Gracious Light of Soul

“The Angels, Gracious Light of Soul,
bending near the earth
in me
touched the golden harp strings
of my heart
and the worlds
in silent obeisance lay
to hear their voices:
"Peace and Joy!
Peace and Joy
unto All!"

Upon this midnight clear 
I listen to their 
Word
resounding,
still.”

Swami Kamalananda

Gratitude

Acknowledgement with soul of the beneficence of love is gratitude. Love is creatively good. It is divinely active. Love is the self-manifesting attribute of God. The greater the realization of God, the more abundant is the manifestation of the qualities of love. Love offers the fulfillment of our desire, hope, aspiration and ideal. Only when the gifts of love are received with soul does the virtue of gratitude adorn the heart.

Swami Premananda
One Hundred and One Noble Qualities

Life of Unfoldment

As the soul unfolds its nature,
we no longer view life at a distance.

We know one existence,
eternal, infinite and free.

In absolute Oneness,
there is neither near nor far.
There is no separation.

Being and becoming
have no distinction.

All are parts of one Reality,
indwelling and all-pervasive.

Learn to unfold
the divine blessings of soul
at each stage of life.

Know the spiritual value of every experience.

Practice living the life of yoga
with sincere determination.

This discipline becomes
a source of boundless joy.

Ahimsa: Highest Dharma

Patience, humility, tolerance, understanding, respect: these are the qualities of ahimsa. There are tactics, strategies and movements that people have collectively utilized to encourage a nonviolent basis for society. However, the foundation of ahimsa begins with a charitable thought, a kind word or an act of service toward another human being. When our very nature revolves around such an existence, there is no doubt in our mind as to how to approach a difficult situation or how to resolve a conflict, because we have already fortified our heart and mind to be flexible, creative and fearless. We have the strength to endure. We are not controlled by anger. Rather, we constructively direct our energy and find enough strength of character to realize a higher calling than the ugliness and brutishness that could otherwise pull us down. Any action which is adversarial or coercive in motive is contrary to the philosophy of ahimsa. The desire to do good, to be charitable and to contribute to the well-being of all comes only through pure love. Such love is not just a preference for some familiar persons or conditions to others. It is the awareness that all life is one and interrelated, progressing from one source to one goal.

The practice of ahimsa is as broad as life itself. It consists of our daily efforts to convert the negative demands of our selfish ego into the positive expressions of the soul. This requires constant attention, subtle thinking and above all, great love. Pure and sincere efforts are the greatest powers and attainments of ahimsa.

What Gandhiji comprehended, advocated and lived, is a complete yoga of love. Love is the hub of the wheel. The idea of returning love and forgiveness for hatred and injury was not, of course, invented by Gandhiji. It is as “old as the hills.” In the Gita, Krishna revealed that denial of the Self is himsa or injury. Buddha, the enlightened one, taught that ahimsa is the highest dharma (principle) of life. Patanjali was a mystic and philosopher of ancient India. He offered thoughtful insights and enlightened commentary on yoga and suggested the practice of yama or the discipline of abstention from injurious thought, word or deed. Gandhiji himself referred often to the teachings of Christ to “Love thy neighbor as thyself…resist not evil…and bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.” Such unconditional love is true bhakti, complete dedication to the spiritual ideal of absolute oneness.

Srimati Karuna
Gandhi’s Steadfast Yoga

AUM

The Self is formless and transcendental. Let not thy meditation be merely blind practice without the understanding of its principles and ideal. Such practice often misleads the aspirant and wrecks his spiritual life. Thy understanding will become perfect with the realization of the Self. Those who seek phenomenal powers through meditation create bondage and misery for themselves. (49) By following the path of meditation with true understanding and perfect vision, thou shalt realize thyself as the absolute Self. Therefore practice thy meditation with joy and determination. This is the secret of self-realization. (50) The true Yogi does not desire any phenomenal power. Thus he transcends the limitations of duality and realizes the state of absolute bliss. (51) In the process of meditation, when the consciousness of sense-identification is removed, the limitations of time, space and causality vanish in the realization of conscious, blissful, eternal existence. (52) When the mind is absorbed by the cosmic vibration, AUM, then the power of understanding becomes pure, the mind remains established on the Self at the spiritual eye, and finally the Self is revealed. (53)

The self:
What is the nature of absolute self-realization? Transcending all limitations, how does a man of self-realization manifest himself in speech, action, and life? (54)

The supreme Self:
Eternal existence in absolute bliss is the glory of self-realization. It is the state of pure-consciousness, wherein the self is liberated in the cosmic Self. In this state of pure-consciousness all thoughts of self-limitation are forever gone. (55) When a man of self-realization manifests himself on earth, to him suffering and happiness are various waves of absolute bliss. He lives in peace. His all-embracing love is pure and spiritual. The realization of his oneness with all is ever present in his consciousness. He is ever aware that his own infinite perfection is reflected in and through all beings. He realizes that the whole manifested universe is a part of his own cosmic Self. (56) The same to all is the man of perfect wisdom. Virtue and vice are to him different degrees of the same goodness. In him both saint and sinner find guidance, assurance, comfort and inspiration. Peace and calmness are not conditioned by circumstances for a man of self-realization. (57) Absolute control over the mind is the prerequisite of self-realization. When the mind is withdrawn from the senses and sense-objects, when all its modifications have ceased, then the Self is revealed and wisdom is attained. (58) Consciousness of forms exists in the qualified Samadhi, the Savikalpa. All forms vanish in the absolute Samadhi, the Nirvikalpa. (59) When the mind fails to reflect the perfection of the Self, it becomes a slave to the senses. (60) Therefore the spiritual aspirant continuously identifies his mind with the Self, and thus finally attains self-realization. When the mind is no longer dominated by the finite, it invariably leads to the state of infinite consciousness which is the state of absolute self-realization. (61) In the finite plane of consciousness mind is the reflector of the Self as well as the recipient of impressions of phenomena. But when it is allowed to be occupied exclusively with the latter it becomes allured by these and longs for phenomenal powers, and challenges any obstacle to their fullest enjoyment. (62) Gradually the veil of finitude and delusion hides the reflection of the Self from the mind. Finally, it becomes almost oblivious to its identity with the Self and is lost in the snare of phenomena. (63) But when the mind is identified with and guided by the Self, the aspirant is neither distracted nor discouraged by the allurements of phenomenal powers. He continues in his meditation in perfect self-assurance and serenity. (64) In perfect calmness of mind, all consciousness of duality vanishes and the Self is realized. This is the state of absolute bliss. (65) Without the complete identification of the mind with the Self, the Self is never realized. Without self-realization there is no peace. And without peace, how can there be the attainment of bliss? (66)

Swami Premananda
The Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita: The Revelation of the Supreme Self
Spiritual interpretation of the Gita according to Kriya Yoga

Ajna - The Spiritual Eye

Illumined and inspired by the divine qualities of the indwelling supreme Self, the enlightened self becomes firmly established at Ajna, the spiritual eye, and witnesses a white star within a dark blue center surrounded by a brilliant but soothing effulgence. While at this state there is awakened a cosmic vibration of all-engulfing immensity wherein the self is merged in blissful self-consciousness. The illuminating, joyous vibration of the ascending current of Pranic force resembles the tone quality of the hum of the bumblebee at Muladhar, coccygeal; that of the melodious note from a violin at Sadhisthan, sacral; that of the sweet call of a flute at Manipur, lumbar; that of the deep and vibrant roar of a conch at Anahata, dorsal; that of the reverberation of rolling thunder at Visuddha, cervical; and that of an universal symphony of exalting blissfulness at Ajna, the spiritual eye. Besides these there are also felt in this body temple the power of calmness of mind and poise of the senses, clear conscience and love of truth, intuition and enlightened perception, as well as the power of purified consciousness and self-realization. The illuminating power and joyousness of these vibrations are beyond the conception of mind. This cosmic vibration, resounding throughout the entire being and consciousness, spiritualizes the faculties of the senses, transforms the will of the sense-attached mind, and liberates the self from sense-identification.

Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita: The Revelation of the Supreme Self
Swami Premananda

Meditation at Dawn and Dusk

The practice of meditating upon first awakening in the morning and as the last thing we do before retiring at the end of the day is quite natural and logical. We feel drawn to Nature’s heart, a consciousness that unites our body, mind and spirit in inspiration. With each dawn, the sun floods all earthly life as it spreads its gaze over the horizon and reawakens all with its smile of pristine purity. With daily morning meditation, we feel that our day has been blessed from its beginning with God’s own Light-Life-Love to sustain and guide us.

Our evening meditation affirms our spirit’s independence from worldliness as a perfect completion to our day: As the sun withdraws over the horizon, we also withdraw our minds from all attentions, trappings and efforts as “sufficient unto the day” and finished, following the sun’s example by letting go of all mundane responsibilities such as job, family and other social concerns.

Swami Kamalananda
The Breath of God and Pranayam

Breath

There are many similarities in Vedic and Biblical stories of creation.

God is Creator in the Book of Genesis and the Supreme Being (“Brahma”) in the Vedas. In both traditions the Creator transcends the entire universe while bringing forth all life and beings, animate and inanimate. Every religious tradition we know describes the human being as the pinnacle of the process of creation, the most advanced of all living beings on earth.

In the Biblical story, God first created heaven and earth, the seas and the air, the fishes, fowls, herbs and plants and all living creatures in six days, and seeing that it was good ended all this work on the (symbolic) seventh day with rest. And then,

...the Lord God formed man (Adam) of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.  Genesis 2:7

The name “Adam” derives from a combination of “adi,” meaning first, and “aham,” or “ahong,” meaning “I-consciousness.” Adam thus became the first manifested self-consciousness as he drew in God’s imparted breath-of-life. This is similarly stated in the Qur’an:

I breathed into humanity something of my own spirit. Qur’an 38:72

Yet reading “God breathed” only begs the greater persisting philosophical question: How? Exactly what is God’s breath? The profound answer to that question is what strikingly distinguishes the Vedic and Upanishadic thought in several ways, the foremost being that breath existed BEFORE creation itself, i.e., without extraneous breath, as the One Existent, without a second:

In the beginning,

Before there was existence or nonexistence,
Before there was sky or atmosphere above,
Before there was birth, death or immortality,
Day or night, light or darkness. . .
Only the One Existent breathed calmly. . .
self-contained, with nothing beyond. Rig Veda

From that Absolute Being comes the cosmic manifestation of Breath.

Prana

The one consciousness-bearing life force is “Prana.” Prana is the “breath of life,” because there is no life without it; yet prana is not breathing per se. It is what animates all existence and all manifestations of life. All the cosmic space (the Akash) as well as vital forces such as gravity, magnetism and electricity evolve out of Prana. From movements higher and finer than nerve currents, to thoughts and actions, to the lowest and grossest — all are manifestations of Prana.

The Prashna Upanishad identifies Prana as the Supreme Power of Life born of the Atman, the Universal Self. Prana sustains and rules all functions of the various currents of life-force within the body:

Like the spokes on the hub of a chariot wheel, all beings are established on Prana. Revelation, meditation, hymns, sacraments, power and wisdom — all these are possible because of Prana.

Although we summarily call it Prana, we also describe Prana as expressing in five vayus, “winds” or currents working throughout the entire vast body of Nature. The five motions of Prana are associated with the five elements manifesting everywhere.

Swami Kamalananda
The Breath of God and Pranayam

Mental Habits for Meditation

Do you know what happens to the mind that is unprepared, untrained, ignorant of its divine powers of pure self-reflection? It becomes afraid. Afraid to be alone. Afraid to be silent. Afraid to be calm. It is the greatest tragedy of life, because every person desires peace of mind. Every person craves self-composure and strength of calmness, yet few people know where they exist or how to find them. Few people are willing to devote even a few minutes of their day to find themselves in silence and solitude.

Yet we can free ourselves from the habits of worldliness and get into the peace of self-subjectivity in many beautiful, meditative, ways: For instance, some people enjoy absorbing themselves in the thought of being part of the all-pervasive beauty and peace of God. They walk alone, “losing themselves” in the company of God in nature, communing with the vastness of the heavens above them or answering the hypnotic invitation whispered from a woodland stream at their feet. Who wouldn’t be blessed by the subjective adoration? A love of the “inner life” includes finding in the quietness and loveliness of the world surrounding us a self-revealing subjective calm. This comprehensive mood of inspiration is a prerequisite for meditation. The habits of quietness, reverie and reverence for nature are of themselves important components of meditation.

Meditation is the only way to self-enlightenment and peace, but unless one truly understands his subjective life he will encounter great difficulties when he attempts meditating. Promised the bliss and spiritual attainments of meditation the novice initially elects it with enthusiasm. But what happens if he is subjectively unprepared is sadly predictable: He either becomes bored with meditation or restless. The reason? So long has his consciousness been dominated by and engrossed in the outer, sensory world that his uncultivated inner realm seems empty to him. Or worse, left unattended it has become cluttered. It is just as if one has been outside all day and returned home to find everything inside his home is in disarray. How discouraging! Entering our subjective abode that has been neglected and unattended day after day from morning til night, our mind would surely turn inward and feel,”I want out of this!” The novice, having initially chosen meditation with enthusiasm now rejects it summarily. His unexplored power of introspection is weak—too burdened by wordiness, and also too weak to withstand the demands of the world.

Steeped in worldliness, our values are totally distorted. Our would becomes trivial and puny, offering us precious little of life. How odd that the popular meaning of “sophisticated” is “worldly” and that the connotation, far from pejorative, is complementary! Without the dynamic richness of subjectivity how can the mighty faculty of mind become anything more than provincial and small, boring, dull and mediocre?

The most curious and the sad thing about the restless and distracted sense-bound mind is that it is lonely. It seems to be busy and occupied all the time, and yet, it is invariably and painfully lonely. The reason is understandable: Without a subjective life the true self remains veiled, unknown. Loneliness is separation from self.

The Mystic Cross
Swami Kamalananda

Yoga in its Purest Form

How are we to discover our true self? Following what procedure can we reveal unto ourselves what we really are in our essential nature?

By the introspective absorption of consciousness and mind, with its potency of thoughts, determination of will, and absolute devotion, the direct perception of the indwelling self is attained. All concepts of duality fade away; thought rests in the stillness of illumination, will expands into dynamic immensity and devotion melts into all pervasive peace in an infinite effulgence of our expanding consciousness wherein our self is revealed in its truth, power, beauty and perfection.

This is yoga in its purest form. The ideal of yoga practice is the attainment of the realization of our true self. Self-realization leads to God-realization. Discover your true self and you will reveal unto yourself your identity with God.

Swami Premananda
The Blessedness of the Inner Life

Subjective Meditation

By the practice of subjective meditation the Self is revealed in its transcendental perfection as well as in its immanental existence; and the Yogi realizes that he is the Self, all-pervading yet absolute.

Meditation reveals in successive states of consciousness: I, the self, exist in the Self; the Self manifests itself through me; I am one with the Self; I am the Self; I am the Absolute.

The practice of Kriya unfolds the absolute divinity of one’s own Self, and the whole phenomenal universe, in all its diversities, is revealed as the manifestation of the one cosmic Self.

In the power of pure-consciousness the bliss of the Self transmutes the dual experiences of joy and sorrow in all states of existence. Bliss is the supreme power of self-realization.

As he aspires to liberate the mind from its identification with the sensory enjoyment of temporary pleasures the spiritual aspirant observes that the mind is incapable of independent existence, hence it seems that permanent tranquility is not its nature.

The sense-identified and sense-bound mind remains invariably objective in its tendency and stubbornly refuses to become subjective. Abiding calmness of the mind seems as impossible to attain as it is to gain perfect polarization of the currents of energy between the Muladhar and the Sahasraram.

The impression-bound mind is subject to ungovernable passion for objectivity and is consequently restless; but by continuous and steady practice of Kriya, as well as by complete renunciation of all relative desires, sensory and supersensory, the mind is made serene and is illumined by the Self.

The realization of the transcendental Self is a difficult task; this is the experience of every seeker after the state of self-liberation. But by the practice of subjective meditation the mind becomes steady, serene and self-composed, it is inspired by the strength of the self, and the power of remembrance reawakens the consciousness of self-transcendence, and finally the revelation of oneness with the absolute Self is attained.

Subjective Meditation 6:29-36
Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita: The Revelation of the Supreme Self
Swami Premananda

Truth Alone Conquers

The effulgent, pure and perfect Self is ever present within this body. In purity of heart, the cognitive consciousness, is gained the direct vision of the Self, the absolute God. Love of truth, discrimination, right knowledge, serenity, self-discipline and intuition are the prerequisites to the attainment of realization of the supreme Self.

Truth alone conquers, falsehood never does. The path to God is built on the foundation of truth. By following that path the sages of renunciation reach the transcendental state of the absolute Truth.

Not by the sight of the eyes, nor by the words of speech, nor by the power of any other sense faculty can the universality of the supreme Self be perceived. When the heart is made pure by the Yoga of meditation the initiate realizes the formless Brahman in the immensity of the
effulgent pure-consciousness.

Mundaka Upanishad
Light on Kriya Yoga
Translation by Swami Premananda

Pranayam and Meditation

Existence in the world of duality, even for an instant, is impossible without Prana, the cosmic energy, because the phenomenal universe is the differentiation of the undifferentiated Prana. Illumination does not come from merely attaining complete mastery over the sense-organs. But when mind transcends the influence of sense-impressions, the Self is realized. The enlightened mind must rule the senses. Control over the mind is attained by Pranayam and meditation. When the senses and the mind act in perfect harmony with the Self, then alone liberation is attained and the Yogi realizes himself as the absolute Self. Therefore practice Pranayam, the Kriya meditation, observing all major and minor laws in every detail. Pranayam regulates the entire system of the Yogi and enables him to attain higher realization, hence the practice of Pranayam is more desirable than living in an inharmonious state of body and mind. Besides, it is absolutely impossible to feel even the least sensory vibration without preserving in some measure the harmonious movement of Prana in the body. Pranayam must be practiced with the sole object of self-realization, otherwise it will become a veritable source of bondage. Therefore, discarding and thus being free from all phenomenal desires, practice Kriya. Since the beginning of creation, every soul has been endowed with the desire to regain its original state of absolute perfection. This desire inspires the spiritual aspirant to manifest his divinity in its fullest glory. Let him meditate on the six centers within the spine to awaken their spiritual vibrations. The spiritual vibrations of these centers, thus awakened, will keep his mind uplifted and enable it to remain established on Ajna, the spiritual eye; and finally he will be led into the Sahasraram where all consciousness of duality vanishes, and therein he will attain the supreme state of absolute, self-existent, conscious bliss.

Spiritual Interpretation of the Gita according to Kriya Yoga
Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita: The Revelation of the Supreme Self
Swami Premananda

Prakriti - Nature

“I am Prakriti, ordained to creative Nature.
I am the current of the Absolute in the ocean of life.

The Mother of Earth, generating endless harmonies and hues in splendorous profusion.
I fill the skies with endless invitations to awaken the soul from sleep.

Awake, then, from thy slumber of unknowing to discover thy cosmic inheritance of infinite domain in my wondrous emporium.

O Earth, I am here---Thundering in raging seas, plunging with deafening roar into cascading waterfalls, leaping to ignite life with my electric force.

My river song floods fields and plains with verdant beauty.
I celebrate my journey with singing in brooks and streams.

In my sacred wildernesses soft rains murmur reverent prayers---
Green cathedrals sharing secret communion in hushed voices---

Branches uplifted and outstretched beseechingly to receive this hallowed consecration of the firmament.

I paint seasons’ colored tapestries on bark and leaf, tender flower petals and on carpets of untrod moss.

Dwelling in serene reflection in calm lakes and ponds, I lift to rippling surfaces sweet and gentle memories from my still and silent source.

I alone inhabit the deep.”

Frontiers of the Spirit
Swami Kamalananda

Dear to Me

One who is completely free from ill will and is friendly and compassionate towards all, who has overcome attachment and egotism, who is self-composed in pain and pleasure, and forgiving, (13) Who is ever content, meditative, serene, resolute in spiritual effort, and whose mind and intellect are dedicated to me; he who is thus devoted to me is dear to me. (14) He by whom the world is not afflicted and who is not afflicted by the world, who is not carried away by emotion, and who is free from envy, fear and anxiety; he is dear to me. (15) He who is not ruled by sensory desires, who is pure, wise and competent, unattached, undisturbed, free from egoistic motive; he who is thus devoted to me is dear to me. (16) He who is neither overbearing in the joy of achievement nor negatively depressed in failure, who is neither abased by misfortune nor greedy of gain, who has renounced the concept of relative good and evil and is full of devotion; he is dear to me. (17) He who is equal to friend and foe, serene in fame and insult, heat and cold, pleasure and pain, and free from attachment, (18) Self-composed in praise and blame, wise in speech, content amidst all circumstances, unattached to this abode of life, and calm of mind; such a devout heart is dear to me. (19) But those who follow this immortal path of devotion exactly as herein propounded by me, with faith and regarding me as the supreme goal; such devotees indeed are exceedingly dear to me. (20)

Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita: The Revelation of the Supreme Self
Chapter 12:13-20
Translation by Swami Premananda

Realization

Life, intelligence and love are truly within us. When these are spoken of in their universal nature, they are called absolute truths. We can only reveal and assert, but never prove them. We are Brahman, the Self, God. Yet at present we are not fully conscious of our true nature. The goal of our life’s journey is to realize our absolute divinity, otherwise called realization of our oneness with God. Is it possible to know, or realize God? Yes, it is most assuredly so.

There is a great difference between “knowledge” as we generally understand this term, and “realization.” To realize is to be come one with the reality which transcends sense perception. Realization is subjective. It rules that state of consciousness which intellect cannot penetrate. Knowledge is objective; it is finite. It is based on intellect. We know the phenomenal world; we realize the noumeal reality. We may know about a table, a picture, or any other object in the manifested universe, but in our knowledge of it we do not become one with it. It remains as a separate entity in our consciousness. Intellectual grasp is not realization. Let me further point out the difference between the two concepts from the illustration of a beautiful table. We acquire knowledge regarding its form, size and materials. These are external conditions. But we realize the beauty that is manifested through it. Beauty is a transcendental reality, which we realize.

Meditation is the gaining of control over our mind by turning it towards God. Meditation can be in two forms, subjective and objective. Subjective meditation is to meditate upon the Self within. “I am the absolute Self.” Thus meditate that you are Self, Spirit, God. Withdraw your mind from all other thoughts and firmly establish it on the Self within. Objective meditation is to realize God in all objects of the phenomenal world. Always culture recognition of the presence of God in all things. Unconditionally learn to see God everywhere. Never mind whether an object is pleasant or unpleasant, good or bad. See God in all. All these conceptions of the pairs of opposites are our own manufacture. Rise above duality and see God everywhere.

Our spiritual life should not be dominated by adverse material circumstances. Spiritual life must stand above all earthly conditions, as our Soul is above all effects of dualities. Do not always seek God, begin to see God. Blessed is he who sees God everywhere and beholds good in all things.

Swami Premananda
The Path of Pure Consciousness: Jnana Yoga

Perfecting the Means

Perfecting the means is a constant effort that requires steadfastness and humility. It requires placing importance upon every thought, every word and every deed. Our actions produce effects in both seen and unseen ways. Therefore, we should not be attached to the ends for we may not know or understand the actual effect.

It can be a great challenge to maintain our equilibrium when we are faced with difficult circumstances. We recognize the difference when an action is done in anger, impatience or intolerance, versus when our action is performed in joy, sincerity or selflessness. We think we know what will be the outcome, but we don’t have control over it. In fact, we barely have control over our own thoughts, let alone our words and actions. As difficult as it is to control our thoughts, it is impossible to have control over the results of our actions. The best we can do is employ appropriate means. We know every cause has an effect, yet we don’t know all the conditions and circumstances at play. Why should we be attached to the results or fruits of our actions? The life of yoga is freedom from such attachment.

The Bhagavad Gita implores us not to worry over the results of action. An action is a given cause. When the cause is given, its effect is inevitable. Therefore, good actions bring forth good results. We recognize this in the biblical expression, “the good tree bringeth forth good fruit.” Performance of good work brings only good to the world. If we have given out a good cause, a good result is bound to come. All negative actions produce inharmonious results. Then why worry over the result of an action? Worry is destructive. By worrying over the result of a good action, we destroy to a certain extent the good result that the given cause might have produced. But this does not mean that we must be unthoughtful about the result of our action. Before we engage, we must, to the best of our ability, find out what result our action is going to produce. Then when the action is done, we should not worry over the result.

When we work with pure concentration, completely immersed in our work, losing ourselves within the Self, we inevitably produce a noble result. Karma Yoga is constant self-remembrance in the performance of action. Our actions not only affect our own individual life, but they also influence the lives of others. There is a reverberation effect. It is like a boomerang that is sent out and returns to us. Our actions touch us as well as everyone around us.

Srimati Karuna
Gandhi’s Steadfast Yoga

Thy Infinite Voice

“Thou dost speak unto me in the melody of thy infinite voice.

The gentle whisper of the passing breeze, the mystic call of the soaring skylark, the minstrel song of the wandering brook, the message of eternity from the mighty sea---thy voice all!---I hear in rapturous adoration because thou hast endowed me with the power of hearing.

The silent teardrops of the crushed heart, the distant cry of the lost wayfarer, the prayer of the penitent soul, bring me closer to thee because I have heard the voice of thy call of love and mercy.

Thy voice of truth would be lost in the nothingness of space if I could not hear thy revealed word of wisdom repeated unto me by enlightened men of realization.

Thou dost speak unto me because I possess the faculty of hearing thy divine utterance.

The resounding rhythm of thy cosmic creation which unites soul with thy transcendental Self, I perceive within me because thou hast given me the power to hear.”

The Sanctity of The Senses
Swami Premananda

The Wisdom of Jnana Yoga

Jnana Yoga is the path of wisdom. In the perfection of knowledge we overcome maya, or the illusion of the unreal. The unreal has no existence, or at least, it is transitory in nature. The Real can never cease to be. Constantly engaged in the world of objective thought impressions, we become entangled in what is considered the web of maya. By wisdom we transcend maya. By the revelation of our true nature, we disentangle ourselves from the web of confusion. We are then able to think and act with discernment.

Jnana Yoga is the yoga of knowledge, not knowledge in the intellectual sense but that of pure consciousness. It is that knowledge that is inseparable from the true experience of Reality. A person who can see through the multitude of physical forms and worldly attachments, sees through the illusion of maya and can concentrate the mind on what is Real. In the purity of mind we establish the light of truth in our life. The desire for wisdom is innate within us.

The motto of the Gujarat Vidyapith, the university established by Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad, India in 1920, stresses that knowledge is that which liberates us: Sa Vidya Ya Mukte Ye. These words can be found engraved on the wall of the university and on its seal.

Freedom is attained in the knowledge of the Self. Attainment of self-knowledge requires self-mastery, self-discipline and constant practice. It is, in essence, what Gandhiji meant by swaraj. Commonly, we learn of the movement for India’s independence as swaraj. But to Gandhiji, it personally meant more than the self-rule of a nation or home-rule for India. In his mind, swaraj meant rule of the self or individual self-mastery, leading to self-realization. Swaraj over this little self involves practicing self-control by putting aside limitations in the form of biases and prejudices, impatience and intolerance. We want to move beyond the chitta or mind stuff that keeps us from understanding the true nature of the soul within us and all beings. We want to be free of that which binds and limits us. Gandhiji referred to swaraj as the key ingredient on the path of wisdom. The Jnana Yogi must strive to overcome the littleness of mind in order to realize larger noble truths. Self-study and introspection will guide us if we give proper attention to insight and intuition.

This wisdom (jnana) is not mere book learning. In it there is no room for doubt. It begins with faith and ends with experience.

M.K. Gandhi

Wisdom is the discerning nature of the soul. It is not merely intellect but a higher state of consciousness that guides us internally. Self-knowledge has a value unequal to any other possession in life. It is that which alone reveals the true nature of ourselves and the world around us.

Srimati Karuna
Gandhi’s Steadfast Yoga