Soul Culture Journal - Winter 1998

A Prayer to the Master

God be in my head,
And in my understanding;
God be in my eyes,
And in my looking;
God be in my mouth,
And in my speaking;
God be in my heart,
And in my thinking;
God be at my end,
And at my departing.

—Sarum Missal

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Editorial

We have had much satisfaction in presenting to our readership the revived Soul Culture through the last four volumes of 1997. Soul Culture has now entered into its eighth year of publication, albeit again with a fresh look for the cover. Although not intended to be a comprehensive journal, we have had success in presenting to you teachings of the original Kriya lineage that are certainly among the most authentic. In bringing out the last four volumes, we have received substantial help from many divine friends who prefer to remain anonymous; our sincere thanks to them.

Comments have been pouring in, based both on serious perusal and casual readership. Every effort is being made to present to you a lucid scholarship of Kriya Yoga teachings in a reliable and methodical manner. However, it is true that we have adopted a rather unchronological method in presenting the lineage teachings.

The stories and parables dictated by our beloved master Paramahamsa Hariharanandaji are mostly composed at the spur of the moment. They reflect master's bhavamukha, or his guru-mood. Often it is difficult to fully understand his unique presentation of ideal and uncommon style, but these writings are precious and very dear to our heart. We thought that it would be more appropriate to present the teachings as they came from master's lips, rather than present a well-planned account of events and stories of his life. We hope you agree that the extraordinary significance of the divine teachings of our revered Gurudeva, as well as of the Kriya lineage have been captured in our current format of Soul Culture.

Scriptural interpretation in the light of Kriya will remain a major focus of our presentation. As you know that Gurudeva Hariharanandaji has been very keen on that issue. And he takes personal interest in seeing to it that those priceless teachings are disseminated to our readership on a steady basis. We are making our best efforts to include cross-references, wherever necessary, to metaphysical passages and scriptural quotations alike. This will enable the interested reader to dig out more details on the subject. Our reader must remember that we do not yet have the services of a good library, and most quotations are verified from the monks' personal collection of books and, of course, from the inexhaustible source—Gurudeva himself.

You will notice another important change on the back cover of the journal. Soul Culture is now published by Kriya Yoga Institute. This change is transparent with respect to the contents of Soul Culture. Kriya Yoga Institute will remain committed to publish this quarterly journal with continued enthusiasm. Our readership has been steadily increasing. We are receiving subscription requests from far corners of the world. However, the number of subscriptions is nearly one order of magnitude smaller than the total number of copies printed. The number of copies printed is based on the logistics of cost and minimum printing required by the printing agency. The editors earnestly request you to spread the word and help disseminate the teachings of Paramahamsa Hariharananda and the Kriya lineage. Soul Culture is not restricted to the kriyavans. It is written and compiled with the general spiritual readership in mind and is available to anyone seeking God.

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Message From the Master

You are Born Only to Get the Power of God

My Respected Soul,

This is a very auspicious time for spirituality—the birth of Jesus. Jesus, the perfect image of God on earth, was born under the sign of extreme trouble, persecution and betrayal, from the time he incarnated in the womb of his mother to the time he ascended to his Father. This is the message of God-realization for people of all religions—you are to proceed ceaselessly and fearlessly toward greater love, greater purity, greater morality amid the chaos and clamor of a hostile material world.

At the age of 12, Jesus left everything and went to meditate in seclusion for the next 18 years. He then came to the touch of John the Baptist, who gave him initiation; and Jesus was reborn from above, through water and spirit. See John 3:5. He then completed his ministry in 3 years.

Similarly, Shankaracharya renounced the world at the age of 8, and by the age of 12 he went around teaching the highest non-dualistic teachings. He completed his mission by the age of 32 when he left his body.

There are many spiritual teachers but Jesus was the Son of God; there are many monks in the world, but Jesus was not a monk. He was the King of kings.

In the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 3, verse 12, it is said:

"The power of divine quality which God has given you, you should distribute it to every person. If you do not, it will be a violation of Cosmic Law and equivalent to theft."

Jesus had only twelve disciples, and they spread the message of Christianity in the whole world. Therefore, I humbly request you all to meditate very deeply and to be realized. Be constantly alert, and examine what is the change in your life. Be bold, think deeply how to proceed forward in every moment, and spread the message of Kriya Yoga in the whole world.

Hindu religion is filled with forms and formalities, as well as profound teachings for God-realization. Everything is there, but people are only absorbed in formalities. Kriya Yoga is the technique to cut through the superficial practices of any religion, and to access the real power of God. You should rise inside up to the fontanel, and plug yourself in the unlimited voltage of God. If you practice with perfect concentration, you will get that power within five minutes' time. Kriya Yoga is the essence of all religions. You all please meditate deeply, regularly and sincerely, and watch the divine power working through you in your every thought, word and activity…Om

In this auspicious occasion of the birth of Jesus in you, may you all enjoy the blessings of God and Gurus.

Yours humbly,

Paramahamsa Hariharananda

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The Teachings of Jesus By Swami Prajnanananda Giri

God Alone is Good

Morality and spirituality are the two sides of the same coin. Without moral life, people cannot really progress on the spiritual path. Do you know what is the distance between God and good? Have you ever wondered what is the difference between good and God?

One day, Jesus was approached by a young man who asked: "Good teacher! What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered, "no one is good except God alone." (The Bible, Mark 10:17-18; Luke 18:18-19)

Jesus was a true spiritual master, full of humility and love. In the above quotation, he demonstrated two things:

1. God alone is good. God alone is perfect. God is the manifestation of absolute goodness and love.
2. To get eternal life—that is, to realize the eternal soul as the indwelling spirit one must try to be good in every aspect of life.

In the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 10, also called "Yoga of Divine Manifestation," the Lord said: "Whatever good thing one perceives in this world is nothing but the manifestation of the Divine alone." In each human being, there is an aggregation of divine and demonic qualities—daiva-asura sampad—as explained in the Bhagavad Gita.

People of a few good qualities, who meditate a little, have a few supernatural powers, or some material possessions, are proud of their attainment. This is nothing but the manifestation of ego. Ego is the great barrier. Real humility comes when a person is rich in divine qualities.

Anyone who wants to tread the path of spirituality should always be careful and cautious to be free from evil and wrong-doings in his own life. Instead of finding one's own mistakes, the human mind is always eager to seek mistakes and faults in others. The mediocre mind finds loopholes and faults in everything. The higher mind tries to roam in divine love, freeing itself from all these negatives.

If one tries to find faults in others, his own mind will be full of negatives. Rather than seeking faults in others, if one really makes an effort to maintain an optimistic and positive outlook, one will find many divine qualities in the life of others, which will give one joy, happiness and peace.

One is as one thinks, speaks, looks and behaves, so everyone should carefully observe their thoughts, words, and actions. No human mind is absolutely good. No human mind is absolutely bad. But everyone must look within themselves and change their own inner look and outer look.

Through meditation and a God-conscious spiritual life, one will be able to perceive good in all. This is the way to see God everywhere. To see good in all is to see God in all.

God is Spirit

Once a monk went to a village to speak on God and spiritual life. One of the villagers told him: "Swamiji, most of the people in this village are really spiritual." The monk was happy to hear this, but, after talking further with this villager, the monk discovered that all the people living in the village were alcoholics. Alcohol is also called spirits. The villager took spiritual to mean alcoholic.

In the Bible it is said: "God is spirit and his worshippers must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Spirit in English has many meanings and connotations, such as ghost, supernatural being, temper, disposition, alcohol, soul, and God. "Spirit" in Latin is spiritus, or breath. "God is spirit" implies that God is all-pervading, and present in all living beings (plants, animals, and humans) as soul. The soul is also spirit, meaning that each soul is potentially divine and an image of God.

Spirituality is the foundation of human life. Because of the soul, or spirit, all living beings breathe. Breath is also spirit. Spirit receives spirit. The soul is the cause of breath and life. Breath, or spirit, is the source of life, and the soul, or spirit, is the source of eternal life. Breath, air, soul, and God are all one. There is a gross and a subtle difference.

People go to holy places, temples, churches, mosques, and synagogues to pray and to worship. But, they do all this externally. Real spiritual life is inner transformation and changing one's own vision. Such vision comes after self-revision, self-study, and soul culture.

In the aforesaid teaching of Jesus, Jesus mentioned the secret of spiritual practice and God-conscious life. First, each person must perceive that he or she is only the soul, or spirit, and not a leather bag of flesh and bones. The soul is eternal, immortal, and ever pure. Flesh and bone cannot inherit eternal life.

Second, the soul is spirit and God is spirit. God and soul are one. "I and my Father are one," said Jesus. In the Upanishads it is said: "ayam atma brahma" (Mandukya Upanishad 2 and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2:5:19 and 4:4:5), which means that the soul is the Brahman (absolute) and formless divinity. Perceive the eternal unity of the soul and God as waves in the ocean.

Third, the breath is also spirit. The soul is the cause of breath. "His worshippers must worship in spirit." In every breath (that is, in spirit) one must worship God (spirit). Breath is the oblation to the eternal fire. Fire purifies. Each offering of breath in the holy fire in the cranium will purify the inner life. Spiritual awareness is enhanced with breath-conscious living. The breath of each living being is the breath of God. (See Genesis 2:7.)

When one watches the breath and in every breath feels the love of God, his breath is very slow, fine, and feeble. Breathing brings calmness and love automatically.

A little breath is the cause of life. When this little breath stops, one is dead. Why do people pride themselves on their achievement in money, sex, physical strength, intelligence and even religion, when their little breath is constantly decaying? The breath may stop at any moment.

Dear friend! Do not waste your precious time unnecessarily going here and there. Through your every work, keep vigilance on your breath and love your breath—it is the breath of God. Breath is the path to a God-conscious life and self-realization. Through breath control, one can regulate his lower instincts and can reach the state of divinity.

God is Truth

Jesus said: "You must know the truth and truth shall make you free." (John 8:32). What is truth? How does one know truth?

In the Upanishads, as well as in all major scriptures, there is an elaboration of what constitutes truth. Spiritual life is based on truth, not on falsehood. Falsehood is hypocrisy. Jesus was always admonishing us not to be hypocrites, especially in spiritual matters.

Acharya Shankara, a great spiritual master in India, said; "brahma satya" (God is truth), and "jivo brahmaiva na aparaḥ" (each individual is nothing but one with Brahma). Each one must know truth, or God. The truth that must be known is that God is everywhere and that God is breathing in all.

Truth has two aspects, one relative and one absolute. Relative truth is used in the practical world, as in "a scientific truth," or when we "speak the truth." Absolute truth is God alone.

To know the absolute truth, or God, one must follow relative truth. To speak the truth, to behave truthfully, is the foundation of spiritual life. Morality is the foundation, the substructure, and spirituality is the superstructure.

The Mundaka Upanishad 3:1:6 states: "satyam eva jayate nānṝtam" (truth alone triumphs, not untruth). And the Taittiriya Upanishad urges: "satyam vada" (speak the truth).

Truth is eternal. Truth is the ultimate reality. In every name and form, please try to see the truth hidden in it. Everything transitory contains the absolute.

A life based on truth will enable one to lead a higher life, a God-conscious life. A truthful life is the source of freedom. Falsehood, hypocrisy, and double-standards bring constant fear and agony. Truth is not the monopoly of anyone. Truth is nobody's property. Truth is free. Truth makes everyone free from fear and bondage.

Lead your life based on truth. Try to stay away from untruth and falsehood. Love truth. Love God. Through this, the truth of life will be revealed to you and you will enjoy the divine ecstasy of freedom.

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Breath Is... By K.J. Laramie

Breath is Blooming Brilliance
Breath is Love Untamed
Breath is a Million Suns Exploding
Breath is Life Renamed
Breath is Precious Wonder
Breath is Fate Unfurled
Breath is God's Own Blessed Soul
Canopied in the World
Breath is Light in Pulses
Breath is Lessons Learned
Breath is Man's Eternal Gift
A Flame Invisibly Burned
Breath is Constant Patience
Breath is Immeasurable Care
Breath is Tender Mercy
Choicelessly Aware
Breath is Husband
Breath is Wife
Breath is Joy
Breath is Life

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The Seeker's Age By Swami Sarveshwarananda Giri

"What is your age?" asks the master. The disciple eagerly states the obvious—his biological age. "What is your age?" asks again the guru. Thinking deeper, another student tries to come up with a fair assessment of his psychological age. "What is your age?" the master repeats. Yet another meekly respond that he has no recollection of his past lives, so only God and gurus can know his spiritual age. "What is your age?" asks the guru one more time. All fall silent. Finally one student tentatively offers "kali yuga—the age of ignorance?"

The Traditional View

One of the most puzzling and confusing aspects for kriyavans in their study of the teachings of the lineage of Kriya Yoga masters versus the teachings of other great luminaries of India, past and contemporary, is the apparent lack of consistency concerning references to the yuga, or age in which we live. Time and time again, the question rings through the seeker's mind: is this the kali yuga or dwapara yuga?

According to yogic scriptures, creation goes through a cycle of four phases or yugas, each successive age being less spiritual and twice as short in duration as its predecessor . This cycle starts with a Golden Age or Era of Truth (satya yuga) where the world is steeped in a high level of spirituality. Satya yuga is followed by the treta yuga, then dwapara yuga, and finally kali yuga (the Iron Age or Era of Ignorance). One cycle of these four yugas makes one mahayuga. So far, everybody agrees on that.

Differences emerge concerning the duration and repetition (or absence of repetition) of these phases in a given cycle. According to the Puranas and Dharma Shastras—the prevailing opinion—the yugas flow in increments of 432,000 years. The cycle starts with satya yuga (4 x 432,000 = 1,728,000 years), followed by the treta yuga (3 x 432,000 = 1,296,000 years), the dwapara yuga (2 x 432,000= 864,000 years), and kali yuga (432,000 years). At the end of this kali yuga, there will be a dissolution (laya) of the physical world only (the subtle world remaining untouched), after which the creation of the physical world will come again into being. At the end of 994 such mahayugas (or one "day" of Brahma) there is a greater dissolution (pralaya) of both the physical and subtle worlds, with only the causal world remaining. After a period of one "night" of Brahma, equal to another 994 mahayugas, the physical and subtle worlds are re-created. One "day" and one "night" of Brahma make one kalpa. After 100 "years" of Brahma (that is, 36,000 of these partial dissolutions), a complete annihilation of creation (mahapralaya) occurs in which all forms, space, and time are absorbed into God and God alone remains. After that, a new "lifespan" of 100 years of Brahma begins, and the cycle repeats itself infinitely.

According to this way of reckoning, we would now be living in the year 5099 of the kali yuga, or Dark Age, in the 196^th mahayuga of one `day' of Brahma. Some of India's greatest saints, such as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, and Neem Karoli Baba have affirmed that in this present age of kali yuga, the most effective technique for God-realization is bhakti yoga by taking the Lord's Name. Other forms of yoga, such as raja yoga or meditation, are allegedly not as appropriate.

The View of the Holy Science

Conversely, we find from reading Swami Shriyukteshwar's book, The Holy Science, that the astronomical calculations on which these ages are based have been in error since around 700 B.C., during the reign of King Parikshit, just after the death of Lord Krishna. According to Shriyukteshwarji, the yugas operate in increments of 1,200 years only (not 432,000 years!), and these are revolving around two phases: a descending movement (from light to darkness), and an ascending phase (from darkness to light). The cycle starts when the autumnal equinox comes to the first point of Aries (the "seat" of Brahma) with the descending satya yuga (1,200 x 4 = 4,800 years) in which the highest spiritual virtues are expressed, followed by the descending treta yuga (1,200 x 3 = 3,600 years), in which ¾ spiritual values and ¼ demonic values are manifested, then the descending dwapara yuga (1,200 x 2 = 2,400 years) in which people are half-spiritual and half-demonic, followed by the descending kali yuga (1,200 years) in which only ¼ spiritual values remain and ¾ demonic qualities are predominant. At the end of this phase, the world is steeped in its lowest point of moral and spiritual degeneration, which then can give birth to the upward movement of increasing spirituality. This second phase starts with the ascending kali yuga (1,200 years), followed by the ascending dwapara yuga (2,400 years), ascending treta yuga (3,600 years), and finally ascending satya yuga (4,800 years). This complete cycle takes 24,000 years, which tallies with the computational breakdown found in the Manu Samhita scripture.

Accordingly, we would actually be living today in the year 298 of the ascending phase of the dwapara yuga, and not in the kali yuga at all! A question then inevitably arises in many people's minds: How could Swami Shriyukteshwar, one of India's most respected astrologers and God-realized master, our own param guru, assert something so radically opposite to what equally respected and realized masters claimed? Don't all realized masters have access to the same One Truth? How can they be in such blatant opposition on such a crucial, black-and-white issue?"

Time shifts

The problem lies not in the apparently contradictory statement of the gurus, but in the mind of the receiver. These yugas are not absolute, fixed measures of time, because only God is absolute. Therefore the yugas, being part of His maya, are relative, impermanent, and illusory. Every human being that is alive and breathing on this planet today is born at different points in time of the satya, treta, dwapara or kali yuga according to their destiny (that is, the cumulated effect of their deeds from previous births), and as a means to progress to their next phase of spiritual development. The different combinations of divine and demonic qualities in human beings is as vast as the number of points on the circle of one mahayuga.

But that is not all: There is an almost infinite series of other "yuga" cycles overlapping each other. Let us examine just a few of them...

Many souls progress through several yugas in a single lifespan. That is how a quarrelsome and rough Simon became St Peter; a woman of loose morals such as Mary Magdalen became the foremost female disciple of Jesus; a dangerous and fanatical persecutor of Christians such as Saul of Tarsus became St Paul; a mass-murderer like Angulimala became one of Lord Buddha's most highly realized disciples; and a bitter, sarcastic drunkard like Girish Ghosh became a saintly man under the touch of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. There are countless examples of simple individuals (not divine incarnations) who incarnate in a dark yuga and reach a lighter yuga in a single lifetime. Individuals have also been travelling the opposite direction, incarnating under the auspices of a light yuga and reaching a darker one within a few years, if not a few moments.

As the Buddha noted, there are 4 types of people in the world:

1. People running from darkness to darkness.
2. People running from light to darkness.
3. People running from darkness to light.
4. People running from light to light.

It is therefore wise to avoid the first two types, and associate with the last two types. As Gurudeva reminds us "good company will make you good, and bad company will make you bad."

Now consider another time frame: The yogic scriptures claim that people go through the four yugas in a single day. Traditionally, satya yuga is associated with the period from morning until noon, treta yuga with the afternoon, dwapara yuga with the evening, and kali yuga with the darkest part of the night. Accordingly, these different periods of the day are used for different purposes. Worships, purifications, bathing, and religious rituals are usually conducted during the satya yuga part of the day. Demonic behaviors such as stealing, killing, drinking, gambling, and prostitution are generally done during the kali yuga part of the night.

Finally, this time frame can even be compressed into a single breath. The technique of Kriya Yoga itself encapsulates the essence of all religions and the journey through all yugas and all kalpas. From the initial bow and magnetization of the spine—to counteract the influence of kali yuga, to the practice of the Kriya proper breathing with concentration— to establish ourselves in satya yuga, the student completes his spiritual preparation. If we maintain our attention in the fontanel and lovingly offer each short, feeble breath to Him who is hiding within us, and merge with His unlimited power in our every thought, word, and action, then we are living in satya yuga. When we completely lose all body sense, worldly sense, and ego and mind sense, we can enter into the blessed breathless and pulseless state of nirvikalpa samadhi, and we have entered the mahapralaya state, the seedless state of complete reabsorption in God, before creation, where God alone remains. It takes only one breath.

Overcoming Desires Means Overcoming Time

Gurudeva Paramahamsa Hariharananda explains that the Sanskrit word kalpa (traditionally translated as one `day' and one `night' of Brahma) actually comes from kalpana, meaning `modification of mind, thoughts or desire'. When a kalpana or a thought-desire is born in us, our entire physical and emotional inner world undergoes a series of modification: blood flow, nerve impulses, endocrine secretions, muscle tone, breathing pattern, heart beat... everything changes. The stronger the desire, the more pronounced the physiological and psychological reaction.

These desires are completely erased under two different circumstances: dreamless sleep, and deep meditation. This is known as kalpakshaya—dissolution of all desires. Upon returning to the world of senses, either after a period of deep sleep or deep meditation, creation begins anew for the embodied soul. This is called kalpadan, the beginning of creation. However dreamless sleep is a temporary, unconscious state without any spiritual benefit, whereas meditation expands one's consciousness beyond the illusory prison walls of the Lord's maya, and leads to permanent liberation.

Different Teachings, Different Times

Realized masters teach according to their students' faculties of comprehension and their destiny. Different teachers attract different groups of people.

For some, the kali yuga will be the impetus, the engine that will propel their students to eternal glory and realization. These teachers therefore instill in them the consciousness of kali yuga in their beginning stage of spiritual development. Kali yuga teachings are very common these days, and attracting large groups of people with their emphasis on rituals, chanting, large-scale charitable projects, etc. They form the base of the spiritual pyramid, without which no spiritual regeneration on a global scale is possible. Yet they represent only a preliminary approach to spirituality, and in time the realized teacher will guide his or her followers to more introverted spiritual practices. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the ecstatic Bengali saint who popularized in the 16th century the bhakti yoga path of realization, only used the repetition of the `Hare Krishna Hare Rama' mantra in the initial stage of his spiritual teachings. Later, he stopped chanting and only sat quietly in seclusion, absorbed in uninterrupted and calm God communion.

Other teachers living during the same epoch may take students under the mantle of dwapara yuga, just as Babaji Maharaj and the lineage of realized Kriya Yoga masters after him did. However we should not confuse the age with the teaching. The royal science of liberation of Kriya Yoga in itself has been introduced, lost, and re-introduced in every age, under different names, since the beginning of creation (please see the Bhagavad Gita 4:1-2.)

The important thing to remember is that these yuga are only relative markers on the relative wheel of time. They serve a spiritual purpose, but they too eventually must be transcended. Our destiny is not to move like pawns on a cosmic board game, but to rise above the lilas (plays of light and shadow) of the Lord and become one with Him—omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent.

That is the birthright of every human being.

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Understanding the Actions of the Guru By Yogacharya Gonesh

We all have our ideas and expectations of what a guru is and how a guru should act, yet our preconceived notions can hardly equip us to grasp the unfathomable nature of a guru. We've all read many inspiring books regarding the lives of great masters, but we need not even read between the lines to know that untold numbers of well-intentioned seekers have come to great masters only to leave. Many came to the great saint Shri Ramakrishna, although few stayed. Paramahamsa Yoganandaji said that, in regard to our Paramguru Swami Shriyukteshwarji, "Disciples came and generally went." Even during Paramahamsa Yoganandaji's life, his Mt. Washington ashram was referred to as "a revolving door."

The Disciple's Promise

There once was a would-be disciple who was aware that the actions of great masters are said to often be mysterious. While on the spiritual path, he finally encountered a real guru. With sincerity, he asked the guru to take him as a disciple, and accept his company.

The guru replied, "You won't be able to benefit from being in my presence. You'll be impatient, and your notions, assumptions, and prejudices will force you to only react and thereby prevent you from learning."

However, the aspirant was convinced that with an open mind he could surely understand the guru and thereby progress on the spiritual path. He pleaded with the guru to allow him to stay. He promised that he would exercise patience and that he would not allow his own expectations to spoil such a wonderful opportunity.

The guru yielded to his request, under one condition: The disciple must not ask about any of the guru's actions until the guru himself was willing to give an explanation. The disciple readily agreed and immediately they set off on a journey.

In a ferryman's boat the guru and disciple began to cross a wide river. To the great dismay of the disciple, he saw that the guru was secretly drilling a hole in the bottom of the boat, thus causing a leak. The disciple was utterly perplexed, and, when they reached the other shore, he confronted the guru. "The boat will surely sink. People could drown. Is this the action of a spiritual person?"

Very calmly, the guru replied, "According to your own ideas you are reacting."

"I had forgotten my promise," said the disciple and he asked for forgiveness, but he remained bewildered.

The guru and disciple continued their journey until they came to a country where they were warmly received by the king. By horseback, they were taken on a tour with the king, members of his court, and the king's young son. When the guru and his disciple along with the king's son, found themselves separated from the rest of the party, the guru turned to the disciple and said, "Quickly follow me." The guru then knocked the child from his horse, wrenched the boy's ankle, and the guru and disciple rode as fast as they could until they had exited the kingdom.

The disciple was overcome with shame and guilt at having participated in such a crime. To the guru, he cried, "A king warmly received us and entrusted us with his only son and heir. Look how we have repaid him. It was an atrocious act and a shameful crime."

With an air of serenity, the guru mildly replied, "Very few reach the position you now find yourself in, of having the company of a guru. Having reached this position, it is unfortunate that you cannot profit from it, for you are judging according to your fixed assumptions and prejudices. Please remember your promise."

"I realize that if not for my promise I would not be here," said the disciple. "Please forgive me. I see that it is my nature to judge according to my prejudices. If I should once again question your conduct, then please remove me from your company."

They continued their journey and soon reached a large and wealthy city. They attempted to beg some food, but were repeatedly refused and were subjected to jeers and taunts from the city's inhabitants. Even dogs were set upon them.

Driven from the city, tired, hungry, and quite thirsty, the two were walking along the outer wall of the city when the guru announced, "Now we will repair this section of ruined wall." For long hours they labored tediously, rebuilding the wall with mud and straw. The disciple was now thoroughly exhausted. With resignation, he turned to the guru and said, "Previously we repaid good with evil and now we are repaying evil with good. I have reached my limit. Now I'm willing to part company with you."

"There is a chance that one day you may again be in the company of a guru, so now I will explain some of my actions. The ferryman's boat did indeed sink, and so an oppressor going to war was denied its use. The king's throne cannot now be unjustly usurped by his son, nor can his son even inherit the throne, for the law of that nation requires its leader to be physically whole. Within this city of malice are two young orphans. When they reach manhood, this wall will again be in ruin. It is their destiny to enter here into the city, take possession of it, and reform it for the good. Now with my blessings and the blessings of God, you may go."

Going Beyond Judgments

All disciples have their preconceived notions of a guru, by which they judge his words and actions. By looking at hundreds of oysters, one can then recognize an oyster; however, by the same method, you cannot determine which oyster contains a pearl. Some disciples come to a guru expecting pious behavior and moralistic advice. Others may expect displays of supernatural power. A few may desire acknowledgment of their own spiritual attainments. No matter what the nature of the expectation, the fact remains that a sadguru, such as our illustrious Gurudeva, Paramahamsa Hariharananda, like the gurus of the Kriya lineage, is the agent of God. He is only here to serve the Truth, not pious hopes or expectations.

Undoubtedly, a guru may, as God pleases and inspires, perform miracles, engage in inspiring and eloquent discourses, or otherwise enthrall others by his radiant divinity. Yet a guru does something much more vital: he gives the disciple exactly what he or she needs to proceed toward God.

In another story, a spiritual seeker came to meet a renowned guru. The seeker was asked to wait in the foyer while the guru remained in the adjacent parlor. The guru was in plain view of the seeker in a chair with his back towards seeker. The spiritual master, whose body was of considerable bulk, then began to elaborately discuss preparing a certain fish curry. With great enthusiasm, the Master described the various steps of the recipe, with special emphasis upon just how delicious the dish can be if properly prepared. After an extended period of listening to the master's animated description of this delicacy, the seeker remarked that he had not come "to listen to an overweight swami talk about food." Then he left. Once the seeker had departed, the guru remarked how unfortunate it was, for had the seeker tolerated the discourse a short while longer, the guru would have helped him overcome his problems with food.

The convincing assurance of having an intimate need addressed by the guru is known to nearly all the disciples of Paramahamsa Hariharananda. It may be a direct answer to an unvoiced question, a gentle admonition within a story, or a variety of other ways. As disciples, we also may find ourselves struggling to understand the often incomprehensible ways in which our loving Gurudeva is helping us. Can we understand why a boat is sunk or why a seemly innocent person is knocked from the saddle? We are trying to understand the work of a guru, when in reality our real need is to benefit from it.

The invaluable benefit a guru offers is God's gift to us. Yet, we cannot partake of this gift by thinking, reasoning, or analyzing. In the Upanishads, it is written that to know Brahma, one must become Brahma. To this end, our Gurudeva is telling us wisdom that cannot be perceived by the five sense organs, or the intellect; it can only be perceived by the atom point.

May we all, by the grace of God and gurus, follow our Gurudeva and achieve this state of meditation, thereby obtaining the ultimate benefit of a guru: the realization of God.

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Profile of a World Teacher By Shri Kiran Behari Das

All of human activity revolves around keeping the body and soul together. If there is no body, man cannot know the soul. If there is no soul, the body is dead. The man who has attained the soul becomes the soul, although he leads the life of an average ordinary soul. Medical science has made tremendous strides in eliminating the sufferings of mankind, and man has emerged healthier with a propensity toward further delving into the mysteries of the human body. However, human beings are composed of both ham (the gross body) and sa (the pure, untainted spirit body). While ham acts like a robot under the influence of maya (delusion), sa's duty is to ascend above and remain in the fontanel.

Man lives through breath. Without breath, there is no life. A dead man cannot breathe. During different activities of the body, the breath changes. The breath of an angry man differs from the breath of a man who is objectively concentrating in a scientific research. The life span is also controlled by breath. An elephant lives longer than other animals just because it breathes more slowly than other animals. A child playing with sand on an ocean beach, a young couple moving hand-in-hand on the same beach, an agitated man consoling himself by looking at the vast expanse of the sea, all act differently because each one has a separate motive, and breathing differs according to motive. The same person who was at the ocean beach might breathe differently on returning from the beach or upon entering into daily activities.

In essence, the variety of heredity, environment and culture leads to a variety of breaths and consequential thoughts. By offering these thoughts to God, you acquire a very small breath and that short breath is the royal road to the citadel of God. As per the Bhagavad Gita, man comprises 25 gross elements. The Hindu scriptures call them maya. Only a short breath can lead man to ma (delusion). Ma is mother, the source of all love and happiness.

Swami Hariharananda Giri Provides the Answer

At some point in life, a person begins to wonder how he continues breathing and living, despite all of the germs, viruses, and dangers that are inherent in the material world. A man with logical thinking, then, naturally thinks of the source from which safety comes. As such, life is a journey to seek the Grand Breather, who is motivating all living beings. Swami Hariharananda answered my query as to who is breathing when he replied that soul is the sole breather. He said thought and God are one. God is the source of all thoughts, good or bad. If it is a bad thought, you remain like a child.

A personification of the spirit in man, Paramahamsa Hariharananda leads a very simple life, bewitching his viewers with sheer love and happiness that emanates from his soul-body, for every inch of his body emanates the light of the soul. He shuns all emotional activities, for they detract man from seeking God. Swami Hariharananda says that emotion is motion, not spiritualism. He teaches calmness and to discriminate between good and evil, amidst the worldly panorama. He strikes a balance between extroverted and introverted stages in day-to-day life by employing the technique of Kriya Yoga. He teaches how to earn spiritualism by remaining centered on God and enjoying creation which is made of both good and evil.

Swami Hariharananda teaches what Buddha and Jesus taught centuries ago. The flow of time through the centuries makes little difference for him, for, like the creator, he has changed with time, keeping the technique of Kriya Yoga intact. He is a harbinger of the era of truth. He teaches that there were no scriptures in the era of truth. Soul is the only truth and the attunement of body with soul is satya yuga. The era of truth spells the era of freedom, and the present world, in spite of modern tendencies to use science in its negative aspects, is definitely drifting towards simplicity, love, and truth. For the highest goal is simplicity, which is the source of all happiness, bliss, and freedom. Kriya Yoga is the essence of all religions, freeing man hectic modern living with its plethora of diversions. God impelled scientists to create tools to serve man, but the hands of wandering minds have drifted from God's purpose. Is there any computer more powerful than human brain? Kriya Yoga is a silent revolution towards a better and loftier living, allowing man to enjoy God and his creation simply, without "ifs" and "buts." Each Kriya breath is a cash payment that provides immediate result. The feeling that comes after Kriya practice is the elixir of life.

The Test of a True World Teacher

A land is known by its masterpieces of man, not by thousands of libraries, nor material developments or millions of men sheepishly treading the same path. When the scriptural truths are demonstrated through the movement of a man, that man becomes a masterpiece. He becomes free and unlimited by any rhyme or clime. A swami's home is the whole universe. His every action demonstrates the truth enunciated in all the scriptures of the world.

The Bible warns men that many false saints have entered the world. These so-called saints use their miraculous power (if any) to cheat the world and use their so-called sainthood to enjoy their senses. A man with ochre robe should not be taken for granted. He should be tasted with all possible ways to prove that he is a realized soul and capable of leading others. Otherwise, these false saints will pollute the entire society and take man away from spirituality. Does the swami fulfill the conditions to be adored as a realized saint?

Swami Hariharananda wears a saffron-colored dress, which represents the color of fire and symbolizes the burning of all the worldly desires that he has burnt long ago. Leaving his home and hearth, he entered the Karar Ashram at Puri, where he undertook a rigorous sadhana. Rarely known to the outside world, the flower bloomed out of the ashes of worldly desires, in the Karar Ashram in Jagannath, Puri a district of Orissa, flanked by the Bay of Bengal and the temple of Lord Jagannath, one of the four religious dhams in the Vedic land of India. He has achieved the freedom from evils, sex, anger, selfishness, and the like and has become a man of God.

Hariharananda's waist belt, true to Biblical truths is also a symbol. His waist is round like the globe for he covers the entire globe by sheer love. He has a large family of disciples around the globe, and, at the age of 90, he moves like a youth. His breast plate is rudraksha indicating righteousness, and he fearlessly expounds what is right under a particular set of circumstances; his helmet is the cerebral cortex, for there he always stays in a state of communion with the Creator; his feet are ready to go around the world by foot, bus, train or plane to help his disciple in need; his shield is faith in the color between two eyebrows leading to God, the father that no enemy can harm and not even death can touch; his spirit is his sword that he uses to destroy all negatives and facilitate a state of amity, peace, and calmness.

I have come in close contact with him. During my initial contacts, I was amazed and perplexed by his ways. A long breath by this Guru once made the meditation hall tremble. I was afraid and decided I would never come to this horrible Guru any more. So, I went to his room and told him my decision and reason thereof. A smile of beatitude emanated from his face and love vibrated and that infectious love overpowered my fear and I was confidant that he would never do this again in my presence. And since then I have seen my late father and mother in his benevolent and kind attitude for me. He knew my anguish for my late beloved parents and assured me that he would take the responsibility for them. Since then, he has been both parents to me, interfering in all my decisions, as an affectionate mother and regulating father. I have seen him standing by the roadside (when he is in foreign lands) and assuring me of his presence when I painfully travel in a bus or train to earn a livelihood for my family. Success or failure, he is always with me. He has become a family man to me, for I did not want anything beyond. But I have the fortune of seeing him beyond all worldly avocations, amidst discussion on the minute details of worldly affairs that makes the difference between the mundane and the spirit. I have seen him at the height of spirit and at the same time taking decisions on mundane day-to-day life. The experience is truly personal for it cannot be translated into human language. The color of his dress is just a symbol. To my mind, dress or no dress, he is personification of freedom.

This is Swami Hariharananda Giri—the meeting point of East and West, the personification of Vedanta, Bible, and other spiritual scriptures, the personification of the soul in the flesh and blood. I have innumerable times tried to gauge this great mountain, only to be faced with innumerable shapes and sizes: at times, he appears like a rock, only to meld into a dark blue passing cloud, or a mysterious moon in a clear autumn sky, followed by a great ocean roaring in the moonlit night, or a child-sun appearing with an aura of crimson red. And when I came to senses I found myself standing at his lotus feet. I ask myself, Who am I? and Who is he? only to revert to day-to-day ordinary avocations in order to come to normalcy.

The duality that is the root of all evils can be averted. For that, he has taught the secret of Kriya: to feel that everything emerges from the soul and merges in the soul. Once you are in the soul, all is one, variety is unified, and sin and virtue lose their meaning. Whatever one does with the soul, the soul being the sole doer, loses all its utility for evil in the original language of the soul-om

The great, grand teacher moves around the globe to teach that soul is the sole doer and we are forgetting the source (soul) from which the universe emanates. A messenger of truth, Paramahamsa Hariharananda wants to lead humanity to truth through the technique of Kriya Yoga.

Being with a Real Guru

Kriya. If you believe him, stay with him. If you don't believe him, leave him. I am sure some day you will return to him. It is up to you to accept him or not. There is no religious compulsion for Kriya Yoga—it is a way of life, a technique for the realization of man's search of for his origin.

As an ordinary social being I am wonder-struck by the mysterious universal order of which I know very little. My contact with Paramahamsa Hariharananda has taught me that I am an inalienable part of this order and, even if ordinary; I have a inseparable link with the Creator as a precious soul. I have been reminded time and again by Paramahamsa Hariharananda to earn spiritual money, which includes everything and all giving. I have realized that separation from the soul makes man poor in spite of skyscrapers and all material comforts. Once man merges with the soul, he becomes a king among kings, a messenger of God. A seeker like me can only feel that signet of eternity in fleeting moments through contact with the Guru. Day-to-day living occasionally distracts my attention from the soul and I feel dissatisfied. Sometimes, I eventually begin to disbelieve all I have been taught about spiritualism. Negatives assail me, and in a state of extreme frustration, Paramahamsaji appears in my consciousness telling me to offer everything to God. I realize that evil does exist and is also a part of the universal order.

To the callous mind, Paramahamsa Hariharananda appears unnecessary, and to the rationalist, he appears incoherent. He appears like a sky changing its hues from time to time, seeing and yet not seeing the flora and fauna on the earth. For he takes a total view, blending past, present, and future into one ,and this cannot be understood by a shortsighted individual, who is standing at a point of time, taking that point to be the whole. So, being conscious of my inadequacies, I have always preferred to give myself up to him.

To be with Swamiji is a whole existence that magnificently charges the environment with his spiritual aura of love, happiness, and calmness. His job is to teach non-dogmatic and simple techniques for wisdom that cannot be taught by the talk, nor by the mind, but are discovered by staying in the atom-point inside the cranium. The man who has sacrificed every pore of his being for the upliftment of the world, can only be a masterpiece among men, a link between the part and the whole, a teacher, whose job is teaching irrespective of caste, creed, and national barriers; for the whole is every part of his being.

As for me, I would prefer to sit at his lotus feet in spite of his spying eyes at my movements, for I have never dared to reply him because I am conscious of my inadequacies in relation to the vastness of his being, and I do not like to separate myself from the whole as separation spells sorrow. I prefer to sit under the canopy of his grace and experience his love-inebriated presence for all human learning that cannot express the personification of the whole.

Therefore, whatever I write about Swamiji is bound to be inadequate, for part cannot comprehend the whole, the ray cannot comprehend the sun, even though their link is indelible. The mysterious link that binds the part and the whole is the subject matter of Kriya Yoga, the part being the kriyavan and the whole being the soul. The soul is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. How lucky is an ordinary individual like me to be with him as he exuded divine love, peace, and beauty? As he leads the world to a state of beatitude amidst all evils? Sitting in a lonely corner, I find him beckoning me and whispering in my ears: "Be bold. Keep your brain free, offering everything to guru and God. There are many poorer than you in this world, so he happy with your own bread. Always feel that ray and ravi (sun) are one." In a world marching ahead with material prosperity, I try to discover the mysterious link between my guru and me, although I become wonder-struck with the link and pray "reveal Thyself." In the process, I feel the unity of universal existence, including all its pleasures and pains, in every part of my soul, pulsating with the fragrance of love. I try to commute between a body and mind that is ever-demanding sense pleasures and the regal soul sitting in a comfortable chamber of love and happiness. His grace is my success. The great guru has given a mysterious channel to reach soul and simultaneously accomplish worldly activities through the assertion of a simple solution: that soul is the sole doer and a man minus soul is dead. Do whatever you like, but remember the soul. That is Kriya Yoga in practical life: when all worldly activities are transferred to divine work through soul contact. I usually ask myself, Do I live up to the standard set by Paramahamsa Hariharananda? As I cannot gauge him, I cannot be sure if I live 100 per cent to his standards. In a world of dimmers, the bright are harassed, ignored, envied, and at times put to torture. The social fabric does not have the strength to protect the truth (bright). In that case, I fully depend on his Grace, scorched by the pain inflicted on me by dimmers (untruth). I have always prayed to him to take care of me, for he has taken up responsibility for me since the day I saw him in a small town in the state of Orissa, and, in fact, even before I formally met him. You cannot meet your guru unless the opportune moment arrives.

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Paramahamsa

Literally speaking, parama means `supreme' and hamsa `swan.' The swan is the only creature that is capable of separating milk from water once they have been mixed together. Similarly, a paramahamsa is the realized master who, having attained the supreme yogic state, or nirvikalpa samadhi, can always distinguish the Real (sa) from the unreal (ham).

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Immortality By Yogacharya Lloyd Baba

Over 3,400 years ago, the Israelites had immortality for forty days. Exodus 24:18 states, "Moses was on the mount forty days and forty nights." The Israelites had the divine names to meditate on, which gave Moses full enlightenment and power over creation. In Exodus 14:13, Moses tells them: "Fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." They were complete by meditating and remaining in the light. Likewise, if you meditate and remain in triple divine qualities (sound, light, vibration) you are gaining immortality. However, the immortal state is difficult to maintain.

The Israelites became bored with the divine presence and lost their immortal state, although what has been lost can be regained. They began to envy and hate their neighbor, maintaining thoughts such as "my neighbor has a car and I don't," "I must have a Rolls Royce," or "I must have a golden calf." When you envy, you feel incomplete. Thus, the immortal state is lost. To maintain the immortal-tranquil state, one must feel "I am complete." It is all in the mind.

The Bible says, "love thy neighbor as thyself." When one hates a neighbor, the divine presence leaves. There is no end to desire and envy. In Ecclesiastes 1:15, King Solomon says, "that which is wanting cannot be numbered." To feel complete is in the mind; to feel free is in the mind.

When you meditate, concentrate on the crown of the head. You may feel some pressure there. The thousand-petal Lotus will open. You may try to sleep at night and the AUM sound is rotating around the cranium. The crown chakra is open. When you meditate, feel you are complete; you will gain immortality.

In the divine presence, there is no lack.

Note: The divine presence experienced in Kriya Yoga practice as triple divine qualities is metaphorically stated in Exodus 20:15, "And all the people perceived the thunder, lightning, and trumpet."

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Shri Sanyal Mahasaya By Swami Prajnanananda Giri

A young boy of sixteen standing in front of a great master with a handful of flowers, was praying to be accepted as his disciple and to be initiated into the holy path of Kriya Yoga. Although the boy was already initiated in his dream, he wanted confirmation and to learn the technique of Kriya Yoga more accurately. The divine guru, looking at the boy, seeing the purity and humility— and with divine insight realizing his future—decided to be his guide on the path of self-realization. It was June 23, 1893, in Varanasi, India, in the holy abode of Shri Lahiri Mahasaya, a great householder yogi. The young boy was Shri Bupendranath Sannyal, who later became a Yogacharya, a guru in the Kriya Yoga order, in the lineage of Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Lahiri Mahasaya. Shri Bupendranath Sanyal is also popularly referred to as Sanyal Mahasaya.

A Sickly Though Spiritual Child

Shri Sanyal Mahasaya was born on January 28, 1877, in the hamlet called Sadhan Para in the district of Nadiya, Bengal, which is situated on the east coast of India. Nadiya is considered one of the holiest places in India, because many divine personalities have been born there. Sons of Nadiya include Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a great incarnation and lover of Shri Krishna in the 16th century, Shri Krittibash Ojha, the author of many holy scriptures in Bengali including the Mahabharata, and Shri Lahiri Mahasaya. (Also, in a later period, Shri Sitarama Das Omkarnath, a well known master of this century who was also a vaishnava saint and cousin of our beloved master Paramahamsa Hariharananda, was also born there.)

At the age of two, Shri Sanyal Mahasaya lost his mother, so most of his childhood was spent with his maternal uncle and his elder sister's husband, who took care of him and his education. Like a flower, he grew and bloomed beautifully with inner joy and spirit. He was always truthful and honest, sincere and divine. Due to his good behavior and superb character, he was always appreciated by his friends as well as his teachers. All the time they inspired him to excel.

From his childhood, Sanyal was spiritual. He did not waste time unnecessarily. He spent his leisure time reading the holy scriptures. Having been born into a Brahmin's family, he grew up in an excellent spiritual environment. His sacred thread ceremony was performed in 1890 at the age of thirteen. At that time, he was initiated into the gayatri mantra (a holy Vedic mantra), which he practiced sincerely. He was fortunate to enjoy the company of many saints, monks, and spiritual personalities from his childhood. He also visited many holy places. Good company makes one good. The spiritual environment and good company created the desire to lead a disciplined, spiritual life.

During his childhood, he was sick most of the time and suffered from many ailments. At times, his condition became so serious that there was almost no hope for his survival. Due to his frequent illnesses, he was unable to attend the different exams in school and, later on, in college. In spite of that, he never neglected his study and spiritual practice.

In 1893, he was initiated into Kriya Yoga. After a short while with his master, he went back to his school. He was staying in a student's hostel where it was not possible to practice Kriya in the presence of other students, but "where there is a will, there is a way." While all the other students were sleeping, at midnight, Sanyal Mahasaya was practicing Kriya. His friends and roommates did not know about his meditation and Kriya practice.

During this period, Shri Sanyal Mahasaya fell very sick. After appraising his condition, Sanyal Mahasaya's sister wrote to Lahiri Mahasaya about his meditation and sickness. She was feeling anxious for her brother. In reply, Shri Lahiri Mahasaya wrote, "He will not leave his body now. Nothing will happen. He has many things to do." The sister was consoled. The omniscient guru knows the destiny of the disciple. In the later part of his life, Sanyal was able to enjoy good health and vitality.

From 1893 until 1895, Shri Sanyal Mahasaya enjoyed the holy company of his guru several times. With deep devotion and love, with humility and surrender, he followed each word and instruction of his master. Additionally, he maintained a regular correspondence with Shri Lahiri Mahasaya. In this short period, he progressed rapidly in his Kriya practice. Although Sanyal Mahasay was very young, Shri Lahiri Mahasaya allowed him to teach Kriya, and he is alleged to have been the youngest acharya in the Kriya Yoga tradition.

Shri Lahiri Mahasaya, who knew the past, present, and future, was aware of his own impending departure from this material world, so he wrote to Shri Sanyal Mahasaya to learn all other higher techniques of Kriya practice from one of his advanced disciples, Shri Panchanan Bhattacharya, the founder of the Arya Mission institution, and then to spread the teachings of Shri Lahiri Mahasaya. On September 26, 1895, Shri Shri Lahiri Mahasaya entered into mahasamadhi, the final exit from the body.

A Life of Accomplishment

Shri Sanyal Mahasaya completed his college education, but was not able to study further due to family circumstances. He also had a strong desire to become a monk, but that wish did not materialize either. His destiny was to be a householder yogi, following the footprints of his master. In 1898, at the age of 21, he married Kali Dasi Devi, a devout and pious lady. His spiritual practice did not stop in spite of his marriage and other family problems.

In 1902, Shri Shri Sanyal Mahasaya experienced the state of self-realization and was established as a well-accomplished yogi. Still, his meditation, scriptural study, and spiritual discussions continued.

Shri Sanyal Mahasaya worked as a schoolteacher and as a founder and co-worker in Shantiniketan, together with Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Later, this institution turned into a famous university. Shri Sanyal Mahasaya worked there from 1902 until 1909. He became a close associate of Tagore, as a result of his talent, skill, exemplary character, and insight.

In 1910 he came to Puri, Orissa for the first time. The holy atmosphere of this place of pilgrimage attracted him. He visited Puri several times. He was blessed with two sons and four daughters. The two sons excelled in education and spiritual life. In the course of time they also became acharyas in the Kriya Yoga tradition.

In 1923, Shri Sanyal Mahasaya established Gurudham, an ashram in Puri, and in 1924 he established another ashram in Bhagalpur, in the state of Bihar. These two ashrams were his main centers of activity. He initiated thousands of seekers into the path of Kriya Yoga served as their divine guide.

Shri Sanyal Mahasaya was a gifted writer. He wrote commentaries in Bengali on the Bhagavad Gita and a good number of other spiritual books, which are unique in its quality. These books have been translated in many other Indian languages.

On November 7, 1959, his wife passed away. On January 18, 1962, Shri Sanyal Mahasaya entered into mahasamadhi. His 85 years of life were a period of great activity. Although being a householder, he devoted his whole life to spiritual practice and the spreading of Kriya Yoga. He was very simple and beautiful. He was like a great rishi from the ancient times, living in this modern world. Many people are not aware of him and his life. He was a silent worker, a great yogi, a divine guide and guru, the author of many spiritual books, a householder, an educator, a true lover of mankind.

Among his disciples, Jwala Prasad Tiwati, Nikhil Brahma Chari, his two sons Kashipati and Girijapati, along with our beloved Gurudeva, are genuinely spreading the sacred science of Kriya Yoga to sincere seekers.

Let his life show light to all.

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"I Will Collect Flowers for Thee" By Swami Prajnanananda Giri

In a corner of a room in the Karar ashram in Puri, the seaside hermitage of Swami Shriyukteshwar, hangs this handwritten message bearing the signature of Paramahamsa Yoganandaji. These words contain both a deep message to mankind while simultaneously expressing the great yogi's mission in life.

The flower symbolizes beauty, purity, and perfection. The flower is colorful, soft, full of fragrance, honey filled, and is able to be transformed into fruit. Like the flower, every human being has the potentiality to manifest; every human being is really a flower in the garden of God. So, every human being should try to be like a flower, to have the qualities of the flower in their daily life. The life of each person should be full of inner beauty, softness, morality, and good behavior (that is, fragrance and honey). In this way, the flower transforms into fruit and symbolizes the potential fruitfulness of human life.

The soul is the flower that never dies, never dries, and is ever beautiful and pure. The soul-flower should be offered at the altar of the Lord.

The guru-preceptor is the divine gardener, who helps the flower to bloom completely, so that it can be dedicated to God with all perfection and manifestation. The loving and caring touch of the hands of the guru brings transformation in human life.

O Lord! The Divine!

You have created us. Help us to let the flower of the soul to bloom completely with all its manifestation and perfection, with the love and care of the divine masters you have sent to me. Let this flower to be offered to Thee alone. Bless us.

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Bhagavad Gita Interpretation by Paramahamsa Hariharananda

Chapter 15

An excerpt from the soon-to-be published Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kriya Yoga: a Rare Metaphorical Explanation—Book 3 by Paramahamsa Hariharananda. Book 1 (covering chapters 1-6) is already published and available through Kriya Yoga Institute. Books 2 (chapters 7-12) and 3 (chapters 13-18) will be released in 1998.

Text 7

Translation

The eternal soul in this body, in the world of living, is a fragment of Myself. It is that alone which draws to itself the five senses and the sixth-sense mind, which exist in material nature (prakriti).

Metaphorical Interpretation

That imperishable Supreme Almighty Father, having created the whole universe, abides everywhere. God is infinite and formless. His invisible counterpart remains in each living body.

God and his fragmentary existence can be better understood by the simple example of the ocean and waves. The ocean is vast, formless and beyond the sphere of vision. In this formless ocean, waves come up. These waves are born in the ocean, live in the ocean, and merge in the ocean. Waves exist only in the ocean. The ocean is the total, and the wave is an insignificant fragment. Ocean and waves are one. This is the relationship between God, the Supreme Self, and man, the individual self.

God made man and woman in His image, and He breathed into their nostrils the breath of His life. That is why man became a living being. All human beings are God in human form.

The Lord said:

"I abide in the whole universe. I have given five senses to each person to perceive. I have also given them a sixth sense—the mind. I have also created the triple qualities of nature (maya). I remain in kshetra and kshetrajna as ham (the twenty-four gross elements) and sa (the imperishable soul). Through these, ham, the gross body, and maya, people are held tied. They are engrossed in delusion, illusion, and error. They are also bound by the triguna (triple qualities of nature): sattva (spiritual nature), rajas (material activities), and tamas (slothful stage). But, as a piece of paper is paper and a piece of gold is gold, similarly, I am One. I am the multiplicity and I am the unity. People see and enjoy multiplicity through the veiling power of maya, and people see unity in every thing through meditation and inner detachment. They receive My divine power everywhere and thereby attain liberation."

Text 8

Translation

When the Lord acquires a body and when He departs from it, He takes them along (the senses and mind) like the wind blowing carries scents from their sources.

Metaphorical Interpretation

God has created human beings out of His own desire. The human body is so beautiful and divine, because He, the formless power, the King of kings, has entered into each human body and breathes from above from the time of birth. That is how each one is alive and active in the material world.

Man must know that the imperishable power of God remains in each human body. He must try for God-realization. For that, he
must come to the touch of the realized master, who will try to make him realized. Man is born only for God-realization. God has granted this human life span for a short period only. One day, He will not breathe through man's nostrils and man will have to immediately leave all his property and prosperity, ego and vanity, wealth and family, friends and relatives, everything. He came alone and he is to go alone. It is death to the man the moment that the Almighty Father thinks, "I will not stay in this body, because he is extrovert; he does not search Me. He is restless and reckless. He does not follow the golden rule to live 100 years. He is committing many mistakes."

Man must be extremely cautious, careful, and attentive. All the works that he performs determine his destiny. A spiritual person with sattvic qualities does noble things. All the effects of spiritual activities are stored in the mid-brain, constantly accumulating in the spiritual person, but these qualities go with the Soul when it leaves the body.

Those who are after rajasic qualities (raja guna) are always after wealth, activities, and attachment. All these qualities that are earned will follow them.

Those who are in sloth, who do nothing and do not cultivate the body-land, will inherit all their tamasic qualities after death.

The flower blooms with a beautiful fragrance. The air carries the scent of the flower, although the air itself has no odor. Similarly all the destiny, the accumulated balance sheet in the material world that one has earned, will accompany the Soul when it leaves the body and goes to the astral plane.

Man must be very careful when he does any work. Any negative work will create a negative result in his destiny. Man is his own friend and his own foe. Each one is the maker of his own destiny. By sincere effort, one can become realized and be free from all destiny.

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Computer Truth By John Records

Kriyavans who, like me, use computers in their work and who may get a little entangled in them sometimes, might appreciate the following true story:

At the New York international seminar, Baba had told me, "With every breath, love Him." I wanted to reinforce that message, so I put it at the top of my To Do list, which I maintain on a pocket computer.

Recently, I had been getting concerned that the time and energy I was spending working with, maintaining (and, honestly stated, unproductively fiddling with) the pocket computer and its programs might be getting in the way of my spiritual development. Around then, the To Do program crashed. I ran a repair program on the data, reloaded the program, and the screen was filled thus:

With every breath love Him.

This was written across the screen many, many times, not just at the top like before. In fact, it superseded and overwhelmed all other material in the data!

I really appreciate the humor of this lesson and hope that "With every breath love Him" will pervade my consciousness, as it has my little computer's.

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Isha Upanishad – The Ever New Metaphorical Interpretation for Soul Culture By Swami Prajnanananda Giri

The metaphorical interpretation of the 18 verses of the Isha Upanishad has been presented serially in Soul Culture, ending with the last issue. With this article, Swami Prajnanananda Giri offers a general comment on this pearl of the Upanishads and on the importance of the Upanishadic literature in general.

From the infinite God came the infinite creation. When one realizes God, one becomes infinite. Everything is complete in the entire cosmos. I bow to God. I bow to the master who has realized the God. I bow to you all who are the living presence of God. Let there be peace in the astral body, peace in the causal body, peace in the physical body. Let there be peace in our inner life, and peace in the outer life. In the whole universe, let there be peace. Om amen.

There are 108 main Upanishads. Among them, the second smallest and the best, which contains only 18 mantras, is the Isha Upanishad. First of all, what is Isha? The literal meaning of Isha is God. If we divide this word, one part is "I" another is "sa." "I" means shakti—e kara shakti dayaka—or energy. Sa is the formless God. The formless God is activating through energy. It is Isha. Formless God manifested is Isha, Isha Upanishad.

First verse of the Isha Upanishad reads

The phrase, isha vasyam idam sarvam, means that God is abiding everywhere. Idam sarvam —whatever we see. In the part of the mantra, jagatyam jagat. Jagat, literally means "universe," but the real meaning is "that which undergoes change." In this changeable universe, God is abiding. In this whole universe, the outward universe, the presence of God is everywhere. From the infinite came the infinite. Each human body is a little universe, and, in this universe, God is manifested in every part of the body. Before going to perceive God in everything, one should try to perceive God in this little universe, the body universe.

The portion of the mantra that reads yat kinca however means that no matter how insignificant things may be in the world, even small insects, blades of grass, or small flowers of the grass, God is in them. Similarly, in this body, in every body part, God is present. In every thought, God is also present. Thought and God are one. Waves and ocean are one. Any thought that comes, comes from God. And one will ask why do bad thoughts arise?

In the Bhagavad Gita (9:19) it is said:

I am both immortality and death, being and non-being, Arjuna.

Amrita means immortality. Mrityu means mortality. Amrita means nectar. Mrita means bad qualities. Sat asat means good and bad, real and unreal. Aham arjuna means "I am all this, Arjuna." In the world, you will find good trees and poisonous trees also, as well as very loving animals and very ferocious animals. And in this
human body, every human being has many good qualities and many bad qualities, many good divine qualities and many bad animal
qualities. There is nothing non-God in this world. But what you should do?

Tena tyaktena bhunjitha means that we should live in this world with a sense of detachment. People constantly get attached to everything. The first attachment is with the body. The second attachment is with the thoughts and emotions. The third attachment is with the outward world: people, environment, and society. But we should learn how to be detached. In this mantra it is said tena tyaktena bhunjitha. The meaning of bhunjitha is that we should enjoy. We should enjoy and we should live in this world with the sense of detachment. How can one be detached? To perceive who am I? What is my real nature? Am I body? Am I mortal? So one should realize one's own self and through that gradual detachment will come. The more one becomes soul-conscious the less you will be body-conscious. I am the soul living in this body.

The phrase ma gridhah kasyasvid dhanam means that one should not steal the wealth of others. This is the ordinary meaning. One should not be jealous. The real meaning is that first we must understand whose wealth it is. The child is sucking milk from the mother. Whose wealth is it? It is the wealth of the child. We must live in this world where we need so many things, but everything comes from God. When the child is born, God gives food for the child. When God created us, he gave everything to us, yet nothing belongs to us. Everything belongs to God and we should live in this world by perceiving God's presence in everything. When we are living in the world and earning money, while earning money we should be remembering God. While spending money, we should likewise be remembering God. We should not be misusing money, for money must be properly utilized. God created male and female to continue the creative process, and while people remain together, male and female, at that time also ma gridhah kasyasvid dhanam. One should not be thinking of other men or other women. Live with your own self. Live with your own wife. Live with your own husband. Also perceive that there is also presence of God in the wife and husband, in male and female. While taking food, remember that food is God. The living power of God is food. At what time will I eat? What food will I eat and how much will I eat? And how will I eat it? And physically, how much should I chew and mentally where will I keep my mind? If I eat more than what I need, I am stealing the food. So one should be very careful when taking food.

Consider ma gridhah kasyasvid dhanam in heart center. Sometimes, you might get angry. Dhana means property, wealth. If you have some property, you are keep it in a very private and secluded place and you keep your money in the bank. Similarly what wealth I should have? If I am the living power of God, I must have the divine qualities, and those are my wealth. Anger is not my wealth. Unlimited endless desires are not my wealth. Passion and greediness are not my desires. In the Bhagavad Gita 16:21, it is said that there are three doors to hell and in that way you can know where hell is.

There are only three doors to hell, but what are they? One is kama, or endless desire—endless desire for money, endless desire for sex, and endless desire for food. The second door is krodha, which is anger when the desire is not fulfilled. Even when the desire is fulfilled only a little, you are a little happy. This is the outcome of desire. Anger is the outcome of desire. Desire is the cause and anger is the effect. The third door is lobha, or greed, wanting to possess more and more. When the desire is fulfilled, we want more. I had no money, I got some money, then I have desire for more money. Lobha refers to more and more desire. When the desire is not fulfilled, anger results. When desire is fulfilled a little, one wants to possess more. These three are the doors to hell.

Where is hell? hell is in every person and heaven is in every person, and when one remains with God, with soul, then he is in Heaven. If he is not in soul, then he is in hell. Trividham narakasye `dam states that we should know that God is everywhere and God's presence is in us. In every thought good and bad, God is there. So, I should not take poison; I should take nectar. Everything, both good and bad, comes from God. So, avoid bad and to keep good, just as the farmer who cultivates wheat by removing the husks and keeping only the full wheat. When we all are in human body, temptation will come. Anger will come. Ego will come. These are not our property and we should not steal the property of others. We should see I am the power of God, and my property is love, my property is compassion, purity, and truth.

Second verse of the Isha Upanishad

To perceive God, to conceive God, to realize God, to be on truth, one should live 100 years of life minimum. We should live for 100 years to do the work of this world. There is no other work we should follow which will pull us down. How can we live for 100 years? In the Bible it is written that God was unhappy because man is mortal and human life became 120 years, and here I am saying that we should try to live for 100 years. So, how will this be done? It can be accomplished by exercising moderation in all activities. We should have moderation in work and earning money, moderation in enjoyment, including sexual enjoyment, moderation in food, and moderation in activities of heart. Through moderation one can live long. People with an unbalanced life suffer much and usually die early. So we must have moderation in everything and through moderation we can go towards the soul.

Kurvann eveha karmani means that we should do the work, yet what is the work? The real work is to perceive the soul. Work is worship. Many people do not want to work. They feel that work is not good, but God has given us hands to work, a mind to think, eyes to see, ears to hear, and a mouth to talk. Why did God give us all these things first? Because we will try to perceive God through all these sense organs. In whatever sense organ we may be, in whatever center we are, we should see whether we are with soul, with God, or not. Through this, through moderation in life, we can live long. In particular, I mentioned anger and passion. One should be very moderate, because lack of moderation brings troubles in our life.

Third verse of the Isha Upanishad

The ordinary meaning of this verse is that there is sun in the universe and there is no sun in the hell. Those who are dead (meaning those who commit suicide) live in hell. This is the literal meaning. But, before looking for the real metaphorical meaning of asurya nama te loka, we should understand what surya, the sun, is. Surya is shubhati karmasu iti surya, or that which is helping us to work. When the sun shines, people rise and work. In this body, the sun is soul and soul is the source of all energy to work. The soul is the light, the soul is the life, the soul is the breath, the soul is helping us to work, the soul is the sun. Asurya nama te loka andhena tamasavritah means that when there is no soul, no sun, then all is dark. People who forget soul are in hell. People who forget soul are in darkness, or tamasavritah. Andhena means that they are blind. If we realize the soul, then we are not blind. Blindness does not refer to the physical eyes, but to the eye of wisdom. If we remain in soul, then we are not blind; if we remain in soul, then we are not in darkness; if we remain in soul, then we are not committing suicide. Those who do not remain in soul are killing themselves. Forgetting the soul is death. Jesus said, "I see you as white lust tone," which means looking like a very beautiful white cloth. But, you do not love God, so you are not in soul. From your outward appearance, you look spiritual, but inwardly you are filled the negative things, dirty things, disease, death, and forgetting the soul—that is remaining in the asurya nama te loka. Loka means a world, a plane of existence. The Mundaka Upanishad (2:1:8) mentions sapta ena lokah (the seven planes of existence). What are these sapta loka?

People chant the Gayatri mantra in India:

They chant by the mouth, without understanding the profound meaning of this mantra, om bhuhom bhuvahom svahom mahahom janahom tapahom satyam om tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nahpracodayat, which means: O God! You are in bhuh loka (the earth). You are in bhuvah loka, (the 2^nd center, water). You are in svah loka (the navel). You are in mahah loka (the heart). You are in janah loka (the neck.) You are in tapah loka (the soul center). You are in satyam loka (the plane of truth). Tat savitur varenyam means that you are that reverend soul, the sun, "you lead me in the right way. Let my mind and intelligence follow you." Instead of perceiving this truth, many chant with mouth. I, myself, did it for years and years and years, because in a Brahmin family one is taught to chant so in the morning and evening. But, once I realized the real meaning, there was no need to chant, only to perceive.

Some songs give a soothing effect. Some chanting may give a soothing effect, but it is temporary. But when one is perceiving it constantly, then it is bringing complete transformation. If one remains in the soul, then all the lokas are lighted. If one is not remaining in the soul, asurya nama te loka (there is no sun). In winter, when there is no sun, people are unhappy. Less sun means more cold. Similarly, if there is no sun in each center, then one will be unhappy. People are suffering in life because they do not perceive the soul sun in each center. These are seven planes of higher living: bhuh, bhuvah, svah, mahah, janah, tapah, satyam. There are also seven planes of lower living, or seven forms of hell. They are atala, vitala, sutala, talatala, rasatala, mahatala, patala. Those who forget God are in darkness in the seven planes of hell. When one remains in soul, then he is with light and life. The soul is here, in the pituitary—this is the sun. Starting from the back of the bottom center and moving up to the back of the pituitary, there is January, February, March, April, May, and June in the back of the pituitary. Then, from the front of the pituitary and moving down to the front of the bottom center, there is July, August, September, October, November, and December. December and January represent the dead of winter, so they are farther from the soul, in the front and the back of the bottom center. May, June, July, and August are nearest the sun, and, hence, nearer the soul center. Those who are always away from the soul, forgetting God, are in complete darkness. So how does one reach toward the sun, to the soul-state?

Seventeenth verse of the Isha Upanishad

Each word in this verse is beautiful. Vayu is also worshipped in this Vedic prayer:

Tvameva pratyaksham brahmasi namaste vayu. Om vayu. Vayu means air. Vayu means breath. Namaste means I bow to you, O breath. Tvameva pratyaksham brahmasi means you are the living presence of God. You are God. Tvameva pratyaksham brahma vadishyami me through you I am speaking the truth. The first word in this mantra is vayu, breath. In another yogic scripture, called Jnana Shankalani Tantra, it is said ayur vayuh, balam vayuh, vayu data sharirinah, vayu sarvam idam vishwa, vayu pratyakäa devata. Breath is life. Breath is longevity. Breath is strength. Breath maintains this body. Breath maintains this whole universe and creation. Breath is the living God. God is formless, so we cannot see Him. But, through breath, we can perceive God. Ayur vayuh means that breath is life, breath is the symbol of living beings. Plants also breathe, animals also breathe. Human beings also breathe. Only human beings can realize God, not plants and animals. Man is the supreme creation of God; yet, how can God be perceived? Through breath. Ayur vayuh, balam vayuh means that breath is the strength. One should regulate and control his breath. Vayur anilam translates as the breath which we are taking inside is vayu. The air that is outside is anila, and we should watch our breath and how God is pulling breath from the top. Through every breath, we should perceive Godhood and breath should be very soft. The meditating air is udana vayu.

Ata ekaya urdhva udana. In this body there are 50 types of vital air. Out of the 49 types, one is a spiritual and meditating air that remains in the neck until we bring it to the top through the practice of meditation. The meditating air is a short breath. In Bhagavad Gita, it is said that the breath should be very soft. Nasabhyam taru charinam. The breath should not come out of the nose. It should be so short and so feeble that we should inhale and inhale, but it should not come out. One breath should not come out of the nose. Bhasmantam shariram means that when we are meditating we should perceive so. Sharira means this body. Bhasma means it is burnt into ashes. By controlling the breath, we should go to that state. We should be free from body-consciousness. Bhasmantam shariram means that there is no sense of the body. Krato smara. Krato means the soul. Smara means remembering, perceiving, realizing. At that times, we are realizing soul. Kritam smara means that we are always conscious of being in soul and merged in soul; any work that we are doing in practical life is being done in soul-consciousness. The phrase krato smara, kritam smara is repeated two times, because it is very important and important things are worth repeating. Here the rishi is repeating this mantra. Remember the soul, remember your work, Kriya.

Eighteenth (last) verse of the Isha Upanishad

Agne means fire. O fire! Naya supatha means take me on the royal path. Patha means path, and clearly the Sanskrit word is very similar to the English word. Supatha means the royal road. Asman means lead me or lead us.

When the fire ceremony is performed in India, they chant "Om agnaye swaha" while pouring ghee (clarified butter) in the fire. Of course, this is merely a ritual, and we must realize that the fire is actually inside. Because of that fire, this body is warm. That fire requires oxygen; our breath is the offering to the fire. When you receive initiation in Kriya Yoga, you are taught about the seven fires in the seven centers. Similarly, the Mundaka Upanishad 2:1:8 speaks of "seven caves":

The word, sapta, is repeated several times. Sapta means seven, and is seen in a number of phrases: sapta pranah (seven vital airs), sapta guha (seven caves), sapta archis (seven flames), sapta samidha (seven offerings), and sapta loka (seven planes). Everything refers to the human spine and brain, the seven fires. In the bottom center, the name of the fire is dakshina agni, grihapati agni, in the sex center, vaishwanara agni, in the food center, ahavaniya agni, in the heart center, samidbhavanama agni, in the neck center, brahma agni in the soul center, and vishwarupa maha agni, in the fontanel. Seven fires activate the seven centers. Seven types of work are being performed in these seven centers. Any work we are doing, whether it is earning money, having sex, eating, drinking, philosophizing, or meditating, all are offerings to the fire. Fire burns, and what you offer to the fire is burned. What is burned? The fire burns all sins and sufferings. It burns all desires and difficulties. But there is one thing that the fire cannot burn, and that is gold. Gold burned in a fire becomes a more dazzling color, as melted gold is very beautiful. Similarly, all bad qualities will be burned, but the divine qualities will shine. Agne nayana supatharaye asman. O fire you take us in the royal road and give us prosperity or realization. Vishvani deva vayunani vidvan. O God you give me wisdom and remove all the negative qualities from me. Juhuranam means all the crooked qualities, slander, back-biting, speaking bad of others, and jealousy. All of this will be burned. It is called juhurana.

The last part of the mantra is very beautiful. Bhuyishtham te nama-uktim vidhema. Te means "to you," nama means "I bow," and bhuyishtham means "repeatedly." So I bow to you repeatedly by bending my body. The word "bow" means bending the body. Bow means to be humble. Egoistic people do not bend themselves, yet the tree loaded with fruits is always bending down. Vidhema means wisdom and constant humility. Bow. Another meaning of bow, nama, is na mama, or "not mine." So when one is bowing, they are saying not mine, not mine, not mine, and You, You, You. You means God. You means fire. Another meaning of nama, to bow, is "to be merged." Baba gives the example of sugar and tea. When they are put together, sugar merges in the tea. Similarly, when one is bowing, one should bow with the attitude of being completely merged in God.

The Isha Upanishad is the book of realization. If you can, you should read Isha Upanishad : The Ever New Metaphorical Interpretation for Soul Culture, by Paramahamsa Hariharananda (available through the Kriya Yoga Institute). But mere reading is not enough, as it is said:

• shastrani avidyavi bhavanti murkah—those who read many things are fools. Often, reading brings only confusion and more misunderstanding.
• yastu kriyavana purusha sa vidwan—the kriyavan (one who practices kriya) is wise and intelligent.
• sushintitam oushadham aturanam—one person is suffering from disease and going to the doctor. The doctor is giving a prescription, so you should take this medicine.
• Na nama matrena karoti arogyam—the patient is chanting the name of the medicine.

By chanting the name of the medicine, the disease will not disappear; however, by chanting the name of God, you can get the relief. This is the prescription of the doctor, but chanting is not enough. Recently, Baba said that one may occasionally chant when the mind is restless. This does not mean chanting verbally; rather, it means to chant mentally while bowing: "O God! O God! Help me. Help me. God, God, God. You, You, You…" So the idea is not to sit and chant. People chant, but that is an activity involving the sense organs. It is melody and music. Instead of hearing bad music, it is better to hear good music. Instead of hearing instrumental music, we should hear supra-mental music. So this is the Isha Upanishad. You heard this and you should practice it. The phrase isha vasyam idam sarvam. Vasyam means "to live." God is living in everything. God is living in this body. God is in us all and we are all in God.

In the Bhagavad Gita 6:30, it is said: yo mam pashyati sarvatra sarvanca mayi pashyati, which means "those who perceives me in all, and thsoe who perceives all in me, they are dear to me, and they are realized."

God is in you. You are the power of God. You are not the body. Body is jagat, and jagat is changeable. Every moment, this body is changing. Every moment, you are becoming old. Every moment, you should be spiritual. Every moment, you should be spiritually realized. Concentrate more on the fontanel. Slow your breathing. Vayur anilam. You are watching the breath. Breath is God. Remember: amritam, then you will perceive your immortality; agne naya supatha, O fire, O soul, you lead me in the divine way, through the passage of sushumna, from the muladhara (bottom center) to the sahasrara (thousand-petal lotus at the crown), from the bottom center to the fontanel; asurya nama te loka andhena tamasavritah, if you forget soul then you are in darkness. Soul is sun. Soul is light. Soul is life. Soul is love. Soul is God. You are soul. You are God. Bhuyishtham te nama-uktim vidhema—O God, we bow to you.

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Love

Love is patient and kind
Love is not jealous or boastful;
It is not arrogant or rude.
Love does not insist on its own way;
It is not irritable or resentful;
It does not rejoice at wrong
But rejoices in the right.
LOVE
Bears all things
Believes all things
Hopes all things,
Endures all things.
Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

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Yoga Sutra of Patanjali Commentary by Yogiraj Shri Shri Lahiri Mahasaya
Metaphorical Interpretation by Swami Prajnanananda Giri

Continuation from the previous issue from the soon-to-be published Yoga Sutra of Patanjali in the Light of Kriya Yoga (working title), commented by Lahiri Mahasaya and interpreted by Swami Prajnanananda in consultation with Paramahamsa Hariharananda.

Sutra 5:

Translation:

The thought waves (vrittis) may be of five categories, some painful and some not painful.

Commentary of Shri Shri Lahiri Mahasaya:

Depending upon attachment to, or detachment from, the objects of senses, the thought waves are of five types. When the thoughts are engrossed in the senses and body, they are sure to be painful, that is, the cause of suffering. When the thoughts are detached from the sense-objects, then one is free from pain and suffering.

Metaphorical interpretation:

Yoga is the means to attain self-discipline. The highest state of discipline is the state of chitta-vritti-nirodha, the state of thoughtlessness, or the state of perfection. This supreme spiritual state is not achieved in a day or two. It is a process of soul-culture and divine manifestation.

Life is a state of constant struggle through which one must evolve. An infinite stream of thoughts is constantly flooding man's mind, which make him restless.

In this sutra, the rishi breaks down the different vrittis —thought waves—into two broad categories and five subtle classifications.

The two general categories are

1. klishta (painful)
2. aklishta (not painful)

It is essential that one understands the subtle meaning of these two words.

A "painful" thought wave is not really painful in the beginning, but results in pain eventually. A "not-painful" thought wave might appear painful in the beginning, but results in unlimited joy.

For example, the thought of enjoying a nice meal is apparently pleasurable. But eating much nice food, beyond one's own digestive capacity, will lead to discomfort and unhappiness. For a child, in the beginning, to have to read and write is a painful prospect, but the resultant higher education he acquires through self-discipline will give him lasting joy.

As long as man is in ignorance, that is, not able to realize the identity between the seer and the seen, he leads a life of duality. This state of duality is found in endless variations: pleasure and pain, success and failure, heat and cold, friend and foe, night and day, winter and summer, and so on. Because of this dichotomy, one has the desire to possess or to reject; he has attachment and resentment. He will constantly seek pleasant thoughts and actions and avoid unpleasant ones. Attachment and detachment, attraction and repulsion, are all by-products of rajasic quality and are therefore painful.

If a person wants to clean his dirty hands, he needs soap and water. Soap is also another external object, another form of dirt. One has to first clean the inferior dirt with a superior dirt (soap), and then wash off both types of dirt. In this way, one is to at first overcome the painful thought waves with not-painful thought waves, and then to stop them both. This step-by-step process is necessary, as thought waves cannot be controlled all at once.

Cherishing thoughts like love, purity, and charity enables one to become aware of the higher goals of life, thereby proceeding to live without so much friction and tension.

As a person proceeds in the spiritual path, being a rational being, realizes that all thoughts are coming from the same source. Each human life is a "Yoga of Divine and Devilish Qualities," or daiva-asura sampad vibhaga yoga, as described in the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 16. Daiva or Divine qualities are a-klishta, or not-painful. Asura or Demonic qualities are klishta, or painful. A person with a sattvic nature is able to conquer all these propensities by remembering the following guidelines:

Freeing Oneself from Klishta-Vrittis

O seeker! If you are really suffering from the clutch of klishta-vrittis—painful, demonic thoughts—and if you really want to be free, please remember:

1. No thought is permanent.
2. Each thought has an impact on your inner and external life.
3. Positive, God-conscious thoughts make us divine; negative, sensuous thoughts make us demonic.
4. Thoughts can be avoided through constant inner awareness.
5. There is no need to try to fight with darkness and ignorance; by going to the source of light, darkness will automatically disappear.
6. Always maintain a cheerful divine mood in the face of adversity.
7. Practice meditation regularly; this will help you to be inwardly strong.
8. Follow the guidelines given by your divine teacher, the scriptures, and your pure consciousness.
9. Each thought is the reflection of your inner state.
10. Each thought is the test of your inner strength.

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Breath Beyond Bars By Ana McGroarty

Dearest Beloved Kriyavans:

I would like to take a moment to tell you about an experience I had recently, which has been a dream come true for me.

Sometime in October 1997, the idea of bringing Kriya Yoga into the jail system was presented to Baba. With Gurudeva's blessing and his promise to be actively involved, a proposal was submitted and swiftly accepted at the Broward Correctional Institution, an all-women maximum security prison near Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

A lecture was set up for December 12, followed the next day by initiation. Special arrangements had to be made and clearance received for every single item that was to be brought in (pens, pictures, flowers, candles, etc…). In addition, every outside participant had to receive security clearance well before the event.

Finally the day of the lecture rolled in. As we walked across the huge fortified compound toward the recreational center, an inmate came up behind me and asked if she could please just touch
Baba, just maybe shake his hands. Gurudeva stopped, took her hand and blessed her, as she held the cross around her neck, closed her eyes and prayed to be kept safe. She then skipped away, swinging her arms in the air, in pure joy.

As we approached the hall, the women were anxiously awaiting and started applauding Gurudeva's arrival. The lecture was incredible. After Yogacharya Elizabeth Tackenberg's energetic and warm introduction, Gurudeva chanted some blessing mantras and gave the sweetest, most heart-touching talk about God, breath, love and right action. One could see that within two minutes, he had all the attendees in the palm of his hand. At the end of the lecture, it was explained that those who wanted to receive initiation the next day would need to bring one fruit, one flower and $1.00 or one penny for the offering. Upon realizing that the inmates could not even provide this much, we made some last minute arrangements with the prison authorities to be allowed to bring these donations ourselves the next day.

Virtually all of them returned the following morning for initiation, plus some others who heard about it in the meantime. Baba gave personal initiation to 33 people in one hour, assisted by Swami Sarveshwaranandaji and Yogacharya Elizabeth Ma. As soon as Gurudeva touched them, the women immediately felt the supersensuous light, sound and vibration in their whole body. The whole room was in a state of incredible spiritual charge, from the moment Baba walked in to a loud round of excited applause. Holding their head and gazing into their awed eyes, he would say to many of them "You are so beautiful, you are God in human form, how can you be in jail? Come and live with me in the ashram - you will simply meditate and love God. Can females commit crimes? Female means Mother, Divine Mother. In the scriptures it is said `piturapi adhikā matā garbha dharana pośanāt, pratyakṣa devatā yeṣam narī rupeṇa tiṣṭhitā — mother is more important that father, because she conceives and brings up children; she is the living incarnation of God in the universe in the form of a female.' So why in jail? Because God is giving negative propensities in the right side of the brain. But if you remember Him in your every breath, the living power of God within you, you can leave all your negatives. You will be honored, you will be free. You will be an inspiration to all!"

The intense devotion, love and feeling of redemption that greeted these words and the whole initiation process was indescribable. Some of the women, after receiving their initiation went back to their seats and cried softly. They kept telling me how they felt so lucky and so blessed for this to have happened to them.

Even the director of the Wellness Center who made this program possible took initiation at the end, to the applause and great joy of all the inmates! At the end, she confided that she had never seen such a big turnout for a program on spirituality, and never seen the inmates sit so quietly and attentively for 5 1/2 hours, even missing their lunch...

As Baba was leaving the room, softly singing to them "I will never forget you, I will never forget you..." he promised to return to see them next week. Jai Guruji!

I can remember, even as a little girl, always feeling that people make mistakes throughout life - we all do. Some harsher than others. However, that doesn't take away, nor do we forfeit, our birthright for God-realization. As a society we try to pretend that these prisoners do not exist. Yet they do. Many with young children at home and families who miss them. Many are unable to find the right tools to help them get pass their anger, pride and cruelty, so when they do go back out to the world, they can have their lives be different and in turn touch all those they come in contact with. These women were so full of love, so full of remorse for what they had done. Wanting somehow to find a second chance. And if in fact, they never get out, the time in jail is perfect time for God-realization. Even those who have supposedly done such a cruel act, that they have to stay in there their entire lives, have the right to obtain God-realization.

Swamiji is now making arrangements so that we can return for weekly guided meditations, offer more initiations in the future, and expand to other prisons. I pray to God and Gurudeva that the doors continue to open in other prisons, all over the world, giving this opportunity to other souls. Gurudeva kept telling the women that they should not be in jail, they should be with him. Now they have the opportunity to do this. Thank you Gurudeva for your blessing on this extremely rare opportunity and thank you God for the honor of being a part of a dream come true for so many, including myself.

At your feet I sit, on top,
Humbly I give you my love and life.

Ana Ma

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Letter

October 28, 1997

Hello, dear brothers and sisters,

Dear ones, thank you all so much for the wonderful work that you are doing to help all of us devotees.

There has not been a day that goes by when I don't think about you.

I hope that I am able, in the near and dear future, to come and see you all again and share the blissful moment of being with Gurudeva.

All of you are so blessed by the grace of God that you can share moments with Guru on a daily basis. Please, by all means, please, do not take those moments for granted.

I realize that Guru is always with you, whether you are in his presence or not.

But you all know the Blessings that flow from every part and sound of guru, because guru is God.

So please watch carefully and with complete love and enjoyment.

Thank you once again.

God bless you all with every breath.

Love,

Craig Lowder

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Books & Tapes

Books

Babaji: The Eternal Light of God, by Swami Prajnanananda Giri. Price $10. Order # K00PRA04

The Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kriya Yoga—Vol. 1 by Paramahamsa Hariharananda. Price: $15. Order # K00HAR04

The Bible, The Torah and Kriya Yoga: Metaphorical and Meditative Explanations of the Torah and the New Testament in the Light of Kriya Yoga, by Swami Prajnanananda Giri in consultation with Paramahamsa Hariharananda. Price: $17. Order # K00PRA01

Nectar Drops: Sayings of Paramahamsa Hariharananda. Compiled by Swami Prajnanananda Giri. Price: $10. Order # K00PRA03

Words of Wisdom: Stories and Parables of Paramahamsa Hariharananda. Compiled by Swami Prajnanananda Giri. Price: $10. Order # K00PRA02

Each Human Body is a Bhagavad Gita, by Paramahamsa Hariharananda. Price: $10. Order # K00HAR02

Isha Upanishad, by Paramahamsa Hariharananda. Price: $5. Order # K00HAR03

Video Cassettes

NEW: Paramahamsa Hariharananda on Kriya Yoga. A public lecture filmed live in Miami, Florida on September 19, 1997. Duration: 50 minutes. Price: $25. Order #V00HAR01

Audio Cassettes

Guru Purnima 96. Metaphorical interpretation by Swami Prajnanananda and guided meditation by Paramahamsa Hariharananda. Price: $10. Order #A00HAR03

Baba's Bhajans—Vol 1, 2, 3 & 4. Devotional songs by and for Gurudeva. Price: $10 each. Order # A00HAR01 (Vol.1), A00HAR02 (Vol. 2), A00HAR04 (Vol.3), and A00HAR05 (Vol. 4)

The Life of Jesus—Christmas Day `96 by Paramahamsa Hariharananda. Includes a short guided meditation. Price: $10. Order # A00HAR06

Shipping & Tax

Domestic: add 10% to total amount (min.$2).

Foreign: add 20% (min. $3)

Florida residents: add 6% to order amount

Please remit your check or money order (drawn on US funds only) with your order to:

Kriya Yoga Institute
P.O. Box 924615
Homestead, FL 33092-4615, USA

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Keep your Kriya Yoga connection alive

I wish to subscribe to Soul Culture for only $20/U.S. ($28/foreign) for 1 year (4 issues) starting with Vol. #__ issue #__

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Please enclose a check or money order made out to "Kriya Yoga Institute" and return to:

Kriya Yoga Institute
P.O. Box 924615
Homestead, FL 33092-4615, USA

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About Paramahamsa Hariharananda

Paramahamsa Hariharananda, the greatest living master in Kriya Yoga, was the head of Karar Ashram, Puri, Orissa, founded by Swami Shriyukteshwar Giri. He is founder of the international organization Kriya Yoga Ashram, and the Kriya Yoga Institute in the U.S.A. He was first a devoted disciple of Shriyukteshwarji and, subsequently, learned other higher techniques of Kriya Yoga from Paramahamsa Yogananda, Swami Satyananda Giri and Shrimat Bhupendranath Sanyal.

He is, at present, widely known as a Self-realized Kriya Yogi in the line of Shri Shyamacharan Lahiri and Swami Shriyukteshwar Giri, who instructed him to come to the Western countries and teach the authentic, original Kriya Yoga. He has attracted the attention of educated Indians and Westerners for his vast knowledge in the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and other Hindu scriptures, including astrology, astronomy, palmistry, various systems of yoga, as well as a thorough knowledge of major Western scriptures. Through his proficiency in many languages, he is accessible to people of different lands.

The master saint of the scientific technique of Kriya Yoga, Swami Hariharananda occupies a high rank among the Indian yogis of this century. He has, above all, attained the stage of Paramahamsa, the state of nirvikalpa samadhi, the highest spiritual attainment of complete cessation of breath and pulse.

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