The Atma Jyoti Blog

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.

We recently came upon an article on the beneficial effects of vegetarian diet in The Guardian, on of England’s largest daily newspapers. The article by Karen McVeigh details findings from a study done at the Cancer Research UK epidemiology unit at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. The article begins:

For years, they have boasted of the health benefits of their leafy diets, but now vegetarians have the proof that has so far eluded them: when it comes to cancer risks, they have the edge on carnivores.

Fresh evidence from the largest study to date to investigate dietary habits and cancer has concluded that vegetarians are 45% less likely to develop cancer of the blood than meat eaters and are 12% less likely to develop cancer overall.

The article continues later:

In 2005, the Epic study, funded by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, concluded that eating just two portions of red meat a day – the equivalent of a bacon sandwich and a fillet steak – increased the risk of bowel cancer by 35%. It found that eating fibre, in the form of vegetables, fruit and wholegrain cereals, lessened the risk of cancer and that fish, eaten at least every other day, was also protective.

Annette Pinner, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society, said: “It is widely recognised that a third of cancers are directly related to diet and what’s interesting in this study is the findings on blood cancers. We wouldn’t claim vegetarianism is a panacea for cancer but it is a step in the right direction.”

The full article can be found here at The Guardian. The actual study is available as a PDF from Nature.com.

Further reading:

• The Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet.
• Questions and Answers on Vegetarianism.

A pair of foxes have recently taken up residence near Atma Jyoti Ashram, and are often seen outside the ashram building inspecting their new home. Neighbors have said that they are kit foxes.

One of the foxes walks on the wall outside the Ashram office.

The fox deigns to pose for the camera.

One of the most popular and useful articles on the Atma Jyoti website is the Brief Sanskrit Glossary. As Sanskrit terminology is at the heart of the spiritual tradition of India, newcomers (and veterans) to the study of the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Yoga Sutras, and writings of the saints will find this tool helpful in understanding the richness of these sacred writings.

We have now updated the Brief Sanskrit Glossary, improving existing definitions, and adding dozens more.

Visit the Brief Sanskrit Glossary.

In our trips to India in the past years, we have taken hours of video footage to remind us of our heavenly sojourns there. As time has allowed, we have edited the footage of our various adventures. We have now added some of these videos to our main web site, for the enjoyment of those who love the spiritual face of India. View links to the videos below on our India Videos page. Due to the size of some of the videos, and the speed of your web connection, the pages may take some time to load, but the wait is well worth it.

From Belur Math to Dakshineshwar

On the banks of the Ganges River north of Kolkata are two of the most remarkable religious sites in all of India. On one side is the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, where Sri Ramakrishna practiced intense spiritual disciplines while serving as the priest of the Goddess Kali. The temple compound has become a place of pilgrimage for devotees of Mother Kali and Sri Ramakrishna alike, including monks from Atma Jyoti Ashram who filmed this video.

Down river, on the other side of the Ganga, is Belur Math, the monastery founded by Swami Vivekananda, the world-renowned disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, which has become the world headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission.

Ganga Arati

Every night in Hardwar, in the foothills of the Himalayas, at about 6:00 p.m. there is worship (arati) of the Ganga at the Brahma Kund. In February of 2003, pilgrim-monks from the Atma Jyoti Ashram participated in the Ganges worship, which they also videotaped, as well as the shrines and religious goods shops located around the Brahma Kund.

Glimpses of India

A compilation of four short spiritual events filmed by our pilgrim monks during their trip to India in 2005:

1. The Morning Havan by the students at the Vedic Gurukula at Om Shanti Dhama in Karnataka.
2. Rare footage of the spiritual figure known as “Ajja” in Puttur, southern Karnataka.
3. The evening Nagar kirtan of Ram Nam at Anandashram, made famous by Papa Ramdas, near Kanhangad, Kerala.
4. Devotional Bhajans and dancing by village devotees at the Samadhi Shrine of Jnaneshwar in Alandi, Maharashtra.

Temple Elephants in India

A two minute video filmed in various temples throughout India, showing temple elephants blessing devotees, and being fed by their mahuts. Elephants in this video include Rukmini from the Arunachaleshwar Temple in Tiruvannamalai, Andar from the Sri Rangam Temple in Trichy, and the temple elephant from the famous Krishna temple in Udupi.

India Smiles

When people anywhere see a camera, it seems to bring out the budding actor in them. In our trips to India, we have frequently brought smiles to people’s faces by showing them their images in both still and video cameras. This film is a short collage of footage of both young and old enjoying their moment of fame on film.

Visit our India Videos page to see these videos in your choice of sizes, depending on the speed of your web connection.

We are happy to announce the completion and publication online of Swami Nirmalananda’s new Commentary on the Upanishads. The text of this commentary is available for reading online from our Upanishad page, and is also available as a free PDF Download. The Upanishad Commentary covers the eleven major Upanishads of the Vedas (Isha, Katha, Kena, Mandukya, Mundaka, Prashna, Aitareya, Taittiriya, Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, and Shwetashwatara), and is is 332 pages, 1.33 mb.

What are the Upanishads?

The Upanishads are  those treatises of mystical and speculative philosophy which are part of the Vedas, the most ancient and authoritative scriptures in India (and the world). The word “upanishad” comes from the root word upasana, which means “to draw near,” and is usually considered to mean that which was heard when the student sat near the teacher to learn the eternal truths.

The authority of the Vedic scriptures rests not upon those who wrote them down but upon the demonstrable truths they express. They are as self-sufficient and self-evident as the multiplication tables or the Table of Elements. They are simply the complete and unobscured truth. And realization of that Truth alone matters.

The Upanishads have long interested students of philosophy in the West. The English philosopher Hume translated some of them into English in the eighteenth century. Later he travelled to America where he taught Sanskrit to Thomas Jefferson and together they studied the Upanishads in their original form.

Through a unique combination of exhaustive study and scholarship, and insight and wisdom gleaned from personal experience, Swami Nirmalananda’s commentary offers new gems that will enrich all true seekers.

Download the new Commentary on the Upanishads by Swami Nirmalananda Giri.

Related: Find more ebooks to download–Om Yoga–Its Theory and Practice and A Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, both by Swami Nirmalananda, by visiting our Free Ebooks page.

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