Swami Krishnananda-Problems of Spiritual Life, en
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THE PROBLEMS OF
SPIRITUAL LIFE
by
Swami Krishnananda
The Divine Life Society
Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India
(
Internet Edition: For free distribution only
)
Website: www.swami-krishnananda.org
CONTENTS
Preface
3
December 10, 1990
4
December 11, 1990 a.m.
6
December 11, 1990 p.m.
13
December 12, 1990 a.m.
21
December 12, 1990 p.m.
30
December 13, 1990 a.m.
32
December 13, 1990 p.m.
41
December 14, 1990 a.m.
51
December 14, 1990 p.m.
56
December 15, 1990
58
December 16, 1990
66
December 17, 1990
72
Practical Hints On Sadhana
73
A Conspectus Of The Bhagavad Gita
75
The Problems of Spiritual Life by Swami Krishnananda
1
PREFACE
The following pages constitute a series of questions and answers, being the
conversations of a Canadian lawyer, Larry Krauss, and his wife Sarah, with Swami
Krishnananda, General Secretary of The Divine Life Society.
These devotees, who are seekers of Truth, have an incisive understanding of the
subtleties of the philosophical and spiritual implications of the search involved, and
raised a series of queries on the subject for their personal clarification, to all which the
Swamiji, with his unusual comprehensive approach to everything, furnishes apt replies,
which will certainly be of immense utility and benefit to everyone of the path of the
experience of the ultimate values of life.
—THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
Shivanandanagar, U.P.
21st May, 1992
The Problems of Spiritual Life by Swami Krishnananda
2
DECEMBER 10, 1990
Larry
: What is individual consciousness?
SWAMIJI: Individual consciousness? There is no such thing as individual
consciousness; it doesn’t exist. There is only one consciousness, which is universally
present everywhere, and when it appears to be located in a particular point of spatio-
temporal context, you cal it individuality. It is like space contained in a little tumbler.
The space cannot be contained in a tumbler; it is not possible. But you can imagine that
the space is inside the tumbler and it is a little small space, and that smallness that you
attribute to the otherwise large consciousness is the individuality thereof. It cannot
become really the individual; it is always universal only, but it appears to be individual
because you have somehow imagined that there is a location for it and you impose a
kind of restriction upon it—like the vessel. It is really not confined, and it cannot be
confined.
Larry
: So it just appears to be confined.
SWAMIJI: Yes, it appears to be confined.
Larry
: And it appears to be confined in so many things. I wanted to know why that has
happened.
SWAMIJI: You may ask that person who has made it. I am not responsible for it, so you
should not ask such questions.
Larry
: But you are responsible for it. You are consciousness.
SWAMIJI: I have not created this difference and I cannot see it, also. So I cannot answer
a question on that which is not visible to my eyes. You are seeing something that I
cannot see. That is the only difference. It is like a straight stick looking bent when you
dip it in a glass of water. You are asking who bent it. Now what can I tell you? Who is
responsible for bending it? It is a straight pencil; you dip it in a glass of water and it
looks dented. Now, who is responsible for bending it, sir?
Larry
: The Universal Consciousness.
SWAMIJI: Nobody—not the Universal Consciousness. Your eyes are not seeing
properly, that’s all. The Universal Consciousness is not responsible. It is not bending the
pencil. Your eyes are not structured properly while seeing then.
Larry
: But the Universal is...
SWAMIJI: Who is the Universal? You yourself are That, finally. And why are you taking
the name of That? You are the Universal, and why are you talking of the Universal as if it
is sitting outside? How could you stand outside universality?
Larry
: Because, for some reason my consciousness is limited. It is confined.
SWAMIJI: No, it is not limited actually; and that idea also you must remove. You have
already imposed some unnecessary ideas in your head. I told you it cannot be limited. It
cannot be limited because the very consciousness of limitation implies that it is not
limited. A limited man cannot know that he is limited. The whole point is that. He has
exceeded the limitations; therefore, he is conscious of the limitations. Be a little logical.
The Problems of Spiritual Life by Swami Krishnananda
3
Unless you have exceeded the limitation, you will not be conscious that you are limited.
Larry
: That to me sounds more like a mirror. In other words, by recognising that I am
limited, I have exceeded the limitation.
SWAMIJI: How do you know that you are limited until you have already got out of the
limitation? The person inside the prison organically cannot know that he is caught up
like that. He has a consciousness of freedom. He is conscious that there is something
outside the jail, and so seeks freedom.
Larry
: He is conscious of something outside the jail, but he knows he is limited to the
jail.
SWAMIJI: But he knows that he is not limited, also; otherwise, the idea of going out
cannot arise in his mind. There is a possibility of his real nature being outside the jail.
Larry
: Yes, there is a possibility, yes.
The Problems of Spiritual Life by Swami Krishnananda
4
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