Monthly Archive for December, 2004

Meditation Course – Dorothy and Philip

Published on December 22, 2004 in Letters and emails to the Ashram. 0 Comments

The following letters were received by Swamiji from Philip Hunt and Dorothy Fellows who attended the 3rd week of the course, Pranayama & Meditation.Dear Swami Indrananda,

Firstly, I would like to thank you for your patience and kindness that you showed me for the week of breathing and meditation. I came to you to learn mainly about breathing techniques and have come away with a lot more. Since being home I have continued to practice postures and breathing techniques. Slowly, improvements are being made. What I was not expecting was the difference I now experience/observe, the changes in me and around me. As of yet, I cannot really explain this in words – maybe I am just ready for change.

Swami Ramaswarupananda I can see how he would have gained disciples and followers. Of his many lessons, the one that stands out in my mind was the statement of
“What is true, changes. What is truth is permanent.”

In life, I do not know whether you are meant to meet certain people, but I feel very lucky to have spent a week with you both. Enclosed is a verse I wrote some years ago. I hope you enjoy it.

The leaf
Unfolds with the promise of spring
Grows and prospers in the summers sun
Sighs and falls in autumns glow
Withers and dies in winters night
Yet is this not a trick,
an illusion of life?
For life needs love, and is
love not immortal?Until we meet again. Best Wishes, Phil (Philip Hunt)Dear Swami Indrananda Ji,Thank you so much for having me on the course. It is now early Friday morning and I feel rested after our journey, ready and energised to get on with my routine of the day. What a delight to have the company of Swami Ramaswarupananda and his teachings, an opportunity not to be missed.My stay allowed for self analysis and I am grateful to you for making this possible. If at any time I offended you, you showed me the right path by correction. Thanks once again for your patience and understanding.Dorothy Fellows

Shat Karma Course – Supriya

Published on December 22, 2004 in Activities at the Ashram. 0 Comments

August Residential Course

First Week – Supriya

Shat Karma

“These six acts should be performed: washing out the stomach (dhauti), washing out the bowels (basti), cleansing of the nose (neti), shaking the abdomen (nauli), fixing with the eyes (trataka) and breathing bellows (kapala bhati).” (Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2, 22.)I was lucky enough to be able to attend the first week of the three week retreat. This was aimed at teaching the shat karmas and cleansing the complete body. These are aimed at detoxifying and rejuvenating the whole body. There were six of us on the retreat so we were all able to have individual bedrooms and not have to sleep under canvas. The retreat started on the Friday. The following day was the first Saturday of August so we had Havan Yajna and Satsang. Indrananda Ji had sent us all off for a walk mid morning with instructions of which route to take, whilst he attended to his personal practice and making the divine luncheon. Unfortunately, unknown to us the footpath which he intended us to use was closed and we had to go a long way around through fairly rough undergrowth. We had to resort to climbing a fence and jumping across a stream to get back to the original footpath.Hence we were rather late returning and my husband, Hari Dasa and daughter, Amber, who were visiting for the Satsang had to collect the flowers and foliage for the surroundings of the fire and generally prepare for Havan Yajna, the fire ceremony and the expected visitors. As usual, Satsang was a lovely day and we had three visitors from the London Satyananda Centre who joined us for the day. One of them, Krishnadhyanam, played the harmonium very well and gave an impromptu harmonium lesson after lunch.Normally, Bernard Platt helps Indrananda Ji and takes some of the classes during the August retreat. Unfortunately, due to health problems, Bernard could not join us. Hence, at Indrananda Ji’s direction, I taught the morning asana session including some bandhas and mudras in preparation for the shat karmas. During the week, we were introduced to the six shat karmas (cleansing kriyas) or purificatory exercises; nauli, neti, trataka, kapalabhati, dhauti and basti. We were also taught about yogic food and the dietary principles necessary to achieve thorough cleansing. Of course, at the ashram we only ate sattvic food so this greatly helped in the cleansing process. In addition, we had one day where we conducted shankprakshalana, a complete cleansing of the stomach, intestines and bowels.

We had asana, pranayama and meditation sessions each day with emphasis given to practices which would aid the cleansing process. Postures and bandhas such as uddhiyana and agnisari, leading towards control of the abdominal muscles and nauli were practiced daily. Other practices such as aswini were new to some people and took a lot of repetition to isolate and start to get control of the relevant area.

Of course each day started and ended with chanting. The early morning posture session was followed by a very welcome breakfast of Indrananda Ji’s porridge (see recipe in this magazine) and fresh fruit salad. Each day also included asana, pranayama, walk/karma yoga, study, talks and discussions, etc. In addition, we were taught how to prepare and cook sattvic foods. Lunch was the main meal of the day with the evening meal consisting of soup and pudding. I was surprised but pleased to find that during the retreat, I wasn’t at all hungry despite eating less than I would at home and doing more energetic activities.

Geoffrey was also in attendance during the week, single-handedly insulating, plaster boarding, wiring and finishing off the new, 3 bedroom block which he had built. He was working from early morning until late at night but I was still astonished at how much he managed to achieve. We did try to keep him adequately supplied with food and lots of tea to keep him going.

I really enjoyed my week at the ashram and would thoroughly recommend attending the August retreat to anyone.

The Divine Mother and the Mind – Swami Ramaswarupananda

Published on December 9, 2004 in Articles. 0 Comments

(Swami Ramaswarupananda Ji joined Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh at the age of 17, and was initiated by H.H. Swami Keishnanandaji Marharaj and served for many years the President of the Ashram, Pujya Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj, as his Secretary until recently he retired to Uttar Kashi, not very far from Rishikesh to continue his own Sadhana. We were fortunate to have him for about 10 days during his world tour during 2nd and 3rd weeks of our Residential Course. He has now returned to Uttar Kashi and we wish him very successful sadhana).
The following article was provided by Jenny Newman. She transcribed it from a talk by a Swami Ramaswarupananda, which she recorded during her attendance at the second week of the three week August retreat.

The Divine Mother and the Mind – Swami Ramaswarupananda Ji transcribed by Jenny Newman.)

EVERY YEAR IN INDIA A CERMONY IS PERFORMED FOR NINE DAYS TO THE DIVINE MOTHER, THIS WORSHIP IS A VERY IMPORTANT EVENT AND IS KNOWN AS NAVARATRI. The first three days are dedicated to KALI, then LAKSHMI and the last three days to SARASWATI. One of the mantras that we chanted on the course for the Divine Mother was:

OM AIM HAREEM KLEEM CHA MUNDAYE VICHE

AIM is the bija mantra for the Goddess SARASWATI
HAREEM is for LAKSHMI
KLEEM is for KALI
From this chant it is possible to receive three different boons as we invoke the Devis (Godesses).

KALI Prepares the sadhaka for spiritual upliftment by getting rid of all the evil tendencies.
LAKSHMI From Lakshmi comes wealth – both material and spiritual.
SARASWATI Gives knowledge and wisdom.

Swami Ramaswarupananda Ji Maharaj tells us the following story:

There was a demon called MAHISASURA who had the boon that none of the Gods could kill him except for a Nickeruman (a celestial figure). As it would be very difficult for a Nickeruman to kill him all the Gods sat at a round table thinking about what they could do. Then in the middle of them a Devi appeared and she said:
“My name is DURGA and I have come to help you. I am going to kill this demon for you but the only thing is YOU HAVE TO GIVE ME ALL YOUR POWER, each person has to give me all their power.” So Shiva gave his trident and all the other Gods gave their weapons also.

Armed with these weapons Durga goes to the forest where the demon was disguised as a beautiful young girl. Two of the King’s captains saw this young girl moving around in the forest and asked:
“What are you doing here a beautiful girl like you; you should be the Queen of our King.”
“Oh I am waiting for my marriage; there is nobody to marry me.”
“Why?” They asked.
“Well unless I defeat someone in battle I cannot marry.”
To this they replied “We will offer ourselves for battle.”
Their names were SUMBHA AND NISUMBHA.

They enter into a fight with her and she kills one of them (Nisumbha) and knowingly, cleverly, leaves the other one to go to the King and tells what has happened. Sumbha then goes to the King and tells him what has happened.
He says “Oh! Is that so, take one million soldiers and go and fight with her.”
WITHIN A FEW SECONDS SHE KILLS EVERYONE!
So now the King himself gets prepared to go to battle but while he is dressing a small soldier comes and pleads with him.
“Sir don’t go to battle, I am still alive why should you go?”
“But what can you do? Millions have been killed by her she is not an ordinary woman?”
“No No, my name is RAKTABIJA; Rakta means blood, Bija means from the seed of my blood. I don’t have to produce a child that will then have to grow into an adult for as soon as my blood drops on the ground it will produce another person just like me, equally strong straight away.” (Instant cloning!)

So he goes to fight with her and when the blood drops from his body, millions and millions of Raktabijas are in the battlefield and she just cannot manage them for when she kills one billions more appear. So DURGA being the all powerful parashakti invokes a Devi called KALI from her left-hand side. KALI comes, she is naked and has a very large tongue, she says:
“What can I do for you?”
“Spread your tongue on the ground for when I kill this demon the blood will drop and he will become another one as he has a special boon. So if you swallow the blood before it drops, you will swallow everything, the Raktabijas will no longer be able to multiply.”
KALI drinks all the blood, Durga is then easily able to kill the demon.

This is a mythological story of KALI where Kali swallows all the bad blood. Now what does this actually mean, what is the symbolism of the bad blood?
THE MIND IS LIKE A RAKTABIJA because when one DESIRE is fulfilled many more desires will come out of it. So desires are Raktabijas – they multiply. Therefore to tackle your desire you have to worship KALI. You need not only the Guru’s grace and God’s grace but also YOUR OWN GRACE TO HELP YOU.

THERE ARE FOUR GRACES OR FOUR BLESSINGS

1) BLESSINGS OF THE UNIVERSAL SPIRIT -GOD
2) BLESSINGS OF THE SCRIPTURES
3) BLESSINGS OF THE GREAT MASTERS
4) BLESSINGS OF YOUR OWN SELF

The last blessing is very important because if you do not make the effort to help yourself, all these other blessings will not help you. You can take a horse to water but nine people cannot make it drink. So this blessing of your own self is required, however, what tends to happen is that you become your own hindrance, your own enemy. The sixth chapter in the Bhagavad Gita explains how you are both your own enemy and your own friend.
To become your own friend you need to turn reverently to KALI and say “Please be my friend, oh Goddess save me from myself…save me from my bad mind”. For the bad mind brings you down whilst the good mind lifts you up. The bad mind is always attracted by desire, desire can be tackled in four ways.

BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE DESIRE IS NOT YOURS.

This desire is not mine. In the Bhagavad Gita KRISHNA says I AM DESIRE, IN EVERY JIVA
I AM DESIRE. I am the desire that is not opposed to righteousness, to ethics and morality.
Really it is God that we are looking for but we do not realize it.

HOW TO SATISFY THE DESIRE.

Desire which is not opposed to your own spiritual growth must be fulfilled satisfactorily. For example
having a desire for proper food for your growth is a good desire, however, other bad desires do automatically arise and we do not always know why. These come from our past impressions -
samskaras, suppression of these desires will not help, transforming them into higher desires will.

DIVERSION OF DESIRES.

When certain desires come at the wrong time, divert the desire by doing some prayer or japa etc

SUBLIMATION

Sublimation is the only way to get rid of this RAKTABIJA. So KALI has to sublimate our desire into a higher desire. We have to constantly work to purify ourselves by eating the right food, prayer, meditation etc. When we worship Kali in this way it is called KALI PUJA.

WE HAVE THREE HINDRANCES IN OUR LIFE

1) IMPURITIES (Mala)
2) TOSSING OF THE MIND (Vikshepa)
3) COVERING OF THE KNOWLEDGE (Avarna)

1) MALA
The mind is always restless running here and there; it is never still and at peace with itself. This is because of the desires or demons that disturb us: LUST, ANGER, GREED, HATRED, JEALOUSY and EGOISM.

2) VIKSHEPA

Even if we have control over the negative qualities the mind will still be tossing because there is too much RAJAS, too much activity in both the body and the mind.

3) AVARNA

The discovering of knowledge. The wisdom is already there within you, you don’t have to get the wisdom from anyone else not even God or a Guru. It is within you, however, it has been covered over by ignorance.

Therefore the first thing to be removed by KALI is the IMPURITIES, followed by the TOSSING OF THE MIND which is removed by LAKSHMI. Everything we see in this world is known as prakriti or nature and it all belongs to LAKSHMI .When you worship LAKSHMI you actually get rid of the desire for wealth as you become the owner of wealth itself. The need then goes because before you only wanted something because you were not the owner. When you become the owner you do not have any cravings for prosperity and then prosperity will come by itself. When you are not affected by wealth LAKSHMI is happy with you.
FINALLY SARASWATI COMES AND REMOVES THE IGNORANCE SO YOU WILL KNOW WHAT YOU ARE.

So we can see why the PUJA to the DEVI ceremony is a very important event. The tenth day is actually known as VICTORY DAY, victory of goodness over evil and victory over the three gunas,
KNOWLEDGE OVER IGNORANCE.

Om Shantih Shantih Shantih Om.

The Science of Shat Karmas – Swami Indrananda

Published on December 9, 2004 in Articles. 0 Comments

(Six Actions to purify the body)

There is a general trend in the West as well as in the East that we hesitate (or I should say) dislike to learn/understand or undertake these most beneficial practices which have been passed on to us through the experiences of the Yoga Masters of yore as well as of our time.
In reality we, in our time, are more concerned with our outward appearance and showbiz than to see and look into the state of function of our internal organs and the cause of deterioration. Our physical structure, according to the scriptures, works as shield for the soul and stays there as long as it is in good condition. If so, have the scriptures pointed out the life span of the human life? Yes, just like we determine the lives of our pets and all other species on this earth, a human being is supposed, according to the following verse from Yajur Veda (32,24), normally recited every day in the morning and evening (at our Satsangs, too) to live for a hundred years:

“Om Tachcharshur Devahitam Purastatchhukramuchcharat
Pashyema Sharadah Shatam, Jeevama Ssharadah Shatam,
Shrivuyaama Sharadah Shatam, Prabravaama Sharadah Shatam,
Adeenaah Syaama Sharadah Shatam, Bhuyashcha Sharadah Shataat”
(O Lord may we enjoy our blessings of sight, hearing and speech to an average life of a Hundred years! May we enjoy full freedom and unfettered liberty throughout our earthly existence! If we live longer, O’ Lord, may we enjoy all those blessings!)Where then do we go wrong if our body should stay healthier and strong, to protect the immortal soul and its accessories such as Intellect and Mind and other components of this mortal structure, which become prey to multiple dis-eases and other illnesses to embrace a pre-mature death. Sri Swami Sivananda Ji Maharaj says in his book “Practice of Yoga” that 30 percent is due to our past karmas (actions), but 70 per cent is our own fault because of wrong actions.
Is it, then, possible for us to live a full span of our life as described above? Yes, if we follow seriously, honestly and regularly with full determination to overcome our weaknesses as described in authentic scriptures or taught by someone who has mastered this Vidya (science).
Does it mean that there were no illnesses/diseases in olden days? No, there have always been natural as well as unnatural deaths all the time but we are concerned, here, with the illnesses/diseases that can be avoided to restore our pristine health, strength and will power to continue our quest to reach the Divine abode.
A child cannot walk until he learns to sit, crawl, stand and take one by one step. We know well that it is not possible for any child except for a miraculous baby. The ‘Nature’ is formed of gross, subtle, and subtlest elements. How, on earth, can we ignore the physical aspect of our body and jump to its subtle/subtlest part to know our self? We must hark to the guidance of the experienced Masters of yore as described in the relevant Yoga scriptures.
Gheranda Samhita and Hatha Yoga Pradipika are considered to be authentic Texts (unless a translator tries to attract the readers to his/her views) on the philosophy and practice of Hatha Yoga. That was one of the reasons for Hans-ulrich Rieker to stay with his Guru in India while translating the ‘Pradipika’. Both these books claim that Hatha Yoga leads to Raja Yoga which teaches us how to control the psyche and emotions and rise above the mind.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Just as we thoroughly clean the utensils for the second or third cooking, wash our clothes regularly to wear them for the next time. Similarly, it is our responsibility to keep our body cleansed to avoid becoming prey to any illness/disease in order to continue our journey smoothly on the path of Yoga.
Even Patanjali Maharishi, considered to be the father of Yoga and composer of Ayurveda and Sanskrit Grammar, mentions in ‘Niyama’ (Observances by aspirants), ‘Shauch’ (Purification) as a first step to follow the path of Yoga (Ch.II, 32). Sri Swami Vivekananda Ji, explaining this aphorism, says that external purification is keeping the body pure; a dirty man will never be a Yogi. (Raja Yoga, p. 206).
Ayurveda is akin to Yoga; it explains about the knowledge of ‘life’, and how to prolong it; it lays down certain rules about dietetics and physic. Also, it is said that Patanjali Rishi had not only systemised Yoga through Yoga Sutras, but was the greatest Grammarian of his time and composed Texts on Ayurveda. and Sanskrit Grammar.
As everything changes with the lapse of time, our living habits change along with it; unfortunately for the worse and not for good. It was at that time when HATHA yogis in about 12century, passed on the science of ‘Shat Karmas’ to keep the body clean and strong in order to adhere to the path of higher Yoga. Therefore, it is imperative upon every aspirant of Yoga to master the Shat Karmas, six practices of cleanliness, as described in the relevant Texts, and follow the rules concerning our daily routine and habits.
Every practice from Neti (nostrils cleaning) to Nauli (control of the rectus abdominus muscles) is hard to follow/master but where there is a will there is a way. Experience has shown that when an aspirant has mastered them, s/he feels differently, thinks differently and leads the life differently.
Most of us (from Masters/teachers/students alike) suffer from minor illnesses such as cold, fever, headache, aches and pains, stresses and depressions but try to ignore or suppress them through unnatural treatments/ means. The result is that it keeps prospering inside the body through the help of undesirable gasses and imbalance of humours (Vat, Pitta and Kapha – according to Ayurveda) until it prevails everywhere and finally takes hold of the entire body. It is, then, a final blow and too late to start any treatment available to us.
We must remember that every illness/disease takes its roots very slowly until this body is saturated with undesirable gasses, and becomes incurable and a hindrance to live the full span of life. If we wish to follow the path of Yoga to reach its goal we must remain on our guard all the time to keep this ‘Sharir’ (body) thoroughly cleansed regularly as described in Hatha Yoga or Ayurveda. DON’T WAIT – START YOUR ACTION IMMEDIATELY.

MAY HE LEAD US TO THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
TO ACHIEVE OUR GOAL.Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om