alone.
He goes on because heis convinced that heis following
the right path. Ultirnately he will be vindicated and the world
Anupreksha :: 271
ANUPREKSHA OF SELF-DISCIPLINE
"Ali grief in the world is bom of arms; it is bom of attachment
and pleasure. Only he who knows the value of disarmarnent
and pleasure, fully understands the misery caused by arrns
in the pursuit of transient pleasure."
Lord Mahavira said, "Gautam! You must practice self-
discipline. Conquer yourself! This is the way to get rid of
suffering. Overcome passions, desires and lusts-that is the
path of freedom from sorrow."
"Observe the law of the world -no living creature seeks
pain! Perceive unity in diversity! Know that ali living beings
are equal; do not resort to the use of arrns. That is the way
to be free from suffering."
"Conquest of passions, victory over lust and the senses
and right vision-these are the ways to be free from sorrow.
He who is equanimous, does not resort to the use of arrns.
He who rises above the use of armament, has a tranquil mind.
A person with a calm mind is not tormented by the senses-
the passions of a man who has conquered the senses (anger,
pride, attachment and greed) do not get activated of
thernselves."
Toe factor behind the insecurity of the sou! is-the
fickleness of the senses and the mind. Toe senses perceive
their object and communicate their sensation to the mind. Toe
mind, caught in attachment and aversion, in wanting and not
wanting grows restless. Because of previous conditioning, the
voice of the sou! is suppressed, and the mind becomes
activised. This is non-meditation, unawareness and sorrow.
Anupreksha :: 273
outer environment. Who is he? To whom does he belong?
How? Where? He goes beyond ali these. He is not conscious
of even his own body. He isso rapt in self-awareness and
inner bliss, that nothing seems to exist outside himself.
From the viewpoint of unity, sarnadhi constitutes a
merger with the supreme spirit, and from the viewpoint of
'4iuPrcihr it ic Pn11Í11!'lll'.'nt tn :'l cn111 itc.Plf hPr{"\mincr thP
The sadhak who understands the role of the senses and turns
them inwards and has them under control, becomes his own
master and self-realised.
If a man steadily pursues his goal, he certainly achieves
it. Any slackening of effort weakens one's resolve There is
nothing which tireless endeavour cannot reach. The sadhak
turns his gaze within and moves forward. He wants to reach
his goal but many obstacles stand in his way. These are-
illusion, attachment, hatred, mental instability, lustfulness,
etc. Without overcoming these, the sadhak cannot succeed:
they hinder self-realization. There is a simple technique for
achieving self-realisation. Every sadhak must possess the
following qualities :
l. Strong faith in one's aim;
2. Total dedication;
3. Constant effort and long practice for achieving one's
goal;
4. The practice of asanas, steadiness of body;
5. Control over speech;
6. To imbue the mind with strong resolutions;
7. Control over the mind.
He who has control over himself, may be said to have
realized himself. 0n the other hand, the man who has failed
to conquer himself, even though he may know a great deal,
will never come to realize his soul.
The concluding part of yoga is samadhi, which means
the state of being established in oneself, wholly separated
from the outer phenomena. Here, complete affinity of one's
self with the Supreme Being manifests itself. The still sound
of the sou) becomes explicit, "! am the supreme spirit, and
the Supreme Spirit is 'me"'. this truth appears to the sadhak
even in the lower stages of samadhi. ln fact, from the point-
of-view of ultima te truth, the nature of the soul is individisble
from that of the Supreme Spirit. There is diversity in the
sphere of conduct. Toe worshipper of unity, after having
crossed the circle of diversity enters the sphere of oneness.
Samadhi is the highest staircase to merge with the Supreme
Being. Absorbed in meditation, the yogi quite transcends the
274 :: Abstract Thinking
