas, was really the magic play of his own indisciplined mind. Since he has been relieved of that miserable state he now feels peace and tranquillity restored to him. The inner voice is in fact the voice of the mind in its perfectly pure state. Unless the mind is cleared of all pollutions and defilements and is brought to a state of perfect Peace and moderation, it can never reflect the inner voice. In fact for one whose mind is perfectly pure, it is his inner voice alone that always speaks and the impulse from highly developed liberated souls continues to flow to him continuously. The practice is thus evidently, very dangerous and in most cases leads to disastrous results.

The realization of God which has so far been considered to be extremely difficult, requiring hard labour and persistent efforts for many lives, is not really so. God is simple and can be achieved by equally simple means. The hard and fast rules of life and tiring practices prescribed by teachers for realization have really made matters so complicated that people are led to believe it to be beyond their power and capacity. I may assure you very sincerely that realization is not at all a difficult thing, only if you earnestly divert your attention to it. Iron will to achieve the goal together with proper means and guidance is the only thing required for the complete success.

Spiritual training starts with inner cleaning or the purification of 'Chakras' which is the most essential factor in spiritual advancement. Thus the right type of training in spirituality, begins with inner cleaning which, if neglected, will lead to abuse of power acquired through Yogic means. Hatha Yoga lays down mostly physical practices to effect cleaning, some of which are too hard and tedious for all and sundry, while under the system of 'Sahaj Marg' it is accomplished by easy mental practices, aided by the power transmitted by the teacher. Some of the teachers of religion often insist upon the people to devote as many as eight hours a day to practise certain mechanical exercises in order to keep their mind occupied in Divine thoughts. I strongly condemn the type of training which enforces practices that tax the brain or overburden the mind. The natural result of such training is that mind finds no scope for expansion and consequently the power of realization grows dull. It is just like thrashing a boy in order to induce him to concentrate. Strenuous labour with long and tedious physical practices as commonly recommended by teachers in order to effect the moulding of mind or the cleaning of the Chakras, is consequently not of much avail. For this purpose we utilize our thought power in a proper way, under the guidance of a powerful Master who is capable of removing complexities and entanglements that hinder our progress and who transmits into us the force necessary for the upkeep of our spiritual life. The simplified course of spiritual training has rendered the highest spiritual flight possible for everyone whether man, woman, young or old, Grihastha or Virakta (recluse).

The preliminary step in the right type of training is that the aspirant's tendencies of mind be directed towards God. For this the learned teachers of religion mostly prescribe physical practices of body and mind, picked up from religious books. People often find it a hard task to follow them and thus they remain lingering on indefinitely in the beginning with no further progress. A capable teacher should do this by own effort exercising the power of transmission in order to create a permanent and deep-rooted effect. When our mind is directed towards God we naturally begin to feel ourselves in touch with the Supreme Power in all our actions and workings. When this state of mind is permanently established within, every act we do, will then seem to be a part of devotion or Divine offering and we shall thereby be in constant remembrance of God all the while. Inner vibrations in the heart soon begin to be felt by the aspirant. This is the beginning of the spiritual state known as Shabda or Ajapa ( ). It develops automatically as we proceed along the right path under proper guidance. Certain people who practise Japa outwardly for a long time, sometimes find that even during sleep they go on with Japa as usual. This they misunderstand as Ajapa or Shabda. It is not really so. By constant practice, their heart and tongue become habituated to it and the action continues even when they are in sleep or otherwise unconscious. It, however, stops if they give up the practice for some time. This is only by the force of the habit and is not the actual state of Ajapa. The condition of Ajapa rightly believed to be a high spiritual achievement acquired after years of hard labour, is only a matter of weeks or rather days, through right training by the process of transmission. The vibrations thus created remain for some time located in the heart after which they gradually develop over to other Chakras and finally to every particle of the body. It is then known as Anhad ( ). The method to be pursued as recommended in our Mission is meditation under efficient guidance which is by far the most useful and probably the only means of securing complete success.

Generally people complain of numerous ideas creeping into their mind at the time of meditation. They think that they have failed in their practice unless they bring their mind to a standstill. But it is not so. We are not practising concentration but only meditation. We must go on with meditation unmindful of the foreign ideas that happen to come to our mind at the time. The flow of ideas is due to the activities of our conscious mind which is never at rest. We are still busy in meditation with our subconscious mind, while our conscious mind is roaming about and forming numerous ideas. Thus we are not the loser in any way. In due course, after sufficient practice, the conscious mind too gets moulded and begins to act in harmony with the subconscious mind. The result thus achieved is deep-rooted and lasting, and finally calmness, the characteristic of soul becomes predominant. In certain cases I have observed the teachers exercising their will power to stop the normal functioning of the mind during sittings, creating a temporary state of senselessness or suspension of brain. The condition, no doubt, is most attractive to a beginner, who is ignorant of reality, and he feels greatly impressed by this extraordinary display of power. In my opinion it is only a feat of jugglery practised by those who are eager to attract the largest number of disciples in order to establish their greatness as a Guru. I would call it the greatest misuse of power on the part of a spiritual teacher who has perhaps no other underlying motive than self-predominance. It is a wrong practice and greatly harmful to the spiritual advancement of an aspirant. Ideas thus suppressed or suspended, soon begin to react with greater force, spoiling the entire system. Besides, the practice creates internal heaviness and dullness of mind. One who is subject to such a practice for a long time loses sense of discrimination and his power of realization gets blunt. In course of time he gets completely spoiled and becomes quite unfit for the real spiritual training. If a man does not grow lighter day by day he must conclude that he is receiving wrong type of spiritual training. Constant growth of lightness of mind and spirit is the surest test of spiritual progress.

Thus the real spiritual training is that which makes our mind disciplined and regulated, restores moderation in senses and faculties and creates lightness of spirit. Then alone internal peace and calmness is ensured and higher approach is possible. For this, the medium of a worthy master of high calibre, having the power of transmission at his command is absolutely essential and to him the aspirant must surrender with full faith and confidence.

Some people think that initiation alone is enough to solve their problem of life. If they are able some how or other to secure initiation with a Guru, they do not stand in need of any further effort or practice. They think that a push by the Guru will in the end extricate them from the entanglements of Samskaras and Maya and lead them on to liberation. The notion though literally true, may not be very encouraging unless you completely surrender to him and the master too is of a specially high calibre. The thought of the betterment and progress of the disciple is, no doubt, the uppermost in the heart of the master for which he exerts himself as far as possible but that does not mean that we may remain idle doing nothing ourselves and leave our share of work too upon him. We must, as our duty, try our utmost to save him from unnecessary exertion on our account in as much as we can do ourselves for our advancement and should in no case neglect our part of the duty.

Most of the teachers of religion have adopted artificial methods for developing certain spiritual conditions in an aspirant but it is a very defective process. For example, in order to practise Gyan (Gnosticism) and create within the aspirant the state of Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahma) they advise him to meditate outwardly, thinking the same thing all the while and repeating the same words every moment. This is a mechanical process and leads to internal grossness. The real state of Aham Brahmasmi is never created by such artificial means. The repetition of the words over and over again helps him to form a habit of tongue and the same words slip out every moment. It is absurd to conclude that thereby he has become Gyani (Gnostic) in the real sense. They may repeat the words a hundred times and force their thoughts every moment to imagine everything as Brahma but still they may be as far away from it as ever. The practice creates an artificial atmosphere around him which helps him to imagine the same thing outwardly. The condition disappears if he gives up the habit of repeating the words again and again. It is, therefore, quite evident that the state of Aham Brahmasmi thus supposed to be created is not really genuine but only false and imaginary. Besides, even the real state of Aham Brahmasmi, which is commonly supposed to be a very high attainment is not really so. At this stage, a man, though relieved to some extent of the entanglements of Maya, is not actually beyond its final limits. Consciousness of self still exists at this stage which is nothing but grossness, though in a very subtle form. Those who preach it from the platform as the highest form of Gyan beyond which little remains to be achieved are grossly mistaken. It is not our destination, but we only pass by it to embark upon the next stage. Those who stick to it thinking it to be Reality or the final goal are committing a serious blunder. We have finally to arrive at a point where everything ends, including this idea of Aham or 'I'.

Such is the state of complete negation which we have finally to attain and where the cry of Aham or 'I' will be quite out of tune. The state of Aham Brahmasmi is originally caused by consciousness (or Chaitanyata) which automatically develops within us as we march along the path under proper guidance. It produces vibrations within, with the result that the mind begins to echo the same vibrations. This state of mind appears at every stage of spiritual progress in their forms: 'I am Brahma', 'All is Brahma' and 'All from Brahma'. The entire state in all its three aspects is in fact unity in diversity in different forms. It appears in a crude form in Pind Desh; in Brahmanda Mandal it becomes finer and more subtle, while in Para Brahma Mandal it becomes extremely subtle. All these conditions end within the first of the sixteen circles as shown by the diagram in chapter II. The right course of training for an aspirant of spirituality, therefore, is to proceed along the path of realization under the guidance of a true and worthy master in the most natural way, with due regard to inner cleanliness or purification of Chakras and complete moderation in the exercise of the senses and other faculties.

6 Faith


Will, faith and confidence are the elementary factors which contribute to an easy success on the path of realization. Strong will to achieve reality means that we are inwardly awakened to the thought of recognizing Self. We proceed on with the idea and select a path. The very first thing to be looked to, seriously, is that the path we select is the right one, leading directly to our goal. It is, therefore, quite essential to have in our mind a clear and definite conception of the final goal. Now the final goal of different people may be different in many respects, and consequently, means to achieve it may also be different. We have thus to select the right path leading directly to the final goal for which we aspire. Hasty judgement in the matter often leads to disappointing results, for it is just possible that the path you have been persuaded to adopt may not be the right one leading to your destination. Often by adopting a wrong course you lose sight of the real thing and are led into false conceptions and illusions. If you persist on the same course your final approach to reality becomes impossible. This often happens when you unfortunately fall under defective guidance and wrong training. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary at the very outset to try every possible means to judge that the path you have adopted for realization is really the right one. Do not follow a path because it is the oldest, for the oldest one may be most ill-suited to the changed conditions of the world and the society. Do not follow a path because it has been followed by the majority of men, for the majority may not always be right and is more often led by only a chosen few, who, in all possibility might have been misled. We must be thoroughly considerate in judging the merits of a thing, applying all possible means at our disposal. We should never come to a hasty conclusion without due consideration and trial, through the help of reason and experience. When we are, finally convinced of the merits of the thing we may stick to it with faith and constancy. Faith thus reposed shall be genuine and lasting while faith promoted by inducement offered by outwardly attractive features and display of pretty materialistic achievements is no faith at all but may rightly be termed as persuasion. It has no stable foundation to rest upon and disappears under ordinary adverse circumstances.

Gross type of worships of idols in the solid material shapes and rigid adherence to forms, symbols and rituals do not actuate real faith. It is pure and simple materialism which promotes prejudice, and not the true faith in the heart of those who pursue it. They believe blindly in what they are induced to, without applying their reason or judgement and are not in the least inclined even to consider any other course. I find people acknowledging the efficacy of certain other means of direct approach to Reality but still they are not prepared to follow them because, as they say, they cannot get away from the path they have already adopted. They have in fact, no faith in reality but only faith in forms and symbols which may rightly be termed as prejudice. It means that their vision has become limited and they do not want to rise high to seek Reality. Their fate is sealed and they remain in the same confined sphere for ever. In fact, what keeps us down, checking us from rising higher cannot be termed as faith. It is consequently very essential for every one to fix his eyes on Absolute Reality with faith and confidence and to adopt ways, helpful and conducive to Self-realization. We then march on up to the final point where we assume the same pure form we had at the time of creation. For that we have to renounce necessarily all our belongings of Samskaras, Maya and egoism, and grow lighter and lighter at every step. Heaviness of mind or internal denseness caused by gross forms of worship is thus a great impediment to our spiritual advancement and should be avoided. If they maintain it with ever-increasing intensity they remain entangled in the thorny bushes of grossness and deception far removed from the realm of perpetual bliss.

The other important factor of a spiritual life is faith in the Master, for as I have already said before, the help of a capable master is indispensable for higher spiritual attainments. He is the only medium through whom the divine impulse comes to an aspirant. It is, therefore, but essential that the guide we select should be one of highest capability and practical attainments. To judge the real worth of the guide we must associate with him for some time trying and testing him by all means in our power. When we are thus convinced of his capabilities through reason and experience we may accept him as our Master and submit to his guidance. If we disregard this principle we are likely to be deceived in our judgement. We must never follow any one blindly having been attracted towards him by his outward imposition and display of knowledge. For proper judgement of the true merits of a man we must take into account his practical attainments in the spiritual field. We must seek in him the real thing, we crave for. When we are thus convinced, we naturally begin to feel an inward attraction for him and think him to be the very person who can shape our destiny. The feeling gradually develops into faith and we begin to love him. We submit to his views with due regard to his personality and proceed along the path under his guidance. The experience of achievements gained during the course convinces us further of the extraordinary capacities of the master and we begin to look upon him as a superhuman being. Our faith now is greatly helpful to us in our spiritual progress. It dispels clouds of doubt and uncertainty and removes difficulties and obstructions from our path. Faith is really the foundation of the entire structure of spirituality. Faith in reality, faith in the right course you have adopted for realization, faith in the worthy Master whom you have submitted to, this is the rock upon which you must build your edifice of spirituality if you really aim at success. You will thereby be possessed of an internal force, strong enough to shatter all the forces of evil that might be surrounding you. It will help you to draw fresh divine impulse whenever you require it.

Some people take a ve