Religion in Nepal

Pranayama for Soaham Sadhana

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The procedure of performing the above pranayama is as follows; the sadhaka should sit in a posture of sukhasana keeping his spinal cord erect and maintain a calm mood; he should take a deep breath at a slow and steady pace (the normal duration of this puraka is about four seconds. The inhaled air should be retained (antah kumbhaka) in the lungs for few seconds (about sixteen seconds, if possible without any difficulty). Then the air should be breathed out (recaka) at a slow and steady pace. After this, the breathing should be stopped (bahya kumbhaka) for few seconds. This is complete one cycle. Several such cycles (about four to five in the beginning) are completed in one sitting in the daily practice. The total duration of this practice (of pranayama) may range between five minutes (for the beginners) to thirty minutes (for the trained Sadhakas).

By sincere practice and mental engrossment, the breathing is so controlled that the duration of the antah kumbhaka and those of the Puraka and recaka be equal and the speed of inhalation would be the same as that of exhalation in each cycle. During each cycle of this Pranayama the Sadhaka should attempt (with his natural determination) to feel that in the Puraka phase an illuminating current of Prana enter along with the breath which expands and gets absorbed in the body during the antah kumbhaka. He should also feel that - because of his strong willpower and the stored Pranas, the 'filth' of the kusamskaras (evil tendencies and weaknesses) is being repudiated during a recaka and is firmly prevented from re-entering the body because of the control of the bahya kumbhaka.

In the natural function of breathing, the lungs draw air from the atmosphere to supply energy to the body via the blood. The blood corpuscles take their food - the oxygen content from this supply and by circulation distribute the required quota of energy to the brain and other components of the body. During a Pranayama this activity also gets systematized because of harmonized breathing. More importantly, in this process, the determined will and emotional urge of the Sadhaka also attract the omnipresent power of consciousness - the Prana, subtly indwelling in the atmosphere.

The strength of the Sadhaka's internal will and determination is directly associated with his own consciousness and therefore accounts for the amount and level of Prana drawn by it. The Sadhaka's controlled Samkalpa, attraction and absorption of the Prana all create collective impact during a Pranayama. The physical, subtle as well as the causal body could benefit from the coherent currents of the supreme consciousness. If the Sadhaka steadily realizes the glow and energy of the attracted cosmic, Prana of divine quality as being absorbed by each of his three bodies.

If the Sadhaka's Samkalpa is weak and unstable or his emotional attachment and faith in this activity is superficial then he would only gain the healthy effects of deep and controlled breathing from this Pranayama. The conscious charge and strength of the Samkalpa can be enhanced by sincere faith and dedicated experiments of practicing it at regularly increasing pace. The Sadhaka must concentrate on the feeling - that the divine energy of Prana is reaching him with each breath and is entering his body without any obstacles; that his body is full of this energy and is being electrified from within.

The Pranayama, which is a part of the sat karmas of the daily sandhya-vandan, is essential for every aspirant of spiritual development. Even the mental concentration would not be attained without practicing the Pranayama and the Sadhaka would also find it difficult to perform the successive steps - namely Pratyahara, dharana and dhyana, of the Raja yoga Sadhana

Gayatri Sadhana for concentration of mind and self-realization

2011-12-31T22:06:00.000-08:00

Gayatri Sadhana can be used as an unfailing discipline by widows for exercising self-restraint, controlling sensuousness and for promoting righteousness and wisdom. Feeling of mental peace, steadiness, wisdom and self-restraint start growing from the very day, this Sadhana is started. Mind is brought under control and wayward thoughts are reigned in and silenced by righteousness. Desires, tastes, actions, sentiments, become pure, pious and righteous (Satoguni). Interest develops in self-realization, devout austerity, penance and love of God. Slowly and steadily the Sadhika is transformed into a Sadhwiapasvani, Brahmabadini. She sees divinity in the form of Gayatri and attains deep inner peace in comparison to which the life of a mere house-wife appears to her to be purposeless.

Before sitting in Sadhana, women should take bath in the early morning by warm or cool water according to season. Water which is very hot or very cold is harmful for women. A pot of water should be kept close by Rosary or mala of Tulsi and Kushasan are best suited. Gayatri should be meditated upon in the form of a middle-aged lady with a smiling face, wearing white clothes sitting on a bull, having four hands containing mala, kamandal, book and lotus flower. This meditation is extremely useful for controlling mind and developing righteousness. Mind should be applied repeatedly on this meditation. In Jap there should be some sound from the throat, lips should be so moved that even a person sitting close by is not able to hear what is being uttered. Jap can be performed both in the morning as well as in the evening. More Jap can also be performed according to convenience. It is all the more beneficial if life of devout austerity and penance could be lived.

Sakara and Nirakara

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The propagation of the nirguna philosophy has the Natha school of asceticity in the background. Parallel to its line of devotion is the advaita principle of Shankaracharya as taught by Swami Ramananda and, in slightly different form - having a characteristic affection of saguna Bhakti by some Sufi philosophers. Saint Kabira's preaching a re mostly inspired by the advaita theory of Acharya Ramananda. The importance he gave to yoga and divine love may be attributed to the Natha and the Sufi Schools respectively. The symbolic representation in his poetry is different from those of the saguna Bhakti. In this context his creations appear to be similar to those used by the Sufi Saints.

According to the advaita principle, Brahm is the only truth - the absolute existence. it is because of ignorance and illusions that the visible world appears to be a truth. This lack of knowledge is described as the influence of Maya in the above theory. It is because of Maya that the jiva feels the bliss and the pains of life and death. Whatever distinction one feels between the soul and the omnipresent Brahm is only a mist of Maya. The knowledge of the soul - self-realization is a must to eradicate the influence of Maya. The absolute realization of the fact that the soul and the Brahm are one (advaita) - liberates the jiva from the bonds of Maya.

Only the knowledge of the self - as a manifestation of the Brahm leads to the perfect realization of the self. Attainment of this is essential for reaching the absolute state of Soaham. Saint Kabira has given specific importance to this aspect of Soaham with a devotional touch. He has described the realization of this state through yoga and mysticism.

It cannot be traversed without the grace of a noble Guru. There, it (the power of awakened mind) cannot evade; it (the mind) cannot even move anywhere; it just remains absorbed in the zero. The words of the one who knows this zero existing in the inner self, would even if uttered casually, become the expressions of his inner voice. One who focuses his mind in deciphering the latent knowledge of this eternal sublime glow (of zero) could, according to poet Kabira, be blessed by absolute liberation from the worldly bounds.

In the above paragraph saint Kabira has defined "Soaham" as - "the feeling of 'Soaham' is supposed to be realized when nothing else remains (in the domain of cognition) except the Brahm; even self-identity echoes as 'I am (the jiva is) the Brahm' …. Then the jiva unites with his cosmic eternal source, the Brahm".

In his descriptions of the Soaham japa Kabira has simplified the philosophical abstractions so that even common people could understand the principles of this sadhana and attempt adopting them in practice. Instead of using the basis of advaita philosophy he has explained the unity between the jiva and the Brahm in the light of mysticism as - the reflection of the cosmic soul in the individual soul. Here, the linkage between the Brahm and the jiva is described as oneness instead of the unification (of the advaita principle) by total non-existence of the latter. This approach of mysticism expresses the sense of eternal affection contained in the meaning of 'Soaham'. The advaita theory does not imply the absolute rejoice contained in the reunion of the soul with its own eternal form. In mysticism, the soul is said to be totally immersed in the eternal bliss of this commingling after the realization of 'Soaham'.

Soaham Sadhana of Tanmatra………..

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The bioelectrical currents of the Ida and pingala nadis flow along the two sides of the brahm nadi and, starting from the pituitary and pineal glands, they reach the muladhara chakra. These currents flow back from this bottom cakra after their coherence in the Susumna. The six extrasensory energy enters - the sat chakras, are like eddy currents in the flow of the Brahm Nadi. These cakras are said to e the sources through which the individual self can traverse beyond the limits of time and space. These contain the sublime ocean of supernatural powers.

The Kundalini, which is affirmed in the spiritual sciences of yoga as the source of all physical and spiritual potentials, can be reached only by penetrating the sat cakras. The straight flow of the Prana through these cakras is essential for 'electrifying' the latent 'coil' of the Kundalini. This requires immense pressure of Prana under adept control. The flow of the vital energy component of Prana generated during the Soaham Pranayama and the Samkalpa of the Sadhaka associated with this Sadhana provide the right combination for straight traversing through the sat cakras, penetrating the three Granthis and eventually activating the Kundalini.

Another spiritual benefit of the Soaham Pranayama is the perception of sublime and divine fragrances. Smelling is a tanmatra (power of perception) associated with the basic element of air. Therefore, the practice for control and attainment of extraordinary potential of this (the gandha) tanmatra fall under the Sadhanas of higher level Pranayamas. The Soaham Sadhana can expand the Gandha tanmatra so much that the Sadhaka may smell the infra- subtle and long distant fragrances. This power then becomes a medium to recognize and experience the divine elements by their unique fragrance. When the Sadhaka is progressing well in the Soaham Sadhana, he often smells some divinely soothing fragrances. This is an indication of supernatural developments.

Shrines and the place of upasana and Sadhana are often endowed with some incenses (like dhupa or agarbatti) or flowers. Their aroma induces a soothing feeling in mind and helps its focused concentration. Such fragrances also support rapid development of the Gandha tanmatra during the initial stages of the Pranayamas. If the Sadhaka meditates on the fragrance along with the exercise of deep breathing then after a little practice with determination he would be able to smell the same pleasant aroma even when he comes out and goes away from the room of Upasana. Eventually, he would begin to smell it during his regular Sadhana even without having any external means or arrangement of creating such incense. This is an indication of the awakening of the latent potential of the gandha tanmatra. Performing a higher level Pranayama like Soaham at this stage boosts this development and gradually gives rise to a supernatural power of extrasensory smell.

The importance of gandha tanmatra is well experienced in nature. Many animals and insects possess refined power of smelling. This potential is indeed an essential mode of communication, search for food, sensing an enemy's presence and transmitting or receiving the signals for mating (to or from the opposite sex)….., etc in many birds, animals and insects. Many creatures also use this sense to know the weather conditions in advance. The trained dogs use this faculty to trace the criminals or the lost things or persons. In human beings this faculty normally stands much below in the order of importance as compared to the faculties of thinking, vision, speech and hearing. Once the hidden power of smelling is activated, this dominates over all other normal faculties and it can be focused by the Sadhana for sensing the supernatural signals and experiencing the unknown, which exists far beyond the grasp of human intelligence…. The evoked tanmatra of gandha enables the Sadhaka to feel the presence of the divine powers and receive their messages. Success of the Soaham Sadhana also bestows such extrasensory potentials of the gandha tanmatra on the Sadhaka.

Soaham Pranayama

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Without the emotional depth, motivation and mental concentration, the feelings and meditations associated with the Soaham Sadhana would be like 'mere imaginations' or 'mental amusement and diversion' or 'day dreaming', and would not show any sigh of progress.

Attracting the Mahaprana is not a physical or mental exercise. It can't be attained without the warmth and the urge of the innermost sentiments. The voice of the inner emotions could be powerful enough to be 'heard' by (to reach) the cosmic centers of thy expression only if the Sadhaka's external and internal personalities are purifies, disciplined and indeed devoted towards his Sraddha in the divine disciplines. Similar strength of the inner self and the willpower of the Sadhaka are required in the later phase of the Soaham Pranayama. The Sadhaka has to firmly uproot his viles, weaknesses and ego that are deeply rooted in his instincts as a jiva.

If one sincerely performs the contemplation phase of the Sadhana of Soaham, the corresponding thoughts and emotions would be gradually assimilated in his memory and subconscious mind. His integrity of character and duty-bound righteous activities will support rapid conditioning to accelerate the spiritual effects. Such a person would live the life of a true karma yogi. His actions will be inspired and controlled by the divine will. In worldly terms, he may be a farmer, a gardener; a laborer, a businessman; a doctor, a scientist etc may have a lower, medium, high or no status in the socio-economic system and live an utterly ordinary life. In either case, his spiritual refinement would excel progressively. All his deeds would be selfless and duty bound and hence estimable likes those of the great personalities, saints and sages.

King Janaka used to live a duty-bound life of an emperor and was seen busy in related worldly affairs. But because of his selfless, enlightened attitude, fair and discerning intellect and piety of emotions, he was considered a karma yogi. His knowledge was honored as equivalent to that of a scholar of the Brahm Vidya.

If the Soaham Sadhana is being performed adeptly, its effects on enlightening the Sadhaka's emotions would be reflected in different facets of his life in terms of his righteous thinking, broad outlook and cooperating behavior etc. Because of its direct connection with the emotional center and the inner self, the Soaham Sadhana becomes a principal Sadhana for peerless spiritual evolution.

The history of the Bhakti Age of the Nepalese literature highlights two major streams of development of devotional poesy and literature; (1) nirguna (nirakar) - in which the God is realized as absolute, formless and omnipresent; and (2) Saguna (sakara) - where the devotion is focused at a specific form (idol) of a manifestation of God. Chronologically, the period of nirguna is supposed to be earlier.

This was around 1500 AD, when the saintly poet Kabira had propagated religious reforms under the nirguna philosophy of Bhakti (devotion). About one century later, the saintly poets like Surdasa, Tulsidasa, and Mira etc had inspired the flow of Saguna Bhakti in the form of vaisnava Bhakti (devotion of God Rama and Krishna in the hearts of the people that even today a vast majority of the people of Nepalese origin is influenced by it. The saguna Bhakti or Rama or Krishna is an integral part of these people's religious life.

The Ideal of Proper Diet

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Meaning: The line of Yajurved 12/76 has given the information about our diet as follows - body is the principal means for 'dharma, artha, kama and moksha'. Therefore, good health must be maintained by proper diet, disciplined daily routine and benevolent conduct. Only a disease-free body is the source of all happiness.

Message: The joy of heavenly bliss and salvation is possible in this life itself. But it so happens that we do not properly understands our life's objective and makes all attempts in the wrong direction for attaining it. We can achieve the above four goals of life i.e. 'dharma, artha, kama and moksha' only by a healthy body. We can remain alive by maintaining physical health. Unhealthy, ill and weak persons are already like half-dead. This is because they suffer not only the bodily ailments, but the simultaneous incapacity and the pain of failure also breaks them mentally, thus neglect of health is very costly for everyone.

Good health does not depend on medicines. It cannot also be bought by money. It is also foolish to think of protecting health by imbibing costly materials. Good health depends only on diet, proper routine, exercise and restraint or discipline. The royal road to maintaining proper health and increasing it is to live life in harmony with nature regarding food-habits, daily routine, and lead a natural life. People fall ill with unnatural, artificial, pompous and luxurious life style and die at an early age. All the living beings, insects, birds, animals etc follow the rules of nature; as a result they never fall ill. If by some accident or fights among themselves, they do fall ill, they automatically come back to normal by the grace of Mother Nature. Those animals and birds that have come under the control of man, they only require veterinary dispensaries.

Only man is a very foolish animal who himself invites illness because of wrong conduct, indiscipline and irregularity. This disregard for food and routine is a result of carelessness, laziness, negligence etc. Nature has made man as the most beautiful, healthy, shapely and long-lived animal complete with physical, mental and spiritual powers. The best and easy way for excellent health is that as far as possible only natural (uncooked) food should be taken. The essential elements of the food will be alive within the food to the extent that it does not come into contact with fire (or heat) and that way these elements will provide strength to the body. Ripe seasonal fruits, raw vegetables, sprouted grains and boiled or steam-cooked food is excellent from every point of view, is 'saatvik' and nutritious'

If the body is healthy, the mind also is healthy; it gets pure and pleasant thoughts and is filled with pleasant and good imagination. The mind gets engaged in work, there is no laziness or uneasy feeling and the heart is cheerful and light like a flower.

The Ideal of proper diet, proper routine and proper conduct must always be the guiding principal of our lives.

The Company You Keep

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The impact of the company we keep, on our mental state and our actions, is tremendous. Even a person with all positive attributes may end up pursuing undesirable activity because of bad company. For example, you may be quite averse to the idea of accumulating wealth through dishonest means by the effect of a close friend who is untruthful may push you to do so.

To cultivate dedication, as Ramkrishna mentions, it is important to be in the company of those who have taken the path of renunciation. If you spend a great deal of time with materialistic persons discussing worldly affairs all the time, you are bound to become like them, irrespective of the meditation you might be practicing. You can begin to feel intense love for God only when you come in contact with those who are experiencing such love. Hasn't it been said that good literature and good company play seminal roles in shaping your personality?

Sometimes our mind itself can be our worst enemy. Ma Sarada Devi once said that God may be gracious, the guru may be generous - yet a person can be ruined if his mind is not cooperative. In such situations the company of good people can bring in unbelievable change in the mental state.

It is difficult indeed to avoid the company of those who have negative qualities in abundance - they tend to entice you to stay with them or harass you to remain in their companion. Such is the force of negative influences. The mutual dependence among those who lack integrity tends to be greater than amount those who shine out on account of their integrity. Because of this, destructive power often tends to become more powerful than its constructive counterpart. But one has to keep up the deepest mental poise and flow the principle of 'generous neglect'.

Indeed, it is part of our social responsibility to warn wrongdoers against their actions but there is no point in repeated reminders. Time would be better spent on contemplation. Problems caused by your enemies can at times prove to be very costly. But the principle of tolerance works in unique ways. Ramakrishna says, one who withstands, stays, and one who does not, gets ruined.

When it ruins heavily, some varieties of fish are able to follow the continuity of the downpour and survive despite the thrashing waters. The mind has to follow the same route: It has to move against the gravitational force. If there is an urge, nothing is impossible. However, that urge has to be nurtured in a sustainable manner. The restlessness has to be there but it has to be accompanied by patience. And this unique combination derives its source of inspiration from The Company of saints who, in an uninterrupted manner, keep pursuing their efforts steadily.

If we remain satisfied with what we have achieved, there cannot be any progress towards God. The striving has to be there; an attitude of constant dissatisfaction with the present conditions has to grow which in turn can force the Mahamaya to detach us from bondage, says Ramakrishna. Restlessness is therefore essential to expand our horizons, and the good company we keep ignites that urge in us.

The Blooming of Lotus

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The function of meditation practice is to heal and transform. It helps us to be whole, and to look deeply into ourselves and around us in order to realize what is really there. The energy that is used in meditation is mindfulness to look deeply into the heart of things in order to see their true nature. When mindfulness is present, meditation is present. Mindfulness helps us to understand g the true essence of the object of meditation - whether it is perception, an emotion, an action, a reaction, the presence of a person or object.

By looking deeply, the meditation practitioner gains insight, prajna, or wisdom. This insight has the power to liberate us from our own suffering and bondage. In the meditation process, fetters are undone, internal blocks of suffering such as fear, anger, despair and hatred get removed, relationships with humans and nature become easier, and there is freedom and joy. We become aware of what is inside us and around us; we are fresher, and we become more alive in our daily existence. As we become freer and happier, we cease to act in ways that makes others suffer, and we are able to bring about change around us and to help others become free. Isn't that wonderful?

The meditation practitioner is like a lotus flower in the process of blooming. Buddha's are fully bloomed human flowers, beautiful and refreshing. All of us are Buddha's-to-be. That is why in practice centers when people meet each other, they form a lotus with their palms and greet each other while bowing saying, 'a lotus for you. As they inhale while saying 'a lotus for you' and exhale, smiling, while saying "a Buddha-to-be", they have the appearance of a blooming flower.

It may be possible for you to meditate on your own, without a teacher or a Sangha, namely, Buddhist community of practice. But it goes without saying that to practice with a teacher and a Sangha is more advisable and much easier. A teacher is someone who has had the experience of the practice, and has succeeded in ti. A Sangha is a meditation community where everyone follows more or less the same kind of practice. Since everyone is doing the same practice, it becomes easier for you to practice too, because the group energy emitted by the Sangha is strong and very supportive. You can also learn a great deal from individual members of the Sangha, especially those who have realized some degree of peace and transformation. There are many things you may find difficult to do when alone, but in the presence of the Sangha you can do them easily. All of us who have practiced with a Sangha can testify to this fact........

In the Buddhist tradition, we consider Sangha one of the three gems. The three gems are Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. As we see it, the three gems are already in your heart. The Sangha in yourself may guide you to the Sangha that is somewhere near you. Maybe the teacher and the Sangha are right there, very close to you, but you have not yet noticed. With practice, you will generate the energy of mindfulness, which may lead you towards a teacher and a community.

The Air in the Dawn

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Meaning: According to the line of Samved 135 – the air in the dawn, i.e. before sunrise, is clean. Therefore, one must breathe this pure air by getting up early in the morning. With that the health remains stable and one earns wealth.

Message: There is every type of strangeness and abundance in the nature. There is no limit to joy and good health for us. Enjoying good health, all the living creatures, whether insects, birds or animals enjoy their lives. Drawing their requirements from water, air, light and food they enjoy the happiness of longevity.

God has put health in every particle of nature, in leaves, flowers, and fruits and in every drop of water. Every part of air every gulp of water, every particle of fruit, grains and vegetables, which we take in our breath, drink and food, is very health giving and strength giving for us. For all round development and strength Nature possesses every type of means.

Daily life begins by arising during the dawn only. All birds and animals get up in the dawn and giving up their laziness, join in their daily routine. There are many benefits in getting up early. The air at dawn is health giving and pollution free. It is also called ‘praan vayu’ or ‘veer vayu’ because it contributes to life and strength. By breathing in this fresh air, there is increase in strength, in the luster of the faced, the mind always remains cheerful and the intelligence becomes sharp and all the organs of the body remain disease free. By getting up early in the morning, the body feels fresh and energetic. Contrasting with this, those who remain sleeping after sunrise, their laziness and carelessness increases, they suffer from various types of diseases, they feel dull throughout the day and they cannot apply their mind in any work.

Dawn has been lovingly called ‘Usha Devi’ (the Goddess dawn) because of its benevolence like a mother. She gives generously with her hands health, intelligence, strength, and the blessing in longevity and all those get these, who get up at that pleasant time. Those who get up early they gain in life, those who sleep late, they lose in life. Man’s life starts at this pious time in the dawn only. The gentle breeze of this pure air fills every pore of the body with energetic freshness and stirs up enthusiasm in life’s creation, progress and development and the feeling arises in the mind to go ahead and do something for the world to see. The beautiful and pleasant atmosphere of the dawn, the singing of the birds and the play of the animals help greatly in awakening our inner vitality for a new life.

We should never keep away from this blessing of Nature. All birds and animals breathe this air in the dawn and never fall ill. Getting up at dawn is very useful to man for his health, mind, intelligence and soul. It stirs up vitality in the body.

Men wishing bodily, mental and spiritual progress must get up at four o’ clock in the morning, get out of the bed and come out into the open air

The Absence of Self

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Buddha’s disciple Subhuti suddenly discovered the richness and fecundity of emptiness; the realization that everything is impermanent, unsatisfactory and empty of self. In this mood of divine emptiness, he sat in bliss under a tree when suddenly flowers began to fall all around him. And the gods whispered, we’re enraptured by your sublime emptiness, subhuti replied, but I’ve not uttered a word about emptiness.” “True,” the gods replied. “You’ve not spoken of emptiness, we’ve not heard of emptiness. This is true emptiness.” And the showers of blossoms continued.

If I had spoken of my emptiness or even been aware of it, would it be emptiness? Music needs the hollowness of the flute, letters, the blankness of the page, light, the void called a window, holiness, the absence of self. “Divinity descends on a man who never seeks divinity,” said a Persian mystic. Our minds are too cluttered with the ideas of self, divinity and spirituality. In our conscious endeavor to become spiritual we fall short of our objective and remain worldly. We’re all too preoccupied with things that have no real significance in life.

A woman went to Lao of our objective and said that she was constantly tormented by useless thoughts whenever she sat for her evening prayers. Lao Tse said, “Try to pray anytime in a day and come to me after a few days.” She came to meet Lao Tse and told him that no set aside a fixed hour for prayers. “When you fixed a time, your self was conscious. You were aware of the need to pray at a given time. Now with random prayers, you’ve broken that stifling mould, you’re no longer conscious, thus free of any pestering thought.” Unawareness is a blissful state. With awareness comes a set pattern. It gives birth to a structure, a formula, a format.

Rami said, “While taking to my beloved (Allaha), I’m unaware at times whether to speak or not. Lofted remain silent because my beloved doesn’t like much volubility.” Silence is unspoken emptiness and is much more eloquent than any set or fixed prayer.

The trouble is we’ve set aside practices and rituals even for spirituality. One has to visit a Shani mandir only on Saturdays or wear a certain stone on a specific day. This has no meaning. Every hour is auspicious and every day is lucky.

Blissful ignorance is divinity. Only in a state of bekhudi or self-immersion you can reach the stage of enlightenment, called ‘trueya avastha’. Buddha never felt that he had attained satori or enlightenment. It became integral to his mystic consciojusness. Any effort to expedite the process of enlightenment is futile. In Ramz-e-bekhudi Allama Iqbal says, “Spirituality is not something mundane to attain, the way we put all our efforts into achieving an object in life. It occurs like a bolt from the blue when you least expected it.”

Conscious endeavor cannot lead a seeker to his spiritual destination. Nor is the lifestyle of a monk assurance of achieving the state of perpetual bliss. The moment mind becomes free of wish, desire or wistfulness, a divine consciousness descends. Christ was a carpenter’s son, Muhammad was reportedly unlettered, Moses was adopted and he was reportedly illiterate. “God finds his way through unconscious and unpretentious people. Because divinity resides in a blissfully unaware mind” Tagore wrote in the Gitanjali

Sun Dispels Darkness with Light

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Meaning: According to the line of Athervaved 11/5/19 - Just as the sun dispels darkness with light and produces excellent materials (by nurturing plants and trees), similarly man should dispel disease, laziness, wretchedness etc and obtain the bliss of salvation.

Message: "Tamaso maa jyotira gamaya" means a prayer to God to kindly lead from darkness to light. The meaningfulness of man's life lies in removing the darkness of ignorance on all sides and to spread the divine light of knowledge. Its main basis is Brahmacharya. With it the 'sattoguni rutumbhara' (i.e. saatvik pure intelligence) develops which gives us the capacity to differentiate between the philosophy or the essence and the chaff, truth and untruth, beneficent and harmful and also the ability to take the proper decision. In its divine light it becomes easy to decide about what should be done and what should not be done. With the daily routine attuned to Nature through discipline, simplicity and labor, strength and semen increases, the body remains active and attains longevity. The sentiments of self-denial, helping others, service, renunciation, pity, sympathy, friendship, compassion, humility, religiousness, faith, devotion to God etc are awakened in those observing "Brahmacharya", which increases physical energy, mental brightness and spiritual strength and they can even trounce death.

A man trapped in the mire luxury and gratification of senses cannot even imagine the divine happiness of a disciplined "Brahmachari" . Such a person can never know the joy which lies in 'phakiri (monkhood) instead of 'amiri' (wealthiness). The best endeavor for the control of the sexual desire is in married life. Ram Krishna, Shankar, Parvati, Sita all were married and are the best symbols of the best ideals of celibacy as a part of Brahmacharya. From their lives we get the inspiration for the incomparable daily routine with discipline and simplicity while simultaneously carrying out family responsibilities. It was the miracle of the power of 'Brahmacharya' that Ram accepted with equanimity his coronation as well as banishment into the jungle. There was neither the joy of reigning over a kingdom, nor any sorrow for banishment. The entire life of Lord Shri Krishna was nothing but observance of Brahmacharya whether it was the company of the cowherds or the divine dance with his supreme devotees the gopis (women-cowherds), whether the political tactics or the battlefield, we always find his supreme self-restraint or discipline. Is such a control of the mind, speech and deeds possible without Brahmacharya, which is the greatest power in the world?

Observance of Brahmacharya in conduct is necessary to learn about the mystery or secrets of the world. Indulgence of the senses gives birth to diseases and the mind cannot concentrate on God. The observance of Brahmacharya arouses the desire for knowledge and leads to spiritual development.

Not only does man's will-power increase with Brahmacharya, but also his daring, forbearance, fearlessness, and freedom from disease. He becomes peaceful, engrossed and responsible. Laziness, negligence and wretchedness do not dare to come near him. He is always diligent and achieves self as well as society's benefit. With this only the human life becomes meaningful.

So Much for Bookish Knowledge

2011-11-07T22:52:00.003-08:00

A professor of English Grammar once got into a boat with a boatman. Proud of his accomplishments in the literacy field, he asked the boatman, "Have you ever studied the science of grammar?"

The boatman said, "No, I haven't"

The grammar professor exclaimed, "Then you have wasted half your life". The boatman was upset by the professor's rudeness but he remained cool.

Soon, a storm moved in as they sailed across the water. Suddenly, the boat became caught in a vortex of water and they could not maneuver the boat out of it. Fearing that the boat would capsize, the boatman yelled over the roaring waves. "O professor, do you know how to swim?"

The grammar professor replied with contempt, "Certainly not. Don't expect me to know swimming I never wasted my time with such a pastime".

The boatman told him, "Then since the boat is going to sink, it is you who have wasted the other half of your life by not learning how to swim, because you are about to drawn!"

This story told by Maulana Rumi in his Masnavi point to an important truth. It asks us to contemplate how we spend our lives and what we value. The professor was filled with pride and ego about his intellectual knowledge, but it did not help him when it came to the practical experience of swimming. His life depended upon his ability to swim, but he did not value that activity during his life. He was busy studying grammar books and did not feel he would ever be in the position to need to learn anything else.

Most of us spend our lives pursuing physical and intellectual goals, but we remain ignorant of spirituality. When the total wave of physical death is upon us, we have no spirituals skills to help us through the end of our life. When we get the news that we have a terminal illness, or suddenly we are faced with our mortality, we panic. We do not know what to do. We have not spent our lives learning about the true meaning of life and death, and we fear our end.

Those who have spent their life learning to swim in the spiritual stream through meditation have nothing to fear. They face their end with calm and fearlessness. They have already seen the splendors of the afterlife while in this life. They have learned the art of rising above body-consciousness and have witnessed first-hand the realms beyond. What have they to fear when their physical boat of their body is about to capsize.

Too many people ignore the reality of physical death until it is too late. They feel that intellectual knowledge and amassing physical wealth, name and power are more important. But when death nears, they discover that their intellectual knowledge and worldly possessions are of little use. At this kpoint, they regret that they have not spent more time learning about their soul, about God and the realms beyond.

Those who learn about spirituality early in life are fortunate. They can devote some time daily to their spiritual practices so that they can master the art of rising above body-consciousness in this very life. Like swimming it takes practice. Daily meditation will build up our spiritual abilities so that we can reach a point at which we can experience the spiritual realms within.

Renounce Wealth to Enjoy

2011-11-07T22:52:00.001-08:00

The Ishavasyua Upasana says your ego will disappear if you cease to call anything yours. "Everything in the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord Accept only those things that are necessary...."

Don't entertain a desire for anybody's wealth. Why? When nothing can be mine, then neither can anything be yours. Be aware, because the sutra, "Don't covet; don't desire another's riches," has been greatly misinterpreted.

Most commentators have explained it thus: "It is a sin to desire another's wealth, so don't entertain such a desire." But the first part of the sutra says that wealth belongs to nobody; it is existences. "When it is not mine, how can it be yours?"

Its true meaning is this - do not wish for another's wealth because the wealth which is not mine is also not yours. So desire has no grounds on which to stand.

No expert of ethics can get at the real meaning of this sutra. It is subtle and deep. The moralist is anxious to see that no one steals another's property; no one should consider as his own what belongs to another: But his emphasis on another's property is must the converse side of his emphasis on what is his own. Remember, the person who says, "This is mine," because these two are different sides of the same coin. As long as the feeling persists, "The building is mine," Its counterpart, "The building is yours," Will continue.

So don't wish for another's property, because it belongs to no one. I don't mean simply that is sinful to seize another's property with a view to making it your own. It is a sin in the first place to consider, It either his or yours. It is a sin to look upon it as anybody's or to pretend ownership is anyone's but existences. If you can comprehend this interpretation, then and only then will you be able to grasp the deep and subtle meaning of the Ishavasya.

Otherwise the apparent meaning of these sutras is that each should securely possess his own property and, to protect his own interests, should propagate on all sides that no one should wish for another's property.

So stealing and extorting is useless, meaningless and irrelevant. There is no skill or art in it. It is as good as labor lost. It is trying to draw a line on water.

Enjoy wealth by renouncing it. It is said that if you renounce a thing, you can enjoy it. The statement is very antithetical to our belief. They alone become real masters who refuse to be masters. Everything falls into the hands of those who have no desire to hold onto things.

People have misinterpreted these sutras. "Enjoy through renunciation" has come to mean that if you give in charity, you will be rewarded with heaven. But pay attention; the sutra says, "He who renounces, receives." it does not say, "He who gives up with a view to getting, will receive." In fact, he who gives up with a view to getting does not give up, because he is just working out how to get the reward.

This sutra makes a straight, simple statement that he who renounces, enjoys. It does not say. "Give up if you desire to enjoy." It announces that if you can give up, then you can enjoy; but if you are nursing the idea of enjoyment, you can never renounce.

Reason and Logic

2011-11-07T22:51:00.003-08:00

Restrain in the mind until it dissolves in the consciousness. This is wisdom, this is meditation. The rest is all logic and verbal extensions

Amritabindu Upanishad

Be happy for no reason from no cause, at all times

Swami Bed Bharati

There will have to be rigid and iron discipline before we achieve anything great and enduring, and that discipline will not come by mere academic argument and appeal to reason and logic

M.K. Gandhi

God is a philosophical blank hole - the point where reason breaks down

Kedar Joshi

Logic and cold reason are poor weapons to fight fear and distrust. Only faith and generosity can overcome them

Jawaharlal Nehru

A man who sees action in inaction and inaction in action has understanding amont men and discipline in all actions he performs.

Bhagavad Gita 2.4

Vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of overweening pride - these belong to the one who is born with Divine treasures

Bhagavad Gita 16.6

Maitreyi: you want to offer me all your wealth I have a question: Can I become immortal through wealth? Yajnavalkya: Far from it: You will be a well-to-do person like any other in the world, but there is no hope of immortality through wealth.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

He who gives liberally goes straight to the gods; on the high ridge of heaven he stands exalted.

Rig Veda 1.125.5

Every Sacrifice is a boat to heaven

Satapatha Brahmana

Reaching for the Stars

2011-11-07T22:51:00.001-08:00

Have you seen some people look at others from the perspective of their opinions, likes and dislikes? Learn to free yourself from this trap and just look purely from innocence.

If you accept limitation, then the limitation is yours, but if you accept limitlessness, then limitlessness is yours. Why does a person want more and more of everything? The 'more' is ultimately seeking limitlessness. Limitation is like dust in your eyes. As long as it exists, your effort is to eliminate it, because it is a foreign particle.

Infinite is not other than finite. If it were so, then infinite becomes finite, for it is other than finite. Infinite is in spite of finite. It includes finite and is not limited by finite. In the same way, limitlessness includes limitation and is not other than limitation.

Very often a father gets stuck in his opinion of his son. Even if his son is changing, he cannot see it. His identity of himself and his son limits the quality of his perception. So also, the son is stuck in his opinion of his father and sees the sky through his own window........ thereby assuming, that the sky is limited to the shape of his window.

There is a law of gravitation and a law of grace. In occultism, the law of gravitation is that which pulls us to the earth, our attachments, likes and dislikes... When one is pure, one experiences a sense of lightness and also towards heaven. Heaven is not a place; it is a state of being where one experiences a sense of relaxation and lightness.

To rise to the level of the stars is the law of grace. This is opposed to the law of gravitation that drags us down to the earth. Why do you want to be limited to the earth, when you can fly up to the sky? Why be a dwarf when you can be a giant?

Why do you cling to your ignorance, your impurity that keeps you low? This makes you ugly. You can grow to the heights of purity, kindness, forgiveness and bliss. Allow that to happen by dropping your likes, dislikes, anger, jealousy.......

What constitutes the soul of the law of grace is inner freedom. Free yourself from all limitations of the mind, its likes and dislikes.

Have you observed that whenever you are angry or sad, you feel very heavy and burdened? This is the law of gravitation. Have you also observed that whenever you are loving, kind, inwardly free, you feel you are floating and flying? This is the law of grace.

Of Diffusing and Drift

2011-11-07T22:50:00.000-08:00

Diffusion is the law of nature. It takes place when there is inequality and non-uniformity. Since our world has plenty of the above traits, diffusion is bound to happen. However, it is not free from obstruction; it has to overcome barriers that oppose diffusion.

Consider the diffusion of knowledge. Knowledge developed at one place must diffuse to places devoid of it. This helps its spread and contributes to its growth. Similarly, wealth created at one place must also diffuse to Librium is maintained, which contributes to stability of the system.

Society that jealously guards its wealth and knowledge, without making these available to others is bound to disintegrate. Strong isolated places of affluence do not serve the interest of humankind. Diffusion is a spontaneous progress.

In the Bhagavad Gita the cosmic form visualized by Arjuna of the Supreme Being seems infinite. It is the diffusion of an infinite energy. It is undiminished everywhere and all the time, hence is omnipresent and omnipotent because of its infinite power. Before assuming Vishwarupa, Krishna says. “The entire universe is pervaded by me in imperceptibly subtle manifestation”. Thus, in the realm of spirituality, one could interpret the omnipresence of the Supreme Energy as being due to diffusion.

In real life, however, we experience limited diffusion, the spread of a flower’s fragrance in the air and the dissolution of ink in water are examples of diffusion in gaseous and liquid states of matter. Diffusion takes place in gases and liquids due to their flexible nature. Diffusion does take place even in a solid matter, in spite of its rigidity. Diffusion does take place even in a solid matter, in spite of its rigidity. Diffusion takes place in the material world irrespective of its nature, however, the degree varies.

Unlike diffusion drift is a driven process. There are both positive and negative drifts. If a person is swayed away by bad company or habits, it is a negative drift. If influenced by something good, it is a positive drift. It does well to both the doer and its recipient.

What is the signature of drift in inanimate matter? Electric current in a metallic wire is driven by a power source and is a drifted motion of conduction electrons, negatively charged subatomic principles, bound in an atom but free in a metal. There’s a philosophical angle. The electron which conducts in a metal does not do so in an isolated atom. Stretching it to life one would conclude that society makes one dynamic, whereas isolation does the opposite.

Diffusion and drift sometimes oppose each other. It is not bad. Together they create a balance in life. In matter, drift and diffusion together do wonders. Solid state electronics results from this joint action. In which are much heavier, diffuse. Hence no barrier is strong enough to stop spontaneity.

Life is a queer mixture of drift and diffusion. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Roger Moore said “Teach love, generosity good manners and some of that will drift from the classroom teach home and who knows, the children will be educating the parents”.

Mythology, Culture and Faith

2011-11-07T22:49:00.000-08:00

What is the physical trigger for belief?

When you have epileptic seizures originating in the temporal lobes of the brain, people become more prone to religious belief; seizures are conductive to religious beliefs, but that doesn't invalidate religion in any way. After all, religious sentiment originates in the brain....... we think it comes from the temporal lobes. This doesn't detract from the spiritual dimensions of human life in any way.

If God- realization a physical rather than mental experience?

Ultimately it has to be physical because it is in the brain and the brain is made of physical matter; this is where religious feelings arise. But even matter these days has become so insubstantial; people talk about string theory, quantum mechanics - the notion of cause and effect breaks down and we're talking about quantum coupling and so on. I'm not a physical but what it suggests is that what we think is real (like a table, for instance) may not be so....... we may make a distinction between the parallel realm of spirituality and the world of physical matter, but these boundaries are dissolving.

Is there place for a personal God?

Yes, in people's lives and also in terms of culture. Religion is largely a cultural phenomenon. Mythology teaches you values and enriches your life in so many ways. This is where I disagree with many western atheistic movements. A culture without mythology is not really a civilization. Many countries have myths in a derogatory manner. Greek mythology is popular but who names their child after Apollo? They don't worship Apollo. On the other hand, Rama and Bharata are common given names in Nepal. Nepal treasures her mythology; our brains are enriched by it and it gives you a certain romantic favor that is sadly lacking in many young people today. Most youngsters look upon Ramayana and Mahabharata as fairy tales and nothing more.

Did you grow up listening to these stories?

I've been raised on a diet of Ramayana and Mahabharata. My mother was religious; she was knowledgeable about mythology and scriptures; she could tell the metaphysical nuances and make the story come to life with their deeper significance. The current generation is missing out on this.

There are two problems here. NRIs wax eloquent about Vishwamitra and Rama. It's called the NRI syndrome and I am sure I would be accused of that! But I am genuinely moved by our epics....

Ask, how are we different from the great apes? We have culture, we have civilization, and we have language to be celebrated as part of being human. And that's what mythology does, so there is that aspect to consider. On the other hand, there's the alignment with extreme right political forces who misuse religious fervor for wrong ends. Rama exists everywhere - he does not belong to a specific place. So why get obsessed with the exact place of his birth?

My views as an individual ought not to be confused with my views as a scientist - the minute you try to mingle God and science, you get into trouble. Metaphysics has its place, and science has its place, don't mix the two.

Leaving in Constant Fear

2011-10-31T03:48:00.003-07:00

Fear remains deeply entrenched within us; it is one of the most primitive of emotions that ensures self-preservation. This emotion is mediated by the limbic system, which is phylogenetically the oldest of the nervous systems. It is an integral third of the 'fight, fright and flight' response. Fear as a physiological reaction has a definite evolutionary role, but when it outgrows this primal scope and becomes pathological, it can wreak havoc. Fear plays an integral role in determining the happiness quotient of life.

The index of equanimity is guided by the fear degree of the fear of the unknown. It can drive a person to paranoia if he is a control freak or redeem him totally if he surrenders to the unknown. Fear is in the future, never in the present. Eventually, today becomes the tomorrow that we feared yesterday.

There is a primordial form of fear that keeps one always on the edge. It is 'existential angst'. It is characterized by a sense of constant persecution, a fear of a grand conspiracy and a sense of impending doom. This psychological anxiety, sooner than later, manifests itself as a plethora of somatic ailments.

The following story is illustrative: There was once a little mouse that lived in constant fear of the cat. The anxiety of running into the cat made it live a life of misery. God, overcome with sympathy decided to truth the mouse into a cat so as to allay its fears. No sooner did this happen than the cat began to get nightmares about the dog.

Wanting to appease the tortured soul, God turned the cat into a dog. However, the newly-created dog now began to get fearful thoughts about being b y the tiger. The omniscient One understands even without words and soon enough, the dog was converted into a tiger.

Becoming a tiger should have been the end of all his woes, but no, this 'tiger' felt the creeps at the thought of an armed hunter, who might spot him and then...... At this point, God turned the tiger back into a mouse.

He said to the mouse, "No physical form will ever rid you of your fear, because the fear is not of your form. It is in your imagination, and that unfortunately is not in my control."

On closer examination it is evident that fear stems from resentment and anxiety about imminent unpleasant events..... Despite the knowledge of one's helplessness in shaping the turn of future events, fear stems from the imaginary ''What if?" It is common knowledge that anxiety about an unpleasant event is worse than actually dealing with the event itself. This is because the imagination conjures all sorts of potential 'worse than' scenarios. The actual event very often passes off as an anti-climax. Thus fear tends to magnify only the negative outcomes. A positive attitude in such situations learns more on 'better than' scenarios. Both schools of thought don't change reality. They only modulate the mindset by making it either bearable or unbearable.

If fear were to be viewed merely as a biological construct, just an instinct for survival, then the tiny mouse would be as fearless as the hunter without physically having to transform into one.

Intellect and Intelligence

2011-10-31T03:48:00.001-07:00

we spend a lot of time acquiring intelligence at the expense of developing intellect.

Intelligence is built by gaining information, knowledge from external agencies, from schools and universities, teachers and textbooks. The intellect is developed through your individual effort by exercising the faculty of questioning, thinking and reasoning. Not accepting anything that does not admit logic or reason. Know the difference between the two. And that any amount of intelligence gained cannot per se build your intellect.

The intelligence acquired from external agencies is much like data fed into a computer Consider, a computer charged with a complete knowledge of fire extinguishers, firefighting and fire escapes. All the knowledge stored in its memory cannot help the computer act on its own. If the room catches fire, it will go up in flames. The knowledge you acquire is of no use to you without an intellect.

You need a powerful intellect to put the knowledge, intelligence gained, to practical use in life. That explains why among millions of doctors graduating from medical schools only a few have discovered life-saving procedures, cures and remedies. So too, among millions of engineers only few design something unusual like the Panama Canal or Eurotunnel. It is their intellect that renders their performance outstanding. Besides hindering success and progress, intelligence without intellect could destroy peace and happiness in the world.

No realizing the importance of the intellect in life, people make no attempt to develop their own. Instead, they merely indulge in acquiring intelligence through surface reading of others’ periodicals and publications. Few go into the depth of any literature. Education has lost its meaning and purpose. For generation human beings have turned into intelligent robots and are traversing through life without awareness, much less enquiring into the meaning and purpose of life. Herbert Spencer, a profound thinker and writer, was a rare luminary. Someone asked him if he was a voracious reader. He said: “No sir, if I were as big a reader as others, I would have been as big an ignoramus as they.”

The World today is in a state of chaos due to the perversion in human development – all intelligence and no intellect. That explains why even highly educated business persons, professionals, and scholars become alcoholic, are short-tempered and succumb to worry and anxiety. It is the mind that craves alcohol. It is the mind that loses its temper. Again, it is the mind that constantly harbors worry of the past and anxiety for the future. When the intellect remains undeveloped and weak, it is unable to control the vagaries of the mind. Those having developed a powerful intellect, with or without academic distinction, can hold the mind under perfect control and direct action to spell success and peace in life.

The educational systems the world over must be held responsible for the debacle of the intellect. It is their primary responsibility to strike an equable balance between acquiring intelligence and developing the intellect. Only by maintaining this essential equation can governments be run, business conducted, professions practiced and families live in peace and prosperity.

Human Body is the Home of the Soul

2011-10-31T03:47:00.003-07:00

Meaning: According to the line of Yajurved 29/49 - just as man builds a home for himself on this earth and lives in it, similarly the human body is the home of the soul. Therefore it should be kept healthy and free from disease through celibacy, simple food and discipline.

Message: The importance of the human body is because of the fact that for the salvation of the world, God also has to come into the world in human form only. As such also, among the entire creation ranging from insects and birds to man, only man's body is the most excellent in every way. God has created man as his assistant and companion for peace, good organization, prosperity, beauty and progress of the world. He has put all his powers and specialties in him so that he can be fully capable in fulfilling these pious goals. Not only that, but also God himself resides within every human being's soul and keeps guiding him. Even then man hits his own feet with an axe by ignoring, disregarding and disobeying the voice of his soul through his own foolishness.

It is man's responsibility to keep his body or the home of the soul clean, pure and healthy. With that he also benefits and easily gets God's grace. Health is an invaluable wealth. With it there is rosy luster on the forehead, brightness on the face, shine in the eyes and other organs and the mind and the soul remain cheerful. What is the use of wealth, grains, supremacy, learning and intelligence without a healthy body? Without health man's life becomes burdensome even though he is replete with wealth, very learned and his name and fame spread everywhere. Not only is good health required for material progress, but it is no less important for spiritual uplift. A man suffering from disease is not even able to think of God. Thus, this life and life after death, both are spoiled without good health. Not only the life her is ruined but because of the inability to do good deeds, the next birth also is spoiled, and hence man is neither happy here nor there. Let man progress a lot; earn plenty of money, collect various means of comfort and other things, but it is necessary for him not to lose health. What is the use of the money which gives indigestion? If we want to live, let us live in good health, otherwise there is no benefit in living.

For remaining healthy celibacy must be observed and simple food should be taken. Eggs, meat, fish, cigarette, bidi, liquor and similar intoxicating things should never be consumed. Man becomes uncouth and discourteous by consuming them. Physical exercise must be made a part of the daily routine. The mind and the thinking should also always be kept clean and pure and good moral conduct must be very firmly put into practice. A healthy and well-built man becomes the centre of attraction. The light of his soul spreads everywhere and enhances his name and fame.

Human Body is the Best Body than the Other Bodies

2011-10-31T03:47:00.001-07:00

Meaning: According to the line of Athervaved 5/30/17 - The human body is more important than the bodies of other animals. All the powers and means of spiritual salvation are present within it. Therefore man's diet, routine, thinking and conduct should be such that he can live the full life-spam.

Message: After having wandered through 84,00,000 species of life, the soul finally attains the human body, and all the paths for his progress automatically open up. Then it does not take long for salvation, i.e. for achieving liberation from the imprisonment and bondage of life. But only by observing celibacy does the man achieve the capability for completing the tasks for people's welfare while utilizing the 100 years life spam given to him by God.

The word 'Brahmacharya', means celibacy, is very much misunderstood and very narrowly interpreted as protection of semen and control over sexual desire. This is only a part-interpretation. The correct meaning of the word 'Brahmacharya' is meditating upon or thinking of God study of the Vedas (or religious scriptures), acquiring knowledge, and protection of semen or sperm. "Brahma" refers to the Creator and to greatness and "Charya" means to move. Thus to move with greatness, to become great and to conduct ourselves befitting greatness is the all encompassing meaning.

Therefore it is necessary that we think of the divine qualities of God for achieving greatness and try to put them into practical conduct. It is also necessary that we study the Vedas and other scriptures and acquire true knowledge, and thereby develop our intelligence to arouse the power of discretion to distinguish between proper and improper, moral and immoral. But this becomes possible only when good health is established by protecting the semen. One who observes celibacy in the real sense explained above, is full of divine brightens, his eyes have a piercing shine, cheeks are rosy and the face shines with luster. The body becomes well-built with "Brahmacharya" and qualities like cheerfulness, firmness, daring and patience develop. In addition, by observing "Brahmacharya" the depletion of our powers is prevented and we are able to utilize them for moving forward on the path of greatness.

For his own progress, man must observe "Brahmacharya". Seen in a wider perspective the society too needs 'Brahmacharya'. Today the entire society is becoming weak, dispersed and narrow minded. Everywhere the signs of selfishness, incapability, obscenity, restlessness, fear and ruin only are seen. The reason for this is that the "Brahmacharya' of the society too has become depleted and therefore its powers have becomes scattered. in the 'devasur sangram', teh fight between the deities and the demons, when the deities were being defeated, God collected all their scattered powers and by combining them produced a single, tremendous power in the form of teh female deity called Durga. Today not only the man has to organize and concentrate his scattered powers, but the society too by observing "Brahmacharya" has to gather together the powers of unity, cooperation, goodwill and good moral virtues. The body, the mind, the soul, the society and the nation, all should observe "Brahmacharya".

God’s Grace is Bestowedept happy by God.

2011-10-31T03:46:00.000-07:00

Meaning: The line of Rigved 1/113/11 states that – God makes those men intelligent and religious, who, upon getting up at dawn meditate upon Him. Those men and women maintain harmonious with God as witness are always

Message: Among all the natural elements, air is subtler than earth, water and fire. Because of that, its qualities and influence are also more. Man can live for some time with food and water, but cannot remain alive for even a moment without air. The pollution of other elements is not as harmful as the pollution of air. It becomes difficult to breathe in dirty, unclean, rotten, stinking air and one feels suffocated. During day-time we have to go to various places for our work and can hardly get pure air to breathe. In such a situation, it is foolishness of the first order to ignore the easily available life-giving air of the dawn.

After the ablutions after getting up in the dawn, along with breathing the fresh air, exercise and thinking about God must be carried out. This wonderful nature, fruits, flowers, grains and water, all this has been produced by our Supreme Father for our use. By meditating upon that God, we must express our thanks to Him. To resolve to observe his commands is in itself thanking or meditating upon God. It is not necessary to go to a temple, offer flowers, fruits, water and milk, to light a lamp and incense, to ring the bell, and to bow down and prostrate in reverence. The good use of life is in obeying God’s advice or orders. We must be alert to see that demoniac tendencies do not enter our daily activities, and that our individual, familial and societal activities be inspired with divine qualities and that the demons of selfishness, attachment, greed and anger do not harass us. This is realistic thinking about God.

Our most important problems is how to put our life to good use and farsightedness lies in solving it. For this the best period is the dawn. By meditating for some time, we are able to obtain the divine message regarding the objective of life. Whatever wickedness and faults we have will disappear, good qualities will increase. Wicked thoughts and sinful sentiments will disappear from our mind. A direct connection is established with the omnipresent authority of God by contact with nature in the dawn and the mind vibrates with waves of pleasant, pure and beautiful thoughts.

God’s grace is bestowed on this type of conduct of man, who obtains happiness, peace, name and fame by doing his deeds throughout the day with energy and enthusiasm.

Get out of that Frame

2011-10-31T03:45:00.002-07:00

We are never without an identity. In the system in which we are living, there are set patterns of life. Yogi, doctor, master, genius, this, that....., you are choosing your identity, so good, choose any identity, have full faith in that. If you feel like you are an artist then be an artist, never doubt your identity. Ninety percent of people have identity but no faith in their identity, and they confuse themselves and have a miserable life.

We should have the courage to break the system and discover a new identity in which we have faith. Then you can create better possibilities for life. Everything is in your hands; you have to decide what you want.

First of all understand your life, value it and then make your life useful, purposeful. If the definition of your life is limited your life will always be limited; if your definition of life is vaster, without boundaries or frames then you can live without limit. Every day, write your definition of life and in a few days that will give you a complete picture of you, you can check your frame - or whether your picture is frameless.

Due to our ignorance we create frames. A framed life is never happy, never satisfied because we really belong to the frameless source. If our life belongs to the frameless source, how can you confuse it in a frame? Can you capture the whole of the ocean in a cup?

Our ideal identity is no identity - to become zero, to live with zero identity. We worship those who have attained this state. Either acquire a zero identity, or become everything. Never identify yourself with one thing, you are all. Either identity with nothing or identify with everything, never be in-between. That is the faith you should have in yourself.

Faith is an important tool in life. Consciously or unconsciously we are living every moment with the help of faith. Take, for instance, the fact that this very moment you are perhaps seated on a chair - you have faith that the chair won't break. Or if you are seated beneath a tree, you have faith that the tree will not fall on you. If you had any doubt you would not sit on that chair or under the tree. Faith is there, even if you are not aware of its presence, but blind faith sometimes becomes an obstacle to progress on your path. Hence take care not to let your faith become a rigid one.

Listening to the soul is one way by which faith grows. The other way is when your consciousness grows - for then, your faith changes. Today you have faith in the tree. In 10 days your understanding becomes deeper and changes your faith completely. You may think the tree is hollow inside and so may not have as much faith as before.

Faith makes everything possible; this is the work of faith. You just have to be determined about something, have full faith and then faith will take you where you want to go; if you have determination and no faith then you will not reach anywhere, so this is the power of faith.

First have faith in yourself, with whatever identity you are living have full faith in that. If you have no faith in yourself, faith in the Divine alone will not work.

Flow of Water

2011-10-31T03:45:00.001-07:00

The Ganga River originates in heaven. Its fall is broken by the head of Shiva, who stands on the Himalaya Mountains; otherwise the shock would be too great for the earth. But Shiva’s goddess-bride is displeased. Fly then where Ganges o’er the king of mountains Falls likes a flight of stairs from heaven let down. For the sons of men; she hurls her billowy fountains. Like hands to grasp the moon on Shiva’s crown and laugh her foamy laugh at Gauri’s jealous frown….. If thou, like some great elephant of the sky, shouldst wish from heaven’s eminence to bend and taste the crystal stream, her beauties high – as thy dark shadows with her whiteness blend – Would be what Jumana’s waters at Pryaga lend. Kalidas

Guru is the expression of enlightenment, pure knowledge, the field of all possibilities, and the field of infinite correlation.

The master helps the seeker in his own invincible ways, which have no parallel in the ways of the world. But if the aspirant is to be the recipient of this help, he must make a real effort to surrender himself to the Divine will of the Master

What is the nature of Guru’s grace? It is beyond thought and word. Then how can it be said that the devotee realizes his true Being by virtue of the Guru’s grace? It is like the elephant which wakes up on seeing a lion in its dream. Even as the elephant wakes up at the mere sight of the lion, so too is it certain that the disciple wakes up from the sleep of ignorance to the knowledge or Real. It is true and certain.

Face to Face with Fear

2011-10-31T03:44:00.002-07:00

A woman dreams every night that she is being chased through an old hunted house by a huge, hideous monster. Night after night, it endlessly chases her, coming so close that she feels its icy breath on the nape of her neck

Then one night, though she runs madly, the monster corners the terrified woman. Just as it reaches out to tear her apart, she turns around, finds her voice and screams, “what are you? Why do you chase me? What will you do to me?”

At that, the monster stops, straightens up, and with a puzzled expression, shrugs and says. “How should I know? It’s your dream.”

The Tibetan Buddhist teachings of Chogyam Trungpa state plenty that in order to exercise fearlessness, it is necessary to face our fear, in fact, “the essence of cowardice is not acknowledging the reality of fear.” In his Shambhala teachings he holds that discovering fearlessness comes, paradoxically, from “working with the softness of the human heart”.

We open ourselves vulnerably to what we are afraid of and learn from the challenges and lesson it brings.

Fear has many names like dread, worry, panic, anxiety, and it manifests itself in varied ways as in avoidance procrastination, perfectionism, judgment control, agitation and violence. Fear usually prevents us from living up to our true potential. Whether we are afraid of the dark, of being abandoned failure, commitment, flying or public speaking, fear can affect nearly every decision we make.

In ‘Embracing Fear” Psychotherapist Thom Rutledge tells us that sometimes fear is part of the problem, sometimes fear is the problem – but when we are really paying attention, fear is usually part of solution.

We easily forget that fear is an essential part of our nature, an alarm system, there to get our attention, to push us out of harm’s way. So we need to learn to distinguish between unhealthy or neurotic fear that holds us back, and healthy fear that helps us to move on. Unhealthy fear is persistent, exaggerating and even inventing potential dangers; healthy fear stands guard responsibility, informing us immediately of real danger. Everything that could possibly go wrong now, tomorrow, the day, week, month or year after, do what can be done in the present?

It is only through facing, exploring, accepting and responding to fear that we free ourselves from its paralyzing grip. If befriending or embracing our fear seems too much, then as a first step one can simply acknowledge it: Yes, I feel fear. I recognize it, but I do not have to be led by it.

We can also work with our fear by recognizing it as a sign of the inner work we need to do. What is this fear waking me up to? What am I being asked to develop in myself? What old habits and reactions must I abandon or transform?

What scares or threatens us can easily cause us to become aggressive and selfish, to react in violent ways, to step off the path. Most spiritual traditions teach us that fear is to be ‘met’ if we are to understand it in any measure ands work with it to grow in understanding. On the way to achieving compassion or equanimity or peace or fearlessness, we are called upon to face and get to know that which is disturbing, threatening, disagreeable or fearful; only then can we reach and experience what those and states really are.