It is not important for us to seek liberation or salvation; it is more important for us to seek purity of mind, heart and intention. That is the biggest challenge in the life of everyone, including disciples, for after all disciples are ordinary beings, normal people. There is nothing exceptional about it. You can claim that you are a disciple for fifty, sixty, seventy years, yet the traits of the mind are still the same which you had fifty, sixty years ago. That has not changed. The same cantankerous behaviour and nature still continues to exist. The only thing is you believe that you are a disciple, you are a follower.
Therefore, the effort of every individual must be to attain purity of heart and mind. Nothing more. If these two are achieved, everything is achieved in life. You do not have to look any further. You do not have to seek samadhi. You do not have to practise meditation. You do not have to do anything in life. Just purity of heart and mind. Attainment of purity of heart and mind is the greatest yoga, as it creates the union between the consciousness contained here, with the consciousness which is universal. That is the union that yoga speaks about; yoga means union of individual spirit with the cosmic spirit.
We think of yoga as physical and mental and psychic, as gymnastics, holding the breath, moving the body, turning the body upside down. We believe that we have become good yogis. This is important to create the right condition of pranas. It is important to create the right balance in the body and mental structure, yet this is only preparation. The real yoga is experienced when you are able to clean your life of all the negative and destructive that is within you. For that, awareness has to come. People have the gift of language, intelligence, expression, yet is our language, behaviour, expression the appropriate one, the constructive, positive, uplifting one? Or are we always trying to manipulate each other and satisfy our own selfish needs and desires?
Even friendship does not mean anything as it is only a self-oriented relationship. This self-oriented relationship is manipulation. It is not a clear expression of the heart; it is manipulation of mind. If you are friends with somebody, you can turn the head of that person against everyone else. It is only manipulation of idea, it is manipulation of thought, it is manipulation of everything in life, which you call friendship. This is the reality for there is no purity of intention or emotion, there is no understanding of self, ambition or ego. We think we are pure. There are people who behave like saintly people, yet that is only an external façade, as inside they are the most rotten people. Why do you have to behave like a holy person, when you can be yourself? Why can’t you be yourself, and be the best of yourself? If you can be the best of yourself, you are realized. If you try to copy others, then that is hypocrisy.
In the life of my master, I see this purity, and this connection with his master. That is the inspiration which I received from them, ‘Niranjan, clean your heart, clean your mind. Do not be friends with anybody. Be a well-wisher to all.’ It is to that person who has inspired me to tread the luminous path, that I offer my respects, and I honour him in every way possible.
Guru Bhakti Yoga is a learning for us to connect with the luminous, positive and creative aspect of our nature. It is the Guru element, the luminous element that we seek in life. It is the connection with that luminous and uplifting element, and the identification with it, which is known as Guru Bhakti Yoga – to come together, connect and unite with that purity, which is always auspicious, benevolent and uplifting.
Let us remember the message of today: no matter where we are in this world, no matter what conditions and circumstances we live in, let us always make the effort to clean our mind and our heart, of all the negative, and experience inner purity.
6 May 2023, Ganga Darshan, Munger