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Guide Without Supression

The senses are ten horses pulling the chariot of the body in different directions, confusing the journey toward the divine. Two senses are most powerful: the tongue and the organ of sexuality. Control is not suppression, which causes trouble, but guiding that energy upward. The intellect must hold the reins of the mind, which connects to the senses. The true rider is the Ātmā, the king and source of light within, who is non-active. The minister Viveka, discrimination, gives instructions by discerning between spiritual good and mere pleasure. Attackers like desire and anger try to hijack the chariot. The weapon is the Guru's word, the fresh teaching. Within this chariot are hidden all worlds and the unstruck divine sound of mantra, the key to inner realms and bliss.

"Two senses are specially powerful and control the whole world."

"The Ātmā is the king. All light comes from him."

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

We speak with our mouth, but that is only a certain level of communication. When Swāmījī speaks about mantra, he says that mantra is a kind of astral communication. That is why with mantra you can have an effect which you cannot have through physical speaking. The indriyas give us information, and we can act, but in a somehow limited way. Now, which are the most powerful of these ten? We have the answer in a bhajan. He says indriyé do—two indriyās. They are specially powerful, and they control the whole world. That means they control us; they control even animals. Which are these most powerful senses? One karmendriya and one jñānendriya: the tongue (the sense of taste and eating) and the organ of sexuality. So these two senses are very powerful and very hard to control. The problem is when we try to control them, it is often just suppression. Here we touch on the points of fasting and brahmacharya. When we try it a little bit, it gives us energy for another level. Naturally, at least here during the seminar, we also observe brahmacharya. But to live brahmacharya permanently is not easy. Because it is energy, and energy cannot be blocked; it must flow. So when you try to suppress it, you get into trouble unavoidably, and these troubles will, in the end, be bigger than if you did not attempt control. The only way is not to suppress, but to guide the energy in a certain direction—to transform it into higher vibration levels. Therefore, in this bhajan of Ācārya Rāmjī, he says we should understand that two of our senses are very powerful. In the body, there are ten senses; only a few perfect yogīs can control them. But two are especially difficult: the organ of reproduction and the tongue (taste). Nobody can stop them because they produce wishes and passions. Ācārya says those who defeated them attained God-realization, and he pays his respect to them. This is written from a practical point of view. For our daily life, we should keep in mind that these two senses are not easy to control. Do you remember the saying of Mahāprabhujī? He said two things are very hard for humans: to forgive and to eat less. So let's try this a little this week. But from a spiritual point of view, there is another sense which is the most powerful—the one which has actually created the whole world. Which one is that? Sound. Yes, the sense of hearing. The sound, the vibration, is what we use in mantra, and that is the power of mantra. Swāmījī used to say sound is the strongest power in the universe; sound is the origin of the universe. Sound in a subtle form is pervading the whole universe. You see, just when you start thinking a little about this seemingly simple point of ten indriyas, it becomes quite interesting. Now, coming to the practical point in our life, these senses are like ten horses. The horse is the one who moves the chariot. But these are ten different horses going in ten different directions. We see something interesting and go there; we smell something interesting and go there; we hear something interesting and go there. That is the reality of our life: we are attracted here and there, confused, and we easily forget the aim of our journey. That is why Holy Gurujī speaks about it straight away in the first verse: I am looking on the wrong path. Das gore, Charlie, is a ratterman. This chariot is driven by ten horses. A yogī, Charles, a parer. Here again we have the word "a yogī"—strange. But it is a strange journey, a prayer—a strange journey to the infinite. Straight away, he speaks in the first sentence about the aim, the destination. Why do we sit in the chariot? Our aim is apara, beyond this world. We are given this chariot for a certain purpose: to go there. These ten horses have no other duty than to carry us there. But that is not easy, because one horse wants to go there, another there, and in the end we get nowhere. So the yoga path is seen as a point to concentrate the power of these ten horses and to go straight in one direction. The process of how we can control it is described. Budiki lagam lagai. The rider of the chariot is the buddhi. The buddhi holds the reins in its hands. But what are these reins? Hán kata mana husyāra. That is the mind. So the buddhi is directing the mind, and husyāra means carefully, skillfully. So now we have three: the buddhi, which controls the reins; the mind, which is the connection; and then the senses. The mind is directly connected with the indriyas, and therefore it is often counted as an indriya itself. Sometimes Swāmījī says there are not ten indriyas but actually eleven or even twelve, counting the mind or even the intellect because they are so closely connected. Let's take an example. Is this a point of Pratyāhāra? Say a boy is concentrating on a criminal novel and reading it. Someone comes in and asks, "Did you call the police?" He says, "No, why should I? I don't know yet who the murderer is." The person says, "No, didn't you hear? There was a car accident just outside, in front of our house." The boy says, "I didn't hear anything." How is that possible? Definitely, sound vibrations from the accident were touching his ears, but he didn't hear because the indriyas (the ears) were not connected with the mind. The mind was completely absorbed in the novel and disconnected from the ear. The senses cannot function if the mind is not connecting to them. So these are the reins, the connection. Where the reins connect is decided by our conscious decision, which comes from our buddhi—or it should come. It depends on who is stronger: the mind or the buddhi. The mind is easily influenced by the senses; the whole advertisement industry is based on that. They show you something, hoping you will run to the shop to buy it without thinking if you really need it or if it is good for you. The intellect should tell you, "I don't need that." As Swāmījī always gives the example with ice cream: it's not healthy. That is the role of the intellect: to give guidance to the mind. The mind will then connect to the senses, and then action happens. In this way, our chariot can go in a certain direction. But Holy Gurujī asks: what should be the direction? The strange journey to the infinite—that means to the divine. We are given this body and all these instruments for a spiritual purpose: to realize our own true nature, to realize who we are—God, the divine. All the impressions coming through the senses often direct us in another direction. But there is someone who can guide the buddhi, for the buddhi is otherwise helpless. This comes in the next verse. Rājā ātambetāratmahirāca ātambetāratmahini jacetanna nirakāra. Sādhu bhayi ajaparatthamārā beta bharama bhara jisme, beta bharama bhara sadhubhai ajabhara taha mara, santumbhai ajabhara taha mara. This is actually a quite modern chariot because inside there is light. Even in the night, you can go with it. Bati, you know from the word agar bati—that means the light. In this chariot, there is the light of Gyāna, the light of wisdom. Anāhada Bhaya Ujjara. Anahata is a word we know from Anahata Chakra. I observed when Swami Jasraj was speaking about Anāhata Nāda last week, some were confused because he explained it a little differently than Swāmījī usually does. What does Swāmījī usually say about Anāhata Nāda and Anāhata Chakra? Anahata means without border, endless. That is how we learn it from Swāmījī, and that is correct—that is the interpretation from the Rajasthani dialect. But as a Hindi or Sanskrit word, another meaning applies: unstruck, not beaten. That means the sound which is not produced by moving two things together. Sound is usually produced, like a drum: two things come together and sound comes. Anāhata Nāda is the sound not produced in this way. This term is like a koan in itself; you cannot understand it if you remember. Both meanings make sense: it is an endless, eternal, divine sound, or it is the sound not produced by two things coming together. No one ever produced the OM; it is that eternal sound. Gyānī, but anāhadabhaya ujjara—ujjara means light. So there is an eternal light. Rājā Ātam Bhetā Ratamahi. Now a question: from where comes this light, Ātam or Ātmā? The Ātmā is the origin of this light. This is a special coach because it is the coach of a king, Rājā Ātmā—the king. The ātmā is sitting, so it is his coach; he is the real owner. The buddhi is not the boss, but the Ātmā is the boss. The Ātmā is like the light, like the sun. No light could be here without the sun, but does the sun do anything? The sun is not active; it just shines, giving light and energy, but itself is not active. In the same way, the Ātmā does not directly give instructions. For that, he has a minister, which we will see later. In this coach sits the ātmā as the king, and all light comes from him. Nidze chetan, niraghara chetan—the consciousness. It is our formless consciousness. Now we come to the next verse on the connection between the ātmā, the king, and the charioteer giving orders to the senses. Sādhu Bhai Ajabrat Hamārā, Sādhu Bhai Ajabrat Hamārā, vētā-bhāram-bhāra-jiṣṭhame, vētā-bhāram-bhāra-sādvabhaya-yajaparatha-mārā. Viveka-mantrī—mantrī means minister, has nothing to do with mantra. The minister sits at the side of the king, passing on the orders of the king. That is viveka. What is viveka? Swāmījī used to say, "Viveka is like the cream of the buddhi"—the highest form we can achieve on the mental level. The lowest form is the mind, strongly influenced by sense impressions and running after them. The buddhi, the intellect, already has some considerations: "No, not this, not now. Let's go another way." But unfortunately, even the most developed buddhi is often not pure. You can see it in intellectuals—the Vijñānamayakośa, the sheath of the intellect. The intellect can be very developed, yet you still may not know what is right and wrong. How many discoveries have been made on the intellectual level that in the end brought great harm and suffering to mankind? Nowadays, humans think they are cleverer than God and try to manipulate everything. In America, when I was there, I was scared about the food. Like here, if it's not explicitly written as biological, it definitely is not. But there is a step further: if it's not explicitly written "non-GM" (non-genetically manipulated), you can be sure it is. Ninety-nine percent of the food is already manipulated. Because their market is limited, they now try to do it in Europe, a process going on with new laws. This is the intellect when it is just intellect, not guided by a higher understanding of what is right and wrong and what is the right direction. The highest, pure form of the intellect is Viveka. Viveka will always ask: "Does it bring me in that direction where I want to go—apara, to the beyond, to the divine?" Whatever comes to us, we must check: is it good for our spiritual path or not? Here is the connection to what Jāstrajī spoke about repeatedly: śreyas and preyas—that which is really good for us because it brings us forward on our spiritual path, or that which is just enjoyable but doesn't bring us in the right direction. Viveka is the minister; he sits beside the king, giving instructions from the right, spiritual point of view, using the intellect rightly. Anubhava means experience. He says, "Use your life experience." We have enough experience to see the future: if I do this, what will be the result? Where will I go? Is it really good for me? Is it what I want? If not, don't go. Sometimes our experience is not enough, so we need other guidance: āgam nigam. Āgam nigam means the different types of holy scriptures—the Vedas and Śāstras, Guruvākya in written form. At least look to the guidance in the Holy Scriptures and use them like a weapon. Then, nahīṁ pāyā kashligarā—you will have not the least trouble. With this word seer (weapon, spear), we are directed to the next verse, because on our journey troubles come. Gurshapt kā teer lagāyā, Gurshapt kā teer lagāyā, Bhāg gayā hatyārā, Sadhubhāī japā raṭ hamārā, Sadhubhāī japā raṭ hamārā, betā bāramā bāra jis me, betā bāramā bāra sadō bhāī jabraṭ hamārā, santōn bhāī jabraṭ hamārā. Now comes the attack. An army attacks us. Čora means thieves, robbers. This is the chariot of the king, with precious things; they want to steal everything. Kāma, krodha, mada, lobha—an example of many others. You know from Swāmījī: kāma is desire, passion coming through the senses. You see something, passion is there, and you run for it. Krodha is anger because someone else got it and you don't. Mada is pride or ego because you got it and are happy and proud. Lobha is greed; you want more, so you got it and are still not satisfied. That is the problem with worldly things: you desire it, and either you get it and are not satisfied, or you don't get it and are angry. Or someone else got it, and then comes īrṣyā (jealousy). There are many more; these are mentioned as pars pro toto. They attack, trying to take over the coach—like hijacking. Think of an airplane: it goes in a certain direction (a modern coach). The hijacker says, "No, we don't go there; we go here now." That means we follow another horse, directing the horses in another direction, and you will never get to the divine aim. Lūṭatahe ratasāra—they rob everything from this chariot. So we need weapons to defend ourselves. One was already said: Āgama-Nigama—the guidance from holy scriptures, basically Guruvākya from a previous time, like old Guruvākya. But much more valuable is fresh Guruvākya. This is here now: Guru Śabdha Kātir Lagāyā. Guru Śabda—the words, the speaking. There is the arrow—the weapon of the fresh, direct instruction of your guru. The guru gives guidance and teaching. Our teaching is Yoga in Daily Life. If you follow that, you are on the right track; you guide the horses in the right direction and can reach the aim. In this way, you hunt away all these robbers, the attackers—Hatyārā, the thieves. Sadhu Bhai, ajab raat hamaara. Sadhu Bhai, ajab raat hamaara. Now it is spoken about finer things in the chariot—the weapons the guru gives us, the teaching, the finer levels we cannot perceive with our gross sense organs. Chauda Loka—it goes Ramanda Ratamesakalpasara. It says there is something hidden in this coach. Remember Swāmījī's book The Hidden Powers in Humans? What Gurujī speaks about here are the hidden powers in humans, not just the physical body but the subtle bodies. The basic principle of esotericism says: as outside, so inside. That exactly is Holy Gurujī's statement here. He says there are fourteen worlds. Often it is spoken about three worlds—that's not a contradiction, just finer here. When we speak of three worlds, it is this world we are in now, the higher world, and the lower world (sometimes called heaven and hell). But there are different levels going up and down—seven up and seven down. What are we speaking about? The seven or eight chakras. Every chakra is one level of consciousness, one level of existence. We speak only of those going up, but there are also lower chakras leading consciousness down. For good reason, Swāmījī does not teach us about that, but it is a reality. Here it is written about the fourteen lokas. And Ikiso Brahmāṇḍa—the 21 universes in the physical world. It is said that inside, you find all these worlds and universes—the same inside Ratamesakalpasāra. They are spread out inside this coach. Anāhada bhaja, ratame bhaja. Here we have Anāhada Nāda. Anāhada bhaja is exactly the same as Anāhata Nāda—this unstruck or endless divine sound vibrating in this coach. Where do we find this? These sounds are the mantras. Every chakra has certain mantras—sounds, and also sub-mantras. These are like doors opening, keys to certain doors, opening a door to another world. When you meditate on a certain sound, you might enter a certain world and experience something specific. That is the power of mantra. All these vibrations are in us, connected with the chakras, opening doors to different worlds. Nopat Gure Nagara. They are like drums, rumbling, making sound in the whole place. In a poetical way, Holy Gurujī describes these subtle vibrations of mantras like drums. In fact, when you go deep into inner sounds in Nāda Yoga, there is a level of experience where you really experience a sound like drums. We have to rush a little because of time. Kahi Madhavānandarātmā, Kahi Madhavānandarātmā, Payām Ojā Majarā, Sadhvā Bhāī Ajaparātmā, Sadhvā Bhāī Ajaparātmā... This is a bhajan of Holy Gurujī. From whom did he get this knowledge? He says, "I got this knowledge from my master, Mahāprabhujī. It is a secret. He told me this whole secret." Kāhe Mādhava Nanda, Holy Gurujī says, Rattamēn—in this coach, in this human body—Bhāya Mōja Madhāra, I found all the ecstasy, bliss, and contentment. All my wishes were fulfilled, and I found eternal bliss—the ānanda. This king, the ātmā... Holy Gurujī says, "In this coach I found all the divine bliss and all contentment." We would usually say santosha and ānanda; all wishes are fulfilled. This ātmā is also called sat-chit-ānanda. Whoever met Holy Gurujī could see and feel that he was permanently in this ānanda. And never did he speak without saying, "Mahāprabhujī, the merciful one." The Upaniṣads were written long ago—like old Guruvākya. Holy Gurujī, an enlightened saint, wrote this bhajan quite recently, but the experience and knowledge are the same. This is the fresh Guru Vakya for us. I find it interesting how identical it is, and still there is new inspiration. And how Swāmījī made it even more practical for us now, putting it into a system. Holy Gurujī says there is a secret hidden in the coach, and Swāmījī speaks about the hidden powers in humans and makes a book out of that. That is the way the ancient wisdom of the ṛṣis comes to us in a very practical form. Now I don't want to keep you longer. Deepnayan bhagavān, keep the day.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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