Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Saundarya Lahari July 1992 By Swami Rama This is a transcript of four lectures given by Swami Rama in 1992 on Saundarya Lahari, the Wave of Beauty, which is a text on Sri Vidya. In these lectures, Swami Rama emphasizes the practical methods of attaining direct experience. Rather than describing the text verse by verse, he explains what to do, how to follow what he calls ―the short cut‖ of Sri Vidya, Tripurasundari, the one in the three cities. So as to use this transcript for training programs in Swami Rama’s Rishikesh, India ashram beginning in 1996, Headings and a Table of Contents were added for clarity and to facilitate finding topics. Edited to correct errors and add time markers [hr:min] to relate to the digital version March 2010. Contents Lecture One 7 The lecture being given is actually a ―diksha‖ or ―initiation‖ 7 There are four categories of ―diksha‖ 7 Yoga diksha 7 Gayatri and Mahamrityunjaya 8 Jnana diksha is for renunciates and monks 8 Mantra potency is highest of all potencies 9 Third diksha is jnana diksha 10 Clouded mind doesn’t see clearly 10 Upa-yoga diksha removes specific problems 11 Fourth diksha is shambhavi diksha 12 Shiva himself gives the last diksha of shambhavi diksha 12 In all these dikshas, mantra is given 13 Three places where Sri Vidya grew and was practiced 13 Analyze and organize your thinking process and emotions 13 Love is giving 14 Clouded mind has employed ten senses 14 First awareness is that the greatest dwells within 15 This is an inward journey 16 First teaching is Mother Divine is within 16 Second step is awareness that Shiva and Shakti are one and the same 16 Understand the point of focus in your body 17 Then knowledge of macrocosm and microcosm is imparted 17 Teacher is need for interpretation, not to teach you 17 The meaning of life should be searched within 18 Teacher leads you to awareness of ―myself, myself, myself‖ 18 First, convince yourself you are a shrine 18 The vidya which leads you systematically is Sri Vidya 19 This vidya is in the book Saundarya Lahari 19 Kaula, mishra, and samaya 20 Ascending and descending forces 20
The whispers within are beyond language 20 It’s very, very difficult to make the student aware God is within 21 Three schools are at muladhara, anahata, and ―I am with you‖ 21 Go to that point where Shiva and Shakti are one 22
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Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Bhuta shuddhi—purifying 22 You cannot worship all aspects of Christ—choose one 23 Meditation does not improve due to having no focal point 23 All sounds have a form (a focal point) 23 Matter, energy, sound, and mind 23
Lecture Two 24 Have full determination to explore within 24 Emotions are based on the four primitive fountains 24 Follow the ancients’ clear-cut path; don’t experiment 24 First, learn to have a dialogue with the human within 25 Antahkarana is a wheel with four functions 25 Establish coordination between the four functions of mind 26 The ―shortest cut‖ is to cut your ego through dialogue 27 Pray in your own language 27 Make a picture in your mind when you enter into dialogue each day 27 So, how to have that dialogue? 28 Relaxation means not allowing toxins to build 28 First thing in the morning, wash your mouth 28 After water, press your colon left and right 29 By right breathing, you don’t build toxins 29 Your first archenemy is inertia 30 Let your buddhi come forward through dialogue 31 To guide manas, to build determination, small dialogue every day 32 How Swami Rama sat for nine hours 32 Greatest of all therapies should be done every day 34 After simple dialogue, then prayer to strengthen determination and will 34 You have to accept your duties and do them skillfully 34 Partners should discuss—not by doing puja 35 Few minutes dialogue, then start doing meditation 35 Do meditation through Sri Vidya method 35 Knowledge of chakras is important 36 Three points in systematic meditation 36 First, learn steady and comfortable posture 36 ―I want to give you short cut this time‖ 36 All breathing practices are to regulate the lungs 36 Start with easy posture 37 You can use a plank for support 37 That which makes you comfortable, yet steady is posture for you 38 Serious students should practice accomplished pose or siddhasana 38 Survey yourself for relaxation 39 Then comes pranayama 39 Breathing exercises are different from pranayama 39 Through pranayama, you can apply sushumna; not through breathing 39 Through pranayama you can have kumbhaka for long time 40 If you sit ten minutes, then forty minutes of exercise 40 Now ―shortest cut‖ I am giving you 41
Leave that nose business—you have done enough—use mental effort 41 Change breath consciously once a day 41 Agni sara is the finest of all exercises in yoga 41 Change breath by simply meditating 42 No noise, jerks, or shallowness in breath 42 Double the ratio in breathing—two-to-one breathing 42 When breath and mind are perfectly coordinated, then no pause 43 Page 2 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Three steps I’m going to teach you 43 At least six months to go to breath of thirty 44 Your body will be free of toxins and disease free 44 This is higher than all the nadi shodhanams 44 Easiest posture for this is shavasana 44 Now, apply ashwini mudra 44 Diaphragmatic breathing is basic and leads to agni sara 44 Focus your mind on the navel 45 Next step is to minimize the pause 45 If there is no pause, you have annihilated time 46 Attention on ajna, vishuddha, and anahata 46 First learn to change breath—takes three to six months 47 Then sushumna application 47 Ashwini mudra should be learned 47 Then you’ll have control over your autonomic nervous system 48
Lecture Three 50 First thing is steady and comfortable posture 50 Second thing is inhalation, exhalation, and pause 50 Third point is how to be free from the samskaras 50 Lie detector will not work if you follow this process 51 Dialogue is the first step 51 When you have done your human effort, then grace dawns 51 Do the breathing exercise three to five times to start 52 Do it two times a day—then three, but not more 52 Do it in shavasana (?) to begin, then later in sitting position 52 True repentance means not to repeat 53 Prayer to the Self sitting within you 53 Master said if student changes posture, then go away 53 First thing is posture 54 The trainer is the self that watches over all the functions 54 Pray in your own language 54 Follow the breath as long as you have capacity 55 Intuitive knowledge needs no confirmation; it sharpens buddhi 55 Avidya is bandha; actual knowledge does not create bandha 56 Mahavakyas are given to renunciates and monks 56 In shavasana, go up to ratio of thirty to sixty 56 Those who practice this are called pranavedins; omit the pause 56 I condensed entire method of breathing, and taught you short cut 57 Lie in shavasana, apply mula bandha, make toes a point, 57 Once or twice a day, there will be clarity of mind 57 Follow yoga path, then later Vedanta 57 I’m giving you condensed system, shortest cut 57 Bad laya yoga can be dangerous 58 I don’t touch too much on kumbhaka; I avoid the subject 58 First teach exhalation because of impurities; then teach inhalation first 58 You can easily find who is and who isn’t realized 59
First, steady and comfortable posture 59 It doesn’t matter if it takes two to six months to attain steady posture 60 Then the breath—it might take six months—it’s easiest, shortest method 60 Omitting the pause means you can expand pause 60 Practice two or three times a day 60 In Sri Vidya system there is a wonderful way of freedom from samskaras 61 After this comes knowing how to drop the body 61 Page 3 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Last time of body dropping in my tradition was in 1954 61 There is a science which can tell exactly when you will die 61 Not more than six months for freedom; 1st class, three months 62 You will have to observe certain kriyas, cleansing the body 62 All the exercises are meant to have control over the pause 62 After you understood antahkarana, understand the finest body within, prana 63 After analyzing manas, chitta, buddhi, ahamkara, and dialogue, then go beyond 63 Ego is not bad; bad ego is bad 64 You have to face a train of thoughts mixed with emotions; ―introspection‖ 64 When you catch hold of a small, conscious part, the whole body activates 64 Through training, change the grooves in your mind 65 The pranic force, Mother Divine, shakti is in you 65 When you drop body, unconscious and shakti go on 65 You need to condense the energy, like for cooking 66 She drinks and is intoxicated; even japa intoxication is very heavy 66 How do you purify those samskaras? 67 Uncoil the force in centralis canalis—Brahmanadi, Saraswatinadi—easy by Sri Vidya 68 She is also called Tripurasundari 68 The fourth is turiya 68 Vichara is only an understanding 68 The highest of the three kundas is Brahmakunda; leave body here 69 Others leave through other gates 69 Why hindus put sandal paste on forehead 70 Rare families in Kerala, Mangalore, South India who practice this 70 Rudrakhanda, Vishnukhanda, and Brahmakanda 71 Why no Buddhists in India 71 Mishra group 71 Samaya school 72 Better for those with denser emotions, latent or dominant, to start at anahata 72 Manipura is the guest of all; it controls the solar system 72 Neem Karoli Baba ate forty meals 73 Demonstration of abdominal lift 74 Demonstrates agni sara 74 Man had sex with ninety women 75 These practices can mislead you 75 No mulabandha (with agni sara); stomach lift one or two months first 75 Agni sara on a wheelchair 77 Mishra means combined 77 Samaya school 77 After emotional body no longer disturbs, then ajna chakra 78 Mind does not want to be within a circle 78 Animal does not want to be in the circle; animal mind is burnt here 78 ―Ajna‖ means no knowledge; knowledge first comes through this chakra 78 Mind which has not been prepared systematically refuses to go here 79 Convince yourself you have light; switch ―off‖ the little light for darkness 79 When you start meditating, don’t try to see the light 80 Lights are because of tattvas 80 It is very easy to imagine light, but very difficult to observe darkness for some time 81 Don’t go towards the words and aksharas 81
Trataka is not meditating 81 Meditate on manipura chakra for intuitive diagnosis 81 Spend a few minutes sadhana on manipura chakra 82 Guru chakra, or jnana chakra 83 Page 4 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Lecture Four 84 You don’t have to ―count‖ in the breathing exercise 84 Jnaneshwara’s Gita explains this technique 84 First breath, then mind; then, after training, ask mind first, then breath follows 84 Nothing higher than technique of manas prakshadanam 85 Loneliness is perhaps the center of all diseases 85 The root of loneliness is attachment 86 Loneliness is from forgetting the friend within yourself 87 Be constantly aware of Truth, the greatest of all friends 87 The path of samaya means ―I am with you‖ 87 You are afraid of losing your bodies, which you own 87 You cannot offer your mind, because you don’t own it; you belong to your mind 87 When you are owner of your mind, you can give it, which is surrender 87 Thinking mind can be stopped is not the right method—teach it to flow 88 Body, senses, and breath are yours—mind is alien 88 Sanat Kumara, Jnaneshwara talked about mind 88 Whole of the body lies in the mind, but whole of the mind is not in the body 88 Turiya is the abode of Mother, Tripura Sundari, sleepless sleep 89 Divine Mother and the Lord within are one and the same; shiva and shakti 89 Sleep means no content in the mind 89 When thoughts are not active, they don’t go to their chamber, conscious mind 89 When mind contacts, uses you senses, then it’s called waking state 90 Internal dialogue has first question, ―Ko aham?‖ ―Who am I?‖ 90 Dialogue will bring awareness that something is beyond the delusion of mind 91 Ask mind why it is not listening to buddhi? Why it is creating problems? 91 Mind will tell you, ―I’m not trained. You’d better train me.‖ 91 Dialogue makes you aware of your habits 91 Then practice effort, self-effort 91 I used to sing on the radio 93 If you really want to express yourself, then express yourself fully in meditation 94 The path followed by the monks or renunciates is called samaya 95 Worshippers in the external world are kaula; Kashmir Shavism 95 Second is mishra; third is samaya 95 Finest parts of diksha is upward traveling 95 Sambhavi diksha is the highest; Saul became St. Paul, etc.; shaktipata 95 Shaktipata comes after your full effort 95 In upward traveling, there is vigorous pranayama, with bandhas 97 Dreaming is as real as waking state, like sexual; sadhaka is affected 97 For such sadhakas, with dreams, upward traveling is very helpful 98 Upward traveling exercises are useful for monks 98 If your mind is wandering in grooves, ask your mind to let go 98 One is called ―swami‖ because he can let go of thoughts 98 For hurdles, upward traveling initiation is given; point is that mind travels downward 99 Manas prakshadanam is best way of purifying mind; it is in school of samaya 99 Samaya means ―I am with you‖ 99 First thing is, Lord is in me 99 Second point, being constantly aware of the Lord’s presence 100 Being fully aware that the Lord, the Mother Divine is within is samaya, I am with you 100
Meditate on ajna chakra 100 Mind does not like to be inside a circle 100 Mind does not like to be here and now; that’s the ―point‖ 100 Having no space between thoughts is meditation 100 People make ―faces‖ during meditation because of thoughts 101 Page 5 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Another method in samaya is ―trikuti‖ which means equilateral triangle 101 If you said what you were thinking, you’d be in an asylum 102 Best of therapies is the one where no one else helps you 102 When I sit, I pay attention to my body and nothing else 102 When body is steady, then I don’t think of it; then I attend to breath; I’ve trained mind 103 Cancer is created by the mind 103 Mind has the capacity to cure; I created and cured tumors 104 The therapy, the highest of all fires, is jnana fire, fire of knowledge, guru 104 This is jnana chakra, guru chakra, or trikuti; this is manas prakshadanam 104 Recall all your thoughts; mind will bring thousands and thousands of odd things 104 One after another, offer all the thoughts to the fire of knowledge 105 If a thought comes again, say, ―But I already offered you to the fire, etc.‖ 105 Then a thought is only a memory, like a burnt rope with no power to bind 105 You can remove, be free from all your negativity; you will have confidence 105 In doing this mentally, the first thing is to evoke guru chakra 106 You evoke this fire, not the fire of knowledge 106 There are three main layers of thoughts in your mind 106 Then you come down to ajna chakra, the gateway to the city of life 106 I told you how to sit steadily, breathe, and then how to think 106 This self-therapy is 100% accurate; thoughts and diseases can’t otherwise be known 106 Then, mind is brought down to ajna chakra; don’t ―see‖ anything 107 Attitude for meditation should be sankalpa shakti 107 Decide and determine that ―I am not going to see anything‖ 107 Who is the experiencer of darkness 107 Tattva will bring forward colors; pay attention to your focal point 108 The circle should be a dark hole; this can be a pit 108 Meditate on this point, on the complete darkness 108 Then you’ll start seeing the light from within—this is 100% true 108 The serious problem of mind creating obstacles is over by offering to the fire 108 Soma chakra is between ajna chakra and guru chakra, source of divine intoxication 108 Soma means constant awareness 109 This vidya is not attainable without a competent teacher 109 Page 6 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Lecture One Swami Rama: How are you today? Are you enjoying your stay here? You know, this place belongs to you. I am only a custodian. It’s true. The lecture being given is actually a “diksha” or “initiation” Now, the subject matter for tonight’s lecture should be interesting for those who like to practice. Because this vidya is considered to be secret of secrets. How much can I explain, and how much can you be benefited, depends upon us both. This interaction between teacher and student, is called ―diksha.‖ There are four categories of “diksha” Now there are four categories of diksha—initiation what you call. What do you give to your teacher when you go for initiation? The Upanishad says (Sanskrit) dry sticks—with all humility and love. These days people offer checks, fruits, gifts—you know. Because it’s needed, you see! But during that time, teacher used to take all the responsibilities for his students—boarding, lodging, and teachings. You hardly find any teacher like that today. And you don’t find the students. Many of you have read what (Sanskrit) means, and sent me a bundle of sticks by mail. On Gurupurnima Day, I received at least 20 bundles of sticks through the mail. It means ―I have nothing to offer—and you don’t need anything. These dry sticks are my samskaras. You should burn the fire of knowledge and burn all these sticks. Please accept this.‖ Yoga diksha From ancient times, there are four categories of diksha. Yoga diksha—initiating you into awareness. Because from the very beginning, since your childhood, you have been taught to see, examine, verify things in the external world. No school, no college, no university, teaches you how to look within, how to find within, how to verify within. Therefore, you establish a home, you establish a world of yours, and you talk to people and you live in the external world, and say, ―This is my country, this is my nation, this is my society, this is my family.‖ But you do not know yourself. You are a stranger to Page 7 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama yourself, yet you establish a relationship with others, and claim to love them, and always expect to be loved. So it’s a disaster in our family set-up these days. But that starts from within, because you do not know yourself. In my opinion, before somebody gets married, he or she should go somewhere to understand one’s own being, one’s own self for some time, and then establish in the world. More than 65% of the divorces are the result of this ignorance. Because of ignorance. And first of all, you should know, that when you are initiated in yoga vidya, first you are taught few exercises—you are made aware that you have a body, physical body, though you are not body alone. But body is important. You have to learn to look after your body. It cannot help you on the path of enlightenment, but it can disturb you; it can create obstacles for you. Therefore, body should be looked after. Gayatri and Mahamrityunjaya That initiation, in which body awareness is expanded, is called yoga diksha, in which a teacher tells you to recite Gayatri mantra and Mahamrityunjaya. They are not considered to be mantras, given by a guru. They’re a must. In yoga diksha is another step of diksha in which when teacher or guru sees a block, something which is creating barrier for the student, and finds the student miserable, though honest—then that diksha is given, that mantra is given, that method is given, so that he or she is free from that problem, from that barrier. It’s called upadiksha. Jnana diksha is for renunciates and monks Third is called Jnana diksha. Why is it called jnana diksha? Jnana diksha leads you to attain intuitive knowledge. That is meant and that is reserved for the renunciates and monks, in which maha vakyas are imparted to the students, because they have renounced the world. Renouncing world does not mean dropping your body, not being responsible, and not doing your duties. That’s a false notion. Renouncing the world means anything that you consider yours, is not yours, actually. ―This is mine, this is mine, this is mine.‖ When you were born, you came to this world—it was nothing. You did not have anything. When you leave this platform, you don’t carry anything with you. You don’t have to claim anything that ―This is mine.‖ So those who renounce that concept, that ―This is mine, this is mine, this is mine,‖ they are called renunciates. But the people who live in the world as householders, are not inferior to those who have renounced. Why they are considered to be higher? Because Page 8 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama they have ample time to attain their goal, while the people, householders, do not have enough time. They get busy, they get distorted, they get dissipated in the external world. Their desires are 99% mundane desires. While renunciates’ desires are 99% are desires for emancipation. They both have desires. One desire is totally for emancipation, another desire is to have worldly pleasures, worldly gains, worldly attainments. So householders should not be lost in the world, forgetting their goal. Because the goal of the renunciates and monks, and goals of the householders or ordinary people, or common people, is one and the same. They are not different. We all need enlightenment, we all need to attain the goal of life. What is that goal of life? You often say ―God.‖ But when you study scriptures, you finally come to the conclusion that it doesn’t make any sense. You need to attain a state of peace, happiness, and bliss. And if you have attained peace, happiness, and bliss, then that is called ―God.‖ If you have not, then you are worshipping, adoring and believing in a god who is not God. So that yoga diksha which I have given for a specific purpose, before teacher says, ―My student is very honest. He or she comes with honesty to me.‖ So somehow or other, this block which is hindering, which is creating a barrier, should be removed. And there is a specific way the teacher gives a special mantra for that. Mantra potency is highest of all potencies Mantra potency is highest of all potencies. I don’t say I have attained the highest in all that a mantra can do, but I have examined and seen miracles of miracles. Once I was traveling towards Gangotri in deep Himalayas from where Ganga flows, with my master. And there is a place which is called Harisil, avalanche started coming down. Avalanche—thousands of bombs—and one avalanche, where the dirt and rock, snow all mixes and the mountain breaks. So I was scared and caught hold of him. I was seven to eight years of age. And I said, ―Now we are going to die. This avalanche is going to kill us.‖ He looked at me and said, ―You keep quiet!‖ And there was no way for us to run this side, or go forward, because we were trapped. He wouldn’t ever stop whenever he walked. That was his—you know. So he did like this. He always used to say, ―Umm.‖ And I was the only interpreter of that ―Umm.‖ When I used to feed him, he said, ―Umm.‖ It means he wants more or not. ―Umm,‖ a glass of water. So I interpreted his ―Umm‖ very well. So he said, ―Umm.‖ And we walked. And when it was Page 9 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama about a half a mile distance, and we crossed, he did like that, and that avalanche started coming down again. And during that time, that blocked even the force of the River Ganga and created an unprecedented disaster there during that time. It blocked the river and became a huge place. Many times I followed that, and I said, ―You are not teaching me this.‖ [laughter] [00:14] He said, ―This will come according to your practice and experience. Don’t hanker for all these socalled powers. Don’t do that.‖ Human potentials are immense. If you study the lives of great people, whenever they said, ―It is not we; it is God who has done it.‖ Why did they say that? It was done through them. Why did they say ―God has done.‖ Are they lying? Because if they said, ―It has been done by us, it will feed their ego. The greatest of all barriers is the path of enlightenment. Ego is needed as far as external attainment, external world is needed, mundane things in the world are needed. But it creates a serious problem when you want to attain spirituality. And that habit which you have formed, ―This is my body, this is my breath, this is my mind.‖ When somebody is feeling pain, you don’t feel—because of ego. Ego has created block for you, isolated yourself from the whole, and that is why you have become a small individual unit. You feel helpless—sorry for yourself— because of ego. When you understand your internal self, as you function outside with two legs and two arms and hands—under the senses, there is a human in you. That you inside should also be understood. And for that, you will have to learn a special dialogue, communicating with yourself. Third diksha is jnana diksha So third diksha is jnana diksha, which is given to the renunciates and monks by imparting the wisdom, knowledge which leads to emancipation through intuitive knowledge. Clouded mind doesn’t see clearly Now let me tell you. There are varieties of knowledge. A confused mind also uses the senses because senses have been employed by your mind. That confused mind, or that clouded mind, that unclarity, doesn’t allow you to see things as they are. Like ghost on the post. Page 10 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama A man generally wanted to renounce the world. He told his wife and children, ―Your children are grown up and are able to look after you, and you are weak and cannot walk with me and go to the mountains and do this interior research. So better be at home. Give me permission so that I can attain the goal of life.” He took permission of his wife. Wife understood. Because whole life he complained, ―Because of you I cannot become a swami; because of you I cannot become a renunciate.‖ Sometimes men, threaten their wives on this issue. ―If you do not behave, I’ll become a swami.‖ So a man at Kanpur always used to bully his wife, and always tell her. She came crying, ―He threatens me and my kids. He troubles me all the time that he’s going to become a swami.‖ I said, ―Tell him, `Please become a swami. Every day you threaten me and tell me you want to become a swami. Why do you not become a swami? Why are you asking me?’― And he cried and said, “You don’t love me any more?” So you use such things to control each other. That is not establishing a good relationship. A good relationship is established when you two live and work like two wheels of the same chariot, whose goal is to attain enlightenment, freedom from fears. That understanding should be developed. It is not a task of one man. Rather two can help each other and go and attain that strength. This is the thing of married life. If it is missing, if there is no spirituality, that married life can never be happy. Why Catholics like to get married to Catholic families? Because they both have only one spiritual idea. Why Lutherans like to get married to Lutheran girls? If your concepts, convictions, are different, no matter how much you (remove?) from the external world, yet you’ll always feel, ―My husband does not go to the church I believe in. I go to a different church.‖ Upa-yoga diksha removes specific problems So spiritual teacher gives you upa-yoga diksha to remove that specific problem where you find that ―My student’s progress is hampered.‖ And that third diksha is called jnana diksha. Page 11 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Fourth diksha is shambhavi diksha Fourth diksha is unique. And that’s called sambhavi diksha. Even the learned people don’t understand what it is. Sambhavi diksha. You have heard about Swami Vivekananda. His name was Narendra Dutta. When he came to Ramakrishna Paramahansa, he argued with him. He argued with him so much, he annoyed Ramakrishna. ―What a peaceful life I’ve been leading, and this boy comes and argues, and sometimes talks nonsense.‖ [00:21] One day, a sage came, a swami came, and stepped on him, and put his foot over his chest, and he became unconscious. And when he came out to consciousness, he was completely transformed! Same thing happened with Guru Nanak in a different way. For three days he was completely unconscious. Same thing happened to the Jewish prophet, Moses, when he went to the mountain for forty days. Same thing happened with Buddha. Shiva himself gives the last diksha of sambhavi diksha That last step of diksha where according to the scripture, Shiva himself gives diksha. Shiva means the Lord of yogic sciences. —?—say and accept this, saying that Shiva is the Lord of yogic sciences, and that is called Shiva is the Lord of that diksha— sambhavi diksha. All great men who have led the nations, somehow got that diksha—complete transformation. It’s not a change—it’s complete transformation. There’s a difference. You cannot smell from your ears, no matter how much you are enlightened. But you are transformed from within. Your thinking is different, your feeling is different, your knowing is different, your whole life concept is different. Chaitanya Mahaprabu. Many such great sages. I used to remember a mantra by birth. Nobody taught me. So when my master gave me mantra first time, I smiled and said, ―I already know it.‖ He said, ―Son, I am confirming this, that you are right.‖ Yes, many times I used to feel—nobody gave me this mantra; I remembered. Many times I used to forget. I had book in my hands and would remember the mantra and wouldn’t study, and my teacher would slap me. And he knew that problem with me. Now I am telling you how to use it. Page 12 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama In all these dikshas, mantra is given In all these dikshas, mantra is always given. What is mantra? You are confused. A word, a sound, a set of sounds or words, which are not made by human beings, actually, which are heard by the sages in deep meditation. Mahanirvana Tantra talks about variety of diksha, if anybody want to know. Teacher gives diksha according to the ability of the student. But that sambhavi diksha, is given by Shiva, the lord of yogic science, himself—imparts knowledge to the student. Before a goldsmith starts making ornament, he puts gold into the fire, and gold is purified. Then he makes ornament. First the fire. First you are prepared. Now, does that Shiva come down from the heavens? And where are we committing mistakes? You are meditating—nothing is happening. Something is happening, but not the way you expect—not the way I expect, at least. I expect that you will be meditating and coming to me, ―Swamiji I feel joy.‖ Here you come disappointed, ―Swamiji, nothing is happening.‖ Three places where Sri Vidya grew and was practiced Sri Vidya is highest of all sadhanas—very (special-like?) And there are three pockets in India where this vidya grew and was practiced—Bengal, Kerala, and Kashmir. In Bengal god house they developed this vidya. As you say Brahman, the highest—as you say God—they say Goddess. They start worshipping God in the form of mother, through devotion, through leading the emotions, and in leading that emotion to the highest peak of ecstasy. Analyze and organize your thinking process and emotions And there is a way and method of doing that. You need to organize your thinking process. You can do that. You can analyze your thinking process. But there is no psychology and philosophy or sadhana for this science. There is no psychology and philosophy and sadhana that analyzes your emotional problems, that can deal with your emotional problems so that can be analyzed. Because it’s something constant. That fish of emotion that disturbs the lake of your mind, is always there, and a new wave comes all the time. Today you have this emotional problem, tomorrow you have that emotional problem. On the surface, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, can deal with it, but deep down, no one can deal with it. Page 13 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama So they remain unsolved, unresolved? No. You should know how to deal with them. If you do not know how to live with yourself, how do you expect yourself to live with others? If you are not at peace with yourself, how can you have a peaceful home? If you do not love yourself, and appreciate and admire yourself, how can you expect admiration from others? Whole life you expect someone will come down and love you. See the dreams all young girls have, that their prince of dreams will come down and one day take them and accept as a wife. Every girl dreams. Same thing happens with boys. ―A day will come I will meet somebody, a lady, who will establish my home and give me love.‖ It never happens. Love is giving That which you call love is called giving. When you learn to give, what you receive after giving, that is called love. You never get unless you receive. You have no right to receive it. This part of teaching is absent in our whole life. We do not teach our children how to give—not to outsiders—but in the same family, with the family members. Charity begins from home. When you teach your children from the very beginning how to give, that foundation will lead you, will help you in later life. That’s why I always say, if children are suffering, it is the parents who suffer, who are the responsible people for the suffering of the children. If the student of a teacher is …[not making progress] it’s the teacher who is responsible. If they are really stupid, it’s the teacher’s responsibility. We cannot have [learning?] unless we understand what is Vidya. Vidya means knowledge, but there is something called avidya too, -- absence of knowledge. Clouded mind has employed ten senses ...first step, anything we conceive through our senses—perceive—and then we try to conceptualize. That’s not knowledge. That’s not considered to be right knowledge. Because your mind is clouded and your mind has employed ten senses which you are using in the external world, that clouded owner of the ten senses, master, misleads you. And whole life you remain in a world of fantasy and never come in touch with the reality. Therefore, that is not considered to be knowledge. Knowledge through senses is not perfect. It is partial knowledge. [00:34] Suppose you tell somebody, ―Are you speaking truth to me?‖ He says, ―Fifty percent.‖ What do you mean by that? It means you are lying constantly. There is nothing like fifty percent truth and fifty percent lie. Therefore, you should learn to understand yourself. There is one thing very wonderful, and that is you don’t have to be in the temple. You can. A student of Shri Vidya can go to synagogue, temple, church, Shiva temple, Krishna temple, any temple—it doesn’t matter. For him or her, everything is one and the same. It’s not the Page 14 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama worship of the woman, mother, it’s not worship of man, father; it’s the worship of Brahman. Not even worship of neuter gender. The absolute Truth which is changeless, which is not subject to change, death and decay, that which is limitless, that Infinite for whom we do not have words, which is beyond explication, which cannot be explained, which is inexplicable. But the method here is, your body, is a shrine—first point the teacher says. You can visit any place. External world inspires you—anything in the external world—even teacher will inspire you, scriptures will inspire you, lectures will inspire you, listening to the tapes will inspire you. But that is not enough. Supposed you are inspired. What do you do next? It means you should be able to use your potentials for the next step. So first awareness is this, you are ―devo devalaya prokta, jeevdevo sanantna.‖ You are the shrine of the Lord. That’s how it is developed. If you want to worship, don’t go here and there. Don’t condemn what others are doing. Don’t look into that. Perhaps what they are doing you don’t understand and they are doing well. At least they are doing something! First awareness is that the greatest dwells within So first awareness is that the greatest of all dwells within you.[puts both hands over heart] This awareness is developed. It’s not easy. Once you have developed this, fifty percent of job is completed. So teacher says, ―No, the Lord is within you. Don’t search for the Lord outside you. It is everywhere, and it is within you. How can you be excluded?‖ Again and again teacher creates that awareness and strengthens that awareness— that the Lord of life and the universe, they are one and the same, and the Lord dwells within you. And where you find the presence of Lord, that is called temple or shrine. That is called church, the house of God. So here, teacher says it’s the house of God [00:38]—don’t do this, don’t ignore this house of God. You don’t break the wall, you don’t keep the walls dirty, or external part of the temple dirty. No. You keep it clean. This awareness is strengthened again and again. The day you have attained this faith that Lord is in me, and I am the shrine of the great Lord, you have accomplished something. And teacher again and again says—you put question to your teacher, ―How is it possible for a little human being to become temple of God?‖ Page 15 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama He says, ―God dwells everywhere. How can you exclude yourself? Where is that place where there is no God? No absolute Truth?‖ So it is within you. How can you say that this space within the glass—you separate it from this space, and this is space is separated from the space outside? They are one and the same. But again and again the teacher makes you aware of this. This is an inward journey Now your worship starts, your research starts, your path starts in world. It is inward journey—from gross to subtle, to subtler, and then to subtlest aspect of your being. And the more you go inside, the more you come in touch with those finer forces, then your whole life is changed, you like to serve others, you like to love others, then it’s a great joy for you to help others without any expectations. It becomes your nature. And then whatever your convictions are, they are your firm convictions. And anything that goes against your convictions, you don’t move. You don’t say, ―I’m sorry.‖ Because you are going to crucify me—Christ never said ―Sorry, don’t crucify me; I want to live.‖ He never said that! He could have easily said, ―Sorry. Please don’t do this.‖ But he said, ―No.‖ You attain that peak, that height of conviction, where death has no meaning. When you are trying to search for the meaning of life, let you directly understand yourself. First teaching is Mother Divine is within Therefore, first part, first awareness that teacher creates is awareness is that Mother Divine is within you. You know there is a word, ―Shiva,‖ it’s a Sanskrit word. It is written like this. (Writes on blackboard). If you only remove this part (removes vowel ―i‖) it becomes ―Shava‖ and becomes dead—corpse. Without Shakti, there is no existence of Shiva. Second step is awareness that Shiva and Shakti are one and the same Then second step, teacher makes him aware that Shiva and Shakti are one and the same. Page 16 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Understand the point of focus in your body For strengthening that awareness, you’ll have to systematically understand the point of focus in your body, in yourself. If you concentrate here, (navel center) or concentrate here (heart center) or concentrate here (between eyebrows) that will make a difference. If you concentrate on muladhara, the lowest chakra, that will make a difference. Then teacher, according to your state of mind, will give you. The science of chakras is superficially mentioned in the books. You all have heard about the founder of Theosophical Society, Annie Besant, and those two, three people – Blavatsky, Leadbeater, Olcott --. Through their literature, West found out about the science of chakras. But any book I pick up, I find complete distortion. Who will systematically pursue this subject, so that you learn to understand and think about yourself? When you learn something about yourself, teacher says, ―You are talking only about this small figure; you are not talking about the universe.‖ Then knowledge of macrocosm and microcosm is imparted Then he imparts the knowledge of macrocosm and microcosm. Pinda and Brahman. Pinda is this body—the mind is the universe. What is the difference between the drop of water and the ocean? They are qualitatively one and the same. But they are not quantitatively one and the same. Once you understand the very summum bonum of your life, the very existence of this life, this individual, which is not body, which is not breath, not at all senses, which is not your thinking process, including your emotions, appetites and inclinations—which is beyond this. Beyond means not far away—within you. Whole philosophy and its dictionary changes. Beyond, if you tell, it’s beyond your reach. It means it’s far away in India, Himalayas, Tibet or somewhere. Beyond means the senses are beyond your body; the mind is beyond your senses; the soul is beyond your mind. It’s within. The whole concept is in this. Teacher is needed for interpretation, not to teach you You need a teacher, not to teach you, but to interpret, to give you right interpretation. And if he’s experienced, and if he has a teacher, and if he has learned from his teacher, he will give you right interpretation. The meaning of life should be interpreted as life’s meaning—what life means? You will learn many, many things. Poet says something different. Those who write prose, they write something different. Anyway, we all agree that live means a question—a big Page 17 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama question. And that question should be understood—resolved. We need answers. We are searching for the meaning of life. The meaning of life should be searched within But it will not come from outside. Where are you searching for the meaning of life? Outside you? It’s a simple thing. The meaning of life should be searched within you—not outside you. So you’ll find two parts within you. The part that is influenced by the opinions of others, and a part that remains uninfluenced by other people—that part which remains uninfluenced by others, that glorious part, that immortal part of your being. Otherwise, mortal, semi-immortal, and immortal—these are your three selves: body, plus breath, plus conscious mind—this is your mortal part. What is your semiimmortal part? Unconscious mind. Even when there is no conscious mind, all the impressions are stored in the reservoir within you—all the merits and demerits of your life—unconscious mind. And individual soul. This is immortal. There is another absolute Self [00:51]. So you can see mortal self, semi-immortal self, individual soul without any vehicle called unconscious mind, and totally immortal.. When you say, ―myself,‖ which self are you talking about? Are you talking of mortal self? Are you talking of semi-immortal self? Are you talking of total immortal Self? When you are talking to teacher, ―myself, myself, myself,‖ he knows where you are—whether you are on mortal planes, or whether you are talking something higher, or whether you are in the domain of individual self. Teacher leads you to awareness of “myself, myself, myself” The teacher gradually leads you to this awareness. All the pains and anxieties live only here, on the body, breath, senses, and conscious mind. Then there is no anxiety out there, because you don’t have vehicle for anxiety, for expressing your anxiety. If it is, it remains dormant, latent. Anything that is expressed is expressed through conscious mind. First, convince yourself you are a shrine So first thing that you should do is make full effort to convince yourself, to accept this: ―I am a shrine of the Lord.‖ First thing. It’s not enough to believe in God. You say, ―I believe in God because I believe in myself. I believe I am a Catholic, I am a Hindu, I am a Buddhist, I am this.‖ It’s not enough to lead happy life. It’s not enough to Page 18 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama make you happy. You all have religions; you all have churches. So what? Still you are suffering. Sometimes I find you suffering more than those who do not have. Because you are not going ahead. The vidya which leads you systematically is Sri Vidya What actually do you need? You need to go in systematically. So this body is like a chakra system, as Panditji has explained, in which five triangles—another six triangles—they are united. How your body is composed? How is it formed? From here you start going inside. If you have known yourself, you have known the universe. But if you are trying to know the universe, you are lost in bewilderment. You are lost. So you better learn to understand yourself first. That vidya which leads you systematically is called Sri Vidya—highest of all vidyas, as mother. And you are fully protected. These experiments have been done. [00:54] Wild elephant was left with a child and father. The father ran away and left the child there. Wild elephant was left when mother was walking with the child—mother faced the elephant. You are very close to mother. I’m talking about Divine Mother—the mother in you, the shakti in you, the power in you. Scientists proved that matter is nothing but energy. Matter can be converted into energy, and energy into matter. It’s all energy. But that’s all; nothing beyond that. Yoga science has gone to deeper levels explaining that you have shakti within you. And without that shakti, it is not possible for you to survive, it’s not possible for you to act and to function. Any part of yourself—even your brain, your mind, your intellectualization, your convictions, your actions—are not possible without shakti. This systematic path, loving path, most glorious, majestic path, is introduced by the teacher when you have enough time. Suppose you say, ―I don’t have time. Swamiji, can you tell me something about Sri Vidya which you do in two minutes time, before I go to my office?‖ He will laugh at you and say, ―I love you. Okay. Later on when you have time.‖ This vidya is in the book Saundarya Lahari So this vidya—there’s a book called Saundarya Lahari—a wave of beauty, a wave of bliss, a wave of wisdom. So this mother worship is not the worship of a female deity; it is not. It is not accepted any dichotomy or trichotomy. It’s a systematic leading to the Page 19 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Source of highest consciousness within you, where you find unification with the Brahman, the Absolute One. Kaula, mishra, and samaya Now there are three schools. One school is called kaula. Did Panditji talk to you about this? Another is called mishra. Mishra means combination. Kaula means that which is practiced in a particular area. Third is called samaya. Samaya leads you to that peak where you find constant presence of the highest within you, all the time—even during sleep. You are sleeping, yet you are not sleeping. That’s called sleepless sleep. [yoga nidra] Up to that, this path leads you. Ascending and descending forces But remember, you’ll find two forces. One is called ascending force, another is called descending force. What is ascending force? Human effort. What is descending force? Grace of the Lord. These two are misinterpreted. Many of us sit down and say, ―Lord bless me.‖ He says, ―What have you done, you lazy bum! You don’t do anything! What do you mean by `bless me?’ I am prepared to bless you—come and do something, and then I’ll bless you.‖ When all your human efforts are exhausted, you don’t have any other way of doing anything, you don’t find any source. Then suddenly you burst out, ―Lord, help me!‖ Then grace dawns. You go to the church and perform Mass, and you don’t know what’s happening— and go to office. ―This priest is late today; why did he do this?‖ Even in simple Mass performance. Before going to office you just look at the temple and say, ―Bless me!‖ The whispers within are beyond language This path is a very clear path. There are very few scriptures, because this is a very old tradition. In music, there are two sources of music. When you hear classical music, somebody is playing. But a time comes when the musician is lost in his wisdom and then he starts whispering. Finest of all music is that which comes towards the end when the musician starts whispering. When teacher whispers the mantra, that’s great. But when you start hearing whispers from within, as mother whispers to the child—it’s not a Page 20 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama language—it’s beyond all the languages. The language in which a newborn baby speaks to her mother. What is that language? It’s not English, it’s not Sanskrit, it’s not Pali—it’s not any language. Those noises and sounds are enveloped with full love—the language of love. That language of love comes through heart, but it’s not from the heart—it’s from the soul—deep down in the soul, the way mother whispers. And that language is understood by the child. But if you speak English or any grammar, correct vocabulary, make some form or some verse, the child wouldn’t know,—wouldn’t stop crying. If you are very close, spiritually close to the teacher, a language develops very easily. That develops in the silence, and it is considered that through silence, best of the teachings are imparted in the silence—so you don’t have to speak. [1:04] When I could not discipline myself in the college, I used to commit mistakes, then my master adopted a method. When I went to him, he said, ―Here is a diary; will you please read it. On such and such time and on such and such day you did this!‖ I got so much scared. Then I stopped doing things because I thought, ―He’s watching me all the time, and when I go back, he’s going to spank me.‖ This sort of guidance is helpful. But it’s a rare thing. Where are such teachers? And where are the students? And who has time? And how? Time in the world has become a factor. It’s very, very difficult to make the student aware God is within So that which is the controller of time is space and causation. All these activities of the universe. I’m talking of that Mother Divine who dwells within you. It’s very difficult—very, very difficult—to make the student aware that God resides in you, is not away from you. Don’t say, ―Oh God, come down.‖ Don’t! Or say, ―God, come out.‖ ―God, be with me,‖ means let me be aware of the presence of Lord. That’s what that means. Our prayer changes, completely changes, when you say, ―God is in me; the Ultimate Truth is in me; the Absolute Reality is in me.‖ Three schools are at muladhara, anahata, and “I am with you” Which part of me? Is it in the mortal part, semi-immortal part, or totally immortal part? That’s the point. So this vidya will lead you gently, lovingly, to that. And there are three schools. One school believes in worshiping at the root, muladhara chakra [kaula]. It is Page 21 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama totally external. The other is done here in anahata chakra [Mishra]. But the samaya which I am going to introduce to you, to explain to you, even the scriptures do not understand—they call ―samaya means occasionally.‖ Sometimes they translate like that, you know! ―I am with you—constantly with you.‖ That is the aim of samaya, when you are constantly aware of the Lord, you have accomplished something. Go to that point where Shiva and Shakti are one So your body is a chakra. You have to learn to go to that point where Shiva and Shakti are one, where there is no distinction of female and male concept. They are no genders. Soul has no gender. God has no gender. You cannot say God is man. Man has written the books, so man has called it ―Him, Him, Him.‖ If woman resents, she says, ―Why `Him?’ She, She, She!‖ But it’s beyond all these genders. Bhuta shuddhi—purifying [1:08] So tomorrow’s topic will be interesting topic. There are many ways of bhuta shuddhi. Which means past purification—how to purify the past. What are the philosophical concepts we have to practice? And what is the actual practical method we have to practice? You always say—if you sit down and say, ―What good thing have you done?‖ and hardly anything will come in your mind. ―I have done this bad, I have done that bad.‖ Why do you say that? You are identifying yourself with your actions, forgetting your true nature. That’s why you are suffering. First four sutras of Yoga Darshana will explain to you entire yoga darshana. First, Saundarya Lahari mantra, [sings ―Shiva saktya yukto yadi bhavati….] this will explain to you how Shiva and Shakti, how the Lord of life is beyond all this. He has no gender. You can call him mother, you can call him father. He’s neither mother nor father, nor old nor young, nor child. But the teacher gives some concept. If you go to a Catholic nunnery, you’ll find all the nuns wearing wedding rings. It means they are wedded to Christ. But if you ask them how Christ looks like, they cannot say. Hey, you are wedded to somebody and you don’t know what he looks like? That’s not good! Suppose he comes in front of you, ―Hey, honey, come on, hug me,‖ you would run away. And wrong person can come any you will hug. It’s not good. You should know. Page 22 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama You cannot worship all aspects of Christ—choose one So you’ll have to choose one right aspect of Christ. You cannot worship all aspects of Christ. You can have comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of Christ, but you can go through only one aspect. Christ that was crucified on the cross is different aspect; Christ who walked on the earth as a prince among men, different; Moses who went to the mountain—that aspect is different. Which aspect—I asked many nuns, ―Which aspect of Christ?‖ They say, ―Whole of Christ.‖ I said, ―But tell me why. Suppose somebody says, ―I am Christ,‖ how can you deny?‖ That particular aspect should be understood. Meditation does not improve due to having no focal point Your meditation does not improve because you don’t have the focal point. I’m not talking aspect. What is the object of your meditation? Focal point, your teacher says. [points at Ajna chakra]. Yet, the teacher imparts mantra. All sounds have a form (a focal point) Now, there’s a subtle thing here you have to understand. (claps hands) This sound. This sound is not heard outside. Scientifically, a sketch can be made of this sound. ―Ahhh.‖ This sound makes a form. All the forms that we see in universe are virtually sounds. Sounds have created the universe—many, many sounds. In this way, in this vast ocean, there are waves—the waves of beauty, the waves of bliss, the waves of wisdom. And all the forms have been created by sounds. All the forms have come out of sound, as all the matter has come out of energy. Matter, energy, sound, and mind We’ll talk tomorrow in detail, the difference between matter, energy, sound and mind, why I am talking about that aspect of meditation, why your meditation has not improved, how Sri Vidya—this path—helps you. I say good bye to you today. END OF LECTURE 1 Page 23 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Lecture Two I pray to the Divinity in you. Have full determination to explore within Are you enjoying your stay? Before you take up any task, you should learn to compose yourself, prepare yourself, fully equip yourself. For the spiritual sadhana, you need to prepare yourself by withdrawing consciously from the external world, with full determination that ―I will explore all the realms and know myself.‖ It doesn’t matter if you cannot know God. If you go according to your daily necessity, the word, ―God,‖ does not have any place. What actually do you need? You need complete peace, bliss, and happiness. And if your concept of God fits into this, then it will help. Otherwise, mere faith does not help. Sometimes it could be injurious. So we have two separate things—one is called mind, and another is called heart. Heart is supposed to be center of emotions, and mind, thoughts. Emotions are based on the four primitive fountains We all know that emotions are more powerful than our thinking process. They can upset your thinking, your knowing. So if you find out—if you become aware from where those emotions arise, you’ll be sorry, you’ll feel very small about yourself, for they are based on your four primitive fountains—the food that you eat, the quality of sleep that you have, your sexual appetite, and these urges that are there; and then the sense of self-preservation all the time. You are afraid of losing something and not gaining something. Follow the ancients’ clear-cut path; don’t experiment So do not work from the very beginning unsystematically, so that you know something about everything but you do not know anything perfectly. In the path of sadhana, you don’t use your mind. Great sages have trodden this path. Why do you know follow the same path? Because path and truth are one and the same. Therefore, no need of doing experiments. If any ancients have done anything for us, they have given us a clear-cut path. And we cannot change that. No speaker, no writer, can write anything new or speak something new. What do we do? We change the baskets; the eggs are the Page 24 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama same. When you read a book, you’ll find somebody has written the same thing, again, and again, and again. Pick up someone’s research work, picking up from here, there and everywhere, compiling a book, and that is called research. According to psychology, it’s called ―obsession.‖ The more you read and write and then—that’s not helpful. On the path of spirituality, you can help yourself, and at the same time, when someone is prepared, you can help others also. You understand something about human body. I’m not talking about the physical body—I’m talking about that body which lives inside you, which motivates your whole life, leads you to do things, and then you put blame on others, or yourself. You should understand something about yourself, that there is another finer body within you. So we’ll discuss that. First, learn to have a dialogue with the human within First of all, within you lies a human, and you should learn to have a dialogue with that human. How do you start that dialogue? What do I mean by dialogue? Talking with yourself? If you walk on the street and you start talking to yourself, people will think that you are crazy and you need hospitalization. That’s not what I mean. Antahkarana is a wheel with four functions Antahkarana. Antah means ―inside,‖ karana means ―that which functions inside you.‖ There are four main functions, though classification can be extended. And all those four functions have their characteristics. You consider yourself as a wheel. A wheel has got a hub. That hub does done move. And because of that hub, the whole wheel is rotated. So that hub creates motions in these spokes, and these spokes create motion in the wheel. Chakras are like wheels in your body. Mainly seven chakras are controlling your whole body through motion—creating motion. Who gives energy to your chakras to function? I am coming to that point. Now, you say when you want to know the nature of the individual soul, the soul does not move—yet it moves. Externally it is a contradiction. What do you mean by ―it moves yet it doesn’t move?‖ This hub on a wheel does not move, yet it creates movement in the whole of this. If you take out this hub, nothing will happen. If you take out soul, individual soul, nothing will happen. Page 25 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Now, direct energy comes through four definite functions. One is called manas, another is called chitta, another is called—which is the biggest in everyone—ego; another is called buddhi. Greatest is he, and most successful person is he, who knows how to establish coordination. What is the function of manas? Because I want to go ahead and talk of the chakras, which is important—but for that, we need to understand this. Whenever you do something, something comes in your mind, ―Shall I do it or not?‖ Immediately. That particular faculty which thinks, ―Shall I do it or not? Shall I go this way with the crowd? If I go that way perhaps it is better.‖ Or ―The grass is wet outside; perhaps I should not go that way. Oh, well, I will nod my head and go outside.‖ Who is deciding all this? This is not the fight with your manas, but with your buddhi. Establish coordination between the four functions of mind So these four functions have got different duties. Buddhi is considered to be supreme. The way you train your buddhi. But if you train your buddhi, and buddhi is telling your manas to do this, and manas says, ―I don’t want to!‖ then nothing is going to happen. But to establish a friendly, loving, coordination between different functions of your internal states, is very essential. Manas has got two qualities. It functions externally and it functions internally, both—one quality. It is importer and exporter. It does both for this big company of life. And buddhi decides— discriminates, decides, and judges—three qualities. Ego preserves. There is only one bad thing in ego, otherwise, ego is not bad. Ego does not want to recognize the hub! Ego wants to say, ―I am everything. I rotate myself; it is not because of the hub, because of the soul.‖ It tries to separate you from the whole. It always want to separate you. It has built a boundary around you; it has made a cell for you and you live in a cell, because of ego. It does wonderful work when you function in the external world, but it does not help you when you follow the path of spirituality, when you follow the inner world, when you follow and try to understand the subtler realms of your life within. Because it has not been trained. So when you talk of surrender, when you talk of the highest path—the highest path is surrender—enlightenment through surrender. It means not the physical surrender. It does not mean surrendering your home and all the duties. It means surrendering your ego, making it aware of the Reality within you. Page 26 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama The “shortest cut” is to cut your ego through dialogue When ego is again and again made aware of the existence of what we call hub, then that is called surrender. So shortest cut is just to cut your ego, and you are there. But how to do it? Through dialogue it is possible. And that dialogue is called contemplation. Now, when you sit down in the morning and evening, I think immediately doing meditation is little bit difficult. You want to concentrate mind, you have power to do it, you have the skill to do it, you know the technique, you know the philosophy, you have a teacher, you have the strength—yet you cannot do it. There is something wrong somewhere. You will see that sometimes you are prepared to meditate, and you feel great meditative joy and most of the time you don’t. Therefore, in the morning and evening, simple way—few minutes you should spend on this. And there is one thing you should write: ―Prayer and repentance purify the way of soul. Self-realization leads you to the Goal.‖ This you should not forget. Prayer means you are not praying to somebody who is outside you. Prayer means constant awareness. When you are praying, you have to be humble. Being humble means learning to compose yourself. ―Oh Lord of life, oh my inner Dweller, oh that which gives me life so I can see, that which gives me power to hear, think and analyze, who gives me power to walk, energy to walk, to do things in the external world—oh that Center of Power within me—let me draw strength directly from you. You are the only source of strength.‖ Pray in your own language This way you can pray in your own language. This means constant awareness. Who is praying to whom? You are training your mind, and a particular part of your mind, and that is called your ego. You are making your ego aware of this truth. Otherwise, ego refuses to accept that. If you really want to be humble and really want to enjoy life, you’ll have to train your ego. Make a picture in your mind when you enter into dialogue each day Now, make a picture in your mind when you do this, when you enter into dialogue, a few minutes every day. [00:32] Don’t say that you don’t have time. You have enough time—ample time. You can curtail—you can just be aware that much of the time you remain very lazy. ―Oh I am relaxing.‖ Page 27 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama What do you mean by ―relaxing?‖ ―I want to go somewhere and have my holiday.‖ What do you mean by ―holiday?‖ Huh? Holiday does not mean you should eat or drink whatever you want, whatever you can—junk food and drink. That’s not holiday. So, how to have that dialogue? Relaxation means not allowing toxins to build So, how to have that dialogue? Few minutes every day, you sit down calmly. If you cannot sit on the floor, sit down on the chair. Relax on the chair. And relaxation means not allowing toxins to build. That’s the meaning of relaxation. If you think that loosening the muscle is called relaxation, that’s not good. If you go to the state hospitals, and there you examine the patients, everyone is relaxed! Yet everyone is crazy. You don’t need to learn that relaxation. Relaxation word does not explain the purpose and meaning of relaxation. ―Relax, relax, relax.‖ All therapists are doing one and the same thing. And they earn enough money, and they think the more they earn, the more they are considered to be great therapists. Relaxation means learning to breathe well, not allowing to build toxins within yourselves. It includes food habit also. It includes bowel movement also. First thing in the morning, wash your mouth I want to give you a small tip. What do you do in the morning? First thing, wash your mouth, for mouth is the dirtiest part of your body. Remember this. Dirtiest part of your body is your mouth. Wash it first. And without tasting, drink enough water. No mercy here! I’m not telling you how much you can drink. If you drink water it will come out in some way; it won’t stay within. That’s not possible. So you fight every day for bowel movement and in bathroom stay for a long time. And children who stay for a long time, and mothers do not take care of that, suffer on account of many such diseases like piles. That water will help. Simple thing. You don’t need any medicines for that. Four or five glasses of water in the morning. Just drinking without tasting. If you can squeeze one lemon, that will help you. Once you are free from the bowel movement, body remains inert because of your so-called rest conception. The concept you have that you took rest. When I see you in the morning, I don’t find you rested, though you slept eight Page 28 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama hours. Because your body was inert, but mind was never rested. That’s why the sages say you will be rested if you know how to meditate. That rest which cannot be provided, which is not given by your sleep, is given through meditation or through yoga nidra. When basic things are not done, they create hindrance. Just make a schedule for a week, one month, and see what happens to you. You’ll find vast difference. You’ll find yourself free from many problems. That will save you time, energy and money. After water, press your colon left and right After drinking water, simple thing I’ll tell you—just sit down like this, simple way—this will press your colon, left side, and this one right side. Do it for ten times. It will help the water to put weight and you’ll have not much problem. You should not stay much on the commode. That’s not a good thing to do. It steals time; it robs your time. It hurts you. Many of you go to bathroom and then start thinking. And sometimes you remember, because you get relaxed there. Why do you get relaxed? Because the roughage comes out that creates gastric problem in you. By right breathing, you don’t build toxins So remember, that the finer thing that is to be expelled is the toxin in your body. You build your toxin and you don’t think of it, and that creates tension in your body and in your nervous system. If you know right method of breathing, then you will not allow that. That’s why nerves are wrecked, tensed by those toxins. Through food you build toxins. ―Okay, let me have this food today—tomorrow...‖ One day’s poison can destroy your one month’s effort. Learn to say ―no‖ to yourself, instead of saying ―no‖ to others. What do you do? You say ―no‖ to others, but never say ―no‖ to yourself. In the family, if you want to lead a good family life, say ―yes‖ to everybody in the family, and say ―no‖ to yourself. I’m telling you this! When I was a child, and I was trained by the swamis and they said, ―Do you want to eat,‖ I said, ―Yes.‖ They said, ―No, we taught you `no’ first. Ask others if you want to eat, and if they say `yes’ offer your food to them first. Enjoy how they are eating. Are they enjoying the food you have offered? Can you give them some more comfort? Can you help them? Have you given them water?‖ From the very beginning you should learn to enjoy how others are enjoying. You should feel happy, delighted how others are enjoying. Page 29 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama If you read Ramakrishna Paramahansa’s life—he got cancer in his throat. So Vivekananda and everyone started crying one day—all the disciples gathered together around him. And he said, ―Why are you crying?‖ They said, ―Because you are not eating.‖ Do you know what did he say? ―But you are eating.‖ So from the very beginning this training is given. I assure you that if there is anybody next to me, in front of me when I eat, I feel like I think it’s a sin to eat if I don’t give to somebody. First I offer food to the Lord. ―Do I deserve this food? I am grateful to Thee.‖ What is happening when I am doing this? In every action I have planned something. That planning was done by my tradition in such a way so that all the time I am aware of that reality—while eating, sleeping, doing my exercises, doing my breathing, doing my meditation. All these actions will make me finally aware of the Reality within, though I am doing my actions because I cannot live without doing actions, because you cannot live without doing actions. In all actions, anything human being does is not bad. Don’t consider it bad. It could be beautiful if you know how to do it, if you understand why are you doing it, if you understand why you should do it. Anything! Don’t say ―This is not good,‖ and yet you do it. After you have done your exercises, how do you expect to digest junk food and not do exercises? Don’t do this to yourself. Your first arch enemy is inertia So your first archenemy is inertia. How much success is there for you, you can see from how much flow of breath you have. How lazy are you? You can easily notice. The moment you get up, what do you do? How long does it take you to get up from your bed? What do you do to your children? ―Get up, get up, Sonny, you have to prepare.‖ ―Ummm. Mommy, don’t disturb today is vacation.‖ On vacation day you should get up early. ―Oh let them sleep today; it’s vacation,‖ father says. No vacation. Is there any vacation for food? Then you should not eat today. Discipline yourself. That will help you. Page 30 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama After that you sit down and say, ―What have I to do today? What are the important things I have to do? What have I not done yesterday?‖ Your office work? No, your office work is only one unit. There are other things also. ―Have I done my exercises? Why have I not done?‖
There is one word in Sanskrit that is called (prash titta?) Fanatics relate it with the word ―sin.‖ No. (Prash titta?) means repentance. Why do you go to a priest and confess there? What do you mean by that confession? How is that confession going to help? This is a superior therapy. What do you think? Whatever you don’t think that it was wrong? Don’t. But your conscience which lies between mind and heart, which observes them both, will tell you, ―You were supposed to do this, and you did not do this.‖ ―You are supposed to do this; please do it.‖ This way, daily account is kept by you. And then you will not commit mistakes. Therapeutic philosophy. There are certain customs and systems according to your tradition which are considered to be bad. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about individual actions that you perform through your mind, actions, and speech. Let your buddhi come forward through dialogue Now you sit down, and remember this diagram. ―Okay, my mind. What do you want to do? Shall I do it or not? I want to do this. Is it profitable for me to do? Is it good for me to do? ― You’ll have to make experiments. Take issue with your buddhi, and let your buddhi come forward. And let your ego accept it. And then you’ll draw energy through chitta, the storehouse. This way, dialogue can be successful. Few minutes every day. Then you build the will power. What is the will power? If your mind says, ―I want to do it,‖ and again in a second moment, mind says ―I don’t want to do it whether I should do it or not,‖ then it’s not guided by your buddhi, and there is no decision—then you cannot meditate. Your mind will be going to the same grove again. It’s better that you have gone through this before. And you build a determination: ―I will not do that which is not to be done! I will do that which is to be done!‖ And once you win, one day you will feel yourself delighted from within. You’ll find your shakti, your energy. Why your will power weakens? Because you decide that you will do it and you don’t do it. ―I will do it. I will wake up at six o’clock,‖ and you wake up at nine Page 31 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama o’clock—eight o’clock—nine thirty. Or think, ―Oh, I am too young; I should sleep. When I become old, then I will think about it.‖ These thoughts—today you decide to do something and you cannot do it, which you know is good for you, which is accepted as good for you, where there is no conflict and you know this is good for you. Waking up in the morning is good and healthy for you. Nobody can say that that’s unhealthy. And you don’t. That way you lose your will power. Lack of determination! Will power! You decide to do something and you cannot do. And you know. You don’t need any knowledge, you don’t need any teacher. That habit which leads you to the grooves of sloth and inertia is very dangerous. According to meditative order, or school of Buddhism, Zen or Zazen—any meditative school—you learn to be very (alert?). According to the school of Patanjali, the codifier of yoga science, (Sanskrit). You have to be very firm if you really want to do. Life is very short, the task is hard, vast. You have to complete it. You don’t want for next life. You don’t postpone your joy and happiness for next life. Why do you not want to enjoy in this life, right now? With full determination! Your will power weakens when you first do sankalpa, ―I will do it,‖ and then you don’t do it. After some time, the buddhi refuses to tell you what to do and what not to do. And then you are in a state of limbo. Then your manas doesn’t get any guidance. To guide manas, to build determination, small dialogue every day So for that, small dialogue every day should be done. Don’t fight with yourself. If you think there is something which you cannot do, go to your teacher, go to the person who can help you. Go to him who doesn’t exploit you, who helps you, and tell him, ―This is how I want to do. What shall I do?‖ Many things can be done in front of something. How Swami Rama sat for nine hours I tell you, according to my monastic order, I was supposed to attain four hours, thirty-six minutes steady posture. I could do four hours, thirty minutes, but could not go to thirty-six. I cried! And as I started feeling that complex, ―Look, these other swamis. What my master expects me to do, I expect from myself. What is this? Why not six minutes?‖ Up to thirty minutes I was very successful. But after thirty minutes, too much restlessness, and I could not. Little bit ego problem was there because of my relationship Page 32 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama with my master. He was not only my master, he was my father, too. He was more than my father and mother to me. So one day he smiled—he knew—but he wanted me to speak. I said, ―When you know, why do you not tell me?‖ He said, ―No. I am not a spokesman for you. You’d better tell me. Sit down here. What do you want?‖ I said, ―I cannot go beyond thirty minutes—four hours and thirty minutes, I can. But six minutes are so horrible!‖ He said, ―Sit down in front of me.‖ And he told me, ―Don’t move! I am looking at you.‖ Nine hours I sat! So sometimes guidance helps. When you are not successful in completing what you want, after making effort, then somebody whom you trust, who is really selfless, who doesn’t charge fee for these things, you should sit and say, ―This is my problem. Can you help me?‖ If he’s a good teacher, he’ll say, ―Well, if it’s within my field I will. If it is not within my field, I am sorry, you should find out somewhere, or you should go to such and such person.‖ It becomes easy. I give you practices and you never come and see me—never tell me what the problem is. I ask you ―How are you doing?‖ ―Fine.‖ Even if you are sick you call ―Fine.‖ Now, perhaps I can help you, serve you. It benefits me instead of benefiting you. My master always used to say, highest of the culture, peak of the culture of human civilization is that when every human being likes to work for others. Then the whole world will have a society of joyous people. Unfortunate thing is, everyone, all of us, are selfish. A teacher is selfish—he wants something from the student. He looks at the pockets of the student. And the student looks at teacher to know—but never practices. Sheer curiosity. ―I want to know more.‖ You want to know more, but how about practicing? ―That guarantee I cannot give, sir.‖ Simple dialogue in the morning—“Do not avoid this!” Simple dialogue with yourself in the morning. Look! Do not avoid this! If you want to live healthy life, most of you escape from yourself, from this dialogue. You Page 33 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama don’t want to. ―Oh, I cannot. I cannot close my eyes; I cannot make my room dark; I am afraid.‖ What do you mean by that? That you cannot face yourself. You have many such myths: ―This is bad, this is good, this is bad, this is good.‖ And all the time you identify yourself with bad and good which you have made in your mind. So for that, whatever you have done, don’t allow that, if you think bad, allow that bad to remain inside. No. Analyze it. Disburse it. And through real repentance, it can be done. Greatest of all therapies should be done every day Greatest of all therapies, that you should use every day. And then be free. This way, your will power will be not weakened; it will be strengthened. And then don’t tell Lord, ―Do this for me, and do this for me. Get me a car, my Lord.‖ No, ―Give me strength so that I can buy a car,‖ is the right prayer. But ―Give me a good car, Lord; give me a good woman; give me a good man‖—this is called egocentric prayer. Don’t learn that. ―Give me strength. Give me that determination, that will power, so that I can have power to do.‖ After simple dialogue, then prayer to strengthen determination and will So once you go through that simple dialogue, then you go through that prayer to strengthen your determination and will power. And make experiments. [00:43] It doesn’t matter if you commit mistakes. But if you go on committing mistakes, that’s not good. That’s not healthy. With this simple dialogue, backing all the sources, then I will do all my duties with full attention. You have to accept your duties and do them skillfully This duty business—I want to talk little bit about it, because you should know it. Duty makes all of you slaves. You’ll have to accept it. And without doing duty you cannot live. So it’s a very serious problem. Here duty makes slave. Because, I tell you to sit down. ―You have come to me, I am your teacher?‖ You say, ―Yes.‖ And I engage you in talk, discussion and instruction. After sometime you start moving like this. ―Are you in a hurry?‖ ―Yes, my children will be coming from school, and my husband needs attention— this needs attention.‖ What is it? Duty makes you a slave. It’s a fact. Yet you cannot live without doing duty. Therefore, you should learn to discharge your duties with love. Page 34 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Otherwise, that creates a serious anxiety and problem within you, and nobody can help you. You need inner strength to deal with that. So, you need to understand. Do your duty skillfully, as much you can, lovingly. Accept it. ―I don’t want to go to my office, but I have to pay the bills.‖ Now you are going to office to pay the bills, yet you don’t want to. In America, this is a very serious problem. Nobody wants to do any job, yet he has to pay the bills. So people are doing the jobs for the bills. And that creates a serious problem. A doctor gets fed up with his good practice—two hundred and fifty thousand dollar practice—gets fed up. Okay. What do you want to do? ―I want to paint the houses. I want to be free.‖ This I find in day to day life. Why? Because if you learn to do your duty lovingly, then that will not create serious problem for you. You are forcing yourself to do something, though you do not want to do it. It means a serious division within you. You do the same thing with your wife. Wife does the same thing. Wife does not want to sleep with the husband some times. It is not necessary that she is sort of slave doing things all the time what husband wants. Sometimes she doesn’t want to. But husband says, ―What does she do? She imitates. ―Honey, I like you, and I love you, and you are beautiful, and you are handsome.‖ Such imitation. They confessed it to me that that’s something they do. And men also try. Does want to sleep, does not want to make love, but he tries to show what a virile man is he. Partners should discuss—not by doing puja All these actions are injurious for you. It is better for the partners to understand each other and not to show off, and not to imitate, but to have consideration for each other. Our purpose of life is to attain spirituality, and that we have not done. We have been repeatedly loving each other. What has happened? They should discuss it. What is this spirituality? Not by going to puja room for a few minutes and lighting a lamp and doing incense and saying something, and then going out. They should discuss this. Few minutes dialogue, then start doing meditation Do meditation through Sri Vidya method So few minutes this dialogue, and then you should start doing meditation. Meditation is a very simple method. But here, the subject matter is, meditation through the system of Sri Vidya. That’s the subject matter. Page 35 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Knowledge of chakras is important What is that Sri Vidya? Now, the knowledge of chakras, which I will give you in brief, is very important. After you understand your inner man, then you want to get inside more, you want to know more about life. So far I’ve been answering your questions, now I want to pose a few questions from you today. Three points in systematic meditation What is important in meditation systematically, I want in three points. Any of you can explain? Only three lines. What do you attain in meditation? Do you want to say or do I have to say? Since you have not done anything, then I will have to say. First, learn steady and comfortable posture First thing you should learn to attain is steady and comfortable posture, during meditation. First requirement is steady, comfortable posture. What do you mean by steady? Keeping your head, neck and trunk in a straight line is called steadiness. Of course, assimilating these upper and lower extremities, upper and lower limbs, go with it. But main point is to keep head, neck and trunk in a straight line. This is called steadiness, according to the school of meditation. But at the same time you should not do in a way so that you go through strain. That could be exercise, but not for meditation. It should be comfortable. So when your posture has become steady and comfortable—that’s the first thing you attend—what’s the second thing you attend? Guest: Breathing. Sw. Rama: Why breathing? You are already breathing. Why do you want to know more? What do you mean by breathing? Guest: (unintelligible questions) ―I want to give you short cut this time‖ All breathing practices are to regulate the lungs Sw. Rama: You forget the lesson. I want to give you the gist. I want to give you short cut this time. I don’t want you to go through lengthy process. All the practices of Page 36 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama breathing are done, are practiced, to regulate the motion of lungs—all the respiratory practices. All the practices of pranayama in which kumbhaka is involved, they are done to have co-relationship with mind, because mind and breath are twin laws of life, and they work together, the function together, the live together, they are the best friends. And I taught you that breathing. Anyone of you remember? Quickly. It’s a preliminary. Several Voices at Once (unintelligible) Sw. Rama: Why this many statements when there is only one teacher? It means that maybe there is something wrong with me. It means I don’t teach you well. And I am held responsible for your un-success. Guest: (unintelligible) Sw. Rama: No, that’s a role for the breathing. You have to see the capacity of your inhalation and exhalation first, and always go with it. After you do that, repentance, then steady posture. Start with easy posture Now in the beginning, [sitting on floor] start with the easy posture. [demonstrates sukhasana] Find out which type posture is easiest for you. [00:53] Actually, so far, you have not known the real meaning of posture. [00:53] Posture does not mean only twisting the legs and hands. Posture means that your head, neck, and trunk should be in a straight line. That is posture. You can have a support. Your support should be so that it is up to here, [over the head] so that your head, neck, and trunk in a straight line, is supported in a way. But suppose sometimes you do like this. You do like this. You do like this. [moving about] Because of shakti chalana, the shakti, the energy, might distort you, because you have not the capacity. You have to increase, strengthen, your capacity. You can use a plank for support So you can use some support. That support should not be wall. If it is wall, then there should be a plank. Why do you not just make a meditation seat, and then do it? We had a swamiji, whose name I used to put ―Jimi Chipak? I used to call him. This is a typical Hindi word—‖glued on the earth.‖ He used to sit in a way—it was an example for us—nobody sat like that. And my master appreciated. My master said, ―If anyone has learned from me, he has learned!‖ And he never knew how to sign his name. But whenever we had difficulty or problem in understanding any Upanishad or saying, he Page 37 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama would come and tell us, and go away. He heard so much, that he remembered all the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, all the scriptures. And he did not know how to sign his name. So first thing he learned was how to sit still. That which makes you comfortable, yet steady is posture for you But for learning to sit still, you have to be very active, too. If you do not do enough exercises and learn to sit still, well, you’ll find problems. That is one thing. For learning to be still, you have to do exercises too. Today you do like this, and tomorrow you do like this, and third day you do like this, and you change. That’s not good. Watch which posture is comfortable for you, and then do it. Sukasana. That which makes you comfortable, that makes you steady, is the posture for you. You should begin with it. Now, it’s nature that is teaching you. After some time you’ll find that this body has become supple, then you start sitting like this. [half lotus] And then you start doing siddhasana. It might take you one or two years. If not you can sit on chair or sofa. But this is the nature. Nature will lead you, if you are sitting like this, nature after some time will lead you to do this.[half lotus] And then teacher will say, ―No, there is another thing which we have experimented and that is called adept pose.‖ Serious students should practice accomplished pose or siddhasana Those who are serious students, those who have physical capacity also, those who have time and energy, should practice accomplished pose. It’s a myth—many teachers say siddhasana should not be practiced; it’s not good for householders. That’s not true. After four hours and thirty-six minutes, it may be little bit difficult for the people. I have seen that swami. You know Bhagavatam? It’s a story. The pandits recite Bhagavatam, the whole of Bhagavatum it takes many days—seven days. And this swami whom I was talking, he was my personal tutor in the cave, his name was Nirvanji. Very illiterate. I used to go to English school and he would say, ―Come on, you read.‖ I would say, ―I am reading.‖ And he would say, ―No! Loudly!‖ So when I used to get disgusted I used to say, ―This stupid fellow sitting in front of me and he not understanding. He said, ―I want you to read loudly so that I hear what you are saying. I don’t care what you say. That’s your business.‖ He said, ―Even if you give me bad names, I don’t mind.‖
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Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama He would sit in .. posture. Now there is only one weakness in common. For most of the time I sit on my seat, but I do enough exercise. When you sit for meditation you feel ache and pain because you have not done exercise. Learning to stand on the head means what? Learning to walk on your feet. That’s the real meaning. Real meaning is learn to walk on your feet. You don’t walk on your head. After you attain this, don’t do any meditation. Just sit down and tell yourself ―You are steady and you are comfortable.‖ Survey yourself for relaxation And survey yourself—all the parts of the body are comfortable and steady. You’ll find body muscles are okay. But there is something that is disturbing you: not perfectly coordinated will. It’s not a long course. If you start today, and if you can continue for six months, you have done it! But if you cannot continue for even a week, even if you know the technique, then you have not attained anything. So just relax. Actually, this is relaxation. What creates that problem? Breath. The finest of breaths, the final exercise which I am going to give you is this. And this should be practiced. Then comes pranayama Then comes pranayama exercise. I have not taught any pranayama up to this time. ―Pra‖ means first, ―na‖ means unit—first unit of energy which is already within you. How it is charged through breathing, that is pranayama. ―Yama‖ means control; ―prana‖ means the vehicles that supply energy. How to control them so that they are regulated. Breathing exercises are different from pranayama Breathing exercises are different. They are superficial, they are important, but they are superficial. They are not called pranayama. They prepare you to do pranayama. Pranayama are the deeper exercises. They can be done mentally. Through pranayama, you can apply sushumna; not through breathing Through pranayama you can apply sushumna; through breathing you cannot. That’s the difference. Page 39 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Through pranayama you can have kumbhaka for long time Through pranayama you can have kumbhaka for long time. A human being has immense potentials—no limit. [01:01] So I used to say, ―Nirvanji, don’t you get tired?‖ He said, ―Tired of what? I’m not walking, I’m not doing any work. Why should I be tired? Tell me when do you get tired. When you work hard?‖ I said, ―Yes.‖ ―But I am sitting gently.‖ I could not convince him. He would say, ―What do you mean by tired? And if you can be comfortable for ten minutes, why not be comfortable for two hours?‖ And I could not answer his questions. ―What do you mean by tired? I am sitting comfortably.‖ I said, ―Why do you not change postures?‖ He said, ―That’s not good. That would make me tired,‖ he said. So when you sit—gradually—it’s a gradual process. Because it is not in your culture, nobody teaches you, you have to culture yourself. You have to do that. These are simple, small things, but you should know that. Few minutes. During that time when you don’t have to do any duties, I’m talking about. I’m talking about —?— time. If you sit ten minutes, then forty minutes of exercise But remember that. The ratio is, that if you sit ten minutes, then forty minutes you’ll have to do exercise. This is the ratio. And after that you will have to do movements. Often you say, ―My feet are sleeping; they have become numb.‖ Lack of exercise. They will be numb. But if you do exercise, there will be no numbness if your posture is correct. Page 40 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Now ―shortest cut‖ I am giving you Leave that nose business—you have done enough—use mental effort Change breath consciously once a day Now shortest cut I am giving you this time. Leave all that nose business. You have done enough. You have done for many years. Now you have to use your mental effort to regulate your breath. For simple reason, if you pay attention on this, (indicates left nostril) that nostril will become active. If you pay attention on this (indicates right nostril) that nostril will become active. You should learn to change the breath consciously once in a day, so that breath functions according to your conscious control. Hey! Can you believe one thing? And whether you believe or not, I assure you when I drop my body you all will know, and I will tell you first. This can be done. Very easy. Simple. Very simple. I don’t want my body to be snatched from me by so-called death. Yes, disease will be there because body is subject to disease. Any body. It’s not immortal. But body is mine and I have to know how to change, how to drop it. You don’t lie in the bed and wait for death to come, and doctor to pump, and create all these problems for you. Yes, if they help, if they make you comfortable, it’s okay. But you should learn the method of wearing your body, dropping your body, for it’s important garment for you. I have witnessed many such cases, and we are taught that. And it’s simple, and this is the only method that procedure is the same. Will power! If you eat something and don’t like it, you’ll find blisters in your mouth. Have you noticed that? Any of you? Something you eat which you don’t like to eat, you’ll find blisters in your mouth. How the blisters occur? Something happens in your mind and you start crying. It’s not physical pain. How does it happen? And you start sobbing, and suddenly your breath changes. How does it happen. You get sad, and suddenly you start going to bathroom. How does it happen? When you note all these Marma points, you’ll come to know that there’s something from within, something from inside, that motivates you to function. Agni sara is the finest of all exercises in yoga So after attaining a steady and comfortable posture, then you learn one practice— very good practice. Straight away you can practice it. This is compared with the Page 41 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama physical exercises. Finest of all exercises—which is the finest of all exercises in yoga? Agni sara. Are you teaching anybody, Shanta? Where is Shanta? Okay. If it is done correctly, it’s a unique exercise. A man of eighty or a hundred has energy like a man of twenty-five years old. This is a wonderful thing, provided you do agni sara, as agni sara is powerful, vigorous, wonderful exercise that activates the solar system. So there is one single breathing exercise. And the ratio, and how far it should be, and how much it should be done, I’m going to tell you. Change breath by simply meditating This arrow indicated inhalation, and this arrow indicates exhalation. Prana and apana. Now first what do you do? You don’t do with your mental effort. You have known this system. Don’t forget that. You have known how to change your breath from right to left and from left to right, by simply meditating. Now, for attention, you see, breath will change. Now you don’t know how to apply sushumna—that’s another high technique. You need technique, then mind will not go to the world; mind will not have any negative thinking. But mind will be in a joy, and then you can meditate. No noise, jerks, or shallowness in breath But we are talking of breath here. In this, you do not have to observe anything, except you don’t unnecessarily create the pause. Basic rule: you don’t create any noise, you don’t create any jerks, and you don’t breathe shallowly. Whatever we are teaching, it’s never opposed by science. No. It’s not something overtly done. It’s something very concrete, scientifically. Double the ratio in breathing—two-to-one breathing Now what is happening when you breathe? What happens to your breath? It goes to the storehouse called lungs, and then from there goes to the other parts of the body, and then returns as carbon dioxide to your lungs. Here you are forcing yourself not to allow the toxins to be built, and any toxins that are there, should be expelled. Unique method. You just double the ratio here. If you have capacity of inhaling, one, two, three, four, then you should learn to exhale one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. You might become breathless. It means you have misjudged your capacity. Come down to three. Do not go so fast. Your face will tell you that you are doing breathing exercises. There will be a glow in your face. When Swami Vivekananda met a swami, a yogi, the yogi said, ―Talk about tomorrow and I already know. You are wasting your time and Page 42 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama energy.‖ And his name was Pahardi Baba at Ghaziapur. He wrote a book, ―Colombo to Almora‖, his experiences traveling from Ceylon to Almora mountain. And on the way he met sages, so I’m talking about this. ―Talk about tomorrow.‖ ―Rationally, it’s nothing,‖ Swami Vivekananda said. ―Through yoga and meditation you can find out what is going to happen tomorrow.‖ ―I’m searching for something.‖ That swami was very enlightened. He said, ―That something is also here. That something is—no matter what happens in the world, pain or pleasure, you find that tranquility.‖ He found that this man has those qualities. He’s all-knower, and at the same time, nothing disturbs him. [01:13] He examined him by insulting him, by doing things which you don’t do towards any great men. Nothing. By tempting him, ―Whole world knows me, sir, and I want to be your disciple.‖ He didn’t. He said, ―Sir, give me the preliminaries. I want to become your disciple.‖ He said, ―No. You are a disciple of a great man, no doubt. Why do you want to do it? But I will teach you what you want to learn.‖ He said ―Teach one thing.‖ When breath and mind are perfectly coordinated, then no pause So what did he say? ―Breath and mind, when they are perfectly coordinated, and the practice is accomplished, then they function this way. There is no pause at all.‖ Pause means killer. Pause means death. It means you have annihilated death when you have done breathing like this. Then past, present, and future become one and the same. Theoretically, you can understand, but it’s difficult to accomplish. But yogis do accomplish it. Three steps I’m going to teach you In first step—which I will tell you the second step also—three steps I’m going to teach you because there are many people who have been practicing and they have come from a distance and they want to learn. I want to teach. But next time if you come, I am going to make you sit and do it in front of me. And if you don’t do it, I’m going to whip you! Yes, it’s too much now! Page 43 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama At least six months to go to breath of thirty Start it from three, then four, then six, then eight, then ten, then twelve, then fourteen, then sixteen, then eighteen. Like this. Go up to thirty. Not difficult. But it should at least take six months time. At least. Your body will be free of toxins and disease free . This is higher nadi shodhanam. Your body will not have any sort of toxins. Your body will be disease free. Your body will look like baby and smooth, like silk. And this will help mind. When you are doing this, mind is following. It is a sort of training for the mind too. The two are trained together. If you are doing exercise of this, you are training all your five fingers. When you are doing this exercise, mind is also being trained. It’s a training of mind, also, because mind and breath—in my opinion, those who are committed to do sadhana, who want to do sadhana, should pay attention towards this method more than all the nadi shodanams. This is higher nadi shodanam. Easiest posture for this is shavasana In which posture do you do that? Easiest is shavasana. Put a pillow—you come [01:17] down and I’ll tell you. Bring your pillow. Lie down here. A little pillow is needed, because what happens, sometimes without pillow, gases disturb. And if your bowel movement was not regular, if there was not enough roughage in your food, if you did not chew your food—so apana vayu, a gastric problem, can disturb you a little bit. So that’s why this is done. Now, apply ashwini mudra Diaphragmatic breathing is basic and leads to agni sara Now, apply ashwini mudra—squeeze your bottom gently. Squeeze your buttocks. Have you done? Okay. Now don’t think of it again. Close your eyes gently. Now do your diaphragmatic breath. Agni sara—see what the system is—diaphragmatic breath is basic, and that leads you to agni sara. But system is the same. When you push in your abdomen you should exhale. When you inhale, it should relax. You need to relax during that time. Push in as much as you can, and relax gently and let it come out. Exhale when you push in, start inhaling when you relax, so that more space is done. Page 44 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Now, this exercise—first you do this. Now, with that, gently do one to four exhalation, and then eight. And now inhale four and then do eight. First thing you do when you start, you do exhalation first, to start with. Not inhalation—exhalation. Try to do eight exhalations. First one or two times you can become breathless, but there is no harm. Those who do not know yoga exercise, in deep sense, they think that in yogic process there are no aerobic exercises. There are. The headstand is like that. Peacock is like that. Shoulder stand is like that. Breathing exercises—you can make your rate very high, or you can lower down your rate. There is no exercise in the world to lower down your rate except yoga exercises. But I believe that both exercises should be done: aerobic and anaerobic. Focus your mind on the navel Now mentally count, focusing your mind on the navel. You have exhaled, now you are inhaling. Now you are exhaling. Now count, one, two, three, four, with this— seconds. And without anything you exhale eight. If you find difficulty, then it means you’ve started too much, so do it less. [01:22] When you go up to thirty, you will find yourself as though you are floating. You’ll feel that you are really floating. You are already floating in the air, though you are on the earth. All your cells are floating in the air. This exercise is very helpful. If two inhalation, four exhalation—but this ratio, you should be gradually doing it. And on and often, you should contact your teacher who teaches you—ask him, ―I feel this problem.‖ Sometimes you breathe like this. (gasps). It means you are trying to go beyond your capacity. Take your time. If you have patience to do it for six months, and continue this without any interruption, you’ll have very good health. Your skin will show you how clean is your body, how wonderful is your health. Digestion will be improved; thinking will be improved; your memory will sharpen. Anyone can tell that you are doing something which makes you very lively. Okay, son, you can go. Next step is to minimize the pause Now, next step. After you have done this, try to minimize pause. You have already attained counts. Don’t start it from the very beginning. Try to attain first thing. Then second step, minimize pause. I know only few people will do it—those who have been doing—they will try. But I promise, any time they contact me for this purpose, I am available. No problem. If you don’t do, I will know. Because I might ask you questions Page 45 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama and you are not doing it. You have just wasted my time. Now (most all?) come to do it. Between nine and ten, I give you the time, those who are doing in the morning, to telephone me and I’ll answer your questions. And for special strength, those who have already been doing something—between nine and ten in the evening—my time. Honesdale time. If there is no pause, you have annihilated time If there will be no pause, then you have annihilated time. You got kripa of mother. You have done your efforts, and you have got kripa of the Mother Divine. For time, space, and causation, are directly under Her guidance and control. And nobody can annihilate then. Even Rama Avatar, after many thousand years’ rule, he forgot that his time was over. King of death came to visit and say, ―Sir, your time is over.‖ Yogi’s time is never over, because he has known how to annihilate this pause. Pause means death. If I create pause, long pause—exhale and never inhale—I am dead! If I inhale and ever exhale, I am dead! Pause means death. If you know annihilate pause, you are free. You have gone beyond death. Look, without these exercises—these are preliminary exercises, important exercises, for going beyond, for creating special culture for your mind, for culturing, cultivating, your mind so that your mind is not this mind—because this mind, at present, is not capable to go beyond. But that mind which is cultivated, has potentiality to go to deeper levels of your being. A time comes when the boat says, ―You have crossed the river, now you go ahead.‖ You don’t carry boat with you. So your mind, such a mind, becomes a boat which helps you to go beyond. Two exercises. This cannot happen if you do not practice. You are inhaling, and you are exhaling. Are you with me?
Attention on ajna, vishuddha, and anahata So you pay attention on this particular point. Not on this, or on this, or on this. (Indicates ajna, vishuddha, and anahata chakras). Many people do not interpret the scriptures rightly. ―Nasagre dhyanam kurat.‖ I’ve seen pandits doing. (Turns eyeballs upwards). They think this is nasagre. Nasagre is here. (points to place where bridge of nostrils meets upper lip). That is a different kriya called trataka—to train the eyes, to make eyes one-pointed. When the horse is led on buggy, there are two flaps at the eyes, Page 46 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama because animal cannot concentrate. But you are human being! There is a difference! So that is for exercise of eyes. But this is not. This is here. First learn to change breath—takes three to six months When you first learn how to change your breath from right to left and left to right, then you try to concentrate. It might take some time—three to six months—to attain this. But if you can do it, sometimes it can take nine months or one year. Then you have done. Then sushumna application It is called sushumna application. The sign and symptom of sushumna application is wonderful—to have a great joy. You don’t find any reason: your financial position has not increased, you don’t have any new girl friend, you don’t have any boy friend, nothing new. But you find great joy from within. What’s the matter? Sometimes you feel, where will you go? The joy is trying to bust! You cannot retain such a joy. Oh my Lord! Such a great joy! You cannot explain. That is a sign of sushumna application. Another clear symptom is, both nostrils start flowing freely. You find this in children when they are very happy, and they want to meet you. And that intermediate period between meeting and face to face, that leads to that. I leave you here. And then tomorrow’s subject matter is more serious than this. And I want you to prepare for more time than you have today. Question: (unintelligible) …otherwise a cushion is kept. Ashwini mudra should be learned Sw. Rama: No. You’ll learn that. Otherwise a cushion is kept. Actually, aswini mudra should be learned. How many of you do this practice which I taught you before? Very few hands. Dr. Prendergast, you come over here. How many times I taught you this exercise but you don’t do it. No exercise on the earth can compare with this exercise. There is an area which is never exercised. Rectal muscles, anal, bladder. These finer muscles are not exercised. And this one exercise will help. Many men and women have this complaint in many ways. They come to me. This is a complain. If somebody does this exercise, they will not have that complaint at all. Come on and get up. Now you explain what I am doing. And you do exactly the same. Because I told you long ago to do this and you have not done it. Am I right? Page 47 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama You frankly say and will not lie to people? Dr. Prendergast: No. Sw. Rama: Okay. The doctor is not supposed to, huh? (Swamiji demonstrates aswini mudra). Now, I’m not making any movement. Physically you can see I am not moving. My breathing is usual. I am relaxed. Now what happened to my bottom? Where did it go? Dr. Prendergast: It contracted. Sw. Rama: See how small? Huh? Now you wait. Did I teach you this before? Why did you not do it? Come on and do it? Nothing is happening! l am going to tell your wife to observe this! Okay. She’ll be your teacher. Okay? This is a very unique exercise. Wonderful exercise. Did you see the control I have? Dr. Prendergast: Yes. Sw. Rama: What did you see? Dr. Prendergast: I just felt everything going in. Sw. Rama: Completely vanish? Dr. Prendergast: Yes. Sw. Rama: So why is it not happen here with you? Come on! Put them together. And when did I teach you this? How many years ago? Dr. Prendergast: Quite some time ago. Then you’ll have control over your autonomic nervous system Sw. Rama: See! How many years? Five or six years ago. And you have not done anything! Not even one inch! You should be able to contract them so much, so that it becomes a small ball. And then relax so much. This way you’ll have control over your autonomic nervous system—conscious control over your unconscious activity in the body. It’s a very good exercise. And there’s another book we have written. What is the name of the book? Exercise Without Movement. How many of you do at least these exercises? They are good exercises. I want you to do some good exercises. The writer is sitting there. Get up. Yeah. Page 48 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama This is one of the unique exercises. There are many other exercises. Every part of body is exercised. Here every part of the body can be exercised. And it will not take much time. Next time I’ll make you a subject. Tomorrow I’ll see that you do it in front of me, and then I will lead you to the focal point. What should be the focal point for your mind? And how does it fit in to this path of samaya and Sri Vidya. We’ll discuss this. God bless you. END OF LECTURE 2 Page 49 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Lecture Three I pray to the Divinity in you. I’ll give you five minutes for questions, and then start the subject. No questions? Question: Yesterday you mentioned that three things were necessary, and I am clear on the first one—a steady, comfortable position—but I’m not clear on the second, and I don’t remember hearing the third. Sw. Rama: Unclear means, breath should be serene breath. And you should learn to practice the exercise which was given to you: if you inhale four, exhalation should be eight. Today I am touching the point between inhalation and exhalation, and that is called kumbhaka. Are you listening to me? Okay. First thing is steady and comfortable posture First thing is to attain a position, pose or posture, which is steady and comfortable, by practicing one and the same posture every day. Second thing is inhalation, exhalation, and pause Second thing, to understand three things in the breath: inhalation, exhalation, and pause. If you have control over the pause, you have control over death. The yogis willfully drop their bodies by having control over the pause. Another way of dropping the body is by having will power with sankalpa shakti. Third way of dropping body, is by knowing the span of life, and then dropping the body. Third point is how to be free from the samskaras Third point is, how to be free from the samskaras—which I am touching today— the past impressions. Because all the human beings I find you all haunted by the idea, ―I am not good. I cannot do this. I am not capable of doing this. I am impure.‖ And the mistake is that you identify yourself with your actions instead of identifying yourself with your true Self. That’s a mistake. If you think you have done something which is not right, don’t repeat it and you’re free. Why create that guilt complex? As toxins are injurious for the physical body and nervous system, such negative thoughts are injurious to your mind. And mind over body reflects all your Page 50 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama negative thinking, guilt, which are necessary and which are not needed—reflect through your body. [00:02] Lie detector will not work if you follow this process Lie detector will not work if you follow this process. Because you’ll be not lying; you are free. You are born every moment. That which you were yesterday, you are not the same today. You are born today—you are born right now. Anyway, I’ll teach you that process. So there are three things I told you yesterday—what are they? Student: Regulating the motion of the lungs was the second thing—the two to one breathing. And I am also looking for the third point, Swamiji. Dialogue is the first step Sw. Rama: I told you. Mind. Dialogue is the first step, but ultimately that dialogue should lead to purify your mind, to make your mind free from all the samskaras. Student: I would like to inquire about the practice that you gave yesterday—the breathing practice as related to aswini mudra. As your breath gets longer, should you — ?— in applying that? Sw. Rama: It is not related to aswini mudra. Aswini mudra is entirely different. Student: —?— aswini mudra requires two to one breathing, Swamiji. Sw. Rama: Because I don’t want apana vayu—exhalation, inhalation, to clash. Student: I thought it should be applied... Sw. Rama: No, hold just once. Because you don’t have that practice. Student: Swamiji, what is the difference between turiya, samadhi and saundarya lahari? How you grade them together and which one is easier for completion? When you have done your human effort, then grace dawns Sw. Rama: If you are searching for something easy, then have coca cola bottle. Open it, drink it, and then throw it away. Learn to make human effort. And when you have done your human effort, then there dawns a grace that is called descending force. When you have accomplished the whole process of ascending force, then that peak you touch, there dawns descending force. It’s not difficult, but it cannot be called easy. Page 51 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Student: My question was, which would be tried first, which one should be tried second, and which one should be tried third. Sw. Rama: Now, you’ll have to sit with your teacher. He will examine your attitudes, tendencies, capacity, and then he will tell you. It’s a prescription. One prescription is not given to all. It depends on where the block lies. Guest: Swamiji, in the breathing exercise you gave yesterday, was there a specific number of repetitions we were to do, or just do it once? Do the breathing exercise three to five times to start Do it two times a day—then three, but not more Sw. Rama: No, you have to do it many times. You have to do three to five times to start with, and if you make that effort, two times a day—then do three times, but don’t go beyond three, and it will help you. Guest: (unintelligible) Do it in shavasana to begin, then later in sitting position Sw. Rama: No, in corpse position to begin with, but later on you should do it in sitting position. Guest: Swamiji, you talked about eliminating the pause, and you gave the story of Vivekananda being told that when you eliminate the pause you can understand future time, et cetera. That’s obviously a more advanced practice than us doing five rounds and eliminating the pause? Sw. Rama: Yes. He told me yesterday that I did not talk about pause. I talked about pause but he was sleeping during that time. I will repeat that again. Guest: You said that the two to one breathing is usually held 30 seconds. Is that the inhalation or the exhalation. Sw. Rama: I never talked about holding. Guest: (unintelligible) Sw. Rama: I didn’t say that. Guest: Did you mean that you do this all the time during the day? Page 52 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Sw. Rama: No, no. Only during the practice. Increase the capacity. Guest: Will you explain more about what you mean by repentance and how to practice that. True repentance means not to repeat Sw. Rama: True repentance means not to repeat. That’s all. There is no ritual in it. Not to repeat. And if it is habit pattern, go to somebody, go to some place, practice for some time at that retreat, so that you don’t repeat what you don’t want to, and what you think in not right. And that is called repentance. Prayer to the Self sitting within you And prayer. The sort of prayer discussed yesterday, praying to the Self who is sitting deep within you, in the inner chamber of your being, thinking, understanding, feeling, and deciding that your whole body is a shrine, and the inner dweller is the real deva, and you are praying to him. This way, this awareness is strengthened. I am not talking about praying to someone who is outside you, far away from you, whom you have never seen, whom you have never know. At least you have known, that there is one who sees through your eyes, who listens through your ears, who motivates your whole being. So it’s there. [00:10] Guest: You said to get repentance, you said to go somewhere. In our lineage does that mean like going to a clinic somewhere, or does it mean going to a special...? Master said if you meet a teacher and he changes posture, then go away Sw. Rama: If the doctor is good, you can go to a clinic, if it’s a clinical subject. But if it’s not, you’d better go to a retreat where somebody can guide you and help you. I gave you instance where I could not sit. I could just sit up to certain period, and beyond that my body became very restless, and my master noticed but he did not tell me anything. So one day I told him, he said, ―Sit down in front of me.‖ I sat down and I accomplished that. So going somewhere means going to someone who practices. And when the master teaches the student, he teaches in one posture. This is the first sign. When I was asked to study with various teachers, my master told me, ―When you are talking to somebody and he changes his posture, then you must then go away. Page 53 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama First thing is posture First thing is posture. And I met somebody who used to look after me in my childhood in the monastery, my guardian, such a steady posture—statue like—and he did not know how to move. And he was very comfortable. Very knowledgeable person. And he never read anything. Nobody taught him. But he heard so much that he knew all the scriptures—Bible and Koran—all the scriptures. He used to register through hearing. [00:12]. Those competent teachers who have learned from their teachers, and who have experienced. So, I told you to go to such a place, such a teacher who can help you, who can guide you, who understands you. Guest: [about manas, chitta, ahamkara, buddhi] ...we need to be trained. Then we are the trainees. Who is the trainer? The trainer is the self that watches over all the functions Sw. Rama: The trainer is the self that watches over all these functions. Your awareness. It’s a total awareness. Guest: (unintelligible) Sw. Rama: No, but it travels through various avenues. It’s like a lamp which has many shades. Suppose your lamp has got five shades. The lamp light is very dim. That is also awareness. If you take off one shade, light is little bit clearer. That is also awareness. If you take off another—complete awareness, absolute awareness is there where there is no shade. Guest: My question is, is there a proper prayer to the Divine Being within, asking for strength? Pray in your own language Sw. Rama: Nobody, actually, should fix up a prayer for you. You should pray in your own language, in your own way, with full determination and faith. It’s okay. There are Bibles and they talk about prayers. The prayers are made. But others should not make prayers for you. Nobody makes language for a newborn baby so that she can talk to her mother. It’s exactly like that. Pray in your own language, as silently as possible. Page 54 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Guest: Swamiji, during the two to one breathing, are you focusing on one side and then on the other? Sw. Rama: I told you not to use your fingers, [nadi shodanum] no. Do it mentally. You can do. I gave you the example. Then you should start doing that. Guest: Do you follow the breath down the body? Follow the breath as long as you have capacity Sw. Rama: You follow the breath as long as you have capacity. Guest: (unintelligible)....knowledge and information. Sw. Rama: Which knowledge? That also I described. Knowledge that is subject to sense perception—no. Knowledge that is partial, given through our mind—no. Knowledge through scriptures—no. Which knowledge? Direct knowledge! Guest: —?—said—I don’t know—said (jnana bandha?). What does that mean? Sw. Rama: From where did you learn this? Guest: From —?—. Sw. Rama: Then you should find out from her. Then I will let you know. Intuitive knowledge needs no confirmation; it sharpens buddhi Direct knowledge means when you come in touch with your intuitive knowledge, the infinite library within you, then you are using that knowledge for which you do not need any evidence, any support. Simple mathematics: two and two make four. We do not need anyone’s advice in that. Intuitive knowledge is that knowledge which helps you to decide, judge, discriminate, sharpens your buddhi so that you don’t have any doubt. You don’t need any confirmation from any source. You don’t need any support from anyone. That is beyond your mind. It means, when you calm down your mind, have perfect understanding with your mind, then you receive that knowledge. That knowledge starts flowing then. [00:17] Guest: [unintelligible…] Page 55 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Avidya is bandha; actual knowledge does not create bandha Sw. Rama: (Avidya?) is bandha; (upa knowledge?) is not bandha. This knowledge is bandha. And this creates bandha. But actual knowledge does not create bandha. It’s a (Siva?) sutra, it’s not Brahma Sutra. Guest: Swamiji, what’s the nature of the initiation for jnana? Is there jnana diksha or something? What is the nature of...? Mahavakyas are given to renunciates and monks Sw. Rama: In the Upanishads there are mahavakyas, great sayings. When the sages renounce—the renunciates and monks—and contemplate on those—they are called mahavakyas. The mahavakya is given by the teacher, by the guru. This is your mahavakya according to your tradition. Guest: You mean that (question in Hindi] Sw. Rama: (unintelligible) I have not seen. It should be understood. This is inhalation, and this is exhalation. This arrow indicates inhalation, and that, exhalation. In shavasana, go up to ratio of thirty to sixty Now, whole technique—why this should be practiced—you are already breathing. Why should it be mastered? To omit or to expand is one and the same thing. If you have power not to create, not to allow the pause—then you have power to expand. It’s one and the same thing. In shavasana, first you say two to four. With that ratio you go to thirty to sixty. When it is perfected, thirty to sixty, you don’t feel any uneasiness—then the next step you try to omit this pause. It’s a very interesting subject. Those who practice this are called pranavedins; omit the pause Those who practice this, that particular group is called pranavedana—those who know the mysteries of the pranas, the subtler forces of life. So they omit this. Exhale, a pause comes, then you inhale. Inhale, a pause comes. So you try to omit these two pauses. And then you have got capacity to expand. You can exhale and wait. You can inhale and wait. That is called kumbhaka. This is called rechaka. This is called puraka, and this is called kumbhaka. Page 56 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama I condensed entire method of breathing, and taught you short cut Lie in shavasana, apply mula bandha, make toes a point, So what I did, I condensed entire method of breathing, and taught you that it is easy and short cut if you practice this way. Use a pillow. • Use a pillow, lie down on the floor in shavasana, by applying mula bandha, and practicing— of course you have already done diaphragmatic breath—and then you practice this. • Make a point your toes. • Feel as though you are exhaling to your toes. • And then inhale through your toes to the crown of your head. • And then you start counting by watching your capacity, slowly expanding that. No haste is allowed in it. If you want to tread this path in two days time, ten days time, one month’s time, it’s not possible. It should not be done. Don’t hurt the finer tissues of your lungs. If you exert them, you will be hurting the finer tissues of your lungs. Once or twice a day, there will be clarity of mind But once or twice a day, if you do it, there will clarity of mind. You can see. Six days you don’t do and only one day you do—you’ll find clarity of mind on that day. Because mind and breath, they function together. They are close friends. They are twin laws of life. This should be understood. Follow yoga path, then later Vedanta There was a debate in our monastery once. When we follow the Vedantic principle, why should we follow yoga path? My master said, ―Yoga path should be followed. And when you have accomplished whatever yoga teaches you, then you follow Vedanta later. Without disciplining yourself, without equipping yourself, if you follow Vedanta, you are not able to assimilate. It’s just like drinking finest wine through dirty paper cup. Nobody does that. Best of the wines is taken through chalice. [00:23] I’m giving you condensed system, shortest cut So what I am trying to do—see I told you Shri Vidya is there, helps you going through all these hurdles and I’m giving you a system, what is condensed system, shortest cut, so that you can go safely beyond. I will not touch those points where you Page 57 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama have certain dangers. Because if you commit mistake, and uselessly make efforts as the books say—and I am warning teachers also—many teachers do not practice and then teach others just to do experiments. That’s a very dangerous thing to do. In books there are many things written. Some of the writers wrote them without knowing. Bad laya yoga can be dangerous I will tell you about a book on laya yoga. The writer writes. ―Let the earth be dissolved in the water; let water be dissolved in the fire; and let fire be dissolved in the air; and let air be dissolved in the sky.‖ What have you understood? Nothing. And suppose that you practice that your body is dissolving, and it is becoming water, and that water is being dissolved by the fire—then you’ll find a problem which cannot be cured by any medicine. Bad yoga practice can lead you to very dangerous situations for which there is no medicine. Suppose your pranic vehicles are disturbed because of your foolish practices that you have read through books. Where is the medicine for that? Therefore a teacher is needed, and teacher should be skilled enough not to mislead their students, not to make experiments on them. Let teachers make experiments on themselves. I don’t touch too much on kumbhaka; I avoid the subject So, we have always in the scriptures, warnings—yellow mark on the scriptures— ‖Don’t do it!‖ It’s a tradition. That’s why I do not touch too much, kumbhaka. Because you do not eat right food, you lead very hectic lives, you don’t watch your capacity. So I avoid the subject. But those who are students, and those who are treading the path—there is no harm and I will teach them. For bandhas are involved in it, and there are mainly three locks. When jalandhara bandha is applied, when uddiyana bandha is applied, and when mula bandha is applied—what you teach your student, you teach inhale and retain and exhale. The books say like that, but teacher don’t teach that way. Teachers say exhale first. First exhale, then inhale. That set is different. Now you inhale, then retain, then exhale. These things are not written in the books. First teach exhalation because of impurities; then teach inhalation first So directly a student comes and immediately you teach him inhalation. Because there is so much impurity in the lungs, how come you don’t have sense about it? So first Page 58 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama you should learn to teach students exhalation, not inhalation directly. Although the book says, ―inhalation, puraka; kumbhaka, and rechaka.‖ Experienced yogis will never write like that. In fact, what has happened, those who were very experienced, they did not have time to write. There are only few books written by those who were experienced, yet they had time to write, or they had students who noted down, jotted down their notes, and then published. You can easily find who is and who isn’t realized Most of the books on yoga philosophy and religion, history, are just myths and they create confusion. There is no clarity. You can easily find out somebody who is realized and somebody who is not realized. So therefore, scriptures does not mean books. Scriptures have categories. This subject you should practice in front of your teacher, or come to see teacher whenever you find, or understand what he says. Don’t interpret in a different way. Don’t translate it in your own way. It should not be allowed. First, steady and comfortable posture Again I repeat. First you sit down. Learn to attain steady and comfortable posture. First you come across with the tremors, because you are trying to discipline your body which was never disciplined. So body will move one way or another. It has nothing to do with kundalini! I think many people who smoke marijuana and take drugs they start doing this and this (rolls head from side to side), and they say it’s kundalini awakening! I was asked to speak in a group where everybody was doing like this (rotates head). I told the teacher, ―What are they doing?‖ He said, ―Their kundalini is awakened.‖ I said, ―If it is awakened, why do I speak to them—to whom?‖ So I started walking, and he said, ―No, no. Wait.‖ And I said, ―If they stop, then I’ll stop.‖ And everybody stopped! Nowhere in any shastra is it mentioned—no teacher will ever be foolish enough to teach his student to do like that (rotates head), and then call it kundalini awakening. Page 59 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama You sit down, and naturally your bottom will get warm. Naturally! ―My bottom is warm, so I have awakened my kundalini!‖ (much laughter in audience.) Okay, children, joke is over; now be serious! [00:31] It doesn’t matter if it takes two to six months to attain steady posture Then the breath—it might take six months—it’s easiest, shortest method It doesn’t matter if it takes two to six months to attain that steady posture, comfortable posture. Then the breath. It might take six months. Don’t jump here and there. It’s easiest, shortest, method. Don’t practice kumbhaka, retention. Just practice how to omit the pause, for pause is a killer. Pause means death. You can control the killer, you can control death, by controlling the pause, by omitting the pause. Omitting the pause means you can expand pause Omitting the pause means you can expand pause. It’s not something injurious I’m teaching you. Don’t go beyond your capacity I say. When you become too much breathless, what do you do? (audibly gasps for breath!). And then a point comes when your body starts shaking. No! Your body will tell it. You should learn to understand something about your body. Body speaks to you when you over eat, when you are tired, when you are sleepy, when you are yawning. So learn to understand something about it. This will help you. Practice two or three times a day Don’t overdo. Two or three times a day you should practice. When you have not over eaten, when you are not sleepy, when you are not worried, just do it. Learn to understand. When all the time you are worried, when will you practice? Why are you worried? Because you carry your office home, and your home to your office. So neither you can do office work, nor can you do your home work. Drop your office work at the office, and do your home work at home. Learn to train yourself. Training, discipline, is something great. If you do not know whether it is right or wrong, the quest of Truth will teach you. You commit mistake—either others will tell you, ―This is a mistake,‖ and you’ll realize that this is not good; or you’ll feel that this is not good. Then stop it. Practice it. But be free from the guilt feeling. Page 60 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama In Sri Vidya system there is a wonderful way of freedom from samskaras After this comes knowing how to drop the body In this Sri Vidya system, there is a wonderful system of being free from all the guilt, from all the past, from all the samskaras. After you understand this and accomplish this, this is one of the points which is not so highly evolved stage where a yogi knows how to drop his body. I’ve seen many people—have witnessed many people. In our tradition, this is a must. A yogi should not drop his body somewhere in the wilderness. There should be somebody to witness his death. This is a system. So others can witness how he has dropped his body, so that the tradition continues. Last time of body dropping in my tradition was in 1954 Last that happened in my tradition was in 1954 when there was maha kumbha [mela] in Allahabad. There was a swami. At four o’clock he dropped his body. He told everyone. Up to three minutes earlier he was discussing things. After that, he said, ―Now, I’m going to drop my body. My time is over.‖ So people said, ―When you have so much power, why do you not do it after a few days? after a few months? after a few years?‖ He said, ―My body is no more cooperative. My bones are stiff because I am old. My brain is not functioning well. These are physical things. So I want to drop this body. My garment is old, and I want to drop it.‖ So people asked, ―Will you assume another body?‖ He said, ―I’ll decide, once I drop it. Then I’ll decide later.‖ You can decide it now, or you can decide it later. There are certain decisions which you do not make today. You make mundane little decisions. Actual decisions you people do not make. You have developed medical signs which accurately tell you when a child will be born—but you have not applied that science which tells you when you will drop your body. Because you are afraid. You are afraid of facing that. There is a science which can tell exactly when you will die So science only tells you when you will be born; science cannot tell you when you will die. But there is a science that can exactly tell you! And that’s very helpful. Page 61 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama That fear of death is removed. And one of the concrete things is, to practice this. Once you have learned just to omit this pause, you are free! Not more than six months for freedom; 1st class, three months The question comes: ―How long will it take?‖ Not more than six months in any case, if you practice once in a day. Six months. Not more than that for the third class student. First class: three months. You will have to observe certain kriyas, cleansing the body You will have to observe, understand certain kriyas like cleansing the body so that you don’t over eat, that you eat good food—preparation for that. But it’s not difficult. Look! So far you know that this is a spiritual practice. I say this is not! It’s purely a technique—higher technique which you do not know. You call it a miracle. Miracle means that which you do not understand. The moment you come to understand it, it is no more miracle. The doctor who did heart surgery the first time, people considered, ―It’s a miracle.‖ When American reached the moon, it was a ―miracle.‖ It is no more a miracle, because the technique is known. These techniques are not so secret. They are imparted by the teacher to the student—those who are prepared, those who deserve, and those who are practicing. And I think everyone should know it. That which you can practice, which is not abstract, which is concrete, is this practice. By this practice you can have complete control over your pause. Pause means exhale and then inhale. But between inhalation and exhalation, there is a pause, and that pause is killer. Suppose one exhales and never inhales—he is dead. That pause is killer, that pause is called death. Yogis control that pause. All the exercises are meant to have control over the pause All the exercises are meant to have control over that—though all the exercises in the beginning are meant to control the motion of lungs, to regulate the motion of lungs. But that is not all. Finally, all the breathing exercises, pranayama exercises, are meant to have perfect control over the pause. Page 62 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama After you understood antahkarana, understand the finest body within, prana Now I go beyond. After you have understood your antahkarana, you go and try to understand the finest body within you. According to Mundaka Upanishad, what you call prana is not prana. They are not called pranas. They are called vehicles which take pranas inside—prana, apana, vyana, udana, samana. There are many vehicles and they do their work separately. What is prana? The first unit of life is called prana. And now—(draws diagram on blackboard) this is body, breath, mind, conscious mind and unconscious mind, and here is the Center of Consciousness from where all power comes. So first unit is called prana. Prana is not here, actually, but here. Only one scripture—there are many other scriptures—but one Upanishads explains it. That is called Mundaka Upanishad. We have taught that. Because of prana, the mind moves, mind functions. Who motivates mind to...
After analyzing manas, chitta, buddhi, ahamkara, and dialogue, then go beyond ... Upanishads says, is called kundalini—kundalini shakti. At present it is in its latent state and you do not know—you think it’s prana. It is called prana. Prana means life—the source of life—the source of all creation. So you are going beyond, after analyzing and understanding all different functions of your mind: manas, chitta, buddhi, and antahkarana. You can have a dialogue, a free dialogue with yourself, by understanding, ―Is it my mind that is dictating the terms for me that is confusing?‖ Whenever you are confused, sit down. You are confused because you have not made a decision, you have not asked your buddhi. That’s why you are confused. Mind will confuse. Mind will give you many suggestions. ―Which way shall I go? This way, or this way?‖ Unless mind takes help from buddhi, it will always be confused. You are confused because your buddhi is not functioning well. Remember this. Anybody who says, ―I am confused,‖ you are not using your buddhi. How will two and two make four? If you don’t use your buddhi, you will go on asking this. Confusion lies because you are not taking help from your buddhi. Dialogue means trying to be aware. ―Well, this mind, this manas, is confusing me. Why should I not take help from my buddhi?‖ Page 63 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Ego is not bad; bad ego is bad What is my ego? Ego helps in the external world. We can polish, purify that ego, and use it for right purpose. So you think that ego is that faculty which is always bad? No. Bad ego is bad! So when you understand four aspects separately, and enter into dialogue, that dialogue will help you sometimes to go beyond. What is beyond this, beyond this wheel? What is inside this? Beyond this wheel?‖ You have to face a train of thoughts mixed with emotions; “introspection” You have to face a train of thoughts mixed with emotions. And then a process you have to start which is called introspection. Inspecting within is called introspection. Because by that time, you have learned how not to identify yourself with the thought patterns. Suddenly you remember your childhood—something you did in your childhood that you liked at that time. Now that you are an adult, you don’t like it. And during meditation, when conscious mind is calm, you know what becomes active? Unconscious becomes active. And you say, ―What is all this? Swamiji taught me meditation; I am trying to calm down, and my mind has become very active. This method is not good!‖ When you catch hold of a small, conscious part, the whole body activates When you catch hold of the small part of the mind, which is called conscious mind—like a finger—catch hold of it tightly—my whole body will become activated to protect it. So is the case with the students. Therefore, there is a word called patience. Learn to be patient with yourself. Learn to expand your capacity, to persist. Don’t give up. Train yourself. Training is great. I will tell you one example of training. There was a party in the army camp. And the commander ordered the captain to bring some dishes from the market. And he brought. On the way somebody, a practical joker, appeared and said, ―Attention!‖ He forgot that he was holding something, and came to attention. Everything broke! He came running to his commander. He said, ―Sir, I have committed a mistake.‖ “What happened?” A capable officer. ―What did you do that was such a mistake? What happened? Tell me.‖ Page 64 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama He said, ―I was coming all right, but on the way a practical joker appeared and said, ―Attention!‖ and whenever I hear `Attention,’ I am used to do it.‖ Through training, change the grooves in your mind Training is such a powerful thing. If you have trained yourself, whenever that method of training is visualized by you and you hear, everything is dropped. No matter how strong the habit pattern you have. So with the help of training, you can change the grooves of your mind and help yourself. Never give up and say you cannot train yourself. Don’t give up. Remember. You’ll be rewarded from inside. Gradually you can train yourself. The pranic force, Mother Divine, shakti is in you Now, I was talking to you about the pranic force, about the Mother Divine in you, who has created this structure, who has given you beauty, who has given you all this that you have. That Mother is there in you. That’s direct shakti. Sun without its light is not the sun. As sun is different from the light, but sun cannot exist without light, therefore, the atman cannot exist without atma shakti. If there is no atma shakti, it’s not atma. If there is not light, it’s not sun—though sun is different from its light. Yet, they are one and the same. So is the case with the Mother Divine and Shiva, the ultimate Reality which is not subject to change. It has no gender. It’s not ―she,‖ it’s not ―he.‖ It’s not child, and it’s not old. It has no name, no form, yet you use a name and form to go beyond the name and form. When you drop body, unconscious and shakti go on This prana—now we’ll discuss something about prana. We have understood something about antahkarana, and we know this body is dropped—mortal part is dropped—yet unconscious part, body, and individual soul, is there. And when you drop this body, you go with individual soul with shakti and unconscious mind. This unit (points to diagram on blackboard) goes with you. That’s called death according to your definition. After death, you don’t die; you still live. That’s the greatest tragedy in human life. You think that you’ll be relieved? Not possible. You do not have the same account book that you had last year—account book is changed. But the accounts continue. Page 65 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Now how this flow of energy is there in the human body? From crown chakra to—this is human body—only up to this. (Refers to drawing of body on blackboard) These are limbs. This is called human body. How this is in human body? I drew Charles; I can make good drawing out of it. (laughter in audience) And it will look like you. You need to condense the energy, like for cooking At the root of the spinal column, the scriptures say there lies a power house. Now please be attentive. Now go to a tropical country where the temperature goes higher than 120, 130, 140 degrees. And use a stove at home and you can cook your food with the same temperature. Why can’t you cook in that temperature? You cannot. Because it is not condensed. Now, in winter there are countries where the coolness goes beyond zero degree. Why do you not create air conditioner there in your home? Too many other things. Because it’s not—-what you need to do is to condense the energy, use the flow of energy which is all over the body, is scattered, by going to its power house first. And that power house looks like this. (points to muladhara chakra on diagram). That’s what the sages say; it looks like this. It’s based at the root of your spinal column. [00:53] In the power house, that energy which is called kundalini, is like this. (draws a coil) Coiled. Now yoga science says that there is a flow of nectar from this part of the body. She drinks and is intoxicated; even japa intoxication is very heavy She drinks that flow of nectar and remains intoxicated. It’s not the wine that you find in the market or liquor store. Its intoxication is heavier than that. I tell you! Yes! Even japa intoxication is very heavy. I tell you one thing. I got disgusted. I said, ―What is this life? My whole youth I have spent in the mountains, and nothing is working.‖ Now I threw off my clothes and started walking on the banks of the Ganga towards the Himalayas. I said, ―I will drop my body wherever I want. I will realize.‖ So I made a few promises. I held my hands like this. (raises one clenched fist high above his head) I will never beg, never talk to anybody, never look back.‖ And I started. There is a small bridge at (Gamanami?). So I was like a lord of the universe with all fears gone, all hopes gone. I was walking. So suddenly, my eyes were open, and I Page 66 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama saw somebody just three or four feet distance, someone having big mustache. And I stopped, and I opened my eyes. There I saw a tiger. I had to decide in a second, which death is better? Shall I jump in the Ganga? one death; shall I submit to this tiger so that he ingests me, hurts me, eats me?; or shall I run back? Which death is better?‖ There was no question of life. The question was ―Which type of death is better?‖ That was the choice. You know what I chose? To go forward is better than any other thing, no matter what happens! So I was in silence, and nothing came from my mouth but ―mmmmm,‖ out of fear. And something—I was very sure I was observing silence, so with my lips closed I said, ―mmmmm.‖ So that tiger said, ―Perhaps a more dangerous tiger is in front of me!‖ Tiger was also afraid to come forward or to jump in river, so turned back and ran away. I was all alone. I said, ―This is my —?—.‖ Even though I left everything, still there was fear of death. I knew something. I knew that he was tiger. Why did I not feed that tiger? The scriptures say (Sanskrit). Why did I not feed that tiger? Why was I afraid of that cat? What could that cat do to me? All that knowledge of the scriptures came later! but not during that time! I’m being very truthful to you! I won, but at the same time, when I went to the other side of the bridge, I was sad. I thought, ―Though you have dropped all your hopes for life, for anything worldly, still, why did you stop?‖ Suddenly I remembered, when Buddha decide to renounce his home, his palace, he decided—and somebody was going to help him go beyond his kingdom, to lead him to that border—he turned back from the door, just to have a glance of his only one son. Once more! Who prompted him to do that? Why did he do that? Moha! Attachment! It is so strong that sometimes you think you have no attachment. But still there are some final strings, unknown strings, unseen strings, which are still there. They are called samskaras. How do you purify those samskaras? How do you purify those samskaras? Why does kundalini sleep here? (points to diagram) In the scriptures, this chakra is called muladhara chakra—root chakra. She is supposed to stay in her home that is called svadhisthana chakra—her own abode. Her own abode is not this. (Points to muladhara chakra) She is sleeping here because she’s intoxicated and doesn’t know where she is. She is so much intoxicated that she has slipped down from her abode and she is sleeping here. It is in her latent place—in dormant place. Page 67 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama So what the yogis do, those who know this yogic anatomy, those who understand, then they do it. After all, she’s Mother Divine, whether she’s sleeping; she has created, and now she is resting. But she’s not at her home, at svadisthana chakra. She’s supposed to be in her home. Uncoil the force in centralis canalis—Brahmanadi, Saraswatinadi—easy by Sri Vidya So what the yogis do is awaken her. So what they heard during that time was hissing sound. ―Hssssst!‖ Like this. Which was later on compared by the swamis to the hiss of the snake. It’s coiled like a snake, you know. They uncoil this force and lead this force which resides inside your centralis canalis—Brahmanadi, Saraswatinadi—the finest tube, channel, in you, and to the highest abode where her Beloved resides. This is easily accomplished by the yogis, by the devotees of Sri Vidya. She is also called Tripurasundari She is also called Tripurasundari—pura means city—tri means three. But she dwells on the fourth; waking, dreaming, and sleeping. These are the three cities. Are you listening to me gentlemen? Okay. The fourth is turiya And fourth is called turiya—the fourth state. All that you can do, that you are able to do, your functioning consciously during waking state is also her city, because of her power. And when you dream, that power that you use during dreaming state is also her power. What is that power that gives you complete rest and leads you to sleep? That is also her power. But actually, she is here. That is her real—it’s called sleepless sleep. Vichara is only an understanding Mandukya Upanishads discusses this at length. But this is only a vichara, an understanding. How do you attain the understanding? You need to practice for that. You understand something. You understand that the sun shines and it’s such a big light. But you understand the moon shines. You understand that in the far distance there is water and you are thirsty, but you cannot (get?) there. Practice is needed. And that practice should be concrete, profound. Know what you are doing. Don’t do if you do not know what you are doing. It will be waste of time, it is dangerous, it is uncertain. Page 68 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama The highest of the three kundas is Brahmakunda; leave body here The teachers say that there are three kundas. This is called Brahmakunda. Thousand petalled lotus, the highest of all chakras. Why is it called the highest? In this city of life, there are many gates. The highest gate is here. (points to top of head). Many yogis drop their bodies though that gate. That’s another way of dropping the body. Anybody who goes through this gate knows where he is going. You’ll find one of these gates, one of the nine holes, becomes distorted when somebody dies. Eyes become like this, tongue becomes like this. Something is distorted. It means the pranas departed through that opening. [01:05] Yogis say no. ―We’ll drop the body because body is subject to death, change and decay. It is going to be. Body is not immortal. So we’ll drop the body through this gate. (points to top of head). Others leave through other gates Why not through any other gate? Why not through eyes? That’s why you’ll see their eyes bulge. Somebody’s tongue is.... So there are certain signs and symptoms. If a yogi goes to examine someone, he can tell you exactly how long before this person dies. I had a very bad habit. On my way to Ayodhya, I was going, and there was a police station. So there was a tree on the other side of the road. I sat down. It was a summer day. I was wearing only one small loin cloth and hat. I had one pot of water with me—nothing else. Here comes someone in charge of the police force and touches my feet, and says, ―Sir, my father is seriously ill. Can you tell me what will happen?‖ I said, ―Ask your question accurately so I can give you an accurate answer.‖ He said, ―What is going to happen? I have duties. If he is not going to die today, then I will go on my duty and come back.‖ I said, ―What is the time now?‖ He said, ―One o’clock.‖ I said, ―He is going to die at four to five. Four minutes before five o’clock.‖ Then he brought his whip, and he said, ―Look here, swami, if my father dies according to your prediction, exactly at that time, I will adore you like my father and I will not cry. But if he doesn’t die, I will whip you so much that I will kill you first!‖ Serious problem! Page 69 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama I said, ―Look here, whatever I knew, I told you, now let me go.‖ And he said, ―No. When your prediction comes true or untrue, then I will allow you to go.‖ That habit of mine broke that day. So I calmed down, and ten minutes before he came out, and he said, ―Now, I’m ready.‖ And I said, ―No, there’s five minutes more.‖ I don’t want to wish anything bad, but exactly at that time, he (choking sound) and he died. So he went to attend his father, and I went on my way. Since then I said, ―It’s not good to be fortune teller.‖ But a lay man can also know whether this person is dying or not, by seeing the thumb. When thumb drops—see, touches this part—then he is dead. This is a definite sign I am telling you. Guest: (unintelligible) Why hindus put sandal paste on forehead Sw. Rama: Huh? In any position. It just drops. It has some connection with it. That’s why Hindus have a tradition to honor somebody with the sandal paste by this. (touches forehead with thumb). It has some meaning behind it. There are many such signs and symptoms which I write in the book, Life Here and Hereafter. They are not wrong. They are definite signs and symptoms. Rare families in Kerala, Mangalore, South India who practice this Now, those who want to acquire worldly wisdom, worship the shakti here, and this group is called kaula group—kaula—limited—limited to your family tradition. This group worships in external form. But very (profitable?) as far as worldly wisdom, riches, such things are concerned. They use all the things. They get married, they have girl friends, they drink, they take fish, they use many methods. That particular worship which is still used in many parts of India, you will not know. Only one who knows this subject will recognize. Because (Sanskrit). When you see them outside you will not know. They will never talk this secret philosophy to anybody. There are rare families in Kerala, Mangalore, South India, who practice this. But very few. Page 70 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama In Kashmir there are families, and there is a subcaste that is called Kaula [01:12]—Mr. H. K. Kaula, Mr. Kaula was our Ambassador of the United States. Perhaps—and not perhaps—sure—his ancestors followed this, that’s why the use the name, Kaula. Rudrakhanda, Vishnukhanda, and Brahmakanda There is another group that worships—this is Rudrakhanda. Fire, water, and the kundalini. These three come within Rudrakhanda. Then comes Vishnukhanda. Fire again is included—anahata chakra and vishuddha chakra—Vishnukhanda. Then comes Brahmakhanda—little bit of this, but from this and this. This second school says we don’t want to be so much worldly. So that group lives in the world, is prosperous in the world, and that is called ―mishra.‖ You know, you’ll say, ―Mr. Mishra is coming.‖ Actually the worldly tradition, this tradition called mishra, is in anahata chakra. They have different scriptures, but the scriptures do not carry much weight—much guidance. Because this is an old tradition—very ancient tradition. Vedas are considered to be the most ancient books, but this tradition is equally ancient—as ancient as the Vedas. They are simply given orally. They don’t want this tradition to be written, because it will be lost, it will be misused. It was misused by Vajrayana group. Why no Buddhists in India When Buddha renounced the world and was enlightened, went to Rajgriha he charmed the whole world. All the young people started joining Buddha. And they did not know how to discipline, how to follow the discipline of renunciation. So they created a marga, a path, which is called Vajrayana. So Vajrayana though taken from the scriptures, misusing the scriptures, became a part of Buddhism, and destroyed the entire Buddhism. That’s why there are no Buddhists in India. At the home of Buddha there is nothing. Outside India, it is flourishing. Misuse of the path. Mishra group Here, mishra group, knows how to devote. They use their way of worship (Sanskrit…puja). Sixteen things are used—five things are used. All they use, five, five, five, in manas puja. And then they use sixteen. Which sharpens your brain so nicely. You can never say, ―I’ve forgotten.‖ If you attend your puja, one thing it does, it makes your mind inward, and it makes your mind one-pointed. Page 71 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Samaya school But another school. This school does not reject this school, but doesn’t follow this school. It’s like a fork. So this is two. Dichotomy does not reject trichotomy, yet they are both different—a fork having two spikes, and a fork having three spikes. Two spikes do not resent the three. This does not reject this, but this follows only this. Manas puja. They say any action of yours done in the external world, all their fruits remain in this world. What goes with me? What will go with me? Not my wealth, not my home, not my wife, not my children. Anything external will be here. What goes with me? My own samskaras, my impressions which I stored in my mind. So why not immediately purify my mind? So they said mental worship is far more superior to than the physical or external worship, the worship that is done by the priests in the external world. Mind needs purification. Mind needs to be prepared. Mind is a great obstacle. Mind is a great barrier. Now what shall you do? I’ll give you seven minutes break, [01:18] then I’ll give you practicum, and we’ll do more. Is it okay? Because you are tired also. Because I promised I would give you a two-hour session.
Please take your seats. You are getting information as well as practicum. So those who are keen to practice, they will get something definite to follow. And if they have any obstacle, they can always approach me. I will know whether they are practicing or whether they are just questioning me. The questions will be not answered; the hurdles will be removed for those who are practicing. It’s my promise. Okay. Better for those with denser emotions, latent or dominant, to start at anahata So, this particular center (points to anahata chakra) is considered to be center of emotions, those who find denser emotions, latent or dominant, for them it’s better for them to start at this center. But there is another point I like to tell you. Manipura is the biggest of all; it controls the solar system Why did I include manipura chakra in it? Because manipura chakra is the biggest of all. It controls the solar system. And I met somebody who was a master of solar Page 72 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama science, and Paul Brunton writes about him in his book, Search in Secret India. And I was there when this thing happened. I was lucky to have experienced all these things, because from the very beginning I was with swamis, and at the same time I was sent to different schools of India. So Paul Brunton was questioning about life and death. Paul Brunton said, ―I have to ask you one question, Swamiji.‖ It was in Banaras. ―Is there any possibility that the dead can come back to life?‖ He said, ―Of course. It is in Christianity also—the resurrections.‖ ―Can you demonstrate?‖ He said, ―Yes.‖ He said, ―Okay, take a bird, a living bird, and don’t destroy any part of the bird—just choke the bird so the bird is dead clinically.‖ The doctors were called—two doctors. And Paul Brunton said, ―No, I’ll choose the doctors.‖ He had a choice. He brought one of the French doctors during that time who was working in Banaras, and one Indian doctor. And they found that the bird was totally dead. He said, ―Now give me that bird. ― And Paul Brunton said, ―Is it possible that I can hold that bird and you can do what you want from a distance?‖ And he said, ―No. My hands are open like this. I will sit there.‖ And he closed his eyes, whispered something in his mind—lips little bit moved—and the bird flew. And bird flew at least 40 to 50 feet away in a tree, and they watched. And from there it flew to different trees. So they ran after bird three or four hours. And he said, ―Look, this is not divine power! It’s called solar science. So those who are teachers, before they teach kaula or mishra, they first teach their students something about this solar power at manipura chakra. Concentrating on this chakra, which is situated at the navel in triangular form, that indicates that the flames of the fire go higher, upwards. So, making their mind one-pointed, they do it. Neem Karoli Baba ate forty meals In few days time, heat starts being felt by you. You start perspiring and it becomes easy to notice that you have accomplished something. Two things are noticed in your character: appetite is increased—excess appetite. You can eat ten, twenty, thirty, forty plates a day. Because I have seen one person—there was one man about whom I Page 73 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama have written in my Living With the Himalayan Masters, Neem Karoli Baba. He said, ―These people are troubling my devotees, Bhole. Let’s go.‖ That was my nickname. ―I am going to teach them a lesson. They trouble me every day.‖ He told his forty disciples in the city, ―I am going to come and eat with you.‖ I said, ―Why do you do this—telling everybody and not going anywhere? It’s not good!‖ He said, ―No, no. You are coming with me.‖ I followed with him. And he started eating. And he ate, and he said, ―Are you happy?‖ And he said, ―Yes.‖ Then he said, ―I bless you.‖ Then he would go to another place. Forty dishes he ate that day. And never went to bathroom! Finally when he sat down somewhere at the forty-fifth place, he said he was very hungry. Because of the practice of this chakra. Demonstration of abdominal lift To activate this chakra, there is one exercise that is recommended which is called agni sara. Most of you do not understand the difference between agni sara and stomach lift. They are two different things—entirely. Come on, Dr. Buegel here. Show them what is the stomach lift—abdominal lift. [01:17] This is the abdominal lift. He’s lifting the abdomen. But this does not make agni sara. This prepares your abdomen for practicing agni sara. And agni sara prepares you for activating your solar system. Remember this. Systematically, if it is done, it does not take long. How many times you do agni sara? A hundred times at least. How much you have to begin with? Twenty-five times. What is the difference between stomach lift and agni sara? He will describe. (Dr. Buegel demonstrates) Now, this is stomach lift. Demonstrates agni sara Now what is agni sara? This is agni sara. (Swamiji demonstrates agni sara) Dr. Buegel: He’s pulling in above the pubic bone, and then it’s coming up. The abdominal contents roll up towards the chest cavity after he pulls up. Page 74 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Sw. Rama: When will it happen? When you have done stomach lift, when your abdominal muscles have become supple. Then it will become easy for you to do it. When you have done agni sara a hundred times, you have acquired health. Another problem comes in it. Sexual feelings, sexual activities, increase so that you have to control during that. You have to control two things: sexual appetite and food appetite. Man had sex with ninety women I have seen a man, his name—Paul Brunton wrote about it—doing sex with ninety women! In a row! I have never seen such a bizarre thing anywhere in the world! And he is still alive. His name is Mussoori Shumsher; he’s from Nepal, from royal family. He misused the power of this, and Paul Brunton writes about this. These practices can mislead you These practices could mislead you if you if you don’t have guidance and if you don’t seek guidance. But these practices are very healthy. You can control any physical disease, disorder, if you practice this. Guest: (unintelligible) No mulabandha (with agni sara); stomach lift one or two months first Sw. Rama: No. No mulabandha. First you do stomach lift for one or two months. Then when your abdominal muscles become supple, then you draw in, right from this pelvic—draw in, draw in, draw in—as though something is rolling up. And then not force—relax. Guest: Do we do this in exhalation? Sw. Rama:. Come on, come up—so that they can learn again. Come on. One rule is being applied from the very beginning. When you push in, you have to exhale; and when you relax, you have to inhale. This is right from diaphragmatic breath, and it’s called stomach lift and agni sara. When you push in your abdomen, you should exhale. This is a law. Because the muscle—diaphragm—presses in your lungs and it becomes easy for you to exhale. Because of the bad habits and bad living, that reverses. Page 75 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama So that regulates the motion of your lungs and helps the motion to expel the carbon dioxide and used up gas. But agni sara is different. You don’t have to use any force in inhale—push in—exhale. And when you relax, allow it to come out. Don’t force when you inhale. Many of you force when you inhale. No. Force should be used only when you exhale, not in inhalation. Any question on this? No? Okay. Guest: One count inhalation, and one count exhalation? Sw. Rama: Yes. By that time you have trained your breath. Guest: Doesn’t nauli provide the same benefits as agni sara? Sw. Rama: Nauli is an entirely different kriya, which benefits the abdomen— nauli churning. Guest: In agni sara, can you do the breathing quickly? Or does it have to be done very slowly? Sw. Rama: No. In quickly you cannot draw in the whole abdomen to its final desired state. Guest: What is the ideal time for one agni sara? Or how many per minute? Sw. Rama: According to your capacity. My capacity differs from your capacity, so the ideal time also differs. Perhaps I have practiced a long breath, and you have not. So ideal time goes according to your breath. Guest: When you’re doing one hundred, is it permissible to do more than one lift per breath? Sw. Rama: No. You cannot complete that entire roll from there. Stomach lift you can do. Sometimes you do stomach lift faster. But this is just agni sara. There’s a difference between stomach lift and agni sara. Guest: (unintelligible) Sw. Rama: Yes. Sometimes even one breath is not sufficient. You have to coordinate your breath and the muscle pull. Guest: You mentioned earlier about eliminating past samskaras. Sw. Rama: I’m coming to that; don’t jump. Okay. I don’t forget my subject. Page 76 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Guest: Why is it easier for me to do nauli, and I get impatient with agni sara? Sw. Rama: Because you have not developed patience! Simple thing. Patience is a different virtue. It is not attained through agni sara. Guest: Swamiji, he said in his description that you were rolling up—that you didn’t roll it up all the way into uddiyana bandha, it just rolled up with the breath and came back down? Sw. Rama: Yes, as far as you can. Agni sara on a wheelchair Guest (in wheelchair): How do you do this on a chair? Sw. Rama: You can do it by putting your hands on the abdomen. Now watch my abdomen—watch. Now ask your hands to push your abdomen—as far as you can. And then gently relax your hands. This way you can help. That’s why sand bags and other weights are used for it. Up to twelve pounds you are allowed to do that. Because the capacity of your diaphragm is tremendous. You can move a grand piano! Such a great capacity. Okay, let me speak, otherwise you will be here too long. Mishra means combined Mishra here means ―combined,‖ not ―mixed up.‖ That which combines the worldly success, and at the same time devotion. Devotion—what for do you want to devote, what for do you want to worship? To attain nearness. You want to attain nearness. You want to know and see that devatma shakti, very closely—closely! Face to face! Samaya school There is another school that is called samaya. Many western writers did not know what it was because we don’t impart this knowledge to everybody. We test the students again and again and then impart this knowledge. (Sanskrit) Don’t give! Don’t give! Don’t give this knowledge. This will be misused. This will be not used properly. It should not be given. [1:40] Page 77 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama After emotional body no longer disturbs, then ajna chakra And the center is ajna chakra, here. After you have done this worship, you have organized your emotional body, when the emotional body no more disturbs the lake of mind, or life, then we give next step and that is called ajna chakra. Mind does not want to be within a circle Now you’ll see in all geometrical figures—try and one day you will know what I am saying—it’s easy to keep your mind busy on this figure. (triangle) It’s easy to keep your mind within this figure. (square) It’s easy to keep your mind in this figure. (straight line) But mind refuses to be in the circle. It does not want to be in the circle. Because human nature is not to be. Animal in human being does not want to be disciplined. Human in human wants to be disciplined—because he has knowledge of the Absolute. At least he can have a glimpse. The more you have animal active in your life—because you are a compound of three: animal, human, and divine. Animal does not want to be. So is the case with your mind. There are three qualities of your mind: sattva, rajasa and tamasa. Tamasa does not want to be disciplined. The great symbol of tamasa in Indian methodology is Ravana. He had all the powers. What was the difference between Rama’s character and his character? He was tamasa and not sattva. That was the only difference. He was more learned than Rama. He was equally a devotee of Shiva, like Rama. Animal does not want to be in the circle; animal mind is burnt here Animal does not want—so animal mind does not want to be in the circle. That’s why animal mind is trained here.[Manipura] Animal mind means that negative part of mind which runs towards the world and refuses to go to fathom the finer forces of life within. Rajasic mind and animal mind—animal mind is actually burnt here as gold is burned in the fire, and then an ornament is made—animal mind is burnt here. “Ajna” means no knowledge; knowledge first comes through this chakra Then comes—that purified mind is again disciplined here, [Anahata] and it becomes human mind. That human mind is led and then given this circle. This is called ajna chakra. ―A‖ means no, here; ―jna‖ means knowledge. So far, whatever you have done is not knowledge, and you’ll be disappointed. Whatever you have done, it is all preparation—it Page 78 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama is not knowledge. Even this chakra will not give you jnana. That’s what he was talking about—jnana bandha. Ajna chakra. ―A‖ means no; ―jna‖ means knowledge. Whatever little knowledge actually you have, you have first through this chakra, not from the other chakras. All preparation. Preparation is more important than attainment. If you are not fully prepared, you are not able to attain. Preparation is very important. Therefore, don’t ignore it. You say you don’t want to prepare, that you are perfect, and you can straight away go. It’s just like going to perform ballet dance without learning it. Huh? Mind which has not been prepared systematically refuses to go here So here, [draws circle] that mind which has not been prepared systematically, refuses to. Convince yourself you have light; switch “off” the little light for darkness And then here, you—now I like to give you one hint. Meditators immediately want to see a light. You have a light; why are you worried? Convince yourself that you have light, and I need not convince you. How can you see light if you don’t have light? How do you see light of sun, moon, and stars if you don’t have light? [1:44] You have light of knowledge, you have light of brilliance, you have light of decisiveness, you have light of discrimination. Your light is definitely superior than all these dumb lights. With the little switch ―off,‖ there will be darkness. From where that light comes? It doesn’t come from eyes—it comes through eyes. Very little comes through eyes. Most of it does not come through eyes. Most of it remains inside. That is why in yoga symbols, there is one symbol that is called trinatra. Somebody who knew I lived in the Himalayas—so when I went to Toronto, somebody told me there is a book here written by Lobsang Rampa, The Third Eye. And he lived in Toronto, and he came to see me and I knew him. He asked, ―Is it true that operation is performed in the Himalayas—third eye operation?‖ I did not know what to say because if I said ―no,‖ his book wouldn’t sell. And if I say ―yes,‖ it’s misleading. I said, ―I will answer you tomorrow.‖ There is no such physical operation, and there is no doctor who performs operation on third eye. Believe me! I was born in the Himalayas. I roamed whole of the Himalayas, right from Pakistan Himalayas, Punjab, Karakoram, Assam, part of China. I don’t think there are many such mortals like me who traveled in the Himalayas so Page 79 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama extensively, as I did. I met all the sages of all orders—Christian sages, those who I greeted from Kerala, St. Thomas Church and others. And I met Sufis, I met Sikhs, I met Hindus, I met Chinese, I met Buddhists, I met Zazen-Zens, Tibetans. This I want to know. Though they are from different orders, they all are searching for something. What is that something? When you start meditating, don’t try to see the light So I came to one conclusion, and I want to give you one simple thing. When you start meditating, don’t try to see the light. Don’t have that I want to see light..You see easily the light; what type of meditation it is that you are in search of what light? So don’t have that, ―I want to see light; I want to see blue light, purple light, white light, gold light.‖ Don’t! These lights will come and disappear according to the predominance of tattvas. One day you’ll see golden light; one day you’ll see one light; another day you’ll see another light. That’s not progress. Lights are because of tattvas Those lights you see, you have glimpse, because of the tattvas. You have five tattvas, elements: fire. When earth is active, you’ll see a (low?) light. Many times a meditator feels fragrance, and that’s not untrue. Because during that time, he’s one with the prithvi tattva. So fragrance is a quality of prithvi tattva. Many times a student sees himself floating in the water. Many times he will feel burning sensation. These are the symptoms of the tattvas—the predominance of tattvas. One of the tattvas remains predominant. You can easily see. Have a mirror and do (audibly blows breath). You’ll find that mirror is creating many forms. Because at different times, after ten minutes, twenty minutes, half an hour, again do it—that picture which is made by the vapor, changes. Predominance of tattvas. Therefore, my suggestion, and what we are taught, and the way we are trained, I tell you not to hanker, not to worry about seeing lights. Suppose you see the light. What will happen to you? You have seen lights. What has happened? These lights have made you crazy—that will make you more! That is not right teaching. So the teachers of meditation say, ―Learn to make your abode in complete darkness.‖ Page 80 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama It is very easy to imagine light, but very difficult to observe darkness for some time How do you observe that this is darkness and this is light? Because during that time your light within becomes very observant and alert. You experience darkness. It is very easy to imagine light, but it is very difficult to observe darkness, and maintain that darkness for some time. I tell you that! A student is asked to observe darkness— complete darkness. Why? So that he can see real light, far and far away. Where? Within himself. Don’t go towards the words and aksharas So teacher gives him initiation on the ajna chakra bhedana—meditating on the ajna chakra. And it says, ―In the ajna chakra, completely dark—ovals, stripes—this figure, you meditate. Don’t go towards the words and aksharas [syllables], otherwise, you’ll be lost, and you’ll be saying ―Aa, ee, oo,‖ whole day. Trataka is not meditating What will you find? You will find a light coming through. That is the process— not meditating. When you are asked to gaze on light, it is a trataka—training the eyes. It is not meditation. But it is done after you have done your puja here. [in Anahata] Meditate on manipura chakra for intuitive diagnosis Now, what connects you to sahasrara chakra?[1:52] [draws Ajna chakra] By the way, I want to mention, briefly, something. Those who are therapists and doctors, I will tell them and request them to do some experiments on the solar science. Meditate on the navel chakra— manipura chakra. And the more they meditate, the more they will find intuitive diagnosis ability. I developed it. I have proved it scientifically. What happened, by chance I want to mention it—it has been documented—I was sitting in my office at the Menninger Foundation. So they said, ―There is a meeting at four o’clock.‖ I said, ―Doctor, after food, I sleep. Can you postpone it until five?‖ He said, ―No. That’s too late.‖ So I did not eat much so that I don’t go to sleep, for that was my sleeping time. I went to that meeting and I was half asleep and half awake when I was there. So a doctor, she was a woman; her husband was a doctor, and the person who was treating the child was also a doctor. Page 81 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama She asked, ―So what is the problem with this child? You have been talking of intuitive diagnosis.‖ I said, ―What does the doctors say?‖ ―Says asthma.‖ I said, ―No. One, two, three. On the third chamber there is a hole, congenital hole, and it is not being treated.‖ And the doctor who was sitting there was expert, and he got very angry. ―You are challenging my knowledge?‖ I said, ―I am not challenging anyone’s knowledge. Take him to the lab and get it confirmed.‖ Immediately the child was led, and it was seen that there was a hole. ―How can it be cured?‖ I said, ―That’s another question. We are talking of that muscle.‖ It can be done. It can be as sure as anything. But only the therapists and doctors who have knowledge of anatomy and physiology. It is important to have that. But it happens only through manipura chakra. Manipura chakra is used. The biggest network is under the domain of manipura chakra. Doctors should develop that ability. When clinical symptoms, or other findings fail, one finding helps, and that is called intuitive diagnosis. That can be helped. If you can find out what that means, that’s okay. But for the sake of confirmation where you find you cannot decide, you can use that method. And that’s a wonderful way. I was unfortunate not to train anybody in this country, because nobody wants to work. It takes some time, it takes some labor, it takes some effort. I never wanted any fee for that, you know. Spend a few minutes sadhana on manipura chakra Therefore, I always involve manipura chakra throughout and tell the students to spend a few minutes sadhana on manipura chakra. Page 82 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Guru chakra, or jnana chakra But, there is another chakra between ajna and sahasrara, and that’s called ―guru chakra, jnana chakra.‖ Now you’ll find this point flows downward, and that flows upwards. It’s a flame of knowledge that flows upwards. And this flows downward. Shakti’s trend in human body is downward—because I explain to you—kundalini remains coiled in a dormant form, and has slipped from her own abode because she is drunk. She drinks the best of the nectar that flows from Brahmarandhra and that’s why we are crude. When we stop her from doing that, she awakes. That isn’t good. How to stop that? Is there any other way? There are many ways. I am going to describe jnana chakra, meditation on this, attaining sahasrara chakra, accomplish turiya, tomorrow. It’s twelve fifteen now. And be prepared for two hours tomorrow, if it takes two hours. God bless you. END OF LECTURE THREE Page 83 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Lecture Four I pray to the Divinity in you. Seven minutes for questions—but for useful questions. Do not let out your useless emotions on me. Guest: You mentioned that timing is compared by counting. Counting creates a very subtle jerk. How can I avoid that? You don’t have to “count” in the breathing exercise Jnaneshwara’s Gita explains this technique Sw. Rama: You are true. That cannot be avoided. Yet you have to learn to make your breath smooth, without jerks, mentally. Or then, for that there is a way. You don’t have to count. You feel as though you are breathing right from the crown of your head to the toes, and coming back from the toes to the crown of your head. And then catch hold of the thread of the pranas with exhalation and inhalation, go far, as far as you can. If you study the books, Jnaneshwara’s Gita, he explains that technique which I experimented, and that’s very useful. Guest: But the ratio, one to one is there; but the ratio one to two cannot be done that way. Sw. Rama: One to two can be done that way. If you exhale and go beyond. Guest: Swamiji, during Mandukya Upanishads you mentioned that inhalation should be done from the base of the spine to the crown, and the exhalation should be done from the crown to the (pelvis?). First breath, then mind; then, after training, ask mind first, then breath follows Sw. Rama: That’s a different technique. That technique is different. Then when you start mentally, there are two things. You know, in man and woman’s relationships sometimes, man tries to be predominant—be strong. And sometimes, woman. So sometimes the stress is given on the breath, and sometimes on the mind. On the breathing exercises, breath first and mind follows. Then you ask mind first and then breath should follow, after you have given it. That technique is practiced when you have trained your breath so that breath does not have jerks, noise, pause and shallowness. In such a case, then you do it mentally. Page 84 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Guest: (unintelligible)...from spine to crown, and from crown to toes, helps to do the two-one ratio more than from toe to crown and from crown to toe. Sw. Rama: Um hum. That helps. Guest: How can I become fearless? Nothing higher than technique of manas prakshadanam Sw. Rama: By examining fears. And I am going to give you a technique. For the therapists and doctors, this technique is very valuable. This is very useful. Nothing higher than this, which I am going to teach you today. And that is also called manas prakshadanam—how to wash your mind—how to purify your mind. But knowing is not very helpful something. Sometimes it could be dangerous; you know and you don’t do. Practicing is important. And when you start practicing, everything will follow. So you should know that. Guest: How can one overcome loneliness? Loneliness is perhaps the center of all diseases Sw. Rama: Very easily. I always used to think—actually in the world, it’s one disease that cannot be cured, and perhaps it’s the source of all diseases. Loneliness creates fear, loneliness creates insecurity, loneliness creates many things. Perhaps that is a center of all the diseases—psychosomatic diseases. But people don’t want to recognize it. And because of that insecurity, people get married—to get rid of loneliness. And instead of getting rid of it, it increases. I find two people sharing the same roof, bed— claiming to be very happy—and yet both are lonely. So what is that loneliness? Let me repeat. I’ve been telling you a story. And in my childhood, when I was a teenager, I was very fearless, but arrogant. And my master did not know how to help me. I was arrogant in a way that I thought, ―Nothing is impossible for me; my master will do it.‖ With that feeling, I became arrogant. So one day a prince of that state where we used to live in the mountains, where there was an earthquake recently, came to visit. He came from London, and his father say, ―Go and meet the swamiji who is the revered teacher, and then take over.‖ So with all his paraphernalia, secretaries, guards, I saw many people coming. And we said, ―That never happens at our cave!‖ And gunmen! Page 85 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama So I stood outside. I said, ―Who are you?‖ So secretary came forward and said, ―Sir, he is the prince of this state.‖ I said, ―I am the prince of this cave. How come you have come here without my permission? Get out of this place!‖ So the secretary was a little mature so he understood that this boy has some problem. So he said, ―Sir, can I see the master?‖ I said, ―Since you are humble, I will allow you.‖ The secretary said, ―Do you know he is the prince of this state?‖ That annoyed me. Who cares who is prince? It’s a twelfth century business. So he came and he went inside. I was with him. With his folded hands he said, ―Good morning to you, sir.‖ And he said, ―Hummm,‖ which meant ―Okay, good morning.‖ And if you really analyze, what do you mean by ―Good morning?‖ It is not wishing someone—it is wishing the morning. These are western mantras, you know. ―Sorry, sorry.‖ ―Thank you, thank you.‖ ―Good morning, good evening, good afternoon.‖ They don’t carry any sense! But it has become a custom, so everyone says, ―Good morning to you.‖ Good morning is good morning for us both. Why are you demanding me. Why not say something useful? Don’t waste my time. So here he didn’t say anything after that. He said, ―Sir, you seem to be lonesome.‖ And what did he answer? Beautifully. ―Yes, because you have come, I have become lonesome.‖ If you really analyze your relationships, all the relationships you have, who makes you lonely? Those who claim to love you, with whom you are attached—they make you lonely. Outsiders don’t make you lonely—they’re outsiders. The root of loneliness is attachment So the root of loneliness is attachment. Then he said, ―So far I’ve been conversing with my Friend within me. Now you’ve diverted my mind and made me lonely.‖ You’ll be not lonely if you feel the presence of the Lord within. The moment you forget that, you’ll become lonely. Because any relationship in the external world has no Page 86 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama power to strengthen capacity to give you freedom from loneliness. Not possible. Therefore, because all the relationships—anything external—is subject to change, death, decay, and decomposition. Everything is fast fleeing, disappointing. Yet we live in the world, we smile, we enjoy, we laugh and we amuse ourselves. Loneliness is from forgetting the friend within yourself In reality, you are lonely. All are lonely. That loneliness will be there because you have forgotten the real Friend within yourself, and you have established friendship with strangers. And strangers cannot be relied upon. You assume what you call duties: ―My wife, my children, my home.‖ All these assumptions create attachment for you. It’s a — ?— reality. But in the heart of hearts, when you know that the greatest of all friends is within me, then you’ll be never lonely. Be constantly aware of Truth, the greatest of all friends The path of samaya means “I am with you” There is only one way of having freedom from that loneliness, which is the source of many, many psychosomatic diseases. By being constantly aware of the Truth within you, the greatest of all friends. In the external world, everything changes. [00:12] Look at how much love we have for our bodies, consciously and unconsciously. From morning until evening we look after this body. And it’s fails—at any moment it crumbles. So much time we use, and we forget that there is Someone eternally seated in us who is our real Friend. We forget that. A constant Friend is within you—is present there. I am going to make you aware of that presence, that Friend within you, with which you need closeness. And that’s what the third path is. It’s called samaya, ―I am with you.‖ You are afraid of losing your bodies, which you own You cannot offer your mind, because you don’t own it; you belong to your mind When you are owner of your mind, you can give it, which is surrender When you have this awareness that, ―The Lord is with me, the Lord of life is in me,‖ then there will be no fear. Fear of what? It has only two reasons: of losing what you have, and of not gaining what you want. And you all are afraid of your bodies. Because mind nobody can take. It’s such a dirty thing, nobody wants! If you offer your mind to Page 87 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama somebody, you cannot do it. Because mind does not belong to you. You have no control. You belong to the mind and you are giving your owner instead of giving your slave. The day you are the owner of your mind—master of your mind—and then you give it, that is called self-surrender. Otherwise, it’s just a something—an unauthorized giving. Thinking mind can be stopped is not the right method—teach it to flow So such a mind which does not know how to follow, how to be directed, how to be orderly, such a mind needs a particular method so that mind goes that way. Anyone who thinks that mind can be stopped, and one can stop thinking—that’s not the right method. Mind should be taught where to flow, which way to flow, how its energy can be used. And that particular method is best of the methods where you allow your mind to flow consciously, and that is a useful method. Body, senses, and breath are yours—mind is alien Sanat Kumara, Jnaneshwara talked about mind Body is yours, and it’s a good instrument—full of force that you are. Senses are yours, breath is yours. It’s only one thing that is alien, and that is mind, which does not cooperate. How to establish relationship with that alien? Sanat Kumara, Jnaneshwara, Sanatkumara, everyone talked about that mind. Even some of the Nirvana Buddhists say, ―No mind. I don’t want to accept that mind exists.‖ That’s not possible! Whole of the body lies in the mind, but whole of the mind is not in the body Therefore, to make, to chart out a road, a way for the mind to travel; it has a habit of traveling from one place to another. If you say ―I am speaking truth that I am here,‖ I’m not going to believe you. Because mentally you are not here. Such a mind will take its moods, manners, which is equipped fully with all adamic powers, which is not trained to be creative. It’s there with you. And whole of the body lies in that mind, but whole of the mind is not in the body. That’s the serious problem. Psychologists of the last century interpreted that you are carrying that bag with yourself. The brighter you make through light, the brighter you are, the brighter the bag is—the [darker] shadow is. Therefore, I started describing—you have more questions? Guest: Forgive me for disturbing with questions, but I would like to hear you say something about the relationship between Turiya, samadhi and —?—. Page 88 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Turiya is the abode of Mother, Tripura Sundari, sleepless sleep Sw. Rama: Turiya, Saundaryalahari, Tripura Sundari, that’s abode of mother. That is the relationship. Turiya is the abode of Mother from where she watches all three states: sleeping, dreaming, and waking. So enlightenment on the path of enlightenment, you attain turiya. But devotees say, with her grace you can easily attain turiya because it is her abode. That’s why she’s called Tripura Sundari. ―Pura‖ means city. There are three cities: waking, dreaming, and sleeping. You are sitting in the three cities, and she is sitting in four cities—the fourth one is turiya. So that is the relationship. When you attain turiya, you have gone beyond samadhi. In samadhi you attain a state of equilibrium—tranquility. Here, you go beyond that state, which is called sleepless sleep. You are in deep sleep, yet you are fully awake. That is the state you are in. Guest: Is Divine Mother related to the Lord within? Divine Mother and the Lord within are one and the same; shiva and shakti Sw. Rama: Actually, they are one and the same. There are two aspects of the Lord. One is dormant aspect, and the other is expressive aspect. That creative aspect is called Mother; that silent aspect is called Father of the universe. One is called Shiva, the other is called Shakti. Without Shakti, nothing can be created. This universe was directly created by Shakti. So is Shiva. But Shiva, without Shakti’s help, cannot create the universe. One is unmanifested power; another is manifestation. That which manifests is called Shakti; that which remains in unmanifested form, though it is still there, is called Self-existent power—that is Shiva. And that which manifests itself, is called Shakti. This fine discrimination is there. Guest: Swamiji, would you elaborate a little bit about what you said yesterday about that dark area? Sw. Rama: I’m going to after this question. Guest: What does the mind do in sleep? Does it just run around? Sleep means no content in the mind When thoughts are not active, they don’t go to their chamber, conscious mind Sw. Rama: No. Sleep means there is no content in the mind. Then that is called sleep. When thoughts are not active, they don’t go to their chamber—conscious mind— Page 89 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama they don’t use their avenues, their employees, their senses. During that time, you are in deep sleep. The moment there is some content in the mind, that is not sleep, it turns to dream. When mind contacts, uses your senses, then it’s called waking state And when your mind contacts—uses your senses, employees—then it’s called waking state. But there is a state beyond waking, dreaming and sleeping, that’s called turiya—the state beyond—in which you are on top of the mountain, seeing above, down, below here, there and everywhere. That turiya state is called kingdom of beauty where there lies Mother Divine, Shakti, the Power of powers. [00:25] Guest: Would you define [boredom?]? Sw. Rama: I am eating candy. I cannot define the sweetness. No writer can define. You’ll have to eat the candy. So this is beyond description. It’s a mission. Guest: I’m not sure that the question I want to ask I should be asking... Sw. Rama: Then don’t ask it! Guest: (unintelligible) Internal dialogue has first question, “Ko aham?” “Who am I?” Sw. Rama: You should first ask. The internal dialogue has first question, ―Ko aham?‖ Who am I. Am I body alone, which is subject to change, death and decay? Am I born at the mercy of matter? Am I just a miserable heap or lump of matter? Is there anything beyond that? First you analyze that body—your greatest friend on whom you depend so much. You expect so much from the body and waste so much time and energy, devote so much time and energy. You know it changes and it goes to decay. Now I am a breathing being too. Now suppose I don’t receive breathing; then can I live? No, body cannot be retained. So as I am a physical being, I am a breathing being too. Then I think. I am a thinking being, too. It’s beyond my breath. Then I reason. The finest part of thinking—I reason by discriminating what is right and what is wrong. This process is called dialogue. Then, how am I thinking? Is my mind everything, all the aspects of my internal states? No. So I’m beyond this. Page 90 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Dialogue will bring awareness that something is beyond the delusion of mind Am I affected by my mind? Yes. Because I identify myself with my mind. My mind is identifying myself with the objects of the world. That’s why it is unhappy. The more you understand that you are full of bliss, peace and happiness—that’s your nature— then you no more identify yourself with your mind. This dialogue will bring awareness. Now you have become aware that there is something that is beyond the mire of delusion created by your mind. What is that? How to reach there? You will have to, somehow or other, have compromise with your body—some people say by having good health, and at the same time, training your body, learning to be still and comfortable, and then having serene breath, and say having mental dialogue: Ask mind why it is not listening to buddhi? Why it is creating problems? ―Oh my mind, why are you not listening to the reasonings of my buddhi? Why are you creating problems for me?‖ Mind will tell you, ―I’m not trained. You’d better train me.‖ Immediately manas says, ―I’m not trained. You’d better train me.‖ Dialogue makes you aware of your habits Whenever you do something, you know many times that it should not be done. Yet you ignore it. If it is subject to sense pleasure, you know it is not rewarding ultimately, yet you do it, because of your habit patterns, because of the habits of that particular aspect of your being which is called manas within you. Therefore, dialogue helps you and makes you aware of this. Then practice effort, self-effort And then practice effort—self-effort. And I tell you, nothing is impossible with self-effort. I’m going to give you something. There was somebody, a great magician in our country during that time. His name was Om Kama Thapa. Many people know. He was my contemporary. So when I heard him, I said, ―He is nothing; I can do better.‖ And I started practicing for seven hours a day. Page 91 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama So my master said, ―This boy is an extremist! He goes to extremes and forgets other things.‖ So one day a swami of the cave told, ―He creates problem for us. ―He’s come here for a month or two from the university, and soon he will go away.‖ And he said, ―No, no. We have renounced our homes, and all the time he reminds us of—he explains how a woman looks beautiful and how she wears.‖ And during that time I was practicing tumri. Bhavana Kula Jai. It’s a piece of beautiful ornament. So whenever she’s trying to put it back, it opens. And I was repeating that for three hours and they all got angry. They said, ―It’s not a good thing; we’ve renounced our homes and he’s reminding us Bhavana Kula Jai. There is no end.‖ He said, ―Then what do you think?‖ ―He should be beaten up!‖ So they decided, this is —?—. So you know that string for tampura? It was made five feet. So they caught hold of it and first they broke it. But they knew I was strong enough and I could handle anybody physically. So first thing they did: ―Son, we’d like to have your measurement.‖ So how could they take measurement? So I stooped on the tree like this, and said, ―Now you can measure me.‖ But that time they brought ropes and—three or four people. I was tied up for four or five hours, and they broke my tampura. And I said, ―Master! Nobody can do this!‖ And he is quietly sitting inside. He is not telling them anything. And I was outside. I was getting angry, but I was helpless because I was tied up. Otherwise I would have gone— taken off. I don’t want to say something which happened after that. I urinated on my pants! Because they wouldn’t release me—for five or six hours. And anybody who would come and beat me up. ―Promise that you are not going to sing in the morning? You know in the morning you culture your voice by singing, `Ahhhhhhh.’ Every morning when we sit in samadhi at three o’clock, you are going, `Ahhhhhh.’ What is this? And then when you Page 92 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama sing, you sing the songs of women—and we have renounced the world. You’d better not do it.‖ And during those days I believed I could cultivate my voice in a way—I still have the tape, you know. I used to sing on the radio He did not know that I used to sing on the radio. I changed my name and I used to sing and get money! So somebody came and said to my master, ―Sir, how wonderfully you have prepared that boy!‖ ―Who? Which boy?‖ He said, ―Brahmachari B.‖ He said, ―What does he do?‖ He said, ―He dances wonderfully!‖ He said, ―What! Where did you see him dance?‖ ―In the town hall in Delhi, with his friends, you know, Dr. Bashon and me.‖ He got very disturbed. He said, ―Dancing is nothing, but he sings wonderful!‖ He said, ―Where have you heard him?‖ ―Through radio.‖ ―Does he sing on radio?‖ He said, ―Yes. Kalidas Bhajan. He sings very well. He loves to sing.‖ He kept quiet and allowed him to go away. He called me. He had never done that before, but he took out his cane and started beating me up anywhere on my body. He hurt me. He said, ―You have disappointed me in my life.‖ I said, ―What have I done? Had you told me not to sing, I would have stopped. You said if I take up anything I should take it up seriously and complete it, and I’m doing that!‖ He said, ―Bring the Ganga water.‖ I brought the Ganga water. Page 93 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama ―Put it in my hand. Now do the sankalpa: `I will not before 1985.’― If you tell a young man, ―I will not get married before I am seventy,‖ the he will not get married. I said, ―You don’t have to beat me for doing this. You tell me and I will not do this.‖ ―No, I have to do this.‖ Finally I had to stop. Whenever I heard any music, I used to do this, (puts fingers in ears) and go away. [00:37] Then I started writing poems and making paintings. He threw away my paintings and tore my poems. ―Hello, Shakespeare. How are you?‖ he used to say. Nothing! Meditation! After you have learned and gone through analyzing these fine arts—now, I am giving you. Painting is a very good subject, but he told me one thing. He said, ―Suppose you have painted beautiful donkey—many donkeys playing around—that you can hang in your living room. But will you allow living donkey to come into your living room? Will you? No. You don’t like that. So this is the work of your art,‖ he said. ―How far can you sing? How many people can you amuse?‖ I said, ―I don’t sing for anybody; I sing for myself.‖ He said ―Then sing for yourself mentally. And what is this expressing dancing there?‖ I said, ―You sent me to the schools where this is taught. What can I do?‖ If you really want to express yourself, then express yourself fully in meditation So he told me, that the finest of all is meditation. If you really want to express yourself, then express yourself fully during meditation, with full devotion, perfect control, with all your intelligence. These expressions are external. The meditation expression is internal. One thing. This is directly training the mind. So anything you do— you should do things in the world—you cannot remain without doing things—but those things should train your mind, too. Page 94 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama The path followed by the monks or renunciates is called samaya The path that is followed by the monks or renunciates, is called samaya. Worshippers in the external world are kaula; Kashmir Shavism So there are three paths, three schools. Those who are the worshippers in the external world, they are called kaula. And those who have awareness that there is something beyond this world, as Kashmir Shaivism says, ―What is God? That which is not the world is called God,‖ they say. You’ll have to deny first that this world is not God, then you’ll know what God is. Second is mishra; third is samaya So second is mishra. Third is samaya. [00:41] Finest part of diksha is upward traveling The renunciates give diksha to their students on this path. And one of the finest parts of diksha—means initiation—is upward traveling. When the student is ready, is eager to know—then upward traveling. Who travels upwards? Shakti. Then there is no way of traveling downward. Or, if Shakti travels downward, then it is under your conscious control—never beyond that—never beyond conscious control. Sambhavi diksha is the highest; Saul became St. Paul, etc.; shaktipata I told you, sambhavi diksha is highest of that, when a great sage does something and you are totally transformed. Valmiki’s life was transformed. Saul became St. Paul because of that transformation. In all traditions there have been such cases—with Jesus, with Moses—total transformation. Vivekananda, Nanak Dev, all these great sages, they had sambhavi diksha. Diksha was given—initiation was given—directly by Shiva, or through Guru. Guru gives shaktipata. Now you always talk about shaktipata. It has become a gimmick in these days. Those who do not want to do—lazy bones, you know— they say, ―We don’t have to do anything; our guru is so powerful, he will give us shakti.‖ That’s not true. Shaktipata comes after your full effort Shaktipata comes when you have made full efforts, and then you do not know what to do. There you find a plateau and don’t know how to go beyond that. Then you Page 95 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama approach your teacher saying, ―I cannot go beyond this.‖ And he says, ―Go and make more effort,‖ and yet nothing happens. Then you cry. And sometimes you think, ―Perhaps my teacher also doesn’t know how to go beyond this stage.‖ There was a great seer, Rishi, in ancient times—Vedic period—who was called Karnak because he made all the efforts and could not attain. So he started crying. That’s why he’s called Karnak. Then dawned the wisdom, and then he was perfectly satisfied. So what the teachers do? Teachers give Shaktipata, not considered as Diksha. it’s Kripa of guru. But what guru can do ?I want you to see something, I brought a light and you are closing your eyes. How can I show you light until you open your eyes. No I am very comfortable and I don’t want to see, yet I want Shaktipath. For that you have to open your eyes. [45:03] ...leper sitting in front of the ashram calling me bad names. And I said, It’s all right what you are saying. It’s all knowledge.‖ ―He said, ―Apply that knowledge. Why did you become a swami if you are feeling bad.‖ I used to serve him. And it came in my mind, ―Let me serve him more so that he’s quiet.‖ But the more I served him, the more he would say things—dirty things. ―You are a devil,‖ and from morning until evening he said. And to anybody who came, he would definitely say something. And just in front of my ashram. And if I did not bring fruits or water or milk on time, he would double his speech. One day I cried in front of him. He said, ―No, you are not perfect swami, so don’t cry. Why should you cry?‖ Suddenly one day a swami came. A very tall man, six feet and seven inches. Tall. Wouldn’t wear anything. He came and said, ―Sir, would you give me something to eat?‖ I said, ―Immediately.‖ ―Whatever is left, give me the left-overs.‖ And this man started giving bad names. And he said, ―Who is that? I said, ―There is a leper. He is a constant headache to me. What can I do? I’ve been looking after him for two or three years, but he doesn’t stop.‖ He jumped the barbed wire fence. There were thorn bushes. And kicked him, and I did not like it. A swami should not do that. He kicked him so hard, then jumped in the river Ganga, and crossed the river and went away. Page 96 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Do you know, he was completely cured—that leper! He became very silent. There was no pus in his body. Now, I started instead of looking this what has happened, I started searching for that swami. Then people on the other side of the bank, and that side—but he was gone. Never met him again in my life. What was this? Perhaps he was prepared to be cured. And in one kick he cured him. But that was quite a hard kick! So if you are prepared to have a hard kick in life, last kick in life—and if you are fully prepared—it is possible. I don’t forget that. I tried my best to see. I went to all authorities, from where I could take all the centers, all the institutes. I never saw him; nobody ever gave me description. He ate his lunch with me. He talked to me. Then when he heard somebody, he said, ―Where is this noise coming from?‖ I said, ―It is a leper; I look after me, but he gives me bad names.‖ Half of the chapati he left and he jumped and kicked him, and went away. And then that leper—he’s still alive!—was completely cured. He cries for him, but he has not met him, too. In upward traveling, there is vigorous pranayama, with bandhas Sometimes, but rarely, such things happen, because of the past samskaras, because of the —?—. But in an orderly way, there is a method of initiation which is called upward traveling. [00:51] In upward traveling, vigorous pranayama exercise—not breathing; pranayama exercise—is taught with certain bandhas, and then the fluid that is secreted by the ovaries and testes, they start going upward. You see in medical science, also, I compare because I know something about it. In certain cases doctors take [blood from one arm] and inject in the other arm. …in certain cases. And when I analyzed it, I found it perfect. That type of initiation and diksha is rarely given by the teacher to a real student, which is very helpful. Dreaming is as real as waking state, like sexual; sadhaka is affected Sometimes a student likes to abstain from sexual activity. But his dreams disturb him. And in dream he does the same thing which he is trying to avoid. Such nightmares suddenly disturbs your sadhana, and you completely forget your vows, and completely forget that you are not supposed to do it. And dream is as real as waking state. Suppose you are a king during your waking state, and in dream you find yourself becoming a donkey, and you remain in that state for half an hour, two hours, three hours. Page 97 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama What a terrible thing! So you cannot say that dreaming state is no reality. It has its reality. So sometimes the sadhakas are affected by their dreams, though outside, eternally, they are following all the rules. For such sadhakas, with dreams, upward traveling is very helpful Waking state is under your conscious control, but not dreaming state. For such sadhakas, this method of upward traveling, is very helpful. Those who have decided not to, and there is no necessity, those who say, ―There is no necessity in life,‖ then they like to travel this upward—have this diksha—upward traveling. Upward traveling exercises are useful for monks This is useful in the cases of monks who live far away in the monastery. There are two or three exercises—all teachers do not know this. This is a disturbance for the renunciates. This is not disturbance for the householders. Yes, many householders have that problem. Wife is lying next to them—they don’t say this; I am saying this to you, because I have counseled many cases, and I was sorry to hear this. Yet the man—mostly the man—by nature, polygamist, finds himself having dreams about another woman. This is a disease. It’s not a simple disease—it’s a serious disease. And he is very honest in his relationship with his wife. [00:55] If your mind is wandering in grooves, ask your mind to let go So external behavior alone is not considered to be honesty. Gita says (Sanskrit). If your mind is roaming in the grooves, you are happily married, you are committed to somebody, yet your mind is roaming in the grooves of sexuality. You are not considered to be honest. Now, mind is such a thing—anything will come in the mind. What do you do during that time? You should learn to ask your mind to let go. One is called “swami” because he can let go of thoughts There was a man who asked a swami: ―Sir, what is the difference between you and me? I eat, you eat; you go to bathroom, I also go to bathroom; you sleep, I sleep. I don’t find any difference. Your requirements are exactly like my requirements. You are called swami, and I am not.‖ Page 98 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama He said, ―Son, there is a difference. Any thought that comes into your mind, you cling to it. I don’t allow it to be in my mind. That is the difference. That’s why I am called swami, and that’s why you are not called swami.‖ When you are able to have perfect control over your thinking process, and will not allow any such thought which is disturbing to you, which is not helping you—then you have established orderly mind. Such a mind will not disturb you, or rather will help you on certain realms. For hurdles, upward traveling initiation is given; point is that mind travels downward So when the teachers sees all these hurdles and barriers, he or she shakes on the path of—when the student says—when he’s crossing sixty-five, seventy—and he says, ―I have seen. Now I would like to—please give me. I find this difficulty.‖ Then this initiation is given. Upward traveling. For the trend of the mind is downward. That’s the point. And it’s something literal, biological. It is done. It is taught. Manas prakshadanam is best way of purifying mind; it is in school of samaya Samaya means “I am with you” Now, I told you that I’m going to teach you something called manas prakshadanam. What is the best way of purifying your mind? There is, in the school of samaya—(writes on blackboard) [00:59] taken as mishra, I told you—modern people like to follow, and they follow this path. Very few people follow this. Yet they have hukti and mukti both. ―Samaya‖ means, ―I am with you.‖ When you are conscious that the Lord is with you all the time, you have attained something. First thing is, Lord is in me First thing is, Lord is in me. That enforcement should be done wisely, lovingly. ―I am a shrine of the Lord and the Lord is in me.‖ Page 99 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Second point, being constantly aware of the Lord’s presence Being fully aware that the Lord, the Mother Divine is within is samaya, I am with you Second point, being constantly aware of the Lord’s presence. In this path, there is a constant awareness of the Lord’s presence—Mother Divine’s presence. That is why it is called samaya, ―I am with you.‖ When you are fully aware that ―The Lord, the Mother Divine is with me,‖ then it’s called path of samaya. Meditate on ajna chakra You don’t use these paths [Mishra and kaula], then this above [draws circle] where you find first ajna chakra. Then your puja, your worship—or after you have done the worship—you meditate on the ajna chakra. Mind does not like to be inside a circle Mind has a tendency not to be inside a circle.[1:00] It likes all other figures, but not the circle. It hates! But here, mind is so much here [draws 3 dots at anahata] and [Sanskrit] puja has been done, that mind has been trained to meditate on it. Here you’ll find that sometimes you have glimpse of the past most of the time, and sometimes about the future. Because mind has two tendencies—mind often runs to the grooves of the past, and on the basis of the past experiences, mind does something. And then runs to the future. Mind does not like to be here and now; that’s the “point” In this process, mind does not know how to be here and now. That’s the point. But as long as you are concentrating on one point—what is actually, literally—how do you explain to anybody, somebody intellectual, what meditation means? You should know. If you are a meditator you should come out with a definition. Having no space between thoughts is meditation If a thought comes, another thought comes, another thought comes—one after another, many thoughts come. But there is always a space between two thoughts. Not to allow a space, is called meditation. Only one thought. Persistently one thought is meditation. If you allow one thought to come, and then another thought to come, another—it could be contemplation, but it’s not meditation. No thought is allowed to come—only one. Page 100 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama People make “faces” during meditation because of thoughts What do you do during that time when a thought comes? Do you repulse, or do you get angry, or do you use your force? If you had a hidden camera and just sit down and meditate, you’ll find yourself a fool—making many, many faces. ―Swamiji said no thoughts. Why this thought as come? Okay, if you come again, I’ll...!‖ Hundreds of faces you make. And then after seeing that, you think, ―I was all right without meditation. Why did I do this problem?‖ Suddenly you remember something which you cannot mention. There are many things in your life which you have never spoken to anybody. You are afraid what people will think about you. You are afraid of the opinions of others. Because you have been asked—you have been leading life for others. Because nobody teaches you how to live for yourself. You always wonder what others will think. You wear good clothes, not for yourself, otherwise you would have on good clothes in your bathroom, because you are the best there—all alone. And even for home you don’t wear good clothes, you wear just a gown. Even for your people you don’t wear good clothes. You wear good clothes for others, for the sake of others’ opinions. You speak sweet words for others. Even to enemy you say, ―How are you?‖ You hate him! So in the world, you are taught to go with the opinions of others. But at the same time, you should form your own opinions, to execute your own opinions, to express your own opinions. It’s very important for you to do that. So there should be some way. One after another you have done many things. And when you have not learned how to isolate from your deed, from your action—you know, if you study British law—the most ancient law in the modern world—both British and French laws study how their thieves and robbers are convicted. They say, ―O man, we are not convicting you; we are punishing you for your deeds, not you.‖ You are different from your deeds. So when you are constantly identifying yourself with your deeds, you suffer. During meditation you are not allowed to do that. Otherwise, it’s not meditation. Another method in samaya is “trikuti” which means equilateral triangle So there is a method in samaya—those who are learning on the path, it will be very helpful for them. Here on the space between the two eyebrows, this is called in Sanskrit, drikuti. What is [unintelligible]―Tri‖ means three—three lines—equilateral triangle here.[draws triangle] [1:07] Page 101 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama What do you do when you go to the therapist? You say, ―This is my problem; help me.‖ If you don’t say, how can therapist help you? But there are many things which you cannot tell your therapist—many things—no matter how truthful you are, how nice is your doctor or therapist—you don’t say. Two thirds of your personality is never known to anybody. You always keep it to yourself. Any you don’t try to know it also. Because you think it’s unpleasant. If you said what you were thinking, you’d be in an asylum I have not seen anybody in the world who speaks the way he thinks. Otherwise he would be landed in an asylum! The way you think—if you start saying whatever you think—next day you’d be tied up, bound up, and put in the hospital. So whatever you think, that is your private business. But whatever you have to say, it has something to do with others also. Suddenly out of my mind, out of animosity, comes and says, ―You are stupid!‖ And I say, ―You are stupid!‖ you’ll flatten me, then and there! Best of therapies is the one where no one else helps you So all thoughts are not translated the way we want through our speech and actions. Best of the therapists is this science which teaches you how to apply that therapy which no one can helps you. It has been very helpful; I’m telling you that! I never had a therapist, and I’m a human being like you. But I see you suffering on account of such thing. You come to me and say you have guilt. And you never ask, ―Swamiji, do you have guilt? Did you ever have guilt? You are a human being.‖ I will say, ―No.‖ You should argue, ―Why? Why did you not have as a human being, and why do I have?‖ When I sit, I pay attention to my body and nothing else I will answer you. When I sit down, as I told you, keeping my head, neck and trunk straight, I pay attention towards my body and nothing else. Not to breath or anything else—just body. Because I am attending my body. Page 102 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama When body is steady, then I don’t think of it; then I attend to breath; I’ve trained mind When my body is steady and still, I don’t think of it. I pay attention towards my breath and not towards my body. Because I’ve trained my mind that way. To train the mind And how did I train my mind? My master said it’s easy to train. Suppose my mind says, ―Rama, pick up this chalk.‖ Is it needed? ―No.‖ Why should I pick up? [1:10] Okay, mind, if you want to pick up, go and pick up, but I will not move my hand. At least my hand I can see. I don’t see you.‖ So my master said to start doing this. When I was young, he said, ―Any woman you see—young woman—think of your mother.‖ And that idea vanished. This way, many things were taught to me during that time. So whoever says that no human being on the earth, anybody who is human being, doesn’t commit mistakes. This is not true. Hypocrisy. It’s not true. We all can commit mistakes. But those who go on repeating mistakes, they are weak human beings. They don’t come in that category. They are not strong people. My sitting this way could hurt way. But if I find that it is hurting and is not settled, perhaps I will not sit this way; I will change my posture. What do you mean by that guilt? Why do you suffer from that? Is it your habit? If you are sick of your habit and you cannot change, is it your will power, that you don’t have will power, that if you want to do something and yet you are not able to do? And you are constantly doing something which you are not supposed to do, which you think is bad, according to you. And then you start condemning yourself instead of appreciating, admiring yourself. Cancer is created by the mind I can tell you with complete certainty, no cancer can ever occur without agony in the mind. Not possible! Cancer is created by mind—a serious disease like cancer. Any disease which is considered to be cancerous or an incurable disease, mind is involved in it. Can that mind be trained to cure? Yes. Then why mind does not cure? By the time mind is made aware to cure, it becomes so weak that it loses its capacity. It’s difficult to rehabilitate such a mind. If you break somebody’s leg, so brutally, and then try to rehabilitate, it’s so difficult. Page 103 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Mind has the capacity to cure; I created and cured tumors Mind has capacity to cure. I used to do it. I used to create—on my body there are many, many such marks—I used to create consciously there a tumor, test it and it is malignant, and then there was nothing. In your mind you can create that, mentally. Whatever you want you do it. Why don’t? You can create disease—all these diseases are your creation—otherwise it would be a common disease for all. Why only one individual? That individual is creating disease. This should be known. When mind is learned to be mind over matter, and with the help of breath, to understand the twin laws of life, perhaps it will be helpful for you. The therapy, the highest of all fires, is jnana fire, fire of knowledge, guru So there is a therapy—this is called the highest of all fires—is called jnana fire— jnana, fire of knowledge. All fires are petty and simple. Jnana—knowledge. And for that fire of knowledge you can call it guru. Guru means that which dispels darkness of ignorance. It’s a fire. It’s a knowledge. This is jnana chakra, guru chakra, or trikuti; this is manas prakshadanam So particularly, this is called jnana chakra, or guru chakra, or trikuti. Just put your thumb here (puts thumb on upper forehead) and then form a triangle -- trikuti. So trikuti starts here. After you have attained a still posture, serene breath, and start dealing with your mind, manas prakshadanam, how to purify your mind. Finest of all therapies. No therapist in the world can do such a good job. Recall all your thoughts; mind will bring thousands and thousands of odd things You sit down and ask your mind—recall all the thoughts. If you sit down one day and find out how many good things have you done in your life, it will be difficult for you to remember. It will be easy for you to remember how many odd things you have done. Mind will bring thousands and thousands of odd things. So that which many times you think is something odd, it’s not. According to your knowledge and growth, sometimes you take something very seriously which you should not. But what to do? That’s your habit. ―I am not beautiful,‖ you say. Who says that you are not beautiful? Others? But you are you. You are the most beautiful in the world. There is no one who can be compared. Learn to appreciate yourself. Page 104 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama ―I am not a good person.‖ Why? ―I have many guilt feelings.‖ You have simply learned bad things that is called storage—holding things. After you have learned how to sit, you come with your mind. First thing you do it. Ask your mind to sit here. (points to forehead) Anything that comes, that something comes, you should offer it to the fire of knowledge. Now, suppose I have stolen something and no one knows. And I feel guilty that I should have stolen that. That thought comes while you are sitting in meditation, ―How about that deed of yours? You are not fit for meditation!‖ One after another, offer all the thoughts to the fire of knowledge Suppose such a thought comes. Offer that thought to the fire of knowledge. You have offered it once. Once you give it to somebody, you don’t say, ―Give it to me; give me my thing back.‖ You don’t do that. One after another you offer all the thoughts that are coming to you. All the thoughts coming to you, offer to the fire of knowledge. If a thought comes again, say, “But I already offered you to the fire, etc.” This way, if that thought which you have offered already, comes to you, it will not come in ugly form and you can say, ―But I have already offered you to the fire. How do you exist? Why are you coming to me again? From where? Oh, it’s not really a thought—it’s just a simple memory.‖ Then a thought is only a memory, like a burnt rope with no power to bind It’s just like a rope which has tied you and is burnt. It has no power to tie, though it leaves its ashes. You can remove, be free from all your negativity; you will have confidence This way, you can remove—you can be free from your negativity. Then you have a confidence. ―I have given all such thoughts—I have offered all such thoughts. I have given all the oblation to this fire.‖ Page 105 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama In doing this mentally, the first thing is to evoke guru chakra You evoke this fire, not the fire of knowledge In doing this mentally, the first thing is to evoke guru chakra. this fire of knowledge. And then offer all the thoughts. There are three main layers of thoughts in your mind There are three main layers of the thoughts in your mind. Deeply buried—which you are not aware of—latent, and you can awaken according to the situation—and they are day-to-day thoughts. In this process they say, very easy to get rid of all these thoughts and go beyond the mire of thoughts. And they are successful. It’s a very successful therapy—most successful therapy. Then you come down to ajna chakra, the gateway to the city of life Where is that fire? The fire of knowledge is there through which you think, through which you decide, through which you do things in your daily life. It’s there. And then you come down to your ajna chakra, which is called gateway to the city of life. [1:26] I told you how to sit steadily, breathe, and then how to think This self-therapy is 100% accurate; thoughts and diseases can’t otherwise be known I told you how to sit steadily and comfortably, how to breathe, and then how to think. Those thoughts which are injurious to you direction, which are creating complex, which are creating problems, because such thoughts might express themselves through diseases which are not curable. Because they are your personal thoughts. How can doctors in the world know? By the time they analyze, another disease comes! The catching of the diseases is coming which you are knowing today. All the diseases cannot be known through scientific methods. There are diseases which are subtler than that, you know, and cannot be analyzed yet. They need more analysis, they need more proof— proving. Therefore, this therapy is one hundred percent accurate. Self-therapy. Page 106 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Then, mind is brought down to ajna chakra; don’t “see” anything When you have done this, then your mind is brought down, focused on this point. (points to ajna chakra). I told you, why do you want to see something? For seeing something, please open your eyes. For not seeing, please close down your eyes. That’s the point. I see you, and I don’t feel bad. You are all wonderful. Now I close my eyes and I see you, what will I say? ―Hey! Don’t come in my mind!‖ Attitude for meditation should be sankalpa shakti It means your attitude is not right. Attitude for meditation should include also sankalpa shakti. You are determining, no matter what happens, no thought—I fought with my wife a few minutes ago—my time for meditation has come. I am still angry and say, ―What does she think of herself? I am a provider and bring so much. I love her and she is...!‖ Decide and determine that “I am not going to see anything” Sometimes you express your anger during this meditation. Don’t do that. You have already done by concentration on guru chakra. Decide and determine that ―I am not going to see anything.‖ For seeing anything I have eyes, I can use telescope, I can use my glasses. Why do I want to see? What is there to be seen? Have you ever seen what you call complete darkness? If you just do like that (closes eyes) and ask yourself, ―Do you see your fingers?‖ You will say ―No.‖ Okay. Then I say ―Have you got fingers or not?‖ And you will say, ―Yes.‖ So when you don’t see, how do you say yes? What is that which tells you that you still exist? In complete darkness you are not seeing yourself. There is something in you, beyond your seeing, that makes you realize that you still exist. Who is the experiencer of darkness Who is that experiencer of darkness? Who experiences that this is dark and this is light? That is also light, that is —?—. So first determination— ―Today, no matter what happens, nothing should disturb my mind. I will not worry for anything.‖ Page 107 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama Tattva will bring forward colors; pay attention to your focal point The circle should be a dark hole; this can be a pit Meditate on this point, on the complete darkness Then you’ll start seeing the light from within—this is 100% true Yet, tattva will bring forward their colors. It comes and goes. It doesn’t matter. Pay attention towards your focal point [ajna]. It has many meanings. You can interpret this circle. (Circle at ajna chakra) . This circle could be a dark hole. This can be a circle. This can be a pit. So here, inside this point here, when I told you to just meditate on this point, just on the complete darkness. Then you’ll start seeing the light from within. You can even attain a state which without eyes you can see things—without the help of eyes. This is a hundred percent true what I am telling you. Without mind you can attain reality. Because with mind you cannot. With this sort of mind that you have—no. Either you Create [?] or you completely forget that you have mind. Then you can attain. Mind has a domain and works only in certain fields. Mind cannot work beyond that, and you have to go beyond, so you have to drop mind whether it is pure, impure, or disciplined. Impure mind does not allow you to go up to that state. Your mind gets up to here and cannot go beyond this, and does not disturb you. The serious problem of mind creating obstacles is over by offering to the fire A good trained, orderly mind, is that mind which does not create obstacles for you, which has stopped creating obstacles for you. And when you want to use it in the world, you should. And when you don’t want to use it, don’t use it. But during meditation, it should not disturb you. That is a serious problem that is over if you have consciously asked all the thoughts coming, and offering that thought in the fire, here— jnana chakra, or guru chakra. Soma chakra is between ajna chakra and guru chakra, source of divine intoxication There is another chakra that the yogis talk about. This is between guru chakra and this (ajna chakra). Another small chakra that is called soma chakra. You know soma, ordinarily means juice of the herbs, wines prepared from the herbs. And when I made research on this, I found out that soma is a creeper, it’s a Page 108 of 109
Saundarya Lahari Lectures of Swami Rama succulent. You know in cacti family, there are two things—cactus and succulent. It comes from succulent. And it is grown on three levels—as with low grown tea, and high grown tea, there is a difference. Highest grown, the best flavor; low grown, the best color. Highest grown tea is something rare. Soma creeper. What is that soma? They used to prepare that soma and drink it, literally—soma wine. There is so much literature in Rig-Veda about it. But the yogis said, ―We don’t have to go anywhere outside—we have enough soma inside.‖ They tapped the soma chakra. They get that divine intoxication there. Whatever they experience here, they become intoxicated and remain in that intoxication whole day. And that’s why ordinary people people, in India. To such people there, this man is crazy. But he is in his meditation all the time. You meet many people which are not understood by others. Because they enjoy so much their intoxication. Soma. Soma means constant awareness This vidya is not attainable without a competent teacher What that soma does? Constant awareness and in soma you are constantly aware. You don’t think of anything. That intoxication is like that. But this vidya is not attainable without the help of a competent teacher who has already done this. As your physical body needs nutritious food, changing habits, exercises, and not doing things beyond your capacity, your breath needs to be serene, not shallow. Your mind needs to be purified. When your mind is purified, then such a purified mind is no more an obstacle. Then you can go beyond to the fourth step. God bless you. Peace, peace, peace. END OF LECTURE FOUR Page 109 of 109
