Category: Swami Rama

Yoga deals with the experiential aspects of man’s liberation from human imperfection and suffering, and is concerned with practical methods for attaining this state, using the philosophical doctrines of Samkhya as their basis. Samkhya philosophy supports the philosophy of yoga—samyak akhyate, that which explains the whole. The Samkhya school of philosophy admits of two ultimate realities: purusha, or cosmic consciousness, and prakriti, or elemental matter. The manifest universe evolves out of prakriti. It results from the coming together of purusha and prakriti, matter being permeated by consciousness.

What is more, this scheme of evolution applies both to the macrocosm (the universe) and to the microcosm (a human being). Yoga bases its teachings on this scheme of evolution in the microcosm. It concerns itself with the practical aspects of involution or the return from identification with the manifest body and mind to ultimate consciousness.

Yoga teaches you how to be and gives something that religion does not provide. Yoga is an exact science that helps you to know yourself on all levels—body, breath, mind and spirit. From your childhood onward your education has led you to examine and verify things in the external world, which is constantly changing. Your education has not helped you to become aware that there is another reality within that never changes. You have to learn to accommodate and understand both realities and the whole structure of life, including the known and the unknown, the apparent and the real. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali emphasizes the importance of understanding life within, while not ignoring the external world. According to Patanjali, the prime goal of human life is to establish oneself in one’s essential nature.

Yoga science asserts that the human mind is not established in its true nature because it identifies with the objects of the external world. The purpose of yoga science is to lead you within to the highest state of tranquility, wisdom and bliss, in which you remain fully conscious and aware of the reality. Yoga teaches you how to see within. If you remain an outsider, your mind will continue to be scattered and you will not understand why you have come to this world, what the goal of life is or how you should relate to others. You do not know yourself, yet you are trying to know others. In order to know and understand yourself on all dimensions, you will have to search within. Once you understand and know yourself, you will be able to analyze the entire universe and your relationship with the universe and with other beings. By analyzing a drop of water, you can know the ocean; by analyzing this human life, you can know the whole universe. The same Self that dwells within you dwells in everyone. That Self is the center of consciousness.

The term yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj (to yoke or join). In yoga philosophy yoga means “to unite with the Universal Self.” Your prime duty as a human being is to know yourself and then to know the Self of all. For that, you will have to train yourself. Others can inspire and help you, but self-training requires effort. No matter how powerful are the instruments or other means that you have, those means cannot help you to know the reality within. Even the finest telescope through which you can see the stars and planets clearly, cannot help you to know your internal states. You don’t have to go anywhere to train yourself because every walk of life presents an opportunity to learn. You don’t need drugs, a guru or any other external help. But you need guidance in how to practise and how to conduct your life so you can attain happiness in this lifetime, here and now. As a human being you have all the knowledge within, but you have to make effort to come in touch with that knowledge. Human effort is called ascending power.

When you have exhausted all effort and used all the resources you have, finally the power of the Lord will touch you. That is descending power, or grace. You cannot get enlightened without grace. There are four types of grace: grace of God, grace of the scriptures, grace of a teacher who loves you selflessly and grace of yourself.

Editor’s Note

Reprinted from Sadhana the Path to Enlightenment, an HIHT publication.

So very few people understand what reincarnation, rebirth and the law of karma is. People are bound to believe, but their faith is not based on right knowledge. Flashes come from the subconscious mind and we cannot decide whether we have to believe or not. Life in this planet is sufficient, or is it in continuity? Life here is short we all know.

Now for your convenience I give you a simile. It will help you to understand what life is and what are the vital questions in your life. And, all the questions, you see, stand before you again and again for correct and proper answers. Now we have to decide what life is. Life is compared with a plant. As plant grows, then gives leaves, then flowers, fruits and then dies. When plant dies, plant leaves behind seeds and again the seeds grow, and again the plant comes up. So is the case with our life plant.

This life, for your convenience you should imagine that this life is just like a manuscript. Manuscript has been written by you. You are the author of this manuscript of your life. It is not published, for all of the individuals have written their own manuscripts. So the manuscript of this life, the beginning and the end of this manuscript is missing. Only the middle portion of this manuscript is with us. We know that we exist in this world. We come, we do not know from where. We go, but we do not know where we go. In this planet we stay for some time, and then we disappear. And we are not sure from where we come. Let us analyse this truth. So the manuscript of life or the life manuscript, beginning and the end is missing. Anybody who is in search of the missing pages of life, beginning and end, is called philosopher, and this search is called philosophy. No better simile can be given. So in a way we all have to go through this process. We have to understand how this life manuscript can be understood properly. What are the beginning pages and what are the pages of the end? Without knowing this truth we cannot understand life.

[Swami draws two circles on the blackboard connected by a single line.]

Now let us analyse how it is. Life in this planet is just like a line on two circles, two holes. We come from unseen world, invisible world to this gross world, and again we go to next world, we do not know where. So this life line is hung on two invisible zeros or dots or circles. We have to analyse who we are.

Editor’s note

This passage has been taken from a transcription of a lecture given by Swami Rama on the 6th of November, 1969

From the beginning of history there have been two major paths that people have taken in life in order to seek the goal of a deeper happiness and peace. A few sincere souls have decided to genuinely renounce the world’s attractions in order to attain the highest wisdom. The path of renunciation actually means not keeping or possessing anything for oneself. Instead, these wise ones serve others, knowing that by doing so they are utilizing their time and energy in the best way. Living their lives in service to others is the characteristic by which you will recognize them.

Most people, however, still experience strong and compelling attractions to many things. They want to fulfil the desires for marriage, parenthood, and the conventional life. Thus, there is a second path, which is travelled by most people in the world, called the path of action. Throughout history, there has been confusion about which of these paths is superior.

A story is told to help clarify this confusion. Once, an arrogant swami, who had meditated in the mountains for many years, boasted about his spiritual advancement, thinking that he was superior to householders. He came down from the mountains to exhibit the powers he had gained in his studies. He had such a powerful gaze that if he looked at a bird flying overhead, its wings would catch fire and burn, and the bird would fall to the ground. He was very egotistical about his supposed spiritual power.

Eventually in his travels, he came to the home of a couple and he said rudely to the woman, “I want food, and I have no time to waste. It is your duty to feed me because I devote all my time to the Lord.” The woman, who was serving her husband’s dinner at the time, said to him quietly but firmly, “Right now, I am doing my duty toward my husband lovingly, but don’t ever make the mistake of thinking that I am as powerless as that bird you have killed! I have far more power than you; if you think you can hurt me you are mistaken!”

The swami was stunned to realize that she had acquired the power to know many things about him while she was still living in the world, doing her duties as a wife. He fell at her feet and said, “Mother, clearly I have yet to understand the path of the world. Now I see that it, too, is a great path.”

But the swami was not unusual; many people do not realize the power of family life. This is a path of living in the world, loving others, and also seeking and attaining the highest wisdom. Some people who want to follow the spiritual path are not content with their lives in the world. They do not appreciate how the path of marriage and parenthood helps them to fulfil life’s ultimate purpose.

The path of a human being is not meant to be that of a loner who travels through life by himself or herself. If we want to express the meaning of life in a single sentence, it is that life means having relationships. Without relationships, life has no significance at all. The closest relationship in the world is that between a wife and husband, and the next most intimate relationship is that between parents and children.
Sometimes people wonder why the institution of the family was established. Marriage and family relationships do not exist merely because of the biological necessities of sex or childbirth. There is something deeper, which is responsible for the establishment of family life and which differentiates humans from animals. The most basic urges and drives that influence human life are also found throughout the animal kingdom, but there is an important difference between human beings and animals: the life and behaviour of animals are primarily controlled by the forces of nature and instinct; but the life of a human being is not controlled this way. Instead, human beings are controlled mostly by mind, emotions, and by relationships. A human being thinks, understands, communicated, and participates in life in ways that animals cannot share. All these special qualities originate in the institution of the family. The family exists in order to foster and cultivate these qualities in human beings.

When the human race learns to live as a family, then the world will finally attain the next stage of civilization and enlightenment. Families are meant to be centres of love, which radiate their love outward to other families. A family is meant to radiate only love, rather than hatred, jealousy, competition, or other negative emotions. When people understand this purpose and can share the experience, then they can create joy and peace throughout society. When peace reigns, there will no longer be hatred or disturbances between people, and the human mind will automatically be led upward, towards the highest centre of consciousness.

The path of marriage and family life is not inferior to any other path, nor is marriage meant solely to express our biological or emotional needs. The purpose of marriage is to establish and teach the fundamental principles of society, so that all children can develop fully and the entire society can eventually attain a state of peace and happiness.

Homes are meant to be places where people create and preserve a state of serenity and peace. Homes exist to establish peace, so that every person can learn to radiate and share love. Our homes can satisfy many of our emotional needs and help us to learn to open our hearts. Homes are not places to create power struggles or ego battles. They are not places to demonstrate or show off our intellect. Some people use their mind and emotions in their homes destructively, arguing, judging others, or trying to establish control over others to satisfy their ego needs. That does not help us achieve the full potential of a home. When homes provide children with a chance to receive love and enjoy the experience of being loved, then children learn to share their love with others as well.

We all need to learn how to live in our homes and also how to live in the world outside the home. There are two different principles or concepts in life: You talk to your spouse and your business colleagues in different ways and on different levels. When you talk to your business associates, it is wise to be thoughtful and consider your doubts first, examining what people say carefully so that you protect yourself before you act. But at home, you should not maintain this attitude of scepticism, doubt or self-protectiveness. At home, you can express yourself openly and spontaneously; you can be completely yourself. In the family, you can develop a deep trust and intimacy that are not usually possible in the world outside. This is possible when we respect the special role of marriage in our lives.

Editor’s note

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

You create stress for yourself because you do not know how to perform your duties, though you have imposed them on yourself. The only way is to learn to love your duties. If you only love the objects of joy, and you think that your partner is an object like your home, your furniture, and other things in life, you can never be happy. Human beings are not objects. Human beings are higher than objects. Learn to love those persons for whom you perform your duties and take all the objects of the world as means. Never be attached to the means, for means are only means. You love the means because they help you. But if the same means become obstacles for you, they are no longer helpful. In the path of the world, the path of enlightenment through action, learn how to perform your duties with love and without being attached to the objects of the world. The objects of the world are only means. They do not belong to you. They are only for you to use. Learn to enjoy them as means and do not get attached to them or claim ownership on them. This sense of “mine” and “thine” creates serious problems for you. When you do your duties with love there will be no stress and you will be free.

So my first point is, you cannot stop doing your actions. Secondly, all the fruits of your actions should be given to others. Thirdly, learn to grease your duty with love. There is a formula. Skillful action done selflessly becomes a means, a sort of worship. Those who do skillful action selflessly and lovingly are free from the bondage of karma.

When you do your actions, perform them as a duty, lovingly, skillfully, and without any attachment. You can learn to live peacefully in this world, attaining your goal of life in this lifetime, in a few years’ time, in a few months’ time, in a few days’ time, even in a second’s time, if you understand the philosophy of vairagya or nonattachment. To be nonattached you do not have to leave the world or impose many “don’ts.” You do not have to follow any rigid discipline. Discipline should not be rigid or create tension or stress. Disciplining yourself means guiding all the powers and resources that you have toward your goal. Discipline is something unique that helps you to keep your powers from being dissipated. You should understand discipline before you follow it. Do not make too many big rules for yourself. That will only weaken your willpower. Do not decide that you are going to do something and then not complete the task. Once you decide to do something you have to do it. No one should stop you. You are killing your conscience and your willpower all the time by deciding, I am going to do this, I am going to do this, I am going to do this, but never accomplishing anything. Every day you make a resolution and you never accomplish anything because you do not strengthen your will, you do not have determination, you do not coordinate and apply all the resources you have. You do not work with mind, action, and speech together. That is the reason for your failure.

If you really want to live happily in the world, you have to practice vairagya. Gathering the twigs of success in the external world and having all the worldly means of comfort can become a problem for one who does not know the philosophy of nonattachment. St. Bernard said, “Learn to use the things of the world, but love God alone.” He understood the philosophy of nonattachment. You mistakenly take this to mean that the whole world is meant for you to use. With this idea you cheat others and think that you are successful. If you think that the whole world is meant for you to use, why do you not think that you are also meant to be used by the world? You should compromise. Neither should you use the world nor should you allow anyone to use you. It is very important to learn the philosophy of nonattachment.

You are committing two mistakes—possessing something that does not belong to you, and being attached to that; or even just using it and being attached. When something is not yours, what right do you have to be attached to it? This unauthorized possession makes you small. There is one thing that you should remember: I am so grateful to You, oh Lord, for all the things of the world. You have given me the best of things. I have the right to use them and I should make them a means, but I have no right to possess them because they are not mine. I cannot create even a blade of grass. How can I say anything is mine? All the things of the world are meant for me, and I can use them as means, but I will not possess them nor will I be attached.

Why do you create attachments? If you do not have a child of your own, you are not satisfied. You do not think, God has given me this opportunity. Since I do not have a child I will devote my time to the Lord. Instead, you want to adopt somebody else’s child and create more attachment for yourself.

Editor’s Note

Reprinted from Samadhi the Highest State of Wsidom by Swami Rama.

The sages say that the only difference between you and them lies in the nature of your thoughts and your mind. If someone tells you that you are bad or have done something wrong you accept it, and you become bad. If you even think it, then you feel bad. You cannot forget about that. You want to forgive yourself, but you have a habit of retaining such negative thoughts. Some people retain good and helpful thoughts, and others retain negative and passive thoughts. That is why the view of yoga is that those thoughts that are helpful should be encouraged, and those thoughts that are not helpful should not be encouraged. On the path of meditation you learn this process.

Suppose a thought comes into the mind that you should slap someone. The faculty of discrimination can tell you that it is not a good thing to do, and then the thought will diminish. An ordinary man retains the negative thought, while a sage allows it to pass away.

There is one issue that is very practical and concrete, and you should remember it if you really want to practice meditation. Often a thought comes into your mind and you become absorbed by that thought because of your habits and lack of training. Then, after a few minutes or hours, you suddenly wake up; you wonder what has happened and why this thought has controlled you. You need to practice to be free from the strong grip of those thoughts that do that to you. If one thought comes and then another thought comes, and if this continues indefinitely, then what becomes of your mind?

Then you mind is a catalogue of thoughts, which include desires, wishes and wants, and you can put them into various categories, such as inclinations or sensations. You can certainly create a hell that way! Every individual makes hell for himself. You create hell wherever you go because wherever you go, your mind goes with you. As we said earlier, the world created by you is the mind. When you use the word “mine” and emphasize your individual identity, you strengthen your sense of “I”. That is a mental habit: you strengthen that vibration by repeating and repeating “I”. But this sense of “I” is ignorance; it is what keeps you from expanding your sense of self. By taking off this shackle and barrier for yourself, you are beginning to understand your essential nature. You create this barrier of the ego out of insecurity.

Editor’s note

This passage has been taken from the book Path of Fire and Light Volume 2 by Swami Rama, published in1988 by the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the USA.

The treasure according to Vedanta is Atman, the Self or absolute Reality, that exists within all individuals. In the language of the Bible, Atman is the image of God, that which is identical to Brahman, pure consciousness, ultimate Reality, or however else we attempt to express with words that which is indescribable. Atman and Brahman are one, just as Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.”

“Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect,” Jesus told his disciples. Know your identity with God. You are the same but have forgotten it, is the message. So remember. Do that essential work of remembering, of getting the clutter removed so you can remember.

Let’s define some terms here, with the understanding that words are subject to limitations, whereas what we are talking about is beyond words and intellect. As the book of Tao says, the Tao that can be spoken of is not the real Tao. Similarly the Buddha instructed his disciples not to think or argue about God. Because of this instruction, Buddha and Buddhism are misunderstood as being atheistic. What the Buddha meant was that God, or pure consciousness, is beyond the limited mind, beyond the intellect. As soon as God is considered and defined by the limited mind, God becomes limited. So Buddha told his disciples to concentrate on removing the barriers that separated them from the true Self. When that is done, then whatever we call the ultimate Truth reveals itself.

With that said, the Vedantins nonetheless made a valiant effort to give these ideas perspective. Brahman is absolute existence, knowledge and bliss, the summum bonum of the life of all creatures. According to Vedantic terminology, Brahman is real and all else is unreal. That which is not subject to death, decay and decomposition is real, and that which changes is temporal and unreal. The universe is not real. It cannot be real if it is only temporary. Another way of saying this is that the universe is not non-existent, but it is not real in the same sense as Brahman.

When you dream, for the extent of the dream, the world that is created within the dream and the people and events in in are real. When you wake up that reality disappears. The worldly plane of the universe is considered by Vedantins to be as a dream. It is real within its own context, and it has a purpose. Vedantins call it maya, an illusion. It is neither absolutely real, nor absolutely non-existent. Maya or this dream of worldly life is instructive. That which is subject to time, space and causation, to change and relativity, has value but not permanence. As a dream helps you work through emotions and desires, the worldly dream, maya, creates opportunities for you to grow and work through habits and desires. You wake from it, and it disappears. You wake into realizing Atman, and this plane of existence disappears into a misty memory.

Editor’s note

This passage has been taken from the book Sacred Journey, by Swami Rama, published in 2001 by Full Circle, New Delhi, India

Theologians, scholars, and priests theorize and write commentaries on scriptures such as the Vedas. Yet, however profound their theoretical knowledge may be, they cannot assimilate that knowledge and live according to it without sadhana. Intellectualization is easy, but sadhana is difficult. Many scholars make erudite speeches on the Vedic verses, but they themselves have not realized the full meaning of those verses. Therefore, Sri Krishna teaches Arjuna to practice and assimilate the knowledge. He urges him not to be foolish like those who talk on the Vedas but do not practice the teachings of the Vedas. Such scholars and priests are enveloped with self-interest; their actions are directed toward mundane and temporal gains and the attainment of heavenly joys. As a result they become caught in the snare of births and deaths.

Many religious leaders have forgotten the profound meaning of the great scriptures and merely use them for their own convenience. Motivated to attain external pleasures, they involve the innocent in rituals. Much of the misery we find in society is because of unwise teachings spread by such religious teachers. It is an irony of human history that religious leaders often practice religion to achieve selfish ends. In fact, it has become a tradition that unfortunately misleads the vast majority of society.

A rare few are aware of the fallacies and follies of such selfish leaders and thus prefer to isolate themselves and practice sadhana. But how many such people are there in the world, and how much good can they do with their teachings and writing when the vast majority of religionists preach and teach meaningless rituals that rob the intellect of the wisdom of the great scriptures? The sages who have seen truth face to face and who were able to touch infinity have always warned sadhakas that real knowledge comes from earnest sadhana, which leads to direct experience, and not from mere study of the scriptures. While intellectual knowledge is often used for selfish ends, those sages knew that the truth and selflessness are one. Selflessness is an acquired taste. When one finds delight in being selfless he can lead, serve, and love others and even change the course and destiny of nations. Selfishness feeds the ego, but selflessness leads one to higher levels of consciousness.

Sri Krishna is not condemning the Vedas but is advising Arjuna to go beyond the three attributes of the human mind to attain a state of equanimity. The human mind is composed of three gunas (qualities): sattva, rajas, and tamas. The Vedas explain that these three qualities are present in all that exists in the phenomenal world and so are found in all human beings, though in different grades and degrees. When the sadhaka understands that the animal tendency is destructive, unhelpful, and of a tamasic nature, he increases his awareness of his human potentials. In the next stage of awareness, he realizes the great marvel of marvels: that the essential nature of his being is divine. He then follows the path of upward travel toward divinity. Without realizing his divinity, a human being can be successful in the external world but can never have a tranquil mind, and he is thus unable to catch a glimpse of the Eternal. He longs to be happy, but that dream is not fulfilled.

The divine nature in the human being is the sattvic quality of equilibrium, which gives one freedom from the influences of the pairs of opposites. Equilibrium is a state of mind attained by human effort. The aspirant who understands the three qualities of the human mind always remains vigilant and increases his awareness of sattva. One of the qualities of sattva is expansion; thus the mind, speech, and action of the sattvic aspirant follow the law of expansion and not of contraction. Contraction leads one to feel separate and small, whereas expansion leads one to realize that the Self of all is his very essence.

Editor’s note

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

Do not think that you can accomplish the task of becoming enlightened outside the world. Yes, you need time to do practice, but you have that, you need to adjust your time in the world. There are some people who are systematic in their practice, but they are dry and harsh with others. They bother their spouse and children. But there are other people who are loving and adjust their personal lives to attain enlightenment in this lifetime, here and now. You have to have determination.

Partners sometimes become critical of each other’s paths. Never think that someone else is not practicing well, and that you are practicing well. That is not spirituality. If you are practicing well you should be happy, not jealous, when somebody else is practicing.

In spirituality there is no jealousy. There may be competition, but not jealousy. Yes, you can compete with your partner. If your partner is very spiritual, then you will also become more spiritual- that is good for you. But to think that your partner is spiritual and to feel bad because you are not as spiritual is not helpful. Never create such negative competition in your life.

There is one important principle – Truth – that you want to use in all your relationships in the external world. Do not speak any truth that is injurious, hurting, or harming – for that is not the real truth. According to yoga science it is not truth that should be practiced first, it is love that should be practiced first. And there is a difference between love and truth: truth without love is a vacant, empty experience. No manual in the world really explains what love is, except the teachings of yoga. Yoga says love is ahimsa – which means “not,” himsa (killing, harming or injuring).

So, when you try to practice love, you should first practice not hurting, harming, or injuring. Do not go to the external world to practice this; begin with the nearest one whom you love most, and practice this with him or her, because you took vows when you married. When you have accepted somebody as your best friend, to whom you can relate, speak, share and feel, then first practice not harming, hurting or injuring them. This is actually love in practice. Resolve that no matter what happens you will never try to injure, harm or hurt the one you love.

Editor’s note

This passage has been taken from the book Path of Fire and Light: Volume 2 by Swami Rama, published 1988 by the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the USA.

I have personally witnessed yogis casting off the body consciously on many occasions. In the year 1938 when I was sent to Benares to stay with a Bengali couple, I was informed that the couple would drop their bodies at the same time. The couple had been meditating together for several years. They announced the date of their death and I was one of the witnesses.

I met a yogi at Paidung in Sikkim in the year 1947. Not only could he die at will, but he also could bring the dead back to life. During those days I was very anxious to know this mystery, termed parakaya pravesha. He demonstrated this feat in my presence five times. The yogi asked me to bring a living ant. I brought one, personally cut it with a sharp blade into three parts, and scattered them at a distance of ten feet. The yogi suddenly went into deep meditation. We examined his pulse, heartbeat, and breath, but there was no sign of life. Before he reached the state of deep meditation, there were violent jerks in his body.

The scattered parts of the ant moved together and united in a second’s time. The ant came back to life and started crawling. We kept it under observation for three days. The yogi explained two methods of bringing the dead back to life—solar science and pranavidya (the science of prana). Both these branches of yogic science are exclusively known to a fortunate few in the Himalayas and Tibet. Jesus demonstrated his knowledge of these methods when he brought Lazarus back to life. Perhaps during his visit to Asia Minor he learned these techniques from the yogis.

Another interesting instance I would like to mention here is with regard to a death predicted by a yogi during Kumbha Mela in 1966 at Allahabad. One of my friends, Vinaya Maharaj, sent a messenger to my camp informing me that he was going to drop his body and I should come to witness it. On Vasanta Panchami (the celebration of the first day of spring) morning at 4:30 suddenly he said, “Now the time has come.” Then he sat in the meditative posture, siddhasana, closed his eyes, and became silent. The sound ‘tic’ came from the cracking of the skull as he left his body through the brahmarandhra.

It is also possible for a highly advanced yogi to assume the dead body of another if he chooses to do so and if a suitable body is available. Only adepts know this technique. To the ordinary mind this seems like a fantasy.

The capacity to leave the body consciously at the time of death is not restricted only to accomplished yogis. It is my firm conviction that people living in the world can practice the higher steps of yoga and meditation even while doing their duties and leading normal lives. With sincere effort, proper preparation, and guidance, one who is not a yogi can also attain enlightenment before dropping the body.
I have witnessed two similar cases. One of these was in Minneapolis. The mother of a famous psychiatrist, Dr. Whitacre, had practised meditation for many years. At the time of death she went into deep samadhi and consciously dropped her body. The other was at Kanpur. There is a family of doctors there whose mother was a great devotee of the Lord. She was my initiate. Six months before her death, she decided to live in a room by herself remembering the Lord’s name and meditating. After six months she fell sick and became bedridden. The time of her parting seemed imminent. During her last days she was completely detached and merged in her sadhana. She did not allow even her eldest son, Dr. A.N. Tandon, to remain in the room. Five minutes before her death she called all the family members and blessed them. Then she dropped her body in complete consciousness.

After her death, the walls of that room in which she lived vibrated with the sound of her mantra. Someone informed me of this and I could not believe it. So I visited the house and I discovered that the sound of her mantra was still vibrating there.

Mantra is a syllable or word or set of words. When the mantra is remembered consciously, it automatically is stored in the unconscious mind. At the time of parting, the mantra which is stored in the unconscious mind becomes one’s guide. This period of separation is painful to the ignorant. This is not the case with a spiritual person who has remembered the mantra faithfully. The mantra serves as a guide through this period of transition. Mantra is a spiritual guide that dispels the fear of death and leads one fearlessly to the other shore of life.

Editor’s Note

Reprinted from Sacred Journey, an HIHT publication.

If you study the evolution of love, you will realize that love is actually the oldest and most ancient traveler in the universe. Love has been traveling constantly, and it will continue to do so from eternity to eternity. Even before this earth came into existence, the omniscient and omnipotent power that you call Truth had expanded itself and expressed itself because of the power of love. Love itself means expansion, and its only opposite in the universe is the force of contraction and hatred.

As love travels, it goes through many phases in its expression; it changes and evolved on its way. A child is born and comes to the earth because love has journeyed along with two people, and as a result, love creates a child. If the relationship of love between a husband and wife was complete and limitless, they would no need a child, but their love wants to evolve, so a child is born. No one needs to read a book to love a child; if you are a parent you have learned this already. Your son or daughter is born and you look at the child and you know that you love – and love has made another stop on its journey.

At first, the nature of a child’s love is self-love – it appreciates only its own existence, and then slowly it comes to appreciate the existence of its mother, who feeds it. The child becomes attached to its mother and loves her in the way it is capable of at this stage. Love continues on its way; soon the child loves its father and then its love travels to other things – to dolls, toy animals, or other bright objects. Then the child begins to love and become attached to other children and adults, as well as to games and activities. The child’s love travels on still further, to attractive clothes and then finally to a circle of friends. All along its journey, love lets go of some objects and attractions and moves on to others. As this happens, the child grows, matures, and becomes increasingly aware of the external world.

Finally the child becomes a young adult, and then love wants to find still another object for its attention. Love begins to move toward accomplishments and achievements, to many expressions of individuality. The love seeks a boyfriend or girlfriend, and finally love expresses itself in the choice of another person with whom to live one’s life. All along the way, as consciousness has expanded, love has travelled on, choosing increasingly fine and special expressions.

Eventually, love comes in a circle; it travels on, seeking a child and the experience of parenthood. As long as love travels, we are learning and growing, but whenever we try to stop love in its travels, we create a pool of stagnation. We create this stagnation by refusing to love or become involved with others because we are afraid of outgrowing our selfishness and our attachments to our own pleasures.

We can also create stagnation if we start a family but live only for our own ego.

Whenever we do this, we are holding love back on its journey. Love is meant to grow and to increasingly radiate outward in ever-expanding and widening circles from the center within ourselves to the entire world. The whole purpose of a loving family life is to serve as a way-station on this journey.

As love travels on its way it becomes increasingly powerful. In fact, love is the only force that can every really change the world or help people to grow. The greatest kind of strength that a human being can have is the gentle strength of love. Once, many years ago, in my travels in the Himalayas, I went to see a sage living far away from anyone else. As evening approached he told me that I should leave, because he needed to make dinner for his children, and I was very surprised to think that he had children there in the wilderness. But before I could leave I heard a low growl – the sound of tigers! I was somewhat alarmed until he explained that those were his “children”. He had tamed two wild tigers with the force of his love, and they came every evening to take bread that he would make for them.

Love can tame all that is wild and uncontrolled; love is the only force that will help us end the violence and destruction in the world. Wherever we find young people who are growing up in a positive way, strong and self-confident, with the capacity to give to others and contribute to the world, we will recognize the effects of having been loved.

No one needs to learn to love; love is the natural capacity of human beings, if a person is not suppressed or constricted. Children will naturally develop the capacity to love and care for others, if their natural tendencies are allowed to be expressed. Certainly a person can learn to become negative and to hate, but that is not the natural pattern; it is a distortion. When we reach a certain stage in our development as human beings, we feel for others. Then, if someone else cries or is in pain, our hearts also feel their pain and we express our empathy. A person could be cold and cruel to another, but that is not the natural pattern.

Throughout life, love grows and matures, seeking its final fulfilment, the capacity to love all. When we have learned to love and eliminate all barriers, we achieve the highest state of consciousness.

Editor’s Note

This passage has been taken from the book Love and Family Life, pp 89– 90, by Swami Rama, published by Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust.

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