The Atma Jyoti Blog

Q: I have read a lot of information on Christian websites about meditation and its ability to attract “demons” to you. How would you counter the Christian point of view?

First, this is not just a Christian viewpoint, it is the propoganda of ignorant bigots–including some sects in India, by the way. “The moment you sit for meditation you are opening yourself to evil entities,” said one adherent of an Indian sect to me in my beginning days of meditation. East and West has people who will try to tell meditators that they are in danger of either going insane or coming under the power of (or possessed) by evil spirits. It is simply not true. I do not bother to counter it–I meditate and prove it false.

However I will give you some examples: Many times the intoning of Om or other mantras that are used in meditation have exorcised evil spirits from people. Yogananda recommended intoning Om for this purpose, and Swami (Papa) Ramdas in his autobiography, In the Vision of God, tells of a woman being freed from an evil spirit simply by hearing singing of the Ram Mantra.

The most haunted house I ever encountered was the home of a young man who was attending one of my meditation classes. The place was filled with them, and the entire building emanated negative energies. I said nothing, but waited. Two weeks later I went back and the house was free of all negative entities and energies–and only because he was meditating thirty minutes twice a day. I told him my impressions and he replied that for nearly his entire lifetime he and his sister had been plagued by spirits in that house. But now all was peaceful and positive.

Related articles:

• Who or What is Satan?
• Avoid Becoming a “Humanimal”

In earlier times (not really so long ago) devout Hindus used to walk the “pilgrim’s trail” which went in a great circle around the entire Indian subcontinent and connected a series of nearly seventy centers of great spiritual power. There was a man who spent some years on this ambitious pilgrimage, and everywhere he went he would buy an image of the presiding deity of that particular holy place. Finally, toward the end of his pilgrimage, he was staggering along carrying a large wooden box filled with dozens of holy images. Whenever he would stop for the night, he would spread them out, do worship to each in turn, and after several hours go asleep. When he awoke in the morning he would again perform worship of all for some hours, then wrap the images up, put them in the box, and labor onwards.

One day a wandering monk observed all this and said to him: “Why do you bother to worship all these deities? Why don’t you just worship the most powerful god, and then you will get the benefits you would have from worshipping such a multitude.” Then he quickly walked on. The man began to ponder how he could determine which was the most powerful deity. Not being very bright, he hit upon an interesting decision: he would take an image in either hand and crash them together as hard as he could. The image that did not break would be the most powerful deity. So he spent the next couple of hours smashing his images against one another. Since most of them were made of clay or brittle stone, and only one of them was made of metal, in time he was left with that alone. Happy that he had at last found which was the most powerful deity, he tucked it in his bundle of clothing and bedding, gave the wooden box a kick, and went on his way.

After reaching home, he expressed to his parents the desire to have his own household, so they arranged a marriage for him and in time he and his wife lived in their own house. Near the house he constructed a separate small hut in which he installed the deity and worshipped it daily, often boasting to his neighbors about his success in finding the most powerful of the gods. Understanding that meditation is important, he also began to meditate before the image after having first performed worship and–as is the custom in India–giving offerings of food to the deity.

Once as he was meditating, he heard sounds from the altar, and opened his eyes to see that the cat had knocked over the image and was eating the food. Rather than being enraged, he was delighted. Obviously the cat was a more powerful god than the one he had been bothering with! So he began to worship the cat and every day he put out food on the altar, the cat would eat it, and he would sit and meditate, visualizing in his heart the form of the cat.

After some time of this worship, he happened to see his wife shooing the cat away from the house. She whacked it with her broom and kicked it with her foot. The cat ran away, but the man ran and bowed before his wife. “You are greater than all the gods,” he told her, “even more powerful than the cat god.” So from then on he worshipped his wife. He would have her sit on the altar, and he would meditate on her.

It did not take long for her to get tired of this foolishness, so one day she refused to come and be worshipped. This made him so angry that he picked up a stick and threatened to beat her if she did not cooperate. Off she ran to the hut-temple.

As he put down the stick, he came to the realization that he must be more powerful than his wife, and therefore the greater god. He went and shooed her out of the hut, sat himself on the altar, and began to meditate upon himself. And, it is said, he attained enlightenment, for the true light is of course within.

This was originally posted in the latest issue of the Atma Jyoti Newsletter. For subscribers of the Blog, we post the introduction to this spiritual classic here. The Commentary on Mabel Collins’ Light on the Path is being posted in full on the main Atma Jyoti website.

Introduction

In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, an Englishwoman named Mabel Collins was inspired to record teachings on the beginnings of the spiritual quest in a small book called Light On The Path. She did not consider herself the author but only the transmitter. Therefore she insisted that the title page say: “Written down by M. C.” In the following commentary we will be carefully analyzing her inspired transcription, for those who would make the Great journey must know both the path and how to travel upon it.

Miss Collins writes of discipleship and the qualities of a worthy disciple. The Master of such a disciple is the disciple’s own divine Self which draws its existence from the Supreme Self: God. Some time after writing Light on the Path Mabel Collins came into the orbit of those that claimed to be disciples of hidden Masters, both physical and disembodied. They even told her that her book had really been psychically dictated to her by one of their Masters. Innocently she accepted this and was put on probation to eventually become a disciple of the “Masters.” This probation lasted less than twenty-four hours, for she realized that she was being led away from the Path, that God and the Soul alone are anyone’s Masters. She severed her connections with those “disciples” and went her way in her former freedom. It is good to keep this in mind when reading Light on the Path.

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I. These rules are written for all disciples: Attend you to them.

Before the eyes can see, they must be incapable of tears. Before the ear can hear, it must have lost its sensitiveness. Before the voice can speak in the presence of the Masters it must have lost the power to wound. Before the soul can stand in the presence of the Masters its feet must be washed in the blood of the heart.

• These rules are written for all disciples.

What is a disciple? The Greek word mathetes which is translated “disciple” in English means “one who is learning.” Many study and many experience, but few learn. A disciple is one who does. A disciple is also one who is undergoing discipline–that is, he is not living by his whim, but according to the guidelines set forth by the wise of all ages. They are rules–a word base on the Latin regula, from which we get the word “regulate” which means to control, to rule something–in this case our own lower nature, mind, and intellect. So the path of the disciples is the path of discipline. It is also the path of obedience in the sense of free acquiescence to the counsels of the wise, but it is not the fearful slavishness usually demanded by the forces of the world–religious, economic, political, or otherwise.

The path of spiritual discipleship is rigorous and requires an equally rigorous preparation. Let us begin a prudent accounting of all the “costs” of discipleship.

Discipline. We do not much like that. Everyone talks about wanting to learn from Masters, but the only people that are allowed within the orbit of the Masters are disciples. And they are disciples on the Masters’ terms, not their own. Disciples are those who actively follow a regimen of self-purification to clarify their minds and thus make themselves capable of receiving higher knowledge. They must prepare themselves so that when they are given wisdom they will both recognize it and be able to apply it.

Disciples are not spiritual weekenders–or as one friend of mine called them: “Sunday evening metaphysicians.” Nor are the rules we are about to consider written for them, but for true disciples–those who intend to devote their life to the search for higher consciousness.

Saying that “these rules are written for all disciples” means that there are absolutely no exceptions to them. We are always looking for shortcuts or the easy way, but such things do not exist in this realm of highest truth. Secular education abounds with those who want to be squeaked by somehow, to be passed though they do not deserve it. (These are the kind that in high school and college always asked the teacher first thing: “Do you grade on the curve?” Remember them?) But that cannot be in the school of divine discipleship. What is “written” is written for all.

• Attend you to them.

The will is the most important factor in the makeup of any evolving entity. It is the supreme power wielded by the evolving individual.

“Free will” is freely spoken of, but a truly free will is rare indeed, and not to be had for the mere wishing or talking. The basic requisite of the disciple is the freeing and empowering of his will. This is done through discipline and obedience that are not imposed upon the disciple but freely and willingly taken up, that are acts of will rather than surrendering of will. To be truly freeing, discipline and obedience can spring solely from one motivation: the attainment of divine consciousness. Therefore they cannot be engaged in from either fear of pain and punishment or hope of reward. Nor should they be taken up because of having become intellectually convinced or emotionally cajoled by any external force–­including ego, emotions, intellects, or desires. The disciple must come to know and understand the rules. From that moment on the following of those rules must be a spontaneous response arising from his own Self­–from nowhere else, and from nothing else whatsoever.

The real spiritual Masters leave their pupils free to follow wisdom or not. Neither with words nor with silence do they seek to influence them. For true freedom–the freedom of the spirit–this is a requisite. That is why in the closing section of the Gita, Krishna says to Arjuna: “Now I have taught you that wisdom which is the secret of secrets. Ponder it carefully. Then act as you think best” (Bhagavad Gita 18:63).

Read more of Swami Nirmalananda’s Commentary on Mabel Collins’ Light on the Path.

There are few original thinkers at any time on this earth. George Bernard Shaw was one of the most original thinkers and writers of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, he is known almost entirely through the motion pictures and television dramatizations made from some of his plays. Although his plays were insightful and often humorous, his real work consisted of the extremely lengthy introductions to those plays in their printed forms. There we find a brilliance of thought and expression that completely eclipses the plays themselves. Shaw was undoubtedly the greatest English-speaking philosopher of his time, and remains so today.

The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God, written in 1932, was as bold as it was devastating. It is a ruthless unmasking of people’s “gods”–none of which have anything to do with God. When reading it, please keep in mind that the people the black girl encounters are not meant to be satires of the Divine, but satirical exposés of the foolish ideas that are current about God. In the same way, the Conjurer is not a depiction of Jesus, but a depiction of the childish way in which Jesus is presented by Christianity. It is this illusion that speaks to the black girl, not the true Jesus. The same is true of Shaw’s presentation of the popular idea of Mohammed. Reading between the lines we see that Shaw is an uncompromising supernaturalist, more than merely discontent with the prevailing ideas in religion. Again, The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God is not a mockery of religion but of the ignorance that substitutes itself for authentic religion.

As is obvious from many parts of this fable, Shaw was outraged at the abuse of Africans by Europeans, and certainly considered all humans to be of equal dignity and value. The inclusion, then, of certain disrespectful epithets applied to Africans was to point out European racism as well as to show that Africans sometimes absorbed it to a degree and even applied such expressions to themselves. His intention was thoroughly positive, as was Jerome Kern’s when in 1927 he wrote the opening words of Showboat: “N——rs all work on the Mississippi; n——rs all work while the white folks play.” He wanted the audience to be shocked and to protest so he could reply: “Why do you object to the word when you do not object to the treatment that goes along with it?”

This short story by Shaw is so full of insight that we have added it in full to our website. Read The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God by George Bernard Shaw here.

Part 7 in the Commentary on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, by Swami Nirmalananda Giri

Sutra 1:17. Samprajñata Samadhi is that which is accompanied by reasoning, reflection, bliss and sense of pure being.

Samprajñata samadhi, also known as savikalpa samadhi, is defined by A Brief Sanskrit Glossary as: “State of superconsciousness, with the triad of meditator, meditation and the meditated; lesser samadhi; cognitive samadhi; samadhi of wisdom; meditation with limited external awareness. Savikalpa samadhi.” It is a kind of superconscious bridge between relative and absolute consciousness, partaking of both, but neither exclusively. Its distinctive qualities are:

1. The capacity for vitarka–thought and reasoning with sense perception.
2. The capacity for vichara–subtle thought and reflection.
3. Experience of bliss (ananda).
4. Experience of the sense of “I am,” “I exist,” the sense of individuality of being (asmita).

Vyasa and Shankara consider this verse as a list of ascending forms of lesser samadhi. Vyasa sums it up: “Of these the first samadhi–with verbal associations, vitarka–is associated with all four [forms]. The second–with subtle associations, vichara–is without the verbal associations of the first. The third–with associations of bliss, ananda–is without the subtle associations of the second. The fourth, being pure I-am, is without the association of bliss. All these samadhis rest on an object.” Shankara explains regarding this: “In this sequence of four, an earlier one is associated with the qualities of all the later ones, and a later one is without the qualities of any earlier one.”

Sutra 1:18. The remnant impression left in the mind on the dropping of the Pratyaya after previous practice is the other [i.e., Asamprajñata Samadhi].

There are two forms of samadhi: samprajñata and asamprajñata. Samprajñata samadhi is characterized by the four qualities listed in the last verse. When those four are also removed by further practice, then the state of asamprajñata is reached. Jnaneshwara puts it very well and completely: “The other kind of samadhi is asamprajñata samadhi, and has no object in which attention is absorbed, where only latent impressions [samskaras] remain; attainment of this state is preceded by the constant practice of allowing all of the gross and subtle fluctuations of mind [vrittis] to recede back back into the field from which they arose.”

Sutra 1:19. Of those who are Videhas and Prakrtilayas birth is the cause.

Patanjali is now discussing those people who from birth are seen to possess marked psychic faculties and psychic powers–even to a miraculous degree. Such persons are usually assumed to be spiritually advanced and are respected accordingly, but this is not wise. It is only because of certain abnormalities in their previous life (or lives) that they now manifest these abilities. Patanjali says that simply being born precipitates these capabilities, and not yoga at all–no, not even in a previous life. He speaks of two classes of such people: videha and prakritilaya.

Videha means “bodiless” and he is referring to persons who for some reason spent a great deal of their time in the previous life separated from their bodies to a great degree. Edgar Cayce, “the sleeping prophet,” said that in his previous life he had undergone a lingering death on a battlefield in which his subtle bodies had been almost completely separated from the physical. Dying in that state, when he was reborn he possessed the intense psychic, almost mediumistic, powers he utilized in his later healing work. Spontaneous astral projectors are videhas.

A prakritilaya is a person who in a previous birth has somehow become absorbed into certain psychic levels of existence–the subtle energies of Prakriti. Having identified with psychic energies, when they are born they have the ability to access those powers and even work miracles.

Vedehas usually manifest intellectual psychic abilities–intution, etc., and prakritilayas actually make external changes or produce external phenomena. However, each may overlap into the territory of the other.

The important point Patanjali is making here is that they are NOT spiritually advanced people, but only possessors of unusual abilities, and we must not make the mistake of attributing spiritual wisdom and worth to them. A vivid case was that of Aimee Semple McPherson, the famous evangelist who was a remarkable psychic and healer. She was hailed as a greatly spiritual and even holy person, but in reality she was a drug and sex addict, remarkably unintelligent and amoral, and in the end committed suicide. One time in New Delhi I was visiting with John McDiarmid, head of the UN mission to India. John kept declaring that if he believed “Sister Aimee” had really worked miracles he would stop believing in God–for he knew her true character. Like so many of East and West, John could not distinguish between the psychic and the spiritual. But Patanjali certainly could, and so can we if we apply ourselves.

Sutra 1:20. [In the case] of others [upaya-pratyaya yogis] it is preceded by faith [shraddha], energy [virya], memory [smriti] and high intelligence [samadhi-prajña] necessary for Samadhi.

Upaya-pratyaya yogis are those that have followed the traditional sequence of yogic practices and disciplines. Their attainments are directly related to–a result of–specific methods. They have not arisen “out of the blue” but have a firm, known basis. Blavatsky often warned her students to not put faith in “natural” psychics who had either been born psychic or had suddenly, spontaneously become psychic. She explained that such persons have no real control over and understanding of their abilities. Further, their abilities could lessen or disappear as mysteriously as they appeared. Instead she advised them to only consult and have faith in “developed” psychics–those who had become psychic by following specific disciplines and who could keep themselves up to the optimum level through those practices.

The superconscious experience of authentic yogis is preceded and produced by:

1. Shraddha–the faith, confidence, or assurance that arises from personal experience. It can also be based on developed intuition. It may even be faith in a teacher who has been perceived to be trustworthy–faith that stimulates the yogis to practice faithfully. Shraddha can be a factor behind perseverance in yoga practice.
2. Virya is strength, power, energy, and courage. Obviously all are needed to initiate and maintain yoga sadhana unto its fruition.
3. Smriti is memory or recollection. In this context it means a constant awareness of divine realities, a continual keeping in mind the principles of spiritual life and especially remembering to maintain constant mental practices such as mantra japa.
4. Samadhi-prajna is an interesting hybrid term. Prajna is basically consciousness, but it is also intelligent awareness or wisdom, and even intelligence itself. Samadhi-prajna is all this, but it has been produced by samadhi–including the basic spiritual opening states that lead up to full-blown samadhi. Ordinary prajna can be possessed by anyone who has a developed brain and nervous system, but samadhi-prajna is rooted in spirit-consciousness–spirit-intelligence.

I think we can conclude that samadhi is only attained by special people possessing markedly special qualities and abilities. Fortunately, we can all be such special persons, for that is our potential and our destiny. But we must work at it untiringly and constantly. Yogis do not go on vacations any more than God does. “Full steam ahead” is the way.

Vyasa encapsulates it perfectly: “The samadhi resulting from a means [i.e., practice] is for yogis. Faith is a settled clarity of the mind: like a good mother, it protects a yogi. When he has that faith, and is seeking knowledge, there arises in him energy. When energy has arisen in him, his memory stands firm. When memory stands firm, his mind is undisturbed and becomes concentrated in samadhi. To the mind in samadhi comes knowledge by which he knows things as they really are. From practice of these means, and from detachment from the whole field of mental process, arises asamprajñata samadhi.”

Then Vyasa writes a kind of preface or introduction for the next verse:

“Yogis are of nine kinds, according to the methods which they follow, either mild or moderate or intense, and then subdivided according to the energy–mild, moderate or intense–with which they practice these respective methods. A mild method may be practiced with mild or moderate or ardent energy, and so with the moderate method. Of those who practice intense methods,… Continued in the next installment, How Near is God-Consciousness?

Previous installment: The Two Essential Pillars of Yoga

More from the Yoga Sutra Commentary:

• The Fundamental Waves of the Mind
• Yoga in Four Words

Excerpted from Swami Sivananda’s book, “Light, Power, and Wisdom”

• 1. Do You Really Want God?

Do you really want God? Do you really thirst for His darshan? Have you got real spiritual hunger?

He who thirsts for the darshan of God only will develop love. Unto him alone He will reveal Himself. God is a question of supply and demand. If there is sincere demand for God, the supply will come at once.

• 2. The Light Is Within You

Be righteous always. Never deviate from the path of righteousness. Stand upright. Be bold. Be fearless. Practice Truth. Proclaim it everywhere.

March forward in the spiritual path. The light is within you. Fix the mind on the Lord. Kill egoism and pride. Cultivate fellow-feeling and universal brotherhood. Love all. You will have full life.

Control the senses. Pray fervently with intense faith and sincerity. Have an unshakable conviction in the existence of God and in the efficacy of spiritual practices. Be humble and simple. You will attain Immortality.

• 3. Be Good, Do Good

Do thou always without attachment perform action which should be done; for by performing action without attachment, man reaches the Supreme (Gita II-19).

When the thought of good becomes part and parcel of man’s very being, then he will not entertain any bad motive at all. He takes immense delight in serving others, in doing good to others. There is peculiar joy and ananda in doing selfless service.

Expand. Purify your heart. Live in the true spirit of selfless service. Live every second for the ideal and goal of life. Then and then alone will you realize the true glory of selfless service. May you shine as a dynamic yogi by the practice of selfless service! May you enjoy the true bliss of the eternal.

• 4. Do As You Wish To Be Done By

All the phenomena of nature are governed by one important law, the law of causation, the law of karma. It is that law that keeps up the inner harmony and logical order of the universe. No phenomena can escape from the operation of this mighty law.

The cause is bound in the effect and effect is in the cause. The effect is similar to the cause. This world runs on this fundamental vital law. This law is inexorable and immutable.

Any action is bound to react upon you with equal force and effect. If you do some good to another man, you are really helping yourself. Because there is nothing but the Self. “Atmaivedam Sarvam” is the emphatic declaration of the Srutis or Upanishads. This virtuous action will react upon you with equal force and effect. It will bring you joy and happiness.

• 5. Be Up And Doing

The power of prayer is indescribable. Its glory is ineffable. Sincere devotees only realize its usefulness and splendor.

Sit not idly craving God to help thee, but be up and doing as God helps those who help themselves. Do the best you can and leave the rest to God.

Serve the devotees. Remain in their company. Do japa and meditation. Study holy scriptures. You will soon develop devotion. The divine grace will descend upon you.

More by Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh:

• 51 Points on Meditation
• Swami Sivananda on Psychic Powers
• Making the Best Use of Time