Verses 9.20–9.24🔗

Kṛṣṇa says that people who read scriptures, the Vedas, and who perform pious ritualistic activities based on scriptural injunctions with the aim of acquiring merits, enjoy heavenly pleasures; however they fall back into the cycle of life and death after they finish enjoying these pleasures. You see, many people do lots of rituals and read scriptures. Kṛṣṇa says this surely helps elevate them to a higher plane of consciousness; however they are still caught in the cycle of saṁsāra, birth and death. He says we should go beyond momentary pleasures that we get by reading and Rājavidyā Rājaguhya Yogaḥ Secret Of All Secrets 685 practicing Vedic injunctions. Understand these verses.

By reading scriptures and performing different rituals, we will enjoy the pleasures of Indra loka, the heavenly pleasures; yet when the rituals are performed with that objective, we will again enter the vicious circle of birth and death. Kṛṣṇa speaks about the attitude or the context from which we read Vedas and Upaniṣads or how we perform rituals. Scriptures have immense knowledge. Rituals have immense power. They are meditations; however they are useless if done with the wrong context of fear and greed. Many people fear that if they do not perform certain rituals, they will go to hell and miss their place in heaven. In India, after a person dies, certain rituals are performed.

People perform these rituals fearing that without these rituals the dead person will not gain a place in heaven and the living will not live in peace. Another class of people operates with greed. They donate large sums of money thinking that the gates of heaven will be eternally open for them. Their names get carved on temple walls. They donate electric bulbs to light up temples, but half the bulb will have their name written on it. What is the use? Please understand, even when performing rituals and sacrifices, if you feel powerful, excited, energetic and blissful, and you think the external happening is the reason for that joy and powerfulness, then for that bliss, you are having joy out of the wrong context.

It will not stay in you. It is not going to become lifestyle in you! When we do pious activities with the wrong context of fear or greed, though we see improvement, some transformation, we will go back to where we started. That is what Kṛṣṇa means by Indra loka, the momentary transformation or elevation of our state. Understand, not only the right experience, but also the right context is needed. So, whether you feel powerful or powerless, excited or depressed, rich or poor, healthy or sick, nothing comes from the external happening. If you think that the external happenings contribute for you feeling powerful or powerless, that is what I call wrong context, it is an incompletion.

When we perform certain rituals, be it pūjā or prayer or reading scriptures, it should become a meditation. It is the experience of you that you are having about you. Our ego, our fear and our greed should not come in the way. It is like this: when we perform rituals, do them with integrity and authenicity, out of the right context of completion. What You Lack I Give, What You Have I Preserve Now, please come to the space of listening. The next verse is the main core that reveals the secret of secrets. Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna and all of us: ‘Those who always worship Me, those who always reside in Me, those who have ananyāś cintayanto—means the non-dual mood, the space of Advaita, means those who have become Me, people who have experienced eternal consciousness, those who reside in eternal consciousness—to them, I carry what they lack and I preserve what they have.

I personally take care of them.’ ananyāś cintayanto mām ye janāḥ paryupāsate I teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yogakṣemaṁ vahāmyahaṁ II 9.22 Please be very clear, no other Incarnation has revealed this truth so clearly. He says, ‘If you reside in eternal consciousness, divine energy, bliss consciousness, I take care of you in all ways.’ Yoga and kṣema: I give them whatever they want spiritually and materially and I take care that it stays with them. I take care that nobody takes it away from them. This is a beautiful statement and assurance. Please understand, it is not only an assurance; it is a promise. Kṛṣṇa gives a promise, ‘If you reside in My consciousness, if you reside in eternal consciousness, whatever you lack will be given and whatever you have will be preserved.’

The strange thing is that He says we will have everything and nothing will be lost. It is difficult to believe! At least for people trained in so-called Rājavidyā Rājaguhya Yogaḥ Secret Of All Secrets 687 present day education, it is difficult to believe! ‘How can I have what I want by meditating?’ This will be the immediate question. Now in the modern day, especially after the breakthrough with the principles of quantum physics, science clearly proves our thoughts create the whole Universe. If we reside in Eternal Consciousness, we create our own Universe. Not only that, the Universe responds to our thoughts. A small but important experiment report that I read: A professor did an experiment using three rose bushes kept in different rooms.

They were the same height, same kind. He entered the first room and used beautiful words, ‘You are beautiful. You are nice. You are great. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you. Why do you need thorns?’ He gave assuring and caring words. He created a loving mood. Next, he went to the second plant. He did not do much; he looked and came back: neither negative nor positive. To the third plant, he cursed, ‘What nonsense are you doing? You are ugly.’ He created negative energy with his words. He continued this experiment for twenty-one days studying how plants respond to thoughts as a research. The report, the end result, is shocking.

The first plant that received positive words doubled in size and had no thorns! I saw photographs of that plant. There were no thorns on that rose plant just because he gave the assurance, ‘I’ll protect you. Why should you protect yourself? Don’t bother. There is no need for thorns.’ Can you imagine a rose plant without thorns! The second plant to which he spoke neither positive nor negative words grew just as a normal rose plant. It experienced normal growth, that’s all. The third plant, to which he spoke negative words, died. Not once, but several times he repeated the same experiment in different places and in different ways.

He says the third plant, that received negative thoughts, died at all times. Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose, an Indian Nobel Laureate, proved that plants are alive with ‘feelings’. They are capable of responding to our thoughts and emotions. This experiment proves that Existence, the outer world, responds to our thoughts. I tell you, many times my gurukul kids give me the confidence on this truth, when I see them playing with the Nature, bringing rain or stopping rain without failing even once! Please understand, it is not that they can play with rain only in the rainy season. They practice a unique process of completion of healing themselves and healing others.

Each child has this own rose plant. The child talks to that plant and gives security to that rose plant. Automatically, the rose plant drops all the thorns! Once, from a distance I stood at the Nithyananda Gurukul, to see exactly what is happening. Please understand, if a hundred priests, Śivācāryas sit and do ādī rudra yajña (enriching sacrifice offered to Lord Śiva) with integrity, what amount of positive energy will be released, I saw so much of energy being released just by these few Gurukul kids! Of course, nowadays you don’t need to believe all these ideas of energy. Unique photography methods have come like kirlian photography, where you can photograph all the energy released and the energy expansion.

Please listen. Existence responds to our thoughts. Each of us is not an island. We are not isolated. Don’t think we can think whatever we want in our inner space and that our outer life will be different. Our outer life and inner life are deeply connected. If we live a spiritual life, we automatically attract only spiritual friends. Our outer world also becomes spiritual. All other relationships drop by themselves. We do not even feel like relating. Many devotees tell me, ‘Swamiji, nowadays I am unable to go to a party. Even if I go, what is there to talk about at a party? Same stock market or who ran away with whom, who is going with whom.

Nothing useful.’ Understand, Existence responds to our thoughts. It does not need this network. People who enter spiritual life can’t indulge in the same Rājavidyā Rājaguhya Yogaḥ Secret Of All Secrets 689 old talks. Only based on our thoughts, we create relationships, friends, society, our circle and naturally, our whole world. Again and again, Vedānta says, dṛṣti-sṛṣti, we create what we see. We create the Universe from the angle of our vision. When our dṛṣti (vision) changes, the sṛṣti (world around us) changes too. We project our world and see. It is the truth. See, whatever we place in front of a projector, whatever slide we position there, that will appear on the screen.

If we place the slide of God, the picture of God appears on screen. If we place an actress, that actress appears on the screen. The screen represents the physical planet Earth. Whatever we keep in front of our consciousness, we project that in our life, our world and our experience. A small change in our inner space changes our whole world. The backdrop screen remains the same; however the scene changes. Similarly, if the words, thoughts and feeling in our inner space change, the whole Universe changes. The whole of Existence responds to our inner space. Don’t think that each of us is a separate island. We are part of this whole Existence.

We are not alone here. If we think we are alone, we will continuously fight with Existence, with the whole Universe. We will see the rest of the Universe as an enemy. The part can never see the whole as enemy. We are a part. This is the Whole. If we see this as an enemy, we can never rest. Only a person who understands that the Whole is his own being, that he is part of the Whole, realizes tremendous relaxation and bliss. Kṛṣṇa says beautifully: ‘When you reside in My consciousness, whatever you lack, I give and whatever you have, I preserve.’ ananyāś cintayanto mām ye janāḥ paryupāsate I teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yogakṣemaṁ vahāmyahaṁ II 9.22 You may think, ‘Yes Swamiji, we understand when you say the Universe responds to our thoughts.

However, how can we get what we want?’ Please understand, the moment we bring integrity into our thinking and complete with all our incomplete thoughts and all our negative commitments, the moment our inner space changes into the space of completion, automatically we attract good things. It is like: if we tune our television to BBC, we see the BBC channel. If we tune it to Nithyananda TV, we see the Nithyananda channel. Similarly, if we tune our consciousness to completion and bliss, continuously even material wealth will shower on us. All I am telling you is, when you create the space of completion in you, so much of unimaginable, auspicious, and good things happen in your system which are incomprehensible.

Please listen! If I say: I am making a statement that if you acquire the space of completion in you, all your problems, externally and internally, melt away; all the moments of powerlessness, externally and internally, disappear from your life, you may think that it is too big a promise, too good to be true. I tell you, it is too small promise! Because, when you create the space of completion, whatever I promise like your external and internal problems will melt away, will be only a small benefit you will be having. We may think, ‘How can this be possible? How can this happen? What kind of words is Swamiji giving?’

But I tell you, it may feel it is difficult to understand. But start experimenting with creating the space of completion. I tell you with integrity and authenticity, I declare from my own authority, this verse is the solid truth. I can say this with authority because I experienced this truth for nine years. I tell you, this is a promise by the Divine. Nine years I lived in utter insecurity. I know Kṛṣṇa still proves His words. His words are guaranteed—yogakṣemaṁ vahaṁyahaṁ, He does! I can quote thousands of incidents from devotees’ lives. From so many devotees’ lives, Tukarām, Tulsidās and so many masters’ lives I can quote to support these words.

I can quote numerous incidents from my own life, from the life of people I have met. Rājavidyā Rājaguhya Yogaḥ Secret Of All Secrets 691 Let me tell you a small incident that happened in my own life during my days of spiritual wandering before the happening of enlightenment. I was staying in Hardiwar at a place called Kankhal. I was doing spiritual practice. Every day morning, I went for alms to places where they feed monks. In so many ashrams, they give alms to monks. I used to get my food, eat two or three rotis (Indian bread) and then start meditating. Suddenly, one day, I fell sick. I had a high temperature and diarrhea.

I was unable to walk. I thought, ‘What can be done? Alright! Let it be.’ Suddenly, a young Sannyāsi came from nowhere and gave me food. Not only for one day but continuously for three to four days, he came; he brought food for me. Not only food, he brought medicine also. I asked him, ‘Who are you? Where have you come from?’ He said, ‘Oh, my name is Śaṅkar. They call me Śaṅkar Mahārāj. I stay at a nearby ashram called Sādhana Sadan.’ He pointed towards a distant place and said that is where he stayed. Everyday he brought me food and medicine till I recovered. He came for at least four days.

Because he came everyday, I talked with him. We became acquainted. I saw that he wore a beautiful pen with a diamond in it. I was surprised at how a monk got a diamond pen. I asked, ‘What is this, Swami?’ He said, ‘This is a diamond pen. Some devotee gave it to me. It looks nice, so I wear it.’ Anyhow, I did not bother about it. After several days, when I returned to normal, he stopped coming. By then, I was okay. Then I thought, ‘I must go and see him. Now I can walk and move, so I should go and see him.’ I felt a little connected to him because he served me.

I felt I must thank him. After a week, when I became completely alright, I started walking. I went to this ashram and asked an elderly person sitting there, ‘Swamiji, I want to see Śaṅkar Mahārāj.’ The Swami said, ‘Śaṅkar? Who are you talking about?’ I said, ‘I want to see Śaṅkar, a young swami. I met him two to three days ago. He came everyday and brought me food. Is this Sādhana Sadan?’ This Swami replied, ‘Yes, this is Sādhana Sadan. In our ashram, there is only one Śaṅkar. Go to the temple and see. He is the only Śankar Mahāraj we have!’ He pointed towards their temple. I tell you, what I am telling is the truth.

When I entered the temple, I saw a Śiva deity as a white marble statue with a cloth draped on His upper body, and wearing the same diamond pen on Him! Of course, tears rolled down from my eyes. So much gratitude overflowed. Later, I asked the temple priest, ‘How did this pen come to Śiva? Who put a pen on Śiva’s statue?’ He said, ‘One week ago, a devotee came and offered the pen. It looked nice and he said it was a diamond pen. We just wanted to decorate Śiva with diamond jewelry. So we put the pen on Him.’ It was the same pen! The very same diamond pen!

I asked, ‘Who gave a pen to Śiva?’ Other jewelry, we can understand, but a pen? He replied, ‘I don’t know. A devotee came and offered this pen. I asked, Why should a Sannyāsi have a diamond pen? I will give it to God instead. So I put it on Śiva. I just inserted it into Śiva’s clothes.’ He then continued, ‘For the last few days all the food of- Rājavidyā Rājaguhya Yogaḥ Secret Of All Secrets 693 fering, prasād that we place in front of Him, disappears. I suspect that rats have been eating the food. So now I am careful. I sit for a while after placing the food for Śaṅkar Mahārāj.’

I did not want to tell him that I was the rat who ate Śaṅkar Mahārāj’s food! During the 2006 Himalayan trip I searched for this ashram and Śankar Mahāraj’s temple with my devotees. After many years, it was still the same, the same temple and the same Śankar Mahāraj; but no diamond pen now! Of course, I do not ask you to believe the whole thing because of this one incident. But you can experiment in your life. You may say, ‘This is your experience. How can this be truth for us, Swamiji?’ An ordinary mind doubts. Let me tell you that your consciousness, your inner space has the quality to create miracles in your lives.

Miracles can happen in your life. What you need, you will receive. Continuously, miracles are happening. Let me try to show you how miracles might have happened in your lives. You might have noticed, when the telephone rings, you suddenly remember a friend’s name. When you pick up the phone, that same friend is on the line. Or at times, you remember a person and when you open the door, that very same person stands there. This is what I call the power of coincidence! These are miracles in their own way. In each one of us, the power to create the space, exists. All we need to do is create that space.

Understand that we have the power to create the space and cause our reality. Trust that your Consciousness is connected to the Universe. Continuously, the Universe cares for you. The Divine waits for you. It responds to your thoughts. We create what we want. Just as we create the whole world in our dream, we have the power to create the world when we are conscious, when we are in the waking state. When we can create a world in the dream state, can’t we create that in the waking state? We can do it. Even now, we create our world. Next question, ‘If we are creating our world, why do we create so many miseries, Swamiji?’

The answer is simple. We do so because we have vested interests in our sufferings. Please be very clear. We have vested interests in our sufferings. Somewhere we feel comfortable when we suffer. So we create the whole thing. Bliss Attracts Fortune When our inner consciousness changes, when we reside in eternal consciousness, we automatically attract the power of coincidence. We attract the power of creating the space and causing our reality. The moment we understand, that the whole Universe is pervaded by the Existential energy of Viṣṇu, we attract Lakṣmi, Viṣṇu’s Consort who represents wealth! When we understand that the whole Universe is Divine, when we experience Viṣṇu, meaning when we experience eternal bliss, we attract Lakṣmi, wealth!

There is a beautiful mantra in tantra śāstras: ‘ānanda kamaprānaḥ’ that means ‘bliss attracts fortune.’ When we create a blissful inner space, automatically we attract external wealth. Tell me, what creates wealth? We need three things: clear integrated thinking, a creative authentic mind that aligns our thoughts and words, and the ability to make spontaneous decisions. The ability to respond spontaneously to any situation with the truth, that we are responsible for everything happening inside and outside us, is responsibility. Just let your inner space be completely integrated with the words you utter. If we are able to respond spontaneously to any situation standing with the strength of integrity and authenticity, we take that responsibility.

We need integrity, the power of words that brings the experience of completion with ourselves and with life. We need authenticity, the power of thinking that expresses as the peak of our creativity and the power of feeling to take responsibility. Only these three Rājavidyā Rājaguhya Yogaḥ Secret Of All Secrets 695 create wealth and preserve wealth. If we enter the bliss space, if we keep our inner space blissful, if we enter into bliss consciousness, all three automatically happen to us. Automatically, these three powers: integrity, authenticity and responsibility happen to us. Then wealth will be created around us and it will also stay with us to enrich us and others.

It is not that we should be showered only by a lottery. Wealth can come simply by creating a blissful inner space and such wealth stays with us, it is everlasting. Please listen, whomsoever wins through a lottery never preserves it! Without knowing the value of it, they simply blow it away. Wealth comes by intelligence. When it comes by intelligence, it stays with you. When we take care of our inner space, automatically, the outer space showers on us. We become a blessing for planet Earth and it blesses us by showering on us. Existence responds to our inner bliss and blesses us. Never think that Existence is not alive.

Never think that the Universe is mere matter. It is live intelligence. People ask me, ‘Swamiji, I am searching for a Guru. I feel inspired to do spiritual practice. But I need a Guru.’ I tell them, ‘If your search is intense, God sends you the Guru. He never misses His responsibility. If you do not have the right Guru, the right Master, it means, something is seriously wrong with your seeking.’ If our seeking is authentic, straightaway the Master happens in our life. He never delays. He has a much faster system than UPS or any other overnight delivery service. He can deliver in seconds. He never delays. The Divine never delays.

Please listen! All we need to do is transform our inner space to the space of completion, the space of eternal bliss. The first thing is to understand this secret. Whether we believe it or not, it is the truth: a basic secret. Once we enter spiritual life, once we decide we want to lead a spiritual life, all our worldly things are taken care of by the Divine. It responds to whatever we need and it takes care of whatever we have. We may ask funny questions, ‘Swamiji, from today onwards if I stop working, will I have everything?’ If we enter the spiritual mood, if we enter the meditative life, we will never think of dropping our work.

Why would we think of dropping our work? We will only drop our worries about work. Then we will work in a much better way to our peak capability. Automatically we will work out of completion. We will have tremendous confidence, ‘The whole of Existence protects me. The whole of Existence is my friend. I am not an enemy of this Whole. I am a friend of this Whole.’ When we understand that we are a friend of the whole of Existence, even after death we will not disappear because we know we will be there in the Universe in some form; that there is nothing to worry about. I tell you this from experience: It is practical.

From experience I tell you, we never perish. We continue to exist, in some form, somewhere. Even if we become enlightened, we become a pure conscious energy. We will be there, everywhere. We never die when we understand that Existence is intelligence. Life After Life