Ordinarily what is meant by relaxation is to indulge in the gross and crude instincts. It is called as relaxation because one ‘relaxes’ the check and control upon them. One relaxes this control and lets the animal instincts and vulgar propensities and crude seeking for gross pleasures of the body and lower vital find a release in an unbridled way. This leads to a momentary pleasure and a negative calm (imitation of calm) due to temporary exhaustion and absence of effort to control. But by this very fact the consciousness slips into darker tamasic mode, a state of inconscient sleep where it is prone to the darkest forces of anger, lust, fear, greed etc that further invade the system and hide in the body waiting for release again. Gradually the person indulging in these pleasures becomes more and more captive to these habits and the slave of these forces that torment and demand more frequent expression. The result is obvious, either a precarious balance and swinging between the human and the animal state or sometimes a spiritual ruin.
Sadhana, on the other hand requires upward effort which is initially not easy. It is like climbing a mountain where again the human tendency of ‘relaxing’ the effort and rushing after momentary pleasures tends to pull backward and the tapasya becomes difficult.
So what is the way? Climb the mountain with the Divine Mother. When tired just let look towards Her, open to Her, allow to be held by Her, snuggle into Her lap, nestle into Her arms and one will receive abundant peace and strength to continue the journey further holding Her hands.
Is it difficult? It is the easiest but it needs faith and the will to true surrender. But not all are blessed by this and hence want to do it all by themselves. It is for these kind of people who want to take up the journey but by themselves that these articles on Education (of which the four austerities is one) were written at the behest of Pranab da. So here She uses more impersonal terms. It is the same thing but expressed differently. It means very simply to be in Her arms, nestle in Her, just open to Her very simply like a child who does not doubt. And slowly She fills us with a such a pure, infinite peace and joy that all want of pleasure fades away just as one finds all perfumes a travesty after having smelt the lotus and the Brahmakamal.
Affectionetly,
Alok Da.
