Satsangam

Part-6. Such a Yogi has all-round development. The Yoga of Synthesis will help you to attain God-realization quickly. Upanishads, Gita and all other scriptures speak of this Yoga. Therefore, O Mokshapriya, practice this unique Yoga of Synthesis and attain Self-realization quickly. Here is my little song of the Yoga of Synthesis, for your daily practice: 1. Eat a little, drink a little 2. Talk a little, sleep a little 3. Mix a little, move a little 4. Serve a little, rest a little 5. Work a little, relax a little 6. Study a little, worship a little 7. Do Asana a little, Pranayama a little 8. Reflect a little, meditate a little 9. Do Japa a little, do Kirtan a little 10. Write Mantra a little, have Satsang a little 11. Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realize 12. Be good, Do good; Be kind, Be compassionate 13. Enquire 'Who am I ?', 14. Know the Self and be Free END. Next : The Qualifications for a Student of Yoga Swami Sivana...

Part-5. Hence everyone should have one Yoga as the basic Yoga and combine other Yogas. You can combine : - 1. Nishkama Karma Yoga, 2. Hatha Yoga, 3. Raja Yoga, 4. Bhakti Yoga, 5. Sankirtan Yoga, etc., 6. with Jnana Yoga as the basis. This is my Yoga of Synthesis, which will ensure rapid spiritual progress. 1. A little practice of Hatha Yoga (Asanas and Pranayamas) will give you good health. 2. Raja Yoga will steady your mind. 3. Upasana and Karma Yoga will purify your heart and prepare you for the practice of Vedanta. 4. Sankirtan will relax your mind and inspire you. 5. Meditation will take you to liberation. Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

Part-4. The Yoga of Synthesis alone will develop the head, heart and hand, and lead one to perfection. To become harmoniously balanced in all directions is the ideal of religion and of Yoga. This can be achieved by the practice of the Yoga of Synthesis. To behold the one Self in all beings is Jnana, wisdom; to love the Self is Bhakti, devotion; to serve the Self is Karma, action. When the Jnana Yogi attains wisdom, he is endowed with devotion and self less activity. Karma Yoga is for him a spontaneous expression of his spiritual nature, as he sees the one Self in all. When the devotee attains perfection in devotion, he is possessed of wisdom and activity. For him also, Karma Yoga is a spontaneous expression of his divine nature, as he beholds the one Lord everywhere. The Karma Yogi attains wisdom and devotion when his actions are wholly selfless. The three paths are, in fact, one in which the three different temperaments emphasize one or the other of its insepa...

Part-3. If you want to see your face clearly in a mirror, you must remove the dirt in the mirror, keep it steady, and remove the covering also. You can see your face clearly in the bottom of a lake only if the turbidity is removed, if the water that is agitated by the wind is rendered still, and if the moss that is lying on the surface is removed. Even so is the case with Self-realization. Action, emotion and intelligence are the three horses that are linked to this body-chariot. They should work in perfect harmony or unison. Then only the chariot will run smoothly. There must be integral development. You must have the head of Sankara, the heart of Buddha, and the hand of Janaka. Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

Part-2. One-sided development is not commendable. Religion and Yoga must educate and develop the whole man - his heart, intellect and hand. Then only he will have integral development. In the mind there are three defects, viz., 1. Mala or impurity, 2. Vikshepa or tossing, and 3. Avarana or veil. 1.a)The impurities of the mind should be removed by the practice of Karma Yoga, by selfless service. 2.b)The tossing should be removed by worship or Upasana, by Japa and devotion. 3.c) The veil should be torn down by the practice of Jnana Yoga, i.e., by study of Vedantic literature, enquiry, self-analysis, service to the Guru, and deep meditation. Only then Self-realization is possible. Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

Part-1. Yoga of Synthesis is suitable for the vast majority of persons. It is a unique Yoga. Man is a strange complex mixture of will, feeling and thought. He is a triune being. He is like a tricycle or a three-wheeled chariot. He wills to possess the objects of his desires. He has emotion; and so he feels. He has reason and so he thinks and ratiocinates. In some the emotional element may preponderate, while in some others the rational element may dominate. Just as will, feelings and thought are not distinct and separate, so also, work, devotion and knowledge are not exclusive of one another. He must, therefore develop his heart, intellect and hand. Then alone can he attain perfection. Many aspirants have lop-sided development. They do not possess an integral development, as they neglect one or the other of these aspects of their personality. Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

6. The Pancha Tattva-4. A Tantric can have copulation ( intercource / union ) with his wife. He calls his wife his Sakti. Wife is a house-goddess Griha-lakshmi or Griha-devata united to her husband by the sacramental Samskara of marriage. She should not be regarded as an object of enjoyment. She is his partner in life (Ardhangini). The union of a man and his wife is a veritable sacred scriptural rite. 7. Conclusion : Tantra Yoga is the saving wisdom. It is the marvellous boat which takes man safely to the other shore of fearlessness, immortality, freedom, and perfection, "when practised with understanding under personal guidance of well-established Tantric Guru." END. Next :   Yoga of Synthesis - Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

6. The Pancha Tattva-3. The Sadhaka thinks that he has got a Deva body. This is Bhuta- Suddhi. Various Nyasas are performed. Mental worship is performed of the Devi who is thought of as being in red raiment seated on a red lotus. Her dark body is like rain-cloud. Her forehead is shining with the light of the crescent moon. Japa of Mantra is then done. Thereupon there is external worship. Sexual intercourse by a man with a woman who is not lawful to him is a sin. The Vaidika Dharma is very strict on this point. It forbids not merely actual Maithuna but Ashtanga or eightfold Maithuna namely 1. Smaranam (thinking upon it), 2. Kirtanam (talking of it), 3. Keli (play with women), 4. Prekshanam (making eyes at women), 5. Guhya-bhashanam (talking in private with women), 6. Sankalpa (wish or resolve for sexual union), 7. Adhyavasaya (determination towards it), 8. Kriyanishpatti (actual accomplishment of the sexual act). Swami Sivananda To...

6. The Pancha Tattva-2. Wine may be wine; or it may be coconut water or it may mean God-intoxication or the intoxicating knowledge of Brahman or the Absolute. Wine is a symbol to denote the Supreme, eternal Bliss of Yoga knowledge, or knowledge of Atman (Atma-jnana). The union of Siva and Sakti in the upper brain centre known as Sahasrara or thousand-petalled lotus is Maithuna. Mamsa (meat) is the act by which the aspirant consecrates all his actions to the Lord. Matsya (fish) is that Sattvic knowledge by which the Sadhaka sympathises with the pleasure and pain of all beings. Mudra is the act of abandoning all associations with evil which leads to bondage. Wine is fire; flesh is air; fish is water; cereal is earth; sexual union is ether. Milk, ghee, honey are all substitutes for wine. Salt, ginger, sesamum, white beans, garlic are substitutes for meat. White brinjal, red radish, masur (a kind of grain) and red sesamum are substitutes for fish. Paddy, rice...

6. The Pancha Tattva-1. The Pancha Tattva is essential for the worship of Sakti. The Pancha Tattvas are :- 1. wine (Madya), 2. meat (Mamsa), 3. fish (Matsya), 4. parched cereal (Mudra) and 5. sexual union (Maithuna). As they all commence with the letter M, they are vulgarly called Pancha-ma-kara or five M's. The Pancha Tattvas stand for :- 1.drinking, 2. eating and 3. propagation. The Pancha Tattvas, the five elements of worship destroy great sins, Maha-pataka-nasanam. The Pancha Tattvas have not always their literal meaning. The meaning differs according as they refer to the 1. Tamasic (Pasu), 2. Rajasic (Vira) or 3. Sattvic (Divya) Sadhanas respectively. Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

5. Tantra Sadhana-3. The Sadhaka first meditates upon the Devata or Deity and then arouses the Devata in himself. He then communicates the Divine presence thus aroused to the Yantra. When the Devata has been invoked into the Yantra by the appropriate Mantra, the vital airs (Prana) of the Devata are infused therein by the Pranapratishtha ceremony. The Devata is thereby installed in the Yantra. The materials used or acts done in Puja are called Upachara. They are sixteen in number, viz., (1) Asana (seating of the Devata); (2) Svagata (welcoming of the Devata); (3) Padya (water for washing the feet); (4) Arghya (water for ablution); (5) Achamana (water for sipping); (6) Madhuparka (honey, ghee, milk, and curd); (7) Snana (bath); (8) Vastra (cloth); (9) Abharana (jewels); (10) Gandha (perfume); (11) Pashpa (flowers); (12) Dhupa (incense); (13) Dipa (light); (14) Naivedya (food) and Tambulam (betel); (15) Nirajana (Arati); and (16) Vandana (p...

5. Tantra Sadhana-2. ( Puja-Karmam / Rules & Regulations /Puja-viddhi ) Mudra is ritual of manual gestures. Mudra gives pleasure to the Devatas. There are 108 Mudras. In welcoming (Avahana) the Devata an appropriate gesture is made. In making offering (Arghya) Matsya Mudra is made. The right hand is placed on the back of the left and the two thumbs are extended finlike on each side of the hands. Similarly, there are Mudras for the various acts done during the worship. Yantra takes the place of the image. It is an object of worship. Yantra is a diagram, drawn on paper. It is engraved on a metal sheet also. A Yantra is appropriated to a specific Devata only. Various Yantras are peculiar to each Devata. They are various designs according to the object of worship. Yantra is the body of the Devata. All the Yantras have a common edging called Bhupura. They have a quadrangular figure with four doors, which encloses and separates the Yantra from t...

5. Tantra Sadhana-1. Bhuta Suddhi is an important Tantric rite. It means purification of the five elements of which the body is composed. The Sadhaka (aspirant) dissolves the sinful body and makes a new divine body. He infuses into the body the life of the Devi. Nyasa is a very important and powerful Tantric rite. It is placing of the tips of the fingers of the right hand on various parts of the body, accompanied by Mantra. In Kavacha the one Brahman is invoked by different names in order to protect different parts of the body. For example, Parabrahman is thought of as in the Sahasrara Padma in the head. The Supreme Lord is meditated upon in the heart. Protector of the world, Vishnu is invoked to protect the throat, so that the aspirant may utter the Mantras of his Ishta Devata. Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

4. Qualifications of a Disciple The qualifications of the disciple are : - 1. purity, 2. faith, 3. devotion, 4. dispassion, 5. truthfulness, 6. and control of the senses. 7. He should be intelligent and a believer in Vedas. 8. He must abstain from injury to all beings. 9. He must be vigilant, 10. diligent, 11. patient, 12. and persevering. 13. He must be ever doing good to all. 14. All Sadhana should be done under the personal direction of a Guru or spiritual teacher. Next : 5. Tantra Sadhana Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

3. Guru and Diksha (Initiation) Yoga should be learnt from a Guru (spiritual preceptor). And this is true all the more in the case of Tantra Yoga. It is the Guru who will recognise the class to which the aspirant belongs and prescribe suitable The Guru is none other than the Supreme Divine Mother Herself, descended into the world in order to elevate the aspirant. As one lamp is lit at the flame of another, so the divine Sakti consisting of Mantra is communicated from Guru to the disciple. The disciple fasts, observes Brahmacharya, and gets the Mantra from the Guru. Initiation tears the veil of mystery and enables the disciple to grasp the hidden truth behind scriptures' texts. These are generally veiled in mystic language. You cannot understand them by self-study. Self-study will only lead you to greater ignorance. The Guru only will give you, by Diksha (initiation), the right perspective in which to study the scriptures and practise Yoga. Next : 4....

2. Tantra Yoga - 4. Tantra Yoga lays special emphasis on the development of the powers latent in the six Chakras, from 1. Muladhara to  6. Ajna. Kundalini Yoga actually belongs to Tantric Sadhana which gives a detailed description about this serpent-power and the Chakras (plexus). Entire Tantric Sadhana aims at awakening Kundalini, and making her to unite with Lord in the Sahasrara Chakra. Methods adopted to achieve this end in Tantric Sadhana  are Japa of the Name of the Mother, prayer, and various rituals. Next : 3. Guru and Diksha (Initiation) Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

2. Tantra Yoga - 3. The Tantra is, in some of its aspects, a secret doctrine. It is a Gupta Vidya. You cannot learn it from the study of books. You will have to get the knowledge and practice from the practical Tantrikas, the Tantric Acharyas and Gurus who hold the key to it. The Tantric student must be endowed with purity,  faith, devotion, dedication to Guru, dispassion, humility, courage, cosmic love, truthfulness, non-covetousness, and contentment. Absence of these qualities in the practitioner means a gross abuse of Saktism. The Sakti Tantra is Advaita Vada. It proclaims that Paramatman (Supreme Soul) and Jivatman (individual soul) are one. The Saktas accept the Vedas as the basic scriptures. They recognise the Sakta-Tantras as texts expounding the means to attain the goal set forth in the Vedas. Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

2. Tantra Yoga - 2. The Tantras are not books of sorcery, witchcraft, magic spells,  and mysterious formulae. They are wonderful scriptures. All persons without the distinctions of  caste, creed, or colour may draw inspiration from them and attain spiritual strength, wisdom, and eternal bliss. Mahanirvana and Kularnava Tantras are the important books in Tantra Yoga Kundalini Upanishad of Krishna Yajurveda, Jabala Darsana, Trisikha Brahmana, and Varaha Upanishad are useful for getting knowledge of Kundalini Sakti and the methods to awaken it and take it to Sahasrara Chakra at the crown of the head. Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

2. Tantra Yoga - 1. Tantra Yoga had been one of the potent powers for the spiritual regeneration of the Hindus. When practised by the ignorant, unenlightened, and unqualified persons, it has led to certain abuses; and there is no denying that some degraded forms of Saktism have sought nothing but magic, immorality, and occult powers. An example of the perverted expression of the truth, a travesty of the original practices, is the theory of the five Makaras (Pancha Makaras);-Madya or wine, Mamsa or flesh, Matsya or fish, Mudra or symbolical acts, and Maithuna or coition. The esoteric meaning of these five Makaras is: "Kill egoism, control flesh, drink the wine of God-intoxication, and have union with Lord Siva". Tantra explains (Tanoti) in great detail the knowledge concerning Tattva (Truth or Brahman) and Mantra (mystic syllables). It saves (Trayate). Hence it is called Tantra. Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

1. Introduction-3. The Tantra Agamas belong to the Sakta cult. They glorify Sakti as the World-Mother. They dwell on the Sakti (energy) aspect of God and prescribe numerous courses of ritualistic worship of Divine Mother in various forms. There are seventy-seven Agamas. These are very much like the Puranas in some respects. The texts are usually in the form of dialogues between Siva and Parvati. In some of these, Siva answers the questions put by Parvati and in others Parvati answers, Siva questioning. Mahanirvana, Kularnava, Kulasara, Prapanchasara, Tantraraja, Rudra Yamala, Brahma Yamala, Vishnu Yamala, and Todala Tantra are the important works. The Agamas teach several occult practices, some of which confer powers, while the others bestow knowledge and freedom. Among the existing books the Mahanirvana Tantra is the most famous. Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

HARIDWAR- 1. Introduction-2. The Agamas are divided into three sections : 1. the Vaishnava, 2. the Saiva, and 3. the Sakta. The three chief sects of Hinduism, viz., 1. Vaishnavism, 2. Saivism, and 3. Saktism, base their doctrines and dogmas on their respective Agamas. The Vaishnava Agamas or Pancharatra Agamas glorify God as Vishnu. The Saiva Agamas glorify God as Siva and have given rise to an important school of philosophy known as Saiva Siddhanta. The Sakta Agamas or Tantras glorify God as the Mother of the world under one of the many names of Devi. The Agamas do not derive their authority from the Vedas, but they are not antagonistic to them. They are all Vedic in spirit and character. That is the reason why they are regarded as authoritative. Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

HARIDWAR- 1. Introduction Sanskrit literature can be classified under six orthodox heads and four secular heads. They are : - (i) Sruti, (ii) Smriti, (iii) Itihasa, (iv) Purana, (v) Agama, and (vi) Darsana; and (i) Subhashita, (ii) Kavya, (iii) Nataka and, (iv) Alankara. The Agamas are theological treatises and practical manuals of divine worship. The Agamas include Tantras, Mantras, and Yantras. These are treatises explaining the external worship of God, in idols, temples, etc. All the Agamas treat of (i) Jnana or Knowledge, (ii) Yoga or concentration, (iii) Kriya or making, and (iv) Charya or doing. They also give elaborate details about the ontology, cosmology, liberation, devotion, meditation, philosophy of Mantras, mystic diagrams, charms and spells, temple-building, image-making, domestic observances, social rules, and public festivals. Swami Sivananda To be continued.....

Haridwar :- 3. Ashtanga Yoga-5 Do not imagine that you are an Uttama Adhikari and that you have only to sit in meditation and enter into Samadhi. You will have a terrible downfall. Even after years of practice you will find you have not progressed an inch forward, because there are deep within you lurking desires and cravings, evil Vrittis which are far beyond your reach. Be humble. Make a searching analysis of your heart and mind. Even if you are really a first-class aspirant, think you are an aspirant of the lowest class and practice the eightfold Sadhana prescribed by Raja Yoga. The more time you spend in the first two steps, viz., Yama and Niyama, the less will be the time needed to attain perfection in meditation. It is the preparation that takes very long. But do not wait for perfection in Yama and Niyama, in order to take up the higher practices of Asana, Pranayama and meditation. Try to get established in Yama and Niyama, and at the same time practic...

3. Ashtanga Yoga-4 To find the root of the mind, the Seed-Desire, he needs the light of the whole mind. At the same time, prevention of the externalization of the mind breaks the vicious circle, as desire is deprived of its active manifestation. This concentrated beam of light is then directed towards the root of the mind itself (Dharana); and the mind is held in check. Now the consciousness which had so long been flowing outward collects itself and flows back into its source - the Purusha within, which is Dhyana. The link with Prakriti is gone. The Purusha experiences the transcendental state of independence - Kaivalya - in Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Now ignorance is destroyed. The Purusha realizes that it was only His consciousness that gave Prakriti its power to please Him, to give Him joy, to delude Him, and to bind Him. He enjoys the bliss of His own nature and remains for ever independent and blissful. All thought ceases once for all in Nirvikalpa Samadhi. T...