An Introduction

As previously mentioned, Sri Sivabala Yogi taught the path of Silence, a composite of all spiritual disciplines, that could, in effect, lead an aspirant to practise any path suitable to his or her nature. The essence of his teaching is that liberation is attained by making the mind silent through the practice of meditation on the self (atman dhyana), a variant of the path of Silence.  Many saints teach in Silence but they usually explain their instruction, in words, to those who question them.  Sri Sivabala Yogi’s uniqueness was that he taught in absolute Silence (i.e. without any verbal instruction) and he was generally very reluctant to break It.  His usual response to most queries was the advice to do meditation (to know the answers).  Curiously, not many devotees asked him questions on spiritual matters. At times, though not very often, he would make pithy remarks to help aspirants in their spiritual growth.  All doubts are resolved, on their own, when the mind learns to be still. Some aspirants got the answers to their problems this way. A few others obtained cryptic replies, from himi, when they sought to clear their doubts.  But, the majority of devotees, due to spiritual immaturity, could not appreciate that verbal instruction cannot match the one imparted in the eloquence of total Silence. They would much rather hear the teaching in words. In order to satisfy the needs of those spiritual aspirants that could not appreciate or follow him teaching in silence, and needed detailed and easy to understand spiritual instructions, he had directed his disciple, Gurprasad to record his teaching in easy to understand language. These teachings are compiled under the title of Guru Upanishad.

Sri Sivabala Yogi’s teachings revealed in Guru Upanishad are a comprehensive guide for all those who want to know the Reality.  This work, almost encyclopedic in scope, covers all aspects of a spiritual quest from an aspirant’s point of view.  The divine wisdom revealed here has been gleaned from his power of Silence. It is suitable for aspirants of different temperaments and grades since it embraces, in its wide sweep, all the main doctrines on the nature of Reality as well as the major paths leading to It.  A yogi who has completed tapas successfully is a perfect satguru, capable of guiding others on all paths and even creating new ones. Sri Sivabala Yogi belonged to this class.

Note: Teaching in silence may come as a surprise to some readers but is a method that has been used by the great sages throughout history as the most superior form of teaching.

Guru Upanishad – The codified teachings of Sri Sivabala Yogi

The title ‘Guru-Upanishad’ means to sit near a guru and listen to his or her divine teachings, on the Truth, in a mood of devotion. Revelations in bhava samadhi fall in this category of instruction. Amongst all forms of knowledge, the upanishadic one alone leads to true freedom. It is the quintessence of Vedanta; it refers to divine knowledge that ends all types of relative knowledge. The title, in short, means the knowledge of Truth, revealed by the Guru, to a disciple. Guru Upanishad is in the form of questions and answers.  Sri Sivabala Yogi has given the answers and the questioner is Gurprasad.

History of Guru Upanishad

Sri Sivabala Yogi revealed his teachings to his disciple, Gurprasad in the subtle plane in Bhava Samadhi over a period of time, beginning in April 1977, and were reduced to writing from the summer of 1992 onwards. The instruction are a comprehensive guide for all those who want to know the Reality. While complete, these teachings have not been published as yet but are in private circulation amongst a few devotees.

Bhava Samadhi

Bhava Samadhi  is a state of a highly introverted and purified mind, concentrated on itself (or, on the pure form of the object of one’s worship); it is achieved through self-surrender, done out of love and devotion. It is the most intimate form of guru–disciple relationship. An aspirant feels the guru’s subtle presence in the heart and is aware of it at all times. A revelation made in such a mind carries the stamp of authority of a guru. An aspirant normally understands the spoken word of a guru subjectively but the one revealed in bhava samadhi does not suffer from this defect because individual subjectivity is submerged in the guru’s power. In bhava samadhi, one can converse with the guru more intimately than one can in the gross form; the guru’s power works through such a disciple.

Overview of Guru Upanishad

Guru Upanishad sets out in great detail various aspects of the metaphysical nature of Reality and, more importantly, the means to attain It through control of mind achieved by personal effort and divine grace.  A spiritual enquiry seeks knowledge that is not only abstruse but its esoteric nature is difficult for intellectual comprehension without purifying the mind through practice (sadhana) of a guru’s instruction. Although Guru Upanishad is written in simple language, yet, it is not possible for an average reader with no more than rudimentary scriptural knowledge to appreciate the subtle nuances of its teaching without practical spiritual experience.  The scope of Guru Upanishad is so vast that even advanced disciples do not need its complete knowledge to progress spiritually. It is primarily intended for highly evolved souls, who are close associates of the Guru, to further his mission in the future. Some aspirants, except the very earnest ones, may, as a consequence, be put off by the elaborate nature of the Guru’s instruction given in that work. To spread the divine word to a larger audience, not too familiar with spiritual matters but are keen to learn its basic knowledge, Sri Sivabala Yogi has asked Gurprasad to  simplify the teaching given in the Guru Upanishad for use by beginners.

Laghu Guru Upanishad (Published in 2016)

The simplified teachings of Sri Sivabala Yogi have been compiled under the title of Laghu Guru Upanishad and have been published as a book. This book is not a chapter wise condensation of the original work but comprises its essence for easier assimilation.  And, yet, its sweep is broad enough to embrace all that a beginner needs to know. It has a twin purpose; one, to serve as guidebook for a deeper study of the Guru Upanishad; two, encourage people interested in pursuing a spiritual path to begin practice without which bookish knowledge is of little avail.

Extracts from Laghu Guru Upanishad

Q. What is the object of this work?

A. Control of mind is the central theme of the Guru’s teaching. The cause of human suffering lies in the mind; so does it’s removal. Mind cannot be controlled through blind adherence to religious dogma. The only way to do it is to apply one’s intelligence in making proper self-effort to earn divine grace. Scriptural knowledge and religious practices are only a means to that end. This work is devoted to the study of mind and the way to control it. It sets forth, in simple language, instruction, which, if followed, leads to the knowledge of absolute Reality. It does not seek to enter into any dispute with existing doctrines of a similar nature; rather, it complements them. It is meant to be a practical guide for those who seek the Truth through control of mind.

Note: Mind control is an ancient tradition of Vedanta. It means elimination of thoughts and the ultimate destruction of the mind

Q. How are these teachings suited to the prevailing conditions

A. The modern mind accepts the primacy of rational thinking over mere faith. This has been kept in mind while enunciating the instructions given in this work. The Guru’s teachings are based on reason, which any thinking person can understand, provided one has an open mind to examine fresh ideas. No one is asked to accept them because of blind faith. Any rational person would realise that one’s desires expand faster than all the goods produced by factories. No matter how much progress science makes , it will never satiate human desires nor bring real, everlasting happiness which lies within and not without. The Guru wants to invite people with probing minds to embark on a journey with him to seek true happiness. Those who are ready to do so are advised to read this work without any prejudice or bias. It does not propagate any religious doctrine. It only shows the way to the ocean of infinite bliss in a rational manner.

Q. What status does this work enjoy?

A. It has the same status as other upanishads.

Q. How does it differ from other upanishads?

A  Most of the traditional upanishads were written in ancient times. In the absence of printing facilities, the language used in them was concise, cogent and pithy because they had to be transmitted through word of mouth from one generation to another. A sage would give their detailed and systematic exposition verbally to those who needed their knowledge. The upanishadic knowledge is abstract and many commentaries were written to explain it; even then most people found it difficult to imbibe its esoteric message. In due course, it became the preserve of erudite scholars who used it to establish their intellectual superiority over others, without in any way practising it. Although seers and sages have always taught and given primacy to this form of knowledge, yet very few of them codified it for the sake of clarity and ease of understanding. The Guru has revealed this work methodically to revive the quintessence of upanishadic knowledge suited to this age. It has been given in detail to avoid the pitfalls of misinterpretation.

Q. Can a person experiment with the teachings?

A. Most definitely. That is the primary purpose of the Guru’s instruction. The sweetness of honey is known through

Q. Is belief in God essential to derive benefit from this book?

A. No. Agnostics can read it with as much profit as believers, provided they have open minds and are prepared to practice the instruction. The aim of the teaching is to define various methods to control the mind. For that purpose, it is immaterial whether one accepts the existence of God or not. No one denies one’s own self. Its knowledge is enough to achieve eternal bliss.

Q. Is anyone required to give up his or her present religious beliefs in order to follow the teachings given here?

A. No. The essence of Guru’s instruction is to control the mind. All religious practices are a means to that end. One should, therefore, follow the precepts and canons of one’s faith, according to one’s propensity, in a spirit of devotion and humility. The Guru regards them all as true paths leading to the attainment of Reality. Those who follow the instructions given here will grasp better the real import of their religious beliefs. They can also follow their own local customs and traditions relating to worship, prayers, personal conduct and so on.

Q. Why were the teachings revealed in bhava samadhi?

A. Because the Guru teaches in absolute Silence and he has no desire to break it. He does not acknowledge any other method of instruction. However, there is a large number of devotees who do not experience the Silence, immediately after initiation by the Guru, due to impurity of their minds. Many of them feel the necessity of verbal instruction to progress further. The Guru, out of love for such devotees, has revealed these teachings, in guru bhava (i.e. the relationship that exists between a guru and a mature disciple), so that they can do their duty to him, as he has done it for them.

Q.  It is for the first time that an Indian sage has revealed upanishadic knowledge, which alone gives liberation, directly in English language.  Is there a reason for it?

A.  Swamiji is not bound or confined by any language, religious belief, caste prejudice, national boundary, racial discrimination, gender bias and so on. The teachings given here are based on his knowledge of the Truth attained by him in tapas. Its expression is suited to the current scientific age. English is an international language today and is known in most countries. Swamiji wants that the teaching given here to have a wide readership amongst intelligent and rational people, cutting across man made barriers of every kind. English language is the most suitable medium for this purpose at present. In due course, this work will be translated into many other languages.

Q.  Sri Sivabala Yogi’s monumental word, given in this work, may appear to lack divine sanction, now that he is no more present in the embodied form. Also, some people, not conversant with spiritual matters, may question its method of revelation in bhava samadhi. What would be Swamiji’s answer to such doubts?

A.  Divinely inspired works need no certificates of authority, least of all from ignorant people. The revelation itself (of the instruction) carries the stamp of authority. Those who practice any form of spiritual discipline and have even a little knowledge of matters of spirit will instantly recognise the merits of the teaching given here. Intelligent persons who give primacy to reason will find it hard to criticise because the teaching is based on a rational analysis of spiritual experience. Those with half-baked knowledge gathered mostly from books might raise some objections to this work. Their motive would be to show off their cleverness and so called learning. Any such criticism is invalid because it is not backed by actual experience of Reality. It is best ignored. No one needs to accept this work merely on faith. Every reader is advised to use his or her power of discrimination to do so. One must first practise what has been set forth here to know its merit. The power that has revealed the teaching would remove their doubts. Then, and only then, would they know its divine source.

Sri Sivabala Yogi as a Guru

Sri Sivabala Yogi was one of the supreme teachers of the world.  The highest class of teaching contained in Guru Upanishad is a testimony of the above assertion.  No praise is too high for the venerable divine Guru who was none else but the Lord. It is Gurprasad’s firm conviction that the holy Sri Sivabala Yogi was an embodied form of Ishwara (God) and there is enough evidence of this in the teachings. More than that, who else but a divine incarnation could have gone through the mind boggling and awe inspiring tapas?  Who else could have spent an entire life time in Turiyatitta (the State Beyond The Fourth)? It must, however, be stated that he did not ever affirm his divine status and usually kept silent when questioned on it. His past history, revealed in meditation, leaves no scope for doubt that he has been amongst the greatest gurus and avtaras (incarnations) since the beginning of time.  He was the embodiment of pure love, divine knowledge and power of yoga, who was a real spiritual giant of our times. Blessed indeed are those who had his darshan (i.e. met him) but who can count the blessings of those who practise his teaching? When comes another like him? For a serious sadhak (aspirant), Sri Sivabala Yogi’s saga is a fascinating account of how earnest practice is done.  There is much to learn from the way he conducted his tapas, specially the role that divine qualities like fearlessness, devotion, faith, determination, perseverance and so on play to succeed in any spiritual quest.  The more advanced one wants to be in a spiritual discipline, the more of the above attributes one should have.