Banat, Banat, Ban Jai: Lahiri Mahasaya on Steady Effort
Among the sayings of Lahiri Mahasaya, none is more often repeated by Kriya yogis than a simple phrase in his native tongue: “Banat, banat, ban jai” — “Doing, doing, one day it is done.”
The wisdom of patient effort
In five words, Lahiri Mahasaya captured the whole secret of spiritual progress. Realisation does not usually arrive in a single dramatic flash; it ripens, like fruit, through quiet and persistent practice. The seeker need not be anxious about results — only faithful in the doing. Drop by drop the pitcher fills.
A teaching for householders
This counsel was perfectly suited to the people Lahiri served. As the saint who gave Kriya to householders — to people with jobs, families and responsibilities — he knew they could not abandon the world for a cave. His answer was steady, daily practice woven into an ordinary life. A little, done faithfully every day, accomplishes more than great bursts of zeal that quickly burn out.
Against discouragement
“Banat, banat, ban jai” is also a medicine against discouragement. When meditation feels dry, when progress seems invisible, the words remind us that the work is being done beneath the surface. Every sincere effort leaves its mark on the soul, even when we cannot see it. The only failure is to stop.
The promise hidden in the phrase
And the saying ends in triumph: one day it is done. The path is not endless toil but a journey with a certain destination. For those who keep on — doing, doing — the day of fulfilment is assured. This same spirit lives in Sri Yukteswar‘s strict discipline and in Yogiraj Gurunath’s teaching that the higher we evolve, the humbler and more steady the task becomes. Begin, and keep beginning: explore Kriya Basics.
