Epilogue: Essence of Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda

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The beginning of saintliness is killing of egoism or Ahamkara. The

end of saintliness is Eternal Life. The key to saintliness is

humility and self-mortification. The light of saintliness is silent

meditation. The garb of saintliness is virtue and tolerance, not the

Gerua cloth alone.

 

Pravritti and Nivritti are not two different paths. They are two

aspects of one and the same path. There is Pravritti in Nivritti and

Nivritti in Pravritti. It is the mental state that counts. Look at

Janaka, the king of Videhas. In him, there was absolute Nivritti in

Pravritti. Always remember: " Yogasthah Kuru Karmani Sangam Tyaktva

Dhananjaya. "

 

Man is the master of his own destiny. He sows an action and reaps a

habit; sows a habit and reaps a character; sows a character and reaps

a destiny. So he is entirely responsible for his Prarabdha Karma.

Prarabdha is under his Adheenata or control. He will become an

absolute fatalist and a slothful, inactive man, if he attributes

everything to a preordained destiny or Prarabdha. Let him awaken his

free will. Let him avail himself of his Paramartha (Will). God has

endowed man with Buddhi, independent, free thinking principle,

rational reasoning and all sorts of faculties. He can control atoms;

he can control elements; he can fly in the air, he can forward a

thought from one corner to another corner of the world; he can

command electricity to pump out water from a well; he can walk over

water; he can sit on fire: he can pass from one body to another; he

can roam about the world without being seen by any one.

 

In fact there is nothing impossible for him under the sun. Instead of

realising his real nature by introspection within himself or Atmic

enquiry, he dwells in an instinctive plane, wanders about in vain

here and there in this phenomenal world of mere mental creation and

forgets the magnificence of his real Self. He worships man instead of

worshipping God. He is a man-worshipper. He signs " I beg to remain.

Your obedient servant " , instead of asserting his divine nature as a

centre of consciousness in the ocean of life, instead of styling as a, controller and supporter of Universe. Wake up immediately

to rectify this lamentable condition; otherwise it will be too late

to gather honey in winter! Awake! Arise, Dear Reader!

 

For sincere spiritual aspirants, marching boldly in the Adhyatmic

field, this handy publication provides, succinctly, innumerable

PRACTICAL hints. Every page abounds in much valuable information in a

condensed form. The laconic lessons contained in this book should

speak for themselves. If this proves in any way useful to the ardent

Mumukshus, the author's sincere endeavour to help them will be more

than amply fulfilled.