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Magazine - Year 2018 - Version 2
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Language: ENGLISH
Language: ENGLISH
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Triple Way of Awakening Shakti
There is a popular saying - “It is the mind which wins or loses.” Shakti (the creative energy) rises from within; it does not come from outside. If a person considers himself to be weak, infirm and poor, then the doors of progress automatically close for him. In order to awaken Shakti and become powerful, it is essential first to develop a firm belief in the mind that one can become strong and by appropriate endeavors, one can achieve success in the desired direction. Sometimes, surrounded by difficult circumstances, people start thinking that their lives are going to be spent in misery and infirmity. This is nothing but illusion. The fact is that there are hidden centers of Shakti in each and every human being. By awakening these centers, it is possible to touch the heights of material as well as spiritual worlds. The moment, a person imbibes this thought, he/she finds the direction of his/her life changed.
The scripture says - Pratyekmasti cicchkttirjºva ïakti swar¿pañºA – that is, each soul is potent enough to awaken its inner power. Indian culture has always believed in the principle of self-realization. The one who conserves Shakti imbibes ‘Dharma’ (righteous conduct). Only a person with righteous conduct can earn ‘Artha’ (wealth); and the one who has accomplished both becomes the master of ‘Kama’ (sacred and meaningful desires). After the fulfilment ‘Kama’, this Shakti leads him to the ultimate objective of life - ‘Moksha’ (salvation, desirelessness). In other words, people utilizing their Shakti in the tasks of social welfare become eligible for holistic progress and achieving the purpose of life.
From the spiritual point of view, the human body is seen to be working at three levels. They have been termed as physical, subtle and causal bodies. In order to make physical body strong, one has to adopt physical means of performing yoga, asana, pranayama, exercises, etc. Japa (chanting of mantras), dhyana (meditation), etc make the subtle body strong; and attaining the state of Samadhi, kaivalya, nirvana, etc provide superpower to the causal body. In other words, physical body needs physical means of augmenting inner power, whereas subtle and causal bodies require subtle means of awakening and attaining superpower.
Thus, there is need for working on all the three levels to materialize the abovementioned possibilities of attaining physical and spiritual powers. The control of physical senses together with the trust in one’s abilities is essential for earning such powers. Without self-control, it is not possible to conserve the earned spiritual energy and utilize it for noble purpose. In this context, there is one famous Bodhkatha (moral story). Once the disciples of an enlightened saint asked him – ‘The possibilities of rise and fall, both, exist within the human being. Some people achieve the heights of material or spiritual worlds, but there are others who live a miserable life. What is the cause of this discrepancy?’ The saint asked the disciples to bring two pots. In one of them, he made a hole. Then he asked them to fill both the pots with water. Soon the pot with a hole got emptied. The saint said – ‘O blessed ones! The rise and fall of a person depends on how much control he has over himself. Self-controlled people conserve energy and utilize it for their upliftment, whereas uncontrolled people drain their energy in sensual pleasures.’ This law applies to all aspects of life. If we do not find the ways to control ourselves, then the earned energy will soon be dissipated. Param Pujya Gurudev has suggested four types of control; namely – Indriya sanyam (control over sense organs), samaya sanyam (control over how one spends time), vichar sanyam (control over one’s thoughts) and artha sanyam (control over how one earns and spends money). People imbibing these four controls are able to conserve their energy and utilize it for their material and spiritual upliftment.
In order to awaken mind power, it is essential to develop self-confidence. It is observed that the losers in the battle of life have no self-confidence. It is well-known that the 16th President of USA, Abraham Lincoln, prior to becoming the President lost in the elections thirteen times. In fact, he had to lose the deposits four times. Had he sat quiet after getting defeated so many times, he would not have been such a famous personality. He possessed enormous willpower earned through self-confidence. The social power can be awakened by incessant efforts of selfless volunteers dedicated to a social cause. Some so-called social workers work for a few days and expect great results. Naturally they remain disappointed. Pujya Gurudev said – ‘A true social worker should abandon worldly ambitions and aim instead to achieve true greatness. He should make every effort to break free of lust, greed, and attachment. … He should think like a scholar (gyana yogi), make efforts wholeheartedly like an achiever (karma yogi), and be kind like a devotee (bhakti yogi).’
In this year of ‘Conservation of Shakti’, let us imbibe the teachings of Pujya Gurudev in our lives so that we can earn and protect Shakti, and utilize it to uplift all the three – physical, subtle and causal levels – of our lives.
With prayer-filled wishes to our readers
(Pranav Pandya)
There is a popular saying - “It is the mind which wins or loses.” Shakti (the creative energy) rises from within; it does not come from outside. If a person considers himself to be weak, infirm and poor, then the doors of progress automatically close for him. In order to awaken Shakti and become powerful, it is essential first to develop a firm belief in the mind that one can become strong and by appropriate endeavors, one can achieve success in the desired direction. Sometimes, surrounded by difficult circumstances, people start thinking that their lives are going to be spent in misery and infirmity. This is nothing but illusion. The fact is that there are hidden centers of Shakti in each and every human being. By awakening these centers, it is possible to touch the heights of material as well as spiritual worlds. The moment, a person imbibes this thought, he/she finds the direction of his/her life changed.
The scripture says - Pratyekmasti cicchkttirjºva ïakti swar¿pañºA – that is, each soul is potent enough to awaken its inner power. Indian culture has always believed in the principle of self-realization. The one who conserves Shakti imbibes ‘Dharma’ (righteous conduct). Only a person with righteous conduct can earn ‘Artha’ (wealth); and the one who has accomplished both becomes the master of ‘Kama’ (sacred and meaningful desires). After the fulfilment ‘Kama’, this Shakti leads him to the ultimate objective of life - ‘Moksha’ (salvation, desirelessness). In other words, people utilizing their Shakti in the tasks of social welfare become eligible for holistic progress and achieving the purpose of life.
From the spiritual point of view, the human body is seen to be working at three levels. They have been termed as physical, subtle and causal bodies. In order to make physical body strong, one has to adopt physical means of performing yoga, asana, pranayama, exercises, etc. Japa (chanting of mantras), dhyana (meditation), etc make the subtle body strong; and attaining the state of Samadhi, kaivalya, nirvana, etc provide superpower to the causal body. In other words, physical body needs physical means of augmenting inner power, whereas subtle and causal bodies require subtle means of awakening and attaining superpower.
Thus, there is need for working on all the three levels to materialize the abovementioned possibilities of attaining physical and spiritual powers. The control of physical senses together with the trust in one’s abilities is essential for earning such powers. Without self-control, it is not possible to conserve the earned spiritual energy and utilize it for noble purpose. In this context, there is one famous Bodhkatha (moral story). Once the disciples of an enlightened saint asked him – ‘The possibilities of rise and fall, both, exist within the human being. Some people achieve the heights of material or spiritual worlds, but there are others who live a miserable life. What is the cause of this discrepancy?’ The saint asked the disciples to bring two pots. In one of them, he made a hole. Then he asked them to fill both the pots with water. Soon the pot with a hole got emptied. The saint said – ‘O blessed ones! The rise and fall of a person depends on how much control he has over himself. Self-controlled people conserve energy and utilize it for their upliftment, whereas uncontrolled people drain their energy in sensual pleasures.’ This law applies to all aspects of life. If we do not find the ways to control ourselves, then the earned energy will soon be dissipated. Param Pujya Gurudev has suggested four types of control; namely – Indriya sanyam (control over sense organs), samaya sanyam (control over how one spends time), vichar sanyam (control over one’s thoughts) and artha sanyam (control over how one earns and spends money). People imbibing these four controls are able to conserve their energy and utilize it for their material and spiritual upliftment.
In order to awaken mind power, it is essential to develop self-confidence. It is observed that the losers in the battle of life have no self-confidence. It is well-known that the 16th President of USA, Abraham Lincoln, prior to becoming the President lost in the elections thirteen times. In fact, he had to lose the deposits four times. Had he sat quiet after getting defeated so many times, he would not have been such a famous personality. He possessed enormous willpower earned through self-confidence. The social power can be awakened by incessant efforts of selfless volunteers dedicated to a social cause. Some so-called social workers work for a few days and expect great results. Naturally they remain disappointed. Pujya Gurudev said – ‘A true social worker should abandon worldly ambitions and aim instead to achieve true greatness. He should make every effort to break free of lust, greed, and attachment. … He should think like a scholar (gyana yogi), make efforts wholeheartedly like an achiever (karma yogi), and be kind like a devotee (bhakti yogi).’
In this year of ‘Conservation of Shakti’, let us imbibe the teachings of Pujya Gurudev in our lives so that we can earn and protect Shakti, and utilize it to uplift all the three – physical, subtle and causal levels – of our lives.
With prayer-filled wishes to our readers
(Pranav Pandya)