I Am An Absolute Monist

By Swami Kamalananda

My Guru, Swami Premananda Giri of India, came to America in 1928 at the behest of his Guru, Swami Yogananda Paramhansa, to perpetuate the specific philosophy which is called Absolute Monism. As ordained spiritual ministers they were members of a religious order, The Ancient Swami Order of India, which has existed from the 8th century to serve the understanding of the beliefs of Absolute Monism—beliefs which had been propounded in texts preexisting the Order itself by several more millenniums. The contributions of the Swamis to spiritual thought in America are inestimable—distinct as according to the heritage and wisdom of the great Gurus (masters of God-Realization) of India, yet sharing the same stream of Light and Wisdom as the saviors and prophets of all times and all lands who have bowed before the altar of Universal Truth. Inspired by their blessings of self-dedication to God, the one Soul of all, “I am an Absolute Monist.”

“I am an Absolute Monist.” As vow, aspiration, and ideal the words are sacredly uttered by my fellow devotees and me as we worship together each Sunday morning in the Self-Revelation Church of Absolute Monism named for their reality and spiritual goal. The words introduce a gathering of truths which have been carefully selected from many sublime scriptures of the world: truths uttered by lovers of God from many times and lands, whose minds were unfettered by ritual or personalized faiths, and who stepped out beyond the confines of their own culture and time. They proclaim that one’s own soul, ever one with God, with nature, and with one’s fellow beings, is all there is to know, to work for, and to love in life. That soul is God, and God is All.

“I am an Absolute Monist.” My religion is God, Truth, or the pursuit of what is ultimately real called by any name, yet ever ineffable. The words Absolute Monism convey more clearly than any others in English do the content and the ideal of my belief, and yet they say nothing about its origin or its foundations, practices or attainments. And so, the questions that arise are natural: What is Absolute Monism? Where did it originate? What specifically are its tenets? Who are Absolute Monists?

What do the words mean? Monism simply means oneness. I believe in the oneness of all. There is one Reality which pervades all, from which all the manifested universe is born, and into which all phenomena of its manifestation are reabsorbed.

All exist as parts of one Existence; all intelligences are expressions of one Consciousness; all beings are kin in one Love. Intelligence-Life-Love is one.

There can be but one Truth which articulates through all knowledge; one Light which projects itself into all lights; one Life which is the force and energy of all beings; and one Love in which all are united harmoniously and balanced.

That which empowers the senses, enlightens and guides the mind, and sustains the body is Cosmic and ultimately One. I believe that this manifested universe is but an infinitesimal part of the whole of existence, and that Existence itself is Pure and Perfect; that is, unconditioned, unchanged, undiminished by its creation. Pure existence is the source, the indwelling immutable life, and the perfection of all. Whatever ultimately exists always and ever is: “The unreal hath no existence; the real can never cease to be.” It is forever Pure and Perfect. Therefore it is Absolute.

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Where did Absolute Monism originate? Absolute Monism is the English terminology for an ancient spiritual heritage of belief whose origin in time or geographic location cannot be pinpointed nor marked by the birth or life of a particular proponent, prophet, or sage. Its philosophy cannot be contained in or delimited by any one scripture. It is the philosophy of the Cosmic Soul.

This universe is the manifestation of infinite Life and Consciousness. Thus, every created being is a partial and valid representative of the same divine reality. This perfect being, evolving through all species—from an amoeba to a Buddha or a Christ—is destined to fulfill its divine potential. The philosophy—the divine science of the soul’s realization of its perfection—is Absolute Monism.

To be accurate then, we can only say that Absolute Monism originated in the divine consciousness of the soul of man. The soul of man—of every human—of identical nature with the God of the Universe, awakens to the realization of its inherent attributes of pure intelligence, immortal life and peace and love. The soul of man, one with the Consciousness-Existence-Bliss (Sat-Chit- Anandam) of God, realizes itself as Absolute, One.

Although the philosophy has undergone development over time, it is impossible to present Absolute Monism from a historical survey. Its exponents, by their very deeply contemplative nature, have placed more emphasis on the eternal than on what can be marked by time. They have stressed the Reality to be known rather than themselves as its personal agents; and they have illumined humanity with their encouragement and guidance to a subjective experience to be apprehended and proved by each truth seeker rather than doctrines to be conferred, adopted, or conformed to collectively.

“Absolute Monism” refers to the ancient philosophy called “Advaita Vedanta” according to the spiritual heritage of India. Although the philosophy of Absolute Monism has come to us virtually from time immemorial, it was first recorded during the period when the ancient Aryans entered into what is now the region of the Indian subcontinent from Central Asia, developing there a culture and civilization whose distinctive features culminated in the philosophy first known as Advaita Vedanta. The period is known historically as the Vedic period, and is generally accepted as being between 2500 and 600 B.C.

The Vedas, the literature profoundly distinguishing the period and for which it is named, are perhaps the oldest records of man’s philosophic thinking, and their spiritual depth is exalting and unequaled! They describe man’s wonder at beholding the mysteries of a dynamic creation that is endless and beginningless; the mysteries of human existence whose origin and goal is formless and eternal; and the relationship of all beings in and to the one Supreme Reality.

In fact, “Veda” derives from the Sanskrit word “Vid” from which come our English words such as video, vision and view having to do with seeing, suggesting the most sublime meaning of “Veda”: the direct apprehension, the ultimate identification with Truth.

The Vedas record the most powerful and significant revelation of mankind: “Ekam Sat.”—Truth is One, the indisputably monastic proclamation. Truth is One: Life, animate and inanimate, subjective and objective, material as well as spiritual, is whole, One. The established Reality of the Vedas is thus neither polytheistic nor pantheistic, as per some erroneous misinterpretations, but absolutely monistic and impersonal. That Reality is “Advaita”—which simply means “non-dual.”

Actually the literary Vedas—four large texts—comprise a virtual encyclopedia of knowledge of their times as well as the testimonies to the ultimate meanings of life. So comprehensive are the Vedas in their contents that a popular and witty appreciation of them maintained that if a farmer lost his cow he could find it in the Vedas!

Placed at the end of the four Vedas—as if to indicate a culmination of their wisdom and enlightenment—are the Upanishads (said to be altogether 108 in number), scriptures which are specific in their metaphysical teachings as to the nature of God (Brahman) and the path of subjective illumination to attain the supreme state of Pure God-consciousness. “Upanishad” literally means “seated near to”—perhaps referring to the way the disciples in ancient days received instruction from their spiritual preceptor. It also implies that there is an evolution in man’s perception of reality: that scriptures or teachings can take us near to but cannot give us ultimate realization. Only in the revelation of the Self within, the soul (atman), can one attain to the perfection of the Supreme Self, God (Brahman). Collectively, the four Vedas and their Upanishads are called Vedas. The “essence and fulfillment” (“-anta”) of life is Vedanta, the revelation and wisdom of the Supreme Self.

The Vedas and the Upanishads articulate totally universal religious experiences which are neither foreign nor remote to one who reads with sincere philosophic insight. They describe formal ritual, mental disciplines and attainments, adoration and devotion, and meditation—components and levels of faith and spiritual experiences that are the foundations of all religions.

The spiritual experiences of the four Vedas (named Rig, Atharva, Sama, and Yajur) may also be interpreted at a deeper level as symbolizing the four states of self-consciousness in man. The states are stages of subtle, ascending, enlightened self-awareness: The first is consciousness in the domain of the senses that finds that the entire phenomenal universe is permeated and sustained by the presence of the Divine Self (ritual); the second, consciousness that inhabits the mental realms with the higher creativity and subjectivity of the intellect and faith; the third, consciousness that experiences itself in the harmony and unity of the cosmic life; and the fourth, consciousness that knows no duality, no limitation, i.e., that is Absolute.

By its very meaning, the revelation of Truth, “Veda,” is virtually a living principle and ideal. Thus the texts of Vedas essentially are not regarded as delimited compendiums or the final pronouncements of Truth. Rather, like creation itself, they are looked upon as the continuous offering of Divine Meaning, hence beginningless and endless: Truth is not static. It did not happen once. Truth ever is—progressive, creative, ever self-revealing. Veda, supremely revered as the highest spiritual standard and ideal, is the ever-new revelation of Truth to human consciousness, wherever and whenever it emerges.

Swami Shankarachariya

No explanation of Absolute Monism would be complete without reference to Shankara, undoubtedly one of the greatest philosophical minds of the world. Shankarachariya (“achariya” means teacher) was the first to use the very words Advaita Vedanta, naming and identifying its characteristics. In the 8th Century he founded the religious Order in India dedicated to perpetuating its teachings. Every ordained minister of that Order since Swami Shankarachariya’s time strives to carry on the heritage of his ideal: Ordained as “Swami,” he or she is dedicated to realizing “Swa” (That One), “ami” (I Am). In a relative sense, all swamis are followers of Swami Shankarachariya.

What Shankarachariya has propounded has become respected as Indian philosophy’s highest peak and typical outlook, although it is essentially non-sectarian and not linked only to India’s culture. The greatest modern leaders of India have identified with the ancient Advaita Vedanta as espoused by Shankara: Radhakrishnan, the second President of India and great scholar-historian; Swami Vivekenanda who first introduced the science and metaphysics of Yoga to the west at the World Conference of Religions in 1893; Jawaharlal Nehru who found in Advaita Vedanta a way to unify all peoples’ religious experiences. Mahatma Gandhi said directly, “I believe in advaita, in the essential unity of man and for that matter, of all that lives.” Rabindranath Tagore, India’s first Nobel laureate, writing about Anandam as “the harmony, the bliss of the Infinite One,” was also an Advaita Vedantist.

How or why did Shankara come to elucidate Advaita Vedanta? Shankara’s times, like our own, suffered from spiritual and social discord and lacked religious leadership. After Buddha’s “noble silence” concerning the nature of God in the 6th Century, B.C. various sects jealously rivaled for supremacy, forgetting the Vedic teaching affirmed by Buddha’s enlightenment that God is One. Like Christ and Buddha before him, Shankara came to revitalize and to fulfill—not to destroy—tradition. He came to reawaken and to unite human hearts and minds to something higher and impersonal, not to reject or to contradict existing beliefs. His words from the Moha-Mudgar (“The Bludgeon that Strikes Delusion Dead”) are the quintessential expression of Advaita (non-dual) Vedanta:

“There is but one Reality that permeates thee and me and all beings. Rise above the consciousness of separation and realize thyself in all and all in thee.”
– From the “Moha-Mudgar”, Translated by Swami Premananda

What Shankara propounded was not new, of course. His realization and teachings, pure and simple, flowed from the heart of the Vedas:

Knowledge is God. (“Prajna Brahman”)
The Self is God. (“Ayam Atman Brahman”)
That Thou Art. (“Tat Twam Asi”)
I am Brahman. (“Aham Brahman”)

His powerful intellect reawakened within his fellowmen the universal purpose, potential and value of human life. His fourfold standard for one who desires to realize God is high-minded, profound and precise. He gets right to the heart of spirituality with no side-shows or frills: Discriminate between eternal and ephemeral values. Renounce the desire to live in sense-identified self-consciousness. Cultivate the means of self-unfoldment (Yoga). Desire self-liberation (Moksha).

A precocious child who began teaching at the young age of twelve, Shankarachariya contributed to philosophic literature rich commentaries on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita, and other works. His intellect was universally respected in his own short lifetime of thirty-two years. Yet from the wisdom of his own devoted heart he reminded us of the importance of the supremacy of love above all else in our spiritual life.

Many stories attributed to Shankarachariya’s life illustrate with loving poignancy and wit the profundity of his teachings. One such famous story that I have cherished is of Shankarachariya and an “Untouchable.”

Shankarachariya had gone to the sacred river Ganges for a ritual bath, a time for self-purifying thoughts and prayers, for oblation and homage to the one stream of consciousness and life, the current that carries the soul to its union with the Absolute. Imbued and inspired with feelings of profound peace and devotion, he emerged from the waters and began to walk along the path of the river bank towards the Viswanath Temple.

Suddenly a Chandala, a person socially deemed as an outcast or Untouchable, appeared before him blocking his path. Annoyed and distracted from his holy mood by the presence of one he considered impure, Shankara rudely commanded, “Move!”

“Whom are you addressing, O holy man?” came the gentle Chandala’s voice, “Are you speaking to my body? If you think this body is different from yours, how is it so? Both our bodies have come from the same primordial matter. Then are you addressing my soul? Is not the atman the same—one, indivisible, eternal?

“Is it not the same sun that reflects in the Ganges and also in a roadside puddle? Is there any difference in the atman reflecting through a Brahmin or a Chandala?

“‘Move,’ you say … The soul being one, how can it go away? Where, O holy man, shall this soul go where your soul is not?”

Shankarachariya was stunned and humbly reawakened with the revelation of God. He saw before himself a God-realized being. Reverently Shankarachariya bowed before the Chandala. On the spot he composed a beautiful hymn, an ever-favorite of the Indian people, immortalizing the unforgettable experience. All religions today could heed its message: “One who has gained self-knowledge is my Guru, whether Brahmin or Untouchable. God, the Soul, is the Guru of all.”

In a second legendary story, Shankarachariya, while visiting the holy ancient city of Benares, encountered a Pandit dryly reciting a grammatical rule. His mind had lost its way in the dogmas and trappings of religion, in rituals and in formalities. The words came out almost mechanically, without life or thought.

Shankarachariya rebuked the Pandit, saying “Oh man, don’t waste precious time on grammar, on rules and definitions of God, but take the name of God into your heart; absorb your mind in the reality and love of God.”

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Is Absolute Monism a religion? No, Absolute Monism is not a religion. Rather it is the ideal of spiritual experience and as such it is the fulfillment of all religions. Everyone will attain to the ideal and realization of Absolute Monism ultimately because self-unfoldment and self-realization in the search for Truth is universal to us all.

In Truth alone mankind is one. Religions are not one. Religions are the various interpretations of the Truth. Therefore we do not become Absolute Monists merely by conversion or by religious affiliation or affirmation, but according to the very destiny of our soul in its origin and perfection of Oneness.

We grow and progress spiritually in our wisdom of Truth. Seeking the revelation of Its own light of perfection, the soul gradually unfolds its divine attributes of Truth—of love, mastery, and peace. Realization of the Truth of the Self is the source and fulfillment of happiness and peace, wisdom and power in life.

The focus of Absolute Monism is not that of comparative religion. Its teachings are not eclectic, gathered little bits of knowledge from various religions combined into a melting pot of vague commonalities of faiths. Its traditional values and perspectives of life include the specific concepts aforementioned identifying God, man and nature as the One Soul, the One Reality. An Absolute Monist, therefore, does not reject, criticize or separate the religious experiences of another. He accepts all with understanding, but he maintains the standard of ultimate Truth and individual responsibility to discriminate and become wise in the light of the perfection of all. All religious paths lead ultimately to the realization of God. All souls are my fellow pilgrims on the path to God.

“I am an Absolute Monist” by my very nature, by virtue of the light of my soul which reveals life to me in its Perfection. The more I seek the Truth of my soul, the more it illumines me; the more I realize it, the more precious is its value to me. As I discover the light of God within me, I find it in all life around me. The Truth of God, like a precious gem to me, increases in value and luminosity the more facets of it I behold.

The great teachers and gurus (masters of God-realization) of all religions who have realized their soul’s oneness with God have unequivocally taught Absolute Monism. Jesus, for example, was an Absolute Monist. By that I do not mean that he promoted a particular following or a personal dogma, but that he taught the destiny and reality of the oneness of the soul of man and the perfection of God: “I and my Father are one.” He taught Advaita (non-dual) Vedanta (self-realization) as the ultimate Truth. He taught the perfection of soul and the attainment of the realization of that perfection in human life: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as thy Father in heaven is perfect.”

Although Indian philosophy specifically names it as such, the wisdom of Advaita Vedanta is certainly not confined to India’s spiritual heritage or scriptures. It is found in all scriptures of self-enlightenment, such as the Avesta, the Old and New Testaments of the “Bible”, and the “Qu’ran.” They are all Vedas, revelations of the Impersonal Truth, by ideal and revelation. Moreover, the ideal of Vedanta is certainly not limited to the written words, for it is as broad as life itself! Is not Creation itself a Veda, the “word” of God manifesting its Truth everywhere? The discoveries of science, the inspirations of art, the beauties of music—all are the testimonies of Vedanta, fulfillments in the revelation of living Truth.

Einstein, identifying the “cosmic mystical experience” as the goal of science, recognized that the Ultimate knowledge will take us inevitably to oneness, to Absolute Monism:

“The most beautiful and most profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the sower of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms—this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religiousness.”

This perspective, although it was not called Vedanta or Absolute Monism was also certainly shared by the great American transcendentalist, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who described it beautifully as his outlook on the Universal Soul:

“There is one soul.
It is related to the world.
Art is its action thereon.
Science finds its methods.
Literature is its record.
Religion is the emotion of reverence that it inspires.
Ethics is the soul illustrated in human life.
Society is the finding of this soul by individuals in each other.
Trades are the learning of the soul in nature by labor.
Politics is the activity of the soul illustrated in power.
Manners are silent and mediate expressions of soul.”

The ideal of the One Soul is realized in the service of love, in all seeking of mind for what is high and sublime and true, in the pursuit of beauty, in the sharing of joy and compassion, in the exaltations of renunciation—in every way that the soul unfolds and manifests itself. Absolute Monism is the divine way of the life of the cosmic soul everywhere—one and Self-revealing.

Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti Hari Aum Shanti
May Absolute Peace Pervade the Whole Universe

Six Basic Words of Religion

By Swami Premananda

A definition is the expounding of the most comprehensive concept regarding a truth with a minimum of precise words. A definition is the proof of perfect knowledge. Until we can define the truths of our beliefs, our knowledge about them is superficial, vague and incomplete. We must know exactly what we believe in. We must possess the clearest concept of the fundamental principles upon which we are to build our spiritual life. Bigotry and intolerance are the inevitable consequences of ignorance and especially false knowledge. In ignorance truth is concealed from our vision. False knowledge destroys our ability to perceive the truth. Belief without right knowledge is emotional and sentimental self-submission. Under all circumstances, especially in our spiritual life, we must seek with utmost devotion and sincerity, the enlightened knowledge of the truths which are to illumine our inner life and guide our outer conduct. Knowledge of truth is wisdom. The path of God is illumined by wisdom.

In religion there are specific words that signify particular truths. Right knowledge regarding the meaning and connotation of these words is vital to our spiritual life and the attainment of self-realization. I will present here six specific words which are common to all religions of the world. They are God, soul, heart, mind, body and universe. I will define and elucidate them.

1. GOD. The term God is an English word. In various religions different words are used when referring to God, such as Ahura-mazda, Allah, Brahman, Christ, Ra, Jehovah, Tao, Yod and many other suitable terms. But to what reality do all these words refer? Our primary question is, what is God? God is not a personality. God is the cosmic reality, infinite in his being, universal in his presence and ever-abiding in his oneness with all. He transcends all duality, yet he is all pervasive. He is truth-good-beauty; light-immortality-love; spirit-power-peace. He is transcendental as well as immanent. We may choose any appropriate word to convey his nature and attributes; but, no word of mortal tongue can ever fully describe the glory of his reality and perfection. However, let it be clearly understood that each and all of us can and will ultimately attain the realization of God’s complete and absolute perfection. That is the unalterable divine destiny of every soul. God is the supreme Self of all.

2. SOUL. Soul is intelligence-life-love. Soul is God within us. God within you is your soul. God within me is my soul. God within us is our soul. In our soul we are all identically the same in divine substance and potentiality. We are all spiritually one in soul. There is a divine bond of eternal unity among us. It is the bond of soul, the unity of spirit. Our soul is exclusively the creation of God. Only God is the originator of our soul. It is the direct projection of the spirit, the reality and the attributes of God. God is ever in touch with us through our soul, and we remain in constant communion with God only through the conscious awareness of the innate divinity and righteousness of our soul. Our soul is the spiritual bond not only among ourselves but it is also the divine link that keeps us permanently united with God.

The attributes of God are the constituent qualities of our soul. The Consciousness-Existence-Bliss of God are the intelligence-life-love, respectively, of our soul. Man is an embodied soul, and individualized self.

3. HEART. Heart is intuition-goodwill-joy. Heart is the most sensitive spiritual faculty of man. We feel with our heart. Therefore our heart reveals unto us what lies beyond the power of reason to ascertain. Truth is instantly revealed in a pure heart. Heart responds directly to truth; therefore, its knowledge is intuitive. Goodwill is the divine power of our heart. It is transmitted from our heart in all directions of the universe. It is a potent spiritual force. It is illimitable and pervasive. Joy is the supreme blessing of a pure heart. Joy is happiness of heart. It is exalting in inspiration and beautiful in realization. God has blessed our heart with his attributes of Consciousness-Existence-Bliss and adorned it with intuition-goodwill-joy.

4. MIND. Mind is thought-volition-feeling. Our mind is the companion of our soul. Soul infuses its spiritual qualities into the mind in order that the latter may fulfill its constructive mission in our everyday life. The more our mind identifies itself with the soul the greater becomes its power to think with higher vision, desire with sublime aspiration and be inspired by noble sentiments. Our mind is very susceptible to its environment, subjective as well as objective. Let our mind associate with the finer things of life, such as inspiring music, art and literature. Let philosophy and religion be its permanent companions. It will find inspiration and happiness. The divine qualities of our soul offer our mind a fellowship of righteousness. All the qualities of virtue and holiness are within us. We should train our mind to be with them in spiritual introspection and contemplative meditation. Mental companionship with our innate virtues and righteousness is the way of spiritual self-unfoldment and inner peace. God has bestowed his Consciousness-Existence-Bliss upon our mind and has endured it with thought-volition-feeling.

5. BODY. In its essential nature our body is coordinated life-energy in delicate symmetry. Life-energy is the substance of our physical being. The chemicals which form our body are gathered from the basic element, life-energy. Our life-energy is governed by an inner intelligence. Our entire physical organism and nervous system function is a highly coordinated process. Furthermore, there is an extremely delicate balance within the whole physiological system. God sends the divine rays of his Consciousness-Existence-Bliss to our body in order that the coordinated life-energy may fashion for us a living temple for his worship.

6. UNIVERSE. By universe is meant the created cosmos, the world of time and space and the sphere of phenomena. The universe includes all objects and beings that have come into existence within the world of duality. The universe is the objective manifestation of God. It is the projection of his attributes in the domain of nature. One God became many and the universe of creation assumed its tangible form. All phenomena are emanations from the noumenon. The transcendental Spirit has taken form in perceptible beings. Creation is a part of the creator. God is ever present in all. In final analysis not only every object in it, but the universe itself is an embodiment of cosmic force or power harmonized by law. Law is the principle of reason. The universe is composed of three correlated forces, namely, law-power-harmony. They are the materialization of God’s triune attributes Consciousness-Existence-Bliss, respectively. The universe is the living objective manifestation of God.

Thus, there is a spiritual relationship among God, soul, heart, mind, body and universe. God is the first cause of them all. In him they are all united as of one substance. Our body, mind and heart are the sacred means of revealing and realizing God. We are the soul, the immortal spirit. The whole universe is a part of our greater Self and God is our supreme Self. The knowledge of truth liberates our soul in the realization of cosmic Oneness.

Eight Aspects of Yoga

By Swami Premananda

Yoga is the realization of God. It is the attainment of soul’s absolute oneness with the supreme Spirit. It is the revelation of the transcendental nature of the highest Self of man. Self-realization is Yoga. The attainment of the complete conscious cognition of his highest Self is the culmination of the knowledge of man. Self-knowledge is wisdom. Yoga recognizes man as a spiritual being, a divine entity. Man is a soul, the immortal, eternal, ever-seeking, ever-revealing and ever-realizing spirit. Truth is not only the ideal of man, it is also his essential nature. It is true that divinity is the supreme goal of man but it is equally true that the reality and the attributes of the Deity constitute the substance of his soul. Yoga seeks to awaken man to the realization of his spiritual self. It points out to him that he is a son of God, a light which is illumined by the absolute Light. He is a universal soul, an infinite spirit and an eternal being.

Yoga postulates the existence of God. According to the philosophy of Yoga, God is one. All creations are emanations from his being and all souls are integral parts of himself. He is the life of all that exists, the intelligence of all conscious beings and the perfection of love. In him is the attainment of immortality, infinity and bliss.

God is the central truth of Yoga. The fundamental purpose of Yoga is to guide man towards God. Man must first seek God and his attributes. He must establish his life on God and his divine righteousness. He must saturate his life with love, devotion, adoration and realization of God. He must illumine every aspect of his life with the light of God. A life of Yoga is a God-permeated life.

According to Yoga, the attainment of the realization of God is within the spiritual power of every man. Every one of us is capable of knowing, revealing and realizing God. God has endued each and all of us with the ability to see him within the light of our pure-consciousness, to perceive him within the illumination of our righteousness and to realize him within the divinity of our soul.

Yoga is living in conscious union with God. It is practicing the presence of God constantly and under all circumstances. All religions are based on Yoga because all religions propagate the truths of God and prescribe the life of righteousness. In Yoga no truth of religion, however simple or primitive it may be, is rejected. Every aspect of spiritual life is accepted and understood in the light of man’s endeavor to know God and to realize his perfection. Each seeker after truth, every devotee of God is a Yogi, a follower of Yoga. Yoga is the life of spirituality and righteousness.

Yoga is not a denominational religion. It is above and beyond all sectarianism, just as God and soul are above and beyond all denominational dogmas and sectarian creeds. Yoga unites all religions on the one fundamental truth which is God-realization. God is the one God of all, and our souls are all substantially the same. Our ideal is the attainment of the realization of God with our soul. This is Yoga. Yoga is not only devoted to helping man to unite his soul with God but it also seeks to establish unity among all religions and faiths. Ignorance is the tenet of division and dissension. Knowledge is the law of unity and progress. In the knowledge of the law of spiritual truths lies the foundation of religious unity and universal peace.

Yoga is the science of God-realization. It is the way of self-realization. Etymologically, the word Yoga, a Sanskrit term, signifies unity, oneness, or absolute identity. It may be studied and practice in its following eight aspects:

1. The Yoga of the body or HATHA YOGA

It is the realization of God’s power and beauty within our body organism and nervous system. Our body is the divine instrument of God-realization and soul manifestation. It is sustained by the substance of God and it functions in accordance with the law of the Spirit. Hatha Yoga is not physical culture as is commonly thought. Harmonization of the body organism and nervous system with the truth and law of God is the purpose and principle of Hatha Yoga, the Yoga of the body.

2. The Yoga of the mind or LAYA YOGA

It is the complete absorption of the mind in the thought of God, so much so that all the mental faculties and functions are illumined only by the light and righteousness of the supreme Spirit. It is constant identification of mind with the light and attributes of God until only the divine qualities illumine, inspire and guide all the mental potencies.

3. The Yoga of the Sacred Word or MANTRA YOGA

A Mantram is that specific sacred Word which embodies and connotes truth about God and godliness. A word is the symbol of thought. A thought is the projection of an ideal. A spiritual ideal awakens righteous thought which is expressed in a sacred word. A Word carries the power of thought as well as that of the truth behind the thought. A Mantram, a sacred Word of God, awakens the thought of God which finally leads to the revelation and realization of God. Mantra Yoga is the attainment of the realization of God by chanting, especially by mental and silent chanting, together with conscious contemplation upon the truth and significance of the sacred Word of God.

4. The Yoga of pure consciousness or JNANA YOGA

It is the unification of our consciousness with God-consciousness. Consciousness is independent of all thoughts and concepts. All thoughts and concepts are various waves, so to speak, in the ocean of consciousness. Consciousness is infinite and pure. It is cosmic and absolute. It is Self-conscious. By the unification of our consciousness with the pure Self-consciousness which is within us we enter into the effulgent cosmic consciousness and attain to the realization of God.

5. The Yoga of service or KARMA YOGA

Service is action with devotion unto God and love of soul. Service is self-expression. It is the constructive manifestation of the righteous qualities of the soul. Karma encompasses all positive and noble expressions of our thought, volition and feeling. To give manifestation of the attributes of God through all expression of our life and being is the Yoga of service. It is rendering service unto God through the performance of our actions. Deeds without devotion unto God are vanity. Love of soul is the divine inspiration of righteous self-expression. In the manifestation of the attributes of God through our service our soul abides in constant union with him.

6. The Yoga of love or BHAKTI YOGA

Love is the most potent and most sublime of all our feelings and emotions. It is a divine force, the most sacred power within us. It is the power of God in the soul of man. In its supreme perfection love is absolute devotion unto God. In Bhakti Yoga God is love, and the way to God-realization is love and love alone. Love is spiritual oneness. It is oneness of soul. God is one with us in love and only by the love of our soul can we become one with God. By the realization of our spiritual oneness with all that exists in his cosmic universe our soul becomes one with God. Bhakti is the supreme spiritualizing force. It instantly transforms and transmutes everything into God and godliness. Love at once reveals God before our visible perception and lifts our soul to his transcendental and blissful perfection. Bhakti Yoga is the most beautiful of all Yogas because it makes all things beautiful and perfect.

7. The Yoga of sublime serenity or RAJA YOGA

Serenity is the dynamic tranquility of soul. It is that state of inner calmness wherein the total revealing power of soul is focused on God. There is a state of profound calmness within our consciousness. Raja Yoga is the way which leads our self-consciousness into that state of sublime stillness wherein our soul realizes God in his divine glory.

8. The Yoga of the Self or KRIYA YOGA

The supreme Self is God. The individual self is the soul. The difference between the supreme Self and the individual self is  quantitative and not qualitative. The self possesses in potential form all the attributes of the Self. Within our soul is enshrined all the righteousness of God. Kriya Yoga is the self, like the blossoming lotus, unfolding all its potential divine qualities until they reach the perfection of the attributes of the supreme Self. At this state of transcendental spiritual unfoldment, the self becomes one with the Self and attains to its absolute perfection. This is Self-realization. This is soul revealing, realizing and becoming one with God. The fundamental truth and technique of Kriya Yoga have been taught from time immemorial and are now being expounded more fully by all true mystic orders and religions everywhere.

The practice of Yoga, the communion of soul with God, is vitally important to our physical well-being, mental enlightenment, spiritual realization and peace.

Why Self-Revelation? What is it?

Why “Self-Revelation?”

Revelation of the Self is the ONE characteristic that distinguishes human life from all other beings in creation. It is the distinctive reason for the soul being born “human” and the destiny of our human life.

The power of self-revelation is given to us by God alone for the sole purpose of realizing our identity with God. Through conscious living aware of God’s divine attributes within us we gradually unfold and manifest the perfection of our divinely-bestowed soul. We choose this goal, this awareness and way of life because of our soul’s inherent desires for pure consciousness, pure existence and pure bliss that comprise God’s perfection.

Each soul’s birthright is freedom, and each soul freely chooses its spiritual ideal. God’s beneficent Law of Freedom is our individual responsibility, and we elect the path of self-revelation unencumbered and unconditioned by anything and anyone else. We do not follow this ideal because someone else wants us to, nor to please anyone else but God. In our soul’s unfolding and perfecting no one can force us against our will. There is no one to blame if we do not progress: No one else can provide for our soul—its happiness, power or wisdom. No one else is the cause for our misfortune, unhappiness or ignorance. The life of our soul is from God as revealed in our God-given pure consciousness.

What is self-revelation?

Revelation of the Self is knowledge of the Self (God) discovered or revealed within our own consciousness. Self-knowledge should not be confused with self-analysis where the mind is prominent as it is observed in terms of its environment. In self-knowledge the “I” is comprehended as the reality itself—without object. Another way of saying this is that the self finds the Self revealed as itself, as One.

How does self-revelation differ from learning?

The knowledge of self is not a product of thought and experience although mind’s right concepts lead to it. It is not an accumulation of knowledge as, for example, learning to drive a car is. In fact, self-revelation requires a knowledge that is unfolded, that is free of concepts, images, desires and memories. The term “nirvikalpa samadhi” for enlightenment designates just this: “nir” (non-, out) “vikalpa” (concepts). All knowledge of our soul comes from Truth that is without limit, changeless.

Why is it necessary to leave the consciousness of time and space?

Time and space separate us from our Self. They divide and demarcate the Self, instilling the false idea of duality. Time is a kind of demarcation of the One Eternal Existence into illusory separate existences of what was and what will be. Space, too, is an illusory perception of the One Infinite within separate existences of “here” and “there.” The Self is revealed as One, above the consciousness of separation.

Does the ideal of self-revelation deny the worthiness of our earthly existence?

Is it unrelated to living in this world? Quite the contrary, the yoga of self-revelation provides the blessed link between earthly (human) pursuits and eternal (divine) ones. There is no permanent feud between our human world of desires and social aims and the spiritual consciousness we aspire to unfold. The kingdom of heaven comes not from earth, but exists IN it to be discovered and manifest. Earthly existence is not condemned in yoga; only that worldly life which is unrelated to the Self is. Such a life is empty and unsatisfying. It comes to an end in the darkness of ignorance.

Why is meditation necessary for self-revelation?

To face life with a spiritual awareness a particular state of mind is required. Not a “religious” mind, but a mind that is dynamic, free and serene. The energy/consciousness that the mind receives from the creation’s vitality is limited. The higher energy that comes from the universal consciousness within creation is more powerful, illuminating and exalting. Conscious of it one can remain gentle and loving, can find inspiration in troubled times, feel continuously creative and can ultimately draw to the Light of Lights, that Self revealed in pure consciousness. The subjective process and practice of spiritualizing the mind for self-revelation is meditation.

Our Church Life

By Swami Kamalananda

(Excerpt from the Self-Revelation Magazine 2002)

Self-Revelation, Atma-jnan, is the ideal and the spiritual heritage of our church. We are here for the knowledge of the Soul. But there is a second purpose—that of sharing the life. You attend the services of this church with the idea that this is your spiritual home. You meet and welcome one another with the joy and interest of being fellow devotees on a path which, through our own Gurus and the lives of other sages and saviors from time immemorial join us together as a congregation. This congregation comprises a spiritual family. As all families do, it has treasured occasions worth savoring and remembering, contributions of love and dedication. Our parental ties of family are maintained by the traditions of values and histories appreciated over time. Our spiritual family prospers, too, from recognizing the lives that have come before ours and have prepared the way for us to have the comfortable and inspiring abode of worship and the vast spiritual heritage that we enjoy.

From time to time, as newcomers attend the church, they inquire about the absence of social gatherings or other activities beyond worship and meditation. They have questions such as why there seems to be no formal membership, and what is the nature of “belonging,” of congregational fellowship.

Our church IS unusual in the way it is supported and maintained, and in that very expression the spiritual ideal and fellowship can readily be understood. With creative and thoughtful devotion, every part of the church grounds, the preparation of the Temple and Sunday School for their services, all the publications and other projects—all are the dedicated expressions of our fellow worshippers of God. The work continues throughout each week and throughout the year.

I should explain that my guru himself, from the very beginning life of his church, took active part in every such care—cleaning, painting, polishing floors and pews, sweeping walkways, painting and trimming bushes. There is very little that we all do today in the care of our church that Swami Premananda did not do. From the very first responsibilities that I was given in the church I became aware of the importance and the benefit of work as worship…as sadhana, “the realization of the spiritual life.” That blessed legacy—a tradition of the Swami Order understood by all who aspired to Kriya Yoga—defines our church more than a membership roster could. There is no growth in yoga without service. Those who love, serve.