Preserving Vital Energies - The Key to Higher Life.

Preserving vital energies (Brahmacharya) in the body holds the key to illumination in the spiritual life. It is living up in a plane, higher above the normal body-consciousness.  It is a life of freedom from Prakriti altogether. To understand how this vital energy helps in achieving freedom, we need to understand the spiritual anatomy of the human body.

This is what Swami Vivekananda said about the spiritual anatomy of the human body. He says, “According to the Yogis, there are two nerve currents in the spinal column, called Pingala and Ida, and a hollow canal called Sushumna running through the spinal cord. At the lower end of the hollow canal is what the Yogis call the "Lotus of the Kundalini". They describe it as triangular in form in which, in the symbolical language of the Yogis, there is a power called the Kundalini, coiled up. When that Kundalini awakes, it tries to force a passage through this hollow canal, and as it rises step by step, as it were, layer after layer of the mind becomes open and all the different visions and wonderful powers come to the Yogi. When it reaches the brain, the Yogi is perfectly detached from the body and mind; the soul finds itself free.” (Raja Yoga: Chapter – The Psychic Prana)

                These nerve currents are very subtle. They can only be comprehended when the ‘subtle-vital force’ (Kundalini) is awakened. Normally, this ‘subtle-vital force’, remain idle and not awakened, because the human mind normally dwells in the lower plane of consciousness. There are seven planes of consciousness in which the human mind dwells. They are,

1) Muladhara 2) Svadhistana 3) Manipura 4) Anahata 5) Visudhha 6) Ajna and 7) Sahasra

Seven planes.

When the human mind dwells in the lower plane of consciousness, the vital energies in the body remain dissipated. Since they are dissipated, the vital energies in the body remain weak. Since the vital energies remain weak, Kundalini is not awakened, and therefore, one cannot progress higher up in the spiritual life. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that we need to preserve the vital energies in the human body. If the vital energies were preserved, one is able to scale up in the consciousness plane, and attain liberation. The man then attains freedom from nature altogether. How to do it?

1.       Cut off all bodily associations:

The idea of body is nothing but ignorance. Men who are awakened generally move away from all bodily associations. Some call it as ‘cruel’ to desert one's parents and so on. But it would be crueler not to know oneself. It would be crueler still to remain ignorant all throughout our lives. Should everyone move out of their homes, what will happen to the society? But this option is only for awakened men and women who desire liberation. It doesn’t intend escapism from duty or any other reason. It arises from the goal of attaining freedom.

It is difficult for married men and women to do so. It would be better for them to preserve an atmosphere altogether free from bodily associations, and to dwell in that place for a certain period of time. For example, a meditation room, or a place for spiritual retreat, and so on. We as a nation are so proud of our spiritual capabilities, but most of us are ignorant of the real need for meditation. In India, in our homes, we find only a small chamber for Puja, where we hang up all Gods and Goddess. We need a room and which should be completely dedicated to meditation. I wonder, in a spiritual country as ours, we don’t have separate rooms for meditation in our households.

Every Indian household needs a meditation room.

2.       Do not look at a women or men:

Looks like a Taliban rule, but there is no other way. For men - don’t look at the women, and for Women - don’t look at men. What happens in doing so? In doing so, we remain free from the bondage of Prakriti, we remain free from the bodily ideas, we remain free from sense-impressions, we remain free from the consequent actions of sense-impressions, we remain free from subsequent rebirth, and at we last remain free from pain and suffering. Do not look at a women or men absolutely, if you want to preserve absolute Brahmacharya. If you happen to look at them look them in the attitude of a brother and sister and so on.

3.       Refrain from all acts of sensuality:

To preserve absolute Brahmacharya, one must refrain from all acts of sensuality. Because all sensual activities dissipate the vital energies in the body. Sensual acts are the acts, arising from the contact of sense organs with sensual objects or objects of enjoyment. All sense organs have an equal measure in dissipating the vital energies. Therefore, one must always remain on one’s guard against these sense objects.

4.       Meditate:

Meditation is conducive only when one has achieved a certain degree of freedom from Prakriti. It is conducive only when one is able to live a life above the level of body consciousness. It is only possible when one has restrained and followed the above-mentioned rules. One may ask, where is the happiness when you cut off all relationships? Where is the happiness, when you don’t look at the sensual objects? And what is life without these enjoyments?

From our childhood, we are aware only of the lower form of sense enjoyments. There are some higher forms of happiness, which we are not aware of, in the form of peace arising from meditation. The lower enjoyments don't even form an iota of what the higher peace represents. When one goes higher up, one feels broadening of the soul, in the form of compassion towards all beings, in the form of actionable social work for suffering humanity, and so on.

Higher Peace  - No trouble from Prakriti

When Prakriti is totally cut off, one feels the higher planes of lives opening up, as Swami Vivekananda mentioned. As we have seen earlier, the lower planes represent the bodily ideas and the higher up the plane, there is a progress from bodily ideas to spiritual ideas. The lower plane represents name and form of ordinary objects and the higher plane is devoid of name and form, and where pure consciousness resides. Practitioners of Bhakti will find the forms of God in higher planes and merge into a formless aspect of God in still higher planes.

5.       Lifestyle:

The lifestyle which is suitable for this purpose is the middle path. Sleep, food, and work must be regulated and must be done in the attitude of self-surrender to God. Regular Yoga helps in regulating the Prana, which is vital in keeping the energies higher up. The ultimate goal of Yogis is not selfish – that is for one’s own liberation. But the Yogi works for the liberation of all beings and until then he keeps the work on. Therefore, it must be not be mistaken for a selfish endeavor.

Attitude of self surrender to God.

So, preserve vital energy to progress higher up in life, and ultimately achieve freedom from pain and suffering. 

Thank You.

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