YOGA Year 6 Issue 12

December 2017
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Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, Bihar, India

 Hari Om
YOGA is compiled, composed
and published by the sannyasin
disciples of Swami Satyananda
Saraswati for the benefit of all
people who seek health, happiness
and enlightenment. It contains in-
formation about the activities of
Bihar School of Yoga, Bihar Yoga
Bharati, Yoga Publications Trust
and Yoga Research Fellowship.
GUIDELINES FOR SPIRITUAL LIFE
Editor: Swami Shaktimitrananda
Saraswati
Assistant Editor: Swami Yogatirth-
Surrender
ananda Saraswati
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YOGA is a monthly magazine. Late whatever you offer in sacrifice, what-
subscriptions include issues from
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as austerity, O Arjuna, do it as an
Published by Bihar School of Yoga,
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– 811201.
—Bhagavad Gita 9:27
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© Bihar School of Yoga 2017 verse will be able to surrender to God.
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His greedy nature is slowly dissolved.
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for application and all correspond- take. His whole life with all its actions,
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Published and printed by Swami Gyanbhikshu Saraswati on behalf of Bihar School of Yoga,
Ganga Darshan, Fort, Munger – 811201, Bihar
Printed at Thomson Press India (Ltd), 18/35 Milestone, Delhi Mathura Rd., Faridabad, Haryana.
Owned by Bihar School of Yoga Editor: Swami Shaktimitrananda Saraswati
YOGA Year 6 Issue 12 • December 2017
(55th year of publication)

Contents
4 Christ, India and Yoga
8 If You Want To Be Victorious First
Conquer the World Within
14 Hatha Yoga and Kundalini
18 Preparing the Mind
20 Children and Ashram Life
24 Parents and Children Grow
Together
32 Satsang
35 Kriya Yoga Yatra 1 (Pratyahara
Kriyas) – Impressions
37 Kriya Yoga Yatra 2 (Dharana
Kriyas) – Impressions
39 Om and Gayatri
44 Progressive Yoga Vidya Training
2017 – Impressions
46 Stupendous Role
47 Soften Your Heart and Prana
52 From Dark to Light

The Yogi is superior to the ascetic. He is deemed superior even to those versed in sacred
lore. The Yogi is superior even to those who perform action with some motive. Therefore,
Arjuna, do you become a Yogi. (Bhagavad Gita VI:46)
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Christ, India and Yoga
From Bhakti Yoga Sagar, Volume Seven, Swami Satyananda Saraswati

When I met the Pope at the Vatican,

he asked me how I would fit yoga, an
oriental philosophy, with an occidental
culture. He was speechless when I told
him that Christianity was an oriental
philosophy. Christ lived in India for
twelve years – and the Pope asked me
how an oriental science would fit with
occidental culture!
Christ was not a European, Christ
was a Jew. Christ was not a Christian,
Christ was not a Protestant or a
Catholic. Christianity is an oriental philosophy. Two thousand
years ago a great man was born in the orient. His name was
Jesus Christ. Most of you know the story. Near Christ’s
birthplace there was a monastery belonging to the Essene sect.
Fifty years before Christ was born that monastery had closed,
but five years before his birth it began functioning again.
Jesus was the son of a carpenter named Joseph. His mother’s
name was Mary; we call her Mariam. One night Joseph
had a dream that Jesus had been born from Mary’s womb
without any sexual interaction having occurred. Ordinary
people are born as a result of sexual interaction. But there are
exceptions. Sri Rama was immaculate. We call such people
incarnations of God. They are the effulgence of divinity, they
are personifications of divinity. The divine light entered into a
woman’s womb and a son was born – Rama, Krishna or Christ.
Christ was immaculate like Sri Rama and Sri Krishna.
Sri Rama was not born as a result of sexual interaction
between Dasharatha and Kaushalya. Rama was born after
Dasharatha performed the Putresthi Yajna in Ayodhya. Rishi

YOGA 4 Dec 2017

Shringi conducted that yajna, as a result of which Sri Rama,
Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna were born. So when you
say ‘incarnation of God’ you mean that the child was born
without sexual interaction between a man and a woman. That
is how Christ was born.
Christ was not a European, he was a Jew. Buddha was not
a Buddhist, he was a Hindu. Mahavir was not a Jain, he was
a Hindu. I have studied history. I have studied Persian and
Arabic. I have studied the Koran and the Hadith. I am a Hindu
sannyasin. I have read the Bible many times. I have read all the
bibles, oriental and otherwise. Knowledge is always beyond
religion, beyond sex, beyond nationality, beyond civilization,
beyond history. Knowledge is knowledge. Learn everything.
Don’t say, “I am a Hindu, I won’t read the Bible.” Don’t say,
“I am a Muslim I won’t read the Gita.” No, if the Bible has
knowledge have it! If the Koran has knowledge have it!
Just as the philosophy of Christ was given to Europeans,
similarly I gave yoga to Europeans. I did not do anything
unusual. The spirit of Christ,
the teachings of Christ, the
knowledge and the message
that he gave emerged from
Varanasi. Christ spent time in
Varanasi, in Kathmandu, in
Puri. He spent time in Chennai,
in southern India. There are
written archives, but they are
a part of history you will never
be taught. We are not taught
the right history, we are taught
the history which is recognized
and stamped by the ruling clan
for their own political gain.
This is the truth. What harm is
there in saying that Christ lived
in India? Why shouldn’t we

YOGA 5 Dec 2017

get the credit for having a great man on our soil? I am talking
to the church. Why don’t you give us the honour of having a
great man, a historical personality, in our country? After all,
geographically the world is one. Nationally, India is India,
Italy is Italy, Germany is Germany, but geographically it is
one earth. We have divided it.

Spirituality and Westerners

In South America the devotees go to church, light a candle
and bow their heads. I went to the churches and spread the
message of yoga. The church leaders came to see me and serve
me. I gave them geru and spiritual names. They accepted and
recognized me as a yoga guru from India. The flag of yoga
started fluttering over South America. I had complete and
unchallenged sway there. I repeat once again that victory is
not achieved only by the sword.
There was a time when the sword was the most powerful
weapon. Kings and chieftains used to establish their political
supremacy on the strength of the sword. But Swami
Vivekananda never used a sword and he registered his
spiritual supremacy over the western world. Adi Shankara
also established spiritual supremacy without using weapons.
Only a magician has the power to hypnotize the people but
the art of magic is not unreal. What you see is not actually there.
I was a different type of magician. I hypnotized the people by
giving them something tangible. What is digvijaya? To hold
sway everywhere amounts to wielding territorial power over
a vast area. But in the present context sovereign power means
the dominating of spiritual culture.
People from western countries wallow in wealth; they
possess huge material wealth, they have scientific knowledge
and are well equipped in all spheres of life. They are satiated;
they have enough of everything. They are fully employed
and don’t suffer from material want. In every respect they are
affluent people, they have an excess of everything. They have
nothing to worry about. Then what do they do?

YOGA 6 Dec 2017

 After excessive material enjoyment they develop distaste
for it all. Spiritual thoughts preoccupy their minds. Western
people had become allergic to worldly enjoyments and were
in dire need of something higher. They were in search of an
alternative source of enjoyment. I understood their problem
and took up the cudgels. I undertook the task of teaching
spirituality to westerners and my efforts were successful.
—19 December 2001, Rikhiapeeth

YOGA 7 Dec 2017

If You Want To Be Victorious
First Conquer the World
Within
Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Today in this battle arena one soldier is addressing another.

You are a soldier and so am I. There are two kinds of wars
which man must fight – one is waged on the battlefield of
life and the other is fought within. The first is waged against
external enemies and the second against internal foes. Military
men are trained for the outer battle, while I train people for the
inner. If we are not adequately prepared to face our external
enemies, they will take advantage of our weaknesses and we
will lose our independence. We are all aware of this. Similarly,
if we are unable to control and master our internal enemies,
they are bound to make us their servant and bring about much
imbalance and disharmony.

YOGA 8 Dec 2017

Science of defence
Today, in every part of the world, mankind is in a state of
suffering. Every individual feels imprisoned within himself,
defeated, dumbfounded, oppressed and bewildered. He
wants to liberate himself from his limitations, but he cannot.
He has lost the fight even before he faces the din and roar of
the battlefront. The science of yoga frees man from his self-
defeat. It is a highly developed science of defence containing
a wide range of weapons which are limitless in their scope
and application.
Until man is able to liberate himself from his inner shackles,
he will never be able to breathe the air of real freedom. Our
biggest enemy is our own limitations. In our ancient literature,
these limitations were referred to as evil forces, demons and
devils.
By purifying ourselves through yoga, we become like the
general who controls and directs his own forces. We can also
command our willpower to overcome our own limitations.
We have certain in-built strengths of endurance, stability,
poise, concentration and self-discipline. They are like the
commanders of an army. When we know how to manipulate
these inner strengths, then we can mobilize and gear them into
achieving our desired objectives. This, in essence, is man’s true
victory over himself. To fight the extraneous forces, we must
first develop the ability to conquer within. The fortifications
must be strong on both fronts.

Importance of discipline
Discipline is the path of yoga and the backbone of the army.
Discipline is of two kinds: organizational and personal.
Personal discipline is essential for spiritual progress in the same
way as organizational discipline is necessary for the progress
of society and the nation.
The country which has a disciplined army has no fears.
Similarly, the person who has disciplined his senses is
guaranteed success. How can one reach his destination when

YOGA 9 Dec 2017

the horses of the chariot have no reins and the driver is restless?
An alert driver who is clear about his destiny, and is able to
command and steer his senses is bound to attain his goal.
That is why I mentioned here that one soldier is addressing
another. The real goal lies within oneself. What I have mentioned
to you is the path which leads there. This inner life is more
real than the outer life, which is transitory, empirical, subject
to time and space and objectivity. One who has experienced
the inner life can face the outer life with equanimity and ease.
To enable us to experience the inner life without cutting off
the outer life, our ancestors have developed the practices of
yoga.
By regular practice of yoga we can achieve and gain control
over our bodies and minds. It is very simple and clear. The
path of yoga has to be understood and incorporated into our
lives. A few asanas, pranayama and meditation techniques to
develop the concentration of mind form the daily program.
Asanas are not merely gymnastic exercises or body buil-
ding techniques. Pranayama is not breathing exercises, and
meditation is not ‘going out’. Asana is a posture in which you
can remain steady and comfortable in body and mind. Asana
and pranayama are important preparation for concentration
and meditation.

YOGA 10 Dec 2017

Concentration and mental stability
Our mental power increases when we develop concentration.
A piece of paper will not burn simply by holding it up to the
sun, however, when the rays of the sun converge in a convex
lens, the intensity of heat at the focal point enables the paper
to catch alight. Similarly, when our mental energies are not
channelled in a proper direction, they become dissipated
very quickly and weaken the mind. A wavering, unsteady,
restless mind is prone to all types of hallucinations, phobias
and complexes.
A wavering mind is a sick mind. When we fix the mind on
an inner point, like the jyoti or bindu, what we are trying to
do is control the oscillations and fluctuations. We have to fix
the mind on an inner point so that the consciousness revolves
around it. After considerable practice of meditation the mind
becomes concentrated and stabilized at the given point.
When concentration is achieved, mental energies are
conserved. There is no tension or dissipation, and peace and
inner strength are gained. When the mind is free of distractions,
the higher intuitive faculties are revealed and begin to guide
the individual. Confidence increases, imaginary fears vanish,
and one is able to face the realities of life. This is yoga.
Yoga makes the mind strong, enabling it to endure pain
and unhappiness. After regular practice of yoga, equilibrium
and vitality become the normal state of mind. With the stability
of mind, one is able to radiate strength and confidence. When
the mind is dissipated, it becomes weak, thus hindering its
progress.
Efficacy of the mind is as essential as the efficacy of the
body. Exercises and drill, which all soldiers no doubt do,
are good for the body, but this is not enough. A strong body
with a weak mind is of no use. True strength lies in the mind.
Only with this strength of mind will you be able to achieve
something worthwhile in your civil life.
To achieve this mental stability, keep aside ten minutes for
meditation every morning. Decide where to fix your mind. If

YOGA 11 Dec 2017

you want to fix it on a candle flame, then just be aware of that
and nothing else. When the mind is concentrated and one-
pointed, even for a second, then one undergoes a wonderful
experience.

True soldiers
In meditation we discipline our mental thoughts, just as the
scientist has disciplined the forces of nature. Your mind is a
force, thought is a force, emotion is a force, memory is a force.
When you feel happy or unhappy that is also a condition of
energy. Mind therefore is not a devil or a sinner. In the science
of meditation we have to understand a few basic things and
change some of our basic beliefs. How will we define the mind?
Is mind a thinking machine or is there more to it than that? The
ultimate definition I have concluded is that ‘mind is energy’.
Some people have been able to discipline this energy, but
most have not. Mind is such a powerful force in man. Those
who have tamed this mind have tamed the worlds. They have
become great statesman, prophets, artists and scientists. All
these are miracles of the mind. Those who have been feeling
unhappy in life, depressed, frustrated, pessimistic, full of
conflicts within themselves, have not been able to master this
mind. Therefore, we have to find a way to harness the energies
of the mind.
A great man in any field is not a product of destiny. He is
not an accident or a combination of astrological or planetary
conditions. A great man, who is able to handle the mind, is
able to handle the world. This was realized by the rishis in
India thousands of years ago. Then they decided to find the
best way to achieve this. In the course of experimentation,
they discovered innumerable techniques, but each one had
its limitations.
These techniques which the boys and girls use now, LSD
and hashish, were used in India thousands of years ago. During
the vedic period, people used to take soma, a hallucinogenic
drink, and go into trance, but going into a trance is not the

YOGA 12 Dec 2017

ultimate thing. You must
practise meditation in such
a way that it transforms the
quality of mind. When you
change the quality of mind,
you change the quality of
actions also. And when you
change the quality of actions,
you change the quality of
experience.
This mind is capable of
expressing itself in very many
ways, so much so that if the
mind is held under control
it can give you mastery over
events and circumstances.
This is what we are trying
to explain. I don’t believe
in any particular sect, or in
preaching my own tradition,
but I know that yoga is a great
interdisciplinary science.
By following the path
of yoga, one day you will
become a true soldier.
You will defeat your inner
enemies and achieve real freedom. You are not liberated now,
because you are not your own master. You get easily swayed
by emotions and passions, anger and worries. You are not able
to endure pain and sorrow, and you become easily frustrated
by difficulties. Neither are you able to rule your thoughts nor
command your actions. You are enslaved by your own mind.
You will have to reverse this situation and attain mastery over
it. Only then can you become true soldiers.
—Printed in YOGA Vol. 19, No. 11 (November 1981)

YOGA 13 Dec 2017

Hatha Yoga and Kundalini
From the teachings of Swami Satyananda Saraswati

The conductor of the mental energy is known as ida, which

flows up the left side of the spine. The conductor of vital energy
is pingala which flows on the right side of the spine. Both of
these channels emerge from the bottom of the spine and cross
each other at junctions situated in the sacral, solar, cardiac and
cervical points. From these points thousands of nerves spread
out all over the body distributing the two forces of energy.
These two forces are necessary for existence, but actually
this is a lower energy system. It is not powerful enough to
maintain the total functioning of the brain. Therefore, only a
small portion of the brain is participating in the activities of
human life; the rest is dormant. If we had a greater system
whereby the whole brain could be brought into conscious
action, perhaps mankind would achieve a higher creative level.
Therefore, the awakening of kundalini is a most important
subject for modern man.

Ida and pingala

The four junctions which supply energy
and life throughout the body are blocked.
Energy doesn’t flow through them be-
cause they are disconnected. Therefore,
yoga means connecting the source of
energy with the distributing channels.
The name of the distribution channel
for the higher energy is known in tantra
as sushumna. These three nadis – ida,
pingala and sushumna – should be under-
stood in an absolutely technical sense.
They are not religious or symbolic ex-
pressions, but actual physical structures.

YOGA 14 Dec 2017

 The nerve on the left controls the functions of consciousness,
and the nerve on the right controls the functions of vitality
and mobility. They function serially and not simultaneously.
You must have observed your nostrils – one of them is freely
flowing while the other is blocked. When the left nostril is
open, the lunar energy is flowing. When the right nostril is
open, the pranic energy is flowing.
It has been noted by investigators that when the right
nostril is free, the left hemisphere of the brain is more actively
functioning than the right. Similarly, when the left nostril
is free, the right hemisphere of the brain is more actively
functioning.
This finding has great significance as the left and right
hemispheres of the brain govern all of our linear and spatial
faculties. In addition, investigators found that the left nostril is
cooler than the right. This is how these two nadis control the
events of life. If they could be made to function simultaneously
rather than serially, then both the hemispheres of the brain
could participate and regulate the mental and vital processes.
But this simultaneous function only occurs when sushumna
nadi, the central nerve channel, is connected with the source
of energy.

Kundalini shakti
Kundalini is the source of energy. If it can be connected with
the physical body, it will reactivate the brain cells, create a
new physical structure, and explode the archetypes existing at
the depths of human consciousness.
Kundalini shakti has been vari-
ously described. Its awakening is
considered to be an important event
in man’s transition from lower to
higher life, from inability to ability,
or from ignorance to knowledge.
The ultimate purpose of yoga is to
awaken kundalini.

YOGA 15 Dec 2017

 The yoga postures, no doubt, are good for physical and
mental health; pranayama gives a lot of alertness and vitality,
but the prime purpose of hatha yoga is the awakening of man’s
potential. In the course of evolution this energy will come to
the point of illumination. That is the destiny of man. It will
explode itself but by that time millions of years might have
passed.
The great seers and sages in their intent application to the
truth found out the way by which a person could become
aware of his potential in this life. Now the path of yoga that
is spreading all over the world is the kundalini way. People
are talking about tantra and yoga like never before.
Whenever people ask me about asanas I tell them that the
yoga postures are definitely very good for health but that is a
by-product. The real purpose of these practices is to give a mild
stimulus to the chakras. For instance, we have sirshasana, the
headstand pose. That is good for many diseases, particularly
the ovarian disorders or hormonal imbalances. At the same
time, it has an impact on the plexus at the top of the head –
sahasrara chakra.
Take shashankasana, the hare pose. This is excellent
for stimulating the adrenals thereby clearing respiratory
congestion and helping to accelerate circulation. But the prime
objective of this posture is to create a mild awakening in
manipura chakra, the solar plexus behind the navel. So the yoga
postures are intended to regulate and stimulate the various
chakras and plexuses in the body. When these are awakened
through the practice of yoga postures then the energy can start
to flow freely.

Experiencing the final sphinx

Man today is suffering both physically and mentally from a
blockage of energy. This is very difficult to understand because
people have become so materially minded. They know many
things about the physical nature, but very little about the spirit,
the final sphinx.

YOGA 16 Dec 2017

 When people hear music they start jumping because it
affects their gross body. The mind is limited to the material
base of experience, so they are unable to perceive the subtle
sound vibrations of the music. How to break this addiction to
materialism? Man should begin to see the mind behind the
mind, the matter behind the matter. Scientists could see, so
they came up with the concept of energy. For the ordinary man,
matter was just matter, but for the scientist it became the base
of energy. Therefore he could liberate energy from matter. In
the same way, we should conclude that mind and conscious-
ness are final and absolute and that it is impossible for man to
transcend this realm and have a wider range of experience.
Perhaps all of our frustrations, illnesses and emotional
problems are due to the limitation of understanding. We no
longer care for our husband or wife or children; we feel fed up
with life and want to commit suicide. This particular behaviour
of the mind is due to the inability to have better experiences.
There seems to be a cataract on our inner vision and due to that
we are unable to experience life as it should be experienced.
Improper experience creates pain. Experience depends
on the quality of consciousness. How can we improve the
quality of consciousness? This must be done practically, not
intellectually, through the practice of hatha yoga.

YOGA 17 Dec 2017

Preparing the Mind
Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Yoga means karma yoga, bhakti yoga, raja yoga and jnana
yoga, and each yoga has something to complete in your life.
Bhakti yoga channels your emotions. It should be practised
before raja yoga or with raja yoga. Karma yoga helps you to
balance the impurities and distractions of the mind. If you
practise the yogas systematically, then you will never come
across the problems created by the mind and emotions in your
practices of meditation.
We face the mind in meditation because we have not
treated the mind through bhakti yoga and karma yoga. In
yoga, meditation is considered to be the highest point, but still I
think, in modern countries, meditation is overemphasized and

YOGA 18 Dec 2017

incorrectly emphasized. Meditation is a very high stage and
therefore it needs a lot of preparation. If you do not practise
the other forms of yoga, then you will have to face difficulties
in meditation.

Karma yoga and bhakti yoga

Karma yoga is the philosophy of your relationship with life.
What is your relationship with everything around you and
what should be your attitude to your work, family, children,
problems, enemies and everything else? And how should you
react in success and failure, love and hatred, victory and defeat?
This is very important. Karma yoga is the philosophy which
fixes your relationship with everything else in the world in
such a way that nothing disturbs your mind, at any time, no
matter what has happened to you.
In the same way, bhakti yoga is so important that without
it, you cannot properly balance your emotions. Therefore, we
have to find out whom to love, who can accept all our love
and would not react in a bad manner, and at the same time, it
would not be boring. Most problems which we people suffer
from today are the problems caused by love or the absence of
love.
It is necessary to train your emotions, as you train your
mind. Untrained mind, untrained emotions and untrained
drivers make accidents. Therefore, in bhakti yoga the emotions
are channelled to a divinity, in the form of god, in the form of
deva, in the form of guru.
When you have practised karma yoga and bhakti yoga,
and you practise raja yoga, or you may say yoga, the mind
automatically becomes quiet. Because you do not practise
bhakti yoga and karma yoga, in meditation there are emotional
and mental problems, so, you must say, ’Okay, let them come’.
Don’t stop them, because stopping them will be the greatest
disaster.
—19 September 1982, Sansicario, Italy

YOGA 19 Dec 2017

Children and Ashram Life
Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Many of our ashrams all over the world now hold children’s
courses during the school holidays, and all of them accept
children of all ages and backgrounds throughout the year on
a long or short-term residential basis. The purpose of this is
not only to teach them yogic techniques, but to reintroduce
ashram life as the most effective way of training young minds.
It is not easy for children to develop their potential and
retain their high ideals in this modern world. Without a positive
direction in life, boys and girls float around like rudderless
boats, going from one distraction to the next. They are unable
to stick to anything or carry anything through. Of course this
leaves them dissipated, negative and defeated. Parents and
teachers try to give them guidance and encouragement but it
is of no use. Their advice is limited by past social and moral

YOGA 20 Dec 2017

conditioning and young people reject it immediately. What
these boys and girls desperately need is a broader based, more
supportive environment where they can develop self-discipline
and a positive outlook on life. The ashram is ideal, and if these
children can spend a few weeks or months in this charged and
stimulating atmosphere, a complete transformation generally
takes place within them.
At the ashram they find many channels for their dreams
and aspirations. At the same time, they learn to become useful,
not only to society, but to themselves. Here children are taught
to live simply and to think high, to work hard without any
selfish motivation, and to relax and play without inhibitions.
Even those of a tender age quickly learn to help themselves
and after that to help others.

Very busy people

All children have an intense need to express themselves,
to prove themselves, to experience their independence, but
too often this vital urge is stifled right from the very start
by dominating parents who won’t let them do anything for
themselves. In the ashram children are given independence. Of
course supervision is there, but the child is always responsible
for himself and his own work. Children are never encouraged
to waste time and energy in senseless games and useless
pursuits. Instead they are given work to do which will not
only help their own development but will also be of some
practical help to others.
Children are spontaneously creative. Their natural energy
level is so high that unless it is properly harnessed at an early
age, and used positively, it either dissipates in erratic ways or
else turns back on the child causing him endless mental and
emotional torment. This is why children in the ashram are
very busy people. They have many duties from sun up to sun
down which require them to think for themselves and act with
awareness. Here every day has a purpose and every action a
meaning. The satisfaction, self-confidence and one-pointedness

YOGA 21 Dec 2017

of mind gained from this constant creative activity removes
many frustrations and psychological problems in a very short
time.
We have many children living in our ashrams on a
permanent basis, and without exception they are all superior
sadhakas. They work with a will and a dedication that is
impossible to surpass. They are excellent managers and
wonderful teachers. They are wise and thoughtful, not just in
a superficial way, but in a deep and spiritual sense.
In the ashram a child is never forced to learn or do
anything. He just naturally takes to positive ways such as
good diet, regular activity, creative thinking, simply because
self-discipline grows within him. The child is not free to run
wild, but no rules and restrictions are imposed on him. The
whole community lives within the ashram discipline and the
child naturally adapts. He learns by living with others who
are doing much the same thing as he is. His self-discipline
evolves spontaneously through the intensity of ashram
vibration and the example of others, especially guru. How
the ashram education takes place is largely dependent on the
child. Thus over a period of years of visiting the ashram on
and off, maybe even living here for long periods of time, the
child will develop a very sure knowledge about his place in
the world. His purpose in life will be known to him, and he
will definitely be able to express it.
We have found that ashram life is excellent therapy and
training for all types of disturbed and difficult children.
However, they must be prepared to remain in the ashram for at
least six months if the benefits are to be lasting. Normal children
with simple health disorders will benefit very well from shorter
periods – one to three months is generally sufficient. The child
needs to change negative patterns and incorporate positive
ones if he is to recover health and emotional stability.
Actually the ashram is tailor-made for training children as
it has been serving society in this way for thousands of years.
In the past children were always educated in the ashram

YOGA 22 Dec 2017

environment. There they lived as members of the guru’s family
often for a number of years until they had mastered all the
arts and sciences and were ready to embark on their chosen
or destined path of life. This was called the gurukul system
and it still exists in many ashrams. It is this system which we
are reintroducing in our ashrams today.
If parents were to ask me what is the greatest gift they can
give their children, I would say to all of them, “Give them the
ashram life for a number of weeks, months or years. This is the
best way to train your child, to create great men and women,
to increase the strength of the nation and to make the world
a better place in which to live.” If you are not able to live the
ashram life yourself, at least give your child this opportunity.
—Printed in YOGA Vol. 17, No. 4 (April 1979)

YOGA 23 Dec 2017

Parents and Children Grow
Together

There are many among us who cannot raise their heads without
a cup or two of tea in the morning. We then look forward
to going through the daily newspaper as some would look
forward to reading the religious scriptures. Some children
may pity us for having become such slaves of habit but most
children copy what the parents do and it is no use telling them
not to do this or that.

Removing the weeds

Here example is better than precept. If for that moment it is not
so easy, then let us take them along with ourselves to the Bihar
School of Yoga in Munger. There we find that all the inmates
get up at 4 o’clock in the morning. We soon join the others
in our gratefulness for a new day of life by prayers chanted
together. After that everyone is free to complete their morning
routine. The chirping of birds reaches the ears. The coolness

YOGA 24 Dec 2017

of the dawn is felt inside out. While moving about the beauty
of leaves and trees, the colour and fragrance of flowers, the
splendour of the rising sun is noticed. One cannot help closing
one’s eyes to thank the Creator.
There is such a good healthy feeling because of the asanas
and pranayamas. We realize we have missed much by getting
up late. Now a quota of so many hours has been added to
our daily life. We discover we can do so much and enjoy the
satisfaction of doing it well at our own pace without being
pushed or hustling others. It is possible to do things which we
otherwise took for granted we could never do, thereby helping
or relieving others. We increase our chances of improving even
a crooked tree without much heartache.
Thus a good habit lifts us from the mire while a bad habit
drowns us completely in it. It is never too late to have such
good habits which can compensate for any lapses in the past,
which not only improve the body and mind, but heal as well.
Force of habit helps in self-examination and concentration,
whereby slowly and steadily, layers of dust, impurities are
removed from the mind.
Whereas the house and its surroundings have to be kept
clean, yet that alone is not enough. No municipal authority
will come to remove the refuse from the mind. Thus the yoga
teacher helps each one to clear away, and the weeds in the
mind are turned into flowers. As the weeds are removed, the
force of good habits makes work less difficult for us.

To use all opportunities

Children tell untruths for fear of punishment, but where an
understanding and loving teacher shows there is nothing to
fear, the children become cheerfully obedient. This conditions
them to be so with their parents also. Later they learn to abide
by what nature has in store for them, because an ideal of good
habits has been set before them.
When force is used in handling children, the results are
not good. An understanding teacher knows their weakness

YOGA 25 Dec 2017

and fully realizes their difficulties. That the teacher cares and
feels for them is a great working force. It becomes a very strong
unseen motive power to make them listen. The result is that
they do their work well and cheerfully. They feel a certain
satisfaction and happiness when it is well completed.
The ideal the teacher has and expects of the students makes
them both work with patience, thus filling what is lacking and
making them whole and complete as far as possible. With the
love and affection they receive, they radiate more love and
work intensely in unity. Because of greater receptivity and
awareness they are easier to teach how to keep the good and
throw aside the useless.
As they gain confidence in themselves, they rise higher
and higher, until they find vast inner sources of strength and
power within themselves. They are being trained in endurance,
relieving and in helping themselves when there will be no
relation to guide them.
Belief and faith in the teacher’s love makes them remember
what is good for them and forget the bad. The good in them
becomes a habitual behaviour in all spheres of life. If life hits
hard, it is faced cheerfully, though all may not give it the same
reception.
Parents and children who were easily upset at one another’s
behaviour, now find they have more self-control and are patient
in the face of annoyance. There is an all round adjustment and
development, because the mind has opened to new work, new
surroundings, where slipshod ways are given up.
This change and effect is the result of an ordered mind. It
can be made more and more beautiful and used to reach the
highest ends of life. The least we can do is to reflect the good
that God has given us and not allow any opportunity to slip
by uselessly.
—Ishwari
printed in YOGA 1965, Vol. 3, No. 3 and 4 (March/April)

YOGA 26 Dec 2017

 Responsible

If we hold ourselves responsible for the future, our own

and our children’s, then we will ensure that the evolution
of man is along positive lines. Only then will wars cease,
only then will man be able to love his fellow man, and
only then will adults understand the young and the young
understand the old.
—Swami Satyananda Saraswati

YOGA 31 Dec 2017

Satsang
From Rikhiapeeth Satsangs 2, Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Can you speak to us about the

education of children? Nowadays,
the culture which children are being
exposed to in cities is just music,
dance and glamour. What can we do
about their spiritual exposure?
As far as spirituality is concerned, each
child will have to decide for himself.
Parents cannot decide that for the
child. They can only give samskaras to
the child and inculcate good habits in
him. They may train the child on how
to live in society and what disciplines to follow for the body,
mind, family, home and ultimately, for the larger society in
which he lives. They can give him health tips, education tips,
career tips, marriage tips and religious exposure.
This much the parents can do, but as far as spiritual life
is concerned, the child will have to discover it for himself,
because spirituality is the seed of human life. It is in everyone,
regardless of gender, nationality, class, creed or religion.
Whether it is a child in Mumbai, New York or Mongolia, or
even the remotest recesses of the North or the South Pole, the
spiritual seed is in one and all. What is that spiritual seed? The
root of the spiritual seed is awareness of the Self, or rather, the
divine awareness of God, which is there in everyone.
Do not equate or confuse social qualities with spirituality.
For example, you teach your child to be good because it is good
for society. Your child should be good because he has to live
in society. You impress on your child the need to be educated
because he has to have a career. You insist on marriage because
that is the way society is structured. You can only guide him

YOGA 32 Dec 2017

in the avenues which will make him capable of surviving in
the society into which he is born. However, apart from all
this, without any guidance from you or anyone, sometime or
the other, he will discover for himself an invisible presence of
God.
In fact, that is the only thing that parents should be able
to teach a child, but they cannot. It is not at all possible for
parents to teach a child the invisible presence of God. They
cannot fulfil that role. Therefore, children should be allowed to
follow a free career in life. Children should be given freedom
by parents to pursue a career, hobbies and interests of their
choice. Children should also be exposed to music. Music is one
way through which a child can enter into spiritual life. If the
child likes yoga, pooja and worship, reading the scriptures,
well and good. But if he does not, don’t force him. Instead,
push him towards music, because nobody dislikes music. Even
a venomous cobra snake likes music. Once you push a child
into music, whether it is folk, pop, disco or classical, any kind
of music where there is rhythm, his journey of self-discovery
will start and the seed will begin to sprout.

Power of music
Music is not just holding a mike and singing. Music is a
powerful medium by which the mind directly deals with
sound. Music is the system in which you deal with the mind
through sound. Whether it is vocal, instrumental, fast or
slow, sitar, veena, violin, guitar, tabla or drums, they all emit
sounds of different frequencies and intensities. Once the mind
deals with sound, a definite change takes place in the level
or sphere of the brain waves. Altered brain waves produce
an altered state of mind that is more harmonized, balanced,
homogeneous, and in tune with the self. This results in a highly
subtle and refined awareness. The moment your mind alters
from gross to subtle, you are spiritual. That is why people who
deal with music are always highly spiritual and very close to
the awareness of that unseen presence, God. In the Puranas,

YOGA 33 Dec 2017

when Lord Vishnu is asked by one of his most ardent admirers,
Narada, “Lord, please tell me where do you reside,” he replies,
“Look Narada, I do not reside in Vaikuntha (paradise), I don’t
even reside in the hearts of the yogis. I reside in the place where
my bhaktas sing my name.”
Naham vasaami Vaikunthe, yoginaam hridayena cha;
Mad bhakta yatra gaayante, tatra tishthaami Narada.
It is a definite fact that music, dance and the fine arts can help
in developing your spiritual personality. It is music, dance
and art that distinguishes man from animals and other forms
of life. Music and dance are expressions of a refined mind, a
mind that can dive deep into inner experience.
So, don’t blame Mumbai and Chennai for cultural deca-
dence. Let the children listen to all kinds of music because it
is the rhythm in music that influences the mind. That is why
everyone likes kirtan. Rhythm is the heart of a kirtan. It is not
the words or the singer, but the rhythm or the beat the kirtan
follows that does the magic of transporting the listener to the
dimension of ananda or bliss.
—October 2007, Rikhiapeeth

YOGA 34 Dec 2017

Kriya Yoga Yatra 1 (Pratyahara
Kriyas) – Impressions

Kriya yoga, only taught in the Munger ashram, is a unique

chance to go beyond and lighten up our hearts through
enhanced awareness. My deepest respect to Swami Niranjan
and the Satyananda tradition and their generosity for opening
up the doors for us in this second chapter of yoga. Kriya yoga
is a necessary key for all of us seeking a glimpse of the divine,
beyond time and space.
—Cristina Gamboa, Columbia

Kriya yoga course and ashram life – a whole new experience

for me, a chance to learn a new branch of yoga and discover
deeper parts of myself. I know that there is a long and not so
easy path in front of me. I will continue my kriya yoga sadhana
with seriousness and gratitude in my heart. Special thanks to
the teachers for sharing unselfishly their knowledge with us,
with guidance and protection of Swamiji. Hari Om Tat Sat.
—Savitri, Croatia

YOGA 35 Dec 2017

Being my first time in the ashram, I had a very good experience.
The way the kriyas were taught was very clear and systematic.
I am inspired to do my sadhana at home. I think it is very good
to have one year of practice before we learn more kriyas. It is
a smart system. The teachers were excellent, clear and precise
in their instructions.
—Lars Andersson, Sweden

I feel very lucky and grateful for having the opportunity to

learn and practise kriya yoga from the Satyananda tradition.
The instructions of each of the kriyas were given by the teachers
in a very clear and precise way. We built up the practice little
by little every day and had the chance to practise the kriyas
several times guided by the teachers and getting from them
accurate corrections and suggestions so that each kriya was
learnt and done correctly. Then we had the chance to go deeper
in the practice, doing them at our own time and experiencing
the effect of the practice.
The sadhana given for the year is manageable; I have
already incorporated it and I look forward to deepen the
practice and the experience of it and come back next year to
continue on the path guided by our beloved Guru Swami
Niranjan! Thank you very much! Hari Om Tat Sat!
—Siddhi, Peru

YOGA 36 Dec 2017

Kriya Yoga Yatra 2 (Dharana
Kriyas) – Impressions

Swamiji, I am grateful to you for giving me an opportunity to

be part of kriya sadhana. Your satsang and sadhana given last
year was life changing. It worked on me as a resolve to bring
transformation within myself. These changes are:
• Discipline
• Interest in meditation
• Quality of concentration
• Visualization
• My health and strength
• I have experienced spontaneous indriya nigraha after kriya
sadhana.
The experience of Kriya Yoga 2 was enjoying kriya sadhana
further. It is very intense, but after a year of training, body and
mind are adopting both kriya and tattwa shuddhi gracefully.
—Devatma, Bengaluru

YOGA 37 Dec 2017

Kriya Yoga 1 gave me the glimpse of the higher truth. Kriya
Yoga 2 seems to be promising enough to give me the experience
of this higher truth. The kriyas come closer to me every time,
I practise them in our daily class. I can see them becoming
a part of my life and routine and with every passing day
commitment towards it becomes stronger and the foundation
for this dedication comes for the kriyas and dharana.
—Meenal Nigam, Bengaluru

It was a journey of going into self and consciousness. I enjoyed

every bit of the training realizing more and more of my innate
tattwas, ‘that is me’. Though a very powerful course, it was
gradually built up with the protection of the guru and hence
was a liberating experience.
—Daisy Bastian, Bengaluru

YOGA 38 Dec 2017

Om and Gayatri
Swami Satyananda Saraswati

According to the science of mantra there are four kinds of

sound waves: standing waves, reverberant waves, oscillating
waves and transcendental waves. The mantra Om produces all
of these waves. Om is a combination of the three sounds ‘A’,’U’,
and ‘M’. ‘A’ creates the standing wave, ‘U’ the reverberate
wave, ‘M’ the oscillating wave. The fourth wave, being
transcendental and beyond the sense of hearing or speech, is
created by meditating on Om in the heart centre.
When you transcend the external sensory world, you
become aware of high frequency waves which have no rest
period. Ordinary waves have a rest period. When you chant
the mantra Om, it begins and it ends. The beginning and the
end are the rest periods for the sound wave. But when you
transcend the mind, then you come to a high sound frequency
which has no rest period.
The first three sound waves belong to the three dimensions
of human consciousness and are interconnected. ‘A’
represents the waking or sense consciousness, ‘U’ the dream
or subconsciousness, and ‘M’ deep sleep or unconsciousness.
The fourth wave represents the unlimited dimension of
consciousness which is beyond the mind and the senses.
Therefore, we can say that Om has four bases: the sensual
world, the mental world, the terrestrial world and the ultimate
state.

Exploding the creative force

According to the Vedas, Om is the ultimate and first mantra. It
has no name and no form, and is considered to be the creative
force of the universal mind. The concept of universal mind
is very difficult for us to comprehend. In the scriptures it is
called hiranyagarbha which is compared to an egg. In the centre

YOGA 39 Dec 2017

of this egg is the ultimate point from which sound emanates.
Nada literally means sound, but here it refers to the ultimate
point of resonance. This point is a transcendental point where
the sound Om is unmanifested form. There is no vibration, no
rhythm, no wave, and everything seems to be completely silent
and potential. It can be imagined as total inactivity.
At opposite poles of this universal egg are the forces
known as time and space. Space is the positive energy force
and time is the negative. When you produce the mantra Om
with your mouth, or recite it in the realm of your mind, these
two psychic forces attain a state of polarity and try to project
themselves towards the centre nucleus. When union occurs,
there is an explosion of force, which results in the whole
universal creation. Therefore, the mantra Om represents the
creative force, the centre in which time and space unite, and
where infinity is split into a multitude of infinities.
The mantra Om is written in a particular fashion. Many
have it engraved on their lockets. It consists of four curves, over
which there is a crescent moon with a bindu or point. Bindu is
the centre or focal point of Om. Each curve represents infinity
in its different aspects of time, space, object and transcendence.
Therefore, Om has within itself the other force known as prakriti
or nature, as well as the spiritual force.
The yogis meditate on this symbol of Om in order to develop
the spiritual and mental force within themselves. There are two
manifestations of this energy: one is fulfilment which belongs
to the material plane; the other is transcendence belonging
to the spiritual plane. Om is a very powerful mantra for the
purpose of transcendence.

Gayatri
Om is the first mantra which was amplified in order to form
Gayatri. The 24 syllables which make up the Gayatri mantra are:
Om Bhurbhuvah Svah Tat Saviturvarenyam.
Bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

YOGA 40 Dec 2017

From the 24 syllables of Gayatri, the oldest books known to
man, the Vedas, emanated.
Gayatri is the symbol of spiritual consciousness in man. This
consciousness has three stages: the time when it dawns, when it
is fully fledged, and when it enters eternal space. The sun rising
at daybreak symbolizes spiritual life, and the sun setting in the
evening symbolizes the total matter of consciousness. When there
is no sun, no light, this is the ‘dark night of the soul’ according
to the Bible, or Sivaratri, the dark night of Shiva, to Hindus.
Gayatri has to be practised at sunrise. After years it can be
repeated mentally, but at first it must be chanted aloud. Being
a vedic mantra, its chanting is controlled by certain accents,
not as you chant any Sanskrit mantra. According to the Hindu
system, those who are pure vegetarian should practise Gayatri
on a tulsi mala, and those who are non-vegetarians should
practise on rudraksha.
For the practice of Gayatri, there are no restrictions con-
cerning diet, drinking, or marital status. The only restriction
is that you must receive the mantra from a guru. The practice
of Gayatri is the roadway to spiritual regulation. It has a
powerful and simultaneous effect on the body, mind, senses,
and spiritual life. Whenever you practise Gayatri mantra, you
should concentrate on the form of Om, the symbol of the four
dimensions of human existence: consciousness, subconscious-
ness, unconsciousness and superconsciousness.

Transcendence follows development

Gayatri and Om are equally powerful, but the action of Gayatri
is not as speedy as the action of Om. Gayatri was intended
for the general masses and the reason for this is clear. The
consciousness of man is simultaneously existing in seven
different planes. The purpose of mantra is to transcend the first
three realms: the physical, mental and astral. This means that
I am not only existing in this physical form; I have a duplicate
and triplicate existence. Then there are three higher or spiritual
planes followed by the ultimate state.

YOGA 41 Dec 2017

 When man is able to evolve, he transcends each body until
he arrives at the seventh plane. However, those people who
are not able to cope with their psychic or emotional situation
will find this transcendence quite a problem. Everybody does
not want to transcend, and even if one desires it, he may not
have qualified himself.
Transcendence without illuminating the first three
realms is a very impractical affair. The different states of
human intelligence are reflected as necessities in our day-
to-day life. Recognition, perception, recapitulation, and
so many other forms of intelligence have to be developed
before you try for transcendence. The Vedas are very clear
in their concept. They say that one must transcend the
material consciousness, but they place a condition; you
should transcend the material consciousness only after you
have developed it.
The whole evolution is passing through three different
stages. The lowest is tamoguna, inertia and potential energy.
Above that is rajoguna, dynamism and manifestation. This is
followed by sattwa guna, knowledge, light and equilibrium in
the forces of creation. If the individual transcends prematurely,
his evolution stagnates. Therefore, the Vedas have a very clear
concept. The ego must be dissociated from tamoguna. Potential
energy must become dynamic and manifest.
When this occurs one has desires, passions, imagination,
cognition, feelings, happiness, unhappiness, fears, insecurities;
one knows so many things. There is a total panorama of action,
the five sense organs, motor organs, all aspects of prana, all
levels of elements talk together on the playground as if all
the players have come to play in a football match. Nothing is
potential, nothing is in seed state. The expression of cognition
is at its fullest. Sense and motor organs are given complete
freedom of expression. The mind can think endlessly and
infinitely. When this full expression takes place, evolution is
at the point of rajoguna. At this time, if you try to transcend,
it has some relevance and meaning.

YOGA 42 Dec 2017

 Therefore, Om is considered right only for a few, not for
everybody. Gayatri is meant for the general masses because
its purpose is to create a process of expression, to illuminate
the different states of human consciousness.
The consciousness is in total darkness, as though it were
the dark hour of midnight. Out of that dark night comes the
dawn of day, and inner vision, inner perception or awareness
begins to take place. This is the concept of Gayatri. Therefore,
the Hindus teach this mantra to their children at the age of 7,
8 or 9 years; before, they are not allowed to practise it. When
they have fulfilled all the obligations and desires of life, when
a type of distaste dawns in their minds, they discontinue the
Gayatri mantra and begin to practise Om. The mantra Om is for
yogis, because it is the shortcut for the fulfilment of spiritual
transcendence.
—Talk given at the Yoga Teachers Seminar in Collbato, Spain,
August 1979, printed in YOGA Vol. 18, No.6 (June 1980)

YOGA 43 Dec 2017

Progressive Yoga Vidya
Training 2017 – Impressions
In the first satsang Swamiji said,
”Be good students, do not be
lazy!” It is easy to be good students
when the teacher is extraordinary!
Swamiji is giving us the great
opportunity to experience the
yoga that is beyond the yoga we
have known until now. (And
it was a shock to find out that
I have known yoga very little!)
The exhortation not to be lazy, to
commit ourselves, to be sincere
and serious is like a lighthouse
that guides us into the darkness of our ignorance. An immense,
beautiful, breath-taking panorama of knowledge emerges. It
is not to be contemplated but to be crossed. It is up to us to
complete the journey to the end. There is a long road ahead
but we have a remarkable sankalpa. In my heart, besides all
the teachings, I will bring home the TRUST I have received
and I will leave to honour it with great gratitude.
—Sannyasi Sadhanashakti, Italy
Hari Om. During this PYVT Swamiji has definitely made us
all question our motives for joining the course, teaching and
practising yoga. He has made it clear that there is a big difference
between yoga for sannyasins and yoga for householders. After
this statement I think most of us wondered which one are we
ready for. Are we able to imbibe the true yoga vidya and make
a deeper plunge into the ocean of yogic experience.
Upon hearing about the differentiation between pre-
Patanjali’s and Patanjali’s raja yoga, all the different types of

YOGA 44 Dec 2017

pratyaharas, Samkhya and vedantic point of view, a thought
came to mind: ‘Have we ever touched the surface of the water
with the tip of our toe?’ The stories about Sri Swamiji’s initial
yogic training were truly inspiring, both from the memories
of Swamiji and Swami Shankaranandaji.
Recalling how much the daily practice of yoga nidra has
helped me on different levels – healing, achieving, sport
results, releasing tensions, pains and fears, balancing pranas,
expanding the awareness and changing perception, I started
to appreciate even more the efforts and experiments of Sri
Swamiji to create the best possible version for our needs.
I was also amazed by the patience of Sri Swamiji and
Swamiji, which was definitely required to keep the wheel
of yoga still for 50 years, and wait for this planet to be ready
for the movement of the yogic wheel which may bring us
greater awareness, knowledge and experience of ourselves our
bodies, breath, pranas and mind. There was always a desire
to go deeper into the experience of koshas, pranas, different
pranayama ratios, combined with bandhas with emphasis on
kumbhaka, but my feeling was that the next step shouldn’t be
attempted without Guru’s grace and guidance.
I am deeply grateful and feel truly blessed to be able to
participate in this year’s PYVT, and have the opportunity to
experience the great variety of practices.
—Sannyasi Madhuri, Serbia

YOGA 45 Dec 2017

Stupendous Role
Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Should a yoga teacher take

an initiative to make others
interested in yoga or teach
only those who come with
a genuine interest in yoga
because then the receptivity
will be better?
The responsibility of a yoga
teacher has become much more
important and much greater
than it was a few years ago.
Even now there are people,
at least in this country, who
feel that yoga is just a physical
exercise and has much less to
do with the self-formation and
social renaissance.
When you will realize that
yoga deals not only with the
body but also with the mind,
that it does not merely deal with the conscious mind but also
with the subconscious and unconscious mind, then you must
be convinced that the practice of yoga can go much deeper in
the reformation of yourself and of society.
Therefore, the role of a yoga teachers is a stupendous one.
They have to take up this work very aggressively, in true
earnest. They can definitely make it a profession if they like
but there has to be honesty and sincerity and total devotion
in this profession as well.
—10 June 1987, Ganga Darshan, Munger

YOGA 46 Dec 2017

Soften Your Heart and Prana
From Rikhiapeeth Satsangs 3, Swami Satyananda Sarswati

There are two sides to social work;

one involves doing good for the
sake of others and the other involves
performing service for your own
purification. Whatever you do for
others, in the end it reaches God. You
dedicate it to God, not to human beings.
You are just a medium; God is the One
who gets it. Hindus, Christians and
Muslims all hold this same view and
say the same thing.

Social responsibility
A householder who is only interested in family and children in
his life can also be an agent of service. However, what should
be the main concern in life for a person who has left home
and has nothing to do with spouse, children or family? If he
does not care about food, soap, toothpaste or blankets, if he
has no worry or necessity, then he should become a medium
for all others. This is a very important point. People do not
have a responsibility just to their family; they also have a
responsibility towards society. I am not just responsible for
my institution; I also have a social responsibility.
We must accomplish that social responsibility either from
the spiritual perspective by becoming a medium of God or
by working for the welfare of others by using our wealth.
This choice depends on your belief. Those who are spiritually
inclined will think according to the first perspective, and the
modern people will think, ‘Okay, a part of my income will go
towards the welfare of others.’ This is all right for householders
since they need to keep a balance between social and family

YOGA 47 Dec 2017

obligations. A sannyasin, however, does not have any family
responsibility. He should not have any friend; he should have
no relationship with anyone. He should care only for others,
especially those who do not have anyone to look after them.
A young person can look after himself, but a sick, old person
cannot look after himself. Social responsibility should begin
with such people.
Social responsibility is necessary because we have an
obligation towards society. In ancient times, this was called
a rina or karmic debt: a debt to God, a debt to the sages, a
debt to the parents, a debt to all forms of life, and a debt to
humankind. These five debts are called social obligations in
modern language, and you will never be free from them. Every
individual is indebted to society. If there is no society there
will be no safety. You will have to pay your debt to society, but
what will you do and how will you do it? There should be a
way, a medium. The lofty souls, the wise ones and the sadhus
are the mediums. We can fulfil our societal obligations through
the sadhus. I am sitting here. If you want to give cattle, who
will you give them to? I know who needs them. If you want to
give a bicycle, who will you give it to? You do not know, but I
know which girl should be given one. Since the time I arrived
here, all the girls have started studying. They have become so
enthusiastic.

Purifying the mind

The biggest mistake in our society is that five hundred litres of
milk will be offered in a temple, yet no one will give five litres
of milk to a sick man. A person thinks, ‘I will not be blessed
by giving this sick man milk; however, if I offer five hundred
litres of milk to Shiva, he will be pleased and my case will be
dismissed from court.’ This is the faith! People’s faith has lost
direction. Faith can also be channelled in the right direction.
My guru, Swami Sivananda, used to say that helping
others does not just mean that you are giving them medicine
or clothes. The real meaning of helping others is that you are

YOGA 48 Dec 2017

cleaning yourself. When you help someone, where does this act
take place? It takes place in the mind, which becomes purified.
It is only when your mind is pure and your mirror is clean that
you will be able to see your face.
The one that you worship in the temple, in stone, in paper,
is no one else but you. However, you aren’t able to forget
yourself; you aren’t able to forget that you are an old woman,
a shopkeeper, a businessman, an industrialist, or an employee.
You won’t be able to see yourself as God, because you are
convinced that you are an old lady. That is why you worship
Shiva, because you are convinced he is God. However, when
your heart becomes clean, a mirror begins to shine and shows
that the God in that rock is false, and that the truth is that He
is no one else but you.
In the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas, the Upanishads and in
countless holy books, this is what is written from beginning
to end. Our religion says the same thing. I do not criticize
worship of the form, for that is also one way. Gods, goddesses,

YOGA 49 Dec 2017

asana, pranayama, meditation, concentration, self-control or
whatever you do, that is a way. I do not criticize the path, but
it is a path only, and not the destination. It is a means, not the
end.
When we worship Shiva, Rama, Ganesha or Devi, we do
so not as the means but as the end. It is necessary to do so.
By believing them to be the goal, eventually their true nature
is understood. We are unable to see the truth. Why? It is due
to an absence of affection, love, compassion and devotion:
the affection that exists between brother and sister, the love
between man and woman, the compassion that a happy man
feels for an unhappy one, and the devotion that we feel for the
power of God. Affection, love, compassion and devotion, the
four of these soften life. The way iron melts when it is heated
and can be given any shape; in the same way, to melt this hard
heart, to soften it, these four are necessary.
Rabindranath Tagore said, “Soften your prana with
affection, love, compassion and devotion.” Here the word prana
means your entire life, not the breath. Your prana is not soft,
your life is not soft. If your children, spouse or close relatives
were in pain, wouldn’t you worry about them? Of course you
would, yet you would not care about your neighbours. If you
heard about their problems, you would say, “Do you want
me to call the doctor? Should I telephone him?” You may give
money or lend him your car, you may do a lot of things, still
you would not have the same feelings you would have for
your spouse and children.
In Vedanta, to be able to see yourself in all living beings
is called atmabhava. Atmabhava is explained in the Ishavasya
Upanishad, the Kathopanishad and all the Upanishads. It is also
written in the Bhagavad Gita (6:29):
Sarvabhutasthamatmanam sarvabhutaani chaatmani;
Ikshate yogayuktaatma sarvatra samadarshanah.
The impartial individual, immersed in yoga, sees all
living beings in himself and himself in all living beings.

YOGA 50 Dec 2017

This is the way to atmabhava. However, it is very difficult to
practise. Usually you think, ‘I have no connection to others;
she is not my wife, he is not my son or my brother, he is not
from my caste or religion, nor from my village, and I have
nothing to gain from him.’
To feel the pain of another man in distress is possible
only for the great souls. Their hearts are moved, Sant hridaya
navanita samana – “A sage’s heart is as soft as freshly churned
butter.” An ordinary person’s heart is moved only by those
they know and love, or those they have been friends with
for years. If someone has obliged you in some way, then it is
natural to care about that person. However, if you feel that
way for someone who has never belonged to you, then that
is paropkara, working for the welfare of others, and it purifies
the soul.
—17 September 1997, Rikhiapeeth

YOGA 51 Dec 2017

From Dark to Light
Swami Satyananda Saraswati

All over the world, there has been a period of darkness, not
only in the west but also in India. Political intrigues, wars, the
shifting of empires, the killing of people, soldiers rampaging
countries, Alexander, Napoleon and so on. For about one
thousand to two thousand years there has been a very, very
dark period in the history of mankind, of accessions, conquests,
armies and of kings and monarchs becoming too powerful.
In ancient times the kings and monarchs ruled the countries,
but they were not the ultimate powers. The ultimate powers
were the wise men. You may call them sages, swamis or yogis.
They decided the course of many important events concerning
society. Somehow it happened that the tradition of wise men
underwent a process of decadence. Then these emperors, kings
and later on the military generals became autonomous and very,
very powerful. They wielded their might without wise men,
without a controller. So, they brought about a society which
only fulfilled its own economic needs. All the traditions, all the
laws were framed in such a way that they tended to accelerate

YOGA 52 Dec 2017

the motion of materialism not spirituality. They did patronize
religions, but only to have total control over the religious
followers. If you patronize me, you are not only patronizing me,
but you are also holding all my disciples under your control.
That is why they patronized some of the religions.
They patronized the religions and made temples, mosques
and churches. They set up the religious organizations, but it was
all part of the material aim. They wanted to be more powerful.
For instance, in the earliest days of communism in Russia, the
government ignored the churches. They are not doing it now,
because they have realized that if they ignore the churches there
is going to be an underground movement against them. Now
they think that it is a better idea to at least help the churches,
even if they do not patronize them. So, in Russia, Poland and
Yugoslavia they don’t interfere with the churches very much
now, and they give them a little money for repairs, whitewash
and all that, to bring them within the fold of their power.
After this great gap of darkness for one or two thousand
years, during which period many religions came into existence
and to power, the time is coming when people will have to
realize the old culture which once existed the world over. This
culture held a balance between the material and the spiritual
needs of man. The guardians of this culture, whom you may
call the Essenes, the saints or the swamis, did not emphasize
any one aspect, neither the spirit nor the matter. They held a
balance between the two. That is coming back now.
Perhaps we will have to retell many stories from the Bible,
the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, all over the world. These stories
have to be re-read and re-told to our children. If they are not re-
discovered and re-cast our next generation is going to be totally
agnostic, because they will not be able to understand their
true meaning. The great scientists of our time, the physicists,
neurologists and many others, are thinking along these lines,
but somebody has to take up the work.
—Printed in YOGA Vol. 15, No. 2 (February 1977)

YOGA 53 Dec 2017

Fragrance
O new and fresh fragrance of my life!
Let this Age be filled by you
with your joy, sweetness and dignity
and may its impurities flow away
with each and every moment.
May the world be purified.
May all be pure.
May all directions be adorned
with your fragrance.
O fragrant flower of the saint’s heart
enter the lives of all
and fill them with the dignity of
Truth, Ahimsa and Satyam!
—Swami Satyananda Saraswati
 YOGA AND YOGAVIDYA PRASAD
In 2013 Bihar School of Yoga celebrated its Golden Jubilee,
which culminated in the World Yoga Convention in October
of 2013. This historic event marked the successful completion
of 50 years of service, dedicated to the one mandate, to
take yoga from shore to shore and door to door. Achieved
over a 50-year period with the help of yoga aspirants and
well-wishers all over the world, a yogic renaissance has
taken place.
The World Yoga Convention also heralded the beginning
of the second chapter of Bihar School of Yoga. The hallmark
of this second chapter is a new vision, which serves to both
revive and uphold the yoga vidya in the tradition of Swami
Sivananda and Swami Satyananda for the benefit of future
generations.
As one of the aspirations of the second chapter, Bihar
School of Yoga is offering the YOGA and YOGAVIDYA
magazines as prasad with the blessings and good wishes of
the spiritual parampara. As society moves into the digital era,
to facilitate the dissemination of yoga vidya, both YOGA and
YOGAVIDYA are available as a downloadable pdf copy and
also as a free app for both Android and IOS users.
To access YOGA online:
http://www.biharyoga.net/bihar-school-of-yoga/yoga-
magazines/
To access YOGAVIDYA online:
http://www.biharyoga.net/bihar-school-of-yoga/yogavidya/
For IOS users both the YOGA and YOGAVIDYA magazines
available as downloadable app:https://itunes.apple.com/us/
developer/bihar-school-of-yoga/id1134424786
For Android users the YOGA magazines are available as
downloadable app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.
biharyoga.yogapeeth.app.emag.android.yoga
For Android users the YOGAVIDYA magazines are available
as downloadable app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.
biharyoga.yogapeeth.app.emag.android.yogavidya
To access the online encyclopaedia of YOGA and search
the archive:
http://www.yogamag.net/archives.shtml
 • Registered with the Department of Post, India issn 0972-5717
Under No. HR/FBD/297/16–18
Office of posting: BPC Faridabad
Date of posting: 1st–7th of every month
• Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers, India
Under No. BIHENG/2002/6305

Yoga Peeth Events & Yoga Vidya Training 2017–18

Dec 11–15 Yoga Chakra Series (English)
Dec 18–23 * Raja Yoga – Module 1: Asana Pranayama
Intensive (English)
Dec 18–23 * Raja Yoga – Module 2: Pratyahara Intensive (English)
Dec 25 Swami Satyananda’s Birthday
Jan 19–21 Sri Yantra Aradhana
Jan 22 Basant Panchami Celebrations/
Bihar School of Yoga Foundation Day
Feb 22–Jun 10 Yogic Studies Course, 4 months (Hindi)
Feb 14 Bal Yoga Diwas, Children’s Yoga Day
Apr 8–14 Hatha Yoga Yatra 1 & 2
Apr 22–28 Hatha Yoga Yatra 3
Aug 6–11 Kriya Yoga Yatra 1
Kriya Yoga Yatra 2 & Tattwa Shuddhi
Aug 20–25 Kriya Yoga Yatra 3 & Tattwa Shuddhi 2
Sep 17–23 Raja Yoga Yatra 1, 2, 3
Dec 25 Swami Satyananda’s Birthday
Every Saturday Mahamrityunjaya Havan
Every Ekadashi Bhagavad Gita Path
Every Poornima Sundarkand Path
Every 5th & 6th Guru Bhakti Yoga
Every 12th Akhanda Path of Ramacharitamanas
* Indicates training for overseas participants

Please be aware that mobile phones are NOT permitted in the ashram.
Ensure that you do not bring your mobile with you.
For more information on the above events contact:
Bihar School of Yoga, Ganga Darshan, Fort, Munger, Bihar 811201, India
Tel: +91-06344-222430, 06344-228603, Fax: +91-06344-220169
Website: www.biharyoga.net
- A self-addressed, stamped envelope must be sent along with enquiries to ensure a response to
your request