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Science of Identity Foundation | |
YogisOn yogis: The yogi’s interest is inner peace and self-realization and social harmony. ~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler)
The ImpersonalistThe impersonalist “I am God”ist Swami Muktananda advised his students: Meditate on your Self. Honor and worship your own Self. Kneel to your Self, because the supreme reality, the highest truth lives within you as you.* Obviously, such an “I am God”ist or impersonalist can be very dangerous to others and society. Many of these “I am God”ists end up as the most extreme of all hedonists—having illicit sex with their disciples, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, smoking, eating meat, and engaging in all kinds of debauchery. They declare that they can do so without being contaminated karmically because they are so “spiritually advanced.” At the moment, the Western world (as well as India) is crawling with such charlatans. ~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler) *Swami Muktananda, Getting Rid of What You Haven’t Got (Oakland: S.Y.D.A. Foundation, 1978), p. 43. Making Progress on the Path of Bhakti Yoga and Giving Up VicesIf a person engages in the process of bhakti yoga and yet continues to engage in activities that are detrimental to spiritual progress, his spiritual progress will be very slow. This does not mean that a person must be completely free of all bad habits before he can even begin the process of bhakti yoga. For example, in the Philippines, one teacher saved many young people who were addicted to heroin and other drugs by teaching them the process of bhakti yoga. It took some time before they could completely give up all drugs, but eventually they did. ~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler)
AddictionSometimes a person is still addicted to cigarette smoking or meat-eating. If he follows the process of bhakti yoga, then gradually he will be able to give up such habits. It is a question of tasting a higher taste. If a person engages in the process of bhakti yoga, he will gradually begin to taste the higher spiritual happiness, and he will be able to give up all vices naturally. After he gives up such bad habits, then his progress will be very rapid.~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler)
Master of the SensesSo a person's entire lifestyle can be dovetailed with his deep purpose in life. Such a person is the controller of his body, not a slave of his senses. Most people are servants of their senses and minds—they are godas (go means “senses”; das means “servant”). A bhakti yogi, however, strives to be a goswami (swami means “master,” and so goswami means “master of the senses”). A goswami is not dragged around by his senses, but instead uses his senses for his own desired purposes. Although goswami is also a title, in fact the real meaning of goswami is controller of the senses, whether one is externally with the title goswami, brahmachari, householder, or whatever. ~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler)
A Person Who Tries to be a Goswami ...A person who tries to be a goswami is careful not to engage in those activities that are harmful to his spiritual development. For example, he refrains from taking intoxicants (including all sorts of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and so on); from having illicit sex; from gambling; and from eating meat, fish, and eggs.~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler)
On society(On the other hand,) the positive results of a society populated mostly by people who are serious about cultivating wisdom and spiritual understanding should be clear. If the citizens are peaceful, satisfied, respectful of others, compassionate, selfless, and so on, then society will be progressive both materially and spiritually.~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler) Social Results of HedonismThe negative social results of a society populated primarily by hedonistic people should be obvious to anyone. A society of self-centered, animalistic people who have no other interest than their own sense enjoyment cannot be at all peaceful or progressive—either materially or spiritually.~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler) Hedonistic LifeThe wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge, and that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience. ~Sri Ishopanishad, Mantra Ten For one who lives a hedonistic life, a life in which nescience is cultivated, the results are envy, anger, greed, impatience, disrespect for others, anxiety, depression, hatred, ever-increasing lust, forgetfulness, frustration, dissatisfaction, duplicity, fear of death, and so on. ~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler) Science of Identity Foundation Cultivation of wisdom(On the other hand,) for a person who cultivates wisdom or true knowledge, the results are inner peace, satisfaction, patience, respect for others, freedom from duplicity, compassion, joyfulness, remembrance of his spiritual identity, freedom from the fear of death, freedom from anxiety and depression, and so on.~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler) Science of Identity Foundation Sense GratificationNor is sense gratification considered “bad.” Sense gratification comes and goes as a natural occurrence of the senses. For example, one cannot eat without tasting. The point is that a life that is centered around sense enjoyment, that makes sense enjoyment the goal, is a wasted life. Economic development is necessary for the maintenance of the body; so therefore it cannot be neglected. But to seek economic development simply for the sake of endlessly increasing sensual pleasure is foolish. No amount of sensual pleasure will ever really satisfy a person, so no amount of economic development will ever be considered “enough.” This is why people in modern Western societies are still not satisfied, even though they are so economically advanced and thus have so much facility for sense enjoyment. They always want more.~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler) Science of Identity Foundation Culture of IgnoranceThose who engage in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of ignorance. Worse still are those engaged in the culture of so-called knowledge.Unfortunately, most of humanity spends the majority of its time in the culture of ignorance. We cultivate ignorance by serving our tongue, belly, genitals, and other senses like obedient slaves. The vast majority of our energy goes into this mad pursuit of sense pleasure. Left with frazzled nerves, frustration, anger, jealousy, envy, greed, hate, loneliness, and confusion; we seek an escape in alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and a myriad of other legal and illegal consciousness dimmers. This is the cultivation of ignorance. ~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler) Science of Identity Foundation
However, neither the Sri Ishopanishad nor any other Vedic literature recommends that we neglect bodily needs. The Bhagavad-gita states: There is no possibility of one's becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much, or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough. Nor is sense gratification considered “bad.” Sense gratification comes and goes as a natural occurrence of the senses. ~Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa (Chris Butler) |
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