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Meditation
Support
From God
Is for Everyone
Chapter 11, "The Science of Religion"
Inspired
by Paramhansa Yogananda
As Taught to, and Understood by, his Disciple,
J. Donald Walters (Swami Kriyananda)
Religion in
the deeper, spiritual sense is not defined by sentimental flights
of poetry, nor by prayers pleadingly offered in wan hope of a response.
Rather it is a pragmatic science which gives practical results.
Religious teachings
contain lofty sentiments as well. These, cynics often scoff at as
maudlin for the fact that they are not merely sentiments, but lofty.
The sentiments which those teachings emphasize, however, can be
tested and proved. If they give universal, and universally desirable,
results, why discount them simply because they promote happiness?
Indeed, why for that reason label them unscientific? Widespread
human experience is equivalent, in its way, to experiments in the
laboratory. If experience demonstrates, for example, that kindness
is more effective than selfishness, and not merely useful as a technique
of diplomacy, but effective for the fulfillment it gives him who
offers it, wouldn't it be foolish to toss the demonstration aside
as irrelevant, pragmatically? Jesus Christ said, "It is more
blessed to give than to receive." …The supreme argument
against selfishness is that in the long run it simply doesn't work.
People who amass fortunes for themselves but never share of that
abundance end up feeling soured on life.
The happiness
people really want in life is not found in egoic self-absorption,
but by expanding the sense of self to embrace others. Generous giving
is pragmatic, therefore, and not merely a dogmatic precept.
The blessing brought by generosity is a reality one discovers in
consciousness, not with test tubes or telescopes. In that realm
it gives definite, desirable results.
There is another
aspect of scientific religion… Its results, too, are specific,
and don't require support from any system of belief. It is based
on observation, and on the actual experience of concrete
realities. It includes the feeling aspect of consciousness,
which is centered in the heart.
The feeling
aspect is one of the four aspects of consciousness, all of them
with their corresponding centers in the body. The intellect is centered
in the forehead, between the eyebrows. The ego is centered in the
medulla oblongata, at the base of the skull. The mind in its perceiving,
pre-discriminating aspect, radiates outward from the top of the
head.
In 1917 I asked
Sir Manindra Chandra Nundy, the Maharajah of Kasimbazar, to consider
sponsoring my work. At the time I planned to offer boys an all-rounded
education: physical, mental, and spiritual. The maharajah decided
to test my fitness as a teacher of spiritual truths. To this end,
he summoned a group of pundits, or scriptural scholars, to subject
me to an examination. I could see the moment I entered the room
that they were ready for a theological bullfight! My own approach
to truth is experiential, not scholarly. I decided, therefore, to
seize the initiative by examining them! After a momentary,
inward prayer for guidance, I said to them, "Let us limit this
discussion to what we've actually experienced of scriptural
truths." This was, I knew, an aspect of the subject to which
they were strangers, even though the scriptures themselves insist
on one's need to realize the truth. I then posed them a question
to which I knew they wouldn't have the answer.
"The scriptures
tell us," I said, "that consciousness has four aspects:
mon [mind], buddhi [intellect], ahankara [ego],
and chittwa [feeling]. (1) They also tell
us that these four have their corresponding centers in the body.
Can any of you tell where those centers are located?"
Well, they couldn't
answer. The scriptures themselves, you see, are silent on the point!
I then gave them the above explanation: Mon, I told them,
is at the top of the head; buddhi is at the point between
the eyebrows (the ajna chakra as it is called); ahankara
is in the medulla oblongata; and chittwa is centered in the
heart. There was no further discussion! The maharajah was happy
to sponsor my school.
Notice how,
when a person thinks deeply, he tends to knit his eyebrows. If he
allows praise to "go to his head," he'll draw his head
back in the universal posture of pride. When first he becomes aware
of something, before discerning what it is, his awareness withdraws
a little to the middle of his brain, the center of which is at the
top of the head. And when he feels something deeply, he may even
put one or both hands to his chest over the heart, for this is where
his feelings are centered. When feeling is emotional, it radiates
outward from that center. When it is intuitive, it withdraws to
its own center. Here in the heart are generated a person's likes
and dislikes, his desires and aversions.
The frontal
lobe of the brain, anatomically speaking, is our most recent acquisition.
This is the focus of the higher aspects of consciousness, including
the intellect. Notice how, by contrast, the foreheads of lower animals
slope sharply backward. The seat of the intellect is, as I've indicated,
just behind the forehead at a point midway between the eyebrows.
Only human beings have access to the higher aspects of consciousness,
including not only the intellect, but also the will power, concentration,
and superconsciousness. The ancient teachings described this as
the seat of spiritual vision, calling it "the spiritual eye."
By deep concentration at this point, all the higher faculties are
stimulated.
The heart center,
or anahat chakra, is in the dorsal plexus of the spine, just
behind the heart. This is, as I said, the center of feeling in both
its emotional and intuitive aspects. Intuitive feeling includes
spiritual love and devotion, without which aspiration itself remains
an abstraction. A disappointed lover may lament, "My heart
feels broken!" He will never express his pain by crying, "My
knee hurts!" Devotion can be developed by awakening the heart's
energy. Vague efforts to awaken it by prayer alone are far less
effective.
The spinal energy
flows in two directions: up, toward the brain; and down, toward
the base of the spine. When the upward flow is the stronger, one's
consciousness rises also and produces a happy, positive outlook.
Thus, an interrelationship exists between the directional flow of
energy and that of consciousness. The energy-flow is controlled
by feeling in the heart. Positive feelings direct that flow upward;
negative feelings direct it downward. When the energy flows upward,
it inspires happiness. That direction is first generated, however,
by the desire to be happy. Desires, plus energy, produce
will power. The will directs the energy to flow either upward or
downward depending on whether the desire directing it is positive
or negative. The energy-flow facilitates, without defining,
the direction of consciousness. Even so, an upward flow of energy
increases the feeling of happiness. First, then, must come the mental
predisposition to be happy.
A downward flow
of energy, on the other hand, is produced primarily by depressed
feeling, but it also increases the intensity of those feelings.
A number of physical factors can draw the energy downward also,
and may in their turn draw the consciousness downward also if the
will is not resistant to that direction. Toxins in the lower bowels,
for instance, can draw the energy downward, exacerbating one's negative
feelings if he has the slightest tendency to feel depressed already.
People everywhere
on earth, regardless of any expectation based on belief, are to
some extent conscious of these movements. They may not be sensitively
aware of the energy flowing in the spine, but they are familiar
with "that bubbly mood," and with "that sinking feeling."
When they are happy, they may exclaim "I feel high," or,
"I'm feeling uplifted." When they are sad, they may complain,
"I feel downcast," or, "I'm rather low today."
Popular fancy
locates heaven above us in the sky, and hell below us inside the
earth. The simple facts, objectively considered, offer no support
for these concepts. No telescope has ever revealed angels flitting
about in outer space; nor has any up-to-date mining method raised
demons in angry protest on an oil gusher. What is "up"
for us is "down" for the people on the other side of the
earth. Obviously, then, heaven and hell are not literally above
and below us. Nevertheless, the popular fancy should not be dismissed
as a superstition. What it actually describes are two directions
of energy in the body. Every language must contain comparable
expressions, reflecting these universal realities.
Posture, too,
affects the energy movements in the spine. A person who is unhappy
sits slumped forward, walks heavily on his heels, hangs his head,
and looks naturally downward. The corners of his mouth turn down,
and his lower eyelids sag revealing white below the iris. When one
is happy, on the other hand, he sits up straight, walks and stands
with his weight lightly on the balls of his feet, holds his head
up, and gazes more naturally straight ahead, or even upward. His
mouth curves up, and his lower eyelids rise slightly, perhaps touching
the iris, in an alert attitude.
People who slump
forward, gaze habitually downward, and display other physical signs
of depression, are not likely to exclaim, "I'm wonderfully
happy!" Nor do they walk jauntily, keep their heads up, curve
their mouths upward in a smile, or gaze level with the ground, or
upward (except, possibly, in truculent challenge!). It would require
an act of will to contradict these natural tendencies, which have
nothing to do with social conditioning or with any religious belief.
They do in fact, however, correlate with spiritual experience.
There is another
link between the body and the feeling quality. When a person is
happy he naturally fills his lungs with air, as if to affirm his
enjoyment of life. By contrast, when one is unhappy he tends to
breathe shallowly—except, indeed, in preparation for a heavy
sigh. Shallow breathing suggests a desire to have as little to do
with the world as possible. Normally, when one is unhappy, his exhalation
becomes stronger. When, conversely, his feelings are "up,"
his inhalation is stronger than his exhalation.
The breath is
not only a mechanism for bringing oxygen into the body and for expelling
from it carbon dioxide. It interrelates with the flow of energy
in the spine, and affects thereby a person's state of consciousness.
With inhalation, the energy rises; with exhalation, it descends.
Indeed, on a subtler level the energy-flow produces the physical
breath. Thus, there is a reciprocity between the two. Happiness
draws the energy upward, and strengthens the inhalation. One can
also raise his energy, and achieve greater mental upliftment, by
simply inhaling deeply. The opposite is as true: A sigh not only
expresses sadness: It can also induce it.
These are objective
facts. They don't depend on any belief, religious or other, but
are a simple manifestation of universal realities. They do, however,
correlate with religious teachings, inasmuch as they influence
one's state of consciousness.
In many religions,
certain aware persons have explored these realities to enhance their
spiritual practices. By sensitive application, these facts have
been developed into an actual science of religion. Such,
indeed, is the basis of the great science presented to the world
in the nineteenth century by Lahiri Mahasaya of Benares, India,
who resurrected it from ancient times and gave it the unpretentious
name, Kriya Yoga. Kriya, in Sanskrit, means action.
Kriya Yoga is a particular kind of action or technique that draws
on universal, central, and to some extent commonly known facts of
human nature.
The Christian
Hesychasts of Greece, centuries ago, drew on these facts when they
counseled that the recitation of the well-known prayer, "Lord
Jesus Christ have mercy on us," should be uttered in conjunction
with the breath. The first three words, they said, should be uttered
while inhaling, and the next four, "have mercy on us,"
while exhaling. The first part of the formula is an appeal. It is
therefore offered up to Christ and to the superconscious with the
upward-flowing energy. The last part is a request to receive
grace into the body and into one's self. It therefore accompanies
the downward-flowing energy with exhalation, as if seeking to bring
grace down to oneself. It is noteworthy that in this practice the
upward- and downward-flowing energies are not associated with thoughts
of happiness and sadness. Thus, we see that those moods are simply
examples of the effect of the upward and downward movements
of energy.
In Kriya Yoga
also, the rising and descending energies in the spine are not expected
to make the practicant alternately happy and sad, but to make him
increasingly aware, rather, that he himself is the source, indeed
the controller, of every like and dislike. Centering those reactions
in himself rather than in outer circumstances, he brings his very
awareness to a center within himself. No longer does his "zero
point" signify, for him, a cancellation of outward-directed
reactions: It becomes a cancellation in the deeper sense of nullifying
his separation from the Infinite Spirit. The upward flow, then,
becomes an act of total worship, and the downward flow, a withdrawing
more and more deeply into his inner self. The dual flow of energy
finally so magnetizes the spine that the flow enters deeply into
the deep spine, and becomes a steady upward flow toward the top
of the head. This is a subtle aspect of these realities, however,
and is less capable of being related to common experience. It would
therefore be unsuitable to develop it further in the pages of this
book, which is being written for the general public. Suffice it
here to say that self-offering to God is more than a "good
mood," and that withdrawal into the Self does not, in the deeper
sense, make one sad! Instead of sadness, withdrawal becomes calm,
inward recognition of high spiritual realities.
The Gregorian
chant expresses, as does much devotional music in all religions,
a melancholy yearning for higher-than-earthly fulfillment. This,
again, is not sadness in the ordinary sense of the word, and its
ultimate fulfillment is blissful union with God.
Knowledge of
these subtle truths is extremely helpful for anyone seeking deeper
understanding of spiritual law. That knowledge results in a science
greater than any material science—one, indeed, deserving consideration
as a science of all sciences, for the benefits it confers far outweigh
anything promised in the earthly sciences. The science of religion,
then, embraces much more than spiritual attitudes, important as
these are. When the energy is directed upward to the brain, outward,
worldly tendencies disappear as a matter of course.
Positive attitudes
can be affirmed, and therefore reinforced, by sitting upright, holding
the chest up, looking up, and breathing deeply. Right posture is
not spiritually essential, in itself, but it naturally accompanies
inspiration, and is, for most people, easily performed. Why not,
then, cooperate with Nature? To ignore these facts with the pious
rationale that one would rather depend on God's grace alone is,
indeed, an indication of willful blindness. God, after all, gave
us these laws. They should be taken as a sign of His grace, which
can be used to facilitate spiritual progress…
Another impediment
is the tendency to gaze habitually downward. It is possible,
of course, to pray with a bent back, as some people do who associate
that position with humility. Stooping, however, obstructs the flow
of energy in the spine. As for a downward gaze, some people may
consider it proper in the presence of the Divine Majesty, and anything
else a presumption. In fact, however, a downward gaze while praying
and meditating takes the mind downward, not upward to God. Downwardness
suggests a feeling of unworthiness, when in fact God invites
the soul to soar. Stooping suggests a servile attitude also. Attitudes
of unworthiness and servility are negative. They are not at all
the same thing as humility. Humility, indeed, begins with self-forgetfulness.
True humility uplifts the energy; it doesn't abase it. Any posture
that obstructs that upward flow hinders the development of all ennobling
attitudes, including humility.
There is another
practice that initially appears purely physical, but that conduces
greatly to spiritual development. It is to gaze, as well as concentrate,
upward at the point between the eyebrows, the "spiritual eye."
The eyes, in superconsciousness, turn naturally upward. Saints,
therefore, are often depicted praying with their eyes upturned.
They have frequently been observed in this position.
These are all
simple practices, but invaluable for attaining ultimate bliss. Spiritual
attitudes, as well, develop naturally with these practices. Best
is a combination of the two: right spiritual attitude coupled with
right technique. Together, these two ensure steady and rapid progress
on the spiritual path.
Ultimately,
it must be added, what liberates the soul is divine grace. It is
unrealistic, however, to claim that man plays no part in the process.
Nectar cannot fill a chalice that is turned upside-down. One must
cooperate consciously with grace. To wait passively for grace
to descend may mean waiting a long, long time! Neither spinelessness,
which is craven, nor arrant presumption can lead anyone to God.
1 Chittwa means
the feeling aspect of consciousness. Most scholars are not clear
on this word, explaining it vaguely in such terms as, "consciousness
in its lower aspects," or, even more vaguely, as, "mind
stuff."
Back to text
True religion
is a science. It shows how to find permanent freedom from all sorrow
and attain Conscious Bliss. True religion offers the only workable
solution there is to the deepest needs of all humanity. For this
reason it deserves to be called the science of all sciences. It
is, indeed, the driving force behind civilization, without which
there would be no "civilized arts," but only the clumsy
cudgeling of self-aggrandizement. Ego-boosting desires, unless directed
upward toward the attainment of bliss, are useless for attaining
lasting happiness. People devote enormous amounts of energy to fulfilling
them, even risking their own safety, while ignoring the one thing
anyone really cares anything about: lasting happiness. Driven like
paper boats on a lake by the hurricane of ambition, they founder
repeatedly in suffering. Every fulfillment is evanescent. The little
boat, so crisp and jaunty when it was first placed in the water,
grows soggy and shapeless. The flowers in the garden of happiness
become, by nightfall, withered on their stalks, and lifeless.
The science
of religion is the reasonable aspect of spiritual teaching.
It still emphasizes all the ennobling virtues, but adds to them
the satisfaction of solid, practical demonstration.
Many thousands
of years ago, in India, this science was explored under the name
yoga. Yoga means "union": the complete integration
of body, mind, and soul, bringing union with Conscious Bliss. The
essence of yoga is contained in the great technique which I mentioned
earlier: Kriya Yoga.
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