edit: dap 1, 10/6/96

1.1.1 FNS , 1.6.2 yama and niyama

Tonight I will speak upon the Yogic disciplines of Yama and Niyama. For these disciplines are very important in the life of a sadhaka. They must be practiced of one is to attain to sweet and subtle states of consciousness. Otherwise the mind is not prepared for these subtle influences of supreme love, the mind is rough like rough sand paper, it cannot appreciate the smoothness of the divine flow and so due to this roughness that flow goes unnoticed. If one wants to be able to perceive this divine flow it is very important to practice the disciplines of yama and niyama, the dos and don'ts of yogic life. For these dos and don'ts of yogic life are the very substance of your spiritual practice, they are the base, without them, the other practices are impossible.

One must have kindness for all beings, benevolence in every action, it is not fitting for a sadhaka, a practitioner of yoga to treat other people in a way that is harsh and harmful to them. Always when dealing with other people remember that they are the very expressions of Parama Purusha, caught in the physical body, caught in this imaginative flow of the creative universe. So when dealing with this people treat them as if they are in fact the supreme being in human form, treat them with love and kindness, with great compassion, have this for all beings, not only human beings, but the animals, the plants also. For all of these creatures want to further their existence, they want to move forward, they want to recognize the consciousness which is their origin and their composition. So treat all beings with great respect and reverence for the divinity that lies in all, for you yourself have that divinity within you, each and everyone, it is your inner nature and it is your birthright to have access to that divinity.

But how it is done? It is through the practice of kindness to all beings, to look to the welfare of all beings, to see the divinity that is around you, recognize it and respect it in all that exists. Not only is the Supreme undifferentiated state to be respected, but that divinity respect manifest in all beings must also be respected. To learn to perceive divinity around you is the call of your sadhana as well as to run to perceive it in the pure undifferentiated form, the crystalline essence which lies within. That divinity is in every expression of this universe, so when you respect it , when you appreciate it, when you treat all beings with kindness, with respect and compassion, it come closer to you, your vision expands. When you utilize your discrimination to maintain this perception, again your vision expands. And to do this it is very beneficial to use your words with great benevolence for others, to do your actions in a benevolent way.

Do not acquire that which you do not need, do not covet what belongs to others and to dedicate all of your desires, all of your actions unto to the divine, so that if you desire something, if you want some food, you think: oh, if I go to a certain Japanese restaurant, I will enjoy the food very much, I think, I will go there tonight. If you think like this, remember what it is you are desiring in that Japanese restaurant. It is the beauty, the finess that you find in the food, but where does this finess comes from and to whom does it belong? It is the expression of Parama Purusha, it is the expression of divinity which you are longing for and you have found in the pleasure of that food. So when you go to the restaurant and you take the food, remember it is truly that divinity that you are searching for in the essence of the pleasure of that food and with all the desires of the mind and of the body, remember this always, for the body in its own way when it seeks food, when it seeks delight it seeks divinity and the mind seeks also in all of the desires of the mind and the heart also in its longing to love and to be loved. So ascribe divinity to all that is around you and then take your desires and remember in each and every desire what it is truly you are longing for. And when you fulfill the desire, give it to Parama Purusha. Remember it is from Him and that which you receive is His gift to you. For He is always looking to your welfare, always caring for you, coming in so many forms in so many ways to care for your welfare, to take care for you, for you are His child and He will always care for you.

Doing these things, taking these remembrances will help with sadhana, keeping the mind pure, the body clean, keeping the thoughts pure and the heart pure will also make the mind fertile for sadhana. Taking rememberance of Him in all that you do and giving service without thought of return to every living being whom you encounter, taking the feeling I will serve the people in all that you do, even if it is the most simple thing. If you smile at a person when you give them the change at the counter, even in the most simple ways you may serve living beings, to bring light and happiness to others.

Both in large and small ways you may bring love and beauty to this world and this also makes the mind fit for sadhana and makes the mind feel contented. This feeling of contentment brings a human being into the realm of spiritual life. For there becomes in the mind a certain equanimity, a certain kindness that allows for meditation, the restless and hungry desires begin to subside and the mind becomes calm and content as it is, not seeking to be other than you are. Be who you are, what you are, here and now and loving yourself for your own divine expression. In this contentment there is peace, peace from the hungry desires, the strivings of life, to be more, to have more, to impress others, to acquire, to seek, all of these things are very wearing and the contentment is a very fine experience.

Now there is one more thing you may do to prepare the mind for spiritual practice and that is, each day to take a little time to read something inspiring, to contemplate the nature of reality, to explore the vastness of the universe, to take time to study the spiritual teachings, to realize what is the path of sadhana and how to direct the desires of the mind in a clear and systematic fashion towards the Infinite. This also will help so that meditation may be done in a successful fashion. All of these types of activities and ideations will help you to do your sadhana successfully. So that you may enjoy the sweet and infinite way of divine love which is ever being showered upon you and you may perceive that divinity all around you, closer than can be imagined. That is the great reward for your efforts to know divinity.