Panchachara: Five Ways of Conduct in Shaivism
Panchachara is a concept in Shaivism that describes five ways of conduct, or five divisions, five models of behavior for developing devotion to God: lingachara, sadachara, shivachara, ganachara, and bhrityachara. Acharas are the fundamental principles followed by those who belong to various traditions of Shaiva Siddhanta. Of these, the largest is ganachara, containing 64 shilas, or principles of conduct.
In order to develop devotion to God, one must constantly cultivate oneself through body, speech, and mind, and the 64 shilas are a way of always being in nididhyasana through external things. These are the methods of charya and kriya tantra. If in anuttara tantra we speak of three freedoms—behavior is spontaneous, speech is free, and the mind is beyond thoughts, with only the subtlest layer of awareness engaged—then we must realize that the teaching of laya yoga, of anuttara tantra, is our future, but not yet our present. We move toward it for a long time, until we master the view and contemplation and until it penetrates our conduct.
But nididhyasana—abiding in God—must be maintained right now, and therefore we also practice Tantric methods. They are considered simpler, but also more effective. This is a way never to forget God and always to abide in God through external things.
Ganachara: The 64 Shilas
I shall tell of ganachara, the sole means of enjoyment and liberation. The achara practiced by hosts of devotees (ganas) is called ganachara. In ganachara, which creates all perfections and surpasses all, there are 64 shilas. Listen to them.
Shila may be called a rule, a spiritual and physical principle. It is very similar to the fourteen samaya vows, except that the samaya vows are strictly more internal, while the 64 shilas are both external and internal. It is like something midway between samaya and the Vinaya precepts in Shaivism. They specifically concern the path of devotion.
Shilas Related to Speech
The speech uttered by a devotee, as well as its subject, is truth in all scriptures. This is called the first shila.
Speech must express the truth contained in the scriptures. The first shila contains within it the principle called sambandha-jnana. Sambandha-jnana means knowledge of the connection between the soul and God, knowledge of God, and in anuttara tantra it is the view. It includes faith, Refuge, and understanding the position of God, understanding the position of the soul. “Sambandha” means connection, “jnana” means knowledge; that is, we know the position of ourselves as a soul (jiva) bound by the fetters of samsara. We know the position of Shiva as the one who liberates, brings forth the universe and all souls, and we know the necessity of connection with him. The first shila means that speech always expresses truth, speech always serves God, is subordinate to God, and does not deviate from truth.
One should not utter unpleasant truth or pleasant falsehood. This is called the second shila.
In other words, when you communicate, your speech should be sattvic, and it should express truth—this is the second principle. Your speech should promote harmony in the sangha and among living beings; therefore, an experienced sadhu thinks before speaking: “Will this bring disharmony?”—and only then does he speak. He controls his speech.
Reflection on the Vedas, Agamas, and Puranas, as well as their daily reading, is called the third shila.
Shravana means listening to texts from the spiritual Teacher, manana means reflecting on them—all of this is also called self-study. Self-study is svadhyaya in Sanskrit; our destiny is to engage in constant self-study. On the other hand, if we wish to become bookish scholars (pandits) and study texts at the level of the mind, this will not bring much benefit. Svadhyaya does not consist in this, nor in becoming a great philosopher. Svadhyaya as a principle means penetrating deeper and deeper into the nature of Dharma, into the nature of God, through receiving shastra-kripa (grace from the sacred text), by coming into contact with the author of the sacred text. Every sacred text has an author, and through the text there is attunement with the author, the uniting of consciousness in the form of ishta-devata yoga or Guru yoga, and the receiving of grace—this is svadhyaya. This is what self-education is in the tradition of Sanatana Dharma and Shaivism.
In other words, when we read the “Chandra-jnana-agama,” the “Chandra-jnana-agama” is a way to establish a connection with the author; the author is originally Shiva, that is, with Shiva, and to receive from him a direct introduction and transmission. This is the method of ishta-devata-yoga. If we read the “Yoga Vasistha,” it is a way to unite our consciousness with Vasistha and penetrate his enlightened consciousness by connecting with him and receiving Vasistha’s darshan — all of this is svadhyaya. If we listen to a Guru’s lecture, it is not only a way to receive intellectual knowledge — it is a method of Guru-yoga, to receive a direct introduction, then reflect on it, eliminate doubts, and then abide in nididhyasana.
Resorting to the devotees of Shiva and satisfying them, especially the Guru, is called the fourth shila.
We must act in such a way as to satisfy the devotees of God, to make them happy, to make them content. The higher they are in the universal hierarchy, the more attention must be paid to satisfaction, because in the process of such satisfaction we ourselves will be spiritually happy and spiritually advance. Usually, the goal-setting of living beings is oriented toward satisfying themselves, and we think that if I satisfy myself, and someone else satisfies me as well, that will be very good. I will make myself happy, and in some way make someone satisfy me too — excellent. But this achara is diametrically opposite: we try to satisfy others, and the ego does not understand what I will get from this if I satisfy others; it would be logical to satisfy myself. But the point is that the great view of Shaiva Siddhanta is beyond the duality of self and others. It says: “Look, Shiva is nondual, you are one with Shiva, there are no others, all of this is you yourself — these are your energies. Having learned to satisfy them, you yourself will understand the principle of nonduality.” Understand: you are pure consciousness; everything around you is your unrecognized energies.
Learning to satisfy them means purifying one’s perception of the world and expanding one’s consciousness. Our egoistic concept of satisfaction through the sense organs is strongly transformed; it grows into an exalted divine vision — into divya-bhava, when we understand that to satisfy means to saturate, to nourish with pure light certain impure energies of our own, and that the principle of satisfaction is the primordial principle of God’s grace (Anugraha-shakti); it lies at the foundation of the universe. Just as the opposite principle, the principle of sacrifice, given to the sacrifice of self-giving — these two greatest principles lie at the foundation of creation.
For example, if I have some kind of disturbance in some part of the body, what does this indicate? It means that some energy is unsatisfied. It cannot find an outlet, it wants to go somewhere, something displeases it, and it aches a little; and behind the energy stands consciousness, some deity is unsatisfied, and one must somehow satisfy this deity. When it is satisfied, it will calm down; to calm down means that the energy will enter the central channel, the pranas will harmonize.
If there is some disturbance in the subtle body, in the mind, it means that some inner deity is unsatisfied, disturbed, which I do not even yet realize. I must send it awareness, abide in nonduality, send the four immeasurables, and somehow nourish it, satisfy it; then it will come into harmony and wholeness, and I together with it. The same principle works externally as well — the principle of satisfaction. This means that we must find within ourselves the strength and motivation to satisfy all those living around us, and we must understand it as our own path, as the path to liberation.
Question: How can we do this? We ourselves are often unsatisfied; it would be good if someone satisfied us. How can I also satisfy others? I have nothing to give them.
This is a big question. We must become those who have something, who can give something — this is what we must learn.
If a person is a karma-sannyasi (a householder), he has elderly parents who are unsatisfied, he has children who are unsatisfied, superiors at work who are unsatisfied; how can they be satisfied — this is a big question. Neighbors may be unsatisfied; a wife may be unsatisfied with something, with her spouse’s practice, or conversely the husband may be unsatisfied, for example, with the material situation, with unsatisfactory relationships. If it is Guru-disciples, here it is simpler — the Guru has something, and he knows how to satisfy the disciples, provided that the disciples believe him — this is Dharma. In the same way, we must understand that I cannot satisfy all worldly beings; my strength is insufficient, there are very many sick, hungry, embittered, upset, suffering people, offended by fate. Simply, when you encounter this, you understand a little — it is useless.
In India, if you are standing somewhere, some hungry boy comes up to you, and you want to give him something. The Hindus say, “Don’t give, don’t give,” and they are right, because you give him ten rupees from the car, a hand snatches them in midair, and immediately ten more run up, and now there are ten hands. You understand: “We have to leave,” because in a moment there will be a hundred. The dissatisfaction is enormous, and therefore it is said: “Learn to satisfy the devotees of Shiva.” Those beings, especially the Guru, especially sadhus, jangamas, those who are senior, those beings whom we can satisfy at the present moment—this is only a small stratum. These are samaya brothers and sisters, practitioners, believers, the Guru, his senior disciples—these are the ones we can still satisfy a little. How to satisfy them—through service, through our qualities of sattva.
But as we open within ourselves this source of divine grace, our strength will grow, and we will be able to satisfy an ever greater number of living beings, of course, through Dharma. There have been saints who satisfied, who tried to satisfy even those who were not believers and did not serve the Dharma, such as Padmasambhava’s disciple Yeshe Tsogyal or Mother Teresa; there are many such people who gave all of themselves because they had something to give. They were an ocean of love, an ocean of bliss, an ocean of patience, an ocean of wisdom, and they transmitted this in such a way that living beings in their presence were a little satisfied.
But how can we satisfy living beings? For this we ourselves must learn to be satisfied, we must attain inner integrity, inner fullness. This is possible only if we watch the mind and develop faith in God, if we constantly turn to the source of our satisfaction, and the source of our satisfaction is Shiva, Brahman within. This is purnatva; there are no other sources, external sources are false.
But our inner purnatva appears when we come into contact with the inner source. A sadhu gradually becomes more and more whole, more and more satisfied. He suffers less and less, worries less and less, is troubled less and less, there is less and less dissatisfaction in him, and he feels more and more happiness. In the first years a sadhu, especially a sannyasi, may be terribly dissatisfied; he simply does not yet know how to be satisfied. “Service does not satisfy me, my place in the sangha does not satisfy me, I was not given enough retreats, prasad does not satisfy me, relations with the seniors do not satisfy me, they are inattentive to me, the juniors neglect me, those in the middle are not friends with me, the cell is for three and not for two,” as is expected, and so on; the list can go on. If one wants to be dissatisfied, the mind will always find something to be dissatisfied about—this is simply such a state.
But if the mind is purified, on the contrary, all this goes away; he laughs at all this, he becomes detached, and he becomes more and more satisfied, more and more calm and happy, because this source of energy opens within him, and little by little he begins to think: “I can not only satisfy myself, I can also help others be satisfied.” He begins to think about others—this is already a sign of a certain realization. Those who think more about others than about themselves, those who try to make others satisfied—this means they have a certain source of satisfaction, and some purnatva is beginning to arise in them.
Avoiding the satisfaction of other gods or people apart from Shiva is called the fifth shila.
In this sense, we regard Shiva as Ishvara, and all gods as one with Ishvara. “Other gods” does not mean those different from Shiva. There are no gods different from Shiva, not a single god different from Shiva. What is meant is something separate, something mentally formed. For example, in society today there are very many gods; advertising runs every day: there is the god-car, the god-phone, the god-gadgets—all of this is worldly consumer culture, exaltation, glorification, the creation of idols. The shila says: “Do not create any idols; worship no one apart from Shiva.” One can make an idol out of anything: worldly desires, consumer goods, relationships, pride, power, money, ambitions, anything; and today the culture is very strong, the information culture, it gives birth to new gods every day. Many advertising managers, whole agencies and corporations, sit there generating new gods in order to sell them better. But all these gods are false, and here it is said: “Do not worship any other gods except Shiva, except God Himself; do not create false idols for yourself. Do not let the soul spend its life on useless things.”
Avoiding self-glorification, wherever and whenever it may be, is called the sixth shila, according to all the scriptures.
The life of a sadhu is a culture of showing respect; it is also a culture of glorification and praise. Praising God, showing respect, and abiding in such an exalted bhava. However, a sadhu must be very attentive not to try to appropriate it and attribute it to his ego; therefore it is said: “You have exactly three seconds to pass all glory and all praise upward through the parampara and free yourself from this burden.”
Avoiding insulting gods or people, even those devoid of good qualities, is called the seventh shila.
We spoke about not committing aparadhas—this applies both to divine beings and to people, especially sadhus. Never, under any circumstances, should we commit aparadhas, since this creates obstacles for ourselves. If you have nothing good to say about a person, at least do not criticize him, or else focus on his good qualities or invent them.
Shilas Related to the Hands
These are the seven kinds of shilas related to speech. Now hear about the shilas related to the hands. Worship of the Guru, the linga, and the jangama is the eighth shila, affirmed by all the Agamas. Gathering the components for puja day and night is called the ninth shila, the sole means of satisfying Shiva.
Here one may understand literally that flowers and components for puja must be gathered day and night, but here there should be an expanded interpretation. Everything in life is a puja to Shiva, and everything we do is the gathering of components for this puja. The process of upasana (worship) should permeate all of life, and whatever we are engaged in, we are gathering components for the puja to Shiva. Everything is a component and everything is a puja to Shiva—with this mindset we perform service. But if we forget this, then our actions cease to be puja, cease to be worship of Shiva. Puja is translated as “puh” and “jayate,” that is, that which gives birth and that which delights the senses, that which brings happiness; in other words, an act in which happiness is born, in which bliss arises. If any action is performed as a puja to Shiva, it brings happiness, bliss, because at that moment our mind is reunited with the Supreme Source; remembrance of this is this shila.
Wearing rudraksha beads and reciting the mula-mantra is called the tenth shila, which purifies from all sins. Daily veneration of the Guru, Maheshvara, and Bhavani is called the eleventh shila. Making offerings to the Guru, to the jangamas, and to devotees of Shiva-Dharma, according to one’s ability, is called the twelfth shila.
Shilas Related to the Feet
These five kinds of shilas are connected with the hands; now I shall tell of the sin-destroying shilas related to the feet. Visiting the Guru and Maheshvara is called by the Omniscient Shambhu the thirteenth shila.
When you come to the ashram, you follow the thirteenth shila; when you go to a Shiva temple, you also follow this shila. All these are ways of continuously abiding in God through external actions.
Circumambulating the Guru and Maheshvara with devotion is called the fourteenth shila. Regularly visiting various places with devotees to gather components for puja is called the fifteenth shila. Sitting with a concentrated mind for the sake of venerating the Guru and the ishta-linga is called by the god of gods, the bearer of the trident, the sixteenth shila. Such are the four named kinds of shilas connected with the feet.
Shilas Connected with Touch
I shall tell of the shilas connected with touch. Listen attentively. Constant contact with the ishta-linga and not removing it from the body is called the seventeenth shila.
For those who, in the tradition, wear the ishta-linga, this is the shila connected with the ishta-linga. For those who do not wear the ishta-linga, like us, it is rudraksha beads, the contact of the rudraksha with the skin, through which touch occurs. On a deeper level, it is the unification of tactile consciousness with contemplative presence in the natural state. When presence, like the sky in shambhavi mudra, unites with the anahata chakra, and the tanmatra of touch is purified.
The sensation of contact with the ishta-linga, which destroys birth and death, is called the eighteenth shila. These are the two kinds of shila connected with touch. I shall tell of the shilas connected with sight; listen attentively. Looking with love and devotion upon the ishta-linga is the nineteenth shila, which removes the fear of worldly existence.
Gazing at the ishta-linga means that during Shivalinga-puja you look at the ishta-linga with love and devotion, in contemplative presence. There are special practices of gazing at the ishta-linga — this is gazing at the solar lingam reflected in water. When the sun shines at midday or closer to sunset, a path of sunlight is reflected in the water, and this is the solar lingam reflected in water. Contemplating the solar lingam reflected in water with a feeling of upasana, yogis enter nondual contemplation.
At night, when the moon is shining and there is a body of water, a moonlit path forms in the shape of a lunar pillar. When a yogin contemplates this moonlit path with love as a lunar lingam, his mind becomes calm and enters contemplative presence. These are two ways of contemplating the solar and lunar lingam in nature. In addition, there are other ways of contemplating the lingam, when some large stone or mountain resembling a lingam is contemplated.
The tears of bliss flowing from the eyes at the moment of contemplating the ishta-linga are called Shiva Who Wears the Moon — the twentieth shila.
The twentieth shila means divine grace, tears of bliss. What happens when you look at something with devotion, contemplate the lingam in it, and bliss arises in you? This means that at the moment of such contemplation you extract vishesha or samanya-spanda. Vishesha and samanya-spanda are vibration, divine vibration contained in any object. Every object is endowed with spanda, the vibration of God. But one must see it, extract it, and when we can see it, extract it, it will begin to bless us, nourish us, give us shaktipatha (divine grace).
It is not only in the murti on the altar, in the image of the deity; it is everywhere — in a stone, in a person, in a bull, in a tree, in the reflection of the lingam in water, anywhere. One simply needs to know how to look and know how to extract this spanda. The principle of contemplation, of integrating contemplative presence, consists precisely in being able to extract it — this is what it means to see God in everything.
If you simply look with ordinary eyes, wondering where God is, here or there, you will see nothing. It is impossible to extract samanya-vishesha-spanda with ordinary eyes; Anugraha-shakti will not descend, you will not receive shaktipatha (grace), no matter how widely you look with open eyes. But saints can see God everywhere and in everything; for this they look with the eyes of faith, devotion, and also with the eyes of contemplative presence, in choiceless, nonjudgmental awareness, in a wide-open mind like the sky, in a pure heart in the state of divya-bhava.
Being able to contemplate in shambhavi-mudra, in karma-mudra, or at least in bhuchari-mudra, they gradually realize the emptiness of the object. The first step in extracting the divine vibration is the awareness of the emptiness of the object, to be in the presence of the emptiness of the object.
Shilas Related to the Tongue and the Sense of Smell
Such are the two kinds of shilas related to sight. I shall tell of the shilas relating to the tongue. Listen with faith. Constant enjoyment of prasada offered to Shiva is called the twenty-first shila. Now listen about the shila relating to the sense of smell.
Enjoying prasada offered to Shiva does not mean that one should sit down and eat as much as possible — the meaning is different. One must be aware that this is prasada, that this is purity, pure shuddha-tattva entering your body; receiving bliss from that which the tongue touches — this presupposes abiding in divya-bhava while eating.
Smelling pure incense offered to Shiva is called the 22nd shila. Now listen about the shila connected with hearing. Regular listening to the glorification of the Guru, Shiva, and the devotees is called the 23rd shila — a means of liberation.
Listening to glorification means entering the dimension of divine glory. Usually we are not accustomed to listening to glorification; if we open worldly news, there is little glorification there, and more slander, abuse, or critical information of that kind. But when it comes to realizing divine truth, glorification and praise are a very pure, sattvic, divine dimension with which we must establish a connection.
God cannot but be glorified — He is not a neutral object — He is such a majestic, transcendent object that you cannot simply be near God and, as if nothing had happened, remain the same — no, this is impossible. To be near God means to be in the radiance of His glory, the rays of divine glory, in states of love, devotion, reverence, majesty, rapture, wonder, and very many exalted states, praise, glorification, and to receive divine revelation. You will not be able to be neutral near God.
Entering the dimension of glorification means that the yogin becomes accustomed to this very pure energy; then, over time, the dimension of divine glory becomes your own dimension, and your own energy of sattva increases. All gods abide in a very expanded aura consisting of their divine glory; this is called kirti-yashas. If you feel and attune yourself to the atmosphere that arises when, with a feeling of devotion, you praise God during bhajan. It is an exalted, joyful, happy, loving, and great atmosphere. The dimension of the gods resembles this atmosphere, only it is much purer and more majestic, and a sadhu must accustom his mind to the atmosphere of divine glorification. Another name for this in the language of Anuttara Tantra is pure vision; this pure vision consists of many aspects, and the aspect of glorification is one of them.
Not listening to insults against the Guru, Shiva, and the devotees is called the 24th shila. Listen about the shila connected with the body.
When you follow the Dharma, exalted pure vision, and glorification, you must always know that the world is not so simple: there are demonic, asuric energies in it, and they do not always like the Dharma. Just as the body cannot always be cloudless, and there are infections and microbes in the body, and the immune system need only weaken a little for them to attack—negative energies. So too in the universe there are always negative energies, and the moment the Dharma allows some breach somewhere, these negative energies are ready to slander the Dharma, to insult it.
To anyone who does not believe this, I always suggest: “Take the Vivekachudamani and go to the market, and begin preaching, and you will hear a great deal about yourself and about the Dharma, and about everything.” There are always harsh energies in the world, insulting energies; one should not be afraid of this, it simply exists—it is like vicious dogs, they are always there, but one must know how to keep them at a distance. These vicious dogs exist in the world; there is always someone who will dislike you because of your religion, because of your path—so what, there are all sorts; you must maintain a distance—this concerns the external.
Love all living beings and behave in such a way as not to cause any problems. But these energies also exist inside. Within you there are also various energies that do not like your Dharma. For example, in the morning you need to practice, to go to practice, but the body does not like it; you need to humble the ego, to manifest humility, but some inner demons do not like it, the ego does not like it. Within you there are also many potentially insulting energies that sometimes want to burst out. You need to practice pure vision, but within us there is some kind of obscured vision that wants to come out, and we must stop this in time, saying to the mind: “Do not dare insult anyone. Practice pure vision, avoid any insults.” The alter ego, subpersonalities, mental projections, kleshas—a person is an entire world, and there are not only sattvic energies there.
But the wiser the sadhu, the purer his rajasic and tamasic energies become. In the end, even rajasic and tamasic energies, even kleshas, submit to him and become inner lokapalas, inner protectors of the Dharma; even they enter the service of the Dharma. Cases are often described in which siddhas subdue negative beings—this is called the pacification of the spirit of a mountain, the spirit of a forest, or some spirits of a locality that tried to harm the Dharma. They drink their life force for a time, immobilize them, paralyze their mind, then enter their mind and purify them somewhat of negative karma. In such a state, negative beings can no longer harm the Dharma; then vows are taken from them not to harm the Dharma any more and to serve the Dharma. They give vows, take Refuge, and then they are released, and they are given a new mission, a new role—to serve the Dharma and help the Dharma. For example, in this way very many evil spirits of Tibet were pacified by the holy Padmasambhava. Saints do this out of compassion.
Shilas of Bodily Purity and Abstinence
Purifying the body with prasadam offered to the Guru, to the ishta-linga, is the 25th shila. Withdrawing the sense organs from objects is called the 26th shila, which removes the disease of existence. Not touching impure things, bathing with water and ash is called the 27th shaucha-shila, which removes sin.
Shaucha-shila means that we possess the understanding not to touch impure things. Impure things are those things that cloud our mind and prana. Every sadhu should have a nondual view, and according to the nondual view everything is pure, or it is beyond pure and impure. But in relative behavior such a division always exists, and therefore we say: “Separate view and behavior.” In the absolute view everything is pure, but in the relative, poison remains poison, and honey remains honey; they must under no circumstances be confused. To confuse poison with honey is fatal, and in this sense poison is for us a manifestation of the impure.
In the same way, there may be various impure energies that a sadhu should not touch either outwardly or in his mind, knowing that his purity, the power of his contemplation of the view, is not yet sufficient to touch them. He will not be able to sublimate them, dissolve them, and see them in pure vision; therefore, a sadhu must draw a clear boundary.
If he is a karma-sannyasi, then alcohol is not allowed; perhaps a karma-sannyasi at the fifth stage may receive a blessing—then it is allowed: by the power of his pure vision, simply by looking at alcohol, visualizing Shiva, he will transform it into nectar, drink it, and transmute it in his stomach into amrita. There have been such siddhas, yes, there are, but not now—after eighty years of retreats and so on. A sadhu must know—this is precisely why vows are taken (the Vinaya vows)—and he clearly draws the boundary of what is to be considered pure and what impure: “According to my status, my temperament of divya, vira, and pashu, according to the vows and samayas I have taken.” There should be no doubts on this matter, and if there are doubts, ask the senior sadhus, the Guru: “What are my vows, what should I adhere to, what should I reject?”
Avoiding association with bhavis, that is, people who do not wear the ishta-linga while on the bed, on the seat, and in the cowshed, is the 28th shila, a means of purification.
In a broader sense, a bhavi is one who does not follow the Dharma, one who is absorbed in samsaric existence. Sometimes people ask: “But what should I do if it is impossible to avoid it, if I live with my mother-in-law in a two-room apartment and she does not want to hear about the Dharma?” It is impossible to avoid it. Then you must communicate while practicing pure vision, practicing sankalpa, but your soul must not communicate. You must pretend that you are communicating, learn the play, or else you must become a monk. But if there is no such possibility, this can be good training for you: your soul must not communicate, while the tongue may communicate. The soul is devoted to God, but outwardly you maintain a dialogue; there is no other way—this is also a method of your training in pure vision, in training in the illusoriness of the world.
Constantly wearing ash, rudraksha, and the linga on the body is called the 29th shila, the sole means of the path of liberation. The shila of five kinds has been expounded, each of which is a means of liberation. Now I shall expound the mental shila; listen attentively. Withdrawal from thoughts about objects of forbidden enjoyment is called by Ishvara the 30th brahmacharya-shila.
Brahmacharya is not only abstinence from sex. In the broad sense, brahmacharya: “brahman” means Brahman, “charya” means action, action in God; it means removing all thoughts from actions that are not in God, so that every action is in God. When actions are not in God, when distractions arise, the yogi avoids distractions—avoidance of distractions from God. In the sense of contemplative presence, this is nididhyasana, when we carefully reject any distracting factors that knock us out of remembrance of Shiva, out of smarana, the natural state, the state of awareness, or out of upasana; therefore the saints say: “Always watch the mind, reject entertainments, cherish contemplation.”
But sometimes someone says:
“Guru, what contemplation? I do not have contemplation; I do not even yet have fullness of attention.”
The Guru says:
“Well, then you must meditate, practice sankalpa, atma-vichara.”
“I do not know how to meditate.”
“Then you must practice concentration.”
If it is difficult to concentrate, then you must recite japa all the time; reciting japa is easy—just do not let the beads leave your hands. Japa is your salvation while it is difficult to meditate or abide in contemplation. Gradually, step by step, practice concentration, meditation, fullness of attention, and approach contemplation. This process is not quick, but it is reliable. During the first twelve years one should try to attain contemplative presence and close the circle of the day—this is the assignment for every disciple, whether grihastha, karma-sannyasi, or monk. This is a great task; if you do not manage to accomplish it during the first twelve years, you may try during the second twelve years.
The cycles of monastic life, the retreat life of a monk, are laid out in periods of twelve years. Monks belonging to the first cycle — the first twelve years; to the second — this is the second cycle of twelve years, and so on, seven cycles in all, each of twelve years. In the same way, karma-sannyasis can also classify themselves according to such cycles. Why twelve? Traditionally, in the texts, twelve years is the period necessary for training in the Guru’s ashram, a cycle.
Mental Shilas
The feeling of devotion and non-attachment to objects of enjoyment is called freedom from desires — the 31st shila. One should harbor anger toward the adhikari (one fit for the path) and not harbor it even toward enemies; this is called akrodha-shila — a means of liberation.
Akrodha-shila means never harboring anger; however, here it says: “Harbor anger toward the adhikari.” Who is the adhikari? It is you yourselves. In this context, it is you yourselves, that is, your mind: if the mind abides in tamas, one may wag a finger at it; one may hit a pig on the snout with a club, but they say one must not strike it on the heel. The adhikari (a suitable vessel), the one who is qualified, is we ourselves, the one who has entered the path. If we see that our mind abides in laziness, idleness, and distractions, we must be outraged by this state of affairs, rebuke it, and move further on.
One should not desire wealth, except for the worship of Shiva; this is called the 33rd lobha-shila. One should be attached to the devotees of Shiva, and not to wife and children; this is called the 34th amoha-shila. One should not express envy toward people. This is called the 35th amatsarya-shila. One should not display madness born of maya, even for the benefit of Dharma — this is called the 36th amada-shila.
“Mada” means intoxication with divine ecstasy. Amada-shila means that, being intoxicated with divine ecstasy, do not display madness, that is, do not lose action within the View, do not lose action within awareness; in the language of Anuttara Tantra, do not become carried away.
Refraining from criticizing the commands and qualities of the guru is the 37th shila, which gives the fruit of good merit. Causing no harm to any living being is called the 38th ahimsa-shila. Compassion for the suffering of every visible being is called the 39th shila. Shame for actions or words committed toward others or toward oneself is called, by the bearer of the trident, the 40th shila. The rejection of partiality toward an enemy or even toward one’s own son is called the 41st arjava-shila.
The rejection of partiality (arjava-shila) means that we are guided not by personal preferences, but by Dharma. We are not on the side of this one or on the side of that one; we are on the side of Dharma, on the side of God. No matter how attached we may be to someone, we do not support attachment; we support the principle of God. For example, if you have a child, no matter how attached you are to him, if he acts incorrectly from the standpoint of Dharma, you should not support such things.
At the foundation of human life, of human beings, lie subjectivism, personal attachment, personal relationships. At the foundation of a sadhu lies Dharma — the vision of the universal law. Why is it important to uphold Dharma? Because if people hold to Dharma, they will always be happy. If those to whom you are attached do not follow Dharma, then naturally they will be unhappy; therefore a sadhu takes the position: “I do not support this one or that one; I support Dharma, I support God.” But in order to support Dharma, one must know how it manifests in a specific place and time, how it should properly manifest.
Faith in the agamas and nigamas and in the words of the Guru is called the 42nd shraddha-shila. Not abandoning Dharma, even if attainment is far away, is called the 43rd dhriti-shila.
Steadfastness in Dharma and Patience in Practice
Once you have taken Refuge, you should never abandon it. Even if you do not feel grace, even if there are no spiritual experiences, even if you are not satisfied — this simply means that you have little merit. It simply means that the time has come for your negative karma to be purified. But if one follows the prescribed path, sooner or later the negative karma will be purified.
It should not be that a person has accepted the Symbol of Faith, stepped onto the path, and then, not having received quick satisfaction, his ego decides to look for happiness elsewhere — this is the wrong approach. One must arm oneself with great patience, knowing that our karma has been accumulating for a very long time — time is needed. Faith should not depend on current conditions — this is shraddha-shila. Even if in the current conditions our senses are not satisfied, these are the current conditions of this life, which indicate that our merits are insufficient, that karma must be purified; there is no need to rush anywhere. One must patiently perform sadhana, patiently purify one’s Dharma.
One can see a great many people in different religions who are not satisfied with their religious practice, who move from one religion to another, to a third, but still cannot find satisfaction. It is even difficult to help them, because they have no faith. Their faith is weak, they are lacking in faith, and instead of searching on the surface, they need to understand themselves and their faith, and, having gained patience, begin working on themselves. One must not blame anyone; one must understand: at the moment there is simply little merit, such is my karma, and I must work better. When karma is purified, when the ego is purified, everything will change. But the world, unfortunately, is overflowing with dissatisfied people, suffering people, people who do not understand Dharma and do not wish to make efforts to understand it.
When we hear the stories of saints, these are, so to speak, the stories of winners, successful people, the stories of survivors. Likewise, when you hear the stories of billionaires and millionaires popularized in Western culture, these are the stories of the successful. For every millionaire, there are one hundred thousand who went bankrupt. In the same way, for every successful saint, there are one hundred million unsuccessful worldly sadhus. But you need to be among those who succeeded; time and patience are needed.
Kshama-shila and Inner Asceticism
Not experiencing malice toward enemies is called the 44th kshama-shila. Not displaying desire (even in the mind) for enjoyments is called the 45th bhogasaktichyuti-shila.
“Not expressing, even in the mind, a craving for enjoyments” — what does this mean? Within yourself, you must learn to be an inner ascetic, to master the art of inner asceticism (antar-tapasya). No matter how much the mind wants to be entertained, entertainment must be cut off through self-liberation, self-surrender, and self-recognition. First the mind gives rise to a tendency to be entertained, a tendency to gratify its ego or senses, and only then do the movements corresponding to this begin. If one learns to intercept the tendency of the mind, to intercept the mind that desires worldly desires or enjoyments, and to accustom it to returning to contemplative presence, the root of enjoyments will be torn out by the root.
All our tendencies have their basis in the mind; the mind has a tendency to be drawn toward various enjoyments because it has karma, it has memory, habitual patterns of the mind, and samskaras. There is nothing else behind this, and a sadhu who skillfully observes the mind intercepts this tendency, directs his focus of attention toward God, and offers this tendency to God. This is a quick way to overcome all one’s tendencies.
Three Types of Sadhus and Their Relationship to the Mind
Usually people are inclined to express their tendencies and follow them: “I like this, therefore I pursue it.” The thinking of a sadhu is different; a sadhu thinks like this: “Mind, you like this, but you will not get it, because I will direct you toward God, and if you insist, I will practice tapasya in order to subdue you” — this is how vira-sadhus act.
Divya-sadhus do not notice the mind at all; they look at God and become absorbed in divine grace, and then a long time passes, and they ask: “Mind, how are you doing? Did you want something there? Well, I didn’t notice — well, never mind, never mind. I was absorbed in divine love” — this is how divya-sadhus think. This is the difference, but neither the one nor the other follows the mind’s lead.
And what does a pashu-sadhu do? A pashu-sadhu does this: “Mind, you like something; perhaps something should be satisfied for you. Dharma can wait; I need to consult, to ask the Guru” — and he is constantly in doubt, constantly in reflection, in such duality: whether to support the mind or not.
A sadhu in vira-bhava or divya-bhava knows how to put the mind in its place; this is what distinguishes him from a sadhu abiding in pashu-bhava. A sadhu abiding in pashu-bhava lacks the spirit to put the mind in its place; he loses to it. The mind generates its own desires, certainties, and he loses to it because there is little will, little awareness, little faith and devotion. A sadhu in vira-bhava and divya-bhava has much will, much awareness, much faith, devotion; he notices these tendencies of the mind. He says: “Mind, I see all your games; you will not deceive me. I am stronger than you” — and, like the strong one with the weak one, he simply puts it in its place.
The Art of Gently Outplaying the Mind
Moreover, if he is not an experienced sadhu, he puts it in its place in a harsh way: he simply beats the pig on the snout with a club, sometimes right on the piglet’s nose. But this is not very good, because such a sadhu is in conflict with himself. One subtle part of him struggles with his coarse part; it is difficult for him, he is always in conflict. A more proper way to put the mind in its place is a conflict-free one, when the mind is simply deceived.
It is like an adult with a child: the child asks for something, the adult says: “Later, later; yes, you will get it, but later” — and the child forgets about it. The adult says: “Look at the moon; do you see a hare on the moon? There is also an alien base there” — that’s it, he has already forgotten what he wanted. One must learn to deceive one’s mind in this way, so that there is no struggle, no conflict, but the mind must be defeated.
This is the art of self-liberation, the art of tantric transformation — it is all the art of how to deceive the mind, to redirect it toward the Supreme Source: a multitude of methods, theurgic practices, tantric visualizations, upasanas, contemplative sankalpas, japa, complex sadhanas — this is a reorientation of the mind, a gentle reorientation of the mind. At the same time, there is inner asceticism, when you do not follow the mind’s lead. The gentleness of the mind’s reorientation is a property of anuttara-tantra. You must learn always to totally and gently outplay your mind. If you act too harshly, you will have conflict, your energies will be divided, you will be at war with yourself, you will be dissatisfied. But a gentle victory over one’s mind is absolutely necessary for a yogin.
The Rejection of Pride and Divine Majesty
The steadfast rejection of pride in actions and speech is called the 46th dhi-shila.
What is a sign of pride? Resentments. One who is very proud is constantly offended. If pride has been rejected, there are no reasons for resentment. “Yesterday they wiped their feet on me as if on a doormat — nothing terrible, no problem. Yesterday someone said something to me — nothing terrible, no problem” — because there is no pride; there was no one on whom feet were wiped, no one to whom something was said; I am exaggerating. But if there is pride, there are very many resentments for many years. On the spiritual path, pride is absolutely superfluous. It is like when you set out for Kailash, and it is already difficult, everyone knows, at an altitude of five kilometers, and on top of that a twenty-kilogram backpack — you simply will not ascend. Pride is a twenty-kilogram backpack; therefore it is said: “The steadfast rejection of pride.”
One must lose human pride, but give rise to divine majesty, give rise to divine pride. Human pride comes from the ego and only hinders, whereas divine pride, divine majesty, is conditioned by nothing, but it alone elevates, nourishes the soul, and inspires it. This is an exalted vision of God, an exalted vision of Refuge, an exalted vision of oneself, of one’s soul as a sadhu, and this divine majesty, on the contrary, should never be lost. To lose divine pride does not mean to shrivel up one’s mind, to become somehow downtrodden — no, true humility is not in that; it is in divine majesty, which unfolds from the subtlest layers of the soul, from the vision “Aham Brahmasmi,” “Shivoham,” from the transformation of oneself into a deity through tantric methods.
The rejection of other thoughts about objects apart from Shiva is called the 47th dama-shila. The non-acceptance of others’ belongings, except those lacking for the practice of Dharma, is called the 48th asteya-shila.
Communicating with the Atman, Not with the Ego
Question: Tell me, you said that one should not communicate with a person through the soul, but should communicate, so to speak, on the physical level; then how is that different from duplicity? I do not understand these two things; isn’t it duplicity when, for example, we need to communicate with a person?
No — it is not duplicity. Are you duplicitous with a child?
— No.
This is the same thing, because you are communicating not with the person’s ego, and not with the mind, because communication there is useless. You are communicating with his essence, with the Atman, and you yourself as the Atman; it is simply not expressed in the mind. You have the Atman, pure light; another person, no matter how obscured he may be, even if he is a lowly person, still has a divine particle within him, and at the fundamental level you are communicating precisely with him, as with the Atman, as with a divine particle, with a divine soul, but in accordance with his kleshas, limitations, and preferences.
Within yourself you love him — there is no duplicity here, just as with a child. It does not occur to you to discuss adult problems with a child; rather, you communicate with the child at his level. But you love him, and you are whole in your communication with the child. This does not mean that you should not love these people — there should be love, respect, and pure vision all the same.
