Soul Culture for June 2005

An Excerpt from the Nectar Drops..................................................................................1

An Excerpt from the book KRIYA YOGA......................................................................1
An Excerpt from the Book River of Compassion............................................................6
The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 17, Verse 16-17)....................................................................9
An Excerpt from the Book Yoga- Pathway to Divine....................................................11
The Art of Silence (Part-II)................................................................................................16

An Excerpt from the Nectar Drops

Watch Him day and night in your every thought, words and actions. Constant alertness
is necessary. Then you will have quickest result.
The more you read, the more you will be puzzled. Even if you read the entire library,
you are not going to be realized. If you read and practice one verse of the Gita or the
Bible or any Holy Scripture in your practical life, then realization is in your hand.
If you have anger, pride, ego and hatred,
then eradicate all those devil qualities from
yourself.
Only you watch, who is taking
breath in you. In His absence,
you have no existence.

An Excerpt from the book KRIYA YOGA

Chapter II- THE QUICKENING OF HUMAN EVOLUTION
The world is no longer the huge place it was once thought to be. Distance has been
incredibly reduced by rapid means of transport and communication. Great scientific
inventions have liberated us from servitude to nature and have quickened world
evolution. Science has relieved us of grinding poverty and physical pain.
On the other hand, humanity today faces the challenge of destiny. We are in the midst of
the greatest crisis of history. The human predicament is due to the lack of adjustment of
the human spirit to the startling developments in science and technology. Science has
increasingly put more and more power in the hands of human beings and with that power it
has already turned the world into a house full of explosives. So man lives a scorched
life, frantically searching for meaning and security. The solution lies in a moral and
spiritual revolution embracing the whole world.

Kriya Yoga is the most effective medium to bring about this change. It is a practical
philosophy suitable for every person of the modern world. It offers guidance and help
to a generation that is perplexed at its failure to find satisfaction and is groping for
light. The general evolution has been quickened through scientific method. This can
similarly be applied to all other spheres of life, including the inner life.
In his classic book, The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin demonstrates that life on
this planet has evolved by a gradual process. Evolution is a continuous process from the
earliest forms of living organisms to the latest product: human beings.

The Seven Spiritual Centers in Human Body

DIAGRAM 1 - The seven spiritual centers shown in the diagram of human body (from lower to upper): four petal lotus
in money center (muladhara); six petal lotus in the sex center (svadhisthana); ten petal lotus in the food center (manipura);
twelve petal lotus in the heart center (anahata); sixteen petal lotus in the education center (vishuddha); two petal lotus in the
soul center (ajna); thousand petal lotus in the cosmic body center (sahasrara).

A Guide to Meditation

Biologists accept the idea of Darwinian evolution as a broadly satisfactory account of the
mode of change that has actually taken place.
In the history of our planet, humanity has been able to attain, thanks to the development of
sensory and emotional machinery, a degree of efficiency unequalled in the rest of the

animal kingdom. We have used this power to overcome obstacles and to modify the
world in which we live in such a way as to justify the claim to be the supreme creation of the
evolutionary process. All great scientific achievements are the works of the living spirit of
humanity. While our bodies are limited in space and time, our spirit is eternal.
The Opportunity
Human birth is a rare opportunity. It can be utilized to realize the immortal spirit and
thereby transcend the limitations of time and space. Life implies evolution a steady
onward progress, a steady ascent into higher and higher states of progressive
perfection. Therefore, it means an upward movement, a ceaseless quest for perfection. Julian
Huxley, in the conclusion of his book Evolution: A Modern Synthesis, says, "True human
progress consists of increase of aesthetic, intellectual and spiritual experiences and
satisfaction."
He points out that the future of progressive evolution is the future of humanity. The future
of humanity, if it is to progress and not remain at a standstill, must be guided with a
deliberate purpose.
We must realize the precious nature of human existence. We have to realize the
wonderful significance of this body as an instrument for spiritual practice and as a great
guide towards the ultimate goal. Man grows through countless lives into divine Selfexistence. Every life, every act, is a step that we may take e i t h e r backward or forward.
One's thought, will, and action deterrmine what one is likely to be. Dr. Radhakrishnan
says, "Our feet are set on the path of higher life, though they wander uncertainly and
the path is not seen clearly."
Freedom from birth and realization of the divine state is the dream of all religions. It is
the moksha of the Hindu, the nirvana of the Buddhist, and the Kingdom of Heaven of the
Christian. Realization of cosmic consciousness is the goal of life. In the language of
religion, Spirit is God, the ultimate reality which is one and all-comprehensive. Cosmic
consciousness, Spirit, God, t h e Absolute, and the Self all are one and the same.
The realization of the Self is the only summum bonum (the be-all and end-all) of life
and in this alone does life find its fulfillment.
We are all living sparks of the Divinity. The one who dives deepest into his Self not
only realizes his identity with the Cosmic Spirit, but tastes the sweetness of infinite
joy. In the rush and clamor of our conscious life, we do not pay attention to the
mystery of our being.
The Self is the source of all joy. It is the dearest thing to humanity. Life is dear
because there is joy in living it. One loves another person or thing because he identifies
his own Self with that person or thing. To feel oneness with the Self is to become one
with the Infinite God. To strive toward that end is our birthright. Kriya Yoga can lead
us to that end.
Soul is the microcosmic image of Spirit. As such, the soul firs t manifests the
vibrations of super-consciousness, which turn into life energy. This life energy, in turn,
vibrates through the gross human body. Mind exists, matter exists. Both are vibrations
of spirit. Invisible mind vibrating as life energy is converted into gross matter. Matter
does not exist as it appears to us. It is merely the vibration of energy, which is

the vibration of consciousness. Cosmic energy is finer than electrons and other
vibratory forces existing in nature and it is conscious. It is the missing link between
consciousness and matter. The philosopher, Herbert Spencer, derives his philosophy
from Darwin's observations. He seems to account for the rise of the living from the nonliving and the mental from the non-mental, while Darwin only breaks down the lines
between lower and higher forms of life but assumes that life always came from life.
Indian sages have observed that there is a law of metempsychosis . It is
written in the Hindu scriptures that there are 8,400,000 categories of wombs that are
divided into different types. It is understood that 900,000 of these are water-born;
1,100,000 comprise the worm category; 1,000,000 belong to the birds; 2,000,000 to
animals; 3,000,000 to plants; 400,000 to human beings. As part of the evolutionary
process, it is believed that the soul is to travel through all these wombs before it reaches
the human form. But since in lower forms of life there is no sense of discrimination, this
evolution takes place automatically through divine will and action. It is astonishing to see
that the observations of science and biology come very near to the aforesaid numbers,
even though science and biology clearly admit their inability to arrive at definite
conclusions regarding the number of species. After the attainment of a human body, a
person should act sensibly and discerningly. His intellect and power of judgement makes
him superior to all other species.
When we realize the true nature of the Self and understand we are all manifestations of
that cosmic consciousness, we shall love the whole world. There is no such thing as
inanimate matter. There is life in everything. Matter is vibrant with life. This has been
conclusively proved by modern science. This remarkable evolution from stone to God
goes on through millions of years through eons of time. But in the individual life, this
process takes place more rapidly and quickly with all the forces of its past behind it.
These forces that manifest and unveil themselves in evolution are cumulative in their
power.
Embodied in stone in the mineral world, life forces grow and put out a little more strength
and begin the process of unfolding. Then they become too strong for the mineral world
and pass on into the vegetable world. There they unfold more and more of their divinity,
until they become too strong for the vegetable and become animal. Expanding within
and gaining experiences from animal life, they again overflow the limits of the animal
and appear as human. In the human being they still grow and accumulate with everincreasing force and exert greater pressure against their barriers and then out of the
human they pass into the superhuman. The last process of evolution is called yoga.
This process of evolution can be quickened by conscious effort through scientific means.
From the animalistic plane of life we have to move to the rationalistic plane, from the
rationalistic plane to the intuitional or super-conscious plane, from the super-conscious
plane we can merge ourselves in cosmic consciousness and then in wisdom (i.e.,
nirvikalpa samadhi, the highest state of realization). At this stage besides the
consciousness of perception and action of the animal world and self-consciousness
with intelligence and will of the human plane one has spiritual experience through
which new aspects of reality reveal themselves. Evolution is quickened if one
attains this stage and remains enshrined in the divine or super-conscious stage and

develops the supra-rational organ in the body. Everything depends upon the receptivity
of our mind, brain cells, and spinal column.
Saints have found that if it were possible to live in health, without disease or
decrepitude, then by solar and chemical energy in one million years humans could
develop a brain capable of expressing cosmic consciousness and absorbing the entire
knowledge of the universe. The saints also learned that by some special method this
evolutionary process can be accelerated by changing the brain cells through
magnetization.
This can be accomplished by the use of the Kriya technique, which allows the attainment of
cosmic consciousness in one lifetime. The Kriya Yoga system is one of the simplest and
quickest means of achieving the state of Self-realization. It is truly an integral yoga, which
brings about the higher evolution of human beings in nature through the simultaneous
development of body, mind, intellect, and soul.

An Excerpt from the Book River of Compassion

Brahmachariji's Home Coming
"All people show deep respect and regard for monks. But when a young son wants to
follow the path of renunciation, why can't the parents, especially the mother accept it?"
asked a twelve-year-old disciple. This is a very common phenomenon. Every mother wishes
to see her children married and well settled in worldly life, even if she herself is
experiencing problems in family life.
Nabin Kali woke up from sleep late one night disturbed by a dream, which caused her a
lot of pain and started crying. Haripada, who was sleeping in the same room on the
other end woke up and inquired why she was crying. Nabin Kali said, "1 had a dream.
In the dream I saw that my Rabi had become a monk. I saw him with Iong hair and beard;
sleeping on hard bed, leading the life of an ascetic! Is it true?" She continued, "I
remember you said to me shortly after the birth of Rabi, that he is destined to be a monk
and when I wept bitterly you consoled me saying you made a mistakes the astrological
calculation."
"Why are you thinking about it now?" Said Haripada, a self-controlled, strong-willed
person." It has been four years since l last saw him. Every time I ask you or my other
children about him, you all say that he is fine and that he is busy with his work. Bholanath and
Bhupen have read postcards from Rabi, which said he was unable to come because of
pressure of work. Soon he will be thirty-five. You all are not thinking of him, his life or his
marriage, said Nabin Kali weeping.
Haripada who knew the future of his son from his knowledge of astrology and from the
attitude of his child, from infancy, was prepared to accept Rabi becoming a monk. But
the mother was not able to accept it. She resolved that she would not touch a drop of
water until she saw her son. It was really a difficult situation.

Rabi came to Puri in 1937 taking leave from his prestigious job on health grounds. He kept
extending his leave and stayed permanently in Karar Ashram. In course of time, his
brothers came to know about this. His third brother, Shailen, had occasional
correspondence with him. His brothers were sending some money to their beloved youngest
brother. Gradually many people were aware of his life in the ashram, except his mother.
Now the problem had to be resolved. So a telegraphic message was sent to Karar Ashram
asking Rabi to urgently come home to see his mother. Taking permission from Swami
Sevanandaji, the Brahmachari decided to come to the parents and family memben for a short
time. He boarded the train home. On reaching Howrah Station, Rabinarayan wished to
visit his beloved Guru, Shri Bijoy Krishna, who lived not too far from the station. He
purchased some flowers and fruits and visited his guru.
The young brachmachari, with long black hair and beard and a pair of glasses clad in
white silk dress attracted the attention of all. Many disciples were around the guru but
they were not able to recognize him in his new attire. Rabinarayan garlanded his
guru Shri Bijoy Krishna and bowed down at his feet. All the devotees and disciples
were looking at this beautiful scene. The omniscient Guru embraced him with love and
gave his blessings. Among the devotees was the sister of Rabinarayan. Addressing
her Shri Bijoy Krishna asked, "Do you know this monk?" She answered in the
negative. Then Shri Bijoy Krishna continued, "If I ask this monk to hug and kiss you he
will do it." Hearing this, she felt puzzled and took a good look at Rabi who was also
looking at her. Still she was not able to know him. Finally Shri Bijoy Krishna
disclosed, "It is your brother Rabi, could you not recognize him?" She ran to him and
hugged him with tears in her eyes.
In this short meeting with his beloved Gurudev, they had discussions on monastic
life and hidden spiritual truths. He blessed Rabinarayan to reach the goal of life and
expressed his complete satisfaction in the achievements of his beloved disciple.
Then Rabinarayan started for Habibpur by train up to Ranaghat, and then by bus to his
birth place. Very early in the morning, he reached his palatial home and knocked on the
door. It was still a little dark. The father Haripada, hearing someone knock, came and
opened the door. Without noticing who he was, he called his wife, saying, "See, some
sadhu baba (monk) is waiting at the door. Please attend to him." Nabin Kali, the
beloved mother came to the door.
She looked and the mother's heart and eyes recognized her dearest son in an
instant. She held him close with both her arms and was crying loudly. Haripada came
back to see what was happening and grasped the situation. He said to her, "He is
home after a long journey. Take him inside and let him rest."
News of Rabinarayan's arrival spread very fast. Everyone in the community knew the
family. Many visitors came to see him, because they had heard much about him. He stayed
with the parents and other members of the family for a few days.

One evening, the house was full of guests and relatives. All elders, brothers, sisters and
brothers-in-law assembled to persuade the young monk to return back to the fold of family
life. They invited the young Brahmachari to join this gathering. He was sitting silently
maintaining his inner concentration. The discussion reached a climax and they all unanimously
agreed that they will not accept this drastic step of their brother.
One brother-in-law (sister's husband) did not hesitate to use harsh words. He said
Rabinarayan was an escapist and did not have any respect for the reputation of the family.
Someone reminded him of what his Guru, Bijoy Krishna had said before that he was not
honoring or obeying the guru, as the guru had advised him lo get married and continue
his spiritual practice. Someone else remarked, "Monks are parasites of the society." They
all wanted him to be married and if he was not willing to work, their family was rich
enough to maintain him and his family.
While this heated discussion was going on, the father Haripada was sitting at a
distance listening to all the arguments, Rabinarayan did not utter a single word. In the
Bhagavad Gita the Lord said, "Silence is the best policy." Brahmachari Rabinarayan was
used to observing outer and inner silence through his regular meditation and he was
detached and unaffected by the criticism.
Weak people, through their wrong selection of words, make the discussion worse or
unbearable. Intelligent persons are very selective in the using their power of speech.
Ultimately to conclude the discussion, the learned father Haripada opened his mouth. He
said, "You are all very well educated and qualified and have good position in the society.
You all are married except Rabi. You all have children and have experienced the
charm of family life. I have one suggestion." He remained a little thoughtful as others
waited to listen to him, who was adept at making a right decision. Then he
continued, "If anyone of you is ready to renounce family life and can embrace the
monastic life of renunciation, then I promise that Rabi will come back to family life
and he along with me will take the responsibility of your family "
No one expected to hear such a remark from the father, when his educated
handsome son was choosing to be a monk. Haripada knew very well that to be a
monk was not a whimsical or emotional step. It was a life of sacrifice, surrender, selfcontrol and spiritual discipline. It is not the path of ordinary people. It was like walking a
double-edged sword or crossing the fire.
Fortunate are the parents of such a child who has the potential to be a great spiritual
personality. Blessed are they who gave their love, care, foresight and timely
attention to create a proper environment for the growth of the child in right direction.
It is a common belief in India, that if any member of the family accepts monastic life
and gets realization, then seven past generations and seven future generations are
liberated because of the spiritual practice of one member of the family.

The father Haripada also reminded all his children, "Do you all know the tradition of
this family? In every fourth generation, one member of this family renounces everything
and becomes a monk. Rabi is here to fulfill our family tradition which is extremely rare."
Haripada had a keen sense of observation. From the childhood of Rabi he noticed
his inner detachment for the worldly life. He gave Rabi the management of estate as
he observed his sincerity and generosity in money management. So Haripada had
a complete trust in Rabi and all that he did.
The learned father not only supported Rabinarayan, but also expressed his
appreciation, "I am proud to be your father." He said, "Go on your way. Continue your
spiritual practice with diligence and determination. Remember, through perfection in
your practice it is your duty to liberate others"
After this incident Rabinarayan stayed for a few more days with the family. The other
family members after the father Haripada's encouragement and looking at the divine
disposition and demeanor of the young Brahmachari Rabinarayan changed their
attitude. One day the father reminded his brahmachari son, "Sannyasi Thakur! Do not
waste time here unnecessarily. Go back to your ashram and resume your sincere
spiritual practice and reach the goal of life."
Then the young Brahmachari Rabinarayan begged the blessings of the mother, the
father and other family members, and left for Puri. He promised to occasionally visit his
parents as per their wish.

The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 17, Verse 16-17)

Verse 16
manahprasadah saumyatvam
maunam atmavinigrahah
bhavasamSuddhir ity etat
tapo manasam ucyate

Translation
Peace of mind, gentleness, silence, self-restraint and perfect purity of inner feelingsall
these are called austerities of the mind.

Metaphorical Interpretation
People always try to control their minds without knowing how to go about it. Thoughts
arise in the right side of the cerebrum, and one speaks from the left side. To
thoroughly control speech and make it pure, one should be very careful about one's
thoughts.
Through inner purity, one will achieve speech and mind control. Everyone should
learn how to control the breath, practice, and lead a spiritual life. This will bring
serenity of mind and inner peace.
One should be constantly content. Contentment is a state of peace and joy.
Broadness of mind is contentment. One should, through deep meditation and a
God-conscious life, try to be free from all negative qualities. One should lead a
life of simplicity, silence, and self-controland thereby proceed toward God.
The ordinary human mind always leads one toward restlessness. Instead of being a
good and humble servant, then becomes a bad master, bringing many types of
trouble. But when people learn that the way to control the mind is through breath
control, they can achieve self control, self restraint and ultimately, Selfrealization. When restlessness comes, they will know how to regulate their breath
and keep their ton in the proper place to regulate thought and control speech.
In this state, they will be free from all crookedness. The five God-given sense
organs can no longer disturb them. By the practice of the technique of Kriya Yoga,
people can achieve extremely introverted state, free from all dispositions. At this
stage, people can meditate on God with peace and ceaseless joy.
Inner purity of thought and mind, a gentle and divine mood, silence and self-control
are called manasa tapasya- silent meditation with the tongue pointing to God.

Verse 17
sraddhaya pa.ra.ya taptam
tapas tat trividham naraih
aphalakanksibhir yuktaih
sattvikam paricaksate

Translation

This threefold penance (of the body, speech, and mind), practiced with the highest faith by
yogis who expect no fruit in return, this is called sattvic (spiritual, good).
Metaphorical Interpretation
In the previous three verses, the Lord discussed in detail the threefold austerity (worship):
worship with the body, worship with speech and worship with the mind. Each sincere seeker
must try to maintain purity of the body, mind, speech, thought, and action by followng the
divine instructions given in the previous verses. In this verse, the Lord describes how to
practice this penance: with supreme faith, with no expectation of result, in constant union with the
Self.
If people meditate very deeply by controlling the body, speech, and mind, without expecting any
fruit such as lower siddhis (material achievements), and if they fix their attention in the fontanel
while breathing the extremely slow breath and follow in the master's steps, they will
gradually become free from all worldly restlessness and enter into the real state of spiritual life
Godhood. They will become free from forms and formalities, and will re main absorbed in
the formless state. Through deep meditation, they will perceive the milk-white light covering the
whole world and will slowly enter into the stage of realization.
This is real, selfless, and spiritual meditation (sattvic tapasya).

An Excerpt from the Book Yoga- Pathway to Divine

Chapter - VII

Mind and Liberation

Om same vasatu jihvagre vina pustaka dharini
murdrl vallabhd devl sarva Sukla sarasvati
sarasvati mahdbhdge vidye kamala locane
visvarupe visalakil vidyam dehi namostute.

Om Santih Santih Santih

"O Mother Divine! Please always be well established on my tongue. When I
meditate on you I see the musical instrument and books in your hand. Every utterance,
word or speech that comes from me should be sweet like the music of your instrument. I
bow to you. O Goddess of learning, give us knowledge."
Appearance of Snake in Rope
I was born in a village where there was no electricity. When I was a boy of six
or seven years old, I was coming home on a dark road without a flashlight in my hand.
As I got close to my house, I thought I saw a snake and in great fear I ran home shouting
"Snake, snake." Our family servant came out with a flashlight to see where the snake

was. When he came out he saw it was not a snake but a piece of rope. In villages,
houses are made of straw and they use rope to secure the straw and every year they
repair and change the rope. After one such repair, a piece of rope must have fallen on
the ground, which I thought was a snake. It appeared to me like a snake. Now my
question is where was the snake? I shouted in fear and ran when I thought it was a
snake. Although there was only a rope, it inspired the fear of snake. But when there was
light, the imaginary snake disappeared. This is the human problem.
We should live in light, not electric light or sunlight but the light which makes us
understand who we are and the problems of life. What is that light and from where
does it come? That light is already in us, the light of the soul or atmajyoti. If one
goes to that light the problems of life will disappear.
The Monkey Mind
When I was delivering a speech last July, on Gurupurnima day in Vienna, one
mother from Europe asked "Can you please tell us something about Hanuman?" I asked,
"Do you know how Hanuman looks?" She said "Like a monkey." I said, There is a
monkey sitting inside every human being and that monkey is the mind.
I saw the snake in the rope because of the mind. The mind, like a monkey, is
always restless. The monkey jumps from one branch to another. The human mind also
jumps from one branch to another. In Indian mythology Hanuman is the son of the
Wind. The mind and breath are correlated. The mind is born of breath. When the breath
is calm, the mind is calm and quiet with no play of the mind. When the breath is
restless, the mind is turbulent.
The mind is a flow of thoughts, a state of confusion and deliberation. It is a
doubting faculty, unable to decide. The mind is restless and dynamic and cannot make
decisions. Before going more into the mind, I will say something about the body and soul.
The mind is between these two. We are all a combination of these three. Nature of the
Soul
The soul is the supreme source of energy in the body. Just as in a house there is a
main switch, which controls all the lights in the house, in this body house there is a main
switch, the soul. That is the source of energy supply to the different outlets in this body,
like the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands and feet. This soul in turn is connected with
another supreme source of energy just like the main switch in the house is connected to a
power generator or powerhouse.
The supreme energy to which the soul is connected is God. There is never a
disconnection. The soul is ever free and it is living in the body for a short period of time.
If the soul leaves the body the body is dead and useless. Only because of the soul in the
body the brain is active, the senses are functioning and the mind is thinking. Upanisadic
scriptures declare it as sat, cit, ananda; existence, awareness and bliss. It is immortal,
eternal knowledge and pure bliss.
The mind, which is in between the body and the soul, prevents us from
perceiving the soul as such. The mind which is between the body and the soul can be
extrovert and go towards the body and the senses, or it can go inwards towards the
source. If the mind is closer to the soul, it gives us clearer perception.
Identification With the Body - Body Conscious Mind

From childhood, our parents played with us saying "my child", "my boy", and
"my girl." Hearing this repeatedly we thought "I am a boy, I am a girl." This idea of a
girl or a boy is imposed on the mind of the child.
There was a queen of great wisdom in India, long ago, who when singing a lullaby to
the children, sang, siddhosi, buddhosi, niranjanosi samsara bandha parivarjitosi.
"You are pure, you are perfect, this world is a dream; get up and realize this." From
their childhood, she sang these songs and as a result at a young age they renounced the
world and became monks. The king was unhappy about this, as he needed a successor.
Then the queen agreed to train the youngest son differently so that he would be fit to be a
crown prince and a future king.
I will not go more into the details of this story, but the point is we are trained from
childhood with the idea of "I am the body, I am man, I am woman, I am tall, I am short,
I am sick, I am healthy." All these bodily attributes are identified as one's self. The
mind, which is identified with the body, gets attached to external objects and tries to get
some happiness. But happiness and unhappiness are like twins and they follow each
other. The mind attached to the body and living in this body conscious world causes
trouble.
The Three States of Existence
Let us examine these states closely. Every day we experience wakeful, dream
and deep sleep states. We have three bodies or planes of existence. One is the gross
body, the second is the astral and the third body is the causal body.
In the wakeful state, the body, mind and senses are all active. In the dream state
the gross body is not active; the astral and causal bodies are active. The astral body,
which is a subtle body on a subtle plane, is responsible for the dreams we experience.
Dream may be of pain or pleasure.
From the dream stage, we enter the deep sleep stage, which every one enjoys. What
happens during sleep? When you are going to sleep, first your consciousness separates
from your body, senses and mind and you enter into a place where there is nothing. In deep
sleep you are in a blissful state of complete happiness because of which the body, mind
and senses all get rejuvenated. But this happiness is not because of knowledge but because
of ignorance, and lasts as long as the deep sleep lasts. Why do I say it is the happiness of
ignorance? Because when you wake up you say, "I slept so well. I did not know
anything". That statements of I don't know, is the ignorance of where you were and what
happened. This is because in deep sleep there is no world.

World is a Projection of Mind

The entire world is nothing but projection of our own mind. The way I look at you,
understand you or look at the objects in the world and establish a relationship with
objects, makes up my world. My world is different from your world. A husband's world
is different from the wife's world.
Each person is the center of his own world or creation. Just like God created
the entire cosmos, we have created our world. Each person's world is different but there
may be some similarity in our worlds, because of which we love each other. But there is
no complete, universal similarity, even in the worlds of the wife and husband. If there is

then there will be complete identification, no misunderstanding and only pure love exists.
But this does not happen.
Play of Mind
In the wakeful state, the mind is playing in the external world. In the dream state,
it is playing with the entire world of our own experience. In the deep sleep state the
mind is playing with ignorance.
In all the three states there is the play of mind. In the wakeful and dream states
there is happiness and unhappiness. In the deep sleep state we enjoy some bliss, but it
disappears once we wake up and get entangled in the world, which causes
unhappiness and stress.
What is Happiness ?
Happiness is being in your natural state and free from what is unnatural. Suppose while
eating food, a particle of food gets stuck between your teeth. What do you do? Your
tongue repeatedly tries to get rid of it. If you still can't get rid of it, you will use a
toothpick and remove it. Why? Even though the teeth are much bigger and stronger, the
tongue never tries to get rid of the teeth, but wants to desperately get rid of even a little
piece of soft food, sticking between the teeth. Why? Because the food particle between
the teeth is unnatural but the presence of teeth in the mouth is natural. We do not want
anything unnatural in our life. Unhappiness and restlessness are unnatural and so we
want to be rid of these. Similarly disease is unnatural and we try to overcome it. In our
life ignorance is unnatural and knowledge is natural. So we want to be free from
ignorance and we seek to know more. If some one lies to you do not like it because
falsehood is unnatural and truth is natural. In short we like what is natural and we dislike
what is unnatural. Death is unnatural, we feel sad when someone dies; immortality is
natural. We want to be free from all these unnatural things like disease, unhappiness,
falsehood, ignorance and untruth and we love immortality, truth and knowledge.
Where is Happiness?
Now you may ask where is happiness? Is there not happiness in the external world?
For example, say there is chocolate, which can give you 10 units of happiness. So 10
chocolates should give you 100 units of happiness. But it does not happen like that. I was
teaching Economics for nearly 11 years and there is a law of diminishing marginal utility.
The second chocolate gives less happiness than the first. Why? If the chocolate has
happiness in it, it should always be the same. But it is not so. Secondly, suppose you
receive sad news that someone very close to you has passed away. Now will that same
chocolate which gave you happiness before make you happy in this situation? So
happiness is not outside in the chocolate; it is a state of calmness of mind. When the mind
is engrossed in a single state and is concentrated, at that time we get some happiness. We
have seen that the mind is restless when it goes outward and is naturally calm in the
sleep state. This we can learn from our daily experience. What is happening during sleep ?
The mind is at rest. The senses are not working and the breath is rhythmic. When these
three things can be done you can get a sleep like state while being conscious. This is
what meditation is. It is a conscious effort to get a better state than deep sleep, which is
a state beyond the waking, dream, and deep sleep states - the fourth state known as

turiya. To get that state the first step is to get a complete clean state of no thought and
no mind. We can make a conscious effort to try and get that state of meditation,
concentration and making the breath very rhythmic. If one can go to this sleep like
state while being conscious, one can enjoy more freedom and love.
The Cause of Bondage or Liberation
In the yogic scripture, it is said,
manah eva manusyandm karanam bandha moksayoh
bandhaya visayasangi muktyaih nirvisayam manah

(Visnupurana 6-7-28)
The mind is the cause of bondage and liberation. When the mind is attached to the
external world of limited sense objects, the mind is in bondage and when the mind is
free from those and attached to infinity then the mind is liberated. But the mind is not an
object. How can the mind be tied to something? In life because of our likes and dislikes,
because of the mind constantly thinking that there is happiness of unhappiness in one
object or another, it goes from place to place, or person to person, or work to work, or
situation to situation, searching for happiness. The mind does this because the mind has
not been taught to go inside to the real source of happiness.
Who is in bondage? One who thinks he is bound is in bondage; one who thinks he is
liberated is liberated. I said we are all an integration of the body, mind and soul. We are all
the soul living with the mind in this body. If one is aware of the truth of "Who am I?"
"From where I have come?" "How long is my stay?" "What is my play?" One will be
able to work in a healthier way, compassionately detached and will know that one is not the
body, but the soul. It is the soul that gives power to the mind. The mind is not totally inert
like the body. It is half-inert and half-active, vibrating in this magnetic field of the world.
One must realize that I am not the mind, I am the regulator of the mind, I can train the
mind. Once the mind can be trained the problem of the world disappears. Train the mind
to know that you are pure consciousness. Most people do not know how to use the mind.
When trained properly, the monkey mind will be calm and quiet like Hanuman sitting
near the feet of Rama.
Om Brahmarpanamastu.
Om tat sat Om

Questions & Answers

1.

In a critical situation when the mind is very agitated,

what can we do to bring the mind back to normal state ?
First think, "By being agitated can I solve the problem ?" Agitation will only
create more problems. Come away from the situation and if possible just sit and meditate.
Watch your thoughts or practice deep breathing. If you regularly meditate, this agitation
will not come.

2.

In this so-called wakeful state everything appears real,

so how can I say it is a projection of the mind ?
Thirty years ago you were a young bachelor, happy with your work, a brilliant
student. But you were not married, you were not a father. So where were all these things
before? It is all in your mind. Suppose there are forty women sitting here, can you tell
who your wife is? How can you say? Because it is in your mind. In our daily activities
we have some common projection. Beside the common projection, there is also our own
projection. Have you taken bitter gourd? Do you like it? No. Why? Because it is bitter.
But I enjoy that. My projection to that vegetable is "very good." "It is a bitter vegetable",
is a common projection, but I projected my liking. So we have the projection of likes
and dislikes in this world, the raga and dvesa. Our likes and dislikes are different. The
entire world in a subtle way is the projection of our own mind, although there is some
common projection. Go a little bit deeper. You will understand.
Om tat sat Om

The Art of Silence (Part-II)

In our spiritual life, to have control over speech is primary necessity. Many great spiritual
Masters have observed silence for good period of time. Years after years; No talk. Even
there are some, who have stopped talking whole life. Not to talk. But I dont say that
[you] dont talk, but bring discipline in your talking. We loose energy through every
sense-organ. You look a lot, you loose the energy; the eyesight becomes weak. Watch
Television and computer a lot, your eyes will be weaker. Listen a lot (I am not talking of
listening to the sound, which we hear during meditation), you listen to music, loud talk;
slowly you will find that your quality of listening is decreasing. And out of all the senseorgans, we loose energy through two sense organs a lot; the eyes and mouth. Clear! We
loose a lot of energy through talking. Not only that, this mouth or the tongue regulates
two sense organs. Clear! The organ of speech [and] genitals. Those who keep the tongue
under control, they can easily regulate, bring moderation in these two sense-organs.
Let us develop a habit of observing silence daily. Sometimes we do that. During the
program here, [for] few days, No talk. Some retreats we do 2 days, 3 days, 4 days no
talk. In the beginning, people might feel a little restless, because the tongue wants to talk.
But those who observe it, at the end, they feel the benefit. Mahatma Gandhi was
observing silence once in a week. Although he was a popular leader and he was working
a lot; day and night; but once in a week, no talk. In our daily life, we can find out, once
in a week, we might observe silence- it is very good. Any discipline in our life needs
determination. To use our will power- I will not talk at any cost. And youll find in the
beginning a little bit difficult. But later on you would find that everybody adjusts with
you. At least every day one or two hours of silence
Those who are famous in their field of activity, let one be a painter or poet, they are
mostly contemplative. They observed silence and they found out something new.
Silence is Yoga. And if you want to be a yogi, you should know, how to remain silent. To
speak less. There is a saying in English, that when we speak, because of the slip of

tongue, we commit mistakes. To keep your lips free from slips.to keep your lips free
from slips, few things you must remember- With whom you speak, on what you speak,
when, how and where.
To keep your lips free from slips- that means to keep your tongue [free] from mistakes,
you should remember a few things. To keep your lips free from slips, few things you
must remember- with whom you speak, on what you speak, when, how and where.
Intelligent people speak less. I dont know if you have gone to an attorney, you have to
pay money for talking with attorney. I remember when Gurudev was new in west.
Somebody telephoned to have appointment with Baba and asked, how much money do
you need for half an hour appointment. Baba said no need, you come and discuss with
me. That man said, Thank You and kept the telephone. But he didnt come. Then Baba
asked his host, Why that man did not come, then the host asked, what did you tell?.
Then he said, I told, you come. You dont worry about paying the money. Then that
person said, then you committed the mistake. Because you did not say any money, that
man thought that you are useless. And when you say that this much money you have to
pay then that man thinks that you are really valuable. This is West. Clear! Without money,
you have no value.
So, to use your tongue in the right way- Suppose you want to write something on a
blackboard. First, you have to clean it. After you clean, you write something. It would be
clear. Similarly to speak intelligently, try to know how to be silent. One, who knows the
art of silent living, is the most successful person. Ordinarily people react with little-little
things. If there is a little less salt in the food, the tongue reacts. If the thing is not done in
the right way, the mind reacts. If you analyze your daily life, [for] ordinary people, their
life is the life of reaction. Clear! People think, when they work, they are tired. But it is
not true. People get tired easily because of this reaction. Actions make you active;
reaction makes you reactive and ultimately tired.
When you work with whole-heartedness, when you work with love, when you work with
dedication, when you work with devotion, you might have worked for hours and hours,
you might not have been tired. If you dont like, if you dont accept the surroundings, you
will be easily tired, easily irritated. So, to live in the right way, to speak in the right way,
the beginning is just like to clean the blackboard- to know how to live silently.
To observe silence daily- Everyday, we can have one hour, 2 hours [of silence]. Even if
one lives in the family and home, [one should decide that] I wont talk. You can have
understanding in the family and you can observe silence. You can observe half-a-day,
one-day silence. When you can come to this kind of programs, you can observe all the
days silence. It is an opportunity to see how do I live when I dont talk.
When I was a boy of 11-12 years, nobody taught me like we discussed today. Reading the
life of Gandhi, I decided not to eat, not to talk every Sunday. And it was not an easy
work. My brothers would be trying to motivate, to tempt me to eat and to talk. It was a
test. It was a test of the will-power, but I was successful. I continued to observe this kind
of silence for about 15 years. Not to talk. Sunday- No talk No food. In the beginning,
parents were worried, because I was so thin. But they accepted. The purpose of telling is
that if we really take a decision and convince others that I am doing this for good, others
will accept it. We should try to transform our life with love. To observe silence daily. One
hour-2 hours. To observe silence one in a week or half-a-day. To observe silence

occasionally in this kind of programs. You can put a sticker I am in Silence, nobody
would talk to you.
There is a religion in India. This is Jainism and they put a piece of cloth on the mouth,
covering the mouth to speak less, to speak whenever is necessary. This silence, Mauna, it
comes from mind mana. If you want to have control over mind, if you want to discipline,
to train your mind, observing silence is a good tool. In Kriya Yoga, especially practicing
Khechari Mudra- keeping the tongue up, it helps us to keep the tongue under control.
Through this we conserve a lot of energy in the body and mind. There is a yogic belief,
Those who have control over tongue, those who speak truth, they are established in
truth. Whatever comes out of the mouth, becomes true. It is a yogic siddhi- a success.
They tell, God would bless you, people get the blessings. If they tell, let you be
healed, people are healed. If you have read, in the bible, in the life of Jesus, this thing
happened all the time. To use the tongue in truthful way. Observe silence daily.
Those who observe silence and keep the tongue under control, they are known as Muni.
Mana, Mauna and Muni- they sound to be very closer. Muni means the person- the man
of meditation, man of contemplation, the man of intelligence. We have to be successful in
our life.
[Utilizing] our senses and mind, then external organs [and] 4 internal organs. This is
the art. And there are many types of silence. [One of them is] Inner silence. There are
different arts of maintaining silence. There is communication in silence. We will discuss
all this tomorrow [i.e. in the next issue]. But for you, I would give a practical advice.
From today, till this program ends, to speak less. Whenever it is necessary to ask and if
you speak, speak slowly so that only that person, to whom you speak, would hear and not
others. Clear! This time during the program in India, and the meditation class was going
on. Nearly 200 people in the meditation class. And a few monks came from other
Ashrams to visit. They could not imagine that there are over 200 people there. It was pindrop silence. And they moved everywhere. It was evening time. And through the window,
they saw the people sitting silently. And they were really so happy. When they came out,
they said, this is the best ashram. We could not imagine that so many people sitting
there completely [silently].
To bring Self-discipline. Then we can make our life more beautiful. How silence helps in
our daily life, how silence can increase our physical and mental strength, how silence can
bring success in our life, through silence, how we can overcome troubles and difficulties
in our life, we will discuss later on.
Life is a gift of God. God has given us a human body. God has given us ten sense organs.
Eyes to see, ears to hear, nose to smell, tongue to taste, skin to touch, mouth to speak,
hands to give and take, the genital for procreation and pleasure, feet for movement, anus
for excretion 10 sense-organs. Four inner instruments- mind to think, intellect to
decide, memory to remember, ego to think I am. These 14 instruments should be
properly utilized. We are intelligent, we are meditating, we remember and realize that we
are power of God. We should utilize every sense-organ moderately and with self-control.
To keep the tongue under control. Observe Silence. To talk less. To talk slowly. To talk
truthful. To talk with love. Not to bring ego into our life. To bring moderation. We are
practicing Yoga. We should discipline ourselves. We should think, speak, work with love,
in God consciousness.

Calmly remain within. With inner prayer- OGod, OMasters, I try to understand my life.
Help me, Ill discipline myself. Ill regulate my life, [bring] moderation in my life.
Silently pray.
OM
Sarve bhavantu sukhinah, sarve santu niramayah
Sarve bhadrani pashyantu, maa kaschit dukh bhag bhavet.
Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantih.