PRACTICE OF YOGA BY SWAMI SIVANANDA (MESSAGE 12)
(The section, `Obstacles in Yoga – Moha—Attachment', continues...)
Attachment is the root cause for human sufferings. It is the product of Avidya. It is a modification of nescience. The husband weeps on the death of his wife, because he is attached to the physical body of his wife. The wife weeps on the death of her husband, not because of pure love for him, but because she could not get now any sexual pleasure and other comforts which she had when he was alive. Infatuated love, delusion and fear are the old-standing associates of attachment. The cause of fear is the attachment to this physical body and property. Attachment and fear are inseparable. They are like fire and heat.
You are not at all affected when one says: "That house is on fire. The horse is dead." Because there is neither attachment nor identification here. But if one says: "The house of Mr. Ramnarayan is on fire; The horse of Ganga Shankar is dead;" at once the hearts of these people are affected since they have got identification or attachment with the house or horse. It is this kind of attachment that brings sorrow.
Paramahamsa Sannyasins always wander about. They should not stay for more than three days in a place. The main object in this discipline is to cut off attachment. By long stay in one place, Raga and Dvesha will gradually develop. Real renunciation consists in renouncing the idea: 'I am the body.' Real renunciation consists in abandoning the attachment for this body. "Sarva Sanga Parityaga—Giving up all sorts of attachments" is the key for attaining the bliss of Atman. It does not mean that one should retire into the forest. Sikhidhvaja still had attachment to his body and Kamandalu though he lived in forest, whereas his wife Queen Chudala was absolutely free from any sort of attachment even though she ruled a dominion.
Thousands of wido.ws from Bengal and Madras are staying in Benares with the idea that they will get Mukti if they die in Benares. But their minds are fixed on their grandchildren. They are attached to the huge bundles of cow-dung cakes which they have accumulated in the backyard of their houses for starting fire. Some people are attached to paltry things such as notebooks, books, walking sticks, pictures and small handkerchiefs. The friendship of several years comes- to a termination if Mr. Rajan fails to return a small book which he borrowed from Seshu. Fight ensues. It begins with a showering of hot words and abuses. They do not talk and see each other from that moment. Ladies fight for little things, as they have great attachment for meagre things also.
In Madras a boy was accidently drowned in a tank. His mother who was nearby and who had an intense attachment to her only son, immediately jumped into the tank and drowned herself. Her husband was very much attached to his wife and child. He also jumped and drowned himself. Instances like these daily occur in various parts of the world. Several people become nervous and get shocks when they lose the things to which they are attached very much. Such is the havoc done by the power of attachment. If a man receives a telegram that his only son is dead, he gets a shock and faints. Some people immediately die when they hear such news.
Look at the Moha of monkeys. If the baby monkey dies, the mother-monkey will carry the dead body for one or two months even. Such is the great power of Moha. Cows have great Moha for their calves.
Moha will not spare even Sannyasins who have renounced everything. Moha troubled even Sri Sankara. He had to attend the sick bed and funeral of his mother, though he was a Sannyasin. The great saint Pattinathuswami says at the funeral of his mother: "There was at first fire at Tripura: then at Lanka (Ceylon). Now there is fire in my stomach caused by the death of my mother. Let me also apply fire to this corpse of my mother." Sannyasins get slowly attached to their Ashrams and disciples. This is more difficult for eradication. This attachment is stronger than the attachment of worldly persons. Many are attached to their Kamandalus and sticks and small tumblers. Even at the time of death they entertain thoughts of petty articles. The mind is so framed that it sticks to the old ruts and grooves. It demands drastic and rigorous discipline and Sadhana to get rid of all sorts of attachment. One has to struggle hard to destroy Moha.
It is Moha that brings us again to this Mrityu-Ioka. The seed of attachment is ingrained in the subconscious mind. The mind tries its level best to get attached to some form or other. It cannot remain without clinging to one form. It leaves one form and immediately clings to another form. This is its Svabhava. This is due to the quality of Rajas. If Rajas is eradicated, all attachments will die by themselves. One should always be on the alert to detect the subtle workings of Moha.
Moha creates delusion and perverted intellect. Through the force of Maya, you mistake the unreal, dirty body for the real, pure Atman. You take the unreal world as a solid reality. These are the functions of Moha. You never wept when millions died in the Great War. But you weep bitterly when your wife is dead. Why? Because you have Moha for her. Moha creates the idea of 'mineness.' Therefore you say: "My wife, my son, my horse, my house." This is bondage. This is death.
You will have to train your mind daily in all dealings and actions. Do not get attached to your wife, children and property. The world is like a public inn. People are united for some time and they are separated in a short time. Turn the mind towards God and do daily Japa and meditation. Study books on Vedanta and Bhartrihari Vairagya Satakam. The seeds of Moha are ingrained in the subconscious mind. You have to obliterate or fry up all these seeds through right thinking and Vichara. You will have to cut all these illusory attachments through the sword of Vairagya (non-attachment). Gita says: "Asangasastrena dridhena chittva—Cut this tree of Maya with the sword of non-attachment." Develop internal Vairagya by understanding the illusory nature of this world. Remember the pains of this Samsara, birth, death, old age, disease and miseries of this world. Place before the mind the glorious life in Atman and the immense bliss of a spiritual life. Remember the saints, sages and Yogins. Get inspiration from them.
Learn to discriminate between the real and the unreal. Have no intimate connection with anybody. Lead a life of non-attachment in this world. The man who has no attachment to this world is the most happy man. He is God Himself. Do not bother a bit when you lose little things. Think always that the perishable objects are worthless. Repeat the formulas mentally several times: "All objects are Vishtavat (like dung). All objects are Vishavat (like poison)." You can destroy Moha if you mentally repeat in all circumstances: "Even this will pass away."
Moha brings manifold miseries, bondage, discord and rupture. Moha is your dreadful enemy. It is real death. Non-attachment raises you to Godhead, lifts you up to the lofty heights of Brahman. Non-attachment brings unalloyed bliss, eternal life, freedom, independence, perfection, concord and harmony.
Moha is the greatest of all obstacles. All other obstacles in the practice of Yoga emanate from this Moha. If you can gradually destroy this, then the whole spiritual Sadhana and Self-realisation is very, very easy. We can even say that the whole spiritual Sadhana is intended for destroying this dreadful enemy.
Poor Health
God-realisation is not possible without Sadhana. Spiritual practice is not possible without good health. A sickly, dilapidated body stands in the way of Yoga-Abhyasa. The aspirant should try his level best to keep good health always by regular exercise, Asana, Pranayama, moderation in diet, walking, running in open air, regularity in his work, meals, sleep, etc. He should avoid drugging as much as possible. He must take recourse to nature's cure, such as fresh air, wholesome food, cold bath, dietetic adjustment. He should always keep up a cheerful attitude of mind under all conditions of life. Cheerfulness is a powerful mental tonic. There is intimate connection between body and mind. If mind is cheerful, the body also is healthy. That is the reason why doctors now prescribe laughing three times daily in the treatment of diseases.
Some foolish aspirants refuse to take medicine when they are ailing seriously. They say: 'it is Prarabdha. We should not go against Prarabdha. Taking medicine is against the will of God. Body is Mithya. If I take medicine, it will increase Deha-Adhyasa and body-idea." This is a foolish philosophy. Take medicine. Do Purushartha. Leave the results to Prarabdha. This is wisdom. These foolish people unnecessarily torture the body, allow the disease to take a deep root and spoil their health. They cannot do any Sadhana. They ruin this instrument by wrong conception of Vedanta. Vedanta says: "Have no attachment for this body. But keep it clean, strong and healthy for constant, rigid Sadhana. This body is a boat to cross over to the other shore of Immortality. It is the horse to take you to the destination. Feed the horse well but give up 'mineness.' When you are ill, take some medicine for a couple of days, tide over the difficulties in a few days and start again the Sadhana quickly. Do not allow the disease to assume a grave form, and make it chronic and incurable.
Impure and Immoderate Food
Mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of food. If the food is impure, the mind also becomes impure. This is the dictum of sages and psychologists. Food plays an important part in the evolution of the mind. It has direct influence on the mind. Meat, fish, eggs, stale unwholesome food, onions, garlic, etc., should be avoided by spiritual practitioners, as these things excite passion and anger. The food should be simple, bland, light, wholesome and nutritious. Liquors and narcotics should be strictly abandoned. Chillies, condiments, spiced dishes, pungent stuff and food that is too sour and sweet must be rejected.
In the Gita you will find: "The foods that augment vitality, energy, vigour, health, joy and cheerfulness, delicious, bland, substantial and agreeable, are dear to the pure." Aspirants should not overload the stomach. Ninety per cent of diseases take their origin in immoderation of diet. People have developed a strong habit of eating more food than what is actually necessary. This is a habit from their very boyhood. Indian mothers stuff their children with too much food. This is not the way of caressing and loving their children. Overloading brings drowsiness and sleep immediately. If there is no hunger, you must not take any food. The night meals should be very light for Sadhakas. Half a seer of milk with one or two plantains is quite sufficient.
Influence of Tamas
Tamas is another obstacle. A microscopic minority only are fit for whole-timed meditation. People like Sadasiva Brahman and Sri Sankara can spend the whole time in meditation. Many Sadhus who take to Nivritti-Marga (the path of renunciation) have become completely Tamasic. Tamas is mistaken for Sattva. This is a great blunder. One can evolve beautifully by doing Karma Yoga in the world if he knows how to spend his time profitably. A householder should seek the advice of Sannyasins and Mahatmas from time to time, draw a daily routine and adhere to it strictly amidst worldly activities. Rajas can be converted into Sattva. Intense Rajas takes a Sattvic turn. It is impossible to convert Tamas all on a sudden into Sattva. Tamas should first be turned into Rajas.
Young Sadhus who take to Nivritti-Marga do not stick to any routine. They do not hear the words of elders. They do not obey the orders of the Guru. They want absolute independence from the very beginning. They lead a happy-go-lucky life. There is no one to check. They have their own ways. They do not know how to regulate the energy and how to chalk out a daily programme. They aimlessly wander about from place to place. They become Tamasic within six months. They sit for half an hour in some Asana and imagine that they are having Samadhi. They imagine to be realised souls. If an aspirant who has taken to Nivritti-Marga finds that he is not evolving, that he is not improving in meditation, that he is going into Tamasic state, he should at once take up some kind of service for some years and work vigorously. He should combine work along with meditation. This is wisdom. This is prudence. This is sagacity. Then he should go in for Seclusion. One should use his commonsense all throughout his Sadhana. It is very difficult to get out of Tamasic state. A Sadhaka should be very cautious. When Tamas tries to overtake him, he should immediately do some sort of brisk work. He can run in the open air, draw water from wells, etc. He should drive it off by some intelligent means or other.
Alasya, Tandri and Nidra are the products of Tamas. Alasya is laziness. Tandri is half-sleepy state. Nidra is sleep. These three are great obstacles in the path of realisation. Sleep is a powerful force of Maya. It is Nidra-Sakti. You will be imagining that you are meditating. The mind will immediately run through the old grooves, into the Mula-Ajnana for resting in the twinkling of an eye. You will be doubting if it is sleep or meditation. Sleep is the greatest obstacle as it is very powerful. Even though a Sadhaka is very careful and vigilant, sleep overpowers him somehow or other. This is a very strong habit. It takes time and demands great strength of will to destroy this old habit.
Arjuna is called Gudakesa or conqueror of sleep. Lord Krishna addresses him: "O Gudakesa." Lakshmana also had mastery over sleep. Besides these two persons, we have not heard of anyone who has conquered his sleep. There are people who have reduced the sleep to two or three hours. Even Yogins and Jnanins sleep for two or three hours. Sleep is a psychological phenomenon. Brain needs rest at least for a short time. Otherwise man feels drowsy and tired. He can neither work nor meditate. The sleep of a Jnani is different from the sleep of a worldly man. In a Jnani the powerful Samskaras of Brahma-Abhyasa are there. It is something akin to Brahma-Nishta. One should be careful in reducing his sleep. It should be done gradually. Go to bed at 10.00 p.m. and get up at 3.30 a.m. Gradually reduce half an hour in each month.
Sadhakas can gain time for their Sadhana by reducing sleep. The practice of reducing sleep will be very troublesome in the beginning. When the habits are changed; it will be pleasant. When drowsiness tries to manifest, stand up and do Japa. Dash cold water on the face and head. Take milk and fruits only at night. Avoid overloading the stomach at night. Take the night meals before sunset. Do 10 to 20 Pranayamas just before starting meditation. Do Sirshasana and Sarvangasana. Run for five minutes in your compound. Drowsiness and sleep will vanish. Aspirants do meditation in the morning for one hour from 4.00 to 5.00 a.m. Then they are overpowered by sleep. They begin to sleep again after 5.00 a.m. This is a general complaint. Do 10 to 20 Pranayamas. Do some Asanas for a few minutes. Again you will be fresh for meditation. Use your commonsense always. The old habit may recur again and again. Tear it also again and again by suitable practices and strength of will. Asana, Pranayama, brisk walk, Mitahara, Satsanga, Japa and Dhyana are the active means for removing Alasya, Tandri and Nidra.
Aspirants get moods of depression occasionally. These moods may be due to indigestion, cloudy weather, influence of Tamas or lower astral entities or revival of old Samskaras from within. Find out the cause and remove it by suitable Sadhana. Do not allow depression to overpower you. Immediately take a brisk, long walk. Run in the open air. Sing divine songs. Chant OM loudly for half an hour. Walk along the seashore or riverside. Play on the harmonium if you know the art. Do some Pranayamas. Drink a small cup of orange-juice or hot tea or light coffee. Read some of the elevating portions of Avadhuta Gita or the Upanishads.
Doubt
The aspirants begin to doubt whether God exists or not, whether he will succeed in his God-realisation or not, whether he is doing his practices rightly or not. This is a dangerous obstacle in the spiritual path. The student slackens his efforts when these doubts crop up. Maya is very powerful. It misleads people through doubting and forgetfulness. Mind deludes people through doubting. Sometimes he gives up his Sadhana altogether. This is a serious mistake. Whenever doubt tries to overpower the Sadhaka, he should at once take recourse to the company of Mahatmas and remain with them for some time under the influence of their currents. He should clear his doubts by conversing with them.
Vishaya-Asakti
This is the greatest of all obstacles. The mind refuses to leave completely the sensual pleasures. Through the force of Vairagya and meditation, the desires get suppressed for some time. All on a sudden the mind thinks of sensual pleasures through the force of habit and memory. There arises mental disturbance. The mind moves outwards in sensual objects. In Gita Lord Krishna says: "The excited senses of even a wise man, though he be striving impetuously carry away his mind."
Some desires lurk in the corners of the mind. Just as old dirt from the corners of the room comes out when you sweep, so also through the pressure of Yogic practices, these old lurking desires come out to the surface of the mind with redoubled force. The Sadhaka should be very careful. He should be ever watching the mind vigilantly. He must nip the desires in the bud by developing his Vairagya, Viveka and increasing the period of Japa and meditation. He must observe Akhanda Mauna and do vigorous meditation and Pranayama. He should live on milk and fruits for 40 days. He should observe fast on Ekadasi days. He should give up mixing with anybody completely. He should never come out of the room. He should plunge himself deep in his Sadhana. Kashaya means hidden Vasanas. This comes under the category of Vishaya-Asakti. Worldly ambition of all sorts can be included under this heading. Ambition makes the mind very restless. Man should have the one laudable ambition of getting Self-realisation.
Manorajya
Manorajya is building castles in the air. This 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 to the world. I must do something which no one has done up to this time." This is ambition. This is egoistic imagination. This is a great obstacle. This will not allow the mind to rest even for a second. Again and again there will be resurrection of some scheme, speculation or plan. 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 a pure case of building castles in the air. One Manorajya will subside and another will crop up in the twinkling of an eye. It will be a small Sankalpa 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. The power of imagination will not allow the mind to keep quiet even for a second. Just as swarms of locusts or flies come forth in a continuous stream, so also currents of Manorajya will stream forth incessantly. Vichara, discrimination, prayer, Japa, Pranayama, Dhyana, Satsanga, fasting, etc., will obviate this obstacle. Pranayama checks the velocity of the mind. It calms the bubbling mind. A young ambitious man is unfit to remain in a solitary cave. He who has done some kind of Sadhana in controlling the mind, can remain in a cave.
Dilly-dallying
AIMLESS WANDERING
Some aspirants have got a habit of wandering aimlessly. They cannot stick to one place even for a week. The wandering habit must be checked. They want to see new places, new faces and want to talk with new people. A rolling stone gathers no moss. A Sadhaka should stick to one place at least for a period of twelve years. If his health is delicate, he can stay for six months in one place during summer and rainy season and in another place for six months during winter. During winter he can stay either at Rajpur (Dehra Dun) or at Rishikesh. During summer he can go to Badrinath or Uttarakasi. Sadhana suffers if one wanders constantly. Those who want to do rigorous Tapas (austerity) must stay in one place. Too much walking produces weakness and fatigue. It causes Vikshepa.
Shilly-shallying
VIKSHEPA
There are three Doshas in the mind, viz., Mala, Vikshepa and Avarana. Shilly-shallying is Vikshepa or mental oscillation. If you remove the oscillations of the mind, you get one-pointedness or Ekagrata. Ekagrata is a thing unknown to many. Max Mueller writes: "It is impossible for us (Westerners), when our minds are diverted in various directions through newspapers, telegrams, postal communications, etc." Ekagrata is an indispensable condition in all religious and philosophical speculations, and in Nididhyasana.
"Vyadhi-styana-samsaya-pramada-alasya
avirati-bhranti-darsana-alabdha-bhumikatva-anavasthitatvani
chitta-vikshepaste antarayah
"Disease, mental inactivity, doubt, indifference, laziness, the tendency to go after sense-enjoyments, stupor, false perception, non-attaining concentration, and falling away from that when attained on account of restlessness, are the obstructing distractions." (Patanjali Yoga Sutras, 1-30).
Destroy all subtle and gross desires by constant efforts and Vichara. Remove Vikshepa through Upasana, Yoga, Trataka and Pranayama.
Vikshepa is tossing or oscillation of mind. This is an old habit of mind. All Sadhakas generally complain of this trouble. The mind never stays at a fixed point for a long time. It jumps hither and thither like a monkey. It is always restless. This is due to the force of Rajas. Whenever Sri Jeya Dayal Goenka came to me for an interview he used to put always two questions: "Swamiji, what is the remedy to control sleep? How to remove Vikshepa? Give me an easy and effective method." My answer was: "Take light diet at night. Do Sirshasana and Pranayama. Have deep meditation. Sleep can be conquered. Trataka, Upasana and Pranayama will remove Vikshepa." Patanjali Maharshi prescribes Pranayama for destroying Rajas which induces. Vikshepa and for getting one-pointed mind.
In the Gita (VI-24 to 26), Lord Krishna prescribes a Sadhana for removing Vikshepa. It is the method of Pratyahara and Dharana. Trataka is an effective method in destroying Vikshepa. Practise this for half an hour on a picture of Lord Krishna or on a black point. Instructions on the practice of Trataka are given elsewhere in this book.
Evil Company
The effects of evil company are highly disastrous. The aspirant should shun all sorts of evil company. The mind is filled with bad ideas by contact with evil companions. The little faith they have in God and scriptures will vanish. A man is known by the company he keeps. Just as a nursery is to be well-fenced in the beginning for protection against cows, etc., so also a neophyte should protect himself very carefully from evil influences from without. Otherwise he is ruined totally. The company of those who speak lies, who commit adultery, theft, cheating, double-dealing, who are greedy, who indulge in idle talks, backbiting, talebearing, who have no faith in God and in the scriptures etc., should be strictly avoided. The company of women and of those who associate with women is dangerous for a Sadhaka.
Bad surroundings, obscene pictures, vulgar songs, novels that deal with love, cinemas, theatres, the sight of pairing of animals, words which give rise to bad ideas in the mind, in short, anything that causes evil thoughts in the mind can be termed as evil company.
The So-called Friends
The so-called friends are your real enemies. You cannot find even a single, unselfish friend in this universe. Your real friend in need who attends on you sincerely is God, the Indweller of your heart. Worldly friends come to you to get money and other comforts when you are rolling in Rolls Royce, when you have got plenty of money. When you are in adverse circumstances no one will care to look at you. Even your sons and wife will forsake you. This world is full of avarice, hypocrisy, double-dealing, flattery, untruth, cheating and selfishness. Be careful. Friends come to have idle talks with you and they waste your time. They want to pull you down and make you also worldly. They will say: "Dear! what are you doing? Earn as much money as possible. Live comfortably now. Eat, drink and be merry. Let us go to talkies. Today there is a good new American Hollywood production running at the Royal theatre. There is a beautiful American dance. Who knows about the future? Where is God? Where is heaven? There is no rebirth. There is no Mukti. It is all gup and gossip of pundits. Enjoy now. Why do you fast? There is nothing beyond this world. Give up all Sadhana and meditation. You are wasting your time." You will get such sorts of advice from your worldly friends. Do not be carried away by the flowery speech of such friends. Cut off all connections ruthlessly. Do not talk to any of your friends, however sincere they may be. Hide yourself always. Live alone at all times. Trust in that immortal Friend, who dwells in your heart. Then alone you are perfectly safe. He will give you whatever you want. Hear His sweet counsel from within with one-pointed mind and follow.
(The section, `Obstacles in Yoga – Moha—Attachment', continues...)
Attachment is the root cause for human sufferings. It is the product of Avidya. It is a modification of nescience. The husband weeps on the death of his wife, because he is attached to the physical body of his wife. The wife weeps on the death of her husband, not because of pure love for him, but because she could not get now any sexual pleasure and other comforts which she had when he was alive. Infatuated love, delusion and fear are the old-standing associates of attachment. The cause of fear is the attachment to this physical body and property. Attachment and fear are inseparable. They are like fire and heat.
You are not at all affected when one says: "That house is on fire. The horse is dead." Because there is neither attachment nor identification here. But if one says: "The house of Mr. Ramnarayan is on fire; The horse of Ganga Shankar is dead;" at once the hearts of these people are affected since they have got identification or attachment with the house or horse. It is this kind of attachment that brings sorrow.
Paramahamsa Sannyasins always wander about. They should not stay for more than three days in a place. The main object in this discipline is to cut off attachment. By long stay in one place, Raga and Dvesha will gradually develop. Real renunciation consists in renouncing the idea: 'I am the body.' Real renunciation consists in abandoning the attachment for this body. "Sarva Sanga Parityaga—Giving up all sorts of attachments" is the key for attaining the bliss of Atman. It does not mean that one should retire into the forest. Sikhidhvaja still had attachment to his body and Kamandalu though he lived in forest, whereas his wife Queen Chudala was absolutely free from any sort of attachment even though she ruled a dominion.
Thousands of wido.ws from Bengal and Madras are staying in Benares with the idea that they will get Mukti if they die in Benares. But their minds are fixed on their grandchildren. They are attached to the huge bundles of cow-dung cakes which they have accumulated in the backyard of their houses for starting fire. Some people are attached to paltry things such as notebooks, books, walking sticks, pictures and small handkerchiefs. The friendship of several years comes- to a termination if Mr. Rajan fails to return a small book which he borrowed from Seshu. Fight ensues. It begins with a showering of hot words and abuses. They do not talk and see each other from that moment. Ladies fight for little things, as they have great attachment for meagre things also.
In Madras a boy was accidently drowned in a tank. His mother who was nearby and who had an intense attachment to her only son, immediately jumped into the tank and drowned herself. Her husband was very much attached to his wife and child. He also jumped and drowned himself. Instances like these daily occur in various parts of the world. Several people become nervous and get shocks when they lose the things to which they are attached very much. Such is the havoc done by the power of attachment. If a man receives a telegram that his only son is dead, he gets a shock and faints. Some people immediately die when they hear such news.
Look at the Moha of monkeys. If the baby monkey dies, the mother-monkey will carry the dead body for one or two months even. Such is the great power of Moha. Cows have great Moha for their calves.
Moha will not spare even Sannyasins who have renounced everything. Moha troubled even Sri Sankara. He had to attend the sick bed and funeral of his mother, though he was a Sannyasin. The great saint Pattinathuswami says at the funeral of his mother: "There was at first fire at Tripura: then at Lanka (Ceylon). Now there is fire in my stomach caused by the death of my mother. Let me also apply fire to this corpse of my mother." Sannyasins get slowly attached to their Ashrams and disciples. This is more difficult for eradication. This attachment is stronger than the attachment of worldly persons. Many are attached to their Kamandalus and sticks and small tumblers. Even at the time of death they entertain thoughts of petty articles. The mind is so framed that it sticks to the old ruts and grooves. It demands drastic and rigorous discipline and Sadhana to get rid of all sorts of attachment. One has to struggle hard to destroy Moha.
It is Moha that brings us again to this Mrityu-Ioka. The seed of attachment is ingrained in the subconscious mind. The mind tries its level best to get attached to some form or other. It cannot remain without clinging to one form. It leaves one form and immediately clings to another form. This is its Svabhava. This is due to the quality of Rajas. If Rajas is eradicated, all attachments will die by themselves. One should always be on the alert to detect the subtle workings of Moha.
Moha creates delusion and perverted intellect. Through the force of Maya, you mistake the unreal, dirty body for the real, pure Atman. You take the unreal world as a solid reality. These are the functions of Moha. You never wept when millions died in the Great War. But you weep bitterly when your wife is dead. Why? Because you have Moha for her. Moha creates the idea of 'mineness.' Therefore you say: "My wife, my son, my horse, my house." This is bondage. This is death.
You will have to train your mind daily in all dealings and actions. Do not get attached to your wife, children and property. The world is like a public inn. People are united for some time and they are separated in a short time. Turn the mind towards God and do daily Japa and meditation. Study books on Vedanta and Bhartrihari Vairagya Satakam. The seeds of Moha are ingrained in the subconscious mind. You have to obliterate or fry up all these seeds through right thinking and Vichara. You will have to cut all these illusory attachments through the sword of Vairagya (non-attachment). Gita says: "Asangasastrena dridhena chittva—Cut this tree of Maya with the sword of non-attachment." Develop internal Vairagya by understanding the illusory nature of this world. Remember the pains of this Samsara, birth, death, old age, disease and miseries of this world. Place before the mind the glorious life in Atman and the immense bliss of a spiritual life. Remember the saints, sages and Yogins. Get inspiration from them.
Learn to discriminate between the real and the unreal. Have no intimate connection with anybody. Lead a life of non-attachment in this world. The man who has no attachment to this world is the most happy man. He is God Himself. Do not bother a bit when you lose little things. Think always that the perishable objects are worthless. Repeat the formulas mentally several times: "All objects are Vishtavat (like dung). All objects are Vishavat (like poison)." You can destroy Moha if you mentally repeat in all circumstances: "Even this will pass away."
Moha brings manifold miseries, bondage, discord and rupture. Moha is your dreadful enemy. It is real death. Non-attachment raises you to Godhead, lifts you up to the lofty heights of Brahman. Non-attachment brings unalloyed bliss, eternal life, freedom, independence, perfection, concord and harmony.
Moha is the greatest of all obstacles. All other obstacles in the practice of Yoga emanate from this Moha. If you can gradually destroy this, then the whole spiritual Sadhana and Self-realisation is very, very easy. We can even say that the whole spiritual Sadhana is intended for destroying this dreadful enemy.
Poor Health
God-realisation is not possible without Sadhana. Spiritual practice is not possible without good health. A sickly, dilapidated body stands in the way of Yoga-Abhyasa. The aspirant should try his level best to keep good health always by regular exercise, Asana, Pranayama, moderation in diet, walking, running in open air, regularity in his work, meals, sleep, etc. He should avoid drugging as much as possible. He must take recourse to nature's cure, such as fresh air, wholesome food, cold bath, dietetic adjustment. He should always keep up a cheerful attitude of mind under all conditions of life. Cheerfulness is a powerful mental tonic. There is intimate connection between body and mind. If mind is cheerful, the body also is healthy. That is the reason why doctors now prescribe laughing three times daily in the treatment of diseases.
Some foolish aspirants refuse to take medicine when they are ailing seriously. They say: 'it is Prarabdha. We should not go against Prarabdha. Taking medicine is against the will of God. Body is Mithya. If I take medicine, it will increase Deha-Adhyasa and body-idea." This is a foolish philosophy. Take medicine. Do Purushartha. Leave the results to Prarabdha. This is wisdom. These foolish people unnecessarily torture the body, allow the disease to take a deep root and spoil their health. They cannot do any Sadhana. They ruin this instrument by wrong conception of Vedanta. Vedanta says: "Have no attachment for this body. But keep it clean, strong and healthy for constant, rigid Sadhana. This body is a boat to cross over to the other shore of Immortality. It is the horse to take you to the destination. Feed the horse well but give up 'mineness.' When you are ill, take some medicine for a couple of days, tide over the difficulties in a few days and start again the Sadhana quickly. Do not allow the disease to assume a grave form, and make it chronic and incurable.
Impure and Immoderate Food
Mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of food. If the food is impure, the mind also becomes impure. This is the dictum of sages and psychologists. Food plays an important part in the evolution of the mind. It has direct influence on the mind. Meat, fish, eggs, stale unwholesome food, onions, garlic, etc., should be avoided by spiritual practitioners, as these things excite passion and anger. The food should be simple, bland, light, wholesome and nutritious. Liquors and narcotics should be strictly abandoned. Chillies, condiments, spiced dishes, pungent stuff and food that is too sour and sweet must be rejected.
In the Gita you will find: "The foods that augment vitality, energy, vigour, health, joy and cheerfulness, delicious, bland, substantial and agreeable, are dear to the pure." Aspirants should not overload the stomach. Ninety per cent of diseases take their origin in immoderation of diet. People have developed a strong habit of eating more food than what is actually necessary. This is a habit from their very boyhood. Indian mothers stuff their children with too much food. This is not the way of caressing and loving their children. Overloading brings drowsiness and sleep immediately. If there is no hunger, you must not take any food. The night meals should be very light for Sadhakas. Half a seer of milk with one or two plantains is quite sufficient.
Influence of Tamas
Tamas is another obstacle. A microscopic minority only are fit for whole-timed meditation. People like Sadasiva Brahman and Sri Sankara can spend the whole time in meditation. Many Sadhus who take to Nivritti-Marga (the path of renunciation) have become completely Tamasic. Tamas is mistaken for Sattva. This is a great blunder. One can evolve beautifully by doing Karma Yoga in the world if he knows how to spend his time profitably. A householder should seek the advice of Sannyasins and Mahatmas from time to time, draw a daily routine and adhere to it strictly amidst worldly activities. Rajas can be converted into Sattva. Intense Rajas takes a Sattvic turn. It is impossible to convert Tamas all on a sudden into Sattva. Tamas should first be turned into Rajas.
Young Sadhus who take to Nivritti-Marga do not stick to any routine. They do not hear the words of elders. They do not obey the orders of the Guru. They want absolute independence from the very beginning. They lead a happy-go-lucky life. There is no one to check. They have their own ways. They do not know how to regulate the energy and how to chalk out a daily programme. They aimlessly wander about from place to place. They become Tamasic within six months. They sit for half an hour in some Asana and imagine that they are having Samadhi. They imagine to be realised souls. If an aspirant who has taken to Nivritti-Marga finds that he is not evolving, that he is not improving in meditation, that he is going into Tamasic state, he should at once take up some kind of service for some years and work vigorously. He should combine work along with meditation. This is wisdom. This is prudence. This is sagacity. Then he should go in for Seclusion. One should use his commonsense all throughout his Sadhana. It is very difficult to get out of Tamasic state. A Sadhaka should be very cautious. When Tamas tries to overtake him, he should immediately do some sort of brisk work. He can run in the open air, draw water from wells, etc. He should drive it off by some intelligent means or other.
Alasya, Tandri and Nidra are the products of Tamas. Alasya is laziness. Tandri is half-sleepy state. Nidra is sleep. These three are great obstacles in the path of realisation. Sleep is a powerful force of Maya. It is Nidra-Sakti. You will be imagining that you are meditating. The mind will immediately run through the old grooves, into the Mula-Ajnana for resting in the twinkling of an eye. You will be doubting if it is sleep or meditation. Sleep is the greatest obstacle as it is very powerful. Even though a Sadhaka is very careful and vigilant, sleep overpowers him somehow or other. This is a very strong habit. It takes time and demands great strength of will to destroy this old habit.
Arjuna is called Gudakesa or conqueror of sleep. Lord Krishna addresses him: "O Gudakesa." Lakshmana also had mastery over sleep. Besides these two persons, we have not heard of anyone who has conquered his sleep. There are people who have reduced the sleep to two or three hours. Even Yogins and Jnanins sleep for two or three hours. Sleep is a psychological phenomenon. Brain needs rest at least for a short time. Otherwise man feels drowsy and tired. He can neither work nor meditate. The sleep of a Jnani is different from the sleep of a worldly man. In a Jnani the powerful Samskaras of Brahma-Abhyasa are there. It is something akin to Brahma-Nishta. One should be careful in reducing his sleep. It should be done gradually. Go to bed at 10.00 p.m. and get up at 3.30 a.m. Gradually reduce half an hour in each month.
Sadhakas can gain time for their Sadhana by reducing sleep. The practice of reducing sleep will be very troublesome in the beginning. When the habits are changed; it will be pleasant. When drowsiness tries to manifest, stand up and do Japa. Dash cold water on the face and head. Take milk and fruits only at night. Avoid overloading the stomach at night. Take the night meals before sunset. Do 10 to 20 Pranayamas just before starting meditation. Do Sirshasana and Sarvangasana. Run for five minutes in your compound. Drowsiness and sleep will vanish. Aspirants do meditation in the morning for one hour from 4.00 to 5.00 a.m. Then they are overpowered by sleep. They begin to sleep again after 5.00 a.m. This is a general complaint. Do 10 to 20 Pranayamas. Do some Asanas for a few minutes. Again you will be fresh for meditation. Use your commonsense always. The old habit may recur again and again. Tear it also again and again by suitable practices and strength of will. Asana, Pranayama, brisk walk, Mitahara, Satsanga, Japa and Dhyana are the active means for removing Alasya, Tandri and Nidra.
Aspirants get moods of depression occasionally. These moods may be due to indigestion, cloudy weather, influence of Tamas or lower astral entities or revival of old Samskaras from within. Find out the cause and remove it by suitable Sadhana. Do not allow depression to overpower you. Immediately take a brisk, long walk. Run in the open air. Sing divine songs. Chant OM loudly for half an hour. Walk along the seashore or riverside. Play on the harmonium if you know the art. Do some Pranayamas. Drink a small cup of orange-juice or hot tea or light coffee. Read some of the elevating portions of Avadhuta Gita or the Upanishads.
Doubt
The aspirants begin to doubt whether God exists or not, whether he will succeed in his God-realisation or not, whether he is doing his practices rightly or not. This is a dangerous obstacle in the spiritual path. The student slackens his efforts when these doubts crop up. Maya is very powerful. It misleads people through doubting and forgetfulness. Mind deludes people through doubting. Sometimes he gives up his Sadhana altogether. This is a serious mistake. Whenever doubt tries to overpower the Sadhaka, he should at once take recourse to the company of Mahatmas and remain with them for some time under the influence of their currents. He should clear his doubts by conversing with them.
Vishaya-Asakti
This is the greatest of all obstacles. The mind refuses to leave completely the sensual pleasures. Through the force of Vairagya and meditation, the desires get suppressed for some time. All on a sudden the mind thinks of sensual pleasures through the force of habit and memory. There arises mental disturbance. The mind moves outwards in sensual objects. In Gita Lord Krishna says: "The excited senses of even a wise man, though he be striving impetuously carry away his mind."
Some desires lurk in the corners of the mind. Just as old dirt from the corners of the room comes out when you sweep, so also through the pressure of Yogic practices, these old lurking desires come out to the surface of the mind with redoubled force. The Sadhaka should be very careful. He should be ever watching the mind vigilantly. He must nip the desires in the bud by developing his Vairagya, Viveka and increasing the period of Japa and meditation. He must observe Akhanda Mauna and do vigorous meditation and Pranayama. He should live on milk and fruits for 40 days. He should observe fast on Ekadasi days. He should give up mixing with anybody completely. He should never come out of the room. He should plunge himself deep in his Sadhana. Kashaya means hidden Vasanas. This comes under the category of Vishaya-Asakti. Worldly ambition of all sorts can be included under this heading. Ambition makes the mind very restless. Man should have the one laudable ambition of getting Self-realisation.
Manorajya
Manorajya is building castles in the air. This 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 to the world. I must do something which no one has done up to this time." This is ambition. This is egoistic imagination. This is a great obstacle. This will not allow the mind to rest even for a second. Again and again there will be resurrection of some scheme, speculation or plan. 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 a pure case of building castles in the air. One Manorajya will subside and another will crop up in the twinkling of an eye. It will be a small Sankalpa 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. The power of imagination will not allow the mind to keep quiet even for a second. Just as swarms of locusts or flies come forth in a continuous stream, so also currents of Manorajya will stream forth incessantly. Vichara, discrimination, prayer, Japa, Pranayama, Dhyana, Satsanga, fasting, etc., will obviate this obstacle. Pranayama checks the velocity of the mind. It calms the bubbling mind. A young ambitious man is unfit to remain in a solitary cave. He who has done some kind of Sadhana in controlling the mind, can remain in a cave.
Dilly-dallying
AIMLESS WANDERING
Some aspirants have got a habit of wandering aimlessly. They cannot stick to one place even for a week. The wandering habit must be checked. They want to see new places, new faces and want to talk with new people. A rolling stone gathers no moss. A Sadhaka should stick to one place at least for a period of twelve years. If his health is delicate, he can stay for six months in one place during summer and rainy season and in another place for six months during winter. During winter he can stay either at Rajpur (Dehra Dun) or at Rishikesh. During summer he can go to Badrinath or Uttarakasi. Sadhana suffers if one wanders constantly. Those who want to do rigorous Tapas (austerity) must stay in one place. Too much walking produces weakness and fatigue. It causes Vikshepa.
Shilly-shallying
VIKSHEPA
There are three Doshas in the mind, viz., Mala, Vikshepa and Avarana. Shilly-shallying is Vikshepa or mental oscillation. If you remove the oscillations of the mind, you get one-pointedness or Ekagrata. Ekagrata is a thing unknown to many. Max Mueller writes: "It is impossible for us (Westerners), when our minds are diverted in various directions through newspapers, telegrams, postal communications, etc." Ekagrata is an indispensable condition in all religious and philosophical speculations, and in Nididhyasana.
"Vyadhi-styana-samsaya-pramada-alasya
avirati-bhranti-darsana-alabdha-bhumikatva-anavasthitatvani
chitta-vikshepaste antarayah
"Disease, mental inactivity, doubt, indifference, laziness, the tendency to go after sense-enjoyments, stupor, false perception, non-attaining concentration, and falling away from that when attained on account of restlessness, are the obstructing distractions." (Patanjali Yoga Sutras, 1-30).
Destroy all subtle and gross desires by constant efforts and Vichara. Remove Vikshepa through Upasana, Yoga, Trataka and Pranayama.
Vikshepa is tossing or oscillation of mind. This is an old habit of mind. All Sadhakas generally complain of this trouble. The mind never stays at a fixed point for a long time. It jumps hither and thither like a monkey. It is always restless. This is due to the force of Rajas. Whenever Sri Jeya Dayal Goenka came to me for an interview he used to put always two questions: "Swamiji, what is the remedy to control sleep? How to remove Vikshepa? Give me an easy and effective method." My answer was: "Take light diet at night. Do Sirshasana and Pranayama. Have deep meditation. Sleep can be conquered. Trataka, Upasana and Pranayama will remove Vikshepa." Patanjali Maharshi prescribes Pranayama for destroying Rajas which induces. Vikshepa and for getting one-pointed mind.
In the Gita (VI-24 to 26), Lord Krishna prescribes a Sadhana for removing Vikshepa. It is the method of Pratyahara and Dharana. Trataka is an effective method in destroying Vikshepa. Practise this for half an hour on a picture of Lord Krishna or on a black point. Instructions on the practice of Trataka are given elsewhere in this book.
Evil Company
The effects of evil company are highly disastrous. The aspirant should shun all sorts of evil company. The mind is filled with bad ideas by contact with evil companions. The little faith they have in God and scriptures will vanish. A man is known by the company he keeps. Just as a nursery is to be well-fenced in the beginning for protection against cows, etc., so also a neophyte should protect himself very carefully from evil influences from without. Otherwise he is ruined totally. The company of those who speak lies, who commit adultery, theft, cheating, double-dealing, who are greedy, who indulge in idle talks, backbiting, talebearing, who have no faith in God and in the scriptures etc., should be strictly avoided. The company of women and of those who associate with women is dangerous for a Sadhaka.
Bad surroundings, obscene pictures, vulgar songs, novels that deal with love, cinemas, theatres, the sight of pairing of animals, words which give rise to bad ideas in the mind, in short, anything that causes evil thoughts in the mind can be termed as evil company.
The So-called Friends
The so-called friends are your real enemies. You cannot find even a single, unselfish friend in this universe. Your real friend in need who attends on you sincerely is God, the Indweller of your heart. Worldly friends come to you to get money and other comforts when you are rolling in Rolls Royce, when you have got plenty of money. When you are in adverse circumstances no one will care to look at you. Even your sons and wife will forsake you. This world is full of avarice, hypocrisy, double-dealing, flattery, untruth, cheating and selfishness. Be careful. Friends come to have idle talks with you and they waste your time. They want to pull you down and make you also worldly. They will say: "Dear! what are you doing? Earn as much money as possible. Live comfortably now. Eat, drink and be merry. Let us go to talkies. Today there is a good new American Hollywood production running at the Royal theatre. There is a beautiful American dance. Who knows about the future? Where is God? Where is heaven? There is no rebirth. There is no Mukti. It is all gup and gossip of pundits. Enjoy now. Why do you fast? There is nothing beyond this world. Give up all Sadhana and meditation. You are wasting your time." You will get such sorts of advice from your worldly friends. Do not be carried away by the flowery speech of such friends. Cut off all connections ruthlessly. Do not talk to any of your friends, however sincere they may be. Hide yourself always. Live alone at all times. Trust in that immortal Friend, who dwells in your heart. Then alone you are perfectly safe. He will give you whatever you want. Hear His sweet counsel from within with one-pointed mind and follow.
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