The Path of Introspection

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Faultfinding and blaming others is one of the most notorious habits with man. You have to understand the defects of others just for the sake of knowledge and for your own safeguard. But, it should not rob you of your peace and happiness. Neither should it constrict your mind disabling you to see and appreciate the good qualities in others.

–– Swamiji

January 2005 Vol : 40 No. 04

Narayanashrama Tapovanam Contents

Excellence through Spirituality Prabh°ta-raømi≈ 124. Practising A Liberal Mindset 125 Time Limit for Self-realization? Correspondence 1. Journey into the Inner Horizon 2. Overcoming Negative Thoughts News & Notes

Narayanashrama Tapovanam Venginisseri, P. O. Paralam, Thrissur. Kerala - 680 575. India. Fax & Tel. (0487) 2278363 email: [email protected] Website: http:// www.brahmavidya.org Excellence through Spirituality

[Talk given on 29th November 2004 at the Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad, U.P.] Ya∆ øaiv°ssamup°sate øiva iti brahmeti ved°ntino Bauddh° buddha iti pram°∏a-pa∂ava≈ karteti naiy°yik°≈ * Arhan-nityatha jaina-ø°sanarat°≈ karmeti m¢m°∆sak°≈ So’ya∆ vo vidadh°tu v°µchita-phala∆ trailokya-n°tho hari≈ **

As usual, I shall recite the auspicious and invigorating monosyllable ‘Om’. We are now occupied with the subject of generating excellence. But the very source of excellence is right within your body. From that spiritual source, the one effective and creative way of tapping excellence is by generating this beautiful sound Om. I would like you to join me in this recitation, so that all your anxieties will be eliminated. Keep company with me. Sit erect and preferably close your eyes. Closing the eyes itself will bring about a great internal strength. Harih.. O…..M, O…..M, O…..M. Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.

I heartily greet all of you, seekers of knowledge. As I understand, most of you are students and some of you are members of the faculty who are orienting the students towards whatever they are aiming at in life. In my own life, knowledge has been my pursuit. I don’t know of any pursuit other than knowledge. And as far as I can understand, the only factor that distinguishes man from the rest of living beings is knowledge – the potential and possibility of developing knowledge, gaining it and also expressing it.

Let All Interactions Enrich Your Mind

After all, life is interactions between the individual and the rest of the world. We interact with persons, places and events. When I say persons, places and events, the entire world with which we have to interact is covered. In all these interactions, the interacting individual remains the same. Whether you are at home or in the office or in the society at large, are you the least different? The differences and the variables are always outside you. So, whenever we think of excellence, it is a quality that we can ascribe to and also develop with regard to our interactions and performances.

Excellence of any kind in any performance whatsoever – tell me whether the excellence has to come to you from outside or it is to be generated, developed, preserved, and enhanced from within. Are we conscious of this fact? I am sure that many important thinkers are not even conscious of this. Right from ancient ages, has there been any addition to the human body? No new organ has been added to it. The ancient man had a pair of eyes, a pair of ears, a nose, two hands, legs and the other limbs. The present man also has the same. The human personality has not changed at all physically. So far as what we have within, we have an emotional, thoughtful mind and a rational, knowing intelligence. And at the back of it, as the coordinator, we have an ego.

Tell me whether anyone born in this world – either in the corporate world, or in the industrial world or in the religious world, or in any other world – ever had anything more than these? So, in what way are you less, I am asking you. Are you less? Why there is no answer. Are you less? Do you have any deficiency as a human individual? (There is a chorus: "No", for an answer from the audience.) If you don’t have any deficiency, are you not poised to achieve anything that you want to achieve in life, provided it is reasonable and possible for man?

So, cast aside the sense of inferiority and weakness. Stand poised to attain anything that is possible. You must embody this kind of a ‘Himalayan confidence’ – I would like to call it ‘Spatial confidence’. You understand the difference between the two? The Himalayas are still limited in size. What about space? Unlimited. This is to be generated from your own mind and intelligence, and not from outside. If you don’t know, better know it from me now. You must be an embodiment of confidence.

Animals and birds also have lived on the surface of this earth. Not much of civilizational growth is found in them. But in the human world, everything has been civilized; everything has progressed. Is it not because of the human mind? And what is the power of the mind? The power of the mind is ‘thinking’. It is not enough if we do something, if we learn something. We must think about what we have learnt. What is its relevance? How can it be applied? How can the application be improved? How can I be effective in any given situation? Constantly, we must aspire for this growth and advancement.

Whatever be the objective environment, every day of your life subjectively, personally, inwardly you must have enrichment. You must have an elevating day – a day of expansion and improvement. Respectable and enlightened people are here constituting your faculty and they will tell you about different subjects so far as your training programme or educational programme is concerned. I don’t speak about these at all. But there is one subject, about which perhaps none of your teachers will speak to you. That is the subject of the mind – the levels, dimensions, qualities and excellences that your invisible mind within the body can visibly bring about.

Externally you may have many things to complain. There may be denials; there may be imperfections; there may be failures. These are all in the object sphere. But your mind should be flexible enough to get enriched by any kind of an input coming from any person, place or event. Many of you will celebrate your birthday. Remember that your birthday will be meaningful only when you are able to say: “This one year of life in this world has enriched me, enhanced my potential and I stand more enlightened and mature, more effective and creative”. If this inner enrichment has accrued to you, the birthday celebration is quite all right. Otherwise, it is not a birthday – it is a birth-distancing and death approaching day.

Excellence – A Subjective Dimension

I think of excellence not as something to be achieved after the performance of an action. You may have a programme of say 1 month or 6 months or 2 years. Will the excellence be judged looking at the result only after the performance of the task? I think of excellence as a quality in your personality. Our excellence is the excellentiality of the mind, the excellentiality of the intelligence, and of the ego.

Do you aspire for excellence? Do you stand for excellence? Then, you have to cultivate excellence every moment in whatever you do. Your focus should not be on the final outcome. At each step of performance you have to be excellent.

I am told that many of the students here are anxious. As students you are anxious! Then as managers, what are you going to be? Anxious squared? As students what do you have to do? Sitting in a classroom you are listening to lectures without any trouble at all. You are seekers of knowledge. The experts provide you information. You have only to receive them. You have enough food to eat. You are not bothered for money. No directors or bosses are above you to scold you, to intimidate you. In such a classroom why is it that you are becoming anxious?

What does the intelligence look for? It looks for knowledge. What is the mind looking for? Mind is looking for timely memory, timely orientation, enough of confidence, creativity, enthusiasm, and all that. None of these is available from the market or from the books. Your mind alone is available as the resource for the various qualities you need. If you want to develop commitment, be committed to your studies now. Make sure that you learn confidently and assiduously.

And about the examination, you should never worry at all. By worrying, will the examinations be better performed? A worried mind will write better or a worriless mind? (There was chorus response: "A worriless mind".) Then, why are you worrying? Whatever you have learnt over a year, you are writing. After one year of learning, are you not ashamed to say that you are anxious about answering for three hours? Suppose you have not been able to acquire knowledge. Then within the examination hall, can you write more? So, where is the question of having any anxiety?

I was in Malaysia. When we were having Satsang with the hosts, a call came from London. The host’s wife, while talking over the phone, suddenly said, “There is a Swamiji who has come here. Please talk to him”. And she told me, “My son, a doctor, who is appearing for FRCS, is extremely anxious.” I took the telephone and asked him what his problem was. Panting and trembling nervously, he said: “I am very fearful and anxious about the examination”. From the sound I could understand that he was almost shattered. I said, “Will you follow what I say? And after listening to me, don’t ask me any questions. Simply do what I say.” “Surrender yourself to the Supreme Reality and write or speak whatever comes to your mind.”

He had the viva-voce. And before I left Malaysia in 2 or 3 days, I got the message that he had won a gold medal! This is what I have to tell you about anxiety.

In Jamshedpur, one day I had been to a house for Satsang. I knew the daughter of the hosts since her young age. After the Satsang was over, she said, “Swamiji, my husband is working in the TISCO factory. Very often he comes late. Whenever he is late, I start getting extremely anxious.”

I said, “My dear daughter, tell me what you are anxious about. May be he has got into an accident. May be even the worst has happened. What can you do about it? So many days have passed and so far no accident has happened. But, by thinking about the accident, are you not mentally causing it every day? Is not your mind thrusting the accident on your husband? Mentally you are killing him and suffering, although there has been no cause for it. If at all there is going to be an accident, the information will come to you only once. Till then, why are you causing the accident in your mind?” She says, “Swamiji, from that day onwards the whole anxiety has disappeared from my mind.” So, you can assess matters and can make a self-evaluation. You can say: “I am a good student. Having prepared well, will I not be able to write and speak well?” Or, “Will a little more of preparation be necessary?” All these points you may consider, I don’t mind. But anxiety you should never allow. Do you agree or disagree? (Chorus response from the audience: “Agree”.)

The Three Qualities for Cultivating Excellence

Suppose your mind is not prepared to cooperate with you! Then, I think you have to train your mind properly. If I have a hand and I am not able to use it in the manner I want, will I like it or dislike it? I have to give sufficient exercise to make it usable. In the same manner you must give sufficient timely exercise to the mind so that the anxiety element is eliminated. There are exercises for the mind as well as the intelligence.

The mind should reflect upon these propositions. As it is becoming anxious now, you will find that it becomes free of anxiety and surges with confidence and clarity. That is possible. So far as the intelligence is concerned, it must always help the mind in trying to get properly oriented and cultivating the qualities you like. There are a number of qualities. I will speak about three of them today. If you reflect upon them well, you will be able to achieve excellence in every field of interaction.

Now, the subject of today’s discussion is “Excellence through Spirituality”. You may wonder: “Is this Swamiji speaking ‘spirituality’ or something else?” I speak only spirituality. I am a spiritual person and I tell you that all of you also are spiritual. But you don’t recognize it.

The word ‘spiritual’ is misunderstood by people. I know of only three things in the whole world. One is matter and the second is energy. What is the third factor? You have a body consisting of matter and energy. But who knows the body? After all, our body is a tool. The entire body aggregate has to be known and employed by the mind. And the mind has to be directed by the intelligence. I want to raise my hand. The thought or wish to raise – is it belonging to the hand or to the mind? Unless the mind is there, it cannot activate the body. And this mind is neither matter nor energy. Then, are you primarily a physical being or a spiritual being?

Excellence belongs to this spiritual constituent in us. I am speaking to you about the mind and the intelligence. Whatever I speak about, it is essentially a spiritual discussion. Unfortunately, you are not recognizing this fact. That is why all of you are either timid, or non-perseverant. You lack courage and perseverance only because you don’t understand that these qualities can be harnessed to any extent from your own mind.

Now, accepting that we are all spiritual, and the mind, intelligence and ego are expressions of our spiritual content, I shall discuss about the three important qualities that will help you cultivate excellence as a personality quotient.

The first quality is ‘intelligence’. Is there anybody here who will say, “I am not intelligent”? May be the degrees of intelligence will vary. But all of you are intelligent. The only question is whether you are using your intelligence properly, diligently and beneficially. Your intelligence must help you discriminate well and adhere to the righteous ways.

The second quality is ‘integrity’. What is this Integrity? It is much more than mere truthfulness or honesty. Integrity implies a high level of trustworthiness.

You know, we held our first Brain Stimulatium (workshop for Corporate Leaders) in the Centre for Inner Resources Development (CIRD), Vasundhara, near Ghaziabad. The most senior person amongst the 14 participants was the MD of Delhi Metro, Sri E Sreedharan. He had taken us to see the Delhi Metro system before it was inaugurated. I am interested in seeing whatever takes place in our country. Even our visit to this IMT, though not for this purpose, I would have welcomed. Because I like to know what is taking place in the country and what is the impact of each institution or development on our society. I had asked Sri Sreedharan, “Will you please tell me, what is primarily responsible for your success?” He said, “Swamiji, I can summarize the whole thing in one word – Integrity.”

Now, I am asking you. You are students. The professors and the others who teach you, they all address you with a certain expectation or trust. What is that? These are students, who are recipients of knowledge. They are going to be managers. They must go from here with sufficient knowledge so that when they are employed by any institution, they must perform well. Every one of you should bring to this institute a definite measure of credit and glory.

If the students fair well – they occupy senior positions and perform well – and they are very trustworthy to their company, then alone their teachers will be happy. What is the trustworthiness here? You are given the knowledge with the trust that you will receive it, reflect over it, assimilate it and make the knowledge your own. Even my talking to you – I am talking to you with a great degree of trust. You don’t understand? I look upon every one of you as a very potent recipient of knowledge. You came here as a seeker, you must go back from here as a knower – at least to a reasonable degree.

That means you must have assiduous application to the task given to you. Assiduous application. Do you have the will? Will you be able to apply your body, mind and intelligence to a given task with exclusiveness, with perseverance and commitment? It is a very important point. Even a rickshaw puller must have trustworthiness. He has to take his customer to the desired place in time even if there are some difficulties on the way. So, my dear souls, my dear students, you can never be lacking in integrity.

I come and talk to you. I must also have the integrity. I am talking to an intelligent group of children and I must tell them something useful and relevant. It must be a good input to them, which they will be able to culture and also embody as their own. And personally, I would like to do so in an inspiring manner. I can also talk with a moderate voice, without gesticulations. But I do all these things so that the wandering minds of the listeners will be wandering at least to a lesser extent.

Integrity is not to be bought from anywhere. Any extent of money will not make it available for you. First of all, you must love it; aspire to cultivate it as a quality. Be inspired by integrity and generate it to any degree in your life – as much your occupation, pursuit and commitment require. Will you fail in it or will you succeed, is my question. I want an answer now. (Chorus response: ‘succeed’).

The third quality is ‘industry’. You have to be industrious. In order to become industrious, what do you want? You already have the hands, ears, legs, and the like. You also have the mind and the intelligence. So, with all the instruments and the knowledge you have, you must always be given to hard work. Perseverance should be there. Our ancient mothers delivered twelve children. And they had only two hands and a 24-hour day. Ten or twelve children they delivered. Physically, they did not have any more resources. What was their mind that mothered twelve in place of the present most difficult two? How is it that they did it?

The dimension and the growth are in the mind. The 24-hour day is not going to increase at all. Bodily you will not have any further development. So, you have to spin and weave all the qualities and enrichments from your present mind, intelligence and ego. And this can be had by a two-fold process: the mind- process and the intelligence-process.

Integrate Mind & Intelligence to receive, assimilate and express

Let the intelligence and the mind be sufficiently harmonized and integrated so that the intelligence will help the mind receive, assimilate and express more and more. I am addressing you taking my stand on the ground of knowledge. You have come here only to gain knowledge. Do you believe in the potential and efficacy of knowledge? When something is exposed to you with clarity, first of all you are to receive it well. After reception, you should reflect upon, ruminate over, analyse and finally make it your own. That is called assimilation. After it is assimilated, you will find, it begins to express itself.

You learnt addition when you were young. Even now when I ask you 12 plus 16, will you not be able to answer me? Or, will you look into the calculator? When did you learn it? Long long back. But the knowledge of addition even now remains with you. Similarly, I have explained to you the concept of integrity and the importance of this virtue in a life of excellence. If you have received the exposure and assimilated it, will you not try to imbibe abundant measure of integrity in your personality and express it through all your interactions?

And you must be industrious, striving. Laziness should never intrude your life. You should be ready to take up any responsibility wholesomely. That industriousness is an important factor. So, intelligence, integrity, and industry – cultivating these three qualities, you can always become excellent. There is no doubt.

Excellence will verily become your own quality. It is not that we are trying to achieve excellence in some output. On the other hand, we should embody and express ‘excellentiality’ as a quality of ours. The quality belongs to the mind, intelligence and the ego – the three instruments safely present within our spiritual being. Love excellence wholeheartedly and soon you will be a pursuer and promoter of excellence. Am I clear?

(To be continued) 124 Practising A Liberal Mindset

19 September 2004

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru. I want to reveal to you a way you can get rid of most of your agitations and sufferings.

Suppose I suffer a situation for ten or fifteen years. After the fifteen years of suffering, if the situation is remedied, I will have no lack or complaint. I will not think: “Oh, fifteen years I suffered! Fifteen years I suffered!” Are the past fifteen years more important or the present comfortable situation?

I think it is a notorious habit of our mind to refer to the past and create a dark cocoon around us. You might have starved several days in your young age. If you had got a good meal thereafter, may be that day was a festival for you. Suppose you continued to get a good meal for one month or two months, would it not more than obliterate the effects of years of starvation you had? Or you will go on suffering thinking: “Oh, I did not have anything to eat! I suffered so much!”

I wonder, some of you – if not many of you – have the notorious habit of suffering unnecessarily. If I am eating satisfactorily for more than one month, will not this one month act upon my mind more than the past twelve years of starvation? What do you say about it, R? Do you agree or disagree?

There are husbands and wives who will speak about their partner: “Oh, she/ he was always troubling me. How much she/he has neglected me after marriage!” Well, he might have troubled you or she had been non-cooperating; but that is an old story. How are you now? You know, according to legends we have had thousands and thousands of births. All these births you were ignorant and in one birth you are going to become illumined. The illumination should delight you or the long story of ignorance torment you?

Then there is another notorious habit. You never appreciate or even sanction the goodness of others. When goodness is pointed out, you will say, “But Swamiji, this defect is also there.”

The trouble is that, you lose your joy. You have to understand the defects of others just for the sake of knowledge and your safeguard but it should not rob you of your happiness. Neither should it decry the good qualities of another. But, invariably what happens is, when I say that somebody is good, many devotees will say, “No, Swamiji it is not so, it is this way.” (Swamiji laughs.) Well, let it be! They even charge me, “Swamiji, you are not aware of the defects of others!” (Swamiji laughs again.) The defect is only an information and you can take some safeguards, but that does not mean that you should lose your joy of appreciating others’ qualities.

This is what has been pointed out in the Daakshaayani story in Sreemad Bhaagavatam. Daakshaayani was speaking to her father Daksha, referring to Shiva, her husband. “You know, my husband is great and honourable. Even a small virtue in another, he magnifies manifold and enjoys it. My dear father, you belong to the accursed category of people who will not even see virtues in others. Many great qualities of a person will not appeal to you but even half an evil you will vociferously magnify”.

The daughter tells the father, do you understand? Finally she says, “Father, I don’t want to be named after you. If I go back and Shiva calls me Daakshaayani, it will remind me that I am the daughter of Daksha. I will not be able to tolerate it. I don’t want to be associated with my father. So, I am going to immolate myself !”

What do you say? Can a father wrongly blame the husband of his daughter? Will the daughter tolerate it? This man did not understand. When he was blaming the son-in- law, every arrow that he was discharging was hitting the heart of the daughter. So, ultimately Daakshaayani immolated herself because of the disrespect shown to her husband.

I would like you to understand very well that you should have a liberal mind, a beautiful mind, and not a stingy mind. You should not think: “What is the point in your speaking sweet words today because you have always been blaming me!” Do not say that a good word spoken today has no value because one had been speaking bad words all along. You know, it is called poverty of mind.

I don’t know, D, whether it is possible to change this psychology in oneself. Is it possible? To me it appears, when a point is given in an enlightening manner, one should catch it like a spark of fire catching a heap of straw. Immediately you should catch it.

You should be thoughtful, thoughtful, thoughtful. Once you have become an adult, you cannot afford to be thoughtless, even for a moment. You are eating only to be thoughtful, you are sleeping only to be thoughtful, you are working only to be thoughtful – not for any other purpose. That means you must have noble and elevating thoughts, you must have noble and elevating feelings, you must be expansive. Do you understand what I say? Are you belonging to the category of Daksha? I think you have that habit. You always look for defects. (Swamiji laughs.)

Another point I wanted to mention today is about friendship. Friendship is always meant to improve each other, help and benefit each other. The purpose of friendship is served when the friends interact closely and some of the so- called defects or imperfections are pointed out. Then only they will improve. There also, I don’t know why when some defects or insufficiencies are pointed out, people improve, if at all, cryingly. Can they not improve smilingly? After all when some defects have come to light should you not be happy and try to set them right? Ok, think about it.

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru. 126 Time Limit for Self Realization?

7 August 2004

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru. A very crucial question came up during the discussion yesterday, which I had with S. The question was about a 3-year period set for a seeker of Truth to attain Self-realization. To specify a period in the path of Self-realization is wrong and not sanctioned by the spiritual texts.

Take for example Bhagavadgeeta. It says that the spiritual practice is only to be begun. When it will end, how it will end, how many years or how many lives it will take – are considerations that will never take anybody anywhere. Just begin it and by beginning itself the greatest benefit is had. Sri Krishna says: “Svalpam-api-asya dharmasya traayate mahato bhayaat – even a small fraction of this spiritual pursuit, called aatma-yoga, relieves one from the great fear of worldliness”. Even if a mahaapaapi (a great sinner) takes up this pursuit in earnest, he soon becomes a great soul (Mahaatma), and will attain peace.

The Self is devoid of time, space and causality. To realize that Self, where is the question of fixing a time limit? As long as you are within time limit, you cannot get to the Self at all. If you understand it, you can attain the Self this very moment. Why speak of a 3-year period? Ash∂aavakra tells Janaka (Ash∂aavakra Sa∆hita; verse 1.4): Yadi deha∆ p§thak-k§tya citi viøraamya ti¿∂hasi * Adhunaiva sukh¢ øaanto bandha-mukto bhavi¿yasi **

“If you can, in your mind and understanding, separate the body from the Self and thereafter rest on the body-different Consciousness, this very moment, O Janaka, you will be happy and restful – free of all bondages”.

So, what prevents anyone of you to attain this restfulness? It may not require any time. Or, it may need any length of time! Never stipulate any time period. That stipulation itself is non-spiritual. So, don’t speak of the end of Self- realization at all. There is something called the goal, the goal is clearly specified, stipulated in our scriptures and if you are sensitive enough, faithful enough and tenacious, then you can realize it. In fact, the actual realization takes very short time. What takes a long time is the pre-realizational pursuit and preparation.

What is that pre-realizational pursuit? A saadhana by which you are able to regulate and refine your food habits, speaking habits, thoughts, feelings and responses, intellectual and understanding process, so that you are able to contemplate upon the Truth and ultimate good.

Should you proceed to realize the Self after specifying a period? Is it a degree course? This is a course whereby one becomes a seeker of Truth and contemplates only upon the Truth. He becomes more and more aware of the different aspects of his seeking life. The process is only to be begun and pursued sincerely. About the end point you don’t have to worry at all. Krishna says (Bhagavadgeeta 9.22 ): Ananyaaøcintayanto maa∆ ye janaa≈ paryupaasate * Te¿aa∆ nityaabhiyuktaanaa∆ yoga-k¿ema∆ vahaamyaham **

“Seekers who contemplate on Me as non-separate from themselves and worship Me in everything, for such ever connected ones I bring whatever they need and preserve whatever they have.”

So, will not they have the fulfillment of their seeking in due course?

Suppose one were to realize the Self in three years and is still young, and starts feeling “I have realized the Self”, unless he has an ample measure of all the attendant virtues, that person may become a danger to the society. So, this Self-realization will shine only in the association of a number of qualities mentioned in our scriptures – as in Bhagavadgeeta chapter 12 and 13. Only in the presence of these qualities, a true Self-realized person will shine properly to the benefit of one and all.

So, do you understand the mistake and disharmony in thinking about a specific period stipulated for Self-realization? Don’t attempt Self-realization from such a point of view.

When you make a beginning, automatically your aspiration will take you to the end, particularly if you are sensitive, sincere and striving. Here we are three, always looking at you – observing, offering critical evaluations and significant suggestions in whatever you do or speak. How many behavioural subtleties we are pointing out! How much penetrating analysis we are making to work out methods of purifying the mind, expanding the mind! Normally in a home, no parent will ever be able to think of these human dimensions. Everybody wants the child to become good, great and happy. But alas! They are generally helpless in making them grow large-hearted, pure and straightforward.

I think, the whole subject has to be discussed and evaluated deeply and well. Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru. Correspondence:1 Journey into the Inner Horizon 23 March 2004 Dear Swamiji,

Pranaam. I was very happy to receive your kind letter forwarded to me by my father in Chennai. Thank you for your kind enquiries.

The move from Minneapolis to Seattle was smooth and the transition into our new neighbourhood has been good too. We, as a family and individually, have settled well in Seattle. We have been spiritually strengthened in the process.

Every day we aspire for the realization of our True Self and to abide with discipline, patience and forbearance in the light of that Truth. We are gradually being enlightened to the existence of the inner calmness and peace.

Meditation and Energization exercises are part of our daily routine. We have experienced the beneficial alterations brought about by following the Vedantic teachings with faith and regularity.

I would like to express my gratitude to You, Swamiji. It was You who awakened my need for clarity on the path of spiritual quest. Your lecture at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan (Mylapore, Chennai) and reading books authored by You propelled me into a more determined effort and more ardent seeking. The explanation of the term ‘subtle’ and ‘progressively subtle’, for some good reason, opened my mind’s eye to potentialities beyond the objectively sensed phenomena.

I then somehow knew what I had to seek, vague though it was. But, I did not know how to get going. I remember telling you so at the end of Your lecture series, to which You asked me one word: “Why?” That simple question played in my mind over and over. All my attempts at answering were found on investigation to be excuses for distractions and justifications for lack of definite commitment.

I knew then that I had to hold on to Truth and begin to acknowledge my inner conscience’s Witness. It has since then been a journey of acceptance of all shades of our collective human existence and the discovery of the middle path ploughed by discrimination and intuition.

It is not without slip-ups and relapses and forgetfulness. There is, nevertheless, a greater awareness of the frailties of our human identification and an insight into the Divine potentialities.

I fondly remember my visit to the Ashram. My Pranams to You, Swamiji, and to Ma Gurupriya ji and Naya Swamiji. Best Wishes to all the Ashram residents, devotees and volunteers.

Trying to be Ever in God and Guru, Yours, S. * * * 5 August 2004

Dear and blessed S:

Harih Om Tat Sat. Your email of March 23 is before me. I read it again now. You have written quite well, with a flair for language and expression – characteristics not very common with men and women.

These are months during which Vyasa Tapovanam and this Ashram are quite occupied with the annual Anna Vastra Daana Satra. The event commenced this year on 8th July from this Ashram when over 3000 families were given 3 kg of rice, a dhoti or saree and some sweet. We are now moving to the various village centres for distribution during the weekends. The spell will continue till this month-end.

By then we will reach 20,000 families spread over about 300 villages. More than 35 distribution centres act as the base for this widespread service. Thus, only today I could sit with your letter. The delay, in this case, has been unusual. Of course, it is also true that your letter called for more appreciation than immediate response.

Words and expression have great life and vigour. They can shake up oneself as well as the others. If the genesis of a word is traced, you will find it germinating from the Soul within. How are ideas formed in the material, physical brain? Can matter engender idea, a unit of knowledge?

Does not the process thus reveal a great mystery? What indeed instills the potential called knowledge in a material base? The greater mystery is that this brain mass is itself a creation from the same Soul. Drawing upon the blood cells of the mother, the inner power alone designed and shaped the biological aggregate called body, consisting of both physical and sentient parts. Can matter be organized to receive and express knowledge? This was the thought that arrested the ancient thinkers, when their Upanishadic enquiries advanced to finally get focussed on oneself, the body, senses, mind and the rest. They wondered: Who propels the eyes to see, ears to hear? What impels the mind to think? Wherefrom does the power of thinking emerge? These questions inevitably succeeded their theological flair. Was it a drift or the natural, indispensable culmination? The subject is still open for the modern minds to hazard their view.

True religion, whether you like it or not, has to begin from the human, subsist on him and also culminate in him – the sole practitioner. Thus the ultimate Upanishadic enquiries did mark the finale of religious life, making it wholesome and spiritual. Spiritual life distinguishes itself from religion, because it rests on oneself, one’s own personality. It addresses the problems, needs, potential and possibilities of the practitioner himself.

Thus, sensory refinement, mental harmony, intellectual enlightenment, the great integration these bring about, all this is the sweet sublimation and bounty of spiritual life. It has the sole aim of making man better, more refined, stable, poised, cheerful and effective. The greater gift of spirituality is, of course, inner – of comprehension and assimilation.

Life is interactional. It calls for constant assimilation of the interactional consequences, which transpire inwardly. Interactions do proceed from the mind. They subsist on the mind and also terminate or conclude in the same mind. The external links are merely incidental, ancillary.

A child for the mother is but a memory and association her inner mind spins, weaves and stocks. It is that mental impression that delights the mother, if at all. The child is equally governed by his mind’s handiwork about the mother and the relationship it forges.

To assimilate is thus to make the mind enriched with every interaction, its result, be it desirable or not. Dear S, the mind can and will do this task, provided you ask it to take it up and persist. Mind is vaster than the ocean and even the sky. The body with senses coming in between the mind and the world, seems to be picturing the external expanse, but only for the mind to imprint it all in itself.

If your mind is what imprints the sky, stars, sun and moon, what should be its vastness? Greater than the sky or smaller? It is like the reflecting potential of the mirror, whereby the most distant object is seen inside it. The mirror is material, insentient, whereas the mind is spiritual and sentient.

Sentience is thus the ‘magic word’, the first and last in spirituality. When confused and contaminated, it becomes the mischievous cause of all torments and agitations. When clarified and purified, the same becomes magnificent, contented and expansive – the sentient spatial presence. It becomes the noumenon, the world being the phenomenon.

Spiritual enquiry and introspection, pursuit and perseverance is the esteemed holy journey into this inner sentient horizon, leading you to discover and realize majesty, splendour and magnificence of the noumenon, the Self, to eschew all ambitions, agony and agitation.

Very good. Go ahead gallantly. Ask for any help or guidance when needed. May your spirit be intensified, radiate and comprehend more and more.

Love and ashirvaad. Ma and Nutan Swamiji send you loving good wishes. Antaraatma, Swamiji. Correspondence: 2 Overcoming Negative Thoughts

Poojya Swamiji,

My most respectful pranaams. I also convey my pranaams to Ma and Nutan Swamiji, and hope that all of you are well.

You may have heard from my mother about my father-in-law’s ill health. By your grace, he is much better now. He has come home from the hospital, and is gradually regaining his strength. The doctor says that with proper medication continuing, everything should be fine. R is fine, and as naughty as ever! She is learning new tricks every day, and keeps all of us constantly busy.

Swamiji, S and I have booked a flat. It is a two-bedroom flat. The place is quite nice, wide roads and as yet not congested, so it will be a good place for R to grow up. There are good schools nearby. Our cousin brother has also booked a flat in the same building. We are on the 4th floor and they on the 6th. So the two families will be staying together without stepping on each other’s toes. The only problem is that my husband will have to travel one and half hours each way to get to his office.

I seek your blessings, as I enter yet another phase in my interactional saadhana, to have the strength to remain detached and not develop the attitude of ‘my home’. I know that this attitude will bring me nothing but trouble. Since my in- laws will now be staying with us for longer durations due to my father-in- law’s health, such an attitude will only lead to conflicts. Swamiji, please help me to remember this at all times!

Swamiji, please teach me how to ignore negative thoughts when they enter my mind. I have noticed that when a single thought enters, if I don’t wipe it off immediately, it opens the floodgates to a whole range of negative feelings. This makes me weak. I had developed the art of dipping inside and gaining strength from the Presence within. This has helped me a lot, especially when I took charge of the house while everyone was busy at the hospital. But somehow, whenever negative thoughts infiltrate my mind, I seem to lose the capacity to ‘dip’. When I am not able to feel the Presence, I get even more distraught. Swamiji, I know I must be sounding confused! But that is exactly how I feel. I’m not ‘thinking’ while typing this letter, I’m writing while the feelings pour out of my heart.

Also, I tend to become defensive regarding my parents in front of my in-laws. Why does that happen? The other day, while they were discussing about vegetarianism, I was hurt listening to the comments about my parents. Somehow, I cannot take such comments, even in jest. Please teach me how to assimilate such situations and sort out my mind, Swamiji! I hate the weakness that engulfs me ever so often.

I’ll end here with my humble pranaams to You, Ma and Nutan Swamiji and my regards to everyone at the Ashram.

Your daughter, S. *** Dear and blessed S:

Harih Om Tat Sat. Your letter is relieving in that your father-in-law is much better and will be all right with rest and medication. Please give him my blessings for full recovery soon.

It is also good that you will be moving to your own flat in a good locality, where R will feel better. Go ahead. The travel for your husband is of course too much. But, nowadays people do commute such distances. Each advantage will be strangely juxtaposed with a disadvantage. Learn to embrace both and enhance the mind’s depth and potential.

1. About dealing with the negative thoughts, here is the secret for finding relief and strength:

Do not be afraid of negative thoughts. Allow them to come – rather invite them – when you sit ready to receive them, in the morning or so, after your ablutions and prayers or meditation. Allow them to surge forth. React to them freely. You should not hurt yourself physically. Mentally and emotionally do whatever you feel like, without reservation. Cry, weep, sob, curse yourself, lament your weakness or fate – anything.

Let the spell be for 20 to 25 minutes. By then, the thoughts will become weak and ineffective; the mind will become stronger. The whole process must be like writing on water, in the end. Get up, wash your face and take to your other routines. Repeat the exercise for a few days.

Understand that no negative thought has any effect if you do not own it and act upon it. You are not responsible for the arising of any thought. Your responsibility commences from the time you act upon it. The difference is crucial. If negative thoughts come and you are not prepared to act upon them, they will simply disappear, leaving you to yourself, as before. If their incidence has no effect or purpose, automatically they will stop coming again. If at all once in a while, they happen to intrude, simply be indifferent.

All that I say is 100 percent possible, provided you practise it earnestly and assiduously.

2. You have now a new family, your family. If you think alien there, it is bad, sinful even. About your parents, do they have to get any certificate from your new family? They may come there rarely, for a specific purpose, because of you, and then go back. They are old, have lived their life and will bless you from a distance. Be confident.

If you have the confidence, you can gently and smilingly suggest: “Mother, am I not your daughter too? If you say something about my parents I feel hurt. Would you like to hurt your daughter?” You should be soft and gentle. Identify yourself with them and then speak. Also, do not be so sensitive and worried about your parents.

Your behaviour will be right only when you readily begin to identify yourself with your husband and his family, without any reservation. Any girl getting married should do so. Mind you, countless marriages take place, in each of which one partner, mostly the wife, has to transplant herself to the other family. Whatever be the erstwhile association and memories, the fact is that she has to make a home with her husband in his place, generally. This is a tradition, a custom. You cannot mean or represent anything special.

Do not magnify matters. Make light of them. Look to your own within to get strength, the spirit of reconciliation and harmony. I want you to be sweet and smiling. Stand confident and light-hearted in taking to and dealing with this new phase.

Tell me whether I can expect you to be trustworthy in this.

Love and ashirvaad. Ma and Naya Swamiji send you loving good wishes.

Antaraatma, Swamiji. News & Notes

❑ 41st Jñaana yajña in Jamshedpur: Poojya Swamiji along with Maa and Swami Nirviseshananda ji will leave for Jamshedpur on 8th Feb ’05. They will halt at Kolkata for three days and reach Jamshedpur on 12th. Details of the jñaana yajña programme:

Date Time Venue Function

13th Feb Morning 12, Pardi Road, Kaiser Bungalow Guru Archana

16th–20th Feb 06:45 – Madrasi Sammelani Discourse on “Surrender & Divine 08:00 PM Grace” based on Bhagavadgeeta

17th–21st Feb 09:00 – 12, Pardi Road, Class on 10:00 AM Kaiser Bungalow Kathopanishad

23rd–24th Feb 07:00 – Bharat Discourse 07:45 AM Sevaashram Sangha on Uddhava Geeta

27th Feb Morning Bharat Vishnusahasranaama Sevaashram Sangha Saarvajanika Yajña

Poojya Swamiji, Maa and Nutan Swamiji will leave Jamshedpur on 3rd March ‘05, reaching Ashram on 4th. Contact: Sri SR Bhowmik 033 – 23347206 (Kolkata). Sri RS Tiwari 0657 – 2302409; Sri S Sengupta 2306180 ; Dr SR Sahu –2303154 (Jamshedpur).

❑ The 10th Annual Geeta Tattva Sameeksha (Series of discourses in Malayalam on Bhagavadgeeta, ch. 10) in Thrissur will be held between 16th and 23rd January 2005 at the Vadakkunaathan Temple Sreemoolasthaanam. ❑ The 15th Mahasamaadhi day of Mataji Sulabha Devi was observed in the Ashram on 17th December with due solemnity, love and devotion. Paada-pooja (worshipping of Poojya Swamiji’s Feet) was performed by Smt Sumam & Sri Narayanan Nambiar from Kannoor, on behalf of all the devotees. The function was attended by more than 200 devotees. Poojya Swamiji in his message highlighted the importance of renunciation, explaining how without a true sannyaasa-spirit fulfillment cannot be had in life by any one, whether he is given to ascetic or household life. Chanting in chorus the n°ma-sa¥keertana composed by Poojya Swamiji – “Om Nama≈ Sad°øiv°ya Om Namo N°raya∏°ya ….”– devotees proceeded from the Vijñaana Bhavan to the Samaadhi Mandir and offered flowers at Mataji Sulabha Devi’s samaadhi as well as at the Lotus Feet of Poojya Swamiji. In the evening a Daana Satra was held distributing 3kg rice packets to a number of recipients. ❑ On 19th December ’04, Poojya Swamiji addressed the devotees assembled in the Mahaadeva Temple, Thalore, Trichur District, on the occasion of Thiruvonam- Punartham Festival. He enlightened the devotees on the fundamentals of devotional thoughts, worship and Temple practices, and explained how the installation of the Temple itself is based on the concept of Soul residing in the body. ❑ Sreemad Bhaagavata Tattva Sameeksha Satram: The 3rd annual event was inaugurated on 22nd December ’04 by Poojya Swamiji. Poojya Swami Purushothama Tirthaji Maharaj hoisted the Dharma-dhvaja. The Sree Krishna Yatra from Guruvayoor on 19th, Dharma-dhvaja Yatra from Tiruvilvamalai on 20th and Sreemad Bhaagavata Grantha Yatra from Narayanashrama Tapovanam on 21st culminated at "Naimishaaranyam", in Paralikkad, Thrissur, where elaborate preparations have been made to conduct the grand function. Poojya Swami Sakranandaji Maharaj, President, Sree Ramakrishna Math (Thrissur), gave the presidential address. Poojya Swami Mridanandaji Maharaj of the same Math released Poojya Swamiji's 3rd Malayalam book on Sreemad Bhaagavatam.

New Publication (Malayalam): "Ad§øya-øakti D§øya∆ °kumpol" (When the Invisible becomes Visible), the third in the series on Sreemad Bhaagavatam, written by Poojya Swamiji. The book, covering 8th & 9th skandhas of the Text, was released by Poojya Swami Mridanandaji Maharaj of Sree Ramakrishna Math (Thrissur) on 22 December 2004, during the inaugural function of the 3rd Sreemad Bhaagavata Tattva Sameeksha Satram.

(272 pages. Price Rs.100/-)