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LIBRARY
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SWAMI ABHEDANANDA
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY
THREE LECTURES
ON
SPIRITUAL UNFOLDMENT
BY
SWAMI ABHEDANANDA
Author of "India and her People ", "Self-Knowledge ", "How io be a Yogi^', "Dmne Heritage of Man ", etc.
SEVENTH EDITION'
VEDANTA ASHRAMA
West Cornwall, Conn,
Copyright, 1901,
BY
SWAMI ABHEDANANDA
3 133 190/
CONTENTS
L Self-control
II. Concentration and Meditation III God-consciousness
165
•• Self is the lord of Self, who else could be the lord ? " " One's own Self conquered is better than all other people ; not even a god could change into defeat the victory of a man who has vanquished himself and always lives under restraint." — Dhammapada.
SELF-CONTROL.
Every religion can be divided into two parts, one of which may be called the non- essential and the other the essential. Doc- trines, dogmas, rituals, ceremonies, and myth- ology of all the organized religious creeds come under the head of the non-essential. It is not meant by this that they are useless; on the contrary, the very fact of their existence proves that they are helpful and necessary at certain stages of progress. What I mean is, that it cannot be said that they are absolutely necessary for making one live a purely spiritual life. A man or a woman may be highly spirit- ual without performing any of the rituals and ceremonies ordained, either by the scriptures
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of the world, or by any religious hierarchy. A man or a woman may be truly religious without believing in any creed, doctrine, dogma, or mythology. Those who think that these non-essentials are indispensable for at- taining to the ultimate goal of religion, have not yet grasped the fundamental principles that underlie all religions; they mistake the non-essential for the essential; they cannot discriminate the one from the other; they lack the insight of spiritual illumination. Those who understand the essentials of religion and strictly follow them in their every-day life do not disturb themselves about the non-essentials; these simple and sincere souls alone reach the goal of religion by the shortest way possible.
The essentials of religion are principally two : Self-knowledge and Self-control. Self-knowl- edge means knowledge of the higher Self, the divine nature of man; and self-control is the restraint of the lower self or selfish nature. True knowledge of the divine Self comes when the lower self is subdued. In ancient times,
SELF-CONTROL.
Greek philosophers understood these two as the essentials of religion, therefore over the temple entrance at Delphi the phrase ''Know Thyself" was so conspicuously engraven. Heraclitus, the ancient Greek philosopher, in- terpreted this motto by saying: *'It behooves all men to know themselves and to exercise self-control."
In India, the ancient Seers of Truth under- stood the essential part of rehgion so well that they tried their best to keep it separate from the non-essential part of the popular religion of the masses. The result of such attempts was the discovery of the system of Yoga. The system of Yoga deals entirely with the essen- tials of religion; it does not teach any dogma, creed, ritual, ceremony, or mythology. Its main object is to teach mankind the different methods of attaining the knowledge of the true Self, and the practice of self-control. A true Yogi is one who has perfect control over him- self, and who has acquired self-knowledge.
The science of Yoga explains what self-con- 7
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trol is, how it can be acquired, and what is the nature of self-knowledge. A Yogi therefore reaches the ultimate goal of religion and spir- itual perfection without wasting his energy in the practice of non-essentials.
The non-essentials of religion are like a huge heap of husks, under which Hes hidden the kernel of the essential truth; wherever there is too much of non-essentials, there pre- vail religious corruption, superstition, and false theology, the main object of which is to convince the ignorant masses that the heap of non-essential dogmas, doctrines, ceremonies, and rituals must be observed by all who wish to be rehgious. But the science of Yoga, being free from dogmas, ceremonies, and rituals, suffers neither from corruption nor from super- stition, nor does it need any theology. It is pure and simple. It welcomes to its fold all sincere and earnest souls who are searching for higher truth and spiritual life, and seeks to make them spiritual by giving the essentials of rehgion as their highest ideal. It teaches
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them the method by which self-control and knowledge of the Supreme Self can be acquired.
Self-control means the control of the lower self, or the animal nature of man, by developing the higher powers that are latent in the indi- vidual soul. Having ascended the grades of evolution from the lower animals, man lives at first on the animal plane; then as he rises higher and higher, the latent powers of the soul gradually begin to manifest and overcome his animal tendencies.
Self-control is not manifested in the charac- ter of any man who ignorantly obeys the dic- tates of the senses, and blindly serves the in- ternal masters of passion, anger, greed, self- delusion, pride, and egotism. Those who can control themselves, or check the mad rush of the mind toward sense objects, and who cease to obey those animal impulses which are stand- ing Uke fierce enemies in the path of spiritual progress, enjoy undisturbed peace as long as they live, thus reaching the highest goal of
freedom; but those who are constantly guided 9
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by sudden waves of passion, anger, pride, jeal- ousy, and hatred, are always disturbed in their minds; they are restless and unhappy. How can persons who are slaves of their senses ex- pect happiness? Happiness comes in the state of perfect freedom, and not in slavery; that freedom again can be acquired only through the practice of self-control; therefore those who desire to enjoy unbounded happi- ness and peace of mind on this earth should struggle for freedom by learning to practice self-control.
The attainment of self-control is easy for those who have learned to study their own minds, and who, after discovering their weak- nesses, try to reform their own characters. Like the lower animals, the natural tendency of human beings is to seek pleasure and to avoid pain. As long as man lives in the dark- ness of ignorance, and cannot trace the causes which make him happy or unhappy; as long as he does not understand whether happiness
and pleasure come from external objects or 10
SELF-CONTROL.
from within, so long he fails to be master of himself. Right discrimination of the condi- tions which make one happy or unhappy is the surest guide in the path which leads to the at- tainment of self-control.
Now let us examine the present conditions of our minds. They are naturally attracted by the objects which are pleasing to the senses, or which help in fulfilling the purposes and desires that are extremely strong in us. The majority Ox mankind are attached to those objects which give pleasure, both sensuous and mental. They are never attached to anything or anybody where they do not find pleasure. In the same manner it can be shown that the natural ten- dency of the mind is also to get away from pain. The eyes are pleased to look at the beau- tiful color which attracts them, the ears are pleased to hear sweet words, melodious notes, and good music. We like to smell sweet fra- grance, and to taste the things pleasing to the palate. Yet that which is pleasing to the
senses of one man may give pain to another. 11
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A Chinaman enjoys Chinese music, but it is painful to our ears. Similarly, the music which is delightful to our ears gives no pleasure to a Chinaman. Western music seems like howl- ing and screaming to many Oriental ears which are not trained to it. Many people enjoy curious flavors and high seasoning, and others are disgusted by them. Some people enjoy the burning sensation in the tongue and throat produced by red pepper, while others feel pain from it and shun it. The same color, same sound or taste which is pleasing to one, may be a source of intense discomfort to another. This shows that pleasure and pain are not the inherent properties of the objects of senses, but that they depend upon the conditions of the mind and body which come in direct con- tact with those objects.
Mind has tremendous power over the body; if a certain idea gets possession of the mind it affects the body and produces corresponding changes in the whole system. The same mind
which found pleasure in a certain thin 9^ at one 12
SELF-CONTROL.
time, dislikes the very sight of that thing if new ideas happen to get a hold upon it. For ex- ample, animal flesh gives pleasure to a meat eater as long as he thinks it is the right kind of food, but when the nobler principles of vegeta- rian diet dawn upon his mind and convert him into a vegetarian, the very odor of meat will be offensive, and may make him feel ill; his stomach will refuse to digest animal flesh, and it may even become a cause of pain and suffer- ing to him. Therefore, it can be said that there is nothing in the universe from which all individuals can derive absolute pleasure or absolute pain, or that can even please the same individual at all times. Those who seek pleas- ure from the objects of senses cannot stick to one particular enjoyment all the time. If they try to enjoy the same thing day after day, they will soon tire of it; satiety is the inevitable result, and with that comes loss of interest.
Suppose a lady who is passionately fond of the opera should constantly hear the same
opera day and night, without hearing or doing 13
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anything else, she would surely tire of it in a few days. Constant change of the objects of pleasure is absolutely necessary for those people who seek pleasure from the external world. It is for this reason that many people who are too poor to afford much variety in their pleasures delude themselves by thinking that wealth would give them all they desire, and envy those who possess large fortunes, foolishly believing that the rich must be always happy. In this way they often fail to enjoy the pleasures within their reach, thus making their life a burden. They fail to understand that wealth has its own trials, that are often only little more bearable than the ills of poverty. The truth is that true happiness can only be- long to him who can control his mind. The practice of self-control would be a great bless- ing to all these unhappy people; it would make their lives happier and better worth liv- ing. Before we can control the natural tendency
of the mind to seek pleasure in external ob- 14
SELF-CONTROL.
Jects, we must know that the feeling of pleasure depends upon the feeling of pain. If we do not have any feeling of pain whatever, we cannot enjoy a pleasant feeling. Pleasure is pleasure only when it stands in relation to the feeling of pain. Whenever we compare one sensation or feeling with another, we find one more pleasing than the other; the less pleasing one is ordinarily called painful. The tendency of our mind is to seek objects that are more pleasing than those which we already possess, or happen to enjoy, and the moment we find a thing which we think would produce a more agreeable sensation than the things we now have, we crave to possess it. Having satisfied the craving, if after comparison we discover that the latter is not better than the former, we remain as unsatisfied as before, and may even wish to go back to the former condition. Thus we can understand that although pleas- ure and pain may arise in different individuals from their contact with the same objects of
senses, the natural tendency of mind is to 15
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seek pleasure and avoid pain. We are at- tached to those objects from relation with which we derive pleasure, but the moment these cease to yield us gratification, we become indifferent to the very things we so eagerly desired; sometimes we grow to hate them and wish to get away from them.
Our minds are constantly seeking new objects of pleasure through the gates of the senses, and attach themselves to every fresh object that promises to give us a pleasant feeling or sensation. While this attachment lasts, the mind becomes a slave to it. If anything happens to come in the way and prevent the mind from enjoying a particular pleasure, the mind tries to overcome the obstacle. The stronger the opposing power, the greater is the mental struggle to subdue it. If the desire be very strong and we cannot succeed in gratifying it by ordinary means, we often get enraged and adopt more violent measures, thus losing all possibility of a peace- ful state of mind.
16
SELF-CONTROL.
That simple desire for enjoyment takes the form of a ruling passion, agitates the whole mind, and manifests in the form of anger and unrest. In that agitated state of the mind we lose the sense of right and wrong, memory grows dull, understanding gets confused, we lose foresight and act like brutes. Passion is the stronger form of desire; the same strong desire, when acting under opposition, takes the form of anger. Desire is the first stage, passion is the second stage, and the third stage is anger.
Passion and anger, again, lead to hatred, jealousy, and many other wicked feelings which are expressed outwardly in the form of vicious acts. He who can control his mind from being disturbed by passion and anger has obtained self-control. The control of passions and anger comes when the mind does not seek pleasure from external objects, but learns by experience that pleasure which can be derived through the senses is very tran- sient; it lasts for a few seconds only, and its 17
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
/rue source is not in the object itself, but de- pends mostly upon the mental and physical conditions of the enjoyer.
We have seen that passion and anger are the second and third stages of desire; these desires, according to the Yogis, remain in the subcon- scious plane of our minds. Here a question arises: What is the cause of these desires? A Yogi, trying to trace the cause of desires, says that they are the outcome of the dor- mant impressions in our minds, or the awak- ened state of these impressions. He further says that when we enjoy any external object through our senses, our minds are impressed with certain changes which are produced while we are in direct contact with the thing. When we eat an apple, the impression of its taste is left in the mind. When v/e hear a musical note, an impression of the note, pleas- ant or unpleasant, remains in the mind. Simi- larly all the impressions which the external objects leave in the mind will remain there in
a seed form, or dormant state, by the law of 18
SELF-CONTROL.
persistence of force. None of them will be lost; whatever things we have enjoyed or suf- fered in our hves are stored up in that seed form, or in the form of dormant impressions. These dormant impressions are the causes of our desires.
Some of the Western psychologists have supported this theory of the Yogis. Professor Beneke says in his "Elementary Psychology": "What has once been produced in the soul continues still to exist, even when it has ceased to be excited. That which was conscious merely becomes unconscious, or lives in the internal substance of the soul." Sir William Hamilton admits the existence of the latent impressions when he says: "The whole we are conscious of, is constructed out of what we are not conscious of." He explains the psychic activity of the subconscious plane by comparing the chain of impressions or thoughts with a row of biUiard balls, of which, if struck at one end, only the last one moves,
the vibration being merely transmitted through 19
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the rest. But a Yogi says that these dormant impressions are the seeds or real cause of desires.
Let us suppose that the mind substance is like a sea, that the surface is the conscious plane, and that the dormant impressions lie deep below the surface. Here we should remember that anything that remains in a dormant state is bound to manifest when the conditions become favorable. Forced by their inward nature, when the dormant impressions begin to manifest, they may be said to slowly rise up from the bottom of the sea of mind in the form of minute bubbles. We may call this bubble the subtle state of desire, or the awak- ened impression. Then it gradually rises to the surface and appears larger and larger in size. Let us call this bubble state of the awakened impression, desire; then the bubble of desire, after playing on the surface of the mental sea for some time, bursts there and takes the form of a wave, and agitates the
whole sea of mind, transforming it into one 20
SELF-CONTROL,
mass of impulse. The mind becomes restless, peace is disturbed, power of discrimination becomes dull, we do not know whether good or bad results will follow should we yield to the impelling impulse; we are forcibly driven headlong toward the object of desire, what« ever it be, mental (like ambition, pride, etc.), or merely sensuous. In fact, our controlling power having been overcome by that wave of desire, we can no longer call it desire. It temporarily takes the form of a ruling passion, or strong impulse. That tremendous im- pulse controls our nerves, muscles, and the whole body; we struggle to gratify this long- ing, only to find, when we have attained the thing and gratified the longing, that the satis- faction is but brief. The tempest that wrecked our self-control gradually subsides, and the particular desire that provoked it returns again to its dormant state; then a temporary peace of mind is regained and we remain happy for a time.
In the meanwhile another dormant impres- 21
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sion gets ready to appear in the form of a bubble. Slowly it rises up from the subcon- scious to the conscious plane, and the same process is repeated. This ever-recurring series of desires and their temporary gratification forms the daily life of all such persons as have not learned to control their minds. When this fleeting peace of mind, or so-called hap- piness, has been secured, the desire subsides into a dormant state for a longer or shorter period. This process is continuously going on in each mind at every moment. Suppose a person is invited to a dinner party, where he partakes of something very delicious which he never tasted before and which he likes immensely. Do you think that the impression of that taste will be lost as soon as the dinner is over? Certainly not; it will remain in the mind and engender a desire for the same thing again; the memory will recall that impression and it will become the cause of a fresh desire. In this manner it can be shown that every new
impression is the cause or seed of a new desire. 22
SELF-CONTROL.
When a man begins to drink intoxicating liquors he feels a peculiar sensation; it drives away his dullness, exhilarates him, excites his nervous system, and makes him happy for the time being. After the effect of the stimu- lant is over, the impression of the agreeable feeling it produced is left in his mind; for some time it remains latent, then it rises up in the form of a desire, or bubble, to the surface of his mental sea. Rising to the surface it bursts and produces a wave, or impulse, which intensifies the desire and leads him to drink again. The fresh exhilaration creates another impression, which stamps itself upon the for- mer, and the process goes on with increasing frequency. With every fresh yielding to de- sire, the old impression is deepened, until the series of stored-up impressions becomes so strong that it forms a part of his nature and becomes what we call habit. Similar processes have produced all varieties of habits, good and bad, which we find in different peo- ple in different countries. A kindred process 23
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produces what we call instinct in the lower animals.
The stored-up impressions of one life are not lost by the death of the body, but will remain latent for some time and will become the causes of future desires in another life. Each one of us is bom with the stored-up impressions of his past birth, which will re- appear in the form of various tendencies, desires, and habits. This is the explanation of the wideVariation^ we see in members of the same family, for which heredity alone, or even heredity plus environment, fails to ac- count. As the number of impressions in- creases, desires also increase, as has been said; if we allow the desires to rise up and play in our minds, they will take the forms of passion and anger, disturb mental peace, create new impressions, and be in turn the causes of fresh desires. Thus, there is no hope of controlUng the mind by mere gratifi- cation of desires. There is no hope of sati- ating the craving for enjoyment by getting 24
SELF-CONTROL.
the objects of pleasures; this is simply putting fuel on fire, or oil on flames. The more we enjoy, the more will desires increase. Foolish people, who have never analyzed their minds, indulge their desires and seek pleasure from outside objects. No one has succeeded in attaining self-control by being a slave to de- sires, nor has any one become free from de- sires by gratifying them. Therefore, a Yogi says: "As fire is not quenched by butter, so the fire of desire will never be put out by the objects of pleasure. The more butter is poured on a fire, the more it will flare up; similarly, the more the objects of desire are indulged, the more the desires will increase. If a person were to possess all the objects upon this earth, still his greed would not stop, he would seek something more." Do you sup- pose that a man who works hard to become a millionaire will ever be satisfied with his pos- sessions and cease to acquire more? He will go on seeking to add to them as long as he will
live. A poor man desires to be rich, a rich 25
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man desires to be a millionaire, and a million- aire wants to be a multi-millionaire, and so on; where is there any rest? Where is there happiness? When will his thirst for pos- sessions or enjoyment cease? Will he ever acquire control over his mind? Perhaps not in this life.
Thirst for enjoyment is the real disease in us; its various symptoms are passions, am- bition, pride, hatred, jealousy, anger, etc. Tremendous mental strength and will-power are required to control the restless mind from taking the forms of waves of passion and anger. The perfect restlessness of the mind of an ordinary person who is the slave to his desires and passions has been vividly described by a Yogi; the poet could not find a better illustration than to compare it with a monkey, who is restless by nature; then thinking this was not quite enough, he added drunken monkey, stung by a scorpion. When any one is stung by a scorpion, he jumps about
from place to place for nearly two days, so 26
SELF-CONTROL.
you can imagine the restlessness of that poor monkey; still the poet found something lack- ing in the simile, so he completed it by saying : **At last the monkey was possessed by a demon." Is there any expression by which we can describe the wretched state of that poor monkey? Such is the ordinary state of our mind. Naturally it is restless, but it be- comes more so when it drinks the wine of ambition, still more when it is stung by the scorpion of jealousy; but the climax is reached when the demon of pride enters the mind and takes possession of it. In such a case, how difficult it is to bring the mind under control I To conquer mind is more difficult than to con- quer the whole world. He is the greatest hero and the real conqueror of the world who has conquered his own mind. "He that ruleth his spirit is greater than he who taketh a city." A Yogi says: "If one man conquers in battle a thousand times a thousand men, and if another conquer himself, he is the greatest
of conquerors." Therefore we should pay 27
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special attention to the study of the mind; we should learn to analyze its nature and con- stantly watch over its various modifications, trying to develop and strengthen the will power.
A Yogi develops his will-power by daily practice; he rouses up the higher powers and continues to fight against his greatest enemies with firmness and determination until he ac- complishes his end. Perfect self-control of a Yogi is that state of mind where no desires or passions of any kind disturb the peace and tranquillity of his soul. Such a state can be acquired more easily by removing the bubbles of desires before they take the wave form of passions, that is, by attacking them while they are in their weak state. This can be done either by right discrimination of the nature of desire or by comparing the tran- sitory pleasure which results from our con- tact with the objects of senses, with the serene, peaceful mind which is undisturbed by de- sires or passions. We should also remember 28
SELF-CONTROL.
that the highest ideal of our life is not pleasure of the senses, nor slavery to desires and pas- sions, but the attainment of mastery over the lower self, and the manifestation of the Su- preme Self.
There is another way of obtaining self-con- trol, through concentration and meditation. Concentrate your mind upon the Supreme Self and do not let it be disturbed by any other thought or desire at that time. Those who have read the "Light of Asia" will re- member that when Buddha sat in meditation under the Bo tree all the dormant impressions began to rise in his mind. They are described as the attendants of M^ra, the personified evil thought. But Buddha said: ''It is better to die on the battlefield while fighting with the enemy than to be defeated and forced to live like a slave, seeking little bits of sense pleasures and enjoyments." With such a strong determination Buddha became master of himself; whosoever will display similar
determination of purpose and strength of 29
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character, will surely attain perfect self-con- trol. They alone who have acquired self- control enjoy eternal peace and happiness in this life, and attain the goal of all religions,
the knowledge of the Divine Self. 30
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
The spiritual life of a man or a woman depends upon the subjugation of the senses, upon control of the passions, and upon the manifestation of the divine powers that are latent in every individual soul. Such a spirit- ual life can be attained by different methods. Each of these methods is called in Sanskrit "Yoga." The method or path of concen- tration and meditation is known as the "royal method," or Rdja-Yoga in Sanskrit. It is the royal road which leads to the realization of Truth. The word Raja- Yoga is a com- pound word; Raja means king, and Yoga method of concentration. The method of concentration is described as the king of all other methods, because nothing can be achieved without concentration. There is no power in
the universe higher than the power which 31
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comes through concentration. The power acquired by its practice can control all the physical forces of nature. A Raja- Yogi says that wherever he concentrates his thoughts, there, for himself and to his own consciousness, he will control phenomena. Raja- Yoga teaches that mind is the sovereign power in the uni- verse. Faith-healers, mental-healers, Chris- tian Scientists of to-day have appreciated only one hundredth part of the mental powers which a Yogi in India claims to possess.
When the mental powers are properly guided and directed toward any external ob- ject the true nature of that object is revealed, and the result is the discovery of the physical laws which govern the phenomenal world. The powers of the mind are scattered like the rays of an electric light that illumines the surrounding objects. An electric light which enlightens the objects within a very limited circle can be made to illumine distant objects, if we know the art of gathering its rays into one beam and can throw that one flood of con-
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
verged rays on anything at a considerable dis- tance, as is done by a search-light lantern. We may compare the concentrated mind of a Yogi to a mental search-light. There is as much difference between the scattered mind of an ordinary individual and the concentrated mind of a Yogi as there is between the light of an ordinary lamp and that of an extremely powerful search-light. A Yogi can throw the search- light of his min-l upon the minutest objects at any distance in the realm of the in- visible and unknown, and can learn most easily every particular connected with those objects. When the same concentrated mind of a Yogi is directed towards the internal world, it en- lightens the most subtle things connected with his inner nature and unveils those higher laws which govern his spiritual nature.
Each individual possesses the power of con- centration in a greater or less degree, and uses it in his or her every-day life, either consciously or unconsciously. Concentration in its sim-*
plest form is known to us by the name of at- 33
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tention. If we do not pay attention to the ob- ject which we see, hear, or perceive we can- not understand the nature of that thing. When we read a book if our attention be diverted to some other thing, then our eyes may read the letters automatically without grasping the meaning or sense of the subject. When any one speaks to you, if you are inattentive, the words uttered will enter your ears; the vibra- tions of air carried by auditory nerves to the brain-centres will produce molecular changes in the cells of those centres; all the physio- logical conditions necessary for the perception of a sound will be fulfilled, but still for want of attention you will not hear it. When you are attending a lecture, if your attention be fixed on something which is more interesting, you will not be able to understand what is being talked about — in fact, you will not even hear a single word that is said. Similarly, in every instance of perception of sense objects you will notice that if there be no attention
behind it, you do not really perceive at all. 34
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
The power of attention is not altogether an acquired faculty but is largely a gift of nature. Many are born with this power largely developed, but wherever there is the manifes- tation of mind, we find more or less of the expression of this power of attention. It is a spontaneous outgrowth of the nature of our mind.
The power of concentrated attention mani- fests itself in the lower animals as well as in man. It varies only in the degree of intensity but not in kind. All animals first direct their attention to the search for food. A vulture fixes his attention on the object of his prey, looks at it from a great distance, then falls upon it and catches it. When a cat catches a mouse or a tiger falls upon his prey, he fixes his attention first, controls his senses from distraction, collects the scattered forces of his mind and body, and ultimately succeeds in fulfilling his desires. His attention is so con- centrated at that time that he hardly takes any
notice of anything other than the object in 35
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view. Hunters know this fact so well that they take advantage of it when they go out hunting wild animals. A great Yogi in India once noticed a crane standing motionless on the side of a brook with his attention so deeply con- centrated upon a fish as not to notice the hunter who was going to shoot him. The Yogi was so astonished that he exclaimed: " O crane ! Thou art my teacher in concentra- tion. I shall follow thy example when I prac- tice concentration." In all beasts of prey the necessity for this concentrated attention is well illustrated by the w^ay in which they get their food. If their attention be dis- tracted by a sudden noise or other interruption their quarry is likely to escape them. There are many instances of the power of spontaneous attention possessed by lower animals. In such cases mental powers are centred into a focus and directed towards one object. Every sense is alert and under complete control, the whole physical activity is converged towards one point, and for the time being motion of the
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
body is arrested. Experience has taught the animal the necessity of this course of action.
When the diverging rays of the mental energy which moves the whole system in different directions are centred into a focus and when the concentrated energy is forced through one channel, it strengthens the mind. That men- tal strength sometimes expresses it*?elf as physical or muscular strength. In our every- day life we find the expression of the same power of spontaneous attention. Only the workman who is able to fix his mind upon his work can give it intelligent attention, can rise above being a mere automaton. A motorman cannot drive an electric car if his whole atten- tion be not fixed upon his work. That this is a well-understood fact is evidenced by the rule that to prevent distraction motormen in street- cars are not allowed to talk with passengers. The rider of either horse or wheel who allows his surroundings to absorb too much of his attention is Uable to get a sudden tumble.
The successful chess-player, playing perhaps 37
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half a dozen games at once, has to exercise a marvellous force of concentrated attention. In dancing, singing, painting, writing, or in any other avocation no man can do his best unless his mental powers are properly con- centrated upon the object of his particular line of work.
Without using the power of attention there could not be any great artist, sculptor, or phi- losopher; no mathematician, scientist, or chem- ist; no astronomer, musician, or composer. The more this power is developed the more marvellous are its results. All the discoveries in the realms of nature, inventions of machines and of other things which we see to-day, all the amazing' achievements of modem science, are nothing but the results of that wonderful power of concentrated attention displayed by the inventor and the scientist. If a born genius should suddenly be deprived of this power, he would act Hke ordinary men, for what we call genius is in reality immense
power of concentration, so that all the faculties 38
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
devote themselves to one object, which pro- duces work so remarkable that we at once regard the man who manifests this wonderful ability as above the dead level of ordinary humanity; while on the other hand if an idiot could develop and manifest this one power of concentrated attention, then he would be reckoned as one of the geniuses of the world. Such is the power of concentration. It is the source of all our knowledge. In short, it is the condition of our life. Without exercising a certain amount of this power we could only live while watched over by others, we could not avoid the constant difficulties and dangers with which our life is beset on all sides. Ninety- nine per cent, of the diseases and accidents in our lives are the results of inattention to the laws which govern Hfe and health.
A child in the earliest period of its life ex- presses this innate power of attention by fixing its gaze upon shining objects or upon the face or eyes of its mother or nurse. That simple
undeveloped and spontaneous power of atten- 39
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
tion in a child gradually develops as the little one grows older and comes in contact with the world.
The spontaneous attention which expresses itself in lower animals, in children and uncul- tured persons, is directed at first towards the objects that are most necessary for the sus- tenance of life, such as food, clothes, etc. As we rise above the animal plane through cul- ture and education the power of attention manifests in a different way. Then we gradu- ally learn to direct our attention towards ob- jects which are not merely attractive to the senses or necessary for bodily sustenance, and can fix our minds on such things as are attrac- tive to our intellect and higher nature. Here begins voluntary attention, or attention well controlled and properly directed by intellect and will. This leads to the intellectual cul- ture of an individual and to the attainment of mental strength and to the creation of new thought-currents.
The same attention, v>rhen directed towards 40
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
the observance of moral laws and right actions which bring good results not only to ourselves but also to our fellow members in the social order, leads to the moral culture of our minds. Again, when our voluntary attention is directed towards our spiritual nature, it makes us vir- tuous and religious and develops our spiritual character. Ultimately, when it is directed in the form of concentrated meditation towards the Universal Spirit, or God, it brings the highest wisdom. It leads to the freedom of the soul from the bondages of ignorance, delusion, and selfishness, and results in the attainment of BHss absolute, which knows no limit. This highest state is called the state of God-con- sciousness. Therefore, everything that has brought human beings to the present stage of civilization, culture, and advancement; every act that produces physical good, and moral, intellectual, and spiritual concepts is but the expression of that well-directed power of con- centrated attention. Emerson says: *'The
one prudence in life is concentration; the one 41
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
evil is dissipation. Concentration is the secret of strength in poHtics, in war, in trade — in short, in all management of human afifairs.'*
The spontaneous attention, which is a gift of nature, can be transformed, by voluntary effort, into the power of higher concentration upon the most abstract truths, and lastly upon the Absolute ReaHty of the universe. That simple power can become enormously strong if we know the secret of controlling it. As a gar- dener, by severe pruning, forces the sap of the tree into one or two vigorous buds instead of suffering it to spindle into a sheaf of twigs, so a Yogi, by controlling the dissipated mental powers and concentrating the whole energy on one point, stopping for the time being the mis- cellaneous activity of the mind, develops a power which brings wonderful results in every line of his work. The control of attention by will-power is called concentration, in Sanskrit Dh^ran^. Perfect concentration brings su- preme control over external and internal
phenomena. This kind of higher concen- 42
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
tration is described by "Patanjali in the third chapter of his "Aphorisms on R4ja-Yoga''; Dharan^, or concentration, is when the mind, being restrained from taking various forms, holds on to some object, either in the body or outside the body, and keeps itself in that state. If, by gradual practice, we can control the modifications of the mind-stuff, such as sensa- tions, passions, desires, etc., and converge the whole mental energy towards one point, then that process is called Dharana, or concentra- tion. The result of such concentration will vary according to the nature of the object towards which the concentrated mental energy is directed. The principal aids to concentra- tion in the way of obtaining the best results from it are, first, right discrimination of the object of concentration; secondly, a clear and definite understanding of what one wishes to acquire; thirdly, self-confidence; and lastly, firm determination, settled purpose, and per- severance. Disraeli said: "I have brought
myself, by long meditation, to the conviction 43
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
that a human being with a settled purpose must accomplish it, and that nothing can resist a will which will stake even existence upon its fulfilment." According to a Yogi, a firm, resolute, and determined mind with a settled purpose will accomplish the best re- sults of concentration in the shortest time possible.
Man's greatest achievement is to understand the mysteries of his own being — to know him- self. A true Yogi, therefore, does not care to concentrate his mind upon a search for pleasure as worldly persons do. He does not even spend his mental energy in trying to avoid things which may appear unpleasant for a short time. He does not divert his mental powers by fixing his attention upon the diseases of other persons, nor does he con- centrate them to gain selfish ends by injuring others, as trusts and monopolies of the civil- ized world do; nor does he practice black magic. A true Yogi never concentrates his mind upon the phantoms of wealth and vain
44
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION
earthly ambitions. According to a Yogi, this kind of misdirected concentration brings waste of that energy which must be stored up to a considerable extent before the highest result of concentration in spiritual Hfe can be ob- tained. All these worldly objects are but obstacles in the path of spiritual progress. Few people in this world can understand why these things obstruct the path of spiritual development. But a true Yogi is one who can discriminate truth from untruth, real from unreal, spirit from matter. A true Yogi does not wish to waste his energy in gaining mere transitory things. He wants to attain the higliest ideal of life; so he centres his thoughts upon the Supreme Truth or the absolute reality of the universe, and the result of this concentration is the Sam^dhi, or the highest superconscious, tranquil state of mind where alone is possible divine communion, or reali- zation of unity with God on the spiritual plane. The Hindu psychologists have classified mental activity into five different states: (i)
45
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
Kshipta; (2) Mudha; (3) Vikshipta; (4) Ekdgra; (5) Niruddha. The first means "scattered," that is, always active, the kind of mind which is constantly at work and never restful. In this state the whole mind rushes like a mad elephant in whatever direction it chooses. It wanders here and there without any aim or purpose, and cannot be brought under control. Those who are in such a state of mind do not even try to stop this pur- poseless activity, because they believe it to be their normal state and that all other states are abnormal, morbid, or diseased. They are afraid of sinking into indifference or losing their individuality if any one tells them to reduce the tremendous speed with which the machine of their mind is running and advises them to take a little rest. They think rest means either sleep or death.
The second class is Mudha , meaning ''stupid and confused." Those people who are dull, lazy, inactive, and idiotic belong to this class.
In this state intellect, understanding, and rea- 46
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
son are enveloped, as it were, with the dark- ness of ignorance. These two are the two extreme states of activity and inactivity of mind. The third state is called Vikshipta, that is, sometimes active and sometimes dull. The fourth state, Ekdgra, means " one-pointed," or, in other words, concentrated. The fifth mental condition, known as Niruddha, is that state of well-controlled concentration in which all involuntary activity is subdued and the mind, transcending its ordinary limitations, reaches the superconscious state of Samddhi, the state of God-consciousness. The first three states are to be found in ordinary per- sons, and none of them is of any help in spiritual life The last two alone are conducive to spiritual growth.
In the fourth state, that is, when the whole mind is concentrated or "one-pointed," we can realize the true nature of things; all pain- ful modifications of the mind become less and less; all knots of desires for worldly things
and sense-pleasures are slackened, and they 47
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
cease to disturb the peace of mind. This state of mind leads gradually to the attain- ment of the fifth state, when comes perfect control over the mind. Those, therefore, who aspire to spiritual perfection, should make every effort to reach these last two states.
When the fifth, or superconscious, state of concentration is attained the true nature of the knower or Spirit (Atman in Sanskrit) is manifested. But at other times the knower appears as identified with the modifications of the mind substance. Sometimes the knower is identified with impulses, good or bad, some- times with emotions, painful or pleasurable sensations, or with the changes of gross body and its diseases. This identification of the spirit (or Atman) with the changes of mind and body is the cause of our bondage, misery, and suffering. When the knower of misery and sorrow becomes identified with them, he appears as miserable and sorrowful; but in reality the knower is always distinct and sepa- rate from the object known. 48
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
For instance, when an iron ball is heated in a furnace, it appears red and hot. An igno- rant person looking at it will easily mistake it for fire. The intellect, mind, and body may be compared to the iron ball and intelligence to fire. Intellect, mind, and body being heated or illumined by the fire of intelligence, which is the true nature of Spirit or Atman, appear to the ignorant as intelligent. By mistake the changes of mind and body are identified with the pure and changeless source of intelli- gence. As we can know the true nature of the iron ball by separating it from the fire, so we can learn the true nature of the "iron ball" of mind-stuff, when in the state of Samddhi we separate it from the fire of intelligence. We then realize that it, like the iron ball, is but dark and dead in itself, and that only when illumined by the pure intelligence, or Atman, does it glow into apparent life.
We can illustrate this in another way. When any bright-colored object is placed near a piece of pure, transparent crystal, the whole
49
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
crystal is so suffused with the color thrown upon it that only a close observer can detect that in itself the pure crystal has no color. Similarly, the true nature of the Atman, or Spirit, is covered over by the reflected hght of the constantly changing modifications of the mind-stuff — such as thoughts, feelings, passions, desires, etc. — until the pure "crystal" of At- man appears to have these modifications in itself. Only the ability to rightly discriminate the real from the apparent can enable us to discover the truth in either case.
If for a moment any one can make his true Self free from the changeful reflections of the mental activities, that instant he will realize the Atman or Spirit, and he will cease to commit further mistakes. No longer he will identify himself with the various changes in his mind and body. Concentration and medi- tation are the only processes by which this realization can be accomplished.
There are various methods for developing
the power of concentration. Those methods 50
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION,
should be learned from skilful spiritual teach- ers who have practised them for a long time and whose lives are pure, chaste, and free from blemishes. One can easily learn some of the methods from Raj a- Yoga or any other book on the practice of Yoga, but without the help of a competent teacher no one should begin to practise them. The power of concentration can be acquired by mental processes alone, or by physico-m^ental processes. The mental process begins with holding the mind to certain points, sensations, or feelings. Suppose you try to concentrate your attention on your little finger. At that time you will have to feel your little finger only, you will have to gather up, as it were, all the mental powers that are scat- tered all over the body and converge them towards your little finger. If any other thought or idea arises in mind, you must not let your attention be distracted by it, nor let it wander in any other direction. After prac- tising for a few days you will notice that you have acquired som.e power of controlhng your
51
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
attention and of directing it towards one ob- ject. When you have fully attained this con- trol over your power of voluntary attention, you will be able to concentrate your whole mind on any object, whether external or in- ternal, concrete or abstract, material or spir- itual.
At the time of perfect concentration you will notice that the rhythm of respiration wiU change, and that it will gradually become slower and slower, perhaps it will almost cease for the time being. A clever and experi^ enced French thinker, Dr. Lewes, said: "To acquire the power of attention is to learn to make our mental adjustments alternate with the rhythmic movements of respiration."
The motion of the lungs has a very intimate
relation to the activity of the mind. If we
control the activity of mind we can also con-
trol the motion of the lungs; and conversely,.
if the motion of the lungs is controlled the
mind also comes more easily under control,.
Again, when the motion of the lungs is undei 52
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
perfect control, every organ, nay, every par- ticle in the body, is brought under the control of the Spirit, or Atman.
Thus, when the supreme control over atten- tion is acquired by voluntary effort, one can fix his attention on any part of the body and experience strange sensations and wonderful phenomena. It is a well-known fact that one can easily feel pain in any part of the body by strongly fixing his attention there. By an analogous process one can get rid of pain in the body. Mental healers of the present day are familiar with such phenomena, although many of them fail to understand the rationale of their cures. One can cure diseases by fixing attention on the diseased part and sending an opposite current of thought. This method has nowadays become a very common prac- tice with the Christian Scientists and mental healers under a variety of names. But one thing should be remembered, and that is that each individual is born with this kind of heal- ing power. No one can give you that power. 53
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY
It is one of the natural powers of the human mind. It is better to heal one's self than to be healed by some other mind. Do not let your mind be controlled by any other mind. People who go to mental healers or Christian Scientists for help and who allow themselves to be influenced by the minds of others, do not realize that by allowing themselves to fall under the hypnotic power of a stronger mind they are walking in a path which leads to mental degeneration. Many cases have been known where minds have been degenerated into slaves of other minds, losing all power of self-control. How pitiable is the mental condition of those self-deluded ones who go about seeking help from other minds! Be- cause a Yogi thoroughly comprehends this danger, he never allows himself to be influ- enced by another mind. By constant practice he unfolds those higher powers which are latent in his own soul. A true Yogi is master of himself. He knows no other master. His
mind, senses, and body obey his commands. 54
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
A true Yogi understands all the finer forces and the laws which govern them. This rigM understanding and right knowledge of thf true nature of soul, Atman or Spirit, are th< results of the power acquired by perfect con centration.
Concentration leads to meditation. Medi- tation means the continuous or unbroken flow of one current of thought towards a fixed ideal. After gaining control over the mind through the practice of concentration, if we can com- pel the thought-current to flow in one direc- tion for a certain length of time we have at- tained to the power of meditation. In this state the mind is not distracted by external noise or by any disagreeable modification of the Chitta. The objects of meditation will vary with the individual ideals of the persons who practise it. For spiritual unfoldment the ideal of the unity of the Atman, or individual spirit, with the Brahman, or universal Spirit, will be one of the best subjects upon which to
meditate. Such ideas as "I am Spirit beyond 55
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
body and senses and above mind;" or "I am one with the universal Spirit;" or "I and my Father are one," will be of great help to those who wish to quickly reach the highest goal of all rehgions. First repeat it orally, then men- tally. Concentrate your mind on the true meaning and meditate upon it. Let the same current of thought flow without any break or distraction, then only will it be real medita- tion. If your mind be distracted by any other thought or idea or by external disturbance, firmly bring your attention back again to the chosen ideal. If any evil thought arise in the mind, overcome it by arousing a good thought. If envy or jealousy arise, the feeling of friend- liness should be used to counteract it. The feeling of love should be cultivated to conquer hatred; and forgiveness should be practised to overcome the feeling of revenge. In this way you will conquer all evil and injurious thoughts by their opposites. After regularly practising meditation for half an hour each
day, you will notice, after a month, that your 56
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
whole nature has been changed, and that your mind has become peaceful. Those who have never tried meditation will find it very diffi- cult at first, because the long-standing habit of permitting irregular activity in the mind will baffle all the attempts of the beginner. Various thoughts and ideas which you have never cherished consciously will spontane- ously arise from the subconscious plane and will show what tremendous strength they have. The beginner has to slowly and cautiously subdue these obstructive thoughts. He must not pay any attention to them. He must labor hard to prevent his mund from being distracted from the train of thought he has decided to follow. Various disturbing elements wall arise, will play for a short while on the conscious plane, and if not noticed will then disappear. But if, on the contrary, he should pay a little attention to them, they will becom.e stronger, take the form of impulse, and force his whole mind in some other direction. There- fore, instead of following those unbidden 57
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
thoughts and ideas, he should hold to the ideal.
No sage, whether a Buddha or a Christ, no saint, whether of the past or of the present, has ever found peace without practising medi- tation. It is the road which leads to the attain- ment of perfect tranquillity of mind. We are spending the whole of our valuable lives in making money, in eating, drinking, and doing such things as bring a Httle comfort to the body or a little pleasure to the mind. But we do not think for a moment what a valuable oppor- cunity we are losing. We seek food for the body, but we never seek the food for the soul. Feed your souls with the eternal Truth that manifests itself to the purified soul, with that nectar and bliss which can be obtained only through the practice of meditation. Make meditation a part of the daily routine of your life. Seek the company of some disinter- ested lover of mankind, follow his instruc- tions as closely as possible. Keeping this
ideal before your mind, march onward through 58
CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
the path of meditation fighting the enemies
of wavering attention and unruly mind like a
brave soldier, like a true hero, and stop not
until the goal is reached; ultimately you will
be the conqueror of the universe, and the
kingdom of God will be yours. By gaining
the power of meditation you will enjoy supreme
happiness by entering into the state of Samddhi,
the state of God-consciousness. 59
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
Well has it been said by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the greatest poet-philosopher America has produced, that *'A man is the facade of a temple wherein all wisdom and all good abide. What we commonly call m.an, the eating, drinking, planting, counting man, does not, as we know him, represent himself, but mis- represents himself. Him we do not respect, but the soul whose organ he is, would he let it appear through his actions, would make our knees bend." The eating, drinking, planting, counting man is limited and imperfect, and is what we call the "apparent" man, but the real man is free and all-wise, divine, and always happy. The soul in each individual is a centre of that circle whose circumference is nowhere but whose centre is everywhere. That circle is called universal Spirit. It is
60
OOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
the source of infinite wisdom, of all knowledge, all truth, all science, all philosophy, art, beauty, and love. This unlimited circle of infinite wisdom is the real background of each appar- ent individual. Not knowing that the eternal river of wisdom is constantly flowing within him, the apparent man seeks here and there, and struggles for a drop of knowledge to satisfy his intellectual thirst, like the fool, who, stand- ing on the banks of a mighty river, digs a well for water to quench his thirst. We do not know how wise and good we are in reality. It takes a long time to discover that all wisdom and all goodness dwell in each individual soul. We are now seeking wisdom from outside, because we are thinking by mistake that it will come from outside. The great sages, prophets, and wise men of the past were those who knew the secret of unlocking that door which prevents the outrush of that inexhausti- ble river of wisdom which is constantly flowing behind each individual ego. When the all- wise Self begins to manifest its higher powers, 61
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
the apparent man is called an inspired seer of Truth. Then he reahzes his divine nature, ceases to live like an animal, and attains to the state of God-consciousness, which is the high- est goal of spiritual unfoldment. Then he is truly religious, and reaches the goal of all religions. All religions are like so many at- tempts of the human mind to rise above the animal plane, to go beyond the senses and to knov^ the reahty — in short, to reach the state of God-consciousness.
In India, from the Vedic period down to the present tim.e, this attainment of spiritual per- fection or God-consciousness has been re- garded as the highest aspiration, and the loftiest aim of humanity. True religion be- gins when the soul of man realizes this God- consciousness, and not until then. The man who reaches this state does not seek anything from outside of himself. He finds all wisdom within his own soul. Amongst the Hindus, from the most ancient times, the attainment
of God-consciousness has been the theme of 62
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
rich and poor, of kings and beggars, of saints and sinners. It was for this attainment that many kings and princes renounced their thrones and sacrificed their wealth, name, fame, comforts, luxuries — in short, everything that was dearest to them. All the noble quali- ties which adorn the character of sages and make a man godly in this life are but the out- come of the attempts for the attainment of God-consciousness. Is there anything more ennobhng, more subhme, more divine, than the matchless purity of heart, serene child-Hke simplicity, lofty self-abnegation, and disin- terested love for all which are displayed in the character of one who is conscious of his divine nature ? No. Such characters are the beacon lights that are ever shedding their guiding rays on our toilsome path and beckoning us on- ward to the haven of realization. They are the great leaders of humanity, they rule over milHons. They are manifestations of God on earth. They are worshipped by the vast
majority of mankind as the incarnations of 63
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
God. They expressed in their lives the ulti- mate goal of all religions. The ordinary or apparent man is self-deluded and blind to Truth, is imperfect and limited in every way, and has no spiritual character, being ruled only by self-interest. All of us know that we are now living more or less selfish lives and acting under limitations, that we are not exactly what we wish to be. During the calm moments of our lives, we sometimes look at ourselves and feel that our souls, like eagles, are free by nature and able to soar into infinite space, but are now enchained by self- ishness and confined in the cages of gross human bodies. At such times we realize our bondage and seek freedom. Longing to fly into the infinite space of eternal bliss, we struggle hard to break our chains, to throw down the barriers which confine us, and to conquer all environments which keep us in bondage.
Each individual soul is bom to combat
nature and her laws. Our lives consist in 64
GOD' CONSCIOUSNESS.
the constant effort of the soul to overcome the limitations imposed by them. The forces of nature are trying to drag the soul in one direction, while the inner forces impel the soul to resist and rise superior to them. The soul does not want to follow, like a slave. It is struggling to subdue nature and to domi- nate over her laws. This struggle is the cause of the social as well as of the spiritual progress of humanity. A man who does not know how to fight against nature and how to gain victory over her laws, but who on the other hand follows her blindly, is an uncivilized man, is a savage, and on a level with the lower animals. True civihzation means the con- quest of nature , by the human soul. The whole history of humanity teaches this fact. If we study external nature we find that nature tells us : " Obey my laws and commands; '' but we say: "No, why should we? We are thy masters, thou must obey." Physical nature tells us to go naked and live in caves or forests,
like the animals, without any cover over- 65
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
head, but we say: "No, we will have clothes and proper shelter," and we obtain them. Nature would destroy them, but we protect them by our strength and preserve ourselves from heat and cold and changes of weather by which nature would make existence impos- sible for us, and in the end we succeed. How do we succeed? By studying nature and her laws, and by utilizing her forces in such a way as to make her obey our commands. We know how tremendously powerful are the forces of nature — electricity, steam, etc. — but we handle all these gigantic forces of nature and make them serve us. This vic- tory of man over physical nature is due to those higher powers which are latent in the soul. The powers which overcome nature are nothing but the inteUigence and will possessed by man. That which conquers is higher than that which is conquered. There- fore physical nature is weaker than the powers of inteUigence and will. Similarly, if we
study internal nature, we find there also a 66
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
constant struggle between the higher and the
lower mind, between the higher and the
lower intelligence, between the higher and
the lower will-power, between the spiritual,
real, or divine man and the apparent or animal
man. The lower mind, lower intelHgence,
lower will, the apparent or animal man is that
which obeys the physical and sensuous needs
of the body, as a slave obeys a master. The
higher mind, higher intelHgence, higher will,
the spiritual, the real, or the divine in man is
that which tries to conquer and subdue the
lower nature and dominate over it. Of
course we do not find this fight in the lower
animals, nor- in those who live like them.
When this struggle begins we are no longer
purely animal, but we are human or moral.
To be human or moral, however, is not to be
perfectly spiritual. We make a distinction
between the moral and spiritual planes. The
moral plane is the intermediate stage. The
moral man is partly animal and partly
spiritual. In a moral man there is a constant 67
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
struggle between the animal and the spiritual nature. The moral man strives to overcome the animal in him by fighting against it and by constantly watching his mind to prevent the lower or animal nature from spreading its influence over him. A moral man must, as far as possible, strive to avoid temptation, because he is not yet strong enough to over- come its influence. His effort must be to rise to the higher plane, which is beyond tempta- tion. This struggle will only cease when the animal nature is completely conquered, and the moral man has become truly spiritual, or divine. When that stage shall have been reached there will be no room for temptations. As long as a man is struggling with the animal nature, he is ethical; but when he has con- quered it completely, he is spiritual. The moral man can be tempted by animal attrac- tions, but the truly spiritual man is far above all temptations, he is beyond the reach of the lower tendencies and animal propensities
that trouble the moral man. 68
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
In a truly spiritual man all struggle of this sort has ceased forever. Then the true spirit, or the divine nature in man, reigns in its own glory and appears like the self-effulgent sun above the clouds of selfishness and imperfec- tions. The angels, or the personified higher powers of the true Spirit, — nay, the whole world bows down before the victorious con- queror and sovereign of nature. That is the state which was attained by Buddha and by Christ. The Prince Gautama, or Sakya Muni, became the Buddha, and Jesus of Nazareth became the Christ when each at- tained this state of God-consciousness. Who- soever reaches that realization becomes per- fect and free from selfishness and all other imperfections. Man alone can reach such a state of God-consciousness. The lower ani- mals and those who live like them must evolve to the human or moral plane first, before they can even attempt to attain the state of God- consciousness. As the animal
nature evolves into the moral or human plane, 09
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
the power of reaching this state is gradually developed, and the individual ego enters upon the different stages of spiritual unfoldment. When it reaches the ultimate point, it is con- scious of its divine nature. That point is the climax of the spiritual development of the apparent ego. It is the state of eternal bliss and perfection.
We cannot think of another state higher than that of God-consciousness, because in this state, the soul communes with Divinity and is united with the Infinite Source of love, wisdom, and intelligence. The individual soul, or the "I," becomes one with the Father in Heaven, or the Infinite Spirit. Can you imagine any state higher than the state of the union of the individual soul and the universal Spirit? Thus we see that there are three principal stages through which the apparent ego passes before God-consciousness is at- tained. First the animal nature, which must be overcome by human or moral nature;
secondly the moral nature, which in its turn 70
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
must develop into spiritual nature. When a man is on the animal plane, he is extremely selfish, bound by desires, a slave of the passions and sense-pleasures which have no restriction of any kind; he has no purity, no moral standard of life or of truthfulness. His highest ideal is the comfort of his body, and he abhors things spiritual, thinking it a, loss of time and energy to even hear about his spiritual nature, or to speak of it at all. But when such a man wakes up from this deep sleep of ignorance and self-delusion, either naturally or through the help of a holy Guru or spiritual teacher, he begins to seek the moral life. This is the state of awakening of the soul. It is the stage of a beginner in the path of God-conscious- ness. Then he tries to live a moral and vir- tuous life, and begins to examine his own nature, tries to learn his own faults and weak- nesses, and having discovered them strives to correct them. This is the state of purifi- cation of the soul, and is the second stage
of spiritual unfoldment. It is called in Sans- 71
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
krit Sddhakay or the neophyte state. A neo- phyte should struggle hard to conquer his nature, to subdue his passions, and to over- come, by controlling all his habits, the tre- mendous force which the animal nature exerts. If he does not know how to do this, he should follow the instructions of one who knows, or of one who has realized the state of God- consciousness. He must not forget his ideal in his every-day life, and he must try to be always on his guard against temptation. Especially must he remember that one can- not know the highest truth unless he is truth- ful himself. Truth cannot be obtained by falsehood. Truth must be gained by truth. If we are not truthful we are not ready to reach that state. So a neophyte should try to be truthful in every word and action, because just so far as he fails in this v/ill he fail to reach eternal Truth.
Four things are absolutely necessary for the purification of the heart and for conquer- ing the animal nature. First, self-control, 72
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
which includes the control of senses and the control of mind by the practice of concen- tration; secondly, truthfulness; thirdly, dis- interested love for all; fourthly, unselfish works. In one of the Upanishads we read: "He shall not attain to spiritual perfection who has not ceased to follow wicked ways, who has not subdued his senses, who has not controlled his mind by concentration, and who is not truthful and kind to all." These lines contain the whole of ethics and the es- sence of all the scriptures of the world. The secret of spiritual progress lies in the practice of these four.
Whether we believe in God or not, whether we have faith in any prophet or not, if we have self-control, concentration, truthfulness and disinterested love for all, then we are on the way to spiritual perfection. On the con- trary, if one believes in God or in a creed and does not possess these four, he is no more spiritual than an ordinary man of the world.
In fact, his belief is only a verbal one. Wher- 73
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
ever these qualities are manifested we should
remember that there the spiritual unfoldment
of the soul-powers has commenced. During
the process of spiritual evolution the powers
of self-control, concentration, etc., which are
latent in each soul, begin to unfold from within
and manifest themselves in the works of
every-day life.
This world is a great school, as K 7/ere,
in which the individual egos are students,
and the various stages of spiritual evolution
in the soul-life are the different grades. When
one course is finished, the ego, or apparent
man, begins upon another. If he wants to
study one course or lesson over and over again,
there is nothing to prevent him from doing so.
He may continue in this one grade for years, —
nay, for many incarnations, if his desire does
not change. But the moment he feels tired
of repeatedly studying the same course, no
longer finding pleasure in it, he naturally
seeks a higher class and takes up new lessons.
As long as one course continues to be attrac- 74
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
tive and absorbing, it satisfies us and we do not feel the necessity of another; but the time is sure to come when the lessons of to- day will lose their charm and will appear dull, insipid, and monotonous. Then we shall seek something higher, something better and more attractive. This search of the ego for something higher and better than it has yet possessed is the cause of its spiritual evolution. The majority of mankind are so much cap- tivated by sense-objects that they cannot think of any higher ideal; they have weakened themselves so much that they do not realize the slave-like condition of their minds. There- fore the Git4 says: "Few among thousands of such slaves of passions and desires seek freedom, while others take delight in slavery; and few among thousands of such seekers 9-fter freedom persevere until the emancipa- tion of the soul and spiritual perfection are attained." No one can force another to be- come spiritual by making him swallow, as it
were, the pill of spirituality. 75
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY
Spiritual unfoldment is brought about by the evolution of the inner nature of the appar- ent man. The desire to know the spirit must arise spontaneously in the human mind, and when that desire shall have grown sufficiently strong, it will force man to discriminate spirit from matter, the eternal from the non-eternal, tnith from untruth. This discrimination is the third stage of spiritual unfoldment. True discrimination leads to the fourth stage in the path. It is dispassion, or non-attach- ment to material and non-eternal things. In this stage, wealth, property, and sense-enjoy- ments will have no charm, no attraction for the discriminating soul. In this state the whole aim of Hfe will be changed. If the entire world be shaken to its very founda- tions, it will not affect the soul which has reached this stage.
When this state has been acquired, the neophyte reaches the fifth stage, which is that of enlightenment. In the course of his on- ward progress he passes through many inter- 76
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
mediate stages, where he experiences many wonderful powers and encounters many strange and sometimes alluring things. If he allow his mind to be attracted by any of those powers, then his spiritual progress will be stopped there. Psychic powers, such as the power of reading the thoughts of others, of knowing what is going on at a distance, of foreteUing the future, of curing diseases, etc. — all the powers which are latent in every human being come to tempt the student and drag him down- ward. If ordinary sense-pleasures are so powerfully attractive, how much more so will be the new and strange temptations to which the attainment of higher mental powers ex- poses him! A seeker for spiritual perfection, however, must carefully conquer those temp- tations, or his quest will be in vain. He should remember the parable of the woodcutter and the Sage and march onward, without pay- ing attention to anything outside of the ideal he has set before himself, which is the realiza- tion of God-consciousness. 77
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY
A poor woodcutter lived in a village in India near the outskirts of a dense forest. He earned his living and supported his family by selling fire-wood which he collected in the forest. He spent his days in cutting up branches of trees, which, after drying, he made into a bundle. At the close of the day he carried the bundle to the market-place and sold it for a few cents. His whole family depended upon those few cents for their daily living. In this manner the poor man strug- gled for several years. One day, as he was coming out of the forest bending under the heavy weight of the big bundle of fire-wood on his back, he met a kind-hearted Sage. The Sage, seeing his miserable condition, spoke to him, saying: "Good man, why do you not go onward into the deep recesses of the forest?" The poor woodcutter replied: **Why, Sir, I get enough wood here; what would be the use of my going farther into the deep forest?" Again the Sage urged
him to go farther into the woods, and thus 78
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
advising him went away. After his depart- ure, however, the words of the Sage returned to the mind of the woodcutter and began to produce a deep impression. The next day, when he came to the spot where he had seen the Sage, he remembered the words of the holy man and decided to make an experiment, so he went into the denser part of the forest. As he pushed through the tangled undergrowth, wondering what the Sage had meant by his advice, he suddenly smelled the sweet odor of sandalwood, and looking about found himself close to a sandal-tree. He was ex- tremely delighted. He mentally thanked the Sage, and, collecting as much sandalwood as he could carry, brought it to the market-place and sold the bundle for a very high price. That evening he had more money than he could have earned in five years if he had fol- lowed his regular work. Next day he went again to the forest, but he remembered the Sage's advice and said to himself: "The
Sage did not tell me anything about sandal- 79
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
wood; he only told me to move onward." Thus thinking, the woodcutter left the place where he had found the sandal-tree and went deeper into the forest. At last he came upon a copper mine. He collected as much copper as he could carry, and seUing it in the market- place he got plenty of money. Next day, still following the Sage's advice, he did not stop at the copper mine but moved onward. He came upon a silver mine, and carried away with him quantities of silver, which made him quite rich. But he did not forget the Sage's advice to move onward. He pushed on and on into the forest, not allowing himself to be diverted by the many remarkable discoveries he made on his way. At last, after passing a gold mine, he came to a mine of diamonds and other precious stones. Feehng sure that this must be what the Sage intended him to reach, he did not seek farther, but took the jewels and ultimately became the wealthiest man in that part of the country. Similar is
the case of the man who aspires to spiritual 80
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
perfection. The advice of all the great Sages to seekers after spiritual wealth is to ''move onward," and not to stop after making a little progress, or after possessing some of the psychic powers. Being deluded by desire for name and fame and by ambition of various kinds, many people mistake psychic powers for spiritual gifts and think that if they can cure diseases by mental means, they have attained to spiritual perfection. The num- ber of these self-deluded supernatural power- mongers is daily increasing in America under various names. If you seek spiritual per- fection and God-consciousness, beware of the temptations that these psychic powers offer to the unwar}^^. None of these powers is the sign of true spirituality. Theretore the seeker after spiritual perfection should care- fully overcome these obstacles in the path of his spiritual advancement.
Those who are attached to these powers will not attain to God-consciousness while
that attachment lasts. They keep man on 81
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
the psychic plane and delude him in such a way that he often ceases his effort to rise higher. These powers are described by Hindu sages (Yogis) as far greater and more subtle temptations than the grosser ones of a lower plane. We ought to avoid carefully the long- ing for such powers. Let them come if they will; but do not seek them. They are merely the sign-posts that mark our progress; they are not the highest objects to be attained nor are they of any real value in themselves. It is better to consider them simply as obstacles to be surmoimted. They cannot produce any injurious effect on one who does not forget his real goal, but steadfastly pushes on, determined to reach the highest ideal of life — God-consciousness, constantly keeping this aim before his mind's eye.
After conquering the temptation of psychic powers, the true seeker after God-conscious- ness reaches the fifth stage of spiritual unfold- ment. His spiritual eye gradually opens, he
begins to see glimpses of the higher truth, he 82
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
knows that the soul is separate from the body; he understands what the subtle body is; whether the soul reincarnates or not and whether the soul existed before his birth; — all such questions are solved in this state of enlightenment. He finds explanations of everything, both physical and mental, and discovers the true relation of the soul to God. Having attained this enlightenment, the soul rises to a still higher plane of spiritual unfoldm.ent. It is the sixth stage, that of perfect spiritual illumination. Then the goal has been reached, and even in this life, that soul has found eternal bliss in God-conscious- ness. This is called by various nam.es by different philosophers and sages of different countries. In Sanskrit it is called Sam^dhi. The Buddhists call it Nirvana, which m.eans the cessation of misery, sorrow, selfishness and all other imperfections, and the attainment of blessedness. It is not a state of nothing- ness, as some people believe, but the attain- ment of perfection. The Christian Mystics 83
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
of the Middle Ages described it as ecstasy, and modem Christians call it the state of communion with God. The name may vary, but the state itself appears to be the same in every case. This state is the ideal of all re- ligions of the world. Among Christians, Mahomedans, Buddhists, Hindus, and others, the seekers after Truth struggle hard to at- tain this state of superconscious reahzation, Jesus became the Christ after attaining it, and Sakya Muni became the Buddha or the Enlightened. R^makrishna, the great Sage of the nineteenth century in India, reached that stage and is now worshipped by thou- sands of people as an Incarnation of God upon earth. All the great sages and prophets de- scribed this as the highest attainment. In this stage, the river of the higher Self, the Real man, flows with tremendous force into the ocean of Divinity and nothing can resist the course of that current. The soul in each in- dividual is constantly trying to manifest its
Divinity or true nature; and its attempts are 84
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
perfectly fulfilled when the sixth stage is reached. In this state of realization all prob- lems of life and death are solved, all the doubts of the mind cease forever, and all questions are answered. In this state one sees the under- lying unity of the whole panorama of phenom- ena, and the individual soul then transcends all phenomena and their laws. When such a man wakes up from the superconscious state and comes down to the plane of ordinary con- sciousness, his whole nature is transformed, he manifests Divinity in every action of his life and sees the same Divinity in sun, moon, stars, in his own Self and everywhere in the universe. He puts on his eyes new glasses, colored, as it were, with the tinge of the divine Spirit, and wherever he looks, he sees through them manifestation of divinity, and that every- thing exists in God. Many philosophers have attained to this state. Plotinus, the Neo-Platonist who Hved two centuries after Christ, reached it four times in his life. Some
people are afraid of losing their individuality.
85
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
But we can never lose our individuality. Plotinus, after reaching this state, said to his friend Flaccus that in it we realize the Infinite — "You ask how you can know the Infinite? I answer not by reason. It is the office of reason to distinguish and define. The Infi- nite cannot be ranked among its objects. You can only apprehend the Infinite by a faculty superior to reason, by entering into a state in which you are your finite self no longer, in which the divine essence is communicated to you. This is ecstasy. It is the liberation of your mind from its finite anxieties. Like only apprehends the like. When you thus cease to be finite, you become one with the Infinite. In the reduction of your soul to its simplest self, its divine essence, you realize this union, nay this identity." Porphyrius attained to this superconscious state when he was sixty-six years old. Dionysius, who lived in the fifth centur}^, called it the state of the mystic union, or when the soul is united with
God. The great Christian mystic, Meister 86
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
Eckhart, who lived in the fourteenth century, described the nature of this state of God-con- sciousness thus: "There must be perfect still- ness in the soul before God can whisper His word into it, before the light of God can shine in the Soul and transform the Soul into God. When passions are stilled and all worldly desires silenced, then the word of God can be heard in the Soul." The idea is that calm- ness of mind and concentrated attention are needed if we wish to hear the divine word. How can we expect to hear that divine voice within us if our minds are disturbed with sorrows, desires, and anxieties? We will have to make our minds free from these for the time being. In that peaceful state comes revelation, and revelation or inspiration m.eans the disclosure of the higher Spirit within us. When that revelation comes, then we under- stand the nature of that "Unknown and Un- knowable," as it is called by modem science. Then it becomes known and knowable, not by
the finite mind, but by the all-knowing Spirit.
87
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
He who has not reached this state of God- consciousness will stumble hundreds of times before he can grasp its meaning. He will perhaps say : " How is it possible for the created to be one with the Creator? " Or, perhaps he will say: "Can a man who is a sinner by birth ever reach such a state?" Some will say this is the state of nothingness. Horatio Dresser, Mr. Savage, and some others regard it as a state of unconsciousness. A learned professor once told me that there is no such thing as the superconscious state. These people cannot be convinced by arguments or w^ords, they need to experience this in their own souls. All great Seers of Truth have said that there is such a state. It is not trance, nor catalepsy, nor is it a state of hypnotic sleep. In that superconscious state the whole nature is transformed. The man who has reached it no longer lives as he did before; he is illu- minated, and his face is radiant with divine glory. His sight changes into spiritual sight. He may have been a dualist before and may
88
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
have believed that God was outside of the universe, but now he sees God everywhere. Becoming dead to selfishness, he sees the all-pervading divine will as working in the universe, and he thinks no more of his will as separate from the universal will. He has reached spiritual perfection who, having sur- rendered his own will to the universal divine will, keeps quiet Uke a leaf that has fallen from a tree. When the wind blows, the dead leaf is moved and carried from place to place; in like manner, when the truly spiritual man has become dead to selfishness and remains tranquil, the wind of the eternal will of God moves his mind and body. The mind and body of such a man become the instrument and playground of the Almighty will. This is the seventh and final stage of spiritual unfoldment. It is called in Sanskrit Jivan Mukti, salvation in this life. The soul has now become a Christ, or a Buddha. Both these words signify the highest spiritual state of God- consciousness and not any particular person. 89
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
If it be claimed that such a state is impos- sible to attain, how then can the claim be made that Jesus the Christ was conscious of his divine nature? He is the foundation upon which the fabric of Christianity has been built, and he showed evidences of supercon- sciousness or God-consciousness. Some people may despise this state and call such teaching mysticism. If this be a mystical state, then Jesus was a great mystic, because he was con- scious of his divine nature, and his religion is founded upon mysticism. If Jesus attained to that God-consciousness, then every indi- vidual may do so; he was not an exception, as some people may think. In fact, each one of us is bound to attain to that state. No one will be lost. There are various paths through which that God-consciousness can be gained. If we make God- consciousness the highest ideal of life, keep our minds open to truth, and do not blindly follow any teachings but use our common sense and reason, then sin- cerity and earnestness guided by proper exer- 90
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
cise of reason and earnest search after truth under the directions of a truly spiritual teacher, will assuredly lead us through all these stages to the state of God-consciousness and spiritual perfection. If you wish to attain to that state in this life and to live like a master on the spiritual plane, and not as a slave of sense- pleasures, you will have first to control the animal nature by the higher nature. The higher nature is already within you. Realize it. Control your lower mind and passions for the time being, then you will be able to live on the spiritual plane as the master over sense-pleasures. If you cannot Hve such a life, seek the company of those who are their own masters. Through association their life will reflect upon yours. You may say: "Where shall we find such characters?" If it be difficult for you to find such a character, then take an ideal life and follow that ideal and try to become like it. If you have faith in Jesus the Christ, keep that ideal before your
mind. Take his life as a model and try to 91
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
live up to it. Do not listen to anybody's ex- planation of your ideal. Throw aside all theology, dogma, superstition and the scheme of salvation formulated by the priests, and try to live as Jesus lived. All explanations will come to you from within. If you can- not do that and still believe in God and in prayer, then worship God and pray to Him for this God-consciousness. Your prayer will be fulfilled. If you do not believe in God or in prayer, and do not care to follow the life of Jesus, your path will be entirely different from that of the believer. Still, do not despair, there are other ways. You do not have to believe in God, or worship Christ. Seek the Truth and try to realize the unchangeable reality of the universe; to discriminate the changeable from the unchangeable, the spir- itual from the material. The power of dis- crimination exists already in your soul. You need not go begging for right knowledge. Open your mental eye and see what is spirit,
what is matter; whether spirit is the result of 92
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
matter, and whether this life is the result of chance or of law. If you cannot discriminate in this way, strive to know who and what you are and what is your relation to the universe. If you think that this is not easy, then do unselfish works, work for work's sake without thinking of the results. Whenever you work in your every-day Hfe, think that you are pay- ing off your debts, as it were, and not working to gain anything. Do your duty in the best possible way, and do not worry about the re- sults- If this seem.s to be difficult, then try to love all living creatures as you love your- self. If you think that you cannot do this easily and successfully, then try to concentrate your mind on your higher nature, or take one sacred word or one holy idea and meditate on that. There are hundreds of ways by which one can attain to God- consciousness and spiritual perfection. There are as many ways to Truth as there are individuals who seek it. This is the peculiarity of the teach- ings of the Vedanta philosophy — it does not
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
offer a single method only and then con- demn all others. It says that each individual must suit himself or herself according to the powers, tendencies, and capacities )f the in- dividual ego. That path which is good for one individual may not be so for another. We have to start from where we are now stand- ing. Each one of us is at a certain stage or rung of the ladder of evolution. Such being the fact, each must take the path suited to his nature and follow it sincerely, and must not let his mind be muddled by the opinions of other people. We must use our own rea- soning powers and common sense, which is the best sense we have. Then the Hght of spiritual illumination will gradually dawn upon the horizon of our souls and we shall be able to see things as they are. On the con- trary, if we are guided by the opinions of others, we shall not gain much. There are thousands of preachers, philosophers, min- isters, and priests in the world; each one of them is tiying to impress upon the minds of 94
GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
his hearers that his path is the best and the only right one. Now, who shall decide which is right? We cannot decide upon the highest until we attain to the highest, because our decision always depends upon certain stand- ards, which again are subject to change; that which seems to be the highest to-day may not seem so to-morrow. Only that man who has attained to the highest standard of life can say which is the highest and best in reality. All the greatest sages and wise men of the world, however, although they lived at differ- ent times and in different countries, are unani- mous in declaring that the state of God- consciousness is the highest. Whenever they describe it they are unanimous in their de- scription. The statements of Christ, Buddha, and Krishna, of Plotinus, Eckhart, R4ma- krishna, etc., are without material differ- ences. They all teach that there is one uni- versal goal for all the seekers after truth, and that that goal is the attainment of God- con- sciousness. It is the highest ideal of all re- 95
VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY.
ligions. It makes no difference whether we belong to this sect or that denomination. SpirituaHty can never be confined within any sect, creed, or denomination, nor can it be limited by any organized religion. It de- pends entirely upon the evolution of the inner nature of the apparent man. The religion which does not teach it, which does not say that God-consciousness is for every individual, irrespective of caste, creed, or nationality, is not worthy to be called a rehgion. Such reHgions are artificial and consequently use- less. Vedanta is not a dry systerr of specu- lative philosophy, as some think, but its ideal is to make each individual soul reach the state of spiritual perfection; to bring each soul face to face with eternal Truth. Accord- ing to Vedanta, each soul will attain to the state of God-consciousness, sooner or later, by the process of spiritual evolution. "Even if the greatest sinner, who has sinned for a hundred incarnations, can realize his divine nature for even one half second, he shall be
COD-CONSCIOUSNESS.
free from all sins, he shall be pure, perfect,
and godly in this life. Whosoever reaches
the state of Samadhi, or God-consciousness,
becomes one with God." 97
How to be a Yogi, (^'ft** Edition.)
BY SWAMI ABHEDANANDA
I. Introductory. III. Science of Breathing.
11. What is Yoga? IV. Was Christ a Yogi?
12mo, i88 pages. Portrait of author, frontispiece. Cloth, $1.25. Postage, 8 cents.
•* For Christians interested in foreig^n missions this book is of moment, as showing the method of reasoning which they must be prepared to meet if they are to influence the educated Hindu. To the OrientaHst, and the philosopher also, the book is not without interest. . . . Swami Abhedananda preaches no mushroom creed and no Eurasian hybrid ' theosophy.' He aims to give us a com- pendious account of Yoga. Clearly and admirably he performs his task. In form ihf. little book is excellent, and its English style is good." — New York Times Saturday Review o/Books^ Dec. 6, 1902.
*• • How to be a Yogi ' is a little volume that makes very interest- ing reading. The book contains the directions that must be fol- lowed in physical as well as in mental training by one who wishes to have full and perfect control of all his powers." — Record' Herald^ Chicago, Feb. 28, 1903.
*' The Swfimi writes in a clear, direct manner. His chapter on Breath will elicit more than ordinary attention, as there is much in it that will prove helpful. The book makes a valuable addition to Vedanta Philosophy." — Mind^ June, 1903.
**The book is calculated to interest the student of Oriental thought and familiarize the unread with one of the greatest philo- sophical systems of the world." — Buffalo Courier^ Nov. 23, 1902,
•• • How to be a Yogi * practically sums up the whole science of Vedanta Philosophy. The term Yogi is lucidly defined and a full analysis is given of the science of breathing and its bearing on the highest spiritual development. The methods and practices of Yoga are interestingly set forth, and not the least important teaching of the book is the assertion of how great a Yogi was Jesus of Naz- areth."— The Bookseller, Newsdealer and Stationer, }?Ln. 15, 1903.
" This book is well worth a careful reading. Condensed, yet ■ ^ar and concise, it fills one with the desire to ere.uiate these Yogis lu auainiog spiritual perfection."— £/iiiX)', Kansas City, Dec, 1900.
NOTE:— Postage is subject to Parcel Post rates according to zones
All orders received by and money orders and checks made payable to
VEDANTA ASHRAMA
Viesi Cornwall, Conn.
Great Saviors of the World
rvoi. I.) A NEW BOOK
BY
SWAMI ABHEDANANDA
Cloth, ;^i.oo net. Postage, 6 cents. Portrait of each Savior.
CONTENTS. I. Great Saviors of the World (Introductory.) II. Krishna and His Teachings.
III. Zoroaster and His Teachings.
IV. Lao-Tze and His Teachings.
"These studies are scholarly and comprehensive reviews of historic fact. They are also broad and open interpretations of moral and spiritual forces. The author's attitude is reverent toward all. His mind is free. His speech is peculiarly impressive. Surely, it speaks well for the world that its people can look without bitterness and jealousy upon the fact that God has sent, and will send, many Saviors into the world. This is a good study, fitted to open the heart and liberalize miad.''''— IVasAt'ngion Star, June 29, 1912.
** A valuable contribution to metaphysics."— /Vr^/a«<^ Oregonian. June 23, Z912.
"The work is taken up somewhat in chronological order. . . . The teachings of the thinkers who form the subject of the lectures are faithfully reported. The author holds no special brief for any of those remarkable men but endeavors to state precisely what their ideas were. The style of the author is interesting as well as perfectly hioxdy— Buffalo News, April 21, 1912.
Swami Abhedananda emphasizes the similarities in the teaching of these great men. His aim is " to show that the fundamental- teach, ings of the founders of the great religions of the world have had the same spiritual keynote and that the stories connected with their lires and miraculous deeds are similar to those of Jesus Christ."— J/. Paul Pionter Press, August 4, i(,i2.
Press Notices. — Continued,
•• He (author) attempts to explain their ideas accurately and pays much attention to the legends of the east relative to the origin of the great leaders in sacred affairs." — Des Moines Capital^ June 5, 1912.
" It sets forth in picturesque language the principal events in the lives of his heroes and gives a good concise idea of their teachings." -—The Indianapolis Star, May 26, 1912.
"Swami Abhedananda's discourses point to the essential harmony of religions . . . and offer an unusual opportunity to study from conemporaneous expressions the companion viewpoints of faith and pure culture."— A^^w York World, May 25, 1912.
•• The life and teachings of three great Sages, of whom the West- ern world knows far too little, is treated in a wonderfully clear and attractive manner. . . . Their illumined efforts in lifting up a new ensign for the people of their respective countries are described by an Oriental Scholar, who is perfectly fitted for the task, and has familiar- ized himself with the available records of their almost superhuman labors. Each of these great souls is made to live again in the respect- ive chapters of this engrossing work, very interesting side lights are thrown on alleged inaccuracies, many abscure points are made plain, and the underlying principles they set out to teach are conveyed in simple, but scholarly style."— 7"^^ Column, June, 1912,
*' Swami's book will do infinitely more good at the present time in the west than any book he could have written upon the different schools of Vedanta." — Vedanta Universal Messenger, Dec, 1912.
"It breathes the spirit of deep vision and profound learning and one sees that the Swami is actuated by the spirit of his Master, Sri Ramakrishna, that Synthesis of the Religious Consciousness. . . . The quotations from learned authors, bearing relation to the historical features of the AvatSras with which the book is replete, shows how diligently the Swami has prepared himself for his arduous task. He has left nothing unsaid. — Awakened India, Nov., 1912.
"This collection of lectures by the well-known Vedantist con- stitutes the first of a series of three volumes dealing with the same subject. As the author indicates in his preface, the word " Saviour" is used by him in the broad sense, and not as denoting "a Saviour who saves from eternal damnation." The present volume deals with the lives and teachings of Krishna, Zoroaster, and Lao-Tze, viewed in the unifying light of the Vedanta. The many admirers of SwSmi Abhedananda's works will welcome this addition to the list, whilst those who have not yet had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with the grandeur of the teachings of this religio-philosophy, through the light of which "the Unity of the Godhead under variety of names and forms" may be perceived, will assuredly read the book not only with interest, but come from its perusal with the conviction that the Swami possesses the happy gift of bringing to light in an interesting and attractive manner the harmony existing between the leading world-religions." — Occult Review, July, 1912, London, England.
In the Press
GREAT SAVIORS OF THE WORLD Vols. II. and III.
Human Affection and Divine Love
BY
SWAMI ABHEDANANDA Flexible cloth. Price, 50 cents. Postage, 3 cents.
A suitable gift-book full of inspiring thoughts. It describes the evolution of Love in its various stages — animal, human, and divine ; and shows that love is not an emotional sentiment as commonly understood but an attribute of our Real Self.
" Beautifully expressed sentences, on the idealism of love, reflected from India." — Portland Oregonian^ June 23, 1912.
"Never under any circumstances is divine love an evil thing, but is everlasting in its beneficent blessings. In this little book the author contrasts the enduring beauty of the divine love with that of human affections which if misdirected in its selfishness results in murder, robbery and other crimes. His book is divided into two parts and the latter includes numerous quotations to prove his argument."—/?/* Moisnes Capital^ June 5, 1912.
" It is written simply and the mysticism in it is somewhat akin to the mysticism of Maeterlinck, Emerson and of Thomas A Kempis— different as they all are."— J/. Paul Pioneer Press, Aug. 4, 1912.
*' A tiny book but containing a volume of profound thought wis- dom and beauty. It was Drummond who wrote that the greatest thing in the world was " Love," and since then love has somehow had a greater significance and more exalted place in the world than it ever occupied before. But even Drummond did not put it on the high plane or give it such exquisite meaning as this writer has. He casts away the material and shows that the love that exalts, the love that worketh only good reaches through the material to the divined—Ore* gon Journal, April 28, 1912.
Press Notices. — Continued.
" Human affection has ever been manifested in attachment to some object, and the enlightened passages in this practical little volume 8how the same tendency on the animal plane by means of a very fine comparison. The nature and expression of Divine Love is also very skillfully analysed, and a nice distinction drawn, between it and the human quality. The author feelingly portrays an ideal behind both, which might well be adopted by the individual, and typified in his relation to others in daily life, with invaluable results to all. The words of the Swami on "that Divine Love that knows no fear," but realizes everything comes from God are uttered in a decisive style that will appeal to an army of souls, who to-day feel the truth of such a principle. Those will be greatly helped by the plain and highly intell- igent explanation of a great truth, in which the vividness of Oriental expression is reproduced in Western terms by a master of both languages. This especially applies to the closing chapter where aptly chosen illustrations so dear to the oriental mind elucidate the two characteristics of ecstatic love, the three states of consciousness and their correspondence to the five sheaths of the soul, beyond which is the True Self, the Absolute. An elevating manual quite in keeping with the Author's previous best work."— TA* Column, June, igta.
" It is thoroughly sound and happily written book, a fine intro- duction to Bhakti Marga. It is profitable reading to every person while to the more philosophically inclined it affords valuable instruct- ion."—TA* Brahmavadin, Madras India, Dec, 1912.
" Carefully does the Swami draw the distinction, showing how human love attains its climax in directing itself to God.^''— Awakened India, Nov., 1912.
"This is a book presenting somewhat of the old.Indian phil- osophy, which is noble and pure. It is in no sense a departure from Western thought, as one might be led to suppose. It is well written and free from metaphysical speculations."— ^r<7tf*4/y» Eagle, June 14, 1913.
Unity and Harmony
A New Lecture by
SWAMI ABHEDANANDA
Price, 15 cents. Postage, 2 cents.
Divine Heritage of Man. ^
BY SWAMI ABHEDANANDA
I2mo, 215 pages. Portrait of author, frontispiece. Cloth, $1.25. Postage, 8 cents.
Contents. I. Existence of God. II. Attributes of God. III. Has God any Form? IV. Fatherhood and Motherhood of God. V. Relation of Soul to God. VI. What is an Incar- nation of God ? VII. Son of God. VIII. Divine Principle in Man.
" The SwSmi Abhed^nanda's writings are also companionable and read- able. . . . The Philosophy of India, being the bringing together of the best thoughts and reasonings of the best men for the thousands of preced- ing years, had under consideration the self-same problems that are to-day vexing^ the souls of our philosophers. The SwSmi's book is therefore not so radical r departure from accepted thought as might at first be imagined. ... It is not meat for babes, but rather will it give new lines of thought to the brightest intellects." — Transcript, Boston, Aug. 1903.
•' His method of dealing with these fundamental questions is peculiarly free both from dogmatic assertion and from pure metaphysical specula- tion."—/«/^r-C>c-«ra«, Chicago, Aug. 1903.
" He bases his arguments, not on theological hypotheses, but on scientific facts." — Cleveland Plain Dealer, Aug. 1903.
" It is written in a plain and logical style, and cannot fail to interest all who are anxious for information concerning the philosophy of which the author is such an able exponent." — Times Pittsburg, June, 1903.
" A glance over a few of its pages would be sufficient to convince the reader that he is in the presence of an intellect of high order, more thoroughly conversant with the philosophies and sciences of the Occi- dental world than most Europeans or Americans. . . . The "Divine Heritage of Man " gives a rare insight into the religious views of educated Hindoos and in its argumentation furnishes an intellectual treat," — Chronicle, San Francisco, Aug. 1903.
" Fully cognizant of modern scientific discoveries, the author treats his subject broadly." — Bookseller, Newsdealer, and Publisher, New York, Aug. 1903.
•' The student of religions will find much of value in the discourses, since they are full of historical information concerning the origin and growth of certain ideas and beliefs dominant in Christianity." — Republic can, Denver, July, 1903.
" There is no disposition on the part of the author to assail any of th« Christian principles, but he simply presents his subject with calmness^ not attempting to reconcile religion and science, for to him they ax« one." — Washington Post, June, 1903.
Self-Knowledge (Atma-Jnana).
BY SWAMI ABHEDANANDA
Cfeth, $1.25. Postage, 8 cents. Portrait of author, frontispiece.
Contents. I. Spirit and Matter. IV . Search after the Self.
II. Knowledge of the Self. V. Realization of the Self.
III. Prana and the Self. VI. Immortality and the Self.
*' So practically and exhaustively is each phase of the subject treated that it may well serve as a text-book for anyone striving for self-development and a deeper understanding of human nature." — Toro7ito Saturday Night, Dec. 1905.
"It will also be welcomed by students of the Vedic Scriptures, since each chapter is based upon some one of the ancient Vedas known as the Upanishads, and many passages are quoted."— Chicago Inter-Ocean, Jan. 1906.
*' The book, from the gifted pen of the head of the Vedanta Society of New York, presents in a clear manner, calculated to arrest the attention of those not yet familiar with Vedic literature, the principles of self-knowledge as taught by the leaders of that philosophy. . . . The many passages quoted prove the profound wisdom and practical teaching contained in the early Hindu Scrip- tures."— Waslmigton Everting Star, Dec. 1905.
*' A new book which will be welcome to students of Truth, whether it be found in the Eastern religions, in modern thought or elsewhere," — Unity ^ Nov, 1905.
"The book is very well written." — San Francisco Chronicle^ Dec. 1905.
" In forcefulness and clearness of style it is in every way equal to the other works by the Swami Abhedananda, who has always shown himself in his writings a remarkable master of the English language." — Mexican Herald, Dec. 1905.
*' The volume is forcefully written, as are all of this author*s -works, and cannot fail to be of great interest to all who have entered this field of thought. A fine portrait of the Swami forms the frontispiece." — Toledo Blade, Nov. 1905.
India and Her People
{Lectures delivered before the Brooklyn Institute
of Arts and Sciences during the season
of igo5-igo6)
BY
SWAMI ABHEDANANDA
THIRD EDITION
Cloth, $1.50 Postage, 10 Cents
Contents I. Philosophy of India To-day. II. Religions ci India.
III. Social Status of India: Their System of Caste.
IV. Political Institutions of India. V. Education in India.
VI. The Influence of India on Western Civilization and the Influence of Western Civilization on India.
" T^is book has more than usual interest as coming from one who knows the Occident and both knows and loves the Orient. ... It is decidedly interesting. . . . The book has two admirable qualities: breadth in scope and suggestiveness in material." — Bulletin of the American Geographical Society^ Sept, 1906.
"This volume, written in an attractive style and dealing with the life, philosophy and religion of India, should prove a useful addition to the literature of a fascinating and as yet largely unknown subject. It is designed for i>opular reading, the metaphysical portions being so handled that the reader runs little risk of getting beyond his depth." — Literary Digest, Feb. 16, 1907.
" The Swami possesses the exceptional advantage of being able to look upon his own country almost from the standpoint of an outsider and to handle his subject free from both foreign and native prejudice." —New York lVor/cl,Aug. 4, 1906.
" It is a valuable contribution to Western knowledge of India, con- taining precisely what the American wants to know about that region,' — IVashington Evening Star, Aug. 4, 1906.
*• It is impossible to quarrel with his book. He (Swami) writes too interestingly and he is a man with a mission." — The Sunday Oregoninn, Aug. 26, 1906.
PRESS NOTICES OF "INDIA AND HER PEOPLE."
"The views set forth in this work by Swami Abhedananda ... are interesting', as being those of a native of India who has devoted much time and attention to the study of those questions which affect the government and general administration of the country. The author has selected a wide range of subjects for treatment, embracing the social, political, educational, and religious conditions as they now exist, and, speaking generally, has invariably exercised sound tact and judg- ment in discussing the many different questions embraced under those headings." — Journal of the Royal Colonial Institute^ April, IQ07, London, England.
'* An excellent contribution to the very scanty literature on India. ... All chapters are instructive to any one aspiring to a knowledge of this vast country. ... It is a book which every non-Indian visit- ing India or making a temporary or permanent stay therein, and also every son of the soil, should have by his side." — The Arya^ February^ 1907, Madras, India,
Reincarnation.
(New and Enlarged Edition,}
I. Reincarnation.
II. Heredity aiid Reincarnation.
III. Evolution and Reincarnation.
IV. Which is Scientific, Resurrection or Reincarnation? V. Theory of Transmigration.
Paper, 50 cents. Cloth, 75 cents. Postage, 5 and 7 cents.
"In these discourses the Swami A bhedananda considers the questions of evolution and the resurrection in their bearing upon the ancient teaching of rebirth, the truth, logic and justice of which are rapidly permeating the best thought of the Western world. For the preserva- tion of this doctrine mankind is indebted to the literary storehouses of India, the racial and geographical source of much of the vital knowledge of Occidental peoples. Reincarnation is shown in the present volume to be a universal solvent of life's mysteries. It answers those questions of children that have staggered the wisest minds who seek to reconcile the law of evolution and the existence of an intelligent and just Creator, with the proposition that man has but a single lifetime in which to de- velop spiritual self-consciousness. It is commended to every thinker." —'Mind, February, IQOO.
" It is a work which will appeal to the novice for its simplicity and definite quality, and to the student for its wealth of knowledge aod suggestion." — Vedanta Monthly Bulletin^ Sept.y 1907.
"The book should prove a valuable acquisition." — The Eveni>ig Sun, J^. v., December 21, 1907.
"This is the work of a man of fine education and of fine intellect. . . . (Reincarnation) as expounded by Swami Abhedananda is very plausible, quite scientific, and far from uncomforting. The exposition contained in this little book is well worth reading by all students of metaphysics. There is not the slightest danger of its converting or perverting any one to a new and strange religion. Reincarnation is not religion, it is science. Science was never known to hurt anybody but scientists." — Brooklyn Eagle, December 13, 1907,
WORKS BY SWAMI ABHEDANANDA.
Philosophy of Work.
I. Philosophy of Work, II. Secret of Work. III. Duty or Motive in Work,
paper, 50 cents. Cloth, 75 cents. Postage, 2 and 6 cents.
*' In this volume the Vedanta Society presents three lectures by the leader of the Hindu religious movement that is making much head- way among philosophic minds throughout the United States. The book is an excellent antidote to the gospel of selfism now popular in many quarters, and a copy should be in the hands especially of every ambitious seeker after the loaves and fishes of material desire. It shows the folly of slavery to sense and the means of escaf>e from the thraldom of egoism, while elucidating the Hindu concept of many things that are ' race problems' because of individual igno* ranee of spiritual principles. These discourses merit a wide ciroUaF Uon among unprejudiced minds." — Mind, February, 1903.
Single Lectures.
Christian Science and Vedanta.
Cosmic Evolution and its Purpose.
Divine Communion.
Does the Soul Exist after Death?
The Motherhood of God.
The Philosophy of Good and Evil.
The Relation of Soul to God.
Religion of the Hindus.
Scientific Basis of Religion.
Simple Living.
Spiritualism and Vedanta.
The Way to the Blessed Life.
Who is the Saviour of Souls ?
Why a Hindu Accepts Christ and Rejects Churchianity.
Why a Hindu is a Vegetarian.
Woman's Place in Hindu Religion.
The Word and the Cross in Ancient India.
15 cents each. Postage, 2 cents each. Single Lectures Parts I & H. Bound in cloth, each $1.25. Postage, 8 cents.
The Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna.
COMPILED BY
SWAMI ABHEDANANDA.
234 pages. Flexible cloth, gilt top, $1.00. Postage, 6c.
R&makrishna was a great Hindu saint of the nineteenth century who has already had an influence on the religious thought of America and England through the teachings of his disciples, Swami Vivek&nanda, SwSmi AbhedSnanda, and others. His Say- ings are full of broad, practical, non-sectarian instructions concern- ing the spiritual life which cannot but give help and inspiration to the followers of all creeds. The present volume contains a larger number of Sayings than has yet appeared in any one English collection. For the first time also they have been classified into chapters and arranged in logical sequence under marginal head- ings, such as "All creeds paths to God," " Power of Mind and Thought," "Meditation," "Perseverance." As an exposition of the universal truths of Religion and their application to the daily life this book takes its place among the great scriptures of the world.
Spiritual Unfoldment.
BY SWAMI ABHEDANANDA
I. Self-control.
n. Concentration and Meditation.
III. Grod-consciousness.
Paper, 50 cents. Cloth, 75 cents. Postage, 2 and 6 cents.
•' This attractive little volume comprises three lectures on the Vedanta Philosophy. The discourses will be found vitally helpful even by those who know little and care less about the spiritual and ethical teachings of which the Swami is an able and popular exponent. As the Vedanta itself is largely a doctrine of universals and ultimates, j(o also is this book of common utility and significance among all races of believers. Its precepts are susceptible of application by any rational thinker, regardless of religious predilection and inherited prejudices. The principles set forth by this teacher are an excellent corrective of spiritual bias or narrowness, and as such the present work is to be com- mended. It has already awakened an interest in Oriental literature that augurs well for the cause of human brotherhood, and it merits a wide circulatioa among all who cherish advanced ideals."— i)//«</, A^ils
What is Vedanta?
Pamphlet printed for distribution containing a short exposition of the fundamental teachings of the Vedanta Philosophy. x2mo, 8 pp. Price, 10 cents.
The Gospel of Ramakrishna.
Authorized Edition. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
swAmi abhedananda.
448 pages; with two pictures, maginal notes, and index.
Flexible silk cloth, gilt top, $1.50 net. Postage, 7 cents.
Full leather binding, flexible cover, circuit edge with red
and gold in the style of "Teachers' Bible."
$3.00 net. Postage, 8 cents.
"The sayings of a mystic who has much influence in India and who has been made known to the Western world by various missionary ' Swamis ' will be found in < The Gospel ol Rama- krishna.* They have been translated into excellent English." — The Sun, New York.
" * The Gospel of Ramakrishna * contains the religious teachings of this modern Hindu saint whose life contained so many good deeds that his followers thought him little short of divine." — The Boston Globe^ Boston, Mass.
" During his lifetime his career and personality attracted much attention from English and German scholars of the nine- teenth century." — The Chicago Inter-Ocean, Chicago, III.
"The book is filled with beautiful thoughts and beauti- ful teachings, which, if followed, would lead to a perfect life. One cannot marvel that the sayings of Ramakrishna made a deep impress on modern Hindu thought. He was at least a great and wise scholar, and gave goodly advice to his followers.** — The San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco, Cat.
" It is a remarkable book and it should be a rare privilege to read it." — The Oregonian, Portland, Oregon,
14 DAY USE
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