Sadhus in the Snow

After nine years in the heat of the Borrego Desert, it was a new experience to find ourselves in the midst of a Thanksgiving Day snow here in our new home in the Sandia Mountains. Fortunately the sunny skies of New Mexico bring a quick thaw, and until then we enjoyed the sight of the snow-blanketed mountains.

At left, Kwan Yin meditates unperturbed by the winter snow in our front yard.

A Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita–by Swami Nirmalananda Giri

The Divine and the Demonic

In every religious tradition we have the idea of two ways to live in this world or two kinds of people to be found in this world. And in each tradition there are several forms of this classification. So now in this sixteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita we find what is no doubt the oldest recorded form of this approach.

Vyasa postulates that human beings are divided into two types: divine and demonic. He uses two Sanskrit words: daivim and asurim–devic and asuric.

Deva literally means “shining one.” Though it is usually applied to highly evolved astral beings, in this chapter it refers to people who “live in the light” of spiritual consciousness which illumines their outer life as well. These people were called Arya in more ancient writings and in the teachings of Buddha. Devim, or devic, is the inner and outer state of such shining ones, and indicates that they are progressing toward liberation.

Asura means one who is without light (sura), without spiritual consciousness, who has darkened consciousness, preferring dark to light. Such persons are asuric (asurim), turned away from divinity within and without and moving further into degradation of consciousness and life.

This is a grave subject, especially since we often see divine and demonic traits in the same person. Such a one must discriminate clearly and eliminate the demonic and foster the divine. So in considering this we must not think that if we have a preponderance of devic qualities it assures us that all is well. Even the presence of a single demonic quality or tendency is of great danger to us lest it draw us away from the light into the dark. On the other hand, if in a predominantly demonic person we find one or more divine traits we can encourage them to move more into the light. For no one ever stands still: we are either moving upward or downward. Yet at all times we must remember that the Self of both the daivic and the asuric is fundamentally divine.

The divine personality

“A man who is born with tendencies toward the Divine, is fearless and pure in heart. He perseveres in that path to union with Brahman which the scriptures and his teacher have taught him. He is charitable. He can control his passions. He studies the scriptures regularly, and obeys their directions. He practices spiritual disciplines. He is straightforward, truthful, and of an even temper. He harms no one. He renounces the things of this world. He has a tranquil mind and an unmalicious tongue. He is compassionate toward all. He is not greedy. He is gentle and modest. He abstains from useless activity. He has faith in the strength of his higher nature. He can forgive and endure. He is clean in thought and act. He is free from hatred and from pride. Such qualities are his birthright.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:1-3) This is a good rendering, but I would like to give you Sargeant’s, as that is a bit clearer and more exact:

“Fearlessness, purity of being, perseverance in yoga and knowledge, giving, self-restraint, and sacrifice, study of sacred texts, austerity, and uprightness, non-violence, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, serenity, absence of calumny, compassion for all beings, freedom from desire, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness, vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from malice, freedom from pride; these are the endowment of those born to a divine destiny, Arjuna.”

Since this is self-explanatory, I am going to give you the Sanskrit terms and their full definitions taken from A Brief Sanskrit Glossary.

• Fearlessness. Abhaya(m): “Without fear;” fearlessness; a state of steadfastness in which one is not swayed by fear of any kind; absence of fear.
• Purity of being. Sattwasamshuddhi: Purity of being; purity of heart; purity of feeling; increase of light and purity; purification of one’s existence.
• Perseverance in yoga and knowledge (jnanayogavyavasthitih).
• Giving. Dana(m): “Giving;” gift; charity; almsgiving; self-sacrifice; donation; generosity.
• Self-restraint. Dama: Self-control; control of the senses; restraint; taming; domination.
• Sacrifice. Yajna: Sacrifice; worship; offering; sacrificial ceremony; a ritual sacrifice; usually the fire sacrifice known as agnihotra or havan.
• Study of sacred texts. Swadhyaya: Introspective self-study or self-analysis leading to self-understanding. Study of scriptures and spiritual texts, especially those pertaining to the Self.
• Austerity. Tapasya: Austerity, practical (i.e., result-producing) spiritual discipline; self-denial; spiritual force.
• Uprightness. Arjava: Straightforwardness; honesty; rectitude; righteousness; simplicity.
• Non-violence. Ahimsa: Non-injury in thought, word, and deed; non-violence; non-killing; harmlessness.
• Truth. Satya(m): Truth; the Real; Brahman, or the Absolute; truthfulness; honesty.
• Absence of anger (akrodha).
• Renunciation. Tyaga: Literally: “abandonment.” Renunciation.
• Serenity. Shanti: Peace; serenity; calm; tranquility; contentment.
• Absence of calumny. Apaishunam: Absence of calumny, slander, or fault-finding.
• Compassion for all beings (daya bhuteshu).
• Freedom from desire. Aloluptwam: Freedom from desire, lust, or greed.
• Gentleness. Mardava(m): Gentleness; kindness; mildness; tenderness.
• Modesty. Hri: Modesty; bashfulness; absence of pride.
• Absence of fickleness. Achapalam: Determination; absence of fickleness; absence of change; immovability; fixedness, firmness; steadiness.
• Vigor. Tejas: Vigor; strength.
• Forgiveness. Kshama: Forgiveness; patience, forbearance.
• Fortitude. Dhriti: Determination; determined; steadfast; constant; attraction; sustaining effort; firmness; patience; endurance; fortitude; courage; strength.
• Purity. Shaucha: Purity; cleanliness (of mind and body).
• Freedom from malice. Adrohas: Freedom from malice; absence of hatred.
• Freedom from pride. Atimanita: Excessive pride; high honor.

These are the endowment of those born to a divine destiny. Fortunately we do not have to possess all of these to be yogis, but we should work toward it. This is a valuable checklist and can reveal who is a real spiritual aspirant destined to get somewhere. It is a pity that it is not applied to those that claim to be gurus, for no one is “beyond it.” This I can tell you: Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh (Divine Life Society) embodied every one of these virtues to the maximum possible degree. So it can be done.

Birthright

We bring into this world only what we have accumulated in past lives. This is our inheritance, so to speak. God has absolutely nothing to do with it, nor does anyone else or any factors whatsoever other than our own previous action. It is our destiny as determined by us–none other and nothing other.

“When a man is born with demonic tendencies, his birthright is hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, anger, cruelty and ignorance.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:4) Those who spontaneously exhibit these traits are demonic in nature. We see this even in children and it increases as the years go along. The environment of the demonic reflect their nature–those around them have the same traits as individuals and as a society in general.

“The birthright of the divine nature leads to liberation. The birthright of the demonic nature leads to greater bondage. But you need not fear, Arjuna: your birthright is divine.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:5)

If we cultivate those qualities on the deva list and root out those on the demon list our liberation is assured in time, just as increased bondage is certain for the demons. It is interesting to see the modesty of Arjuna and his awareness of human frailty, for Krishna sees that he fears lest he be of demonic destiny. This is how it always is on this earth: the unworthy feel worthy and the worthy feel unworthy. There is a healthy self-doubt and self-mistrust.

More about the demons

“In this world there are two kinds of beings: those whose nature tends toward the Divine, and those who have the demonic tendencies. I have already described the divine nature to you in some detail. Now you shall learn more about the demonic nature.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:6)

The Gita is a very positive and spiritually optimistic book, so why are we being shown the way of demons? For a very positive reason–so we will detect demonic ways in ourselves and counteract them, and so we will discern whether those we encounter are divine or demonic. For the wise yogi avoids the demonic and seeks out the divine. If he finds demonic persons already in his life he eliminates the associations. Usually when he meditates and changes his vibration they fade out of his life, but if not then he must himself terminate the association as gently and diplomatically as possible.

“Men of demonic nature know neither what they ought to do, nor what they should refrain from doing. There is no truth in them, or purity, or right conduct.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:7) This is so true that it takes the breath away. The demonic not only don’t know what they should or should not do, they hate the very idea of knowing, because then they would have to face their corruption. And they hate anything that would somehow make the truth plain to them. They are opponents of truth, purity, and right action. As Jesus told Nicodemus: “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21)

“They maintain that the scriptures are a lie, and that the universe is not based upon a moral law, but godless, conceived in lust and created by copulation, without any other cause.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:8) This is certainly a picture of those that today consider themselves the intellectual and academic–and political–elite.

“Because they believe this in the darkness of their little minds, these degraded creatures do horrible deeds, attempting to destroy the world. They are enemies of mankind.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:9) Sargeant: “Holding this view, these men of lost souls, of small intelligence, and of cruel actions, come forth as enemies of the world for its destruction.”

This verse has some interesting aspects that need looking into. Two words are used to describe these demons:

Nastatmanas. This word means those whose souls are lost–in the sense of a condition of being lost–and those who have lost touch with their souls. It is amusing to think how annoyed many yogis get when Fundamentalist Christians ask if they are “saved,” but here we have the same concept in the Gita! Those away from God are “lost” and those that have been rescued from that state are “saved.” The souls wandering in illusion from life to life are certainly lost–lost to God and to themselves. When we begin practicing meditation we see how lost we are to ourselves. Fortunately, this is only a mental condition that can be corrected by our own effort, and not the truth of the matter. For we are always one with God and completely in charge in the highest levels of our being.

Alpabuddhayas. This means those of small intelligence, both those who because of lack of evolution are limited in intelligence, and those who willfully choose to narrow their intelligence, to make their minds small in scope.

The actions of such people are cruel, greedy, and selfish–in other words: egocentric. They come into this world as its enemies, because its purpose is evolution and eventual liberation, and they loathe anything that uplifts and enlightens and will do anything to destroy it. To destroy spiritual knowledge and life is to strike at the very root of the world: its divine purpose. All like them are enemies of humanity, for true humanity is that with leads to divinity.

“Their lust can never be appeased. They are arrogant, and vain, and drunk with pride. They run blindly after what is evil. The ends they work for are unclean.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:10) Sargeant: “Attached to insatiable desire, full of hypocrisy, arrogance, and pride, having accepted false notions through delusion, they work with unclean resolve.” Enslaved not just to the objects of desire, but to desire itself, these addicts of degradation are yet filled with pride, revelling in falsehood and illusion, bullying anyone who dares to not conform to their insane ways. Believing their own madness they rush onward, increasing the pollution of their hearts.

“They are sure that life has only one purpose: gratification of the senses. And so they are plagued by innumerable cares, from which death alone can release them.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:11) These demons live in hell, even on earth. The Sanskrit actually says that they cling to their fears and anxieties. We see this all the time in the way people love conflict and their own misfortunes. How many times do we see people that can easily be freed from their miseries, but they aggressively defend them and repulse any means of alleviation.

“Anxiety binds them with a hundred chains, delivering them over to lust and wrath. They are ceaselessly busy, piling up dishonest gains to satisfy their cravings.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:12) Sounds like the ideal modern “consumer.”

“‘I wanted this and today I got it. I want that: I shall get it tomorrow. All these riches are now mine: soon I shall have more.’” (Bhagavad Gita 16:13) This is “the pursuit of the dream” of most people that is really a nightmare.

“‘I have killed this enemy. I will kill all the rest. I am a ruler of men. I enjoy the things of this world. I am successful, strong and happy.’” (Bhagavad Gita 16:14) This is certainly the philosophy of most of the world’s governments, and of the big business that controls and motivates them.

“‘Who is my equal? I am so wealthy and so nobly born. I will sacrifice to the gods. I will give alms. I will make merry.’ That is what they say to themselves, in the blindness of their ignorance.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:15) If this is not a picture of contemporary “mankind” then what is? See how they “get religion” and give thanks to God for “His goodness”? The worse thing is: they are the target of their own delusions.

“They are addicts of sensual pleasure, made restless by their many desires, and caught in the net of delusion. They fall into the filthy hell of their own evil minds.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:16) And that in turn makes wherever they live a hell, too.

“Conceited, haughty, foolishly proud, and intoxicated by their wealth, they offer sacrifice to God in name only, for outward show, without following the sacred rituals.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:17) Religion is no sign of virtue, as this verse shows. The religion of such persons has themselves as its center and its measure of worth. And the worst are those that “make up my own religion” disregarding the ways and the words of the wise.

“These malignant creatures are full of egoism, vanity, lust, wrath, and consciousness of power. They loathe me, and deny my presence both in themselves and in others. They are enemies of all men and of myself.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:18) Sargeant: “Clinging to egotism, force, insolence, desire, and anger, those malicious people mate Me in their own and others’ bodies.” They don’t mind parroting the “You Are God And I Am God” cliche, but they hate the manifestation of the divine Self in the form of moral purity and spiritual discipline as outlined by Patanjali:

1. Ahimsa: non-violence, non-injury, harmlessness
2. Satya: truthfulness, honesty
3. Asteya: non-stealing, honesty, non-misappropriativeness
4. Brahmacharya: sexual continence in thought, word and deed as well as control of all the senses
5. Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, non-greed, non-selfishness, non-acquisitiveness
6. Shaucha: purity, cleanliness
7. Santosha: contentment, peacefulness
8. Tapas: austerity, practical (i.e., result-producing) spiritual discipline
9. Swadhyaya: introspective self-study, spiritual study
10. Ishwarapranidhana: offering of one’s life to God

They are masters of The Big Talk, but these ten virtues will be definitely missing from their minds and lives.

You and I cannot change such people, but we can do one good thing: avoid them altogether.

“Cruel, despicable and vile. I cast them back, again and again, into the wombs of degraded parents, subjecting them to the wheel of birth and death.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:19) Our environment–especially our family–is a reflection of our inner mind, otherwise we would have been born elsewhere.

“And so they are constantly reborn, in degradation and delusion. They do not reach me, but sink down to the lowest possible condition of the soul.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:19, 20) Sargeant: “Having entered the wombs of demons, those who are deluded, not attaining Me in birth after birth, from there go to a condition still lower than that.” The implication is that such persons sink so low that they become inwardly subhuman and therefore begin being born in animal bodies. This is a terrible thought, but more than one person has told me of seeing animals that seemed to be degraded humans. Yogananda once brought a cat to Brahmacharini Radhalila and asked her to care for it, saying that it had been a human being. She believed it, because it had human eyes, not the eyes of a cat, and whoever it looked at would feel it instantly and get the shivers.

The demon doors

As we saw at the beginning of this chapter, the truly worthy often question their worth and are very aware of the possibility of their going astray. The demons, on the other hand, are completely assured of their worth and goodness. So, since Krishna’s message will only be heard by those of divine tendency, he tells us how to ensure that we will not fall into demonic consciousness: “Hell has three doors: lust, rage and greed. These lead to man’s ruin. Therefore he must avoid them all.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:21) Kama, krodha, and lobha are the three Sanskrit words used here.

Kama is desire in any form. It is harmful because it overshadows the intelligence and will power and impels us to worthless or negative actions. So whether it is a mild force or a volcanic passion, desire must be resisted and eliminated., and lust is the greatest destroyer of all. Rather than desires we should have intelligent decisions backed up by the enlightened will.

Krodha is anger in all its shades of intensity. Anger is really frustrated and demanding egotism. As Krishna explains: “Thinking about sense-objects will attach you to sense-objects; grow attached, and you become addicted; thwart your addiction, it turns to anger; be angry, and you confuse your mind; confuse your mind, you forget the lesson of experience; forget experience, you lose discrimination; lose discrimination, and you miss life’s only purpose.” (Bhagavad Gita 2:62, 63)

Lobha is greed, which includes envy and covetousness. Of the three it is the most obviously egotistical. It is both ego-worship and a demand that others worship our ego, too. Any force of “I want” is greed.

The truth is, these three doors to hell of the mind and body are mixed together. When you have one you are sure to have the other two, as time will prove. This being so, Krishna assures us that “he who passes by these three dark doors has achieved his own salvation. He will reach the highest goal at last.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:22) This is one of the most important teachings of the Gita.

“But he who flouts the commandments of the scriptures, and acts on the impulse of his desires, cannot reach perfection, or happiness, or the highest goal.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:23) The need to follow the path outlined by the sages can hardly be exaggerated. Otherwise we follow our ego-whims, claiming to be intuitive and following our inner wisdom. Only those in the blinding grip of ego think that they can ignore the counsels of the enlightened and manage. But of course in most instances they really do not plan to manage. Rather, they plan to fall and then feel justified in abandoning any semblance of spiritual life altogether. As Yogananda often said: “People are so skilled in their ignorance.”

“Let the scriptures be your guide, therefore, in deciding what you must do, and what you must abstain from. First learn the path of action, as the scriptures teach it. Then act accordingly.” (Bhagavad Gita 16:24)

This is the only sensible conclusion, one that will lead all who heed it to Eternal Wisdom.

Read more about the Bhagavad Gita.

Most of the activity on the Atma Jyoti website this month has been on the Blog, including a serialized commentary on “A Method Of Enlightening A Disciple” from Shankara’s Upadeshasahasri–A Thousand Teachings, entitled A Catechism of Enlightenment.

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