A Guide To Noble Living

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Sri Swami Chidananda

Sri Swami Sivananda

Founder of

The Divine Life Society

SERVE, LOVE, GIVE,

PURIFY, MEDITATE,

REALIZE

So Says

Sri Swami Sivananda Sri Swami Chidananda

A DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATION

First Edition: 1973

Second Edition: 1991

(3,000 Copies)

World Wide Web (WWW) Edition: 1999

WWW site: http://www.SivanandaDlshq.org

This WWW reprint is for free distribution

ISBN 81-7052-083-7

Published By

THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY

P.O. SHIVANANDANAGAR—249 192

Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh,

Himalayas, India.

PUBLISHERS’ PREFACE

A spiritual treatise may or may not satisfy the habits of the intellect, but, doubtless, it has to

cater to the needs and the demands of the soul and the intuition. As such, the words of a saint, a

messenger of the Spirit, speak to us during the calm and splendid durations we have with our soul

within. H.H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj voices silently to the inmost core of the thinking

man. His talks do more intimately appeal directly to the hearts of aspirants.

This publication commands a position in the field of spiritual literature almost akin to the

one that Bhakti-Yoga occupies among the group of Yogic paths leading to the emancipation of the

individual. Bhakti-Yoga is like a highway train picking up passengers from the different stations

they happen to come from. It sees no distinction of social status and rank and qualification but only

a genuine zeal to get into and tread the way. Everyone, without distinction, can have access into this

gate; all can enter into this temple of this unique Yoga. Mundane distinctions disappear before the

mansion of the Supreme Friend and Lover of man. All can find their equal right before God; for the

Divine Spirit is no respecter of social differences and man-made restrictions. This small book of

this Life Spiritual, in the same wise, greets a novice to answer his query as to what the real purpose

of life is, what the meaning of true Yoga is, what the spirit of true renunciation is, and how to start

with virtue, pass through holiness and culminate in Godliness. The advanced seeker in the midst of

the high pitch of conflict and struggle finds here and there spot-lights to remove his darkness of

doubt and dilemma and suddenly comes across solutions to his conflicting problems in the split of a

second. And the more perfected soul would be delighted at heart because the literature deals with

matters concerning divine living, abounds with talks on the glory of God, liberation, bliss and peace

and narrates the exemplary ideals of great devotees like Sri Hanuman of the Ramayana fame, and

the brilliant inspiring life and example of saints who lived up to the modern context of time.

The book is universally inspiring and guiding. Being mostly general in treatment and

slightly abstract in character, any approach to it with a motive of finding the particular in the form of

details of techniques and practices of various systems of Yoga would be misplaced. The work may

simply be taken most reverently as the message of a saint on the path of Nivritti (renunciation) and

Yoga. At the same time, the value of the book is no less than the usual text-books on Yoga and

Vedanta; the latter deal specifically with particular aspects and systems of Yoga; they concern the

need and purpose and aim of their chosen trainees and students of the more rigid systems. On the

contrary, the need for a treatise of this kind is first and foremost in respect of the general readers and

the Sadhakas; for it couches life in all its peripheries. The general principle always comes first and

the particular later.

The work is a collection of Swamiji’s writings and speeches which are in the form of essays,

articles and short discourses delivered on different occasions. The first five articles have been

adapted from Swamiji’s inspiring addresses at the Satsangas in the Ashram at the Headquarters and

they serve as a clarion-call to those who are in a slumber as yet to the life of the Spirit on account of

ignorance of the true meaning and purpose of life; and after awakening them, infuse new strength,

courage, hope and vigour into their lives by reorienting their movement towards God. Then comes

the discussion of the basic principles of Yoga, and the primary requirements it calls for from its

students. The juvenile curiosity which looks upon Yogic life as a rosy path has been cautioned and

the possible obstacles that beset the path have been pointed out. The norm of conduct of a Yoga

iii

student with relation to the society around the humanity in general has been set forth as being one of

service, equality and sympathy, especially. We have to follow the foot-prints of wise sages who

have already trodden the arduous steep mountainous path of spirituality. A devotee of God, the

Almighty, becomes invulnerable due to the infinite strength provided to him by the eternally

inexhaustible source of power and energy, Purushottama, the Lover and Friend of man, a Presence

at once manifest in all things, a Power pervading the universe with innumerable forms as His

mighty World-Yoga. This point has been vividly and interestingly brought out by drawing a picture

of contrast between Hanuman and Ravana. The true concept of Devi-worship and the need for an

overcoming of all that belongs to the low, base and bestial nature. Whereas the epicurean’s charge

has been refuted and given a challenge with the true spirit of renunciation, attention has not been

slackened to remind the austere recluses of their responsibility and sacred, supreme duty. The

human mind, with its structure and psychological working, has been broadly analysed and then

sufficient hints on practical Sadhana have been given. The modern man has not been spared on any

lame excuse in his attempt at abolishing the worship and adoration of God from his life on the

ground of lack of time and opportunity. He has been supplied with a novel method of Sadhana in the

form of mental union in Yoga while offering the physique to the work on hand. This is the

concluding chapter of the book. Thus, through the seemingly unconnected topics runs an

interconnecting link like the thread into which beads of pearls have been strung to make a beautiful

garland.

—THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY

A GUIDE TO NOBLE LIVING

CONTENTS

PUBLISHERS’ PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

THE UNBROKEN LINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

ERADICATE DESIRES AND REST IN YOUR DESIRELESS BLISSFUL SELF . . . . . . . 2

THE SADHAKA AND THE WORLDLY MAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

BE UP AND DOING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

USE NOT THE INTELLECT FOR INCREASING LAZINESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

NECESSITY, BASE AND SUPREME FACTOR OF YOGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

SADHANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

THE OBSTACLE-TRIAD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

NOT A ROSY PATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

SERVE HUMANITY AND SEEK DIVINITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

BE LIKE THE THIRD SKULL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

BE SIMPLE AND GUILELESS, HUMBLE AND ENDURING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

FOLLOW THEIR FOOT-PRINTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

THE DEVOTEE BECOMES INVULNERABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

A CONTRAST BETWEEN HANUMAN AND RAVANA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

THE ROLE OF A SADHU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

DESTRUCTION PRECEDES CONSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

THE EPICUREAN’S CHARGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

GURU AND DISCIPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

RELIGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

THE GLORY OF SANNYASA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

ANALYSIS OF THE HUMAN MIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

HINTS ON PRACTICAL SADHANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

SADHANA FOR MODERN MAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

THE UNBROKEN LINK

This holy land (Bharatavarsha) of ours with its lofty culture has been uniquely blessed and

privileged by a continuous and unbroken stream of spiritual teachers, saints, devotees and savants

to guide and uphold the arduous march of its men, ever reminding them of the true goal of life and

preventing mankind from slipping into erroneous tracks at each critical moment. Look at our

ancient history and you will find not a single generation which has been deprived of God-sent men

who would ever hold high the banner of truth along with their clarion-call to humanity to remain

ever vigilant and never forget the real purpose of life.

They never proclaimed anything as a conclusion of mere intellectual activity and labour of

the thinking faculty but they did so on the basis of the profound authority of direct intuitional

realisation of the Absolute. So whatever these ancient sages and Rishis have proclaimed in the

Upanishads, it is from their direct experience in the core of their inmost spiritual being. They did not

care to adduce any argument in their support or to induce acceptance. They just stated boldly what

they KNEW AS TRUTH. And what is it that they have declared? It is

“O children of Immortality!

Ye are not the perishable physical body

Nor the ever-changing mind, nor the reasoning intellect.

But ye are the master of all these,

The supreme conscious-Being,

the unattached witnessing Spirit or Atman

beyond the reach of the mind and the intellect,

Different and distinct from body, mind and intellect.

Realise this fact and live in the awareness of your true Spirit.”

They have also shown the path that leads to this grand experience. We, as true descendants

of our ancient Rishis and worthy sons of Bharatavarsha, should never lose sight of the great purpose

of life which can be nothing else than God-realisation. Let no one be deceived by becoming a

travesty of alien culture in the name of the so-called material prosperity.

The goodness of a tree is known ultimately by its fruits either sweet or bitter. The past two

great world-wars bear the testimony of the destructive horror of the so-called advanced civilisation

under the most modern scientific knowledge.

“I would like to bow down from a pretty distance to such deceiving knowledge and prefer

one thousand times to be called the ignorant and cling fast to my soul-uplifting culture and heritage

which guarantees me purity, manliness, divinity, character, integrity, unselfishness and love for

mankind.”

Be careful, brethren, that scientific knowledge devoid of religion and spirituality will

quicken only the world-doom since it provides in the hand of the all-devouring brutal instinct of the

degenerated man another addition of deadly power for self-destruction.

Power verily corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Therefore neglect not the foremost duty of building up character, nobility, godliness and

love for the search of your true nature.

ERADICATE DESIRES AND REST IN YOUR DESIRELESS

BLISSFUL SELF

The spiritual Sadhaka daily comes nearer and nearer to God. Day by day, his spiritual

struggle brings for him more and more freedom from earthly bondage, from Maya. Every desire

annihilated adds new strength to the enhancement of this freedom. It is a fresh addition to the store

of inner happiness.

Here are some of the methods of thinning out the Vasanas (desires).

(1) Self-denial: Curtail all unnecessary wants, activities and mixing. Too much of contacts

with friends and promiscuous mixing stimulate the old habits, previous Samskaras (latent

impressions). Hence worldly contacts should be reduced as far as possible. Exert a little pure will.

Deny then and there and say, “No, I don’t want it, since it is not going to help my spiritual

well-being. Seek the counsel from the pure intellect and it will give you sure protection at the

required moment. Slowly you will develop an attitude of looking at sense-objects as poison and

delusive, a clever entrapment of Maya and then you will naturally deny them for your spiritual

welfare.

(2) Vigilance: The past Samskaras are like dormant forces and coiled-up potential energies

which sometimes assume violent forms and produce tremendous agitation in the mind, totally

confuse and bewilder it and make it assume the very forms of desires. This is called Vishayakara

Vritti.

So vigilance must be resorted to. No amount of leniency should be given to the mind.

(3) Non-cooperation: All the senses must be withdrawn slowly from their respective centres

of pleasure. If you go on denying all the desires, then they will die a natural death.

So continue this incessant process of dynamic self-denial and become a conqueror of all

desires. Thus having washed clean the mind of all Vasanas, the aspirant ultimately rejoices and

sports in the pure consciousness, bliss and self-delight of Atmic awareness.

THE SADHAKA AND THE WORLDLY MAN

Without Vasana-Tyaga (annihilation of desires), Mano-Nasa (death of mind) cannot be

effected and without Mano-Nasa there can be no hope of Kaivalya or immortality.

A perfectly desireless state is absolutely peaceful and blissful.

THE UNBROKEN LINK

The spiritual seeker gradually thins out his mind, reduces his desires and at last totally dies

to all the worldly Vasanas and gets a final release from Samsara.

On the other hand, the worldly man daily brings fresh addition to the bundle of his desires.

He creates new wants to experience new sense-pleasures and thus fattens the process of

entanglement in Samsara. At last he finds himself under thick chains of bondage. He gets

entrapped, deceived and caught by Maya and misses the goal of life.

Thus the spiritual aspirant and the man of the world stand poles apart in comparison. One

soars high by the upward pull of his higher nature and the other hurls himself down into the abyss of

Samsara by the downward pull of his lower nature.

BE UP AND DOING

Today only is yours. Yesterday is gone. There is no certainty of tomorrow. Hence make the

best use of the present moment, the present life. Be up and doing. Live this day a life of helpfulness

and worshipfulness. Waste not your precious time in vain gossips, scandal-mongering, talebearing,

vain hopes and chitchats lest you may pass out regretted and lamented.

Who knows whether this golden opportunity would come again or not? So when everything

is conducive for rising high towards the shining peaks lofty ideals, take care that the enthusiasm

dies not due to slackness.

So do not postpone for tomorrow. Postponing means losing forever.

Remember this.

Towards the world, let our motive be one of goodness, friendliness and selflessness. Let us

live for the good and peace and happiness of others, even of those who deceive us and inflict injury

upon us. Mind not dear Sadhaka! For this is not your lasting abode. You are a quick passenger to

your eternally shining original abode. So, on your way, while you are here for a short while, try to

bring about a little happiness to others, try to lessen the discomfort, fear and anxiety of your

neighbours, try to wipe out tears from others’ eyes. Try to remove as far as you can the gloom,

despair and sorrow of your fellow-beings.

This should be the attitude for your Bahiranga Jivan (external life, relative living).

Through Paropakara (doing good to others) you worship the one Supreme Lord residing in

the hearts of all, for “Eko Devah Sarvabhuteshu Gudhah”—the one Lord hides in all beings.

So bear sympathy for the poor and try to see Him through the humblest of His creation.

As to our Antaranga Jivan (internal living), it should be one of Yogic life, living in constant

awareness of your divine relationship.

A GUIDE TO NOBLE LIVING

Increase the stuff of Sattva by daily prayer, worship, Bhajan, Kirtan and Japa-Yajna. This

Japa-Yajna is the surest, safest and easiest path specially suitable for Kali Yuga, this iron-age.

Sometimes the mind would refuse to put forth effort on account of inner Tamas (inertia) and

lethargy. Don’t yield to this inertia. Remove it by constructive activity, study and Kirtan.

Remove slothness by being “Up and Doing.”

USE NOT THE INTELLECT FOR INCREASING LAZINESS

A humorous but meaningfully significant incident is called back to my mind that can to

some extent depict the baneful and curious motive behind all the so-called advancements in modern

science and technology. One gentleman once asked his enthusiastic son who happened at that

moment to be a student in some institute of technology, “Dear boy, what will you do if you become

a good and renowned engineer?” The boy replied, “Dear Daddy! I will invent a machine which will

be capable of giving me all that I desire by merely switching a button.” The father then asked the

same question to his second son who was implicitly following the ideal of his elder brother.

“What do you intend to do when you too become an adept in modern technology as your

ambition is keen after this?” And the juvenile younger boy instantly replied, “Father, I must invent

another machine which will be used for the purpose of pushing the button of my elder brother’s

marvellous machine and thus save us from the trouble of pushing the button quite often for our

variegated needs.”

This illustrates the modern trend of scientific minds. So much of Tamas or inertia enters into

man’s nature as a curse of luxuries and comforts that a time comes when he hesitates, even to switch

on a button!

Instead of applying the intellect for inventing more and more physical comforts and

machinery even to do your daily work, let this precious faculty be utilised in discriminating the real

from the unreal. Let the intellect be directed in the quest of the permanent, eternal, imperishable and

all-blissful Atman. Thus make life transformed to enjoy real and undecaying happiness born of

divine communion. Finally rest in the abode of supreme blessedness devoid of all fears and

sufferings.

NECESSITY, BASE AND SUPREME FACTOR OF YOGA

Yoga bases its origin upon the necessity felt by man to rid himself of all sorrow and

suffering and to free himself forever from bondage brought about by finite existence and to attain

final victory over all fear, even over death itself. To this great problem, Yoga comes as the practical

solution. Yoga plainly states that man is essentially of the nature of Bliss, Perfection, Peace and

Freedom. The loss of his awareness of that oneness with the infinite, all-perfect source of his being

BE UP AND DOING

is the very cause of his involvement in this earthly process called life. To regain a true awareness

and to realise once again his everlasting oneness with the Divine is actually the practice of Yoga.

The means of overcoming the defects and imperfections of this earth-life and thus experiencing

union with the Supreme constitutes its structure. Yoga shows how to overcome the imperfections

of the lower nature and to gain complete mastery over the mind and senses.

All the techniques of Yoga require perfect ethical and moral purity. Purity is the foundation

of Yogic life. One cannot be a bad man and yet try to practise Yoga. One cannot allow himself to be

impure, insincere, untruthful, deceitful and harmful to others and at the same time try to practise

Yoga. There cannot be any spiritual realisation when interior circumstances are imperfect. There

cannot be any religious practice or true interior life when moral goodness is not deeply implanted in

the being. One has to be rooted in goodness, in purity, in truth and in selflessness. Half of the

process of Yoga is in getting thus perfectly established in ideal moral conduct. When this basis has

been established, then the application of the techniques of Yoga is like the striking of a dry march

upon the match-box and immediately there is a flame. Without this basis, it is like trying to strike

and ignite a wet match upon a cake of soap—nothing happens.

In all phases of Yogic life, the supreme factor is the grace of God. Call it what you will. It is

the grace of the Supreme Essence, the source of all existence in which alone man realises his true

nature and his deathless divinity. All the practices are purposeful when they make man move

towards God and merge into oneness with Him. This is the purpose of Yoga.

SADHANA

Sadhana is the purpose for which we have come to this plane. It is this earth-plane alone

upon which Sadhana for Self-realisation can be done.

Sadhana means right living—living a God-oriented life. Root out falsehood from your

heart. Become an embodiment of Truth.

You are ever-pure and spotless. Express that ever-pure, spotless nature in your thoughts,

words, in the pattern of your desires and inner motives in your daily life. Practise that, live that,

radiate that—that is Sadhana. You are the Truth, the Supreme Reality. Express this Truth.

Let not your life be a contradiction of what you are. Be WHAT YOU ARE. This is the

essential Sadhana. It is the direct path to live a divine life, to be divine in thought, word and deed.

The supreme Sadhana is a life lived divinely where every act, thought and word is

permeated with the divine quality.

Be victorious over circumstances. Even when you are working do not leave this inner

awareness. Assert it at every moment in all things. Be the conqueror of your mind, the subduer of

your desires and a master of your destiny; for you are the Master.

A GUIDE TO NOBLE LIVING

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AGuideToNobleLivingBySriSwamiChidanandaSriSwamiSivanandaFounderofTheDivineLifeSocietySERVE,LOVE,GIVE,PURIFY,MEDITATE,REALIZESoSaysSriSwamiSivanandaSriSwamiChidanandaADIVINELIFESOCIETYPUBLICATIONFirstEdition:1973SecondEdition:1991(3,000Copies)WorldWideWeb(WWW)Edition:1999WWWsite:http://www.SivanandaD...

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