Gurudev: Here again Sadhaks should simply observe their thoughts. A Sadhak should think of his mind as a room that needs to be swept clean of all the dust and the clutter of thoughts that have accumulated over the years. These might be good thoughts, or what he considers are bad thoughts; all of them need to be swept away by the broom of Prana Shakti. During Sadhan, a Sadhak should not try to intentionally “do” anything, including trying to suppress thoughts as they arise, whether they are good or bad. Trying to suppress thoughts will not work and doing so will only bring them out later and perhaps with greater intensity. He should simply observe them as they arise and just let them go. As thoughts arise and they are let go, his mind will begin to calm down.
Our mind is nothing but a succession of thoughts. A thought arises, and by the time it gets resolved, another thought appears. This process during waking hours is almost continuous and overlapping for most people. But what happens if a thought arises, gets resolved, followed by a delay before the next thought comes up? That gap between two successive thoughts is the time when the Sadhak begins to experience his true self. That is the time when “he is there, but he is not there”! “He is there” in the sense that his Prana Shakti is there, but “he is not there” in the sense that his mind activity has stopped for that time interval. The objective of Sadhan is to increase the time interval between thoughts. By being an observer to his thoughts as they bubble up, a Sadhak stands apart from them, and in that very process he lets go of them. As this process goes on, the Sadhak will find that thought generation will slow down and the interval between thoughts will begin to increase. And he will begin to find himself increasingly in the observer (Sakshi) role, which will help him eventually to let go of his ego, a key step towards achieving self-realization.
The outpouring of thoughts during Sadhan is therefore a part of Sadhan itself. It is a type of Kriya which the Prana Shakti is making happen to begin the systematic process of sweeping the mind clean. It does not at all mean that the Sadhak is not making spiritual progress, or that it is an obstacle to Sadhan. Having the room of his mind be swept clean by the broom of Prana Shakti is a very important part of Sadhan.
Editor: Thank you for clarifying the role of thoughts during Sadhan. There is another final area of Sadhan which we sometimes hear some concerns about. It has to do with the feeling of Bhakti (devotion) which sometimes arises in Sadhaks. As you have suggested many times earlier that Sadhaks should leave it up to Prana Shakti to “do” what is needed, and Bhakti is indeed a wonderful feeling to have, as so many people who don’t have it wish they had it! But some Sadhaks get concerned that Bhakti might lead to Saguna Bhava (worship of God with attributes) which might keep them from being one with Nirguna or Brahman. It would be great if you could shed some light in this issue.
Gurudev: The purpose of Sadhan is eventually to go beyond the Gunas. As you know there are three Gunas (attributes, or tendencies), Sattva Guna (uplifting tendencies), Rajo Guna (dynamic tendencies) and Tamo Guna (inactive or inertial tendencies). The lifestyle changes we urge on those seeking Deeksha are designed to increase Sattva Guna, or uplifting tendencies within the Sadhak. This is important during the early stages of Maha Yoga because it helps the Sadhak’s mind become calm by avoiding food and other items that have a tendency to create too much dynamism (Rajo Guna) or inertia (Tamo Guna) in the Sadhak. But eventually, Sadhan goes beyond the Gunas, it becomes Gunaatit, i.e. it transcends the Gunas.
Bhakti is a good Bhava to have. But like other Bhavas that come from Sadhan he should understand that it too will be a passing phase. For example, if a Sadhak experiences seeing God as a bright light or some other form during Sadhan, he might get a good feeling from it. He might therefore want to experience it again and again since he enjoyed it so much the first time it happened. It will create an attachment (Moha, in Sanskrit) within him for that experience. As soon as the Sadhak gets such a desire and an attachment he inadvertently falls into a trap. As they say in cricket, he gets “clean-bowled”!
So, a Sadhak should not have an attitude of wanting or being attached to any specific type of experience during Sadhan or otherwise. He should have a detached attitude towards all Kriyas and Bhavas. He should leave it all to Prana Shakti and let her “do” with him what she needs to do. He need not worry so much if he develops Bhakti or does not develop Bhakti. If he diligently sits for Sadhan and allows Prana Shakti to do the job of cleansing him she will eventually take him beyond any of the Gunas. He will then become Gunaatit, i.e. beyond the Gunas!
Editor: Thank you Gurudev for that wonderful explanation and advice. Your generosity with your time and the enthusiasm with which you discussed all these important issues have indeed been an uplifting experience for me personally. I hope your enthusiasm and generosity come across to readers of this discussion as well.
Gurudev: Thank you for taking my message to the readers.
I would like to thank Dear Shri Gurudev for the wonderful opportunity to be in his inspiring presence during the course of this discussion. I was personally struck by his enthusiasm and energy, despite his advancing years, in communicating the message of Maha Yoga and his strong interest in the spiritual advancement of the Sadhak community and of the world at large. I hope his words inspire Sadhaks to be diligent in their Sadhan, become worry-free, and to make as many people around the world aware of Maha Yoga, this amazing gift which is available for the asking! Any mistakes in translation or editing are my own.
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