Is there any form of external stimulus which can accelerate the manifestation of knowledge?
Through the practice of yoga one can gain all knowledge from within, without depending upon any external environment or stimulae. The comprehension of all dimensions of knowledge takes place within and one can gain knowledge of any part of the world or any part of the body, as the microcosm of this world is within ourselves. There is a miniature universe within our personality and any event taking place in any part of the world is simultaneously taking place within us at the same time.
When one is able to tune oneself into the greater depths of one’s own existence, one will be able to draw all knowledge from within and never from without. However, everyone cannot gain this great knowledge in one birth, because our body, or the medium through which we experience or gain knowledge, is not adequate or capable enough to develop it. For example, if an event is taking place in Japan, it is at the same time taking place within ourselves. Instead of tuning into the event there you can tune into the event from within yourself, so that it does not take place at two different places. For this to happen a basic faculty has to be developed and that is the ability of withdrawing oneself instantaneously, within a moment’s notice, like switching off a light and the light is gone immediately. This ability enables one to tune oneself into happenings anywhere else. In order to avoid any confusion, with so many events taking place in the world, one needs to be especially psychic with this type of cosmic telepathy and must work through a psychic medium with someone else as an operator. It is very difficult without the psychic medium.
Swamiji are these practices in telepathy obstacles on the path of our spiritual evolution?
Yes, for those who continually practise telepathy and other such related sciences, it is very difficult to progress spiritually, as these psychic phenomena must be transcended in order to enter the spiritual domain.
What is the meaning of a rishi?
The word means seer. A rishi must be a siddha and jivanmukta, above the psychic states. A true guru should be a rishi in order to act as a dispeller of darkness.
When can we start practising sirshasana?
I will attend to the topic sirshasana rather than only attending to your question. Sirshasana means standing on the head. Ten years ago a research was conducted on this. It was found that people up to the age of thirty-five and forty can begin sirshasana any time. Those who are above forty-five can continue sirshasana. In sirshasana ventilation takes place at a greater speed in the brain and the consumption of oxygen is greatly reduced. Therefore, you can start sirshasana up to the age of thirty. From forty-five onwards you can continue, you cannot start.
Those who have a very healthy constitution can do it. I do sirshasana even now, I am fifty-five, fifteen to twenty minutes, there is no problem. There are people I know who have started sirshasana at the age of fifty, fifty-five and they have benefited. However, sirshasana is not the first of the asanas. When the blood system is purified; when the pranas are properly distributed throughout the body; when nadi shuddhi, the purification of the nervous system, has taken place; when bile and all other systems in the body are in equilibrium and you have practised sarvangasana, bhujangasana, surya namaskara and pranayama, you can start sirshasana even at the age of fifty.
If the body is not purified and there are tensions in the body, there is a lot of cholesterol, foreign matter, and the nadis or the nervous system is not pure, the stomach is heavily loaded, and the mucus membrane is full, filthy, dirty and decomposed, then it is better not to start sirshasana even at the age of twenty-five.
26 July 1976, Gomia, (Bokaro District), Jharkhand