Quotes by Baba Lokenath (a 19th century enlightened sage)

Baba Lokenath’s biography is available on wikipedia. His quotes on brahmacharya and other spiritual matters are given below:

1. I have seen only My self. I am bound by my own karma. The materialistic world is bound by the tongue and the sex organ. He who can restrain these two is fit to attain enlightenment.
2. ref: http://www.loknathyoga.com/-mahayogi-sri-loknath-brahmachari.html – Baba Sri Loknath Brahmachari did not disclose much about the secret of his higher Yoga practice. Nevertheless, from his speech we have come to know that he spent nearly 50 years in Samadhi and achieved the highest level, a human body can achieve. During his Samadhi state, Guruji Bhagaban Ganguly could not sleep or eat properly, because, he used to take care of them day after day, year after year. During winter, their body was covered with ice and in daytime, in summer the ice melted down from the body. Baba Shri Loknath assumed his favourite posture Gomukhasana. Once he said that his blood became thick during this time and body was covered with extra layers of skin. This skin had removed when he left this area and came down to the plain land.
3. The difference between Bhog and Upabhog is like that between the husband of a woman and her lover. Upabhog is illicit pleasure; pleasure without proper control and without the sanction of the scriptures. When you transgress the injunctions of the scriptures and enjoy the life of senses – that is Upabhog. Upabhog can never give you mental peace and happiness.However, you can attain spiritual peace of mind through Bhog, which is pleasure with a sense of control and in accordance with the shaastras. Through Bhog, you can even experience His Divine Grace.
4. Any such deed that brings you a sense of repentance and grief after it is done is a sin; any action that creates a peaceful and happy state of mind is a virtue.
5. Darkness disappears with the rising sun. The thief runs away when the householder awakens. Likewise, contemplate on the higher qualities and the lower instincts in you will run away, and your body will become the temple of the Divine.
6. Everything that exists in the Cosmos, I feel it existing within my self; I have become like that vast limitless expanse existing in eternity.
7. Renunciation comes through acceptance of everything that life has to offer to you; detachment comes through your love for the Divine.
8. Your eyes cannot see beyond the skin of a person – so you judge him by his spoken words and his external form. I see Him in everybody. Hence, whatever I see, good or bad, it is He. He is pure and perfect. Therefore, whomever I see, appears pure and perfect to me. Everything is beautiful to me.
9. My child, never miss the opportunity to meet the realized saints, for their blessings and presence will inspire deeper devotion and love for the divine and Guru . Satsang, being in the company of the holy ones, who live the truth is the greatest blessing of the Lord.
10. In His life, Baba Lokenath was a perfect disciple, humbly surrendered at the lotus feet of His beloved Guru. Baba was granted enlightenment of the highest order after 80 years of intense austerities in the jungles of the lower plains and in the snow-covered regions of the Himalayas. His compassion was evident after He became enlightened, when Baba discovered that He had surpassed His Guru. Despite having led Lokenath to the exalted state, Guru Bhagwan Ganguly had not yet attained liberation. Lokenath was stricken with sadness and filled with compassion when He realized this. He wept for His Master. Understanding Lokenath’s tears, Guru Bhagwan smiled tenderly and reassured his disciple there was only cause for joy. Guru Bhagwan announced that He would shed his old body soon and then return quickly to Lokenath as a disciple. Lokenath could then lead him to enlightenment. Upon hearing Guru Bhagwan’s plan, Lokenath was overwhelmed with gratitude and agreed. Weeping with joy, Lokenath prostrated at His Master’s feet.
11. Guru Bhagwan knew the magnitude of enlightenment Lokenath was to attain. For a period of thirty to forty years, the Guru guided Lokenath in the practices of the necessary yogic disciplines and hatha yoga. When Baba became interested in practicing raja yoga, His Gurudev tested His perfection of hatha yoga. After demonstrating that He could cook sweet rice pudding in a pot placed between His upper thighs, Lokenath began lessons in raja yoga. Lengthy and rigorous vows of fasting were regularly observed for thirty to forty years. Under the guidance of His beloved Guru, Baba withstood repeated, almost inconceivable austerities.
12. These yoga practices were a comprehensive training for Baba’s soul. When Lokenath asked about the need to study scripture, His Gurudev replied that He should not waste time acquiring borrowed knowledge from books. Instead, Guru Bhagwan advised him to utilize the practice of yoga, “If You know who You are, You will come to know everything. There is nothing in this external, manifested world which is not within you. Believe My words; there is no truth without, because your atman is ‘sarvatbhutatman,’ the Atman seated in the hearts of all creatures. In You is the dormant seed form of all the knowledge, power and wealth of this entire creation. Why should You leave the diamond and waste time on pieces of glass?”
13. Recalling His time in the Himalayas, Baba Lokenath said, “While in samadhi, heaps of snow would cover My body and would melt away. In that sublime state I had no feeling of the existence of My body. I was in that state of samadhi for a long time. Then, finally the effortless state of the Ultimate Truth was revealed. In that state of consciousness, there was no difference between me, the rest of the cosmos and all its manifestations. The inner and the outer all merged into each other as an expression of ultimate bliss, absolute joy. There is no state beyond this to be achieved in human life with total effort and divine grace.“
14. Everything that exists in the infinite creation exists within Myself. The whole Universe is within Me. I am existence beyond space, time and causation. My existence is without beginning or end. I exist in eternal expansion. These words are not meant to be shared. That is the reason you see Me spending time with the householders, granting their mundane demands. Do not think when I am busy with you all in worldly matters, that I lose touch with that blissful state. No. Whoever achieves that state can never fall from it. Nothing can ever again be seen in isolation. Everything is seen as the expression of the One. In variety is the taste of Unity.
15. A Social System Where Love Rules – People from all walks of life came to Baba for guidance. They not only came for spiritual guidance, but for help with the complex problems of daily life. Baba was deeply interested in every problem and suggested appropriate actions. His suggestions always proved a blessing to both the seeker and to society at large. Baba advocated love and mutual respect among all classes, as well as interdependence, without exploitation of any class.
16. Conscious Awareness. To the question, “What is the path to a happy and peaceful life?” Baba spontaneously replied, “Do whatever you like, but do it consciously, with a sense of awareness.” The questioner, however, continued, “If You give Me permission to do as I please, then what would You say if I hit somebody’s head with a stick?” Baba smiled and replied, “Do it and see. I asked you to perform all actions consciously. Once you become conscious and aware, you will find that your conscience will prevent you form hurting anyone.” The evils in society are perpetrated because awareness is absent. All evil actions are the result of unconsciousness.
17. To seekers of truth and bliss Baba gave another fruitful instruction. “If you intend to become spiritual, you must analyze your actions and thoughts each day before you go to bed at night. You must assess the good actions and evil actions and come to a firm resolution not to repeat evil actions anymore.” A seeker should try to practice all activities in a state of awareness. This is the most important “abhyasa-yoga” or spiritual practice for the aspirant. Most recurring actions that flow from lust, anger, greed, jealousy and the like manifest only in a state of unawareness. The seeds of these tendencies lie dormant in the subconscious layers of the mind.
18. Be Angry but Do Not Become Blind with Anger. Baba also says, “Be angry but do not become blind with anger.” Never allow anger to possess you. Then it blinds you. When anger is given free rein, it bursts out and causes damage — not only to the person at whom the anger is directed, but also, more seriously, at all levels of being to the one who is angry. Let anger become conscious. Step back, be a witness to anger and its mechanisms, to what is appropriate and inappropriate in the situation. The show of appropriate anger in daily life may be inevitable. The parent chastising a child, the teacher reprimanding the student, may call out a display of anger in protective guidance. No one should be consumed by anger. Remain a vehicle of appropriate and conscious expressions of anger, always working for the highest possible good. Then anger cannot possess or damage the mind or body, or thwart the purposes of the soul.
19. Practice What You Preach. As a world teacher, Baba always followed the maxim, ‘First, practice yourself; then preach.’ He often repeated this principle to His devotees. It was a principle the He followed perfectly. For example, Baba taught the path of desireless action and the importance of self-help. When local landowners presented the land for construction of the ashram and proposed their intention to donate funds to build the cottage, Baba objected. With the help of the villagers, He personally worked on the construction of His own small cottage, at the same time inspiring everyone never to feel ashamed to do menial work, since all work is service to the Divine.
20. If ever you should feel a sense of gratitude toward me, give some alms to the poor. Whatever you may give to the poor, neglected and downtrodden brethren of yours with true love, I shall always receive it.