Sahaj Marg – A Dynamic Path: Excerpts from Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol II and III

Sahaj Marg is a unique and special system – a modified form of Raja Yoga suited to modern day life, enabling human approach to the highest limit practicable for man in the least possible time.  

Anyone who is interested can practice the system to experience its effectiveness, and actualize the benefits in their own lives. The current Master of Sahaj Marg, Shri Kamlesh D. Patel has spoken a lot about the unique features of this wonderful system in several recent talks.

This article includes excerpts from the Complete Works of Ram Chandra (Babuji), written by the founder-president of Shri Ram Chandra Mission, highlighting the special features of this system.

A Path suited to the routine of Modern Life

Sahaj Marg runs along simplest and most natural lines which are easily adjustable to the ordinary routine of worldly life. It admits none of the methods of rigid austerity, penance or physical mortification undertaken with a view to effect the strangulation of the mind and the senses (indriyas).

-        From ‘The System of Sahaj Marg’ Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol II p 212

Balancing the Material and Spiritual Life

The Sahaj Marg system makes it possible for us to do our duty the way finiteness demands, and to proceed along towards the Infinite. It reveals to us our duty as the foremost thing. So we should correct both the things, that is, we should fly with both the wings. If we attempt the finite alone we proceed with an unsound base. We should attempt the finite for the Infinite. For this, dynamic methods should be adopted. And what can those methods be? Only those which introduce, from the very beginning, the character of the Infinite. I shall be very grateful to the readers if they ponder a little over this sentence.

-        From ‘Sahaj Marg – A Dynamic Path’ Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol II p 288

The Guru in Sahaj Marg

This can be best introduced by those who have imbibed the real characteristic within their own centres; who know how to draw in the power and piety from the higher centres to the lower ones, and who can transmit the effect into the student so that they may adopt the same character. For this a strong dynamic hand is always necessary.

-        From ‘Sahaj Marg – A Dynamic Path’ Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol II p 288

The worthy trainer with the power of yogic transmission weakens the lower tendencies of the mind of the student, and sows the seed of Divine light in the innermost core of the student’s heart. In this process the trainer uses his own will-force which has the Divine Infinite power at its back. In a way he is conscious of That and he just focuses It through the lens of his own will upon the heart of the student. The student may not feel anything at the beginning. The reason is that he is accustomed to feel only through the senses, and the Divine power is beyond the senses. After some time, however, he may feel the results of such transmission, which also are in the form of subtle changes of the workings of his vital parts and of the tendencies of his mind.

-        From ‘Spiritual  Training through Yogic Transmission’ Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol II p 304

Under this process the Master, by the application of his internal powers, awakens and accelerates the dormant forces in the student to action, and diverts the flow of the Divine current towards his Heart.

-        From ‘The System of Sahaj Marg’ Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol II p 214

Under the system of Sahaj Marg the dormant energies of the Centre and sub-centres are awakened so as to enable them to function properly. When the high centres are awakened they begin to shed their effect upon the lower centres, and when they come into contact with the Divine, the lower ones get merged in them. The higher centres take over charge of the lower ones. The lower ones too are cleaned so as to relieve them of the grosser effects settled on them. That alone is the proper, and the most natural, course which can bring about the highest results.

-        From ‘The System of Sahaj Marg’ Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol II p 216

Removing Impediments on the Path

The greatest impediment in the path is the unregulated action of the senses which have gone out of control. As long as we do not remove the grossness settled in our centres, the grace or effect of high centres remains far apart due to the grossness and complexities we have made. For this, the method of suppression or strangulation hitherto advised under older systems is not of much avail. Under the Sahaj Marg system of training the action of the senses is regulated in a natural way so as to bring them to their original state, i.e., just as it was when we assumed human form for the first time. 

-        From ‘The Essence of Sahaj Marg’ Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol III p 401

The practices advised under the system are not merely formal and mechanical, related with the closing of eyes for meditation. They have a definite object, purpose and an end. There are two aspects of it, one being the practice (abhyas), and the second the Master’s support through yogic transmission (pranahuti) which accelerates the student’s progress by removing complexities and obstructions on his path. Under the old ways of practice, it was the student who had to struggle hard for removing his impediments and obstructions while the guru’s job ended with prescribing for him certain mechanical practices for the purpose. It is, however, not so in Sahaj Marg where much of the responsibility in this respect rests upon the Master who removes impediments and clears off complexities from the student’s mind by applying his own power through yogic transmission.

-        From ‘The System of Sahaj Marg’ Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol II p 213

Then the Heart, instead of being a field for defective mental activities, becomes the ground of Nature. Everything is changed into Real.

-        From ‘Meditation on Heart’ Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol II p 275

The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating

If you go on counting the leaves of a tree it is likely that you may soon begin to forget what you have already counted. The method will never enable you to have the taste of the fruit which it bears. If you want to analyze the leaf, it is better to analyze the very fruit which it bears. How can you analyze it? The modern means are to test it in the laboratory, but the ancient way is to eat it and digest it to feel its effect.

-        From ‘Meditation on Heart’ Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol II p 276

You are welcome to find out more about the system of Sahaj Marg and the Heartfulness approach by visiting heartfulness.org