by Dr. K. Parvathi Kumar Book Presentation Overview Wisdom

The teachings are many. Many are inspired by them, but few among the inspired are able. There are many who are able but are not inspired. There are some who are inspired and able but are not pure enough. There are also many who are pure but are not inspired. There are enough good people who are ineffective. It is rare that all ingredients are found in one. Such ones interest us. Others may have interest in us but we have no time for them until they pick up the needed qualities.

Do not be crazy of us. Learn to improve upon your ability, purity, and readiness to serve. This is the only way. This is the only clue.

Crystals, salagramas (sacred stones), diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, corals, pearls are naturally attractive and draw the attention of the eye. The eye is attracted wherever the light is. The above said articles shine forth with light and hence, the attraction. Every object that shines forth went through a fiery process. It is only through fire, everything gets purified and it is the purity that shines forth.

In order to gain the touch of purity, the humans associate with such articles in variety of ways. The humans worship those articles even. Worship of sacred symbols should result in emulation of the virtues of such symbols. Emulation should lead one to resolve oneself for all, to burn up one's own impurities in relation to the five states of matter and three states of personality nature. The work of fire should result in the needed purity. The degree of purity that an article presents is the degree of purification through fire that happened with it.

Purity is the other name of Agni. Associate with Agni and gain successive states of purity. There is no other way to light.

A precious few are eligible to enter Agni Yoga. The enthusiasts are too many. Not all can be ignited. A wet matchstick is ineligible for ignition. The wetness disables the work of fire. The emotions in the humans indicate the wetness in them that prevents the yoga of fire. Verily, yoga is a firework. Fire transmutes, transforms and enables transcendence. When there is much emotion, the firework is impeded. When the emotional persons persist with Agni Yoga, they would suffer the burns.

They cannot suffer the path. A clean life, an open mind and a pure heart are the basic requirements without which it is foolish to think of yoga. H.P.B. announced these three as the fundamentals of the Golden Stairs. Enthusiasm for discipleship should be associated with fiery aspiration and such aspiration should result in progressive cleansing of the mind, the senses and the body.

An aspirant was instructed by a Master of Wisdom, to practice silence for thirty days. The aspirant moved to a serene seashore. He prepared a simple, natural abode to live in at the seashore. He consecrated himself to silence. To ensure that he does not talk, he even knotted his tongue!

One fine morning, a couple arrived with their five year old child to relax at the seashore. They applied oil to their bodies from head to foot. They did so even to the child. They spread their blankets on the sea sands and relaxed in a sleeping posture, exposing their bodies for tanning by the golden morning rays of the sun. The couple slipped into sleep while the child did not. The child got up, walked up to the seashore, and started playing with the tides. The aspirant was in a dilemma, “Should he cry out aloud to warn the couple or should he continue to be silent?”, because his Master instructed him to be silent for thirty days. He did not move nor did he call out. The child was carried away by the tide.

“Commonsense! Commonsense! Commonsense!” Three times, the voice of the Master was heard at the silent seashore.

Burn up without hesitation selfish thoughts. Self-generated thoughts about oneself are absolutely useless. They cause illusion. One falls into its glamour. Caught by illusion and glamour, one drifts away from the path of light. One gets into confusion, exposes himself to variety of pitfalls. The voyage of life tends to be an aimless wandering. One can never get back to the path until one burns all feelings relating to oneself.

Self always generates thoughts. They could be of wild imagination, they could be of noble purpose, they could be of selfish purpose. Associating with thoughts of noble purpose and striving to manifest them fulfills one. Burn down all other thoughts.

Let the firework be on. Thoughts that survive the fire may be picked up for action.