Sleep and the path of bhakti

Is there a point where even sleep can be transcended?

For ordinary people like us, sleep is a necessity. As long as we have a physical body, there are certain things that we must provide it: adequate nutrition, adequate sleep, protection from the elements, etc. Although there have certainly been great yogis and tapasvis who were able to greatly reduce their reliance on such things, this is not part of the path of bhakti. The path of bhakti requires us to moderate our use of food and sleep in order to maintain a healthy existence. Then we focus on attaching our mind to God through practicing daily devotion. We do not try to or hope to develop siddhis or to transcend the physical elements.

Sleep is necessary for our bodies, but it should be used in moderation. Sleeping too much is not good for maintaining a devotional state of mind, because it promotes the tamas quality of the mind. Sleep just enough to meet the requirements of the body. The reason that we are so attached to the pleasure of lying in bed and sleeping is because of that tamas gun of our mind. The more we give into it, the more it grows. The more we control it, the more it subsides. As our heart purifies through the practice of bhakti, so does our attachment to sleep begin to reduce. But even a God realized Saint who is beyond the three gunas of maya still sleeps for some time every night.

Food for mind, body and soul

All foods have an energetic quality: they are classified as sattvic, rajas, or tamas. Since our mind also has these 3 qualities, the food we eat encourages the development of the corresponding quality. Fresh and healthy vegetarian food is considered sattvic. This includes fruit, vegetables, milk, grain, dal, nuts, etc. Even vegetarian food is considered rajas if it is over-spiced, over-cooked, or has too much chili or oil.

Garlic and onion is considered by some to be rajas, so they choose not to eat it. We do not cook with garlic or onions in any of our ashrams, so that any person who comes will be able to eat the food. However, Kripaluji Maharaj has not forbidden the consumption of garlic and onions in one's personal food for those following the path of raganuga bhakti.

Although we do not force people to become vegetarian, but I would like to make it clear that in order to really follow the path of bhakti a person would eventually have to become vegetarian. If someone consumes meat, eggs, alcohol or drugs, then the tamas effect on the mind would counteract the purification achieved through doing bhakti. So the end result would be that even if they purify their mind somewhat doing bhakti, they don't progress very far because of the negative effect on the mind of consuming tamas things. 

Swami Nikhilanand, JKP Radha Madhav Dham. © 2011. All rights reserved.