Podcast details
Temptation
The path begins with mastering thoughts and cultivating vairāgya, a detachment easily misled by temptation. One vairāgya arises from hearing sacred revelations of reality's beauty and miraculous powers, inspiring a desire to achieve such states, like levitation. Between 1970 and 1980, a commercial course promised flying yogis for a high fee, though the technique was merely sitting on a spring mattress. If a master today demonstrated real levitation, even long-term faithful disciples would be tempted to abandon their current practice overnight. This temptation is the most dangerous obstacle for a yogi. Among the many illusions, or māyā, attachment to family is a primary one, naturally pulling one backward, like a farmer who left heaven for his tobacco pipe. Māyā translates as ignorance, temptation, or a fleeting reflection—like Śiva appearing then vanishing. It is akin to a mirage, where hot air creates the illusion of water on the road, a disappointment that can shatter one's vairāgya.
"One māyā is attachment to your children, to your family. It's natural, but still it is attachment; it pulls you back."
"And this temptation is the most dangerous thing for a yogī."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
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:
- Yoga in Daily Life - The System
Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda. Ibera Verlag, Vienna, 2000. ISBN 978-3-85052-000-3 - The Hidden Power in Humans - Chakras and Kundalini
Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda. Ibera Verlag, Vienna, 2004. ISBN 978-3-85052-197-0 - Lila Amrit - The Divine Life of Sri Mahaprabhuji
Paramhans Swami Madhavananda. Int. Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship, Vienna, 1998. ISBN 3-85052-104-4
