The Secret of Tapas

If there is one fundamental [spiritual] practice embedded in the ancient culture of India, it is tapas [penance]. The term “tapas” is used to describe the process of purification of the body and the mind. It is said that man becomes one with Brahman only when he has undergone this process.

In the Gita, Sri Krishna, referring to tapas, states, “Worship of the gods, the wisdom-initiates, spiritual teachers and the wise, cleanliness, straightforwardness, chastity, and non-violence are said to constitute tapas of the body. Inoffensive speech that is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial, and the study of sacred texts are said to constitute tapas of speech. Serenity of mind, mildness of temper, silence, self-restraint, and purity of nature are said to constitute tapas of the mind.”

Of the aforementioned, purity of nature, that permeates all of the other qualities enumerated by Sri Krishna, is the secret of tapas. Man cannot live a noble life without achieving purity of nature, for that is what sanctifies both the individual and the society.

Tapas does not require an individual to dwell in a cave, give up food or the affairs of the world, or torture the body. It is what is known as bhava samshuddhi or training that enables man to conquer greed, hate and fear, sublimate passion, purify his nature, and re-cast his relationships with others to reflect love and understanding.

Tapas alone leads to control of the mind, emotions, and animal instincts, and the blossoming of selflessness. It enables man to find the right balance between self-interest and benevolence.

The path of tapas lies at the core of Bharatiya vidya (Indian education). Tapas is the secret of the masters who formulated this timeless practice.

Tapas, which the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan [Institute of Indian Culture, an educational trust founded on November 7, 1938, by Dr. K.M. Munshi] values and advocates, is essentially, as I understand it, a practice that gradually enables man to eradicate fear, greed, lust, and hate, and perfect himself.

Tapas is not self-delusion nor is it subjective. It is imbued with miraculous power that can bring into existence the beauty we cherish, provided we have faith.

If the tapas we undertake is as concentrated as that of the rishis [seers] and of Sri Sathya Sri Baba, then what we believe to be beautiful will, in fact, become even more beautiful.

~Dr. K. M. Munshi
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, February 1969