Sleep

Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Sleep is not the aim of life. It is a necessity. If you obtain a technique which enables you to do without sleep, then you are very fortunate.

Yogis sleep in samadhi. Worldly people sleep in ignorance. That is why sleep does not give them knowledge. Keep a mala by your side, practise mantra and then go to sleep. When your sleep is disturbed during the night, take up your mala and repeat your mantra. Do not try to sleep.

Yogis sleep less, therefore thank God that he made you get up early. Its only rakshashas who sleep a lot. Three hours is enough. If you fall asleep while repeating your mantra, your sleep will be of a higher quality. After a while, you will find that while you were asleep you were unconsciously repeating your mantra. Then you will be very close to happiness. Everybody should have this experience. It is very important.

January 1979, Barcelona, Spain