The rituals given in the Mimamsa are opposed by Shankara in his vedanta philosophy, but I have no concern with any of the above views. The rituals, no doubt, help to some extent but only in promoting Sattvik Vrittis. They may also offer preparatory grounds for spirituality. As such I have no objection if it is taken up, by the way, with every thing else co-operative to Realisation.

Worship of deities is too commonly prevalent among the Hindus. It is done with the object of material gain or safety of the children. The female folk mostly adhere to it, because they give birth to, and bring up, children and hence their ties of affection grow stronger. Let them play their own part and we should attend to our own.

I am not in favour of japa which is exclusively external in character, though I too advise japa in certain cases, but they are of different type. These are really the means by which an abhyasi is to try for his growth himself. But in our Sanstha the task is taken up by the master who feeds him with the spiritual force through Transmission. Now it depends upon the abhyasi to extract from the master as much as he can through love and devotion. The greater the devotion and surrender the greater will be the force flowing into him.

Now about reciting God's name over and over again advised by certain sages as the surest means of Liberation in the Kaliyuga, I believe that unless we merge ourselves in the vibrations produced by reciting God's name we can never be sure of getting the desired result. Some scriptures tell us that if we recite the name of God continuously for 24 hours we shall have his darshan. My mother once, long ago, did it in all earnestness but to no effect. The theory of darshan too, as popularly believed, is not at all convincing to me on the basis of my own experience and anubhava in Realisation. I too sometimes advise mental recitation of Rama, resting our thought all the while on His attribute of All-pervadingness. This process is helpful in bringing about the state of constant remembrance too. Strictly speaking we do not actually recite anything but only fix our thought on the attribute without trying to picture it in our vision. We have to approach the Immaterial Absolute. For that we have to take up the form of the master before us, but only when the Guru is admittedly of the highest calibre and has his condition merged completely in God, like my most revered spiritual Father. Patanjali too recommends the same in the 37th sutra. The four stages we come across through this process are explained in the ‘Practice and Efficacy of Raja Yoga'. The last one almost ends egoism. It is the surest means. I followed it throughout my spiritual career. If such a Guru is available then his form may be meditated upon. Otherwise the direct method is the best.

Lastly, I may add that if you thirst for Realisation try to be as simple as Nature herself and adopt similar means, just as you adopt childish ways to please the baby whom you wish to fondle.

We should pass through family life in a disinterested way doing everything for duty's sake without any feeling of attachment. The family life is not a thing to be cursed if it is moulded in a proper way. Suppose you are compelled to do something and do it for its own sake without any motive of your own, I will call it a disinterested action bearing no impression on your mind. We should think that we do everything, even in connection with wife and children, in compliance with the order of God. In this way all our actions will ultimately turn into puja. This is a very easy method for connecting your thought with the Almighty.

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SRI RAMCHANDRA’S RAJAYOGA – Centrifugal Process

The Sahaj Marg system of training is of a very high standard. It hits at the very root and proceeds from the centre to the circumference. It is a centrifugal progress and produces deep rooted and lasting effect. There are, however, teachers of the type who follow a different course, touching the surface layers of grosser Consciousness in order to paralyze the senses of the abhyasi, and thus create a state of coma. The effect thus produced, though pleasing to the abhyasi at the time, finally results in dullness of mind and loss of intelligence. Under the Sahaj Marg system, you will find the intelligence of the abhyasi growing wonderfully till it is transformed into Divine Intelligence. One can feel the gradual transformation in his being if he is sufficiently sensitive.

“That there are particles pre-existing at the time of creation” mean particles of matter, since matter in its own form, being a subsequent creation, did not exist at that time. What existed then may better be termed as energy, and the word used here refers to the particles of energy which afterwards developed into matter by the action of Kshobh, or the Primary Stir. “God has no mind and requires human mind for connecting with Reality as it has evolved.” In this connection I may add that if God (Brahm) be supposed as possessing a mind, then the function of the mind must also be there. Then He too must be subject to the effect of His own actions. But He is universally accepted to be free from all such effects. That means the functioning of mind is not there. This finally amounts to non-existence of mind. I think this complexity of thought arises only because of the numerous conceptions of God. But when speaking of God in this conception I mean God as Brahm, in His absolute state, beyond everything, beyond even power, activity or Consciousness, not to speak of the mind. Now the human mind through which it works, having been completely negativated, has no individual functioning of its own, and all that comes into action through its medium is Divine. Hence it serves as an instrument of God.

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