Natural Yoga

by Yogeshwar Muni Second Edition 2004 Online Edition 2005 All rights reserved Copyright !!2" 2004 by Charles #erner
$he in%or&ation posted on this website &ay be used %or one's own spiritual bene%it( )t &ay not be reproduced %or %inancial gain(

Table of Contents
1 Introduction to Natural Yoga Open the heart and surrender Captured energy Surrendering to anything $hree ways to awa*en the li%e energy $rans&ission o% divine energy Stages in +atural Yoga 2 Surrender Surrender is the *ey Advantages to practicing +atural Yoga ,ey principle o% +atural Yoga -eaction to surrender .lti&ate &ethod Surrender is not %or everyone /i&itation o% will%ul techni0ues

1alue o% will%ul techni0ues +o will%ul acts in +atural Yoga Mind or attention in +atural Yoga )s boring O,2 3od43oddess is the therapist One can do &any hours Yogic sleep Attach&ent to the ego Slave &aster 3od in the %or& o% nature )denti%ication with doership 5ruits o% action +ot doing anything Cycle o% pleasure and pain 6irect *nowledge #liss 6i%%erent na&es %or divine energy Swa&i ,ripalvananda Yoga o% love 3 Divine Energy Male and %e&ale principles 6ivine energy 6ivine intelligence $he evolutionary %orce and li%e energy ,undalini Conception #irth 3rowing Constrained evolutionary %orce Se7ual urge

$eenager 5orce enslaved 5our ways to release the energy E7ercise and pure diet 6eep sincere love 8ro%ound concentration 8hysical" e&otional and &ental i&purities Creative ple7us 6ivine grace o% 3od Ethical standards Evolutionary activity 8ath o% renunciation 6ivine energy is not abstract 4 On Natural Yoga Science Scienti%ic precision 8uri%ying actions and postures Energy seals 5inal stage o% postures OM and ancient sounds -ate o% progress 8rogression Mind $houghts $ran0uil power /i%e energy awa*ens Singing .nstruc* divine sound 9ith seed e0uani&ity Substages o% with seed e0uani&ity Surrendering :udg&ent Seed;%ree e0uani&ity !"at is Surrender# Awarding victory

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9ill%ul 9estern way 9ay o% the body Appeal to sincere students Meeting ,ripalu ,ripalu's share 6ionysianis& 3iving over control $ %reedo& of C"oice and 'utual Surrender 5reedo& and surrender Conscious and %ree choice -esisted e7periences Choice o% relating 5ree choice Mutual surrender 6uties o% a teacher Swa&i Shivananda Ac*nowledging %reedo& Spiritual progress Ability to choose 8articipating in li%e Contacting others Changes Apparent contradiction 9hat you are to another individual )llusion o% ti&e )dentical natures Metaphysical approach ( )odies* t"e Evolutionary %orce* and Evolution 6ivine energy and the body )&portant 0uestions 8urpose o% a body Evolution 6isorder to order Converting the physical world

-ando& accident $wo aspects o% 3od See*ing union #ody co&es into being +otochord 1ery;*ind;%low energy channel 6ivine energy Strea&ing energy 6+A ,undalini de%ined Mani%est li%e Energy drawn up #ody inevitable step 8reparation %or yoga E7ercise Continence or se7 8rocreative process )&&ortal body Evolutionary process in health -eich and orgone energy -eichian therapists =ealing crisis 8uri%ication crisis =erron's /aw o% =ealing #eco&ing a saint 6ivine living %lower Etheric body >uestion >uestion 2 >uestion <? >uestion 4?

>uestion 5 >uestion @ + ,dvice on -o. to Do Natural Yoga +atural Yoga roo& 6o +atural Yoga alone 3roup practice o% +atural Yoga -egular schedule Altar Sy&bolic action 8rayer )nstructions %or &editating 9hile &editating Missing scheduled &editation Surrender only to 3od 6evil One principle Messages 3randiosity Source o% spiritual guidance )rritable and &entally unstable 8robation period %or +atural Yoga -esolving doubt )deal conditions 8roselytiAing 6isturbance $rue see*er ,ripalu's gi%t o% +atural Yoga 8anic Moderation 3ive it up

Su//le&entary 'aterial0

T"e Evolutionary %orce 12undalini3 ,ccording to t"e ,ncients E4cer/ts fro& Scri/tures ( Misconceptions 2. Shiva Samhita 3. Hathayoga Pradipika 4( Bhagavad Gita 5( Yoga Sutras o% 8atan:ali @( Shiva Samhita B( Hathayoga Pradipika C( Shiva Samhita !( Hathayoga Pradipika 0( Yoga Sutras o% 8atan:ali ( Hathayoga Pradipika !"o S"ould )e Initiated Into Natural Yoga# 5irst re0uire&ent Second re0uire&ent $hird re0uire&ent 5ourth re0uire&ent 5i%th re0uire&ent Si7th re0uire&ent $hose who want help $hose who want pleasure

C"a/ter 1
Introduction to Natural Yoga )n the 9estern world it is not considered very i&portant to be guided by the heart( 9e would all li*e to be &ore able to love and be loved" but we have learned to trust our heads( 9e have been educated" not only in our educational syste&" but also in our society as a whole to use our heads( )t has brought us a certain degree o% &aterial success" but it has not succeeded in giving us the happiness" the peace" the consciousness" and the love that we all want(

O/en t"e "eart and surrender $he teaching o% +atural Yoga is the way o% natural union with 3od( 5ro& &y spiritual teacher Master ,ripalvananda" ) learned a &ethod o% opening &y heart" a &ethod o% surrender( $his is not to say that *nowledge is a bad thing" because it is not( #ut it is not enoughD nor is :ust opening your heart( 9e are so &uch &ore advanced in our heads than in our hearts( 9hat we need is to learn to open the heart and surrender( #ut surrender to what2 )n +atural Yoga one surrenders only to the $ruth( Another na&e %or the $ruth is 3od( 3od is the AbsoluteD the Absolute is 8er%ectionD and 8er%ection is $ruth( +atural Yoga is about *nowing 3od not :ust intellectually" but consciously and directlyD it is about surrender to 3od( Ca/tured energy )t is necessary to re;release the energy captured by the closed heart( $he heart" in turn" has been captured by the &indD and the &ind controls it( )t is not possible to %igure out how to re;release or to liberate the li%e energy that has been entrapped( $he &ore you use your will to &a*e it happen" the &ore li%e energy gets captured( #ut when the heart is re;opened" the &ind loses its grip on the previously captured energy" and li%e begins to %low again( Surrendering to anyt"ing )% you surrender to anything and everything" your li%e beco&es a co&plete waste( Your desires run wild and you run into incredible di%%iculties( )n +atural Yoga" by surrendering to 3od" by surrendering to the $ruth" the suppressed energy is released and trans%or&ed( $hen liberation is achieved( Once you surrender the body" %eelings and &ind to 3od" the puri%ication process begins( #ut the ego resists it( )t says" EOh" no" you don't( $his surrender business is not %or &eFG )% you have a lot o% to7ins in your body" there will be a strong reaction( )% you are sic*ly" overweight" use drugs" s&o*e cigarettes" or drin* co%%ee or alcohol" the body will react very strongly and &a*e it very di%%icult %or you to continue surrendering( )% you sincerely want to do +atural Meditation" you need to wor* through these di%%iculties and prepare %or the process o% %ull surrender" o% co&pletely giving over your body" %eelings and &ind to 3od( $hen as you continue to surrender" your &ind begins to puri%y spontaneously( %our .ays to a.a5en t"e life energy $here are %our ways to awa*en or liberate the li%e energy( One o% the& is by physical e7erciseD another is by understanding the $ruthD the third is through devotionD and the %ourth is through the trans&ission o% divine energy %or& teacher to student( )% you do a lot o% e7ercise" stop using drugs and eat a pure diet" your body will beco&e purer( And when it puri%ies" the li%e energy will be liberated(

My li%e energy was liberated by understanding the $ruth( ) had a realiAation o% the $ruth o% li%e( As a result" the li%e energy in &y body went Ewhoooosh(G ) rolled all over the %loor and acted craAy( ) didn't *now what to do with itF ) tried to %igure out what it was all about( 5or years ) tried to %ind out what to do with it and how to handle it( ) did not succeed until ) &et Master ,ripalvananda" a%%ectionately called ,ripalu( =e is the only one ) ever &et who really *new what to do with the vital energy( =e was a great yogi %ro& the great tradition o% +atural Yoga( So&ething led &e to his %eet( =e had the *nowledge" &ethod" and power to trans%or& the li%e energyD and he could teach and trans&it it to others( And %inally" i% you devote yoursel% to whatever is divine to you and open your heart and serve it" through great love" your li%e energy will be liberated( Trans&ission of divine energy )n +atural Yoga" the li%e energy is awa*ened through the trans&ission o% divine energy %ro& teacher to student( $he trans%erence is a gi%t o% li%e energy %ro& the teacher to the student( $he great advantage o% trans&ission o% divine energy %ro& teacher to student is that you *now what is happeningD you how it has co&e aboutD and you *now you have so&eone to guide you( Once the divine energy is trans%erred" the rest happens spontaneously and auto&atically as you continue to surrender( Stages in Natural Yoga ( You begin to treat people better" not because you are %orcing yoursel%" but :ust because you want to( 2( $he body per%or&s puri%ying actions" &oving spontaneously into yoga postures whether you have ever heard o% the& or not( $he postures occur in the e7act way necessary %or your body to puri%y( <( $he li%e energy beco&es restrained and elevated( 4( $he attention withdraws %ro& the senses( 5( You go into deep concentration @( You go into spontaneous &editation B( You go into e0uani&ity or union with 3od( $his does not happen in two or three secondsD it ta*es a while( )t &ay ta*e days" wee*s" &onths or yearsD but it happens according to the grace o% 3od and $ruth" according to the wisdo& o% the divine energy that guides you( $he process o% +atural Yoga proceeds according to your degree o% surrender" the previous wor* that you have done in this li%e and others" and the wisdo& o% your spiritual teacher( 6ivine union is the ulti&ate outco&e o% +atural Yoga( Your own true" divine nature co&es into union with 3od or $ruth( +atural Yoga brings not only bliss" but also consciousness" $ruth" health and happiness( )t brings natural hu&ility and saintly behavior( )&purities

are trans%or&ed into 6ivine /ove %or others( Eventually a co&plete and per&anent trans%or&ation o% one's hu&an nature ta*es place( $his is a long;ter& pro:ectD yet it is the pro&ise o% +atural Yoga(

C"a/ter 2
Surrender Surrender is t"e 5ey $he *ey to +atural Yoga is surrender( #y surrendering in &editation you achieve union with 3od or $ruth( $here are &any na&es and ways o% thin*ing about the .lti&ate( Choose the way that has &eaning %or you" then surrender and go into union with it( +atural Yoga is natural union" a union that happens naturally without the use o% will%ul direction or guidance( +atural Yoga&eans %ollowing the natural path" the path that is auto&atic and spontaneous( #ut this can only co&e through surrender( $his is why surrender is the *ey( 9ithout surrender" the will is involved( 9hen the will is involved" nothing happens naturally( ,dvantages to &editating naturally $here are a lot o% advantages to &editating naturally( You &ight say that surrender is Eletting it be(G /etting things be the way they are" is a %or& o% surrender( $he dictionary de%ines surrender as the opposite o% victoryD surrender is yielding or giving in( )t i&plies being %orced to give in" to give in against your will( )n +atural Yoga surrender &eans giving in by your own choice and letting the will o% so&ething other than you have its way( )n +atural Yoga" you not only surrender" but you also surrender to the $ruthD you surrender to 8er%ectionD you surrender to the AbsoluteD you surrender to the .lti&ate( You surrender to the cos&ic %inality( Call it whatever you li*e( 2ey /rinci/le of Natural Yoga You don't :ust surrender( You surrender to an .lti&ate( You have the choice to surrender or not( )n +atural Yoga you choose to give in to the 6ivine( $his is the *ey principle o% +atural Yoga( You don't need to *now anything else( Everything else supports this *ey principle( So you need to understand it well( )t is not easy to surrender" but it is the *ey to spiritual growth( )% you surrender to the 6ivine" then auto&atically and spontaneously" you are on the path to the $ruth" to the %eet o% the /ord" to 6ivine /ove" without having to plan" to *now" to %orce or to concern yoursel% in any way( 6eaction to surrender $he di%%iculty is that when you choose to surrender" there is a reaction(

$here%ore" you can only surrender to a certain degree( )% you could surrender to the $ruth totally" all at once" you would e7perience the $ruth and have co&plete union with the $ruth( So&e people re%use to surrender at all( $hey say" E)'& using &y will and that's it( )'& not surrendering at allFG A %ew have surrendered totally( 9e call the& 3od( Most o% us are in between with so&e degree o% surrender( 9hen you have a reaction to surrender" don't stop surrendering( Si&ply surrender &ore( Even i% you don't want to" go ahead and do it anyway( 8erhaps you pull bac* your surrender to so&e degree( #ut i% you do surrender" a little bit o% puri%ication ta*es place( +ot only do concerns go away" but also the body and the &ind puri%y to so&e degree( So when you surrender that &uch again" the reaction is not so strong( And as you continue" your capacity to surrender grows deeper and deeper because the reactions are less( 7lti&ate &et"od )t would ta*e a li%eti&e to sort out the best way to have a supre&ely happy li%e" achieve co&plete liberation" attain absolute %reedo&" and reach total union with 3od( #y the ti&e ) %ound +atural Yoga" &y li%e had been spent trying to wor* this out( ) had asse&bled about %i%ty di%%erent" 0uite e7cellent &ethods o% dealing with the body and &ind" li*e &assage" 8olarity $herapy" -ol%ing" 5elden*reis" =atha Yoga" breath restraint" good diet" 3estalt $herapy" Mind Clearing" E&otional $rau&a -elease" praying to 3od" and &any others( ) was trying to design an assess&ent &ethod to test every person who ca&e to our spiritual growth center and then direct the& to the techni0ues they needed( ) had an elaborate plan wor*ed out with a &arvelous testing syste& so that each person's plan could be ad:usted to :ust the co&bination they needed and varied as their needs changed( ) was e7cited by all o% this and was beginning to &a*e so&e sense out o% it even though it was a %airly co&ple7 sub:ect( $hen one day ) &et &y beloved spiritual teacher" ,ripalu( =e taught &e +atural Yoga( 9ith +atural Yoga all you have to do is surrender to 3od( And the per%ect thing happens to you at :ust the right ti&e with the correct intensity to do e7actly what is necessary %or you whether it be in your &ind" your body or your %eelings( )t brings about the e7act degree o% puri%ication you need( And then the process continues naturally without any need to as* 0uestions or &a*e plansF 9hat a relie%F 9hat a 3odsendF Surrender is not for everyone .n%ortunately not everyone can surrender to 3od( 5irst o% all" &any have not %ound 3od( Others have no absolute anywhere in their li%e( )t's di%%icult %or the& to %ind anything to surrender to( Secondly" &any are so i&pure and to7i%ied that i% they do surrender even a little bit" their ego can't stand it( $hey cla&p their will down with all their &ight( $hese people &ust %ind $ruth" through so&e other &ethod" through

Enlighten&ent )ntensives" %or e7a&ple( $hey need techni0ues to re&ove their &ental and co&&unicative obstacles( Once their &inds beco&e purer as a result o% techni0ues such as the Enlighten&ent )ntensive" then surrender is possible %or the&( 5or those who are ready" %or those who have prepared the&selves" the path o% +atural Yoga is open( +atural Yoga is an option i% they so chooseF Many have had deep e7periences o% 3od" $ruth or 6ivine /ove( #ut these e7periences %ade with ti&e( 8i&itation of .illful tec"ni9ues All will%ul techni0ues are li&ited because you can only *now 3od in a surrendered state( As soon as the will is re;activated by arising desire" the deep e7perience lost( Many people are sincerely driven ti&e and ti&e again into the real& o% pea* e7periences only to %all bac* again when desire arises( So&e have sought e7periences using drugs" only to crash again( $a*ing drugs is certainly will%ul and you cannot will%ully &aintain union( Only in the state o% surrender to the $ruth can the .lti&ate goal be continually e7perienced( T"e value of .illful tec"ni9ues )t's a gradual process( 9here will%ul techni0ues leave o%%" surrender begins( $his is not to say that will%ul techni0ues have no value( $hey doF )t is necessary %or al&ost everyone to participate in the& to get the&selves to the place where they can surrender &eaning%ully to the $ruth( $o do +atural Yoga" one &ust be able to surrender and let the will another be done( )t is 3od who is the doer in +atural Yoga( No .illful acts in Natural 'editation )n +atural Yoga you release the body %ro& will%ul acts( You allow the li%e energy in the body to do what it wants instead o% will%ully trying to do so&ething( )% your body gets tired" let it %all over or :ust collapse on the %loor( Once the body rests %or awhile" it wants to &ove again( 9hereas ordinary &editation uses the will" in +atural Yoga you let the li%e energy" guided by the divine" &ove the body in whatever way it sees %it( T"e &ind or attention in &editation 6o not try to concentrate your &ind or attention on any particular thing( )n will%ul &editation you concentrate on one sub:ect or will%ully try to &aintain a state o% openness( )n the case o% +atural Yoga" you let the attention go wherever it wants( )t &ight go onto anything( You surrender the control o% your attention to the divine and letting it do what it wants( $he divine directs the energy that guides the attention( )t will go where it needs to go in order %or you to &a*e the &ost rapid progress in your &editation( Is boring O2#

Meditation &ay not always be what you wantD and o%ten" it is not( So&eti&es it is boring( So&eti&es it does see&ingly pointless things li*e the grocery list( #ut that is what needs to be done( $he energy is trying to release your attention %ro& the Egrocery listG so it can go on to other things( You say" EOh" ) shouldn't be thin*ing about the grocery listD so )'& not going to thin* about it( ) should be thin*ing about 3od(G You are using your will( )t is all very well to thin* about 3odD but i% you are using your will to direct your attention" then you are de%eating the &ethod o% natural union with 3od( )% you surrender your attention to 3od" the li%e energy in the body and &ind will be guided appropriately( :od;:oddess is t"e t"era/ist )n &editation you go through what you need to go through( +o one has to tell you anything( 3od is the only therapist( )% you have 3od or the $ruth as your therapist" you can not do better( $he only %ee 3od wants is surrender to =i&( You can say E=erG i% you pre%er( $he 3oddess is $ruth( $ruth is the way things actually are no &atter what perspective you ta*e( You :ust let &editation happen whatever way it wants( /et =is will be done" not yours( Surrender" then" is to choose to let 3od" the $ruth" or whatever you want to call it" guide your body" %eelings" and &ind" your thoughts and attention( You will be led through the &ost %ascinating" e7citing" so&eti&es boring and even terri%ying :ourney to union with the $ruth( One can do &any "ours #y surrendering to the li%e energy" the body can naturally go through what it needs to go through in +atural Yoga( )t does not beco&e tired( $he &ind goes through what it needs to go through so it does not beco&e stuc* or %rustrated trying to control the attention( And the %eelings can %low when they are readyD when they are not ready" nothing happens( So :ust let it be( One can do &any hours o% +atural Yoga over long periods o% &onths and years( $he serious aspirant can devote his or her whole li%e to this activity( 5our to eight hours a day spent in &editation is not unusual %or a serious practitioner o% +atural Yoga( Yogic slee/ 3enerally" the energy in &editation &oves a lot at %irst" then slows down to nothing and the aspirant goes into yogic sleep( You &ay thin* that you should be alert and busy( Your will tells you" E) thin* ) should be awa*e" active and busy(G And there is 3od's will( Sleep is co&ing on naturally( )% you have truly surrendered" you let sleep co&e( )% a hand wants to &ove" let it &ove( 9hatever happens let it happenF $here is only one condition" surrender your body" &ind and %eelings to the $ruth"( )% you have done that" there is no error( 9hatever occurs" including sleep or anything else" happens properly and auto&atically(

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,ttac"&ent to t"e ego 9hy doesn't everybody do +atural Yoga2 )t's so easyF ) &entioned the obstacle o% reaction( Many people are attached to the egoD that is" their ego wants to be in charge( )t wants to be the doer and wants to cause things to happen( E)% ) do this" then ) want that result( And ) want the %ruits o% &y actions(G 5ollowing the ego is the ordinary 9estern way o% proceeding( )t is also the Oriental way o% proceeding to so&e e7tent( 9hen you will%ully act" 3od responds to a degree" i% you have acted ethically( You can get bound to the ego and get stuc* in the role o% the doer( You are the one who is doing it" rather than surrendering( 5ollowing the ego can only ta*e you so %ar( #ut &ost people are not ready to give up the role o% Edoership(G $hey are not ready to go on to +atural Yoga( Slave &aster 3od is the doer o% all things( )&agine a slave &aster who has &any slaves and who wants to build hi&sel% a nice house( =e sits up on his dais and says" ESlave" you co&e over here and you carry these stones( And you slaves there" you pile the& up( And you &i7 the &ortar( And you design it( Co&e on" :u&pFG And they start :u&ping and carrying stones and they build the palace( 9hen the palace is %inished" the slave &aster invites his neighbor over( And he says" E/oo*F See the palace ) builtF See what ) didFG $he slave &aster is the ego and the slaves are 3od( :od in t"e for& of nature 3od is the doer o% all things that appear in the %or& o% nature( 3od in the %or& o% nature does all things( $he ego sits bac* and says" E/oo* what )'& doingF See what ) didFG $he ego thin*s it is the doer( #ut the ego does not create anythingD it does nothingF $he body is part o% natureD the &ind" %eelings and thoughts are part o% nature( $he entire physical universe is part o% nature( All that happens is done by 3od wor*ing in and through nature( Surrender releases the divine energy that &a*es everything wor*( $he divine energy is what guides your body" &ind and %eelings in +atural Yoga( Identification .it" doers"i/ )% you are strongly identi%ied with doership" surrender will not occur( #ut you can give up the ego and say" E3od" ) surrender to you(G )t would be li*e the slave &aster saying" ESlave" ) surrender to you( ) realiAe that you have been doing the wor* anyway and )'ve :ust been ta*ing credit %or it(G )t is not :ust a &atter o% stopping what you were doingD it is a &atter o% realiAing that you never were and are not the doer( 3od in the %or& o% nature does all things( $he act o% surrender is si&ply the gradual realiAation o% the $ruth( %ruits of action

As long as you are attached to the %ruits o% action" you are held in a trap( You hold on to the idea that you are the doer( E) did it( ) wor*ed all day( ) want &y pay(G So i% you are attached to the %ruits" you are auto&atically the doer( #ut it is not true( $he %ruits do not belong to you( $hey are all 3od's( You are not the doer( 3od does it all( So what are you2 You are the one who either surrenders to that %act" or resists it( You are the one who can &a*e the choice( You can either surrender to the natural way which brings about union with $ruth or you can %ight it" saying" E+oF +oF +oF )'& going to do it the way ) wantFG Not doing anyt"ing So&eti&es people %eel that i% they decide to stop doing so&ething" nothing will happen( $hey thin* that not doing anything is surrender( $his is not true( $hey thin*" E) won't thin* any thoughtD ) won't &ove a %ingerD ) won't breathe(G $here is a very si&ple way to test this( E9ell since )'& the breather" )'ll stop breathing(G #ut it is not you who starts breathing again because it was not you who was breathing in the %irst place( 3od in the %or& o% nature is causing the body to breathe" not you( And in the sa&e way" nature causes the brain to thin*" the hunger to co&e" the se7ual urge to arise( All these things happen by the will o% nature( $hus it is the ego that stops people %ro& doing +atural Yoga( Everyone has an ego( =owever" i% you can :ust yield so&e o% your doership" so&e o% your attach&ent to the %ruits o% action" then you can open the door to +atural Yoga( Cycle of /leasure and /ain +atural Yoga liberates you %ro& both pleasure and pain( You protest" E9ait a &inute" don't you ta*e &y pleasure awayF )'ll put up with so&e pain as long as ) get so&e pleasure(G #y surrendering to the $ruth" you gradually get over the su%%ering o% pain and the en:oy&ent o% pleasure( )n li%e" pain is the pay&ent" pleasure is the reward( )t is the %ruit( 3etting caught in this endless cycle o% pain and pleasure is ordinary hu&an li%e( An individual who wants liberation see*s to transcend this cycle( A practitioner o% +atural Yoga" instead o% pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain" see*s only union with $ruth" per%ect awareness o% the way things really are( =e or she beco&es &ore and &ore detached( #oth pleasure and pain beco&e the sa&e( A sincere &editator see*s pure consciousness o% the way it is( $he Hway it is' is o%ten called H$hat' in yogic scripture( 8ure consciousness o% H$hat' is bliss( Direct 5no.ledge 8ure consciousness o% the Eway it isG IHthat'J &ay be called direct *nowledge( 9hen you have direct *nowledge o% H$hat' which is true" you are in bliss( $his is union with 3od( A liberated individual having

transcended pleasure and pain co&es to *now 3od directly( )% so&eone :ust tal*s to you about $ruth" it tends to be dry( )% so&eone :ust tal*s about 3od" you &ay %eel belittled( #ut when you are the one that ends up *nowing the $ruth directly" you are in the state o% bliss( )liss #liss is not the sa&e as pleasure( #liss is pure consciousness o% $ruth( $he state you are in when you go into union is bliss( #liss is not the titillation o% a nerve endingD that is pleasure( )% that nerve is not titillated" then it is pain%ul( EOh ) %eel so loneso&e and le%t out( ) %eel depressed and hurt(G $his happens because the nerve %iber did not get its electrical sti&ulus( #ut i% you have pure consciousness o% 3od or $ruth" it is bliss( )t is union with 3od( =ow do you to reach bliss2 #y the realiAing that you are not the doer( #y surrendering to the $ruth( $his leads to pure consciousness o% the $ruth and you have bliss( ) spea* not %ro& theory" but %ro& e7perience that this is the case( Surrender even in the early stages o% the process o% union with 3od" leads to bliss and to 3od( #y the grace o% &y spiritual teacher it has happened to &e( ) can say that direct *nowledge o% $ruth is 3od" beyond doubt" beyond certainty( Different na&es for divine energy $here are &any schools o% thought" &any religions and teachers who teach surrender to 3od in the %or& o% the divine energy( $he Christians on the day o% the 8entecost were invested with the =oly Spirit which is the sa&e thing as divine energy( $hey spo*e in tongues and rolled on the %loor" called out to 3od" cried" and laughed with :oy( $he puri%ication had begun( $he =oly Spirit had descended upon the&( Chi is another na&e %or the divine energy( $ai Chi tries directs this energy( $he na&e is HOrgone' to the -eichians( $hey per&it the energy to %low and to surrender to it( $hese are all steps in the right direction( $hey are all e7cellent techni0ues( )n +atural Yoga" we deal with the sa&e energy( )n yogic tradition" the guru gives Sha*tipat initiation awa*ening the divine energy in his or her students( S.a&i 2ri/alvananda My spiritual teacher has provided us with a broad perspective o% the spiritual growth process based on his e7perience in +atural Yoga( =e &editated ten hours a day" seven days a wee*" every day o% the year %or over thirty years( =is li%e was +atural Yoga( =e understood and practiced +atural Yoga in the conte7t o% ancient scripture( =e was taught by his teacher" /ord /a*ulisha" who achieved divine body through +atural Yoga( +atural Yoga has a history o% thousands o% years o% sincere &editators e7peri&enting" going up blind alleys" %inding the way and then staying on course( $hey continued until they achieved the highest state o% union with

3od" the develop&ent o% the divine body" and the %ul%ill&ent o% li%e( Yoga of love $here are &any na&es %or this &editation( 9hen ) was in )ndia" Swa&i ,ripalvananda called &e bac* into his roo& and wrote on his chal*board in =indi I) had to get the translatorJ" E$he na&e o% this yoga is love(G ) did not *now what he &eant at the ti&e( +ow ) have a good idea( /ove and surrender are the sa&e( One's &ost outstanding 0uality is love( And 3od is love( So when you surrender to 3od" to 8er%ection" to $ruth" you love =i& so =e can love you( $his is what leads to union( 9ithout love none o% it is possible( /ove does not &ean surrendering to people's personalities" wea*nesses" inabilities" %ailures" or i&purities( You surrender to the 6ivine" the 6ivine that is everywhere and in everything( You should not surrender to i&per%ections" disease" insanity and %alse *nowledge( Surrender only to the 6ivine $ruth which is in the heart o% everyone( $his is the act o% love( ,ripalu told &e that %or thousands o% years" it has been the custo& in )ndia when greeting or parting to say" E1ictory to 3odFG Jai Bhagawan

C"a/ter 3
Divine Energy 'ale and fe&ale /rinci/les All o% e7istence can be understood in ter&s o% the &ale principle and the %e&ale principle( $he &ale %actor is the being" an individual being conscious( $he %e&ale %actor is +ature( +ature is Eall the world(G 9hen ) say" Eall the world"G ) &ean not only all the things and all &atter in the world" but also all the space" ti&e energy" events" thoughts" and bodies( Everything that is and everything that ta*es place is what ) &ean by +ature( $he aspect o% +ature" which &oves and e&powers is divine energy( 6ivine energy is power or directed energy( )% a &otion or an event has so&e direction or intelligence guiding it" then this is power( )t is divine energy( 9hen we spea* o% divine energy we are not tal*ing about so&ething &ysterious( 9e are tal*ing about the so&ething ordinary( )t is that aspect o% nature that e&powers" gives energy and direction( Divine energy $he concept o% divine energy applies to the entirety o% nature" real&s" li%e %or&s" space" and ti&e" %orever and ever( )t is universal divine energy( 5ro& the very beginning o% the universe to the very end" including the present" everything is e&powered by universal divine energy( )n Christianity" this is also discussed( $he #ible spea*s o% 3od" and the 9ord o% 3od( $he 9ord o% 3od is +ature and is the sa&e as divine energy( $he e&powering %actor in Christian theology is the =oly Spirit( $he =oly

Spirit &a*es everything %unction( 9ithout it nothing ta*es place( $he =oly Spirit" on the &ost universal level" is identical to the divine energy( $he =oly Spirit is the e&powering %orce" the energy %ro& 3od" directed by =is intelligence( $he entire %or&ing o% the physical world o% &atter and the evolution o% the suns and gala7ies" the stars and their interaction in galactic %or&s" the %or&ation o% planets" all have been e&powered by divine energy( 9ithout this energy creation would not ta*e place( 9ithout the energy and intelligence o% the =oly Spirit" the physical world would not %or&( $here would not be coalescence o% &atter or substance( +or would &atter %or& into intelligent patterns li*e the spiral %or& o% the gala7y or the roundness o% stars Divine intelligence $he intelligence contained in the laws o% nature" acting by the energy o% 3od" &a*es the world the way it is( Kust as planets are %or&ed by the direction o% intelligent energy" li%e %or&s on the planets and biological %or&s" si&ple viruses" bacteria" si&ple plants" and one;celled ani&als evolve( 6ivine energy is at wor* to &a*e li%e" whether it is plant or ani&al( 9hen divine energy is operational in a li%e %or&" we call it the li%e energy( #ut it is still the sa&e divine energy that %or&s the universe( Consider the intelligence %actor also" a guiding hand o% divine energy within the %or& o% the 6+A( )t guides the %or&" pattern" structure and activities in o% the biological %or& in the %inal analysis( $he divine energy is in the very structure o% the cell itsel%( 9ithout it" a cell cannot live( 6ivine energy is also the energy that &otivates and binds the &olecules( $he &aterial world and the divine are not two separate things( $he divine pervades every aspect o% the living %or&( $he intelligence that &a*es the organis& the way it is" is divine( As cells co&bine and relate through the intelligence that is contained in the structure o% the 6+A &olecules" li%e %or&s beco&e &ore and &ore co&ple7( Evolutionary force and life energy $he sa&e principle guides the evolutionary %or&ation o% the hu&an body( 9hen the intelligent divine energy" this power" drives evolution on towards a &ore co&ple7 and per%ect organis&" it is called the evolutionary %orce( $he overall e&powering %orce o% a body %or& is called li%e energy( $he %orce contained in the 6+A &olecule that is the driving power o% evolution" is called the evolutionary %orce( )t has a goal in &ind" a place to arrive at( )t drives the body toward &ore and &ore co&ple7ity and per%ection in its biological %or&( 2undalini )n Sans*rit the evolutionary %orce is *nown as *undalini( ,undalini literally &eans Hthe %e&ale coiled one'( Yogis thin* o% the evolutionary %orce as a she;sna*e( $he giant &ale sna*e that %ills and &oves the universe is the li%e energy" a giant cobra( And the little %e&ale sna*e is *undalini" the %e&ale coiled one" which is contained in each and every body" in each and every

plant" in each and every ani&al" in each and every cell( $he physical %or& o% the evolutionary %orce is in the 6+A &olecule( $he energy %or& o% it in the lower part o% the body is the se7ual urge( $he se7ual urge gets you to reproduce" driving you into contact with another body( $his brings about %urther evolution o% the species( $he se7ual urge is not so&e sort o% a casual thingD it is inherent in every cell o% the body( )t is the evolutionary %orce that drives bodies towards the per%ect state( Conce/tion 9hen the hu&an body is conceived" two parts o% the evolutionary %orce's pattern" the 6+A pattern" co&bine in union( One hal% is %ro& the ovu& o% the &other and one hal% is %ro& the sper& o% the %ather( $hese two patterns co&e together and %or& a new pattern" opti&ally &ore per%ect than the one be%ore( $he evolutionary %orce is released at this point o% conception when the sper& and the ovu& co&e together( $he %orce starts driving hard( )t has been encapsulated te&porarily in each one o% the sper& and the ovu& hal%;cells( $he hal% cells are incapable o% sustaining li%e on their ownD but when they co&e together" the dor&ant evolutionary %orce is released( )t starts out with tre&endous power" guiding" e&powering" and directing the &ultiplication o% the cell into a hu&an Aygote within the wo&b o% the %e&ale( As it grows" it passes through the evolutionary stages rapidly( $he Aygote o% a hu&an %irst loo*s li*e that o% any other ani&al( $hen it begins to rese&ble the Aygote o% a %ish and then o% a reptile( )t goes through the various &on*ey;li*e stages" and %inally evolves into the hu&an %or&" the hu&an %etus" the hu&an baby( )irt" $he tre&endous trau&a o% birth puts a da&per on the rate o% evolution( $he evolutionary %orce has to start coping with the worldD it has to start digesting &il* and breathing air( )t has to deal with being neglected and getting cold and hot( $he evolutionary pattern" nor&ally associated with the breath" is battered( #ecause o% the interaction o% the evolutionary %orce with the environ&ental %orces" evolution is so&ewhat %rustrated( :ro.ing You" as an individual associated with a body" try to use your Hwill'" as you grow year by year" %or your own purposes and ends( #y using your will" as you try to respond socially to your parents" the evolutionary %orce is %urther constrained" perverted and distorted( #y the ti&e you are %our" %ive or si7" the will in the %or& o% the &ind" has started to capture the energy to behave" to stay out o% no;no's" and to get a piece o% candy( And so you &a*e the body sit still and do what it is supposed to do according to you and according to society instead o% :ust letting it do what the evolutionary %orce *eeps wanting it to do( )t wants to %idget" run around" :u&p up and down" and yell" because it is trying to &a*e the body evolve the way it wants it to evolve( #ut you direct it through your will" to

not urinate or de%ecate" to eat when the ti&e is right" to sit still" and to learn to read( Constrained evolutionary force And so the evolutionary %orce is constrained and constricted to social necessities( 9e are not to bla&e %or this( $his is the *ind o% world in which we live( 9e are battered by the environ&ent" physically and socially( 9e continue %or the ne7t %ew years with the energy so&ewhat captured( )t tries to brea* out again" tries to e7press itsel%( #ut because it is captured" it tries to e7press itsel% through se7ual reproduction" beginning at or around eleven" twelve" thirteen or %ourteen( $he se7ual urge brea*s out at puberty( Se4ual urge You try to have intercourse with a &e&ber o% the opposite se7( $he energy is essentially saying" E)% ) can't &a*e this evolution per%ection in this body" )'ll &a*e a new body( )'ll try it that way" and see i% it can &a*e it(G #ut because o% social circu&stances" even that is constrained( Se7ual e7pression is held in by social pattern" by social necessity" by lac* o% &oney" by lac* o% education( You cannot get &arriedD you cannot have se7D you cannot let this energy e7press itsel% in :ust any way or any ti&e it sees a &e&ber o% the opposite se7( )t cannot have se7 i&&ediately and instantly as in the case o% ani&als( So you use your will again under social pressure to constrain the evolutionary %orce which has bro*en out in the %or& o% se7ual drive( )t is held down and suppressed again out o% necessity( +o one is to be bla&ed( #ut this is what happens( 9hen this energy is constrained in this &anner" it leads to tension" headaches" unhappiness" and disease( +eurotic behavior begins( A%ter puberty" co&es neurotic behavior( And teenagers start to get &ore and &ore neurotic( $hey %ight against it" they struggle against itD but because o% social pressure and necessity" gradually the evolutionary %orce is %orced to yield to social patterns( Teenager #y your late teens" you have learned enough about li%e to encourage independence( You say" E)'& going to let this energy do what it wants"G thin*ing that is what you want to do" which is all right" ) suppose( And you &ay thin*" E)'& going to live independently( ) don't need &y parents" and ) don't need society( $o hec* with itF )'& going to go &y own way(G You pull out o% the household" and %ind that you have to &a*e a living( You have to wor* at a :ob or study at school or else you will be le%t out in the cold" hungry" without support( And so the necessity o% &aintaining the survival o% the body causes you to use your will again( $his ti&e it is to grind by the hour over boo*s in college" or grind by the hour" day in and day out" at so&e wage :ob" trying to &a*e a living( T"e force enslaved $his co&pletes the :ob o% enslaving the evolutionary %orce( 9ith a %inal gasp the power o% the evolutionary %orce is lost( $he evolution o% your body

20

stops( )t 0uits growing in siAe and the nervous syste& stops re%ining( At this point" around seventeen" eighteen" nineteen or twenty" %urther growth o% your capacity and creative powers is suppressed( Your intelligence ceases to grow any &ore" and the process o% death begins( You slowly start to die right at about that age( You &ay not notice it at %irst( )t &ay ta*e you ten years be%ore you notice it( #ut it starts right at that age( /i%e loses so&e o% its glow( And you begin to give up( #ut the evolutionary %orce has not given up( )t is still there and it still tries( )t never 0uits( $he evolutionary %orce is so captured by the will" through the agency o% the &ind and is so enslaved by the ego that evolution stops( A %ew o% us develop so&e outstanding talents up to the age o% about twenty;seven or twenty;eight( #y that ti&e the suppression o% growth is co&plete and we %eel li*e saying" E9hat's the use2G $he process o% decay begins &ore rapidly( As you can see" the evolutionary %orce is no &ystery at all( )t is an every;day thing( )t is suppressed and held at the base o% the spine" captured and enslaved by the &ind %or social and survival purposes( %our .ays to release t"e energy /iberation o% the evolutionary %orce ta*es place in the conte7t o% purity( )t can be released in one o% %our ways? by e7ercise and pure diet" by deep sincere love" by pro%ound concentration" or by the 6ivine grace o% 3od either directly or by a spiritual teacher( E4ercise and /ure diet ( Exer ise and pure diet 8hysical i&purities hold the energy down( $hey are created by bad diet" cola" doughnuts" co%%ee" bad air" and diseases that have battered the body and accu&ulated in it( $hrough e7ercise li*e swi&&ing" through deep breathing and pure diet" you can puri%y the accu&ulations o% to7ins and trau&as o% childhood diseases( $hen the evolutionary %orce will brea* out again( $his o%ten happens in outstanding athletes and dancers( Dee/ sincere love 2( !eep sin ere "ove All the to7ic accu&ulations o% e&otional hurts" disappoint&ents" suppressions and %rustrations o% the evolutionary %orce have captured the e&otional energy and held it down( A person who has the capacity %or deep" sincere love" who is not concerned about hurt %eelings" can have a heart opening( $heir love is so strong either %or another being or %or 3od that they are easily brought to tears( 5or the devotional person" the evolutionary %orce &ay brea*s %orth spontaneously in the& with poetry( $hey are in love( $his is true devotion( Once released" the evolutionary %orce releases and puri%ies all the past e&otional trau&as( <rofound concentration <( Pro#ound on entration Mental attitudes trap the li%e energy( $he construct o% the ego" o% personality" o% i&age" and o% attitudes accu&ulate

in the &ind and act as i&purities( $hrough tre&endous concentration" a creative person such as an artist" &usician" or writer" &ay %ocus acutely his or her attention and bring about a degree o% puri%ication o% the &ind that allows the creative energy o% evolution to be released( )t is the sa&e with the concentration o% the scientist see*ing $ruth( =e concentrates" sees through &isconceptions" and begins to understand the world( $his process releases %i7ed ideas that he or she has accu&ulated" and %rees the &ind( $he evolutionary %orce brea*s out in the %or& o% e7ceptional &ental activity( A creative genius li*e Einstein &ay blosso&( $he Len aspirant sitting in &editation hour a%ter hour %ocusing on the $ruth can brea* through the &ind and directly *now the $ruth( EAhFG and the evolutionary %orce rushes in the puri%ied the &ind( <"ysical* e&otional and &ental i&/urities 8hysical" e&otional and &ental i&purities all act to hold the evolutionary %orce down( $hey are supported by the power o% the will( #y e7ercise and pure diet" deep sincere love" and pro%ound concentration" the body" %eelings and &ind are able to puri%y enough so that the evolutionary %orce can be released in ordinary li%e( $he re&oval o% to7ins and trau&as whether physical" e&otional or &ental" set the stage %or the release o% the %orce o% evolution( .n%ortunately" &ost people do not *now what to do with this power%ul %orce when it arises( $hey are lost because the power is so great( $hey thin* they are craAy" eccentric" or weird( $heir creative power is unleashed along with the se7ual %or& o% the energy( $hey are driven by a great se7ual power and urge( +ot *nowing how to deal with it or trans%or& it" their lives are o%ten destroyed( )% anything goes wrong" which it usually does in a social situation" they are &ade %un o%" re:ected" called craAy or weird( 8erhaps they try to re;suppress the energy by drin*ing or ta*ing drugs or tran0uiliAers" e7hibiting &ore neurotic behavior" busy;busy;busy running around doing all *inds o% things( $hey &ay try to subli&ate the energyD but they o%ten %ail( So the evolutionary %orce goes bac* to sleep again a%ter a %ew &onths or years" bac* to its dor&ant state at the botto& o% the spine( Creative /le4us $here is a *not" a co&ple7 o% energy" at the base o% the spine that includes the se7ual and naval centers or cha*ras( )t is the %irst o% three energy ple7us in the body and is called the Creative ple7us or brah&agranthi in yogic ter&inology( $he *not binds the energy ple7us so tightly and is so co&ple7 that it is practically i&possible to undo" to evolve out o% e7istence" especially due to our social situation and our ignorance( Divine grace of :od 4( 6ivine grace o% 3od either directly or through the agency o% a spiritual teacher who ta*es one %ro& the dar*ness to the light(

22

So that leaves us with the %ourth %or& o% awa*ening the evolutionary %orce;;through the divine grace o% 3od either directly or through the agency o% a spiritual teacher( #y the grace o% 3od or guru" the trapped and dor&ant evolutionary %orce at the base o% the spine is released and activated( 9hen this ta*es place" you receive the *nowledge to handle and trans%or& this energy in the puri%ication process( Et"ical standards 8uri%ication ta*es place spontaneously through surrendered action and auto&atic suspension o% the li%e energy in &editation( 5or this to occur" you &ust have adopted ethical standards to guide your actions in li%e( Eventually through the puri%ication process o% +atural Yoga you will act in an ethical &anner( As the &editation process continues" you will de;identi%y %ro& the sense %aculties" concentrate &ore deeply in &editation" increase your ability to &editate" and %inally achieve union with 3od( $his all happens spontaneously because the evolutionary %orce has been awa*ened and the divine grace and *nowledge o% the spiritual teacher is activated through your connection to the lineage( Evolutionary activity $he evolutionary activity goes on not only to puri%y the body" &ind and %eelings" but also to bring about their %urther evolution( 5irst" you reach genius;level capacity seeing everything the way it actually is( $hen a saintly level %ollows where you beco&e a glowing &ani%estation o% love" *indness and $ruth( )n the %inal stages o% evolution" you evolve the per%ect bodily %or& called the divine body( Kesus achieved divine body" as did &y teacher's teacher" /ord /a*ulisha( )t is a per%ect body" an i&&ortal body that has not only puri%ied but also has evolved to the %inal state( $his is the goal that drives the evolutionary %orce( )t is possible to achieve it M the %inal evolutionary per%ected body %or&( $he divine body is &entioned in $he Autobiography o% a Yogi( #aba:i" the teacher o% Yogananda's teacher" achieved it( $his %inal %or& is 6ivinity itsel%D it is 3od in %or&( )t is true that not everyone who practices +atural Yoga is going to co&plete this pro:ect in this li%eti&e( )ndeed" it is said that on earth a great one attains a divine body every %ive hundred to a thousand years( #ut every degree o% progress that you &a*e through surrender in +atural Yoga ta*es you to liberation( 9hile everyone will not co&plete the evolutionary process in one li%eti&e" the progress you &a*e in this li%eti&e &oves you %orward in the ne7t li%e( <at" of renunciation $he path o% renunciation o% all desire involves %ull reawa*ening o% the evolutionary %orce( $echnically spea*ing the teacher's initiation into +atural Yoga awa*ens the li%e energy and releases it so that the puri%ication can ta*e place( $hen" %or a person ta*ing the renunciate's path" 3od awa*ens the evolutionary %orce( 6ue to the lin*age with the spiritual

2<

teacher" the proper understanding o% the process can occur allowing the evolutionary %orce to ta*e over and eventually %inish the %inal phases o% the divine %or&( ,ripalu" &y teacher" was in the %inal phases o% this path when he died( One sign that the evolutionary %orce was well advanced in his body was the appearance o% a vertical white strea* in the &iddle o% his the %orehead" li*e the one seen on drawings and paintings o% ,rishna and other gods( Actually" at one ti&e" ,rishna and the other gods were :ust ordinary people li*e you and &e( $hrough the techni0ue o% +atural Yoga in ancient )ndia" they brought about the %ull evolution and per%ection o% the divine body and beca&e what are now *nown as gods and goddesses( $hey were :ust ordinary people in the beginning( ,rishna has a strea* down the &iddle o% his %orehead( $he %e&ale has a red dot in the &iddle o% her %orehead" the signature o% the %e&ale divine body( $his is caused by the upward %low o% the evolutionary %orce or the se7ual energy M the se7ual %luids" actually( $he %luids" %lowing upward" appear on the %orehead in the %inal stage o% the evolutionary path( Divine energy is not abstract So you see" divine energy is not abstract( $he =oly Spirit is not abstract( 9hen Kesus' disciples received the =oly Spirit %ro& =eaven on the day o% 8entecost" their evolution and puri%ication began i&&ediately" right there in the public s0uare( $hey began tal*ing in tongues" twisting" singing" and rolling( $his is the puri%ication( $he disciples eventually beca&e outstanding geniuses and saints because o% the evolutionary %orce( 9e are dealing with *nowledge that was *nown in the 9est and was integral in Christianity( $he divine energy is present every day o% our lives and &a*es every breath ta*e place( 3uided by the *nowledge passed down to us" the divine energy can ta*e us to the highest levels o% union with 3od(

C"a/ter 4
On 'editation Science Scientific /recision Although the surrender techni0ue is not scienti%ic in that one can predict when particular events will occur" it is e7act in that one *nows what is going to happen( $he sa&e things happen to everybody &ore or less( $he re&edies %or typical proble&s that co&e up apply in every case( $his is not to say that there are not &iracles( $here are so&e( $here is the scienti%ic precision in +atural Yoga( $he course o% events in +atural Yoga is a progression( )n the beginning" when one %irst receives initiation" the aspirant will e7perience at least so&e period o% nothing happening at all( $his &ay be two or three seconds" two or three &inutes" two or three hours" two or three days or it &ight be two or three &onths( 1ery %ew people will continue to &editate an hour or two a day %or three &onths without anything

24

happening" but so&e have( #y continuing" eventually so&ething starts to happen( #ut generally so&ething happens within a %ew &inutes( )t &ay be that the body collapses on the %loor and stays there( $hat is so&ething( 9hen you re&ove the will %ro& the body" it slips down( 9hen the energy starts to &ove" then the body starts to &ove( <urifying actions and /ostures $he body will go through puri%ying actions or assu&e postures( 9ill%ul hatha yoga postures ca&e %ro& observing yogis do postures in the state o% surrender( $hen a %or&al will%ul techni0ue was organiAed( )n +atural Yoga these things happen auto&atically( At %irst they o%ten happen in a sloppy %ashion depending upon the nature o% the i&purities in the person( 8erhaps their %eet go out and they reach %or their toes and cannot get there( $hey cannot do the posture properly" nor could they i% they were doing it will%ully( 8erhaps the bac* is sti%%" the belly %at" and the legs tense so it cannot be done properly( )t is the particular situation o% the i&purities that causes the variation in how they do the posture( )% they are going to do one where the spine is twisted" how are they going to do it i% they have to push2 )s the leg supposed to be out or is it supposed to be in and how %ar are they supposed to twist and what is the hand doing the whole ti&e2 $his is the whole science o% hatha yoga( #ut in +atural Yoga the proper thing happens" the proper variant" depending upon the need o% their bodily situation and their i&purities( So it does not &atter what one does( )t is ad:usted %or you( A%ter &ove&ent has happened %or a while and you have done a lot o% postures" the variation goes away and the &otion beco&es a &ore precise( Energy seals Around the sa&e ti&e" energy seals begin to occur( $here are &any energy seals that ta*e place( So&eti&es they are called puri%ying &otions( A puri%ying &otion is a &otion that brings about greater purity whether it is done will%ully or auto&atically( )n +atural Meditation it happens auto&atically( $here &ay be a &otion with the hands %or e7a&ple( )t &ay be very %loppy to begin with( $hat &ay be the entirety o% the energy seal( 8eople will go through various positions( $hey are all puri%ying &otions and poses( 1arious breathing patterns &ay occur( $he &oving o% the li%e energy causes this( At %irst the patterns are ragged" but as ti&e goes on they beco&e &ore precise( $he variation between one person and another beco&es less with ti&e( )n the %inal stages" every posture and every energy seal are all essentially the sa&e( %inal stage of /ostures 5or e7a&ple" the lotus pose is a very co&&on poseD but it is not co&plete

25

until the hands are in the proper position( ,ripalu has been photographed de&onstrating the %inal stages o% the postures( $hey have been published in a boo* called Asana and Mudra I8ostures and Energy SealsJ( )t is signi%icant that eventually you co&e to do the postures in the sa&e way that everyone else does( Even though an aspirant &ay have never *nown anything about yoga" he or she will sing the original syllables in the end( At %irst it co&es out garbled with nonsense English( $he brain is being puri%ied( 8erhaps one goes %ro& one sound pattern to the ne7t" yet it always ends up with the basic pattern? da" ba" &a" da" sa" etc( O' and ancient sounds 9hen it has gone through the ancient set o% sounds" the process ends up with one sound? OM( $hat is always the %inal sound( $hen even that vanishes( $his pattern happens %or everybody( )n the &eanti&e" perhaps you will dance around the roo&( 5or so&e the head will go up and down" or perhaps so&eone else will do a +ative A&erican dance( 8erhaps later on they will sound li*e a cantor in a Kewish synagogue( $hey &ay call out and sound li*e a Musli& standing at the top o% a &inaret calling the people to prayer( $hese are spontaneous sounds on the way to the basic ones( $hese are puri%ying actions that lead to the basic ancient sounds and %inally to OM M and then only 3od( 6ate of /rogress So&e people go through phases %aster than others( )t depends on the degree o% surrender" the degree o% i&purity" how &uch ti&e per day is spent &editating" how well one %ollows ethical behavior" how deeply one surrenders to the spiritual teacher" how wise the teacher is" how i&pure the environ&ent is in where one lives( $here are &any %actors that deter&ine the rate o% progress( #ut no &atter how variable" it all eventually converges at the end( Everyone does the sa&e postures and the sa&e energy seals( )t is an inherent pattern with a built;in structure( )t is a pattern that *nows where it is going( 9hen you surrender to 3od" you are led to it auto&atically and spontaneously( 9hen ) saw so&e o% those pictures o% ,ripalu" ) said" EMy body is never going to do so&e o% those poses(G #ut one day ) was &editating and the body :ust wanted to &ove into this position or that position and there ) was there %or a long ti&e( )t &ust have been %i%teen or twenty &inutes( ) was %eeling very bliss%ul( ) noticed will%ully that nothing was happening( E9hy isn't so&ething happening2 $he body is cal&( )'& :ust sitting hereFG $he body was in an incredible posture and ) was paying no attention to it at all( )t :ust see&ed per%ectly natural( $his is +atural Yoga( <rogression 5irst you go through the &ore active &ove&ents( $hey are variable and 0uite di%%erent %ro& one person to another( You &ay roll around" do variations o% breath control" :u&p up and down" bang your head on the

2@

%loor" or swear in -ussian( As ti&e goes on" the energy puri%ies and the evolutionary %orce is awa*ened( $hen the evolutionary %orce starts to pierce the energy centers in serial order( At this :uncture the second phase" the inter&ediate %or& o% postures and the suspension o% the li%e energy begin( At a certain place in an aspirant's &editation" a teacher can predict al&ost e7actly what will be reported" what 0uestions will be as*ed( =e4She will give the answer that is appropriate to that stage o% practice( Speci%ic help%ul in%or&ation is given at the correct ti&e( #ased on the teacher's e7perience he or she *nows a particular person's progress in +atural Yoga and responds accordingly( )t is a&aAing that the pattern is so predictable( )t is &uch &ore detailed than you &ight i&agine( $he sa&e progression happens with everybody( 'ind 9e have been tal*ing &ainly about the body" but what about the &ind2 $he &ind at %irst is loaded with doubt( )t does not *now whether the will is doing it or the energy as a result o% surrender( )s 3od doing it" is it &e or is it &y ego2 Everyone e7periences a degree o% con%usion and doubt( $his happens until the energy is released( $he release can be li*e a da& brea*ing and the energy e7ploding( A%ter that there is no doubt about what is &oving the body around( $hen you *now( $he doubt then tends to disappear and the &ove&ent cal&s down( #ut the li%e energy is %lowing all around the body( $he stages proceed and the energy eventually beco&es steady in the throat" then in the &ind( 8erhaps you will wonder what will happen ne7t( You should let whatever is going to happen" happen( Surrender your attention and do not try to &a*e it go any place( E.h" but ) thin* )'ll listen to the ringing in &y ears( Maybe that's what )'ll do( +o" no" he said to surrender and let it co&e out any way( T"oug"ts =ere ) a& having all these thoughts( Maybe ) ought to stop having these thoughts2 )s this &e2 )s this &y thought or is &y thin*ing 3od thin*ing2 9ho's thin*ing2 =ow can it be thin*ing2G And as i% that is not enough" &aybe you will be thin*ing about the &ovie you saw last wee*( $he &ovie starts playing in your head" and you thin*" EYou *now ) %orgot to balance up &y chec* boo*( You *now" ) don't thin* SuAy loves &e any&ore(G You &ay get %ive or si7 o% these thoughts going si&ultaneously( #abble" noise" chatter( )t &ay see& intolerable( #ut this is only puri%ication( )t happens to everybody a%ter a %ashion( You &ay co&plain that all that is happening in your &editation is that you are lying there thin*ing( $his is the passionate state o% the &ind( )t is a predictable occurrence( 9hat %ollows the passionate state is tran0uil power( Tran9uil /o.er

2B

$his &ind pattern re&inds &e o% a &ovie ) once saw about colonists in A%rica( $hey were going inland in their covered wagons to settle the land( $hey had been tre**ing %or a nu&ber o% days( $hey unhitched the wagons on the slope o% a hill to %eed and rest the horses( So&e o% the children were sitting and playing in one o% the wagons( One o% the children bu&ped the bra*e and released it( $hey started rolling down the hill( $he people started running a%ter the&( $he &en got on horses and were chasing the&( $he wagon was &a*ing a lot o% noise and the action was getting louder and wilder( Everyone was shoutingD the &others were screa&ing panic;stric*en" running a%ter the&( And they went o%% the edge o% a cli%%F $his is li*e the &ind( )t gets busier and busier and goes to a %rantic pea*D and %inally it goes? %%%sssssst(((pea*(((death( Yes(((and peace also( So&ething dies at this point( )t is not you" but the %rantic &ind trying to *eep itsel% busy and entertained( Eventually the &ind gets so pure it :ust goes to nothing( You &ay strainD you &ay %ind you can still thin*" but it is :ust a thought( 8ife energy a.a5ens $hen a new phase o% an entirely di%%erent nature arrives? the li%e energy awa*ens( 9hen this happens" both physical and &ental puri%ying actions occur( $he &ind goes through an entirely di%%erent e7ercise digging out the deepest" dar*est" &ost perverted desires that could ever e7ist( )t brings the& up and puri%ies the& until every desire is puri%ied" until there is :ust nothing le%t( )% you loo* %or desires" there are none( You &ay be te&pted to use your will to test it( Your &ind is no longer busyD there are no desires( +ow" there is only one thing le%t to do M that is to *eep surrendering to 3od( You &ay e7perience that the dawn o% pin* love is %inally co&ing to you beauti%ully and slowly( Everything turns to love and to 3od auto&atically( You do not have to &a*e it that way( You do not have to evaluate the e7perience( $his love does not happen by chanceD nor is it te&poraryD it stays( Singing $hen the ne7t step is a whole new cycle( Singing starts" spontaneous singing %ro& the heart( $here is no &ind or thought involved at all because there is no way to structure the words or the language( )t is pure incredible sound( $here is a tape o% ,ripalu in that state( 9hen ) %irst heard it ) was so startled that ) could not believe what ) was hearing( )t was so power%ul( $his was happening auto&atically and spontaneouslyD it was not a will%ul act( 7nstruc5 divine sound A%ter this state had been occurring %or so&e ti&e" so&eone &ade recording( $his spontaneous singing is called unstruc* divine sound" heart sound( 9hen it is %or&aliAed it sounds li*e a #rah&in priest chanting %or&al chants( 9hy2 #ecause this is how the chanting originated( Ancient yogis" practitioners o% +atural Yoga who had achieved union with

2C

3od" sang spontaneously %ro& their hearts( $hese songs were &e&oriAed and passed down to the &odern #rah&in priesthood( Analogous things have happened in 9estern culture" 3regorian chants" %or e7a&ple( .nstruc* divine sound illustrates the precision and the e7actness o% the science o% +atural Yoga( 6ivine patterns are uncovered by the puri%ication in +atural Yoga and produce universal e7periences that have been occurring in the sa&e way %or thirty thousand years( )t would be a &ista*e to con%use +atural Yoga with the latest %ad in the personal growth &ar*et( !it" seed e9uani&ity At a certain point" e0uani&ity" union with 3od" begins( $here are two stages and sub stages o% e0uani&ity( $he %irst general stage is Hwith;seed' e0uani&ityD the second is Hseed;%ree' e0uani&ity( )n with;seed e0uani&ity" there is union with 3od but one still has a &ind( $he seeds o% desire still re&ain( )t has %our sub stages( E0uani&ity is i&possible to describe( )t is the result o% the activity o% :oining with 3od( )n with;seed e0uani&ity the process is not %inished( )n the %irst general stage o% union with 3od" a :oining together between you as a divine individual and divine otherness occurs" but the &ind re&ains( Substages of .it" seed e9uani&ity E0uani&ity is beyond the senses and the &indD however" it &ay be help%ul to understand that in e0uani&ity one co&es to *now directly that what one is" is the sa&e as what 3od is( Yet at this stage in &editation the &ind is active( -easoning acco&panies union" which leads to the substages o% doubt and uncertainty( $hen auto&atically the ne7t substage" sel%; inspection" begins( /ater one surrenders not only one's brain but also one's :udg&ent( 9hen surrendering &y :udg&ent ca&e up in &editation" ) put the bra*es right on( )t ca&e to surrendering" to giving into 3od's hands" &y ability to discri&inate between right and wrong" good and bad" up and down" and who and what( Surrendering =udg&ent 8utting on the bra*es happens to everyone to so&e degree( =owever" %or &e it was especially hard because ) had an ego attach&ent to being able to tell what was happening in li%e( 9ould ) lose this power2 8erhaps ) would beco&e an idiot i% ) turned &y :udg&ent %aculty over to 3od( And when ) did" it was true that so&e days ) could hardly spea*( #ut when ) turned over &y power o% discri&ination to 3od" it proved to be &y greatest gain in &editation up until that point( Since then ) have been willing to be a happy idiot who does not *now anything( ) do not *now anythingD ) cannot decide anything( 8eople say" E9hat are you going to do2G ) do not *now( )t is up to 3od( $he %inal substage o% with;seed e0uani&ity has the 0uality o% non; :udge&entalness because the :udg&ent %aculty has been transcended( $his is true e0uani&ity? all is the sa&e" and all is divine( Seed>free e9uani&ity

2!

$he second general stage o% union with 3od is called seed;%ree e0uani&ity( $he &ind itsel% Ithe desires and the will%ul activities to satis%y the&J is dissolved away through surrender to 3od( You &ay thin*" E9hat will ) do then2G =owever" you need not worryD %or by this ti&e you will be truly in 3od's hands(

C"a/ter
!"at is Surrender# ,.arding victory Surrender is so central to +atural Yoga that it deserves %urther clari%ication( +atural Yoga" that is" the natural way o% union with $ruth" co&es about by surrender to 3od( $he 0uestion is what is that2 9ho is doing itD who is surrendering what" to who&2 )n the dictionary" surrender is awarding victory to one side( $he choice has been &ade( $here is so&e truth to that( So&e people thin* that surrender &eans de%eatD and in a way they are correct( Surrender is the de%eat o% the ego( !illful !estern .ay ) you have been trying very hard to have li%e your own way( You try to &a*e it co&e out the way that you want( 8eople do not li*e li%e the way it is" so it see&s logical that they would try to change it to so&ething else( )% you do not li*e it" well" do so&ething about itF $hat is the will%ul 9estern way( $here%ore" to surrender has not been socially approved" even though Christ taught surrender to 3odD and the 9est is pri&arily a Christian culture( So&ehow" we have wandered away( $his is understandable" because it is not easy to surrender( $o give up control o% your li%e" to wor* hard and have no attach&ent to the %ruits o% your labor is not easy( )t is not natural %or the body to surrender anything" to anyone" ever" under any circu&stances( Yes" it will do what it is told when it is threatened( 9hen it gets hungry enough" it will do what it has to do to eat( 9hen so&ebody threatens it with a gun" the body will bac* o%%( )t is a total coward( #ut i% it does not have to give anything" it gives nothing( Such is the body( !ay of t"e body )% one is going to live the li%e o% the body" Enever surrenderG is the correct philosophy( #ut in hu&an*ind's %our or %ive;&illion;year tenure on earth" this approach has not produced anything &ore than te&porary pleasure( #y using your will" you can only go so %ar in elevating your consciousness and see*ing union with $ruth( $he people" who are serious about growth and want to continue past a certain point" &ust entertain the concept o% surrender( 9ill%ul &ethods and techni0ues are bene%icial and should be doneD they will ta*e you partway( #ut when you have yoursel% together physically" &entally and e&otionally" what then2

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,//eal to sincere students ) would li*e to &a*e an appeal to the dedicated people who have spent long hard hours will%ully i&proving their lives" to all the sincere students and participants in personal growth( ) want to say" EYou have done well( +ow what2 =ow do you get past the li&itations o% the te&porary pea* e7perience2 =ow do you continue to i&prove your li%e2G $he answer is surrender to $ruth( Entertain this answer seriously( ) used to be one o% you( )% anyone wor*ed hard at personal growth" night and day" %or over twenty;%ive years" it was )( ) used will%ul techni0ue a%ter will%ul techni0ue" this way and that" crossways and into the center( ) grew a lot %ro& it" learned at lot" realiAed a lot" and even touched the $ruth &any ti&es( ) even stopped calling it $ruth" a%ter a while" and started calling it 3od" when ) had deeper e7periences( #ut %inally" ) %ound &ysel% sty&ied( $ry as ) would" ) was only slowly crawling %orward" inch by inch( 'eeting 2ri/alu $hen one day ) &et a swa&i" a &aster" in )ndia( ) had &et practitioners o% yoga be%ore" -inpoches" &ullahs( #ut this &aster *new the answers to &y 0uestions( =e *new why ) was sty&ied and could not grow rapidly any&ore( =e instantly opened &e up( ) sat down" and ) was gone( ) started crying( ) did not *now why" and ) did not care( =e had been there" and ) wanted to *now what he *new( $hat is it" very si&ply( Master ,ripalu" the H&aster o% co&passionate grace'( =e taught &e surrender( ) had read about surrender" and ) had done -eichian wor*" 8ri&al $herapyD ) had studied the =oly -ollersD ) *new the teachings o% ChristD and ) *new the principle o% surrender( #ut ) did not understand it( )t see&ed to &e to be an avoidance o% responsibility" a giving up" and a wea* place %or the de%eated( #ut ,ripalu was the living $ruth" and contradicted &y assu&ptions( =e was not de%eatedD he was victorious( =e had won over li%e( =e had won over anger( And &ost o% all" he had won over passion and lust( =e had danced on the head o% lust and &ade a %ool o% it( 2ri/alu?s s"are ) said" EMaster" how does this wor*2G ) will share with you what he taught &e( $here is that which is other than you( )% there is nothing other than you" there is nothing to surrender to( $hen the whole principle o% surrender is nonsense( Kesus was wrongD ,rishna was wrong( All the &essiahs" teachers and saints have said the sa&e thing( $here &ust be so&ething other than youD or there is nothing to surrender to( You could say" E) could surrender to &ysel%"G but that is illogical gibberish( $here &ay be so&ething that you thin* is you that is actually other than you" but then it would not be you( )% it is other than you" it cannot be you( E$here's &y hand" and ) will surrender to it( ) a& surrendering to &ysel%(G #ut that would not be trueD it is other than you( Your hand is not you( $hat

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is &erely your hand( 9hose hand2 $hat is the 0uestion( As ) said earlier" who is surrendering what" to who&2 Dionysianis& )% you surrender your body" %eelings and &ind to nature" you will get into trouble( $his is the way o% 6ionysianis&( $he 6ionysians in 3reece and the +ear East surrendered to natural %orces( $his leads to wild" uncontrolled" anti;social behavior( )t ends up with things li*e Ki& Morrison and even Charles Manson( $his is not correct( On the other hand" i% you ta*e the body" the &ind and the %eelings and crush the& with your will" what will you have le%t2 A crushed body" &ind and %eelings( 9ho wants that2 $here%ore" in +atural Yoga" the teaching is that one surrenders the body" the heart or the %eelings" and the &ind to $ruth" to 3od" to 6ivine /ove" to the Absolute" to 8er%ection" whatever you pre%er to call it( $hese are di%%erent na&es %or the sa&e thing( :iving over control #y your surrender" the body is ta*en out o% your hands( So it is no longer your body( )t is as i% you say" E=ere $ruth" here 3od" it is yours( You do with it what you wantG $his is the act o% surrender( )n +atural Yoga you 0uit using your will( You 0uit controlling the body's actions( And you give control over to the divine( $his is proper surrender(

C"a/ter $
%reedo& of C"oice and 'utual Surrender %reedo& and surrender )n spiritual li%e" we are set in an apparent contradiction between surrender to so&ething other than ourselves and total %reedo&( All spiritual paths o% any i&portance re0uire that the individual have %reedo&( $he ancient yogis went into the %orest( $here they could have %reedo&( $hey yelled and screa&ed" did not have to wor*" ca&e and went as they pleased" and owed nothing to anyone( $hey could do anything they %elt li*e doing( $hey usually spent the whole day in conte&plation because they %elt li*e it( Much o% the &eaning o% renunciation is su&&ed up by %reedo&( You are not tied down( You are %ree o% re0uire&ents" yet you are held %ast through your own choice by the ar&s o% the /ord( $he *ey is that it is by your own choice( Conscious and free c"oice )n order to prevent people %ro& thin*ing that union is :ust a psychological tric*" yogis" who are individuals who have achieved union" do not &a*e &uch o% this point although they the&selves *now it is all;i&portant( $hey *now that at all ti&es" whether we *now it or not" we are in the hands o% the /ord( Yogis *now that it is by one's own choice that one gives over his or her li%e to the /ord( )t is a conscious and %ree choice(

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Your li%e is run by 3od whether you have given it over to =i& or not( #ut the %act that you have surrendered your li%e to 3od consciously and o% your own %ree choice &a*es the di%%erence( )nstead o% accu&ulating &ore and &ore &ental i&pressions in the activities o% li%e" the undigested e7periences and the psychological i&pressions dissipate( $hese i&pressions are" in essence" what i&purity is( $hey are e7periences %ro& the past that were resisted and thereby suspended in your &ind" body and %eelings( 6esisted e4/eriences +ote that ) said e7periences that were resisted( 9hen you %reely give your li%e to the /ord" the resistance disappears( 9hen you give it to =i& or =er" there is no action done by you and no action being done to you( $hat is the truth o% the &atter anywayD so you are not deluded( You are not under a veil o% illusion( $hings are as they are( $here is no &ore accu&ulation o% &ental i&pressions( C"oice of relating )n &odern ti&es" this approach could easily be &isunderstood and casually thought o% as being :ust another psychological attitude( 8erhaps it would be dis&issed as a %or& o% sel%;hypnosis or autosuggestion( )n our culture" it is not *nown that the essence o% li%e is the relationship between one divine entity and another divine entity( )t is not *nown that the choice o% relating is absolute( You can relate" or not( $here%ore the %act o% choice is all; i&portant" and not :ust a psychological tric*( At the very root o% what is happening in li%e is whether you choose to relate" or not( %ree c"oice $hat %reedo& &ust be given and ac*nowledged by teachers and others or it is a denial o% the truth( $he truth is that we have choice( )t is a %ree choiceD and it is not in anyone else's hands other than the individual who chooses( So any teacher who does not ac*nowledge student's %reedo& o% choice is denying the truthD and the teaching is bound to %ail( Students will spend their ti&e trying to prove to the teacher that they have a choice( ) re&e&ber when ) discovered this principle in the early days o% &y teaching( $hen by being totally per&issive" ) &ade an error in the other direction( Once the student has given hi&sel% or hersel% by his or her %ree choice" he or she needs guidance and a %ir& loving hand( Surrender &ust co&e %irstD then the teacher can guide properly and %ir&ly( 'utual surrender Any good teacher *nows that the student is co&pletely %ree to do as he or she wishes( 9hen a student chooses and surrenders" he has accepted the teacher's power o% choice" and then accepts the teacher's guidance( $he teacher has surrendered to the student in advance" by choosing to be a teacher( =e or she says" E) will teach you(G $hen he or she will give his or her li%e on behal% o% the studentD and the student will give his or her li%e on behal% o% the teacher( $hen it is &utual surrender( Duties of a teac"er

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E7ercises discipline every day to do a good :ob o% teaching Spea*s only the truth to his or her students and does not delude the& Ac*nowledges the %reedo& o% the student E7ercises discipline to *eep the teaching %ree %ro& his4her own i&purities Co&&its to re&oving his4her own i&purities 6oes his4her own spiritual practice Accepts proceeding without the presence o% his4her own guru i% necessary S.a&i S"ivananda So&e students do not li*e to ac*nowledge the authority o% the teacher( $hey say" E) own you( )'ve have co&e all the way to be with you" so you've got to do what ) say(G Swa&i Shivananda laid down rules %or his ashra&( So&eti&es the young buc*s" who at the ti&e were 1en*ateshananda" 1ishnudevananda" Satchitananda" Chitananda and others" would not recogniAe that the ashra& code o% ethical conduct was i&portant( So they would wa*e up" and the Master would be gone( $hey would loo* all over -ishi*esha" and they could not %ind hi&( A neighbor would say" E9e saw Master go down the road(G $hey would pursue hi& and %ind hi& %i%teen or twenty &iles down the road( EMaster" what has happened2 9here are you going2G they would say( =e would reply" E) a& going so&eplace where the students will %ollow the ashra& code(G E#ut you have started this ashra&" you are re0uired to stay(G And he continued o%% down the road( 5inally they threw the&selves at his %eet and said" E9e will do what you say" no 0uestions as*ed(G ,c5no.ledging freedo& $he &aster also has %reedo&( Every individual" by his true nature" has co&plete %reedo&( #ut you do not have %reedo& to enslave others because each o% us has %reedo&( Most people spend their lives not to allowing others to have %reedo&( $hen others have to prove that they do( A great part o% the con%lict between parents and children is about ac*nowledging each other's %reedo&( )t is the sa&e in &arriage( S/iritual /rogress Spiritual progress in a teacher;student relationship begins when %reedo& is &utually ac*nowledged and then voluntarily given up( )t is at this point that the teacher and student relationship is established and teaching can begin( Spiritual progress is &ade in an at&osphere o% the ac*nowledge&ent o% the %reedo& o% the student and the teacher and the ac*nowledge&ent o% the

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bond to each other by %ree choice( 9hen &utual surrender e7ists" real spiritual progress is possible( ,bility to c"oose 9hat we are is the ability to choose( 9e do in %act have absolute choice( 9e are divineD 3od is not enslaved( As an individual entity with divine 0ualities" nothing can happen to you( Since you are involved in li%e anyway by your own ancient choice" you &ight as well &a*e it conscious and say" EAll right" ) a& participating in li%e by &y own %ree choice( E <artici/ating in life You can stop participating in li%e" totally" at any &o&ent( -e&e&ber =arry2 =arry 0uit participatingD he is gone now( =e is in a sea o% pure *nowledge" no consciousness" no relationship" no activity" no &ani%estation in li%e in any way" shape or %or&( 9ho is to say how &any non; participators there are2 9e are the ones not doing that" the ones who have chosen to participate( $he error is not to participate %ully( $he process o% surrender in +atural Yoga is :ust a &atter o% increasing the degree o% participation" surrendering &ore and &ore and &ore" until you are totally consu&ed by otherness M 3od( Since that was your original intention" you are :ust %ollowing what you started out to do in the beginning o% your participation in li%e( Contacting ot"ers You are contacting others( Since that is the original purpose o% li%e" the union o% +atural Yoga %ul%ills that purpose( =ow can you have union with others without surrender2 )t cannot be done( =ow can you have it without %reely choosing to recogniAe the other's %reedo& o% choice by surrender to the&2 O% course" you can stop anyti&eD but then you are out o% contact( /i%e is a play o% percentages o% how &uch you are giving over your %reedo& o% choice to others in order %or contact to ta*e place and how &uch you re%use to do so( $he 3od or gods are the ones who have gone ahead and surrendered to us totally( 9e are playing around" trying to get ready to surrender a little bit &ore( +atural Yoga periods are %or&al ti&es to say" EAll right" )'ll surrender a little &ore(G C"anges $he changes that ta*e place on the spiritual path are side e%%ects o% your increased choice to surrender( 9hen you surrender" all the rest happens spontaneously( You go through postures" energy seals" breathing patterns" withdrawal o% the senses" concentration" true &editation and %inally union( $hese are really side e%%ects o% your choice to surrender( You cannot cause any o% these things to happen( 8eople doing will%ul spiritual practice are deluded in thin*ing they are doing anything but surrendering( You surrender and then these things happen by the&selves( $hey are done by 3odD they do not belong to you(

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All power belongs to the /ord( ,//arent contradiction Although we live in an apparent contradiction o% %reedo& and enslave&ent" it is an illusion( $he contradiction is illusoryD we are both %ree and enslaved( !"at you are to anot"er individual 9e are always so sel%;centered thin*ing about what others are to us( Others are basically that which we are surrendered to" or trying to surrender to( #ut to others you are another( You are that which they are trying to surrender to( You are their 3od( You are the divine nature that they are see*ing to have union with( And what you are" your nature" auto&atically deter&ines what un%olds to the& when they surrender to you( 9hat you are" your divine nature" when surrendered to another" auto&atically appears to the& as the natural happenings in &editation" the puri%ying actions" energy seals" breath restraints and the rest( 9hen others surrender to you" their gradual e7perience o% you in &editation is what happens in their &editation( You are the power that brings all things to others when they surrender( )t is a good thing you do not have to do this will%ully( )t is already established( 9hat you are is what &a*es it co&e out the way it is( )t is %ait acco&pli( Illusion of ti&e $he illusion o% ti&e is your un%olding to another step by step( You e7ist independently o% ti&e( $he $ruth already isD what you are already is( Others are choosing to accept that you have choiceD yet you do have choice independently o% their choice( 9hat 3od is" is already deter&ined %or the&( 9hat their e7periences will be are already set %orth because you are what you are( )t is valuable to see the situation %ro& both sides( )t gives you a di%%erent perspective and &a*es it clearer( You can loo* at it as the Supre&e #eing because to the& you are the Supre&e #eing( $here isn't anything other than you( Identical natures You can say" E9ell" there are othersD there are ones li*e &e(G Yes" but their nature is identical" so it doesn't &atter who they surrender to? one" all or any co&bination( )t is the all the sa&e( $here%ore" when surrendering" it does not &atter who you surrender to as long as it is to the divine nature and not to your own illusions about what others are( 'eta/"ysical a//roac" 6o you see how a &etaphysical approach to surrender wor*s2 )% you have the patience to stay with it" you will gradually be able to understand +atural Meditation %ro& all perspectives( And so&e day by the 3race o%

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3od your understanding will be co&plete" not because o% &y words" but because ) pointed to the truth enough ti&esD and you e7perienced it %or yoursel%( A teacher can only point at the $ruth" and say" E)t is over there(G $he student &ust choose to loo*" to see(

C"a/ter (
)odies* t"e Evolutionary %orce* and Evolution Divine energy and t"e body ) %irst heard about holistic health %ro& a 6r( Everts /oo&is( =e had been involved in &edicine o% the whole person %or about %i%ty years( #ut health and &edicine are not the sa&e thing( ) a& no e7pert on either &edicine o% the whole person or holistic health( #ut ) do *now a %ew things about the body and the relationship o% divine energy to the body and to health( I&/ortant 9uestions )n order to do anything about the health o% the body" you need to *now so&ething about the body( Most people do not even raise the 0uestions" E9hat is a body2 9hat is it %or2 9here did it co&e %ro&2 9hy is it the way it is2 And what is the role o% illness in the cos&ic plan2G <ur/ose of a body A hu&an body is o%ten thought o% as an ani&al" a na*ed ape that has so&e level o% intelligence( 9hile the intelligence &ay be superior to other li%e %or&s" the overall capacity %or li%e &ay or &ay not be( )t depends upon your viewpoint( )s a body :ust an ani&al trying to survive2 )s that what it is %or2 A lot o% people thin* that the whole ob:ect and purpose o% li%e is to survive" to si&ply *eep going( )n )ndia" %or e7a&ple" this would be true %or &ost people( $heir ob:ect is :ust to live long enough to have so&e o%%spring( )t is a struggle :ust to sustain the body pattern" the hu&an species( )s this its purpose" to :ust survive2 Maybe( So&e people ta*e that approach( So&e people thin* the body is a happy accident( $here is no real purpose to itD it :ust happened( =ere it is" so why not &a*e the best o% it( +ot too bad an approach" but it's a bit hollow( Evolution $hose who deal with evolution consider what has been happening with the body over a long period o% ti&e( Evolutionary scientists would say" E9ell" there is so&e *ind o% li%e %orce that is interacting with the environ&entD and this li%e %orce is bringing about li%e %or&s( )t structures the body to %it the environ&ent(G As bodies evolve" they gain &ore &obility" intelligence" and ability to respond and a%%ect the environ&ent( $his gives us our opening tips about what bodies are %or" what they are" and what they do( $here is an evolutionary pattern that see&s to be going so&eplace( )t is not entirely arbitrary(

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Disorder to order A tree grows out o% &inerals in the ground" carbon dio7ide in the air" and water" &a*ing a very orderly tree( $hen ani&als co&e along and eat the apple o%% the tree and they restructure it( )t is as i% one were ta*ing disorder and putting it into &ore order( So&e scientists say that in the non;living part o% the physical world there is a constant increase in disorder" whereas in the living part o% the world" there is a constant increase in order( #rains get &ore and &ore patterned( Matter is ordered according to a pattern( So&e o% the &ost advanced thin*ers o% &odern ti&es have said" EAha" we have %ound the answerF $his is what li%e is %or(G $hey have noted what is called in physics an increase in entropy( $he universe gradually gets &ore and &ore chaotic and less and less orderly( Converting t"e /"ysical .orld You could say" E/i%e is going to consu&e the entire physical world and &a*e it nice and orderly so there will be one big body( $he whole universe will be a nicely ordered crawling organis&(G So&ehow this idea o% orderliness has an appeal( $here is an inherent sense that order is better than disorder( 9e are &a*ing a step in a direction that is use%ul( $he evolutionary %orce is bringing this about by gradually converting the physical world into a living world( $here is one proble&" however( 9hat is this li%e %orce2 9here did it co&e %ro&2 9here does the intelligence co&e %ro& to convert a rando& physical world into highly intelligent" patterned body %or&s that continue to survive2 5ro& what has this sprung2 =as it always been here2 )s it inherent in the physical world2 6ando& accident )s it that ato&s :ust got together in a certain pattern that had superior 0ualities o% survival2 $his is the best response that the physical scientists have been able to co&e up with? that li%e and its %orce were a rando& accident( According to the yogis who achieved union with 3od in ancient ti&es" all this has all sprung %ro& 3od( )t is not a new theory that everything is based on 3od" and that 3od has no e7istence or lac* o% e7istence( According to the& there are two aspects o% 3od? nature I&atterJ and consciousness %actor Ithe individual who would be conscious o% &atterJ( T.o as/ects of :od /et us ta*e this one step %urther( 9hat we are really tal*ing about here is two aspects o% 3od( One way o% loo*ing at it is that one part o% 3od is setting out to regain union with the other part( And in trying to reach union" all o% li%e un%olds( /i%e is the process o% uni%ying one part o% 3od with another( $hat is the process o% li%e" in the wider sense( Stars" space" ti&e" energy" the planets" everything that happens and everything that is" is a result o% the process o%

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one part o% 3od co&ing into union with another part o% 3od( See5ing union $his is a di%%icult tas*( )&agine you are one o% the parts( 9hat you truly are is the consciousness %actor" one o% those parts( Everything else is the other part o% 3odD and you are see*ing union with nature" with Ethat everything else"G with 3od( =ow does this co&e about2 )s this so&e *ind o% abstract" &etaphysical" re&ote cos&ic occurrence that has nothing to do with li%e2 ) a& suggesting that this union o% two parts has everything to do with li%e and with evolution( $hat is what all o% this is( =ere we are on this planet with bodies( So&ething is happening( $his is the very sa&e process( )ody co&es into being +ow perhaps we can co&e up with an answer about what role bodies play" what their purpose is( Your body is a very centraliAed point o% contact between you and 3od( 9here you and 3od &a*e contact" or are atte&pting to %ul%ill that contact" the body co&es into being( $here is you and 3od( )% you were to draw a line representing the possibility o% contact between you and 3od" the line would represent the notochord in e&bryology( 9hen the cell gets %ertiliAed" it begins to divide( )t continues dividing and eventually &a*es a ball( $hen a %old occurs in the ball li*e a rubber ball that is pushed in( #etween one end o% the ball and the other is the notochord( 3od is on one end and you are on the other( Notoc"ord $he body continues to develop around that central line o% the notochord( $hat central line is the spinal colu&n" the central plane that goes through the body" the %irst acupuncture &eridian" Aone one( $he yogis call it the very;*ind;%low energy channel" the central energy channel( $he notochord is the very;*ind;%low energy channel that goes %ro& the base o% the spine to the top o% the s*ull( @ery>5ind>flo. energy c"annel You are on one end" the top" and 3od is at the other end" the botto&( $he body has evolved and %or&ed %ro& those two ter&inals" you and 3od see*ing union( Around the central tube" the body pattern has %or&ed( $he potential or di%%erence between you and 3od is what &a*es the li%e %orce( Energy always has to have a di%%erence between one end and the other" between positive and negative" up and down" and here and there( Divine energy $he di%%erence &a*es it possible %or things to act" to %low and &ove( $he yogis call the li%e %orce between you Ia conscious entityJ and 3od Idivine powerJ the divine energy( $he Christians call it the =oly Spirit( $he scientist calls it the universal energy( #ecause there are two ends to the

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very;*ind;%low energy channel" the process o% the energy %lowing %ro& 3od to you brings about evolution" the direction o% the develop&ent o% the body( Strea&ing energy 5or billions o% years li%e %or&s have been evolving( )t is this interplay between the conscious entity Ithe individualJ and 3od that &a*es order out o% &atter and &ud( Energy strea&s %ro& 3od to the individual( $he strea&ing energy ta*es the &ud and puts it into a pattern that &a*es the body( $he strea&ing energy %lows in a de%inite direction %or a de%inite purpose( )t is to reach union between the two" between 3od and the individual( DN, $he pattern o% the body is gradually evolving( $he divine energy &ade the 6+A" the genetic pattern in each cell( )t has a central pattern with a double heli7 around it( $hose two heli7es are bound together by hydrogen bonds( $he divine energy that supplies all %or&s o% energy is the %low %ro& 3od to the conscious individual( Can this be proved2 +ot a chance( ) could not prove any o% it and ) would not try( ) a& giving you what has co&e to &e as direct *nowledge in &y own e7periences o% union( ) spea* as a practitioner o% &editation who has co&bined those e7periences with &y %or&al scienti%ic training( )t is an e7planation that &a*es sense to &e( 8erhaps your own e7periences in &editation will help settle %or you the validity o% the evolutionary perspective presented here( 2undalini defined $he energy %lowing through the central channel %ro& the base o% the spine into the s*ull is called the evolutionary %orce" *undalini( 9hen the energy is running through the peripheral part o% the body" it is called the li%e energy or prana( $he li%e energy sustains the energy in the rest o% the body( )t tends the body's survival and *eeps trying to puri%y it( 9hen the energy %lows in the central chord" it is called the evolutionary %orce( $hat %orce" in %lowing through the central energy channel" does not :ust try to *eep the body surviving( )ts :ob is to evolve the body so that it reaches a &ore per%ect state o% orderliness and organiAation( 9hen the body beco&es per%ectly ordered" through a long" long chain o% evolution" it has reached its %inal goalD it is absolute order( 3od is absolute order( $hen the passageway is %ully opened between 3od and you and union can ta*e place( 'anifest life According to the yogis" this &ust happen in physical %or&( )% it only happens on a re&ote plane" then it is o%% on a re&ote plane( 5or it to happen in what you would call your &ani%est li%e" it has to happen with the body" %lesh and blood(

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9hat hope do we have o% achieving that as individuals2 +or&ally this would not be possible because it would ta*e another twenty &illion years o% evolution be%ore that state could be achieved( So one has se7 and &a*es &ore bodies which are a little &ore evolved( $hey have se7 with other bodies and their children have children" and so on( So the evolutionary %orce gets directed into se7ual activities( 9e call it se7ual energy" when it operates through the second energy center( $hen the evolutionary %orce is called se7( And this brings about children and evolution o% the usual *ind( Energy dra.n u/ )n +atural Meditation" instead o% using that energy" that evolutionary power" %or reproduction" the energy is drawn on up the central chord( $hen the process o% evolution in the body ta*es o%% againD the body starts to evolve( 8ulling that energy up is not easy( One can try to suc* it up by breath control( #ut i% you try to %orce it will%ully" you will %ind yoursel% in all *inds o% di%%iculties( ) practiced will%ul breath control &ysel% in earlier days( )t brings about a good deal o% puri%ication especially in the peripheral part o% the body( #ut when the energy starts to &ove up the central channel" you cannot direct it by your own intelligence( You &a*e &ista*es because it is the divine energy co&ing %ro& 3odD there%ore" it cannot be directed success%ully by the will( )t" not you" has the intelligence to do what is needed( )t %lows up the very;*ind;%low energy channel" or the spinal chord" and with its divine wisdo& brings about evolution( )ody inevitable ste/ )n this view o% evolution" then" the body is an inevitable step in the process o% union between you and 3od( You are not the bodyD but the body is a %lower o% consciousness( )t is a central %ocus o% the play between you and 3od( )t is not an ani&al that we have to get rid o% in order to get spiritual( A lot o% people have ta*en that approach to spirituality" but not a yogi( $he %irst thing he or she does is to puri%y the body by letting the energy %low through the peripheral energy channels o% the body( As soon as that :ob is done well" the evolutionary %orce will awa*en( EShe is lying 0uiescent at the base o% the spine li*e a serpent" coiled three and one hal% ti&es( She will stri*e %ro& her place when disturbed li*e a bolt o% lightning(G $hat is %ro& scripture( =er evolutionary powers are released( $hen one's relationship to 3od starts to evolve( You say" EMy 3od" what is happening to &e2 )t is happening whether ) li*e it or not(G You are swept down the path that ordinarily would ta*e hundreds o% &illions o% years o% evolution( )t will ta*e place in a %ew years" or a %ew li%eti&es" as the case &ay be( )% one *eeps releasing the energy through se7ual e7pression" then the process stops and ordinary evolution resu&es( $hrough +atural Yoga or by other &eans" puri%ication sets the stage %or the release o% the evolutionary %orce( <re/aration for yoga

$he practitioner o% +atural Yoga should begin the puri%ication process in an already reasonably pure state( 8reparation should have been done by stopping the inta*e o% drugs" nicotine" and alcohol" by eating healthy %ood" and by clearing the &ind and e&otions through growth techni0ues( )% this is not done be%ore one starts to &editate" the puri%ication &ay beco&e so intense that the individual will not be able to tolerate it and will stop( )% you begin &editating in a relatively pure state" the initiation will be li*e throwing a &atch into dry tinder( $he puri%ication process in &editation will blaAe up and burn away the re&aining i&purities( E4ercise So&eti&es the puri%ication process is co&pleted by people through e7ercise( 9hen that happens" the evolutionary %orce awa*ens and people do not *now what to do with it( )t ta*es o%% again( Suddenly the se7ual urge surges and &ost people go %ind so&eplace to try to get rid o% it( 8eople do not li*e to hear that in order %or this evolutionary %orce to do its wor*" it has to be *ept in the central tube and pulled up( $hey say" Eit ta*es away all &y %un( 9hat do ) want to evolve %or i% ) can't have any se72G Continence or se4 $here is a big argu&ent about whether health is i&proved by continence or by an active se7 li%e( $his debate has been going on %or a long ti&e( )% one had to choose between re&aining celibate and having a healthy se7 li%e" there is not &uch o% a choice( #ut the practitioner o% +atural Yoga is given another opportunity" the trans%or&ation o% that energy( #eing pulled up the very;*ind;%low energy channel through surrender" the energy leaves the se7 center and no longer gives you the di%%iculty o% lust( $hen the evolutionary process is %ocused internally instead o% e7ternally through o%%spring( <rocreative /rocess $his is not to say that having and raising children is a &isdirected activity( ) have had seven o% &y own( )t plays a very i&portant role providing bodies through which we can evolve our relationship to 3od( 9ithout bodies" %ul%ill&ent o% the evolutionary pro:ect is not possible( So one way that the evolutionary %orce does its evolutionary wor* is through the procreative process( $his is a valuable endeavor( 5ortunately" it provides the opportunity %or the rest o% the pro:ect to be co&pleted( I&&ortal body 9hen one practices +atural Yoga" the evolutionary process resu&es &oving the body towards per%ection( Kesus achieved this state" a divine body" a per%ect body( $hose o% you who have read $uto%iography o# a Yogi *now that #apu:i had an i&&ortal body( =e loo*ed nineteen or twenty years oldD but he was eight to nine hundred years old( $he people in holistic health &ight be interested in this view o% evolution i% it were not :ust a %airy tale( #ut &aybe it is a %airy tale( 8erhaps there is no purpose to all o% this( Maybe it is not going anywhere( Maybe there is no 3od( Maybe li%e is :ust an accident( )% that is the case" we do not have to

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worry about it( #ut i% there is a divine plan" a purpose to li%e" a purpose to having a body" and a role %or the body to per%or&" perhaps it is the one suggested here( Evolutionary /rocess in "ealt" =ow could the concept o% the evolutionary process be used in health2 ) thin* -eich put it very well( =e discovered that when the li%e energy he called orgone energy was not %lowing well in the body" the person was li*ely to be ill( 9hen the energy was %lowing in the body" then the person was healthier" happier" &ore rela7ed" and with less tension( 6eic" and orgone energy =e discovered that i% they would allow the energy %low" they would go through a crisis( $hen the crisis would pass and they would %eel better( $his principle is correct( $he yogis discovered this principle thousands o% years ago and applied it to its li&it( $hey discovered that the energy was co&ing %ro& 3od( Kust be%ore -eich died" he said the sa&e thing( .n%ortunately everyone thought he was craAy( Actually he was &entally unstable because his energy was %lowing up towards his brain and &ental i&purities were activated by it( $hat is what &a*es people paranoid and craAy( $hey &ay have delusions or hallucinationsD but they &ay also *now &any things as well( $hey &ay have powersD they &ay see things that are o%ten correct( #ut they are li*ely to be unstable" and o%ten depressed( $he ancient yogis discovered all o% this and they %ound out how to puri%y the divine energy so that it could %low upward without any negative side e%%ects( -eich had trouble treating patients when he taught the& to let their energy %low( 9hen he had a success%ul case" the person would %eel betterD but this lasted only %or si7 or eight &onths and then the person would start to beco&e paranoid li*e -eich hi&sel%( 6eic"ian t"era/ists A %ew o% the -eichian therapists have been 0uite success%ul( $hey have wor*ed out a *ind o% co&pro&ise( $hey have a &oderate se7 li%e so that the energy does not beco&e too intense( Yet they have learned to surrender a lot and their lives have been relatively success%ul( ) thin* this co&pro&ise is a good way to approach the proble& in ter&s o% health( One learns to surrender and let this energy %low( $here are &any na&es %or it( ) have read about South A%ricans who call it Hnu&(' $he energy %lows by surrender" by not using the will( O% course there are yogic techni0ues by which one learns to %orce%ully direct this energy around the body( $his can be dangerous" and ) do not reco&&end it( 9hen one surrenders and lets the energy %low by itsel%" it is guided by divine intelligence and does the right thing at the right ti&e( One's li&ited *nowledge and will%ul direction o% the li%e energy usually inter%ere with the natural process( -ealing crisis -eich %ound out correctly that when one lets the energy %low naturally" a

4<

crisis will occur( $he person &ay sha*e" screa&" cry" or :u&p around( ) thin* the people who are involved in healing *now that %or healing to ta*e place" there is always a healing crisis( Allopathic &edicine does not per&it a healing crisis( )n that syste& they tend to suppress the sy&pto&s to avoid disco&%ort( $his is a so;called Hcure'( =owever" this approach leads to chronic degeneration and death( .n%ortunately this has been the standard 9estern &edical practice( #ut those who are really dedicated to healing and to real natural health *now that you go through a crisis when you %inally let so&ething start to happen( )% you start to %ast a little" by the third day you are in a crisis( You tend to go through a crisis on the %irst day" the third day" the seventh day" the %ourteenth and twenty;%irst day( 5inally i% you *eep on %asting" the crisis beco&es so trau&atic that the body dies( <urification crisis $he sa&e dyna&ic happens by letting the divine energy %low( $he divine energy %lows through causing a *ind o% puri%ication crisis( Also by letting the evolutionary %orce %low through the central energy channel" you enter into a crisis o% even greater &agnitude( $he &ore central the energy %low" the greater the &agnitude o% the crisis that will occur and the &ore intense the energy will be( So&eti&es there are &ental crisesD so&eti&es they are physical or e&otional( $hey can last a %ew seconds" a %ew hours" a %ew days" a %ew wee*s" or even a %ew &onths( #ut in order to attain this &ore puri%ied" &ore evolved state" one has to be prepared to go through crises( -erron?s 8a. of -ealing Childhood illness will recur( =erron's /aw o% =ealing says the healing will occur in reverse order to that in which the illnesses or the to7i%ication too* place( So i% you ate a lot o% doughnuts and co%%ee yesterday and you go on a %ast today" the %irst crisis you will have is this craving %or doughnuts and co%%ee" not %or the lollipop you had when you were %ive years old( $hat will co&e bac* eventually as the puri%ication proceeds bac*wards $he puri%ication *eeps reaching bac* earlier and earlier in your li%e( 5inally a very pure state is reached( 9hen that happens" the evolutionary %orce that was at wor* in the wo&b when your body was being evolved %ro& a single cell up to the hu&an %or&" will ta*e o%% again( $hen you will run into even greater crises( So there is no s&ooth way to a healthy physical" e&otional and &ental state because it always involves the healing crisis" the puri%ication crisis" and the evolutionary crisis at least to so&e e7tent( )eco&ing a saint One o% &y students ca&e to &e recently( She was detached and was getting over :ealousy" anger and possessiveness( She said" E)'& thin*ing about 0uitting this &editation(G ) said" E9hat has happened2G She said" E)% ) *eep going )'& going to beco&e a saint(G She had an

44

intuitive sense that the ne7t crisis was about to co&e up" which would pertain to the early stages o% beco&ing a saint" the heart opening and loving everyone( $his is part o% the evolutionary process( =ow %ar one progresses in this &editation depends on how &uch one can ta*e( =ow &any &ental" physical and e&otional crises can you put up with2 $hese are resolved by the grace o% whatever divine power there is( ) don't thin* it is in our hands( About the only thing we can do is choose to surrender or to %ight it( Divine living flo.er $he body is an un%olding" evolving" divine living %lower that is the inevitable result o% the slow process o% union between you and whatever else there is( $he central chord that connects you and $hat is the central energy channel o% the body( $he rest o% the body is built around it in interaction with whatever environ&ent it happens to be in( $he 6+A &olecule can ad:ust to :ust about any environ&ent there is" hot" cold" dry" wet" dar*" or light( )nherent in the nucleus o% the cell containing the genetic in%or&ation is the outward &ani%estation o% the divine %or&( $here is a %inal divine %or&" and it has %ive %ingers and %ive toes" two eyes" two ar&s" two legs" and loo*s li*e the per%ect hu&an being( $here are all sorts o% li%e %or&s" birds" ani&als and trees( )s the hu&an being &ore divine than they are2 9ell" there is so&e evidence to that e%%ect( )% 3od had a %or&" the %or& would be the per%ected hu&an %or&( Et"eric body 3od does see& to have a %or&D and that is the divine body( $he etheric body is this %or& on the etheric plane( )t tries to pull along and evolve the physical body to &atch it( #ut it is beaten down by the &ind and the will( 9hat happens is this( You are at one end o% the relationshipD you are on one end o% the chord" one end o% the channel between you and 3od( )t is as i% you are saying" E) *now better" and )'& going to &a*e this be a certain way( ) *now what ) have to do( ) have to ta*e care o% thingsD and ) have to use &y will to &a*e this body operate the way it's supposed to do( )'ve got to *eep &y nose to the grindstone" get &y grades" and earn &y &oney( ) &ust do this" ) can't surrender(G You are using your will" i&posing it upon the body" &a*ing it do what you say( $his creates tension because you are trying to have it one way and 3od is trying to have it another( 9ho is going to win in the end2 )n the &eanti&e" you can %ight a pitched battle( $he body &ay die in this %ight between your will and the 6ivine $ruth( You &ay get headaches or cancer" have heart attac*s and all *inds o% side e%%ects trying to have it your way( You try to do the right thing and be conscientious" thin*ing that you *now the best way( $he body will eventually die" and you will be born again" and go at it again( And so on( So&ewhere along the line" you &ay begin to wonder about the

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wisdo& o% your own powers o% decision( You &ay thin*" E9ouldn't it be better i% ) :ust surrender to the way things are2G $hat is 3od( 3od is $ruth" and $ruth is the way things are( /et 3od's will be done( )% you stop using your will on the body" rela7ation co&es( $he energy %lows" puri%ication co&es" and the evolutionary %orce does its wor*( And the whole process happens by the hand o% 3od( 9hen one 0uits trying to %orce li%e to be other than it is" energy %lows and health i&proves" %ollowing the inevitable crisis" that is( )% surrender is then continued" evolution actually occurs( ) thin* that this principle has so&e use in holistic health( Certainly i% it is a correct principle" it would have an application( Auestion 1? 9ould you clari%y the relationship between se7 and the evolutionary %orce2 All se7 is an e7pression o% the evolutionary %orce" the energy o% the %e&ale coiled one( 9hen it is done %or procreation" you get %uture bodies that continue to reproduce( 9hen it is done %or one's own pleasure" trying to %ul%ill one's desires" then the energy goes into that and there is so&e %ul%illing o% one's desires and so&e %rustration in about e0ual balance( So in procreation or se7 %or pleasure" the energy is going into that rather than into the %urther evolution o% this %or& that you have( )t depends what you want( )% you want pleasure" then you should go %or it( )% you want children" you should go %or that( And i% you want this body to evolve" then you let that happen( Auestion 20 6o you thin* that there is a clear;cut choice between spiritual evolution and se7uality2 +o" it's between spiritual evolution and pleasure( A practitioner o% +atural Meditation who has surrendered has tre&endous se7uality( #ut what is he4she using it %or2 $he se7uality is being used %or evolution rather than being %or satis%ying desires( )t is se7uality in both cases" but the 0uestion is what it is being used %or( A &editator does not suppress the energy( )% he suppresses it he stops the evolution( =e or she even lets that energy increase and beco&es li*e a &aniac( $hat is the crisisD and then it blows all that i&purity out" and the energy :ust %lows( $hen he or she loves everybody" and eventually beco&es saintly( And beyond that" when the body beco&es divine" he or she has beco&e a god or goddess( So the se7uality is not suppressedD it is :ust directed through a di%%erent channel( )nstead o% down" it goes up( )n Sans*rit" when the energy goes down it is called %hoga" pleasure" and when it goes up it is called yoga( Auestion 3? 9hat is it i% you are not willing to give up pleasure2 $he best thing to do is to have &oderate se7ual activity and be satis%ied with that( /eave +atural Meditation alone( Otherwise you are going to go through an aweso&e crisis( )% you do not have se7ual activity" i% you &aintain celibacy and you surrender at the sa&e ti&e" then you will go through the aweso&e crisis o% the awa*ening o% the evolutionary %orce(

4@

9ithout the guidance o% 3od or a *nowledgeable teacher" you will not &a*e it( You will 0uit( $he acco&plished yogis have %ound how to trans%or& that energy( #e%ore that process begins" :ust have &oderate se7ual activity and do your best to surrender in li%e( $hen things will be very nice( #ut leave the evolutionary %orce aloneD otherwise you will go through an evolutionary crisis( $hat crisis is based on attach&ent to lust( E) have to %ul%ill &y se7ual desires(G $hat is a certain stage o% evolution" a stage where you %ind &ost o% hu&an*ind( $here is another stage o% evolution that co&es right a%ter that( A huge crisis arises in this stage( $his is why the yogis tal* about celibacy all the ti&e( $hey want to %orce you into that crisisD otherwise you would *eep avoiding it( 1ive*ananda was practicing celibacy and he could not &a*e it( =e was sitting beside the %ire in the evening" and his hands got out o% control( =e grabbed the genitals and down ca&e the energy( =e %elt so bad that he leapt onto the %ire" %orced his genitals into the hot coals and burnt hi&sel% severely( $hat was because he did not *now how to trans%or& the energy( $his is the *ey that only 3od or teacher can give( One can not &anage this on one's own( )t is i&possibleD you cannot do it yoursel%( )% you try to use your will" you cannot trans%or& the se7ual energy into the ne7t level o% evolution( )t has to be done by 3od( And no &atter how you thin* and how you try" you cannot do it( A%ter a certain point the will cannot be e%%ective( ) tried every possible way to get around this proble&D only by the grace o% &y teacher was ) able to continue( Auestion 40 9hat e%%ect does surrender have on the li%e energy2 $here are two types o% li%e energy" the downtending li%e energy and the uptending li%e energy( $he downtending li%e energy" the li%e energy in the lower part o% the body" has to do with urinating" e:aculating and de%ecatingD it li*es to throw things out( $he uptending li%e energy" in the upper part o% the body" has to do with breathing" discipline and &ental activityD it li*es to carry things up( $hrough surrender to the divine" the uptending li%e energy co&es down and unites with the downtending li%e energy( 9hen they unite" this is yogaD and they beco&e the evolutionary %orce( $he evolutionary %orce enters the very; *ind;%low energy channel" the central energy channel" rushes up to the crown o% the head( 9hen the evolutionary %orce reaches the crown o% the head" there is union between you and 3od( You go into e0uani&ity" the transcendental state( #ut in order %or e0uani&ity to beco&e stable" this rushing up o% the evolutionary %orce has to happen &any ti&es( $he uptending li%e energy and the downtending li%e energy are the peripheral energy that runs bodily %unctions( )nstead o% evolving" it is surviving( $hat is the trouble with having a strong attach&ent to wanting to live( You will then try to ta*e all the energy to sustain the li%e o% the body( )ronically" that leads to death( #eing attached to living" leads to death( 9hen you let go o% living and :ust

4B

surrender and say" E3od" let your will be done" not &ine"G the energy unites" goes into the central energy channel" and eventually brings i&&ortality( $he world is bac*wardsF $he &ore you try to &a*e it be your way" the less li*ely it is that it is going to be your way( )n %act" it beco&es &ore li*ely that you will get the opposite( Auestion 0 )n +atural Yoga is one not using the will to surrender2 )n the &editation that ) teach you do not use the will( You choose independently o% the will to do one thing only" and that is to surrender( You choose not to use the will( So in +atural Yoga" you do not use the will( $he divine energy charts the course" not your &ind( 8uri%ying actions occur" breaths occur" the body &ove&ents occur" chanting occurs" and all this is spontaneous by the divine %orce( )t is not by your will( 9ill%ul &editation is success%ul up to a point( A%ter that point" you cannot get any %urther( A%ter you have puri%ied" you cannot get any %urther( 9ill%ul spiritual practices will bring about puri%ication but not evolution because you cannot evolve by the use o% the will( Auestion $0 )% ) want to do +atural Yoga" what happens ne7t2 You should choose what you really want in your li%e( 8eople who are %ollowing the teachings that &y teacher has passed on to &e" &editate %ro& one to eight hours a day in a roo& with the door loc*ed so they do not have to worry about the rest o% the world( 9hen they co&e out" they use their will again and behave ethically( Eventually surrender will pervade their lives co&pletely( $his is nirvana" %reedo& %ro& engage&ent" contrivance;%ree e0uani&ity" the per&anent state? per&anent union with 3od( $hen they are one with $ruth( )% this is what you want" the 0uestion is" E9hat are you really willing to give up2G $his is because we all have our attach&ents( 9e have the rent to pay" the color television to watch" and our desires to be %ul%illedD so we use our will to try to get those things( ) a& not e7pecting everyone who hears this &essage to %ollow itD but so&e will( ) do not choose %or you( #ut the door is already open to you should you choose( ) :ust point to the doorD it is &y duty(

C"a/ter +
,dvice on -o. to Do Natural Yoga Yoga roo& +atural Yoga is a love a%%air between you and 3od and" as with all love a%%airs" should ta*e place in private( 8ractice +atural Yoga in a roo& with the door loc*ed and curtains drawn so that you will not %eel that you are going to be interrupted or ridiculed %or wild actions( $his will allow you to go deeply into &editative states without reservation( Do Naural Yoga alone )t is pre%erable to have a place where you are %ree to &a*e noise" not

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&andatory" but pre%erable( $he i&portant thing is that you %eel that your space is private and secure( 8ractice alone" so that you will not be te&pted into ego interactions with anyone else in the roo&( You can not reach the higher levels o% +atural Yoga with other people around( Natural Yoga in :rou/ Yoga in a group is all right %or beginners( So&eti&es groups are initiated into +atural Meditation( #ut a%ter %ive" si7" or seven sessions together" each person should &editate alone in a private space( So&e teachers o% this techni0ue have people &editate in groups all the ti&e( #ut there are certain li&itations to &editating in a group( You do not have total %reedo&( ,ripalu taught total %reedo&F And that is what ) teach( Surrender to whatever 3od wants in your &editation( )t is up to the 6ivine( $here%ore &editate alone( 6egular sc"edule $ry to &editate at the sa&e ti&e every day( +or&ally you can do your &editation in at the beginning o% the day( 3et up one hour earlierD ta*e a shower or bath( =ave an e&pty sto&ach( Sit down in your roo& with a loc*ed door at the sa&e ti&e every day( A%ter the %irst %ew wee*s" it beco&es easy( )% possible pratice +atural Yoga every day %or at least one hour( At %irst" don't go over or under that ti&e allot&ent( )% you &editate less you will not %eel the %ull bene%it o% the techni0ue( As the practice progresses the one who initiated you into +atural Yoga &ay increase your &editation ti&e( ,ltar You &ay or &ay not have an altar in your roo&( $his is up to you( )% you happen to be wea* in the devotional real&" it is probably a good idea to have an altar( 9esterners are so&eti&es a little shy about having an altar( 8ut on the altar what is &eaning%ul to you as a representation o% the 6ivine" so&ething that re&inds you or %ocuses your attention on 3od" the $ruth or 6ivine /ove( You &ight have one" two" three" even %our things( Settle on so&ething and *eep it that way( Otherwise you &ay be saying to 3o" E) don't li*e you today( )'& throwing you out( You haven't been per%or&ing the last %ew days( So&ething is wrong with you" what is the &atter2 9hat *ind o% a 3od are you2G Sy&bolic action Once you decide" resist the te&ptation to change your altar( ,eep whatever you have chosen( )% you want to develop your devotionality and e7press your love o% 3od" bring %lowers" light incense" bring a lea%" anything( )t is sy&bolic( Sy&bolic action *eeps the heart open and the sense o% 3od %resh in your consciousness( )t &ay not see& &uch at %irst" but a%ter the wee*s and &onths roll by your devotionality pays o%% in a very power%ul way( Initial <rayer 3ive a prayer dedicating the session to 3od( E) surrender this body" this &ind and %eelings to youG M whatever is &eaning%ul to you( Sit straight" eyes closed" and *eep your eyes closed" will%ully i% necessary" %or at least the %irst si7 &onths a%ter starting to practice +atural Yoga( A%ter that let

4!

the& do what they want( Instructions for Natural Yoga ,eep the bac* straight and begin with either the partially closed throat breath or the alternate nostril breath( ,eep the breathing up until the energy starts to &ove or the body starts to get tired( At that point let go co&pletely o% the will over your body" %eelings and &ind( /et the &ind" body and %eelings do what they do or do not do by the 6ivine hand( A%ter the pre;deter&ined period o% ti&e is up" co&e out o% your practiceD give than*s to the 6ivine %or the sessionD ta*e a %ew &inutes to read:ust and then leave the roo&( !"ile /racticing Natural Yoga )% you have to go to the toilet very badly in the &iddle o% the practice go ahead( #ut i% it is &ild it is o%ten advisable to ignore it( )% during your practice you %eel li*e you have co&e up out o% the session" do not be %ooled by the &indF )t is :ust a change o% state? you have le%t one land and are &oving into another( )% you thin*" E9ell" it %eels li*e the session is overD it is ti&e to leave"G do not believe it( You will go through varying levels o% contact with the environ&ent with your senses( Co&plete the pre;deter&ined ti&e o% practice even i% it see&s li*e you are :ust sitting there waiting %or the ti&e to end( You will %ind out as ti&e goes on that you are not really co&ing up out o% the practiceD you are :ust changing %ro& one state to another( +atural Yoga continues %or the pre;deter&ined period o% ti&e( 'issing sc"eduled /ractice )% you &iss a day o% practice or even two or three" it's all right( Kust go right bac* to it( Surrender only to :od 6o your best to surrender to 3od( )% you have so&e vagueness about it" so be that( #ut do not surrender to anything but 3od( $his will *eep you out o% trouble( 8eople who surrender to spirits and lights and things that go bu&p in the night %ace possible danger" including craAiness( 6o not surrender to guides" spirits and space people( 8erhaps you thin*" E6alcor %ro& the planet .sh&a is giving &e guidance( ) have &essages that ) have to ta*e(G So&e people are prone to %alling into this trap( )% such pheno&ena co&e up in your practice o% +atural Yoga" well and good" let the&" but do not surrender to the&( Surrender only to the /ord" only to Absolute 8er%ection" only to the highest" not to a being in the spirit world" not to your %ather's &oney" nor to your girl%riend's lust%ul desires( Surrender only to 3od( $his will *eep you out o% trouble( $his is one o% the pri&ary things to re&e&ber( $he only person ) have ever seen get in trouble" seriously in trouble" in this &editation is one who

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insisted on surrendering to spirits( She had a psychotic brea*D ) pulled her out o% it two or three ti&es( #ut she insisted on going bac* to surrendering to things that were i&per%ect( Devil $his is not +atural Yoga( )n the E$he E7orcist"G a little girl surrenders to an entity that is running her oui:a board( She ends up with the possessed by the devil( ) personally do not thin* there is any such thing as the devil hi&sel%( =owever" i% other people do" i% you thin* there is so&ething less than per%ection and less than 3od" do not surrender to itD otherwise" you will get into di%%iculties( One /rinci/le $his one principle will save you pain beyond &easure? Surrender only to 3od( 6o not surrender to things in your &ind( 6o not surrender to paranoia( 6o not surrender saying" E9ell" ) have this painD ) should surrender to this pain(G +o" do not surrender to the pain( Surrender the pain to 3od( 6o you see the di%%erence2 E#ut ) had this resistance" ) should surrender to resistance(G +o" do not surrender to the resistance( Surrender the resistance to the 6ivine( E) have all these i&purities(G 6o not surrender to the i&purities( Surrender the i&purities to the 6ivine and let =i& do" or =er do Ihowever you thin* o% itJ" do what )t sees %it with these i&purities( 6o not surrender to i&purities( Surrender only to 3od( Surrender your body" &ind" and e&otions to 3od( -e&e&ber the principle? Surrender only to 3od( 'essages ,ripalu says" E6o not believe any &essages in your practice %or the %irst %our and a hal% years( $hese &essages all have an ele&ent o% truth" but how can you sort out one thing %ro& the other2G $hey &ay have so&e truth" but they are %iltered through the i&purities o% the ego" the &ind and the subconscious( $hese three will pervert the &essage to their own ends( So do not believe the&( $he ego is always trying to get its way" E)'ve got a &essage that you should ta*e &e to the &ovies tonight" ta*e &e to 6isneyland" give &e N 0"000F E) a& the new Messiah that has returned to earth and ) need a te&ple(G =ow o%ten does this sort o% nonsense happen2 9hen you start doing this practoce si7 or eight hours a day and get deeply involved" people co&e to you wishing or believing that you are the new savior that has co&e to earth( 6o not be led astray( :randiosity 6o not %all prey to a sense o% grandiosity( )t happens to everybody a%ter a %ashion( $his is :ust part o% the &adness that occurs( )t is :ust a stage you go throughD let it go on by( A%ter %our or %ive years then you can begin to trust what is co&ing through your +atural Yoga( Source of s/iritual guidance

You can tell who your spiritual teacher is and what is divine %or you by who& and what you %ollow( 9hen so&eone tells you to do so&ething and you do it" that one is your teacher( )% &oney says" E6o so;and;so"G and you do it" we *now what 3od is to you( )% the doctor says to ta*e certain &edicines and you do what he or she says" then he or she is your teacher( )% your guilty conscience says so&ething and you do what it says" it is your teacher( )% 3od tells you to do so&ething and you do it" 3od is your teacher( )t is easy to tell who your teacher is and your source o% spiritual guidance( Irritable and &entally unstable )% you start to get irritable" ) &ean really irritable" &entally unstable" or really intolerant or paranoid" suspect that the energy is %lowing upward carrying i&purities into your brain( )n which case" you should cut bac* on your &editationD you are doing too &uch( Spea* to the person who initiated you into +atural Yoga( As*" E=ow do ) trans%or& this energy and puri%y it2G <robation /eriod for Natural Yoga You should give +atural Yoga at least three wee*s( 6o it every day %or one hour and see what happens( )% at the end o% three wee*s you have not gotten so&e %eedbac*" so&e sort o% encourage&ent" you &ay choose not to go on( #ut give it at least that &uch ti&e be%ore you &a*e a decision about whether it has any use or not( 6esolving doubt 5ollow the instructions ) have given you( Most i&portantly" do not do will%ul actions in your &editation( )% you do" your doubt will not resolve( Every ti&e the divine energy starts to &ove" you will not recogniAe that it is in %act divine energy" you will probably thin*" EOh" ) want to &ove it" so ) &ove it(G As long as you use your will" things will not resolve( $he doubt o% who is doing what will not go away( You will probably thin* so&ething li*e" EAh" there is no divine energy hereD this is a bunch o% nonsense(G And you will stop your &editation( And you will be disappointed( )t is better to lie there without a %inger &oving hour a%ter hour than it is to will%ully &ove( My instruction is not to do will%ul actions in +atural Yoga( So do not do the&( $o give this techni0ue a %air trial" do not do will%ul actions" nor prevent things will%ully %ro& happening( Ideal conditions 5or e7a&ple" i% your environ&ent is such that you have a &at that is not wide enough and all your &editation has got to be in that inade0uate space" you &ay try to stop actions that would ta*e you o%% the &at( $hese would be will%ul actionsD they should not be done( So try to arrange your &editation area so that the will%ul actions can be *ept to a &ini&u&( )t is not that it stops the &editation" but it *eeps it shallow and you cannot go deeply into &editation( Opti&ally you would have a roo& about three by %our &eters" co&pletely soundproo%" war& and dry with a nice thic* but

52

%ir& pad" with nobody around( You sit %or &editation in the &iddle and :ust let go( #ut i% you have to restrict yoursel%" that &a*es surrender &ore di%%icult( 6i%%erentiate between surrendering to the body's urges to do things and surrendering the body to 3od and let 3od" the divine energy" do what it wants with the body( )t is worthwhile %or you to go to a little trouble to arrange your &editation area so you can have so&e space" so&e 0uiet i% possible" and where you can &a*e noise( $ell your %a&ily and whoever is around" E6on't pay any attention to the noises co&ing out o% the roo&D )'& :ust doing &y &editation(G $ell the neighbors that they should not be alar&ed( #etter still" arrange to live a si&ple" sel%;su%%icient li%estyle away %ro& the city so you can &editate in peace( <roselytiBing )nevitably so&e people having so&e success with +atural Yoga" perhaps a touch o% bliss" will e7aggerate or dra&atiAe the practice( $hey &ay proselytiAe( $his is typical o% the neophyte( )% people are drawn naturally to this practice" let the& co&e( )% they as* you 0uestions" answer honestly" but try not to upset people( So&e people are not ready %or this &editation and no one should be %orced into it( 6o not disturb those who do not want to *now( 8eople who are interested will be obviously and easily interestedD let the& be attracted naturally to this &editation( Disturbance )% you ta*e up the practice o% +atural Yoga seriously" you will co&e upon a period o% disturbance &entally" e&otionally and physically( Childhood diseases will co&e up and you will thin* that you are ill( )ndeed you &ay be ill( $he &ista*e at this point would be to not do your daily practice( )% you choose to consult a &edical practitioner" do so" but do your practice too( And i% you do your practice" you will probably be healed within a %ew days and all the sy&pto&s will be gone( )% an illness has not resolved within this period" suspect that you are not %ully surrendering and tal* to your teacher( You &ay brea* out in a rash( You &ay have intestinal disturbances" diarrhea or cra&ps( You &ay thin* that you are te&porarily craAy( )t will not last long( You &ight %eel weepy" want to cry and not *now what you want to cry about" but you want to cry( )t &ay go on %or a day or two" &aybe three( 6o not worry about it( 5or those who are doing &ore hours o% practice o% +atural Yoga" it &ay be &ore intense and &ay last %or a longer period( $his is all part o% the puri%ication( 6o not panic( Kust *eep on with your practice( True see5er A%ter ) had spent so&e &onths with Master ,ripalu" ) went to our %inal &eeting and as*ed hi&? E)s there anything else you should tell &e be%ore ) leave2G ) had not as*ed any 0uestion o% hi& %or three wee*s" but ) as*ed hi& :ust in case ) had &issed one( =e said" E+o" there is nothing" only this"G and he told &e a story(

5<

Once there was a true see*er on his long :ourney( )t beca&e night and he lost his way in the dar*ness( =e saw in the distance in his despair a light glowing( =e &ade his way to the light" *noc*ed on the door o% the hut that he had %ound" and a holy &an ca&e to the door( =e said" said" E9hat is it" &y son2G E)'ve lost &y way"G said the see*er" Ecould you help &e2G E) cannot go with you"G said the holy &an" Ebut ) will give you &y lantern(G $hen he gave the see*er the lantern( $he see*er held up the lantern and said" E#ut ) cannot %ind &y way with this( ) can only see %or ten %eet on this dar* night with this lantern(G $he holy &an replied" E$hat is all rightD you wal* ten %eet and you will be able to see another ten and when you have gone that ten you will be able to see clearly %or another ten %eet( So ten %eet by ten %eet" you will %ind your way(G $hen he closed the door( 2ri/alu?s gift of Natural Yoga once he %inished the story" ,ripalu said that this yoga he taught &e was the lantern( As long as ) *ept doing it" ) would %ind &y way( ) have %ound this to be correct( <anic $he %irst ti&e so&ething happens to you in your practice" do not panic( ,eep doing your practice and in three" %our" %ive" si7 days" it will changeD it will straighten out( Only three things will give you trouble? the solution to the creative ple7us" the solution to the sustaining ple7us" and the solution to the dissolving ple7us( $he creative ple7us is the *not ) &entioned earlier that's &ade up o% the %irst three energy centers( $he sustaining and dissolving ple7uses are *nots that are higher up in the body( )n solving these three ple7uses" you need 3od" the spiritual teacher" or scripture( Otherwise" :ust *eep doing your yoga practice( ,eep at it and you will %ind your way( You do not need to have constant contact with the teacher( 'oderation ) have given you here what you need to *now( $he rest is up to you( ) reco&&end that you %ollow the path o% &oderation( You &ay choose to stay in the world but be not o% the world( 6o your wor*" get your education" get &arried" have a %a&ily" have a house i% you will but li&it your possessions" eat &oderately" be good to people" do no in:ury" be *ind to others" and li&it your practice by agree&ent with your spouse( 9hen you %eel you have had enough o% worldly li%e" enough o% the endless cycle o% %ul%illing desires" then continue on the path" the path o% renunciation o% all desire( #ut do not be pre&ature( /et it co&e by 3od's hand( ,ripalu had &ore %aith in &e than ) had in &ysel%( :ive it u/ ) said to &ysel%" E)'ll never be able to be a renunciate( ) will never be able to give up se7(G

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Eventually he said to &e" E3ive it up(G ) said" EO*ay( )t is in your hands" ,ripalu" whether ) can &a*e it or not(G

Su//le&entary 'aterial
T"e Evolutionary %orce ,ccording to t"e ,ncients )n the spiritual co&&unity o% the 9est" so&e inco&plete ideas about the evolutionary %orce have developed( .sing the ancient yogic scriptures" a &ore accurate and co&plete picture is obtained( )n the past one hundred and %i%ty years the 9est has i&ported &any %rag&ents o% *nowledge about the evolutionary %orce" the 3olden 3oddess" the *undalini( #ecause o% her nature" several errors about the evolutionary %orce have been &isleading us( )" too" was an un*nowing victi& o% these errors until" by the 3race o% &y spiritual teacher Master ,ripalu" as well as yogic scripture" and later the con%ir&ation o% &y own e7periences in the practice o% +atural Yoga" ) realiAed how &ista*en ) had been( 5irstly" ) thought that the evolutionary %orce had pri&arily to do with suspension o% the li%e energy" or Hbreath restraint'" %or e7a&ple" the Hbreath o% %ire'( Secondly" in &y innocence" ) believed that a spiritual teacher could directly awa*en the evolutionary %orce through the trans%erence o% divine energy( $hirdly" and &ost seriously" ) thought that trance was e0uani&ity M sa&adhi" union with 3od( An investigation o% what so&e o% the ancient yogis who co&pleted +atural Yoga have written on the evolutionary %orce o%%ers a &ore accurate picture( $he Shiva Samhita states? E$he evolutionary %orce is the Supre&e 3oddess" o% the %or& o% electricity" in three and a hal% coils" and is in the &outh o% the very;*ind;%low energy channel Ithe central energy channelJ(G )n the Hathayoga 8radipi*a" Svat&ara&a says? E$he great 3oddess ,undalini sleeps" closing with her &outh the entrance to the seat o% #rah&an" where there is no pain" which is to be reached(G )n his song;ser&on on the Bhagavad Gita" Knaneshvari writes? EAs the brood o% a she;serpent bathed in tur&eric lies curled up in sleep" so lies this evolutionary %orce" very s&all and curled in three and a hal% circles" li*e a %e&ale serpent with her head turned downwards( )t is li*e a ring o% lightning" or %olds o% %la&ing %ire" or a bar o% pure gold(G Chapter 1)" 1erse 222( Yes" it is true that suspension o% the li%e energy" properly supervised by a spiritual teacher" does puri%y the energy channels in the body" thereby helping to set the stage %or the evolutionary %orce's wor*D however" suspension o% the li%e energy is not *undalini yoga" the yoga o% the

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evolutionary %orce( )n the Yoga Sutras" 8atan:ali e7plains? E-estraints" observances" postures" suspension o% the li%e energy" withdrawal o% the senses %ro& their ob:ects" concentration" &editation and e0uani&ity are the eight steps(G Suspension o% the li%e energy is the %ourth step o% yoga and the evolutionary %orce begins its wor* a%ter the %i%th step" withdrawal o% the senses( )n the Shiva Samhita is written? E)n the body o% &an there are three hundred %i%ty thousand energy channels o% which %ourteen are principal( A&ong these %ourteen" the cooling;%low energy channel Ion the le%t sideJ" the %iery;%low energy channel Ion the right sideJ and the very;*ind;%low energy channel Irunning up the center o% the spineJ are chie%(G As we saw earlier" the sleeping evolutionary %orce is bloc*ing the entrance to the very;*ind;%low energy channelD there%ore" the li%e energy cannot %low in that channel until the evolutionary %orce is awa*ened( Suspension o% the li%e energy can clear only the &inor energy channels" including the cooling %low and the %iery %low( $he very;*ind;%low energy channel" the central energy channel" is the e7clusive do&ain o% the evolutionary %orce( 5or these reasons" it should be clear that evolutionary %orce yoga and suspension o% the li%e energy are not the sa&e( #ut both are stages o% +atural Yoga( +ow" the second point( 9hen one receives the trans&ission o% divine energy %ro& a spiritual teacher" the li%e energy" which has been captured by the will" is released( $his is the beginning o% the li%e energy's :ourney toward the upper part o% the body( $his :ourney continues" in &editation" %or a nu&ber o% wee*s" &onths" or even years be%ore both the uptending li%e energy and the downtending li%e energy" the energy below the diaphrag&" are %ully released %ro& the slavery o% the will( $his %ull %lowing o% the uptending and downtending li%e energies is called the arousal o% the li%e energy( 9ith *nowledge %ro& the spiritual teacher and the 3race o% 3od" the energy seals then bring about the union between the uptending li%e energy and the downtending li%e energy( $his union %orces the awa*ening o% the dor&ant evolutionary %orce( $he Hathayoga Pradipika spea*s clearly on the sub:ect? E$he various energy seals should be practiced to awa*en the power%ul 3oddess ,undalini" who sleeps at the &outh o% the very;*ind;%low energy channel(G )t says" %urther" about great;penetration energy seal? E$he sun Ithe uptending li%e energyJ and &oon Ithe downtending li%e energyJ leave the two energy channels" the cooling %low and the %iery %low" and unite with the %ire Ithe evolutionary %orce" in the very *ind %low energy channelJD this de%initely leads to i&&ortality(G

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And again" about root;loc* energy seal? E#y its constant practice" the uptending li%e energy and the downtending li%e energy unite(G And also? E9hen the downtending li%e energy and the uptending li%e energy :oin with the %ire Ithe evolutionary %orceJ" which is by nature hot" then the heat o% the body is greatly intensi%ied(G And about divine;power;&oving energy seal? E#y this" the evolutionary %orce certainly leaves the &outh o% the very; *ind;%low energy channel(G $hese energy seals are learned properly only %ro& a *nowledgeable teacher( Knanadeva says o% his teacher? E+iviritti has laid his hands on &y head and the seeds o% *nowledge have been sown(G $he Shiva Samhita states? E$he yogi should always practice this best divine;power;&oving energy seal according to the instructions o% his guru(G $he point is then that through the practice o% the ten energy seals" as instructed by the teacher" the evolutionary %orce awa*ens and opens the doorway to liberation( )nitiation starts the process o%%" but only a deter&ined aspirant o% yoga will continue %ollowing an ethical code" postures" suspension o% the li%e energy and energy seals long enough so that the evolutionary %orce will awa*en on its own( Even then" the guidance o% a teacher is necessary to understand what has happened( Most aspirants" upon receiving initiation into +atural Yoga" e7perience auto&atic puri%ying actions within a wee* or two( $hese are caused by the li%e energy %lowing through the %ront &iddle path activating the various energy centers and triggering the nerves and thereby causing the li&bs to &ove and the breath to be controlled( Aspirants should not thin* that this is the evolutionary %orce M the *undaliniD it is the li%e energy( $he evolutionary %orce wor*s only in the bac* &iddle path M the very;*ind;%low energy channel" the dorsal central energy channel( $he li%e energy's :ob is to puri%yD the evolutionary %orce's wor* is evolutionary( 5ro& the %oregoing" it is clear that a teacher does not awa*en the evolutionary %orce by initiation alone" but that it awa*ens only by the puri%ying action o% postures" breath restraint and especially the energy seals( $he third point is that trance is not e0uani&ity Isa&adhi" union with 3odJ( #y the li%e energy rising through the body" causing postures" suspension o% the li%e energy" and energy seals" it" the li%e energy" eventually beco&es steady at the throat energy center( )t can go no higher because the %ront &iddle path Ithe pathway %or the li%e energyJ ends at the throat( )% one tries to continue at this point without awa*ening the evolutionary %orce to %low through the bac* &iddle path" trans%i7ion M yogic Hswoon'" or yogic sleep"

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results( $he Hathayoga Pradipika says? E$rans%i7ion reduces the &ind to a state o% inactivity( )n this trance state" the body beco&es wooden;li*e and cannot &ove because all the li%e energy has been withdrawn %ro& it up to the throat( $his is a rest%ul state but is not union with 3od( E0uani&ity is the eighth and last step o% yoga and is a state o% %ull consciousness(G 8atan:ali states in the Yoga Sutras? EE0uani&ity is when that which is &editated upon shines only in its true %or&" as i% in a void(G $rans%i7ion" or trance" %ollows the %irst stage o% the withdrawal o% the attention %ro& the sense organs( )t is an unconscious state( 8atan:ali also says? E.ndi%%erentiated consciousness is attained beyond body consciousness Ibecause o% beingJ absorbed in nature(G $his is what happens in trans%i7ion ; absorption in nature( $hus" there is no consciousness( $rans%i7ion" trance or swoon" results in the inactivity o% the still e7isting &ind( )n e0uani&ity" on the other hand" there is direct divine *nowledge( E0uani&ity can only be reached through the union o% the uptending li%e energy and the downtending li%e energy" which is acco&plished by &eans o% energy seals( Only then is the evolutionary %orce activated( $he word yoga &eans union( )n the &icrocos& o% the aspirant's body" that union ta*es place between the uptending li%e energy and the downtending li%e energy( $he uptending li%e energy is the energy representation o% your own living soul" your divine sel%" and the downtending li%e energy is the energy %or& o% the .lti&ate Soul" 3od( $he union o% the uptending li%e energy and the downtending li%e energy is yoga( 8atan:ali's de%inition o% yoga is? EYoga is the cessation o% &odi%ications in the &ind(G =e also says? EA %usion o% the cogniAer" cognition" and the cogniAed" as in a transparent crystal" ta*es place %or one whose &ind is nearly annihilated(G $his yoga awa*ens the evolutionary %orce and causes it to %low up the very; *ind;%low energy channel" the central energy channel( At the &o&ent o% union" the &ind Ite&porarily" at %irstJ is annihilated and e0uani&ity results( $he &ind is caused by dualityD the union o% the uptending li%e energy and the downtending li%e energy re&oves this duality and" thereby" the &ind( 9hen" through energy seals" the evolutionary %orce pierces the sustaining ple7us" the throat *not" the divine energy can enter the head energy centers and e0uani&ity is achieved( E0uani&ity is a result o% union and is a conscious state(

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Svat&ara&a" in the Hathayoga Pradipika" says? E$hen" in the second stage" the uptending li%e energy unites with the downtending li%e energy and enters the throat energy center( $he yogi then beco&es %ir& in Hposture' Iasana ; the %irst stage o% yogaJ" wise and co&parable to the 3ods(G $his &ore co&plete picture o% the evolutionary %orce should clari%y so&e o% the con%usion that has surrounded the sub:ect( )% scholars o% yogic scripture and others would co&pare their theories about the true &eaning o% these great truths to their own actual e7periences in e7tensive &editation" then they too could share in the divine union through the practice o% surrender to 3od( !"o S"ould )e Initiated Into Natural Yoga# %irst re9uire&ent $he %irst re0uire&ent is that the aspirant has to want to grow" evolve" get closer to 3od" and e7perience %or hi&sel%4hersel% the Absolute $ruth( =e &ust want that through the process o% surrender( Second re9uire&ent $he second re0uire&ent is that the aspirant has to want the Absolute &ore than he wants success" wealth and ac*nowledg&ent( =e4she &ay still be caught up to so&e degree in the world" but what he4she wants is to get out o% it( =e does not have to renounce the world and put on a white robe that day because even i% he did" he still would be caught up in it in spite o% hi&sel%( )t is not a &atter o% :oining a spiritual growth order( )t is a &atter o% the honest heart%elt intention that puts the growth process towards 3od %irst( $he aspirant does not have to be a renunciate( #ut he4she has to be willing to let all attach&ent" desires" goals and purposes in li%e be dissolved away and replaced by the desirelessness o% union with 3od( T"ird re9uire&ent $he third re0uire&ent is that the aspirant should have one o% these three 0ualities? superior intelligence" superior deter&ination or e7ceptional devotion( %ourt" re9uire&ent $he %ourth re0uire&ent is that she has to be old enough to &a*e such choices on her own( +or&ally" that would be eighteen or twenty;one or older( #ut there &ight be a rare e7ception to the rule( A twelve;year;old &ay say" E9ell" )'ve &ade this decision %or &ysel%( )'& old enough now(G =owever" i% the parents say no" the answer is no( A twelve;year;old is not old enough to &a*e the decision %or hi&sel%( )n addition" the law does not per&it itD and ) agree with the law( Most twelve; year;olds are not 0uali%ied to &a*e the decision( $here &ight be one twelve;year;old out o% all the people born on earth every thousand years

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that has that ability( )% 3od wants hi& to be initiated into +atural Yoga" let =i& do it( %ift" re9uire&ent $he %i%th re0uire&ent is that a husband or a wi%e should not be initiated without the per&ission o% their spouse( $he spouse does not necessarily have to do +atural Yoga( #ut he4she has to understand that sooner or later i% his4her spouse practices +atural YogaD it will lead to the dissolution o% their &arriage( $he purpose o% &arriage is to have and raise children( $he purpose o% initiation into +atural Yoga is to see* union with 3od( )% the couple are not both going to be initiated into +atural Yoga" then the one who is not initiated has to understand that the other one will eventually lose his4her a&bition" goals and ai&s in li%e( =e4she will not be raising a %a&ily or into having Ha relationship' as they say in Cali%ornia" but instead will be see*ing union with 3od( 6oes the aspirant have to have been &arried and have had children in order to 0uali%y %or +atural Yoga2 +o" only the singular desire to have union with 3od" $ruth or 6ivine /ove through surrender to the 6ivine 0uali%ies an aspirant( Si4t" re9uire&ent $he si7th re0uire&ent is that you should not initiate so&eone you do not %eel you have a connection with( You need to *now that when you give guidance" the aspirant will at least try to %ollow it( T"ose ."o .ant "el/ $here are those who thin* they want to be initiated( $hey say" E9ell" everyone is doing this techni0ue( )% ) did it" ) could get over &y asth&a(G 8eople who want help with their proble&s should not be initiated into +atural Yoga( )t is %or those who want to evolve" to grow toward the Absolute $ruth" 3od" and 6ivine /ove through the process o% surrender( T"ose ."o .ant /leasure and success 8eople who want only pleasure and &aterial success should not be initiated into +atural Yoga( $hey want initiation because they have heard that the evolutionary %orce will give the& &ore creative power Ito %ul%ill their desireJ( $he purpose o% initiation into +atural Yoga is to see* union with 3od( Auestion &uestion' )n the past" you have indicated that the person ought to have had an e7perience o% hi&sel%( =e should *now who he is and have so&e sense o% the Absolute( (esponse' 9ell" ) wouldn't re0uire that( ) don't thin* it's necessary( $he &editation itsel% eventually straightens that out(

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