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THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY SWAMI SIVANANDAJI MAHARAJ
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CONTENTS.. 1. A Broad Outline of the Yoga Philosophy 2. The Psychology of Yoga.. 3. The Five Great Vows.. 4. From the Yamas of the Niyamas.. 5. The Niyamas—Effective Weapons to Destroy the Citadel of the Senses.. 6. Creating a New Mind through Satsanga, Sravana & Svadhyaya.. 7. Isvarapranidhana or Self-surrender.. 8. The Wider Aspects of the Process of Isvarapranidhana.. 9. Asana & Pranayama.. 10. Conquest of Tamo-guna Prakriti.. 11. Pratyahara—Crux of Raja Yoga Sadhana.. 12. Indispenadble Aids of the Practice of Pratyahara.. 13. More About Pratyahara.. 14. The Mental Menagerie or the World of the Inner Prakiti.. 15. Focusing the Mind in Antaranga Yoga.. 16. More About Antaranha Yoga Sadhana.. 17. All Yoga is One.. 18. The Paramount Omportance of Brahacharya.. 19. Some Questions Answered..
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With great delight we place before the aspirant-world, the present work 'Adhyatma Yoga' by Sw-ami Sivanandaji Maharaj' the world renowned sage, who needs no introduction. This book contai-ons over form hundred highly illuminating, & inspiring poems on a variety of subjects connected with religion, philosophy, ets., & will serve as a happy companion to the author's other poem-books published already, viz. 'Wisdom Sparks', 'Wavesof Bliss', Jnana Jyoti', & Wisdom in Humour'.
Coming as it does from the pen of a realised sage, this book is rich in sagely & wit, & should prov- e an invaluable asset to every seeker in his onward march to God-head. We hope the aspirant w-orld will take advantage of this precions boon,study it, assimilate the wisdom contained in it, & pra- ctising it in their everyday life, expedite their march to Perfection, Peace & glory.
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ABUOT THIS BOOK:- The talks in this book are powerful messages to whichever group might receive them, but they are especially powerful for a Western audience. Swami Chidananda must have given the talks with the Western perspective and cultural conditioning in mind. He has been able to distil the wisdom of the East into ideas and examples that relate directly to the life experience of the Westerners who heard the talks or who might be reading them here in this book. One would feel that everything has been explained and nothing has been left out. What is more Swamiji’s great love and compassion are clearly evident in his talks, and the current of spiritual force that flows out of the talks will bring the reader to a greater understanding of the highest truths. Swamiji is an ideal person to teach the dharma in the West; he is a South Indian Brahmin who had his education in English-speaking Christian schools and who has been familiar with Western culture religion from a very early age. Beginning in 1959 with a tour of Europe Canada, the United States & South America that lasted two years, Swamiji would continue to travel to the West regularly. One very significant tour occurred over a three years period from 1968 to 1971. By that time Swamiji had an assistant who would be his constant travelling secretary—s. Nagarajan (now Swami Vimalananda). In this extended tour, Swami & S. Nagarajan were invited to numerous countries in Africa, many of the countries of Europe, including Belgium. France, Holland, the U.K., Germany & Italy, and then to the United States & Canada, later to South America, and finally across the Pacific to Fiji, Australia, Hong Kong the Phillipines, Malaysia & Sri Lanka. The extensive touring continued from 1071 until 1996. Swamiji visited South Africa almost every year, the U.S. approximately fifteen times and Europe almost twenty times. In each of the places they visited, Swamiji would meet with people, hold satsangs, and give spiritual talks. S. Nagarajan would tape record each of the talks and faithfully transcribe them, over the years he accumulated a treasure trove of transcribed talks that would eventually come to fill a very large suitcase. It is from those many wonderful spiritual discources that the talks that make up this book have been chosen. INTRODUCTION:- How precious a gift it is to be able to come into contact with a great sage, even if that contact may be person to person. A book alone might not always match the experience of being in the direct, physical presence of a saint who is merged in God-consciousness, but yet, the written words of such a great soul still have the capacity to guide, inspire, encourage and illumine. A sincere seeker can often recognize the power inherent in the written teachings, and he may feet that the sage is in fact present in the words that are being read. At the same time, what might the presence of a great saint be like, and what might be the effect of his company? Some years ago Christmas retreat was being held in the Sivananda Asharm in Rishikesh, India, & Swami Chidanada had been asked to come and speak to the participants. A Catholic nun from Ireland who was visiting India for the first time was in the retreat and in attendance at this talk. She had acknowledged beforehand that she had a fair amount of skepticism about India & Hinduism, and she thought it might be difficult to completely open herself to something so foreign to her own tradition. Nevertheless, she was eager to meet this man that she heard so much about.Swami Chidananda entered the hall with the usual graceful bearing, the keen awareness of others and the worshipfulness that characterize his life. Swamiji did nothing other than take his seat, arrange some things with his assistants and smile at some of the people in the audience. This nun was watching all this and seemed to be very present and alert to all that was happening, but after only a few moments she began to cry. Swamiji had till that point to still not addressed the audience, so her response was only due to his physical presence. Someone leaned over to her and asked if she was okay. She looked up with a face filled with immense emotion and said, “I feel like I have just seen Jesus.” This book contains thirty-six inspiring and enlightening discources from Swami Chidananda given in Western countries his many tours there. Swamiji is an ideal person to teach the dharma in the West; he is a South Indian Brahmin who had his education in English-speaking Christian school and who has been familiar with Western culture and religion from a very early age. The talks are sufficient in themselves, but the editors felt that a little something helpful could also be added to them—similar to adding a bit of tasty sugar to a cup of tea. This helpful addition is the so-called “Literary Interlude,” which comes in the middle of the book. It is a selection of Swamiji’s letters written to a Western devotee, and content of these letters gives a good indication of what Swamiji is like as a person, a friend and as a spiritual teacher.
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The talks in this book are powerful messages to whichever group might receive them, but they are especially powerful for a Western audience. Swami Chidananda must have given the talks with the Western perspective & cultural conditioning in mind. he has been able to distil the wisdom of the East into ideas & examples that relate directly to the life experience of the Westerners who heard the talks or who might be reading them here in this book. One would feel that everything has been explained & nothing has been left out. What is more, Swamiji’s great love & compassion are clearly evident in his talks, & the current of spiritual force that flows out of the talks will bring the reader to a greater understanding of the highest truths. Swamiji is an ideal person to teach the dharma in the West; he is a South Indiain Brahmin who his edueation in English-speaking Christian school & who has been familiar with Western culture & religion from a very early age. Beginning in 1959 with a tour of Eurpoe, Canada, the United States & South America that lasted two years, Swamiji would continue to travel to the West regularly. One very significant tour occurred over a three year period from 1968 to 1971. By that time Swamiji—S. Nagarajan (now Swami Vimalananda). In this extended tour, Swamiji & S. Nagarajan were invited to numerous countries in Africa, many of the countries of Europe, including Belgium, France, Holland, the U.K., Germany & Italy, & then to the United States & Canada, later to South America, & finally across the Pacific to Fiji, Australia, Hong Kong, the Phillipines, Malaysia & Sri Lanka. The extensive touring continued unabated from 1971 until 1996. Swamiji visited South Africa almost every year, the U.S. approximately fifteen times & Europe almost twenty times. In each of the places they visited, Swamiji would meet with people, hold satsangs, & give spiritual talks. S. Nagarajan would tape record each of the talks & faithfully transcribe them, & over the year he accumulated trove of transcribed talks that would eventually come to fill a very large suitcase. It is from those many wonderful spiritual discources that the talks that make up this book have been chosen.
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''Concentration and meditation'' form the innercore of the practice of Yoga. It is the key to the door of Inner Illumination and constitutes the central pivot round which all Sadhana in the spirtual field revlves. Dharana and Dhyana are the Yoga proper, leading to the consummation, Samadhi and Sakshatkare or Realisation.
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Sri Swami Sivananda has always labored in a Divine Way, on a grand scale, for the spread of the Wisdom of spiritual India, & for the dissemination of practical knowledge on Mind & its total control & conquest. So great has contribution to the world’s spiritual literature, human happiness & enlightenment, & so high is his spiritual Eminence that he has been justly esteemed as at once a Patanjali, a Vyasa, a Yajnavalkya, a Sankara, an all-compassionate Saint & a dynamic integral Yogi. This book presents a number of most helpful hints on the Nature of mind, & many methods for the successful conquest of mind. By aspirants, devotees, seekers after Truth, psychologists, & others who are seeking peace of mind & happiness in life, this work will be found highly useful. WESTERN PSYCHO-ANALYSIS AND EASTERN BRAHMAVIDYA :- Psycho-analysis is a very important subject. You will find the principles of psycho-analysis in Indian philosophical systema, too. You know that the real origin of all diseases is in the mind. From the mind the disease is communicated to the physical body. There is, therefore, not much use merely treating the physical ailment; you must go to the very root, to the mind, find out the mental ills & eradicate them there. Then you can enjoy good health. This is the burden of Ayurveda also, where it is termed as Adhivyadhi. The same thing has been said by Hahnemann also. Various impure Vasanas in the mind cause various poisons in the system which produce diseases. Nowadays all the Allopathic doctors are advised to take up a study of psycho-analysis. Then only can they understand the origin of the disease. Psycho-analysis should be introduced even in Schools & Colleges. The Teachers & Professors should all have a thorough knowledge of this science. There is something beyond the mind too. That is e Self, Consciousness. Psycho-analysis should be combined with Raja Yoga. We must not only have a thorough knowledge of the Western science of psycho analysis, but combine with it Raja Yoga & spirituality also. Psycho-analysts should have a perfect knowledge of Patanjali’s Raja Yoga, & the Yoga Vasishtha also. They will be able to understand the working of the mind better. Then will be able to do more service to the world.
Sri Swami Sivananda has always laboured in a Divine Way, on a grand scale, for the spread of the Wisdom of spiritual India, for the dissemination of practical knowledge on mind & its total con-trol & conquest. So great his contribution to the world's spiritual literature, human happiness & enli-ghtenment, & so high is his spiritual Eminence that he has been justly esteemed as at once a Pata-njali, a Vyasa, a Yajnavalkya, a Sankara, an all-compassionte Saint & a dynamic integral Yogi. This book presents a number of most helpful hints on the Nature of Mind, & many methods for the successful conquest of mind. By aspirants, devotees, seekers after Truth, psychologists, & othe-rs who are seeking peace of mind & happiness in life, this work will be found highly useful
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SWAMI CHIDANANDA:- AN APOSTLE PEACE & EMBODIMENT OF QUINTESSNCE INDIA’S SPRITUAL & CULTURAL HERITAGE Revered Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji’s worthy spiritual successor had been referred to as follows, “If one wants to see boldness “of spirit behind a slender appearance, irreversible command of heart behind a benign face, unwavering peace of mind behind dynamism of action, impersonal detachment behind personal love & care—all at once in a single person, one cannot do better than meet Swami Chidananda.” Born on 24th September, 1916, into a wealthy Brahmin family in South India, Swami Chidananda absorbed love for tradition & respect for rituals. At Loyola College, Madras (now Chenni), Swamiji had a brilliant scholastic career. The ideals & teachings of Jesus made a deep impression in his heart, & he was able to synthesize them with all that is best & noble in Hindu Culture. The two profound unfluences in Swamiji’s life were the teaching of Sri Ramakrishna & the example of his Gurudev, Sri Swami Sivananda. He joined Gurudev in 1943 & from then on the Asharm & the lofty ideals of The Divine Life Society became home & field of service for him. Swami Chidananda was born with an insatiable zeal to serve the sick & the suffering. Ever in childhood he built huts for lepers on the lawns of his home & after them as though they were deities. Swami Sivananda said about his spiritual son & beloved disciple: “Chidananda is a Jivanmukta, a great Saint, an ideal Yogi, a Para-Bhakta & a great sage. Swami Chidanada is all this & much more. He was a great Yogi Saint in his previous birth itself. His lectures are outpouring of his saintly heart, the revelations of intuitive wisdom. And he is a practical Vedantin, his words tremendous power. He is born to fulfil a great mission.” Swami Maharaj attained Mehasamadhi on August,2008.
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This present book contains thirty-four talks given in the year 1970 to students participating in special session of the yoga-Vedanta forest Academy. At the request of numerous Yoga students, especially from the west, Swami Krishnanandji Maharaj agreed to give these talks in the forms of lessons. The thirty-four lessons began on January 14 1970 and concluded on March 4, 1970. This book is Yoga manual. It is a handbook of Yoga. It contains everything that a Yoga student needs to know. Swamiji explains that Yoga, in the simplest terms, is a steady movement of individual soul toward the supreme soul. Yoga is a steady ascent to the Divine. Attunement with Reafity:- The studies that we are going to make using this particular method may be grouped into three stages: the philosophical, the psychological & the practical. I shall try to take our thoughts stage by stage from the most initial concepts & ideals, & the study will culminate in the practice of meditation—which is true yoga finally. This a very detailed technique of the development of the mind, manoeuvring through various processes which are all very, very important. We should attend to each description of the steps with attention because, as has been mentioned already, nothing can be regarded as totally unimportant. Every aspect will contribute finally to the superstructure of yoga. Which is a completeness in itself. Yoga is not merely the last stage. It is the name give to the completeness of the total picture which is present in the whole process from the beginning to the end. Conflict as an Unnatural State:- But conflict is not true & healthy state—it is an unnatural state. That which is unnatural cannot forever, because it is nature that continues, & nature is truth. That which is against untruth. Untruth dose not succeed—truth alone succeed. We may have heard the great adage, “Satyam eva jayate.” (Truth alone is victorious.) The truth of harmony tries to this establishment of truth we can come to see the expressions of conflict. Some of these conflicts are called defence mechanisms. These are certain contrivances which the mind makes use of in attempting to release itself from conflict. Some of these are the attempts of the mind to utilize other persons & the objects of the world as instruments in bringing about a release of conflict. When there is no peace within us, we often try to forget the fact of having outer phenomena. We then engage ourselves in hectic activity & try to forget the boredom of life. Yoga is Balance:- The phenomenon of sleep is not easy to study, because we have no consciousness in sleep. Nobody can know what is happening then, because there is no one consciously there to know what is happening. This has been a difficulty, due to which many psychologists have left out of consideration this subliminal aspect of our lives. Most of the psychologists have been busy with the study of waking life & waking phenomena. what generally goes by the name of “psychology” is only a study of waking phenomena, but human nature is not exhausted by waking experiences. We have many other things within us which are not entirely comprehended in our wakeful life. As we noticed previously in our study there is a difficulty in our waking life on account of which we are not able to know things properly. How We Perceive:- We are in a thoroughgoing misapprehension about ourselves in all our dealings with life. We start with errors & therefore we end with errors. The whole of our lives in this world has been a contradiction & a confusion, a kind of march towards an apparently unrealized destination, because of an erroneous notion that we have our own selves. We think we are something, and then we start acting based on this hypothesis. We are not this misapprehension—we are something else. The fact that we regard ourselves as different from what we really are is enough explanation for all our troubles in life. There is no need to go further into the details of our progress. Here is the answer to our question. We have started with the wrong premise & end therefore in a mess. God World & Soul:- In order to understand the meaning of adhidaiva, we had to go into an analysis of perception. We noticed that the perceptional process implies more than what seems to be on the surface. There is a need for a conscious connecting link between the seer & the seen, without which we can have no knowledge of the world outside. It is not the light rays, the retina of the eyes, the senses or the mind that are ultimately responsible for the phenomenon of perception. All these may be there, but if something else is not there, we will not know anything. A corpse has all the features of a human being, but one essential thing is not there, & therefore it is unable to perceive anything.
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The present voume entitled 'Inspiring Stories' forms a veryvaluable book of guidance upon right c-onduct, philosophic thinkinh human psychology & spiritual life in general. As such, it will be an invaluable addition to the personal library of students eager to know more about the secrets of life on earth & life beyond. The illusion before the eyes of man is so inscrutably constructed that not even the wisest of people have found it easy to extricate themselves from its powerful clutches penetration into the very vitals of one's being. This insistence on an interesting & important factor in the leading of the truly spiritual life is to be considered the explanation for this book commencing, at the outset, with a not-much-known but awakening message through the very first story. The nature of these stories, parables & anecdotes is basically oriented from the ponit of view of a noble spiritual life.
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CITY OF BENIGHTEDNESS:-THIS PHENOMENAL world is a realm of sense perceptions. The mind & the senses are extremely deceptive & unreliable. Therefore all appearances & experiences perceived through them are totally misleading & dangerously deluding. All things seemingly appear to be going one way but turn out to be quite different later on. The painful puts on the garb of the pleasant, whereas the evil masquerades beneath goodness. This is the inscrutable game of Maya. One who deeply reflects upon this & understands it well walks in the path of light. He who succumbs to this deception comes to dwell in the “City of Benightedness” & leads a precarious life that lands him into sense-world constitutes the direct antitheses or total contradiction of the Self. In the Self alone abide eternal life & lasting bliss, whereas sensual indulgence is a poison that destroys life. Listen to this interesting story. There was once a wandering monk & his disciple. The monk was wise & vigilant. The young disciple was impetuous & at times foolhardy, due to his love of pleasure. THE LORD’S COMPASSION:- NARAYANA PRASD’S mother had passed away. Contrary to expectations, Narayana Prasad was extremely happy! He ran to his worship room, fell prostrate at the feet of his Deity—Jaganatha—and prayed: “Unasked you showered your Grace upon me. You have removed the one tie that bound me to this earthly life. I shall now be able to devote my entire life to you & you alone, without any distractions. Lord, grant me pure devotion.” Narayana Prasad & his mother had been great devotees of Lord Jaganatha of Puri. Narayana Prasad now wended his way to Puri. All along the way he was singing Names of the Lord blissful self-forgetfulness.
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INTRODUCTION:- Swami Radha is my guru. Through the stories she told me, I learned how life can be transformed & made purposeful through Kundalini Yoga. She was a wonderful storyteller, but always the stories reflected the wisdom she had gained from using the Kundalini system as a structure for self-examination. For me, her stories had a higher purpose of challenging the conventional ideas & concepts of my upbringing, which I had never questioned. At the same time they inspired me to think about alternative ways of responding. Because she used the Kundalini system to make sense of her life, I was inspired to the same for myself. At the time of our meeting I saw myself as a guarded, cautious person, not one to open his heart to just anyone, & so I was surprised, even a little shocked, by the warmth & felt during our exchanges. Today I can see that I was unconsciously responding to her Light. After many years of working with the Kundalini system, I also understand that speech based on personal experience can be trusted. In workshops & in less formal settings, when Swami Radha asked me questions about my life, on matter how personal they might appear, I could sense that they came a place from a place of deep caring that was inherently trustworthy. I trusted because I know from listening to her that she had looked at the same issues in her life & learned from them. Simple, yet profoundly precious. She had the power of one who is very aware over one who is not, & yet she exercised that power with the care & respect of a loving mother towards her child. Her guru, Swami Sivananda, had said to her, “Be a spiritual mother to all. The mother has all the milk the baby will need, before the baby is born.” And that was my experience. Swami Radha often of the brief & intense time she had with her guru, & of her own introduction to Kundalini Yoga over fifty years ago. Because of visa restrictions, she had just six months in India. Her guru could give her only a taste –a fleeting glimpse—of the yoga system that was to become the foundation of her teaching in the West. That she has done so much with that tenuous beginning is proof that Swami Sivananda knew what he was doing when he asked her to return to the West & update the ancient teaching of yoga. In her hands, he knew that the teaching would be safe. In the spring of 1956, a few weeks after her initiation into sanyas, she left India & returned to Canada to being her work. As soon as the could, she ordered the complete sixteen-volume set of Sri John Woodreffe’s classic translation of the Kundalini Sastra from the publisher in Bombay, & had the books shipped home to Montreal. Titles like The Serpent Power, Shakti & Shakta, Garland of Letters & Ananda Lahari would become a constant source of daily reflection in the years ahead. Swami Sivananda had demanded a lot of her. What would it mean to truly update the teachings? She knew it wasn’t just a question of transposing the language of one spiritual traditions to another. To be meaningful & lasting, the teachings would have to be based on personal to experience. She started with the spiritual practices she had been given in India—the Divine Light Invocation, the Mantra, Hattha Yoga, plus she developed the meditations & exercises that accompany each cakra in this book—and she worked steadily with them until she knew their power as it applied to her life. She practiced the Divine Light Invocation for two years, for example, before she felt ready to reach the practice to other. Working with translated texts of the ancient Kundalini Sastra, she was amazed to discover speech was originally called the goddess, the Devi, the power manifest. After chanting the mantra for five hours a day for two years, she could speak of this power of speech from the own experience. Whenever time allowed, she turned to the verses & scriptural translations to see how they could relate to her life. Through this intense period of study & practice, the hidden, esoteric teaching of the Kundalini system began to reveal themselves. Today, going to her library & picking out any one of these sixteen volumes, I cannot help but feel something of her presence through the quiet wisdom that vibrates in the texture & beautiful language of these old texts. Little bits of yellowing paper, each with a key word or two, or a comment in her handwriting, are still in place marking passages that were particularly important to her. The knowledge gained from her work came together in the first edition of Kundalini Yoga for the West in 1978, over twenty years after her return from India. (Swami Gopalananda Yasodhara Ashram).
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Kundalini is the coiled up,dprmant cosmic power that underlies all organic and any thesis that deal-
sl with it can avoid becoming too abstract, onle with great .
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DEDICATION
To all Gurus who have prepared the Path,especially to Swami Sivananda Sarasvati of Rishikesh, India, whose inspieation in the bieth of my spiritual life, & to my Tibetan Guru, who taught me the ''laying of the foundation.''
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Swami Sivananda's ''Lives of Saints'' was first pubished in 1941 & reprinted in 1943 & 1944. A co-mpanion second volume, under the some title, followed in 1947, the year of the Master's Diamond Jubilee. It contained life-sketches of many more saints not covered in the original publication. In this edition, we have endeavouered to consolidate, not those written by Swami Sivananda in other miscellaneous book. As such, the present publication has verily turned out to be a treasure teove of inspiring spirtual biography,instructive anecdotes & lofty admonitions of men &woman of the highest realisation. For sheer variety & range, this book perhaps has no equal. Here two points deserve special mantion. Firstly, this book is totally non-sectarian & free from prejudice of any kind. It thus manages with marvellous success to draw out the very best from subject it touches, as these. Secondly, as thsese sketches come feom the pen of a spiritual pers-onality, they present all the lives in a distinctive spiritual perspective, which a layman writing the same biographies would hardly be able to do. This fect, in itself, enhances the worth & utility of the book a great deal. We feel privileged to be able to offer this book to the reading public. May the light of these saints guide & illumine the path of the readers. My their blessings shower upon the readers & the whole mankind!
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Who is God :- God is existence absolute, knowledge absolute & bliss absolute. He is Truth, He is the Light of light. God is all-pervading intelligence or consciousness & the all-pervading power that governe & keeps it in perfect order. He is the inner ruler of this body & mind. He is omnipotent, omniscient & omnipresent. He has the six attributes of wisdom, dispassion, strength, siddhis or power, wealth & fame. God exists in the past, present & future. He is unchanging amidst the changing phenomena, permanent amidst the impermanent & imperishable amidst the perishable things of this world. He has created this world through the gunas -- sattva, rajas & tamas—for His own divine play. God is independent. He dispenses the fruits of actions of the jivas. He is all-merciful. It is through His power that you see, heat & talk. Whatever you heat is God. God works through your hands & cats through your mouth. On account of sheer ignorance you have totally forgotten Him. Eternal peace & happiness can be had only in God. That is the reason why sensible, intelligent aspirants attempt to have to have God-realisation. God –realisation can bring an end to the ever-revolving wheel of births & deaths & bestow supreme & everlasting happiness on mankind.
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In the present age of increasing global & personal insecurities, bhakti or love of God is the easiest & most direct path to Self-realisation or liberation. The essence of all religions, it is an integral part of life for millions of people. In this handbook on bhakti yoga, comprising what is surely the most authoritative & comprehensive text on the subject, Swami Sivananda has provided us with an inspiring guide to its practice. Through this volume it is possible to reach a complete undersanding of this aspect of yoga, & implement its practice with the clear & practical instructions given by the author. INTRODUCTION:- There are as many sects in this world as there are sands on the sea-shore. People have lost sight of the true essence of religion. They fight unnecessarily for petty dogmas, for externals & nonessentials. They publish nasty leaflets, one abusing the other. On the public platform one preacher abuses another preacher of a different cult. One preacher of a certion school of thought will declare openly the defects of another school of though. Even the so-called educated people shamelessly fight amongst themselves. This deplorable state of affairs is going on nowadays. It is shocking to see this in the name of religion. You can reach Mount Kailas through different routes, via Almora, Gangotri, Badri-Narayan, Joshimath, Kashmir, etc. The destination is the same though the routes are different. The final destination for all the rivers is rivers is the ocean. You con Calcutta from Madras by train or by steamer or by motor car or by aeroplane. What does it matter? The destination is the same. Doctrines may also diverge as widely from one another as do paths, but the goal to be reached, Self-realisation, is always the same. There are different types of minds. People have different tastes, tendencies, temperaments & capacities for sadhana, so various paths are indispensably requisite. Advaita school, Dvaita school, Monistic school, qualifird Monistic school,Theosophy, Sufism, Shintiism, Confucianism, Mazdaism & many more ‘isms’; Arya Samaj, Brahma Samja & Dharma Samja. Many more are needed. There must be as many ‘isma’ & samajas as there are types of minds. Lord Siva says there are crores of ways or paths for controlling the mind. It is only jealous, intolerant, narrow-hearted, petty-minded people who fight amongst themselves for trifling things. Differences melt away when one’s heart expands, when one gets God-realisation. Realized souls can never fight. They have equal vision & equal love for all. They look to the essentials of every sect or cult, which are the same everywhere. Every religion, every cult & every sect declares: “There is one Truth. It has to be approached by speaking truth, by loving all, by leading a life of continence, purity & self-control, by concentration & devotion.” Four blind men began to feel an elephant for the first time. One caught hold of the elephant’s ears & said, “The elephant is like a winnowing fan.” Another caught hold of the legs & said, “The elephant is like a pillar.” Another caught hold of the tail & said, “The elephant is like a big whip.” They began to fight amongst themselves regarding their experiences. In the same way some villagers who saw a fire-brigade engine for the first time began to fight amongst themselves. One man said, “This is all fire,” another said, “This is all water,” while a third remarked, “This is all iron.” Dire ignorance is the cause of petty quarrels. Similar is the case with the petty-minded ignorant sectarians who fight amongst themselves for trifling matters. Just as a tree appears to be of an equal height for a man who has climbed to the top of the hill, so also for a realized bhagavata who has reached the sublime heights of divine consciousness & bhava Samadhi, all sects & all people look alike. Brahman is one. Truth or God is one. Scriptures are one. Vedas are one. Virtue & devotion, concentration & meditation & Samadhi are one. Realization, true religion, the religion of love & the religion of self-realisation are all one. Energy is one. Sun is one. Moon is one. Space is one. Thought image is one, though languages are different. Mercy & sincerity are one. There is no such thing as American sincerity or Japanese honesty. Body is one. It is made up of the five elements in England, China & Africa.blood is one. The blood of a Chinese, African negro, English aristocrat or American millionaire is the same. It contains the same blood-plasma, haemoglobin, red coepuscles & leocoytes. The feeling is the same in all. If you call anyone a fool or vagabond he becomes angry. Everyone gets hunger, thirst, defecation, micturition, exhilaration, depression & happy & sorrowful moods. The heart, liver, spleen, bowels, the organs of action & sensation & the intellectual faculty that comprehends are the same in all. The goal to be reached by all, viz, God-realisation, is also the same. Take the kernel, core or essence & ruthlessly throw away the skin or the shell. Are they not fools who leave the grain & waste their time in quarrelling about the chaff? I pity them. They are hopeless, incorrigible specimens of humanity. Life is short & time is fleeting. Time is precious. Remember the goal & the purpose for which you have taken this physical body. Struggle hard towaeds the fulfillment of the end you have come here to accomplish. Let all march courageously towards the goal, be it by train or tonga, car or plane. Let all strive after the true religion, which is fundamentally the same in all sects or cults or schools. If the essence of all religions is one & all same, to what avail is this wrangling & quarrelling amongst sects? Let us therefore strive in right earnest after the achievement of that great end of human life, the true essence of all religions — devotion to God’s divine love or bhakti — which alone as from the wheel of births & deaths, give us highest knowledge, infinite bliss, supreme peace, eternal satisfaction & immortality!
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In the first section of this comprehensive book, Swami Sivananda gives us a lucid understanding of what constitutes good health, including many aspects that are often neglected. The second section, hatha yoga, deals with exercises for flexibility (covering all the joints of the body); classical yoga asanas & variations; twelve bandhas & mudras, & the shat-kriyas (cleansing techniques). The concise & explicit chapter on pranayama covers every aspect of this important practice. In the section on kundalini the different aspects of this mysterious power are described in simple language. Sections on swara yoga & brahmacharya follow, & the book concludes with a chapter on concentration, meditation & Samadhi. What is Health? Health is that condition of the body in which all its functions are efficiently performed without any difficulty. It is the condition of comfort, ease, ability to eat, move & perform other functions of life. It is the state which results from the harmonious performance of the various functions of the bodily organs. It is the condition of the body when every organ or part of it is sound & performs without pain or suffering the functions or duties assigned to it. If the stomach or bowels possess all their natural strength & efficiently discharge their duties in the digestion of food-stuffs; if the heart & its blood vessels are in good order & circulate the blood properly & satisfactorily; if the lungs work properly in allowing the blood to receive its due supply of oxygen; if brain performs all its functions & if the skin carries off the perspiration normally, the chief conditions of health are observed. We then do not experience any uneasiness or painful sensation & are able to attend to all our appointed duties. To be in this state is to enjoy one of the greatest blessings. It has been provided by our beneficient Creator that all the organs & parts of our frame continue in their original soundness (if we only take care not to injure them) and that we should consequently be healthy. But if we do not take care to keep them sound, it is impossible that we can be healthy.
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About This Book:- A long-awaited text book on raja yoga, mot by a Western scholar or India pundit, but who has attained the goal of yoga—Self-realisation. Instruction is given in language of simplicity, clarity & force. As in all his books, the spirit of Swami Sivananda permeates every page. Compelling the reader to put the ideals into practice. This book is a must for all who aspire to control their mind. INTRODUCTION** The Inward Path to Liberation:- Yoga is the union of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul. Just as camphor melts & becomes one with the fire, just as a drop of water when it is thrown into the ocean becomes one with the ocean, the individual soul — when it is purified, when it is freed from lust, greed, hatred & egoism, when it becomes pure — becomes one with the Supreme Soul. The process of yoga embodies an ascent into purity, into that absolute perfection which is the original state of man. it implies therefore the removal of the enveloping, the stilling of the discordant vibratory tempo of the lower sheaths & the establishment of a state of perfect balance & harmony. Now, all the above-mentioned factors that bind down the individual soul may be seen to be operating on a larger scale through humanity as a whole. The present age is enmeshed in ignorance (characterized by restlessness, a blind clinging to earthly existence, perverted individualism & abandonment to pleasures of the flesh) & violence, strife & discord in all walks of life. Modern age is the machine age. As such it is power-ridden. Discovery of newer ways of generating power, exploiting fresh aspects of known forces & inventing machines to make machines is the present craze under man’s control, but man himself does not have his senses & his mind under his control. This has resulted in the misuse & abuse of the fruits of civilization & science, because all power corrupts. The adoption of the yoga way of life is the release from & the guarantee against such abuse of power & the resultant disaster. Training in yoga brings to man several supernormal powers that no machine can ever generate. Yet the discipline laid down on the path ensures their abuse. What is Yoga? The term ‘yoga’ comes from the foot ‘yuj’ which means ‘to join’. In its spiritual sense it is the process by which the identity of the individual soul & the Supreme Soul is realized by the yogi. Yoga means union with the Lord. This is the goal of human life. It is the be-all & end-all of human existence. Yoga also means ‘addition’. When the restless individual soul is added to the Supreme Soul it finds eternal rest & supreme satisfaction. The word ‘yoga’ is also applicable in a secondary sense to all those factors that go to constitute yoga, that are conducive to the final achievement or fulfillment of yoga & as such indirectly lead to finds freedom or perfection. A yogi is one who has reached the highest state of Samadhi (asamprajnata). One who is attempting to get perfection in yoga is also called a yogi.
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Swami Sivananda was an advaita vedantin (non-dualist). Howevwe it was not ‘dry lip vedanta’ that he practiced & preached, but a dynamic practice of Vedanta in daily life. In this book Vedanta is explained in simple langusge with many homely illustrations & stories from the Upanishads, etc., so that the reader gets a clear understanding of the subject. Intricate points of Vedanta does not allow the reader to settle for intellectual knowledge alone. In his inimitable way he seasons what could have been a dry & technical book with the enthusiasm & soul-force of one who has mastered the subject & experienced its fruits. WHAT IS VEDANTA? Vedanta is the science of the Reality. It is not merely a conceptual syatem or a speculation over what ‘ought to be’, but the factual knowledge of what ‘is’. The Western philosophers have been busy with ascertaining what ‘ought to be’; but the ancient Hindus have already discovered realized & proclaimed the truth of what ‘is’. Vedanta is the result of this discovery of the absolute Truth, the declaration of the nature of the supreme goal of life & the way thereto. Vedanta holds the first place amongst all systems of philosophies. It is a system of philosophy in which human speculation has reached its very pinnaclc. It is a unique system of thought which demands a subtle, sharp intellect to grasp its fundamental principles. It is unique in the boldness of its conclusions. It is absolutely free from all shades of dogmatism or pet doctrines. All philosophers should bow their heads with implicit obedience & submissiveness before this grand philosophy. Vedanta boldly proclaims with emphasis that you are the immortal, all-pervading Atman, the universal soul or supreme Brahman in essence, in reality, & that this little jiva or human being is identical with the Eternal or the Absolute. It is that sublime philosophy which elevates the mind at once to magnanimous heights of Brahman-hood, divine splendor & glory.
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This book is a compilation form the various published works of the Holy Mastrr Sir Swami Sivananda, including some of his earliest works axteending au far back as the late nineteen thirties.
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This book is a compilation from the various published works of the Holy Master Sri Swami Sivana-nd, including some of his earliest works extending as far back as the late nineteen thirties. The questiona & answers in the pages that follow deal with some of the commonest, but most vital, doubts raised by practising spiritual aspirants.What invests these answers & explanations with great value is the authority, not only of the sage's intuition, but also of his personal experience. Swami Sivananda was a sage whose first concern even firet love, shall, we say, was the spiritual seeker,the yoga student. Sivananda lived to servd to serve them: & this priceless volume is the outcome of that Seva Bhav of the great Master We do hope that the aspirant world will benefit comsiderably from a carusal perusal of the pages that follow & derive rare guidance & inspiration in their struggle perfection. May the Holy Master's divine blessings be upon all.
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INTRODUCTION:- O my dear aspirants! I send you the thought-currents of peace from the peaceful atmosphere of the sacred Himalayas the abode of Rishis. The goal of life is the attainment of final beatitude or Moksha. Moksha can be realized by man. Many have attained Self-realisation. Many have enjoyed the Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Sankara, Dattatreya, Mansoor, Shams Tabrize, Jesus, Buddha were all realized souls who direct perception of the Truth. The Ultimate Truth or Brahman or the Absolute can be experienced by all persons by regular practice of meditation with a pure heart. Mere abstract reasoning and study of books will not do. What is wanted is direct experience. The direct experience is the source foe higher intuitional knowledge or divine wisdom. This experience is superconscious or transcendental. There is neither the play of the senses nor the intellect here. This is not an emotional experience. The senses, mind and intellect are at perfect rest. They do not function a bit. This experience is not an imaginary experience of a visionary dreamer. It is not a reverie. It is not a hypnotic trance. It is solid living Truth like the Amalaka fruit on the palm of your hand. The third eye or the eye of wisdom is opened in the experience. The extraordinary experience comes from cognition through the spiritual eye or the eye of intuition. This eye of wisdom can be opened when the senses, mind and intellect cease functioning. Samadhi or blissful divine experience arises when the ego and the mind are dissolved. It is a state to be attained by one’s own effort. It is limitless, divisionless and infinite, an experience of pure consciousness. When this experience is realized, the mind, desires, actions, and feelings of joy and sorrow vanish into a void. He who has controlled his mind is really happy and free. Physical freedom is on freedom at all. If you are easily carried away by surging emotions and impulses, if you are under the grip of moods, cravings and passions, how can you be really happy, O sweet beloved child! You are like a rudderless boat. You are vast expanse on the ocean. You laugh for five minutes and weep for five hours. What can wife, son friends, money, fame and power do for you are under the sway of the impulses of your own mind? He is the true hero who has controlled his mind. There is an adage: “He who has controlled his mind has controlled the world.” True victory is over the mind. That is real freedom. Thorough rigorous discipline and self-imposed restrictions will eventually eradicate all desires, thoughts, impulses, cravings and passions. Only then, and not until then, can you expect to be free from the thralldom of the mind. You should not give any leniency to the mind. The mind is mischievous imp. Curb it by drastic measures. Become a perfect Yogi. Money cannot give you freedom. Freedom is not a commodity that can be purchased in the Crawford Market. It is a rare, hidden treasure guarded by a five-hooded serpent. Unless you kill or tame this serpent, you cannot have access to that treasure. That treasure is Spiritual Wealth, that is Freedom, that is Bliss. The serpent is your mind. the five hoods are the five senses through which the mind-serpent hisses. People are immersed in worldliness. They madly run after money and woman. They have no time to think of God and higher spiritual things. The sun dawns and the mind runs again in its old, usual, sensual grooves of eating, drinking, amusing and sleeping. The day has passed. In this way the whole life passes away. There is neither moral development nor spiritual progress.
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To everyone strving for success in life, the invaiable stumbling block to be the turulent vagaries of the mind. An undiscipined mind makes a man a slave and wrecks his life. Controlling and subduing it is the most vexing of problems to the earnest seeker of happiness. The vital importance of the subject, therefore, prompted H.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj to write this comprehensive work ''MIND-ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROL'' it is meant to serve as a valuable guide to all aspirants and is also of immense help to anyone in any walk of life. Being the outcome of personal experience of the revered author and written with a practical end inview,''MIND - ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROL'' is a treasure worthy to be possessed and studied constntly.
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INTRODUCTION:- Whatever is, is in reality One. There truly exists only one Universal Being, called Brahman or Paramatman, the Highest Self. This Being is of an absolutely homogenous nature (Eka-rase). It is pure ‘Being’, or which comes to the same, pure intelligence—(Chaitanya Jnana). Intelligence is not to be predicated of Brahman is not thinking Being, but ‘Thought’ itself. He is absolutely destitute of qualities. Whatever qualities or attributes are conceivable, can only be denied of it. But if nothing exists but one absolutely simple Being, whence the appearance of the world, by which we see ourselves surrounded, in which we ourselves exist, as individual beings? Brahman is associated with a certain power called Maya, to which the appearance of this entire world is due. The non-enlightened soul is look through and beyond Maya, which like a veil, hides from its true nature. Instead of recognizing itself to be Brahman, it blindly identifies itself with its adjuncts (Upadhis), the fictitious offsprings of Maya, and thus looks for its true self in the body, the sense-organs, and the internal organs (Manas or Antahkarana, or mind, the organ of specific cognition). The soul, which in reality, is pure intelligence—(Chaitanya), non-active (Nishkriya) and infinite (Bhuma), thus becomes limited in knowledge and power, an agent and an enjoyer. Through its burdens itself with merit and demerit, the consequences of which it has to bear or enjoy in series of future embodied existences. Oh! How deep, unfathomable and marvllous is this Maya, the inscrutable of Brahman! Every human being, though really in essence he is Brahman, does not, though instructed, grasp the Truth ‘I am Brahman’, but convinced, without any instruction that he is such a person’s son mistaking for the pure Atman, the combination of the body and the senses, etc., which is not the Atman and is only perceived like a stone or a pot. Indeed, these worldly-minded persons persons wander in this miserable Samsara repeatedly deluded by Maya of Brahman alone.But the wise man with the 4 means of salvation hears the Srutis, reflects and meditates on the Mahavakya, Aham-Brahma-Asmi or Tat-Tvam-Asi and eventually gets established on Advaita Kaivalya-Nishta. He becomes a Jivanmukta and crosses beyond the ocean of Samsara. Hail! Hail! To such Jivanmuktas. May their blessings be upon you all.
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About This Book:- No saint or sage in the history of the world has such a prolific literary output to his credit, in addition to the building up of a world-wide organization. Even dynamic political leaders have confessed often that the exigencies of administration keep them away from literary pursuits. It is only Sri Swami Sivanandali Maharaj who has been able to keep a continuous flow of spiritual literature, in spite of being busily engaged in the administration of the Divine Life Society. The secret, according to him, lies in his being able to switch his mind on, at will, from one task to another, without the least difficulty, & with great advantage. Sri swami Sivanandaji’s writings are characteristic in being free from the rigid technical nomenclature & the austere logic usually met with in texts dealing with super-mundane matters & in thus accessible even to the most non-intellectual type of aspirants. This beautiful production is a joyous hand-book to one & all in their daily life, which instructs like a philosopher, coaxes like a mother, & makes like a friend. A page from this book cannot go without seriously benefiting its reader. We have no doubt that it will illumine many a soul that seeks Light. CONTENTS:- Chapter One:**Revelation of the Mysterious of Life Divine……………………. Chapter Two:-**The Divine Avenue Is Revealed………………………………………………….. Chapter Three:-**Revelation of Universal Yoga…………………………………………………… Chapter Four:-**Revelation of Secrets for Succes………………………………………………… Chapter Five:-**Divinity & its Attainment……………………………………………………………. Chapter Six:-**Revelation of the Purpose of Life…………………………………………………… Chapter Seven:-**Revelation of the Fountain of Bliss……………………………………………. Chapter Eight:-**Revelation of the Supreme Unity………………………………………………… Chapter Nine:-**Revelation of the Eternal Truth……………………………………………………. Chapter Ten:-**Revelation of the Imperishable………………………………….......................... Chapter Eleven:-**Revelation of the Hidden Treasures…………………………………………… Chapter Twelve:-**Revelation of the Immanence of God………………………………………….. Chapter Thirteen:-**Revelation of the Divine Source………………………………………………. Chapter Fourteen:-**Revelation of Godhead…………………………………………………………
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ABOUT THIS BOOK:- To inspire, to awaken & to guide the seekers after Truth & God-realisation, has been the unique life-work of the great sage, Swami Sivananda. He has given us certain working methods, in as much as practical ways & means are more to be attended to, rather than theory. The spiritual life is to be built upon & sustained by three important supports, i.e,. a well-conceived ideal, a definite programme of life & a background of thought. For any of us, to proceed upon the spiritual life, the first requisite naturally goes without saying is that the individual should have an ideal. He should want something definite, he should aim at getting something concrete. The second requisite is a well-laid & will-regulated plan of procedure of programme. After having conceived of the ideal which the aspirant wants to reach, as haphazard procedure will not only take him nowhere but will also mean a fruitless waste to his precious energies, he should chalk out a definite & well-marked programme. A well-conceived ideal & a definite programme of life & then a concrete background of thought to sustain him in his struggle to work out that programme—these are the three requisites which Swami Sivananda has advocated. To sum up, in order to tread the path of spiritual life: (1) let the aspirant conceive of an ideal; (2) let him put up a general programme of life; (3) let him have Abhyasa & Vairagya & (4) let him take to a background of thought into which he can take refuge at times of external stress. And for all this help of this book is most invaluable, it is in fact, the greatest boon that we could offer to the aspirant-world. There is no aspect of Sadhana which has not been dealt with, no path which has not been presented, & not point of guidance that the aspirant’s peculiar difficulties need, which has not been elaborately dealt with. INTRODUCTORY A SURVEY OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE ANCIENT INDIA SPIRITUAL TECHNIQUES:-Hinduism, through the passage of several centuries, has come in for diverse criticisms & been subject to a wide range of different opinions. It has had praise in plenty & disparagement in plenty, too. There are those who praise its wisdom & there are quite as many, too who would regard Hinduism as a mast of out-dated superstition accumulated by a race of illiterate & uncultured people. And religion being the main governing influence with the Hindu, he is superstition bound & has consequently remained backward when other people have progressed by leaps & bounds. The bove charge is supported by statistics on literacy, knowledge of hygiene, sanitation, science, psychology, etc. The Hindu race gets ‘fail’ marks in such ultra-modernistic ‘efficiency test’ that scientific minds of today would conduct. It seems as though centuries of culture, development, study & research have not gained much of the Hindu in the shape of knowledge of this grand universe of countless things which are visible before us. Yes, to a great extent this is so, & more wonder, the true Hindu does not seem to regret greatly that it is so. This is so far a special reason, & this reason it is that dorms the distinctive quality of the Hindu genius, marking it out as completely different from the enlightened scientific of the Twentieth Century. The reason is this:the Hindu mind is assured that the invisible is the real. His scientific curiosity & thirst for knowledge (he has his full measure of this) is diverted the realm of invisible things. The grosser & the more external the things, the lesser is its value to the seeking Hindu. The Hindu may be seriously suffering from the baneful results of ‘blind-faith’, yet he had no such faith in wasting his precious life & faculties in research into things which he was convinced are absolutely transitory, evanescent. But, on the other hand the Hindu has spared himself no pains to get at the thing that is permanent, imperishable; that is true. He has brought to bear all his wisdom, his keen observation, his powerful logic, deep research & searching analysis & scientific calculation in his all out attempt to pierce beyond the veil of passing appearance & to come face to face with the Truth, the Eternal Fact. The Hindu lavished his genius upon this field which he regarded as worth his while, as it was concerned with eternal values. Al other territory he considered it idle to waste too much effort upon; for to him it seemed absurd to run too seriously after shadows. Such labours of out ancient stalwarts resulted in the evolution of the marvelous system of Yoga for realizing the Truth. The Yoga Sadhanas constitute the practical methodology for the great attainment. These Sadhanas are the outcome of the deepest psychological research. This psychology is not merely that of the mind but is something more. It is a supramental psychology. Spiritual psychology is the term by which I would prefer to refer to it.
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INTRODUCTION:- Mahabharata—the very mention of the name gives a the ill of holy ideas. This is a great epic heroic poem. It contains the essence of all scripturec. It is an encyclopaedia of ethics, knowledge, politics, religion, philosophy & Dharma. If you cannot find anything here, you cannot find it anywhere else. It contains one hundred thousand verses. It contains eighteen Parvas or sections, viz., Adi Parva, Sabha Parva, Virata aparva, Udyoga Parva, Bhishma Parva, Drona Parva, Salya Parva, Sauptika Parva, Sthree Parva, Santi Parva, Anusasana Parva, Asvamedha Parva, Asramavasika Parva, Mausala Parva, Mahaprasthanika Parva & Svargarohanika Parva. Each parva contains many sub-Parvas or sub-sections. This wonderful book was composed by Sri Vyasa (Krishna Dvaipayana) who was the grandfather of the heroes of the epic. He taught the epic to his son Suka & his disciples Vaisampayana & others. King Janamejaya, son of Parikshit, the grandson of the heroes of the epic, performed a great sacrifice. The epic was recited by Vaisampayana to Janamejaya at the command of Vyasa. Later on Suta recited the Mahabharata as was done by Vaisampayan’a to Janamejaya, to Saunaka & others, during a sacrifice performed by Saunaka in Naimisaranya, which is near Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh. The Svayamvara of Draupadi, the coronation of Yudhishthira, the game of dice, the forest life of the Pandavas, the fight between Arjina & Karna, between Arjuna & Bhishma, the speecher of the warriors in the council of war, are amazing. They command the admiration of the readers & produce an indelible impression in their mind. It is very interesting to remember the opening & closing lines of this great epic. It begins with: “Vyasa sang of the ineffable greatness & splendor of Lord Vasudeva, who is the source & support for everything, who is eternal, unchanging, self-luminous, who is the Indweller in all beings, & of the truthfulness & righteousness of the Pandavas.” It ends with: “With raised hands, I shout at the top of my voice, but alas, no one hears my works which can give them Supreme Peace, Joy & Eternal Bliss. One can attain wealth & all objects of desire though Dharma (righteousness). Why do not people practice Dharma? One should not abandon Dharma at any cost, even at the risk of his life. One should not relinquish Dharma out of passion or fear or covetousness or for the sake of preserving one’s life. This is the Bharata Gayatri. Meditate on this daily, O man! when you retire to sleep & when you rise from your bed every morning. You wil attain everything. You will attain glory, fame, prosperity, long life, eternal bliss, everlasting peace & immortality.” The Mahabharata, the most renowned epic of India, is the only book of its kind in the whole world. It contains countless stories besides the main episode—the Mahabharata—which teach moral lessons or illustrate distinguishing characterstics of the ancients of India. It contains the history of ancient India & all the details of its political, social & religious life. The stories, songs, nursery tales, anecdotes, parables, the discourses & sayings contained in this epic are marvelous & highly instructive. It contains the brilliant records of mighty heroes, warriors of great prowess, deep thinkers, profound philosophers, sages & ascetic & devoted wives of chastity. The beauty & charm of the language is extremely striking & attractive.
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This book is univvesally acclaimed as a masterpiece of Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, whose incomparable works on Yoga & Vednata have been the guiding lights of seekers after Truth all over the world. Sri Swami Sivanandaji, by his precept & practice, has paved the wayfor not only the great goal of Self-realisation but success in life, here & now. A deep study of this volume would compel every reader to put the precept into daily practice: such is the power of Swamiji's persuasion. Such stu-dy & practice would undoubtedly bestow on the deeker great peace & prosperity, health & happi-ness, & eventually, liberation from birth & death. In the wake of a persistent & growing demand for this remarkable guide-book from spiritual seeke-rs of the East & the West, we are releasing this edition. May it inspire many thirsting souls is our humble prayer.
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PREFACE:- It was my feeling that a proper approach to the subject of the higher analysis of life in the language of the modern mind is long overdue, and this work has to be undertaken earlier or later. Though a response to such a need has been attempted by many scholars, the result in most cases was such that it evoked either the intellectual or emotional side independently, and man was not touched in his being. One has address human nature in its completeness and not merely a side of it. Physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, metaphysics and mysticism developed a tendency to specialization and became almost watertight compartments. This was indeed not a desirable state of affairs, for it encouraged a false division in what in fact is an indivisible unity. We cannot amputate the limb of a living body and then succeed by its study in an understanding of the true nature of the organism. A study of life is at once many-side and, though a conclusive rational knowledge of it involves a study of things by their ultimate causes ranging beyond empirical observation, the purely logical method of philosophy, or the way of feeling which certain religious schools advocate, cannot be said independently to satisfy human aspiration, which always rises as a whole in its structure and not a part separated from its associates. To follow a system of thinking to its final limits would land one in a necessity to pay due attention to the laws of several strata and aspects of life. The seeker of Truth has a difficult task to perform, for he cannot affiliate himself to any particular branch of learning, while he cannot also ignore manifold character of knowledge. With this end in view, this adventure of presenting a treatise on the essential Philosophy of Life was undertaken.The study in this volume has been comparative wherever necessary, and the thesis put forth is that in the teachings of Swami Sivananda a synthesis of the approach to life can be found, with a blending of the best in the different sections of life and pointing to a perfection which is integral. All quotations cited in this work are, unless otherwise stated, references from the writings of His Holiness Sri Swami Sivananda, intended either for comparison or substantiation of a thesis enunciated. After a statement on the meaning, human life, the work endeavours to make out that, though a scientific spirit is necessary in any study of philosophy, science cannot satisfy the vital urges in man. The main problem commences with the study of man himself, and in searching for the true man, we find the Atman, the highest principle of existence. While envisaging man as an individual, the problem of perception, or knowledge of the external world, comes out as a natural corollary. Right perception is a correct comprehension of fact. The composition of the universe which presents itself before perception becomes thereafter the subject of analysis. It has to be decided whether the universe is real in the same sense as it appears, or it has any other meaning. A recognition of the inadequacy of empirical experience in its various forms takes us to the heart of the study, viz., the nature of the Absolute,—Brahman. But the Supreme Reality eludes the grasp of the individual and compels attention as the universal deity of creation,—God, or Isvara. As it has been rather customary nowadays to entertain a comparative outlook in philosophy, the views of several Western thinkers are also taken into consideration in our judgment of values. The work presents a critical estimate of some of the prominent modern philosophers of the West, pointing out how the universal philosophy of India agrees or disagrees with them, and how this philosophy is a union of reason and intuition. The vocation of philosophy has been said to trace the presence and the organic movement or process of Reason in Nature, in the human mind, in all social institutions, in the history of nations, and im the progressive advancement of the world. This would mean that philosophy is the rationality behind science, psychology, sociology, ethics, politics, law and world history, in addition to its function of determining the significance of art and religion. A comprehensive philosophy should therefore be able to explain the ultimate rationale of these branches of knowledge having sway over the different fields of life. Hegel in the West tried to exalt philosophy to this status and to view life as a movement of Reason. This is indeed a praiseworthy attempt of a pioneer, but it had its defects characteristic of inadequate information and a meager sense of the implications of a universal approach to the problems of life. He lacked the insight which discovered that Truth cannot be encountered in one form alone, for it has at least three degrees of manifestation—the absolute, the empirical and the apparent. The various questions may have to be answered from these different levels of judgement; else, the square rod might find itself in a round hole.
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The present volume contains the Text Translation, important Notes and exhaustive Commentaeyh on Nine Principal Upanishads. Originally, these Principal Texts in two volumes in earlier, and sometime aftr the publication of the same, these works of his Holiness Sri Swami Sivanandaji Mahaeraj went out of print for many years For some reason or other, the repeinting of these famous Scriptures of the commentary of his Holiness could not become possible, though students of the Prasthanatraya,-the triple foundation of Indina Philosophy, viz., the Upanishads, the Brahmasutras and the Bhagavadgita,- were eager to see the coming out of these treasures of writing and were actually communicating to us their requests in this regard incessantly.
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Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are aphoristic prescriptions in the form of pithy one-liners for leading the mind into deeper states of absorption in the state of Samadhi, where the individual merges with the Absolute. A tranquil mind is a prerequisite for attaining higher states of awareness & the Yoga Sutras are a graduated manual for the achievement of this goal. The aphorisms, as they are in their original form, cannot be easily understood. Swami Krishnananda’s commentary in his friendly, iucid style probes into the aphorisms & lays before seekers the approach to understanding the mind & its machinations, & how the hurdles that make meditation difficult can be overcome. The rendition & style with which this has been made possible is a tribute to Swamiji’s love for Truth. This series of two volume is an all-encompassing spiritual guide. The teachings are progressive in content & begin where most seekers find themselves when spiritual aspiration dawns & the need for higher understanding is felt. The reader is led gradually through the different aspects of practice & mind management. Volume I, which covers the Samadhi Pada, the first of the four sections of the Yoga Sutras & provides a good introduction & in-depth understanding of the philosophy & practice of yoga including the levels of consciousness that are attained, has been prined, has been printed first. Volume II covers the Sadhana Pada, Vibhuti Pada & Kaivalya Pada, which go into further detail about the practice of yoga using the aphoristic rungs of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as a veritable stairway on the path of the ascent of the spirit. Nothing is left unsaid as Swamiji brings the teachings together in two volume as a complete treatise on this spiritual path.
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The value of this great litte work is veident even from a mere reading of its table of contents. It is a book of perennial interest and many - sided usefulness for self-knowledge, acquisition of the power of personality and success in life.
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INTRODUCTION :- Scholars specuate about of this mounmental scripture & such other academic matters; may God bless them with success.The Yoga Vasistha is the greatest help to the spiritual awakening and the direct experience of the Truth. This is certain. If this is what you want, you are welcome to the Yoga Vasistha. The text abounds in repetitions which are, repetitious. If you do not like (or need) repetition, then read verse: “This world appearance is a confusion: even as the blueness of the sky is an optical illusion. I think it is better not to let the mind dwell on it, but to ignore it.” (I-3/2) Thia verse occurs several times in the scripture & it seems to be the very essnce of the teaching. If that is not quite clear to you now, read the scripture. The numerous ways in which this truth is revealed will poen your mind. If is wise to read just one page a day. The teaching is revolutionary. The biased mind does not readily accept it. After the daily reading, meditate. Let the message soak through. II- An oft recurring expression in this scripture is ‘kakataliya’ — a crow alights on the cocoanut palm tree & at that very moment a ripe cocoanut falls. The two unrelated events thus seem to be related in time & space, though there is no causal relationship. Such is life. Such is ‘creation’. But the mind caught up in its own trap of logic questions why, invents a ‘why’ and a ‘wherefore’ to satisfy it self, conveniently ignoring the inconvenient questions that still haunt an intelligent mind. Vasistha demands direct observation of the mind, its motion, its notiouns, its reasoning, the assumed cause & the projected result, and even the observer, the observed and the observation—and the realisation of their indivisible unity as the infinite consciousness. That is the uniqueness of this scripture which hence declares itself to be supreme:
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What becomes of the soul after death?” is an eternal quest of man since time immemorial. Soul is immortal. Life on earth is a halting place on the way to the achievement of the goal of Life, God realization. Death is not the end of life but is a process of changing the instrument of experience. Birth is inevitably followed by death & death by rebirth. Life is a long chain, of which, recurring births, planery lives & deaths are the links. Science about departed Souls & their planes of living is a subject of absorbing interest. The other side of the death is scientifically examined & carefully described in this book of Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj. It also gives an insight into different beliefs of various races & religions. The significance of different practices & customs in connection with the dead along with the beneficial effects of such oblations is explained in detail in the following chapters. Presentation of some of the rebirth cases along with a question & answer section makes an interesting reading. A careful study of the book will remove the veil of ignorance & the knowledge will make one free from horrors of death. INTRODUCTION:- Paraloka-Vidya or the science about the departed souls & their planes of living is a subject of absorbing interest. It is a Mysterious Science which contains many secrets or hidden wonders. It has intimate connection with Panchagni-Vidya or the science or transmigration propounded in the Chhandogya Upanishad. The doctrine of reincarnation or metempsychosis, transmigration of the soul & spiritualism come under the Paraloka-Vidya. Everybody is curious & anxious to know this science. Great scientists, the inventors of many marvelous things, mighty Emperors who have done stupendous works, inspired poets, wonderful artists, many Brahmins, Rishis, Yogins have came & gone. You are all extremely anxious to know what has become to them. Do they still exist? What is there at the other side of death? Have they become non-existent or have they dwindled into an airy nothing? Have they become non-existent or have they dwindled into an airy nothing? Such questions do arise spontaneously in the hearts of all. The same question arises today as it arose thousands of years ago. No one can stop it, because it is inseparably connected with our nature.
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