Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Itasca

Jay Shree Swaminarayan

How to control Kama?

Chapter-73

Attributes of Kama. How to judge a great person?

Three fold path to return to the conscious state from the superconscious.

On the thirtieth day of the second fortnight of the month of Chaitra of Samvat 1876; Shriji Maharaj, was seated at night on the verandah of his chambers facing north. He had put on a white and folded side cloth about his shoulders and has coverd his body with white cotton shawl. A white cloth was tied on his head in the shape of a turban senior. Four Saints inclusive of Muktanand Swami and fifty of the follwers were assembled before him. Then Gopalanand Swami asked, "What is Kama?" Shiiji Maharaj said, "Virya is Kama"." Whereopen Gopalanand Swami asked further, "Virya' is one of the seven potential ingriedients. Therefore, how can Virya be said to be the cause for the generation of the Kama? and how is Virya produced ?" Then Shriji Maharaj said, "The mind resides in the vein called Manovaha. When a thought generates in the, mind to indulge in sexual contact with a woman, Virya is produced from the blood which gets churned by the sexual desire just as butter is produced by churning curd. It then passes throught the vein Manovaha into the genital organ. One who does not allow Virya to pass in the gential organ is called celibate as he is capable of sustaining Virya upwards. Shri Krishna even while playing Rasa with the Gopis and with conjugal love with them, did not allow Virya to flow out, and was therefore called a Brahmachari, who substained Virya. Therefore Virya is Kama. One who controlls Virya has controlled Kama." Then Gopalanand Swami asked, "When the body is burnt after death, Virya is also burnt along with seven potential ingredients. Therefore, if Virya as Kama, when burnt along with body, the Kama is also burnt. But it is not so. Since when the Jiva takes up another body in the next birth, the sexual instinct again generates in the new body. How then is Virya said to be Kama ?" Ansering to this, Shriji Maharaj said, "Virya remains in the mind which is the sublte body. Out of this subtle body, the physical body is evolved. An evil spirit who possessed a subtle body enters a physical body to fulfil its desire for a conjugal intercourse with a woman. The woman as a result conceives and produces children. So it is said that Virya has its abiding place in the subtle body." Again Gopalanand Swami asked, "Lord Shiva was a ceribrate who could sustain Virya upward. But on seeing the seductive charms of Mohini he could not hold Virya which was instantaneously discharged. Therefore, one whose body possesses this potential element of Virya is sure to discharge the same by physical c6ntact with a woman or by a mental contact with her in dream. How, then so long as Virya is in the body wich is destined to be discharged, can be said to be a perfect celibrate?" Shriji Maharaj then answered, "It was a draw back in the Yogic perfection of Lord Shlva that he could not hold Virya upward. And one who undulges in the thought of a woman and discharges Virya in the waking state or in the dream state is not a perfect celibate. Perfect celibate; Rishi Narayan Since we all have sought refuge in him, by his grace we all shall gradually attain that state, Virya which resides in the body is burnt by a Yogi by verious Yogic feats; When Lord Krishna could subtain Virya in his body and did not allow to be discharged even after having contact with women, he performed an unparelled feat and this divine power belongs only to God. Therefore a yogi should take care not to undulge in the vitiating thought of a woman either in the waking state or in the state of dream." Then Shukmuni asked, "Lord Shri Krishna, as the king of Dwarika had married sixteen thousand one hundred and eight women, each of whom have ten sons and one daughter. How all at Vraj and that of Dwarika are both different. In Dwarika As behave in accordance with the principle of Samkhya Dharma which enunciate the principle of non-attachment in actions. The followers of Samkhya doctrine behave as Atma, Separate from the body, and even when involved in actions, he remains non-attached and beyond the influence of such Karmas which may be either beneficeant or maleficent. So Shri Krishna was beyond such contact. The Samkhya Principle was followed by king Janak and other Kings. A king who offers dedicated devotion to God and yet as a rular takes part in all kingly activities with a detached mind is said to have followed the Samkhya Principle. Shri Krishna was the King of Dwarka and was a householder, but as he behave with a detached mind, he was heyond all influence of such activities. In Vrindavan, Shri Krishna behaved as a Yogi and by his yogic powers could sustain Virya even during contact with women. He thus exhibited that he was NarNarayan, the divine celibate Kapildev, while addressing his mother devhooti, said in Shrimad Bhagvat, There is no one excepting Rishi Narnarayan, who was can overcome Maya in the form of a woman. "Shri Krishna therefore, subdues Kama even while remaining in contact with the Gopis of Vraj. When Rishi durvasa came to Vraj, Lord Shri Krishna asked all Gopis to go with the plates of food for Rishi Durvasa.

Then Gopis asked Lord Shri Krishna "How shall we go beyond, as the river Yamuna is in full spate?" Shri Krishna thereupon replied, "You tell river Yamuna that if Shri Krishna is a fullfledge celibate, please give way ! The Gopis three went and said so to the river, whereupon, river Yamuna gave them the way and Gopies offered food to Rishi Durvasa. then once again they asked Durvasa, "How shall we get back to other side?" Then the Rishi asked then, "Then how did you cross the river in arriving here?" The Gopis replied about what they did. Hearing this, Durvasa said, "You tell the river Yamuna that if Durvasa has been observing fast throughout his life, please' give us way." The Gopies were surprised to hear this since Durvasa had consumed all the food that' was offered by them. However, they came to the river and addressed her as per direction. Yamuna gave way to the Gopies. The Gopies, however, could not quite realize the significance of the words of Shri Krishna and Durvasa. Lord Shri Krishna was a perfect celibate in as much as evenwhile playing Rasa with the Gopies and indulging in all divine Leelas with them. Therefore he was a celibate. And Durvasa had become one with Vishwatma Lord Shri Krishna and as suh ,whatever food he had consumed, was accepted by Vishwatma Shri Krishna, and he forever stayed on fast. Therefore, the actions of such great are beyond the scope of comprehension of ordinary people. The followers of Samkhya theory may be found in plenty, but one who can hold his Virya upward with, perfect celibacy through his Yogic perfection is Rishi Narnarayana only. Or one who has surrender himself totally at the lotus feet of Rishi Naranarayana can attain perfection in the observance of the vow of the celibacy. But one who indulges in the thought about women and discharges Virya either in the waking state or in the dream state is not called a celibate. One who has, however, discarded the eight folded contact of woman and treads the path of celibacy will gradually attain perfection, When I was very young, I heard that Virya passes even through the perspiration. I, therefore, in order to hold Virya upward, learnt two types of Jalabasti and Kunjarkriya and learnt also some Yogic postures to control sexual impulses. At night, slept in Gorakh posture by which one does not discharge Virya in the dream state. By this posture, I could accomplish such great feat that no perspiration oozed from my person and I became immune to the effects of heat and cold. Then when I came to Ramanand Swami at Loj, Ramanand Swami administrated on my body some treatment based on the vegetables to the perspiration out and yet the treatment failed to yield the result. Therfore, it is very difficult to subdue Kama. However, one who has attached himself to God manifesting himself on earth and remains completely detached from the Panchvishayas can by the grace of God successfully fulfil the yow of celibacy.

Then Nityanand Swami asked, "Is it by hearing such talk that one becomes free from desires or is it by total detachment?"

Replying to this, Shriji Maharaj said, "Mere non-attachment can not help one to become free from material desires. Alone by itself, it would die. But Atmanishtha-the knowledge of one's own Atma- which is Sat Chit Anand and the knowledge that the body is separate from the Atma and is perishible should be developed. With this knowledge one can visualize the differance between Atma- the all pervading entity- and the physical body or even the cosmic body, both being ultimately mutable. And Purushottam Bhagwan, who transcends Akshar and who is the support of millions of macrocosms, is my absolute resort. By such intuitional musings Vairagya is generated which is replete with spiritual wisdom. The Vairagya, produced out of such profound knowledge never vanishes. As a small fire is extinguished by pouring some water Over it, but the Vadavanala fire which resides in the depth of the ocean is not extinguished even with the water of the whole ocean. Similarly, the Vairagya produced from such intense knowledge of Atma and Paramatma is like fire of lightning and Vadavanala fire. The Vairagya having no bases of such knowledge ultimately disappears. My natural aptitude is known only to those who are in very close contact with me. Those who are not in such contact with me, can not know me in my true form. This Mukund Brahmchari, eventhough looking so gullible knows me perfectly. He knows that like space I am beyond all influences. To everyone have I the same attachment but I make no distinctions. This knowledge of my divine self has infused in the Brahmchari all the redemptive attributes that belongs to God. Antaryamin the indwelling God- who dwells in all also inspires the Jivas to realise that the Brahmchari possesses such redemptive attributes. Again, such redemptive attributes can be imbibed by one who always hail God or his enlightened saint in human form as totally divine. And one who can not visualize such divine virtues of God or his saint does not get such virtues. He ultimately scatters under the vicious influence of such material and carnal desires. Even if he be in such Satsang, he will, never be relieved of his vitiating vices and will ultimately invite miseries, whereas one who is conversant with my nature will, feel that I have absolutely no attraction for all those material and carnal objects, and also for wealth, women, ornaments, sumptuous food etc. He knows that I am ever unattached to everything. However, when I allow some body to sit near me or with all compassion I give them spiritual sermons, are all for their redemption, whereas one who is deficient in such spiritual wisdom, even if he stays with or away from me, will never realize me in my intrinsic form. However, this divine knowledge can be attained only by one who has developed Atmanishtha-the knowledge of self- and with that Atmic Bhava has been offering worship to God. Even with such Brahm Bhava, he remains steadfast in his devotion to God. Vasana is annihilated only by developing Atmanishtha and by realizing the divinity in God who manifests on earth, with all his divine' powers and infinite greatness. When Vasana is totally destroyed, one bears the happiness and miseries of life according to is Prarabdha, but the poignancy of his Indriyas is completely sterilised. The mind is in a form of disc whose projections are the Indriyas.These Indriyas and mind Which have such sharpness to penetrate any material object, lose their sharpness when one realises the knowledge of the divine form of God who transcends Akshar even like a man who has sucked some lemon fmits and his teeth have become affected with acidity. He then can not even chew boiled gram, which he would swallow, if he were extremely hungry. Similarly, after such realization of the divine form of God with the developement of Atmic Bhava,one loses all the attractions for material Panchvishayas. He would then according to his Prarabdha enjoys the worldly Panchvishayas but would do so in a manner as is done by one who swallows boiled gram without knowing their taste. However, such state of desirelessness is very difficult to be accomplished since Vasana drags even those who are in meditational trance to enjoy bliss of Brahm. One, who goes into Samadhi and enjoys the bliss of Brahm can not return from such state, but if one does return to physical consciousness by leaving such blissful state, it is because of some material desires, or by his own divine powers. And one who is in the immature state of Sadhana is brought back to the waking state by one who has such divine powers to bring back from Samadhi. In such a blissful state, he enjoys the Darshan of Brahm respendent with the light of millions of suns. However, if he has not realized the glory of God-Parabrahma, he would underrate the God in human form -who is Lord Purushottam, and would feel that the blissful and resplendent Brahm seen in the meditational trance,transcendents the human God. This is a drawback in his cognition of the glory and divine powers of God in human form. Therefore,one should decisively know that God in human form possesses all divinity, powers, greatness and other redemptive attributes. I have also made the point that any one who is dedicated to me, mind and soul, will be cured by me of all his deficiencies."

Again Muktanand Swami asked, "How can one realize that a devotee is dedicated to you, fully mind and soul, and also one who is not so dedicated'?"

Then Shriji Maharaj said, "One who is dedicated to me, mind and soul, remains absolutely engrossed in listening to the divine talks relating to God and if he is absent from a place where the Lord is giving his Darshan, he would feel extremely agonised in heart by such loss. He would feel relieved only when he has Darshan again. As he goes on listening to the talks relating to God or enjoys his Darshan his attachment towards God becomes deeper and deeper. Again, when God desires to send some one to some place, one who is so dedicated would feel gratified in his mind to go to any place where God desires him to go. One who so willingly obeys God and feels happy only in behaving according to the. wishes of God,even if such devotee is thousands of miles away from God, God believes that he is near to him. One who is not so dedicated and even if he is in the vicinity of God, is away from God. I,would hesitate to give sermons to such a devotee who is not dedicated. These are the distinctive features of a devotee who is dedicated and of one who is not dedicated."

Thus Ends Vachanamrit : Gadhada Pratham - 73.