Guidance from the Guru

(Letter 17)

Swami Tapovan Maharaj

Om Narayana Smriti

With affection.

Ordinarily, in mouna (silence) only the word is not uttered. But in mental japa the word is not only not uttered, the mind does not even go outward to sense objects – that is the specific feature. So if one can perform mental japa it is a noble sadhana indeed. As for these two sadhanas mental japa and mouna, the more effectively they are practised the better it is for the aspirants.

The restraint of all the senses is a great duty enjoined upon people of all ashramas. Control of the senses is a blessing to any man in any of the ashramas; their free play is a curse. All the sense objects – sound, touch, form etc. should be totally discarded when they exceed the requirements of bodily existence. It is not necessary for any householder to wander in the maze of sense objects when they are not essential to preserve life or perform one’s duty. He had better keep all the senses under control whether in eating, playing etc.

How do new environments (adversely) affect a spiritual aspirant? But, why tack on to new environments? The spiritual aspirant’s duty is to keep away from any subject, any circumstance that stands in the way of his search for Truth. “Why did you desert your very dear wife and child?” somebody asked the Buddha.

“Because they were obstacles in the way of my search for Truth,” was his reply. Can new environments and new civilization approach (affect) an aspirant of intense discrimination?

With good wishes,

Swami Tapovanam