Best wishes to all friends for the Maha Kumbh fair at Prayagraj
Friends, this time I thought that whatever is in my mind, I should keep writing, of course it may not become a systematic post. It often happens with me that I sit down and start writing and that article itself becomes a systematic post.
This time many great personalities were seen as sanyasis in the great Kumbh Mela. For example, IIT Baba Ji or Gorakh Masani Ji and Mamta Kulkarni Ji. It is believed that most of the sanyasis got peace by leaving the world, got knowledge as well. But no one has shared the experience of getting self-realization or Kundalini awakening. So, has sanyas remained limited to peace and knowledge only? It can be thought that many people do not make it public. But this thing does not make sense. If they can share the miracle-filled siddhis and powers with everyone, then why not the experience of awakening. There is definitely a discrepancy somewhere. I am not expressing distrust in the tradition of sanyas. But it also has its own limitations.
Sanyasis inspire common householders to live a life of simplicity, meditation, charity and detachment. But this sect should also be reserved for deserving people only. It can also be contaminated by the entry of undeserving people into it. In olden times, the Guru used to give permission to his disciple to become a Sanyasi only after being assured of his disciple after taking a tough test, not just like that. However, today also twelve years are needed to spend serving Guru, yet screening doesn’t seem as rigorous as earlier. Although there being a tough exam to enter the Akhara, its quality cannot be doubted. Babas roaming around outside the Akharas and doing as they please create confusion about everyone. Our respected grandfather also once asked his Guru for permission to take initiation in Sanyas. But the Guru flatly refused saying that his household responsibilities were incomplete at that time. He accepted that advice. That is why he remained detached in household life. It is because of him that we are here today. If he had become a Sanyasi prematurely, then we would not have been what we are today, neither this blog would have been there, nor so many books and nor so much knowledge and science.
By taking Sanyas, the burden of the mind is reduced. This gives strength to do Sadhana. But due to lack of sufficient availability of power, that Sadhana often does not succeed on time. You know that power is associated with a woman, and her company is forbidden in sanyaas. Or else it takes countless years to get success due to lack of power. Many people cannot wait for this long period, and many pack up and leave. And many get deviated from sadhana and get into the habit of intoxicants like bhang etc. Time moves cyclically everywhere. Leaving the world for a short time may give peace, but soon that peace also starts feeling like a burden. That peace is relative, not absolute. Absolute is the ultimate peace which is found only when one attains complete samadhi. Even after removing the burden from the head, the head feels a little light for some time. But after some time, even an empty head starts feeling like a burden. And then one feels like lifting the burden. If awakening is found in that time of a little relative peace, then it is fine, otherwise it is a lost cause. This is because when that time of peace is over, he again takes up the burden of worldliness, forced by nature. Of course that worldliness is then limited to the monastery and the temple. But it is worldly. If I did not take the burden from there, I took it from here. If I took the golden pitcher off my head, I picked up a clay one. It is the same thing.
In this context, I am reminded of the story of King Shikhidhwaj from the Yoga Vasishtha Granth. He was a great scholar and the husband of Yogini Chudala. The king leaves the kingdom and goes to the forest, and starts living there like a householder. The queen tries to convince him a lot, but he was obsessed with renunciation. Morning and evening ritualistic practices, evening prayers, tarpan, sacrifices to Gods, yagnas, idol worship and being busy all day long for them. He spent many years living in the forest but he did not get the direct knowledge of awakening. His Yogini wife was watching his entire drama with her Yoga Vidya. Out of pity, she came to the forest and after listening to his tale of sorrow, started consoling him. She started telling her husband that when he had left the household, why did he start a new household in the forest. How will he get peace by taking off one burden and picking up another. In the relative peace that he got for a short time, he did not do real meditation but spent his accumulated energy in expanding the new household. Now when his mind is inclined towards Sadhana, he has no strength left due to the entanglements of the jungle household. If you miss the time, then it is lost. Then the king made his wife his Guru and did Yoga Sadhana under her guidance. Finally, he attained knowledge. Then when she started taking her back to the kingdom, the king started hesitating, fearing that he might fall into ignorance again. Then the queen explained to him that after attaining knowledge, there is no ignorance, no matter what kind of pleasures a person chooses. Yes, there is one condition that one has to remain detached. The queen’s desire of Romance pleasures and love-making also remained unfulfilled due to the king’s untimely departure to the forest. Then both of them returned to their kingdom with immense happiness, traveling in various planes in beautiful gardens, forests, groves etc. and doing various lovemaking. After enjoying the kingdom happily for countless years, both of them got liberated. This is the main and very beautiful story of this book, and shows that women were also not less than men in Yoga, but were better than them. It also highlights the importance of household dharma.
In the limited period of peace, only Tantra Yoga can bring awakening, but it is socially forbidden. Of course, the left-way people use sex, meat and alcohol for Kundalini Yoga Sadhana. But they stay hidden from society. These means are outside the Vedas. That is why they come under Left Tantra. It means that household life is better than Sannyas. Because there, even the left-way sadhana can be done secretly. For a householder, it is more important than a Sanyasi. Because by chance of time, he gets peace only for a very limited time.
In ancient times, a gentleman used to work in a government job. He lived a very struggle-filled life. Because there was a lot of pressure of work. But he did not let the flame of spirituality die in his mind and in his daily life. Due to time, he was transferred to a deserted and lonely Himalayan region for a limited time. This was bound to give him great relative peace. There, he came in contact with a yogi and did intense sadhana and attained awakening. From a common man, he became a great yogi. Then soon he was again transferred to a stressful area. However, he continued his sadhana somehow and little by little. Due to this, he got many disciples in due course of time. All of them started spreading the word of Grihastha Yoga. What I mean to say is that this happens with many people. Opportunities are rarely found again and again. But at least one opportunity is received by everyone in their life.
Some scientists also say that the more the difference between worldliness and renunciation, the more is the possibility of getting sudden awakening. In my opinion, even if a simple effort is made for awakening, then also that possibility increases manifold. If tantric power is also involved in it, then what can one say? If knowledge could be obtained only by leaving the world, then memoryless or drug addicts would be the most knowledgeable. They do not remember anything about the world, meaning they have completely left the world. But many other factors are also responsible for knowledge.
This means that nothing is left by leaving. The real leaving is to become detached. It means to remain detached or unattached from the world while living in it is to leave it. By this, both kinds of happiness are obtained together. The happiness of household life like love etc. and the happiness of renunciation etc. We can use the comforts and luxuries of life while living in the world. You can do it for attaining knowledge also. This is not possible in sanyaas. Of course, comforts and luxuries are bad because they make you fall in the trap of illusion. But they can also be useful in getting you out of illusion. The knife with which a dacoit can create terror, can also be used to cut vegetables. Here we are not comparing any system with another. Neither are we calling anyone good or bad. We are only telling that as far as our eyes can see. Of course, there is no doubt that there is much more beyond this.
Demystifying Kundalini 