How does one enter into the path of realization? What kind of hindrances and temptations does one face in this path of realization? In which way can we be assured that we are treading on the right path?
—rajesh, India
One enters into the path of realization first by desiring fulfillment beyond the fleeting sensory mirages of this world. The next step is uncovering our true nature – that of our soul – through the ever deepening experience of meditation and its related techniques, especially that of Kriya Yoga.
The ego, with its accompanying attachments and desires, is truly the hindrance to our realization. But the ego cannot be destroyed so much as it needs to be transformed by the increasing magnetism of our soul qualities.
The temptations we encounter are those that pull us back to the seeming “comforts” of duality and its delusions. As Paramhansa Yogananda said, “The soul loves to meditate… reluctance to meditate comes from the ego; it doesn’t belong to the soul.”
One other temptation that devotees of raja yoga (the path of Self-realization) may encounter is to feel pride in being “above” others. That is why the teachings of yoga also emphasize aspects such as humility, devotion, and introspection, among others.
We can be assured we are treading on the right path by the increasing presence of our true soul nature with its inherent qualities of unconditional love, bliss, calmness, peace, and intuitive wisdom.
In divine friendship,
Pranaba
