Our online classes continue, and here's an excerpt of a recent discussion:
Tapas
[Jordan] Is tapas the same as the effort of the fakir?
[Cyrus] Tapas is different from the prolonged effort of the fakir, because tapas are done for short periods, whereas the fakir would continue the same physical discipline for years. Tapas could, when you are very advanced, be longer. For instance, if you read my book, "Living on the Inner Edge", the chapter “The Ordeal”, my Teacher spent 8 years in battle. That was like an enormous tapas, but he had no choice. He was always under extreme, intense pressure; he could not let up or he would die. But his situation was very unusual, and as he pointed out to us, this is his path he has to do it. It was an initiation period, full soul awakening through this effort, and he reach an advanced level of ‘mantra-shakti’.
[Steph] What is Tapas?
[Cyrus] What happens when you squeeze a bellows onto a small fire?
[Steph] It becomes big.
[Cyrus] Yes, it intensifies it. That is what tapas does, but it intensifies the inner flame.
For instance, for all of you guys who have difficulty sitting cross-legged, a small tapas would be before the full moon period, do two meditations each day sitting cross-legged, and don’t move for the entire meditation. No matter how much pain you experience, you don’t move. That would be a tapas, because you would have to detach from the pain. The transference of energy would go into your essence. The problem is if you do it too long, it goes into the personality, it becomes a way of life, you adjust to it and it becomes mechanical. Doing this during the full moon just intensifies it.
There are rules with tapas. First rule of tapas is you cannot fail, you cannot quit, it must be completed. You should never give yourself a tapas that is too difficult or too easy. Thus, generally it is the teacher who gives the tapas.
Yogis did tapas to accelerate their enlightenment. The problem is if you start a tapas, inwardly declare, offer it to the Master, and if you fail, instead of the essence getting greater, the personality gets bigger. Instead you build up the lunar aspect, not the solar of soul aspect. You have to be successful, and overcome all the inner voices of doubt, confusion, or misgivings. This also help to stabilize you in a spiritual sense. Do some sort of tapas during the full and new moon periods is extremely helpful to accelerate one's progress.
[Jordan] Is tapas the same as the effort of the fakir?
[Cyrus] Tapas is different from the prolonged effort of the fakir, because tapas are done for short periods, whereas the fakir would continue the same physical discipline for years. Tapas could, when you are very advanced, be longer. For instance, if you read my book, "Living on the Inner Edge", the chapter “The Ordeal”, my Teacher spent 8 years in battle. That was like an enormous tapas, but he had no choice. He was always under extreme, intense pressure; he could not let up or he would die. But his situation was very unusual, and as he pointed out to us, this is his path he has to do it. It was an initiation period, full soul awakening through this effort, and he reach an advanced level of ‘mantra-shakti’.
[Steph] What is Tapas?
[Cyrus] What happens when you squeeze a bellows onto a small fire?
[Steph] It becomes big.
[Cyrus] Yes, it intensifies it. That is what tapas does, but it intensifies the inner flame.
For instance, for all of you guys who have difficulty sitting cross-legged, a small tapas would be before the full moon period, do two meditations each day sitting cross-legged, and don’t move for the entire meditation. No matter how much pain you experience, you don’t move. That would be a tapas, because you would have to detach from the pain. The transference of energy would go into your essence. The problem is if you do it too long, it goes into the personality, it becomes a way of life, you adjust to it and it becomes mechanical. Doing this during the full moon just intensifies it.
There are rules with tapas. First rule of tapas is you cannot fail, you cannot quit, it must be completed. You should never give yourself a tapas that is too difficult or too easy. Thus, generally it is the teacher who gives the tapas.
Yogis did tapas to accelerate their enlightenment. The problem is if you start a tapas, inwardly declare, offer it to the Master, and if you fail, instead of the essence getting greater, the personality gets bigger. Instead you build up the lunar aspect, not the solar of soul aspect. You have to be successful, and overcome all the inner voices of doubt, confusion, or misgivings. This also help to stabilize you in a spiritual sense. Do some sort of tapas during the full and new moon periods is extremely helpful to accelerate one's progress.
No comments have been added yet.
