Author: Mandala

Purification of Emotions

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To prevent internal disturbances from extraneous thoughts and sentiments arising during meditation one needs to practice purifications such as:

  1. The five yamas: non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, abstinence from sensual indulgence, non-possessiveness, and the five niyamas: purity, contentment, practices that lead to purification of body and mind and senses, study that leads to knowledge of the Self and surrender to the ultimate reality.
  2. The four brahma-viharas or right attitudes: friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked. (YS.I.33).
  3. The antidotes to disturbing thoughts, prati-paksha-bhavana(YS.II.33) to ward off the thoughts (vitarkas) opposed to the yamas, niyamas, and brahma-viharas (YS.II.34), and so forth. The practice of these leads to:
    1. ethical behavior
    2. thereby loosening the bonds of karma, and
    3. chitta-pra-sadana, clarity and purification of mind, making the mind pleasant and clear, and thereby
    4. sthiti-ni-bandhana, firming up the physical and mental stability and steadiness in life and during meditation.

It is not as simple as it appears.  For example, the preceptors in the Himalayan tradition state that they are able to sit in one posture for long hours because:

  1. they are emotionally stable and undisturbed, and
  2. they have practiced certain special mantras and tantric concentrations after having been initiated into states energizing the muladhara-chakra. Just reading a scholarly commentary on the Yoga-sutras’sutra on asana will not help the disciple accomplish such a state; the entire integral system must be followed. For example, if one has mastered a meditation posture through Hatha practices and can keep that posture for some time, this will not prevent him for feeling a sensation of moving and swaying, etc. (YS.I.31) that many meditators suffer.
  3. Another aspect of purification is the conquest of the vikshepas, nine disturbances in the path of concentration: sickness, mental laziness, doubt, lack of enthusiasm, sloth, craving for sense-pleasure, false perception, despair caused by failure to concentrate and unsteadiness in concentration (YS.I.30), and their five accompaniments: grief, despondency, trembling of the body and irregular breathing (YS.I.31).

Without such a conquest one will remain bound to the first three states of mind: turbulent (kshipta), stupefied (mudha), distracted by the vikshepas (vi-kshipta) and will not be able to move to the next ground (bhumi), being one-pointed (ekagra) and then totally controlled (ni-ruddha) in samadhi.

For the conquest of these distractions special methods are employed in the Himalayan oral traditions.  For example, the involuntary physical movement or swaying, or sensation of swaying even without a perceptible movement is overcome by:

  1. purifying the emotions,
  2. certain mantras, and
  3. meditating in the preceptor’s presence which helps steady the sadhaka’s

Editor’s Note

Passage has been taken from the booklet The Himalayan Tradition of Yoga Meditation, pp 11-14, Ahymsin Publishers, copy printed in 2013.

The Waking Consciousness: Vaishnavara

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Can the external world help you in attaining the goal of life? Yes and no, both. If the external world does not creatThe Upanishads say that first you will have to face the external world. You will have to learn the technique of doing your duties in the external world. If you know how to live in the external world, perhaps the external world will not create any barriers on the path of unfoldment.e problems for you, then it is helpful. If external world creates problems for you, then it’s impossible for you to progress on the path of unfoldment. I am here, now. If you all decide that Swamiji should not meditate, I cannot, for you will kick me from this side, give me a blow from the other side, creating hindrances for me. How can I meditate? So, external world can create barriers for you. If the barriers are not there, it is a great help.

When Alexander the Great invaded India, his teacher asked him to bring back two things: the flute and the scripture called the Bhagavad Gita. So after conquering a part of India, he told his prime minister, “I want to meet a swami, a wise man, because the flute and Gita will be of no use if there is no swami.” The minister went in search of a wise man. He asked the people around and someone said, “Such and such a person, sitting on that mountain is a wise man and he will help you, sir.” That wise man was sitting on a rock. Alexander approached him and said, “What can I do for you, sir?” He smiled, but did not look at Alexander. So the prime minister said, “He’s Alexander the Great. Perhaps you do not know that he’s a very great man of the world, a very famous warrior who conquered the whole world.” The wise man would not look at him. So again Alexander asked, “What can I do for you, sir?” He replied, “Just remove yourself, let the sunlight shine on me. That’s what you can do.”

What can you do for others? If you do not create any barrier, any hindrance, any problem for others, that is a great help. This is my point. When you go out to help somebody, perhaps your selfishness and ego are mingled, and that will not help. Don’t create barriers, hindrances and obstacles for others; let them grow. Let them unfold; let them tread the path of light. That is the greatest help that you can give. It’s called minding your own business!

All the things in the world have a name and form. Is there any form that does not go through change, death and decay? So name and form are temporary aspects of that something which goes on changing. There is one word in Sanskrit for this world, samsara. It continues, goes on, like a river that goes on flowing. One mass of water passes, yet another mass comes, fills that gap and there is no gap at all. There is continuity. We will all go away, others will come. There will be continuity. This world will always remain crowded, over-crowded. So, this is the world, this is samsara. Now this external aspect of samsara, of this universe, is called Vaishvanara.

Herein lies a secret for the sadhaka, the aspirant. To turn the consciousness within, you will have to use a method of withdrawing the senses from the external world. That is called sparsa yoga, yoga of touch. If you analyze two things in your life, one called pain and another called pleasure, you will come to know that pain and pleasure, these two stimuli, are received when your senses contact matter. The Gita explains it this way, matra sparshastu kaunteya sheetoshna sukha dukha da. You feel pain and pleasure, heat and cold because your senses contact the objects of the external world. If you can stop doing this, you will not feel pain or pleasure; you will not feel heat or cold. So all the time, with the help of your senses, you are in contact with the objects of the external world. You do not know how to withdraw your senses. That is why on the eight runged ladder of yoga, ashtanga yoga, the fifth rung, pratyahara or sensory withdrawal, is very important. There are no books on the subject of pratyahara. There are books on concentration, there are books on meditation, there are books on samadhi, but there are no books on pratyahara, because it’s a practical technique. You should learn to withdraw your senses, to turn inward, because the senses make you contact the external world and that’s why you feel pain and pleasure. You have to be free from pain and pleasure; you can be free!

Editor’s Note

Reprinted from Om the Eternal Witness, by Swami Rama.

What is the Vishuddha chakra?

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Question

Can anyone give me more knowledge on the Vishuddha chakra, the ether element…space energy…communications?? What is the Vishuddha chakra? I know its place in the body, the throat; it’s especially important in the psychic breath of the Ujjayi pranayama. To me it is a mystery.

Answers

Four have answered this question: Michael Smith, Stephen Parker (Stoma), Mrs. Lalita Arya (Ammaji), and Carolyn Hume.

Michael Smith

The best information I’ve found on Vishuddha Chakra is from the section on Vishuddha Chakra in Yoga and Psychotherapy: The Evolution of Consciousness (pp. 254-262), by Swami Rama, Rudolph Ballentine and Swami Ajaya — where it is said:

Vishuddha Chakra (or 5th Chakra or Throat Chakra,) has to do with being nurtured “from above”  taking in what is given, being cared for, being tied to a reliable source of nurturance, of feeling basically secure – learning to surrender & accept, to receive grace and unconditional love — and then the “creativity” and seva “service” that flows from that nurturance. Think of Anjali Mudra (the prayer position with the palms together and held between the heart and the throat), where energy and awareness are concentrated at Anahata and Vishuddha Chakras, and a devotional attitude is created, harmonizing Grace and Effort. “In the act of being creative, one nurtures himself by giving himself and accepting for himself guidance from the higher consciousness that lies within.  It is this sense that we say that the act of nurturing and being nurtured are one and the same.”

Another good resource is the section on “Surrender” (pp. 123-150) in Healing the Whole Person: Applications of Yoga Psychology by Swami Ajaya.

Stephen Parker (Stoma)

Here is one answer: Viśuddha means “purified.” This refers to the processes of tapas, “austerity,” replacing experiences of pleasure with experiences of joy and transcendent beauty by refining one’s enjoyments through concentration (tapas). Concentration at this cakra eventually yields control over hunger and thirst. It is also a center that concerns speech (the process of vibration moving through space) and hence creativity and expression. It is the seat of the dream state, so stimulation of this cakra through an intensive practice of simhāsana potentiates the experience of dreams and carrying mindful awareness into your dreams is one step on the path to yoga-nidrā. As the awakening of Kundalini slowly evolves in the cakra system, this stage concerns preparation of the mindfield through citta-prasādana (making the mindfield clear, pleasant and stable) for deeper practices of concentration and meditation that lead to samādhi.

Mrs. Lalita Arya (Ammaji)

Ujjayi Pranayama is a technique that helps calm the mind and warm the body. When practicing Ujjayi, you completely fill your lungs, and breathe through your nose, meaning do not breathe through your mouth, as this happens unconsciously sometimes.

Vishudha – ‘visha’ means ‘poison’ and ‘shudha’ means to make pure. so this is the throat section which when concentrated on helps purify body and mind. For easy practice concentrate on the visual image blue in color with a downward triangle in a circle within a larger circle of 16 petals.

On the physical plane it is supposedly associated with the thyroid gland dealing with general health. On the specifics it is associated with speech, communication, expression – all related to sound. Also associated with music. Singers usually concentrate on this. This is the answer with technical details.

However, it is always advised that if you are an initiate in our Tradition of Himalayan teachers, you consult with a qualified teacher to guide in such practices. We read about all kinds of stuff connected with yoga/meditation practices, but are not always educated on the effects of their practices. Every action has a re-action and the same applies to our practice. One needs to be ready for a particular practice and be prepared to go through its entirety. Everything is a mystery until one understands its history and even then we need a competent Guide.

All the best with blessings of the Tradition.

Carolyn Hume

In Path of  Fire and Light, Volume 1 in the chapter “The Awakening of Kundalini,” Swami Rama wrote: “The fifth chakra is located in the vertebral column at the hollow of the throat. It is called vishuddha chakra, which means ‘purified.’ Here there are sixteen lotus petals. Each contains one of the vowel sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet and represents a quality that is cultivated with mastery over this chakra. The akasha principle – space, ether, or the void – is the force of this chakra. The color of vishuddha is blue and its bija is ham. The sense of hearing is controlled by this chakra. Vishuddha is the center of receptivity and creativity. Devotion, surrender, trust, and willingness are qualities that it engenders. Musicians and artists are said to have their energy concentrated there.”

And in Lecture #7 during the 2013 Sangha Gathering, Swami Veda Bharati said, “One whose throat chakra [vishuddha chakra] is open becomes both eloquent and goes into natural silence. Not one word of his wasted. His words become effective, and he goes into natural silence. He does not want to speak. He does not want to speak. He has control over hunger and thirst. People who are suffering from diseases like bulimia and anorexia nervosa, I tell them to concentrate on the throat center. People who are suffering from chronic coughs, I tell them to concentrate on the throat center with a visualization of a full moon – but then there are other intricacies. So, one whose throat chakra has opened doesn’t go about shouting at the world. He develops a serene voice, an effective voice, and is very selective with his words. He becomes a master of languages, but doesn’t use it for showing off. And silence to him becomes natural.”

It is well to take heed of what Ammaji has written regarding consultation with a qualified teacher, preparation, and mystery.

When I heard this question, I immediately thought of the will – Thy will be done…and to the state where there is no distinction between Thy will and my will.

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.

Skill in Action

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There is excessive ungentleness in the world, and display of pride and arrogance.  We speak looking down upon the ‘lesser ones’, sometimes gently, but that also patronizingly.  We do so towards ‘lower castes’, towards ‘have nots’, towards children, towards ‘employees’, towards people of other nations, religions, skin colours, cultures, languages – but we expect these ‘lesser ones’ to practice humility towards us.  This continues till they rebel and we quash the rebellions equally insensitively and arrogantly because, well, ‘we are the senior ones’!!

We shout slogans against nuclear wars without controlling and pacifying our personal angers in daily life – how would we then prevent wars without individual peace in each mind?

At the same time, we are always in denial about our individual violence, ungentleness, harshness, personal anger, pride, and arrogance.  Let someone say, ‘you are being ungentle’, we immediately blurt our defensiveness: ‘What? I am so gentle!  I am so humble!!’; ‘there is no ego in me!’; ‘angry? Who? Me? You are imagining!!’; ‘you are always unfairly criticizing me!’ and so on.

A spiritual guide makes us confront our inner ‘demons’ and exorcise them.

This document is an invitation to constant

self-observation

self-examination

self-purification

self-pacification

Please respond to the invitation.

Are the suggestions being made in this document impractical when one is working in and interacting with modern societies?

Nothing can be achieved in a day.

Change has to begin somewhere, even at a snail’s pace.

Just as one keeps one’s spirituality private when interacting with daily routines of business, government and employment situations, but maintains it as a well-guarded treasure, so also one may apply the principles suggested here slowly in the outside world, examining where they may be acceptable without excessive resistance from others.

If you made the experimentation, you would be surprised at the positive results you would obtain in your company, your offices, with your ‘employees’.  And at home with your family.

Editor’s Note

This passage has been taken from the book Sadhana in Applied Spirituality, pp 13-14, published by Ahymsin Publishers in 2013

Here and Hereafter

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At some point every human being becomes confused about his dharma or duty. Arjuna, a warrior who specializes in the science and art of war, should learn to practice and perform his duty, so Sri Krishna instructs him not to think of renouncing his dharma. Instead he shows him the path to follow in order to fulfil his dharma. For Arjuna, fighting the war is the only dharma that can open the gate of heaven for him. All heavenly joys can be experienced if one learns to perform his dharma. As it is used here, heaven means knowledge of the higher dimensions, which frees one from the apparent reality of the external world. All great traditions of the world conceive of a heaven that one may attain after death. But those who understand the science and art of death and dying can glimpse the life hereafter while still living.

When one learns to study the past, present and future as different parts of one whole, he can have a vision of life hereafter, for whatever one was before, that he is today, and the way one directs the course of his life today will create his future. After death the individual soul does not go to heaven or hell but remains in the atmosphere created by his habit patterns. Negative habits lead to unpleasant experiences, which are called hell, and positive habits lead to pleasant or heavenly experiences. Heaven is a predetermined factor that one creates in his unconscious where the habit patterns of merit and demerit remain lively. No external agent can force another to go to hell or heaven. Heaven and hell are realities that one creates with his thoughts, deeds, and habit patterns.

Editor’s note

This passage has been taken from the book Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita, pp 70 – 71, by Swami Rama, published 1985 by the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the USA.

Yoga Approved in Saudi Arabia

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Yoga is now an approved sports activity in Saudi Arabia

Due to the conscientious efforts of Nouf Marwaai, an initiate and student of Swami Veda Bharati, yoga has recently been legalized in Saudi Arabia.

We thank Nouf for all her efforts towards spreading yoga in Saudi Arabia and making available the yoga teachings for many. As Swami Rama writes in his book – Living with the Himalayan Masters:

04a Yoga in Saudi Arabia

“We do not believe in conversion, changing cultural habits, or introducing any God in particular. We respect all religions equally, loving all and excluding none. Neither do we oppose any temple, mosque, or church, nor do we believe in building homes for God while ignoring human beings. Our firm belief is that every human being is a living institution or a temple.”

“We strictly abstain from politics and from opposing any religion.”

The United Nations General Assembly in 2015 recognized that yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being and that wider dissemination of information about the benefits of practising yoga would be beneficial for the health of the world population. It also underscored the fact that global health is a long-term development objective that requires closer international cooperation through the exchange of best practices aimed at building better individual lifestyles devoid of excesses of all kinds, before declaring the International Day on Yoga on June 21.

This was a much needed move since Malaysia’s top Islamic body, the National Fatwa Council, had banned yoga for Muslims in 2008, claiming that elements of Hinduism in the ancient Indian exercise could corrupt them. The Fatwa Council chairperson, Abdul Shukor Husin, said many Muslims failed to understand that the ultimate aim of yoga is to be one with the God of a different religion – an explanation disputed by many practitioners who say yoga need not have a religious element.

Since then, it became difficult for Muslims around the world, and not just in Malaysia, to practice, teach, or propagate the yoga teachings.

Nouf Marwaai, who teaches yoga to thousands of people in the Islamic nation, has had an uphill task to make the profession official. “My illness made me interested in yoga,” said the 37-year old Nouf, who has been on the forefront of the yoga campaign in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  “I do yoga and naturopathy. My disease is stable and my doctors are surprised. That is I became committed in learning and promoting yoga in Saudi Arabia,” Nouf said.

04b Yoga in Saudi Arabia

Her journey was a long and painstaking one. She started approaching the authorities in 2005 but to no avail. She finally approached Princess Reem bint Bandar Al-Saud, the deputy president of Saudi Arabia’s Women’s Sports Authority. “Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud was chosen to be the deputy of the General Sports Authority and she welcomed all leaders in any sports for women to approach her directly. Sports have been allowed for women this year, and driving as well,” Nouf said. The princess assured Nouf that things were changing and they will soon approve sports for women.

Finally, her efforts have paid off, when Saudi Arabia on November 14, 2017, officially approved yoga as a sporting activity under its Ministry of Trade and Industry. So, any Saudi citizen who now wishes to practice, teach, and propagate yoga in Saudi Arabia can do so by applying for and procuring a license from the government.

The leadership in Saudi Arabia, King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, are changing the history of Saudi Arabia. The crown prince, known as MBS, launched the new Vision 2030 that focuses on development and investing in youth.

His vision includes focus on health and wellness of the nation as well. On September 26 this year, Saudi Arabia officially allowed women to drive cars. This move came after the kingdom was widely criticized for years for its conservative attitude towards women.

It was the concerted efforts in campaigns throughout the nation and fighting conservative as well as fundamentalist forces to reach out to the government for a change in the mindset towards women that led to this decision by Saudi Arabia.

Editor’s Note:

The Himalayan Tradition of Yoga Meditation is not a religion. Having cultivated an authoritative knowledge of the religious writings and meditative practices of the world, and being versed in 17 languages, Swami Veda Bharati used to teach meditation to people of different faiths – Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Hebrews, Hindus, etc. – from within their own rich scriptural and meditative traditions.

What should I do with the disturbing and uncontrollable thoughts during meditation?

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Question

What should one do of s/he wants to meditate but while meditating s/he is disturbed by the disturbing and uncontrollable thoughts? And what if during the attempt of meditation, the mind is invaded by obscene thoughts or images of revered beings like saints and/or God? The fact that the more we prohibit a thought from coming to mind, the more forcefully it enters in, makes the thing more difficult! In that condition should one continue meditation attempt or leave it or keep on taking small gaps in between?

Answers

Three have answered this question: Michael Smith, Stephen Parker (Stoma), and Carolyn Hume.

Michael Smith

1) Let any thoughts that come into the mind pass though, like leaves on the surface of a river floating downstream, or traffic going by on a busy street. Don’t give thoughts any energy by paying attention to them. Good, bad, ugly thoughts, silly thoughts, heavy thoughts – it makes no difference; the technique is the same.

2) As best as you can, let your breathing be continuous and unbroken, like a circle, or a sine wave. If the breath is perfectly pause-less, thoughts cannot exist. The unbroken breath stream is your best friend. It’s quite magical that something so simple could be so powerful!

3) Between the exhalations and inhalations, however, there might be a slight pause. Be particularly vigilant to your breathing during these transitions and keep the breath flowing smoothing and effortlessly.

4) With exhalations, there is a natural “letting go,” a good time to visualize any thoughts leaving and dissolving. With inhalations be sure to continue the feeling of release and letting go and not allow tension to come.

5) If you have a personal mantra, replace random thoughts with the mantra thought. If you do not have a personal mantra, use the mantra “So-ham” – “So” with the inhalations, and “Ham” with the exhalations. Two thoughts cannot exist in the mind simultaneously, so concentrate on keeping the mantra thought. Whenever a random thought intrudes, that is the signal to return to the mantra thought. “So-ham” is a high mantra, a maha-vakya, and its subtle sound is intrinsically beneficial.

Stephen Parker (Stoma)

Remember that thoughts that arise in meditation are part of a natural cleansing process that the mind goes through. If you simply observe these thoughts and let them go without reacting to them, gradually your mind will clarify and settle down. We all have disturbing thoughts that arise. If you allow yourself to react to these thoughts and images then you begin to recycle them back into your mind in the form of samskaras.

Carolyn Hume

In addition to what Michael and Stoma have written, Swami Veda wrote,

“If the mind wanders off, because of its usual habit that has been given to it over many lifetimes, straighten your spine again; relax quickly again; re-establish diaphragmatic breathing; continue with the awareness of the flow and touch of the breath in the nostrils.”

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.

Christian Meditation Retreat in November 2017

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A Christian Meditation Retreat is scheduled for November 20 – 25, 2017, at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG), Rishikesh, India. This retreat will be guided by Ma Tureeya Bharati and others. Ma Tureeya, a practicing Christian nun and the spiritual guide of Jeevan Dhara Sadhana Kutir in Rishikesh, has also taken sanyasa vows in the Himalayan Tradition with Swami Veda.

In the morning of 29th November 2007, Swami Veda Bharati gave sanyasa-diksha to Sister Tureeya, who became Ma Tureeya Bharati, in a ceremony at Sadhana Mandir. At that time, Donna Marie Anderson (who became Ma Radha Bharati) and Swami Nityamuktananda Saraswati also took vows.

Dr. Prakash Dixit reported that Ma Turiya Bharati explained that as she grew up and began to make her own reflections on life, she realized that the Indian tradition was open to Jesus, and that Jesus held the Indian tradition close to His own Heart.

Ma Tureeya said, “So, I always had a deep but may be unconscious desire to integrate the two traditions for myself and in my own person. Swami Veda Bharati aptly summed up my desire for an integration of identity in the Divine with the metaphor of the ‘mixing of the waters of the Holy Ganga and the waters of the Jordan’ in which Jesus was initiated into His earthly mission. My embracing of sannyasa, therefore, is a witness to this –‘blending’- this communion in the Spirit, the Divine Source. I now feel that I carry in my person the great and eternal truth experienced by our sages and to which Jesus witnessed by his passing through death into Life.-‘Tat tvam asi’ ‘Aham bramashmi’ or as Jesus put it for the people of his tradition ‘I and the Father are One’ or ‘The Father is in me and I am in the Father.’ ”

Contact: ahymsin@ahymsin.org

Bhakti Yoga: Path of Love and Devotion

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Bhakti is a powerful path for learning to channel one’s emotional power, which arises from desires. Desires themselves spring from the four primitive urges—the drives for food, sex, sleep, and self-preservation, which exist in every living creature. But there is another inborn force within us that does not arise from these primitive foundations—the drive to know, experience, and enjoy Truth. It is this drive which gives rise to devotion and bhakti.

When the force and power of all our desires can be channeled toward the Divine, rather than toward attaining the charms of the external world, then love, the strongest force in the universe, lends its energy to the path. That love exists within all, and can be experienced when the mind is no longer dissipated by the ego and the objects of the senses. When the spark of that love is ignited, it can create a burning desire to experience union with the Absolute. That flame is capable of burning away all the little desires of life, until only one flame exists—the flame of devotion that burns eternally in the chamber of the heart.

This quality of one-pointed devotion can also be compared to a wave of joy and beauty that sweeps across all the little waves made by emotional distractions, and has such power that it can transform a human being. This is a state of surrender of one’s little self to a higher reality, in which one accepts oneself as being one with the Absolute. This is a subtle and profound transformation of the human heart. After this change has taken place, one does not necessarily have to stop his or her involvement with the world; instead, everything that is done is done with a new awareness. Then, everything becomes an act of devotion and worship, directed toward the Divine principle. One works, eats, talks, and sleeps—but these are no longer mundane activities. Instead, each of these actions is done with an awareness of the Divine and is transformed into an offering and a surrender of oneself.

Selfishness is the opposite of this process of surrender. When we are selfish, we seek to maintain the priorities of our own individual egos and personalities, and we deny the existence of any higher entity. This is why selfishness is so destructive to any sincere seeker on the spiritual path. When we are selfish we contract ourselves and think only in terms of “I, me, and mine,” which limits our ability to allow consciousness to unfold. When we expand our personalities through selflessness and surrender, we are actually allowing the expansion of consciousness and freeing ourselves from the prison of our own egos.

That is why love and non-violence are also so important on the path of bhakti. Learning to cultivate love on the human level in our daily relationships also serves to assist us in unfolding love for the Divine. Love expresses our awareness of the unity that exists within all. But it is very challenging to love, because it means surrendering all our expectations and demands. This concept of surrender does not mean surrendering ourselves to another person or allowing ourselves to be treated badly by others. Instead, surrender means surrendering the little self of the personality to the highest Self. When one cultivates this attitude, there is no sense of sorrow or deprivation, but only the desire to give and serve, and the ability to receive joy and delight from that process.

In the higher levels of bhakti and surrender, one actually begins to think of oneself as an instrument of the Divine, and every action is a means of expressing devotion. This is an unlimited and unconditional love for the Divine. When one lives in this state of consciousness, then many miracles and unusual things can be accomplished, because the seeker no longer thinks of himself or herself as separate from the One. This is the final stage of bhakti, in which one has united his or her consciousness with the Divine, and identifies with the Beloved.

Before this stage can be accomplished, however, there are preliminary levels in which one experiences bhakti from the perspective of duality and separation from the Divine. In many mystical traditions, the devotion of bhakti is expressed as the seeker’s longing for union with the Beloved. This theme can be found in the writings of some of the Christian saints, such as St. Teresa, and also in the devotion of Meera for Krishna. Many well known poets in the East, such as Kabir, Tagore, and Tulsidasa, also wrote beautiful devotional poetry that expressed their longing for union with the One.

Editor’s Note

Reprinted from Yoga International, Jan/Feb, 1992

Happiness in Marriage

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Some people think that many men and women turn to married life only for the sake of security, motivated by selfishness and the fear of being alone. Actually, the institution of marriage exists for a much higher purpose; it is not simply a biological or emotional convenience. The great sages teach that marriage is more sacred than a mere contract or arrangement in which two people decide to get together and live with each other. Marriage has a goal, and both partners should have a common purpose, regardless of the country from which they come or their cultural, religious, philosophical or historical backgrounds. Everyone seeks happiness in life, but the problem is, how do we achieve a state of genuine happiness in the world, when everything around us in changing constantly? Whatever makes us happy will not last forever. This external world of people and objects is transient and impermanent. So how does a human being achieve a state of enduring happiness?

Most people wait for others to make them happy, and they think that at some specific point they will achieve happiness – when they are married on a child is born or they purchase a home. But none of these joyful events creates lasting happiness. Thus, the mind itself creates suffering, because it harbours expectations that are unrealistic – the only real happiness lies within.

We expect marriage of family life to make us happy, but this institution is not the goal itself, it is only a means to a deeper happiness. If two people share this understanding, then they can enjoy their married life with a sense of contentment, rather than expectation.

The highest aim of life is to possess the deeper happiness that is eternal, undisturbed, and unchanging. To achieve such happiness, human beings need to understand not only themselves, but others as well.

In ancient times men and women did many experiments and finally decided to live together with a certain understanding in the arrangement that we call marriage. In Persian the world for marriage is cushy, which also means “happiness”. In Sanskrit the word for marriage is vivaha, which signifies that two people have decided to tread their paths together and attain the highest state of happiness in this lifetime.

But I have observed that all too often, marriage does not lead to such happiness. Rarely have I seen a genuinely happy couple. Couples often come to see me smiling, and I feel very happy when they affirm their love for one another. The first question I ask them is whether they love each other, and they usually insist that they do, but often after some time passes, I discover that their claims are false. I have tried to understand the root cause of this superficial level of commitment and insincere life, and I have found that the cause lies in their individual selfishness.

When people decide to marry, they need to recognize that up to that point, they have lived alone, which is easy, because a single person can think only of himself or herself. Now, they must learn to live with each other. People who wish to marry should ask themselves, “Do I have the capacity to live intimately with this person? Can I adjust to him or her? Do I have the essential qualities that are needed to live with others –truthfulness, sincerity, faithfulness, tolerance, patience, acceptance, and self-sacrifice? Do I have the qualities that I will need to live peacefully with another person? If not, I must develop them, or I will not succeed in my marriage.”

Editor’s note

This passage has been taken from the book Love and Family Life, pp 13 – 15, by Swami Rama, published 1992 by the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the USA.