Facets of Spirituality

by Swami Krishnananda

Compiled by S. Bhagyalakshmi

Undated-6

A visitor: There is a question on brahmacharya. We are asked to observe brahmacharya, for it reserves energy for higher purpose.

Swamiji: Yes.

Visitor: If everyone were to observe brahmacharya, how could you get a Sankara, a Ramanuja, a Krishnananda?

Swamiji: Why do you want a Sankara or a Ramanuja when everyone has gone to Brahman? [laughter in the gathering.] When everybody has gone to Brahman, why do you want a Sankara, a Ramanuja?

Visitor: For example…

Swamiji: Why do you want them? Why?

Visitor: For the ordinary men.

Swamiji: Where are the ordinary men when you have gone to Brahman?

An ashramite: Such people as are in ignorance of Brahman and such matters.

Swamiji: Where are they? I cannot see them!

Visitor: They are the average men—jivas…

Swamiji: They do not exist before Brahman. So you are talking from a lower-level point of view and contradicting it by bringing in a question of the higher level, which is only curiosity. This is called curiosity—you bring about an impractical ideal in conjunction with the practical reality. No one should just use some words whose meaning is not clear to the mind. What is brahmacharya? You first define it to me. If you tell me what you mean by it, then I will tell you if I have got some commentary on it.

Visitor: Preservation of that fluid…

Swamiji: Why do you want to preserve it? What for? What is your purpose, the higher purpose? Tell me.

Visitor: For God-realisation.

Swamiji: How do you get realisation by the preservation of it? What connection does it have with realisation?

Visitor: That is what I want to know.

Swamiji: So everything is doubtful. You are not clear. So you are putting doubts without knowing their meaning yourself. Unless the thoughts are clear from bottom to top, you can't proceed along any line. It may be brahmacharya, it may be cooking food. Even in cooking, the entire process of cooking you must first know, from beginning to end. But if doubt comes to the mind: Is this the method or is it some kind of a crochet in the minds of people? The method should be very clear to you, the entire scientific basis—in such and such a manner, in such and such a way. Then you will not put questions or doubts, and will be very clear on everything about it. Your question is like asking if everybody in the world should take medicine or not. You tell me, should everybody in the world take medicine? Everybody should take medicine only if everybody is sick. Again, should everybody take the same medicine? The answer is 'Yes' only if everybody has the same disease, but not otherwise.

Brahma means the Absolute, carya is the attitude. The attitude that the Absolute has is called brahmacharya ultimately. What is its attitude, tell me? What does it think? To have the same attitude as the Absolute is brahmacharya. Well, this is an ultimate definition. But there are lower grades of it also. To the extent this attitude can be implemented in your lower level of experience, to that extent you are a brahmachari. Even the first step is a necessary step. Inasmuch as even the first step is the lowest and the most insignificant perhaps, it has also a connection with the highest step, and so it is a necessary step. And inasmuch as it is necessary for you, it is necessary for everybody else also. So why are you dragging in Sankara and others onto this level of these poor people on the very first step? If anything is good for you, why should it not be good for others? Under the same circumstances, of course. If the circumstances are similar for you and the other person, what is good for you is equally good for the other person also. If everybody realises Brahman, what will happen to the world? The world will go to the dogs? What an unfortunate thing! You are suggesting that everybody will die in one stroke. This is what you are thinking!

Visitor: It is good if all people go to God. It is better if everybody doesn't go! Somebody should be there to take care of the world! The Bhagavad Gita says that perhaps out of the millions, a few try to and out of the few, perhaps one achieves God-realisation.

Swamiji: Dear friend, scriptures will not help us; our intellect also will not help us. You have to serve a Guru, they say. These difficulties arise in our mind because we don't serve a Guru. Now we don't live under a Guru. And we don't follow the advice of a Guru.

You have no question arising in your mind. At that time, you simply do what the Guru says. You don't ask him why you should do all that. What he says you do, but if he says don't do this, you don't do this. Because you can't use your intellect for everything just like that. Now you started using your intellect and you are in a turmoil. Nothing, no question can be answered like that. That is to be understood. Otherwise everybody can read a book or purchase all the Upanishads, read them and reach Brahman. How is that possible? The difficulties become more and more insurmountable as you go further and further on the path of spirituality. In the beginning, the difficulties are simple and they don't look complicated. It looks as if it is a simple path. But afterwards, when the difficulties become so very great and nebulous and incapable of comprehension, you require personal guidance. And therefore on this path, a Guru is absolutely essential, and you are not to worry your head with any question. If you have any difficulty, you simply say, “This is my difficulty at this time. What shall I do?” The Guru will say, “Do this” in one sentence. You do it. There ends the matter. If he tells you to go away or asks you to stay on, you do that. If he tells you to sleep, you sleep. If he says to have your food, you eat. If he tells you not to eat today, you should not ask him why. He has a better understanding of your difficulty than your own self. So you have no problem under a guide.

Sometimes even japa cannot be done. It is not that every day you do no japa. If your mind is upset and there is tremendous worry and tension, at that time you should not do japa. You will be thinking in your mind, “Because the scriptures enjoin do japa, I do japa. Guru may say at this time, “Please sleep. Take rest, go and sleep.” So there is an exception to every rule.

Meditation or japa should bring satisfaction and clarity. That is the test of the correctness of your approach. You should not be depressed, moody, mentally troubled and in a state of assailing  doubts; that would mean you have not followed the technique correctly.

It is not that we have only read from books that we are what we are today. Perhaps there are people who have read more books than I. That is different. If we, the disciples of Gurudev Swami Sivananda are alive today, it is because of him. Otherwise, we would have died of worry. For my part, I can never forget him. Master Sivananda is my father and mother even today—not merely many years back, even today. It is not the Upanishads that help me, it is Gurudev. [Swamiji's voice is choked perhaps with feeling and recollection.] And I can clearly feel that he is helping us, even today. He is very kind. I have never seen a Guru like him, and I can never hope to see another like him. The greatest person I have ever seen in this world is he. And because we had the opportunity of living with him, we feel like crying sometimes now that he is no more with us. We weep (actually sniffs). Such  a great person we have never seen—great in every respect. He was like a baby, child-like, and also like Brahma, Visnu, Siva, so high and God-like—whatever you can think of as the best and the greatest. What I am today is because I could stay with such a Guru, and am thus blessed by serving him as I would serve God. Thank you for your satsanga. Namaskar!