Untitled - the Divine Life Society

not realised, the mind is filled with depression and anxieties.The ambitious man has no peace of mind. He worries himself,"Will I succeed in my attempt? Even if I succeed, will I beable to have the same influence and power which Mr. So andso possesses?" Ambition is a great obstacle in yoga. you musttry to get peace of mind first. Then only the super-structure ofYoga can be built up quickly. The Divine Light can onlydescend in a peaceful mind. If you have a peaceful mind, youwill get flashes of higher vision.Man is not only a citizen of this world but also of manyworlds. He has to face dangers and temptations not only inthis world but also in the other worlds. The plane of theGandharvas is full of temptations. That is the reason why it issaid in Yoga Shastras that the aspirant should purify himselffirst, should control his senses, should eradicate his desiresand should be established in Yama before he attempts toawaken his Kundalini, the sleeping potential Shakti, that liesdormant in the basal Muladhara Chakra. If Kundalini isawakened before the attainment of purity by means of Asanas,Bandhas, Mudras and Pranayama, fhe yogi will come acrossthe temptations of the other planes, he will have no strength ofwill to resist these temptations and will have a hopelessdownfall. It will be very difficult for him to climb again to theoriginal height which he had climbed in the ladder of yoga.Therefore, the aspirant should try to purify himself first. Ifperfect purity is attained through Japa, Kirtan and constantselfless service, Kundalini will awaken by itself and movetowards Sahasrara at the crown of the head to meet HerLord-Lord Siva, the trident-bearcr of Mount Kailas, thestorehouse of wisdom, bliss and peace.Many aspirants climb a certain height in the ladder of yoga.They are irresistibly swept away by the temprations of thehigher planes (Svarga, Gandharva plane, etc). They lose theirpower of discrimination and right understanding and therebyOBSTACLES IN YOGA 25