Sri Ramakrishna Math : The Vedanta Kesari, June 2003

[Swami Paramananda was a monk of the Ramakrishna Order who spread the message of Vedanta in the USA and other places. The present article is culled from the book Self-Mastery]

Whenever we start to do anything with a dejected mind, or carry an evil impulse in our heart, do we not act as our own enemy? We know ethically and intellectually the bad effect these have upon our moral and physical being, and yet we stagger on, carrying a load which exhausts us. How intriguing it is, that an intelligent person should allow his mind to be filled with detrimental thought! Here we see the distinction between theoretical knowledge and its practical application. Until we have gained full possession of our being, we shall often drag ourselves down by our twisted thought, our wrong attitude of mind, without meaning to do so. We are like a man who is pulling on his oars but can make no headway because he has not lifted the anchor. So long as we are weighed down by the load of matter, we cannot advance.

We become our own enemy when we are thrown out of balance by anger, hatred, grief or any intense emotion. We are for the time being obsessed by something alien. Yet the whole of us is not obsessed. We are like two persons--the person who is angry and the person who is not. There is a dual principle in us. One part of us aspires for the highest, best, and finest; the other is earth-bound, weighted down by material concerns.

In the Gita there is another passage which runs: 'Lust, anger and greed, these three are the soul-destroying gates of hell. Therefore one should forsake these three.' When we analyze we find there is little distinction between them. A greedy person, longing for some object of desire with all the lust of his soul, becomes angry if he cannot have his way. Anger brings self- delusion. The cause of it and of all such things is ignorance. By sudden anger we destroy a finer part of ourselves; in a moment we lose something that will take long to build up again. This is the reason we are told so definitely that we are our own friend and our own foe. In spite of this we lay the blame on others.

One who has control over his own self, who is serene in the midst of all dual conditions--heat and cold, pleasure and pain, noise and stillness, under all circumstances--will carry with him wherever he goes the constant realization of his supreme Self.

Sometimes we think that when we are excited and angry we exhibit strength. It is the weak person who yields to these lower emotions. A weak person is more unforgiving than a strong one. It can be seen among athletes. The strongest athletes are those who can best endure insults from an inferior. He who is nervously disorganized has less endurance. We cannot sever our mental and physical evolution from our spiritual. What we manifest in body and mind are the results of what we are in our spiritual consciousness. They are absolutely inseparable.

In an emergency, in moments of great tragedy, the man of tranquillity, of serenity, of wisdom remains stable, while another man possessing the knowledge that all the books can give, loses his control and his balance. Why does he lose it? Because he never had it. What is ingrained in our nature we are incapable of losing. We always carry our light with us. Plato declares a wise man will be as happy in a state of slavery as in a state of freedom. Therefore self-mastery is a vital necessity if we would enjoy in full measure all the blessings of life. Our blessings are now often carried away by our shortcomings. Many a person after his first failure or when he meets with some obstacle settles down and says: I am not born equipped; it is not in my nature to do this. He has not even investigated his inner nature; he is judging only from the surface. If he would go deeper he would find that he has all the inherent powers and possibilities, more than he can possibly use.

Every time we indulge in self-depreciation we go against our higher Self. Self-depreciation means that we have no faith in the higher Spirit. That is the reason we run ourselves down. Likewise whenever we are puffed up with vanity or are full of egotism, we turn away from our divine nature, which is the only essence of our being. Ego works in both ways. It exists as much in the life of wretchedness and despair as in the life of ostentation and pride. What we need above all else is the balanced state of mind where we do not go to one extreme or to the other, where we do not exalt ourselves because we are rich and powerful or debase ourselves because we are miserable and poor. No teaching gives this middle path with so much force and practical wisdom as the Vedic revelation. The Gita constantly reminds us that above all other things we need this balance not merely on the heights of spiritual consciousness, but in our everyday life. Some people can be over-sensitive in little things. If it is the least bit too warm or too cold they magnify their sufferings. But it is all in their own mental attitude. Even what we call a tragic situation is almost always magnified by our own life. Life is not meant for sadness; we should not throw our burden on another. We cannot be self-indulgent. Some indulge themselves in unhappiness; they seem to love it. That is the reason why Gita says so forcibly: Raise thyself by thine own Self--never lower thyself.

Sometimes people have the foolish notion that they cannot be spiritual unless they show a certain self-abasement. But the humility which is essential to spirituality is illustrated by the fruitful tree bending its boughs in fruition. A barren tree stands stiff and gives nothing. When our life becomes fruitful it cannot help but show forth gentleness, mellowness, beneficent qualities, leaving no room for harshness. A life which is unproductive always finds fault with others and strikes a harsh note somewhere. If we depend upon praise and recognition, if we have any self-glorifying attitude, we are undone. He who is dependent on praise is equally affected by blame. If we do not have all that we desire, let us make the best use of what we have. The greatest artists are those who have creative genius within themselves and with a little material produce the best. It is not the material which makes the artist; it is the artist who shapes the material. If we bear this in mind we shall cease to complain or to find fault either with ourselves or with others.

At present our body, mind and senses are like untrained horses. We must learn to control them, therefore, and prove that we have the power to guide them instead of being dragged hither and thither by them. We have been made to believe that if we do not give certain comforts to the body, it will go to pieces. Such thoughts have led us to indulge the body until it has become like a spoiled child. Whatever it demands, we give without discrimination. So also with our mind and senses. It is for us to decide whether we shall yield to every impulse of our physical organism or hold it in check. This is the first step in discipline. Discipline does not mean that we are to mortify or torture our flesh indiscriminately; it means that we must begin to act thoughtfully and teach our body and mind to be reasonable. We make ourselves slaves so long as we depend on certain fixed conditions. Our first lesson in the spiritual life consists in learning to be physically independent: when we have a comfortable bed to lie on and good food to eat, we enjoy them; but if we are not comfortable or well fed, we are not to be distressed. So through such practices we teach our body to obey and to endure.

The purpose of austerity or self-discipline is not to gain merit or occult powers, but to acquire mastery over all our forces. As we do this, however, powers will come. When a man has learned to control his speech, for instance, whatever he says is bound to come true. This power is gained through silence, by controlling the energy which now is being wasted by unnecessary speech. The truly wise ones do not speak unless by their words they can accomplish something. Therefore if we can practise silence even a little, we shall have greater power. When a man learns to regulate his speech and thus avoid waste of energy, his intuition grows keener, his voice becomes stronger, his language gains a new beauty.

With everyone there are certain automatic movements of the hands, feet or other members of the physical organism, which continue even when we think that we are sitting still or resting. These should be checked as they represent a waste of life-force The yogis overcome this habit by the systematic practice of âsana or posture: learning to relax every muscle and then training the body to remain motionless in some fixed position. This enables them to conserve their energies and also prepares them for higher spiritual pursuits. As we learn these, we gradually rise above the body and realize that our comfort or discomfort is not dependent on place or surroundings. Sitting in silence, controlling all voluntary movements, trying to bring our body and mind into a state of harmony and equilibrium, and holding our mind on one special thought: this is called practice. We must carry on this practice regularly. No matter how much heaviness we may feel, we must devote a fixed time everyday to it; and our determination should be to increase rather than decrease the amount of time. In this way very soon we shall gain a hold on our physical and mental nature.

Daily study of the Sacred Books also has great value. We may not fully grasp their meaning at first; but if we make it a habit to study them faithfully and keep it up as a regular duty, in time we shall begin to understand them. Study also brings new associations. If we study the lives of great souls with concentration, it enables us to enjoy their company. It seems to bring us into actual contact with them, as if we lived with them and heard their voices.

The mind may not enjoy this, because it has formed the habit of lighter interests. The ordinary mind finds more pleasure in reading a novel than in studying the Bhagavad Gita. Yet one who wishes to sustain his spiritual nature has no other course than to cultivate such a habit, until it becomes second nature and he begins to love it. When we have gathered up our forces and proved ourselves masters, no one can stand in our way. No one can prevent our free action. Let us therefore cast off whatever binds us or leads us to show weakness, and let us strive to cultivate that which will uplift us and awaken our spiritual consciousness, so that in time this body and mind may work in perfect harmony with the Supreme Will. But this cannot be accomplished by calculation or by mere intellectual effort. It is to be attained through the silent practice of meditation.