COLUMN: YOGI ASHWINI
MIND AND BODY
bE CAREFUL ON THE Path
YOGi asHWiNi
A
s you progress on the path of yoga, in the abode of Shiv, the first encounter is with pret. Prets are among the ganas of Shiv, and by their very nature they try to prevent you from moving further in. They distract you and attempt to put you off the path. Those of you who are sadhaks must have heard from people around you that you should not do dhyan. Often there is a hue and cry in the house when a family member wants to go for a dhyan session. The path of yoga or dhyan is the path of few. There are few who want to access the real, that which does not change and that which is eternal. Majority spend their life chasing the unreal—collecting the temporary aspects of physical life. All those who prevent you from walking this path of reality are pret only, after leaving the body, they will be found in pret yoni. Let me give you an example here of a husband and wife who practice Sanatan Kriya at Dhyan Foundation. Both are extremely dedicated sadhaks. The husband had been keeping ill when he came, but after starting the practices, his health improved tremendously and he started glowing. At a recent havan at Dhyan Ashram, he reported having darshans of certain devs and devis. A complete non-believer, he was himself surprised at what was happening and how things were suddenly falling in place for the two of them. But then, shortly after, he told his wife to stop coming for dhyan sessions. The wife was shocked and told me about the situation. I enquired if there had been any uncanny occurrences in their house lately. She said, ‘yes, at night, sometimes the doors start banging on their own…’ The growth of the couple was vertical, within a very short span of time they had traversed the journey from here to there…and so the first encounter was with a pret. It is the nature of prets. They will not let you enter for their thought pattern is, “Shiv is ours.” They will lure you and also threaten you in the form of a family member or friend; they will poison your mind, that’s the job of a pret. When this happens, whenever you face a resistance from those near you or there is a disturbance, you can be sure you are walking the right path and you have entered the territory of prets. At that time, one should not give in to the attempts of the prets and continue on the path undeterred. After sometime, the prets will go away. Yoga is not about talking big, it is the path of experience. When that experience happens, the glow is evident in you and is there for all to see. If even after that experience, you choose to tread the path of maya (unreality), then there is no bigger fool than you. It is the pret which is influencing your buddhi. In my initial years of practicing yoga, when I would sit in dhyan, friends/ neighbours would start playing music or banging doors. In social
54 india empire | september 2017
By Yogi Ashwini
gatherings, they would make fun of me and try to dissuade me. I bore such distractions for over ten years, there was resistance from all quarters. It is the prets at work. I did not let it affect me, my path was clear. I had had the experience, and after that experience I could not disrespect those shaktis by changing my path. The prets may trouble you in any form—your friends, relatives, parents, children, siblings, spouse or your own thoughts. Therefore before listening to anyone, discretion should be exercised. Shastras say listen to parents, but shastras also narrate the stories of Prahlad and Hiranyakashyap. If Prahlad had listened to his father, what would have become of Creation. Meghnaad listened to his father, and so despite being powerful enough to captivate all three—Ram, Lakshman and Hanuman, he was slain. Both Prahlad and Meghnaad got moksha, but Meghnaad experienced downfall in physical life. Before giving into your parents or spouse or relatives, you need to see what your role in Creation is. Meghnaad had no role in Creation, there was no requirement for the phenomenal shakti he had, so he went back. Prahlad, on the other hand, had to carry forward the message of Vishnu. So despite resistance he continued on his path. With the change in yugs, and downfall in creation, each one is responsible for his/herself. It is up to you where you want to reach. If someone tries to prevent you from walking the path of reality, then you must ask them the reason. What is it that is wrong in yoga? It prescribes not to lie, not to steal or collect, is that what is wrong? Or is sitting in silence which is wrong? I can understand resistance, if you are going for yoga and in the name of yoga, rave parties are happening like music and dance or you are being asked for money or being told to go against your family, but if you are experiencing subtler dimensions and having experience of Gods and Goddesses, then you must definitely ask, and not just ask, but think yourself that why you are being stopped from performing a yagya or sitting in silence. Stories from puranas are full of instances where sadhaks and practitioners are being prevented. Examples of Mirabai, Prahlad and Rishi Vishvamitra are glaring. The Narsingh avatar of Vishnu was to explain that even your near and dear ones can be wrong…anyone who takes you away from reality is wrong. The purpose of an avatar is to guide us on the right path, to give us direction. Avatars are an exception. But if you have had your experience, and if still you choose to listen ❐ to the prets, then you pave the path for your descent. —Yogi Ashwini is the Guiding Light of Dhyan Foundation and can be reached at www.dhyanfoundation.com