This letter of revered Gurudev Swami Hariharananda Gurujee Maharaj was addressed to disciples of Bhawani Patna, Kalahandi, Orissa, India. It is circulated among all Kriyabans with the permission of revered Gurudev.
My affectionate and Divine Soul,
I remember you often. You have opened a meditation center in Bhawani Patna. Whether you have opened an account or not? In whose name and in which bank the account is opened? What is the account number? All these details you please send to me by registered post.
I will remain here 'til 30th of June. 1 am not telling you to come. Guru is all-pervading. Guru is abiding in every body part of the disciple. Gu means the soul or the invisible body. Ru means the gross visible body. The invisible body, that is soul, is pervading the whole gross visible body.
I am better than before. But I want seclusion. I want silence and solitude. Your faith and devotion is great, you only regulate and manage the organization in that place nicely. Party politics should not enter organization. Remembering and perceiving the Guru all will do their duties with a sense of self-surrender. If anybody has no loyalty for Guru then he cannot improve and cannot be realized. It is mentioned in the scriptures yastu seveta panditam. There is panda brahama gyan in the Guru. The disciple should not keep any complex or self-interest and will work according to the rules of the organization, selflessly maintaining loyalty to the Guru. Then his work will be transformed into worship. I have many disciples there and every one of them has some special quality. If they can do the work for the organization and the Guru selflessly and dedicate their special quality to the Guru's mission, then they can realize the soul day and night. It is the soul, through our inhalation and exhalation, doing all the work. This can be realized effectively.
United we stand, divided we fall. As all together offer flowers with both hands to the Guru, similarly all the board members, even every Kriyaban, will exert together and spread the message of Kriya Yoga among all the persons, then a current of new spiritual life will flow in the universe. I want to emphasize that I am connected with many organizations. I am sorry to tell that there is no amity among them. For this reason there is no rapid spiritual upliftment.
You will mix with all and talk nicely and maintain harmony. Read this letter loudly, so all can hear and will work accordingly. I have created many organizations. There are many meditation centers. In all places I give this advice.
In my life, I have realized that in spite of spiritual practice most people keep and maintain their selfishness. I am always awake to the fact that such selfishness should not remain in the organization.
After the tenure of my life span in this world, who will continue my spiritual mission, I have made that arrangement. So, disciples in all places should be busy with spiritual practice and should make progress. In all his body parts he will always perceive gu and ru. Atma bed guru rekam. The indwelling soul in the body is gu and the body is ru. Perceiving this soul, guru, every person will destroy their sins and defects.
They should give up arrogance, vanity, selfishness, impurities of the mind and greed, and should cultivate sense-control and self-control, power to practice spirituality, should always rest in soul, and should calmly go on doing their duties for the benefit of the universe. They will get friendship, equality, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, love, humility and service. If they will do their works in this manner, then that work will be brahma karma. In the scriptures it is written karma brahmod bhabam biddhi, which means that every work comes from God and Soul.
Lord Chaitanya won many countries by the power of love. Mahatma Gandhi achieved freedom for India by the power of love. But in every person there are two opposing forces. In Bhagavad-Gita 15th. chapter, it is written that in every person there is one down-pulling force and there is one uplifting force. But most people influenced by nature follow the down-pulling force. If they will practice the authentic, original Kriya Yoga sincerely this down-pulling force will disappear. From ignorance one will get knowledge. From untruth one will get truth. In multiplicity, one will perceive unity of the soul. All impurities and sins and all negative powers which obstruct spiritual progress will go away. By this, one can always perceive the living God within and his human life will be blessed.
Sarira khyana bidhwansi kalpanta sthaino gunah. The human body may get destroyed at any time, but if the person will remain in his soul he can realize the living God within himself and the whole world will worship him.
If God is present in living form in every person and keeping him alive by taking inhalation and exhalation, then why should not we perceive Him day and night? Who does everything and gets things done and will not become ever-realized?
This letter of Hariharananda must not be destroyed. Get it xeroxed. Preserve it. Every week before meditation read this letter loudly. One person will read and all will listen. Please send the copies of this letter to Rourkela, Sambalpur, Puri, Calcutta and all other meditation centers.
You please all enjoy my love, best wishes and enjoy blessing of God and Gurus.
Humble Hariharananda
Fighting with Bhishma
A Metaphorical Interpretation of the Mahabharata 's Famous Episode
By Paramahamsa Hariharananda
You are forgetting Him at the top. Don't forget. If you remember Him and touch Him at the fontanel with every breath, this is your liberation. You all are Arjuna, so remain with Krishna at the top in die chariot-cranium, and follow His directions.
You know Bhishma? He never liked Krishna. Bhisma means "firm determination." He was a relative of the Pandavas—their grand-uncle. He was the most formidable warrior of the whole Kuru party. On the day of the fight between Bhishma and Arjuna (Krishna was driving Arjuna's chariot), Bhishma's chariot got stuck in the mud in the middle of the battlefield, so he climbed down to try to lift out the wheel. Then Krishna told Arjuna: "This is the time, go and throw your arrows at him. Pierce him with arrow after arrow in his whole body." So Arjuna threw arrow after arrow, non-stop,and Bhishma fell down on the ground laying on a bed of arrows. Krishna came down from the chariot and walked towards Bhishma with extreme sadness at seeing Bhishma killed. Arjuna was following behind, crying, because Bhishma was his relative. Krishna looked back and told Arjuna "You see, his head is still touching the ground. If you do not throw more arrows to lift his head off the ground, he will never die." So Arjuna threw more arrows to form a cradle under Bhishma's head, and then Bhishma's body was completely above the ground.
He laid there for a short period. Then his mother came. Bhishma had still full consciousness. She said: "Don't you recognize me? You are my eighth issue. I took your seven brothers' with me, but your father King Shantanu did not allow me to bring you. So at present I have come to take you." His mother was Ganga—the Ganges river. There are diree sacred rivers in India—Ganga, Saraswati and Jamuna. Correspondingly, there are three main nadis or astral canals in the human body—the sushumna (Saraswati), ida (Ganga) and pingala (Yamuna). This correspondence is beautifully illustrated in the Jnana Sankalini Tantra verses 11 and 12:
Ida is the divine Ganga river Pingala is the Yamuna In between Ida and Pingala Sushumna is the river Saraswati
The meeting place of these three rivers Is called the holiest place. If one takes a dip there he is free from all sins.
So Ganga took her son on her lap (there was no arrows in the front of his body), and Bhishma became merged with the Ganga.
In each human being there are two bodies—Ham and Sa. Ham is full of delusion, illusion, maya and vanity. Everyone thinks "I am very intelligent." Everyone is saying "There is no God." These are the qualities of Bhishma. The death of Bhishma is the death of the human ego. From top to bottom, the human body is full of delusion, illusion and maya. If you do not throw arrow after arrow whenever you get delusion, your maya and vanity (i.e. Bhishma) will never disappear. Everyone in this world is Bhishma, full of vanity.
Many are teaching many things in the material world for God-Realization. Their body is full of maya and delusion. They speak high of Him. They say "Jesus is coming to me, Ramakrishna is coming to me." It is all propaganda, falsehood, only for name and fame. They have extreme evil in their body—money, sex, food, vanity, ego and yet are claiming "Lahiri Baba is coming to me, Paramahamsa Hariharananda is speaking through me." This is their falsehood. They should practice Kriya Yoga in a lonely place and kill all their negatives, because they are jumping from the frying pan into the fire. They tell many lies to many people, and these people are allured by this big talk. But for God-Realization there is no talk, no sound, no touch sensation, no vanity, no ego, no food, no money.
Your breath is just like an arrow. In every breath if you can touch your Soul, then you are alive. If the breath is not going and touching the seventh story in the fontanel—the Supreme Almighty Father, the real Sun, the real Gayatri, the life of every human being—you are dead. In the Gayatri invocation bhur is in the money centre, bhuvah in the sex centre, svah in the food centre, maha in the heart centre, jana in the throat center, tapa in the pituitary and satya in the fontanel.
You have seven suns in seven centers, and all are activated by the breath. If that type of rogue full of ego practices Kriya Yoga in seclusion in the corner of his own room, and touches the Almighty Father with every breath, his whole body will be free from delusion. There is delusion in Bhishma's whole body; it is why Arjuna is throwing arrow after arrow at him.
If by the practice of Kriya Yoga, without talk, without thought, you can remain in the fontanel and touch Him with a short breath, all your delusions and Bhishma-like ego will disappear. You will feel extreme calmness which is Godliness. You will only perceive the milk-white light and white-horse light and hear the divine sound and God-movement sensation at the top and in the fontanel. It is written in the Bhagavad Gita 1:14. You will see white light all around (the four white horses). The chariot is not on the ground but in the fontanel, where the Almighty Father abides. You are Arjuna, and you too are there. You will feel the God-movement pulsation and get extreme calmness which gives divine sound, Om sound, conch-blowing sound. This is the death of Bhishma. Every egotistical human being is Bhishma.
So you are to throw arrows of breath at your negative qualities.
Anytime a negative comes, throw one short feeble breath to the fon-
tanel, one short breath after another. That you will be victorious over
your negatives, over Bhishma. Your whole body is filled with the army
of the Kauravas—all negatives. So you are to remain near Krishna in
the chariot in the cranium and fight, fight, fight. Don't come down,
always remain on top, on truth, in the fontanel.
1 Ganga's eight sons were the eight Vasus (Celestial Beings, Illuminations): Apa, Dhruva, Soma, Anala, Anila, Dhara, Pratyusa. The latter was also known as Devavrata ("Divine Vow") or Satyavrata ("Vow of Truth"), and later became known as Bhishma
By Paramahamsa Hariharananda
You are forgetting Him at the top. Don't forget. If you remember Him and touch Him at the fontanel with every breath, this is your liberation. You all are Arjuna, so remain with Krishna at the top in die chariot-cranium, and follow His directions.
You know Bhishma? He never liked Krishna. Bhisma means "firm determination." He was a relative of the Pandavas—their grand-uncle. He was the most formidable warrior of the whole Kuru party. On the day of the fight between Bhishma and Arjuna (Krishna was driving Arjuna's chariot), Bhishma's chariot got stuck in the mud in the middle of the battlefield, so he climbed down to try to lift out the wheel. Then Krishna told Arjuna: "This is the time, go and throw your arrows at him. Pierce him with arrow after arrow in his whole body." So Arjuna threw arrow after arrow, non-stop,and Bhishma fell down on the ground laying on a bed of arrows. Krishna came down from the chariot and walked towards Bhishma with extreme sadness at seeing Bhishma killed. Arjuna was following behind, crying, because Bhishma was his relative. Krishna looked back and told Arjuna "You see, his head is still touching the ground. If you do not throw more arrows to lift his head off the ground, he will never die." So Arjuna threw more arrows to form a cradle under Bhishma's head, and then Bhishma's body was completely above the ground.
He laid there for a short period. Then his mother came. Bhishma had still full consciousness. She said: "Don't you recognize me? You are my eighth issue. I took your seven brothers' with me, but your father King Shantanu did not allow me to bring you. So at present I have come to take you." His mother was Ganga—the Ganges river. There are diree sacred rivers in India—Ganga, Saraswati and Jamuna. Correspondingly, there are three main nadis or astral canals in the human body—the sushumna (Saraswati), ida (Ganga) and pingala (Yamuna). This correspondence is beautifully illustrated in the Jnana Sankalini Tantra verses 11 and 12:
Ida bhagavati ganga pingala yamuna nadi ida pingalayormadhye sushumna ca saraswati
Ida is the divine Ganga river Pingala is the Yamuna In between Ida and Pingala Sushumna is the river Saraswati
Trivent sangamo yatra Tlrtha rajah sa ucyate Tatra sndna prakurvita Sarva papaih pramucyate
The meeting place of these three rivers Is called the holiest place. If one takes a dip there he is free from all sins.
So Ganga took her son on her lap (there was no arrows in the front of his body), and Bhishma became merged with the Ganga.
In each human being there are two bodies—Ham and Sa. Ham is full of delusion, illusion, maya and vanity. Everyone thinks "I am very intelligent." Everyone is saying "There is no God." These are the qualities of Bhishma. The death of Bhishma is the death of the human ego. From top to bottom, the human body is full of delusion, illusion and maya. If you do not throw arrow after arrow whenever you get delusion, your maya and vanity (i.e. Bhishma) will never disappear. Everyone in this world is Bhishma, full of vanity.
Many are teaching many things in the material world for God-Realization. Their body is full of maya and delusion. They speak high of Him. They say "Jesus is coming to me, Ramakrishna is coming to me." It is all propaganda, falsehood, only for name and fame. They have extreme evil in their body—money, sex, food, vanity, ego and yet are claiming "Lahiri Baba is coming to me, Paramahamsa Hariharananda is speaking through me." This is their falsehood. They should practice Kriya Yoga in a lonely place and kill all their negatives, because they are jumping from the frying pan into the fire. They tell many lies to many people, and these people are allured by this big talk. But for God-Realization there is no talk, no sound, no touch sensation, no vanity, no ego, no food, no money.
Your breath is just like an arrow. In every breath if you can touch your Soul, then you are alive. If the breath is not going and touching the seventh story in the fontanel—the Supreme Almighty Father, the real Sun, the real Gayatri, the life of every human being—you are dead. In the Gayatri invocation bhur is in the money centre, bhuvah in the sex centre, svah in the food centre, maha in the heart centre, jana in the throat center, tapa in the pituitary and satya in the fontanel.
You have seven suns in seven centers, and all are activated by the breath. If that type of rogue full of ego practices Kriya Yoga in seclusion in the corner of his own room, and touches the Almighty Father with every breath, his whole body will be free from delusion. There is delusion in Bhishma's whole body; it is why Arjuna is throwing arrow after arrow at him.
If by the practice of Kriya Yoga, without talk, without thought, you can remain in the fontanel and touch Him with a short breath, all your delusions and Bhishma-like ego will disappear. You will feel extreme calmness which is Godliness. You will only perceive the milk-white light and white-horse light and hear the divine sound and God-movement sensation at the top and in the fontanel. It is written in the Bhagavad Gita 1:14. You will see white light all around (the four white horses). The chariot is not on the ground but in the fontanel, where the Almighty Father abides. You are Arjuna, and you too are there. You will feel the God-movement pulsation and get extreme calmness which gives divine sound, Om sound, conch-blowing sound. This is the death of Bhishma. Every egotistical human being is Bhishma.
So you are to throw arrows of breath at your negative qualities.
Anytime a negative comes, throw one short feeble breath to the fon-
tanel, one short breath after another. That you will be victorious over
your negatives, over Bhishma. Your whole body is filled with the army
of the Kauravas—all negatives. So you are to remain near Krishna in
the chariot in the cranium and fight, fight, fight. Don't come down,
always remain on top, on truth, in the fontanel.
1 Ganga's eight sons were the eight Vasus (Celestial Beings, Illuminations): Apa, Dhruva, Soma, Anala, Anila, Dhara, Pratyusa. The latter was also known as Devavrata ("Divine Vow") or Satyavrata ("Vow of Truth"), and later became known as Bhishma
Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 15 Verse 2
Interpretation by Parmahamsa Hariharananda
An excerpt [from] the Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kriya Yoga: a Rare Metaphorical Explanation - Book 3 by Parmahamsa Hariharananda.
Translation
Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the qualities (of nature), with objects of the senses as the sprout/shoots and below, its roots stretch forth in all directions, binding the soul according to the actions performed in the human body.
Metaphorical Interpretation
A tree has branches extending down and branches stretching upward. Man has many dispositions, thoughts and activities reaching down due to rajasic and tamasic qualities. Activities overpowered by money, sex, food, self-arrogance and ego are the qualities associated with the lower four centers in the spine. In addition, people with tamasic qualities do not work and are always slothful by nature; poor and idle, they are not after God.
Some branches extend up. These branches represent the divine qualities which help and enable the person to search the Almighty Lord by practicing Kriya Yoga. Such a person's destiny will then be good. By the virtue of good company, i.e. the guidance of the realized Master, spiritual people search the Almighty Father with a short breath in the fontanel.
What are the roots? Some roots are very deep: inside the brain, there are numerous specialized nerves called neurons which spread like roots in the Soul. These nerves spread from the pituitary to the fontanel. There are also many shallow roots, bringing one down into worldliness.
In the human body, there are twelve pairs of cranial nerves; eleven pairs are inside the head and one pair (the vagus nerves) reaches down the chest and trunk, constantly giving delusion, illusion and error. This is maya. Because of maya, people cannot raise above worldly concerns.
The general tendency of all human beings is to make money, enjoy sexually, eat delicious rich foods, drink wine... in other words to remain in the lower four centers from the coccyx to the dorsal (heart) center. The cervical (fifth) center is the vacuum center. People with love for religion and philosophy remain there.
People who are really spiritual, search Him (the Almighty Father) through the breath, the formless air. The imperishable power of God abides in the fontanel. The body undergoes constant change, but the indwelling Soul does not. Beyond that stage is complete vacuum. This is the formless stage, the state before creation. Through deep meditation, every one must come to this formless stage to get complete realization. Those who are really seeking the indwelling Self come to the company of the realized Master and learn directly through personal contact.
These three types of work come from the three gunas, the qualities of nature. The gunas are elaborately discussed in the two previous chapters (13 and 14). The body-nature is kshetra—the land to be cultivated and maintained to reap the desired harvest. But the general tendency of man is to go downward. For this reason the Lord says: adhas ca mulany anusamtatani
Good company makes one good and bad company, bad. A man inherits the nature of his company. Spiritual people should always seek good company.
This chapter is entitled "Purushottam Yoga", which means the Yoga of the Supreme Self, the contact with the Supreme Almighty Father. How to go to the Supreme Almighty Father? This verse and the previous one clearly explained it.
Each human body is a tree, its root being inside the brain and spreading up to the fontanel. If one can go there, then he will get the formless stage, which brings unity with the Almighty Father. Please see the explanation of the Gita 11:34, where it is clearly explained:
How to get liberation, i.e. the taste of immortality? How to get real peace, bliss and joy?
Those who are searching the imperishable Soul will surely get the formless Almighty Father. There is an invisible formless counterpart for each body part, which will be explained in the following verses.
The Almighty Father is everywhere. His formless presence fills the whole universe. This formless quality pervades the entire human system, from the toes to the top.
A deep desire to know one's Self and sincere meditation are essential for the disciple to receive the teaching and direct touch of the Divine Master, who will help and lead him to perceive the formless God. But one must follow the Master faithfully and practice the technique with love. The technique is essential. Every work is based on a specific technique, and Kriya Yoga is the essence of all techniques.
As the formless God is hiding in the whole body, one must search Him in every body part—in the fingers, nails, everywhere. These are the parts of the body-tree. Those who practice Kriya Yoga can feel in two minutes' time the presence of the formless God in every body part.
In the Vedic Karma Kanda (a.k.a Puja Viddhf), this process is also known as anganyasa and karanyasa, which means to perceive God in the five body parts. Next is matrikanyasa, which means to get calmness and God-perception in the whole body.
Then there is pranayama. But those who busy themselves with formal worship only chant mantras. Only by practicing the Kriya Yoga technique can one feel the God-movement sensation in the 100 body parts immediately or within a short period of time. One can feel and realize the formless God in the whole body.
One will perceive the ceaseless vibration of God, the divine sensation, as long as one's breathing continues. God is not only in the body, He is everywhere. He was before creation. He is in creation. He will be after creation. He can also remain without creation. One cannot see God, touch or drench God, because He is everywhere and formless. But one can realize Him only through practice.
This human body is extremely temporary and may not exist in the next moment. That is why it is called an ashvattha tree. The root of the tree is the Almighty Father, whose presence is more readily perceived inside the brain, in the fontanel. One can feel Him by fixing his attention in the fontanel and searching Him with a short breath. One can hear the "Om" sound constantly and in a variety of ways.
An excerpt [from] the Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kriya Yoga: a Rare Metaphorical Explanation - Book 3 by Parmahamsa Hariharananda.
adhaS co 'rdhvam prasrtas tasya Sakha
gunapravrddha visayapravalah adha& ca mulany anusamtatani
karmanubandhlni manusyaloke
gunapravrddha visayapravalah adha& ca mulany anusamtatani
karmanubandhlni manusyaloke
Translation
Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the qualities (of nature), with objects of the senses as the sprout/shoots and below, its roots stretch forth in all directions, binding the soul according to the actions performed in the human body.
Metaphorical Interpretation
A tree has branches extending down and branches stretching upward. Man has many dispositions, thoughts and activities reaching down due to rajasic and tamasic qualities. Activities overpowered by money, sex, food, self-arrogance and ego are the qualities associated with the lower four centers in the spine. In addition, people with tamasic qualities do not work and are always slothful by nature; poor and idle, they are not after God.
Some branches extend up. These branches represent the divine qualities which help and enable the person to search the Almighty Lord by practicing Kriya Yoga. Such a person's destiny will then be good. By the virtue of good company, i.e. the guidance of the realized Master, spiritual people search the Almighty Father with a short breath in the fontanel.
What are the roots? Some roots are very deep: inside the brain, there are numerous specialized nerves called neurons which spread like roots in the Soul. These nerves spread from the pituitary to the fontanel. There are also many shallow roots, bringing one down into worldliness.
In the human body, there are twelve pairs of cranial nerves; eleven pairs are inside the head and one pair (the vagus nerves) reaches down the chest and trunk, constantly giving delusion, illusion and error. This is maya. Because of maya, people cannot raise above worldly concerns.
The general tendency of all human beings is to make money, enjoy sexually, eat delicious rich foods, drink wine... in other words to remain in the lower four centers from the coccyx to the dorsal (heart) center. The cervical (fifth) center is the vacuum center. People with love for religion and philosophy remain there.
People who are really spiritual, search Him (the Almighty Father) through the breath, the formless air. The imperishable power of God abides in the fontanel. The body undergoes constant change, but the indwelling Soul does not. Beyond that stage is complete vacuum. This is the formless stage, the state before creation. Through deep meditation, every one must come to this formless stage to get complete realization. Those who are really seeking the indwelling Self come to the company of the realized Master and learn directly through personal contact.
These three types of work come from the three gunas, the qualities of nature. The gunas are elaborately discussed in the two previous chapters (13 and 14). The body-nature is kshetra—the land to be cultivated and maintained to reap the desired harvest. But the general tendency of man is to go downward. For this reason the Lord says: adhas ca mulany anusamtatani
Good company makes one good and bad company, bad. A man inherits the nature of his company. Spiritual people should always seek good company.
This chapter is entitled "Purushottam Yoga", which means the Yoga of the Supreme Self, the contact with the Supreme Almighty Father. How to go to the Supreme Almighty Father? This verse and the previous one clearly explained it.
Each human body is a tree, its root being inside the brain and spreading up to the fontanel. If one can go there, then he will get the formless stage, which brings unity with the Almighty Father. Please see the explanation of the Gita 11:34, where it is clearly explained:
How to get liberation, i.e. the taste of immortality? How to get real peace, bliss and joy?
Those who are searching the imperishable Soul will surely get the formless Almighty Father. There is an invisible formless counterpart for each body part, which will be explained in the following verses.
The Almighty Father is everywhere. His formless presence fills the whole universe. This formless quality pervades the entire human system, from the toes to the top.
A deep desire to know one's Self and sincere meditation are essential for the disciple to receive the teaching and direct touch of the Divine Master, who will help and lead him to perceive the formless God. But one must follow the Master faithfully and practice the technique with love. The technique is essential. Every work is based on a specific technique, and Kriya Yoga is the essence of all techniques.
As the formless God is hiding in the whole body, one must search Him in every body part—in the fingers, nails, everywhere. These are the parts of the body-tree. Those who practice Kriya Yoga can feel in two minutes' time the presence of the formless God in every body part.
In the Vedic Karma Kanda (a.k.a Puja Viddhf), this process is also known as anganyasa and karanyasa, which means to perceive God in the five body parts. Next is matrikanyasa, which means to get calmness and God-perception in the whole body.
Then there is pranayama. But those who busy themselves with formal worship only chant mantras. Only by practicing the Kriya Yoga technique can one feel the God-movement sensation in the 100 body parts immediately or within a short period of time. One can feel and realize the formless God in the whole body.
One will perceive the ceaseless vibration of God, the divine sensation, as long as one's breathing continues. God is not only in the body, He is everywhere. He was before creation. He is in creation. He will be after creation. He can also remain without creation. One cannot see God, touch or drench God, because He is everywhere and formless. But one can realize Him only through practice.
This human body is extremely temporary and may not exist in the next moment. That is why it is called an ashvattha tree. The root of the tree is the Almighty Father, whose presence is more readily perceived inside the brain, in the fontanel. One can feel Him by fixing his attention in the fontanel and searching Him with a short breath. One can hear the "Om" sound constantly and in a variety of ways.
Good Friday and Easter in the Light of Kriya Yoga - 1997
An Easter Message from Paramahamsa Hariharananda
Jesus was the son of God, born in a humble stable. Three wise men came from a great distance to see him, and the baby Jesus lifted his hand and blessed them.
Jesus grew up among the greatest trouble. He had some divine power in him from his infancy. At the age of 12, he left home for the forest to meditate in seclusion. At the age of 30, Jesus came back with full God-power. He healed thousands of diseased persons. He cured many breast cancers among women. One person had been blind from birth—for 41 years. Jesus went to him and spat on the ground. He then took the soft clay from the spot where he spat and placed it over the man's eyes, and told him "Wash your eyes with water, and you will see everything."
In this way, Jesus cured many patients. Many people, especially the elders, the chief priests and the scribes became jealous and decided that they had to kill him, lest their prestige be diminished. They gave money to a man (Judas) who was to remain with Jesus in the room so that Judas may point him out to the soldiers when they came.
They sent the soldiers at night. Jesus was lying down with more than 50 people around him. It was known to Jesus that on that night the soldiers would come and snatch him, and he had already announced that "My enemy is remaining in this room, he will identify me when the soldiers come." But all the people were ready to protect Jesus.
Later, in the dead of night, one soldier bearing arms came and entered the sparsely-lit room. Then Judas stood and pointed out "This is Jesus." The soldier came and tried to snatch Jesus from the room. Peter, a very big, powerful man, was sleeping near his Master, and clasping him. As the soldier tried to grab Jesus, Peter stood up and gave one blow with his sword, cutting off one of the soldier's ears.
All the people could have easily saved Jesus, but Jesus rebuked Peter, saying "Keep your sword inside the sheath. Do not try to keep me here. I want to go with the soldiers. Until they kill me, they will not come to know that I am the king of Kings, that I am the son of God."
They took Jesus. Outside were many people, and they whipped Jesus' whole body with rose thorns. Although his whole body was pricked, he did not shout because Jesus was the son of God. Jesus was then kept in a room, protected by many soldiers.
He was later taken to court, where the judge was expected to sentence him to death. But the judge declared Jesus to be spotless and a divine man, and that he should not be killed. The enemies did not listen and they took Jesus forcibly. They put him in a room and spat on his body, insulting him like anything. But Jesus did not utter any complaint. They forcibly disrobed Jesus and gave him only a short red loin cloth and forced him to lie down on the ground. Many sat on his head, jumping and shouting "King of Kings, king of Kings! Son of God!"
They made a very heavy wooden cross and told Jesus to carry it to the burial ground. Jesus tried but it was so heavy that he failed to carry it all the way. Someone helped Jesus by taking the cross for him, which angered the hostile crowd. Then Jesus was laid over the cross, and they crucified him. On the other side, they made another cross where they crucified the man who had helped Jesus. That man was shouting loudly, but Jesus was not uttering a single word. But when they pricked a nail in his heart, Jesus exclaimed "O Lord God, you have forgotten me!" That was his last word, and the crucifixion was accomplished. This is Good Friday.
Why "Good Friday?" Because Jesus said "Unless they try to kill me, and unless I die, people cannot come to know who I am. I am the deathless child, and within three days the whole world will come to know that I am the immortal soul. I cannot die, because I am the son of God. God cannot die. I am the power of God, the marvelous power of God is activating through me. I am not an ordinary person. All the time I am feeling that the power of God is always with me, and that / cannot do anything. Only God is teaching 'Do no evil, no wrong, no debauchery, no immorality — only love, as you love your own body.'"
During the crucifixion, when Jesus was pricked in the heart with a nail, he transformed his life into the fontanel. Because the heart is not the power of life; the power of life remains in the top. God is inhaling from above, that is why human beings are alive. From that place the heart is activating. But Jesus was the immortal Soul. He transformed his mind from heart to fontanel. They pricked his heart but Jesus was not in the heart. His life was in the fontanel at the top of his head. It is a type of samadhi, a super-stage of samadhi. Then after three days in the cave, Jesus came back from his fontanel into his heart and his whole body. It is why Jesus rose from the cave on the third day. This is Easter.
Before his crucifixion, Jesus had gathered his twelve disciples and taught them everything, explaining that "Unless the enemy kill me, even you cannot come to know that I am the power of God. I advised you all to leave your money and your everything, then you can go to God."
Indian spirituality teaches the same thing. Those who are monks were highly qualified, had extreme talent, and they left everything— money, sex, rich food, anger, pride, religion—only spirituality. Jesus said "You are born of the flesh, so you are after the flesh" (John 3:6) and "Again you are to be born from above through water and Spirit." (John 3:5 and 3:7) "Spirit" means the power of God, the Formless stage, smoky white light, which is all-pervading and remaining in every human being. Spirit cannot be seen, it has no form, but there is an invisible counterpart in our whole body parts. "Water" means love for God. You will see that the whole world is Formless, even the body, and you will be so overpowered with joy.
These two words—water and Spirit —are very important. It means that we all are born from sex joy, but Indian people who take sannyas are also born from above—it is called dvija, "twice-born": once from the mother, another time from the pituitary and fontanel. That is our real birth. Exhalation is our death, inhalation is our birth. So from our birthday there are many births and rebirths, exhalations and inhalations. Through that our cells, atoms, tissues, diaphragm are changing and we go through the ten stages of development.
There are many types of religions, cults, sects, traditions, monastic orders. They all teach by the five sense organs. But Jesus said that you are to be born from above through water and Spirit. In India, it is called sannyas. They put on the colored cloth, they are free from money, free from sex, free from butter and fatty foods (but you are to take soft cheese, fat-free protein—that is spiritual food) as is written in the Bhagavad Gita 17:8.
With a short breath you are to know Him, through water and Spirit. You are to be born from above. Below is the realm of long breaths. Sex enjoyment is activated by a long breath. Anger in the heart—long breath; money—long breath; sleep—long breath. But if you remain above in the pituitary and fontanel, then the breath is very slow, it even ceases altogether.
Jesus was the example to all nations, and example is better than precept. The enemy took Jesus and whipped him with thorn sticks—he did not shout. Jesus was crucified—he did not shout, because Jesus is remaining in the short breath. He is Spirit—the Formless stage. He is free from everything. Jesus touched the breasts of females afflicted with cancer. Jesus never enjoyed sexually, he remained completely free. He was always showing what is the good example.
When Jesus was crucified, the whole day became dark. Rain fell inside the temple—this is the water of God, the love of God shedding blessings on Jesus. There was also an earthquake at that time. Many felt griping pain in the stomach. The dead rose from the graves and stood in front of Jesus, giving love to him. They walked passed him, and there was terror among the enemies. They felt the reality of Jesus, that undoubtedly he was the king of Kings, the son of God. They felt that they had done wrong, but they did it out self-arrogance and a false sense of prestige, because they did not have any power like Jesus. They resented the fact that Jesus' prestige would increase like anything. Although they crucified him, they all felt some calmness in them and sorrow. This is Good Friday, which teaches tolerance to all human beings.
We are all getting so many troubles, and we become perturbed, heart-broken. Jesus was on the cross, he was the example for the whole world. Today several hundred thousands of Hindus are followers of Jesus—it is amazing. Jesus was the incarnation of love. Many look at the cross and get a calm atmosphere at Easter. So every human being should get this calm atmosphere in his life.
The body of Jesus was kept in a cave by his enemies, and the entrance was then closed with stones so that his followers may not come inside. The followers of Jesus removed the stones, entered inside the cave and rubbed oil on the body of Jesus for three days. They had extreme fear because if the enemies came to know, they also would be killed. But they also experienced the living beautiful face of Jesus full of joy, as if he was alive, then they all went back.
On the third day Jesus came out. When Mother Mary Magdalene came and entered the cave, she found that the body of Jesus was gone. As she came out, she saw a man standing still with his face covered. She went to him and asked "Do you know that the body of Jesus is no longer in this cave? Where is it now? I have come to give love to him." Then Jesus removed the cloth that was covering his mouth and said " I am standing here." Mary Magdalene exclaimed "I am so happy to see you here!" She bent down and placed her head on his knees.
Jesus said "Please don't wait, go and inform my disciples to come and fetch me quickly." Mary Magdalene was so happy, she was shouting with joy. Undoubtedly this had been the Good Friday— Jesus was killed but he did not die. She ran and told the disciples. They all quickly came with Mary Magdalene and they took Jesus back with them. Jesus kept his face covered all along the way, because if the enemy saw him, they would torture him again.
His ten followers came to Jesus. They were all happy to see him, but Thomas did not come. Many went to Thomas and told him that Jesus was alive, that he did not die. Still he did not believe it. He said "I saw Jesus on the cross and that he died. He cannot be alive, I don't believe it." The next day Jesus went to Thomas, who was astonished to see Jesus in front of him. Jesus said to him "Why don't you believe? If you do not believe, you cannot get God! Come to me. Place your finger inside my flank. See that hole? There is no blood. I am the son of God. If I am alive again, the whole people of the universe and even my enemies will know who I am."
Jesus was the deathless child of God. His message is as follows: "Everyday you are to be born from above through water and Spirit with a short breath. Everyday day is your death-exhalation. The next moment is your birth-inhalation. This birth and death is constantly going on. Through that you are getting new stages of your life. You are the same human being from your birthday, but you are getting a variety of dispositions. In your every disposition you are to watch me, that I am inhaling through your nose. I am the son of God, I am the power of God. In every breath you watch. You and I are one and always have been one. If you love me, if you seek me in your every breath, you will see your Father sitting in the fontanel. I and my Father are one. So breath and the life of God which is remaining within you are one. In every short breath you love Him. In every breath you watch Him, search Him, be one with Him. Feel that I am your life. I am Jesus, I am the deathless child, I am the example. In every breath if you love me, you will be free like me, all of your lower centers will be free. I am in your pituitary. The more you will give love to Me, the more you will be free. When I was still in my mother's womb, I was already in trouble. Mother did not find any place to give birth to her child. I am not the Bethlehem babe, but the manger's child, and I grew up among the greatest difficulties. King Herod wanted to kill me, but God sent an angel who said to leave the place immediately. So mother took me on her own lap and sat on the mule and went far away.
Throughout my life I got trouble, but it is not trouble. Trouble is not for trouble, it is for God-realization—it is written in every Scripture. So if you remain in the pituitary and search me in every breath, you can remain in the material world and be free. Search me in every breath— I am within you—touch me in every breath and always remain above in the pituitary and fontanel. Always feel that smoky white light everywhere—you are nothing, you are formless, and at every moment you will get love, you will be free from negatives. I did not die—I am the example. Your life will be an example in the whole world. In every breath you will see me and my Father. Father and I are one and always have been one."
This is Easter, Good Friday—no sorrow. You will be crucified many times with many sorrows, but if you tolerate and patiently avoid negatives, if you remain on the top and be reborn from above through water and Spirit - that is your liberation. In everything you are seeing Spirit, the Formless. Love Jesus, love God, love your own body, love your own self at every moment. You are God in human form. If you do not search Him you are foolish. Feel His living presence in every human being. The ultimate goal is milk-white light, the formless stage, no sense of the world, no body sense, no sense of attachment, only love—before creation there was nothing. So you are born for this. Be careful of too much distraction. The world is full of temptation. Try to fight with your cosmic conscious stage: this is smoky-white light and love. Waste time with none but Jesus and God. This is Easter, this is Good Friday.
If you practice Kriya Yoga you can realize Jesus—the example of calmness, of tolerance, who was free from everything, who remained silent even as he was whipped by thorn sticks and crucified. Within three minutes' time Kriya Yoga can give you extreme calmness—you will be free from thought, mind, body sense, world sense, ambition, fear, and anger. By the practice of Kriya Yoga you will only feel the living presence of Jesus who is hiding in your pituitary. And if you can love Jesus, you can go to God in the fontanel—the Formless. Your whole life will be free from chaos, ups and downs, shortcomings. You will only feel that you are fighting with negatives, like Jesus did. That Kriya Yoga will give you reality i.e., the formless stage. Jesus and the Father are one. Everyone in the universe should get calmness. Until you get calmness, you cannot get Godliness. In the poisonous cup if you drink delicious nectar it is death to you. By the practice of Kriya Yoga you can clean your cup which is full of a varieties of poisons. It will be completely cleaned by the practice of Kriya Yoga. Then you can get godhood, because inside the cup there is godhood - nectar. You will only drink God, you will be God.
Every day is Easter, every day is Good Friday to you. You are immortal, the deathless child. Then you will know that Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Daniel, Abraham, Khoda, Allah, Rama, all are one. Without breath, there is nothing. It is why Jesus said "Again you are to be born from above through water and Spirit". It means that you are to remain above, in the pituitary and fontanel. In Kriya Yoga we are teaching this. Then you will get Spirit and water. This is taught by Jesus. Spirit means formless, nothingness, the Supreme Almighty Father in the whole universe. This is snow-white light and love—constant love, constant love. If you love God, then you will get constant love in your life.
Jesus was free; he went in seclusion to the forest from age 12 to 30. Moses was in the desert. Rama was in the forest. Buddha was in forest his whole life. But in Kriya Yoga you are not to go to the forest, but to the fontanel, because that is where the life bird is remaining. He gives the sex sense, but He is free from sex. He is free from money, free from anger, pride, etc. If you know Him, then in a moment's time all your evils will disappear. You will get the formless stage, samadhi stage, because you are Spirit. You will be free from pulse while remaining in your body. This is Kriya Yoga. This is the state of Jesus. He was crucified, but he did not die.
This a rare opportunity, so seize it right now. Waste time with none but God, then time will not be wasted. If you only sit for three minutes you will get extreme calmness. Your poisonous body plate will be cleaned and pure, divine. You will only see in your body-vessel your breath, your life, your Almighty Father who is hiding in the fontanel.
"Start early, drive slowly, and reach safely."
This common road sign found in India carries a deep spiritual connotation. One is to start the spiritual life from an early age, to practice slowly and to progress along the spiritual path. That way, one will surely reach the Divine Goal of Self-realization.
Isa Upanisad [15]
By Paramahamsa Hariharananda
In this famous shloka of the Isha Upanishad the rishi is explaining that almost every human being is engrossed in delusion, illusion, and error, whether he is engrossed in sambhuti or osambhuti, whether he is engrossed in vidya or avidya, whether he is highly religious or only on the way to God.
Most People Are in Non-God State.
People are remaining mostly in a non-God stage. The rishi is telling them, hiranmayena patrena satyasyapihitam mukham. This means that the whole world is covered with hiranmaya patra, or a golden plate. Here the rishi wrote about a golden plate, because it is very costly, dazzling, attractive, and desirable, but the real meaning of the golden plate is delusion, illusion, and error. If you search the mind of every human being, you will see his mind is only absorbed with material things or absorbed in his activities or absorbed in family, wife and children. If he holds a high post, his mind is absorbed in pride, vanity, and self-arrogance. If he is an extreme philosopher, his mind is engrossed with educational ego. He thinks he is very intelligent, and his understanding is above all. Whatever he has understood, he thinks himself highly realized, all-knowing, and the best of other monks. Everywhere we find people's minds absorbed in delusion, illusion and error. A good physical culturist's mind is always full of vanity, as if he is the monarch of all. He surveys the beauty of man or woman, compares his health with that of others, and gets extreme vanity. He feels that the world is within his grip. That is also delusion. People Think They Know, But They Know Not.
No one knows the future, when death will come, when he is to leave the world. Each person is seeing death every day, but he does not feel that he may die just now. That is also delusion (golden plate). So the shloka means God-realization and salvation are covered with this golden plate, that is, the delusion, illusion, and error.
Life is very short, difficulties are many, monks are many. There are innumerable spiritual books. There are many gurus in the world, but there are very few disciples in the world who are true seekers. They should learn the shortcut technique. Madhu-lubdhayatha bhramrapuspat puspantaram vrajetjnana-lubdha tatha sisya guru-gurvantara vrajet. The bee is seeking honey from one flower after another. If it does not get honey immediately, it goes to another flower. Again if it does not get honey, it runs after another flower.
Human Beings Are Born For Self-Realization.
Man is born for Self-realization, and his life is very short. He should not make any delay for his Self-realization. He should go to a realized guru and should meditate nicely according to his guidance. He should get super-consciousness and the practical touch-sensation in the whole body. He should hear the talk of God the whole day. He should see light all over the universe, and he should feel balance of mind by which he can change his nature and character, habits, and behavior. If he does not get all of this, then he should run to another flower. That means he should go to another guru. If he fails to earn extreme calmness, which is godliness, then he should not remain on the same flower. He should change his guru to one from whom he can earn extreme calmness. Human heart, mind, and intellect are always fickle and are absorbed in worldly matters. Guru will transform the disciple's mind into divine consciousness where he will only perceive oneness, divineness, salvation, peace, and joy. In every moment we should ask our conscience whether we are advancing towards the divine goal. God made men with his own image, and He breathed into their nostrils His own breath, and they became human beings. So we should remain always conscious about our delusion and ask our conscience whether we are the image of God, whether God is breathing through our nostrils, and whether we are proceeding quickly towards God or not.
Everyday we chant this mantra from the fifteenth shloka of Isha Upanishad and pray, "O God, won't you remove the golden plate - delusion, illusion, and error, ego attachment, vanity, etc., and always open my third eye by which I will constantly feel that you made me with your own image, so my potency is divine potency, and I will be divine only."
The needle of the compass always points towards the north. Similarly, the compass of my mind is always on the "north," that is, to my pituitary and fontanelle, to His presence. Constantly I will feel that I am fortunate. I am a man in God, God in man.
Tat tvam pusann apavrnu satya-dharmaya drstaye. Here, pusann meansposanat itipusan. This refers to the air, the supra-electronic force of every human being, which is constantly creating, maintaining, and destroying us through our inhalation and exhalation. God is constantly inhaling through our nose, so we are alive. We are growing. We are evolving. Who is growing and evolving and giving divine mood? He is called pusan.
The sun is called pusana. Posanat itipusan. The Soul is abiding in the body. The Soul is also called pusana, because in every moment the Soul is inhaling. Through this we are alive and according to our inhalation and exhalation the Soul is giving us different dispositions. God has created passion, anger, avarice, greed, pride, delusion, illusion, suspicion and so many negative things. He has given this only for our evolution. It is why He has created the whole universe. All matter and objects are also the living presence of the Soul. This is given in the first shloka of Isha Upanishad where it is written, tena tyaktena bhunjitha magridhah kasya svid dhanam.
When you are a baby, you have no youthful stage. When you have attained youthful stage, you are attracted to a youthful girl. You want to marry her. That marriage sense is given by the Soul. God has given the desire for a wife, which is the union of Soul and Soul.
So you should feel that it is the desire of God. You should feel that it is the union of Soul with Soul. If you feel this, then it is your own property. You can remain detached and remember that if there is no inhalation in the wife, you will not touch her. The one Soul is merging with another Soul, and through this you are evolving. "
Ma gridhah kasya svid dhanam. " Passion is your own property. It is given by God, so it is the desire of God. You are not stealing your passion. It is automatically given by God to you, and accordingly you are mixing divinely with God. He is evolving you towards God through your desire. So your Soul is pusana. You will act as God has given you desire. The doer is God.
The sun is also called pusan because the sun is maintaining, growing, developing, and evolving all the food-grains and the human life. All life on earth is alive only due to the sun. If the sun is not in the sky, we cannot see anything. We do not get impetus to do any work. We cannot judge what is right and what is wrong. The sun is revealing everything in the universe.
So the rishi is humbly requesting the Sun, "O living Soul, I feel that you are the only living God in the universe. You are maintaining and evolving me and also you are leading me to the real path. I, therefore, wholeheartedly request: O Sun, please do not lead me in the evil path, the wrong path. You evolve me only by the royal road, so I can feel that you have created me only to perceive Thee and realize Thee within my life-span. You are abiding in every human being as Soul. So everyone should seek Thee within his body and even in the whole universe, because there is nothing in the universe without Thee. I bow to Thee."
hiranmayena patrena satyasyapihitam mukham tat tvam pusann apavrnu satya-dharmaya drstaye
In this famous shloka of the Isha Upanishad the rishi is explaining that almost every human being is engrossed in delusion, illusion, and error, whether he is engrossed in sambhuti or osambhuti, whether he is engrossed in vidya or avidya, whether he is highly religious or only on the way to God.
Most People Are in Non-God State.
People are remaining mostly in a non-God stage. The rishi is telling them, hiranmayena patrena satyasyapihitam mukham. This means that the whole world is covered with hiranmaya patra, or a golden plate. Here the rishi wrote about a golden plate, because it is very costly, dazzling, attractive, and desirable, but the real meaning of the golden plate is delusion, illusion, and error. If you search the mind of every human being, you will see his mind is only absorbed with material things or absorbed in his activities or absorbed in family, wife and children. If he holds a high post, his mind is absorbed in pride, vanity, and self-arrogance. If he is an extreme philosopher, his mind is engrossed with educational ego. He thinks he is very intelligent, and his understanding is above all. Whatever he has understood, he thinks himself highly realized, all-knowing, and the best of other monks. Everywhere we find people's minds absorbed in delusion, illusion and error. A good physical culturist's mind is always full of vanity, as if he is the monarch of all. He surveys the beauty of man or woman, compares his health with that of others, and gets extreme vanity. He feels that the world is within his grip. That is also delusion. People Think They Know, But They Know Not.
No one knows the future, when death will come, when he is to leave the world. Each person is seeing death every day, but he does not feel that he may die just now. That is also delusion (golden plate). So the shloka means God-realization and salvation are covered with this golden plate, that is, the delusion, illusion, and error.
Life is very short, difficulties are many, monks are many. There are innumerable spiritual books. There are many gurus in the world, but there are very few disciples in the world who are true seekers. They should learn the shortcut technique. Madhu-lubdhayatha bhramrapuspat puspantaram vrajetjnana-lubdha tatha sisya guru-gurvantara vrajet. The bee is seeking honey from one flower after another. If it does not get honey immediately, it goes to another flower. Again if it does not get honey, it runs after another flower.
Human Beings Are Born For Self-Realization.
Man is born for Self-realization, and his life is very short. He should not make any delay for his Self-realization. He should go to a realized guru and should meditate nicely according to his guidance. He should get super-consciousness and the practical touch-sensation in the whole body. He should hear the talk of God the whole day. He should see light all over the universe, and he should feel balance of mind by which he can change his nature and character, habits, and behavior. If he does not get all of this, then he should run to another flower. That means he should go to another guru. If he fails to earn extreme calmness, which is godliness, then he should not remain on the same flower. He should change his guru to one from whom he can earn extreme calmness. Human heart, mind, and intellect are always fickle and are absorbed in worldly matters. Guru will transform the disciple's mind into divine consciousness where he will only perceive oneness, divineness, salvation, peace, and joy. In every moment we should ask our conscience whether we are advancing towards the divine goal. God made men with his own image, and He breathed into their nostrils His own breath, and they became human beings. So we should remain always conscious about our delusion and ask our conscience whether we are the image of God, whether God is breathing through our nostrils, and whether we are proceeding quickly towards God or not.
Everyday we chant this mantra from the fifteenth shloka of Isha Upanishad and pray, "O God, won't you remove the golden plate - delusion, illusion, and error, ego attachment, vanity, etc., and always open my third eye by which I will constantly feel that you made me with your own image, so my potency is divine potency, and I will be divine only."
The needle of the compass always points towards the north. Similarly, the compass of my mind is always on the "north," that is, to my pituitary and fontanelle, to His presence. Constantly I will feel that I am fortunate. I am a man in God, God in man.
Tat tvam pusann apavrnu satya-dharmaya drstaye. Here, pusann meansposanat itipusan. This refers to the air, the supra-electronic force of every human being, which is constantly creating, maintaining, and destroying us through our inhalation and exhalation. God is constantly inhaling through our nose, so we are alive. We are growing. We are evolving. Who is growing and evolving and giving divine mood? He is called pusan.
The sun is called pusana. Posanat itipusan. The Soul is abiding in the body. The Soul is also called pusana, because in every moment the Soul is inhaling. Through this we are alive and according to our inhalation and exhalation the Soul is giving us different dispositions. God has created passion, anger, avarice, greed, pride, delusion, illusion, suspicion and so many negative things. He has given this only for our evolution. It is why He has created the whole universe. All matter and objects are also the living presence of the Soul. This is given in the first shloka of Isha Upanishad where it is written, tena tyaktena bhunjitha magridhah kasya svid dhanam.
When you are a baby, you have no youthful stage. When you have attained youthful stage, you are attracted to a youthful girl. You want to marry her. That marriage sense is given by the Soul. God has given the desire for a wife, which is the union of Soul and Soul.
So you should feel that it is the desire of God. You should feel that it is the union of Soul with Soul. If you feel this, then it is your own property. You can remain detached and remember that if there is no inhalation in the wife, you will not touch her. The one Soul is merging with another Soul, and through this you are evolving. "
Ma gridhah kasya svid dhanam. " Passion is your own property. It is given by God, so it is the desire of God. You are not stealing your passion. It is automatically given by God to you, and accordingly you are mixing divinely with God. He is evolving you towards God through your desire. So your Soul is pusana. You will act as God has given you desire. The doer is God.
The sun is also called pusan because the sun is maintaining, growing, developing, and evolving all the food-grains and the human life. All life on earth is alive only due to the sun. If the sun is not in the sky, we cannot see anything. We do not get impetus to do any work. We cannot judge what is right and what is wrong. The sun is revealing everything in the universe.
So the rishi is humbly requesting the Sun, "O living Soul, I feel that you are the only living God in the universe. You are maintaining and evolving me and also you are leading me to the real path. I, therefore, wholeheartedly request: O Sun, please do not lead me in the evil path, the wrong path. You evolve me only by the royal road, so I can feel that you have created me only to perceive Thee and realize Thee within my life-span. You are abiding in every human being as Soul. So everyone should seek Thee within his body and even in the whole universe, because there is nothing in the universe without Thee. I bow to Thee."
Isa Upanashad [vs16]
By Paramahamsa Hariharananda
pusann ekarse yama surya prajapatya vyuha ra$min samuha tejah yat te rupam kalyanatamam tat te paSyami yo 'sav asau purusah so 'ham asmi
Maintaining, Saving, and Growing
"Pushana" comes from "poshanat iti push an". He who is maintaining, saving, and growing is called pushana. The Soul is called pushana and the sun is called pushana—without the sun nothing can be grown, nothing can be evolved, the production of food-grains is not possible. The whole world will become cold and collapse. No one can survive. This is why the rishi is telling the sun and the Soul, "O Lord, you have created this universe in such a way that we are always getting delusion, illusion and error.
(Details about it have been written in the fifteenth shloka.) But here I am requesting, O my Sun, my Soul, to please remove my darkness (delusion) and protect me, lead me, guide me through the royal road, that is my spinal canal, which is the royal road for God-realization, and lead me to the Kingdom of Heaven which is always in me, in my pituitary. You are abiding there. You are unknown, unseen, unmanifested. My humble request: please let me always feel your living presence in my whole body. You have arisen in the sky, so I am seeing everything which is created by You. Please help and lead me nicely by the short-cut path."
"Ekarshe" comes from "eka rishate iti edarshe". It means: "O Lord, divine Sun, the only God of the universe, O my Soul, You are undoubtedly the living Soul, you are undoubtedly the living Soul. You are showing the whole manifestation of creation by which I may be engrossed in the hiranmaya patra, in delusion. Will you kindly give me ekarshe, which means ekagra-gati (single-minded attention on you)? I will not be absorbed in the world. My attention will remain on you because you are the Creator, you are the creation, you are the Savior. Will you kindly lead me with single-minded attention and devotion? Then surely I will get constant salvation and God-realization."
Sense Control
"Yama” comes from "samyama na iti yamah", which refers to sense control. "O Lord, will you not kindly give me sense control? Because in this tempting world you have given many ups and downs, pitfalls and shortcomings. So if you kindly control my five sense-telephones and make me introverted and keep my mind always in you, then by your grace surely I can get sense control and I can perceive that You are the only doer, and You can lead me to the divine goal."
"Surya" comes from "shubhati karmasu iti surya". This means: "O Lord, O Sun (Soul), you are giving many activities in every human being. You are giving visual work in the mind, but you are the Sun, you are the light. Will you kindly show me your light on the good path, not the evil path, by which I can perceive that You are the only actor in
me?”
Seven Lokas
In the spine there are seven lokas: bhu loka in the coccygeal center, bhuvar loka in the sex or life center, pranamaya-kosha, wherefrom human beings are born; svar loka in the lumbar, navel, or food center, maha loka in the heart center which is giving delusion, illusion and error; jana loka in the cervical center at the back of the neck; tapo loka in the medulla oblongata or Christ center, which is the divine kingdom, where the Soul is sitting on the golden throne; and, satya loka, which is remaining between the pituitary and the fontanel and which is called the seventh heaven.
"Surya" refers to "lokanprerayat". This means, "O Soul (Sun), will you kindly send me from the lower center, visual center to satya loka, where I can perceive that You and I are one and always have been
one?”
"Prajapatya" conies from prajani shakti yat tat prajapatye". This means: "You are giving birth to the human being." All matter in the universe—that is the general meaning of prajapatya. Any newborn being is called prajapatya. But the real meaning ok prajapatya is this: "My whole body is the uterus and as a Soul you are giving birth to everything in my whole body. I am talking, O Soul, this is your offspring, You are talking through my mouth. I cannot see, You are opening my eyes. I am seeing You. Hearing, touch sensation, smelling, everything is born through You. They are your children. Any work that is accomplished by me, You have given me the sensation to do it. You have given birth to the thoughts in the brain and accordingly you are doing work in my whole system."
This is real prajapatya. "O Soul (Sun), through my every expression you are coming out. You are the issue. You are giving birth to that disposition, and accordingly you are doing that same work." That is the real meaning of prajapatya.
"Vyuha rasmin samuha teja" means: "O Lord, You are giving both virulent vanity and divine propensities to every human being. My Reverend Soul, if you force me in the evil propensities, I am undone. But I am keeping my third eye always on You. Will you kindly give me good propensities, by which I can fulfill my human life? Because I am born only to perceive Thee, who art constantly inhaling through me and changing my inhalation from one disposition to another."
"Yat te rupam kalyanatamam tat te pashyami" means: "O Lord, will You kindly balance my inhalation? Will you kindly remove my mind, thoughts, sorrows and anxieties? Will You give me calmness and super-consciousness, by which I will always remain not in viciousness but in divinity and awareness of the inner Self? So I can perceive Thee, I can conceive Thee and I can realize Thee."
"Yo'sav asaupurushah so ham asmi" means: "The Soul who is abiding in the sky as the Sun; the Soul, who has graciously entered into every human being, who is graciously inhaling through me; it is only You. O my indwelling Father, I always feel your presence in my indwelling Self, I bow to Thee a thousand times.”
pusann ekarse yama surya prajapatya vyuha ra$min samuha tejah yat te rupam kalyanatamam tat te paSyami yo 'sav asau purusah so 'ham asmi
Maintaining, Saving, and Growing
"Pushana" comes from "poshanat iti push an". He who is maintaining, saving, and growing is called pushana. The Soul is called pushana and the sun is called pushana—without the sun nothing can be grown, nothing can be evolved, the production of food-grains is not possible. The whole world will become cold and collapse. No one can survive. This is why the rishi is telling the sun and the Soul, "O Lord, you have created this universe in such a way that we are always getting delusion, illusion and error.
(Details about it have been written in the fifteenth shloka.) But here I am requesting, O my Sun, my Soul, to please remove my darkness (delusion) and protect me, lead me, guide me through the royal road, that is my spinal canal, which is the royal road for God-realization, and lead me to the Kingdom of Heaven which is always in me, in my pituitary. You are abiding there. You are unknown, unseen, unmanifested. My humble request: please let me always feel your living presence in my whole body. You have arisen in the sky, so I am seeing everything which is created by You. Please help and lead me nicely by the short-cut path."
"Ekarshe" comes from "eka rishate iti edarshe". It means: "O Lord, divine Sun, the only God of the universe, O my Soul, You are undoubtedly the living Soul, you are undoubtedly the living Soul. You are showing the whole manifestation of creation by which I may be engrossed in the hiranmaya patra, in delusion. Will you kindly give me ekarshe, which means ekagra-gati (single-minded attention on you)? I will not be absorbed in the world. My attention will remain on you because you are the Creator, you are the creation, you are the Savior. Will you kindly lead me with single-minded attention and devotion? Then surely I will get constant salvation and God-realization."
Sense Control
"Yama” comes from "samyama na iti yamah", which refers to sense control. "O Lord, will you not kindly give me sense control? Because in this tempting world you have given many ups and downs, pitfalls and shortcomings. So if you kindly control my five sense-telephones and make me introverted and keep my mind always in you, then by your grace surely I can get sense control and I can perceive that You are the only doer, and You can lead me to the divine goal."
"Surya" comes from "shubhati karmasu iti surya". This means: "O Lord, O Sun (Soul), you are giving many activities in every human being. You are giving visual work in the mind, but you are the Sun, you are the light. Will you kindly show me your light on the good path, not the evil path, by which I can perceive that You are the only actor in
me?”
Seven Lokas
In the spine there are seven lokas: bhu loka in the coccygeal center, bhuvar loka in the sex or life center, pranamaya-kosha, wherefrom human beings are born; svar loka in the lumbar, navel, or food center, maha loka in the heart center which is giving delusion, illusion and error; jana loka in the cervical center at the back of the neck; tapo loka in the medulla oblongata or Christ center, which is the divine kingdom, where the Soul is sitting on the golden throne; and, satya loka, which is remaining between the pituitary and the fontanel and which is called the seventh heaven.
"Surya" refers to "lokanprerayat". This means, "O Soul (Sun), will you kindly send me from the lower center, visual center to satya loka, where I can perceive that You and I are one and always have been
one?”
"Prajapatya" conies from prajani shakti yat tat prajapatye". This means: "You are giving birth to the human being." All matter in the universe—that is the general meaning of prajapatya. Any newborn being is called prajapatya. But the real meaning ok prajapatya is this: "My whole body is the uterus and as a Soul you are giving birth to everything in my whole body. I am talking, O Soul, this is your offspring, You are talking through my mouth. I cannot see, You are opening my eyes. I am seeing You. Hearing, touch sensation, smelling, everything is born through You. They are your children. Any work that is accomplished by me, You have given me the sensation to do it. You have given birth to the thoughts in the brain and accordingly you are doing work in my whole system."
This is real prajapatya. "O Soul (Sun), through my every expression you are coming out. You are the issue. You are giving birth to that disposition, and accordingly you are doing that same work." That is the real meaning of prajapatya.
"Vyuha rasmin samuha teja" means: "O Lord, You are giving both virulent vanity and divine propensities to every human being. My Reverend Soul, if you force me in the evil propensities, I am undone. But I am keeping my third eye always on You. Will you kindly give me good propensities, by which I can fulfill my human life? Because I am born only to perceive Thee, who art constantly inhaling through me and changing my inhalation from one disposition to another."
"Yat te rupam kalyanatamam tat te pashyami" means: "O Lord, will You kindly balance my inhalation? Will you kindly remove my mind, thoughts, sorrows and anxieties? Will You give me calmness and super-consciousness, by which I will always remain not in viciousness but in divinity and awareness of the inner Self? So I can perceive Thee, I can conceive Thee and I can realize Thee."
"Yo'sav asaupurushah so ham asmi" means: "The Soul who is abiding in the sky as the Sun; the Soul, who has graciously entered into every human being, who is graciously inhaling through me; it is only You. O my indwelling Father, I always feel your presence in my indwelling Self, I bow to Thee a thousand times.”
Jack of All Trades, Master of None
A story narrated by Swami Shriyukteshwar:
The ordinary human mind is crazy. Man wants to know many things and to practice many techniques. But one must ponder the saying:
One thing at a time and that done well is a very good thing as many can tell.
But many people are not satisfied with that. They go to different teachers and practice different techniques. As a result, their mind becomes more confused: which one is better, which one is not? A confused mind is far from the truth. Truth is revealed to a person whose mind is tranquil. Faithfulness to one's own Master and sincerity in the practice of the technique bring quick spiritual progress. To highlight this, the great Master Swami Shriyukteshwar used this parable:
Once upon a time lived a fox and a cat near a forest. Both were very close friends. They occasionally met each other and discussed their life and activities.
One day both were sitting together and were talking about the art of self-preservation. The fox asked the cat "My friend! How many techniques have you mastered to save yourself at the time of danger?"
The cat answered "My brother! I know only one technique—the art of climbing up a tree when I sense some approaching danger."
The fox said in a deprecating manner "Ah! You know only one technique. Really your life is miserable. You do not know any other technique beside climbing up a tree?"
The cat asked "My friend! How many techniques, really, do you know?"
The fox replied "It is a long story. Please wait. I will bring my note book, in which I have written down all the techniques that I learned from different teachers at different times, to save myself in different situations." The fox brought a big thick notebook and opened it with a lot of pride. It said "I can run when the problem comes." Opening another page, "I can hide myself in a bush." he continued, "I can enter into a hole and protect myself." Opening every page, the fox was narrating different techniques with vanity and pride.
While both were talking, a dog came running towards them from a little distance. The cat exclaimed "My brother! Be careful; a dog is coming!" Warned by the cat, our poor fox kept turning the pages of his notebook while thinking what would be the best technique to save his life. The cat called out "Brother! I do not know many techniques. I only know one technique, and that is to climb up the tree. The dog cannot come there."
The cat dashed up the tree. Despite his so-called intelligence, the foolish fox was not able to decide what to do. The dog was getting very near and the fox was in trouble, while the cat was saying "mew! mew!" from the tree top.
This story exemplifies human psychology. Man wants to learn many techniques, but is not satisfied with a particular process. This is the trick of the mind to deceive man.
Once you are in touch with a Divine Master, follow Him faithfully, with love. That technique will enable you to cross the problems of life and help you to be realized.
Referring to this situation, Shri Gurudev comments:
If a student goes each day to a different school, can he get education? Please follow
that technique which will give you simultaneous development of body, mind, intellect and soul. Please practice sincerely. Human life is very short. Why do you spend your valuable time, unnecessarily by going to many teachers, but learning nothing? Practice one technique, and be perfect.
*May 10, is the Holy Birthday of Swami Shriyukteswar Giri Mahasaya.
The ordinary human mind is crazy. Man wants to know many things and to practice many techniques. But one must ponder the saying:
One thing at a time and that done well is a very good thing as many can tell.
But many people are not satisfied with that. They go to different teachers and practice different techniques. As a result, their mind becomes more confused: which one is better, which one is not? A confused mind is far from the truth. Truth is revealed to a person whose mind is tranquil. Faithfulness to one's own Master and sincerity in the practice of the technique bring quick spiritual progress. To highlight this, the great Master Swami Shriyukteshwar used this parable:
Once upon a time lived a fox and a cat near a forest. Both were very close friends. They occasionally met each other and discussed their life and activities.
One day both were sitting together and were talking about the art of self-preservation. The fox asked the cat "My friend! How many techniques have you mastered to save yourself at the time of danger?"
The cat answered "My brother! I know only one technique—the art of climbing up a tree when I sense some approaching danger."
The fox said in a deprecating manner "Ah! You know only one technique. Really your life is miserable. You do not know any other technique beside climbing up a tree?"
The cat asked "My friend! How many techniques, really, do you know?"
The fox replied "It is a long story. Please wait. I will bring my note book, in which I have written down all the techniques that I learned from different teachers at different times, to save myself in different situations." The fox brought a big thick notebook and opened it with a lot of pride. It said "I can run when the problem comes." Opening another page, "I can hide myself in a bush." he continued, "I can enter into a hole and protect myself." Opening every page, the fox was narrating different techniques with vanity and pride.
While both were talking, a dog came running towards them from a little distance. The cat exclaimed "My brother! Be careful; a dog is coming!" Warned by the cat, our poor fox kept turning the pages of his notebook while thinking what would be the best technique to save his life. The cat called out "Brother! I do not know many techniques. I only know one technique, and that is to climb up the tree. The dog cannot come there."
The cat dashed up the tree. Despite his so-called intelligence, the foolish fox was not able to decide what to do. The dog was getting very near and the fox was in trouble, while the cat was saying "mew! mew!" from the tree top.
This story exemplifies human psychology. Man wants to learn many techniques, but is not satisfied with a particular process. This is the trick of the mind to deceive man.
Once you are in touch with a Divine Master, follow Him faithfully, with love. That technique will enable you to cross the problems of life and help you to be realized.
Referring to this situation, Shri Gurudev comments:
If a student goes each day to a different school, can he get education? Please follow
that technique which will give you simultaneous development of body, mind, intellect and soul. Please practice sincerely. Human life is very short. Why do you spend your valuable time, unnecessarily by going to many teachers, but learning nothing? Practice one technique, and be perfect.
*May 10, is the Holy Birthday of Swami Shriyukteswar Giri Mahasaya.
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