Raja Yoga is the Combination of Bhakti and Karma

Discourse of Sathya Sai Baba during the Summer Course in Spirituality and Indian Culture
held for College Students at Brindavan, Whitefield, Bangalore District in May/June 1974
Published by Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust
Web posted at Jun 20, 2002

One should accept both pleasures and sorrows with the same feeling. Pleasures and sorrows should all be received in the same manner. Having and not having should not be separated and experienced in isolation. They always go together. One should have the same attitude to reputation as well as lack of reputation.

Divyatma Swarupas! It is a very difficult matter for an ordinary human being to decide what he should do or what he should not do and thus to steer between the good and bad. He often does not have the independence to choose and decide. In view of this the sacred Sruti has undertaken to tell us what is right and what can be done rightfully and what is wrong and what should be avoided. Brihaspati, Vachaspati and Brahmanaspati are names which we hear in Sruti and all these names are contained in one name 'Angirasa'. Another equivalent name is 'Sama', and together with these three aspects our Sruti has told us what is right and what is wrong in this world. Sama is a word about which you learnt before. In this word 'Sa' stands for speech and 'Ama' stands for the life force. Thus this word Sama which represents speech and life force has taken an important place both for the living and non-living aspects in this world. Whether it is an infinitesimally small living thing or a large type like an elephant, life is something which is common to both. This word Sama has also been establishing this commonness of life. In external form there might be a big difference and yet, that life in both of them is exactly the same has been established in the aspect of Sama, which is really an admixture of speech and life force present in all human beings, manifesting itself as Angirasa in all the organs that go to make up a living being. In order to make this aspect of life sacred, our Sruti has been prescribing some types of Karma or action and work.

In this context, whatever work you do with your limbs or working organs is called Karma. Not only the external organs and the internal working organs but the internal thinking organs as well are called organs and whatever work you do with any of these organs should all be called Karma. All the aspects of work done with the help of your body, mind and organs come under one word Karma. Only that portion which is not covered by the functioning of these organs or is above these organs has been called Brahman.

The word Brahman has for its origin the root word Brahmana. The meaning of this is that it is something which you cannot measure. It can grow and can become bigger and bigger and it grows in a manner that you cannot measure it. The extent of this potential spread is something which cannot be described in words. It is something which cannot also be seen with eyes. In view of this, the aspect of Brahman has been described as something which one cannot comprehend and which one cannot understand easily. This is man's destination and also man's objective in life. This aspect of Brahman must fill our lives. We are forgetting this important aspect and we are paying attention to transient things in this material world. In that way we are wasting the time that has been given to us. Only when one can develop an equal mindedness towards everything that comes to his attention that one can understand the aspect of Brahman.

In trying to cultivate this aspect of equal-mindedness Sruthi has taught us that there are three methods. One path is described as the Meena Marga or the path taken by a fish. Another one is the path taken by an animal. The third one is the path taken by a tortoise. It is a characteristic feature of the fish that it can live only in water. Once it is taken out of water, it cannot live or survive for any length of time. The animal on the other hand can survive only on land. If you put the animal into water, it will not be able to survive. A tortoise is an amphibian and can live either in water or on land equally well and with the same comfort. When we try to compare this with the three kinds of human behaviour, we note that the first is by which man wants to live within a society because he hates isolation and this is like the Meena Marga. Here he is like a fish and just cannot survive if he gets out of the society or family. On the other hand, an individual who always enjoys being in isolation, who always wants solitude and who feels uncomfortable if he is put in the midst of society is like the animal. An individual who will never forget God whether he is in the family or in the society or whether he is isolated or not is like the tortoise. Wherever he may be, he will have the thought of God and he will enjoy irrespective of whether he is isolated from society or not. This path - the path of the tortoise is very essential for man. We know that one of the Avatars of the Lord was in the form of a tortoise and the important purpose of this is to tell us that the attitude which the tortoise adopts is an important and right attitude for human beings too. This Avatar of the tortoise played an important part in preventing the whole world from getting lost in the ocean and confusion of a family. In the Sruti it has been said that in addition to following the path, an alternative path has also to be followed. The Sruti has taught us three different paths within the path of the tortoise namely Jnani, Jignasa and Aruha. All the three different paths are necessary for us.

These three can also be mentioned in three different ways. One is the stage of the student and the other one is the stage when he is working as an officer. The third one is the stage when he would have retired from all the worldly work. Here we should recognise that a retired officer does not go to work in a college and in fact he does not go to any institution. He stays at home and involves himself in such activities that interest him. Looking at such an individual, if a young boy in the house says that he will also not go to a college because the older person is not going, it is not right. This retired officer would have attended a college and would have done what one has to do in a college and thereafter he would have attended his office and would have done his duties prescribed for him as an officer and then retired and taking rest at that time. It is in that context that one should realise that everyone must undergo the stage of a student and learn what has to be learnt and thereafter undertake one's duty in any particular line of action as an officer and then retire and enjoy life and have happiness and bliss. That is why our Sruthi has taught us Karma Jignasa and Brahma Jignasa. Without being a student first and then fulfilling your duty as an officer, you cannot become an officer who deserves a pension and rest. If what has now been said is interpreted in the context of spiritual education, the steps through which one has to go are: you must first learn the education relating to the Atma and thereafter involve yourself in work that is ordained and then take rest and enjoy the bliss that is given by the knowledge of the Atma. Without working, it is not possible for us to understand the aspect of right conduct. Without knowing the full meaning of Dharma or right conduct, one cannot reach Brahman. This aspect of Brahman is a state of wisdom. The aspect of Brahman should not be understood by you as that which gives you some strength and power. The realisation of the oneness of everything in the world is the understanding of Brahman. This state of Advaita or the realisation of the oneness of everything in this creation is understanding Brahman. There are different aspects of Dharma. You have to go through all these stages. If you simply go on repeating 'Sarvam Brahma Mayam Jagat' you are uttering words and statements but such statements without practical experience do not carry any significance.

One who lives in the world should in the first instance become human. To learn the Atma Vidya is tantamount to knowing the Brahman. For attaining Rajayoga, this is the path. The word Yoga indicates sacrifice and also indicates union with something that is sacred and Rajayoga in particular signifies something which has a very high place. The one who demonstrated Raja Yoga in a very remarkable manner is king Janaka. If one has to give a simple meaning for Raja Yoga, one can say that when both Bhakti and Karma come together, that constitutes Raja Yoga. By involving yourself in action that is enjoined on you by various injunctions and by doing it in the name of God, if you can take part in all that you do in the name of God, that will be combining Bhakti and Karma and will lead you to Rajayoga.

It is said that king Janaka was doing his daily work in this manner and thus he enjoyed all the fruits of Raja Yoga. It is in this context that Janaka is also called by the name Videha that is one who has no attachment to the body. There is a small story illustrating this aspect of Janaka's life. In a forest near Mithilapura, there used to be a Rishi by the name Suka. Several disciples used to gather round him and he used to teach them aspects of God and aspects related to the Atma and many other spiritual matters. Janaka came to know of this Ashram of Suka and went there and prayed to Suka to permit him also to be one of his disciples. Suka thought it very desirable to get such an ideal king among his disciples and readily agreed and asked him to come everyday at a specific time. In this manner, many days went on.

One day Suka came a little early and all the other disciples also came into the class but Janaka did not come in as yet and Suka held up the lesson and waited for Janaka to come. In the meanwhile the students began to develop some peculiar feelings bordering on envy. Each one was telling himself that Suka was partial to Janaka because of his wealth and position. They thought that Suka was willing to wait for Janaka the king but never for others. Does Suka also suffer from partiality to rich people? They were saying that it was not right for a Rishi of Suka's attainment to make a distinction between rich people and poor people and between a king and a common man. Suka in fact did not have any such feelings. He was one who attained the aspect of equal mindedness to a very high level. Suka did this with the specific intention of bringing to the notice of other students the devotion of Janaka and his greatness.

After some time, Janaka entered the class and as soon as Janaka entered, Suka started the class. Suka is a very pure person and therefore was in fact divine and he wanted to teach the other students a lesson. He made it appear as if the entire city of Mithilapura was in flames. The moment Suka created such a feeling, all the students immediately bundled up their seats, mats and books and they began to run to Mithilapura because they thought that their houses were burning and their parents were dying. But, Janaka's mind was so deeply engrossed in Suka's teaching that he did not see or think of Mithilapura burning. He did not see any of the houses burning. After a little while Suka said that even the king's palace was on fire but Janaka would not stir and refused to think of Mithilapura and he was deeply engrossed in the teachings and was completely lost in the thought of God. He was enjoying such supreme bliss that he forgot everything else.

After some time the students who ran away to Mithilapura had all come back when they found that nothing really was burning. When they came back, Suka told them that each one had only one small house in Mithilapura and they ran in great anxiety at the fire while Janaka who was the king of Mithilapura was not disturbed even when he was told that his own palace was on fire. Nothing moved him from here and in this you see the difference between Janaka who had a steady mind and all the others who had a wavering mind. One student like Janaka who has his attention fixed and who is engrossed in the lesson that is being given is worth having and there is no point in having so many students who do not have a fixed mind. This is the reason why I was anxious that Janaka should come into the class - because of his concentration and not because he is a king or a rich person. You should understand the reason for my being more anxious to convey my knowledge to Janaka rather than to you people who have a wavering mind. Out of this incident, it becomes necessary for you to understand that the words that come form the elders and the teaching that come from your teachers are not to be wasted. They are to be taken into your heart. You have to understand them and keep them for use when the occasion arises.

As our attention and our care begin to grow, so also the fruits of our knowledge begin to grow. It is in this context that it has been said that where there is care and where there is a desire to learn with attention, wisdom will appear there. Our Prema or our devotion is like a creeper and if alongside this creeper, there is the tree of attention and care, then this creeper can creep and grow quickly. Only when we are able to get this fire of wisdom into our heart, quickly will it be possible for us to burn away our desires. Fire always tries to rise higher and higher. Even if you put the fire in a low ditch it will try and rise higher. Water on the other hand will rush down even if you pour it on a high level and on a big mound. Water cannot go higher up on its own. Our sensory desires relating to the material world are like the water. On the other hand our thoughts of the Lord are like the fire. Once we understand and appreciate what is true and what is permanent, then these transient things will not give us any trouble whatsoever. If you want to establish one truth, it is possible to do so only by following and by practising other related truths. Just as we have to use a thorn to remove a thorn and just as we have to use a diamond to cut a diamond, so also if you want to remove the effect of bad actions you can remove them only by other good actions. A good action is needed to remove a bad action. Following this, law that a Karma has to be done in order to sanctify another bad action, our Vedas have taught us to distinguish between forbidden work and prescribed work, or the right type of action. Therefore we should make every effort to recognise the aspect of speech and the life force. Earlier while giving you the meaning of Angirasa, I had explained this. Because these aspects are present in every one of our limbs and the organs, this force has been called Angirasa. That limb in which there is no life force begins to deteriorate. This Angirasa is the form of life. This is the reason why we should see that whatever limb you put into action must be full of Rasa of life force. In this context we say that out of Rasa comes only Rasa, weakness cannot come from Rasa.

Taking the aspects of speech we should take care to utter only such words which have life in them. You should utter such words which carry strength with them. Today the words which are coming out of the mouths of young people are lifeless. They are not attaching any importance to whatever work they do. They are not regarding the work as full of life or quality. They simply think that whatever they do is for only a selfish end. We now see that they are wanting to hear only useless things. This is the reason why the value of a human being has come down so low today. To be born as a man is a very sacred thing 'Jantunam Nara Janma Duralabham'. That is among all the animals that are born, to be born as a man is something very difficult and very sacred. Even the Devas at one time did want to have a human birth. Such a sacred birth is not being respected by us. We think that man is simply just like a mass of flesh. We have landed ourselves in giving no importance to man.

One must make the determination to use all the organs in our body for sacred purposes. Why do you not utter the name of the Lord? Why do you go about the whole place like people who have no aim and good thoughts at all? Oh mind! Are you not ashamed to be so wavering and simply wander about as if you are a lunatic from place to place? Why are you after worldly pleasures? If you spend all your time in seeking worldly pleasures, what is it that remains for you towards the end? You are not able to spend your time usefully, you simply want to go and listen to stories about others, stories about people with whom you are not concerned. You are willing to talk ill of others all the time and you do not have the time to go and listen to good things about the Lord and good things about good people. What is wrong with your ears? They are ever ready to hear scandals about neighbours with whom you are not concerned but you have no time to listen to the stories about the Lord. You give up your duties and you give up the normal work that is enjoined to you to do.

You are willing to go to a cinema. You are very happy if you go to a cinema but you would not want to use your eyes to look at the Lord for one moment. Like a dog which has no other work, you want to run about in the streets and use your legs for that useless purpose rather than for going near God. Is it difficult for you to stand near God even for one moment. What is the use of your learning songs and singing them? If only you can listen to the good words of the elders and if you follow the straight path contained in the words of your elders there is every hope of your becoming wise. Therefore, you must make an attempt to sanctify all the organs that are in your body and make them do the right type of work. Simply because God has given you hands, if you use them to do wrong things even the hands will dry up and become like dry wood and useless. It is in this context that Prahlada said that if you cannot use your hands for praying to God they are useless. If you cannot use your mouth to sing the praise of the Lord, then your mouth will be useless. If you are born in such a way that you neither use your hands nor your mouth in the praise of the Lord, your birth is merely a trouble to the mother to whom you are born and nothing good will come out of your birth.

Divyatma Swarupas! For one moment you must turn your attention and think of the experiences of your ancients, and you yourself have got an unequalled opportunity here to grasp the aspects of sacred texts like Bharata and Bhagavata. You must make the best use of the opportunities which you have. I am hoping that you will derive the best possible advantage from such teachings. Youth of today should remember the sacredness of an individual human being and also bear in mind the prosperity of the society of which they form a part. They should think of the welfare of the country. I am hoping very much that you will be paying attention to these things and be able to re-establish and enhance the reputation of our country.