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Sthita Prajna
Guru Vandana
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akhandananda bodhaya sishya santapaharinesatchidananda rupaya tasmai srigurave namaha
“I bow to my guru who teaches how to experience thestate of unbroken bliss, who eliminates the disciples’ troubles, andwho has the form of satchidananda (immortality, consciousness,and bliss).”
Guru Gita verse 100
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 14 ISSUE 3
Printed and Published by Swami Achalananda Giri on behalf ofPrajnana Mission, Printed at Graphic Art Offset Press,
at Nuapatna, Manglabag, Dist : Cuttack (Orissa) and published atPrajnana Mission at Nimpur, P.O. Jagatpur, Cuttack-754021, Orissa.
Editor : Swami Achalananda Giri
Sub Page No.
• GURU VANDANA 3• EDITORIAL 5• MESSAGE FROM THE MASTER 6• DATES TO REMEMBER 9• PRAJNANAVANI — THE PATH OF INNER 10
DISCIPLINE• DEVELOPING FEARLESSNESS 16• PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY 19• TEACHINGS OF THE MASTERS 21• MYTHS AND METAPHORS 22
DEVI MAHATMYA• YOGA SUTRA OF PATANJALI 26• RESIDENTIAL BRAHMACHARI... 28• VALUABLE VOLUMES 29
AKSHARA TATTVA• JNANASANKALINI TANTRA 32• STORIES TO LIVE BY 35
LOVE ALL, SERVE ALL• ATMA VIDYA- PURSUING SELF KNOWLEDGE 36• BALASHRAM NEWS 38• MAHASHIVARATRI 39• PRAJNANA MISSION SPECIAL EVENTS 40• FOUNDATION DAY OF MATRU ASHRAM 42• AROUND THE GLOBE 43
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FROM THE EDITORS :“Whatever comes from guru is direct message of God
for which Guru is the medium.”Paramahamsa Prajnanananda
In this issue “Message of the Master” talks of the onenessof all religions and elaborates on how soul is the unity of allbeings.
Prajnanavani describes Tapah (penance) as the keyingredient of inner discipline. “Be fearless, be strong and be themaster of your mind” is the message of the article on “DevelopingFearlessness”.
Devi Mahatmaya elaborates on some verses of DeviSuktam with an enlightening commentary by Baba Prajnananandaji.
Kaivalya Upanishad our series on Self Knowledgeconcludes in this issue. By the knowledge of this Upanishad it issaid, that one can destroy the ocean of the world and enjoy thefruit of liberation.
Relevant excerpts from of Paramahamsa Prajnanananda’s“AksharaTattwa” elaborate on the expression of emotion andhow different feelings are caused through word and ultimatelythrough the akshara, while those from “JnanasankaliniTantra”talk of the cosmic mystery of creation and evolution.
Yoga Sutra of Patanjali defines vairagya as completefreedom from desire. We also bring you dates to remember, shortstories and other articles of interest.
We bring you news of special events at the Gurukulam –the 17th IIKYS, Gita JnanaYajnas, special retreats, the memorableShivaratri Celebrations, and the ever expanding Kriya activitiesof Prajnana Mission worldwide.
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MESSAGE FROM THE MASTERSARVA DHARMA SAMANVAYA –ONENESS OF ALL RELIGIONS
Godavari river that morning, asthey had done. Then thepresident asked me if I hadtaken a bath in the river. I said,“Yes, I have touched the water,and I placed the water threetimes on my head, and shouted,‘Ganga, Ganga, Ganga.’ In thescriptures it is written that evenif a person is a thousand milesfrom the Ganga, by saying,‘Ganga, Ganga, Ganga,’ all hissins and impurities disappear.Also, you perceive the flow ofthe Ganga, the soul, which flowsfrom the body, giving liberation.”I spoke in Sanskrit, quoting thescriptures.
Then I continued to saythat it is the purity of the mindthat is important, not just thephysical dip in the river. Thereare many fish, alligators, andaquatic animals constantlybathing in the Ganga, and Iasked if that would entitle themto come and address thegathering. Then they all realizedthe truth of my words, and saidthat I could speak. I said, “Youare not the people to decidewhether I can speak or not, let
Once I spoke at ameeting on the oneness of allreligions. Most people at thatmeeting were orthodox, andhad some rigid views aboutdharma and rituals. I put onsilk clothes and sat there. I wasthe seventh person to talk, andthe people before me eachtalked for five to ten minutes.Each subject matter wasdifferent. When my turn came,I stood up. There wereobjections from some memberswho said I should not beallowed to speak, as I had nottaken a bath in the sacred
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the president tell me whether Iam allowed to speak.” Thepresident said that I should.
I spoke about the unionof all religions: sarva dharmasamanvaya, and said that Icould complete it in onesentence or speak for hoursabout sarva dharma samana.First I gave my regards to thepresident. Then I bowed to allthose who were there,perceiving God’s presence inthem. I told them that I wasbowing to all persons of theworld, of all different religions,to Christians, Muslims, andothers. I said that although theyhad different beliefs, they wereall human beings, having thesame two eyes, two ears, andthe power of God abiding withinthem – just like us.
There is no question ofcaste or creed. When Godcreated, He did not create anyreligion, He only created manand woman, breathing into theirnostrils the breath of His life.He is abiding in the wholeuniverse. The union is throughthe breath. What is the unionof all religions? In thescriptures, in TaittiriyaUpanishad (2:5:1), it is written:
vijnanam devah sarvebrahma jyeshtham upasate
“Knowing the divinenature, all the devas areworshipping the Absolute.”
The sense organs in thebody are presided over by thegodheads, and all are conductedby the soul. People worshipShiva, the presiding deity ofsound, and Vishnu, from whomcomes touch sensation. Surya,the sun, is in the eyes; and bypower of shakticomes talk fromthe soul. Ganesha resides in thenose in the form of smell.These five deities are, however,useless if the power of theindwelling Self does not inhalethe breath. We all are breathing.It is the cause of our life. Thepresence of life makes peoplereligious. Without breath, theycannot perform any religiousactivity. Jesus said that God isSpirit, and worshippers of Godshould worship Him in spirit andTruth. (John 4:24) Spirit, in Ltinis “spiritus,” which means“breath.” In the Bible’steachings, God is consideredbreath. We all are breathing thesame air, and our breath is thepower of God. All religions areconducted by the one power ofGod. This is the union.
In the body, in everysense organ, and in everychakra, there are presiding
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deities, but all are part of oneperson and one life. This is unityin diversity. Indian peopleworship millions of deities, butwithout the soul they cannot doanything. This is the union ofall religions in one sentence.Sarve deva means five senseorgans: ears, skin, eyes, mouth,and nose. They are the fivedeities. They are conducted byone soul. At the end of my talk,they all clapped because no onehad explained union in this waybefore.
This is the highway ofcommon religion. Ears cannothear without the soul, eyescannot see, the nose cannotsmell, talk cannot come; thewhole body cannot functionwithout the soul. The soul is theunity in all activities. The soulis the unity in all living beings
I then spoke in detailabout dharma, saying that onemeaning of dharma is “thatwhich is holding our body.”Dharma means our breath,which is holding our wholesystem. Without breath there isno sight, sound, knowledge, orexperience. All qualities, goodand bad, are stored in themidbrain. It is receptive; it isheld by the power. This is calleddharma. Dharma means the
nature, or the quality of thehuman being.
A thief steals money. Itis his nature. A pickpocket isalways seeing how to snatchmoney from others’ pockets.You could be carrying a bag,and a thief could cut it frombelow with a knife and take itwithout you noticing. Thishappened to me once when Iwas going from Haridwar toPuri. I had a bag in which weretrain tickets and some money.It was tied to my waist undermy shirt. In the rush of gettinginto the train, the thief managedto cut the lower portion of thebag and take the coins. Someof them fell, and I did notrealize that they were from mybag until another passengeralerted me. People were pickingup coins, and as the train wasabout to leave, I was walkingalong and another coin fell,making a sound. A gentlemanpicked up the coin and said,“Swamiji, money is falling fromyour clothes.” Then I realizedthat the lower portion of mypurse had been cut. This isdharma, or the nature or qualityof the pickpockets. People havedifferent qualities, some evil andsome good.
One day, I was walkingalong the street with
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Shriyukteshwarji, and there wasa bullock cart with a load ofbags in front of us. The bullockspulling the cart were runningfast. Due to the bumpy road,some bags fell off. The driverwas unaware of this. I ran tothe driver to tell him that bagshad fallen because he had notsecured them with ropes. Hestopped the bullock cart, pickedup the bags, secured them andleft. When I came back toShriyukteshwarji he said, “Whatyou did was not right. God waspunishing him for being careless,and you should not haveinterfered. Many people arecareless and are punishedbecause of it.” I replied, “I amhappy to hear this, but I thinkthat it is not wise. The teacheris there for correcting thestudents, and the teacher shouldhelp.”
When I find people inneed of money, I give it to
them. I have given money tothe sick who could otherwisenot afford treatment. Iconsidered it as my dharma.We must feel that we are theliving power of God in everystep of our life. We may getmany troubles and many upsets,but through all this, we are toknow God. The Isha Upanishad(mantra 2) says:kurvanneveha karmani jiji
visecchatam samah“You are to live one
hundred years, and through yourexperiences, you must watchHim.”
You should meditate andperceive the power of Godwithin you. There is no otheralternative. Na karma lipyatenare. The human being has noalternative but to watch the Selfin every step of one’s life,seeking God within, and in thewhole universe.
***DATES TO REMEMBER
April - June, 2016April 15 : Rama Navami (Birthday of Lord Rama)May 10 : The Birthday of Swami ShriyukteshwarMay 17 : The Foundation day of Prajnana MissionMay 27 : Birthday of Gurudev
Paramahamsa Hariharanandaji***
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PRAJNANAVANI - THE VOICE OF WISDOMTHE PATH OF INNER DISCIPLINE
TapahThere is no substitute for
hard work. When Self-realizationor spiritual growth is consideredthe highest goal in spiritualachievement, it naturally requirescontinuous sincere effort. SagePatanjali, while describing innerdevelopment and transformation,emphasized tapah. In his YogaSutra, he has mentioned tapahseveral times.
What does tapah mean?It has multiple meanings, amongthem, heat or fire, religiousausterity, pain or suffering,meditation connected with thepractice of physicalmortification, or specialobservances. Tapah is thepractice of doing difficult thingsto mortify the body for thepurpose of discipline andtolerance. Some people sit withthe hands up in the air andmeditate for long periods of time.
Others sit around a fire insummer and meditate, or standin cold water in winter andtorture the body in pursuit oftheir goal.
The second aspect oftapah comes from the root wordtapa, meaning “temperature.”Each body maintains itstemperature, which is donethrough circulation and thebreath. The temperature of thebody is maintained throughconscious breathing, which istapah.
Tapah can also be theability to tolerate hunger andthirst, cold and heat, pleasureand pain.Fasting
Some people engage inrigorous fasting practices. Thereis a special fast related to themoon. One starts with a full mealon a full moon day and graduallyreduces the amount of food eachday so that nothing is eaten onthe new moon day. Then foodis gradually increased again sothat on the full moon day, a fullmeal is eaten. This is just onemethod of self-control. Somepeople try to live without eatingfood, but for those who wantto practice yoga sincerely, a long
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period of fasting is not good. InGod’s creation, plants, animals,and humans naturally need food,so let us live our lives a naturalway. Fasting once a week oronce in a fortnight is a goodpractice, and eating only fruitsand fruit juices for a day is alsobeneficial.
A disciplined anddedicated life is the doorway tosuccess. Disciplining the mindimplies discipline of the body anddiscipline of prana. In theBhagavad Gita (17:14-19), sixtypes of penance or tapah aredescribed in detail. Tapah is theprocess of disciplining thesenses and the mind.Physical or Bodily Discipline
In yogic practices, thebody should be still and steadyand not move without purpose.The restlessness of the bodyreflects the restlessness of themind. Continuously moving yourhands or feet while working orsitting on a chair are signs of arestless mind. Lord Buddha said,“If you cannot keep your handsand feet steady, how can youmeditate?” During meditation,hands will often move knowinglyor unknowingly. You may feelan itch somewhere and yourhand will try to scratch it. It isnot just the mind that becomesrestless, but concentration is alsoimpaired. When you sit andmeditate, do not move your
hands, even if you feel an itchingsensation. It is well known thatif you scratch one area of yourbody, you will soon feel itchingsomewhere else. You shouldpractice keeping your body andyour eyes under control, and notallow them to wander here andthere without purpose. SwamiShriyukteshwarji said, “I have notime to blink my eyes.” He usedto sit with his eyes open forhours and hours in the state ofshambhavi. How much controlhe must have had over his body,mind, and senses!
There are many who tryto torture their bodies. Some willsit near fire in the heat of summerjust to be able to developtolerance to heat, while in winterthey will sit in cold water, all toovercome the body’s need forcomfort.
There is a verse inSanskrit which means:
“Great sages likeVishwamitra, Parashara, andothers had so much self-controlthat they lived only on air andwater. Despite this, they werestill tempted at times to deviatefrom their path. If it is possiblefor ordinary people, who enjoydelicious food and drinks, sleepin comfortable beds, and enjoya pleasant life to gain self-controland exercise self-discipline, thenI would say that it is possible to
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move mountains and get themto float on the ocean.”
The purpose of thisproverb is to alert us to thepower of the senses. We shouldexercise self-discipline bycontrolling our bodies, our eyesand our breath while alwayskeeping our goal in mind. Justas impurities are removed frommetal by heating it, the impuritiesof life are taken away bypenance.Simple Penance in Daily Life
Try to follow some rulesof discipline, such as getting upearly at a set time. Your bodywill protest and say, “Relax alittle more,” and your mind willremind you that it is theweekend. If you can just say“No!” and get up at thedesignated time anyway, thisbecomes a simple tapah in yourdaily life. In our ashrams,meditation takes place early inthe morning. Make acommitment that you will notcome to meditation without firsttaking a shower. Follow yourplan daily.
A long time ago, on GuruPurnima Day, I was in aHimalayan ashram.Approximately five hundreddisciples were there andmeditation started at 5:00 am.Before beginning the class, thehead of the monastery asked
how many had taken a bath orshower before coming to themeditation class. About onehundred raised their hands. Thenhe asked how many of thosehad gone to river Ganga to takea bath. Ten people raised theirhands. Then he said, “Let memake some observations. You allhave come a great distance.Some of you have even comefrom another country, sacrificingsome of your comforts to spendtime in the holy company ofmonks and in the lap of theHimalayas on the banks of theGanga. This is a rareopportunity, yet out of fivehundred people here, only tenpeople could avail themselves ofthe opportunity to bring somediscipline into their lives.”Vangmaya Tapah, or theDiscipline of Speech
In the Bhagavad Gita,Lord Krishna talks about thepenance of speech anddisciplining the mouth. Somepeople try to discipline the mouthduring silent retreats, but this isonly a partial discipline. Duringmeals some people can be seenwhispering. Keeping controlover your tongue in both foodand talk is not an easy task. Donot talk excessively andunnecessarily. Silent retreatsprovide you with a wonderfulopportunity to remain silent.
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Mental TapahDo not entertain negative
thoughts, and do not speak aboutothers in negative terms. Speakthe truth, speak with love, andspeak what is beneficial forothers. Do not discuss the badqualities of others in theirabsence.The Inner Meaning of Tapah
The metaphorical meaningof tapah is to live in the loka, orthe plane, of tapah. There areseven planes, or lokas, ofexistence that correspond to theseven chakras in the body. Theseare bhuhloka (the material plane),bhuvahloka (the plane above thematerial), svahloka (the plane ofbrilliance), mahahloka (the planeof delusion), janahloka (the planeof ideas), tapahloka (the planeof meditation), and satyaloka(the plane of experiencing truth).Tapahloka corresponds to thesoul, or the ajna chakra. Tapahis also the practice of keepingthe mind in the region betweenthe soul center and sahasrarachakra. This is the innermeaning of tapah.The Benefits of Tapah
In SadhanaPada (sutra43), Sage Patanjali speaks aboutthe benefits of being establishedin tapah.
kayendriya siddhi ashuddhikshayat tapasah
“As a result of tapah,special powers come to thebody and the sense organs, andat the same time, any impuritiesfound there, are removed.”
Siddhi is the attainment ofyogic or occult powers. It alsomeans achieving perfection.Sage Patanjali described thethreefold benefits of tapah, orthe special skill of meditation,as follows:
1. Kaya siddhi – This is aspecial power of the body. Byengaging in the practice of tapah,the abilities of the body increasein many ways.
The body becomeshealthier and more beautiful, andphysical activities are enhanced.A yogi can also make his bodylighter or heavier at will, and itis said by many yogis that theycan materialize and de-materializetheir bodies at will.
Those who are acquaintedwith the life of Lahiri Mahasaya,a great householder yogi andmaster of Kriya Yoga, are nodoubt aware of his physicalabilities. Lahiri Mahasaya, whilesitting in his office in India,could materialize in London.Babaji Maharaj could come intoa room through locked doors.How were they able to do this?A story was about an attorneywho, while sleeping in hisbedroom in Kolkata with a
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mosquito net fixed to his bed,felt something fall on him in themiddle of the night. When hegot up, he found a big stone onhis bed that looked like it hadbeen thrown there. He wonderedwhere it had come from. Justthen he saw a monk standingnear him, who said, “I wasgoing this way and I did it. Whyare you so worried?” Theattorney could not sleep becausehe kept thinking about it. “Canthe human mind comprehendhow this could have happened?If I tell others, will they believeit? Who is he, and why did hecome? What was the purposeof his actions?” This ability isknown as kaya siddhi, whichcomes after regular practice ofmeditation. However, you shouldnot try to attain this, because itis not the purpose of meditation.The ultimate goal is not to gainsome sort of power, sincepower is only temporary.
2. Indriya Siddhi is theattainment of perfection or thespecial power of the senseorgans. God has given humanbeings five organs of perceptionand five organs of action.Although these sense organs aresubtler than the physical body,they are still limited in theirfunctions. Modern technologyand science has provided us withtelescopes to see farther, andtelephones to hear voices that
are far away. In this way,science and technology haveincreased the reach of sensoryperception, just as yogis, withtheir yogic powers, haveincreased the efficiency of thesense organs and can see andhear subtler things. Normally,your eyes cannot see through awall, but yogis who have siddhiscan see and hear what ishappening at a distance. Siddhiscan develop, but you should nottry to make this happen. Evenwhen siddhis come, the sincereyogi goes beyond them.
3. Vasana kshaya is theelimination of unnecessarydesires. Vasana is “desire” andkshaya is “to destroy.” Humanlife is burgeoning with never-ending desires, unfulfilledwishes, ambitions, andexpectations, which only makelife miserable. An intelligentperson should try to eliminateall unnecessary desires. There isa clear distinction betweenhuman need and human greed.Human needs are naturallylimited, but human greed iswithout limit. A greedy humanmind causes all sorts ofproblems, individually, socially,and globally. As long as ourdesires are not graduallycleansed and eliminated, we willnot be able to attain peace andhappiness, nor reach the goal ofrealization.
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All human desires can becorrelated with the differentchakras or energy centers in thehuman spine and brain. Thebottom chakra, known asmuladhara or the money center,is where the desire forpossession originates. In thesecond center, svadhisthanachakra, otherwise known as thefamily center, an endless desirefor physical pleasure is to befound. The navel center,manipura chakra, is the sourceof the desire to taste variousfoods and intoxicating drinks,which also damage humanhealth. The heart center, anahatachakra, is where emotionalneeds, the desire for friendship,and our likes and dislikes reside.The neck center, the vishuddhachakra, is the place ofintellectual, religious, andphilosophical pursuits, as well asa play of desire.
People whose minds arekept above the neck center willgradually be free from thetemptations of their desires. Bypracticing tapah, you can gaincontrol over your desires. If youhave a strong sweet tooth andyou refrain from eating sweetsfor some time, it is a way ofgaining control over this desire.There is a tendency for someonewho likes sweets to eat more ofthem when they are present, sotry to do without for a period oftime. If you like tea, try givingit up for awhile. This practice isthe negation of desire. In thebeginning your mind will react alittle, but later it will cooperate.We can exercise self-control bypracticing tapah, meditation,contemplation, and self-analysis.Desires are the cause ofbondage, and by slowlyeliminating them, liberation willbe within your reach.
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Dubai Retreat
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Fear comes out ofweakness and when there isstrength, fear disappears. Iremember a story from mychildhood that illustrates howinner strength can be used toovercome fear. One day, justbefore dusk, a mother goat andher young ones were on theirway home from gazing grassnear the forest. Suddenly shenoticed a tiger coming in searchof prey. Just imagine thecondition of the mother knowingthe tiger is so near and that theycould not outrun it. The mothergoat was very intelligent; insteadof being paralyzed with fear, sheloudly said to her children, “Iwas searching for two tigers forour dinner. It looks like onefoolish tiger has come. Let uswait for the second one andthen we will have dinner.” Nothaving seen the goat, the tigeronly heard a strange voicesaying they were waiting to eattigers for dinner. Immediately,he was afraid, thinking therewas danger ahead, and so heran away. Fear comes to thosewho feel weak, but goes awaywith strength.
DEVELOPING FEARLESSNESS
Increase Your StrengthHow do you increase
your strength? The body mighthave limited strength, but themind has infinite strength. Thatis why if the mind is strong, weare strong. Here are three waysto increase your strength. Thefirst is to increase the capacityof your mind throughconcentration and willpower.The next is to develop trust inyourself. You must alwaysremember that no problem isbigger than you. You have theskill and talent to face anyproblem. Contemplate this,realize this, and maintain faithin yourself. Those who arestrong feel, “I have the capacityand capability to do this.”Finally, if you wish to be strong,develop trust in God: God is withme, I am not alone. Throughthese three ways, you will bestrong, not weak. One who istruly strong has no fear.
Sage Bhartruhari, theking who became a yogi, saidthat a yogi should be fearless.To attain this he described whata yogi’s family should consist of.
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dhairya yasya pita kshamaca janani
shantih chiram gehini satyamca suta
daya ca bhagini bhratamanah samyamah sayya
bhumitalam disopi vasanamjnanamrtam bhojanam
yeteyasyakutumbina vada sakhe
bhayam kasmat yoginah“If a man has a family
with patience as the father,forgiveness as the mother,continuous peace as the wife,truthfulness as the son,compassion as a sister, and mindcontrol as the brother; whosebed is the earth, whose clothesare the infinity of space andwhose food is the nectar ofknowledge, where is the causefor fear?”
One who has all thesefamily members andpossessions has no fear. If youare fearless, then you are a yogi.If you are constantly happy, youare a yogi.
Sage Bhartruhari saideverything in the world isassociated with fear. If you aredetached, you are free fromfear. The true spirit of spirituallife is to live in Truth, free fromfear. Show a stick to a dog andit runs in fear. The flame of a
candle is afraid of strong wind.The flower is afraid of insectsthat will eat it. Detachment isthe state of fearlessness. If youare detached, you are free fromfear. If you are a yogi, you aredetached. Be free. If you wishto truly live your life, the reallife you were meant to live, youmust have freedom from fear.Water the Seeds of BeautifulVirtues
So let us rid our mind ofall negativity and fear, becausethey imprison us and cause usgreat suffering. Instead, let uswater the seeds of beautifulvirtues and make the garden ofour mind a paradise. Rightdecisions, sound judgment, andsound thinking are all born fromthe seeds of patience. Thosewho are patient can thinkcalmly and make the properchoices. Patience brings alsotolerance and fortitude.
Forgiveness is the sourceof kindness and compassion to ourfellow man. Like a mother, weshould be able to forgive as wellas to give to those around us.
Peace gives us a stateof calmness in every situation.When we are wedded to peace,there can be no conflict in ourlives. What is the beauty ofpeace? When there is peace in
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the mind, it reflects and radiatespeace everywhere.
Every person has manychildren. Every word we utteris our child. We give birth toevery thought, word, and actionwe perform. For this reason,every thought, word, and actionshould be true in spirit and inaction. Our every action shouldreflect compassion for others.To have compassion, we needto put ourselves in the otherperson’s place, see life fromtheir perspective, andunderstand their needs andoutlook.You are the Master of YourDestiny
Be fearless! Be strong!Be the master of your mind,not the slave. Keep the mindunder control, without letting themind control you. Whereveryou sleep, whether on acomfortable bed or on the hardfloor, remember it all comesfrom the earth. Whether it is abeggar’s body or a king’s body,it goes either to ashes or to theburial ground in the end.Therefore, wherever you areand whatever is given, acceptit and be happy.
The physical body andthe clothes made from earth arelimited in their existence. One
day they will again turn to dust.Thus, to know the truth, wemust let go of the false notionthat we are merely helplesshuman beings; instead we mustperceive ourselves as the all-powerful, infinite Soul. Theentire cosmos is the garmentof the infinite Soul. Your bodyis just the Soul’s temporaryclothes, a boundary for theInfinite One. Wouldn’t it bemore appropriate for theformless soul to have formlessspace as its clothes?
Just as the body needsfood to nourish it, so, too, doesthe soul. That is why wisdomis the real food that a yogi liveson. Therefore, drink the nectarof wisdom every day as yourfood. Knowledge is a greatpurifier and a source of energy.Ignorance causes fear andmakes a person weak.Conversely, knowledge makesa person strong and enables himto experience the truth.
How can you livefearlessly? How can you livewith love? How can you livewith joy? From now on, everymoment, in every breath,always remember that it maybe the last one. With this inmind, let your every breath bein joy, in peace, in love.
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As long as we live ourlives with a sense of acceptance,as long as we do our dutywithout any sense of attachmentto the results, why do we needto consciously offer our workto God? Why do we need tosay I am not the doer, You arethe Doer?”
This was a question thatcame up today in class. The Gitasays that not only should weperform work withoutattachment, but to truly escapethe bonds of karma, we need tooffer that work to God as well,remembering that we are not theones performing the action butthat we are merely instrumentsof God’s work in the world.
So what is the difference?Isn’t the fact that we arereleasing our attachment to theresults of our work, evidenceenough of our progress? Doesn’tthat alone rid us of a tremendousamount of stress? Once you nolonger worry whether yousucceed or fail, but work onlywith a sense of dedication, thenall the disappointments and briefelations of life seem to disappearand life becomes quiet,harmonious and peaceful.
For example, in the past Itaught my classes with
PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITYTHE LITTLE SELF AND BIG SELF
Jyothi Bathinaexcitement and a strong senseof ownership. I researched allkinds of articles and printed themout for my students. I createdexciting and engaging lessonplans and implemented them inclass. Sometimes students wouldrespond with interest and classwould be amazing and I wouldcome home floating on aeuphoric cloud that I had acedthe lesson.
Other times, my carefullydesigned activities would fall flatand I would be devastated thatwhat I considered brilliantpedagogy had not been wellreceived. “Pearls before swine,”I would mutter to myself. “Whydo I even bother going to somuch trouble for people whocan’t even appreciate it?”
Since I’ve been practicingnishkama karma and letting goof the results, content merely todo my best and leave the resultsto God, I no longer fret andfume at perceived failures or goon an egotistical high whenthings go well. This is definitelya step forward.
However, while thisattitude gets us to a more relaxedand calm way of living, it failson its own to take us to thenext level of spiritual progress.
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While I am calmer nowwhen faced with either successor failure, I still consider itmysuccess or failure. I wrote thelesson plan, I created theactivity, I did all that work, Iwas so eloquent, I just couldn’tget through to them. Oralternatively, my idea wasperfect, Iwas so good atdirecting the conversation, I wasable to get my students to thinkcritically, I am a really goodspeaker.
The problem is that myego is omnipresent here, takingall the credit, shouldering all theblame, and in both casesaccumulating more and morekarma by believing that this littleself in this temporary body issolely responsible for all myactions. It’s only when I canrelease that sense of ego, whenI can see my actions as prayerfulacts of service to a higher beingand a higher purpose, that I willreally escape the bonds of karma.
Nowadays, when I set outto teach, I say “God I ammerely an instrument to performthis work. You have given meboth the work and the capabilityto do it. I will do it to the bestof my ability knowing that I amnot the doer at all. You are theteacher and the taught, and I ammerely a vehicle to convey theknowledge. You speak throughme, and teach through me.”
Amazing what such anattitude can do for one’s workethic. While it may seem at firstglance that removing ourselvesfrom the equation would makeus less inclined to put in toomuch effort, I find that I havebecome so much better at whatI do. After all, doing anything lessthan my best would be incrediblydisrespectful to my Maker.
Knowing that it isn’t justme, the fallible and mercuriallittle self that considers herself aprofessor with all kinds of greatideas, but God who is teaching,and remembering that mystudents are not just the variouslittle selves who moan andcomplain about homework, orturn things in late, or fail to seethe relevance of my lectures, butGod who is being taught, is anincredibly humbling experience.It allows me to push my littleego aside and work doubly hardto deliver the lesson and tofacilitate learning among mystudents. It enables me toconsider my work as anoffering, rather than somethingI do merely as a duty.
That, to answer ourmember’s question, is why Ithink we need to do more thanmerely work withoutexpectation. We need totransform our work into constantworship, so that along withattachment, we can rid ourselvesof our ego as well.
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Teachings of the Masters
“One must constantly endeavour to be perfectin every thought, word and action.”
Paramahamsa Prajnanananda
“When your breath becomes very feeble, thenyou are really practising Kriya. You areestablished in truth.”
Paramahamsa Hariharananda
“Make an effort to study the scriptures relatedto self-knowledge and to discuss the teachingsof the Masters.” Swami Satyananda
“By drawing and observing the graph of yourmind, your can see whether everyday you aremaking any progress in your life or not.”
Paramahamsa Yogananda
“Every day do regular swadhyaya coupled withmeditation and study of spiritual books andscriptures.” Swami Shriyukteshwar
“Forget your past suffering and troubles. If youset your mind on selfrealization and worktowards your spiritual uliftment, you will receiveimmense benefits.” Lahiri Mahasaya
“The door of Kriya Yoga is open only to earnestseekers and sadhakas.”
Mahavatara Babaji
“One who is blessed with the eye of wisdom isfree from all doubts, confusian and duality.”
Sanyal Mahasaya
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MYTHS AND METAPHORSDEVI MAHATMYA
ya devi sarvabhuteshu daya rupena samsthita |namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namah|| 65-67||ya devi sarvabhuteshu tushti rupenasamsthita |namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namah||68-70||ya devi sarvabhuteshu matru rupena samsthita |namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namah||71-73||ya devî sarvabhuteshu bhrantirupena samsthita
DEVI STUTI 65 - 73
Mantras 65–67ya devi sarvabhuteshudayarupena samsthita
namastasyai namastasyainamastasyai namonamah
TranslationRepeated salutations to
the Devi who is in the form ofcompassion in all living beings.Metaphorical Explanation
Creation is transitory andprone to change, decay, anddestruction. Life is full of
misery and affliction. Variouskinds of disasters, diseases, andcalamities create havoc inindividual life as well as on theearth collectively. Seeing thedistress of others, a person witha sensible mind and asympathetic heart cannotremain quiet. Compassion is agreat virtue and a divine quality,but in truth it is really amanifestation of the DivineMother in the hearts of all livingbeings.
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Daya is daya bhavedayate: “to feel pity orcompassion.” The PadmaPurana, in a section known asthe Kriya Yoga Sara, states:
yatnat api parakleshanhartum va hridi jayate
iccha bhumau surasresthasa daya parikirtita“O the best of the Suras
(celestials)! The feeling in theheart is described ascompassion, when one has adeep desire to eliminate thesuffering of others.”
When we feel ourselvesin others, their difficulty isperceived as our own. At thattime, our heart has an urge tobe an instrument for relievingthe misery of others. O DivineMother! This kind ofexperience is your presence.You are the loving andcompassionate Mother. Youmanifest in the hearts of others,individually or collectively ascompassion.
When someone trulyhelps others, there is no traceof ego, pride, or self-satisfaction (“I am so helpful,kind and good”); rather, thereshould be a feeling of gratitudeto the Divine Mother, realizingher love and compassionatepresence.
O Seeker! When youserve and help someone,perceive the presence of theDivine Mother in him or her aswell as in your own heart. Bowto the Divine Mother again andyet again.Mantras 68–70
yadevi sarvabhuteshutushti rupena samsthita
namastasyai namastasyainmastasyai namo namah
TranslationRepeated salutations to
the Devi who is in the form ofcontentment in all the livingbeings.Metaphorical Explanation
Contentment is a mentalstate or inner attitude. InSanskrit, it is known as tushti,derived from the root verb tush,meaning “to be content” or “tobe satisfied.” Contentmentcomes to us when we achievea goal or success or when weare free from trouble anddifficulty. Commenting upon theChandi, Nagoji Bhattadescribed tushti asadhigatarthat anyatratuchchhatva-buddhih: “Whenone experiences a sense ofinsignificance in everything,contentment arises.”
The Hitopadesha, aclassical Sanskrit literature,
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says, sarva eva apadah tasyayasya tushtam namanasam:“One who is not mentallycontent finds difficulties anddanger with every footstep.”
In the Bhagavad Gita,the Lord described the qualityof the most loving devotee assantushtah satatam (12:14) andsantushtah yena kena chit(12:19): “One who is alwayscontent and content in anysituation is a true devotee.” s
Why are peoplediscontent? They develop agreat expectation beyond theirown capability; in other words,they want to bite off more thanthey can chew. They wanteverything to be availableimmediately at their will. Howis it possible? Everything has aproper time, and for everythingattained, there is a law ofkarma. Greed is the root ofdiscontentment.
O Divine Mother! Youare contentment in the heartsof everyone. Every living beingenjoys more or lesscontentment, but constantcontentment in all situationsdepends upon your grace alone.The devotee bows to thee againand again to be blessed withthat real contentment.
O Seeker! Be contentwith what you possess in
worldly life. But never becontent in your expression tothe Divine Mother. Do yourwork, and offer it to her.Whatever the result, be contentwith it, but never be contentwith your own sadhana. Bepractical in practicing the art ofcontentment.Mantras 71–73
yadevi sarvabhuteshumatru rupena samsthita
namastasyai namastasyainamastasyai namonamah
TranslationRepeated salutations to
the Devi who is in the form ofthe Mother in all living beings.Metaphorical Explanation
Every living being has amother. Without a mother,existence in life is not possible.The cosmos also has a creator,the Divine Mother.
Etymologically, matru ormata is manyate pujyate yasa: “One who is adorable orrespected is the mother.” Itdescribes the greatness of amother. She carries the baby inher womb, then breast feeds thebaby and gives it care andattention, helping the baby grow.A mother brings a smile andjoy to the face of the baby,language, words, and ultimately,creates a good person. The
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Divine Mother feeds andnurtures all living beings withthe breast milk of knowledgeand devotion.
As a child grows up, itforgets the love and sacrificeof the biological mother.Similarly, we forget the role ofthe Divine Mother. “Mother”has many connotations: Theearth, the goddess of prosperity,the shrutis and the Vedas,mantras, rivers, and cows areconsidered forms of theadorable Mother.
O Divine Mother!Always protect me in your lap,in your arms, close to yourbosom, feed me the nectar-like
milk of knowledge anddevotion. Remove my ignoranceand let my eye of unity andoneness be opened, so that Ican behold your presence withinand without. Let me not forgetyour love and protection. I bowto thee again and again.
O Seeker! Ego assumesa sense of greatness in aperson. Be careful. Be like achild. When you really feel likea child, there will be no traceof ego, and vice versa. Whensuch feeling is in you, you willexperience the presence of theDivine Mother. She is your realmother, ready to help you. Prayto her in every step of your life.
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New Building at Amarkantak Ashram
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Sutra 15What is Detachment?
drstanusravika visayavitrsnasya vasikarasamjna
vairagyam ||15||Word Meaning
drsta – whatever is seen(that is, experienced through thesenses); anusravika - whatever isheard or imagined (about heavenor hell) through imagination in themental world; visaya – subjects,objects; vitrsnasya – withoutdesire, non-craving; vasikara –self-mastery; samjna – definition;vairagyam – non-attachment,dispassionTranslation
Vairagya[non-attachment]is defined as self-mastery orcomplete freedom from desire.Commentary by Shri LahiriMahasaya
Renounce all desire forwhat is seen and heard andconstantly remain in samadhi. Inother words, non-attachment is thestate of being completely immersedin nothingness.Metaphorical Explanation
In this sutra, the sagedescribes non-attachment, whichis of two types: apara vairagya(relative or ordinary detachment)and para vairagya (extraordinaryor absolute detachment).
THE YOGA SUTRA OF PATANJALI
Sutra 15 describes in detailthe first step of vairagya (relativenon-attachment), which can beattained in three possible ways:
1. Realizing the possibledemerits, diseases, discomforts,and troubles associated with theobject of enjoyment or attachment;
2. Seeing and experiencingthe divinity in all; and
3. Always keeping the mindfocused on the highest goal oflife.
Attachment exists whenpeople feel the need to possessthings because they do not realizethat everything they need isalready within them. They do notunderstand that it is not necessaryto seek happiness or fulfillmentexternally. People must realize thatwhatever they see or experience isisha vasyam, or “that which ispermeated by the Divine.” (IshaUpanishad, mantra 1) It is reallya person’s own true Self that he isseeing everywhere in the world,and therefore nothing is beyondhim.
The scriptures describehow the mind is never satisfied,even after the enjoyment oraccumulation of objects isachieved. Just as a fire growsstronger when fuel is poured onit, our desires only increase themore we indulge them. This is a
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common experience in everydaylife. People have a strong desireto possess or accumulateeverything they perceive with theirfive senses. Desires can be dividedinto two categories:
Drishya – desire for theobjects of the five senses: what isseen, heard, smelled, touched, ortasted. Desires for material wealth,sexual enjoyment, royal or socialstatus also fall into this category.
Anushravika – desire forwhat has been heard through thescriptures like the Vedas, themythologies, or other literature.These are of two types. The firstis avasthantara vedya, the desireto experience a different state ofexistence; that is, a beautiful tasteor smell that is associated withdifferent siddhis (perfections). Thesecond is sharirantara vedya, thedesire to experience what it is likeafter death, which peopleexperience as heaven or hell. Thehuman mind often roams in thelower five chakras. It alwayspursues the objects of the fivesense organs and the imagination,but one must strive to come upfrom the pituitary (soul center orajna chakra) to the fontanel andeven beyond. Meditating andpracticing the Kriya Yogatechniques is an extremely helpfulway to overcome all worldlydesires.
By using a discriminatingintellect in every aspect of life, and
by living a life of constantawareness and practicalspirituality, one will overcome theplay of the mind in the lowerdomain. A mind purified throughregular spiritual practice isnaturally free from likes anddislikes. This type of non-attachment helps one to renouncedesires.
Therefore, each personshould deal carefully with his mind,providing himself only with whatis necessary and never indulgingin greed. Every effort should bemade to make the mind free fromall attachment, which is thebondage that creates discomfort,unhappiness, and suffering in life.One who has renounced worldlydesires, with thoroughunderstanding and wisdom, hasreal non-attachment. This comesthrough the regular practice ofmeditation.
O Seeker! Be not a dreamer.Too much expectation bringsdistraction and disaster in life.Make your life moderate and yourdesires disciplined. Looking atothers and their possessions, donot cherish cravings in yourselfto own such things. A life ofprayer, moderation, and innercontentment will help you tomeditate deeply and to evolve.This will also help you to cultivatenon-attachment. Attachment arisesout of attraction and appreciation.Physical or emotional attachmentis bondage; carefully avoid it.
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RESIDENTIAL BRAHMACHARI TRAINING COURSE (RBTC)PRAJNANA MISSION
Jagatpur, Cuttack – 754021, Odisha, Ph: 0674 – 2491724Website: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected]
Invites application for the 7th Residential Brahmachari TrainingCourse at Hariharananda Gurukulam, Balighai, Puri commencingfrom 28th October 2016 to 24th February 2017.The Goal:
The goal of the Residential Brahmachari Training Course is toprepare the students for living a wholesome and integrated lifethrough the practice of service, study and meditation.Required Qualification:1. Open to Indian citizen of the age group 20 – 40 years. 2. Agraduate with good understanding and communication skill inEnglish as the course will be in English. 3. Keen interest in thepractice of Kriya Yoga, spiritual study and yogic lifestyle. 4. Shouldbe of sound health. 5. Must be initiated into Kriya Yoga or willing tobe initiated into Kriya Yoga prior to start of the course.Scope & Syllabus:1. The Upanishad, The Bhagavat Geeta and other vedantic textssuch as Tattwa Bodha, Atma Bodha etc. 2. The Patanjali Yoga Sutra,Hatha Yoga Pradeepika, Gharenda Samhita. 3. Narada Bhakti Sutra4. Basic knowledge of Sankrit 5. Comparative study of other religions.6. Kriya Yoga Meditation, Discourses, Group discussions, Questions& Answer sessions. 7. Seva (Service)
This will be a residential course and the trainees will not beallowed to visit outside during the training course. The entire trainingcourse will be conducted under the guidance of Pujya ParamahamsaPrajnananandaji, the current spiritual head of the Kriya YogaInternational.Last date of submission of application form : 15th July 2016
Accomodation and simple vegetarian food will be provided freeof cost to the trainees. Trainees will be selected through personalinterview at Puri in the month of August 2016. For more informationand application form please visit our website or contact at theaddress mentioned above.
Swami Achalananda GiriSecretary, Prajnana Mission
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VALUABLE VOLUMES
AKSHARA TATTVA
AND
JNANA SANKALINI TANTRABY PARAMAHAMSA PRAJNANANANDA
AKSHARA TATTVAExpression of Emotion
All living beings speak.Speech is an expression offeelings, emotions, intellect andexperiences. Speech is acombination of words andwords are combination of letters.We have seen how the lettersoriginated and that they arenothing but divine sounds.Different letters combine tomake words.
When Arjuna said, “I willnot fight”, he had so muchemotion, attachment and sorrowthat he was in tears and his bodywas trembling. In the Gita theLord said,” Arjuna, be carefulof emotion and weakness. Yourdejection has made your heartnarrow. Be free from theweakness of the heart.”Emotion and prana
How to be free from
emotion and broaden your heart?Before understanding this I willexplain some technical terms.You must have heard of pranaor the vital energy manifestedfrom the heart and brain andacting through different parts ofthe body. Modern doctors andscientists agree that the MRI, thebrain scan and the electrocardiogram are nothing but themeasure of the electrical energythat gives a graph of the activityof the physical brain and heart.
Prana remains in the heartand because of the change inthe wavelength of the pranadifferent emotions come to theheart. Emotion is also called thebhava the inner feelings.
The scriptures says:“yadbhaava tadbhavati”,
what you feel and experience inthe inner world can manifest inthe external world.
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Emotion over-powers us.Thoughts materialize. Emotionnarrows the heart and makes itweak.Manifestation of Emotion
According to thephilosophy of yoga, emotion ismanifested in five ways: anuraga(attachment), bhaya (fear),krodha (anger), dvesha (hatred)and ananda (bliss).Of these, thefirst four are negative emotionsand the fifth is a positiveemotion.Anuraga (Attachment)
Attachment comesthrough fulfillment of wishes.Attachment is a form of love,but it is love of a lower nature.Here it is not devotion butemotion. You are naturallyinclined towards some peoplemore than others. Some areattached to their house, garden,and ornaments. What causesthis? Suppose you are shoppingfor a camera. The shopkeeperis showing you a camera andthe camera slips and falls fromhis hands. You have asympathetic look. Suppose youhad purchased the camera, paidfor it and as you are walkingout of the store, it fell from yourhands. Compare the twosituations and the emotioninvolved. When it fell from yourhands your heart would have
skipped a beat. Why? Becauseonce you purchased it you havea sense of possession and youare attached to your possession.
Wanting to possess comesfrom insecurity. One thinks thatby possessing someone, onebecomes secure. Besides this,when there is similarity inthoughts, when two people thinkalike and the frequency is thesame there can be attachment.Should we be attached? Weshould take care of things andexperience love but to beattached is not good. Attachmentis hard to overcome. It stopsour progress and evolution. Howcan we be inwardly detached?It would help to think about theimpermanence of relationships.Let us understand theserelationships.
We all live in this worldand we love our bodies morethan anything else. Is this bodya permanent one? The body isundergoing change every minute.The body of the child grows intoa youth and the youth becomesan adult and the adult becomesold. Teeth fall, hair grays andskin wrinkles. Buddha said:sarvam kshanikam anityam.Everything is ephemeral andtransitory.We should change ourattitude. Understand that wecome alone and we have to go
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alone and when you lovesomeone or something, love asif you are taking care of thatobject. When the child is smallthe child is attached to you.When the child grows up andyou still want to hold on to thechild then you are not allowingthe child to grow. Just as amango is at first small and green,then it becomes full-grown andwhen ripe it detaches itself fromthe tree. If you want to besweet, ripe and colorful like themango you have to be inwardlydetached. We should be in theworld but not of the world. Theboat should be in the water butthe water should not come intothe boat. If it does, then the boatwill sink. We should live in thisworld with family, taking careof all the material possessions,while being aware that nothingis permanent. Intelligentlyovercome attachment. Bepractical in the use of words inthought, word and speech beingfree from attachment.Krodha (Anger)
Anger is an expression offrustration due to unfulfilleddesires. When you have a desireto possess something and if youdo not get it then anger results.Physically anger causes damageto our heart and brain.Emotionally, it causes pain and
socially, it gives you a badreputation. You do not like whensomeone is angry with you andothers will not like you whenyou are angry. How to overcomeanger? The fire burns when yourhand touches the fire. Themistake is not of the fire but ofthe hand that touched it. Whensomeone hurts us we becomeangry. How can someone hurtyou unless you have in someway become close to that personphysically or emotionally. So becareful in society. Where thereis real love there is no anger.Love is not an attachment. Loveis an opportunity to grow. Loveis an understanding and not aninstinct or emotion. Love andanger cannot go together. Godis Love. There is no trace ofanger in God. The Lord saidanger is the manifestation ofpassionate or rajasic quality.
Kama esha krodha esharajoguna samudbhava
(Gita III-37)Passion and anger are
born from rajasic quality. Bychanging your lifestyle andoutlook, you will get rid of it.To overcome anger change ordecrease the rajasic qualitythrough prayer and meditationand change the food habits.
(to be continued in the nextissue)
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JNANASANKALINI TANTRATHE DIALOGUE BETWEEN SHIVA
AND PARVATIQuestion on Creation.
Devi asked,“From where is creation
manifested Oh Lord, and howdoes it dissolve? What isbrahmajnanam (knowledge ofabsolute) which is devoid ofcreation and dissolution?” (verse2)
Creation is a cosmicmystery. The scientists in thephysical world, the philosopherat the intellectual level and thesaints and sages through theirmeditation have all been tryingto solve this mystery of creation.The clear, cloud free sky in thedarkness of night, with myriadsof shining stars smiling at us,reminds us that the limitedhuman mind cannot comprehendthis mystery of creation soeasily. God is infinite andcreation is extremely vast.
The views about creationare multidimensional and oftennot free from controversies andcontradictions. The most ancientscriptures the Vedas in generaland the Upanishads in particular,explain elaborately the creationand its evolution.
In this verse, the divinemother, Parvati, the sincereseeker, the inner quest in eachperson, asks the followingquestions:
How does the creationbegin?
How does this creationcome to an end?
How (in this creation) isknowledge of Brahman (eternalwisdom), which is beyondcreation and dissolution,achieved?
In the subsequent verses,Lord Shiva answers thesequestions in detail. This verse isthe sub-structure on which theLord bestows the supremestructure of the divineknowledge. In this verse, thereare three important words thatneed to be understood properly:srishti (creation) , vinasha(destruction, dissolution) andbrahmajnana (knowledge of theabsolute, ultimate wisdom)srishti -creation
This word is derived fromthe root word srj. The Sanskritword srj consists of three letters
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sa, ra and, ja. Sa means theSoul, God, ra means movementor vibration, ja meansmanifestation, to be born. Thesethree letters together implycreation is the vibratorymanifestation of the soul or God.Every creation is the vibrationof the cosmic energy. Speech iscreation of sound by thevibration of the vocal cord in aparticular way. So also thoughtis also a vibration.vinasha-Complete dissolution:
vi means perfect orcomplete, nasha meansdestruction, disappearance ordissolution. Every beginning hasan end. Every creation hasdissolution. Dissolution is aperfect disappearance, i.e., to gobeyond the vibratory creativeenergy to get merged in thesupreme. The world and eventhe body consciousness of theindividual are lost when onesleeps. But that is not a completedisappearance, only temporary.
Brahmajnana -Knowledge of the Absolute
Ignorance is darkness andknowledge is light. The childfrom a very early age is eager toknow. There is a proverb, “ Thewhy of the child is the key tophilosophy.” From a practicalpoint of view, knowledge isclassified in to two groups;
Mundaka Upanisadproclaims verse (1.1.4),
There are two kinds ofknowledge aparavidya (materialknowledge) and paravidya(supreme knowledge).
Material knowledge (aparavidya) is obtained through properuse of the five sense organs ofperception, i.e., eyes (sight),ears (hearing), nose (smell),tongue (taste) and skin (touch),with the help of internalinstruments like mind andintellect. This is the means tocollect and accumulateknowledge of the materialobjects and the external world.Using the mind and the memoryand analyzing through theintellect, people expand theperiphery of their knowledge. Itis called as paroksha-jnanaindirect means to knowledge. Ifthe instruments like the sensesand the mind are not in a fit andhealthy state, they may be thecause of acquiring erroneousknowledge.
Spiritual wisdom (paravidya ) on the other hand, isgained through sincere effort. Itis direct experience-a-parokshaanubhuti. Truth is revealed to asincere seeker, who disciplinesthe senses and cleans the mindthrough meditation and prayer.This is called as the
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manifestation of the Divinity,revelation of Truth and light,gaining of inner experience. Thisknowledge brings liberation.
In the Bhagavad Gita theLord speaks:yam labdva ca param labham
manyate na adhikam tatahyasmin sthito na dukhena
gurunapi vichalyate VI: 22
“That, on gaining whichthe person thinks that there isno greater gain beyond it,wherein established one is notmoved by the greatest sorrow”.
Such knowledge dispelsignorance and makes one freefrom the bondage of birth, death,pleasure and pain. This is thestate of pure mind, a state ofequilibrium and equanimity thatis achieved through the path ofself-discipline.
Ishwara replied,Creation comes from
avyakta (unmanifest) and into
avyakta it dissolves. Avyaktamis brahmajnanam (knowledge ofthe absolute) devoid of creationand dissolution. (verse 3)Ishwara
Some say God is formlessand some say God has form. Inthe Vedic experience, God asbrahman is beyond all attributesand qualities, formless andbeyond creation, while Ishwarais the manifested God perceivedin the creation. Ishwara, theLord is the supreme soul, hererepresented as Shiva.
The source of allknowledge is traced to the Vedasand the Upanishads, treatises onDivine wisdom. In one suchUpanishad (Taitariya 2/1/3), thereis a very lucid and exhaustivedescription of the process ofcreation. Every creation is themanifestation from the subtle tothe gross.
(to be continued in the nextissue)
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Matru Ashram Foundation day
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STORIES TO LIVE BYLOVE ALL, SERVE ALL
Two men were travellingalong a village road. One mangave out a cry, caught hold ofhis foot and sat down. He wasin pain. A big thorn had enteredhis foot. He was unable to evenlift the foot. The other man wentahead and then began shoutingat the former: “You fool, it isgetting late. If you don’t comerunning, we shall not reach thedestination before nightfall.” Theother man replied: “No myfriend;I cannot move an inchforward till this thorn isremoved.” The other man said,“Why are you making suchfuss? Come on, get up or I willgo away,” and went anotherfurlong farther.
Then he too had troddenover a thorn and sat down ingreat pain. They could notremove the thorns them selvesand were both suffering in agony,unable to help each other. A thirdtraveller came along, whoremoved their thorns and he saidto them “Friends, If you haveremoved the thorn from the footof your friend when he wassuffering, he could haveaccompanied you and wouldhave helped you,when you
suffered the same fate. Then youboth could have marchedtogether to reach your goalfaster, not by ignoring eachothers pain.”
Similarly a hardheartedman, when he finds a fellowtraveller on this thorny andrugged path called life, strickenwith pain, laughs and goes hisway. The nature of life itself issuch that he, too, is soonstricken by the same kind ofpain. Beyond the reach of helpthe hardhearted man also suffers.
There comes a sage ofsupreme wisdom, who hasconsciousness of Unity, andrelieves them of their misery, andimplants the seed of love in thehearts of both. He says, O man,pain exists in the other man onlyin order to give you anopportunity to serve him andrelieve him of his misery. Thusserving each other, you wouldevolve rapidly and proceed toyour destination. You may laughat the other man’s misery andsay it is his karma; but soonyou might find your self in thesame condition. Understand thenature of the world. Serve all.Love all. Realize the Self in all.”
(Parables of Swami Sivananda)
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ATMA-VIDYAPURSUING SELF-KNOWLEDGE
KAIVALYOPANISHADMantra 23
na bhumi rapo na ca vahnirastinacanilomesti na cambaram caevam viditva paramatma rupamguhasayah nishkalamadvitiyam
samasta sakshih sadasadvihinahprayati shuddhah paramatma rupa
Meaningsna-not, bhumi-earth,
apah-water, na-not, ca-also,vahni –fire, asti-is, na-not, ca–also, anila-air, me-in me, asti-is, na-not, ca- also, ambaram-sky, ca-also, evam- thus, viditvaparamatma-the supreme self,rupam-beauty, guhasayah-remaining in the cave,nishkalam- wihtout any limbs,advitiyam-without a second,samasta-all, sakshih –witness,sad-real asad- unreal, vihinah-without, prayati-goes or attainssuddhah-pure, paramatma-thesupreme self, rupam- beautySubstance
For me neither earth, orwater or fire or air or sky exists.Realizing the supreme self in thecave of the intellect who iswithout limbs, is one without asecond and is the witness of all,beyond the existence and
nonexistence, one attains to theparamatman itself.Commentary
Nirvana shatkam of AdiShankara gives the message –Iam not the mind, ego, intellector the five elements. This mantrahas a similar message. Althoughthey appear to exist in me as thebody and the universe, for methey do not exist –I exist withoutthe universe. The wave cannotexist without ocean but the oceancan exist without the wave. Thebody cannot exist without thesoul but the soul exists withoutthe body. The universe cannotexist without God but the Godexists even beyond the universe.
Having realized thus thebeauty of the divine remainingin the cave without any parts,the one without a second, oneattains the pure beauty of the
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divine. One who realizes “whoam I” sees that I am not all thisand realize the beauty of theSupreme Being in the cave. Cavehas only one opening. When yougo into a cave at first it appearsto be dark, but when the retinaadjusts a little you can see manythings in the cave. niskalam –iswithout any limbs or formlessand advitiyam – is one withouta second.
R a m a k r i s h n aParamahamsa talked about whathappens when a doll of salt goesto measure the depth of theocean. It simply dissolves andmerges in the ocean becomingone with it. An individual whogoes to find the beauty of Godmerges in God and becomes onewith God.
After that experiencecoming back into the world oneremains as the witness ofeverything – beyond the real andthe unreal, and attains purebeauty of divinity or onenesswith god.Phala Sruti
yaha satarudriyam adhitesa agni puto bhavati, sa vayuputo bhavati, sa atma putobhavati sa surapanot putobhavati, sa brahmahatyaya putobhavati, sa suvarnasteyo putobhavati, sa krtyakrtyo puto
bhvati tasmat avimuktam asritobhavati, atyashrami sarvadasakrtva japet.
yaha-this, shatarudriyam -hundred ways of praising Shiva,adhite- by intellect, sa-he agni-fire, puto-pure, bhavati-becomes, sa-he, vayu-air, puto-pure, bhavati-becomes, sa- he,atma-mind, puto—pure, bhavati-becomes sa- he, sura-alcohol,pano-drinking, puto—pure,bhavati- becomes, sa- he,brahma hatyaya-from killing abrahmin, puto—pure, bhavati-becomes, sa- he, suvarna-gold,steyo-stealing, puto—pure,bhavati- becomes, sa- he krtya-done, akrtya- not done, puto—pure, bhavati- becomes tasmatavimuktam-totally liberated,asrito-refuge bhavati- becomes,atyashrami-beyond ashram,sarvada-always, sakrtva-clearly,japet-chanted.yaha –this
This mantra describes theresult of chanting and practicingthis Upanishad.
One who studies this orone who turns towards Godbecomes purified with fire.People do fire ceremony – itgives the benefit of the fireceremony or fire is knowledgeand you will be purified withknowledge. You will be purifiedby air. This could also mean you
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It’s hard to believe I’veknown and loved the graduatingclass of Balashram for the pastseven years. It seems like justyesterday that I was surroundedby their beautiful bright-eyed
Balashram NewsMy Children
Jyothi Bathina
get control over the breath andevery breath leads to God. Atmahere is mind –the mind becomespure, and you become pure fromthe sin of drinking alcohol. Itcan also mean the intoxicationwith the worldly wine. brahmahatyayah –means killing aBrahmin. In Hindu belief,drinking alcohol or killing aBrahmin are considered verygreat sins. Not trying to get self-knowledge is also brahma hatya.You become purified from themistake of stealing gold. Suvarnaalso means good color –eachperson has a color. Sorrowfulcolor changes the state ofbrilliance. You are purified fromwhat is done and what is notdone- commissions andomissions. Therefore irrespectiveof which ashram you belong to,or even if you are beyond al
ashrams you are avimukta-totally liberated and one withGod. All the time clearly indeedlet them chant this Upanishad.Japet here does not mean just tochant but to practice andexperience.
anena jnanam apnotisamsararnava nasanam
tasmat enam viditvenamkaivalyam phalamasnute.
aneana –by this, jnanam–knowledge , apnoti-attains,samsara – world, arnava –ocean, nasanam – elimination,tasmat- therefore, viditva-knowing, enam-this, kaivalyam-liberation, phalam- fruit, asnute-attains or enjoys
By this knowledge onecan destroy the ocean of theworld and therefore knowingthis one enjoys the fruit ofliberation.
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faces, as I toured the girls hostelor smiled at the boysmischievous and curious glanceswhile I observed the third gradeclassroom in session.
I was a stranger to themthen, a newcomer who wasvisiting for the very first time. Ilike to think that after all theseyears and several visits later,as we have gotten to knoweach other, work together, writeand publish a book together, thatwe have become more likefamily. I have certainly cometo think of them as my childrenand refer to them in those termsin the many academic articlesI’ve published about thismiraculous school and itsamazing students.
I was fortunate enoughto make another trip inDecember to see my childrenone more time before theygraduate, to give them whatwords of wisdom I could as
they prepare to enter the widerworld. We spent a few hourstogether one memorablemorning during my visit, talkingfrankly about the tumultuousnature of life. As I looked outat their innocent and eagerfaces, I prayed that they wouldhave the courage and theconviction to stand by theirideals, come what may. I knowthat with Baba’s blessing andthe unshakeable moralfoundations instilled in them bythe noble teachers and staff ofBalashram, they are asprepared as anyone can be forwhatever the future might hold.
(Dr .Jyothi Bathina is anassociate professor ofEducation from Fresno StateUniversity and has ben visitingBalashram frequently forconducting Orientation sessionsfor the staff and also workingwith the students on writingprojects.)
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MAHASHIVARATRIPASHUPATI
Lord Shiva is known asPashupati. Pashu means animaland pasha means a noose orsomething with which you bindanother. Pati means the Lord.Why is the Lord calledPashupati?
A pashu or an animalbound by a pasha or a rope, isconfined to a limited space anddependent on the food and drinkthat are provided by someoneand has limited knowledge. Ananimal that is not bound by the
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PRAJNANA MISSION SPECIAL EVENTSInauguration of the 17th IIKYS
MAKARA SANKRANTI – ASTROLOGICALSIGNIFICANCE
Discourse of Paramahamsa PrajnananandaJan 14, 2016
pasha enjoys its freedom, isfree to roam about and eat thegreen grass and drink waterfrom natural sources, breathespure air and is much happier.
The pashu known asjiva or the individual self isbound by not one, but threepashas of the gunas – sattva,rajas and tamas. In order tobe free the jiva has to gobeyond the three gunasresponsible for the creation ofthe body and this can only bedone by brahma jnana or bythe knowledge of the Self. Asthe Gita says,
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Gunaneta natitya trindehi dehasamudbhavan
Janmamrityujaradukhairvimuktomrutamashnute
(14-20)Lord Shiva is considered
the Lord of knowledge -Jnanammaheshwaraticchet.Only by the grace of LordShiva can the jiva be liberatedfrom the pasha or the bondagecaused by maya.
Hence the namePashupati – The Lord who canmake the pashu free from thepasha and grant liberation.
Today is the 14th ofJanuary, which is celebrated asMakara Sankranti, the beginningof the month Makara in the solarcalendar according to Vedicastrology. The Sun enters therashi of Makara (Capricorn).Sankranti means “movement.”When the Sun enters a newzodiac, it is the movement ofthe Sun from one zodiac to
another. There are two types ofzodiac systems in Vedicastrology, fixed and moving.According to the fixed zodiacsystem, today, the Sun goes toMakara rashi and will stay therefor one month. The Lord ofMakara rashi is Saturn, who isconsidered as the son of the Sun.Astrologically, Sun and Saturnand Sun and Venus are enemies.
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The Sun also stays for twomonths in the houses of theenemies. The significance of thisday is to visit the house of theenemy in order to bring light andlove. Ask, who is my enemy? Ishould try to cultivate love andforgiveness for him or her. Thisis also like a father visiting andliving at his son’s house for sometime. Usually the Sun remains ineach rashi or zodiac for about amonth. According to the fixedzodiac system, today is thewinter solstice, whereas in themoving zodiac system it is onDecember 21-22. So the Sun iscoming to the Northernhemisphere. “North” in thehuman body refers to the upperpart, and the Sun entering thenorth is the dawn of more light,knowledge, and awareness inhuman life, which can be utilizedin spiritual practice. From today,the days will gradually get longer.So, from today we have toincrease our sadhana more andmore.Meeting of Ganga and theOcean
On the tenth moon in themonth of Jyestha (JyesthaShukla Dashami), which usuallycomes in the month of June, isthe day of the descendence ofthe heavenly river Suradhuni, theGanga, on the earth due toaustere penance and prayer of
King Bhagiratha for the liberationof his 60,000 ancestors (thechildren of King Sagara). Thisday is celebrated as GangaDashahara, the birthday ofMother Ganga on the earth. Shedescended on the head of LordShiva and then on the Himalayasand moved forward as the pathshown by King Bhagiratha. Boththe Ganga and King Bhagirathahad to pass through manyordeals, and ultimately today isthe day when the Ganga cameto the ocean. Today is the dayof liberation of all the 60,000children of King Sagara and therewas the manifestation of Sagara(now known as the Bay ofBengal). It is the day of theGanga meeting the ocean andliberating the suffering Sagaras.It is the day of bringing heavenlyknowledge (Ganga) from heavento the head of Lord Shiva andthen to the earth and spreadingin the ocean (the ocean ofworldly suffering). Todaymillions of people congregate atthe Sagara Island to take a dipin the confluence with a hopeof being free from impurities andattaining liberation.Battle of Asuras and Devas
Today was also the dayof the battle between the asurasand the devas, who representdarkness and light, ignorance andknowledge, selfishness and
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Foundation Day of Matru AshramJan 31, 2016
Matru Ashram celebratedits 6th Foundation day on the31st of January.
The morning programincluded an early morning gramasankirtan- going round the villagesinging devotional songs followedby meditation at the ashram.
Evening Satsang startedat 4.30 p.m with the lighting ofthe lamp by ParamahamsaPrajnananandaji along with theother invited guests, as theresident monks chanted theshanti mantra. Sw.Sarvatmananda introducedguests. and Brn. Satyamayeeread out the annual report.
The first speaker SriTrijibi Dash, inspired theaudience with his introductorytalk about developing devotion
to God and Guru. Chief GuestSmt. Indira Mishra, a retired IASand a social worker from RaipurChattisgarh, encouraged womento be self employed and workfrom home to stand on theirown feet in the society. SriPranab Patnaik, a reputed singerthrilled the audience withinspiring devotional songs.
Baba Prajnananandajiemphasized on women beingstrong and if needed to be likeGoddess Durga to fight with thenegatives in the family, societyand the world. Women have thepower and ability to change thesociety.
The program concludedwith a cultural program by thestudents of Balashram anddistribution of prasad there after.
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generosity, after the churning ofthe ocean to find nectar. As aresult, the asuras were destroyedand defeated and they wereburied under the Hill of Mandara(located in the BhagalpurDistrict), where Shri SanyalMahasaya established a KriyaYoga Ashram. To take away thepot of nectar, Jayanta, the sonof Indra, moved from place toplace, and thus from today
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begins the Kumbha Mela inAllahabad.Kumbha Mela
The significance of theKumbha Mela is to bring nectarinto our life by churning theocean of life and to let the pitcherof our body (kumbha) be filledwith nectar. Let our life be sweetand loving like nectar and tasteimmortality.
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INDIAAnnual Three Day GitaJnana Yajnas
Gita Jnana Yajnas wereheld in Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar,Cuttack and Puri. Eachprogram also includedinitiations and technique trainingclasses by monks of PrajnanaMission during the day and Gitadiscourse by guruji,Paramahamsa Prajnananandajiin the evening.
The talk at Kolkata wason the 13th chapter of the Gita.
The discourse on thekshetra and kshetrajna – thefield and the knower of the field,was extremely enlightening asBaba extended the field to thethree bodies, their compositionand how they should becultivated. Applying it to KriyaYoga, Baba talked of the spinewith its chakras as theshatchakra kshetra and how theguru mantra ( bijakshara – seedsyllable) germinates with thewater of love and devotion. Justas we have the 3 bodies Babasaid Bhagavad Gita also can be
AROUND THE GLOBE
interpreted at three levels - thegross is narrated as amythological story, the subtlenarrated as the mental andemotional and the causal isnarrated at the adhyatmic andyogic level.
The discourses atBhubanehwar, Cuttack and Puricentered around particularverses from the Gita whichParamahamsaji expoundedelaborately with metaphoricexplanations and innersignificance. Baba stressed onthe application of Gita’steachings in daily life and theneed of a guru on the spiritualpath.17th IIKYS at HariharanandaGurukulam
The 17th IntensiveInternational Kriya YogaSeminar was held from the 14th
– 20th of January 2016. Theweeklong event was filled withmany celebrations, discourses,and question answer sessions.Initiations into kriya yoga werespread to few days of theseminar to accommodate
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different languages. Guidedmeditations were conducted in4 different languages.Specialevents included the GuruPaduka Puja and fire ceremonyin the Guru Mandir, the birthday and mahasamadhi day ofSannyal Mahashaya, tour ofGoshala and Samba Dashami,Surabhi puja near DevaMandir. Performances in theevenings included culturalprogram by Balashramstudents, music and danceperformances by talented localgroups, and devotional songsand bhajans by discilples.Opening of New Building -Amarkantak Ashram
Foundation Day &Inauguration of new building atKriya Yoga Dhyana Kutir,Amarkantak was held from 6thto 8th February 2016. Birthdayof Swami Brahmanandaji wascelebrated on 8th February2016. Amarkantak is a holysite because it is the origin ofthe holy river Narmada whichflows down to western coastof India. The city is located incentral India on the border oftwo states, Madhya Pradeshand Chhattishgarh.
Swami Brahmanandaji amonk of Prajnana Mission, fromits inception, was a divine
personality, a sincere seeker oftruth who worked closely withhis brother disciples, BabaPrajnananandaji and SwamiShuddhanandaji. People oftenreferred to them as the Hindutrinity – Brahma , Vishnu andMaheshwara. People lovedBrahmanandaji for his sincerity,gentleness and humility. A manof meditation, his teaching wasa practical form of spirituality.Brahmanandaji played a keyrole as the vice president ofPrajnana Mission and activelytook part in the many activitiesof Prajnana Mission as a goodorganizer. He offered his silentsupport in many ways. He wasa strong pillar in spreading thewok of Kriya Yoga through outIndia. Brahmanandaji lovedquiet and secluded place wherehe could intensify his spiritualpractice and hold small retreatswith selected groups ofdisciples. Brahmanandaji hadthe wish to find a simpledwelling in a secluded spot andwith the help of some localdisciples , he found a perfectlocation and constructed a smallcottage called HariharanandaDhyana Kutir, or the Cottageof Meditation. In 2002Brahmanandaji took somedisciples with him and officiallyopened the ashram. Whenever
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he could, he would go to theDhyana Kutir to spend time insilence and meditation or hewould hold a silent retreat witha small group of disciples. Hislast program in Amakantak wasin Februar, 2006.
The seed that he hassown has now become a hugetree spreading its banches farand wide, under the directionof Prajnana Mission, the hardwork of the resident monkSwami Paripurnananda Giri, andmany dedicated disciples. TheAshram with its unique locationclose to the banks of the sacredriver Narmada is ideal forsincere seekers wanting tomeditate in seclusion and forsilent group retreats.
Let us keepBrahmanandaji as a constantlyburning flame in our hearts. Lethis example as a sincere seekerof truth provide the guidancewe need as we continue ourjourney. Let his bright light shineon our path so that we canclearly perceive and accomplishthe goal in life.
(excerpts from MyBrother Brahmanandaji byParamahamsa Prajnanananda)Saraswati Puja at Balashram
Saraswati Puja wasperformed at Balashram on the
12th of February on MaghaSukla Panchami also known asSri Panchami. The Goddess oflearning Saraswati isworshipped on this dayespecially in schools andeducational institutions.Saraswati Puja is a very specialcelebration at our Balashram inwhich the students take partwith great devotion andenthusiasm.
Baba Prajnananandajiconducted the entire worshipand fire ceremony at thebeautifully decorated altarpropitiating the Goddessassisted by Sw.Gurusharanananda and Brn.Satyamayee and Brn.Premamayee. The divineblessings of Goddess Saraswaticould be felt in the holyatmosphere while Guruji wasworshipping and guiding the hallfull of students facing him intaking part of the chanting.Prachi Walk
The 5th annual Prachiwalk – Parikrama of the Prachiriver (Feb 28- March 5) leadagain by Baba Prajnananandajiand other monks of PrachiParikrama Chritable Trust, wasfollowed with great enthusiasmby national and internationaldisciples.
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MahashivaratriMahashivaratri was
special this year with severalinitiations into Brahmacharyaand Sannyasa. The sacredceremonies were conductedunder the direction and guidanceof Guruji ParamahamsaPrajnananandaji attended andassisted by many senior monksof the mission. The 3 dayceremony of many prescribedrites and fire ceremonies, endedwith the initiations on the holyauspicious day of Shivaratri.DUBAI RETREAT
The Kriyavans of Dubaiwere blessed with a retreatwith Baba Prajnananandaji Jan28- 30, 2016. Other Swamisaccompanying were SwamiVairagyananda Giri and SwamiGurupriyananda Giri.Paramhamsaji was in Dubaiafter 5 years. The event tookplace at the Azman PalaceHotel on the coast of ArabianSea. The theme for the retreatwas a verse from the Gita(6/17) about yogic life style ofdiscipline and moderation in
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For current information.E-mail : [email protected] / [email protected]
food, enjoyment, action and,sleep. The in depth analysis andexplanation by Guruji fromvarious aspects was practicaland enlightening.The group ofcommitted disciples who cametogether included some from asfar as Abudabhi.NORTH AMERICASPECIAL EVENTSPrachi walk, Mahashivaratriand Amarkantak Retreat
Participants from USAhad the opportunity to joinGuruji ParamahamsaPrajnananandaji on his annualPrachi walk from February 28to March 5 in Odisha andparticipated in the Shivaratriobservance on 7th March atHariharananda Guukulam.
March 12th thoughMarch 26, 2016 Kriyavans fromUSA attended an exceptional,silent meditation retreat at theHariharananda Dhyana Kutir-Amarkantak Kriy Yoga Ashramnear the holy Narmada river.The retreat was conducted bySwami Atmavidyananda Giri,and other monks in India.
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