Paradox of Liberation

Liberation is believed to be the epitome of achievement of the human form. ‘Desire’ for liberation is contradictory in itself, because liberation is absence of all desires. Sage Ashtavakra said that liberation is merely a blink away. It need not involve any form of penance, effort or endeavour. The identity of self is totally a creation of the self and a figment of imagination. The name and the form, are merely projections of the mind. Liberation is instantaneously becoming aware of the absence of the subject-object dichotomy. Ashtavakra was a realised soul and his discourse to King Janaka forms the contents of Ashavakra Gita predates the Bhagavat Gita. The philosophy as enunciated by Ashtavakra and restated by Sri Ramana Maharshi challenges the basic premise that one has to make any effort to seek liberation – even ashtanga yoga as propounded by Patanjali. The true nature of the Self is beyond all identity and ego. It is plain consciousness. The ego is adulteration of this consciousness by total conviction in this fleeting illusory identity. And then the game of seeking begins, like the dog chasing its own tail. Holding on to the illusion of identity, one goes about seeking. The form can never ever seeking the formless consciousness of which it is a manifestation. It can only merge and this merger can happen only when the form realises the futility of all efforts to be become formless.

(Deepak M. Ranade – Taken from Sri Ramana Jyothi, November 2010)

Guidance from the Mother to Sadhakas

Guidance from the Mother to Sadhakas

The most important surrender is the surrender of your character, your way of being, so that it may change. If you do not surrender your very own nature, never will this nature change. It is this that is most important. You have certain ways of understanding, certain ways of reacting, certain ways of feeling, almost certain ways of progressing, and above all, a special way of looking at life and expecting from it certain things – well, it is this you must surrender. That is, if you truly want to receive the divine Light and transform yourself, it is your whole way of being you must offer – offer by opening it, making it as receptive as possible so that the divine Consciousness which sees how you ought to be, may act directly and change all these movements into movements more true, more in keeping with your own truth. This is infinitely more important than surrendering what one does. It is not what one does (what one does is very important, that’s evident) that is the most important thing but what one IS. Whatever the activity, it is not quite the way of doing it but the state of consciousness in which it is done that is important.

The true lasting quietness in the vital and the physical as well as in the mind comes from a complete consecration to the Divine; for when you can no more call anything, not even yourself, yours, when everything, including your body, sensations, feelings and thoughts, belongs to the Divine, the Divine takes the entire responsibility of all and you have nothing more to worry about.

There is no joy more perfect than to give oneself totally to that which is greater than oneself. God, Supreme Origin, Divine Presence, Absolute Truth – it does not matter what name we give HIM or what aspect we most easily approach HIM through – to forget oneself totally in an integral consecration is the surest path towards Realisation.

To achieve that, one must have an obstinate will and a great patience. But once one has taken the resolution to do it, the divine help will be there to support and to help. This help is felt inwardly in the heart.

Every day, every moment should be an occasion for a new and completer consecration, and not one of those enthusiastic and flurried consecrations, over-active, full of illusions about the work, but a deep and silent consecration which is not necessarily visible but penetrates and transfigures all action. Our mind, solitary and peaceful, should always repose in Thee and from that pure summit have the exact perception of realities, of the sole and eternal Reality behind all unstable and fleeting appearances.

It is always good to look within oneself from time to time and see that one is nothing and can do nothing, but afterwards one must turn one’s eyes to Thee, knowing that Thou art all and Thou canst do all.

... I know only one way out of all troubles and difficulties; it is entire self-giving and consecration to the Divine.

... the least details of life and action, each movement of thought, even of sensation, of feeling, which is normally of little importance, becomes different the moment you look at it asking yourself, “Did I think this as an offering to the Divine, did I feel this as an offering to the Divine?...” If you recall this every moment of your life, the attitude becomes quite different from what it was before. It becomes very wide; it is a chain of innumerable little things each having its own place, whilst formerly you used to let them go by without being aware of them. That widens the field of consciousness. If you take a half-hour of your life and think of it, putting to yourself this question: “Is it a consecration to the Divine?” you will see that the small things become a big thing and you will have the impression that life becomes rich and luminous.

(The Mother, Pondicherry -- Importance of Self-consecration in Sadhanka – “Taken from All India Magazine”, November 2010)

God's Ways God Alone Knows

God’s Ways God Alone Knows

By

Satish K Kapoor

Death is not just a physical fact and the human body, a part of the Universal body, is not the complete man. The Invisible Bing operates through the physical vestment in an eternal process of cosmic evolution.

The Rishis prayed for a full life-span (purnayu) of hundred years. ‘May we see a hundred autumns. May we live a hundred autumns (Rigveda, VII.66.16). ‘Living on are ye; may I live, may I live my whole life –time’ (Atharvanaveda, XIX.69.1); the purpose being ‘multi-benevolent activities’ (Yajurveda XXXV.15).

They why do some leave physical frame early and why some live long? Are they governed by the inexorable laws of nature, having little control?

The questions are baffling and may never be solved to the satisfaction of all. The individual mind can never fully grasp the working of the Universal Mind without merging into it. But after merging, there may be no coming back to narrate the experience. Human souls are like waves on the ocean of cosmic consciousness. Just as solid becomes liquid and liquid turns gaseous under certain conditions, the Supreme Spirit becomes embodied in gross matter and then reverts to its original state, in a process of creative motion. Different types of souls come with different assignments.

There are three types of souls – the evolved, the evolving and those in between. The evolved souls come as incarnations to help, support or guide humankind, kindle he light of love and knowledge, and to dilute negative forces. The evolving souls struggle to attain divinity through ethical means and spiritual activities. The middling category fluctuates between the pure and the impure spheres of consciousness.

Death is not the end of journey of life but the beginning of it as there are lives after lives in the cosmic process of evolution till one attains perfection. The cosmic force working through humans stays in the world till its mission is complete. All human activities are made manifest through the working of natural laws.

The impulse of consciousness is lesser in stone than in plants, lesser in plants than in animals. But it is at optimum level i in humans who can move from self consciousness to universal consciousness. Despite man’s will and his freedom to act, he seems to be no more than a puppet governed by the Universal Mind, which decides his role and duration, before providing him suitable vehicle of matter, and infusing in him the spark of life. Vital breaths allotted to a person are determined by his prarabdha karma or past actions of successive lives which shape the events of his present life.

The question, why do some die young, is the same as asking, why do some die old? Death is inevitability in human time. In cosmic time, there is no death. As the Bhagavad Gita says:

Worn-out garments, Are shed by the body;

Worn-out bodies, Are shed by the dweller

Within the body, New bodies are donned

By the dweller, like garments.

(Part of the article from The Vedanta Kesari of Sri Ramakrishna Mission, November 2010)

For Happy Peace and Luminous and Immutable Serenity

O Lord, I sense the infinite happiness which is the portion of those whose life is entirely consecrated to Thee. And this does not depend upon outer circumstances but on one’s own state of being and its greater or lesser degree of illumination. A perfect consecration to Thy law cannot but bring about modifications in the totality of circumstances, yet it is not these which make possible and express this perfect consecration. I mean that it is not under certain circumstances, always the same for all, that Thy law is manifested; for everyone this manifestation is different according to his temperament, that is, according to the mission which for the moment is assigned to him in physical life.

But what is unchangeable and universal is the happy peace, the luminous and immutable serenity of all those who are closely consecrated to Thee, who no longer have any darkness, ignorance, egoistic attachment or bad will in them.

Oh, may all awake to this divine peace.

(The Mother, Pondicherry -- Taken from The India Magazine, November 2010)

Consecration of One Block is Not Enough

Consecration in One Block Is Not Enough

Although my whole being is in theory consecrated to Thee, O Sublime Master, who art the life, the light and the love in all things, I still find it hard to carry out this consecration in detail.....

How many times a day, still, I act without my action being consecrated to Thee: I at once become aware of it by an indefinable uneasiness which is translated in the sensibility of my body by a pang in my heart. I then make my action objective to myself and it seems to me ridiculous, childish or blameworthy; I deplore it, for a moment I am sad, until I dive into Thee and, there losing myself with a child’s confidence, await from Thee the inspiration and strength needed to set right the error in me and around me, -- two things that are one; for I have now a constant and precise perception of the universal unity determining an absolute interdependence of all actions.

(The Mother, Pondicherry -- Taken from The India Magazine, November 2010)

Conscious and Unconscious Mind

Conscious and Unconscious Mind

The human mind is divided in two parts; conscious and unconscious. Numerous functions take place in the body like seeing, hearing, digestion and respiration which are governed by the unconscious mind, without any effort by the conscious mind. The conscious mind has unlimited capacity for thinking and analysing facts. The Creator has made the conscious mind free to involve itself in great quest for truth. What is truth? It is up to us to discover it... Everyone is a seeker by birth, but everyone lives his/her life without knowing what the real purpose of life is. We want to enjoy life, but we do not know what real enjoyment is. It is a paradoxical situation and everyone is living in this state of self-contradiction. When the Creator has given you a mind and made you free to use it, you should make use of this opportunity. You have to discover the reality. If you want to save yourself from going astray, activate your thinking faculty. Think who you are and what your true nature is, and you will surely reach the gates of truth.

(www.cpsglobal.org – Taken from Sri Ramana Jyoti, October 2010)

Rigours of Advaita Approach

Rigours of Advaita Approach

The advaita tradition maintains that only certain people are qualified to take up the study of Advaita Vedanta. This is because the path of advaita is like walking a tight rope across a ravine. One who is not competent to do so would most certainly get injured. It is out of compassion and regard for such souls that some conditions exist. Adi Sankara presented four basic qualifications:

1. Those who have cleansed their minds by spiritual practices.
2. Those who have achieved a degree of mental calmness.
3. Those who have realised that the cravings of body are ephemeral.
4. Those who sincerely desire liberation or moksha.

(www.nonduality.com – Taken from Sri Ramana Jyoti, October 2010)

Seeing Truly .. The Bhagavad Gita

Seeing Truly ... The Bhagavad Gita

If you see the soul in every living being, you see truly. If you see immortality in the heart of every mortal being, you see truly. If you see God within every man and woman, then you can never do harm to any man or woman. If you see God in yourself, then you attain perfection.

When you see the soul in every living being, you see that all actions are performed by the soul’s energy – though the soul itself does not act. You see that the soul inspires every movement – though the soul itself does not move. When you see that amidst the variety of living beings the soul is the unity, then you attain fulfilment.

The soul has no birth; it cannot be divided into parts; and it has no death; it dwells in the body, but it is not touched by the body. It pervades the universe, but is not affected by anything in the universe. The soul can never be corrupted or stained.

As the sun lights up the world, the soul lights up the body. Those who possess the eye of wisdom, can distinguish the soul from the body – and therefore they can break free from the body.

(Taken from the monthly magazine “Splendour”, November 2010)

The Direct Experience

The Direct Experience

The Buddha held that Reality is beyond sense experience. Like colour, say red, it can only be experienced, not described. Likewise you know the nature of Reality by venturing into your inner self. Those who are anxious to learn must experiment and accept their own findings. They should not be guided by dogmas or creeds, or by doctrines and theories, no matter how profound they may be. They do not have to believe the experiences of others. To the Buddha, self-verification through self-experience is the way to peace of mind, to higher wisdom, to nirvana – which is not an after-life experience. It is here and now.

(Ashoka Vohra – Taken from Sri Ramana Jyoti, October 2010)

The World - A Deception

The World - A Deception

Sri Ramana tells us that the entire world of experience is a mere shadowy illusion like a film projected on a white screen. Where are the characters of the movie before or after or even during the projection? On the screen? They simple are not. We know full well that the entire moving picture is a mere illusion. Sure, we are happily engaged with it and its characters and scenes. We cry with them and laugh with them. But most of us are content to leave them behind in the theatre and get back to our ‘real’ lives. Only few of us get so carried away by these fictional characters that we dream of them at night and, may even long to meet them and interact with them again and again in ‘real’ life as well.

(Dr. Sarada – Taken from Sri Ramana Jyoti, October 2010)

Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness

Progressing on the spiritual path is no easy task – a seeker faces unique challenges that only he can try to overcome. How you connect to the spiritual realm is something you as an individual seeker need to work out for yourself, through trial and error and with some guidance and soul-searching ... The best way for awareness of Self to happen is slowly from within, like day break, when the brightness of the sun is experienced very gently, until it shines forth steadily ... While we cannot come to grips with the core of spirituality through our mind and brain, we can subliminally sense it from the core of our being if our restless mind doesn’t continue its incessant chatter ... The soul already has a subliminal sensing of an abiding awareness. So, once it picks up the spiritual cue again, there will be an intense and soulful reconnect. When such a spiritual moment happens, you feel intensely alive and aware.... If we consciously try to enhance our awareness of the Self here and now, and become as sensitive as a wearthervane (a revolving pointer to show the direction of the wind) to the totality of existence at the present moment, the subconscious dependence of the soul on material objects would disappear.

(S.H. Venkatramani -- Taken from Sri Ramana Jyoti, October 2010)

Ecology: A Holistic Vision

By

Bhama Nagaratnam

Our planet is in crisis – there is the threat of global warming; there are worldwide climatic changes; the glaciers are melting; atmospheric pollution is endangering human health; the ozone layer is being depleted ... The list is getting longer by the day. The cause for this situation is not too far to seek. Humanity has brought this on itself not only by discarding its physical and mental health, but also by polluting the atmospheric health around by its sheer carelessness, callousness and insensitivity, by abusing, misusing and underestimating the power of nature. As a consequence, the forces of nature are turning aggressive now and hitting back at humanity.

Our ancient Rishis envisaged such a situation in their wisdom and being perfect psychologists, cherished and advocated the worship of the Lord in His universal form – technically called “Virat Upasana”. They judiciously wooed nature with devotion, reverence and gratitude, which is evidenced in the numerous prayers to Mother Earth in the form of the five elements and the elementals, thereby seeking her manifold and bountiful blessings.

The entire phenomenal world, with the five elements, the rivers, mountains, forests, the countless trees, oceans and glaciers, the sun, the moon and stars, even the lightning, the morning and evening, are all visualised in our scriptures, not only as inert, insentient, geographical material entities, but also as animated with divinity, compassion and grace. This dual aspect is part and parcel of the vision of our ancient seers.

Special prayers are offered in Hinduism to trees and plants as they are considered to have special divine and efficacious powers. Festivals and fasts are associated with these divine trees and plants and also with some birds and animals. A quick look at a few of the countless prayers and descriptions voiced in our scriptures and literature will bear testimony to this holistic vision.

Valmiki Ramayana

Brahma says to Sri Rama (6.117.20-220):

Sahasracharanah sreemaan, Sahasraseershah sahasradruk

Tvam dhaarayasi bhootaani , Prithvim sarvaparvataan

You are the Supreme Lord, endowed with thousands of feet, thousands of heads, thousands of eyes, sustain all beings, the earth and all the mountains.

Drusyase sarvabhooteshu, braahmaneshu cha goshu cha

Dikshu sarvaasu gagane, parvateshu nadeeshu cha

Thou art manifest in all creatures, in the animals as well as in the holy men. Thou art manifest in all directions, in the sky as well as in the rivers and mountains.

Mahabharata (Shanti Parva, 47.84)

Yasmin sarvam yatah sarvam, yah sarvam sarvatascha yah

Yascha sarvamayo nityam, tasmai sarvaatmane namaha

In HIM all things exist; from Him all originate; He has become all; He exists on every side; He is verily the all. Salutations to Him who is the substratum of everything!

Thus the interdependence of man and Nature was fully realised and appreciated by our seers who advocated rain harvesting, the promotion, construction and maintenance of ponds, lakes and reservoirs, and also emphasised the need for afforestation.

Meaning of a few more references from Anushashana parva:

“That earth which manifests beauty, fertility, variety and richness of mineral ores, and is a suitable habitat of all beings, is considered as the best and most benevolent place.” (58.2)

“The earth as described above, which is also beautified with ponds and lakes, is a real asset as it is a means of attaining both the spiritual and the material goals of human life.” (58.6)

“A person who takes to rain-harvesting and water-storing during the rainy season is truly blessed, as he has thereby safeguarded the life of people throughout the year and provided teh best resort for animals, birds and human beings.” (58.10)

Vedic Prayers:

The five elements are deified and invoked thus:

Tanno vaato mayobhuvaatu bhesajam,

Tanmaataa prithvi tat pitaadyauh

May that Wind God, Mother Earth and Father Firmament bless us with medicines that confer joy.

In another Vedic Prayer, the seer supplicates to the five elements fervently thus:

“Let the winds blow sweetly. May the rivers flow agreeably. May the herbs confer health on us. May night and day be pleasant to us. May the dust of the earth yield us happiness. May the Heavens, our Father, send us happiness. May the trees be benevolent to us. May the sun endow us with happiness. May the cows be beneficial to us”. (Rigveda, 1.90.6-8)

The various Shanti Mantras (Peace chants), seeking the grace of the Almighty to bless the world in its manifold aspects to be at peace with human beings and vice versa, present the same holistic idea thus:

Om dyauh santirantariksham santih

Prithvi santiraapah santirosadhuyah

Santiravanaspatayah santih,visvedevah santih brahma santih

Sarvam santih santireva santih

Saa maa saantiradhi

(Shulka Yajurveda, 36.17)

May the heaven be at peace. May the sky and the earth be at peace. May the waters be at peace let the herbs and the trees be at peace. May all the gods be at peace unto Brahman and unto all be peace, peace. May that peace be unto me.

A few samples from the wonderful Bhumi (Prithvi) Sukta of Atharvana Veda:

“Oh Mother Earth! Whatever lies concealed in you, whatever lies in your mid-region (navel-region) and whatever food variety manifests from your body, may you confer them on us. Purify us. Bless us. My Mother is the Earth; I am her son; let my Father, the Cloud, also confer prosperity on us.” (Atharvana Veda, 12.1.4)

“Let the transgression of stepping on you with my right and left feet, while getting up, sitting down, standing or while walking be pardoned.” (Atharvana Veda 12.1.5).

Yat te bhoome vikhanaami, kshpram tadapi rohatu

Maa te marma vimrugvari, ma ate hridayamarpipam

(Atharvana Vedam, 12.1.6)

Oh Mother Earth, whatever I sow digging (your bosom) may all that grow quickly. Oh you who purify! May we not hurt your vital parts or the heart (central) regions.

In conclusion, we can confidently say that if we contribute to the safe-keeping of Mother Nature, she, being benevolent, will safeguard our happiness. If, on the contrary, we indulge in indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources, then it will not be long before Mother Nature withdraws her bounties in her own catastrophic way. Even a mother’s patience has a limit! Let us wake up to the fact that our spiritual, material and ecological bond with Mother Nature is eternal and enduring and cannot be disregarded except at the cost of wiping out our very existence.

(Taken from the monthly magazine “Tapovan Prasad” of Chinmaya Mission, November 2010)

Thoughts and Aspirations

Thoughts and Aspirations

By

JP Vaswani

You are the builder of your own destiny! Therefore, do not swerve from the path of truth!

God gave; God hath taken; Blessed be His Name!

Learn to depend on yourself, and on God! Therefore, do your own work with your hands. And if here is anything that you find too difficult to do, pray to God. He will make the difficult easy but God helps those who help themselves!

You are unique. God made you for a special purpose. Discover that special purpose.

If we do anything for the love of God, it turns out to be the best. Therefore, every action should be done in a spirit of an offering to the Lord!

Would you be truly independent? Then learn to depend upon God and the Guru!

Life is a great teacher, the greater initiator. Every experience enriches our inner life and leads us onwards in our march towards the True, the Good, the Beautiful, and the Holy.

Fix a goal and keep an unwavering focus on it all the time.

Silence is a great purifier. It is only when our minds are purified that we can behold the Beauteous Face of God. Therefore, spend some time in silence every day.

Do not pray for this or that to happen. Pray that you may grow into an understanding of what God Wills for you. Cooperate with His Will and let it work, uninterrupted and through you!

(Taken from the monthly magazine “Splendour”, November 2010)

Essence of Advaita Vedanta

Essence of Advaita Vedanta

By

Sri Sankara Bhagavadpada

I remember in the morning the Self which shines in the heart, which is existence-consciousness-bliss, which is the goal to be attained by Paramahamsa sanyasins, which is called the ‘fourth’ because it is beyond he three states of waking, dream and deep sleep, and which always witnesses the states of waking, dream and deep sleep. I am that Brahman which is indivisible and not the aggregate of the five elements, ether, air, fire, water and earth.

I worship in the morning that supreme effulgent Being Who is spoken of (in the Vedas) as unborn, changeless, and the highest, Who is inaccessible to the mind and whom words cannot directly describe, but by whose blessing the faculty of speech functions, and who is described in the Upanishads by the words ‘not this, not this’.

I bow down in the morning to the infinite, eternal Being Who is known as the supreme Purusha, Who is beyond the darkness of ignorance, Who is resplendent like the sun, Who is everything and on Whom this entire universe appears, just as rope appears as a snake.

Subdue Ego Through Ichcha Sakti

Subdue Ego Through Ichcha Sakti

We cannot be successful in either the external world or in the internal world while we are tossed about by a powerful ego. What is required is a strong will or ichcha sakti which can take care of the ego. The power of will is like spring whose source is the Pure Being. It infuses mind and body with enthusiasm, courage and energy to act ... Ego is characterised by stubbornness, selfishness, and unwillingness to compromise. The ego is like a little pool in which an egoistic person is crouching like a frog. From his perspective, only his own feelings and his own voice are meaningful. When we are egoistical we lose our composure the moment our feelings are slightly bruised. All problems are caused by colliding egos. A strong ego is as much of an obstacle in spiritual practice as it is in worldly maters. The solution is not to kill the ego but to do our best to purify, transform and guide it properly. This can be done by applying both our intelligence and power of discrimination. When we meditate, practice contemplation, pray, study the scriptures, serve others, and seek the company of the wise, we make our ego pure and less confined. The purified ego, accompanied by a sharpened intellect, gets a glimpse of the next level of awareness. As the ego of a dedicated seeker merges with teh Infinite, the veil of duality lifts, and the purified ego sees the whole universe in itself and itself in the whole universe.

(www.Himalayaninstitute.in – Taken from Sri Ramana Jyothi, November 2010)

Three Modes of Total Self-giving

Three Modes of Total Self-giving

Three typical modes of total self-giving to the Divine:

1. To transport oneself at His feet, giving up all pride in perfect humility.

2. To unfold one’s being before Him, open one’s whole body from head to foot, as one opens a book, exposing one’s centres so as to make all their movements visible in a complete sincerity that allows nothing to remain hidden.

3. To nestle in His arms, to mere in Him in a loving and absolute trust.

These movements may be accompanied by three formulas or any one of them according to the case:

1. Let Thy Will be done and not mine.

2. As Thou willest, as Thou willest.

3. I am Thine for eternity.

Generally, with these movements are done in the true way, they are followed by a perfect identification, a dissolution of the ego, giving rise to a sublime felicity.

(The Mother, Pondicherry ... Taken from All India Magazine, November 2010)

Mind

Knowledge always helps, strengthens and supports. Make it so. Here are some values and truths, which will, if you assimilate, enrich and empower you: .... Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

1. Mind alone is the agent that makes or mars life. Its wealth is the real wealth. Its poverty is the real poverty. Make it rich every day and every hour.

2. Mind’s laws are even more powerful, unfailing, than those of physics and chemistry.

3. You will always be led to what you rightly deserve or need. Also, what you are led to, is and will be, what you rightly deserve or need. Have this either as a faith or as an understanding.

4. Every day you are irresistibly driven towards fulfilment. The manner in which this takes place may not be always clear to you. To grasp it clearly is your continuous task.

5. Have therefore confidence, hope and reliance. All these are, in fact, mind’s own qualities and enrichments. Keeping the mind, and being its owner, do not fail or lag behind in becoming richer every day. Such inner riches do not corrupt anyone. External riches, on the other hand, may well vitiate the possessor.

6. Take these words from me: Do not fear. Avoid doubting. Be open, wholehearted. Avoid pretensions. Whenever so needed, close your eyes, and look within for the right guidance and inspiration. Have hope. Shine in the Supreme Light which engulfs and graces every one, more so the fond believer and one who relies on Providence!
(Taken from the monthly magazine “Vichaarasetu”, November 2010)

Udar -- The Mother of Pondicherry

Udar

(An inmate of the Ashram) narrates his conversation with the Mother:

One day I asked the Mother, “I have been doing the yoga for many years but I am not absolutely certain how to do the yoga of Sri Aurobindo. I read all the books and try to do the yoga but I am not certain how far I have progressed.” I asked the Mother to help me.

“You are doing it all wrong,” She said. I became utterly nonplussed.

“But what shall I do?” I asked.

She replied, “I will do the yoga for you.” I was thrilled!

“What do I have to do?” I then asked.

“Give yourself over to me and I will do it for you,” She said.

I asked, “How do I surrender?” She asked me, “Do you sincerely want to?” I answered, “yes, certainly Mother.”

Then the Mother asked, “When you get up in the morning what is the first thing you do?”

I said, “I brush my teeth.” She asked, “How do you brush your teeth?”

I wondered, “How?! Like everybody else does.”

She said, “Then you are doing it unconsciously. Instead, think of me while you are doing it. Think that I am doing it.

“Or when you are wishing your face, think that I am doing it with you, or when you are eating that I am eating with you, that I am enjoying your food with you.”

She added, “When you go to sleep that is the time when you should be very conscious of me. Let me put you to sleep and then the whole night you will have a conscious sleep. When you awake and begin your day you will then begin it in a more conscious way.”

(Source: Udar, One of Mother’s Children, p.141 – Taken from The India Magazine, November 2010)

Be in the Present and Realise the Self

Be in the Present and Realise the Self

By

Michael James

Past and future are both only thoughts that occur in the present. So any thought about any moment or period of time other than the precise present moment will distract our attention away from our own ever-present self-conscious being. ‘I am’. Therefore, ignoring all thoughts of the past or future, we should contrite only on being – uninterruptedly and unforgettingly – self-attentive now, at this present moment.

The experience of absolutely clear self-knowledge will dawn in just a single moment – that is, a single moment of completely uninterrupted self-attentiveness – and that single moment is available to us at each and every moment. Therefore, our aim at any moment should not be to be uninterruptedly self-attentive for a certain period of time, or even for all time to come, but should only to be uninterruptedly self-attentive – wholly and exclusively self-conscious – now, at this very moment.

This present moment is the only moment that is now available to us to experience ourself as we really are. Therefore, forgetting every other moment, let us just be wholly and uninterruptedly self-attnetive now. Just be vigilant at this very moment to concentrate our entire attention on our present self-consciousness, thereby preventing it from being interrupted now by even the least momentary pramada or self-negligence.

(Taken from the monthly magazine “Splendour”, November 2010)

Art of Forgiving

Art of Forgiving

By

Ragini Gulati

All of us have been wronged by someone or the other. As we carry on with those grudges, we not only allow the other person to hurt us, but also let him control our life each moment. Revenge and turmoil eat our soul and engulf our life.

The most creative power given to human beings is the power to heal the wounds of the past, the power to forgive.

Forgiveness is a gift that God has given us for healing ourselves. It aligns us with the cosmic scheme through which we learn to accept the occurrence of events in our lives. Forgiving is the essence of spirituality because it liberates us from our suffering.

Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism, is full of verses that emphasise the need to forgive. “Bure da bhala mana gussa man na vasa” (Be grateful to the one who is bad to you since he is only an instrument. Don’t allow anger to fester in your mind), goes one verse.

We think that forgiveness is an excuse for escapism, inaction or cowardice and only those who cannot fight forgive. But there is a difference between fearing and forgiving. It is incorrect to believe that our decision to forgive will turn us into a coward. The Bible says forgiving is a sign of power.

Forgiving does not require us to reunite with the person who broke our rust, nor does it mean we accept the person’s behaviour. It merely means that we erase the “hate” within ourselves and stop living a life of torment and pain. Forgiveness heals the past releasing ill-will against the person while not forgetting the pain that guides our future actions.

The first step to forgiveness is recognising that by holding on to our grudges to make the other person unhappy we are actually making ourselves unhappy.

The truth is that attachment to the hurtful past does not harm the other person, but negatively impacts our emotional well-being . Martin Luthar had said “forgiveness is pure happiness”.

(Hindustan Times – Ideas Exchange)

LOVE

Love

(Some important quotes from the book “Discovering Love” by Swami Dayananda Saraswati)

Love is not an ordinary topic that we understand. Love is something that is hard to find.

Love is not a calculated emotion; it does not measure, demand or set agenda.

Love is reckless, it gives all the way helplessly because it is the nature of live.

Lack of self-love and acceptance makes me turn away from myself and others. Otherwise, I cannot absorb love even if it is lavished on me.

Love is that fundamental emotion that accommodates another person and provides you the space to understand them.

Love is not something to be swallowed, love has to be discovered.

Diverse manifestations of one single emotion which we call love.

It is the love for the self that drives all human beings to do actions.

Emotions and their nuances are many, but all of them have their basis in one emotion, which is love.

Kama does not mean lust or passion as is commonly understood. It is love for the desired object.

Heading the list of desires, interestingly, are the husband and wife.

We love others not for the sake of the other but for our own sake, we love that which is connected to us and brings us pleasure and joy.

In marriage, moksha is the goal, with two pilgrims meaningfully coming together. This is symbolised by the seven steps, saptapadi: the first step for prosperity, second step for progeny, the third for health, fourth and fifth for the health of both their parents, six for friendship and finally the seventh step for Dharma.

Marriage is amongst equals. Marriage becomes a pilgrimage only when two equals join together because the sacrament of marriage is a means for an end; marriage is not an end in itself. With trust, when two persons with two different interests understand each other, and start doing something together, this is what we call love.

In understanding, there is love. That is why marriage becomes an important institution for human emotional well-being.

‘I love you’, implies a complete acceptance of the other, inclusive of the person’s limitations and weaknesses.

If you want to be happy at all times and at all places, happiness must be your true nature.

When desires and emotions become wants and demand fulfilment, the inability to do so makes your life replete with unfulfilled desires.

The word, ‘happiness’ is better defined as freedom from the sense of limitation, freedom from the sense of want, freedom from the attempt to become, and it is this freedom, moksha, which is your rue nature. It is this wholeness, fullness, or purnatva that you seek and it is your true nature.

Love can have many facets such as compassion, empathy, service and so many others. It creates a condition to help you understand yourself. There can be love only when there is understanding, otherwise love cannot sustain. Love is only when you free yourself from your agenda for the other. Love and understanding are not possible if they are pre-existing conditions.

In absolute terms love is Ananda. It is a manifest form of Atman, the wholeness of Atman which is why love accommodates, because it is whole. Since it is whole (purna) in itself, any omission or commission on the part of the other does not cause concern.

Lack of understanding turns love into obsession and causes the need for control. When you cannot control the object of your love, dislike can even turn into hatred and cause you to destroy that which you love. Hatred is only unfulfilled love. Jealousy is also love. When someone else gets the thing you love and want, you become jealous. Jealousy is another ramification of love and is the most illegitimate of emotions.

Anger is also love. When your love for something is thwarted or denied, you are in pain, which manifests itself as anger. You need to be aware of yourself; you need an insight into your inner world.

There is only one emotion which is real, which is your nature, and that is love—love as compassion, sympathy, understanding, giving, yielding, and as friendliness also. It is not a question of should or should not; it is what you are. It is a question of understanding; it is not to be commanded or demanded. When you see any suffering, you pick up the pain. This is empathy, this is natural. The world u through empathy and invokes compassion. Compassion, in turn, moves you to act, to reach out and help.

It is the loving person who is truly eligible for discovering that he or she is the content of love, which is fullness. It is this fullness that manifests in the form of love. The dynamic form of Ananda is love.

Only if you can discover love for yourself as a person, and the individual, you have an infrastructure to absorb and receive love. Then, you can give love without loss, without reservation. The self is love, the self is everything. It is the content of love itself.

If you look at yourself as an individual, you find that it is difficult, if not impossible, to have self-love. Whatever be the reason, the fact is, you have been placed in a particular situation over which you have no choice. Your parentage, physical body, mind, fences, emotions, intellect, memory, all these are given to you, and so is the world around you. Everything has in order a scheme of things with laws. There is a physiological order, psychological order, social order, etc. Besides these orders, you have the cognitive order which deals with how you gather knowledge and whether the knowledge is right or wrong. You have to use your cognition to manage your life.

The only way you can understand Iswara is by knowing he is in the form of this intelligent order, this complete and all-encompassing order. The entire order is Iswara, Sat-Chit-Ananda with the power of Maya, the Sakthi.

The moment you accept yourself as being in order, as being a part of the vast order that is Isvara, your life becomes successful. By following Dharma you will be in harmony with Isvara.

It is your own anxieties, fears, and your agenda for others that separates you from the world, from understanding.

The more loving you are, the easier it is for you to understand what the Sastra says. The wholeness naturally comes to manifest; it does not remain as an ideal. It is this wholeness that you love. When all that is here is one whole, where is the question of your not loving? When you understand this, you have discovered love.

Be in the Present and Realise the Self

Be in the Present and Realise the Self

By

Michael James

Past and future are both only thoughts that occur in the present. So any thought about any moment or period of time other than the precise present moment will distract our attention away from our own ever-present self-conscious being. ‘I am’. Therefore, ignoring all thoughts of the past or future, we should contrite only on being – uninterruptedly and unforgettingly – self-attentive now, at this present moment.

The experience of absolutely clear self-knowledge will dawn in just a single moment – that is, a single moment of completely uninterrupted self-attentiveness – and that single moment is available to us at each and every moment. Therefore, our aim at any moment should not be to be uninterruptedly self-attentive for a certain period of time, or even for all time to come, but should only to be uninterruptedly self-attentive – wholly and exclusively self-conscious – now, at this very moment.

This present moment is the only moment that is now available to us to experience ourself as we really are. Therefore, forgetting every other moment, let us just be wholly and uninterruptedly self-attnetive now. Just be vigilant at this very moment to concentrate our entire attention on our present self-consciousness, thereby preventing it from being interrupted now by even the least momentary pramada or self-negligence.

(Taken from the monthly magazine “Splendour”, November 2010)

Thoughts and Aspirations

Thoughts and Aspirations By JP Vaswani

You are the builder of your own destiny! Therefore, do not swerve from the path of truth!

God gave; God hath taken; Blessed be His Name!

Learn to depend on yourself, and on God! Therefore, do your own work with your hands. And if there is anything that you find too difficult to do, pray to God. He will make the difficult easy but God helps those who help themselves!

You are unique. God made you for a special purpose. Discover that special purpose.

If we do anything for the love of God, it turns out to be the best. Therefore, every action should be done in a spirit of an offering to the Lord!

Would you be truly independent? Then learn to depend upon God and the Guru!

Life is a great teacher, the greater initiator. Every experience enriches our inner life and leads us onwards in our march towards the True, the Good, the Beautiful, and the Holy.

Fix a goal and keep an unwavering focus on it all the time.

Silence is a great purifier. It is only when our minds are purified that we can behold the Beauteous Face of God. Therefore, spend some time in silence every day.

Do not pray for this or that to happen. Pray that you may grow into an understanding of what God Wills for you. Cooperate with His Will and let it work, uninterrupted and through you!

(Taken from the monthly magazine “Splendour”, November 2010)

Consciousness as Guide

Consciousness as Guide

Life is a journey to the infinite. You can never say that this is the end. It is always a beginning.... If we want to get free from time, we must get free from past and future. We hold on and then we say we are not free. Learn to leave fast, never possess, and get free from past and future: time will be with you and you will be fully free.... We are always absent from life. We are in the past or future, with memories of the past or fears and hopes of the future.... Why do you invoke memories? Because you miss something and when you miss something you open the album. The power of now, of the present, is so great and full you won’t miss anything... Spirituality means to live with that consciousness. Bring your Self to the front seat so that you direct your own movements. Life is movement and the movement needs a guide. Consciousness is the guide.

(Swami Brahmadev – Taken from Sri Ramana Jyothi, November 2010)

Five Kinds of Disturbance

Five Kinds of Disturbance ... Patanjali

1. Information from the senses has three aspects: direct perception of objects through the senses; thinking about those objects; and drawing conclusions about them; and learning about objects from other people.

2. Curiosity arises from the false belief that knowledge of external objects is true knowledge.

3. Concepts, theories and ideals engender goals which are false – which do not lead to freedom from disturbance.

4. Depression arises from the acceptance of evil as genuine and permanent, and hence the conviction that freedom from evil is impossible.

5. Memory turns perceptions of transient events and objects into permanent figments of the imagination. In this way, it causes people to confuse transience with permanence.

(Taken from the monthly magazine “Splendour”, November 2010)

Ten Guidelines from God

10 Guidelines from God.....

Effective Immediately, please be aware that there are changes YOU need to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may fulfill My promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I apologize for any inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. Please, follow these 10 guidelines

1. QUIT WORRYING:

Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:

Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to Me. And although My to-do-list is long, I am after all... God. I can take care of anything you put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

3. TRUST ME:

Once you've given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list. Problem with finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For My sake, put it on My list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE:

Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME:

I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include Me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with Me. I want to be your dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH:

I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where you are. Have faith in Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me; you wouldn't want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE:

You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time.. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry.. Share your faith with those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT:

I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to-do-list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND:

Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake. I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF:

As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only -- to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Don't ever forget.......

Note: I received this from a friend and I have no idea who wrote it, but I was so touched by it, that I had to share it with you. I hope that you will be blessed by it and will share it with others. Touch someone with your love. Rather than focus upon the thorns of life, smell the roses and count your blessings!

The Principle of Japa

The Principle of Japa by Prof. Eknath Easwaran

The repetition of the Holy Name or mantra, called japa, can bring us lasting benefits on the physical, mental and spiritual levels. The impact of mantra is based on the theory of vibrations. According to this theory, from the Great Silence there issued one Creative Word. ‘In the beginning was Brahman, with whom was the Word; and the Word was truly the supreme Brahman.’ This verse from the Rig Veda has an almost exact parallel in the Gospel according to St. John: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.’

According to this theory, sabda or sound is the subtle stuff out of which the phenomenal world has emanated, and every object may therefore be looked upon as sound of a particular concentration. In other words, this world of name and form is sabda (sound) manifesting itself at varying levels of vibrations.

As contrasted with the words of language, Om or Aum is a ‘natural name’ in which there is an intrinsic and inherent connection between name and rupa, between the sound and substance, between the Word and the Reality in represents. To quote Swami Vivekananda: The first letter A is the root sound, which is pronounced without touching any part of the tongue or palate; M represents the last sound in the series, being pronounced by the closed lips, and U rolls from the very root to the end of the sounding board of the mouth. Thus Om or Aum represents the whole sound-producing phenomenon. According to the Katha Upanishad, Om is Brahman. It is the strongest support, it is the highest symbol. He who knows it is revered as a knower of Brahman.

How can one make mantra an integral part of one’s consciousness? The mantra has to be repeated in the mind as often as we can – while walking, driving, while doing mechanical chores, etc. When we are angry, afraid or otherwise agitated let us go for brisk walk, repeating the mantra in the mind. Gradually, the rhythm of our step, the rhythm of our breath and the rhythm of the mantra will blend into a healing harmony to transform the negative emotion. The mantra acts as a tremendous transformer. At bedtime, after lying down, let us close our eyes and keep repeating the mantra until we fall asleep. This may be difficult at first, but we are likely to be pleasantly surprised at the ease with which we get good sleep as a consequence of this practice.

As the mantra sinks into the deeper levels of consciousness, a wave of bliss begins to rise up from the Sea of Bliss, that is the Atma. After years of patience and practice, we no longer have to perform japa consciously because the mantra has become an integral part of our consciousness. It is now ajapa japa (japa without japa) in which the mantra goes on repeating itself.

One in whom the mantra has become an integral part of consciousness carries God with him into all his work and into all places, and God alone does all his work. He seeks nothing but God, nothing seems good to him but God. He becomes one with God in every thought.

(Taken from Sri Ramana Jyoti – November 2010)