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Guruji's Column

Blessings from the Parampara. Of late, during the programmes, many people ask me as to why one should take to meditation? What’s wrong with the present life style? With so many advancements, especially, in communication and medicine, does meditation stand a chance at all? It is an interesting question which I would like to address.

Man needs both medication and meditation because both come from the root ‘medi’ which means ‘to attend’. Medication attends to our physical problems and meditation to the emotional, psychological and mental problems. Medication has a very, very limited role to playing our lives. I am not ignoring its importance, its utility and its widespread use. What I mean to say is that it can diagnose and treat only the symptoms and not the cause. So long as the cause remains in us, the problems (effects) cannot be suppressed for long; it is common sense. So one has to deal directly with the cause and not with the effects only. If you learn to get hold of the cause, you can influence and control the effects. Wisdom lies here.

One many wonder how come meditation has any relevance in the conduct of our day-to-day affairs and to our problems and physical ailments. Take it from me, it has. It works like this. Many of our physical ailments are psycho-somatic in nature. So if you want to come out of them, you have to treat the cause, viz., the mind. If the mind is disciplined through the techniques of Pranayama, Japa and meditation, one can experience significant change in the quality of life. It is the abstract things that are within us-such as our feelings, emotions, attitudes etc. –that cause problem to us. Medication is useless here. It is only MEDITATION that plays a significant role here. If we see carefully, its meditation alone that makes life complete. If you want to be rich in life, to enjoy life, to understand life, then take to meditation and see for yourself the results.

Also medication will not be effective without meditation. Why so? Because it is so. That’s why. You ask any physician that if he advocates the same medicine, for the same problem, with equal amount of potency to two person, whose body constituents are exactly the same, will the recovery also be the same? The answer will be a definite “NO”. This means that our physical body has a direct relation with the mind. Now the question comes as to what we actually do in mediation and how it is different and higher as compared to medication. A compassionate nurse attends to the patient without any partiality whether he is a Muslim, Hindu or Christian. A nurse’s entire focus will be only on treating the disease and nothing else. In the same manner, during meditation, we start nursing all our feelings, sentiments, attitudes etc., with a view to refine them and bring the best out of ourselves and share the completeness that is within us with our near and dear ones. If you vow to do meditations regularly with this insight, let me assure that you regain your purity, innocence and wisdom. Meditation guarantees your communication with the Centre within you.

I would like to reiterate the assurance given to me by my Parampara: You do your meditation regularly; we’ll organize your entire life. Till today, I’m fulfilling my promise to the Parampara and so do they. Hope you will also continue in the same way as we do.

In the service of Parampara,
Sri Pattabhiram

Faith & Strength

Swami Vivekananda

He is an atheist who does not believe in himself. The old religions said that he was an atheist who did not believe in God. The new religion says that he is an atheist who does not believe in himself.

The history of the world is the history of a few men who had faith in themselves. That faith calls out the divinity within. You can do anything. You fail only when you do not strive sufficiently to manifest infinite power. As soon as a man or a nation loses faith, death comes.

Faith, faith, faith in ourselves, faith, faith in God, this is the secret of greatness. If you have faith in all the three hundred and thirty millions of your mythological gods, and in all the gods which foreigners have now and again introduced into your midst, and still have no faith in yourselves, there is no salvation for you.

Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin-to say that you are weak, or others are weak.

Whatever you think, that you will be. If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be.

Be free; hope for nothing from any one. I am sure if you look back upon you lives, you will find that you were always vainly trying to get help from others, which never came. All the help that has come was from within yourselves.

Never say, ‘No’; never say, ‘I Cannot’, for you are infinite. Even time and space are as nothing compared with your nature. You can do anything and everything, you are almighty.

Ye are the children of God, the sharers of immortal bliss, holy and perfect beings. Ye divinities on earth-sinners! It is a sin to call a man so; it is a standing libel on human nature. Come up, O lions, and shake off the delusion, that you are sheep; you are soul’s immortal, spirits free, blest and eternal.

Never mind the struggles, the mistakes. I never heard a cow tell a lie, but it is only a cow-never a man. So never mind these failures, these little backslidings; hold the ideal a thousand times; and if you fail a thousand times make the attempt once more.

The remedy for weakness is not brooding over weakness, but thinking of strength. Teach men of the strength that is already within them.

If there is one word that you find coming like a bomb from the Upanisads, bursting like a bomb-shell upon masses of ignorance, it is the world, fearlessness.

If you look, you will find that I have never quoted anything but the Upanisads. And of the Upanisads, it is only that one idea strength. The quintessence of the Vedas and Vedanta and all lies in that one world.

Be strong, my young friends, that is my advice to you. You will be nearer to heaven through football than through the study of Gita. These are bold words, but I have to say them, for I love you. I know where the shoe pinches. I have gained a little experience. You will understand the Gita better with you biceps, your muscles, a little stronger.

This is one question I put to every man … Are you strong? Do you feel strength? - For I know it is truth alone that gives strength … Strength is the medicine for the world’s disease

This is the great face: Strength is life; weakness is death. Strength is felicity, life eternal, immortal; weakness is constant strain and misery, weakness is death.

Antardarshana

CHITTA VRITTI NIRODHA

(Patanjali Yoga Sutra)

The beauty of Patanjali Maharshi’s Yoga Shastra is: You contemplate on any Sutra for a continuous period, it would reveal you the subtle meanings by taking you through the subtle experiences.

In this sutra, Chitta means mind; it is not only mind but something more than that, but for the time being, let us take it as mind; vritti means reactions; nirodha means stopping. Vaguely, the meaning of the sutra is – stopping all the reactions of the mind is called yoga. You may wonder how would I live without reacting to the situations around me. You would appreciate it as you read further.

I am talking to someone; it is a season of insects and mosquitoes. As I talk, some mosquitoe sits on my hand and starts sucking the blood. Even without looking at it, my other hand would lift up on its own, and bulldoze the mosquitoe. I don’t even hear it death cry. As if nothing has happened, I continue my talk with added ease. Just see the sequence of events a bit carefully here. A moquitoe sat on my hand, I was not aware of it, when it started sucking blood from my veins, it did not attract my awareness; but only when it was painful did I react as a robot, without realizing what it is. I am not saying whether hitting like that is good or bad.

Look at it the other way. When it sat on me, I should have been aware of its sitting; leave it, we may not be that sensitive. Atleast, when it started sucking the blood, I should have noticed. Leave even this, as we were too busy talking. When it was painful, atleast then, I should have waited for a while, thought as to what the course of action should be. There is another possibility also. I could have driven it away by giving a love puff.

This is merely an example. In our daily lives, there are hundreds of situations when we act reactionarily, like a robot, with standard commands to the sense organs, and to the reactionary mechanisms. Here when sager Patanjali talks of chitta vritti nirodha, he talks of let go of the reactionary mechanism, like hitting that which troubles you. Instead, wait for a while, bring all the events under the scanner of awareness and become aware of the whole situation without depending on the reactions of the mortised system; and, decide the course of action independent of all the influence of memories, vasana, anger, frustration, etc.

Let me take you to another example. We have named people as good or bad. Say, you have a high opinion about me. You glorify me and my image. You say that Guruji is godly. It is okay, as far as mere opinion is concerned. But see a bit closely. See how it can damage you when you really add value to this opinion. You hold on to the opinion that Guruji is godly, and the moment you see something human-making mistakes here and there-that is the day when your image about Guruji is shattered. You start avoiding that person. That way you go on making friends and breaking that partnership. This type of behavior goes on and on.

See here, what is it doing to you? Likewise, we form opinion about wife, children, officer, subordinates, relatives, about a place of living… Try to see each and every image or every opinion that you hold on to. The more dispassionately you see these opinions/image, the more free you would be. This is the precise reason why one should practice meditation. Before meditation, you must watch your mind, the contents of the mind. If an opinion about a person comes, let go. If hatred towards a form comes before you, let go. You say to yourself that you are different and the form/opinion is different. Stop supplying the energy-either for or against-to any form or opinion you hold on to.

In this way, you would become light and light. Slowly, you would get stability in sadhana. This stability would take you to the next subtle layer of your personality. The process is the same again: let go of all the forms, images, opinion. The load of chitta becomes further light. The process continues, till you are clear of all the images in the chitta, all the worries that are stored in the chitta. When all the layers become transparent, at that time you stay in atha; the infinite personality you realize, the sat-chit-ananda-svaroopa that you are; That Shiva you are. What else? You are God.

Practicing mediation and pondering over the sutras of Patanjali, would give you a base where when you react to the external world, it would not be a ‘reaction’; it would be a response. You would slowly shift from reacting to responding. That is the zone of non-stress. That way, you would not creae stress around you. So, slowly, people would recognize you, people would respect you, because the base you are operating is Truth, nothing else.

I want you to understand yoga practically, applying it to your own life, and experimenting it on every aspect of your life. Thus, finding the truth from your own point of view. Yoga is a way of life. Each and every minute, you have to experience the touch of divinity that is within you. If you want to experience that, you must live in chitta vritti nirodha. If somebody does something to you, when you get into some uneasy situations, don’t react immediately. Observe, from where the reaction is coming; what is it that is forcing you to act in a particular way? Is it because you are hurt? Is the hurt because of your ‘conditioned’ mind? Is the reaction coming from your authority? Is it because you are frustrated?

There is nothing wrong in reacting. But react after understanding the source. If you know that you are reacting because of your hurt, realize what this hurt is. That is the beginning of a new life. Otherwise, it wouldn’t help you in bringing harmony in your relationship. The same reaction would come back to you in some form or the other, today or tomorrow.

In the service of Parampara,
Sri Pattabhiram

Rewards & Motivation

In Bhagavad Gita Sri Krishna advises Arjuna to become aware of that which is his and that which is not his. He explains that one has the right to perform his duty, but he has no right to expect the fruits received therein. Neither duty performed with the motivation to acquire the fruits of one’s action nor attachment towards inaction is helpful. Both tendencies are harmful if the law of karma is not properly understood, one becomes helpless and inactive, or he performs actions with attachment to the results and thus becomes disappointed. Disappointment is a great enemy of self-reliance. It obstructs the faculty of discrimination, judgment, and decisiveness-the guiding factors within us.

There are two main principles to be followed when doing one’s actions: one should to act impulsively but should counsel within before acting, and one should not perform any action motivated by selfishness. Right action is superior to inaction. Inaction makes one lethargic, and one who becomes lethargic postpones his duties and joy’s placing them in the hands of his fate and future. Students are always warned by their teachers not to become victims of sloth and inactivity, for human beings cannot live without thinking and acting.

Because of the lack of real guidance, some people today take drugs. If one takes drugs, he cannot practice sadhana and make his mind one-pointed and inward. The use of drugs leads to inactivity and then to inertia, and one’s acts are then prompted by the motivation of tamas. A tamasic person deludes himself: he things that he already knows everything, that he has no need to learn and to transform himself, and that he therefore does not have to do his sadhana. He should understand that it is the tamasic quality of mind that disturbs his motivation for sadhana.

Motivation needs proper organization with the help of steady sadhana and the guidance of a competent preceptor. Motivation is action in a subtle form. It is what motivates one that is important because one’s motivation is responsible for molding his thought patterns and for prompting him to do actions. It is a guiding force, which if properly used can make one victorious in the external words as well as in the unfoldment of his inner potentials.

There are two kinds of motivation: one prompts the aspirant to perform actions in the external world, and the other helps him to make his mind one-pointed and inward. The motivation that prompts one to perform action with a desire for reward is predominant in the animal kingdom, so reward and punishment are two methods applied in training animals. The human being, though a higher species, is also motivated by reward and punishment. Yet he can go beyond that. Sri Krishna advises Arjuna to go beyond all expectations, for expectation is the cause of despair and disappointment.

The human being alone has the gift of judgment, discrimination, and decisions, every action has its consequent effect, and the fruition of the action is ordinarily perceived as either a reward or a punishment. But one can choose to make a loving offering of the fruits of his actions for the benefit of others. Then one performs his actions skillfully, selflessly, and lovingly, offering the fruits of his actions for the sake of humanity. Thus he is constantly praying. Such prayer is actual prayer; it is not at all like the prayer of egotistical people.

Most people are motivated to do actions for the sake of receiving rewards. Attachment to rewards is a deep-rooted habit. Most people do not understand how to be selfless. Such human beings are Rajasic. Reward-oriented people are very selfish. They suffer and they make others suffer. Perhaps that is one reason that the best of men have retreated to forest dwellings wondering, “why do human beings still behave like animals?” after intensive self-study those great ones devised practical methods for transforming humanity, and they gave us their wisdom through the scriptures.

Suffering comes when one is interested in reward. If one performs actions expecting rewards, he is bound to receive the fruits of his actions. The fruits then motivate him to do more actions, and in this way he finds himself caught in the whirlpool of life, never content, always seeking more and more for himself and ignoring or using others for his own gain. Actions done for reward thus create bondage. One becomes a slave to rewards in much the same way that the rat in scientific experiments becomes a slave to the pellet box, performing only those actions that bring him a token reinforcement. But there is a way to attain release from such enslavement: perform your duties skillfully and selflessly without attachment to reward. Then you will be free, a mukta travelling and singing the songs of joy without cares or fears.

(Excerpts from Perennial Psychology of Bhagavad Gita)

Hello! How are you?...

Blessings from the Parampara,

I would like to share a great secret with you all which would lead you to peace and eternal happiness i.e., your source. Of course, it depends on how you are going to assimilate it and make use of it.

All of us, deep within our hearts, have an opinion about ourselves that “we are good and are not capable of hurting or harming others”. We try to behave in such a manner as to reflect the above feelings. But still, we feel helpless, we undergo crisis, find it difficult to cope with life, not able to meet our commitments and perform our duties. We are puzzled by this. Friends, this is nothing but Praapti. Praapti means one gets what one deserves only. There is nothing wrong with our actions or intentions. Nor our method of action is improper. It is because of Praapti we get set backs, undergo crisis. Whatever actions we have done consciously or unconsciously, in our previous manifestations, when the fruit of these becomes mature and ripe, it enters our lives in the form of Praapti. We can't interfere with it, as the action has already taken place. No reverse gear is possible. This Praapti dictates our present life. But don't lose heart.

If that is the case, what are we struggling for? Where would the fruits of our present actions go? The efforts that we make here and now are called Purusha Prayatna (human effort or human endevour). It is certainly not to do away with Praapti or influence it. Then what is the use of this Prayatna? Prayatna is very important. Prayatna made in this life becomes Praapti in the next life or lives. This is well within our control… In other words we can influence our future Praapti by present Prayatna. Prayatna is the foundation stone for Praapti. We do Prayatna here and now expect it to nullify the Praapti that has already begun. This is where we go wrong. That's why we feel life is a burden! The moment we correct this attitude, half of the life‟s burden would get dissolved naturally.

There is one more thing that affects our life-Anugraha. This means Grace. Is it possible to invoke this Grace by human effort? Yes. In fact, our Prayatna in this life should be to invoke that Grace. What is Prayatna? It is self-purification, which means nothing but moving from 'I' consciousness to 'we' consciousness and from there to 'universal / cosmic' consciousness. When one reaches this cosmic consciousness, one experiences Grace. Prayatna should not be directed towards acquiring only material comforts. Of course, there is nothing wrong in it. Rather, it is a must. But the primary objective of our Prayatna should be to tap the Grace. Search for material gains through Prayatna should be subsidiary of our efforts to gain Grace.

Life = Prayatna + Praapti + Anugraha

Is life complete then? Yes. With a word of caution, I conclude here. Grace should not be hoarded. Nor should it be delivered for selfish gains. This marks the downfall of a Sadhaka. Grace should be allowed to flow gently like breeze touching each and every object of God‟s creation. Grace should flow through us and not into us.

In the service of Guru Parampara

Sri Pattabhiram

One Pointedness

Merely knowing what to do without one-pointedness of mind will not lead one to perform his duty accurately. Therefore the desired results will not be attained. Just as profound knowledge of what to do is essential, so having a onepointed mind is equally essential. The modern student tends to know intellectually but does not make sincere efforts to develop onepointedness of mind. Thus his mind remains scattered and all his actions result in disappoint-ment.

For lack of a onepointed mind, the modern student jumps from one path to another because he does not understand that it is his scattered mind that is creating barriers for him. He things that the barriers are outside. Assuming that another path or goal will be better is trickery played by the mind. One already knows what is right, but he does not know how to put it into practice. In childhood the fundamentals of all great truths are taught to us. Then we spend energy in trying to apply those truths, but we fail. We do not realize that with systematic practice we can succeed. The key point of practice as well as of success lies in onepointedness of mind.

Attention is the first step on the ladder to develop onepointedness of mind. One must pay wholehearted atten-tion to all of the things he does from morning until evening. The aspirant should also understand why he is acting in a particular way. Actions should not be performed as a reaction without understanding why one does them. The human mind is prone to be reactionary if it is not trained, and an untrained mind creates disorder, disease, and confusion. If one does something with full attention, he will increase his awareness and ability to perform his duty. If one forms the habit of attending fully to whatever he is doing, the mind will become trained, and eventually concentration will become effortless. It is a great quality for one to be able to express his knowledge through his speech and action with a onepointed mind. Thousands of thoughts remain waiting to be entertained. The purpose of Sadhana is to attend to those thoughts in a systematic manner so that they do not create unrest in the inner world.

Swami Rama

(Excerpts from Perennial Psychology of Bhagavad Gita)

Yogasutras of Patanjali

When yoga shastra started evolving, it started branching out into many ways--kundalini yoga, bhakti yoga, raja yoga… Hundreds of methodologies started coming out. About 3,000 years ago, a Maharshi called Patanjali collected all the knowledge on yoga, studied them and experimented them on himself and on his disciples. After experiencing and experimenting on them, he codified them in the Sutra form. A Sutra is a formula.

We talk a lot, yet we don't convey anything. But sage Patanjali, though he uses only few words, conveys a lot. One experiences it if he practices the sutra. There are 196formulas and they are divided into four chapters--Samadhi Pada, Sadhana Pada, Vibhuti Pada and Kaivalya Pada. Patanjala Yoga Shastra is also called Patanjala Yoga Darshan. What is darshan? It is to see things as they are. We all wear different glasses for different situations and persons. Patanjali suggests us not to see things according to the colours that one has within, but to see the things as they are by taking out the colours of one's mind. We shall see what is darshan in the resolution before beginning the study of this Yoga Shastra. It begins with atha yoga-anushasanam.

In the Indian tradition, if you want to perform any religious practice, it starts with a resolve. The beginning word would be atha or asya. If you study the Patanjala Yoga Shastra, you will realize that the sage has been very miser in using even syllables, leave alone words. He has not used even half a syllable extra. That being the case, why did he use atha before anushaasanam?

Before beginning to understand about God, the sage talks about discipline (or anushasana). His initial emphasis is on the discipline. Only after the discipline does he talk about God. Only after going through the discipline can you contemplate on God. Just look at the systematic way of learning pattern our ancestors have laid down. Our tendency is just the opposite. We would like to see the result first and only when we are satisfied, would we venture to take up discipline. One must allow himself to be on some discipline for a specified time. Now the question is: Why discipline? Only to realize oneself so that one lives in tranquility and bliss. With a mind full of turmoil, you can't even sit quiet, leave alone enjoying the life that one spends. For that, it is essential to go through a discipline which is compatible with our life. Look at the way one is living. Everyone either lives in the past or in the future, but never in the present. When I look at my wife/husband, I look at him/her through the screen of the past.

Let me take you to an example to drive home the importance of atha. You got married recently. In the beginning of the new married life, one day you shout at your wife for some reason. Your anger created an impression in your wife's mind, but she didn't mind it. After a few days, again you shouted at her. Even then she didn't mind much. You continued to shout at her at regular intervals. When the impression of your anger got imprinted more and more in your wife's mind, she formed an opinion, an image, about you, "My hubby is a short-tempered one." How did she form this opinion? Through her own experience. Gradually, she starts looking at you through the screen of your image in her mind--"short-tempered one".

Once you listened to a sage and you realized that shouting that way would not be in your interest and you resolved to stop it forever. When you go home, you are received as usual, with the image of 'short-tempered one'. You are expected to be a long-faced, reserved person. But, strangely, you are all smile on your face and people get a shock. This is because people have the screen of 'short-temperedness' in their mind about you. When you start smiling, people would react in a different way; they would think something to be wrong with you. When you go on making your efforts to smile in your expectation that people would recognize your improved behaviour, you are mistaken. Finally, you lose your control and you come back to your 'short-tempered' behaviour.

That is why, sage Patanjali asks you to stay in atha, in the present and not in the past or future. The expectation relates to 'future'. Find out whether you can look at people or things around you as if you are looking at them for the first time. Give a fresh look to each and everything, at each and every moment. If you are consistent in your efforts, it is not impossible for you. Don't look at people or things around you with a pre-conceived or concluded future saying, "I know him or her". Can you allow the past a goodbye and be in a zone where you accept anything and everything with a relaxed outlook, without forming any opinion about anything? Simply experience everything as if it is a first experience.

Try to see: whatever you have experienced in the past has no life in the present. It is dead and gone. Present is full of life. Try to live it, without seeing it from the images of the past. Can you realize that you are keeping the past alive in order to hurt people or get hurt by events? If you stay in the present, atha, then your life will be a beautiful one.

The future is nothing but an extension of the past. Just see this a bit carefully. Question your behaviour. Actually behaviour is a pattern by which I act and that has become a block in my free interaction with others. I am not able to share my love with others because of so many such blocks. That means, I must correct myself. In order to correct yourself, please see whether you can look at the complications created in your mind. See how they work on you. See them dispassionately, as a witness without associating yourself with the contents of the mind.

If you say that living in atha is impractical, that means you have already created a future. You have already named this as 'impractical' without even giving it a try. Be like a scientist. Even to say this impractical, you must experiment it for a period of time.

Can I ask you to practice it without saying no? Friends, kindly try it.

In the service of Guru Parampara

Sri Pattabhiram

Hello! How are you?...

Dear Sadhaka,

How are you? Hope you are pursuing your sadhana regularly. Mind always wants new, new sensations. At one point of time, taking up sadhana was a new sensation, and therefore you took lot of interest in understanding what sadhana is and how one can establish himself/herself in it. As you started doing it, slowly your mind began losing interest in it and went to sleep while doing meditation.

You must make all efforts so that you do your sadhana regularly. While doing sadhana, you must be very alert and wide awake. As you do sadhana, your whole personality should be into it. If you want to do mediation alone, without skillfully performing your duties, you would not enjoy much. Only when you take it up as a mission of your life, to do all things with involvement, without creating a division between mind and body, it would really help. Meditation would then become an adventure, an exploration into the deeper layers of your being.

Most of the sadhakas say that they don't see any change in them. If you are doing it regularly, even for a short time in a day, there would be a change; have no doubts about it. You should not worry when the Parampara is with you. It all depends on you alone: how committed you are or how honest you are to yourself.

Kindly deal with the external environment and internal personality with a relaxed mind. This relaxed (but not lazy) attitude will open up a new vista in your dealings. In relationship too, you would see a positive change; but be patient.

In service of Guru Parampara,
Sri Pattabhiram

In the path of Sadhana

While following the path of dharma and truth, one can temporarily become confused and commit a mistake, but the quest for dharma and truth will in itself lead him back to right understanding. He will once more perform his duties according to his dharma. Following his dharma helps one to be one-pointed in this thoughts and actions, whereas dissipated and endless are the thoughts and actions of the irresolute. Furthermore the conscious effort one makes to follow his dharma has an enduring effect. It is motivation that is important here. Having a pure motive, one will perform his duty well.

In the path of Sadhana no effort is in vain; all sincere efforts bear their fruits in the unconscious mind according to the inevitable law of karma. Impressions live in the unconscious, in the storehouse of one's memory. Even a little sadhana practiced with sincere effort leaves deep imprints in the unconscious mind. Those impressions help and guide the Sadhaka whenever he goes off the path. The conscious part of the mind is but a small part of the whole. It is helpful in communicating with the external world but has very little use on the inward journey. If the conscious part of the mind is trained not to create further barriers, then sadhana is useful.

Yoga sadhana alone has explored all the unknown levels of life and is thus useful for knowing the levels of the unconscious and for training the totality of mind. Although modern psychology has come a long way in the last one hundred years in its recognition and exploration of a few of the layers of the unconscious mind, there is no training program in any of the educational and therapeutic systems of the worlds that can help one know the unconscious to the extent that yoga science can. If one does not know himself on all dimensions, how can he understand his relationships in the external world? Sadhana alone is the way of knowing, understanding, and analyzing the internal states and one's relationship to the external world.

While treading the path of the inner world, the sadhaka comes in touch with those potentialities that guide him unconsciously, or sometimes through dreams, and at other times consciously. Fearlessness thus increases, and self-reliance is strengthened. He is fully protected by the finer forces that exist, although he is not aware of them because of his extroverted nature. No danger can ever befall the sincere sadhaka in his exploration of the inner realms. The sadhaka is completely protected if he is fully dedicated to the goal of Self-realization.

Swami Rama

(Excerpts from Perennial Psychology of Bhagavad Gita)

Self-Surrender

Devotee: I fear that Self-realisation is no easy thing to attain.

Master: Why impede yourself by anticipating failure? Push on. Self-realisation will come to an earnest seeker in a trice.

To illustrate this, Sri Bhagavan told the following story:

King Janaka was listening to a philosophical treatise read by the state pandit, wherein a passage occurred to the effect that a rider who had placed one foot in the stirrup, contemplating upon realisation could realise the Self before he lifted the other foot to place it in the other stirrup. That is, the passage taught, that when realisation comes, it comes in an instant. The king stopped the pandit from proceeding further, and ordered him to prove the statement.

The pandit admitted that he was only a book-worm and was unable to impart practical wisdom. Janaka suggested that the text was either false or exaggerated, but the pandit would not agree to this. Though he himself was unable to impart practical wisdom, he maintained that the text could not be false or exaggerated, since it contained the words of wise sages of the past. Janaka was annoyed with the pandit and in a fit of rage condemned him to prison. He then inflicted the same punishment on every pandit who passed for a wise man but was unable to prove this scriptural text.

For fear of being imprisoned, some of the pandits fled the country in voluntary exile. While two or three of them were running through a thick forest, a sage called Ashtavakra,* who though young in age was wise in learning, happened to cross their path. Having learnt their plight, Ashtavakra offered to prove the text true to the king and thereby have the imprisoned pandits released. Impressed by his bold assurance, they took him in a palanquin to the king. At the sight of the sage, the king stood up and saluted him with great reverence.

Ashtavakra then ordered the king to release all the pandits. Janaka thought that such an order could come only from one who had the capacity to set his doubts at rest, and hence he released all the pandits and asked the sage whether he could summon the horse.

The sage advised him not to be in a hurry and suggested that they should go to a solitary spot. Thereupon the king on his horse and the sage in a palanquin went out of the city towards the forest. When they reached the forest the sage asked the king to send back the retinue. The king did as he was asked, and then placing one of his feet in the stirrup, he requested the sage to prove the scriptural text. But the sage replied by asking whether the position in which they stood indicated a proper master-disciple relationship. The king then understood that he should show due reverence towards Ashtavakra, and prayed to him for grace.

The sage then addressed him as 'Janaka', since he was no longer a king and told him that before being taught Brahma jnana, a true disciple should surrender himself and all his possessions to his Master. “So be it”, said the king. “So be it” replied the sage and disappeared into the forest. From that moment Janaka stood transfixed with one foot in the stirrup and the other dangling in the air, as if he were a statue. (Saying this, Sri Bhagavan imitated the posture of King Janaka).

Time passed by, and the citizens, finding no sign of their king returning, grew anxious and began to search for him. They came to the place where Janaka was standing transfixed and were dismayed to find him unaware of their presence and indifferent to their earnest enquiries. They therefore began searching for Ashtavakra who, they thought, must be a charlatan that had cast a spell upon their king, and vowed vengeance upon him. At the same time, being concerned with the king's condition and wanting to minister to him, they brought him back to the city on a palanquin. The king, however, continued to remain in the same condition.

At last, having found Ashtavakra, the ministers entreated him to remove the alleged spell and bring the king back to his normal condition. At the same time they charged him with the responsibility for having cast the spell. Ashtavakra treated their ignorant remarks with contempt and called the name of Janaka, who immediately saluted him, and responded to his call. The ministers were surprised. Ashtavakra told the king that he was being maliciously accused by the people of having brought him to some sad plight and asked him to tell the truth.

On hearing this, the king angrily asked, 'Who said so'? The ministers were taken by surprise and pleaded for mercy. Thereupon, the sage advised the king to resume his normal functions, adding that Brahma jnana could be taught only to competent persons and that since the king had successfully passed the test, he would now impart it to him. Then the sage remained alone with the king during the night and taught him the ultimate Truth, saying “Brahman is not anything new or apart from oneself and no particular time or place is needed to realise It.” He finally concluded by saying, “That Thou Art” (tat tvam asi). That is the Self, eternal and infinite.

The next morning the ministers found that the king called the assembly and performed his functions as usual. In the assembled court Ashtavakra asked the king whether his former doubt about whether Brahma jnana could be attained as suddenly and as quickly as mentioned in the scriptures was cleared, and if so to bring the horse and demonstrate the truth of it.

The king was all humility now and said, “Lord! Because of my immaturity, I doubted the correctness of the scriptural text. I now realise every letter of it is true.” The ministers thanked the sage.

Ramana Maharshi

(Excerpts from Spiritual Stories as told by Ramana)

Guruji Trip to West

In 2008, Guruji Pattabhiram traveled to USA, Canada and UK during the period August 08 to November 10. Here is a summary of his travels and details of various programs conducted as a humble offering at the feet of the masters.

There has been overwhelming response from all organizers spread around USA, UK and Canada to invite Guruji and host programs. This is the first time Guruji has visited UK. It was a joyous task to work together as a team in order to serve the guru parampara. Everyone showed exemplified zeal to selflessly serve rising above their individual limitations and being an instrument in the hands of the masters to serve humanity. All organizers had put-in untiring enthusiasm and efforts to explore opportunities to host programs, to negotiate schedule and place for the programs, to advertise the programs, to spread the message around the communities and to host the programs itself. In most of the places we had wonderful response from the people and audience were moved by Guruji‟s simple approach in presenting the most difficult ideas.

There were varieties of programs conducted. There were programs conducted in temples mostly on Gayatri Mantra, Mrityunjaya Mantra, Antar Darshana and Stress management. In all temple programs, Guruji emphasized people to cultivate devotion in a spiritual dimension of exploring one's own self and not to get stuck with mere emotional bakthi. He then presented the topics in this context and helped them systematically to learn the practices as well.

More programs were conducted in large community halls or auditoriums of various organizations such as Arya samaj or yoga studios. These programs were mostly on Patanjali yoga sutras and Chakra prana mantra aspects. Some of these programs such as the one at Royal Albert Hall, New Jersey and Arya Samaj Toronto attracted large number of people. These programs were aimed to reach people who are regularly practicing yoga. The key objective here had been to change the prevalent perspective in the west that yoga is merely an activity for the physical being. Guruji was blunt and relentless in condemning this attitude among people that has reduced yoga to mere physical exercises. He mesmerized his audience by presenting the profound wisdom of Patanjali yoga sutras in the simplest manner possible. Guruji was passionate for declaring to the whole world that yoga sutras present the human integral science and the foremost understanding on human psychology.

The public programs were complemented by the sought after programs of Guruji in the west. Those were the programs held at residences of sadhakas and many were on Dhyana Yoga. Unlike the public programs, these residence programs had an informal vibration and Guruji was full of compassion for families and their well being. He never missed an opportunity to gather and interact with all the family members helping them with any problems and emphasizing the need to lead a purpose-oriented life filled with selfless love, harmony and spiritual practices.

For families, hosting Guruji for a week was in itself a wonderful learning experience. Most of them were surprised by his humble, simple and down to earth personality and the ease with which he merges into the rhythm of any family and their living style. Many families felt that while they changed nothing external in their home to accommodate Guruji, but when he had left, they had a transforming change within. Guruji's love for sadhakas knew no limits and it manifested in every single casual interactions such as going for a walk with him, chatting with an evening tea, sharing a light moment with kids and youth or having fun learning to cook in the kitchen. He uses every single opportunity to make the family members live the teachings of the parampara.

Guruji's travel started from Minneapolis. After spending a week, he went to St.Louis and Chicago each for a week. He was in Canada for a month visiting cities like Calgary, Toronto, Cambridge and London. Then he began his second phase of USA visit from Pittsburgh. Subsequently he was in New Jersey for couple of weeks and visited Richmond for a weekend. He concluded his North American visit with Jacksonville. From there he went to UK for the first time and spent a week conducting programs at London, Manchester and Birmingham. He was given a very warm and cordial welcome during his first visit to UK. Having thus traveled tirelessly following a hectic schedule, Guruji returned to India. All our organizers in these places are continuing their sadhana while waiting to be with Guruji next year to experience the bliss of being with the GRACE.

- A Sadhaka