One of the favorite stories Yogananda used to relate was the story of 2 frogs stuck in a pot full of milk. They both tried to get out of the pot but could not. After a while one frog gave up (yielded) and drowned. The other frog kept persisting and in his or her effort of constant thrashing in the milk had it churned up so much that now there was Makhana (or butter!). The frog now had a place where he could put his feet on and jumped out of the pot.
The pot is being stuck in this world. If we give up our efforts we will surely drown. God does NOT measure success by whether our job results were perfect but he measures it by the clarity and zeal of selfless effort in the work. This applies to both work in meditation and in worldly matters. Thus, no matter what the results are we must continue our efforts to get out of this world. Obviously, if we churn in a proper way, we will get out sooner rather than later.
Just a few basics. There are three Gunas. The three gunas were created before creation of the subtle, gross or causal world. So it is impossible to conquer the 3 gunas by anyone except God. The three gunas will CONSTANTLY and PERPETUALY and RELENTLESSLY torment EVERYONE for their life. Yes, there are a few who are no longer bothered by it but they are all the Avatari beings – such as Babaji, Kabir, Mirabai, Mohangiriji, Kashinathdada, Mirdad, etc.
The three gunas are
1) Satvik or Satwa or the U in aum or called as Vishnu – This guna is something which drives a being constantly in being nice and the ego of being nice. It also causes the same feeling as why do bad things happen to me – I am so nice etc. It is concentrated around Manipur. It is just as binding as the other gunas
2) Rajas or A in aum or Brahma – This guna is that which keeps us attached to the senses and wordly matters. It is concentrated near Swadhisthana and it causes the person to be very selfish in worldly matters, ready to do anything for selfish reasons.
3) Tamas or M in aum or Shanker – This guna is something that gives us apathy, laziness, sleepiness, lack of ambition etc. It is concentrated around the throat or Vishudha chakra.
Our diet to a greater degree in the long run and a lesser degree in the short run affects our Gunas. Hence the need to have a balanced diet. The gunas are located everywhere but I have given the locations of maximum concentration also.
Today, I was trying to meditate and there was a sort of indolence in me a sort of complacency – I have worked hard enough, I am ok with the progress I have and subsequently the lack of supreme effort to go further. This is what Krishna Bhagvan told Arjuna – yield not to this unmanliness! One has to inspite of all our emotions and laziness, continue to make an effort to go HIGHER!. This is where the difference lies – in one situation we make an effort to surrender to something higher and deeper. In the other situation we may mistakenly think we have surrendered but we are actually yielding to the Tamas guna -something the disciple mistakenly thinks he has surrendered to God. Surrender to God is ACTIVE. That is why Yogananda repeatedly said ‘Be calmly active and actively calm“. There is a sort of active process where the disciple is actively seeking to overcome this apathy and seeking something higher and surrendering to the higher self. A subtle difference but of tremendous importance. Be constantly vigilant!
I heard the tape of Gautamkaka again. He gives the beautiful example of Narayanastra and compares it to the mind and also talkes about Sankalpa and Vikalpa and one should calmly observe the mind without any reaction. My only comment is this – it is NOT possible to calmly observe the mind until one has control over prana.
A few more general thoughts
1) There is NO Brahmagyana or knowledge of God without actually having the prana ascend to the higher chakra. The body should become numb and fall lifeless from time to time. If this is not happening, the knowledge is still intellectual more progress is to be made. I write this not to discourage but so disciples DO NOT decide to become a GURU with a little theory and so they may continue their spritual journey with much enthusiasm.
2) One should continue progress till the whole universe appears as a source of MANIPUTABLE LIGHT. Yogananda refers to this repeatedly in God talks with Arjuna and the second coming of Christ
3) Gurudev and Yogananda gave us the direct way! Control the prana and everything else will come under control. This obviously takes 30-40 years at least but is the only way. As long as you are not able to see the connection between Prana, chitta, mind and thoughts, the progress is slow. This is to be experienced not just understood or accepted. Naturally before one experiences it, we go through the process of accepting then understanding.
4) Depending on how much you can turn your eyes upwards and inwards, the prana ascends within
5) Gurudev gave us the highest diksha possible. He forcefully created the path and made the prana of his disciples leave the body and go within to the highest chakras. It is so sad, that his disciples cannot see how great this diksha is. It is rare. I do not know of any other Guru in the recent times who gave this diksha to even a novice. However, since the disciples were not ready most of them could not benefit fully from it. This is why Vishnutirthji maharaja at one time extolled Gurudev and told me it is the highest diksha that your Gurudev was giving.
6) Lastly, when the eye begins to turn within more completely, we are in effect penetrating the Manas chakra (6 petal lotus) behind the Agna chakra. Yogananda has referred to this in God talks with Arjuna. I was thrilled to read that my experience matched what he wrote and I understood. The steps of this turning over are as follows
a) We constantly struggle to keep our eyes fixated there – remember the example of the Frog?
b) When we are able to stay there, we suddenly feel we are in a different place (this is more like Dharna as per Patanjali and as described by Vivekananada in Rajyoga)
c) When we can stay longer, the presence of cosmic consciousness begins to emerge. (This is more like Dhyana as described by Vivekananda). Here the intuitive power gets progressively refined
d) Finally we realize the presence of someone in that area and in a trice we realize the somene is ourself! (This is samadhi)
e) Once we realize this someone is ourself in time we get overflowed with Joy!
f) Somewhere along in between those steps, one begins to taste the nectar.
I can with much difficulty go there only on rare occasions. The powers of the three gunas are overwhelming, the path treacherous and supremely difficult.
However, I have described the steps in detail so it may help any aspiring disciple who has climbed or is climbing those steps. Just remember in those steps I have described, there is no thought, just pure experiences.
Very few souls can always remain in those higher stages! I know I cannot. Yukteshwar Maharaj was once in gently pushed by his Guru that he needs to be more focused at the Agna chakra because he failed to see Babaiji who was standing there at the doorway when Yukteshwar entered his Guru’s house. Yukteshwar Maharaj continued his efforts to remain there and was eventually successful. If you read the book written by Lahiri Mahashaya where he writes down in his diary how much he struggled with the gunas before he gained perfection! If such great souls struggled, I can only imagine how much more of a struggle I have! God bless everyone.
Bhavin