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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

We are just beginning our spiritual path, trying to master our vṛttis, our thoughts, and our vairāgya. There was a question about vairāgya; there are different kinds. One type of vairāgya arises when you hear the āgama, the revelation of the nature of reality—how beautiful it is, how it creates miracles—and you are inspired to achieve it. Or from the śāstras, those beautiful ancient texts describing peace, power, and realization, you think, "My God, yes!" We are inspired and wish to know. Can you imagine going for a walk in the sky like Āraḍha? Nārāyaṇa! Har Har Mahādeva! Who doesn't wish for that? Levitation. From about 1970 until 1980, it was very much in fashion. There was a master who created techniques for flying yogīs. It was very expensive at the time—$25,000 for a one-week course to learn flying. And what was it? They were sitting on a big mattress with springs inside, sitting and laughing, and it was just like turbulence in an aeroplane. I said, "Well, just go by truck in India; you will have constant movement like this." So, there was one technique; first was some name of meditation, then flying, then Āyurveda, then Gandharvas, then astrology. It was all commercially designed very nicely. It had some effect and inspired people. But I'm talking about the siddhis, like levitation. I think if a master comes today in his trilogy and says, "In three days, levitation," and he demonstrates levitating himself, I think my Anuṣṭhān course would be empty. All these Kṛiyā Anuṣṭhān people, many years as faithful disciples, would send a message: "Can we come right at night at 10 o'clock when Swāmījī goes to have a rest?" One after the other, all would disappear in sin. That is a temptation. And this temptation is the most dangerous thing for a yogī. There are many māyās. One māyā is attachment to your children, to your family. It's natural, but still it is attachment; it pulls you back. Like the farmer who, because of his water pipe—his tobacco water pipe—came back from heaven; he quit heaven and returned to the ground. Similarly, due to such attachment, we might even give up the worship of God and go back. This is an attachment. It is not easy; it's like pulling skin. They cannot be the Olympia champion, sorry. So attachment is the biggest māyā. The translation of māyā, also in English they mostly write "ignorance." It is ignorance; māyā means temptation. Māyā means reflection; it comes and is suddenly gone. You saw in the Mahāśiva Purāṇa, suddenly Śiva came. Then he just disappeared again. Now the whole world goes to that temple of Śiva and prays, "Let Śiva come," but still he hasn't come. You have faith; there is his blessing. So this is a reflection. We think there is water on the desert, in the hot air, on the pustule in Hungary, like a beautiful lake. Or on the road when you are driving in hot weather, you see it 50 meters ahead, but there is no water. It is water, but not that kind of water. It is water; the hot steam comes from the earth, and that steam has some liquid humidity too. But this is mṛgatṛṣṇā; we call it mṛgatṛṣṇā. And that is a kind of disappointment, so there your vairāgya is finished.

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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