The Tower of the WordSWAMI ADBHUTANANDA 1

SOME KIND OF EXCUSE will always be found by those who donot perform japam, yet if one will make a practice of repeat-

ing the holy Name, the Name itself will take hold of the

mind.

Of a surety the mind is restless, drunk with worldly at-

tachment, and it is this attachment that drags it down. This

is why Sri Krishna taught Arjuna non-attachment to objectsand actions, and why he taught him the practice of devotion.

Through the regular practice of repeating the holy Namethe mind will gradually become tranquil. Practice discrimi-

nation, and whenever the mind runs after sense-objects dis-

criminate between the Real and the unreal. Know every

sense-object to be transitory; today it is, tomorrow it is not.

You will find that though you add together all the transitory,

finite objects that this world can give you, you cannot find

the Reality, you cannot find the Infinity. There is one in-

finite existence: That is Brahman That is the Reality. All

else is unreal.

Impress these thoughts again and again upon the mind,and as the mind receives the impressions, true discrimination

will arise.

Once Rama gave a string of pearls to his devotee Hanu-man. Hanuman examined each pearl carefully, opened one

of them with his teeth, and then threw them away. When.

* Translated from the teachings of Swami Adbhutananda as recorded by a

disciple. Swami Adbhutananda, or Latu Maharaj, as he was known to the

circle of devotees of Sri Ramakrishna, came to the Master when quite young.He was the servant boy of a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna. He became one of

the monastic disciples of the Master. Latu Maharaj never knew how to read

or write. From Sri Ramakrishna he learned the art of reading the book of

knowledge which is within every human soul. Whatever he himself taughtlater came directly from that same source-book of wisdom the knowledge of

God.

'54

155 *The Tower of the Word

Lakshmana, who had been watching him, saw this, he angrilyexclaimed: "The value of a pearl necklace cannot be recog-nized by a fool!" Rama then asked Lakshmana to enquire of

Hanuman the reason for his action, and upon being ques-tioned Hanuman replied: "I opened the pearl to see if the

holy Name was there. The necklace is worthless if Rama is

not in it."

Always discriminate between the Real and the unreal. Tokeep the power of discrimination awake in the mind is the

greatest exercise of tapas (austerity). He who has learned to

discriminate can successfully overcome lust and craving. First

of all, the mind must be swept clean of all the undesirable

thoughts which arise, they must not be allowed to enter

through the doors of the senses, and as they creep in, the

power of discrimination must be brought into play; the

lower mind must be conquered by the discriminating mind.

Then alone will the heart be purified, and then alone will

God be revealed.

Until the heart and mind are consecrated to God throughmeditation, one cannot completely overcome lust and craving.

The mind alone is the field wherein is planted the seed of

lust. This seed is nurtured by the sense organs within and

the sense objects without. Thus it increases and multiplies.The weeds that grow from it have to be uprooted, the seed

has to be destroyed, and the holy Name of God sown in its

place. Constant repetition of the holy Name will nurture

the seed and cause it to bring forth much fruit. Sri Rama-krishna used to say: "Where there is craving there is no

Rama, where there is Rama there is no craving."There is another saying of Sri Ramakrishna: "Put on the

armor of the holy Name and overcome the enemy of lust."

The seeds of lust and craving may be burnt by japam; for

such is the power of the holy Name of God. The Word is

God. The Word is the Reality. Through the practice of

japam its magnetic atraction is felt, and as the mind becomes

more deeply drawn into the spiritual current which flows

toward the Real, lust, which is unreal, loses its hold and is

swept away.It is also true that the power of the Word works even while

one sleeps. He who practices japam continues to repeat the

VEDANTA For The Western World 156

Name in all states of consciousness waking, dreaming, and

dreamless sleep. Just as the body continues to breathe, so

does the mind continue to repeat the Name even in sleep.

Thus the aspirant is able to overcome the evil impressions

of the subconscious mind also.

The mind is a storehouse of lust and craving. From this

storehouse some evil elements rise to the surface, while

others may remain hidden, dormant, unrecognized. Now the

more one practices spiritual disciplines, the nearer one moves

toward the light of God, the purer one becomes in body and

mind, the more clearly will the evil impressions of one's

many, many past lives be revealed. The "heat" produced by

the practice of japam will draw them out, and that same

"heat" will destroy them. The power of the Word is supreme,No more will the mind be troubled by the restless waves

of lust and craving; by the power of the Word the mind be-

comes pure, transformed, renewed. Upon the pure mind the

power of God descends. Unto the pure heart Reality is

revealed.

^Meditation

SWAMI ADBHUTANANDA

MANY AND VARIED are the forms of meditation. One form is

that in which Brahman is likened to a boundless ocean, andthe jiva to a fish, swimming happily about, feeling the sooth-

ing, living presence everywhere. In another form the body is

regarded as a vessel, and the mind as water pure as crystal

upon which is reflected the sun of Satchidananda Existence,

Knowledge and Bliss. Yet again Brahman may be meditated

upon as the limitless ocean, and the jiva as a vessel sub-

merged in it, the water of Brahman within and without

everywhere. Again one may think of oneself as a bird soar-

ing blissfully through the sky of Satchidananda. These and

many other forms are known to the followers of the path of

knowledge.God is with form and without form. God in His absolute,

formless aspect is meditated upon by the followers of the

path of knowledge; but the devotee holds on to the nameand form of God, and meditates upon Him with form.

Various are the names and forms of God, which are but dif-

ferent aspects of the one Reality.The guru and the Avataras are also forms of God, and the

devotee takes one form and meditates upon that as his

Chosen Ideal. While absorbed in meditation the devotee mayhave visions of the different forms of God. These must be

regarded as but different aspects of the one Chosen Ideal.

Forms are many, but the Reality is one. To emphasize this

truth Sri Ramakrishna would give the simile of the cha-

meleonwhich changes its color, yet remains the same. Thus

by devotion to the Chosen Ideal the devotee soon realizes

that God assumes many forms, and yet is also formless.

The devotee meditates on the Holy Name and form of

God, and the follower of the path of knowledge meditates

157

VEDANTA For The Western World 158

on the relation and identity of jiva with Brahman. But

whichever path is followed, the one and the same state of

spiritual consciousness is attained by each. When, by medi-

tating on name and form one attains a depth in meditation,

both name and form vanish; when, by meditating on the re-

lation of the jiva and Brahman one attains a depth in medi-

tation, relation also vanishes. There remains in both a spir-

itual current which words cannot describe.

Sri Rarnakrishna once said that in the depths of meditation

there arises the consciousness of the impartite, the indivisible

Reality. Body is forgotten, mind ceases to function there

remains pure Consciousness.

There is a difference between ecstasy and samadhi. In

ecstasy the aspirant experiences bliss, he sees the play of the

Divine; in samadhi the aspirant becomes blissful. The experi-

encer, the experience, and the experienced become one.

To see the light in vision during meditation is not enough,

though it is true that such a vision or any other vision serves

to strengthen the faith, and encourage the aspirant to go

deeper and deeper. Only when the physical consciousness is

gone, when the heart becomes pure, can one really knowthat there is a deeper and vaster realm beyond the realm of

spiritual visions.

The knowledge of the existence of this realm cannot be

grasped by the human mind, nor can words define it. The

grace of the Guru alone can open the gates to that blissful

realm. One day while massaging the head of Sri Ramakrishnathe door to that realm suddenly opened before me. What I

saw, the eyes could not hold, what I tasted the tongue could

not express. It was a definite experience beyond all expres-sion.

If you would know and enter into that kingdom, let the

tongue tirelessly chant the name of God, let the heart andmind become absorbed in His meditation. Sooner or later,

through His grace, you will surely know and enter into that

blissful realm.

Be absorbed in meditation. Be absorbed so that the world

becomes annihilated, and only you exist, you and your Be-

loved shining in your heart. As one becomes established in

the meditative life there comes a control over the mind.

159 ^Meditation

Then alone can one know his own mind, how and in whatdevious ways it works. He becomes immediately aware of

any tricks the mind would try to play. The old habits of

hatred, jealousy, and all the passions will no longer have the

power to raise any wave in the mind. They will graduallyrecede, and eventually disappear.

Many changes come in one who lives the contemplativelife. The character becomes transformed, the body also

changes, the voice becomes sweet; he breathes differently. Atruly meditative man can be recognized by his movements,his face, his eyes. He has wonderful poise, his mind is tran-

quil. With eyes opened or with eyes closed, engaged in what-

ever occupation, he meditates constantly and continuously.The current of thought flows unceasingly toward his Be-

loved. Just as a person suffering from acute toothache is

constantly reminded of it, so is the aspirant constantly aware

of the living Presence.

Do not sleep the sleep of ignorance. Keep yourself con-

stantly awake by the practice of spiritual disciplines. With-

out spiritual practice life is meaningless, the truth of Godremains unknown. People quarrel over theories and dogmasof religion, but those who devote their lives to the attain-

ment of the bliss of God, and know the Reality, have no

quarrel with other faiths, nor do they antagonize them, for

they speak the same tongue.

IZrahman andSWAMI ADBHUTANANDA

THE TRUE BEING in man is ever free, ever pure, and remainsever untouched by good or evil. Good and evil have no abso-

lute reality. They exist only so long as man identifies him-

self with the ego, the false self. When the ego is completelyannihilated, man is freed from the false knowledge of dualityor relativityof good and evil.

Good and evil exist only so long as man thinks himself to

be the doer of actions. If through the grace of the Infinite

Being he is freed from this consciousness of ego, then the

idea of good or bad no longer exists for him.

Merit and demerit are the effects of karma. Because of the

sense of attachment to the false ego, man is subject to this

law. As a man sows, so does he reap. The law of karma op-erates within the realm of Maya. Man, identifying himself

with the ego, becomes bound by Maya.In creation and destruction, in happiness and misery, in

success and failure, in every domain of duality is Maya's play.Such is her nature, and man, because of ignorance, is caughtin the play. But he who is freed from the bondage of Mayais guided by the Infinite Being, and in His guidance finds

everlasting joy, everlasting peace, everlasting blessedness.

There no waves of duality can arise. There is only the oneInfinite Ocean of peace and joy.

Maya of itself has no independent existence. As Sri Rama-krishna has said: "The wave is of the ocean, not the oceanitself." Similarly Maya is of the Infinite Being, but is not the

Infinite Being Itself. Therefore, the bondage and control of

Maya cannot be said to be the same as the control and guid-ance of God. Yet true it is that the ultimate purpose of the

play of Maya is to lead man Godward to the Infinite Re-

ality. All will ultimately reach God.160

1 6 1 ^Brahman and

Unattached and with perfect balance Maya plays her dual

role. On the one hand it is she who lulls man into forgetful-

ness of his true nature, and again it is she who awakens himto the consciousness of God. Within her domain are all the

dual throng. And why? That man may overcome evil with

good and finally transcend both. So we see that while Mayaappears to bind, yet by this same bondage man is led toward

freedom, albeit along a winding and tortuous pathway, for

only after many births and much suffering does he finally

recognize the inscrutable play of Maya and surrender himself

to her liberating power.One truth is certain. Whether he wills to find God in this

present life, or after many more lives of suffering and bond-

age, sooner or later man mutt seek to find God with whole-

hearted devotion. And as he seeks Him, he finds Him.God is the Infinite Existence. In Him there is neither east

nor west, neither within nor without, neither above nor

below. He permeates all spacehe is woven warp and woof

into all things. He is immanent, all-pervadingunaffected

by forms or boundaries. He is all and He transcends all. Sri

Ramakrishna used to say: "Everything but the Truth of

Brahman has been defiled through the lips of man." Nowords can express the glory of God. Sri Ramakrishna wouldoften wish to reveal the truth of Brahman to his disciplesbut his lips were sealed as it were by the Divine Mother

Herself,

Brahman is Truth, and whosoever observes truthfulness

and wills to know Truth shall surely attain it. The power to

will is the greatest gift bestowed upon man, and nothing can

stand against one whose will is awakened. Will and impulseor desire, however, must not be confused. Impulse or desire

is a degeneration of the will. What is it that man truly wills?

It is the attainment of Ananda, that everlasting peace, andthis is attained only by finding the Satchidanandar-the Infi-

nite Being, the Infinite Wisdom, and the Infinite Love.

The true purpose of human birth is to fulfill this one, this

only will, to realize God which is truly the motive powerbehind all other desires. Unhappy is the man who forgetsthis purpose, and loses himself in the meshes of petty desires

and impulses. Desiring first one thing, then another and yet

FEDANTA For The Western World 162

again something else is but impulse, and can be likened unto

a man, who, desiring to sink a well, digs first in one placeand then in another, never completing one well, and never

reaching the water. Not by such impulses and desires can

the thirst for God be quenched. Therefore, I say unto you,will to attain the Truth, the Kingdom of Self.

This Kingdom is never lost. It may lie hidden, covered

with dirt, but it is forever within. Brahman is ever pure, ever

free, self-luminous, and that Brahman is one's very Self. Justas a gold vessel may be covered with dirt, yet lose nothing of

its true nature, so the true Self lies hidden within, and re-

mains forever unaffected by the dirt of ignorance covering it.

Man is ever conscious of the existence of this Self. Everytime he says "my body/

1

"my mind," "my intelligence/' etc.,

he unconsciously admits the existence of an "I," of a "Self."

Because of this ignorance which clouds man's true Self, he is

unable to manifest his real nature. Hence the necessity of

spiritual disciplines, and the firm will to unfold this latent

divinity.