The Path of Consciousness on Chakras, Meditation and Kundalini-Yoga

The Path of Consciousness Old Text Version © 1997

online book on chakras, meditation and Kundalini-Yoga by Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

These lectures by a widely known and beloved master contain the Yoga of reunion defined step by step as cosmology and as practice. Here is Yoga Vedanta Philosophy not an intellectual pursuit but as the lived experience of the master given as practical instruction to his students and disciples a sort of road-map through the cosmos, through the stages and planes of our existence and consciousness, a guide for spiritual awakening to the highest realization.

Copyright (c) 1997 , 6/97 © / Publisher: Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship 1040 Vienna, Schikanedergasses 12/13, Austria / Europe All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the publishers.

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION What is it like to meet a living master, a Satguru ? In the summer of 1986 Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda of Vienna arrived with a small party at my secluded retreat center on a little island on the west coast of Canada. He was there to rest for three days during his North American teaching tour. Somehow the gentle presence of this stranger filled all the space of the property and all my inner space as well. I was enthralled by the beauty of this person and what he stood for. He was a man of humanitarian vision, of social consciousness and commitment, and he spoke of God and highest realization with a matter-of-fact directness and freshness that I had never heard before. This was not „religion" as we know it in the West. It is not easy to describe what I began to experience then. In the same way that music emanating from a beautiful instrument bathes us in sound and resonates within us so his warmth and wisdom, his graciousness and humor were like palpable energies that streamed from him and bathed my being in the sweetest sense of fullness and peace. At the same time during those three days my entire life fell into a particular perspective. It was as if everything I had ever experienced, right from the beginning had been a preparation for this meeting and I recognized the teacher I had been looking for years. I received the Mantra-Initiation from him and several days after he left I followed him to Hawaii just to be with him for those few more days before he was to return to Vienna. It was there that I received from him my Yoga name and there that I became fully aware of my commitment to Yoga. Whatever was the source of the light that was shining through this great teacher that was the direction I wanted to go, and I was willing to let go of anything and everything in order to learn from him and serve him. To the outsider it might look as if one had been suddenly swept off her feet, as they say. The fact is our most profound recognitions and realizations are sudden and spontaneous. Such certainty, faith and confidence is a function of the relationship with a living master. He brings a dimension to our understanding and growth that is hardly known or recognized in the West - the Guru-Kripa. His teachings are more than theory or philosophy. They are his own lived experiences/realizations and his consciousness can penetrate our limited thinking/feeling knowledge and reveal the existence of a transcendental reality and our connection to it. Setting my regular life aside as quickly, tidily and responsibly as I could I accompanied Swamiji back to Austria, Europe. There I spent the next many months with him, mostly in the Vienna ashrams learning, practicing and serving, and receiving his respect, consideration and support in every way. To be with him as I was in many different countries and in many different circumstances in private and public life is to observe someone whose entire life and every action is dedicated to service. Observing him is like watching a precious jewel reveal its astonishing and multifaceted brilliance, the rays of the spiritual power that inspires his life and his teaching. -2-

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

His teachings can be „understood" intellectually and logically assessed, but there are levels of knowing deeper than the mind and the living master accesses these levels if we are willing and ready, opening the doors and windows of our perception to recognitions that transcend our consensual reality and afford us glimpses of the soul of the universe and the face of God. Depending on where he happens to be, Swamiji teaches in German, English or Hindi. It has been my great privilege to work on the translation of some of his teaching. This book was not „written"in the usual sense but started as a collection of lectures delivered in German by the master to his European followers. His language, warm, vivid, witty, often poetic and always ungrammatical was transcribed into correct, if less charming, German by an Austrian disciple and the lecture series was published in Vienna in 1986. That publication was the basis for this translation. It has been slightly edited, a few sections are reorganized and the title and chapter headings changed to better reflect the content and give a greater sense of continuity. This is a book about the Yoga of reunion. There are two difficulties the general reader might encounter at the beginning and I am going to suggest ways of bypassing these difficulties. One possible stumbling block for some readers might be the large number of Sanskrit words used. There are reasons for using these terms. For one, the Sanskrit words are so rich in meaning that translation usually results in a considerable dilution of the meaning. Swamiji likens this to watering down milk. In India the farmer might add a little water to the milk cans. The collector comes along and adds a little more water before delivering them to the dairy. At the dairy a little more water is added before bottling and finally mother dilutes the milk just a little to stretch it. Swamiji's audiences are almost always international and his words often go through at least two translations (dilutions), for instance, from German to English to Yugoslavian. All his students learn the Sanskrit words and because these are not translated, they greatly facilitate communication amongst the various nationalities. The reader will find the sanskrit-dictionary very helpful. The second difficulty is that Yoga-Vedanta Philosophy is a vast and comprehensive subject. The master chooses a point of entry so to speak in Chapter One, the cosmic forces and Tattvas, and presents an enormous amount of material very quickly. My advice is to follow suit - simply dive into the vast ocean of knowledge and let the flow of words carry you far enough out that you gain perspective without floundering in detail and at the same time begin to see the light on the other shore. For that is what this book is really about - catching a glimpse of that beacon. May this book bring spiritual nourishment, support and inspiration to all. Swami Gitananda April 29, 1987 Jaipur, India

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

FOREWORD Since the most ancient times human beings have been asking the question of the meaning of life We know from experience that life is connected with suffering and our greatest wish is to be happy. Could it be that we are only reeds, after all, tossed about by the storms of uncontrollable events ? Our modern mentality no longer allows us to see gods and demons as causative agents that can be appeased by rites and sacrifices. Nor has modern science brought us happiness. Thousands of years ago in Asia certain philosophical teachings emerged that were to influence all the great religions of the world. Originally passed on orally and only amongst the initiated, these teachings were later written down by prophets and sages. Today these teachings of YOGA-VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY are assuming steadily increasing influence in the West, offering a new conception of the universe. a new philosophy, a solution. We are ourselves responsible for our lot in life and for our destiny. It is within our power to release ourselves from the travails of life and achieve liberation through our deeds. The visible world is nevertheless only a small part of those factors that influence our life. Energies and powers invisible to the physical eye form our true roots. To become aware of these planes and to recognize and master the forces operating there means to lay aside the small limiting ego and to follow the divine soul that is our true essence. The purpose of our life is the recognition and actualization of our true and immortal Self. Every one of us bears within us the foundations for a fulfilled life. The way to fulfillment will certainly be revealed to the one who is searching earnestly for meaning. This is an inward journey that requires the guidance and supervision of a true and self-actualized master. It is not an easy path; it demands discipline and work on oneself. It is only when we have learned to master ourselves that we become capable of steering our destiny. The lectures presented here give us an overview of the energy centers and hidden powers that determine our destiny and how these function. Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda is one of the great accomplished teachers of our time, acclaimed in India, Europe and North America alike. He instructs us and leads us on to seek and to find these powers not somewhere out there, but within ourselves. His concern is not to present ancient knowledge but to reveal the truth. This book will speak to those for whom it was intended. May it be a source of wisdom and knowledge for them. Renate Lavicka, Ph.D. Vienna

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

CHAPTER 1

COSMIC FORCES AND TATTVAS There are countless forces present in the universe streaming randomly about in space. Our knowledge of them is limited to the merest fraction, less than one percent. Singly they have no visible effect, but when they come together a reaction takes place. When several of them concentrating on a single point flow together they create a very strong energy force. But first that point, that center must be formed. The highest and strongest center known to us is the human being. The human body is a part of this cosmos and houses particular focal points where the cosmic energies flow together to manifest new powers. Numerous forces flow through the human form as well as through plants and animals. These cosmic forces manifest in two aspects: firstly as elements, rays or Tattvas, and secondly as the extraordinary powers of great souls who have lived on our earth as saints, who are yet to live amongst us, and who are even now present. Those elements or Tattvas which together form the body that houses the soul separate out again after a while and return to the cosmos. The soul too goes on to take on a new form. This process is called „ the cycle of life", the Chorasi Chakra. (Chorasi means 84, Chakra is the cycle) According to Yoga philosophy there are 8.4 million kinds of living beings which are divided into three groups: Nabh-Char, Thal-Char, and.lalChar. These beings exist respectively in the air, in or upon the earth, and in water. We distinguish four different ways in which these living entities enter their respective planes of existence and manifest themselves: Jaraiyuj: Propagation by means of sperm and egg in the womb (mammals) Andaj: Propagation by means of eggs that are hatched (birds, reptiles, fish, etc.) Svedaj: Propagation methods of the lowest life forms (bacteria etc.) Udhhij: Propagation methods of plants which grow from the earth. Each of these groups possesses certain abilities called Kla. Udhhij possesses 1 Kla, Svedaj 2, Andaj 3 and Jaraiyuj 4 Kta. Humans, however, through discipline, concentration and adherence to the principles of Yoga can develop up to 16 Klas: the four natural Klas of Jaraiyuj plus twelve supernatural powers or Siddhis. The soul that has fallen into the wheel of existence must go through the entire cycle like a ball spinning on a roulette wheel. The wheel turns ceaselessly driven by the will of God and the karmas. A human life is the only doorway out of this circle: through the practice of Yoga or by leading a pure spiritual life. The ancient path of Yoga seems to be a part of creation because memory of it draws us so far back in time. Since human kind has existed Yoga has existed. It looks as if -5-

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

this divine philosophy is yet another creation as a hidden and invisible protection for the humans. In all scriptures, the oldest we know being the Vedas, the ancient wisdom of Yoga has been declared. By this is not meant the path of physical Yoga (Hatha Yoga) but the Yoga of re-union and self-inquiry as it is given with the human before birth as a form of provision for the life journey. The human soul is the only soul that can escape the wheel of karmas. The human has every capability and provision but through his own failing can fall back into the wheel, possibly into other planes of existence and have to go through everything all over again. In order for a human birth to occur various cosmic forces work together by the grace of God. This means a great stroke of good fortune for this incarnation because the human being possesses the greatest capacities and possibilities on earth. Potential is like a flame - bring several flames together and a greater, brighter light results. The human being lives „ more", lives more intensely. It is the intellect, (Buddhi), that distinguishes the human being from all other living beings, and we could be making better use of it. All animals can eat, drink and procreate. The human being however, with the help of Buddhi can investigate the supernatural. Of all earthly creation we alone are capable of understanding what God is and of actualizing him. In this way we can exit from the wheel of rebirth and help others. That is the goal to which Yoga leads us. The manifestation and further projection of the cosmic energies requires that they be brought into concrete embodiment, and embodiment or manifestation of physical being is created from the five main elements or Tattvas. The Tattvas could not unite or come forth by themselves alone. That requires the development of the three qualities known as Gunas which influence the manifestation of existence from beginning to end and from the finest essence to material form. (Please read about the three Gunas in the BHAGAVAD-GITA.). Gunas and Tattvas, the components of energies or rays or forces, are more subtle than matter. Through their complex interactions body and mind are formed subtle and causal/astral bodies as well as physical body) and Buddhi, the intellect is developed. The five main Tattvas that make up the physical body are Prithvi (earth), Jal (water), Tejas (fire), Vayu (air), and Akasha (ether). In the body they have a number of functions called Prakriti (see Appendix, Table 2). Twenty-five in all, they designate the fine radiations or functions that regulate our systems and give us signals such as thirst, for instance, when the "water element" is low. These five Tattvas are called the „course" Tattvas. The development of life leads naturally to higher and higher levels of consciousness and ultimately to divine consciousness or Samadhi, This development is a function of the two „finer" Tattvas: Anupada-Tattva and Adi-Tattva. Anupada-Tattva is the spiritual Tattva and not only connected with our planet and our physical body but is also beyond time and space.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

The Adi-Tattva is the divine Tattva, the Atma - pure Soul. It is also called Atma-Tattva or Atma-Jnana. The Self realized Yogi, Brahmanistha-Shrotria, is given the second name of Tattva Darshi. (Darshi means the seer). The Tattva-Darshi knows and sees all Tattvas. His experiences are boundless. He is the Atma-Jnani, the self-actualized one. He who unites Atma-Jnana and Tattva Darshi in himself is called Brahma-Jnani. This is the highest knowledge that one can realize in oneself. It is divine consciousness, union with God. Tattva-Jnani, the science of the elements was given a great deal of attention by the philosophers of the Vedanta. They were looking for the answer to the question, „ Who am I ?" Think about that. Are you your body ? Your thoughts ? Your feelings ? - or something else ? You come to finer and finer aspects, right down to the elements. Ultimately you realize that you are not the elements either, but the Sat-Chit Ananda-Atma. Absolute Being, absolute Consciousness and absolute Bliss are the qualities of the Atma, of the soul or Self which is immortal, boundless and divine. In a poem Mahaprabhuji wrote: SRI TATTVA DARSHI GURUDEVA KO ANUBHAVA APARAMPAR DHANIJA JIGHIYASU JO LAKHE HOT SINDHO BHAVA PAR SATGURU SAM TIHU LOKA ME NAJAR NA AVE OR SVARGA LOKA PATAL ME HAM DEKHYA SARVA DHANDHOR SURVIR SE ADHIK HE SADHU KO SANGRAM KAMA KRODHA MADHA LOBHA MOHA KHODA UTHAVE NAM. "The experience of Tattva Darshi Gurudeva is infinite. The aspirants who realize that have great good fortune. They cross the ocean of ignorance. I have looked around me everywhere, in heaven and in hell, yet in all three worlds I found none like the Satguru. More difficult than the struggle on the battle field is it for a Yogi to free himself from everything: from passion, anger, dependency, greed and ego."

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

CHAPTER 2

THE SOUL IN ENVIRONMENT The purpose and goal of life is the development of consciousness. The ultimate expression of this is the union of Atma or individual soul with the Absolute, with Paramatma, the soul of the universe. There are many influences in the environment of the soul that foster or hinder progress. Amongst the things that foster development there are four conditions in particular that signify great good fortune. - to be born as a human being - to be brought up by spiritual and loving parents - to have in oneself a drive towards knowledge and truth - to meet a Satguru (Tattva-Darshi) When these four things coincide life is successful. Until that happens there is always the possibility of a human incarnation again and again. If indeed one achieves all four conditions and fails to make use of them one's karma shifts and perhaps one will not get such an opportunity again for a long, long time. It is the body that is born, not the Atma, which is unborn and immortal. The body is formed by the different cosmic forces which unite when the „king" is present. Just as bees always gather around the queenbee, so all the forces and Tattvas follow when the Atma has entered. If the Atma should leave the body again then growth ceases and death occurs. Through deep meditation and astral travel in this cosmos I have found out that the Jivatma, the individual soul, enters with the union of sperm and egg, that is, at the moment of conception. The Upanishads as well as some other religious texts present the point of view that the soul has its seat in the male seed. The original meaning was that the soul entered the new living being via the male seed and not via the female egg-cell. This position was later completely misconstrued to convey that woman herself had no soul. However this is a contradiction in itself, for how is life to exist without a soul? The good influence of loving and spiritual parents begins before birth. The mother is cared for so well by the father that she never feels alone. She is a woman who fosters only positive thoughts and pursues spiritual matters. She reads books, thinks about the meaning of life and talks about these things. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco are absent, and she never has to hear a harsh or negative word. It is a time of joyful -8-

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

expectation. All these things are important in the spiritual development of the new being. Another group of principles that affect our development are the three Tapas that exert influence on ourselves, on our souls and on every living entity: Adhi-Bhodik, Adhi-Devik and Adhi-Atmik. Adhi-Bhodik are those influences that come from outside, from the material world, from other people or from animals. For example, animals can disturb us, even seriously threaten us. The animal principle corresponds to a low condition of consciousness which is present in humans and can awaken in them. Some humans are as cruel and as heartless „as animals"; and even so, vice versa, an animal can be as helpless and as loving as a human. We have means, of arming ourselves against humans and animals since we are dealing here with material powers. We develop locks and bars to keep them out and poisons and weapons to render them harmless. Adhi-Devik are astral powers that exist in the cosmos. Against these forces our weapons are powerless. And these forces actually do exist; they are not figments of the imagination. All the cultures on earth have reports of good and evil spirits. Adhi-Atmik exist beyond matter and the astral world on the plane of Tattvas. All three Tapas can influence life positively or negatively. We need to be aware of their disturbing influences. Only those in the highest state of consciousness are beyond them. We can avoid their negative influences through mantras. There are two sciences that serve to reveal the powers operating in and on the soul: astrology and palmistry. The astrologer bases his calculations on the position of the planets at the moment of birth. The more accurate and influential constellation is actually the point in time when the soul enters the womb because this moment could be marked by auspicious signs. This is something the Satguru would know about. For the astrologer this point in time is practically impossible to determine. The Brahmanistha-Shrotria or Tattva-Darshi always knows about the fate of the soul. In Indian mythology astrology is called "the Third Eye of God" that sees everything. In Sanskrit there is an expression Ghan which refers to the point in time in reference to the constellations when certain forces are operating in space. The person born at this time can perceive many phenomena that are not visible to others. If one talks about them one is not taken seriously and doctors usually prescribe tranquilizers to dispel the „hallucinations". This is senseless however because this condition of the psyche is subject to the astral constellation. These phenomena come from AdhiDevik, the astral plane, and it does not always lie in our power to ward them off. Human beings through their own actions can also contribute input to the astral plane which is one of the reasons that Yoga teachings tell us to live as vegetarians and not to kill animals. Animals sense in advance that they are going to be killed. All their negative feelings, their fear and their suffering naturally have an impact on matter, on the flesh. This imprint is not visible to the eye because it takes place in the realm of energy and is only present as Prana. When one eats meat one also partakes of all the negative feelings or fears. Possibly this food will give momentary physical energy

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

but when the consciousness of these people moves from Adhi-Bhodik (the material plane) to Adhi-Devik (the astral plane) all these fears and feelings will emerge . This is also a reason why so many people are afraid of God and religion. They might visit the religious center for social or cultural reasons but they do not want to know who they are, or who God is because that kind of soul-searching would require encountering all these fears of violence and death there in their subconscious. There are occasions when everyone will meet up with the astral forces and phenomena: after death and during transcendental states of awareness such as deep trance, dream state, deep contemplation or the impact of the sudden death of a dear one. During this lifetime these fears can be overcome and the karma vanquished by means of meditation and mantra. We distinguish two kinds of law: 1. Cosmic law, valid for all living beings whether man or beast. 2. Human laws and rules, created by humans and different - in every culture. After death we are no longer subject to earthly human laws but to cosmic laws. We leave the physical body behind where it ultimately becomes earth again. There are finer bodies however, the mental, causal and Prana bodies, that live on and so feelings, knowledge and so forth remain. But one thing is missing: the Kriya Shakti (the capacity to act). That is why some Yoga texts call the earth Karma Bhoumi: the place where we are able to do something. It is only on earth that we are able to enact good or bad deeds. After death this is no longer possible. The elements separate out again-water to water, earth to earth, fire to fire, and we exist only on the astral plane as spirit. Whom we encounter there, and through which part of the cosmos we must travel depends on our deeds or karmas. Two types of bad deeds are known to us: the unconscious and the conscious. Those who act against their better knowledge invite heavy karma on themselves. In the other case it does not weigh so heavily. We commit many mistakes out of ignorance, because our brain and intellect are limited. Often we believe we are doing good, yet only God and Tattva-Darshi know what is good and what is bad. In addition to the astral forces influencing the human being there are forces within the human body itself. These are powers finer than the five elements that cannot be observed physically although their influence is perceptible. To interpret these influences we apply the art of palm reading. Both palmistry and astrology reveal the planetary and astral forces operating on our lives including the Adhi-Devik, and the forces operating within our bodies, the Adhi-Atmik. A genuine palm reader goes far beyond the lines of the hand and includes much more in the assessment: the lines of the forehead and the eyes, the shape of the nose, the lines around the mouth and cheeks, the footsoles and gait as well as the entire body structure and expression. From all these details the palmist can conclude the character and destiny of the person.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

To the palm reader every part of our body has signs that reveal which forces are dominant and active there. In deep meditation the Yogis have researched all this and brought it to light. They call these signs Ratna, precious stones in the body. Disturbances evident in the Ratnas show the obstacles which we ourselves are unable to overcome because they lie outside our power. Indeed the signs are physical; the influences themselves however run „ underground" as mental or psychological disturbances, „ bad luck" and so forth.

CHAPTER 3

TATTVA-DARSHI SATGURU There are two possible ways to counteract these external and internal influences. One way is through Guru-Kripa, the grace of the Guru. There is a mantra, "Mantra Mulum Guru Vakiyam" (the words of the Guru are the roots of the mantra). This means pay attention to every word of the master and take his advice because it is important for your development. It is possible through Yoga practice to purify the inner self and then one begins to understand what Kripa means. The second way is to pray, meditate and purify the self until you come to realize the necessity of the Guru. Yoga is a path that we can follow on our own to a certain point. Indeed we can awaken every power, actualize in ourselves the entire Brahmand or cosmos, attain Sunyakash (absolute, empty space), but Moksha, (liberation) is not to be attained so easily. Mahaprabhuji said in one of his bhajans: "In a single day the tiny ant can attain to the God Indra (the highest of the gods). But that same Indra, when he has experienced out all his deeds can one day be the tiny ant again." Everyone, even the Devas or gods are subject to rebirth. Those who practice Devik Upashana or Tantric Upashana or proceed without a guru are able to achieve certain levels where they in fact develop occult powers, but they are still bound to time. Even if they spend millions of years on one plane that time will still come to an end. But the one whose consciousness goes out into the cosmos through Guru-Kripa is limitless and timeless. This is Moksha, which we should be able to actualize in ourselves in one, two or three lifetimes. Every person believes in God in his own way and at some time seeks out a holy place to pray. But why do we go there when it is believed, after all, that God dwells in every heart ? We are always losing touch with our hearts and the presence of God is not felt strongly enough. It is still too deep and undiscovered. We go to a place of worship because the atmosphere and surroundings there make us more receptive to our own feelings for God. But we cannot attain Moksha by that alone. - 11 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

God is indeed everywhere but to attain to him we need to follow a path holding tightly to a guide rope that leads us onwards. In the West this could be a saint or some other actualized person. In India this guide rope is called a guru. On the Yoga path only one who has gone before us, only the Brahmanistha Shrotria Satguru is capable of guiding us. Only the Guru-Kripa can lead us through the invisible planes and cosmic forces. Intellectual words and book learning are of no help on this path. Words and books offer help in overcoming certain difficulties in normal life but in no way are they spiritual guides. If we wanted to climb to the top of a high mountain we would not choose a guide who never climbed the mountain, who cannot say from personal experience how the ascent will be, what dangers will be encountered, what equipment is needed, how we should proceed or even if this path leads to the top. Purely intellectual dogmas can easily lead to wrong ways even though the aspirant is feeling inspired at the time.

CHAPTER 4

SHAT SAMPATTI: THE SIX TREASURES IN HUMAN LIFE Human beings suffer from many conditions and illnesses that they have not brought upon themselves in any apparent way. There are physical illnesses which can be healed by herbs, drugs and medical treatment, and there are the widespread psychic illnesses like nervousness, depression, bad dreams, mental anguish and restlessness. We know almost nothing about the causes and reasons for such suffering. Nobody wants to be sad or sick or depressed. In a depression one feels as if locked up in a dark cave. Anyone who has not been through it can easily dismiss it as imaginary. According to Karma Philosophy the sources of suffering are the karmic effects of previous deeds, either in this lifetime or in previous lives. For the most part we do not act with bad intent, but because we lack full awareness we often make mistakes. At the moment we are not aware of any wrong-doing and it is often only after a considerable period of time we realize we have done wrong. There are many people who have never done a thing in their entire life that could give rise to the anxieties and depressions that they have to suffer. To have spoken one harsh word or to have boxed someone's ears on occasion is certainly no cause - 12 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

for a lifetime of bad conscience and upset. So where do these anxieties and depressions come from ? It could be that they have their source in complexes that exist deep in our subconscious. Or it could also be that at sometime or other we have hurt someone deeply, mentally or spiritually. Sooner or later this pain must come back on us intensified. It is not caused by a physical or nervous condition but comes from other planes, summoned by various Tattvas or cosmic influences. These negative Tattvas influence our development, bringing us out of balance mentally, physically and spiritually. We have at our disposal six very special treasures within us that can help us to overcome all this. They are the Shat Sampapti, the six treasures in human life. As long we are not aware of our own inner resources we will feel alone, abandoned and unhappy and we will continue to seek help from outside. How we come to recognize what these treasures are depends on our consciousness and our awareness. We must begin by observing our own selves with awareness, examining those things in ourselves that stand in the way of our recognizing our treasures. Our four main enemies are Moha (attachment), Lobha (greed), Krodha (anger) and Kama (passion). Moha is the real cause of depression, anxiety, jealousy and unhappiness and it invokes the other three qualities. Attachment, dependency and obligations of any sort, whether to family, class, race, nation and so forth are not easy to overcome. Attachment to our own families, to our blood relatives is particularly strong. That saying that „blood is thicker than water" is well-grounded but it is important not to be dependent on family and not to look at them as the cause of our own suffering. We often fail in that way, falling right back into blaming, like flies that cannot get out of the honey because they are standing in the middle of it, attached as it were. We need to stand aside. Another strong connection is to the partner or to the lover. When one of the partners begins to look around for something new for physical, mental or spiritual satisfaction the other usually finds this very threatening and often experiences anxiety and even depression. Moha, attachment, automatically evokes anxiety. Even in our moments of happiness the fear is there deep within us that we might lose this thing that makes us happy. And so Lobha, greed, arises, closely connected to Kama, passion. Our worry, uncertainty and doubt lead sooner or later to Krodha - anger, jealousy and hatred. We must endeavor to overcome this framework of negative qualities, which certainly is not easy. But consider this analogy: our attachment is like the spider's web, and like the spider we must die in this prison of our own making. Do not misunderstand what I am saying. You should not leave your families or friends or brush them aside. Love them and honor them, and at the same time give a thought to how long these relationships will last. They are not forever, and what will you do afterwards ? The body dies, but spiritual life goes on. We should always be aware of that. It is through inner purification of our Antakarana that we overcome these attachments. The Antakarana are our inner psychic qualities or components. They include Mana, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahamkara. Mana is the mind or the thinking sub - 13 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

stance. We are to purify it by being careful to have only positive thoughts. Endeavor to think positively and with love, no matter what is happening. Buddhi is the intellect that guides us. Buddhi and Mana work very closely together and influence one another. Apply your Buddhi therefore to purify your thoughts and feelings. Chitta is consciousness. To have a clear conscience means that there are no doubts, complexes or hatred in your consciousness. Ahamkara is the ego. Ego is the greatest enemy of all, particularly of those on a spiritual path or those who have psychic problems. The latter unfortunately take offense all too easily and react in ways that later bring more pain on themselves. Some people always react negatively. They reject out of hand everything that is said to them and do the opposite because their ego will not accept anything from others even if the others are right. On the one hand they can be volatile, changing their minds and their paths again and again, bringing on themselves nothing but disappointment and pain. On the other hand they are stubborn, self-absorbed and egotistic, and this thick-headed ness eventually brings about depression, nervousness and inner anxiety. What they need to do is to purify their Antakarana with the help of Guru-Bhakti and mantra. They could seek help from a true guru, one who is actually Brahmanistha Shrotria, and not from someone who only speaks from intellect and book learning. According to Jnana-Yoga once we have purified our Antakarana we can begin to look for Shat Sampati, the six treasures. These treasures are Sam, Dam, Shradha, Titiksha, Uparati and Samadhan. Sam means 10 withdraw the senses from those objects that cause restlessness and stand as obstacles to self-development. Dam means to observe and control these senses. It is a certain kind of watchfulness. By means of Buddhi. the intellect, we constantly watch over Mana (the mind) as well as our Jnana-Indriyas (the five senses of perception - what we take in) and our Karma-Indriyas (the five organs of action - what we put out) keeping all these under control so that they are not left to gallop around in the external world like wild horses. Thus we are not committing thoughtless acts that later cause us problems and suffering. The third treasure is Shradha, trust. Trust is essential because where there is no trust there is no love, only doubt. Doubt is like sand in the salad. No one can enjoy a salad no matter how good it might be if the greens are not washed well enough. Don't entertain doubts. Foster Shradha, trust. A baby that is upset and crying immediately forgets all its problems when its mother appears and takes it in her arms. It knows it is safe and protected, and no one has to tell the child that that is its mother. The fine Tattvas of bonding are simply there, which means inner confidence, conscious confidence in the relationship between mother and child is there. One has to have this kind of trust in order to be successful in life. Whom should we trust ? Above all, one's Self. A great many people have lost their self-confidence. We can regain this self-confidence through the recognition of these - 14 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

treasures that we bear within us. Trust yourselves and your capabilities. Unfortunately we are hardly aware of the many and great capabilities we have as humans. Secondly have confidence in your path and in your task. Be so totally convinced of it that no one can deter you from it. There will always be problems, difficulties and unpleasant circumstances. As long as we live we will be disappointed time and again. It is precisely as human beings, as the highest of creatures, that we are very vulnerable. Others can only disappoint us externally. It is essential that we do not disappoint ourselves. If the path is to lead to fulfillment there must be faith. We must be so convinced of what we are undertaking that we say with confidence, "I can do it," and not „Well, i´ll give it a try." To „try" is to sabotage one's own effort right from the start. Whenever fate offers you an opportunity accept it with courage. Perhaps you will fail but that's not what matters. What is important is your strength. We should go our way with this sort of certainty. Thirdly, trust in your master, your guru is essential. No one who is constantly doubting can ever find out the truth. You can recognize the truth only when you bring to your master that kind of trust that a child has in its mother. That is called Shradha. Uparati means to be above things. Mahatma Gandhi used to say, "Renounce and enjoy." Those are wonderful words. In Raja-Yoga it is said, „Thou shalt not gather." Most religions warn us against accumulating things. Anxieties and problems always arise when we have something we are afraid of losing. When we don't possess anything we feel free and happy. To a Yogi a rich man is actually very poor because he has to protect himself with locks and alarms. We should be spiritually above things, fear nothing and always be positively inclined towards each and everyone. Then nothing can perturb us. Titiksha means to remain steadfast. Whoever thought there would be no difficulties, no heat or cold, no hunger or thirst? Don't lose nerve. Be certain that nothing lasts forever. Only the highest Truth, the Self, Atma, God is everlasting and un changing. Everything else is in a constant state of change. Even our bodies are changing every second and every minute. Thoughts, feelings and considerations are likewise shifting. Time goes on. Do not despair when things are going badly and you are unhappy. Occupy your mind with these strong inner feelings of Titiksha, of courage and selfmastery. Samadhan, the last of the six treasures means never to lose sight of the goal. When difficulties and problems crop up and you are nervous and restless simply sit down, close your eyes and reflect on the situation and your own state. For instance, if you are angry you will be feeling a storm raging within. Do not immerse yourself. Simply observe. One should not dive into the ocean when the waves are high. When the waters have smoothed begin to ask the following questions very carefully and careingly: What did I do ? What should I have done? What was I thinking ? Why did I think so ? What am I thinking ? Why am I thinking in this way ? What should I be thinking ?

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Next, ask yourself: How important was it ? Why was it so important ? Is it important at all ? What will I lose? Has it any significance for my eternal happiness or not ? Samadhan means argument, dealing, confrontation and confession. The second aspect of Samadhan is to reflect on what the world is, where it comes from, who created it, where you come from, where you are going, what truth is, what is real and what is your task. So what Samadhan means is to retreat, to withdraw in order to reflect and observe. When the inner waves calm down we are able to dive deeply into ourselves. It is then that we perceive Truth and Reality, when we withdraw the mind from everything and unite with the Highest. The following is a Bhajan by my beloved Satguru Paramhans Swami Madhavanandji: "Always be studying the lives of holy Incarnations Not only hearing and reading about them but truly understanding. Never speak disrespectfully about the Satguru or listen to others do so. Be constantly learning words of wisdom and Increase your practice for Self-actualization. Attempt to eradicate all obstacles to doing good. Write beautiful books for the well-being of the world And grant happiness to all beings through the nectar of your wisdom. Consider first the affects before you decide to act. If you fall into bad habits Endeavor to free yourself And be more careful next time. Do not shrink from the power of your weaknesses But confront them with courage. What is the essence of this world ? Reflect on that every day. Do not be disbelieving toward God and the Satguru But faithfully accept and follow his words." - 16 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

CHAPTER 5

TWO PATHS: NIVRITTI AND PRAVRITTI There are two main directions or paths in our lives: Nivritti and Pravritti. Each of us must find out and decide for ourself which of these paths we are taking. As human beings we have various tasks and responsibilities to fulfil within the society. In order to avoid disruptions community life is regulated by numerous laws and prohibitions. Pravritti means to fulfil the worldly tasks. As family members we must look after our children, educate them, show them the correct path and bring them up to be capable, independent and responsible human beings. As members of the human family we should understand and help others. These are examples of the daily tasks which every person in our society has to carry out. Everything has its limits however. God gave us everything we need to work with-hands, legs, eyes and ears and so on so that we can carry out our tasks; but we should not stay in Pravritti forever. Pra means „different" and Vritti stands for Chitta-Vritti, the thoughts. During normal everyday activities the mind is always occupied with something and the thoughts are constantly changing. When we finally retire after many years of working and looking after others that is the time to quieten ourselves. If instead of that we continue to lead a hectic life full of external activities, taking no time for ourselves, then that is a sign that we are not inwardly satisfied and still want to do more. Whatever path we take we will always end up in that place to which the path leads. If we are on the way to the woods we will come to the woods, and if we go in the direction of the desert we will come to the desert. So, pursuing many activities like building one house after the other, purchasing one car after the other, buying and procuring more and more things and meddling in the affairs of the adult children and grandchildren are sure signs that we are still on the Pravritti-path. I have seen a residence in which an 80-year-old woman lived. The entire place was heaped with newspapers, brochures, clippings and papers which the woman had collected in the course of the years. That means that this Jivatma, this inner self still has not had enough, still is not satiated and is, therefore, still on the Pravritti-path. According to Raja-Yoga teachings anyone who takes this path falls back into Maya again and again. The only way out of Maya is Nivritti. To be in Nivritti means that we have accomplished our tasks, fulfilled all our duties and have now found peace and quiet. To be sure, there are still things that always need doing like washing, making meals and cleaning house, but do not let yourselves get too involved in activities.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

For example, when one of my brothers or sisters approaches my mother and asks what he or she should do my mother always says, "My child, I am on the Nivritti-path. I have already explained to you how one should live and what one should do. Now you have to know for yourself what to do. I have spent my life doing everything for you: now it is time for myself." She meditates, reads and says her mantra. Of course she is always willing to help when someone needs her (grandmothers are mostly used as baby-sitters). But she does not interfere. It sometimes happens through destiny that a person will find himself on the Nivritti path from childhood on. Of the present day generation of young people I can say that many are on the Nivritti-path and not so many are collecting things the way the older generation did and is still doing. We must become „Nivritt" not only outwardly but also inwardly, The Antakarana Mana, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahamkara) are full of Vashanas (longings and desires). Until we are free of these we cannot come to Nivritti. On the Pravritti-path we are forever experiencing suffering, misunderstandings, failures, disappointments, changes and pain. On the other hand it is an important path to maintain the family, raise the children and guide them on the correct path. Children should not be brought up to the Pravritti-path which leads to Maya, but to the Nivritti-path which leads to liberation. It is important to provide children wide horizons and not bring them up to be narrow-minded. Children brought up rigidly will be full of greed and complexes, and dissatisfied in spite of financial well-being. Money cannot make us rich inwardly nor bring contentment. The truly rich person is the contented person, for he alone is happy. Right from the beginning guide your children along the Nivritti-path and bring them up not to lie, nor to steal, nor to be dependent or envious. It has nothing to do with whether or not these are sins but with bringing up mature and well-developed personalities. So do not engage too much in Maya. Perform your tasks, give advice, point out the right path and endeavor to guide your children correctly. If they do not want your guidance then let them go; that is now their destiny. Do not lose your own way. Gradually free yourself from Pravritti and come to the Nivritti-path. It will lead your Jivatma to Amrit-Pan, to liberation where it can still your soul's thirst for knowledge. These nice words can be read in many Yoga books, but it is not possible for you to learn and comprehend these matters from a book. All a book can do is give inspiration. Inspiration is something good and important but the actual thing can only be gained by working on it yourselves. Do not wait until it is too late. There will come a time when no one will be there for you any longer. There is a little story about that. There lived once in Jodhpur a maharaja by the name of Chassan Singh. There used to be some very advanced, learned and wise maharajas in India who engaged in Yoga. Maharaja Chassan Singh was such a king and Yogi. Every day he did several hours of Yoga practice and in spite of his administrative concerns he let nothing interfere with his meditation times. He lived a truly exemplary life. - 18 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

There came a time when he wanted to know whether his closest confidants and collaborators were sincerely devoted to him. It is often very difficult to know whether someone is merely saying nice words or whether he means it sincerely. In order to see whether his ministers and officers were really carrying out his orders or not he devised a test. He summoned his closest confidants and asked them if they would fulfil a wish. The ministers assured him that they would fulfil his every wish. They were even ready at any time to give their lives for him. The maharaja replied, i do not want your life. God has given us that and God will take it back. But I do have one wish. When I die I want all the adornments and jewels which I now have on my body to be divided amongst the ashrams, the poor and the needy, and that feed for the wild animals shall also be provided from it. You are free to give even more, but at least the treasures which I am carrying on my person are to be distributed. (The value of the adornments and jewels which the king was accustomed to wearing was of course very high, going into the millions of rupees.) One of the ministers stepped forward and answered, „We wish for you, oh King, that your life will go on for 1000 years. Please do not speak of dying, for surely you must outlive all of us." The maharaja said, „I thank you for your good wishes. However no one lives forever and everyone who has come must also leave." The ministers vowed to do everything just as the maharaja wished. A year or two later when they no longer remembered the event the maharaja decided to test his ministers. He had the capability of going into Samadhi at any time. When one goes into Samadhi the body appears from the outside to be dead. The heartbeat slows down, the pulse is hardly palpable and the breath ceases. However, the Indriyas remain active and so one is able to see and to hear. The maharaja made as if he had severe abdominal pains, lay down and went into the Samadhi state. The minister rushed over to the bed of this man who was apparently ill and about to die. In India they say that a dying man should be laid upon the earth in order to ease his dying. So a cloth was spread out and they bedded the maharaja down on the ground. When the ministers were certain that the maharaja was dead they began to remove his rings, necklaces and bracelets. One of the ministers said, „What is going to happen to this jewellery now ? The maharaja wanted it spent for the ashrams and the poor." The first minister, however, said aloud and unceremoniously, "Oh, these maharajas are really as stupid as donkeys. We are now the true regents of the kingdom. Of course one always has to agree with the king and assure him that everything will happen according to his will. But what will actually be done now will be decided by us." Of course the maharaja heard all that in his Samadhi. A few of the ministers were loyal and said, „But it was his last wish and that should be fulfilled. It is a grievous sin not to do so." The first minister only laughed at that, but to placate them he said, „I have an idea. We will have inexpensive imitations made of all these adornments. We can give these away as gifts and keep our promise that way." Then he sent for someone whom he commissioned to produce glass imitations of the jewels.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

At that moment the maharaja returned from his Samadhi and sang Om. The first minister was horrified but immediately pulled himself together and cried out, „Praise be to God, our beloved maharaja is alive. Let us distribute gold to the poor in thanks for this miracle !" The maharaja only said, „Stop the theatrics. I already know that you know it all better and I am as stupid as a donkey. So is this the way you follow my orders and keep your word ?" Then he commanded, "Give me my jewellery." He took it and on that very same day he donated it to the poor and to the ashrams of his country. Many people still have land from that time and there are many ashrams that have possessed sufficient property to live on and support themselves. This maharaja kept a diary and the very last entry in it was, „ What you do with your own hands is yours. What you spend for pleasures and good dining is lost. But whatever you do for others belongs to you. After your death you are powerless and no longer able to act. Therefore do yourself what you want to have done." The story has several meanings. Firstly it shows how the state of Samadhi enabled the maharaja to perceive the true colors of his ministers. Secondly we see that when it comes to power, property and money people present their true face. Thirdly the story warns us that whatever we want done, to do it ourselves and not wait for someone else. Never, or almost never will others fulfil what you want done exactly as you wish it. At some time or other every human being will desire complete consciousness. Some require several lifetimes for this awakening. The two paths we are discussing are two branches of the one tree. One branch is Pravritti which bends down towards the world. The other branch is Nivritti which leads to liberation and to the cosmic world. Every seeker shall awaken in the heart the longing for that. The love and the longing for the supreme Self can only be developed by each person within his or her own self. It is what we call "a burning desire". Some have the longing to experience worldly things. Others want to perceive the truth, experience it and actualize themselves in it. But for that to take place the heart must be prepared for many years or lifetimes just as a field must be prepared by a farmer. To find what stage one is at and whether one will reach the goal in this lifetime one must look into oneself and no book can give one the answer. One's characteristics reveal it most clearly as the following metaphor points out. A fly is sitting on a fragrant sandalwood paste. Suddenly someone puts something foul-smelling and dirty down beside it. Now, where the fly goes and where it lands is a matter of its characteristics and qualities. It will fly from the pure fragrant sandalwood paste to the filth. That is how the one who is ignorant and burdened with many karmas is drawn away from Satsang and over to Maya, to the pleasures of the world. That one is mostly concerned with worldly things, paying very little attention to spiritual things. A further sign is constant Shankalpa and Vikalpa - constantly coming up with new resolutions and plans and then breaking them. That means that the groundwork has not yet been laid and that this person will need

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

several more lifetimes. Success is to be found when there is strength of determination Firm resolution means that we do not give up when visions we had at the beginning do not come to pass, and that in spite of that we summon the strength and power to actualize them. Thus the impossible becomes possible. When we find that our own expectations and notions are incorrect we should not let ourselves be discouraged and deterred but rather carry on with patience the pursuit of reality. It often happens that after a while of practicing the aspirant loses the feeling for it, connection to it. He or she wonders if it is worth all the hard work and doubts the outcome. That, too, is a sign that there is still karma present. The Jivatma is weak, and opposed to the law of karma, powerless. The karmas must be worked through some day. In this lecture series I describe the direct path whereby it is possible to actualize everything in one lifetime: strong inner will, firm resoluteness and loyalty to the chosen path. Some of you have Yoga names and are endeavoring to actualize these names in yourselves. That name is very important. It is said that the name is more important than the actual person. There is a story about how God Rama and his army wanted to cross the sea between India and Sri Lanka. It seemed impossible as there was neither a ford nor a bridge. The Bhakta Hanuman said, „God, by your name we will build a bridge". He picked up a stone, wrote the letter Ram on it and cast it into the water. And lo ! the stone floated on the water. So the entire company began throwing stones on the water to form a crossing God Rama wanted to help, too, but the stone that he threw sank immediately. So he went to Hanuman and asked, "How is it that your stones remain on the surface of the water and mine sink ?" Hanuman replied, "God, that is very clear. You yourself have told us that those whom God lets fall must perish. Thus it must be that everything that you cast away must sink. We Bhaktas are acting on faith in your name and thus this miracle occurs. Your name has that power." For us this means that the power to persevere on the spiritual path is contained in the name of God, in the mantra. Particular thoughts may come, such as „Well, I have been practicing for five years now, and what have I accomplished? This is a sort of karmic „box on the ears". Some people think they no longer need to practice their mantra once they have overcome their problems and things are going well for them. They have not grasped yet what a mantra means. For the most part we never know when difficulties will turn up again. Apart from that the mantra is not just for us, but we are working and practicing for the others, too. Success is ours at that moment when we are standing in front of the opened tenth door looking at Reality. Then we know what Samadhi is. There is a bhajan that says, „Your Atma, your soul, is calling you. It holds you back from falsehood and leads you to what is right. You shall believe in the name of God, sing it and meditate on it. God has given us ears to hear the words of wisdom; eyes to see the divine in every living entity; tongues to speak the truth. This call of the soul goes out to you again and again." - 21 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Whoever remains on the path and continues on the way with unshakable faith, with willpower and resolution will reach the destination. Do not look back; what was yesterday is past, and one day the time given to us as our lifetime will also be over. So strive onwards and continue to practice. It is you who must actualize it, not someone else. Then Samadhi will come. To a wise person it is clear that Maya is constantly changing, that it is sometimes pleasant and good and sometimes unpleasant and bad, and that we must accept it with equanimity. How the Yogi is to conduct himself in this world and how he is to think in this life is very clearly described in the BHAGAVAD-GITA, Chapters 14 and 15. In worldly life there are ever recurring Kleshas (external disturbances) which cause in us Vikshepas (inner disturbances), or that reason the aspirant should withdraw in order to maintain concentration and inner harmony. At least one to two hours daily should be spent in the meditation room practicing and meditating. If at all possible this room should be kept free from Maya and Pravritti and used only for meditation. At the same time however one should not overdo it and look down with disdain on the world and others but instead always have a positive attitude towards all. My system „Yoga in Daily Life" is meant for all those who do not have the possibility of completely withdrawing from the world, who are professionally active and living with families in the city so that in spite of all that they too can use the advantages of Yoga. Live in Maya like the tight-rope walker performing his art in front of the many clapping shouting people. In the midst of all the people he is there delighting them with his presentation, but never for a moment does he allow himself to be diverted by them. He makes his way across the rope consciously and with concentration. Otherwise we could be brought down. There was for instance a man who could walk on water and who wanted to exhibit this miraculous power publicly. Thousands of people, reporters and television crews came to witness the extraordinary event. However, as he took the very first step onto the water he sank. Unfortunately he could not swim and had to be pulled out of the pool. Perhaps he really was able to walk on water but because of his ego he was brought back down so low that this misfortune occurred. The poet Kabirdas said in one of his poems: „Maya is a great deceiver and you must be very cautious because you never know in what form and in what possible way you will be deceived." You must take such care as if you were trying to avoid soiling a fresh white shirt in a coal mine. The single and true reality is the Atma which observes everything and knows everything. Everything else is non-real. The Atma is Chetanya, the conscious witness of all deeds and circumstances. It is Trikaldarshi, knows past, present and future. This all-encompassing knowledge is limited however by our human consciousness. The Atma is also the witness of Samadhi, of Jardh-Samadhi (the fully unconscious Samadhi like deep sleep) as well as of Chetanya-Samadhi fully conscious and full of light and knowledge) .

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

As human beings we have within us many capabilities and powers. Most of us are unaware of them and therefore unable to use them. It is like having a precious diamond and throwing it out the window. As human beings and as Yogis we say that human life is priceless. With money we can buy almost any thing, but not a human life, and even if we were to offer a million dollars for it we cannot postpone death for one second. We know of two divine laws: that of time and that of deeds. Time waits for no one, be he king, minister, beggar or farmer. The deeds which we have done will fall back upon us sometime, somewhere. All this we can apprehend through meditation.

CHAPTER 6

KUNDALINI YOGA, CHAKRAS AND NADIS At this point I would like to correct a misunderstanding about the so-called „rising" of the Kundalini. Many people in the West have misunderstood the word „serpent power" or Kundalini. They think it would feel as if a snake were climbing up the spine and that is a gross misinterpretation. Kundalini means above all to attain to the knowledge and capacity to actualize one's Self. In Western Yoga literature Kundalini is often included with Tantras and occult powers and considered dangerous. I would compare this treatment of Kundalini with the parable of the fox that claimed the grapes were sour only because it was not able to reach them. There is another parable about a fox that found a coconut. Its enticing smell attracted him so much that he would gladly have eaten it. But although he tried everything he could not open the hard shell, and he could not let go of it either because of the sweetness of the smell. So it is with many people who have read about Kundalini Yoga and are curious and attracted. Try as they might its fruits are out of their reach and they can find no other way of attaining its goals. On their own they are not able to achieve what they want and so they call it a dangerous path and warn others against it. Unfortunately many Yoga books are written by book-worms whose only activity is to rummage through the book shelves, read books and then give their opinions about something they themselves have not experienced. No one whose Kundalini has - 23 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

actually risen has had any difficulties. The only one with problems is the one who has not been able to raise it and, you see, that is the one who claims the grapes are sour. Kundalini-Yoga is a very holy science and the path of Raja-Yoga. Raja means king. Like the king who is in control and makes his own decisions the Yogi goes his own way with the help of the guru or master. Those who write about the assumed dangers of Kundalini Yoga are clinging to their egos and justifying their own opinions. It is easy to bend the knee but very difficult to bend the heart. When someone stands above them they become jealous, distrusting and cynical. Whenever you hear someone speaking that way ask him if he himself has practiced, and how and with whom. Ask how great his Bhakti and Shradha to his path are. You will see that only ego and jealousy are speaking. There is nothing for you to be afraid of; don't let yourself be talked into thinking this path is dangerous. It is important to approach these matters openly and without compulsion. Allow things to develop and unfold spontaneously. One day perhaps we will not even know how it all happened, because it occurred so spontaneously. Your Kundalini might have risen a long time ago, and you possess certain capabilities of which you are not at all aware. The Kundalini is now like a sugar-cube dissolved in milk, and you are looking for it ! Dissolved means that the sugar-cube is not to be seen but the sweet taste is present. Know that the knowledge is there, that the Kundalini and the chakras have opened and are unbound.

CHAKRAS Chakras are distributed along three levels in the human body. The first extends from the toes to the pelvis, the lower world with the lower animal chakras (Pashu Chakra). As humans we are far beyond these animal chakras and we should not meditate on the lower chakras or concentrate on our feet. To do so can invoke deep depression and anxiety, even leading to suicide or it can awaken the animal feelings of apathy and indifference. For this reason the Yogis have given no further information about these lower chakras. The human chakras associated with the five main Tattvas are distributed along the spinal column (Vira Chakra). The divine chakras associated with the Anupada- and Adi-Tattvas are located between the top of the spinal column and the top of the skull (Devik Chakra). It is our task to awaken the chakras through meditation and Kriyas. A literal translation of the word chakra is „wheel". Imagine that we are looking at a bathtub drain: when we open the drain the water begins to flow away, instantly shifting its direction and forming a vortex, turning and drawing away with a strong pull or suction down into the pipe. This is how all the diverse forces from the cosmos and all the rays that flow through the body enter the chakras. Various feelings, visions and colors are concealed in the wheel. The cosmic forces that enter influence us according to the state of our soul or our planetary constellation and lead our feelings and personal characteristics in certain directions. This is how our karmas come to be reflected back on us. - 24 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Our destiny is shaped by our karmas. This is not to be taken negatively. It often happens that we suffer what we consider to be a misfortune only to discover later that it was a blessing in disguise, and we thank God for it. Or the opposite is possible, that we get excited and happy about an event that turns out in retrospect to be negative. According to Yoga Philosophy there are eight chakras from Muladhar to Sahasrar and each chakra is associated with particular feelings and qualities. Each of us experiences different feelings in our chakras and has quite unique experiences. Furthermore not everyone has an equally strong-feeling connection to each of the chakras. For instance, one person will experience most in the Manipur-Chakra, another works best during meditation in the Anahat and yet another best in the Trikuti- or Ajna-Chakra. Most Yoga books say that one should meditate on the Trikuti because they are not able to go into all the individual experiences. The chakras function on several levels of our existence. The first level is physical. At these points in the body there are certain glands and nerves (see Table 1 in the Appendix) which we can influence through breathing exercises, meditation, asanas and mantra-singing in order to maintain physical health. The second level is the mental or astral level. Chakras are psychic centers. We can compare them with eddies or vortices that attract cosmic forces through their whirling action and suck them in. If the direction of the vortex gets reversed different sorts of disturbances can result. Reversals can be caused by faulty diet, faulty practice, bad company and negative thoughts. Reversed chakras can be turned around again. We can practice feeling the chakras with our own hands and learn to sense whether they are turning in the right direction or not. Anyone who cannot feel that should carry out this simple exercise at least once a month: Place your hand about one centimeter above that area of the body where there is a chakra and slowly describe clock-wise circles over this part for three or four minutes. It is not necessary to do all the chakras at the same time. We can treat a different chakra each day. In this way we can be certain the chakras are turning in the right direction. The third level on which the chakras function is the higher spiritual level from which we receive spiritual rays of knowledge and self-recognition. This can occur through any chakra. By concentrating on one chakra and working with it we come upon the qualities or attributes that belong to this chakra. It takes us a long time to overcome our qualities or attributes. They operate very intensely at the astral level and exert strong influences on our physical body. In any chakra we can examine, correct and purify our characteristic qualities and through this chakra manifest our divine Self. The chakras through which that happens most frequently and which are mentioned again and again in Yoga Philosophy and in bhajans are Mul-Kamal (Muladhar), Nabhi Kamal (Manipur) and Kanth-Kamal (Vishuddhi). Kamal means „lotus". Of course the other chakras play an important role, but these three centers represent the three most important stations. We find out in the Vedas and other Yoga literature how the chakras are formed in the body.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

NADIS The Nadis are the pathways through which Prana, the cosmic energy, vitality or life force flows. In all, there are 72,000 Nadis in the human body. This astonishing number was researched by Yogis in meditation eons ago, and indeed, for every Nadi as well as every muscle and hormone there is a Sanskrit name. In Ayurvedic medicine which is based on purely natural means without animal experiments or chemicals there is a cure described for every known disease. Three main Nadis are distinguished: Ida, Pingala and Shushumna. In some Yoga books they are called Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati which are the narrtes of three rivers holy to the Hindus. The Ganges and the Yamuna flow above the earth but the Sarasvati is a subterranean river that comes to the surface once every twelve years during a particular planetary constellation. This event is called Kumbha-Mela. Sometimes there is a small Kumbha-Mela three or five years later but then only a part of the water of the Sarasvati surfaces. For the celebration millions of people gather in the vicinity of Illahabad to bathe there where the three rivers meet. The Hindus believe that they are thus freed from all karmas and from rebirth. For the Yogi however, the Ajna-Chakra is the true place of the confluence of the three holy rivers. For this reason we know this chakra by these names as well: Trikuti, Bhrukuti, Triveninat, Sangham and Trinetra. Ganga or Ida corresponds to the moon system, Yamuna or Pingala to the sun system. Sarasvati or Shushumna unites the two in knowledge or consciousness. The moon embodies the principle of mind, of understanding. The sun stands for consciousness. Between mind and consciousness there must be a balance if we are to be capable of working and developing ourselves further. For this balance there are special Yoga techniques called Chandra-Bhedi Pranavan and Surya-BhediPranayam. Bhedi means „purification" or „to pass through". Shushumna or Sarasvati flows underground. This Nadi is only active at particular short periods of time, for example at twilight or dawn. It is then that the three main Nadis unite and only one stream flows-Shushumna-Nadi. During true meditation or in Samadhi when we feel the grace of God the Sarasvati will flow. As long as Shushumna is inactive there are always Chitta-Vrittis present-thoughts, heavy feelings, worries and so forth - but when the Shushumna begins to flow the ChittaVrttis come to a standstill and we "bathe" in our Trivenitat. Ida and Pingala begin in the brain approximately where the pituitary gland is located. They cross over each other at the level of the larynx in the upper part of the spinal column and form a plexus at this intersection. It is there that all the forces of the sun and moon collect and their effects are intensified by Shushumna. If we hold our two palms close together we can sense a sort of magnetic draw between them which is Prana energy. The same sort of magnetism is present where these Nadis cross strongly attracting the forces to that point. The left Nadi then loops to the right and vice versa and the two come together again in the area of the thyroid gland, the Vishuddhi Chakra. In this manner the Nadis alternate to the right and to the left and - 26 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

at each crossing or plexus a chakra is formed. All the elements or Tattvas function particularly strongly in the chakras. According to textbook medicine the spinal cord ends just below the navel. According to Yoga the Nadis extend to the end of the spinal column. There they form a very fine knot which is called Granthi (gland). This Granthi is very hard and is located very deep. If it were to be loosened and activated then all the other Granthis in the body would spontaneously open. Then we would develop and experience all the powers: healing powers, visions, seeing auras and all the other Siddhis or supernatural powers. These are what we call the latent powers in the human being. It is with these ideas that Yoga started. Some call it Kundalini-Yoga. others Raja-Yoga, Bhakti Yoga or Karma-Yoga. But the goal is ever the same: to waken these dormant powers in the human being and with the help of these powers to awaken Self-knowledge and Godactualization which means the union of Paramatma and Jivatma, of cosmic consciousness and individual consciousness.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

CHAPTER 7

Muladhara Chakra The Muladhar-Chakra is the first developmental stage of humanity, the seat of our consciousness, the border between animal and human consciousness. It is also called the Mul-Prakriti. Prakriti has two meanings: element and nature. Mul means basis, source or root, and Adhar also means basis or firmament. Our entire human destiny rests upon these Mula or roots. Our fate, our illnesses, our deeds and feelings are steered on their course according to our Pralabdhas, which are the deeds from our previous lives active in our present life. These powers lie hidden in the Muladhar, invisible, nonmaterial, unconscious, exerting their influence from other planes. In springtime trees and plants begin to grow. In wintertime they will not bloom even in a warm place because the necessary Tattva is not present in the atmosphere. So it is with the Pralabdhas and Shaktis (powers). They lie sleeping in the Mul-Prakriti and can be awakened and released only through exercise, meditation, kriyas and mantras. This awakening has nothing to do with physical feelings but with developing consciousness. We develop more feeling for Tattvas and laws of nature. We increase our experiences of the cosmos and our knowledge of its connections. Knowledge means light and to achieve this knowledge we require experience. Every experience, be it good or bad develops knowledge in us. As long as we live we will be meeting problems. One person will see these only as problems while another will value them as precious experience. We can let this seed of our consciousness come up through Yoga, through Bhakti-, Jnana-, Raja- or Karma-Yoga. In my experience one can never be exclusively a Bhakti-, Jnana, Raja or Karma-Yogi because these paths are all intertwined and it is just that the emphasis in each is different. One is very intellectual, one is very devotional, one requires a great deal of practice and the other states, "Work is worship". Mantra is the best (one could even say the only) aid for awakening consciousness and mastering the path. There are three kinds of mantra: prayer, Guru-Mantra and Bija-Mantra. The essence of prayer is the Guru-Mantra and the essence of that is the yet finer Bija-Mantra. Man means mind, Tra means liberation. Mantra frees our spirit from all dependencies and problems, frees our Chitta (consciousness) from the various Vrittis (thoughts), and gives us strength. Operating on the astral levels mantra influences our entire destiny. All the elements in the cosmos are influenced by mantras. This is actually not such a strange idea to Westerners. Mantra also means vibration. It is known that certain frequencies repel mosquitos and there is more research going on in the attempt to heal disease and accelerate plant growth through music. We know that certain frequencies or vibrations affect body and mind and this principle is applied nowadays in physical medicine and in music therapy. Vibrations affect the elements or Tattvas. - 28 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Vibration forms the basis of the ancient languages like Sanskrit. One cannot simply "speak" Sanskrit but must combine the sounds with a particular tone or vibration and observe the pronunciation precisely. The words and word combinations have to have a particular sound. The Sanskrit mantras play a great role in the chakras, and the basis for that takes us back to the beginnings of Yoga Philosophy and of creation itself. According to our Yoga experiences there was in the beginning the trinity, Brahma/Vishnu/Mahesh (Shiva). Before that there was only Sunyakash (Sunya means empty, Akash means space). There was nothing present, not even an atmosphere. In this Sunyakash the three Shaktis take their beginning: Iccha-Shakti, Vishnu-Shakti and Prakriti. They are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and are symbolized by the three qualities or Gunas: Rajas-Guna, Sattvas-Guna and Tamas-Guna. These three qualities met in Sunyakash and manifested the sound Om. This original sound is called Adi-Anadi which means lt was, It is and It shall be." And so we say Om is God, Om is Brahma, the Supreme, the Soul; Om is everything. The Om-Mantra is the most sacred mantra and possesses all the qualities: Brahma-Shakti, Vishnu-Shakti and Shiva-Shakti or creation, preservation and destruction. Shiva, the divinity of the Yogis, brought language to humanity through meditation on sound. This proto-language is called Devas. Deva has three meanings: God, protector or guardian angel and vibration. Nada Rupa Para Brahma: Vibration protects us, vibration guides us, vibration is the Supreme. When Shiva extended his consciousness he saw various Gods or vibrations in this cosmos and he brought them all down to earth as characters of the alphabet. The written language is called Deva-Nagrik, the divine script or the Divine Citizens which does not refer to the people who speak the language or write it but to the speech of the Gods; the language itself is God. It is vibration on certain planes of the cosmos. These same planes also exist in us which means the language itself is encoded in us. In Sanskrit there are as many characters as there are planes or Lokas, i.e., fiftytwo. In addition to the Lokas there are fourteen worlds, Ikisho Brahmand. In meditation you need to go very deeply into these worlds and then you see the Sanskrit letters but not the way they are usually represented on pictures of chakras or created from the fantasies of the artist. You see either the color or the letter as it is written in Deva-Nagrik, or you hear the sound and the vibration of the chakra and you feel the particular Tattva and its qualities in yourself. That can only be experienced and actualized after we have recognized the inner treasures in ourselves and purified our Antakarana (Mana, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahamkara) of Kama, Krodha, Lobha and Moha. The best techniques for that are Kriya-Yoga and Kaya-Kalapa. Also important are Manana (reflection, Shankalp and Vikalp (the distinction of what is important and what is unimportant), as well as Atmaand Brahma-Chintan (pondering who am I and what is God). Once we have actualized the treasures, Sam, Dam, Shraddha, Titiksha, Uparati and Samadhan, and our goal is clear and pure then our chakras become clear and pure and we enter into meditation deeply. On the plane of the Muladhar-Chakra there are certain symbols. As already mentioned, in meditation you do not see the chakras exactly the way they are illustrated but there are often certain similarities present. The symbols of the - 29 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Muladhar Chakra are: a four-petalled lotus blossom, a Shiva-Lingam, an elephant with seven trunks, and an inverted triangle. The Shiva-Lingam is the symbol for Pashupati Mahadev. Lingam is an astral form, like a mandala; Pashu means animal, Pati means Lord, and Mahadev means supreme deity. Here the symbol designates the boundary between animal and human consciousness. The elephant is a high symbol in Indian mythology indicating amongst other things abundance. Its tusks are precious and there is a very valuable pearl located in its skull. Before money existed wealth and abundance were measured according to possession of land and animals. The Sanskrit expression Gaj Dhan (elephant abundance) was used for that, the elephant being such a powerful and expensive animal. The elephant also symbolizes wisdom. Brahma rides a white elephant, and to dream of a white elephant is a very special omen of happiness. If in the dream one rides it as well that means even greater good fortune. Yet this great and powerful animal can be controlled by a relatively tiny goad or thorn (Ankhus). The rider merely guides the animal with it. In like manner our Mana and Indriyas are like wild elephants that we automatically keep under control with the Ankhus of our mantra and our Sadhana (spiritual endeavor). The elephant symbol of the Muladhar has seven trunks signifying the things that are hidden in the earth. There are seven main elements, seven main minerals, seven main gems, etc., called Saptdhatu in Sanskrit. Each of these minerals has a particular radiation, color and effect, and is oriented to a particular planet The planets in turn signify the different planes or manifestations of our consciousness and are connected through that to the individual chakras. Every chakra has its own mantras, the main mantra of the Muladhar being Lam, the symbol for the awakening of consciousness. It is the Bija-Mantra or the vibration of the Muladhar and concentration on this chakra should proceed through this mantra Lam. There are also mantras on the four petals of the lotus. These Sanskrit characters have certain vibrations named Devghan which control our four Antakaranas: Mana, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahamkara (thought, intellect, consciousness and ego). As can be seen, our Antakaranas, these inner functions that are so significant for our development, have their origin at a very deep level in us. The inverted triangle symbolizes creation, generative energy or Shakti which is awakened. Kundalini, Shakti, is always spoken of as „serpent power". The snake is a symbol that has significance all over the world. It is called Kala in Sanskrit. Kal has two meanings: black and time. There is Bhut-Kal (past), Vartman-Kal (present) and Bhavishiya (future). If a snake should bite us our consciousness shifts completely in that our lifetime comes to an end and in dying we reach a different time dimension. In the mythological context serpent also means time and change. The God Vishnu rests upon a serpent with 1000 heads and in this serpent originates the first Sphurna or movement, the source of an entire universe. So actually the world comes into being through Vishnu and not through Brahma. Our unconscious powers are located in the Muladhar. Its Tattva is earth with all its energy, also designated as mother. The mother nourishes the children, cares for

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

them and raises them. Thus we live from the earth and it provides for us. The color associated with the Muladhar is red symbolizing earth and vitality. When we awaken the Muladhar there is no telling what will emerge. Our conscious minds have no idea what lies in our unconscious just as we have no idea what lies hidden in the earth beneath us, whether that be iron, gold, diamonds, scorpions, snakes, a cave or a bomb. The entire past lies buried in the Muladhar and when we begin to purify it through practice then all these events and characteristics emerge. Anger, hatred or greed might come up, or bad dreams and memories. Likewise beautiful dreams and feelings of relief, liberation and happiness can surface. All these originate in previous lives to the Muladhar is the storehouse of the Pralabdhas. We might ask if it would not be better to let sleeping dogs lie. The answer is that only by bringing these things to light can we ever free ourselves from them. We are responsible not only for what we do but also for what we neglect to do. At some time or other we must purify ourselves and Yoga is the best way to do that consciously. It is very important to be guided on the Yoga path by someone who can explain to us what is happening. We can suddenly go into a depression or begin to have physical pain for which there is no psychological or physical basis in our present lives. The causes will lie in the Muladhar or in some other chakra that is being purified. I want to emphasize again that Kundalini-Yoga does not lead to bewilderment as some writers claim. I have never known anyone to have negative experiences who practices correctly. Those who claim otherwise have no Bhakti and no respect for the master who could guide them. Without Bhakti there is no liberation. Another point in this regard: suppose you get a medication from a physician, then go to a homeopath and obtain a remedy from him and then attend still a third doctor who prescribes something else. If you take all three at the same time none will work. Some people carry out two or more techniques at the same time and all that results is confusion. They lack Shradha, trust in the master, and without that all efforts are in vain. Through purification of the Muladhar-Chakra consciousness becomes clear. Practice and purity your Muladhar and do not give up. Once you have cleared up all that lies simmering there you will spontaneously move on to a higher stage. Mahaprabhuji used to say, "Kundalini is the power, the divine mother." A mother never harms her child or she is not the true mother, Nature. Shakti is the power that expands our consciousness. Consciousness is Chetana-Shiva. When the two are united consciousness awakens to the power that penetrates all Lokas the Kundalini has risen. According to the experience of Holy Guruji Kundalini power is most easily awakened through Bhakti-Yoga. Bhakti is the best way to awaken the Muladhar and expand consciousness. The Bhakti-Yogis themselves are not aware of all that occurs. They are like innocent children being cared for automatically by their parent. The RajaYogis on the other hand are very self-aware and strong. And their path is much harder. The best way is a synthesis of these two: to overcome with complete awareness and with Bhakti.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

In this context the awakening of the Ajna-Chakra is very important. The Ajna is the teacher, the guru or master. When it is active it gives our Buddhi (understanding) the answers to our questions, dreams, feelings, psychosomatic states and meditative experience. Pupils often come to me because of experiences in their meditation that frighten them (for instance that someone or something is there beside them, or that they are hearing different noises). Those are all only images from the subconscious, no matter how real or alive they might seem and unfortunately many stop meditating at this point. They them selves do not know what is happening and they do not believe the master. Now, what is God to do with such people? Mahaprabhuji once said, „People will often pray day and night for an experience and when the time finally comes and they have an experience they tremble with fear. But if they don't have any experiences they begin to doubt, and they say that the exercises are no good." So I repeat: no dreams and feelings can harm us. But you must only do that and practice that which I tell you to do and not try out five different techniques a day. Develop your Buddhi and then you will be able to analyze all the phenomena and all experiences yourself and not be afraid of them. The manifestation and development of human consciousness proceeds from the Muladhar upwards. The beginnings are in the Muladhar but the various characteristics are latent in the other levels, Svadhisthan, Manipur, Anahat, etc., as well. The earth element is associated with the Muladhar, and the earth is like a mother. She can only give birth to us. She does her duty and takes care of us to the extent she can. It is not she however that gives us our destiny, our characteristics and karmas. Every one of her children has a different fate, a different character and different inclinations.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

SUMMARY OF THE SYMBOLS OF THE MULADHAR Color: Red - earth, vitality Tattva: Prattvi - earth as "Mother", power, energy, nutrient Gland: Gonads Plexus: Sacral Plexus Mantra: Lam Lotus: 4 Petals Animal: Elephant with 7 Trunks, wisdom, abundance, Saptdhatu - the main elements of the earth

Divinity: Pashupati Mahadev - divinity of the animals Symbols: Shiva-Lingam- consciousness, inverted Triangle - creation, generation, awakening

Properties: The Unconscious, Karmas of Previous Lives, Boundary Between Animal and Human Consciousness, Seat of the Kundalini

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

CHAPTER 8

SVADHISTHAN-Chakra The Svadhisthan-Chakra is a very important chakra and signifies the second stage of our development (Sva is „own", Sthan is „place"). Originally it was seen as the seat of the Kundalini-Shakti, the location of consciousness. Now however as that has fallen into the Muladhar the Svadhisthan is seen to be the seat of passion, anger, hatred, disdain, cruelty, false pride, doubt, jealousy, stupidity and laziness. When these negative qualities are strong in us our consciousness falls back into the lower planes and sinks down into the Muladhar. In everyone of us the Kundalini power awakens more or less frequently and comes as far as the Svadhisthan. When it reaches that level these negative properties which are the enemies of our development come up as obstacles. Unable to rise further the energy falls back into the Muladhar, and so we swing back and forth between Muladhar and Svadhisthan. The Svadhisthan-Chakra is directly connected with our sub conscious which takes in all our sensory impressions, all our deeds and all the perceptions of our Indriyas (Karma- and Jnana- Indriyas). So finely sensitive is the subconscious that it records everything like an audiotape. That is why our Karmas go on affecting us unresistingly. There is nothing we can do to stem their workings because it is all there at hand, registered on our subconscious. We are constantly being steered by our subconscious. Our deeds, our feelings and our thoughts have their origins not in this present moment but in earlier times when they were stored away in our subconscious. Only through Bhakti can we overcome them, and that is a difficult path. As long as we are in the Svadhisthan we are involved with these negative properties. Jealousy, anger and hatred signify immaturity. Whoever is subject to them has an immature and weak consciousness. Wherever these properties exist our consciousness will be dragged down time and again to the lower levels. The element of the Svadhisthan-Chakra is water. Water is soft but very difficult to overcome. Even when we succeed in conquering these negative characteristics we are still in danger of slipping into Laya (indolence and laziness) and falling back down again because of that. The symbol of the Svadhisthan is the crocodile, a representation that stands for astral consciousness in respect to the deeds and karmas that are as yet unformed in our subconscious. The crocodile is lazy but very dangerous when active. The Bija-Mantra or vibration of the Svadhisthan is Vam. The color is orange, a symbol for activity, energy, joy, hope and self-awareness.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

The divinities of the Svadhisthan are Brahma and Sarasvati. Brahma is the creator of all that exists and Sarasvati embodies knowledge. In mythology she is considered to be at the same time both wife and daughter of Brahma which has often given rise to misunderstanding. Brahma here signifies creation or awakening of consciousness. Knowledge comes into being through consciousness and goes on to guide consciousness. So knowledge is produced by consciousness and then reacts upon it. Brahma as creator is thus the father of Sarasvati or knowledge. When knowledge guides and supports Buddhi and Viveka then Sarasvati becomes Brahma's wife and consort. Only through knowledge can we develop further. In this context Brahma is also called Hiranya-Garbha, the golden womb, or the cosmic egg from which knowledge is born. The Svadhisthan-Chakra is our first milestone after the Muladhar. It is still strongly connected to animal consciousness and so is also known as Pashu-Pati („Pashu" is „animal"; „Pati" is „master"). The Muladhar is the highest chakra of animal consciousness and the animal divinity Pashu-Pati stands above it. That is why hatred, anger and jealousy are also called the „animal" properties. When they emerge even one's aura changes and becomes the aura of an animal. As human beings we should be above the animal realm and attempt to overcome these properties through Bhakti, insight and compassion and with reflection on the meaning and purpose of this life. So be sure, this is a life long struggle but in some life-time or other we will gain the ultimate mastery and that will be our last life. Maybe we were Yogis in our previous life and are even now at the level of the Vishuddhi-Chakra. There is no way of knowing. As human beings there are always the two possibilities open to us: either to fall back or to rise to higher levels. Progress is easier for the one who has previously practiced Yoga, meditated and gone a spiritual path. When something penetrates to the surface from the unconscious we often do not know what it is about and we think we are crazy or schizophrenic. We think we are being influenced and directed by something outside ourselves. But this is not a mental disturbance. Actually it is that the Svadhisthan-Chakra is being active at the moment and because we do not understand this process we feel bewildered, upset and depressed. These feelings are not actually taking place in the Muladhar or Svadhisthan-Chakras themselves but in the brain center where they are projected onto awareness. The Yoga practitioner is better able to master these states because he is better able to understand and analyze what is going on. Without this under standing we can spend a long time falling from one feeling into another and swinging back and forth like a pendulum between joy and sorrow. As practitioners we need not worry however when we find ourselves in such a state. We need only to observe everything and carry on with our mantra. Mantra awakens knowledge, Sarasvati, and then we can proceed more easily. Here again we could ask if it would be better not to stir up all these things and again the answer is „no". When we attempt to suppress negative things like passion and

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

hatred, or try to run away from them we miss something positive. We can compare this with a waste paper basket into which someone has thrown a golden ring. If we toss the waste paper into the rubbish without looking at it we will never find out that there was gold there. In Kundalini-Yoga we never reject anything as negative or bad in itself. Each feeling is carefully and closely analyzed, investigated and then mastered. Then this reciprocal process between Brahma and Sarasvati, between consciousness and knowledge, comes into play. We should be aware of everything at all times and know what is concealed in it. Then it is possible to master step after step and to reach the goal in one lifetime. The easiest way, and I cannot stress this often enough, is through Bhakti Yoga and mantras. The mantra must be a Guru-Mantra and not just any suggestive or psychological formulation. It must involve a Siddha-Mantra which according to the ancient tradition of succession is handed down only from one master to the next. A Siddha-Mantra is a mantra that was discovered and used by a divine incarnation in his own meditation. It is not the kind of formula we know from the practice of self-suggestion or autogenic training, such as „I am well," M feel the presence of God," „I have peace within," and so on. Nor is it a series of syllables or numbers such as some people practice. Certainly these methods serve to bring about inner calm and a levelling of the ChittaVrittis (thought waves). A Siddha-Mantra on the other hand is a matter of powers actualized in the word. „What would we have without words ? We give and take through words, speak, understand and perceive through words. It matters not where you go You cannot leave words behind. Words lead us to one another. Words convey knowledge to us. Through words (mantras) we are liberated. Through words you recognize the Supreme and what illusion is. Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji has granted me the holy word. Through his words you will cross the river." (Bhajan by Sri Swami Sivananda from the book, THE LIVING LIGHT. p. 66) Besides the divinities Brahma and Sarasvati there are two Shaktis operating in the Svadhisthan. Shankalp-Shakti and Mantra-Shakti. There is a little story about the Shankalp-Shakti. In the garden of a royal palace there were some wonderful fruit trees and among them a young mango tree bearing its first fruits. One day when the king and queen - 36 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

were walking in this garden the queen caught sight of this mango tree and desired of her husband that she should have the first fruit. The king promised her that, and instructed the gardener to spread a fine net over the tree so that the fruit would remain unblemished. In addition it was to be watched over day and night. About a month later when the mango was ripe a man and his wife were walking past the castle wall. The wife caught sight of the gold and yellow fruit and said to her husband: „A husband ought to fulfil his wife's every wish and it is my wish to eat that mango." Now the husband possessed Shankalp-Shakti he needed only to stretch out his hand and the desired fruit was there. Joyously and with great pleasure the wife consumed it. Next day the queen summoned the gardener and ordered him to bring her the promised fruit. He had to confess that it had disappeared in some mysterious way even though it had been guarded day and night Full of rage the king ordered his son to search out the thief and hang him. The man who had taken the mango for his wife had of course no criminal intent and when he heard of the king's search he came forward voluntarily. He told the prince the whole story of how he had come into possession of the fruit by means of his Shankalp-Shakti. The prince was filled with awe for this man and began to consider how he could save him. He went to his father and reported that the culprit had been found. After telling him about the man's supernatural capacity to acquire immediately anything that he wished for, he advised the king to take instruction in this art before carrying out the sentence. So the king had the man brought to him and ordered him to instruct him in this capacity. But no matter how hard he tried he could not succeed in learning it. What the prince said to that was, „Father, it will not work with you sitting on your throne and your teacher on the floor in front of you. Water can never flow up the mountain; that is simply against nature. You have to change places otherwise you will get nowhere." So the king climbed down from his throne and let the man sit on it. The latter blessed the king and lo! his power passed over to the king who stretched out his hand, wished for a fruit from the garden and immediately found it in his possession. Well, now the king wanted to do away with the man but the prince interceded once more. He who kills his guru commits a grievous sin and will have to do penance for many life times." With that the king bowed down before his master, rendered him due honor and released him. Shankalpa is something that we desire. Shankalpa-Shakti functions in every case no matter whether the wish is a positive one or a negative one. Sometime, somewhere in this cosmos every one of our thoughts will be manifested. Our Shankalpa or project will most certainly be fulfilled if we repeat it in Yoga Nidra with a pure mind, pure feelings and from the depths of our heart. Yoga-Nidra is a particularly effective technique because it unites our consciousness with our subconscious. We are neither wide awake nor are we sleeping, yet we find ourselves as in a dream. We achieve an astral state in which all thoughts manifest quickly. This is the way in which Shankalp-Shakti works.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

There are various exercises to develop Shankalp-Shakti such as Tratak or candle meditation but success requires the simultaneous presence of a second Shakti, namely Mantra Shakti. This is the Shakti that lies in our words. So we require two things, power and words - the power of our wish or idea and the words with which we compose and express our wish. First of all though our own Guru-Mantra must have come to the stage of Ajapa in us. Everyone to whom I have given a mantra is to carry out five stages of practice with it: Likhit (writing), Bekhari (speaking), Upamsu (whispering), Mansik (thinking) and Ajapa (continuous inner repetition). When we practice these five stages of our Guru-Mantra we reach the stage of Ajapa when our mantra is running automatically without conscious repetition and recall and is our very first thought upon awakening before we even open our eyes. Now we are able to carry out an Anusthan, an intensive exercise with this mantra: If there is a wish or a project that we want to fulfil we undertake a certain number of mantra repetitions within a certain time period. (This is also the idea behind the Tibetan prayer-wheel. The mantra is written several hundred times on a roll of paper inside so that one can complete a thousand mantras without effort by turning it a few times. Of course it has no effect.) Such an Anusthan might be to say 100,000 mantras in a week, for example, which would require 132 Malas per day. If we estimate about eight minutes for one Mala then our Anusthan would take almost eighteen hours per day. If that is too much for anyone in a day then it can be extended over two weeks. During this time one should be cleansing physically and mentally, fasting moderately and taking in only certain sattvic foods. Such an Anusthan effects an intensive purification, a cleansing of body and mind - and then the soul makes its appearance. In our summer seminars we carry out a similar exercise called Anusthan-Kriya, an exercise to strengthen our Mantra- and Shankalp-Shakti. Prepared in this way you begin to repeat the wish three times before every prayer and every meditation, before going to sleep and immediately upon awakening, before opening your eyes. Do it with all your heart and with all the strength of your MantraShakti and your wish will be quickly fulfilled. Wish only for positive things and take care to wish only for that which will not bring you suffering at a later date. Let this story serve as a warning. It is about a monkey that out of ignorance wished for something that landed him in enormous difficulties. One day a snake charmer went into the forest to catch a snake to use in his performances. It was not long before he found a large cobra, shut it up in a basket, tied the basket and set out for home. As it was a very hot day he decided to rest a while under a shady banyan tree. The monkey was sitting in this tree. When he saw the basket he thought it was the kind used to catch wild bees and was certain that it contained honey. Only one wish, one thought filled his mind: „How can I get this honey ?" He was already imagining how sweet the honey was going to taste and through his Shankalp-Shakti his wish was to be fulfilled. The man stood up to go - 38 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

behind a bush and the monkey immediately realized the opportunity to reach the basket. With a great leap he sprang down from his branch, hung the basket around his neck and climbed back up as high as he could. The snake charmer saw this from where he was standing and was horrified but the monkey only gave him a mischievous look. Full of anticipation of the presumed pleasure the monkey opened the basket - and froze in terror as the head of a cobra emerged. Well, the monkey sat there not daring to move and now his only thought was, „How can I get rid of this problem?" Within one second the situation had completely reversed. Full of joy and triumph a moment before, he was now filled with fear and horror. That very thing that he had so ardently desired he wanted now to be rid of at any price. So it is with many people. They desire things without reflection and without correct knowledge and then end up in great difficulties and hopeless situations. We have many wishes and are able to fulfil them through our Shankalp-Shakti, but first we should consider well what we are after. When two people are in love their only wish is to come together. They get married and after a year or two are running to the divorce court for a separation. I wonder what could have changed so much in so short a time. At first they were full of love and now they are so estranged that they cannot speak to each other. Why have their wishes changed so completely ? Apparently in the beginning they were not clear what it was about and they wished for something that they actually did not want to have. So wish for yourselves only those things that you are certain will unfold into happy and wonderful feelings. That kind of clarity is a task of the Svadhisthan and also depends on the development of the Ajna-Chakra where bewilder ment and uncertainty could prevail. So in any case it is important, even necessary, to awaken and use the Ajna-Chakra. In the Svadhisthan knowledge is developed and Shankalp and Mantra-Shakti are strengthened. Overcome your negative feelings and characteristics and observe from your Ajna-Chakra everything that emerges. When you know that what is happening is not some sort of craziness on your part but rather a phase that everyone must go through somehow or other then you can get through it more easily, It is best done through Bhakti-Yoga. In meditation without Bhakti the ego often comes to the fore and then it can happen that the subconscious can no longer be controlled. Bhakti to Mahaprabhuji is especially important for those doing Kriya-Yoga under my guidance. At the moment you might not under stand what I am saying or what Mahaprabhuji represents, but when you reach this stage you will know what I am talking about. You must go through the Muladhar- and Svadhisthan-Chakra whether you want to or not, whether you do Yoga or not, whether you pray or meditate or do nothing at all. Every human being must go through these stages of consciousness at some time during the course of his development. So apply your knowledge from your AjnaChakra, strengthen your Shankalp and Mantra-Shakti and endeavor to understand your subconscious better. The Pralabdha (future destiny) is already drafted in the „golden womb" and through clarity about your subconscious you will attain knowledge about your future

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

SUMMARY OF THE SYMBOLS OF THE SVADHISTHAN Color: Orange - activity, energy, joy, hope, self-awareness Tattva: Jal - water (soft, difficult to overcome) Gland: Adrenals Plexus: Hypogastric Mantra: Vam Lotus: 6 Petals Animal: Crocodile inertia, danger, representing the karmas Divinity: Brahma- consciousness, the Creator + Sarasvati - knowledge, Buddhi, Viveka

Symbols: Shiva-Lingam- consciousness, inverted Triangle - creation, generation, awakening

Properties: Passion / Anger / Hatred / Jealousy / Pride / Cruelty / Arrogance / Doubt / Laziness, The Subconscious, Pralabdha, The Development of Knowledge, Hiranaya Garbha ("the Golden Womb"), First developmental stage of the Human

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

CHAPTER 9

MANIPUR-Chakra Consciousness or Kundalini ascends through the Muladhar and Svadhisthan, those chakras still strongly connected to the levels of animal feelings and consciousness, to the Manipur Chakra. Those who reach this third level have almost made it. It is almost 99% certain that they will achieve the awakening of supreme consciousness. (Indeed, though the last one percent is more difficult to achieve than the other ninetynine.) The Manipur-Chakra is located on the inner side of the spinal column behind the navel. Here are the points where the Tattvas and forces enter and exit. This chakra can be compared with a „cosmic gate" through which these powers flow in and out as through a vortex. Mani signifies something very beautiful. It means „jewel" and Pura means „seat" or „city". Manipur is the „jewelled city". The concept Mani also occurs in the Buddhist mantra Om Mani Padme Hum which is in all the prayer wheels. Om is God, Mani is jewel, Padam is lotus or the feet of the master, and Hum is I bow or I am. The mantra has two meanings: „I bow to the lotus feet of my master," and „I am That; I bear all these jewels within myself as my divine properties." The Manipur-Chakra possesses the qualities of clarity, happiness, self-assurance and self-awareness, and conveys divine feelings. The principle or Tattva of the Manipur is Fire. Fire signifies purification. It consumes everything. When the consciousness of an individual has come through the first two chakras and has overcome the animal planes it emerges as if purified and refined by fire. As we have seen, all the negative qualities are located in the Svadhisthan: passion, anger, greed, hatred and so forth. The Manipur possess the opposite, or these qualities transformed into their positive counterparts: from passion to pure love, from pride to self-awareness, from ignorance to clarity, and so on. When we reach this chakra we need no longer worry, for now we are almost certain to reach our goal. The Bija-Mantra of the Manipur is Ram. This syllable has nothing to do with the God Rama, but expresses the vibration that arises from the confluence of the Nadis in this center. As in the Muladhar we also find in the Manipur an inverted triangle. Here too it signifies an awakening. Its point is the tiny seed that awakens and unfolds its consciousness upwards and outwards. The divinities of the Manipur are Vishnu and Lakshmi. Here Vishnu means creation and Lakshmi is the Goddess of Abundance (hence Manipur is the City of ´"Abundance"). The divinity in the Muladhar was Shiva who represents consciousness and guides the evolution of consciousness from the animal realm to - 41 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

the human. Vishnu represents that purely human consciousness that has its beginning here. The animal symbol of the Manipur is the ram, a very active animal associated with the fire element of this chakra. The first five chakras all have animal symbols. We all have plant and animal properties in us that influence our character. We need to overcome these properties, of course, but will have to work on these levels of consciousness until we reach the Vishuddhi Chakra because these levels represent the five elements in us. The color of the Manipur is orange-yellow with green rays. (Green is the complementary color to orange.) Of special significance are the powers that connect in the Manipur. Here the three Nadis, Ida, Pingala and Shushumna meet forming an opening through which our consciousness can ascend to the Sahasrar. It is also the point of intersection of the Prana and Apana. (Look up the five Pranas or Vayus in Table 3. There are also five Upranas. This is a complex subject. Basically the Pranas govern on-going involuntary functions like breathing, heartbeat and digestion., and the Upranas govern sporadic involuntary functions like sneezing and hiccoughing.) Prana is that which we inhale and Apana is that which we exhale. Actually the Apana also leaves through the lower part of the body and is thus associated more with the animal planes. The Pranas belong to the higher human planes. Normally Prana and Apana flow in opposite directions and as long as that is the case we cannot proceed. The navel is a very important center. All mammal embryos are connected to the mother by the umbilical cord and are nourished through it. Similarly all the Pranas flow together in the Manipur and distribute from there the subtle Pranas of the food nourishment we take in. God Krishna says in the BHAGAVAD GITA, This fire which helps to purify the nutrient in the body, to digest it and to produce the correct Pranas is of the highest power. It is the flame of life into which the Yogi offers up not only his Pranayam but also his food." That is why we sing the following mantra before meals: BRAHMA ARPANAM BRAHMA HAVIR BRAHMA AGNO BRAHMANA HUTAM BRAHMAIVA TENA GANTAVIAM BRAHMA KARMA SAMADHINA Brahma (God) is the act of offering. By Brahma it is offered up to Brahma's fire. Brahma is reached by those who recognize Him in His works. As already mentioned, we cannot work with Prana and Apana as long as they are flowing in opposite directions. In Yoga there are some Pranayam exercises called Kumbhaka. Kumbhaka means to draw energy into oneself and then let it rise to the Sahasrar through certain movements in the Shushumna Nadi. When Prana and Apana meet in the Manipur and are purified and unified there by the fire, then Kumbhaka effects a sort of vacuum-seal that sends both of them into the Sahasrar. This brings us to the highest state of consciousness. When you master the following exercises you are able to have the Kundalini rise consciously:

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

1 Pranayam 2 the Bandhas: Mul-Bandha, Uddiyan-Bandha and Jalandhar-Bandha 3 Asvini-Mudra, Agnisar-Kriya and Nauli-Kriya 4 Maha-Bandha (all three Bandhas together) Many aspirants come to me complaining that they are not having any experiences and that they cannot feel their chakras. But without Bhakti or Jnana-Yoga or a systematic exercise programme carried out step by step under guidance there can be no awakening. Many people lose sight of the inner spiritual reality and attempt to find it outside or to imitate it outwardly. There is a story that illustrates this. A small child standing on the veranda sees his grandfather run to a bush with a stick in his hand and begin to strike the ground with all his might. Then he throws the stick away and goes back into the house. So the little fellow imitates his grandfather. He goes to the same spot, picks up the stick and begins to strike the ground in the same way. Asked for the reason for his action he replies that is what his grandfather did. However there had been a snake over there by the bush and the grandfather had used the stick to kill it or drive it away. The child was unaware of the snake and only imitating what he had seen without grasping the true meaning of the act. Similarly many people are only toying with ideas and doing some kind of exercises or other without knowing why. Manipur has one great disadvantage and this has to do with the Bindu-Chakra which is located just under the crown of the head where the hair parts in a whorl. The Bindu-Chakra is the „moon center" and in every human being this center releases Amrit (ambrosia or nectar-the juice of immortality). In the BHAGAVAD GITA God Krishna tells Arjuna, „I become the nectarine moon and nourish all plants with the juice of life" (Chapter 15, Verse 13). This nectar however drips directly from the Bindu-Chakra into the Manipur and is consumed there by the fire. Fire does not discriminate. It burns everything alike. And so the Jatha-Agni, the digestive fire or solar system consumes everything that reaches the Manipur. Later we will come to an effective exercise to prevent the nectar from falling into the Manipur. Some books talk about Panch-Agni, the five fires that symbolize the five Pranas that we should have consumed in the Manipur. In the biography of Mahaprabhuji, LILA AMRIT, there is a report of an event concerning the Panch-Agni. One day some Yogis came to Khatu to Mahaprabhuji's ashram and bragged about being the strongest and best of the Yogis. Everyone imagines himself or herself to be the best. Of course that is not true. There are millions of people who are better than we are and millions too who are worse off. So always be thinking in two directions. When ego raises its head recall that there are many who are better than you are, and when unhappiness and depression set in become aware that there are manY worse off than yourself. That is how to get along in life. These Yogis then told Mahaprabhuji how they practiced and meditated. In the heat of the midday sun (and in India it gets very hot !) they lit five fires in a circle and sat - 43 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

down in the middle of this ring of fire to meditate. In this way they were attempting to overcome their bodies. They challenged Mahaprabhuji to perform the same PanchAgni exercise. Mahaprabhuji answered them with a bhajan:

KIYA TUMA DHUNI SULAGABE YOGI VANA KE MAHI BINA LAKARI MERI JAGA DHUNIYA NAJARA DHUA NAHI AI ISA DHUNI MEN GANGA BAHAVE BICHA MEN YOGI NAHAI MADHURA VANI GAVE YOGI ANAHADA TAN MILAI DHUNDHANE VANKO JO KOI JAVE HE NEDA NAHI AI ESA YOGI GHATA GHATA RAMATA SABA SE DURA RAHAI ALAKHA NIRANJANA HE AVINASI GHARBHA VAS NAHI AI SAT CHAKARA KE UPARA YOGI SIDDHASANA KO LAI SRI SWAMI DEEP KAHE BIRLA SANTAJAN US YOGI KO PAI „Oh Yogis, why light a fire in the jungle ? My fire burns without wood and no smoke is visible. In my fire flows the Ganges where the Yogis bathe. Singing songs whose sweet resonance never ends. When you seek these Yogis they are difficult to find and yet they are very near. They reside in every heart and are yet so far away. No one can describe them. Immortal are they, beyond the circle of birth and death. Sitting in Siddhasana they awaken the chakras. My salutations to the Yogis who attain that And find this fire."

„In my fire flows the Ganges where the Yogis bathe...." This Yogi is your Atma, or God. Your Guru, Master or true Self lies within you, not outside, but until you have experienced that and know it yourself you need help from outside. - 44 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

„where the Yogis bathe singing songs whose sweet resonance never ends." The Manipur is the seat of the Bekhari. of the word. Bekhari literally means „lips" but the true seat of the sound is in the navel center. When you hear the Om resonance there you come into very deep meditation. The stage after Manipur is Anahat, the infinite resonance that transports the soul like a swan gliding on motionless waters. In such a way does the consciousness of the Yogi ascend to the Sahasrar. „....these Yogis they are difficult to find and yet they are very near. They reside in every heart and are yet so far away." A Yogi who has attained this realization lives in every heart and loves all creatures, man and beast. „No one can describe them." Alakh means „indescribable and Niranjan means „pure, immaculate". Many Yogis greet one another with this mantra. It comes from a Yoga movement called Nath. The word has two meanings: God, and someone who wears rings in the nose and ears. It means a Yogi should keep mind and Indriyas under control like an ox that is tamed and led by a nose-ring. With this mantra, Alakh Niranjan. one greets the Atma of the other: „Your Atma is indescribable and pure." This Atma is the divine Self that lives in every human being. In German people greet one another with „Grüß Gott", which means, „I greet the God in you." „Immortal are they...." Mahaprabhuji goes on to say these Yogis are Avinasi, meaning indestructible, eternal, immortal. This is also expressed in the song Shivoham: JISE SASTRA KATE NA AGNI JALAVA TEJOJAVE NA PANI NA MRITYU MITAVE VAHI ATMA SATCHIDANANDA ME HU SHIVOHAM SHIVOHAM SHIVOHAM „He cannot be destroyed by weapons, consumed by fire or drowned in water. Death has no power over Him. I am Shiva the liberated Atma, the Divine, the Supreme. I am the Atma Satchidananda and immortal." This is how the Yogi experiences true bliss and attains inner freedom. „....beyond the circle of birth and death." We do all of this in order not to be born again. It is a fact and has nothing to do with faith or religion that everyone who has fallen into the wheel comes from birth to death and from death to rebirth again. Anyone who does not want to believe that is only harming himself. He is losing his opportunity in life and will not recognize this truth until after death when he goes through the gate of cosmic law. Then he must return to the earth again. - 45 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Every living creature is afraid of death and fights for its life. Why? Because in its subconscious it knows that there is re birth. It knows that dying is a very painful process. The body can be hacked to pieces in a second but doesn't die right away. In every blood cell there is life because the Pranas and Upranas do not leave the body so quickly and easily. This process of detachment is very painful. It is all the more painful when there is attachment to something worldly, when we are worried for instance about what will become of our property, our children, husband, wife, money, house and so on. This dependency is the source of a great deal of pain. How can one attain liberation? There are several answers. One is: Believe in God and pray to Him. He will help you. The Yogis say however that if faith and prayer alone were enough all human beings would be liberated. Could God be so self-seeking as to demand our love and liberate us in return for that ? If He is able to free us He should do so. Does He not love all creatures as His children ? How is a person to understand God ? God is all. You, too, are God. The light that lives in you is God. Beyond that, God is the infinite power in the universe. This God cannot liberate you. To this God everything is the same - as with water. Water can save life or destroy it and itself cares not whether it saves you from thirst or drowns you. The Yogi says: I would like to find out myself what reality is, see it with my own eyes, master it with my own will and with prayer, faith and the help of the guru. In India the guru has a predominant place in every heart. In Yoga teachings all divine incarnations are called Guru. „he holy scriptures are called Guru-Vakiya, the words of God. Rishi Sandeep, for example, was the guru of Krishna, and Krishna the guru of Arjuna. Vashista was the guru of Rama and Rama the guru of Hanuman. Buddha was the guru of Govinda, John the Baptist of Jesus, Jesus of the apostles, Sri Devpuriji of Mahaprabhuji, and so on. The guru is the one who can guide our consciousness through all the planes and give us exercises to reach the higher stages of consciousness. GU means ignorance; RU means knowledge. Guru designates not a person but this process that guides us from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge. It is not only dying that is difficult. Rebirth is not at all easy either. It begins in the womb when the five Pranas and five Tattvas stream in and come together in a swirling center. Our consciousness sees, feels and experiences a new awakening. To enter the physical plane means to die in the astral world. That is why the Yogi desires liberation. Moksha means that this drop reunites with the ocean. It does not want to go on wandering, suffering the pain of being evaporated up and then precipitated out again and again. When one has become Alakh Niranjan Avinasi one no longer returns to the womb. One is now Jivan Mukta or Bodhisattva. This consciousness, this power of the soul is able to return to earth of its own free will at any time however in order to liberate others. It is not easy to recognize such a person.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

It is as in a prison. One person is there because of his crimes and the other is there to release him when the sentence has been served. For a period of time they are both there, the convict and the liberator, but there is a great difference in how they feel in the situation. For the latter it is the place where he does his job. The former feels like a prisoner and that is the way many living entities return to earth because of their bad karmas. The Jivanmuktas, Bodhisattvas, Avatars and Siddhas however return of their own free will and by their own decision to free the others from their karmas and from the prison of birth and death. That is why God Shiva on Mount Kailash developed the science of Yoga and the Yoga teachings. „Sitting in Siddhasana they awaken the chakras." For the development of the chakras and the Kundalini - Shakti the best position is Siddhasan, the Perfect Pose, and not Padmasan, the Lotus Pose. The latter is better suited for meditation. Until we can sit comfortably and peacefully we are not able to awaken powers and gain experiences through Yoga. To be sure we will be liberated one day through practice, prayer, faith, the guidance of the guru and our own good deeds. If we want to go our way independently we should do so. But do not believe that we are all sinful and helpless or that after death we will all be redeemed anyway. What are you going to do after death if you don't go to heaven after all ? There will be no point then in complaining about the religious teachings. That is why the Yogi must leave his/her body consciously to go travelling in the cosmos.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

SUMMARY OF THE SYMBOLS OF THE MANIPUR Color: Yellow/Orange and Green Tattva: Tejas - fire (burning of digestion, purification) Gland: Pancreas Plexus: Solar Plexus Mantra: Ram Lotus: 6 Petals Animal: Ram-fiery, active Divinity: Vishnu- human consciousness, Creator, evolution + Lakshmiabundance

Properties: Clarity / Certainty / Happiness / Self-Awareness , Distribution of Nutrient in the Body, Meeting of Prana and Apana, Burning up of Nectar from the Bindu-Chakra

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

CHAPTER 10

ANAHAT-Chakra The Anahat-Chakra is located at the level of the physical heart, behind the spinal column at the center of the chest. Like all other chakras it is not a physical but an astral center. Its lotus has twelve petals and its colors are sky-blue (corresponding to the air element), yellow-orange-red (through the reflection of the fire chakra, Manipur), and green as the complementary colour. When I meditate on my chakras and move up and down through these levels in myself I see the different colors with my own eyes. There are recent new methods or theories about colour meditation and I would strongly warn against these. Meditation based only on colors can result in serious disturbances of consciousness. I have heard of numerous such cases. Some people who come to Yoga are disturbed and unstable and that is not obvious at first glance. In time these disturbances come to the surface and then people think it is Yoga that caused it. Colour meditation by itself is dangerous in any case because it changes the state of the thoughts and of consciousness. When colors do come up in meditation they should be neither sup pressed nor clung to. Let them come and go. In the Anahat one experiences the Bhava-Samadhi. Bhava is emotion, faith, wonderful feelings. It is like sinking into the ocean and meditating without any sense of time. (See Chapter 13.) For the awakening of the Anahat-Chakra we have a picture transmitted to us through God Shiva, a picture of an exquisite crystal-clear lake with a lotus blossom in the middle and a white swan gliding on the surface. The lake is a symbol for the sky (Bhur-Loka or Vayu-Loka), and the swan is the soul or the Self. The lotus blossom symbolizes the wonderful feelings that you have when you find yourself above Maya the way the lotus sits serenely above the water. Anahat is a chakra where you can feel, experience, under stand and actualize many things. When a person is unfriendly and cold we call him „ heartless" and say „ he has no heart". That means he is not in this chakra. As long as one is in this chakra one can forgive anything. There is nothing greater than the words that Jesus spoke on the cross, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Long before Christ, Krishna taught the same forgiveness in the BHAGAVAD GITA (Chapters 12 and 15). Mahaprabhuji said, „There are two things very difficult fora human being: to eat very little and to forgive." To forgive is a great art. Those connected only to their head and the Svadhisthan are not capable of forgiving, and the world is lost if humankind does not rise above the Svadhisthan-Chakra with its many negative qualities of anger, hatred, jealousy and so forth. The Anahat-Chakra plays a very important role in every religion and every spiritual teaching and has great significance in our daily life. The central position of the heart chakra is illustrated in the following two examples. - 49 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Hanuman, the Bhakta of God Rama was always proclaiming that Rama and Sita dwelt in his heart. People often poked fun at that idea: „How is that possible; come on, show us !" Hanuman was completely convinced that the two really did live in his heart. One day when someone was expressing these doubts again Hanuman said, „If you don"t believe me i'll prove it to you." With that he grasped his chest with both hands and opened it with his own fingers. And there within his heart for all to see were Rama and Sita as if painted on a canvas. In India you will find many pictures depicting this, showing how the Ape-God Hanuman tears open his chest to reveal Rama and Sita there. The second example is Jesus Christ who is often depicted pointing to his heart in its radiant light. Do the following experiment: raise your right hand to shoulder height and point upwards with your first finger. Imagine that someone were to ask whose ball-point pen this is and then using only this hand point to a part of your body to express: „ It is mine. It belongs to me." I am certain your hand will be on your chest, there where the heart chakra is located. You can do this experiment with any number of people, even with groups and the result will always be the same. Rarely does anyone point to his shoulder, leg or head to indicate: It belongs to me", „I did it", „I am to blame" and so on. The self, whatever you may call it, is present in the heart: individual entity, God, soul, Atma- it is located in the Anahat-Chakra. Ana means „infinite", Hat means „boundary". It designates the boundless state of the Bhaktas which aspirants and „Yogis attain when they enter this center. Then they hear a continuous resonance, the „Sound of the Soul". Anyone who trys can hear this sound inside. It is the So Ham. When we inhale and concentrate on the in-breath we can hear the sound So in our throat. On the outkreath we perceive the tone Ham So means „ That", Ham is „I". What So Ham means is „I Am That" and „That I Am". The Anahat-Chakra is a center in our body where we could linger for quite a while, and that is actually the disadvantage of this chakra. Many people get lost in the emotions and beautiful feelings of the Anahat and do not strive to go on. When the Kundalini-Shakti is awakened and rises from the Muladhar it comes to a standstill in the heart chakra instead of continuing higher. When you travel by train you see different landscapes pass by the window; different places, different stations, and you let them all pass by without getting absorbed in them. What is constant in your awareness is your destination This is the way you should journey through the chakras. The Anahat is only a station stop. Do not get carried away by the emotions and wonderful feelings there as if in a beautiful dream. Anahat is a boundless, infinite chakra. Its element is air. Air means contact and emotion. The contact conveys an intense inner feeling of being lost in a sea of emotion. We literally dive into the feelings and swim about in them. We are only able to reach this chakra when one of the following conditions occurs: - when we believe in God - when we become aware of true love - not a passionate and superficial love but a true and positive love, as for example for our parents, siblings and friends.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

- when we can feel the pain of others in ourselves. The properties of the Anahat-Chakra are forgiveness, compassion understanding and devotion. Anahat is our richest center for in it are the properties of the soul, of Bhakti. Three extreme emotions can arise in us. The first is deep love or grief for another living being. When we lose a friend, when a father or mother dies, when someone we were very close to abandons us or disappoints us we feel deep pain and grief in our hearts. Many lose their appetite or feel as if they were knotted up inside near their hearts. Examination and X-rays show nothing because these feelings have no physiological basis. What we have here is a psychic condition. The radiation of love which flows from the heart has been interrupted and blocked. We need an object for our love and until we find one we feel dissatisfied, insecure and sad. Basically we are not looking for someone who loves us but for someone we can love. We all need to share our love and our feelings. The second emotional state is that of the Bhakta who is seeking God. His or her condition is exactly the same as that of a worldly lover. These feelings are illustrated in the song of a Yogi: „The world sleeps, but I am awake. Oh my beloved Lord, I am waiting for you. In this Brahmamurta, in this dark night Only two are watching: A Yogi and a Rogi. Those who watch will attain their desire But for those who sleep, it will pass then by". This song refers to the different human types: Yogi, Rogi, and Bhogi. The Bhogi is only looking for worldly and physical pleasures, eating. drinking and sleeping and is not awake at the hour of dawn.The Rogis the invalid, unable to sleep because of pain, who waits with longing for the night to end. The Yogi is the one seeking God, watching, praying, thinking and meditating. „Oh, Divine, when will this darkness end and the light of Thy knowledge dawn?". The worldly oriented person is looking for an object for his love. The invalid is looking for a doctor who can heal his disease. The spiritual seeker is looking for a personal divinity. Anahat is the center of Bhakti and the desire of the Bhaktas is a personal God in whom they believe and to whom they direct their prayer, their trust and their devotion. God the Almighty Himself fulfills the wish of his Bhaktas and comes to the earth as a human incarnation, for the Bhaktas are not satisfied by the idea that God is everywhere; they want to see him with their own eyes. In the SRI VIGYAN GITA of Mahaprabhuji it is written:

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

„All the elements are present in the cosmos. In order to be effective however these elements must assume a form." Take the fire element as an example: fire is present invisibly in every object. But we can neither cook nor heat nor burn anything with this „ sleeping" fire. We cannot use it until it has become visible and alive in the form of flame. Similarly no one can claim to be able to actualize God only through a picture, a statue or through the Nirguna-(formless) God, because that contradicts natural principles. I feel sorry for those who say their prayers into thin air. It would be senseless for me to go into the street or into the forest and hold my lectures there without an audience. I deliver these lectures through the grace of my master working through me and without listeners that, too, would be absent. Precisely in this sam" sense the Bhaktas require direct guidance and an object for the power of the love streaming from their heart. Otherwise with the Kundalini-Shakti arrested in their hearts they feel unhappy and go on searching. It is true we can achieve inner peace by turning our Bhakti into pious reverence for a picture or a symbol. Ongoing progress toward Self-actualization however is only possible through a Brahmanistha Shrotria Satguru. Consider that a doctor can heal only for as long as he himself lives, and that a king has power only for as long as he lives. Similarly the original wisdom of the oral tradition transmitted from one master to another can only be taught by a living guru. There are exceptions along the spiritual path. Through our own unshakable resolution and prayer there can come to us a God-actualized holy soul or divine incarnation in an astral appearance. Even so, for that to happen we require a living guru to tell us how to direct our Bhakti and inner powers through mantra, prayer and meditation. The third emotional state of the Anahat is the condition of divine love. We say God is Love and Love is God". Strong emotions often arise when we meditate and pray. Sometimes even tears flow, and not out of sadness, but out of happiness because we feel Bhakti and the presence of God. This Bhakti is like a bowl into which more and more water is poured until it can hold no more and runs over. And co the little vessel that is our heart overflows when it is filled with Bhakti and God manifests there as Love. There is a very apt expression for this in English: „A fountain of joy". In this state we are very deeply united with God. In the picture of the Anahat Chakra we see two triangles linked to form a star. This is a new symbol for us. One of the triangles points down and the other points up. That means that Prana and Apana or Shiva and Shakti meet each other here So the divinities in this chakra are Shiva and Parvati, his wife. These two triangles pointing in opposite directions also indicate that Kundalini-Shakti can either rise further from here or fall back down again. Unfulfilled Bhaktas entertain doubts time and again and their feelings can sometimes go very high and then immediately plunge down again. So the triangles also illustrate the inner struggle that takes place between the spiritual and emotional feelings.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

The lower three chakras are connected to the body (Muladhar), the senses (Svadhisthan) and energy (Manipur). When the Bhava or feelings are being purified and the aspirant shifts from emotional (earthly) feelings to spiritual feelings he experiences enlightenment for the first time in this Chakra. It does not last however because the Bhakta as we have already seen is still struggling with the two triangles and changing his feelings and his relationship to his master again and again. There is a wonderful Siddhi located in the Anahat-Chakra. After all our efforts and striving, when we have moved through all the lower Chakras, analyzed, controlled and mastered all those properties to the extent that we are able to let them emerge or recall them at will, then we attain to the Anahat Chakra and actualize the ShankalpShakti. (See the chapter on the Svadhisthan-Chakra.). Shankalp-Shakti can only be awakened through the Ajapa Japa of one's mantra. This might be the Guru-Mantra or the Bija-Mantra which is also bestowed by the guru. It is easiest to reach Ajapa-Japa with the Sound of the Soul", So Ham, as received from the guru in the secret ceremony for the bestowal of the mantra. To attain to the Anahat-sound with this Bija Mantra we need to acquire such a rhythm that we are aware of its sound for a period of Twenty-four hours. During this time the mantra So Ham should sound 21,000 times in us. If we are unaware of even one repetition we will not reach the Anahat sound. But when we do attain that we will hear within us a continuous wonderful resonance similar to the heartbeat but much finer and more beautiful. There is a little poem by Mahaprabhuji about this Anahat or Ajapa-Mantra: „Ajapa is the best mantra you can say. Sing So Ham and recognize Satchitananda in your Heart-Chakra. Through Anahat and Ajapa all your Antakaranas become pure. One day you will reach such perfection that you no longer need to practice Ajapa. Then your victory is attained". Another story about Hanuman illustrates what true Ajapa Japa means. Hanuman as we know was a perfect Bhakta of God Rama. Rama had returned to Ayodhya with Sita whom he had freed from the power of the demon Ravana with Hanuman's help. It happened there that Sita became jealous of Hanuman because Rama was always looking in Hanuman's direction instead of paying attention to her. She asked her husband why he was so fascinated by Hanuman that he could look at no one else. Instead of answering Rama leaned over to Hanuman and pulled a hair from his head. He held this hair to Sita's ear and she perceived in it a continuous tone, Ram, Ram, Ram, and Rama said to her. lt is not that I turn toward him, but that he draws me to him." That is how the Ajapa-Japa works. It penetrates the soul, the mind and the body. Every thought and every cell is filled with the sound of the mantra. It is said of Hanuman that whenever he yawned he snapped Ram, Ram, Ram, with his fingers so as not to interrupt his Ajapa- Japa for a single moment. Even today you can see devout Brahmans and priests snap their thumb and middle finger when they

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

yawn. This means they are consciously carrying on their Ajapa-Mantra in every situation. How can you tell if the Ajapa-Mantra and the Anahat Chakra have already been actualized ? There is an absolutely sure sign - the attainment of Shankalp-Shakti. Through this power all your wishes are immediately fulfilled, the good as well as the bad. As soon as a Yogi notices that his thoughts and wishes are starting to be fulfilled he must be very careful for there is a great danger now, as illustrated in this story. There was a traveller who stopped to rest under a tree. Now this tree was no ordinary tree, but Kalap-Vraksha or Kalap Na, a „wishing tree". The traveller thought to himself, „ Well, I'd like to rest a while in some lovely cool shade." And indeed, it was all of a sudden cool and pleasant. Then he felt thirsty and was just imagining how wonderful a cool drink would be when a jug of clear fresh water appeared beside him. And then when he wished he had something to eat, that too was immediately there. When he had finished his meal he felt like sleeping and there stood a bed and he lay down to res". But foolish as he was, he never gave a thought to how this could all come about. He simply accepted the gifts happily and without thinking and laid himself down to sleep. It was dusk when he woke up and he started to worry and thought to himself. „l must move on. It's getting dark and I could get eaten by a wild animal." At that very moment a wild tiger sprang upon him and ate him up. The picture that the man had formed in his thoughts had manifested. I have often told you that every thought in this cosmos has significance and sometime or other will come back on one. If a man mistrusts his wife and keeps on thinking that she is probably unfaithful to him then the day will most certainly come when this is so. His own thoughts and imagines will manifest. When a Yogi sees that all his/her wishes are beginning to be realized, when suddenly everyone is friendly, problems resolve themselves, when he is acknowledged, honored and sought after, then he should be particularly careful to be positive in every single thing he thinks and wants. The animal symbol of the Anahat is a black antelope, the symbol of wakefulness. An antelope has such a fine sense of hearing that it senses danger long in advance. It is wakeful night and day. That is how attentive and wakeful the Yogi should be on the path. Otherwise there is the danger that one's own wishes, this Kalap-Vraksha or tree of desire in the heart will trip one up and lead one astray. Apart from the Shankalp-Shakti there is a second sign that points to the awakening of the Anahat-Chakra and that is poetic talent. A poem comes from deep within the heart. Even though the author may not personally have reached and actualized the object of the verse he/she has intimations and visions of it, senses it. This gift is achieved through meditation and awakening the Anahat-Chakra. Anahat-Chakra is also called Chinta-Mani. (Chinta means to think, Mani means jewel). It means that all one's thoughts can be expressed in beautiful words. Mahaprabhuji used to say, „Speak in such a way that flowers are pearls from your lips." Of course he didn't mean actual pearls, but the beauty and clarity of the words. Those who possess this - 54 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

talent are very rich. Nevertheless they should not remain resident in the Anahat but carry on for there is still a very long way to go.

SUMMARY OF THE SYMBOLS OF THE ANAHAT Color: Light Blue (sky, heaven), Orange and Green Tattva: Vayu - air (contact, feelings) Gland: Thymus Plexus: Cardiac Mantra: Vam Lotus: 10 Petals Animal: Antelope - alertness, attentiveness Divinity: Shiva - consciousnessParvati- Shiva's wife, Shakti Symbol: Shiva - Two Triangles Forming a Star (meeting of Shiva and Shakti) Properties:Properties: Bhakti (forgiveness, compassion, understanding, love, devotion),Ajapa - Japa (continuous inner repetition of mantra), Shankalp- and Mantra-Shakti, Poetic Talent,Bhava Samadhi, Wonderful Feelings and Emotions

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

CHAPTER 11

VISHUDDHI-Chakra The fifth of the main chakras is the Vishuddhi Chakra (Vish means poison, Shuddhi means pure). This chakra is already active in us but we do not have its function and activity under control. Until we do its effect is not so strong and conscious as it could be. As the name indicates, this chakra purifies something. Its most important function has to do with the Bindu-Chakra located between the Ajna-Chakra and the SahasrarChakra. (See the chapter on the Manipur-Chakra.) Bindu and Vishuddhi are so closely connected that the one cannot be explained without the other. Bindu means point or drop and here drops of divine nectar are produced, ambrosia that our bodies are not yet able to assimilate. This center is also called the ChandraChakra (Moon Center) and if you could see it it would look like a new moon. If you were to observe your own inner Brahmand (cosmos) with your inner eye and look up into your head (as I say, not with a microscope or a probe but with the inner vision) it would look like the ceiling of a temple with stars, planets and moon. This moon is similar to the new moon for it is the narrow opening through which the light of the Self shines in from the Sahasrar-Chakra. This moon Center can be activated by that kind of concentration called Ajapa. In our exercises and practices we should always strive for Ajapa so that it is running spontaneously and without effort on our part. During the day we are necessarily occupied with countless thoughts and actions and therefore single-minded concentration on one point is not possible. No one is capable of that and yet uninterrupted concentration is necessary if we are to be successful. Ajapa resolves this problem. Take driving as an example. If we set out on a main road or freeway for a trip of five or six hours we require constant concentration for this length of time because a tenthof-a second lapse of consciousness can result in a serious accident. While steering the vehicle we are aware of countless other things: the traffic signs, the oncoming traffic, the rear-view mirror, the scenery, the road signs, fuel tank, instrument panel, brakes, gears and gas pedal. We might even be carrying on conversations with our passengers. In short, while fully concentrating on driving we are extending our awareness to include the entire vehicle, the passengers and the surroundings. In spite of all that is happening around us and all that is being said we are continuously aware that we are operating the vehicle. And that is the condition of Ajapa. A Yogi is also engaged in everything possible all day long and yet his attention is constantly directed to the one thing. The best way to activate the Bindu-Chakra is to let a strand of hair grow on the top of the head at the point where the hair parts in all directions. This thin strand is then pulled into a tight bun close to the scalp, effecting a tug that keeps the concentration automatically drawn to this spot. In India this knot is called the Brahma-Granti and many devout Hindus wear it.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Through the awakening of this chakra several hormones are developed that are distributed by the brain. These can be beneficial or toxic. This nectar flows continuously in every human being but is normally consumed immediately in the fire of the Manipur-Chakra. It makes no difference to fire whether you feed it butter or gasoline, newspaper or thousand-dollar bills - it burns up everything. That is its principle. And so it is that the nectar is channelled into the Manipur and consumed there before it can develop any sort of effect. The Vishuddhi-Chakra serves to arrest this nectar in the throat. At the same time it looks after purification and detoxification in case a hormone is produced that could harm the body. There is a very effective exercise for controlling the Vishuddhi-Chakra called Khechari-Mudra which consists of rolling the tongue so far back that it touches the throat. The throat forms a passageway connected to the nasal and sinus cavities, and these hormones travel down along the mucous membranes. When the ambrosia reaches the tip of the tongue it mixes with the saliva and then comes to the larynx. In Parts IV and V of „Yoga in Daily Life" the five Pranas and five Upranas are described. One of these Pranas, the Udhan has its seat in the larynx. Its function is to purify the nourishment and to separate it into its solid and liquid components. It is also responsible for the ability to swallow. The nectar that is dissolved in the saliva is first cleansed of any toxins by this Prana and then channelled onwards and distributed to all parts of the body. The Khechari-Mudra requires lengthy and intensive practice. A Yogi who has mastered it can survive for a long time without food and drink. He literally lives on the air from which he takes the energy that produces this nectar in his body. The utilization of the nectar is under his control. There are people who live for decades without eating. There is said to be such a woman living in the Tirol and on our last trip to India we visited a woman who had nothing to eat or drink for 55 years. Her name is Sati Mata. This ability in her had awakened naturally and without any exercising. That can happen. For example, as a result of an accident a hitherto dormant brain center can be activated, giving rise to particular capabilities. All these capabilities and latent powers are present in the human being. We are capable of becoming like God himself or like the most fiendish of all devils. It depends on which characteristics we assume in childhood, what sort of nourishment we take in and what kind of company we keep. So the Khechari-Mudra helps first of all to trap the nectar, and secondly it enables one to gain control of the Vishuddhi Chakra and arrest the nectar there for a while. To activate the Vishuddhi and enable a free-flow of Prana and Apana there, there is another mudra called Viparit Karani Mudra (Half Shoulder Stand) in conjunction with a particular Kriya exercise. This puts pressure on the Vishuddhi-Chakra without interfering with the free-flow of the Prana, Apana and nectar there. The third technique is Jalandhar-Bandha (chin closure) that we always practice after Pranayam.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

These three techniques have the additional effect of slowing down the aging process. This is no fairy-tale. Through the production and distribution of these hormones a noticeable rejuvenation of the body takes place. The Vishuddhi-Chakra is located in the vicinity of the thyroid gland and we are all aware of the enormous medical significance of this gland. There is a story about all this: One day the Devas (Gods) and the Rakshasas (demons) wanted to extract the nectar of immortality from the ocean. In order to do that they wrapped a long snake around a boulder. With the Devas pulling on one end of the snake and the Rakshasas on the other the boulder moved creating a suction that extracted the nectar from the ocean. At the same time however the snake spat out its entire store of lethal venom, enough to destroy the whole world. Neither the Devas nor the Rakshasas knew of any way to get rid of this poison and they decided to go all together to God Shiva in the Himalayas with the poison. Shiva means consciousness, kindness, grace and purity. Everyone can come to him with their problems and in his mercy he takes it all upon himself. Now when the Devas and Rakshasas came to him God Shiva held out his food bowl and told them to pour the poison into it. He then proceeded to drink it all. The material body of Shiva, like any other body was subject to the laws of nature and without using a particular technique he would have died from the poison. But Shiva also means Yogendra, God and King of the Yogis. (Shiva himself was a Yogi and originator of the Yoga-Philosophy.) So he used Ujjai-Pranayam in conjunction with Jalandhar-Bandha to neutralize the poison: through Jalandhar-Bandha he contained the poison in his throat so that it would not spread through his body and with the Prana he purified it and rendered it harmless. The poison caused his neck to turn completely blue which is why he also bears the name Nilkant (Nil means blue, Kant means neck). Because of its blue neck-feathers the peacock, the national bird of India, is considered a symbol for Shiva, and out of reverence for Shiva God Krishna used to wear a decoration of peacock feathers on his head. Even in our times there are Devas and Rakshasas. Today with atomic energy we have the similar capacity to destroy the whole world. The same problems existed in those days but then they collaborated in finding a solution that was acceptable to all. Nowadays co-operation and understanding are lacking. There is one thing that is extremely important for everyone, no matter whether his/her characteristics are human or animal like, satanic or divine, whether he is a child or a grandfather or whether or not he is a Yogi - everyone needs someone, in distress. We say, „I need a shoulder to lean on, a shoulder to cry on." Inner loneliness is very hard to bear, and humanity is suffering intensely from it in our times. We are disappointed so frequently. We need at least a hope. I have said more than once that where there is hope and faith there is life and guidance. There must be someone to whom we can always turn, someone who will accept us no matter what we have done. What should we do when someone who has made a mistake comes crying to us ? The highest wisdom is to say nothing. If we start scolding and reproaching we are committing a worse mistake. True love and genuine compassion are shown by - 58 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

responding with, „ That can happen to anyone. Don't worry; we'll figure out something." Words like these give the person courage again, and the confidence to do it better next time. Reproaches and knowing better after the fact do not help at all. Real help means having patience and giving the kind of advice that points a way out of the difficulty and salvages whatever there is to save from the situation. These occasions are the test of the depth and sincerity of a relationship. How is it possible that a couple who have talked for years about their love and affection can suddenly react with harsh reproaches and blaming when some sort of difficult problem arises? Times of difficulty test the true face of a person. We must always know to whom we can turn and whom we can trust. We need to know that the person's inner face is the same as his exterior. True friends are rare. A person can be friendly to your face and put you down to others behind your back. So our last hope will always be someone we can trust, be that our partner, father or mother, master or the personal God whom we revere. There is another story about Shiva concerning this. As a god Shiva possessed all the divine powers and positive attributes and was very kind, sometimes even too good hearted. One time a Rakshas came to him, a devil or demon who had meditated a great deal and carried out very strict practices. God Shiva said to him, i am very satisfied with your practices and will therefore fulfil a wish for you." The Rakshasa's answer was, „ I wish from you a Siddhi, namely that when I lay my hand on anyone's head that person will immediately go up in flames and burn to ashes." In his naivety and kindness Shiva fulfilled the request of the Rakshasa and handed over to the devil this power of destruction. And then this devil had a truly demonic notion. He said, „Who knows whether you have given me the right power. I would rather try it out immediately, and on you." And with that he took a step toward Shiva to lay his hand on the god's head. This sort of thing happens often. Someone learns something from someone and then attempts to destroy the teacher or benefactor. That is the expression of demonic powers. It can happen to any of us that we give something and then our own gift or power is used against us. I myself have often had to experience that. Many people who have urgently asked me for help have turned against me after I have helped them and attempted to do me an injury. I am sometimes too good hearted and pay too little attention to the kird of person I help, for my nature is Shiva nature, and for this reason I bear the name Maheshwarananda. For Shiva now there was no recourse but to take to flight. With the Rakshasa pursuing him he fled to God Vishnu and implored his help. He explained the incident and said, „Unfortunately I have done something without thinking about the consequences. I have handed over to a Rakshasa a power that enables him to destroy anyone and now he is pursuing me and wants to annihilate me." Vishnu replied, „Don't worry. I´ll take on the case." He turned himself into a beautiful young woman and went to where the Rakshasa was storming along. And there in the form of this maiden Vishnu began a dance of total seduction, just the way that Maya entices one with its shimmering beauty. The Rakshasa stopped and asked if she had seen where Shiva had gone. She answered, „No, I wasn't paying attention to that. Shiva doesn't interest me. It's you that I am interested in. Come, dance with me; that will be much nicer than catching Shiva." The devil said, „I'd like to but I don't know how to dance." To that the maiden answered, - 59 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

„That doesn't matter, I will teach you." The Rakshasa agreed and Vishnu continued, „Keep about five meters in front of me. Watch carefully and imitate my every movement." Now Vishnu began to move very graciously and rhythmically, and finally placed one hand on his waist and the other on his head. The Rakshasa was totally fascinated and faithfully imitated every motion until he laid his hand on his own head and went up in flames. Thereupon Vishnu put aside his maidenly form, went back to Shiva and reported, „Settled ." This story makes three points. Firstly we should endeavor not to sink into Maya. To be sure, we cannot escape it and can develop only within it. It is great and multifaceted and it has its seat in our hearts. But we must remain cautious. Secondly, we should not imitate but rather attempt to actualize ourselves with sincerity and devotion. Thirdly, in spite of all our endeavors and vigilance in these two respects it can still happen that we fall into difficulties that we cannot resolve on our own. And that is why everyone, and particularly Yogis or Bhaktas, should have a personal divinity in whom they can take refuge when there are problems, as a child takes refuge in the parents, a pupil in the guru, or as Shiva did in Vishnu. The Vishuddhi-Chakra is the seat of the Pascienti-Sound. The three stages of the sound are Para in the navel, Pascienti in the throat, and Bekhari on the lips. Everyone who can sing well should practice controlling this chakra. The way in which words are manifested depends on this chakra. Here the wisdom and beauty of the words are shaped. It is the seat of vocal talent and the poetic art that is reflected from the Anahat. (The Bindu Chakra is also a center for music and can be activated through music.) The Bija-Mantra of the Vishuddhi-Chakra is Ham (I am That). Whoever reaches this chakra begins to be aware of who he is. In the Anahat one floats on beautiful feelings. In the Vishuddhi the thoughts, feelings and words are purified and become clear. That is why the Vishuddhi-Chakra is such an important center. We all „swallow" a great deal and then at some time or other a rather insignificant event will bring us into overload. We blow up because we have swallowed so much without words and explanation. Eventually it has to come out again. Until then it continues to work inside us and we cannot let it go. There is however the possibility of breaking out of the shell without blowing up, and that is through learning to control our patience. Patience is dependent on the throat center. When we have this center under control we can prevent our words from being flung out like knives or arrows. Always speak the truth, but not with the knife, with love, Mahaprabhuji said, „When someone is injured with a knife the wound heals over. The wounds caused by words, however, do not heal. They continue to exist in the subconscious." If you are to be able to choose the words correctly control not your tongue but your throat. By the time the words are on your tongue it is too late. (When you are very

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

angry there is a simple and effective remedy: drink a glass of cool water; it will help immediately and calm you down.) Words have their origin in the belly. Everything that we have swallowed is down there. Simply allow it to come up, but only to the throat and then purify it all through the techniques that I have described: Khechari-Mudra, Jalandhar-Bandha, ViparitKarani-Mudra and concentration on the Bindu-Chakra. In this way the Vishuddhi-Chakra can help us solve our problems. Many of the psychic problems that burden us and that are otherwise difficult for us to overcome can be resolved when we deal with them through the Vishuddhi. Do not swallow things down or you will get a belly-ache. Instead of spitting things out use these techniques to resolve the problems at the Vishuddhi level. Those who do not have this center under control are always trying to make someone else responsible for their mistakes. There is a story about that, too. In an office there was a boss and his secretary. In those days ink bottles were still in use. Once the secretary knocked over the ink bottle in his hurry and the boss began a tirade of scolding: „Have you no eyes in your head? The ink bottle has always been right there. Can`t you keep that in mind ?" and so on and so on. For at least ten minutes he vented his rage at the secretary over this misfortune. The secretary apologized but that only kindled a new outbreak of rage on the part of the boss: „What good does an apology do me? The expensive ink is all spilt and the floor is ruined." Well, the secretary did what is best under the circumstances and said nothing. Next day the very same thing happened to the boss. He knocked over the ink bottle, but again he blamed the secretary: „This is absolutely intolerable. Why put the ink bottle right there ? It is always in the way and it's no wonder it's always being knocked over...." And he went on like this for another quarter of an hour. That is the way people are. They do not see their own mistakes. They always see the fault in someone else and that is a great error. Look deep within yourself and control your Vishuddhi; you will see that the majority of mistakes lie in your self. Pay attention to what you say and to whom or you could severely harm yourself and others. Better to speak less than to say too much. Weigh the words in your heart and in your Vishuddhi-Chakra before you pronounce them. I would like to remind you again of the words of Mahaprabhuji: „ You should speak so that every one of your words comes out of you like a f lower . „ Remember this and take it to heart, whether you are speaking to your friend or to an enemy. It is not difficult to find amicable words for a friend, but to forgive an enemy and confront him in a friendly manner is an art. It is very important to have clarity about the Vishuddhi Chakra. What comes from the lower chakras is examined, purified and activated. It is the passageway through which we climb higher and at the same time the trap-door through which we can fall backwards.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

SUMMARY OF THE SYMBOLS OF THE VISHUDDHI Color: Violet Tattva: Akasha - ether, space Gland: Thyroid Plexus: Carotid Mantra: Ham Lotus: 16 Petals Animal: Elephant- pure wisdom Symbol: Moon - mind, connection to Bindu-Chakra Divinity: Brahma- Creator, consciousness Properties:Purification: physically (takes care of nutrients,of radiation, of poisons, of the nectar from the Bindu-Chakra) and psychically (the control of words and feelings, patience, Clarity, Song, Poetry, Creative Expression, Rejuvenation of the Body Through Control of the Nectar from the Bindu-Chakra.)

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

CHAPTER 12

AJNA-Chakra The sixth center in the human body is the Ajna-Chakra. It is also known as the „Third Eye" and the „Eyebrow Center" although it is actually located in the back of the head at the top of the spinal column. Various powers radiate in all directions from this chakra but for the most part these are still locked away and dormant in the human. The Ajna-Chakra is directly connected to the Muladhar Chakra, which is evident in the similarity of the symbols. In the Muladhar there is a triangle pointing downwards. In the Ajna Chakra we find the same inverted triangle standing for the awakening of dormant energies, and in both centers the Shiva Lingam symbol. This sign is often misconstrued and seen as a symbol of masculinity. That is not correct in the spiritual sense because on the astral levels there are no masculine or feminine attributes. These exist only in the physical form. Intellect and emotion exist on the finer levels, but no physical differences. According to its astral significance the Shiva-Lingam in our mythology means consciousness. In the Muladhar the ShivaLingam is black; in the Ajna-Chakra its color is smoke-grey and in the Sahasrar we will find a pure white Shiva-Lingam. These colors indicate the development of consciousness from darkness to perfect clarity. (White is the complementary color to black.) Three properties particularly closely associated with the Ajna-Chakra are Chitta, Ananda and Sunya. Chitta means pure consciousness and Ananda means bliss. Sunyakash was mentioned in earlier lectures; Sunya means empty and Akash means space. There are several Akashas: Gathakash, the interior of a room or house, Mahakash, the space of the universe and Chiddakash, the space of our consciousness. This chakra is complete and the expression of this complete perfection is emptiness. When this center is awakened the three properties are experienced. In the perfect emptiness there are no arguments, no problems or difficulties, no duality now, only unity. In the emptiness one hears a wondrous sound. One experiences perfect consciousness. This chakra is the seat of consciousness, of Buddhi (intellect) and Viveka (discrimination). Whatever lives (Chetana is conscious, has consciousness (Chitta). That which does not live is unconscious (Jardh). The third property is perfect bliss. Ananda is a very frequently used word in Sanskrit and in Yoga. The names of many swamis end in -ananda. We say Anandoham Anandoham Anandam Brahmanandam, l am blissful, I am blissful, I am Supreme Bliss." This is the experience when we enter the Ajna-Chakra. The other five Chakras from the Muladhar to the Vishuddhi are closely connected to karmas and deeds. Everything that we have ever done is present in our existence and on our own plane as karma in each of those centers. Ajna-Chakra is the boundary where karma ends. All the lower chakras are connected with ignorance and pain, but when consciousness rises one sees a wondrous light and feels bliss and clarity. - 63 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

In Sanskrit Ajna means „command". The Ajna-Chakra is the center where one gives commands to one's self and to others. For this reason it is also called „Guru", „Seat of the Guru" or „Guru-Chakra „. (Gu means darkness, ignorance, pain; Ru means knowledge, light, pleasure ) In Sanskrit every teacher is called a guru. Generally speaking a guru is someone from whom we can learn something. Each one of us has five gurus in our lifetime, one after the other. There are the parents, the peers, the schoolteachers and the priests, and then whoever is so fortunate will find the Satguru, the spiritual master, the fifth guru who brings our consciousness from ignorance to knowledge. Through his guidance and blessing we come to know the inner guru whose seat is in the Ajna-Chakra. All the higher incarnations that we know were Gurus. They were the masters of others, for example as Jesus was of his pupils, the twelve apostles. In the Gospels Jesus is always spoken of as Master". The perfect incarnation Krishna was called the guru of Arjuna, and even Krishna had a guru, Rishi Sandeep. It is our eventual goal to find the inner guru. The inner guru is our own Self, the Atma, which is immortal, Satchidananda, indescribable, immutable, clear and pure knowledge. In every heart burns the eternal divine and living light, Jivan-Jyoti. To see and to recognize this light is called Self-knowledge, Self-actualization, Godrealization or enlightenment. Our soul, our Self, is the essence of God and the essence of something is the same as the thing itself. Therefore we are seeking unity with God. God lives in us. In all the scriptures it is written: seek God within yourself, not outside. Only there you can find Him. But this inner search is no easy matter. It requires the correct techniques and the guidance of the Satguru. We can find everything in ourselves: the bad and the ugly as well as the good and the beautiful. Our own consciousness and intellect act as filters and we see things only in the way that we think about them. If we think that something is bad then for us it is bad, and if we consider something to be beautiful then it appears so to us. All we can say at the moment is that something could be either good or bad, for we are so far removed from Reality that we have no idea what it is like. Now if we ourselves do not know what that is, and do not believe the one who can explain it to us then how can we proceed ? We can come to know Reality only by experiencing it ourselves, and that is possible through practice, prayer, meditation and mantra. The Mantra-Shakti is the most powerful Shakti that a person can have. It can awaken the Shankalp-Shakti. (See the Chapters on Svadhisthan- and Anahat-Chakra. The mantra has been called a living light". Tulsidas, the great Indian sage and poet who wrote down the story of God Rama said, „This word, the mantra, is like a shining pearl, like a light. Put it between your doors so that it may shine forth outwardly and inwardly." That means that it should live in us through constant repetition on our tongue so that we radiate calm and harmony outwardly and attain freedom from our karmas inwardly. The Ajna-Chakra is the seat of our inner guru, our true master. We find that when we practice. There is a beautiful comparison: The living guru or master is like a burning candle. The pupil also carries a candle in hand but it is not lit. You must light your - 64 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

candle at the flame of your master. To have your own candle burning means to have the capability of passing the light on to others. Until one's own candle is shining, i.e., until one's own capabilities have been awakened and actualized one cannot help others to find the way. This chakra is strongly connected to first-thoughts and intuition. It is very active in animals but they are not capable of talking about it. In humans it is more active in women than in men. Women often sense something in advance and for the most part this intuition is correct. This has nothing to do with intellect but with an intuitivesensing kind of awareness located in the Ajna-Chakra. Unfortunately men tend to disbelieve this and label women hysterical or ungrounded because of it. Intuition means information and the Ajna-Chakra can receive such extra-sensory information through the Muladhar-Chakra which functions as a sort of telephone „Central". Of course with these two centers jammed we are unable to receive such information. Those whose Ajna-Chakra is not yet active never understand why things are happening to them. The properties and feelings that originate in the lower centers and are awakened there cannot be controlled. Suddenly there are dreams, feelings and thoughts such as we have never had before in our life and we are casting about for an explanation. It is not always possible to ask someone and even if we could ask we are not likely to believe the answer. Why are we afraid 7 Because the Ajna Chakra is not controlling what is taking place and we are identifying with our emotions, thinking we are our bodies, our feelings and our thoughts. For sure all that is „ours"; it is a part of us but our Self is something else. Awakening the Ajna-Chakra gives us clarity and mastery. If the Ajna is not active people fail to understand themselves and fall out of harmony with family and society. The relation ships with spouse and children get disrupted and one either sacrifices oneself for the children or goes one's separate way and divorces. Whoever gets caught up in emotions gets stuck. Emotionally based decisions can lead to a lifetime of suffering because the ramifications of such decisions are not thoroughly thought out. Unfortunately this often happens to women because they are so closely connected to feelings. We need to use the intellect. Feelings and decisions should not come solely from the heart but from the clarity of the Ajna as well. Many who start Yoga are totally enthusiastic in the beginning and practice diligently only to give it up and leave after a year or two. Why ? Because their decision was not firm and clear. Mahaprabhuji said, „Take up your task with firm resolution and success is certain." Without this kind of determination right from the beginning nothing will succeed. Cause and effect, the beginning and the end of a matter are closely connected, but we cannot see that. The Ajna-Chakra, connected as it is to feelings and decisions, is important for everyone in every situation, and not just for Yogis. We say, „ Consider well what you do and how you decide", rather than „ Do what feels right". To consider well means to think, to reflect, and these functions are located in the Ajna-Chakra. Once the AjnaChakra is awakened we can control our emotions and feelings and that is when we possess complete self-control and true self-confidence. It is only then that we are capable of helping others. - 65 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

In India there are three holy rivers. Of course they are holy only to those who believe. If one has faith everything is there and if one does not believe then there is nothing there. (If we did not believe we could stand up we would simply not be able to do it.) Faith is important, but nevertheless it cannot change the facts. One cannot transform poison into nectar by faith alone. Whether one considers these rivers holy or not is immaterial - they happen to be so. We are talking about the rivers Ganges. Yamuna and Sarasvati. The first two flow above ground but the third is subterranean. It is only visible once every twelve years in lllahabad during a particular sun and planetary constellation. (see Chapter 6, Nadis). The Hindus and Yogis believe that nectar flows in it during this time and that those who bathe in it are cleansed of all sins. Millions of believers, Yogis, sadhus and swamis come together on this rare occasion to bathe in this spot where the three rivers meet. For a Yogi these three holy rivers exist in our own body. They are the /da, Pingala and Shushumna - the sympathetic, the parasympathetic and the central nervous systems. Ida controls our mind and thoughts, our harmony. It is the moon system in our body. Pingala is the solar system. It controls our movements, activity and consciousness. (In Chapter 6 you can look up how these Nadis function individually.) At the particular times when the three unite in the Ajna-Chakra only the Shushumna flows and this plexus is called the Trikuti, the „shore of the three rivers". During meditation when we enter into highest consciousness where past, present and future are seen simultaneously we are connected with the central nervous system or Shushumna during these minutes. This is not a physical experience but the reflections from this plexus are so strong that the Ajna-Chakra is awakened during this state of consciousness and feeling . To the Yogis, to bathe in the holy river means to meditate at a particular time, to awaken the three Nadis through breath exercises and nerve purification, and to fix the concentration on the Eyebrow Center where the three Nadis come together. This is known as „bathing in the inner Self" and awakening divine consciousness". The exercise for this is called Sandhanam (to unite or bring together all three). We must meditate on this place to clear out and purify all the karmas that have existed in our subconscious for many lifetimes and then we become truly free from all sin and karmas. This is not something that we can attain by simply believing in a certain religion that promises freedom and redemption. Mere prayer and faith are not enough. We have to do it ourselves and experience it ourselves and only then will we be free. Indian women, Brahmins and sadhus often wear a red dot on their forehead. This is not a beauty spot (although it is often used that way today) but a symbol for the Third Eye. The Hindus are descendants of the Rishis who lived in the forests of India as saints many centuries ago praying for humanity and writing down the texts of the holy knowledge fathomed in meditation. There were many occult powers developed by these Rishis for their own protection. Of these powers we have only symbolic remnants today. These symbols are used now-a-days but for the most part without any conscious recognition of their true meanings. I have already mentioned the long knotted strand of hair that many Hindus wear at the back of their heads. Most of them do not know that this is a method for awakening the Bindu Chakra. Similarly the red spot on the forehead is an aid for fixing concentration on the Ajna-Chakra. It is easy enough to try it out ourselves by making a spot an our forehead with water or cream about the level of the Ajna-Chakra and then meditating. If we do it in the right place we immediately perceive a wonderful vibration in our entire body. It is really important to get the right spot. There are many centers in the brain and if we contact the wrong - 66 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

center we might experience disturbing vibrations instead of good ones. It takes time to find exactly the right spot, and then we should meditate there. In some of the older chakra pictures we see yet another symbol - a white cord formed of three strands symbolizing the three Nadis, Ida, Pingala and Shushumna. The Brahmins wear a cord like this, honoring it and keeping it clean at all times. It is supposed to be a reminder to keep the inner Self clean through physical, mental and spiritual exercises. We all carry these three strands in our own body. They are the three nervous systems as we have already mentioned, the sympathetic, para sympathetic and central nervous systems. They are purified and maintained pure through Pranayam. They exist within us and we do not need to wear any external sign. Yogis find all these symbols inside their own body. People who are not so developed or who belong to the cultural circle that coined these symbols still wear them externally. One of the simplest, most successful and best exercises to activate the Ajna-Chakra is Tratak, a Hatha-Yoga-Kriya that very quickly brings about results. We light a candle and sit in front of it in a meditation position about 20 inches away. We stare into the flame for one-half to one full minute without blinking and then close our eyes for three to five minutes. The picture of the flame will be impressed on our inner vision, and we observe this image that is visible in different forms and colors. We repeat this exercise three times. (There is a cassette available for this exercise with an introduction and personally guided instruction by myself.) Shiva is the divinity of the Ajna-Chakra. There are three aspects or principles of God: Creator, Protector and Destroyer, or Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma is the creator of the universe, Vishnu maintains and protects it and Shiva destroys it again in the end. Shiva has other meanings too: consciousness (Shiva-Lingam), liberation and bliss. It is very dangerous to provoke him however. When too many negative forces gain power Shiva opens his Third Eye. The gleam from this eye is so powerful that everything it strikes is set aflame and destroyed. (The first lazar ray produced was given the name „Shiva-Eye" for this reason.) All natural catastrophes are caused by Shiva. Time and again we wonder how catastrophes like wild-fires, storms, floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions come about and why so many apparently innocent people are affected by them. These events are karmic settlements, for sure. There is a so-called Sanchit-Karma or collective karma of a population. We have all been the cause of many bad karmas; there are however many who are praying for us and, thanks to that, many a misfortune is softened and averted. Our age, the Kaliyuga, is the most grievous, the worst of all ages and to its end Shiva will open his Third Eye and destroy everything. In the Ajna-Chakra there is only a two-petalled lotus to be seen. These petals carry the vibrations or Bija-Mantras Ham and Ksham. Ham is the Bija-Mantra of Shiva, of consciousness, and Ksham is that of Shakti. of nature. When nature and consciousness come together something new comes into being. The Ajna-Chakra forms the boundary between human and divine consciousness. (By way of review the animal centers extend from the toes to the Muladhar, the human from the lower end of the spinal column to the Ajna-Chakra and above that are the divine centers.) - 67 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

The Bija-Mantra of the Ajna-Chakra is Om. Om is Nada Rupa Para Brahma - „The form of the Supreme is vibration." No one can comprehend God, the Supreme, nor describe Him in any form because He is boundless. He can be seen or sensed however as vibration. The highest Self lives as vibration in every atom. The vibration A-U-M is the highest vibration found by God Shiva in meditation. When you can really visualize this Sanskrit character then you can also hear the vibration. Everything that we believe in and strive for we can find only within our self and not outside. God Himself is within us and we have the strength and the ability to actualize the All within ourselves, in time.

SUMMARY OF THE SYMBOLS OF THE AJNA Color: White - clarity, purity Tattva: Anupada Gland: Pituitary Plexus: Medulla Mantra: Om Lotus: 2 Petals Symbol: Shiva-Lingam- consciousness Divinity: Shiva and Shakti - consciousness and nature Properties:Sunya- emptiness, unity, Chitta- consciousness,Ananda- bliss, Seat of Inner Guru, Distinguishing, Viveka, Intuition, End of Karmas, Trikuti confluence of Ida, Pingala, Shushumna, Third Eye, Boundary Between Human and Divine Consciousness.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

CHAPTER 13

SAHASRAR-Chakra The Sahasrar is always called the seventh chakra. In between however there is the Bindu-Chakra about which very little or nothing is said in most Yoga books. The Bindu is a rather unknown and hidden chakra. That means that those who have written the books have only copied from others and are not sharing actual experiences of their own spiritual work. To read about something and know it only in theory is something quite different from experiencing it oneself. So it is with a trip through the cosmos. There are several cosmic planes. One of them is our own inner cosmos, Chiddakash, and the others are outside of us. During meditation duality dissolves and one achieves unity and the recognition: I am the entire cosmos. The Yogi equates the entire cosmos with his own self: „My physical body is the earth. My dimensions are the four celestial directions. My Prana is the radiation that flows through the earth. Water, fire and all the elements are my elements which exist in every atom. I am infinite space. My Chiddakash embraces the entire cosmos." These ideas are the basis of Vedantic philosophy. Vedanta identifies in this way with the entire cosmos. But it goes beyond that, too, for it states: „I myself am not these things. Indeed they are all 'mine' but I myself am Atma, the Self, the Supreme, the Divine." We are all travellers and have been underway for a long time. We can take this trip ourselves in meditation. Don't think of anything at all during meditation, and don't try to imagine anything. Simply allow it to happen. Stay on the physical plane of your body; sense and observe. Facts and Reality will disappear as soon as you begin to imagine something. Simply be there, relaxed without any constraint or motion, and Reality will appear. Remain awake and conscious, as witness of your entire existence. If you plug your ears you will hear a sound or a hum. At first it will sound like the rushing of a river or a waterfall. This is nothing other than the sound of your blood circulation. If we sit for a longer time with our ears held and do several rounds of Brahmari (the bee, the inner hum) or Mursa-Pranayam or Nada Yoga than we begin to hear a different sound which is the functioning of our brain center. If we continue on we come to finer and finer resonances; we hear our brain waves. Altogether there are ten different kinds of tones that we hear and then a light appears, produced by these waves. That is called enlightenment but is not yet accompanied by liberation. For that an eleventh sound occurs, the „Sound of the Soul'' or „the Self". That is called Nada. Nada Rupa Para Brahma (the form of the Supreme is sound, vibration). Now we experience both light and sound. (See the chapter on the Anahat-Chakra). We are still not at the end of the journey here. We are now only beginning to make progress in the direction of liberation or Moksha. This is actually the beginning of the Yoga-path because up until now we were only searching and still uncertain. - 69 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Once we have perceived this light and this sound, this form of Atma, of the Supreme, of the Master, of the Self - call it what you may- we will never forget it. There is a beautiful song about that: „Oh Lord, I have seen the radiance of your form and now my search is over''. Once we have had this experience we know we are on the right path. We have found the direction in which we must proceed. The experience comes after the Ajna-Chakra in the direction of the Bindu-Chakra. To review, Bindu means point, drop or circle. The Bindu-Chakra is associated with the moon and is depicted in all the Yoga books as a new moon. If we look closely at the new moon we will see that it has a very thinly illuminated circle all around it. This means that above the Bindu-Chakra everything is light and illumination. We are not able to see that however as long as this chakra is closed. Through concentration and practice we can open this chakra (the arrow of concentration is the most powerful force) and as it begins to open we see a glimmer of light shining through. As already mentioned it is from the Bindu-Chakra that the nectar drips or flows. Until the Vishuddhi-Chakra is under control however this nectar falls through to the fire of the Manipur and is consumed there. In addition the Bindu-Chakra is the center of the sound. This chakra is active in people who have musical talent. Any one who wants to develop musical talent should concentrate on this chakra through Pranayam and awaken it. After the Bindu-Chakra we finally reach the Sahasrar-Chakra. Here Jivatma, the living entity unites with Paramatma. The Shakti comes to Shiva. Shiva is supreme consciousness. The Sahasrar-Chakra is located at the top of the head just about where the fontanel is visible in children. Sahasrar means „thousand'' or „infinite". It is also called the thousand-petalled lotus, the source of the thousands of positive divine rays. Here is the Soul. Atma the divine Self, Shiva or Supreme Consciousness. The light of the entire universe is Its light. Until the Sahasrar-Chakra is awakened this lotus blossom is closed like a bud. Its light does not shine forth because the petals are shut, hiding its radiance. The lotus will not open its thousand petals until the Jivatma (or we can still call it the Kundalini, the snake, Shakti or Chetanya) has completed its journey through the Bindu-Chakra. When it is completely open we see a gem or diamond as brilliant as a thousand suns. Within it the Jivatma floats like a swan. In Sanskrit swan is called Hansa. Hansa is the liberated radiant soul that flies to heaven. The Paramhansa is the one who has attained that. This swan, Jivatma, or Shakti unites with Shiva. Jivatma drinks in this light, assimilates it and dissolves in it. That is called liberation, union or Moksha. Jivatma is united with Paramatma forever and that is the goal of all Yogis. The best path for that is Raja-Yoga, a path full of clarity and consciousness. (It is true that below the Ajna-Chakra all we can do is hope, but where there is hope there is life, and hope is the pilgrim's staff from cradle to grave.) Raja-Yoga is a systematic method for attaining this state of consciousness.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Another expression for the Sahasrar-Chakra is Brahmarandra, the gateway to Brahma, or gateway to the Highest. In the body of each of the more developed living entities there are nine „doors" mouth, eyes, ears, nostrils, anus and genitals), but only the human being possesses the Sahasrar-Chakra and is capable of achieving union with the Supreme through this tenth door. When an ordinary person dies the soul leaves the body through one of the nine doors. When those who have lived a bad life and created bad karmas die they leave the body through one of the lower gates, i.e., they expel stool and urine, and then wander around in the lower Lokas. We should pray for these souls so that when they receive a human birth again they will find their way upwards. Sometimes dying persons open their eyes, or their mouths or ears begin to bleed and their souls go out into the astral planes that correspond to their karmas. Only a Yogi who has attained the goal can consciously leave the earth through the tenth gate, the Brahmarhandra. It is said that this spot on the head opens and a drop of blood becomes visible or a beam of light rises from the Sahasrar. The Yogis who occupy themselves with Pranayam, concentration, meditation and Samadhi never give up until they have reached the tenth gate and opened the Sahasrar-Chakra. They nourish themselves on the nectar of the Bindu-Chakra so that they can live long enough to attain the goal in this life time. They go their way consciously and consistently and when they enter the highest world, Vaikuntha, heaven, BrahmaLoka or whatever we might call it they are received by all the divine Selves there with great joy. These Yogis achieve the highest planes in the cosmos; in other words God-realization the Kingdom of Heaven, Self-actualization and union with the Supreme . Each of us has his or her own path and individual experiences. In the end we all arrive at the same one Truth and Reality. Until then the way is long and we must be consistent our whole life long in following the right path and not changing our minds time and again. We have all done many things in our life and started many things that didn't amount to much. Everything is within us, not outside of us. We are like a stag pursuing the scent of the musk without realizing that it is coming from himself. The spiritual life is already awakened in us; experience and Samadhi is to be found in ourselves. Still we run around in book shops, collect books, listen to different lectures and are dissatisfied because we have not achieved anything. Turn to your inner Self, and by the blessing and help of your master you will find what you are looking for. COME TO KNOW THE DIVINE SELF WITHIN!

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

SUMMARY OF THE SYMBOLS OF THE SAHASRAR Color: Colorless- free of properties Tattva: Adi-Tattva Gland: Pineal Plexus: Cerebral Mantra: Om Lotus: 1000 Petals Symbol: Triangle - awakening, Shiva-Lingam- consciousness Divinity: Shiva - Supreme Consciousness Properties:Union of Shiva with Shakti - Atma and Paramatma, Moksha liberation, Bliss, Peace, Unity, Samadhi, Realization of God-Consciousness, SelfRealization, Highest Goal

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

CHAPTER 14

Samadhi Samadhi is the goal of every human being. It is the highest goal that we can achieve as Yogis. Here after many battles the Jivatma reaches its original home after a long journey that takes it through various planes and through various feelings and situations, pleasant as well as unpleasant. Here it finds Amrit Pan (Amrit is nectar, immortality; Pan means to enjoy, to unite, to quench thirst) and can still the thirst of a lifetime. As a picture of that we can imagine the thousand-petalled lotus blossom of the Sahasrar opening and Jivatma ascending to unite with it.At the lower end of the stem there is a red root - Mul Prakriti, Muladhar or Adi-Shakti. There is Adi-Shakti, the original divine force and Adi-Shiv, the divine self; not Shiva as incarnate Self but the divine Self that lives in all. In Raja-Yoga these two are called Paramatma and Jivatma. In reality there is no difference between the two. The difference exists only in ignorance. Jivatma must make a long, often very difficult way-the way from Mul Prakriti, the root, upwards through the whole stem of the lotus which is in water, right up to the blossom which is above the water. Upon reaching the goal however the traveller forgets everything and looking back all the difficulties seem to have been minuscule. At the moment when he is in the midst of the difficulties and sufferings, in all the circumstances and conditions of existence it does not appear easy at all. That is something we all experience. The Yogi must have the strength to stick to his or her goal. In Hindi they say, „You must not change your inner pictures". That means we should maintain our course and our ideas and not constantly change directions. Otherwise it is difficult to reach Amar-Tattva. (Amar-Tattva is the element or essence of the Sahasrar-Chakra; the very sight of it brings one into highest consciousness.) There are three levels of consciousness: sleeping consciousness, waking consciousness, and highest consciousness. In Samadhi one is in an intermediate state. At the lower boundary during sleep or unconsciousness we experience a deep, dreamless, undisturbed sleep in which the Chitta-Vrittis are in complete harmony. The mind is freed from all cares and we enjoy our sleep. Yet when we come back and wake up every thing is the same as it was before. We have changed nothing. At the upper boundary when we enter highest consciousness through meditation it is again similar to sleep but we come back completely changed. It is said that a completely stupid and foolish person will return as a wise and learned one when he attains and experiences the highest Samadhi. That is the space of boundless, supreme and divine consciousness. According to Raja-Yoga there are three techniques for attaining Samadhi: Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi which follow one upon the other. - 73 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Dharana means concentration. It means to completely with draw consciousness from all things and direct it to one point. We can be successful only by maintaining concentration on one point. (For example,when we are driving we must concentrate for the entire stretch on steering the vehicle, otherwise we will land in the ditch instead of reaching our destination.) Concentration on one point means keeping to the one path, to the one decision, to the one faith. Dhyana is meditation. We concentrate on one object until the ego dissolves into the object. We ultimately reach Samadhi in this way. Samadhi means that the knowledge, the knower and the object are united: I would like to know. I am the knower. I would like to know that. These three become one. When we see nothing at all during meditation and have no experiences at all, it is because these three things are not unified. Jivatma, the Self, is like God. He would like to know who he is. In reality all three are one. The boundaries of normal consciousness hinder this recognition. The dissolution of these boundaries is called highest consciousness. Samadhi is the unification of three things: knowledge, the knower and the object. First of all there exists an idea. The idea becomes a plan and then the plan must be carried out. For us as Yogis, believers and aspirants the object is God. What do we understand by God ? In connection with Samadhi God means the power and energy that exists as the Divine Self in the entire cosmos. But this power is invisible and incomprehensible to us. For that reason we shall approach it through a SargunaForm, a divine incarnate Atma that God has manifested. Our atma, too, is connected directly to God but we are not aware of that yet. Samadhi, liberation or Moksha proceeds only through the Sahasrar, the tenth door. Either we can open it ourselves through our own efforts or it will be opened by the grace of the master or through Bhakti. First of all however we must work through our karmas and overcome them. There are three kinds of karma. Sanchit-Karma (also called the collective karma) is the collection of karmas from all lives. It would be impossible to endure and experience all the karmas at once. For that reason only a part of the Sanchit-Karma comes into effect in each life. Pralabdha are those karmas from earlier lives which are „ripe" so to speak and which we must work through in this life. Kriyaman-Karma are the deeds and actions of this present life. An Atma-Jnani or Self-actualized person is no longer subject to karmas. That person has overcome all desires. His or her Kriyaman-Karmas is Nishkam-Karma, selfless karma and therefore the present acts are not counted as Sanchit-Karma. It is difficult to say what came first: the seed or the tree, the fruits or the karmas. Karmas bear fruits and fruits lead to further karmas. Seed and plant have existed since eternity in a cycle and continuous process without end. Karmas and Samskaras are interrelated from the beginning. A roasted seed however can no longer sprout when put into the earth. When the seeds of the Vasanas (desires or lusts are roasted or burned through the practice of mantras and Kriya-Yoga then the effects and the - 74 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

suffering which are a consequence of the karmas no longer become Samskaras and are rendered in effectual. Through the attainment of knowledge the Atma-Jnanis also burn and destroy their Sanchit-Karmas. For those who have discovered that the distinctions „mine" and „thine" in relation to the body and actions are illusions or mirages the Samskaras of previous karmas no longer exist. It is different however with the Pralabdhas. Even an Atma Jnani Purusha experiences this karma. How so then? If we start a mill and suddenly let go of it it will continue to turn. Now we can halt it or let it go on turning. Similarly the Atma-Jnani can experience the Pralabdhas further or end them. In the VEDAS it is said of this Purusha:He will no longer be born in this world and no longer suffer. He is freed from the wheel of birth and death. The root cause of birth and death was ignorance. That has been dissolved and no longer exists. After this supreme endeavor we reach the Sahasrar-Chakra. We look out into the cosmos and these thoughts and feelings come to us that are expressed in the song Shivoham. Shivoham,Chidananda Rupah.

MANO BUDDHI AHAMKARA CHITTA NA NAHAM NA CHA SHROTRA JIHVE NA CHA GHRANA NETRE NA CHA VYOMA BHUMIR NA TEJO NA VAYUSH CHIDANANDA RUPAH SHIVO'HAM SHIVO'HAM.

NA CHA PRANA SAMGYO NAVAI PANCHA VAYUR NAVA SAPTA DHATUR NAVA PANCHAKOSHAH NA VAK PANI PADAM NACHO PASTHA PAYUSH CHIDANANDA RUPAH SHIVO'HAM SHIVO'HAM.

NA ME DWESHA RAGAU NA ME LOBHA MOHAU MADO NAIVA ME NAIVA MATSARYA BHAVAHNA NA DHARMO NA CHA ARTHO NA KAMO NA MOKSHAH CHIDANANDA RUPAH SHIVO'HAM SHIVO'HAM.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

NA PUNYAM NA PAPAM NA SAUKHYAM NA DUHKHAM NA MANTRO NA TEERTHAM NA VEDANA YAGYAH AHAM BHOJANAM NAIVA BHOJYAM NA BHOKTA CHIDANANDA RUPAH SHIVO'HAM SHIVO'HAM.

NA MRITYUR NA SHAMKA NA ME JATI BHEDAH PITA NAIVA ME NAIVA MATA CHAJANMA NA BANDHUR NA MRITAM GURU NAIVA SHISHYAH CHIDANANDA RUPAH SHIVO'HAM SHIVO'HAM.

AHAM NIRVIKALPO NIRAKARA RUPO VIBHUTWACH CHA SARVATRA SARVE'NDRIYANAM NA CHA SANGATAM NAIVA MUKTIR NA MEYAH CHIDANANDA RUPAH SHIVO'HAM SHIVO'HAM.

„I am not this spirit, not intellect, ego nor consciousness, not the Jnana-Indriyas and the five Tattvas. I am the Chidananda Rupah Shiva.

I am neither the five Pranas nor the seven Dhatu not the five Koshas and not this bundle of karmas. I am the Chidananda Rupah Shiva.

In me is no dependency and no dualism, no greed and envy no hatred and no anger. I am not an ego and not an illusion. I am not connected to the four Pursharth. - 76 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

I am the Chidananda Rupah Shiva.

I have nothing to do with sin and virtue, nor with pain or well-being, not with mantras, pilgrimages, Vedas and ceremonies. I am not the nourishment, not the nourished, not the enjoyer of the fruits. I am the Chidananda Rupah Shiva.

I am immortal and unborn. In me is no doubt and division. I have no father and no mother, no relatives and friends, neither guru nor pupil. I am the Chidananda Rupah Shiva.

I am Nirvikalp (wishless) and Nirakar (formless). I am in all Indriyas. I am not bound and need no liberation. I am the Chidananda Rupah Shiva."

(1) The Koshas are the sheaths or shells that cover up and hide the Atma. They are: Annamaya-Kosha = the body of the nourishment Pranamaya-Kosha = the body of the spirit Manomaya-Kosha = the body of the understanding Vijnanmaya-Kosha = the body of the knowledge Anandamaya-Kosha = the body of the bliss They hinder our Atma. We must break through them and overcome them as a snake sheds. While the snake is shedding its skin it is in a very unpleasant state. It sees nothing, can hardly move and cannot eat. When the skin drops off the snake is finally freed. When the Atma reaches the Sahasrar-Chakra it has left all these five Koshas behind and sees into the truth. (2) The four Pursharth Are: Dharma = duty or religion Artha = well-being, abundance Karma= deeds Moksha= liberation - 77 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Just to sing the song gives us a sense of beauty and harmony. When we actually experience these things it is indescribable, This is a song we should sing several times a day and reflect and meditate on it. These are not ideas to be played with in our imaginations. It is a serious mistake to play with them in the intellect, thinking, I am the Atma. I am God and need no guru, no help. I myself know everything now." Perhaps you do know it theoretically, but not in practice, and therefore you should actualize it with the right techniques and through meditation with the help of the guru. Samadhi is not an „end state". Whoever attains it does not simply go away and leave the world behind but goes on living in order to help others and do good. When God gives a person wealth it is not so that he can sit greedily on his money but so that he may share it with others. We all have an occupation which we have learned, in which we have gained knowledge and experience and with which we live in the world. And so it is when we have achieved this consciousness and knowledge through Samadhi. We go out into the world with this knowledge to help others with it, to share it and to pass it on. There is a bhajan by Mahaprabhuji in which he says that the one person is bound to karmas and fate and that another is Nir-Bhandan, unfettered, and moves about freely in the world. I have already given an example of this- in a prison there are two kinds of people, the guilty who are imprisoned there and those who are there voluntarily as employees or visitors. They are all in the prison but the former feel incarcerated and the latter feel free. The difference is in how they came to be there. So it is that a „ Jivan-Mukta", the person liberated in this life-time, is not bound to karmas although he or she lives in this world like everyone else and cannot be distinguished by a normal person. Once we have experienced Samadhi our goal should be to incorporate this knowledge into our consciousness and to teach it and pass it on in our daily lives. Some Yogis or wise ones withdraw completely and live far from the world as hermits. Their prayer and meditation however has a great effect. It is said that even the passing wind that touches the body of such a Jivan-Mukta is so filled with energy and divine power that it spreads harmony, happiness and peace wherever it blows. In general however it would be good if such personalities were to move amongst the people, teaching them something. That is why many who have attained liberation say, „After my death I do not want to go to Vaikuntha (heaven) but back to Naraka (hell) to help the others". To give help is the greatest thing that we can do in this world. A Yogi possesses the capability of turning off at any time and of moving in and out of the various stages of consciousness at will. For these Yogis it is a game to be able to open and close doors at any time The Self is ever and everywhere united with the higher Self. These Yogis live like any other person, eating, talking, acting as we all do,yet they are Nir-Bhandan - without

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

karma, and no karma can influence them. Unfortunately these great personalities are often pursued with jealousy, envy and hostility. All the great religions of the world have sunk to the level of politics. Hatred, hostility and fanaticism prevail in Islam,Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and even in Buddhism. Much suffering is being caused by that and people are being led along totally false paths. All are God's children - not only humans but also the animals. God has created the entire world. He is the father of all living entities and He loves all alike. Perhaps He even loves the animals more than the humans. After all it is only because of human blindness, ignorance and wrong doings that the entire world is suffering from so many problems and difficulties. Mahaprabhuji said in a bhajan: The Himalaya Range is not too heavy for the earth but people are so heavy she can hardly bear them any longer. Mother Earth is trembling not because of storms, floods and the thunder of the clouds in the sky but because of the thoughts and deeds of humans. Human beings will one day destroy the earth and themselves if they do not change soon. To help people and to be there for them is a great task and a great art. We need to be very careful so that in the attempt to help, we ourselves are not sucked back into Maya to perish with it.

THE STAGES OF SAMADHI There are several different kinds of Samadhi states: Laya Samadhi, Sahaj-Samadhi or Bhava-Samadhi, Savikalpa-Samadhi and Nirvikalpa-Samadhi or Turiya-Samadhi. I have already told the story of the farmer who was very strongly connected to Maya. His guru often called upon him to come with him and meditate but the farmer always put an activity or duty of some sort or other ahead of that and never followed him. Because of his attachment he sank deeper and deeper until finally he was living as a worm in acow-pie. His guru however had not abandoned him. The guru never gives up. He comes back again and again and appears on every plane, no matter, wherever the pupil is. The guru has an enduring, loyal and true relationship to his pupils even though they might not recognize this.Whomever he has accepted and taken into his heart will never be dropped by him just as a piece of wood in the water never sinks. The water element creates wood. Water has, in a manner of speaking, put its own body, its own essence into the wood. The growth and nourishment of wood is through water. Water sustains it and that is why wood remains on the surface of the water and never sinks. Even a piece of iron, a nail for example, that would normally sink in water floats when it is driven into a piece of wood. Thus the guru keeps his promise never to let any pupil that he has taken on go under. So this master came as a huge bee, took the little worm that had once been the farmer and laid him in a lotus blossom. You see, when the farmer had come to him as a pupil he had wished that he would one day meet God. Well, now what - 79 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

happened? Because of the strong, sweet smell of the lotus blossom the little worm became quite blissful and fell asleep as if anaesthetized or intoxicated. In the evening the petals closed over him and the next day at Brahmamurta, at dawn angels came from heaven and plucked this lotus blossom for God himself. As they were stepping in front of him the blossom opened and this small being found itself directly in the hands of God. What I would like to say with this is that the Jivatma that has reached this state of consciousness (even though perhaps unaware of it himself) has the experience of deep peace and great joy in his inner self and it appears to others as if he is sleeping. Actually he is not sleeping - only tired from the long journey and resting at the first stage of Samadhi.

LAYA-SAMADHI: ILLUMINATION AND ASTRAL TRAVEL In Laya-Samadhi one forgets everything-body, goal and so on - and experiences inner joy, harmony, peace and happiness as in a deep sleep.This first stage can be reached by anyone after a few years of Yoga-practice, for instance during or after Pranayam. The second stage is illumination. This light phenomenon begins at the Bindu-Chakra. The closer one comes to the Sahasrar-Chakra the more radiant the light becomes until it loses all form. Jivatma is drinking from the nectar of Paramatma and uniting with it. It is as if one puts a cube of sugar into some milk. After a while the sugar dissolves and it all tastes sweet. Thus all form and shape dissolves with unification. All we see is light, brighter that a thousand suns, so that we can no longer see. There are no longer any colors either. That is the beginning or first stage of conscious Samadhi. We all desire knowledge and experiences. Now we are like a bird sitting on the sill of an open window-and we are not certain. Shall we fly out or in ? That is the way it is when the Sahasrar or Brahmarhandra, the way to Brahma is open. It is always the decision that we must make, whether to go back or to go further on up. That means that destiny is still operative and can divert us. That is why numerous aspirants fall prey again to the attraction of Pravritti-Maya even though they have attained several levels. It is not an easy matter for Jivatma to fly out into infinity. It is indeed its longing and its goal, but it nevertheless demands courage. The aspirant who experiences that can react in one of two ways. A true seeker who carries in his or her heart the burning desire for this divine light will remain sitting and go further. Indeed form no longer exists, but the will and the striving for more knowledge are still present. Another person might be afraid and come back. You see, we hear in our brain a loud humming tone and we feel the concentrated power of the entire body drawn there. We can see nothing and we have the feeling that everything has exploded. That frightens us and we come back. The fear means that there are still karmas present and other tasks to take care of. Many of you have had this experience. - 80 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

In the third stage of Samadhi we come into the astral plane and other Lokas. On this plane we meet saints. We still see forms because we are still in Savikalpa-Samadhi, not in Nirvikalpa-Samadhi. We see Mahaprabhuji, Jesus, Krishna, Buddha and all the liberated and God-realized Yogis. It is a world of its own where all the Jivan-Muktas live who come back to earth as incarnated souls. There we receive the first initiation, that is to say, that in our Atma we experience a process of purification and we sense that we have left everything be hindus. We abandon all five Koshas and attain to the pure divine light that totally permeates the Atma. Everyone has different experiences in Samadhi. However most feel welcomed and find themselves in a wonderful world. This is the second Maya, the divine Maya or paradise. We are free of karmas there, able to experience anything we would like, and to come back again. That is called astral travel. To be sure, it sounds easy, but it is not so simple.

SAHAJ-SAMADHI Sahaj-Samadhi (Sahaj: automatic, spontaneous) is mostly associated with BhaktiYoga. It is similar to Ajapa-Japa. Some times Bhaktas come quite suddenly and spontaneously into Sahaj-Samadhi. This can occur through the singing of bhajans, while praying, through a profound impression or through the blessing and gracious glance of the master.Their consciousness strikes a state as joyful and as beautiful as in Samadhi. Sahaj-Samadhi does not last very long. It is like a trance state from which one emerges after a few minutes. There is an example of Sahaj-Samadhi in the biography of Mahaprabhuji: Swami Lalanandji as a child often went into this Samadhi when participating in Satsangs. We should not stay at this stage but continue to meditate and progress. Whether or not one is in Samadhi can only be known by the person himself or by a knowledgeable one or Yogi who has had the same experiences. To an outsider one appears to be sleeping or unconscious. We can come back out of Samadhi at any time just as we waken from a dream when we are touched or spoken to; the Atma is always connected to the body and knows what is happening. The state does not harm the physical body in any way. Physical sensations of heat and cold and so forth however are decreased.

SAVIKALPA-SAMADHI Savikalpa-Samadhi is connected with Shankalpa. Right from birth the Jivatma is occupied with Shankalpa (the carrying out of a wish or a plan) and Vikalpa (the giving up of this wish or plan), like a small child that constructs something out of sand, destroys it and then builds something new. To watch a child playing in the sand is very interesting.In the same way a wise person finds it very interesting to watch the normal persons in this life playing in the sand", always striving for something new, - 81 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

always changing their inner pictures, ideas and paths.Their house is never finished because they are always working on a new one. The Shivatma is Adi-Anadi, from its very origins on enmeshed in this Shankalpa and Vikalpa and shaping within itself in this manner an entire universe. In its Shankalpathoughts it forms itself an exquisite world and experiences how beautiful it could be. In the next moment however a Vikalpa comes and so it thinks that it is perhaps not so beautiful or appropriate after all and so it goes. In Savikalpa-Samadhi there are still desires present; the Jnana- and Karma-lndriyas are still active. But in this state we also begin to recognize, to imagine that we are the Satchidananda-Atma and to desire to have it all behind us and not to have to act any more. Through meditation on the thought, „I am the Satchidananda Svarup Atma" we move on to Nirvikalpa Samadhi. On the Pravritti path we can get as far as Savikalpa-Samadhi. But with that we have not reached Moksha and our goal is Moksha, liberation and divine consciousness. We must go further and enter even higher planes where Nirvikalpa-Samadhi begins. We are led there via the Nivritti path.

NIRVIKALPA-SAMADHI Nirvikalpa-Samadhi cannot be attained through any technique or practice. „Moksha Mulam Guru Kripa" - Moksha is only to be attained through the grace of the guru. At some time or other everyone will attain Moksha under the proper guidance of the Satguru. It is a natural process and a natural development. What stands in the way is that we have not yet formed our resolve for it and that it is written in our destiny that we will still be changing our inner pictures at some time or other. Besides, we must all have a certain amount of time behind us and until this time is fulfilled the conditions will not be fulfilled. Nirvikalpa-Samadhi is a state of total contentment. The adult no longer wants to sit in the sandbox and play and might do it only when the children ask him to show them how to make something. He remains completely unmoved by the game however. No more wishes arise in Nirvikalpa everything is Purna, complete, consummate. In this state of divine consciousness there are no more problems in the Chitta, no more suffering, no pain. We are entirely in Nivritti. In Nirvikalpa-Samadhi the Jivatma quenches its lifelong thirst. It attains to supreme consciousness and unites with it. It is said the Atma drinks the nectar Amrit-Pan, finally comes to rest and reposes. It begins to experience true bliss. There is no worldly knowledge there, no more longing, no more desire. It is an indescribable state from which we do not want to return and in which we can find no reason for coming back. We are everywhere and there is no place to which we must return. Who is to go back and where to? There is no-one to go and no where to go, for there is no boundary, no separation, no distance, no path, only oneness. There we are the center-the Atma, the Self, God Itself. There the soul unites totally with the divine Self - 82 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

and cosmic consciousness. And then you are aware of your Atma in every living entity, even in plants and stones. Some say that the ones who attain Nirvikalpa-Samadhi do not live much longer. That is because they see the physical world as un important and unnecessary and neglect their bodies. There are Yogis who attain this Samadhi at the end of their lives and others whose consciousness returns here to work with humanity,passing the knowledge on. Those who come back do so as completely pure and innocent ones, freed of all karmas. We also come back from Savikalpa Samadhi freed of karmas. The law of karma does not exist for these persons. They live,eat and act, but it makes no difference what they do, their karma no longer comes back on them as a burden. That enables them to do a great deal of good work. At the same time, the one who has experienced this state often has no more desire to work but would rather withdraw. He no longer sees that the world is suffering. Who is suffering ? No one is suffering. It is all an illusion. Who has pain ? The body has pain. Let it have pain. That is the way the liberated one thinks. We however are still stuck in these circumstances and identified with them. Many liberated Yogis no longer want to instruct or take the pains to teach others. They give advice only through their words and the teachings of the holy scriptures. That is called Guru Vakiya. All the holy scriptures, the UPANISHADS, the BHAGAVAD-GITA, the MAHABHARATA, the BIBLE, the KORAN and so on are as such „the words of the master." If you follow them you will eventually discover that you are free and you will know that you no longer have karma. Then you will know what Truth,Clarity and Divinity mean. Until then we can only dream and experience these things in our fantasy through the words and scriptures. We are a long, long way from actualization. In this lecture series I have been describing the path that leads to it. It is almost impossible not to go astray without the guidance of the master. This takes place through techniques and mantras. The GuruKripa, the grace of the guru, and his teachings are essential. So also is your patience- the patience to remain convinced and to be creative rather than to give up. One day a farmer and a merchant came to a master, both wanting a mantra. The master gave each of them a small green soya bean and said, „I am leaving on a journey. Take good care of this soya bean. When I return I will ask for it back. Whoever can give it to me will receive a mantra from me. Whoever was careless and lost it will not receive a mantra." The merchant took his soya bean, wrapped it in cotton batting and carefully put it away for safekeeping in a small locked box. The farmer was thinking, „ Who knows how long the master will be away. In that time the bean could dry up or be eaten by moths". It just happened to be sowing time so he planted the soya bean in the earth. A fine seedling soon shot up and by harvest time the farmer had a whole handful of beans from the one seed. The following year he planted all the beans and this time he harvested several hundred pounds. After the third year there was an entire storehouse full of soya beans. The master finally returned in the fourth year and the two pupils sought him out full of reverence. The merchant opened his little box and - 83 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

was about to take the soya bean out of the cotton when he found to his horror nothing but a thin skin there.A worm had eaten the bean and then died there in the box leaving behind nothing but its own dried shell. The master said to the merchant, „That is not what my instructions were". Then he turned to the farmer and asked him where his bean was. The farmer answered, „Master, your soya has become too great for me to carry here. Come with me to receive your soya." He led the master to the storeroom where there was soya by the ton. „This is your soya, my master." This power is contained in the mantra, but you must practice it day after day or you will not get results. You must work with that which you have received until you have actualized it. Our goal is to enter into this divine light, to attain to liberation or Moksha and to free others.The master provides the guidance, the spiritual power and help, and the words. Each individual must personally make the effort, then he or she will actualize the power contained in the seed. The continuous practice of mantra purifies and destroys the karmas just as the comings and goings trample the weeds on the path. OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

CHAPTER 15

Q&A Question: There is a very well-known book in which someone describes how the awakening of the Kundalini took place for him, and what sort of physical and mental difficulties arose in connection with it which he was able to overcome only with the greatest of effort. How can it happen this way and what can one do about it ? Through intensive meditation on the chakras without the guidance of a master this man had awakened powers which he was not able to control. This is a very clear example of the importance of the help and direction of a spiritual master who himself has been through these practices and experiences. Purely intellectual or theoretical knowledge is of no avail in this case because here we are dealing with spiritual and astral principles. If one is not learning correctly and intends to proceed obstinately on one's own one will run aground in 99% of the cases. This is so whether we are dealing with Yoga, a trade or a profession. It is interesting to explore why someone would proceed without a master when he knows that the results are question able or even impossible. The reason for it is ego. It is difficult for some people to surrender. Increasingly now-a-days people are losing touch with that kind of love which is called Bhakti or devotion. That is why many refuse to accept a master. They are nevertheless seeking something and cannot find the ideals they are looking for. Why don't they find what they need? Because they are seeking without love. They are seeking only with their ego and that cannot bring fulfillment. On the spiritual path where we enter higher planes which lie beyond earthly existence it is particularly important to go with an experienced master and to carry out the proven techniques exactly. Our power is limited to the material plane and we don't even know everything about that. Then how are we to know anything about the astral planes and their influences ? It is clear that whoever proceeds without a master will in all probability be frustrated. It is not a matter, as some believe, of the Kundalini rising in the wrong channel or going in the wrong direction. These ideas are based on the mistaken concept that there is a physical or mechanical process involved. What it is though, and I cannot stress this enough, is a spiritual development, an evolution of our consciousness. That cannot take place in any sort of a „wrong" direction. However if one proceeds without the correct technique certain disturbances of consciousness can arise in the brain center and manifest as negative nervous and physical feelings. This gives rise to anxiety and we think that something or other is on the work track. In any discipline (e.g., in sports, in driving, in occupations like electrical trades requiring specialized knowledge) one can damage one's body through incorrect techniques and practice, and so here, too. So I repeat again: Kundalini is spoken of as a snake, but this is not to be found anywhere in the body and is not some thing that suddenly rises. That is only a symbol to give the aspirant some sort of conceivable image. The reality is completely different. - 85 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

The Kundalini-Shakti can be awakened by certain exercises or by Bhakti-Yoga, and everyone will have certain difficulties to go through along his or her path. The process uncovers these difficulties but those who don't know better reverse this statement and say that the problems arise out of the process. Kundalini-Yoga carried out according to the correct procedures is not dangerous. It is an awakening and a preparation for the expansion of our own consciousness. There are four recognized levels of consciousness: the unconscious, the subconscious, the conscious and supreme consciousness. As long as we are engaging with the „normal" consciousness that is connected only with this planet we cannot progress. We should therefore engage with the highest state of consciousness and that is not easy to do. How can we activate supreme consciousness in our daily consciousness? The Mantra-Shakti enables the gates of highest consciousness to open; with Bhakti or surrender we purify all the obstacles we meet on the spiritual path. Those who want to wa!k this path with ego and obstinacy are acting like the pupil who attempted to dig a well in many different places as in this story: This pupil had read many books and gathered a lot of intellectual knowledge. There is nothing wrong with reading books; it is just that we get only theoretical information from them. Books give inspiration and broaden our knowledge, but it is something else again to actualize this knowledge. To read or to write a book is much easier than to experience the thing itself in practice. So the pupil came to the master and received some exercises from him. He was very impatient however and without patience nothing can be achieved. We know what we want and need but we shouldn't attempt to attain it greedily. The spiritual path is not like a sport where we are out to beat a record. With these kinds of attitudes we simply cannot make progress. Well, the pupil practiced for a year or two. His Antakarana was not purified yet and until that happens one does not progress. But he thought that the master was unable to guide him further. In his book he had read that if you use the right techniques you can achieve liberation immediately. He began to foster doubts about his path and set out to find another master. Very soon he was dissatisfied with the new one as well and sought out yet another one. After going through several masters in the same way he was disappointed and thought that it was probably all only theory and that there wasn't anything to find out or experience. He came to the conclusion that the so-called masters were only trying to make themselves sound important and were making claims for things that didn't even exist. So he went back to his first master to give him a piece of his mind. The master immediately recognized that he was bewildered and very disappointed and that he had run himself into a corner with his fixed ideas. He said to him, „ I can show you a way that will bring you to your goal. I only need one week, and then you'll be able to see where your mistake is". The pupil decided that after so many years and so many attempts he could probably spare one more week. The master laid down one condition: for this week the pupil was to do everything the master desired and not refuse anything. The following day the master instructed him to dig a well for the ashram and the pupil began to work. The next day the master came to him and said, „Unfortunately the place where you are digging is unfavorable. The water is too deep there. It would be better to dig somewhere else." So the pupil began to dig in another spot. He worked very hard all day but next morning the master came to him and said, „I meditated on it last night and saw that there is an underground boulder here that you will not be able to get - 86 -

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through. Better to dig somewhere else." He indicated a new place where the pupil had to begin digging all over again. On the third day the master explained that his meditation showed him that although there was plenty of water there it was salty and undrinkable and there was no sense in digging there any longer. Again all his work had been in vain and the student started all over again somewhere else. And it went on like this. Every day the master came up with something else and interrupted the work. After seven days the pupil said angrily, „Well i've had it ! Why didn't you decide correctly and tell m,e right from the start where I should dig ? The week is over, I'm worn out and exhausted and there is still no water. All the work was for nothing." To that the master replied, „This is the answer to your path. You have been running around for so many years and have tried everything possible. And what have you achieved ? Nothing. If you had concentrated on one technique you would surely have experienced something, awakened something or attained some thing." So it is important to keep to the one path once you have decided on it and not keep changing. Anyone seeking changes will keep coming back to a state of dissatisfaction. It is particularly important to maintain your faith and your feelings about your path. If the feelings shift then the entire astral plane shifts and everything you had built up there is lost and you have to start painstakingly at the beginning again. With the intellect it is possible to persevere for a while, telling yourself that it is the right theory and technique. But the astral level is never the less being disturbed and sometimes it can take a few years to come back into shape again. This relates not only to Yoga but is equally valid in terms of occupation, marriage, friendship, studies and so on. You see, the impatience and the dissatisfaction are in ourselves and trying to change the external circumstances results in nothing but a repetition of earlier experiences. What is most important on your path is that you are certain and that you are determined; then the results will come. You can read countless books, you can pray and meditate for hours - but it is all pointless if you are just going to change again after a few years. Holy Guru says in a poem, „Oh my brothers, this mind is so unteachable. I try time and again to explain to it, but it doesn't understand anything. The Yogis build up a garden often with years of endeavor through meditation, bhajans and japa. But this mind is like a donkey and can destroy the whole garden within a few seconds." The garden signifies our good qualities and our development on the spiritual path. By means of our mantras and exercises we cultivate a wonderful inner garden of flowers and fruits. Suddenly our intellect comes along and with a few thoughts destroys everything that we have worked for and we have to start again from the beginning.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

It is important to maintain the right attitude and unshakable resolution day by day. If so, we could have a divine figure appear before us even from a stone. Put a stone in front you as a symbol of your master and of God. Concentrate and meditate on it and give this stone all your Bhakti and love. Even though it is not God and not your master the divine power will manifest itself to you through this stone. Krishna said to Arjuna, „The kind of deity one chooses to revere is of no consequence. As long as he has faith I will make his faith as firm as a rock. Endowed with this faith which I grant him he receives from it everything he asks for. In truth however it is i, the only Giver." (BHAGAVAD-GITA, Chapter 7, Verse 21-22.). There can be no success unless there is devotion and firm resolution. Question: Does the knowledge of the chakras come from meditation? Yes. As I said in my lecture about creation and about Shiva producing the characters and language, everything takes place through meditation and is researched through it. These things that I am explaining here cannot be explained or researched by medicine or science. Question: What is the difference between meditation and hypnosis ? The difference is sky-high. There are techniques of self hypnosis or auto-suggestion where one repeats over and over things like, „I am well; I always feel wonderful; or, I have a sense of inner joy and harmony." This is only self-deception, merely a consolation. It is like telling a child that its mother will soon be there even when this isn't so. But the child is contented and stops crying. It is not my intention here to criticize medicine; I am only saying what is so. Hypnosis does indeed help psychically ill people for a while. It cannot heal them however. Healing takes place only through the discovery or experience of reality. Hypnosis does not lead to reality but to a sort of ignorance in that the emotional pains, the anxiety and the problems that lie in the subconscious are suppressed and forgotten. At some time or other they will come back as strong if not stronger than before. Suggestion and hypnosis only offer consolation. In reality they are self-deception and self-delusion. For the Yogi the most important thing is Atma-Chintan, the knowledge: Who am I ? At first glance there seem to be similarities, but there is a big difference here, just as there is between love and dependency, and between ego and selfrespect. Shankalp-Shakti is a spiritual power. Hypnosis and auto suggestion call on the power of the will but they are completely different. The techniques are similar to Yoga but only imitations just as plastic flowers are only semblances of real flowers. Through Yoga-Nidra one can actualize spiritual power. Through hypnosis one can also fulfil wishes, to be sure, for every idea will actualize or manifest sooner or later. But one cannot reach Self-actualization or Moksha in this way. Hypnosis can make life easier in that it enables one to change one's ideas and images of things or to forget problems. The things are not overcome however. Question: Is consciousness turned off during hypnosis ?

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

No, it is not turned off, but the will of the hypnotist dominates the subject and makes him or her dependent. Only the will of the hypnotist is actualized and the subject is without will. His individuality is impaired. In Yoga-Nidra and in meditation one's own will remains steadfast and free. Question: When we die can we reach higher levels through particular thoughts and prayers or is it too late ? One of the most important things in life and particularly at the end of our life is what is in our consciousness. The Chetana will follow the path that its consciousness is indicating at that moment. In this way we can guide our Chetana in a certain direction and improve our destiny in the next life. We cannot escape our karma in this way however. A debt incurred must be paid back. Whether or not we will be capable of consciously steering our thoughts in the hour of death depends on our destiny or karma. Many people become confused and don't remember anything because their brain is no longer functioning properly. There is a wonderful song to God Krishna: „Oh Lord, oh my God! Govinda, Damoder, Madhaveti, May Your divine name be forever on my lips and in my memory. My soul shall sing Your name day and night. This special plea I lay before You: In the hour when I leave this world May Your form appear before my eyes. Oh Lord, God Krishna, Play on Your flute Your sweetest Raga (song) And may this sound of Your flute unite my soul with Your Divinity. In the hour of my death I will leave this world singing Your name." In the sacred RAMAYANA it is written: Kali Yuga Kevalam Nam Adhara - In Kaliyuga (the Iron Age) the only hope lies in the name of God, in the mantra; it is the essence of truth. So through our thoughts we can influence our path at the end of our life. Our spirit and soul will be steered in the direction of our thoughts. Many people are afraid - 89 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

however in those last moments and are either worrying about themselves or about their property, their money, their children, their partner and so on. This leads the Jivatma back into Maya. There is a poem that says „This Jivatma does not have the power to think about God. Its karma comes along and gives it such a box on the ears that its face is turned to Maya." We came into this world with empty hands and that is how we will leave it. We cannot take anything with us. Only our karma and our fate goes with us. At the time of death therefore it is very important what kind of pictures we are seeing, what words we are hearing and what we are thinking. In India there ale special texts that are read aloud to the dying. One is the GARBHA-GITA and another one is the VIGYAN DEEP GITA by Mahaprabhuji. In the western world the BIBLE is often read. All our lives Bhakti to God is important so that in the hour of death we can give ourselves into His hands. The past is past. Now we must move into the future and it should be bright and clear. Don't let yourselves be held back by the web of Maya. At least when the time comes to die we should concern our selves with spiritual things. That is why the fifth stage of mantra, Ajapa, is so important. No one knows when, where and how he or she will die. The mantra should be so deeply rooted in us that it runs automatically, without our thinking about it. The mantra doesn't necessarily have to be spoken aloud, but the sound of it should always be present in us. The mantra should vibrate in our every blood cell. In Sanskrit there is a mantra Aham Brahmasmi - I am Brahma. Other mantras are: Prajnanam Brahma - Knowledge is Brahma, Tat Tvam Asi -Thou art Brahma, Ayam Atma Brahma - This Atma is Brahma. And then we recognize: Brahma Satya Jagat Mithya - Brahma is Truth; the world is illusion. The Sufi saint, Mansur Dass had such a mantra, Analhak - I am God. In Islam as in Christianity this is blasphemy. In these religions the person is always looked on as guilty or sinful, which is false. You are not sinful. You may have committed sins, but your Atma is innocent for it is the divine essence, therefore a part of God. To accuse the Atma would mean to accuse God. The Mullahs threatened the Sufi with death unless he would stop pronouncing these words. Still he went on repeating them: Analhak Analhak. So they put a crown of thorns on his head, like Jesus Christ, and shot him with arrows. But the words Analhak, Analhak sounded from every drop of his blood. Even when he was dead the sound of the mantra went on. The Mullahs decided then to burn him even though that was contrary to their customs. But out of the fire and out of the ash of Mansur Dass sounded the voice again and again: Analhak, Analhak. It was then that they all recognized what an injustice they had committed and they bowed down before this voice. Then finally it disappeared. The mantra should not only come from your lips but should also be vibrating in your blood. When we have reached the Ajapa stage the mantra lives in us and we need no longer have any fear. It is certain then that our Atma will follow the path of the mantra, and every mantra leads to the higher spiritual planes.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Question: What is the difference between love and dependency or between ego and self-respect ? How can one keep a clear distinction between them ? These look very much alike and everyone finds the loss or separation difficult when a dear one leaves or dies. One person will do nothing but withdraw and suffer whereas another will attempt to comprehend and accept. There is a story about a farmer who had a wife and child. One day he went to work in the field as he did every day and when he was resting at midday and fell asleep he had a dream. There he lives, marries and has children with his wife. He is very happy and content in his „dreamworld". Suddenly his hired hand comes, wakes him up and the dream is over. But the farmer remembers every vivid detail of it, the faces of his wife and his children, his house and what he himself looked like. He goes home with the hand and there a great hue and cry receives him. His only child has died suddenly. The farmer sits down and thinks, „Should I be crying here with the others ? So be sure, I have lost my son. But which children am I to mourn now ? A few minutes ago I lost my other family and everything I owned. Actually I would have to mourn that too." It is not easy for us to comprehend our relationships to others, to understand the strength of the connection and the pain of loss. To end our own life out of grief for another makes no sense. It is an irrefutable law that whoever is born must also leave again. But when we believe that someone or something belongs to us then we are not willing to face the loss. This is the dependency that produces years of suffering and depression. Animals also experience loss as painful. Amongst the birds that live in pairs some only outlive the partner by a very short time. They refuse to feed and die shortly. It is said of the dolphins that they are very loyal and stay very close together. These are simply the natural feelings which humans and animals have. For the most part we feel naturally connected to our own relatives, and that is appropriate. We should love them and do everything to make them happy. But when one of them dies we should not weep and mourn for years. There will come the day when we must give up everything. That is a fundamental idea in Yoga teachings. When we die we have to leave everything behind. On the astral planes however the Self is still very much connected with the astral body, and memories and feelings exist there. When we enter these planes after death we see what reality can be and where we have gone wrong. Often the attachment to the earth is still so strong that we suffer intensely. In Sanskrit this plane is called PitrLoka, the world of the ancestors. (There are many different Lokas: Pitr-Loka, Rakshas-Loka, Deva-Loka, Gandarv Loka, Brahma-Loka, Vishnu-Loka, Rudra-Loka, and so on. In all, there are seven lower planes and seven upper planes with the earth in the middle. See the tabular summary of the Lokas in the Appendix.) Pitr-Loka is comparable to the Christian purgatory. It is the place of those deceased who are not yet liberated and are suffering from strong attachments and dependencies. Those who have died by violence or committed suicide also go there.

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The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

The dead often attempt to come back to earth in their astral bodies and to make an appearance. They would like to give a sign of their presence and attempt to make themselves noticeable. Sometimes out of their pain they have become angry and attempt to hurt people. On the other hand some are helpful and protective. All over the world there is a day of remembrance for the dead - All Soul's Day. In India there is a day like that celebrated in November with a fire ceremony. Certain mantras are sung and offerings are brought. In Bodhgaya in the State of Bihar, the place where Buddha attained enlightenment under the banyan tree, there is a place of pilgrimage where people come to free their ancestors. That is not just superstition but has true significance. The suffering that lands the self in Pitr-Loka draws it back to earth again. It takes a while before it finds a form in which it can manifest its life. Sometimes it attempts to come back hlto its old body. This is probably already buried, but until it is totally decomposed and disintegrated the Jivatma will go on hoping to be able to re-enter it and will not move on to other levels. Hope is very very strong. There is a proverb that says, „'Hope is the pilgrim's staff from the cradle to the grave." Everyone clings to some sort of hope. Hope also exists in the astral world. It is for this reason that the Hindus burn the corpse, so that the Jivatma is quickly released from the false hope of being able to return. We must not mourn too much for a deceased person. Naturally we cry and feel sad because we are bereft. This is not dependency but the natural love towards other human beings and other living creatures, But if our suffering is too strong we keep pulling the Jivatma back again. What we should do is send the soul our good wishes and pray for its peace and liberation. Peace for a soul means that it finds its freedom in the cosmos or that it can begin its next life in a new body. In India we hold a Satsang where we sing holy songs and think of the dead. There is another way of helping, too. It is said that what we offer up for the soul benefits it, wherever it may find itself. Perhaps that is mere superstition but there is often a grain of truth in such customs and beliefs. It is also said that good works done in the name of the dead affect their Atma. In India it is especially customary to feed birds, fish and wild animals that otherwise get too little. Some donate money to the Brahmins and priests so that they will pray and say mantras for the dead for a certain period of time. Temples and churches are often erected to the memory of a father, mother, spouse or child. Everyone weeps and mourns at the cemetery, and then they all go back to the tavern to eat and drink. That is one kind of Vairagya (turning away from the world). There are two kinds: Samsan Vairagya and the true Vairagya. Samsan Vairagya, the socalled cemetery Vairagya lasts only as long as we stand in the cemetery in front of the open grave. True Vairagya on the other hand never stops and is ongoing. At the graveside everyone stops to think, „What is the meaning of life? One day i, too, will be lying here and every thing will be gone." Everyone will die some day. No one knows when, how or where this body will fall to the earth and we will no longer be capable of moving so much as our little finger. To be preoccupied with these kinds of thoughts is also a kind of Vairagya. Holy Guru said in one of his poems: KYA SARA HAI SAMSARA KA ? YAHA NITYA GUNANA CHAHIYE - "What is the essence of this life? What is the meaning of this - 92 -

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world? I ponder on this every day". One day we have to go. We came into this world with empty hands and that is exactly how we will leave it. Kabirdas said, "When I came to the world and was born the people laughed and rejoiced, but I wept, for I knew what it meant to struggle in this Maya and Samsara. I shall nevertheless accomplish such deeds that I will go with joy and the people will cry". Do something meaningful in your life, not just for yourself, but for all. Material losses affect all of us too. A farmer who has worked hard in the field with his whole family will certainly be very hard hit if this field burns up shortly before the harvest and all his effort and hard work have been in vain. But to complain about it forever would be senseless. There will be a crop again next year and then for sure he will take better care that no one ignites the grain through carelessness. To lose material possessions is something quite natural. Everyone will at some time lose everything. How many people, for instance, have already owned the piece of land this building is standing on, and perhaps even fought for it ? They have all died, but the land is still here. It belongs to no one. GAJADHAN BAJDHAN OR RATANA DHAN KHAN JABA AVE SANTOSH DHANA SABA DHANA DHUL SAMAN „You can possess gold mines and diamonds mines- unless you possess Santosha (contentment) they will be of no use to you. But when Santosha is there, when you are contented, then the largest diamond will be like a pebble to you - you can throw it away." For anyone who has lost his understanding gold and jewels mean no more than sparkling glass. That person is as innocent as a child and has no notion of the value of things. It is our intellect that gives things value. We are always wanting to attain some kind of position and to have money and property and so on. But one day we will leave it all behind. That is why the Yogis say, „What are you doing, adorning yourself for appearance sake ? One day your body will die. Better to spend your time thinking about the meaning and purpose of your life." Ail the while we are attached to Maya, suffering from dependencies and feeling jealousies and hatred we are only harming ourselves and others. Jealousy is the mark of an immature personality and can even lead to mental illness. Once we have recognized that earthy relationships are all fleeting we no longer feel jealous. One true relationship will always be there-we need not worry about that one. This life is only a short dream and at the end of it we waken into another dream. It is as Shankaracharya says, „You do not know how many parents you have left behind in all your previous lives. Every living creature has a mother and a father but a true guru and Atma-Jnana can only be had in the human life. Come to recognize that life, therefore, and wake up !" By that is meant: Consider these things and do something for yourself. In this world we will always suffer losses. There are no wins because we cannot hold on to anyone or anything. Of course it is our duty to love our neighbor, be friendly to all and to do our best to help others. We do not live just for ourselves but for the

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others. But one day we must leave and everything will remain behind except for the one thing - our karma.

AFTERWORD If we want to undertake something in life there are three things to consider carefully if we are to be realistic and successful: the present, the future and the path. We need to identify and accept our point of departure and gain information and clarity about the goal. Linking these two points is our path, the ways and means to achieve the goal. For those who are already firmly committed to a goal the path is not a decisive factor and only two things are vivid to them: the present and the future, the goal. This sort of goal-oriented focus and concentration will enable them to overcome all the hurdles along the path and achieve what they set out to do. It is important that the goal be clear but that does not mean that it has been realized. Many people would say, „My goal is clear. I believe in God. I have found my own personal God and I am satisfied." Indeed the goal has been identified or named but the statement is not true because the goal has not been actualized or experienced. It is only when we have reached the goal in consciousness that we experience Godactualization. When we arrive we see that we are no longer the same as we were at the start. The many experiences along the way have matured us and in addition the goal itself has changed and become even more beautiful than we had ever imagined it. When a singer begins to practice a piece he has a good idea of how it is going to sound. After he has worked on it for a while it begins to sound better than he had imagined and he himself might not be aware of the depth of beauty that strikes his admiring audience. It often happens that a single momentary vision will fire the inspiration for a work of art. That is the point of departure for a process of actualization that is long, demanding and full of difficulties. But that is the nature of every path. It is a testing ground that selects the true masters. Either we mature and grow strong or we give up out of weakness. The path is full of obstacles. It is not easy for anyone and no matter how many hardships we have overcome there are one hundred times that many still in front of us. The only ones who will reach the destination are those who are as strong and un shakeable as a rock in a gale-storm. No one is sure at the start but if our intention is firm and unshakable we will succeed. I too have experienced and overcome many difficulties and I know that there are many more problems I will have to master in this life. However I no longer have to actualize that which you still have to attain. Each of us has a different goal and I actualized mine a long time ago. It was then I received the assignment which has - 94 -

The Path of Consciousness – © 1997 by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

become my lifework. You can liken this to the student who has completed his studies and taken a position. From now on he is employed and will work at this task until pensioned. I too have taken up my task and am endeavoring with all my might and with all my soul to actualize it. I know this is hard to grasp with the normal human intellect: that a tiny seed planted in the earth develops into a huge strong tree full of fruit. The ordinary person cannot envision that fulfillment, but the one who planted the seed knew in his Atma what would come of it. There are six main obstacles or dangers in human life: youth, beauty, intellect, money, advantage and status. Through these ego easily emerges and grows. For example, academics often look down on those who are uneducated. When we are young, strong and beautiful we should be grateful to God for that and bear in mind that the source of true beauty is the inner self. The body is impermanent and perishable- one day beautiful and healthy, the next day weak and sick. Let us be glad that God has given us the means to care for ourselves and our families and that he has given us the power and the talents to achieve what we have in life. There is no need to reject these worldly things or to give them up, but we should accept them with gratitude, not pride. Those who only pay attention to outward appearances and judge others accordingly are like Chamras or Sudras. Sudras used to be the name given to the members of the lowest caste in India. According to the teaching of Mahaprabhuji however we must never divide people into classes because all people are equally precious in their own way. Amongst other things it was the Sudras' task to skin dead animals. The Rishi Astawakara said, „It is not those who carry out such activities who are Sudras, but those who only see the exterior, who only see skin deep and know nothing of the deeper meaning, of the inner Self, of Atma. Until someone loves your inner Self that person does not truly love. To admire only your external beauty, your jewellery, your clothes and make-up has nothing to do with love. True love loves inner beauty. The beauty of the soul is the most beautiful thing a human being can possess." Each of us in our own life has to overcome these six dangers by remaining grateful to God and not allowing our ego to grow. Only then will we come to recognize our inner Self. If we give God everything we possess he will provide us with everything we need. The path will be long and there will be many hurdles. It is important to identify the goal and work toward it with every thing we have. One day the path will end and infinity will begin. Only after we have reached our destination will we be able to assess the experiences along the way and to recognize how much more beautiful it has all become. Once we arrive all the difficulties and obstacles will evaporate and we will have acquired so much strength and inner fortitude that every difficulty becomes as insignificant as a little insect bite. From our present point of view the obstacles are as frightening, weighty and oppressive as an elephant's foot on our back. The day will come though when we will be able to take that same elephant and pull it through the eye of a needle. Mahaprabhuji used to say, „That is the real art: to pull an elephant through the eye of a needle" AND THAT IS YOUR TASK! - 95 -