First 11 13 Last

Sisters and Brothers,

Fifty-five years ago a life transforming event happened in my life. My divine mentor, my Gurudev, appeared from the flame of the dºpaka1 lighted in my worship room.  I saw him in light-form; his face was also visible in it. Since then I have kept this flame uninterruptedly lighted, so that the light he illumined in my life will continue to inspire and guide me every moment.

This first meeting with him lasted only for about thirty minutes. I was fifteen years old; and I was doing Gayatri Mantra Japa2 in a state of deep meditation at that time.  Suddenly I felt a heavenly light and beatifying fragrance spread around me. I opened my eyes and saw that the light-body that had emerged from the dipaka was moving. I could see a human form in it. For a moment I shivered with fright, as I thought it to be some ghost! The light-body then started talking to me. “Don’t get frightened my child; I have come to remind you of the divine purpose of your life!” – I heard. I still thought it a hallucinating experience. Moments later, the angelic-being asked me to close my eyes. I did so.

I could then watch my past three lives, so clearly, as though a reel of a film’s highlights was being played before me. I could also see him (the angelic-being) with me and realized how in every life he had been guiding me in sublime form. It was a great awakening for me! I bowed my head with reverence before my Gurudev (noble spiritual master) of past three lives and prayed him to guide me on the path of this life’s purpose as well. He asked me to do twenty-four Mahapurashcharanas of Gayatri and said, “You will have to be strong like steel from within. Majestic characters alone can accomplish great tasks. You will have to carve yourself into a suitable receptacle so that currents of divine power can flow within you. Weak personalities cannot bear the force of the supreme divine power (shakti). They would go mad”.    

As you all know, thousand watts of electricity would burn a hundred watt bulb in no time.  Atomic energy is produced only in the furnaces (reactors) especially designed for it and well protected to prevent atomic radiations in its surrounding region. Similar is the case of spiritual powers. No spiritual power can be bestowed upon a seeker unless he or she deserves it, unless he/she is capable of absorbing it and using it wisely.  Do you think you can hold any power of Lord Shiva or Hanuman? No. You will have to have the divine purity within you to invoke their grace and assimilate their blessings within you.

Weak, selfish, sensuous persons cannot hold and assimilate spiritual force. Even if it reaches them, it will push them; it will either withdraw or explode and tarnish them.  What I mean by ‘explode and tarnish’? I mean that the weak or undeserving ones would go mad — their hidden cravings and evil instincts would also bulge out and pervert their mind, because the negative tendencies cannot bear the glow of divinity. They might madden in the arrogance of the sudden attainment of supernormal potentials. They might even lose mental balance and become clinically mad forever.

When spirituality enters in one’s inner self, it first cleanses out the negative tendencies and nurtures the positive ones, if any. Thus, whatever negativity is stored in the subconscious, will definitely come to surface; and unless resolutely and vigilantly thrown out of the psyche it might nullify the initiation of the good. Many episodes in our Puranas (ancient scriptures) make mention of Rishi Durvasa’s anger. His short-tempered nature had compounded initially with the intensity of his sadhanas.  You might have also experienced that when you do an anuÌÚh³na, if you have not restrained your thoughts, sometimes your hidden erogenicity might aggravate or your irritating nature, your anger might grow if you have never bothered to check it. Spiritual s³dhan³ will enhance your goodwill and virtuous tendencies too, if you have any. Your good thoughts, discreet reasoning, goodwill, interest in gaining pure knowledge, your kindness, your devotion etc will definitely increase.    

In simple terms, the effect of spiritual s³dhan³s, anusÚh³ns is – generation of ïakti according to your dedicated endeavor; it boosts up your inner system, gives a new thrust to your inner force. But where will this power work? It will work on the fields of your inner self; catalyze whatever is already activated there. What will happen then?  

Ploughing of this field - purification of the inner-self - is therefore essential. How is this accomplished? This is done by tapa. Doing tapa is not easy; it means penance, self-restraint, refinement of personality by ascetic disciplines with self- determination. It means chiseling your being. Therefore my divine guru asked me to do tapa. This was to make me strong, empowered. As per his guidance, I did the tapa for 24 years. I sincerely followed many ascetic disciplines. Let me tell you about the one, which is the first and most important step of any tapa… Well, that is — restraining the greed of the tongue. For 24 years of my youth, I have survived only on butter-milk and rotis made up of barley. This tapa was like human alchemy. It is said that at touch of some mythological stone called paras iron is converted into gold. The ‘paras’ of tapa is real; it results in illumined transmutation of a person.     

My divine guru bestowed ïaktip³ta on me and awakened my kuñÃalinº.  You must have heard these terms and might even be curious to experience them. Many people say many things about ïaktip³ta and awakening of kuñÃalinº, people have lots of misconceptions about these. KuñÃalinº is often referred as the “serpentine force” or “serpentine fire” in yoga and spiritual literature. People think there is some snake-like thing lying dormant in the mul³dh³ra chakra; when it is stimulated and awakened this ‘divine snake’ or ‘supernatural energy current’ moves upwards in a spiral manner along the spinal cord and activates supernatural talents in the brain.

Similarly, regarding ïaktip³ta, most of you might be having an impression that a guru gives some kind of electric shock by putting his hand on the head of the disciple to transmit occult ïakti and this special kind of ‘electricity’ induces enormous energy in the latter’s body. Some so-called gurus even conduct such experiments; what is more, the aspirants even feel the current or activation during such experiments. But let me tell you, these kinds of experiences are nothing more than hypnotism or mesmerism. I can give you live demonstration and experience of many such effects. But these will serve no spiritual purpose. These kinds of feelings and experiences are short-lived and pertain to physical body and the superficial mind alone. These are neither linked with the pr³ña (vital spiritual energy) nor with the soul.

I regard those gurus only as hypnotizers or magicians who talk of awakening kuñÃalinº in one’s body and showing God. The aspirants who run after them are like immature kids. I hope you are not one of them! Just apply your reasoning! How could one experience spiritual effects in the physical body? Is kuñÃalinº a physical entity?  Does your soul have eyes to see God or any divine power? If you can see it through the eyes in your body, then God would also have to be a physical being? So don’t get trapped in such fantasies or day-dreaming.

KuñÃalinº is a spiritual power. It is an expression of the supreme consciousness indwelling in the soul. Its ‘activation’ is first expressed in awakening of the wisdom, farsightedness and discrete reasoning. With the awakening of my kuñÃalinº, I realized that the way the world (majority of the people in this world) thinks is simply far, far different from what I think. Most people have worldly aims. Their desires, their thoughts, and their actions, are driven by ego and worldly attachments and revolve around pleasures of the body and mind. Relatives, friends, family members, and your acquaintances and the people you interact with, may perceive the world in their own ways and mostly follow the trends set by the majority around.  When I began my sadhana, on the one side was the pull and pressure of these people and on the other was the immense power of my inner prudence.

My awakened kuñÃalinº — my enlightened intellect, showed me that people’s thinking is generally immature, shortsighted, unjustified, self-centered and often cunning in some way.  It did not allow me to follow this insane herd-mentality.  I decided that I will not listen to the world; I will only listen to inspirations of my divine guru and will do whatever my inner wisdom finds righteous.

The “Ekla Chalo Re ….” poem of Rabindra Nath Tagore conveys the same message. It gives a glimpse of how the awakened kuñÃalinº would guide and empower you. Why can’t you set the new trends? Why can’t you walk alone on your own? The Sun moves alone; the Earth, the Moon, also don’t wait for others to hold them or move with them!

You must have heard of revered saint Samarth Guru Ramdas, the guru, the guide of Great Maratha king Shivaji (who changed the course of history and protected India and Hindu Culture from the expanding empire of the Muslims).  Do you know his kuñÃalinº was also awakened. When? Right in the pandal of his wedding ceremony! He was emotionally compelled by the family to get married and live a worldly life like others of his age-group. But before the wedding rituals, he heard his inner voice that reminded him the great purpose of his life. This was really the awakening of his kuñÃalinº; it inspired immense courage in him. He threw away the attire of bridegroom and ran away. There was no looking back. Thereafter the enlightened life of this yogi was devoted for the country; for illuminating, and uplifting the lives of the masses.

One more distinct life that flashes in my memory right now is that of revered Adi
Shankaracharya - the great Sanyasi, preeminent scholar - who revived the glory of Vedanta (Upanishads) and showed the light of knowledge to the world at beginning of his youth.  His mother and near relatives too wanted him to make use of his extraordinary intellect for materialist gains and adopt a prestigious worldly life.  But he often used to deeply feel in moments of meditation that his soul was born in human form with blessings of Lord Shankar’s powers. In his early teenage, his kuñÃalinº was awakened (in the form of illumined intelligence); he chose the path of sany³sa; his endeavors thereafter proved the divinity of his soul.

People in the society are our friends, relatives, colleagues, acquaintances, etc. In some form or the other they keep exerting emotional pressure, influence our thinking and try pulling us to think and live like them. There also are similar kinds of friends and relatives within, which, though ‘invisible’, are closest to us. Commenting on the latter Goswami Tulasidas has termed the latter as thieves. Yes, these are our inner tendencies of ego and cravings, our worldly concepts, our prejudices, which are hidden within us like thieves. Unless checked, they would, without our knowledge, keep nibbling our confidence, our goodwill, our reasoning mental concentration and would make us run after worldly gains. My awakened kuñÃalinº made all this crystal clear to me.  It ‘activated’ my discerning intellect. It inspired in me righteous thinking and altruistic feelings. From a village-boy of a family of priests, it transmuted me into a national and then into a global personality.  My domain (the domain of my mission) is still expanding. I will continue to expand further till 8-10 years more of my physical life.

Awakened kuñÃalinº exalted my being, my reasoning, my benevolence, and my discerning thought-power, and expanded my vision and knowledge to supramental levels. I want you all to elevate yourselves; I want to activate your kuñÃalinº too, to awaken your wisdom. But I do not know whether I will have that fortune.

Well, I hope you have now understood what is really meant by awakening of kuñÃalinº.  Divine intellect, enlightened thoughts, farsighted vision, etc, - all are fine qualities of an evolved personality. But the almighty does not bestow these without any purpose. One needs to make righteous use of these to accomplish divine purposes. Prudence of mind and immense courage, self-confidence and strength are essential to do this. My guru bestowed these upon me through ïaktip³ta.

Notes:
1.    Dºpaka: Small lamp of ghee or refined oil.
2.    Japa: Rhythmic enunciation /silent recitation.
3.    S³dhan³: Devout endeavor of self-refinement for spiritual upliftment.

                                                                                                                              (To be concluded in next issue)

First 11 13 Last