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Sisters and Brothers,


Once, during a discourse, Lord Buddha asked his disciples — ‘Despite his intellect and enormous potentials, why a man degrades himself and (morally) falls?’ To illustrate the point, he threw his kamaÃalu (mendicant’s pot) in the water of a nearby pond. It started floating. This was nothing new to the disciples; they knew that the pot being light would naturally float! Then Buddha made a hole in its bottom and again threw it in the same pond. As expected, soon it got filled with water and sunk. Then he explained that a hole in the pot so easily sinks it; similarly, the ‘holes’ in one’s character lead to his decline and fall. He further explained that if a milkman milks a cow in a broken pot or a pot with cracks in it, then irrespective of how efficiently he milks and how much amount of milk is squeezed, the net collection of milk in that ‘defective’ pot will be almost zero.

This is what happens in human lives if we let loose our defects, weaknesses, bad habits, laziness, etc. One way or the other, these ‘holes’ will drain out the prosperity, potentials and attainments of talents and other resources from one’s life. Therefore, you must remember that — it is important to continually improve your capabilities, talents, resources, etc, acquire prosperity, and strive for progress. For this, it is essential to restrain and remove the weaknesses of your cravings, your passions for instinctive pleasures, shortcomings of your behavior, etc. How would you do it? How will you close the ‘leaks’ that are invisible but prominent causes of draining out your vital energy, zeal, and mental trenchancy, and retarding your dignified ascent and success? How to refrain from passions for instinctive pleasures?

How to control the sensual impulses and other weaknesses, and untoward tendencies? A time- tested method for doing this is to observe four types of tapa that we guide to inculcate in the participants of the sadhana courses here 1 . Self- determined devout endeavor of self-restraint is called tapa. Ascetics also begin with disciplining the sense-organs and gradually endeavor higher levels of tapa. Self-restraint over the cravings of sense-organs is necessary for every human being who is aspiring for happiness and progress in life. The four types of tapa, which are essential for checking out the ‘in-built’ obstructions in self-refinement and ascent, are — Indriya Samyama, Vichara Samyama, Samaya Samyama and Artha Samyam.

Indriya Samyama means self-control over the sense organs. Our sense organs are so wonderful and perhaps the most advanced ‘instruments’ of perception that they practically carry out all the interactions of our mind-body system with the external world. However, these marvelous gifts of life ought to be used wisely; else, these would prove hidden enemies that squeeze out all our resources and potentials and gradually weaken us in all respects. You can easily imagine, what happens if a horse-rider leaves the bridle of the horse loose? How will a camel-rider traverse the desert if he forgets to put the rein-string through the camel’s nostrils? Will one not fall down if one rides an angry elephant whose goad has slipped down? These examples should suffice to help you imagine the risks of being careless and letting yourself be driven by your undisciplined sense-organs.

Of all the sense-organs, it is most important to control the tongue and observe chastity. The tongue serves for two vital faculties —taste and speech (voice). As you all might be aware, greed of the tongue for taste, if left unrestrained, is most powerful and nearest foe of health. Not only that, it also catalyzes the agility as well as the untoward/negative tendencies of the mind.

During your sadhana in this Ashram, you are given simple and even taste-less (without salt and sugar) food to eat; you are also disciplined to strictly avoid food and cooked eatable from outside. Though your mind is reluctant initially, after a while true hunger wins over it. This amounts to tightening the bridle of the agile horse of your mind. Immediate advantage of restraining the greed of the tongue is that you eat only that much as your body really needs. Usually people eat for the taste of the tongue and tend to overeat whenever there is some lavish food or anything that they find tasty. Unchecked food habits disturb the natural tuning of their metabolism. As a result, the digestive system is weakened, people often suffer stomach-upset, or gain excessive fat and accumulate many harmful substances in their body. In any case, it takes a toll on their physical health and consequently affects their mind, behavior, and actions as well. [Rising cases of diseases and disorders, especially the so-called ‘life-style diseases’ like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, etc, today, are found correlated with unhealthy metabolism].

As far as self-restraint is concerned, we could learn a lot from the wild animals. Unless someone disturbs the ecosystem of their haitat, the wild creatures live as per Nature’s Laws for them and enjoy naturally healthy life. In a natural forest, they would die only natural death or due to predators’ attack. It is only the ‘most intelligent’ and evolved member of the animal kingdom, viz., human being, who falls ill, invites sickness and varieties of ailments and sufferings due to his unchecked greed of the tongue. Nature has graced life with enormous opportunity. Even if we have lost our health due to un-restrained tongue we can revive it gradually and regain our lost strength and health by strictly following the disciplines of healthy diet and eating habits along with adequate exercises to lend the desired support to the digestive system.

Beware! Not only the physical health, but the tendencies of your mind also get affected by the quality and quantity of what you eat. [The process of digestion, as explained by biomedical sciences pertains only to how and what the body-components (including) the blood, gains from it. As elucidated by the spiritual science of mind, the subtle tendencies (guñas) of what we eat also augment corresponding tendencies of the mind.] The saying “Jaisa Khayen Anna, Vaisa Bane Mana”— the quality of your mind is shaped by your food —aptly conveys this fact. For example, consuming tamsika stuff, such as meat, stale food, wine, etc, would augment tamoguña in your mind; its drowsiness, ignorance and passion for comforts and cozy life will increase. Unless you have a strong will power, accumulation of tamoguña will make it extremely hard for you to convince and control your mind. If a container of water is heated from the bottom, in a few minutes, the water in it will start boiling and rise high. Similar is the effect to rajoguña. Your mind ‘flows’ like water; its agility is accelerated and it rises high by consuming rajasika food (e.g. spicy or oily stuff, intoxicating drinks, etc). You should therefore be aware, alert, and prudently disciplined about the quality and quantity of what you eat, when you eat and how you eat.

While talking of sa®yama over the tongue, we must recall the other very powerful faculty of this sense organ, which makes possible the utterance of spoken sound/voice and hence speech. We all know the significance of proper use of this faculty in our important communications and day-to-day behavioral/ social experiences involving conversation. The tone and pitch of our voice, the words we use, the standard of our language matter a lot in our impression upon and our relationship with others. If one is harsh, uses abusive or substandard words, who would be willing to befriend him? Instead he would invite scorn and animosity of others. Soft voice, clear and polite language augment one’s chances of success through his oral communications, and earn friendly attention and cooperation of everyone with whom he interacts. This fact is conveyed so effectively in the couplet of “Ramcharit Manas” — Vasikaraña Yah Mantra Hei, Tajiye Vachan Kathora.

Right from their early age children are taught in every cultured family and primary schools, not to use bad words or speak loudly or with anger, etc. In your childhood, you too must have been given the example comparing harsh crowing of the crow versus melodious warbling of the cuckoo. Do you really remember it? Quite often, even otherwise soft- spoken and cultured people also lose control over their speech when they get impatient or driven by anger. This should be avoided. Keeping quiet for sometime is the best policy on such occasions. Like many others, you might know it, but you often fail to apply it at the right moment. This could be because you have not put-in your best efforts to control your tongue. Till you achieve this, learn to sincerely express your apologies for your unruly speech at earliest possible time afterwards. Daily contemplation, voluntary observance of some penance if your tongue goes wrong, regular practice of silence (e.g. over a stretch of several hours on a particular day every week), etc, are generally effective ways of gradually disciplining this faculty of the tongue.

Apart from the tongue, another major and powerful faculty that must be restrained is associated with sexual lust. Physically the genitals are simply organs which function as per the body physiology. The organs as such can’t do any harm. But it is the excessive and frequent stimulation caused due to unchecked sexual lust, which is hazardous; it drains out the vital energy and mental strength and weakens one physically as well as mentally. Observance of Brahmacharya (celibacy) on the contrary elevates and expands physical and mental strength. World has witnessed many great personalities who attained enormous potentials and strength by adopting Brahmcharya.

Pre-historic texts cite many such luminous personalities. For example, look at the preeminence of the characters of Urmila and Lakshman in Ramayana, who had observed Brahamcharya as a long term sadhana for fourteen years! Hanuman’s Brahamcharya is an eternal source of inspiration and strength for all aspirants of celibacy. Such was the piety and strength of the celibacy of Damayanti that just by the power of her eyesight she could burn the goon who approached her with evil intentions. Brahamcharya of Bhishma made him so strong that even at the ripe old age nearing hundred years, he could willingly lie on a ‘bed’ of sharp arrows for several months post- Mahabharata war till he cast off the body on an auspicious day of his choice.

In the later historic times as well we have shining examples of such supernormal potentials: Adi Shakaracharya renounced the thralldom of worldly pleasures and adopted Brahmcharya to awaken and raise his spiritual powers. This is how he could revive the light of Sanatan Vedanta Philosophy, disseminate it across India, and establish four mathas as pilgrimage centers of pure knowledge from North (Badri-Kedar in Himalayas) to South (Rameswaram) and from East (Puri) to West (Dwarika) at a very young age. Swami Dayanand was a celibate throughout his life; separating the horns of two hefty bulls entangled in mutual fight was like an easy game for him. At the age of 36, Mahatma Gandhi vowed to observe celibacy and followed this discipline successfully restraining any mental or physical perturbation thereafter. He used to attribute the secret of his moral strength to this tapa as much as to his absolute truthfulness.

You should know that it is the mental state which triggers the corresponding brain-signals and consequent activation of the organs. Observance of Brahmcharya (chastity) mainly pertains to control over the carnal lust and erogenous imaginations and thoughts. Those with strong will power, mental control and purity of thoughts do not find it difficult to observe Brahmcharya. But others need to first undergo mental cleansing and training.

If one physically keeps away from the opposite gender, but does not restrain erotic thoughts, and mental attraction and imagination of sexual joy, then one cannot be a true celibate. More than the physical act of sex, it is this tendency of mind, which is dangerous. It can’t be suppressed forcefully. It needs to be controlled by sincere vigil over thoughts, and by change of outlook, natural conditioning and orientation of the mind via healthy modes of entertainment and creative and intellectual activities, etc. Some yoga sadhanas also lend good support in this endeavor. Sa3dhyaya and Satsang 2 are found as most effective modes of mental refinement and control. People of all age-groups, all intellectual, social and physical conditions can adopt these universal practices. These should form an integral part of your life.

Notes:

1. (At) Gayatri Tapobhumi, Mathura and Shantikunj, Haridwar.
2. Swadhyaya: Self-study and self-training in the light of sagacious thoughts and teachings of elevated souls. Satsang: Attending enlightening discourses, discussions; being in the company of enlightened personalities.

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