– control of the mind, 155–156: and control of palate, 133, 358; difficulty of, 377–378; Gandhi’s example of, 156; like control of wind, 378; repetition of mantram for, 17–18, 155, 366; requires meditation, 258, 380
– evenness of mind, 64, 319. See also Equanimity
– Stories: anticipating a concert, 155; E. takes student for walk, 373–374; elephant’s bamboo stick, 17–18. See also Attention; Equanimity; Mantram, repetition of; No-mind; Thoughts
Mine, concept of, 143
Mistakes: cannot taint the Self, 47; compulsion to make, 203; learning from, 277, 314, 359–360; not dwelling on, 184, 192, 241, 286, 314, 341, 365. See also Margin for experimentation
Moderation, see Middle Path
moksha, 12, 242
Monasticism, 269–270
Money: desire for, 190, 195, 204–205, 231, 233–234, 282; detachment from, 204–205, 259, 323; for selfless service, 271–272; Gandhi’s detachment from, 204, 271; has no value in itself, 62, 203–204, 271, 345. Story: necklace for a mango, 62. See also Profit, pursuit of
Movies, 19, 115, 124–125, 210
Muka, 349
Mystics, the great: example of, 42; influence of, 152–153, 295–296; pictures of, 16; readings in, 20; teach from experience, 326. Story: the soccer match, 285
Nachiketa, 15
naishkarmya, 152–153
Nakula, 29n.
* * *
N Top of Index
Needs of others, sensitivity to, 74– 75, 313, 365: the Buddha on, 277; fever of ego prevents, 184; requires meditation, 310–311. See also Putting others first; Welfare of all, living for
Negative attitudes, 384–385. Story: E. hears fiery sermon, 384
Negative emotions, transforming, 17, 40, 201, 210, 258, 358, 374–375, 377–378. Story: surfing, 201
Nervous system: allergy and, 128, 242; preoccupation with results and, 312; reconditioning of, 129, 194–195, 321–322; relaxation of, 354; two-way traffic of, 128–129, 194. See also Likes and dislikes
neti, neti, path of, 122
Nirvana, 326–327: is extinction of self-will, 177, 197, 339; is extinction of separateness, 145, 212, 339; is found in this life, 357; is seeing unity, 12, 136, 339; is supreme goal, 326–327; is the other shore, 284
nitya and anitya, 27.
No-mind, 141
Nonattachment, 350–351. See also Detachment
Nonviolence, 97–98, 102, 178, 220, 223, 314. See also Gandhi, M. K.
Notebook for meditation, 208
Nutrition, 133–134. See also Eating; Food; Palate, control of; Vegetarian diet
* * *
O Top of Index
Obstacles, 102, 330, 381
Occupation, 169–170, 197, 311 312. See also Work
Om mani padme hum, 17
One–pointedness, 18–19, 349–350. See also Attention; Concentration; Mind, one-pointed
Opinions, identification with, 113–114, 207–208, 210–211, 224, 318, 335, 349, 380. Story: ‘how true’ in the margin, 207–208
Other shore, 284–285
Overeating, see Eating; Palate, control of
* * *
P Top of Index
Pain, see Pleasure and pain; Suffering
Palate: demands of, 52, 110; influence of advertisements on, 133
– control of palate, 110, 358: and control of the mind, 133, 156, 358; artistry of, 121–122, 322, 357, 358; Gandhi on, 133, 156; to overcome physical consciousness, 83, 225, 275; strengthens the will, 110
pancakshara mantram, 57
Pancashara, 139
Pandavas, 27
para, 301–302. See also Spiritual wisdom
parampara, 215
Parents, 112–114: choose movies, books, TV, 210; competing with children, 37–38; deserve their children, 328, 386; identify with opinions, 113–114; importance of example of, 112–113, 174–175, 177–178; influence by attitudes, 248; require detachment, 113–114, 227–228; respect for, 347. See also Children; Personal relationships
Partha (Arjuna), 87n.
Parthasarathi (Krishna), 229
Passages, inspirational, see Inspirational passage
Past, the: dwelling upon, 49; falls away, 241, 286; mistakes of, do not taint, 47. See also Mistakes
Patanjali, 118: on desires, 125, 142; on enthusiasm, 329; on meditation, 118, 378
Patience, capacity for: E.’s Grandmother on, 288; in personal relationships, 107; is difficult to acquire, 31; released through meditation, 44; with children, 174–175; with ourselves, 191
Paul, St., 62, 106
Peace: basis of, 30, 160–161; contributing to, 58, 306; is indivisible, 330. See also shanti
Perennial philosophy, 235
Perfection: Meister Eckhart on, 340–341
Personal relationships: attraction and aversion in, 182, 194; built on physical level, 61, 120, 125–128; central law of, is putting others first, 121, 127–129, 220, 335–336, 347–348, 376; competition in, 37–38; effect of I-consciousness on, 106–107; freedom from tension in, 348; manipulation in, 30, 227, 348; meditation and, 297–298, 303; moving closer in difficult, 264–265, 320, 377; overcoming likes and dislikes through, 122, 128–129, 194–195, 300–301; patience in, 107, 376; realizing unity in, 37, 39–40, 129, 268, 288, 336; reincarnation and, 328, 386; respect in, 30, 121, 347; restraint in, 322; self-will in, 19, 106–107, 200, 208, 227–228; stimulus and response in, 347–348; use of mantram in agitated, 75, 89, 175, 264, 297. See also Children; Family context; Husband and wife; Men and women; Parents; Putting others first
Personal satisfaction, pursuit of, 199: and krodha, 199, 330–331; bars way to Lord within, 41, 167, 228, 330; becomes dull, 363; brings insecurity, 276; E.’s Grandmother on, 239–240; effect on environment, 204–205, 282; entanglement in results of, 250–251, 336–337; forgetting, 50, 228, 241, 371; is fiercest enemy, 206; is ignorance of unity, 41, 251; is lurid dream, 11; living for, is stealing, 162; makes mask of separateness, 167; personified as Ravana, 209; prevents access to deeper resources, 187, 239–240, 371; prevents freedom in action, 167–168, 239, 257; wrong basis for personality, 212. Stories: dogs chasing rainbow, 33; hide and seek, 158–159; swallows at Ramagiri, 370–371. See also Desires, selfish; Pleasure, pursuit of; Power, pursuit of; Prestige, pursuit of; Profit, pursuit of
Personality, 73–74, 76, 77, 167
Pets, 282–283. See also Unity of life
Philo of Alexandria, 12–13
Physical consciousness, see Body consciousness
Physical level: food traps one on, 275; relationships built on, 61, 120, 125–128; rising above, 60–61, 62, 71, 76, 82–83, 202, 219, 225–226, 365. Story: Ramakrishna’s dhoti, 82–83. See also Body consciousness; Body, physical, identification with
Pleasure and pain: alike in, 85–86, 99, 109, 260–262, 321–322, 343; and nervous system, 128, 242, 321–322; beyond, is joy, 109, 261–262, 321; cannot be isolated, 27, 33, 109, 260, 321; E.’s Grandmother on, 85, 321; identification with, 86; Ramana Maharshi on, 261–262. See also Equanimity; shreya and preya
Pleasure, pursuit of: cannot satisfy, 11, 33–34, 42, 282, 324–325, 389; causes insensitivity, 170–171; constricts consciousness, 19; experience and, 190, 363; influence of mass media on, 33–34; like bringing foam from beach, 324–325; like mustard seed in camel’s mouth, 233; like peanut in an elephant’s mouth, 42. See also Personal satisfaction, pursuit of; Pleasure and pain
Political office, 250–251
Pollution, 40, 355. See also Ecology; Environmental crisis
Postponement, 94, 236–237, 341. Story: coconut prices, 236
Posture for meditation, 16, 351–352, 353–355
Power, pursuit of, 206–207, 250–251, 336–337. See also Personal satisfaction, pursuit of
Practice, regular, see Meditation, regular practice of
Praise and blame, 86–87, 97–99, 260–262, 263, 312. Story: applause machine, 260. See also Equanimity
prajna, 148. See also Knowing, higher mode of
prakriti, 179–180, 190
prana, 137–138, 273. See also Vital energy
Prestige, pursuit of, 239–240, 250–251, 257. See also Personal satisfaction, pursuit of
preya, 27
Procrastination, see Postponement
Profit and loss, see Equanimity
Profit, pursuit of: agitates the mind, 87; constricts consciousness, 19; delusion of, 11, 195, 282; E’s Grandmother on, 239–240; effect on environment, 204–205, 282; effect on nervous system, 312; is impractical, 188; work motivated by, 195, 239, 257, 276–277, 290, 312. See also Money; Personal satisfaction, pursuit of
Purification, 69–70, 275, 351. See also Mind, purified
purnata, 138
purusha, 179–180, 190
Putting others first, 19–20: always an opportunity for, 141, 256; brings joy, 110, 127, 220, 336; brings security, 188, 220; deepens devotion, 132; difficulty of, 46–47, 53, 110, 335; follows Gandhi’s example, 168; frees tension, 348; guards against competition, 207; in family, 20, 110–111, 121, 129, 135–136, 141, 264, 293, 300–301, 336, 389; includes animals, 283; is secret of love, 283, 335; is serving the Lord, 262; is supreme offering, 277; overcomes selfish desires, 209; overcomes separateness, 356; reduces self-will, 62, 129, 170, 181, 348; requires control of senses, 121; strengthens the will, 110; teaches patience, 44; weakens tyranny of senses, 123. See also Family context; Selfless action; Selfless service; Welfare of all, living for
* * *
R Top of Index
Radha and Krishna, 167, 228
Rahim, al-, 342
raja yoga, 152, 378
Rajas, 93, 150, 180, 235: Transformation of, 94, 237–238
Rama: and Kama, 41; and Sita, 146; conquers Ravana, 209; feet of, 146; is joy, 41, 262, 322, 344; sacred spring of, 145–146
Rama, Rama, 17, 144, 254, 262, 274, 308–309
Ramagiri, 250, 266, 315, 318–319, 349, 371–372
Ramakrishna, Sri: a divine incarnation, 176; describes the soccer match, 285; his physical beauty, 69; his simile of the jackfruit, 299; lost his dhoti, 82–83; on detachment, 299; on incarnations, 223; on love of God, 131–132; on Rama and Kama, 92; on renunciation, 292; on the ripe ego, 225; says God is personal and impersonal, 148; says world is a hospital, 135; was never involved in the world, 152; passim
Ramana Maharshi, Sri: a saint’s saint, 278; absorbing awareness of, 280–281; an avatara, 152; attitude to his body, 72, 135; effect of his presence, 152–153, 295–296; example of jnana yoga, 149; example of naishkarmya, 152– 153; his ‘Who am 1?’, 289; illumination of, 145, 153, 221; is a keyhole, 55, 281; Somerset Maugham and, 61; on death, 58–59, 62; on pleasure and pain, 261–262; on posture for meditation, 351; on selfishness, 106; was never involved in the world, 152–153; passim
Ramarajya, 109
Ramdas, Swami, 41, 46
Ravana, 209
Ray, Satyajit, 124
Razor’s Edge, 61
Reading, see Books and reading
Reality, 9, 11, 66–68. See also nitya
Rebellion, 177
Reincarnation: and death, 72; and karma, 327–328; and meditation, 386–388; and memory, 61–62, 219; and personal relationships, 328, 386; and sadhana, 385, 387–389; like going back to school, 218; Somerset Maugham on, 61; no need to believe in, 61, 72–73, 218. Story: bus depot, 328. See also Bardo
Religion: definition of, 26; equality of all, 230–231
Renunciation, 292–296: compared to selfless action, 294–296, 304; Gandhi on, 293; of self-will, 292, 298, 304; of selfish attachments, 259, 284–285, 304; of the ego, 293, 298, 312–313; Ramakrishna on, 259, 292; stages of, 284–285. Story: eating the jackfruit, 298–299
Resentments: the Buddha on, 49; cause delusion, 127; cause of, 88–89; overcoming with meditation, 363, 366; tear apart, 370; transforming, 95; unhealthy, 70
Respect, 121, 317–319, 347, 376
Restlessness: a call to meditation, 214, 238, 388; can be harnessed, 214; falling away of, 363; is rajas, 180
Results, detachment from, 97–102, 249–251, 312. See also Expectations; Means and ends; Success and failure
Retaliation, 35, 141, 166–167, 220, 264, 370: E.’s Grandmother on, 264
Right occupation, see Occupation; Work
Rights and duties, 106–107
Rumi, Jalalu’l-Din, 219, 342
* * *
S Top of Index
Sadhana: advantage of long, 225; beginning context for, 191, 197, 385; benefits of, 40-41, 293; do not compare, 191, 192–193; in family context, 389; is reconditioning of nervous system, 321– 322; motive in early, 191, 311; must be sustained, 282; need for work in, 150, 157–158, 197; pace of, 191–192; Ramdas on, 41; reincarnation and, 385, 387–389; svadharma in, 197; vigilance in early, 321. See also Spiritual disciplines
Sahadeva, 29n.
Salvation, 12
Samadhi: all doubts cease in, 383; ends body identification, 82, 219; ends cravings, 119; experience of unity in, 59; is complete freedom, 331–332; is death of ego, 62; is deliverance from time, 59; mind ready for, 103; no past or future in, 144; St. Paul on, 62; Ramana Maharshi on, 59; Ramdas on, 41; those who will not attain, 92. See also Unitive state
samsara, 68, 108, 134, 390
Samskaras: making of, 70, 86; rebirth and, 328, 386; repetition of mantram and, 93; using unfavorable, 329
Sanjaya, 25
sankalpa, 336–337, 364. Story: girl daydreams and dances, 336
sankhya, 87–88
sannyasa, 294, 298. See also Renunciation
sat, 67
satsang, 20
Sattva, 93–95, 150, 180, 235, 238
Scriptures: central theme of, 27, 43–44; meant to be practiced, 26, 43
Sea of life, 283–285
Second birth, 165: Meister Eckhart on, 166
Security: concentration brings, 138; is found in mutual trust, 30, 38; is within, 89–90, 136, 144, 232, 260–261, 323, 326, 339; living for others brings, 30, 90, 188, 220
Self, the, 9, 73–74: beauty of, 363; discovering, 58; ego usurped throne of, 34; is al-Rahim, 342; is beyond the gunas, 180–181; purity of, 47, 370. See also Atman; Lord within, the
Self-conquest: the Buddha on, 31
Self-naughting, 293. See also Putting others first
Self-pity, 48–50
Self-realization, 12, 16, 90–91, 136, 149, 197, 241
Self-will: anger and, 19, 199–200; angles and corners of, 304; battle against, 23–24, 30–31, 43–44, 46, 177; E.’s Grandmother on battle against, 43, See also War within; death of, 315; demolish, like an old building, 375; detachment from, 335; difficulty of going against, 53, 366; effect on body and mind, 383; expressed in opinions, 208, 335; fever of, 183–184; hides the Atman, 167, 180; increases separateness, 106–107; is kama, 199; is only barrier to the Lord, 37, 50, 57, 304; is unnatural state, 370; likes and dislikes and, 129; obsessive attachment to, 111; on national level, 200; preventing, in children, 112–114, 227; renunciation of, 292–293, 298, 304; sense restraint and, 122; sorrow needed to overcome, 359–360. Story: Geetha learns to read, 342. See also Separateness
– extinguishing self-will: Ansari of Herat on, 144, 197; brings deeper resources, 186–187, 256; brings freedom, 168, 339; brings intentional living, 361; brings joy, 167; by living for others, 170, 181; eliminates fear, 356; ends sorrow, 359–360; St. Francis’s capacity for, 143; in family context, 19–20, 37, 129, 110–111, 256, 304–305, 389; is nirvana, 177, 197, 339; is supreme offering to the Lord, 269; Jesus on, 143; meditation is demolition equipment for, 375; requires meditation, 310–311, 351. Story: Krishna’s flute, 167, 228
Selfish attachments, see Attachments, selfish
Selfish desires, see Desires, selfish; Kama
Selfish satisfaction, see Personal satisfaction, pursuit of
Selfless action, 97–99, 149–160, 248–251, 294–296, 305–307: is a necessity, 98–99, 157, 159, 236, 249, 306; is bitter at first, 157; secret of, 101–102, 239, 243, 25
0, 310; works out karma, 248
– path of selfless action, 97, 101–102, 149, 294–296: compared to renunciation, 269–270, 294–296, 304; is based on meditation, 152, 304, 334, 336, 390–391
– See also Gandhi, M. K.; Inaction in action; Putting others first; Selfless service; Welfare of all, living for
Selfless cause, giving to, 159, 271–273, 276–277, 290
Selfless goal, 97, 100, 185, 250– 251. See also Means and ends; Results, detachment from
Selfless service, 97–102, 162–170, 178, 268–273, 276, 308–312: brings security, 160; capacity for, 13–14, 44, 165–166, 249–250; deepens meditation, 152, 306; deeper resources for, 44, 77, 101–102, 165, 170, 186–187, 230, 239–240, 249–250, 252, 260, 306, 337; E.’s Grandmother on, 13, 165; gives value to life, 345; harnessing restlessness for, 94, 238; is a choice, see Choices; is householder’s path, 169–170, 269–270, 306; is ladder on spiritual path, 338; is yajna, 159–160, 271–273, 276; Jesus on, 290; keeping the body fit for, 69, 157, 163, 270, 275, 308; kundalini and, 140; meditation requires, 94, 248, 297–298, 306, 310; requires detachment, 159, 168–169; requires selfless goal, 98–99, 249–250; transforms environment, 165, 297, 306. Stories: the elephant’s eye, 14, 165; the tamarind tree, 13. See also Self less action; Welfare of all, living for; Work, without selfish motive
Selflessness, 180, 380
Sense cravings, 91–93: present for a long time, 92–93, 119, 201–202; rebellion against, 177; strengthening, 205–206. Story: man pursued by tiger sees a mango, 108. See also Desires, selfish
Sense-indulgence: brings anger, 126–127; effect on body and mind, 69, 383
Sense pleasure, see Pleasure, pursuit of
Sense restraint, 19, 133, 365–366: and self-will, 122; brings joy, 127; necessary for capacity to put others first, 121–122; not negation, 19, 270; parents must practice, 112–113; selfless service is motive for, 270, 275; sincere and sustained effort in, 119, 155; strength needed for, 51, 366; to remove veils, 203; to rise above physical consciousness, 202. See also Meditation and allied disciplines
Senses: and sense objects, 63, 182–183, 194; can sweep away, 120, 126–127, 365–366; clamor of, 51, 52–53, 133, 365; closing down of, 332; control of, 69, 115, 121, 123, 182, 360–361, 364–366; exploited by media, 115, 125; identification with, 33–34, 58, 68, 144; Kama and, 208; like a puppy, 208–209; like wild horses, 126, 282; thrill of battle against, 202; training, 19, 116, 118–119, 122, 133, 208–210, 270, 275, 282, 350, 357–358; withdrawing, 114, 116. Story: cars without drivers, 361. See also Ears; Eyes; Palate; Sex