Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

We must learn to guard ourselves against them in our waking
state. All that we see about us is a dream. We should wake
up from this dream world.”
The questioner said, “Sadhana is required to acquire
that carefulness. Whenever I decide upon some method and
try to do sadhana, I get sleepy. Will Bhagavan kindly tell me
how to overcome this sleepiness?”
Bhagavan replied: “Of the avarana-vikshepas (obstructions
and disturbances), the first avarana is sleep. We must try as
far as possible not to succumb to it. We must enquire why we
get sleep and regulate our food, movements, etc. and see that
we do not feel sleepy, but it is no use trying to stop it when
once we are sleepy. Don’t we get sleep if we eat heartily? Then
the head begins to nod as we sit for meditation. It seems some
tie their hair to a nail in the wall to keep them awake. Except
that they wake up when their head nods, what use is it for
dhyana? My boyhood experience of sleep is well known. While
the school lessons were being taught, lest I should fall asleep,
I used to tie a thread to the nail on the wall, and tie my hair to
it. When the head nods, the thread is pulled tight and that
used to wake me up. Otherwise, the teacher used to twist my
ears and wake me up.” So saying, Bhagavan began to laugh.

“Is it possible Bhagavan is concocting all these stories
and telling us?” asked Muruganar.

“No, no! It is true! I used to do all that because I was
afraid the teacher would punish me for not listening to
his lessons. That was the state in those days. In the early
days after my coming here, when I closed my eyes, deeply
absorbed in meditation I hardly knew whether it was day
or night. If at any time I opened my eyes I used to wonder
whether it was night or day. I had no food and no sleep.

When there is movement of the body, you need food. If
you have food, you need sleep. If there is no movement,
you do not need sleep. Very little food is enough to sustain
life. That used to be my experience. Somebody or other
used to offer me a tumblerful of some liquid diet whenever
I opened my eyes. That was all. But one thing: except
when one is in absorbed motionless concentration of mind,
it is not possible to give up sleep or food altogether. When
the body and mind are engaged in the ordinary pursuits
of life, the body reels if you give up food and sleep.

Therefore it must be said that limitation of food and
movement is very necessary for the elevation of the soul.

Great people restrict their sleep to the barest minimum
so that they may not waste their time but use it for the
performance of selfless good deeds. Some say that it is
healthy to go to bed at 10 p.m. and wake up at 2 a.m.

That means that four hours’ sleep is enough. Some say
that four hours’ sleep is not enough, but that it should be
six hours. It amounts to this, that sleep and food should
not be taken in excess. If you want to cut off either of
them completely, your mind will always be directed towards
it. Therefore the sadhaka should do everything in
moderation,” said Bhagavan.

This is what is stated in the Bhagavad Gita:
naTyîtStu yaegae=iSt n cEkaNtmnît>,
n caitSvßzIlSy ja¢tae nEv cajuRn. (VI:16)
yu ́harivharSy yu ́ceòSy kmRsu,
yu ́SvßavbaexSy yaegae Évit Ê>oha. (VI:17)
Yoga is not for him who eats too much, nor who abstains to
excess, nor who is too much addicted to sleep nor even to
wakefulness. Yoga kills out all pain for him who is regulated
in eating and amusement, regulated in performing actions,
and regulated in sleeping and waking.