RAJA YOGA , MESSAGE 27

                      Raja Yoga, Message 27

The section ‘Obstacles on the Spiritual Path’ now resumes...

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Jealousy is the worst enemy of peace and illumination. It is the strongest weapon of maya. Aspirants should always be on the alert. They should not become slaves of name and fame and jealousy. He who has jealousy is a small little being only. He is far from God. One should rejoice at the welfare of others. One should develop complacency when he sees others in a prosperous condition. He should feel the presence of God in all beings. Jealousy assumes various forms, and all forms of jealousy must be totally eradicated. Just as milk again and again bubbles up during the process of boiling, so also jealousy bursts out again and again. It must be entirely rooted out.  

Even sadhus who have renounced everything and who live with only one cloth in the caves of Gangotri and Uttarkashi in the Himalayas, are not free from this evil. Sadhus are more jealous than house-holders. Their hearts burn when they see some other sadhu in a flourishing condition, or when they notice that the neighbouring sadhu is respected and honoured by the public. They try to vilify the neighbour and adopt methods for his destruction and elimination. What a sad sight! What a deplorable spectacle! Horrible to think! Dreadful to imagine! When the heart burns how can you expect peace of mind?  

The mind of the aspirant who always tries to poke his nose into the affairs of other men is always out-going. This is a detestable habit of man. It clings to him tenaciously. How can he think of God when his mind is ever engaged in finding fault in others? If you spend even a fraction of the time that you waste, in finding your own faults, you would have become a great saint by this time. Why do you care for the faults of others? Improve yourself first. Reform yourself first. Purify yourself first. Wash the impurities from your own mind. He who applies himself diligently to his spiritual practices cannot find even a single second to look into the affairs of others. If the fault-finding nature dies, there will be no occasion for criticising others. Much time is wasted in back-biting, tale-bearing, scandal-mongering, etc. Time is most precious. We do not know when death will take away our lives. Every second must be utilised in divine contemplation. Let the world have its own ways. Mind your own affairs. Clean your mental factory. That man who does not interfere with others is the most peaceful man in the world.  

The habit of self-justification is very dangerous for an aspirant. Self-assertion, self-sufficiency, obstinacy, dissimulation and speaking falsehood are the constant retinue or attendants of self-justification. He who has developed this can never improve himself, as he will never admit his faults. He will always try his level best to justify himself in various ways. He will not hesitate to tell several lies to support his false statements. He will tell one lie to cover another lie, and he will speak lies ad infinitum. The aspirant should always admit his faults, mistakes and weaknesses, etc., then and there. Then only can he improve quickly.  

Back-biting is a dirty, abominable habit of petty-minded people. Almost all are victims of this dire malady. This has become an ingrained habit of narrow-hearted, mischievous people. This is a tamasic habit. The play of this world is kept up by this evil habit of man. It is maya's strong weapon to spread restlessness throughout the world. If you see four men sitting in a group, think that some back-biting is surely going on there. If you behold four sadhus talking, you can at once infer, without any shadow of doubt, that they are back-biting against some person or other. The sadhu will be talking: "The food of that kshetra is very bad. That swamiji is a very bad man." Back-biting is more prevalent amongst the so-called sadhus than amongst house-holders. Even educated sannyasins and householders are not free from this dreadful disease. A sadhu who is engaged in contemplation will always be alone.  

The root cause of back-biting is ignorance or jealousy. The back-biter wants to pull down or destroy the man who is in a prosperous condition by false vilification, slander, calumny, false accusation, etc. There is no other work for a back-biter except scandal-mongering. He lives on back-biting. He takes pleasure in back-biting and mischief-making. This is his inner nature. Backbiters are a menace to society. They are the worst criminals. They need capital punishment. Double-dealing, crookedness, diplomacy, chicanery, quibbling, tricks and artifices are the retinue of backbiting. A back-biter can never have a calm peaceful mind. His mind is always planning or scheming in wrong directions. An aspirant should be absolutely free from this dreadful vice. He should walk alone, live alone, eat alone and meditate alone. If a man who has not removed jealousy, back-biting, hatred, pride and selfishness, says: "I am meditating for six hours daily," it is all nonsense. There is no hope of getting a meditative mood even for six minutes unless a man removes all these evil thoughts and purifies his mind first by selfless service for six years.  

Building castles in the air is a trick of the mind. Look at this wonder! The aspirant is meditating in an isolated cave in the Himalayas. He plans in the cave: "After finishing my meditation I must move about in San Francisco and New York and deliver lectures there. I must start a centre of spiritual activity in Columbia. I must do something new in the world. I must do something which none has done up to this time." This is ambition and egoistic imagination. It is a great obstacle which will not allow the mind to rest even for a second. Again and again there will be the resurrection of some scheme, speculation or plan or other. The aspirant will be thinking that he is having deep meditation, but if he closely watches his mind through introspection and self-analysis it will be seen to be a true case of building castles in the air. One will subside and another will crop up in the twinkling of an eye. It may be a small idea or ripple in the mind-lake, but it will gain tremendous force within a few minutes by repeated thinking.  

The power of imagination is tremendous. Maya havocs through the power of imagination. Imagination fattens the mind. It is like musk — it renovates and vivifies a dying mind. The power of imagination will not allow the mind to keep quiet even for a second. Just as swarms of locusts come forth in a continuous stream, so also currents of imagination will stream forth incessantly. Enquiry, discrimination, prayer, japa, meditation, satsang, fasting, pranayama and practice of thoughtlessness will obviate this obstacle. Pranayama checks the velocity of the mind and calms the bubbling thoughts. A young ambitious man is unfit to remain in a solitary cave. He who has done selfless service in the world for some years and who has practised meditation for several years in the plains in a solitary room, can live in a cave. Only such a man can really enjoy the solitude of Himalayan retreats.  

When you constantly contemplate on the meaning of the mahavakyas 'I am Brahman' (Aham Brahmasmi) or 'That thou art' (Tat tvam asi) all seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling will stop. But owing to the force of samskaras, building castles in the air will continue. Sleep also will intervene. If you are alert and if by protracted efforts and incessant vigilant meditation on Brahman you get over these two obstacles, steady thought of Brahman alone and knowledge of Brahman will dawn in no time. Ignorance will vanish. You will be established in the supreme state of bliss. All accumulated karmas will be burnt up in the fire of wisdom.  

All vrittis are thinned out and assume subtle forms when you practise japa and meditation. They should be totally eradicated through samadhi or blissful union with the Lord. Then only are you safe. Latent vrittis will be waiting for opportunities to assume a grave and expanded form. You should be ever careful and vigilant. Resist the fatal downward pull by the dark antagonistic forces, through regular meditation. Check the aimless wanderings of the mind through clear and orderly thinking. Hear not the false whispers of the lower mind. Turn your inner gaze to the divine centre. Do not be afraid of the severe setbacks that you will encounter in your journey. Be brave. March on boldly till you finally rest in your centre of eternal bliss. May the blessings of the great yogis be upon you all!  

(a) Subtle Obstacles  

You may have aspiration for the Truth, you may be endowed with devotion and you may possess a will to overcome the obstacles and hostile forces, but if the little ego asserts or persists, if the external personality has not consented to change or transformation, you cannot have rapid progress in the spiritual path. The ego will have its own ways and inclinations.  

The lower nature must be thoroughly regenerated. The habitual lower personality of the aspirant must be entirely changed. If this is not done, any spiritual experience or power is of no value. If this little ego or human personality persists in retaining its petty, limited, selfish, ignoble, false and stupid human consciousness, no amount of austerity or sadhana will bear fruit. This means that you do not really thirst for God-realisation. It is nothing more than idle curiosity. The aspirant says to the preceptor: "I want to practise yoga. I want to enter into nirvikalpa samadhi, I want to sit at your feet," but he does not want to change his lower nature and old habits. He wants to have his own way and old habits, old character, behaviour and conduct.  

Any partial or temporary elevation or slight occasional inspiration during some exalted moments, any momentary spiritual opening within without any true or radical transformation of the lower nature or habitual little personality, is of no practical value.  

This change of the lower nature is not easy. The force of habit is ever strong and inveterate. It demands great strength of will. The aspirant often feels helpless against the force of old habits. He will have to develop his sattva and will to a considerable degree by regular japa, kirtan, meditation, untiring selfless service and satsang. He must introspect and find out his own defects and weaknesses. He must live under the guidance of his guru. The guru finds out his defects and points out suitable ways to eradicate them.  

If the lower nature or old personality becomes obstinate and self-assertive, and if it is supported and justified by the lower mind and will, then the matter becomes very serious. He becomes incorrigible, turbulent, unruly, arrogant and impertinent. He breaks all the rules and disciplines.  

Such an aspirant clings to his old self. He has not surrendered himself either to the Lord or to a personal guru. He is ever ready to revolt against any man, even for a little thing. He will never obey and he is not willing to receive any spiritual instructions. He is self-willed, self-satisfied and self-sufficient. He is not ready to accept his weaknesses and defects. He thinks that he is a flawless man of great achievements. He leads a happy-go-lucky life.  

He asserts and follows his own crude and egoistic ideas, desires, fancies or convenience. He claims the right to follow his own human unregenerate or diabolical nature with all its untruthfulness, ignorance, selfishness and rudeness, and to express all this impure stuff in speech, action and behaviour.  

He argues vehemently, defends himself in a variety of ways and paints himself in special colours. He professes one thing and practises another thing. He tries to force his wrong view and opinions on others. If others are not willing to accept his wrong views he is ready to fight against them. He at once stands up in revolt. He asserts that his views only are correct, and that those who try to oppose his views are unjust, unreasonable and uneducated. He tries to persuade and convince others that his views are very reasonable and that his ways of action are the right ways of action for all, and that his ways and views are in full accordance with the science of yoga. Marvellous people they are! Really the world is in great need of such wonderful, useful people in great abundance!  

If he were really frank with himself and straightforward to his guru, if he really desired to improve himself, he would begin to realise his folly and defects and to recognize the source and nature of the resistance. He would soon be on the direct road to correct and change himself. But he prefers to conceal his old nature and his old diabolical thoughts under some justification, excuse or other shelter.  

The self-assertive arrogant seeker tries to make himself a figure in society. He wants to maintain a position of prestige. He poses as a great yogi who possesses several yoga powers. He claims the part of a superior seeker or an advanced yogi, with great knowledge and experience of nirvikalpa samadhi. These defects of vanity, arrogance and rajasic temperament are present in most human natures on a smaller scale.  

He is unwilling to obey the orders of his guru and respect elders and superiors. He is ever ready to break discipline. He has got his own ideas and impulses. The habit of disobedience and disregard of discipline is ingrained in him. He sometimes promises that he will be obedient to his guru and elders, but the action done is frequently the very opposite of his promise. Non-observance of discipline is indeed a serious obstacle to the sadhana. He sets the worst possible example to others.  

He who is disobedient, who is not straightforward to his guru and who cannot open his heart to his preceptor or spiritual guide, cannot be benefited by the help of a guru. He remains stuck in his own self-created mire of mud and cannot progress in the divine path.  

He practises dissimulation. He plays the hypocrite, pretends falsely and exaggerates things. He makes false use of his imagination. He conceals his thoughts, distorts and falsifies. He positively denies certain facts. He tells terrible, deliberate lies to cover up his disobedience or wrong course of action, to keep up his position and to have his own ways or indulge in his old habits and desires.  

He, himself, does not know what he is doing exactly, as his intellect is clouded by impurity. He does not know what he means and does not mean what he says.  

He never admits his faults and defects. Even if anyone points out his defects for correcting him, he feels extremely annoyed. He wages war against him. There is much of the brute in him.  

He has got the most dangerous habit of self-justification. He always tries to justify himself, to stick to his ideas, to maintain his own position or course of action by bringing in all kinds of foolish, inconsistent arguments, clever tricks or devices. He misuses his intellect to support his own foolish actions. (These defects are common, in some to a lesser and in others to a greater degree.)  

If he feels even a little bit for his present deplorable condition, if he attempts to show even a slight improvement, if there is even a little receptive attitude, he can be corrected. He can have progress in the path of yoga. If he is obstinate and pig-headed, if he is absolutely self-willed, if he deliberately shuts his eyes or hardens his heart against the Truth or the Divine Light, no one can help him. What a great pity! His lot is lamentable indeed!  

The aspirant should give his full consent with all his being to the change of his lower nature into divine nature; he must make a total, unreserved, ungrudging self-surrender to the Lord or guru; he must have the true spirit and right abiding attitude; he must make the right persistent endeavours — then only will the real change come. Mere nodding the head, mere professing, mere saying "Yes, yes." will not serve any purpose. It will not make anyone a superman or yogi.  

As soon as an aspirant gets some spiritual experience or siddhis he is puffed up with vanity and pride. He thinks too much of himself. He separates himself from others. He treats others with contempt. He cannot mix with others. If anyone has some moral qualifications — such as a spirit of service or self-sacrifice or celibacy — he will say: "I have been practising celibacy without a lapse for the last twelve years. Who is pure like myself? I lived on leaves and gram only, for four years. I have done service in an ashram for ten years. No-one can serve like me." Just as worldly people are puffed up with the pride of wealth, so also sadhus and aspirants are puffed up with their moral qualifications. This kind of pride is also a serious obstacle in the path of God-realisation. It must be eradicated thoroughly. As long as a man boasts of himself, so long is he the same little jiva only. He cannot have divinity.  

There are as many fashions in sadhus as there are in worldly persons. Just as hypocrisy prevails in worldly persons, so also it manifests in aspirants, sadhus and sannyasins who have not completely purified their lower nature. They pretend to be what they are not in reality. They pose as big mahatmas and siddha purushas (perfected masters) when they do not even know the alpha-beta of yoga or spirituality. They put on the serious Sunday-faces which some Christian missionaries sometimes assume on Sabbath days. They cheat others. They boast and brag too much. They do mischief wherever they go. They practise hypocrisy to get respect, honour, good food and clothing and to cheat credulous simpletons. There is no greater crime than trading in religion. This is a capital sin. Householders can be excused, but we cannot excuse the aspirants and religious seekers who are treading the path of spirituality and who have renounced everything for God-realisation. Religious hypocrisy is more dangerous than the hypocrisy of worldly persons. A long drastic course of treatment is needed for its eradication. A religious hypocrite is very far from God. He cannot dream of God-realisation.  

One can renounce even one's wife, son or property, but it is difficult to renounce name and fame. This is a great obstacle in the path of God-realisation, and brings downfall in the end. This does not allow the aspirant to march forward in the spiritual path. He becomes a slave of respect and honour. As soon as the aspirant gets some purity and ethical progress, ignorant people flock to him to pay homage and salutations. They imagine that the mahatma has got siddhis and that through his grace they can get children and wealth, and roots and herbs for the removal of diseases. They always approach a sadhu with various motives. The aspirant, through bad association, loses his dispassion and discretion. Attachment and desires crop up in his mind. He gets puffed up with pride and thinks he is a great realised soul. He eventually becomes a slave of his admirers. He cannot notice his slow downfall. The moment he mixes freely with householders he loses what little he had gained during eight or ten years. He cannot influence the public now. The admirers also leave him because they do not find any solace or influence in his company.  

Therefore, an aspirant should hide himself always. Nobody should know what sort of sadhana he is doing. He should never attempt to exhibit any siddhi. He should be very humble and should pass for quite an ordinary man. He should not accept any rich present from householders as he will be affected by the bad thoughts of those who offer presents. He should never think that he is superior to anybody, but should always treat others with respect. He should not treat others with contempt. Then only will respect come by itself. He should treat respect, honour, name and fame as dung or poison, and should wear disrespect and dishonour as a golden necklace. Then only will he reach the goal safely.  

Building ashrams and making disciples are also stumbling blocks in the path of God-realisation. The aspirant becomes another sort of house-holder. He develops institutional egoism. He gets attached to the ashram and the disciples. He gets 'mineness' for the buildings and people. He has the same cares, worries and anxieties of running the ashram and the magazine, and feeding his disciples. He develops slave-mentality and weak will. Thoughts of the ashram revolve in his mind when he is in a dying condition. Sometimes an ashram is nicely conducted by the 'spiritual head' of the institution while he is alive. When he passes away, the disciples who are petty-minded fight amongst themselves. The ashram becomes a fighting centre afterwards. Cases are going on in the courts. Ashram owners have to flatter the donors and appeal for funds very often. How can thoughts of God remain in the mind when one has his mind fixed on collection of money and developing the ashram?  

Those who have started an ashram may say, "We are now having religious classes daily. We feed poor people in various ways. We are training religious students." It is quite true that an ashram that is run by a selfless dynamic yogi and a realised jivanmukta is a dynamic centre of spirituality. It is a spiritual nucleus for the spiritual uplift of thousands of people. Such centres are needed in all parts of the world. Such ashrams can do immense spiritual good to the country, but such ideal ashrams with ideal spiritual heads to run the institutions are very very rare nowadays.  

The founders of the ashram in course of time unconsciously become slaves of worship and adoration. Maya works in various ways. How can a man who has the attitude that he should be worshipped as an incarnation of God serve the public? Workers are petty-minded. They fight amongst themselves for trifling matters and disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the place. Where is peace in the ashram then? How can outsiders who visit the ashram to get peace, enjoy it there?  

The founders of ashrams should live on daily alms from outside. They should lead an ideal life of absolute self-sacrifice, a life of ideal simplicity, like the late Kalikamlivala of Rishikesh who carried a water-pot on his head for the ashram and who lived on alms from outside. Then only can they do real good to the people. Founders of ashrams should never appeal to the public for funds. It brings great discredit to those who tread the path of God-realisation. It is another way of respectable begging. The habit of begging destroys the subtle, sensitive nature of the intellect and those who appeal for funds frequently do not know what they are exactly doing; just as the lawyers and those who visit houses of ill-fame have lost the discriminative faculty of finding out the truth from untruth, purity from impurity. Begging kills one's soul-force. It produces a wrong impression on the minds of the public. Where is freedom if one begs? People have lost faith in the founders of ashrams. If anything comes by itself, without asking, it can be accepted. Then, you can do some work independently.  

It is very difficult to get good workers for the ashrams. Then why do you bother about building them when you have neither money, nor workers, nor dynamic spiritual force? Keep quiet. Do meditation. Evolve yourself. Mind your own business. Reform yourself first. How can you help others when you yourself grope in darkness, when you are blind? How can a blind man lead another blind man? Both will fall in a deep abyss and break their legs.  

Power, name, fame and wealth stiffen the ego. They strengthen the personality. Hence, renounce them if you want to attain immortality and eternal peace.  

Lastly, I have to point out that though we have not got at present the first class type of ashrams, yet there are many good ashrams of the second class type that are run by noble, pure souls, who do great service to the country in a variety of ways, bring out valuable philosophical books and train students in the practice of meditation and yoga. They render selfless service. Their works are to be greatly congratulated, indeed. It is the duty of rich people to spontaneously render them financial help and help of all sorts. May God bestow on them inner spiritual strength to disseminate their message of love, service and peace! My silent homage and salutations to these rare, exalted selfless souls!  

(b) Psychic Obstacles  

Experiences vary in different individuals. The experience of one man may not be the same as that of another man. Many erroneously believe that they have realised the Self when they get some experiences, such as visions etc. They stop their spiritual practices and try to move with the public, to preach and to work for world solidarity. This is a serious blunder. This is not realisation at all. These experiences are all simple encouragements to convince you of a higher spiritual life and push you in your systematic and incessant practice with zeal and enthusiasm. You will have to ignore these things and drive them away just as you did with worldly objects. You must have samadhi as the goal.  

Experiences may appear in some persons within a few days, and in others within six or nine months. It depends upon the state of the mind and degree of concentration. Some persons may not have such experience, but they will be progressing in the spiritual path. Visions and experiences come and go. They are not in themselves the culminating point. He who attaches much importance to these small visions does not march swiftly on the path. Therefore abandon the idea of these experiences. The final experience, intuitional and direct, of the Supreme alone, is the real, true one.  

Sometimes elementals appear during meditation. They are strange figures, some with long teeth, some with big faces, some with big bellies, some with faces on the belly, some with faces on the head. They are inhabitants of the spirit world. They are the attendants of Lord Siva. They have terrifying forms, but they do not cause any harm at all, they simply appear on the stage. They come to test your strength and courage. They can do nothing; they cannot stand before a pure, ethical aspirant. Repetition of OM will keep them at a distance. You must be fearless. A coward is absolutely unfit for the spiritual line. Develop courage by constantly feeling that you are the Atman. Deny and negate the body-idea. Practise deep intense meditation always.  

Rise above the visions. They are a hindrance on the path to samadhi or God-realisation. When you see a vision the mind will be fixed on them throughout the day instead of on God. Avoid these visions and the thought of them. Be indifferent. Substitute the thought of the Lord.  

Various psychic powers (siddhis) come to the yogi who has controlled his senses, prana and mind. They also are stumbling blocks. They allure the yoga students. Sadhaks should be very careful, they should shun them ruthlessly as mere trifles or worthless things. Do not think of them. Clairvoyance and clairaudience are not worth having when far greater illumination and peace are possible without the siddhis than with them.  

Desire for powers will act like puffs of air which may blow out the lamp of yoga. Any slackness in feeding it, due to carelessness or selfish desires for siddhis, will blow out the little spiritual light that the yogi has kindled after so much struggle, and will hurl him down into the deep abyss of ignorance. He cannot rise up again to the original height which he had ascended on the hill of yoga. Temptations are simply waiting to overwhelm the unwary student. Temptations of the astral, mental and heavenly worlds are more powerful than the earthly temptations.  

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