Right Life

Right Life. Teachings of the Shivapuri Baba

Teachings of the Shivapuri Baba

Teachings of the Shivapuri Baba by Samlios

What happens after the death of the physical body?

Hugh Ripman: "What happens after the death of the physical body?"

"After the death, the subtle body stays near the physical body for a time, and then leaves it and goes to another planet. Later it takes another gross body. This process is repeated again and again until God is realized".

Energy and Breath

Hugh Ripman: Something he said prompted me to ask a question about energy.

"Man needs different qualities of energy", he said. "Every function requires its own quality. You know how different fuels have different flash-points. It is like that. If there is a surplus of one quality, more than is needed for the: corresponding function, then this surplus can be transformed into a higher grade of energy, which can serve a higher function".

He was silent for a while. "Men take in energy through the breath," he continued, "but it is not the same for all men. What grades of energy people can absorb from the air depends on the way they breathe. It also depends on what is inside them".

I asked about breathing exercise.

"It is dangerous", he said, "to try the various breathing exercises, which you find described in the books, unless you do it under the guidance of man, who knows about these things. But there is one thing that you can do - and indeed this practice very greatly benefits the health of the body It is very simple. Pause about as long as it takes to draw breath (from 3 to 6 seconds) at the end of each inhalation and exhalation. A man who trains himself to breathe in this way, should normally live to be at least 100 years old".

Hugh Ripman & Shivapuri Baba

"Why is it", I asked, "that some men seek God and others do not?"

 "Men do not seek God," he answered, "because they are drawn by pleasure."

"What is it", I asked, "that is called the soul of man?"

"The soul of man", he replied, "is the real "I". This cannot be explained, it can only be experienced."

I spoke to him about the way in which a man's face might change as one regarded it steadily and asked him whether he could explain this.

"These other faces come from the past," he said, and there is layer under layer. But this is not of any great significance."

"There are many people," he continued after a while, "who seek to achieve special powers and special experiences. This kind of search leads men aside from the straight road to God. Once a man knows God, all powers and all knowledge are given to him, and he has no needs to seek anything else".

"In many scriptures", I said, "the possibility of man having a second body is spoken of, a body made of finer, subtle material. Can you tell me what this is?"

"You know how in dreams you have a body," he answered. "There is the subtle body to which these scriptures refer. But this must go, like the first body. It is only pure consciousness that one must seek". "He was silent for a while. "There are three states of consciousness-deep, sleep with dreams, and the waking states in which we are. It is necessary to go beyond all these states of consciousness".

feeding animals is a service to GOD

Such simple acts like giving water with both hands early in the morning facing East to the Sun, and also standing on one leg at the same time, will help your Soul. Similarly, feeding the cows, insect, birds and hungry men means protecting them. They are the acts of GOD. Thus, you are indirectly doing service to GOD. In the same way, if you feed a Dog, all members of your house will become faithful to you. Similarly, feeding an Ox or giving him salt will save you from the bad name or, even if the bad name is coming to you, it will be minimized.

the human being is a class of its own

Well, generally speaking, everybody has to take 84 lakhs of births and deaths, but not the human being, because it is a class of its own. After death, it takes life according to its past deeds and thoughts. So we must correct these thought and actions. We should therefore remember, what the scientists say, that this whole universe is nothing but a continuation of thoughts. So it is. Therefore watch your thoughts and correct your actions!

Man has three bodies

There are three bodies:

1) Gross body
which is like a cage. It does not belong to me, because anything which is mine does not leave me; but it leaves me. 

2) Subtle body(Astral body)
It is called I. It can travel in dreams; ghosts have only this subtle body.

3) Intuitional body
 - this is real and seen after Realization or Perfection: this is just like bright light which can assume any shape. It has no colour. Then, if we wish, we can assume subtle body and also travel. We can also attain a gross body, if we want to enjoy pleasures.

Shivapuri Baba & Aurobindo

What about the great Aurobindo? Did SB meet him at any time, anywhere?

Yes. Maharishi Aurobindo knew SB under a different name (Yogi Lele). He learned YOGA from SB, when he was probably in Baroda working as a Principal of college there. SB said that he was an excellent seeker; he could accomplish whatever was taught to him in no time! Such a brilliant student SB had rarely seen. But there cropped up a problem between them - Aurobindo wanted first to try his theory of "divinizing the matter, immortalizing the human and bringing the heaven down to the earth". He believed"in bringing harmony in life, not beyond". But, SB was of the different opinion. He said that one can realise the Highest, only on an individual basis, that one cannot do this for other people, not for the mass in general, that even great Avatars like Krishna could not do this for a long time.

near Ramana Maharshi

What about Sri Ramana Maharshi? Was there any contact between them?

Yes. When SB saw him in the Arunachal area, he was very much involved in meditation. He was fresh from the school and was in his early teens. He just looked at SB and closed his eyes. SB, as usual, did not talk to him, as was his rule. or custom. It is said, that SB stayed near him for few days.

Shivapuri Baba helped Swami Vivekananda in the US

It is said that Swami Vivekananda was guided by SB during the time of Parliament Of Religion at Chicago. Is it true?

Yes. But it is a difficult question, and, I am afraid, may even be controversial to answer, because there is no written record anywhene about this, as far as I know. But it was discussed among the devotees of SB, that SB was instrumental in introducing the Swami to the President of the Parliament of Religions. When the Swami asked SB how to conduct himself in the proceedings of the Parliament, SB had advised him to always stay within the bounds of the Scriptures, and also never to give any personal opinion or thoughts, without referring the subject to the Scriptures under discussion. Clearly, in this way, he would save himself from possible controversy, which could crop up then. Yes, SB helped him, as and when necessary, during that period. In the beggining, the Swami had a difficult time. He had managed to reach Chicago, but he had no provisions to sustain himself financially and so on. SB looked after him regarding this as well. But the details, as SB said," is a sort of palace secret, which is not right to be discussed in public." SB said that the Swami was a brilliant young man. He conducted himself well. Naturally he became a great success. The world knows this all.

common ancestory of Turkish & Dravidian languages

He had walked from his native Kerala all the way to Istanbul, where stayed near the University studying the Turkish language and culture. He thought Turkish & Dravidian languages of South India had a common ancestor way back in antiquity. His next long halt was in Heidelberg where he learnt German.

on B.G. Tilak

SB taught some Astronomy to Mr. B.G. Tilak, it was said. He was Gandhi's political Guru, He was a great national leader who coined the word SWARAJ and declared it as his BIRTHRIGHT. Did he know about RL? If so, did he practise it?
 

Not only a great leader, he was also a great scholar and excellent lawyer of his time,Tilak wrote his great book The Gita with a little pencil in the Andaber Nicober Islands, where he was undergoing a life-sentence. Max Muller, the celebrated writer, had pleaded for him with the then British Government. He was a selfless worker, a Karmayogi, who believed that the Gita was a document of Karmayoga. Unfortunately for India he died soon. Otherwise the history of India would have become quite different. No, Tilak did not know about RL, at least in the way SB taught us. He did not seem to practise it. Actually, he was too busy in active politics; he had no time!

on Gandhi, Nehru & Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Gandhi's dream of Undivided India was not realized. Why? What was SB's opinion about this? Can you please tell us?

SB said that Nehru was in a hurry to become Prime Minister of an independent India and Mr. Jinnah to become the first President of Pakistan. So they managed to prevail on Gandhi. As a result, India was divided. This was Gandhi's gross mistake. It was not only disgusting but also humiliating. Being a national leader, he should have known that Jinnah was going to die soon. Their intelligence cell - individual or party or both - should have found this easily beforehand. They didn't! That was why SB thought that Gandhi was not a thoughtful leader. On the other hand, SB said that Jinnah was an able leader. He wanted a free Moslem state. He worked for it. He used all means, fair or foul, good, bad or both. And he got what he wanted.

Shivapuri Baba protested against Mahatma Gandhi

Do you know any meeting between the great leader Gandhi and SB? Have they ever met?

Yes. It was during the QUIT INDIA movement period. Gandhi made the entire India put to flames all the foreign goods and adopt only the national products. He also banned such items like Marijuana, hemp et al. But SB used to smoke it then, perhaps once a day. He did not get it anywhere. It so happened also that he was staying near Gandhi. So he went to ask Gandhi for his usual smoke! Naturally it was refused. There was no way out for him. He used Gandhi's own method of resistance! He started his hunger strike, a fast unto death. This fast continued for many days. Observing that a Sadhu was going to die, many followers of Gandhi came and requested him to stop the fast. But SB did not agree. At last Gandhi himself came to persuade. SB asked:

"Do you know why the Marijuana, Dhatura & hemp etc. are called Shiva Buti? Lord Shiva, the great Meditator, himself took them during meditation. He even used to take the snake-poison sometimes! Why? Because they make your mind quiet and keep it in one track and make your meditation
successful. Therefore, Mr. Gandhi, you should have exempted the Sadhus from your prohibition order. Being a great leader and a lawyer as well, you should know that there is always an exception to any LAW, that the golden rule is that there is no golden rule."

Gandhi understood. And SB got his demand fulfilled!

Shivapuri Baba´s stayed with Leo Tolstoi

It was a tradition for a Sanyasi to live in one place continuously for three nights only. But SB lived with the great writer Leo Tolstoy continuously for three months or more. During that period, SB taught the Count the secrets of the Spiritual Science, while he learnt the Russian language from him. The Count's writings gradually changed to accomodate the Eastern Thoughts. For example, his story THREE QUESTIONS, was entirely based on SB's Teaching: the Count did not want his friend SB, to leave Russia. He managed to prolong SB's stay on one pretext or another. Finding no other way out, SB had to "run away" from him at the middle of a night, like a thief, without even saying a goodbye!