PRACTICE OF YOGA BY SWAMI SIVANANDA (MESSAGE 4)
People who drink strong tea and coffee very often in barrels develop a bad habit. They have become slaves of tea and coffee. In happy moderation they help hard workers. But the thing is that man loses his will-power and finds it hard to resist his falling into immoderation. There comes the trouble. He becomes a slave. If you can remain as a master and if you can give it up at any time, then there is no harm.
Novel-reading is another evil habit. Those who are in the habit of reading novels that deal with passion and love cannot remain even for a single second without novel in their hands. They always want their nerves to be tickled with some sensational feelings. Novel-reading fills the minds with base, lustful thoughts and excites passion. It is a great enemy of peace.
Many people have started now libraries for distribution of novels on a small subscription of four annas per mensem. They have not realised how much harm they are doing to the country. It is better that they chalk out another avocation to make out their livelihood. They spoil the minds of young men by the distribution of the worthless novels which excite the passion. The whole atmosphere is polluted. Severe punishment is waiting them in some form. Newspaper-reading also is an evil habit. People cannot leave their papers even while they are taking food. They always like to hear some sensational news. They feel quite dull when they do not read papers. They cannot get sleep without reading the daily news. They are quite unfit for a life of meditation and seclusion. Place them in solitude for three days. They will feel like fish out of water. The reading of newspapers makes the mind always outgoing, brings in revival of worldly Samskaras and makes man forget God.
Cinemas produce an evil habit in man. He cannot remain even for a single day without attending the show. His eyes want to see some half-nude pictures, lotus dances and some kinds of colours. He is pleased with sweet music. Young girls and young boys become passionate when they see the actors in films kissing and embracing. Those who want to develop themselves in the spiritual line should entirely shun cinemas. They should not attend the so-called religious films also. There are no really religious films. It is a kind of trick to attract people and collect money. What is the spiritual calibre of the actors there? Spiritual people only can bring out impressive stories with good morals that can thrill the minds of the spectators.
Sleeping in the daytime is another evil habit. It shortens life. Time is wasted considerably. It brings in laziness and lethargy. It develops gastritis, dyspepsia and a host of other ailments. It should be entirely given up, if you want to grow quickly. Snatch every second and utilise it properly. Life is fleeting, time is short, death is waiting. How happy is the man who is thoroughly destitute of a single evil habit! He can attain great success in life and apply himself diligently to Yoga Sadhana.
A vast majority of persons have got the evil habit of using slang terms and abuses every second during their conversation. When they become excited and angry they pour forth a continuous shower of all sorts of foul words. It cannot be described. There are people who use such words as, 'Sala', every second. It will come out like the words: 'you see' in some people. 'Sala' means brother-in-law in Hindi. If you call anybody by the term 'Sala' he will become very furious. People have a vulgar habit and use these slang terms. A man of refined taste, culture and polish can never utter any such words. English people very often use the words: "Damn fool; the son of bitch." The English military people use the word 'damn' every second. They cannot talk without a 'damn' in a sentence. This is also a very bad habit. See the children in the streets. They fight, quarrel and use obscene words. When any Englishman comes to India or to any new country, he first tries to learn some obscene words. Look at human nature! He does not want to learn the names of God. When the cart-driver twists the tail of the bull, when the Tongavala whips the horse, there comes the words: "Sala, Badmash, Suvarka-Baccha (the son of a pig)."
Parents should check their children when they utter any bad words. They themselves should not use any bad words. They themselves become the Gurus for these children. Children simply imitate. Children have got a strong power of imitation. Practise to use the words such as: "Hare Ram, Hare Krishna, Hae Prabhu" always, even when you talk. Bring these words every second. Train your children also. This itself will form a kind of Japa or remembrance of God. Train your mind. Check also all people who often use vulgar words through bad habit. This is the most important duty of the parents. Any healthy habit sown in the minds of children becomes firmly rooted.
There are some who are unconscious of their bad habits and many who do not recognise it as bad. If they recognise it to be bad then the correction is very simple. An advocate was a terrible smoker for a period of fifteen years. With one strong willing he left it off entirely. There was a police Inspector in Madras. He had drinking, and smoking habits. With a strong determination, he left the habits. He did not touch them from that day. First, realise that you have got an evil habit, and then intensely desire that you should give it up at any cost. Your success has already come. Will strongly: "I will give up this bad habit from this very second." You will succeed. Giving up any bad habit at once is better. The habit of slowly giving up by gradual reduction generally does not turn out to be successful. Beware of recurrences. Resolutely turn your face when a little temptation tries to reappear. Keep the mind fully occupied in your work. Be busy. Entertain a strong desire: "I must become a great man presently." All these habits will fly away. Feel strongly: "I must become a spiritual man." All these bad habits will disappear.
Use your subconscious mind for eradication of your habits. It is your intimate friend and thick chum. Keep companionship with him. He will make matters all right. Establish new healthy habits. Develop your will also. Give up bad company. Always have Satsanga. Live amidst Mahatmas. Their strong currents will overhaul your evil habits. There is nothing impossible under the sun.
Where there is a will, there is a way. I have received many letters from those who have given up the bad habits of taking mutton, fish, alcohol, smoke, etc. In the beginning they will feel it difficult but when they succeed, they will realise the immense benefit and happiness.
Eradicate Negative Qualities
Shyness is a great hindrance in the path of success in life. This is a form of timidity or low fear. Almost all boys have this weakness. This is a feminine quality. This is the Svabhava of ladies. Shyness manifests itself when one is in the wrong path. Everyone knows that the goal of life is God-realisation and yet one engages oneself in sexual matters. This wrong action creates shyness when one appears before anyone. A shy boy or man cannot express his thoughts boldly before any person. He cannot look directly at the eyes of another man. He will talk to you looking at the ground. He cannot approach any stranger freely. A shy man cannot get on well in any kind of business or office. Modesty is not shyness. Modesty is decency or chastity. This comes out of politeness and polish of character. Some Ranis are very shy in the beginning to talk to men when they come outside, after the death of their husbands. Gradually they become bold and the shyness vanishes. Those who are shy should try to talk with others boldly. They should look directly at the face of others. Shyness is a great weakness. It should be eradicated quickly by cultivating courage.
Timidity is another weakness. This is faint-heartedness. This is a form of fear. This is akin to shyness. A timid man has a chicken-heart. He is unfit for public activities and any kind of adventurous work: He is a toad that lives in a small well. He cannot become a successful man in life. He cannot talk boldly to his superiors. He cannot deal boldly with his customers in business. How can he then expect prosperity? He is afraid of losing his life. He is much attached to his wife, children and property. He is afraid of public opinion. He cannot talk even a few words with emphasis and force. A timid man is more or less like a woman. Timidity must be eradicated by developing courage. Timidity is a curse. It weakens a man. It checks growth. It hinders in the success of a man.
Pessimism is another undesirable negative quality. This is a temper of mind that looks too much on the dark side of things. It is the doctrine in which the whole world is bad rather than good. This is a depressing view of life. Buddhists preach pessimism. Vedantins are wonderful optimists, though they say that the world is unreal. They talk on Vairagya to create a distaste for the worthless life of this world, and to create a taste for the immortal, blissful life in Brahman. The opposite of pessimism is optimism. It always looks at the bright side of the picture. A pessimist is always gloomy, depressed, lazy and lethargic. Cheerfulness is unknown to him. He infects others. Pessimism is an epidemic, infectious disease. A pessimist cannot get success in this world. Become a powerful optimist and rejoice in the all-pervading Atman. Try to be cheerful under any condition of life. Practise this.
Some people are over-credulous. This is also bad. They are very easily cheated by others. You must fully understand the man. You must know his nature, qualities, his antecedence and his behaviour. You must try and test him on several occasions. When you are fully satisfied, then you can place full confidence in him. He may be a deep man. He may put on a false appearance and turn out to be quite reverse after some time. You will have to watch him very closely and move with him closely and hear about him from several other persons with whom he has moved. Man cannot hide his nature for a very long time. His face is the advertisement board that registers all his inner feelings and thoughts and in short all that take place in the inner mental factory. After close examination and test one should place confidence in another man.
Too much of a suspicious nature is also bad. This is the opposite of over-credulousness. The mind always moves in extremes. The husband suspects his wife always. The wife suspects her husband. Always there is a fight and trouble in the house. The proprietor suspects his servants. How can business go on? The world runs on faith. The Directors of the biggest Railways in India were in England. They did not know in detail what was exactly going on in India. Yet the Railways ran smoothly. The Directors believed the Agents, the Traffic Managers and other Officials. These people in turn believed the subordinate staff. Many shareholders of the coffee and tea estates in Ceylon are in America and England, and the business goes on well. Business runs on faith. If people are too much suspicious, friction and rupture will be always going on. Give a margin and try the man. Do not go to extremes. Do not be over-credulous or over-suspicious. Keep to the golden mean.
Then comes another undesirable quality—intolerance. There is religious intolerance. There is communal intolerance. There is intolerance of all sorts. Intolerance is petty-mindedness. It is unreasonable dislike for little things. The Sikh can drink alcohol. There is no harm in this. But he becomes intolerant when he sees anybody smoking. A Maharashtra Brahmin can do any kind of wrong but he will be intolerant of a Kashmere Pundit who takes meat. A Madrasi Brahmin can take anything in the restaurant, but he is intolerant of a Bengali who takes fish. The whole of the restlessness and fight in this world takes its origin in intolerance. An Englishman is intolerant towards an Irishman or a German. A Hindu is intolerant towards a Mohammedan, and vice versa. An Arya Samajist is intolerant towards a Sanatanist, and vice versa. This is due to ignorance. How can a man who sees the one Truth be intolerant? All these small differences are purely a mental creation. Expand. Embrace all. Include all. Love all. Serve all. Behold the Lord in all. Unite with all. See God in everything, in every face. Feel the indwelling presence in all. Change the angle of vision or mental attitude. Be liberal and catholic in your views. Destroy all the barriers that separate man from man. Drink the eternal Atmic bliss. Become perfectly tolerant. Excuse the baby souls who are struggling in the path and who are making mistakes. Forget and forgive.
Many worry themselves too much that they are inferior to others. The idea of superiority and inferiority is again a mental creation. The inferior man may become superior if he exerts, struggles and develops virtues. The superior man may become an inferior man if he loses his property and develops vices. Never think that you are inferior or superior, to anybody. If you think you are superior to anybody, you will begin to treat others with contempt. The ideas of superiority and inferiority are the products of ignorance. Develop equal-vision. Live in the true spirit of the Gita. Hear what the Gita says: "Sages look equally on a Brahmin adorned with learning and humility, a cow, an elephant and even a dog or an outcaste." Namadev ran with a cup of ghee behind a dog to apply ghee to the bread. He said: "O Dog, you are a form of my Krishna. This dry bread will hurt your throat. Pray, allow me to apply this ghee over the bread." Sri Ekanath gave the Ganga water, which he carried from Kasi on his shoulder for Abhisheka at Ramesvar, to an ass. Where is superiority and inferiority when you behold the one Self everywhere? Change your angle of vision and rest in peace.
Then comes another evil quality—depression. People have plenty of money and yet they are always depressed. They put on a morose, peevish appearance. They are always gloomy. It is a dangerous epidemic disease. The gloomy man spreads gloom and depression everywhere. He cannot apply himself to any kind of work. He is idle and lethargic. Depression will deplete all energy. Think of the virtue, cheerfulness. Have a mental picture of joy and the habit of cheerfulness will develop around this mental picture. Smile and laugh. Give a smile to everybody whom you meet on the road. That man who always keeps a cheerful countenance radiates joy to others.
Some are not able to decide anything definitely in certain important matters. They have not got independent power of judgment. They will simply prolong the matter. They will not come to a definite positive decision. A man who is prone to indecision will never succeed in any attempt. He will be full of doubts and fears. Procrastination is the friend of indecision. The opportunity will slip away. It will be too late to gather honey in winter. You must think over a matter for some time and then come to definite decision. At once you must apply your will and try to put the matter into execution. Then only you will succeed. Too much thinking will upset the matter. In important matters you can consult some of your elders who have got experience in the line, and who are your real well-wishers.
Carelessness and forgetfulness are other two evil qualities that stand in the way of success of a man. A careless man cannot do any action in a proper manner. These are qualities born of Tamas. Application and tenacity are unknown to a man of carelessness. The superiors get displeased with a man who is careless and forgetful. There is lack of attention in a careless and forgetful man. A forgetful man generally loses his key, shoes and umbrella. He cannot produce the papers and records to the officer in time. He blinks. Follow the lessons in memory-culture that are given in the subsequent pages, and you can have a good memory in no time. Develop a strong desire to remove these two defects, and to develop carefulness and good memory. This is important. Then the will and subconscious mind will do the work for you. Tie the key always at the end of your cloth as soon as you lock the door. Keep the money in the inside-pocket. Keep your spectacles in the side-pocket. Always count the packages whenever you go for a tour. Keep accounts regularly. Daily make a small note of the items you have to attend to.
Many people are always diffident. They have no self-confidence. They have energy, capacity and faculties. But they have no confidence in their own powers and faculties and in getting success. This is a kind of weakness that brings failures in all attempts. A man appears on the platform to deliver a lecture. He is a capable man. He is learned. But he is diffident. He thinks foolishly that he cannot produce an impressive speech. The moment this kind of negative thought occupies his mind, he becomes nervous, staggers and gets down from the platform. This failure is due to his lack of self-confidence. You may have a little capacity and yet you must have full confidence that you will succeed in your attempt. There are people who have very little materials and capacity and yet they thrill the audience. This is due to their confidence. Confidence is a kind of power. Confidence develops will. Always think: "I will succeed. I am fully confident in my success." Never give room for the negative quality, diffidence, to enter your mind. Confidence is half-success. You must fully know your real worth. A man of confidence is always successful in his attempts.
Conserve Your Energy
The conservation of energy in this body is of paramount importance. The subject of conservation of energy mainly concerns the college students, the professors, doctors, lawyers, engineers and all businessmen and, in short, one and all. Many do not know how to conserve the energy and regulate it according to the needs. They do not know how to transmute one form of energy into another form. That is why the vast majority of persons are not able to become prodigies or geniuses in the world. If you really want to become a great man, if you want to achieve something grand and sublime, conservation of energy will help you a lot. You must know the different ways by which the energy is wasted and then the way by which it can be transformed to some useful purposes, or for spiritual pursuits and development of higher inner Yogic faculties. An agriculturist tries to save every drop of water and utilises it properly in his fields and garden. An Engineer tries to utilise the energy of a waterfall for various purposes and converts into electricity. When such is the case with the physical-energy, what to speak of the spiritual and mental energy that are dormant or latent in men.
A great man is not one who possesses enormous wealth. One who possesses a good, loving heart and the spirit of service, who has knowledge of Sastras, who possesses the virtues of Ahimsa, Brahmacharya, Satya, etc., is really a great man. He may be very poor. He may appear ugly. Nobody might care for him. He may be clad in rags. Yet, he is a very great man in this world. He is dear to one and all.
A Yogi or a Jnani does not allow even a very small amount of energy in him to be wasted in useless directions. He utilises all conserved energy in Atma-Vichara and spiritual pursuits. Mr. Ford of great repute knew this science well. That is the reason why he became one of the richest men of this world. Sir J.C. Bose, was fully aware of this art. He utilised the conserved energy in his laboratory in inventions and discoveries.
Generally many people waste their energy in the following channels. These are the important ones. There are many other minor items. If you do not allow the energy to be wasted through these important channels, then it will be easy for you to check the waste through minor ones, or they will be automatically checked. Shutting up of these main channels will bring about the closing of the other channels. Just as the overseer who is in charge of the canal irrigation department puts the shutters in the canal and turns the water into the lands of landlords for agricultural purposes, so also the Yogi shuts out all the apertures into which the physical and mental energy leaks out and transmutes them into Ojas-Sakti and spends the conserved energy in spiritual pursuits. The main channels by which energy is wasted are as follows:
1. The reproductive organs.
2. The tongue.
3. The mind.
Now I shall tell you the various means by which the above channels spend the energy. You will find also useful suggestions and exercises to effectively conserve all the energy. If one method is not suitable to you, select any other method. First of all the reproductive organ drains the energy enormously by excessive sexual intercourse. Young men do not realise the value of the vital fluid. They waste this dynamic energy by immoderate copulation. Their nerves are tickled much. They become intoxicated. What a serious blunder! It is a crime which deserves capital punishment. They are slayers of the Atman. When this energy is once wasted, it can never be recouped by any other means. It is the most valuable energy in the whole world. One sexual act completely shatters the brain and nervous system. They foolishly imagine that they can recover the lost energy by taking milk, almonds and Makaradhvaja. This is a mistake. You must try your best to preserve every drop of semen, although you are a married man. Self-realisation is the goal of life. The idea of keeping up the lineage is a Puranic story. Srutis emphatically say: "The moment you get Vairagya, at once, renounce the world." Sadasiva Brahman, one of the greatest Yogins, left his young wife the moment he had Vairagya. He has not seen her after her puberty. Nothing affected him. No one could complain that he failed in his duty. The highest duty for you is Self-realisation. That man who has realised the Atman purifies his lineage up to 108 generations. This is the highest service he can do for his ancestors. Compared to this, service to father with money, or shampooing his feet, are mere playthings of a child. This sort of physical service is puerile. My friend Mr. Iyer, Advocate of the Madras High Court, the first son of a big Sastri, will stand up now and speak in emphatic terms with rhetoric and high-flowing bombastic style: "This Swamiji does not know anything of Manu Smriti or Yajnavalkya Smriti. My father knows everything. He is a famous Sastri. We should remain as householders till 75 years of age. Then we should lead a life of Vanaprastha, and at the time of death we should take Sannyasa." Mr. Iyer is after all the son of an orthodox Brahmin. He is a book-worm and is like the frog of a small well. He has a very small heart. His circle of life is around his six daughters and five sons. He will talk of high philosophy. He will quote scriptures. But his mind is full of Vasanas. His philosophy is in his kitchen only. As the vast majority of persons are not able to control passion, Rishis have chalked out the Grihastha Ashrama. If a man from his very birth is spiritually inclined and his mind is full of Vairagya and strong discrimination, he cannot remain in the Grihastha Ashrama even for a second. He will take Sannyasa immediately and spend his time in the forests in Sravana, Manana and Nididhyasana. He will get double promotion from Naishthika Brahmacharya. He need not enter the life of a householder and waste his precious energy. That man who has controlled his seminal power and transmuted it into Ojas-Sakti is the most happy and powerful man on this earth. He can command the five elements. He is a proof against all temptations of this world. He can get success in any department of life. He will have full concentration of mind.
For saving this vital energy, many Yogic methods are suggested in detail in this book under the heading: "Brahmacharya." However, I shall tell you some important points. Keep the mind fully occupied. This is the best panacea or sovereign remedy for keeping up Brahmacharya. Do Japa, meditation, reading of religious books, Kirtan, prayer, Satsanga, selfless service, religious discourses, etc. Always wear a Kaupina or suspendary bandage. This is scientific and spiritual, too. If you are a married man, sleep In a separate room, away from your wife. Change your habit immediately.
Be careful in the selection of your companions. Give up dramas, talkies, reading novels and other love-stories. Do not use soaps, scents and flowers. Observe Mauna. Do not mix with any one. Read good, inspiring, religious books. When desires arise in the mind do not fulfil them. Crush them immediately. Avoid the company of women. No joking and laughing. These are all outward manifestations of lust only. When you walk in the street, do not look hither and thither like a monkey. Do not look at a woman—even her photo or picture.
Energy leaks through the mouth by idle talks, gossiping, censure, scandal mongering and all sorts of useless worldly talks. Vain Pundits engage themselves in hot discussions to exhibit their pedantry. They do not gain anything. But they waste their energy unnecessarily. Just as a greedy man is careful in the accumulation of his wealth and does not like to waste even a single pie and considers money as his very blood, so also aspirants conserve even a minute quantity of energy and utilise it for good purposes. Energy is all money. People do not understand the value of energy. They waste it very carelessly. They squander it like a profligate son. They repent and become weak in their old age. It is too late to gather honey in the winter. They will never hear the words of elders and sages when they are full-blooded, when their cheeks are rosy, when their moustaches stand twisted with glue, when their hearts throb with full energy. They become arrogant, self-willed, stubborn and hot-headed. You should never enter into unnecessary discussions. Discussions end in hostility. Too much laughter is another way for the wastage of energy through mouth. A man who bursts into laughter always cannot influence people. Serenity, seriousness and a dignified attitude are necessary if you want to impress and influence people. Idle people and loafers who sit on wayside and public inns laugh without rhyme and reason like wild, jungle people. The laughter of a spiritual man is of quite a different nature. It has a sense of awe and grandeur. It produces a thrill and joy in others. But the laughter of those loafers is disgusting and heart-rending. Note the difference carefully. Try to be serious and give occasional smile. But do not attempt to put on the Sunday faces of a clergyman. Be quite natural. Meditate on the Atman. Develop virtuous qualities. You need not assume and put on anything unnatural. Hypocrisy or pretending to be something which you are really not is a most dangerous or heinous crime. It is most detestable. A Jnani laughs and smiles through his eyes. It is only a foolish man that bursts into laughter. The smile and laughter through the eyes will influence people tremendously. You will have to cultivate it gradually. No energy leaks if you smile. This may be a new thing for you. It belongs to the spiritual men.
Use measured words in talking. Do not talk much. Try to finish a conversation within a few minutes. Understand the nature of the man rightly when he enters your compound for interview. Speak politely with great respect for the man and send him immediately and conserve the energy. Do not indulge in long, unnecessary talks and discussions. Man is a social animal. He is prone to much talking. He is very garrulous. This talkative habit is ingrained in him. He is much troubled when he cannot get any company. He cannot go in for seclusion. The observance of Mauna is death and a great capital punishment for him. Ladies are still more garrulous. They always create some kind of unnecessary quarrel in the house. The peace of the house is disturbed through too much talking. I always prescribe the practice of Mauna for one and all, as this helps in the preservation of energy, development of will and enjoyment of peace. All sorts of quarrels, misunderstandings, anger, etc., can be easily avoided by Mauna. Mauna gives the greatest strength. All members in the house should observe Mauna for two hours daily and for six hours on Sundays and for one full week on long holidays. Even during other periods they should talk a very few words. Speak gently. During Mauna you must live alone. Do not mix with people. Do not even express your ideas by gestures.
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People who drink strong tea and coffee very often in barrels develop a bad habit. They have become slaves of tea and coffee. In happy moderation they help hard workers. But the thing is that man loses his will-power and finds it hard to resist his falling into immoderation. There comes the trouble. He becomes a slave. If you can remain as a master and if you can give it up at any time, then there is no harm.
Novel-reading is another evil habit. Those who are in the habit of reading novels that deal with passion and love cannot remain even for a single second without novel in their hands. They always want their nerves to be tickled with some sensational feelings. Novel-reading fills the minds with base, lustful thoughts and excites passion. It is a great enemy of peace.
Many people have started now libraries for distribution of novels on a small subscription of four annas per mensem. They have not realised how much harm they are doing to the country. It is better that they chalk out another avocation to make out their livelihood. They spoil the minds of young men by the distribution of the worthless novels which excite the passion. The whole atmosphere is polluted. Severe punishment is waiting them in some form. Newspaper-reading also is an evil habit. People cannot leave their papers even while they are taking food. They always like to hear some sensational news. They feel quite dull when they do not read papers. They cannot get sleep without reading the daily news. They are quite unfit for a life of meditation and seclusion. Place them in solitude for three days. They will feel like fish out of water. The reading of newspapers makes the mind always outgoing, brings in revival of worldly Samskaras and makes man forget God.
Cinemas produce an evil habit in man. He cannot remain even for a single day without attending the show. His eyes want to see some half-nude pictures, lotus dances and some kinds of colours. He is pleased with sweet music. Young girls and young boys become passionate when they see the actors in films kissing and embracing. Those who want to develop themselves in the spiritual line should entirely shun cinemas. They should not attend the so-called religious films also. There are no really religious films. It is a kind of trick to attract people and collect money. What is the spiritual calibre of the actors there? Spiritual people only can bring out impressive stories with good morals that can thrill the minds of the spectators.
Sleeping in the daytime is another evil habit. It shortens life. Time is wasted considerably. It brings in laziness and lethargy. It develops gastritis, dyspepsia and a host of other ailments. It should be entirely given up, if you want to grow quickly. Snatch every second and utilise it properly. Life is fleeting, time is short, death is waiting. How happy is the man who is thoroughly destitute of a single evil habit! He can attain great success in life and apply himself diligently to Yoga Sadhana.
A vast majority of persons have got the evil habit of using slang terms and abuses every second during their conversation. When they become excited and angry they pour forth a continuous shower of all sorts of foul words. It cannot be described. There are people who use such words as, 'Sala', every second. It will come out like the words: 'you see' in some people. 'Sala' means brother-in-law in Hindi. If you call anybody by the term 'Sala' he will become very furious. People have a vulgar habit and use these slang terms. A man of refined taste, culture and polish can never utter any such words. English people very often use the words: "Damn fool; the son of bitch." The English military people use the word 'damn' every second. They cannot talk without a 'damn' in a sentence. This is also a very bad habit. See the children in the streets. They fight, quarrel and use obscene words. When any Englishman comes to India or to any new country, he first tries to learn some obscene words. Look at human nature! He does not want to learn the names of God. When the cart-driver twists the tail of the bull, when the Tongavala whips the horse, there comes the words: "Sala, Badmash, Suvarka-Baccha (the son of a pig)."
Parents should check their children when they utter any bad words. They themselves should not use any bad words. They themselves become the Gurus for these children. Children simply imitate. Children have got a strong power of imitation. Practise to use the words such as: "Hare Ram, Hare Krishna, Hae Prabhu" always, even when you talk. Bring these words every second. Train your children also. This itself will form a kind of Japa or remembrance of God. Train your mind. Check also all people who often use vulgar words through bad habit. This is the most important duty of the parents. Any healthy habit sown in the minds of children becomes firmly rooted.
There are some who are unconscious of their bad habits and many who do not recognise it as bad. If they recognise it to be bad then the correction is very simple. An advocate was a terrible smoker for a period of fifteen years. With one strong willing he left it off entirely. There was a police Inspector in Madras. He had drinking, and smoking habits. With a strong determination, he left the habits. He did not touch them from that day. First, realise that you have got an evil habit, and then intensely desire that you should give it up at any cost. Your success has already come. Will strongly: "I will give up this bad habit from this very second." You will succeed. Giving up any bad habit at once is better. The habit of slowly giving up by gradual reduction generally does not turn out to be successful. Beware of recurrences. Resolutely turn your face when a little temptation tries to reappear. Keep the mind fully occupied in your work. Be busy. Entertain a strong desire: "I must become a great man presently." All these habits will fly away. Feel strongly: "I must become a spiritual man." All these bad habits will disappear.
Use your subconscious mind for eradication of your habits. It is your intimate friend and thick chum. Keep companionship with him. He will make matters all right. Establish new healthy habits. Develop your will also. Give up bad company. Always have Satsanga. Live amidst Mahatmas. Their strong currents will overhaul your evil habits. There is nothing impossible under the sun.
Where there is a will, there is a way. I have received many letters from those who have given up the bad habits of taking mutton, fish, alcohol, smoke, etc. In the beginning they will feel it difficult but when they succeed, they will realise the immense benefit and happiness.
Eradicate Negative Qualities
Shyness is a great hindrance in the path of success in life. This is a form of timidity or low fear. Almost all boys have this weakness. This is a feminine quality. This is the Svabhava of ladies. Shyness manifests itself when one is in the wrong path. Everyone knows that the goal of life is God-realisation and yet one engages oneself in sexual matters. This wrong action creates shyness when one appears before anyone. A shy boy or man cannot express his thoughts boldly before any person. He cannot look directly at the eyes of another man. He will talk to you looking at the ground. He cannot approach any stranger freely. A shy man cannot get on well in any kind of business or office. Modesty is not shyness. Modesty is decency or chastity. This comes out of politeness and polish of character. Some Ranis are very shy in the beginning to talk to men when they come outside, after the death of their husbands. Gradually they become bold and the shyness vanishes. Those who are shy should try to talk with others boldly. They should look directly at the face of others. Shyness is a great weakness. It should be eradicated quickly by cultivating courage.
Timidity is another weakness. This is faint-heartedness. This is a form of fear. This is akin to shyness. A timid man has a chicken-heart. He is unfit for public activities and any kind of adventurous work: He is a toad that lives in a small well. He cannot become a successful man in life. He cannot talk boldly to his superiors. He cannot deal boldly with his customers in business. How can he then expect prosperity? He is afraid of losing his life. He is much attached to his wife, children and property. He is afraid of public opinion. He cannot talk even a few words with emphasis and force. A timid man is more or less like a woman. Timidity must be eradicated by developing courage. Timidity is a curse. It weakens a man. It checks growth. It hinders in the success of a man.
Pessimism is another undesirable negative quality. This is a temper of mind that looks too much on the dark side of things. It is the doctrine in which the whole world is bad rather than good. This is a depressing view of life. Buddhists preach pessimism. Vedantins are wonderful optimists, though they say that the world is unreal. They talk on Vairagya to create a distaste for the worthless life of this world, and to create a taste for the immortal, blissful life in Brahman. The opposite of pessimism is optimism. It always looks at the bright side of the picture. A pessimist is always gloomy, depressed, lazy and lethargic. Cheerfulness is unknown to him. He infects others. Pessimism is an epidemic, infectious disease. A pessimist cannot get success in this world. Become a powerful optimist and rejoice in the all-pervading Atman. Try to be cheerful under any condition of life. Practise this.
Some people are over-credulous. This is also bad. They are very easily cheated by others. You must fully understand the man. You must know his nature, qualities, his antecedence and his behaviour. You must try and test him on several occasions. When you are fully satisfied, then you can place full confidence in him. He may be a deep man. He may put on a false appearance and turn out to be quite reverse after some time. You will have to watch him very closely and move with him closely and hear about him from several other persons with whom he has moved. Man cannot hide his nature for a very long time. His face is the advertisement board that registers all his inner feelings and thoughts and in short all that take place in the inner mental factory. After close examination and test one should place confidence in another man.
Too much of a suspicious nature is also bad. This is the opposite of over-credulousness. The mind always moves in extremes. The husband suspects his wife always. The wife suspects her husband. Always there is a fight and trouble in the house. The proprietor suspects his servants. How can business go on? The world runs on faith. The Directors of the biggest Railways in India were in England. They did not know in detail what was exactly going on in India. Yet the Railways ran smoothly. The Directors believed the Agents, the Traffic Managers and other Officials. These people in turn believed the subordinate staff. Many shareholders of the coffee and tea estates in Ceylon are in America and England, and the business goes on well. Business runs on faith. If people are too much suspicious, friction and rupture will be always going on. Give a margin and try the man. Do not go to extremes. Do not be over-credulous or over-suspicious. Keep to the golden mean.
Then comes another undesirable quality—intolerance. There is religious intolerance. There is communal intolerance. There is intolerance of all sorts. Intolerance is petty-mindedness. It is unreasonable dislike for little things. The Sikh can drink alcohol. There is no harm in this. But he becomes intolerant when he sees anybody smoking. A Maharashtra Brahmin can do any kind of wrong but he will be intolerant of a Kashmere Pundit who takes meat. A Madrasi Brahmin can take anything in the restaurant, but he is intolerant of a Bengali who takes fish. The whole of the restlessness and fight in this world takes its origin in intolerance. An Englishman is intolerant towards an Irishman or a German. A Hindu is intolerant towards a Mohammedan, and vice versa. An Arya Samajist is intolerant towards a Sanatanist, and vice versa. This is due to ignorance. How can a man who sees the one Truth be intolerant? All these small differences are purely a mental creation. Expand. Embrace all. Include all. Love all. Serve all. Behold the Lord in all. Unite with all. See God in everything, in every face. Feel the indwelling presence in all. Change the angle of vision or mental attitude. Be liberal and catholic in your views. Destroy all the barriers that separate man from man. Drink the eternal Atmic bliss. Become perfectly tolerant. Excuse the baby souls who are struggling in the path and who are making mistakes. Forget and forgive.
Many worry themselves too much that they are inferior to others. The idea of superiority and inferiority is again a mental creation. The inferior man may become superior if he exerts, struggles and develops virtues. The superior man may become an inferior man if he loses his property and develops vices. Never think that you are inferior or superior, to anybody. If you think you are superior to anybody, you will begin to treat others with contempt. The ideas of superiority and inferiority are the products of ignorance. Develop equal-vision. Live in the true spirit of the Gita. Hear what the Gita says: "Sages look equally on a Brahmin adorned with learning and humility, a cow, an elephant and even a dog or an outcaste." Namadev ran with a cup of ghee behind a dog to apply ghee to the bread. He said: "O Dog, you are a form of my Krishna. This dry bread will hurt your throat. Pray, allow me to apply this ghee over the bread." Sri Ekanath gave the Ganga water, which he carried from Kasi on his shoulder for Abhisheka at Ramesvar, to an ass. Where is superiority and inferiority when you behold the one Self everywhere? Change your angle of vision and rest in peace.
Then comes another evil quality—depression. People have plenty of money and yet they are always depressed. They put on a morose, peevish appearance. They are always gloomy. It is a dangerous epidemic disease. The gloomy man spreads gloom and depression everywhere. He cannot apply himself to any kind of work. He is idle and lethargic. Depression will deplete all energy. Think of the virtue, cheerfulness. Have a mental picture of joy and the habit of cheerfulness will develop around this mental picture. Smile and laugh. Give a smile to everybody whom you meet on the road. That man who always keeps a cheerful countenance radiates joy to others.
Some are not able to decide anything definitely in certain important matters. They have not got independent power of judgment. They will simply prolong the matter. They will not come to a definite positive decision. A man who is prone to indecision will never succeed in any attempt. He will be full of doubts and fears. Procrastination is the friend of indecision. The opportunity will slip away. It will be too late to gather honey in winter. You must think over a matter for some time and then come to definite decision. At once you must apply your will and try to put the matter into execution. Then only you will succeed. Too much thinking will upset the matter. In important matters you can consult some of your elders who have got experience in the line, and who are your real well-wishers.
Carelessness and forgetfulness are other two evil qualities that stand in the way of success of a man. A careless man cannot do any action in a proper manner. These are qualities born of Tamas. Application and tenacity are unknown to a man of carelessness. The superiors get displeased with a man who is careless and forgetful. There is lack of attention in a careless and forgetful man. A forgetful man generally loses his key, shoes and umbrella. He cannot produce the papers and records to the officer in time. He blinks. Follow the lessons in memory-culture that are given in the subsequent pages, and you can have a good memory in no time. Develop a strong desire to remove these two defects, and to develop carefulness and good memory. This is important. Then the will and subconscious mind will do the work for you. Tie the key always at the end of your cloth as soon as you lock the door. Keep the money in the inside-pocket. Keep your spectacles in the side-pocket. Always count the packages whenever you go for a tour. Keep accounts regularly. Daily make a small note of the items you have to attend to.
Many people are always diffident. They have no self-confidence. They have energy, capacity and faculties. But they have no confidence in their own powers and faculties and in getting success. This is a kind of weakness that brings failures in all attempts. A man appears on the platform to deliver a lecture. He is a capable man. He is learned. But he is diffident. He thinks foolishly that he cannot produce an impressive speech. The moment this kind of negative thought occupies his mind, he becomes nervous, staggers and gets down from the platform. This failure is due to his lack of self-confidence. You may have a little capacity and yet you must have full confidence that you will succeed in your attempt. There are people who have very little materials and capacity and yet they thrill the audience. This is due to their confidence. Confidence is a kind of power. Confidence develops will. Always think: "I will succeed. I am fully confident in my success." Never give room for the negative quality, diffidence, to enter your mind. Confidence is half-success. You must fully know your real worth. A man of confidence is always successful in his attempts.
Conserve Your Energy
The conservation of energy in this body is of paramount importance. The subject of conservation of energy mainly concerns the college students, the professors, doctors, lawyers, engineers and all businessmen and, in short, one and all. Many do not know how to conserve the energy and regulate it according to the needs. They do not know how to transmute one form of energy into another form. That is why the vast majority of persons are not able to become prodigies or geniuses in the world. If you really want to become a great man, if you want to achieve something grand and sublime, conservation of energy will help you a lot. You must know the different ways by which the energy is wasted and then the way by which it can be transformed to some useful purposes, or for spiritual pursuits and development of higher inner Yogic faculties. An agriculturist tries to save every drop of water and utilises it properly in his fields and garden. An Engineer tries to utilise the energy of a waterfall for various purposes and converts into electricity. When such is the case with the physical-energy, what to speak of the spiritual and mental energy that are dormant or latent in men.
A great man is not one who possesses enormous wealth. One who possesses a good, loving heart and the spirit of service, who has knowledge of Sastras, who possesses the virtues of Ahimsa, Brahmacharya, Satya, etc., is really a great man. He may be very poor. He may appear ugly. Nobody might care for him. He may be clad in rags. Yet, he is a very great man in this world. He is dear to one and all.
A Yogi or a Jnani does not allow even a very small amount of energy in him to be wasted in useless directions. He utilises all conserved energy in Atma-Vichara and spiritual pursuits. Mr. Ford of great repute knew this science well. That is the reason why he became one of the richest men of this world. Sir J.C. Bose, was fully aware of this art. He utilised the conserved energy in his laboratory in inventions and discoveries.
Generally many people waste their energy in the following channels. These are the important ones. There are many other minor items. If you do not allow the energy to be wasted through these important channels, then it will be easy for you to check the waste through minor ones, or they will be automatically checked. Shutting up of these main channels will bring about the closing of the other channels. Just as the overseer who is in charge of the canal irrigation department puts the shutters in the canal and turns the water into the lands of landlords for agricultural purposes, so also the Yogi shuts out all the apertures into which the physical and mental energy leaks out and transmutes them into Ojas-Sakti and spends the conserved energy in spiritual pursuits. The main channels by which energy is wasted are as follows:
1. The reproductive organs.
2. The tongue.
3. The mind.
Now I shall tell you the various means by which the above channels spend the energy. You will find also useful suggestions and exercises to effectively conserve all the energy. If one method is not suitable to you, select any other method. First of all the reproductive organ drains the energy enormously by excessive sexual intercourse. Young men do not realise the value of the vital fluid. They waste this dynamic energy by immoderate copulation. Their nerves are tickled much. They become intoxicated. What a serious blunder! It is a crime which deserves capital punishment. They are slayers of the Atman. When this energy is once wasted, it can never be recouped by any other means. It is the most valuable energy in the whole world. One sexual act completely shatters the brain and nervous system. They foolishly imagine that they can recover the lost energy by taking milk, almonds and Makaradhvaja. This is a mistake. You must try your best to preserve every drop of semen, although you are a married man. Self-realisation is the goal of life. The idea of keeping up the lineage is a Puranic story. Srutis emphatically say: "The moment you get Vairagya, at once, renounce the world." Sadasiva Brahman, one of the greatest Yogins, left his young wife the moment he had Vairagya. He has not seen her after her puberty. Nothing affected him. No one could complain that he failed in his duty. The highest duty for you is Self-realisation. That man who has realised the Atman purifies his lineage up to 108 generations. This is the highest service he can do for his ancestors. Compared to this, service to father with money, or shampooing his feet, are mere playthings of a child. This sort of physical service is puerile. My friend Mr. Iyer, Advocate of the Madras High Court, the first son of a big Sastri, will stand up now and speak in emphatic terms with rhetoric and high-flowing bombastic style: "This Swamiji does not know anything of Manu Smriti or Yajnavalkya Smriti. My father knows everything. He is a famous Sastri. We should remain as householders till 75 years of age. Then we should lead a life of Vanaprastha, and at the time of death we should take Sannyasa." Mr. Iyer is after all the son of an orthodox Brahmin. He is a book-worm and is like the frog of a small well. He has a very small heart. His circle of life is around his six daughters and five sons. He will talk of high philosophy. He will quote scriptures. But his mind is full of Vasanas. His philosophy is in his kitchen only. As the vast majority of persons are not able to control passion, Rishis have chalked out the Grihastha Ashrama. If a man from his very birth is spiritually inclined and his mind is full of Vairagya and strong discrimination, he cannot remain in the Grihastha Ashrama even for a second. He will take Sannyasa immediately and spend his time in the forests in Sravana, Manana and Nididhyasana. He will get double promotion from Naishthika Brahmacharya. He need not enter the life of a householder and waste his precious energy. That man who has controlled his seminal power and transmuted it into Ojas-Sakti is the most happy and powerful man on this earth. He can command the five elements. He is a proof against all temptations of this world. He can get success in any department of life. He will have full concentration of mind.
For saving this vital energy, many Yogic methods are suggested in detail in this book under the heading: "Brahmacharya." However, I shall tell you some important points. Keep the mind fully occupied. This is the best panacea or sovereign remedy for keeping up Brahmacharya. Do Japa, meditation, reading of religious books, Kirtan, prayer, Satsanga, selfless service, religious discourses, etc. Always wear a Kaupina or suspendary bandage. This is scientific and spiritual, too. If you are a married man, sleep In a separate room, away from your wife. Change your habit immediately.
Be careful in the selection of your companions. Give up dramas, talkies, reading novels and other love-stories. Do not use soaps, scents and flowers. Observe Mauna. Do not mix with any one. Read good, inspiring, religious books. When desires arise in the mind do not fulfil them. Crush them immediately. Avoid the company of women. No joking and laughing. These are all outward manifestations of lust only. When you walk in the street, do not look hither and thither like a monkey. Do not look at a woman—even her photo or picture.
Energy leaks through the mouth by idle talks, gossiping, censure, scandal mongering and all sorts of useless worldly talks. Vain Pundits engage themselves in hot discussions to exhibit their pedantry. They do not gain anything. But they waste their energy unnecessarily. Just as a greedy man is careful in the accumulation of his wealth and does not like to waste even a single pie and considers money as his very blood, so also aspirants conserve even a minute quantity of energy and utilise it for good purposes. Energy is all money. People do not understand the value of energy. They waste it very carelessly. They squander it like a profligate son. They repent and become weak in their old age. It is too late to gather honey in the winter. They will never hear the words of elders and sages when they are full-blooded, when their cheeks are rosy, when their moustaches stand twisted with glue, when their hearts throb with full energy. They become arrogant, self-willed, stubborn and hot-headed. You should never enter into unnecessary discussions. Discussions end in hostility. Too much laughter is another way for the wastage of energy through mouth. A man who bursts into laughter always cannot influence people. Serenity, seriousness and a dignified attitude are necessary if you want to impress and influence people. Idle people and loafers who sit on wayside and public inns laugh without rhyme and reason like wild, jungle people. The laughter of a spiritual man is of quite a different nature. It has a sense of awe and grandeur. It produces a thrill and joy in others. But the laughter of those loafers is disgusting and heart-rending. Note the difference carefully. Try to be serious and give occasional smile. But do not attempt to put on the Sunday faces of a clergyman. Be quite natural. Meditate on the Atman. Develop virtuous qualities. You need not assume and put on anything unnatural. Hypocrisy or pretending to be something which you are really not is a most dangerous or heinous crime. It is most detestable. A Jnani laughs and smiles through his eyes. It is only a foolish man that bursts into laughter. The smile and laughter through the eyes will influence people tremendously. You will have to cultivate it gradually. No energy leaks if you smile. This may be a new thing for you. It belongs to the spiritual men.
Use measured words in talking. Do not talk much. Try to finish a conversation within a few minutes. Understand the nature of the man rightly when he enters your compound for interview. Speak politely with great respect for the man and send him immediately and conserve the energy. Do not indulge in long, unnecessary talks and discussions. Man is a social animal. He is prone to much talking. He is very garrulous. This talkative habit is ingrained in him. He is much troubled when he cannot get any company. He cannot go in for seclusion. The observance of Mauna is death and a great capital punishment for him. Ladies are still more garrulous. They always create some kind of unnecessary quarrel in the house. The peace of the house is disturbed through too much talking. I always prescribe the practice of Mauna for one and all, as this helps in the preservation of energy, development of will and enjoyment of peace. All sorts of quarrels, misunderstandings, anger, etc., can be easily avoided by Mauna. Mauna gives the greatest strength. All members in the house should observe Mauna for two hours daily and for six hours on Sundays and for one full week on long holidays. Even during other periods they should talk a very few words. Speak gently. During Mauna you must live alone. Do not mix with people. Do not even express your ideas by gestures.
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