Selections from "The Holy Science" by Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri (vegetarian), Chapter 2 - The Goal, Part 1 of 2

Sri Yukteswar was born on May 10, 1855, in Serampore, India. His given name was Priya Nath Karar. At the age of 34, He turned to spiritual pursuits and began to follow Master Lahiri Mahasaya. In 1894, during a Kumbha Mela held in Allahabad, India, Sri Yukteswar was entrusted by Mahavatar Babaji with the mission of writing a book that would establish the basic Truth shared across all religions. Babaji also gave Priya Nath Karar the name “Swami,” a monastic title meaning “the one who is with his Self.” Later, He was formally initiated into the Swami Order. He took the monastic name of Sri Yukteswar Giri and wrote the book as instructed by Saint Babaji. which He titled “The Holy Science.”

Today we are going to present to you “The Holy Science,” requested by Saint Babaji and written by Swami Sri Yukteswar, revealing the basic unity of Supreme Truth behind all names and forms, especially between the Bible and Bhagavad Gita.

“Liberation, the prime object.” “Liberation is stabilization of Purusha (jiva, soul) in its real Self. Residing in Self is liberation.” “Then there is cessation of all pain and the attainment of the ultimate aim (true fulfillment, God-realization). Liberation is salvation.” “Otherwise, birth after birth, man experiences the misery of unfulfilled desires.”

“Troubles are born from Avidya, ignorance. Ignorance is the perception of the nonexistent, and the nonperception of the Existent.” “Avidya, ignorance, having the twofold power of polarity, manifests as egoism, attachment, aversion, and (blind) tenacity.” “Ignorance is the source of all troubles. In order to understand how this ignorance is the source of all other troubles we should remember that ignorance, Avidya, is nothing but a particle of darkness, maya, taken distributively, and as such it possesses the two properties of maya.”