O.N. Koul
The Holy Science, Kaivalya Darsanam is an outstanding work of Swami Sri Yukteswer, written by him at the behest of Sri Sri Mahavtar Babaji, in 1894,Guru Deva of his Guru, Lahiri Mahasaya of Banaras. Swami Yukteswer in turn was the Guru Deva of Parmahansa Yogananda . The Holy Science demonstrates , by explanation of parallel passages from Hindu and Christian scriptures, the essential unity of the great religious teachings of East and West . The book is divided into four sections. The highest aim of religion is Atmajnanam, Self -knowledge. But to attain this, knowledge of the external world is necessary. Therefore, the first section of the book deals with Veda, the gospel, and seeks to establish fundamental truths of creation and to describe the evolution and involution of the world.
All creatures, from the highest to the lowest in the link of creation ,are found eager to realize three things : Existance, Consciousness and Bliss. These purposes or goals are the subject for discussion in the second section of the book. The third section deals with the method of realizing these three purposes of life .The fourth section discusses the revelations which come to those who have traveled far to realize the three ideals of life and who are very near their destination.
The third Chapter explains the procedure an individual has to follow in developing a true Bhakti to realize the purpose of life . In the words of Swami Sri Yukteswarji :—
SADHANA is a YAGNA which means TAPAS, penance or even-mindedness in all conditions of cold and heat, pain and pleasure, etc. In other words it means that CHIT or mind in which the sense of identification with Vrittis or waves of perception has ceased to arise, so that the ocean of mind remains without the slightest ripple . SWADHYAYA, deep study means SRAVANA, reading or hearing spiritual truth,MANANA, with attention pondering over spiritual truth read or heard. NIDIDHYASANA, forming a definite conception of spiritual truth. In other words it means forming of an idea of the true faith about Self i.e what I am, where I came, where I shall go, what I have come for and other such matters concerning the Self. BRAHMANIDHANA, practice of meditation on Aum . It is is the merging of the self in the stream of Holy Sound of Pranva Aum. It manifests spontaneously through culture of SHRADDHA, VIRYA, SMIRTI, AND SAMADHI. Shraddha, the energetic tendency of the heart’s natural love. When this love appears in the heart, it removes all causes of excitations from the system and cools it down to a perfectly normal state and invigorating the vital powers,expels all foreign matter by natural way. It thereby makes man perfectly healthy in body and mind to understand the guidance of Nature. Virya means moral courage . It arises from Sraddha, directing one’s love towards the guru and from affectionately following his instructions. Firmness of moral courage can be attained, by the culture of Yama and Niyama . YAMA, the religious forbearances consists of abstention from cruelty, dishonesty covetousness, unnatural living and unnecessary possession. NIYAMA, the religious observances consists of purity in body and mind, contentment in all circumstances, obedience to holy precepts of the divine personages. Firmness of moral courage when attained, removes the eight-fold obstacles in the way of salvation : hatred, shame, fear, grief, condemnation, race prejudice, pride of pedigree and narrow sense of of respectability. By the removal of the above-mentioned eight obstacles magnanimity of heart comes in and this makes man fit for the practice of ASANA , PRANAYAMA, AND PRATYAHARA . Asana is remaining in steady and pleasant posture.
PRANAYAMA means control over prana, involuntary nerve electricities. If man can consciously put his entire nervous system voluntary and involuntary, to rest each day by practice of Pranayama, his whole physical system works with great vigour. PRATYAHARA means withdrawal of the senses from external objects. At the time of the enjoyments of the thing which one desires, if he directs his organs of senses, through which he enjoys, towards the object of his desire, he can never be satisfied, and his desires increase in double force. On the contrary, if he can direct his organs of sense inward toward his Self, at that time he can satisfy his heart immediately. So the practice of Pratyahara, the changing of the direction of the voluntary nerve currents inward, is a desirable way to fulfill his worldly desires. SMRITI means true conception. When expert in the afore-mentioned practices under Virya, man becomes able to conceive or feel all things of this creation by his heart. This true conception is called Smriti. SAMADHI means the true concentration. Fixing attention firmly on any object thus conceived,(i.e. ,on attaining Smiriti) when man becomes as much identified with it as if he were devoid of his individual nature, he attains the state of Samadhi.
When man directs all his organs of sense toward their common center, the sensorium, or Sushumnadwara, the door of the internal world, he perceives his God-sent luminous body of Radha, and hears the peculiar ‘knocking sound’, Pranava Sabda, the Word of God. Thus perceiving, man naturally believes in the existence or the true Spiritual light, and, withdrawing his self from the outer world , concentrates himself on the sensorium. This concentration of the self is called SAMYAMA
By this Samyama, man becomes absorbed in the holy stream of the Divine Sound. This absorption is Called Bhakti Yoga. In this state man repents, that is, turning from this gross material creation of Darkness, Maya, he climbs back toward his Divinity.
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