Salvation in Kali Yuga. Swami Vankhandi Maharaj: Interviews, Satsangs, Teachings, Parables

Vankhandi Maharaj lives in the flow. And he speaks in the flow too – turbulent yet measured. This flow is impossible to control or direct. For this reason, the three conversations presented here aren’t exactly interviews. It seems Maharaj needs just one true question for his answer to transform into a discourse. Even if the answer to the specific question has already been given, Maharaj continues to dive deeper and further into areas tangential to the question asked. Like a tree growing lightning-fast before your eyes, sprouting new branches here and there… And it’s very difficult to interrupt this flow to ask the next question when it arises during his response. Truthfully, you don’t want to interrupt. However, Maharaj, while continuing to speak, often mysteriously begins to answer questions that arose during his monologue but were never voiced – when they truly require an answer.

First Conversation: From Jiva to Atma

Anupriya, who agreed to come with me to the ashram to translate, introduced me, telling Maharaj that I wanted to ask him questions to later publish the answers in Russian. «Thik hai»2, he agreed without visible enthusiasm but with readiness. It wasn’t that he was indifferent, but it seemed that reading the newspaper, from which we had thus distracted him, was more relevant to him at that moment than conversations.

Siddharth: Maharaj, I want to ask you several questions. I was inspired to do this by your Russian disciple Niranjan. He believes such an interview will generate great interest and benefit people, especially the Russian people who surround you. I have already interviewed many different spiritual teachers, and some of these conversations later became books. Niranjan read these interviews and books and suggested creating a similar book about you to spread your teaching. That’s why I’m here.

Vankhandi Maharaj: You will write a book for Russian people? Many Russians live here now, they come to do sadhana, to engage in practices. I always tell them: the main thing is kindness. Approach everything with kindness. Do seva with a kind attitude toward the world and with great love for all surroundings. But without attachment. Don’t quarrel, don’t be hostile. Don’t hold evil in your heart. You shouldn’t be angry with anyone. Often people don’t restrain themselves, they get irritated and pour out hatred on each other. But you can’t go through life with hatred and irritation, you won’t achieve anything through these. On the contrary, you’ll only harm yourself. Irritation and anger deplete a person, rob them of energy. The energy inside such a person runs dry.

It’s very important to learn to live in a state of santosha, complete contentment and agreement with reality as it is. What is, is; how things unfold, so they unfold – don’t fidget and desire to change the situation overnight. Accept with gratitude what you have, what has come to you – food, water, anything – be content and rejoice in what has come to you at this moment. Your soul should not have vain oscillations: «this I will have, and this I won’t, this I want, and this I don’t want.» Swinging from one whim to another, from one desire to another – this is the wrong approach to life.

Siddharth: And what is most important in life?

Maharaj: The most important thing in life is to take control of manas, the ordinary mind, which is based on thoughts and reactions stemming from feelings and emotions. The ordinary mind, manas, must be brought under control, calmed, conquered, tamed. After conquering manas, one must direct all attention to that pure, eternal, unchanging and indestructible presence within us – some call it Atma, some Truth, some Brahman. One must find this unchanging, indestructible, eternal constant within oneself. This requires inner independent work, deep study and self-observation, contemplation, reflection. Who are we? Where did this external world come from? How did we end up in it? What is the ultimate, absolute Truth? After all, this body is not Truth. It is changeable and transient. What is subject to change cannot be absolute Truth. Truth can only be that which never changes. One must figure out what in us changes and what remains unshakeable and eternal. This is Atma3 or absolute Truth, whatever you call it. It never changes. Under any conditions. It remains unchanged in you in all states – both when you were a child and now. Truth was here before the body’s birth and will remain after its death.

This Truth is what one must try to feel, to recognize. The search for Truth is a special path. To follow it, one needs to aim in a certain direction, tune oneself, change one’s way of life, maintain discipline, create rules for oneself and develop a new style of behavior. One must adopt a sattvic lifestyle, eat only sattvic food. Your behavior, interaction with the world and people – and this is the main thing – must become sattvic. Simple and modest. You must be even-tempered, calm, polite, and patient. This is sattvic behavior. You must have an equal, impartial attitude toward everything. No rejection, dislike, or conversely, attachment to anyone or anything.

The Ramayana says: «One who renounces desires, fear, sorrow, and joy will find refuge in My heart.» Ideally, you should strive to develop within yourself the state of samdarshi – an even attitude toward everything that happens, a detached view of things, the ability to look at all phenomena in life equally, be it joy or sorrow. Samdarshi is the absence of emotional attachment to events and phenomena.

Desires and thoughts associated with them must leave your soul. Samdarshi – this is what your sadhana should be directed towards. No desires. You are calm and steady – both in sorrow and in joy.

Siddharth: Why is it so important to conquer one’s mind? And what exactly does this mean?

Maharaj: Everything we do in this life is connected with the activity of manas. All reactions and thought processes are tied to it. We look at the world through it. We think through it. It unites our feelings, thoughts, emotions, and ego. Through it, our body comes into contact with surrounding reality, forming attachments. It is our instrument of interaction with the world. Further, everything depends on how you use this instrument. How you apply it, where you direct your attention, there a connection arises. You can direct it towards samsara, towards food, towards worldly goals and pleasures. Or you can direct it towards knowing Truth, toward strengthening its connection with the Divine.

Siddharth: Undoubtedly, directing the mind toward God is far more important than toward worldly affairs and pleasures. But how to do this? Should we somehow form an attachment in the mind only to God? Or is it better to have no attachments at all, even to God?

Maharaj: Manas can connect with anything. Above the worldly mind, manas, stands the higher mind – buddhi, which gives us viveka, our innate ability to distinguish good from evil, truth from falsehood. Viveka and buddhi exist in each of us. Manas has no eyes. It has no vision and no awareness. Like a small child, it grasps at everything that attracts it. It doesn’t understand that here it might fall, there it might get burned. A child reaches for fire because he doesn’t yet know it will get burned. But buddhi is our wisdom accumulated over many lives, inner knowledge, experience, and ability to make decisions. And if manas is handed over to buddhi, then the higher mind-buddhi [reason, intellect] will lead manas onto the right path. Everything then depends on what goal stands before you – if you want to go on the road to heaven, buddhi will lead you to the road leading to heaven. If you want to go into samsara, on the path of career growth and earning money, buddhi will help you with this.

But if manas is not given over to buddhi’s control, it will be left to itself, jumping and darting between different desires, passions, and extremes. But such wandering of the mind only depletes your energy. The more your ordinary mind wanders and roams, the weaker you become energetically.

Indriyas, our senses, can be compared to horses harnessed to a chariot. What controls them, holds them in check, and prevents them from running off in different directions? The reins. Our manas is these reins. And who holds the reins in their hands? The charioteer, buddhi. If buddhi-charioteer loosens the reins, the horses will run scattered and drag manas – thoughts, emotions, ego – along with them. If the mind is in buddhi’s firm hands, you will move on the right path. You won’t stray from the path. Therefore, it’s very important that your mind be in the firm and reliable hands of viveka-buddhi. Even if ego-emotions-thoughts (manas) try to dart aside from the road, buddhi with its willful decision and conscious thought will return them to the true path.

Before every muni, sage, in India, there always stood a dual choice – shreya or preya. Shreya is spiritual joy, preya is worldly joy. Either go toward samsara and strive for a prosperous life in the physical world, or go toward God, Ishvara4, Atma. Two main paths in life, two directions. You cannot walk on two roads at once or take a middle path. You must choose one thing. You can strive only toward one goal. There is no middle ground here. It’s impossible to hit two bullseyes at once. If you have tea in your glass and someone brings you milk, to drink the milk, you’ll have to pour out the tea. Tea and milk cannot occupy the same glass simultaneously. You’ll have to give up one thing. And accept something else irrevocably and finally. If you want to live in samsara, you’ll go down samsara’s road. That will be your practice. If you want to go down the road leading to Ishvara, you must turn away from samsara and begin spiritual sadhana. Whatever sadhana you choose, that’s what you must practice. You can’t retreat from it. Two different roads. But manas is one.

Siddharth: How does one develop viveka? How does one use their intellect, buddhi, to choose the right path?

Maharaj: Buddhi knows from the very beginning what is true and what is false. What is right and what is not. Buddhi inherently knows that fire is hot and your body can get burned. And it tells us about this. Our organs of perception, eyes for example, show us what’s outside. But buddhi shows and reveals the knowledge that we already have inside. But for this, we must learn to listen to it, think deeply, catch its messages. For this, we must use our power of investigation – detach from the external, close our eyes, focus, concentrate on our inner «I»: «Who am I? Where am I from?»

Siddharth: But how does one learn to hear specifically their buddhi, the higher mind, and not manas? How does one focus internally, what are your practical recommendations? How does one focus within oneself and act from the position of buddhi, rather than from the position of the changeable mind, manas?

Maharaj: For this, certain rules are prescribed in the yoga sutras. You set a goal, make a decision to achieve it, and strictly follow the rules, discipline. Direct communication with your buddhi requires constant abhyasa – training, practice, and more practice. It’s just like in sports or music. Without constant exercise, training, and practice, you won’t achieve anything. Everything comes only through persistent practice. To achieve your goal, you accept necessary rules, make a vow to yourself, adopt a certain algorithm of actions, and strictly adhere to this algorithm. The rhythm, regularity of your practices is very important.

The famous musician, Ustad Bismillah Khan, a player of the Indian shehnai flute, was awarded the Bharat Ratna. This is India’s highest civilian state award, a sign of recognition for the highest level of service to society. Even after receiving this highest recognition, Ustad Bismillah Khan still continued his daily riyaz (daily musical practice). Until the end of his days, every morning he would sit with his instrument and hone his mastery. He has now passed away. Before his death, he expressed only one wish: that the flute remain in his hands until the very end. He achieved international recognition, had many students, but he never stopped his abhyasa.

Besides abhyasa, you need to subject your life to a certain routine, daily schedule. You must meditate with rhythmic regularity at a specific time and in a specific place. You’ll need to enter into a precisely tuned rhythm of life – getting up at the same time in the morning, eating at the same time, going to bed at the same time.

Great attention must be paid to what you eat. Diet affects your health, mind, and psyche. Proper sattvic nutrition gives us a state of even peace and ability to concentrate. Intense-tasting food, such as overly spicy, salty, or sour items leads to an excited, agitated state of mind. It will be difficult for you to control yourself. Eat sattvic food – eat more fruits, vegetables, drink juices, milk. Such nutrition will maintain you in a state of calm, clear mind and concentration. It will support your abhyasa, practice.

The Bhagavad Gita5 says:

For those who are regulated in their habits of

Eating, sleeping, recreation and work,

the practice of Yoga becomes

the destroyer of suffering.

Adhere in your sadhana to rules that contribute to achieving your intended goal. Choose an appropriate diet. The time you wake up in the morning is very important. It’s best to wake up early in the morning, at 4 o’clock. Ten minutes before sunrise. If we want to establish contact with the Divine, we must wake up before our God awakens. As poet Vanshidhara Shukla wrote:

When you sleep – you lose.

When awakening – you find.

Open your eyes!

Turn your attention to God.

How can you sleep,

When your God is awake!

You can’t let your God wake up while you’re still sleeping. Rise before dawn. Wash yourself. Do puja6 and immerse yourself in dhyana, meditation. Stick to such a schedule. And if the one whom you love with all your soul has already awakened, while you still remain in the darkness of sleep, then who is to blame?

Further regarding the amount of food we should consume. The human stomach has three compartments. Any machine has an engine, tanks for gasoline, oil, and water. Similarly, the stomach has space for food, water, and air. And the stomach needs equal space for these three components. If we stuff the stomach completely with food, there will be no room left for water and air. Therefore, food should only occupy one-third of the stomach, no more, leaving room for water and air. If you consume a moderate amount of food, you won’t be overcome by drowsiness and laziness. On a full stomach, concentration of consciousness is impossible.

Siddharth: I’ve heard about these rules, read about them, but I want to clarify how much really depends on human capabilities here? How far do real human powers extend here? After all, we are all limited by our karmic conditions. For example, you explain how we should eat properly, but in our lives we all have certain habits, preferences, attractions. Moreover, we are bound by different circumstances. For instance, some often have to eat away from home, while others can’t break their family traditions and are forced to eat as is customary there. In general, sometimes it’s not so easy to change our way of life, even if we want to. What do you advise in this case?

Maharaj: One must firmly determine for oneself that I am not the body, I am Atma. One must establish oneself in this knowledge. Karma from previous lives influences the unfolding events and circumstances in this life. But you must establish yourself in the consciousness: I am not the body, I am Atma. Eternal, indestructible and unchangeable. Remain firmly in this consciousness, and circumstances will cease to affect you. Karma will not affect you. Often from hurtful words said by someone, we flare up in anger. But one who has this knowledge and firm conviction will not experience anger. He will not feel offense. Abiding in this consciousness, he pays no attention to hunger and cold. All his attention is focused on Atma. Atma neither eats nor drinks. Neither sleeps nor stays awake. It is unshakeable. Everything is the same to it. It is unchangeable. It is beyond karma. Neither heat nor cold frightens it. Though it is connected to the body, circumstances do not affect or change it in any way. It experiences no torment. It has no desires or doubts, no whims – I’ll eat this but not that. This is all external, superficial. And when a person abides in the firm knowledge that they are Atma, they most naturally accept evenly and calmly everything that comes their way – whatever God has sent is good. God will leave no one hungry. Everyone will get their roti.

We say: «my hand,» «my leg,» «my body.» We don’t say: «I am a hand» or «I am a leg.» That is, my hand or leg is something separate from me, a part of my body. So who is it that says «my»? The body doesn’t say that I am the body. Therefore, I am one thing, and my body is something else, separate from me. If a person says «this is my house,» then the difference between the «house» and this person is obvious, they are separate from each other.

Only one who seeks themselves has a chance to know another. First find yourself, understand who you are. Who am I – Atma or body? Here, for example, is my hand. What does «my» mean? And whose hand is it really? My leg hurts. Whose leg? Mine. Good, but who are you? The leg isn’t you if you say «my.» The one who says «my» – that is you.

This element needs to be caught – this is Atma. Atma is the awareness sitting within me, the sensation, the vision of Self. Catch this sensation – who says «my»? Once you grasp this sense of «Self», you’ll gain awareness and much knowledge will open up. Gradually, through abhyasa, practice, reflection, and training, you’ll accumulate certain experience, the realization that I am not the body, I am Atma.

The first Adiguru of the Jains, a famous rishi, held one hand over fire while holding his wife with the other. With one hand he gained the experience of suffering, with the other the experience of bliss. And he tried to maintain balance, to remain at the neutral point of non-suffering and non-bliss. This is the state of understanding that you are Atma. His name was Rishi Vishabdev. Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, was his disciple. It’s like with the Sikhs – Guru Nanak didn’t officially create Sikhism, its creator is considered to be his disciple Guru Govind. Similarly with the Jains: the spreader of Jain teaching was Vishabdev’s disciple – Mahavira.