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The Holy Science

by Yukteswar Giri · 1894

This extraordinary treatise explores parallel passages from the Bible and the Hindu scriptures to reveal the essential unity of all religions. Swami Sri Yukteswar is renowned as the revered guru of the great pioneer of yoga… more

16 quotes ★ 4.51 (2,274) Nonfiction

Quotes from the Book

The Four Ideas: the Word, Time, Space, and the Atom. The ensuing effect is the idea of particles— the innumerable atoms, pair a or anu. These four — the Word, Time, Space, and the Atom — are therefore one and the same, and substantially nothing but mere ideas.
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When love appears in the heart, it removes all causes of excitation from the system and cools it down to a perfectly normal state; and, invigorating the vital powers, expels all foreign matters - the germs of disease - by natural ways (perspiration and so forth). It thereby makes man perfectly healthy in body and mind.
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When the carnivorous animal finds prey, he boldly seizes the prey and greedily laps the jetting blood. On the contrary, the herbivorous animal refuses his natural food, leaving it untouched, if it is sprinkled with a little blood. In men we find they cannot bear even the sight of [animal] killings. Slaughterhouses are always recommended to be removed far from the towns. Can flesh then be considered the natural food of man, when both his eyes and his nose are so much against it, unless deceived by flavors of spices, salt and sugar?
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[Reaching higher levels of spiritual development is attainable by] the purification of the body [from lower vibrations, habits and emotions]. Purification of [different parts of a person can be achieved in the following ways:] - the material body can be effected by things generated along with it by Nature; - the electric body, by patience in all circumstances; - the magnetic body by regulation of the breath.
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Bhuvanas, the stages of creation. The above-mentioned seven spheres or Swargas and the seven Patalas constitute the fourteen Bhuvanas, the fourteen distinguishable stages of the creation.
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[When] the heart becomes perfectly purified, instead of merely reflecting the spiritual light, [it] actively manifests [it]. Entering the kingdom of Spiritual Light, he becomes Christ[-like].
Existence, consciousness and bliss are the three longings of the human heart. * * * Bliss [is attained by being] able to direct all his attention inward. He becomes capable of satisfying all the wants of his heart and can thereby gain contentment, Ananda, the Real Bliss. Consciousness of all the modifications of Nature up to its first and primal manifestation, the Word (Aum) and even of his own Real Self, gradually appears. Existence [involves knowing the difference between what's real;' what really exists and what does not. When man] withdraws all the developments of Ignorance, in this way, freed from the control of this creation of Darkness, he comprehends his own Self as Indestructible and Ever-Existince Real Substance. So Sat, the Existence of Self, comes to light.
Ignorance is the perception of the nonexistent, and the nonperception of the Existent.
When Divine Love becomes well developed, Ignorance (Maya) begins to be withdrawn.
The universe has been distinguished into seven different spheres: 7th Sphere, Satyaloka: The sphere of God, Sat - the only Real Substance in the universe. 6th Sphere, Tapoloka: Eternal Patience 5th Sphere, Janaloka: Sphere of spiritual reflection, wherein the idea of separate existence of Self originates. 4th Sphere, Maharloka: Sphere of the Atom, the beginning of the creation of Darkness, Maya. This, the connecting link, is the only way between spiritual and the material creation, and is called the Door. 3rd Sphere, Swarloka: Sphere of magnetic aura, the electricities. 2nd Sphere, Bhuvarloka: The sphere of electric attributes. It is conspicuous by the presence of the fine matters only. 1st Sphere, Bhuloka: The lowest sphere, the sphere of gross material creation, which is always visible to everyone.
Passing through this door [between the material world and the spritual world, by becoming victorious over the powers of Darkness and Ignorance, man] comes above the ideational creation of Darkness, Maya, and entering into the spiritual world, receives the true Light. Thus man overcomes all bondage of Darkness, Maya and becomes possessed by all aiswaryas, the ascetic majesties: [1] Anima, the power of making one's body or anything else as small as he likes, even as tiny as an atom, anu. [2] Mahima, the power of magnifying or making one's body or anything else mahat, as large as he likes. [3] Laghima, the power of making one's body or anything else laghu, as light in weight as he likes. [4] Garima, the power of making one's body or anything else guru, as heavy as he likes. [5] Prapti, the power of apti, obtaining anything he likes. [6] Vasitwa, the power of vasa, bringing anything under control. [7] Prakamya, the power of satisfying all desires, kama, by irresistible will force. [8] Isitwa, the power of becoming Isa, Lord, over everything.
Victorious over the powers of Darkness and Ignorance, man becomes one with God.
There are five states of the human heart. By these different states of the heart, man is classified, and his evolutionary status determined. [...] [1.] The Dark Heart: In the dark state of the heart, man thinks that his material portion of creation is the only real substance in existence, and that there is nothing besides. [2.] The Propelled Heart: When man becomes a little enlightened, his heart becomes propelled to learn the real nature of the universe and seeks for advice to determine what is truth. [3.] Steady Heart: The whole of that system is said to be in Dwapara Yuga. Man gradually comes to a pleasant state wherein his heart wholly abandons the ideas of the external world and becomes devoted to the internal one. [4.] Devoted Heart: Man become able to understand the whole of Darkness, Maya [=illusion] itself. This state of human being is called Treta; the whole of that system is said to be Treta Yuga. [5.] Clean Heart: Ignorance being withdrawn, his heart comes to a clean state, void of all external ideas. Then man becomes able to comprehend the Spiritual Light, Brahma, the Real Substance in the universe, which is the last and everlasting spiritual portion in creation. This stage of human being is called Satya; the whole of that system is said to be Satya Yuga. When the heart becomes purified, it no longer merely reflects, but manifests Spiritual Light. In this state, man is called Jivanmukta Sannyasi, like Lord Jesus of Nazareth. In this state, man comprehends himself as nothing but a mere ephemeral idea resting on a fragment of the universal Holy Spirit of God.
[When] man directs his organs of sense through which he enjoys, towards the object of his desire, he can never be satisfied, and his desires increase in double force. On the contrary, if he can direct his organs of sense inward towards his Self, at that time he can satisfy his heart immediately.
We favor those persons whose magnetism affects us harmoniously, who cool our system, internally invigorate our vitality, develop out natural love, and thus relieve us of our miseries and administer peace to us.
[How "magical charms" work for healing:] [It is Divine Love that heals and cures. But many people have difficulty accessing the full power of Divine Love. So magical charms can act as a permission slip to let Love and faith in, to do the healing.] Ignorant people in their blind faith would accept a piece of wood or stone as their Savior or Divinity in the external creation, for which their heart's natural love will develop till by its energetic tendency it will relieve them of all exciting causes, cool their system down to a normal state, and invograte their vital powers. The adepts, on the other hand, having full control over the whole material world, find their Divinity and Savior in Self and not outside in the external world.

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About the book

This extraordinary treatise explores parallel passages from the Bible and the Hindu scriptures to reveal the essential unity of all religions. Swami Sri Yukteswar is renowned as the revered guru of the great pioneer of yoga in the West, Paramahansa Yogananda (author of Autobiography of a Yogi ). In this remarkable work - composed in the year 1894 at the request of the great Indian sage, Mahavatar Babaji - Sri Yukteswar outlines the universal path that every human being must travel to enlightenment. He also explains the vast recurring cycles of history - the yugas that mark the upward ascent of human consciousness over millenniums - amid the ever-changing panorama of turbulent world events.

Book details

First published
1894
Goodreads rating
4.51 (2k ratings)

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