From Relativism and Rootlessness to Conviction and Connectedness

Over the last few weeks I have had some conversations that inspire this post, the topic of which is relativism as a worldview and perspective, specifically applying to faith, spirituality and religion, and its relation to a rootlessness which I see so widely prevalent in the world today. This rootlessness has its source in spiritual rootlessness and cuts across generations,  including not only my own (comprising of people at middle age in the age range of 30-60 years), but to a lesser extent in the previous generation of our parents, and it will unfortunately be more prevalent in the coming generation of our children.

The purpose of this essay is to explain that rootlessness and relativism are both simultaneously the cause and effect of the other, and to point out the remedy to these twin problems which when properly applied leads to conviction and connectedness. These insights come from my direct experience which is validated by Hindu scriptural texts. This essay will be of special interest to readers who are of the Hindu faith, or who are interested in the same, although it is broadly applicable to all faiths. In other words, it speaks to a universal condition.

The positive outcome that I envision from writing this essay is that the reader will be able to take steps available in his or her own spiritual and religious tradition and discover the necessary wisdom to lead a way of life that is firmly rooted in faith and conviction born of direct experience, which will then allow them to be a lighthouse and anchor to everyone around them. Then rootlessness is replaced by connectedness at the most fundamental level. Such people can inspire their children to be rooted in their family spiritual tradition and yet follow a tolerant and all-embracing way of life that is full of love, understanding, compassion and humility; these being the hallmarks of true spiritual wisdom.

Recent conversations with family and friends both in India and the US alerted me to this interesting finding that many Indians of my generation, and even in my extended family, suffer from a relativist outlook which reflects a lack of conviction or faith. Now what do I mean by relativism. Relativism is a lack of conviction in the spiritual and religious tradition that one was raised in, stemming from a lack of true understanding of one’s spiritual and religious heritage. Relativism is actually the milder symptom of the disease that stems from a lack of true understanding of one’s spiritual and religious heritage. Its far more dangerous cousin is fundamentalism, which leads to a blind belief in the superiority of one's religion that is unaccommodating of any other viewpoint. Disavowing fundamentalism from the outset, we are still confronted by this worldwide phenomenon that the vast majority of ‘educated’ persons in my generation are fundamentally ambivalent about their faith and religion, and are unconvinced, and therefore ignorant, of how to practice and follow their faith. In this way, relativism leads to rootlessness and a disconnection from the spiritual and religious traditions of one’s birth family. This spiritual relativism leads in turn to moral and ethical relativism, and an inability to take a stand on modern-day social issues, or to articulate it effectively to others, most importantly to one’s own children. Intuitively many parents know what is right and they know that sometimes what their children are doing is wrong. However, they do not seem to have the moral authority to articulate it, nor do they seem to know the procedures for standing by those moral positions in such a way as to inspire their children to follow the desired path. In the event that their children fall from dharma, or right action, the parents lack the mental strength born of moral conviction to disavow their behavior and association until such time as better wisdom prevails. Decline of family tradition leads to decline of communities and society as a whole, so this is a matter of vital importance.

I am most aware of this relativism and ambivalence towards one’s faith in the Hindu context but there are indications that other faiths suffer from this as well. It is almost as if a modern education with a scientific and rational basis—what I will refer to as a modern liberal Western education—has effectively severed our generation’s genuine connection with spirituality and religion. (This is not a necessary outcome because it is possible to reconcile a scientific and rational worldview with Vedic thought, the two not being contrary to, or contradictory of, each other.) Essentially we have a whole generation of Hindus who cannot articulate what it means to be a Hindu, who have poor knowledge of the Hindu faith and a less-than-passing acquaintance with its principles, who do not know their spiritual and religious traditions and practices or their scriptural basis, and are therefore unable to pass any of this on to their children. They hold on to some religious observances or practices from memories of their childhood and these they improvise as best as they are able in their current lives in different countries far from their land of birth. Prior to having children they may actually have even been proud of their ignorance of their faith and neglect of its practices, but now that they feel a need to transmit something to their children but they do not know what to transmit and how to do it. As a consequence, they feel rootless and so do their children.

This rootlessness in turn feeds on relativism, which roughly translates to “I don’t really know. All paths are really fine. Everything is after all subjective. All perspectives are after all relative. Any path is fine since all paths should eventually lead to the same truth. Surely any person is free to follow any spiritual or religious path of their choosing and so should my children.” Thus deluding themselves with seemingly broad-minded and liberal words, there are many who take an easy way out, forgetting that a truly emancipated and liberal attitude requires years of personal discipline and hard sAdhanA. Also there seems to be a deep fear that being rooted in one’s faith and religious tradition will somehow make one appear to be intolerant or narrow-minded. The observant Hindu today is easily misidentified as traditional and conservative and then judged to be ignorant and narrow-minded.

This relativist attitude is furthered by the perhaps well-intentioned words of several popular swAmis and so-called gurus whose easy-to-swallow placebo mantra is “Be as you are.” This is surely a deceptively attractive so-called “spiritual” way of living that the ego is so easily drawn to. Seduced by this kind of thinking, the ego argues “All I have to do is just continue being the way I am. My true nature is perfect after all.” Such flowery words are easy to dispense and accept when the hard toil of sAdhanA has not even begun, but they do not lead anywhere close to the Truth. Such statements are certainly true in the highest sense but that state is only reached after tremendous spiritual effort. There is much New Age nonsense about living effortlessly. Then surely it would follow that the likes of BhagavAn SrI RamaNa were ignorant fools and sinners to perform such great tapasyA to attain the Truth! No, rather the contrary is true. The Vedas, the scriptural texts of the shad-darshaNas and the PurANas are full of stories of great spiritual effort and toil, and only a fool in Kali Yuga will believe that true spiritual gain is obtained effortlessly. Even a dunce in the material world recognizes that gain in the material world is preceded by effort, what to say of gains in the spiritual world!

To those who have read this far and recognize the malaise of rootlessness and relativism, I will now offer my insight into its remedy. This spiritual relativism stems from a lack of sAdhanA and weakness of the Guru principle. It leads to rootlessness, most starkly manifesting as a spiritual and religious rootlessness, which in turn leads to a moral and ethical ambivalence. In its most extreme manifestation it leads to people adopting religious/spiritual traditions and beliefs that are different from the ones of the birth family in which they were raised. The specific examples that prompted my observation relate to Indians raised in a Hindu brAhmin family in the Vedic tradition, but this malaise is worldwide and cuts across all religions. It leads to a rootlessness in people that is sometimes even coupled with a genuine spiritual seeking which is unfortunately uninformed of the great treasures lying right in their own tradition, and leads them to seek this truth in other traditions. In its mild form it leads to flirtation with other spiritual and religious practices, and in extreme cases to temporary or permanent religious conversion. I find that in some rare cases of conversion to the Hindu faith (all cases of which I know are voluntary) this yields successful results with true spiritual growth, but not always. I have not yet seen a case of conversion from the Hindu faith to another which has resulted in genuine spiritual growth that was not possible had the aspirant stayed within the Hindu faith.

All my life, and more so recently, I have been convinced that although the Eternal Truth is the same and has been most certainly seen by many great Seers in traditions other than the Vedic and Hindu tradition, there is something superior to the Vedic insight. I know I am treading dangerous ground here and many of my so-called friends may disown me for saying this, but I must aver this to be true because it stems from my direct experience following spiritual practice. In the following I will try to explain why I am convinced of the superiority of the Vedic tradition and the insight it affords. Those who are patient and willing to read further may see the truth in my argument, which stems from direct experience and is not a mere parroting or regurgitation of book knowledge. 

The Truth being unvarying and accessed in samAdhi is necessarily the same, whether it is apprehended by one of the three great Gurus, namely, SrI Adi ShankarAcArya, BhagavAn SrI RamaNa MahaRShi, or SrI RAmakRShNa, or by Jesus or Rumi or the Buddha, or by oneself. Even so, the direct experience of this Truth is accessible to only very few. The Bhagavad GItA estimates that it is about one in a million human beings who actually has this experience, and that was in the dvApara Yuga. In the seventh adhyAya verse 3 of the Bhagavad GItA, SrI KRShNa tells Arjuna manushyANAm sahasreshu kascid yatati siddhaye, yatatam api siddhAnAm kascin mAm vetti tattvatah—“Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.” One can safely assume that this fraction is certainly no more than one in a million, and very likely less, in Kali Yuga. Given this situation, the vast majority of people in the world need a specific set of guidelines and rules to live by. In the Vedic tradition this is called dharma. Dharma has a three-fold aspect: svadharma, Vedic dharma and vyavahArika dharma. Svadharma is the duty of each conscious being to strive to know one’s true nature through meditation and self-study. Svadharma and Vedic dharma pertain the Eternal and from those are derived vyavahArika dharma which is changeable, being subject as it is to time, place and circumstance (desh, kAla and paristhiti). The closer the three are in alignment (and the first two are always in alignment), the more aligned is the individual and society with the Eternal and Universal dharma or Rta.

The principal difficulty with spiritual and religious traditions other than the Vedic tradition—the nAstika schools—is that their Seers did not produce a systematic and graded manual for spiritual evolution that is widely applicable to all human beings. This is the single greatest gift of the Vedic tradition. The reason for this is that the Rshis, being great psychologists and sociologists, realized that dharma has both Eternal and adaptable aspects, and the explanation of the adaptable or vyavahArika aspect requires  the interpretation by a contemporary Seer. Only a genuine Seer can comment on how the ethical and moral questions of the day must be answered in such a way that is harmonious and relevant in today’s world and yet in accord with the Eternal dharma. So a living faith tradition or spiritual path requires both a system that allows this re-interpretation of the Eternal dharma, and contemporary genuine Seers qualified to undertake this re-interpretation. Although we have so-called religious heads for the various major religions of the world, in Kali Yuga their actions do not indicate that they are genuine Seers of the Truth and hence they lose the qualification and authority to interpret dharma. Various other so-called visionaries have also cropped up who try to re-interpret dharma and they may serve some purpose no doubt, but still the vast populace remains rootless. 

The reason why Islam is now perceived as so horrendous when its original Seer the Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon Him, did indeed have a genuine vision of the Truth, is that it does not have an built-in system like the Vedic tradition which allows for an adaptable set of laws (vyavahArika dharma), that can be reconciled with an eternally applicable set of laws (like the Vedic dharma). Blindly following the laws specific to a particular time, place and circumstance in another situation leads to disharmony and violence. Nor in recent times have we seen a genuine contemporary Seer in that tradition who was capable of interpreting the original insights. The same can be said for Judaism and Christianity. This is not to say that the current Pope is not wise in articulating the eternal values and truths—the Ten Commandments are indeed eternal and hold for all time—but it is plain that the Vatican has had such a difficult time in coming up with a compassionate and sensible interpretation of the moral and ethical issues of our day: including abortion, contraception, homosexuality, divorce, etc. Even if their stand on these issues is correct, they have difficulty articulating it in a way that is convincing. On this score the present-day Hindu religious establishment has not fared any better, but probably worse, for it does not even seem to acknowledge modern social issues, let alone respond to them. So each Hindu has to take personal responsibility. Interestingly, the Rev. Martin Luther King’s message was rooted in the belief that man-made laws cannot contradict eternal laws or social justice and peace would not reign on earth.

So returning to the main point of this essay, the cure to rootlessness and relativism is for each Hindu to adopt a personal, daily spiritual practice. First of all I feel it is important to be aware that if you are born a Hindu you are greatly blessed and the path to Bliss is easily accessible to you, but you must put your faith into practice. One does not need to reinvent any new practice for this. Our scriptures clearly state that the first nityakarma, or daily activity, that is required of the three upper castes (which I will interpret shortly) is the sandhyAvandanam. In other words, if you consider yourself a Hindu and you are not solely wedded to the pursuit of sense pleasure (which is the definition of a shUdra, and this is not decided by birth but by one’s behavior), then the simple daily practice of sandhyAvandanam will lead to all the other practices and spiritual knowledge and insight that is necessary for conviction, born of direct experience, in the Vedic way of life. This conviction sets an end to rootlessness and yields the correct insight into all three aspects of dharma. For the Christian the appropriate practice would be the Lord’s daily prayer and for the Muslim, the namaz.

The other practices for a Hindu are the discharge of the three-fold debt to the pitRs, devas and Rshis. Honor your ancestors on the tithi and amAvAsya days with pitR tarpaNam and remember the spiritual heritage they have blessed you with. Do not be careless with the kAryas for the devas as instructed in the taittirIya Upanishad (devapitRkAryAbhyAm na pramaditavyam). Study the Vedas and Upanishads to discharge the debt to the RShis. The Vedic and Hindu spiritual path is decidedly an experiential approach, not armchair philosophy. One must engage in it and practice it with full devotion uninterruptedly for an extended period of time to truly understand its power and benefit. Cf. Yoga Sutra- sa tu dIrgha kale nairAntarya satkAra asevitAh dRDha bhUmih.

Ultimately, realization of the ultimate Truth (sarvam khalvidam brahmA) will necessarily have to reveal the cause of your manifestation as a Hindu and guide you in how to conduct the remainder of that bodily manifestation. No religion or spiritual tradition other than Hinduism can lead you to that revelation. Only a mother (in this case the Vedas) knows the true nature and identity of the child, and only she can reveal that to the child. And again, the very purpose of Vedic inquiry is to understand one’s identity with the body, with the mind, name and form and to transcend these to understand who the real I is. On this quest it is surely foolish to now adopt new identities as a convert to another religion! One must first understand one’s identity taken on in this birth in order to transcend it; not go around acquiring new ones! There is nothing about the Truth which is not in the Vedas that is there in any other religion or spiritual practice. Truly I say, the Vedic insight is the mother of all spiritual insights.

Nevertheless, the purpose of this essay is not to dissuade those who want to convert from Hinduism—that is merely their past karma and none, not even Shiva, can cure them of that aparAdham (which in the sense of tripurA rahasya is want of faith in the scripture and teachings of vedAnta and the Guru)—but the intent here is merely to strengthen the faith of those who may be seeking that. Indeed relativism and restlessness are nothing but aparAdham: the first impediment to Self-Realization as described in the tripurA rahasya. At the same time the wise Hindu does not seek to convert anyone to his faith either. The proper spiritual evolution of each jIva is to continue in their faith tradition for that birth. This has always been the Hindu way: to respect and allow all faiths their practices, for SrI KRShNa says in the Bhagavad GitA ninth adhyAya, ye’py anya-devata-bhakta yajante sraddhayanvitah, te’pi mam eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-purvakam “Even those who pray to other gods with faith, in truth they worship Me alone although in ways not prescribed.” This catholicism of outlook I have not seen in any other faith or religion. Converting to Christianity or Islam will leave you having to confront your identity at birth as a heathen or infidel! There are very rare instances where a jIva born in another religion or faith converts to Hinduism due to rapid spiritual progress in this janma itself. I have had the benefit of knowing two individuals in whom I could say this was mostly successful and inspiring, but even in these cases there are some residual challenges and obstacles of various sorts that persist and lead to occasional misunderstanding of the true import of the Vedas. In the vast majority of conversions to the Hindu faith there is great danger of misinterpretation of the Vedas by the newly converted and great confusion and infamy can be brought to the Vedas and the Hindu faith itself due to these misinterpretations. For this reason our AcAryas never welcomed conversion into the faith. The esoteric practices in the Vedas require great shraddhA and devotion and are not accessible to one and all. The goal here is not to exclude the sincere seeker but it was born of wisdom that gave insight into the past karmas and samskAras of these initially enthusiastic converts.

May all gain conviction in the faith and spiritual traditions of their birth family, and through connectedness to that identity, eventually transcend it and feel eternally connected to their true nature.

Sarve janAh sukhino bhavantu.

Om shAntih shAntih shAntih.

Prayer to Yama: Reflections on Illness and Death

O Yama, Great Restrainer of yore, I will recognize you when you come to me to remind me that the time for embodiment is over. You are the Restrainer of the Macrocosm, and only by restraining the mind in the microcosm can you be known. Although you are depicted as fearsome, you are not so at all. You are merely the First Restrainer. Long ago, when I was wise, I was you. So I/You was appointed as the Great Restrainer. But owing to ignorance of the mind I fell from your high seat and incarnated again and again in so many forms, until I reached this one. Only if I keep trying to use my mind to access the world through the outgoing senses am I going to be out of harmony with your Law. But if I have practised restraint of the senses regularly, and seen the poison of the world (that terrible kalAhala poison), and also seen the nectar of Bliss that comes in samAdhi, then what fear can be there on your arrival? You are merely a timely reminder, that the time is up in this body. Indeed, why else are you known as KAla!

However, sometimes your precursor is illness and pain. Both these are surely ignorance in another form, owing to imperfect restraint of the senses, past actions and ignorance of body attachment arising from them. Certainly the mind is a slave of memory. Hence, the YS says smRti parishuddhau having cleansed the memory. One must cleanse the memory of the false world and replace it with the true memory of God. This is verily, smRti. This is the one memory that one should not lose (as in BG) krodhAt bhavati sammohah sammohAt smRti vibhramah [from anger arises delusion and from delusion loss of memory]. And the root of anger is nothing but desire.

So if at the time of your arrival there are still latent desires, then the mind wants to continue clinging to the body. This too, is a kliShTa vRtti of the mind. Another tainted turning or mode of the mind called abhiniveshah. It is a clinging to life that is present even in the wise (vidusho'api  tathA'rUDhah). So I must guard against this scrupulously. And illness is the great practice for this. Every time one feels ill, the mind is not able to access the world in a pleasurable way through the body. But if one slows down the prANa, then the pain decreases. The mind becomes steady. One sees illness for what it is - an impediment to pleasurable world experience through the senses. By systematically training the mind at the time of illness, even the obstacle of vyAdhi to yoga can be overcome. This does not mean the body will not appear ill, but the mind will not be swayed as much and it will rapidly turn towards God. Indeed caturvidhA bhajante mAm, Arti etc (in BG).

At the time of concluding the embodiment, I will greet you old friend Yama, with the greatest  respect. Teach me your great self-restraint. Let me see all desires, fulfilled and unfulfilled, as productive of pain alone: dukham eva sarvam vivekinah (YS). Then lead me happily to the realm of the ancestors: to pitR loka. But I do not want to tarry there; for there are the unfulfilled desires waiting to be reborn in various forms. Grant me wisdom to travel beyond, to the realm of the Gods, deva loka. Don't tempt me with celestial damsels, apsaras, and the like, or with great wealth and dominion. Although I was never as wise as Naciketa, who as a boy rejected your tempting offers, nor was I ever wise as my Guru SrI Adi ShankarAcArya, who also at the tender age of eight, saw through the falsity of the world, grant me wisdom at least at that stage that I may bow to Indra and take his leave. O mind, never forget this! Traveling beyond deva loka, carried by the grace of Uma, Devi, Shakti, let us approach the glorious realm of maha loka. Here the great siddhas and accomplished ones pass their time happily, knowing eternally that all the objects of perception are nothing but the three guNas. Here let us pay our respects to them and move on, knowing them too to be past incarnations of my own self in happier times of greater self-restraint. Then we will reach jana loka where the perfected adepts and siddhas are eternally aware that all the means of perception of objects are also composed of only the three guNas. Paying our respects to them there, let us move onward to tapa loka. Here the glorious RShis of yore are meditating. Most excellent VasiShTha, who never fails to observe the appropriate performances, whom I aspired to but fell so far short of, so often; gracious VishwAmitra, my previous incarnation when I had the power of tapas to restrain the mind for thousands of years. When through latent desire and concupiscence I was tempted by Menaka and then Rambha. Graciously VishwAmitra bestowed the sAvitri gAyatri mantra on mankind. Let us pay our respects and move on.

Now we reach satya loka, the abode of Brahma- O chief mischief maker! It is only on account of your rajas that the whole world came into being! Know therefore, that we revere you but the wise never worship you on bhUloka. Come let us pass on to VaikunTha. Here lies ViShNu, ever protecting creation when He is awake through his sattva. Let us pay our respects and pass on, for now the desire to see the moon-crested Shiva has grown unbearably strong in this mind! O Shiva, how this heart longs for your divine presence! Only through your grace was Manmatha turned to ashes, only you can save the aspiring yogis, being as you are the Original Yogi. O AdinAtha! O greatest of Yogis! grant Thy Grace. Have mercy and cleanse this mind. It has followed the hallowed path of Devi who as ParvatI and aparNA prayed to you. In your presence, in your sannidhi is the greatest Bliss. You are the great Restrainer yourself, for you have power over tamas and all the guNas. From time immemorial we know you are more powerful than Yama; did not MArkaNDeya pray to you and get deliverance from mortality?

Let this mind delight long in the saguNa brahman of Shiva sannidhi, and by His ever-present Grace obtain the non-returning state of nirguNa brahman.

Remembering this at all times, but especially at illness and time of departure from embodiment, there is none who will not be saved. Om ShAntih, ShAntih, ShAntih.

Is it a wonder that on the holy period of Sharad navrAtrI the mind is drawn to such thoughts? May they become permanent through the Grace of Guru.

Hooked by the fish!

Read a cartoon recently that connected to this idea of never letting go of Om. 

In the cartoon, a bunch of guys are fishing and leaning over the bow of a fishing boat and calling out to one of their friends who has been pulled over the bow by a particularly large and energetic fish that he has hooked. The friends are calling out to him to not let go of the fishing rod so they can get their deposit back!

It struck me that as the mind is yanked all over by the power of Shakti through the ups and downs and twists and turns of the world, one should hold on that that fishing rod of Om with utmost tenacity for that is the only way to Bliss (and getting your deposit back!).

Why should one hold the mind fast to Om?

Why should one hold the mind fast to Om? Else the pot of Bliss will be taken away!

It's really that incredibly simple!

Indescribable Bliss. paramAnanda!

Indescribable Bliss. paramAnanda! Yes, even one afflicted by the worst physical and mental pains can taste this Ocean of Bliss. There there is no pain because there is no ignorance. Why would one leave that Elysium of samAdhi for even one instant? As RamaNa says, why leave the cool shade of Brahman for the scorching heat of the world? Because past memories persist that are being purified through each experience of samAdhi. Never forget this smRti- Eternal Bliss exists, the Vedas are the truth, the Guru's word never fails.

If anyone wants to attain samAdhi, today is the day. The short shukla bhAdrapada tRtIyA tithi ends leading to Ganesh caturthI. Rtu of sharad is sAttvic. The door to heaven and beyond is wide open! Make haste O traveller of this path of fire and light!

Hang on to the praNava for dear life! As shakti takes you through the twists and turns of worldly experience, never lose sight of bindu. Always keep the mind on Om. Great Bliss results. 

Today you can see for yourself the sUrya koti samaprabhA

The radiance of a million suns!

Yes, it is possible. 

May this mind have the Grace to rest in this Bliss always. 

Ignorance is frankly speaking too painful. 

Brahma MuhUrta

A student in yoga class asked about Brahma MuhUrta. Indeed it is the 48 minutes before sunrise.

But how and when to explain that, in truth...

BrahmA muhUrta is every instant a thought arises from Consciousness. But repeated experience of waking state causes moha by mohinI because of asuraic tendencies and then the subsequent brahma muhUrtas are not seen as such. Each thought is sRShTi sthiti pralaya.

How to use the three guNas wisely?

How to use the three guNas wisely?

Use tamas to rest the body and to nurture it so it can become an effective vehicle for Self-Realization. 

Use tamas to destroy thought as Shiva did. 

Use rajas to conquer tamas. Animate yourself. See Sri KRShNa the great psychologist in verses 2.33-35 of BG. 

Wish fulfilled!

My wish to have a feature to highlight the latest posts I add to this blog, regardless of their assigned date, has been fulfilled! Look to the right at the Latest Post Featured widget that I discovered on Blogger. Now I can highlight those posts as I add them. Enjoy!

Shankar.

Time for a revival

I ran into an old friend at the local cooperative store and I was reminded that I haven't posted on this blog for a while now. Well, it was gratifying to know that someone was reading this blog and found some benefit from it. So I am resuming my posts after a hiatus.

Actually I save the content for my blog as notes and so when I update my blog sometimes the posts are pre-dated as I fill in notes from the past. I try to post the thoughts dated on the day they were jotted down as notes. So do browse the earlier months and years for often my blog updates end up in the archives! Unfortunately I have not yet figured out how to mark up my most recent additions, even if they correspond to an earlier date. Maybe if one of the readers could help me with this that would be wonderful!

Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy reading the revival of this blog!

Namaste!

Om is the eternal song.

Om is the eternal song.

VijnAna or Realization

VijnAna or Realization is seeing God in everyone and everything. JnAna is all that precedes this sight.

Liberation is...

Liberation is being completely at peace in knowing that nothing that you do is either necessary or will make a whit of a difference and yet not being upset at being impelled by Shakti beyond the ego to be seemingly performing activities for complete purification of the mind.

The world does not need your wisdom!

Wisdom lies in knowing that the world does not need your wisdom but that your very perception of the world and attendant delusion of its reality and existence is evidence of your ignorance!

Okay, this may sound harsh. But it is documented as a revelation to myself. When such thoughts arise of their own accord in your mind, believe me you will feel blessed!

When the Truth is beyond words...

When the Truth is beyond words, name and form, surely all this prattling can be of no use! And yet, it is the Power of that Truth in silence that enables all this prattling, manifests as it, and is hidden in it. As fire in wood. Or to remember the analogies from the BG: as fire is enveloped by smoke, a foetus by the amniotic fluid, as a mirror by dirt, so this Truth is enveloped by rajas.

To think I was born is a myth.

To think I was born is a myth. To think I will die is a myth. How can the unborn die? In my purest truest essence I am Eternal. (Note that In BG jAtasya etc comes after natvevAham jAtu nAsam; indeed 2.12 and 2.27) In that state I have Infinite Power which is the dynamic aspect of my true nature. This Power is so great that on entering into a mind and a body It overpowers my true nature and I become identified with the limited mind and limited body. Projecting the world experience out of pure sport on the screen of the mind I unnecessarily distance myself from myself. But the cure for ignorance appears in the form of Guru who is only a purified and weighty mind that reveals the truth to me as if for the first time. This play of mine is endless and yet each time it appears so real and authentic, but it is not. See the other as no different from yourself. Do as you would be done by. Conquer your selfish nature that limits possession to your body and mind. Give the other who is no other than yourself what you always owned. Would you deny yourself your rightful share? Would you not love yourself? Om Tat Sat.

Why have you entered this body ...

Why have you entered this body so unwisely? Due to past ignorance.

At least have the good sense to exit it wisely. 

Why do JnAnis appear to behave differently?

JnAnis appear to behave differently based on their past karma but their jnAnam is the same. All know the truth having originated from Brahma. Only difference is frequency of recollection of the Truth- the smRti. NityajnAnis such as the trimUrtis are not for one instant unaware of the truth.

In truth only I exist...

In truth only I exist. But if I delude myself to be the one with a name, then pain and misery follow.

Every Om is complete inside...

Every Om is complete inside, capable of giving you ultimate Bliss. 

Om is the microcosm and Om is the macrocosm. 

Why run after pleasure in the macrocosm when you can have all the Bliss you want in the microcosm by turning the mind inward and bringing it to rest?!

You are complete as you are ...

You are complete as you are; pUrNa, inside. Why do you seek completion through the outgoing mind?

Give up this stupidity or there will be no end to bondage. 

At each instant act in accordance with Om. This is wisdom. This is dharma. Align with the Cosmic flow of Consciousness. See God in everything and everyone. 

If you want to be free or liberated ...

If you want to be free or liberated stop thinking you are bound!

The Lord's mercy is incalculable...

The Lord's mercy is incalculable. Who else would confer the grace to save a sinner such as this one? 

With each breath or wave of consciousness ...

 pravRtti nivRtti is cleansing the mind.

For whom is this blog written?

For this ignorant mind alone.

Shivashakti Om.

Shivashakti Om.  

Citizen of two worlds

This person you know lives in two worlds. In samAdhi he is one with the One, with Brahman, the Truth and merges with KRShNa, and the three Gurus- Sri Adi ShankarAcArya, Sri RamaNa MahaRShi and Sri RAmakRShNa. In this state there is the absolute certainty of awareness 'aham brahmAmsi' (I am Brahman), and since the various forms of the Divinity such as RAma and KRShNa are only names of the Nameless One, there is complete identity with them in samAdhi. But there is nothing to think or say or do in that state. 

Due to ignorance (avidyA) arising from past karma that has resulted in yet unburnt vAsanas (tendencies) this individual's mind emerges from that state of Bliss and starts to identify with a limited aspect of the Universal Mind (mahat) and identifies with a body. Due to impurities in this mind this individual is subject to kAma (desire) and when this desire gets frustrated he experiences krodha (anger). On attaining his desire through the senses he also becomes subject to  mada (intoxication). Attracted to the desirable and pleasurable aspects of the senses, identifying as a man he is also attracted to woman and to the acquisition of wealth to satisfy those desires. Occasionally he is also subject to lobha (greed). All this deludes him so completely that he comes under the sway of the sense objects presented as the external world which he knows in truth is nothing but a combination of name and form. Unable to see his true Self in others he names them as mother, father, sister, daughter and various friends etc. This delusion is moha and personified as the beautiful Mohini whose form VishNu assumed when the devas (gods of the senses) churned the ocean which is inside his body using the meru danDa (which is the canalis centralis or sushUmna) through the awakening of kuNDalini. All his demonic tendencies which are the asuras get easily deluded by Mohini and he is so attracted by the world as sense object that he loses all sight of Immortality that the beautiful Mohini is bringing to the devas. By grace of Guru and past austerity he sometimes remembers his true nature and the scripture and is able to conquer the asuras temporarily in meditation and then he enjoys the temporary bliss of heaven, sometimes even on earth. By further austerity of restraining the senses (devas themselves) he is able ascend and reach his true nature. There he sees that all other manifestations such as you and others are but his essential nature who have assumed other minds and bodies just by following different tracks from the source based on different karmas. But when this vision is not steady he is tossed and turned on the ocean of samsAra and takes them to be different. 

When the time comes for the prANas to leave his body his mind will depart with them and depending on the thought uppermost in his mind at that time it will either take on a new body eventually or merge permanently with the Absolute. If mergence is not in this incarnation then this individual will enjoy the pleasure of heaven for as long as his good karmas are exhausted and take another body and remembering his past austerity will begin again to purify the mind. Even merged in the Absolute he will be constantly manifesting as the embodied to the ignorant portion of the Universal mind that manifests as different minds and sees diversity. And yet it is also true that none of this is happening and it is all as unreal as the horn of a hare because he is always in samAdhi and in a non-changing unmoving state even if his mind does not perceive it so always owing to its forgetfulness of Devi, which allows Time to begin its play. For eternity is not a very long time but a state that is truly beyond and prior to the emergence of Time itself, while also being the substratum of Time. 

The only difference between the embodiment of the Absolute as me or you and that as Sri KRShNa is this: SrI KRShNa remembers and knows all his incarnations even while embodied, while the others do not. Therefore, the other embodiments cannot claim to be God in the waking state, whereas Sri KRShNa could. 

All sense pleasures are only a reflection of the Bliss of samAdhi.

All sense pleasures are only a reflection of the Bliss of samAdhi. But it is difficult to attain this Bliss, and even more difficult to sustain it permanently. So effort is needed to rest in the effortless state. Until the mind ceases to be outgoing, which happens only on the destruction of all vAsanas. The sequence of vAsanas beginning with aham then deha then putra and so forth. As long as the 'I am the body ' notion persists, all talk or advice regarding Self-Realization is empty words in the wind.

Devi is in everyone, but ...

Devi is in everyone but some forms are worshipped in the temple and some are brought home. Water used for washing clothes is not used for abhishekham. Discrimination is necessary.

If the world appears to you...

If the world appears to you, then there is *only* one person who needs to be enlightened, and that is you; and I am saying this to myself. As long as the world, which is nothing but the mind, is seen as non-different from the Self, the Realization has not become permanent. This is due to prArabdha karma. If one sees the world, then the degree of attenuation of karma or realization is proportional to the fraction of time and space in which one sees God. But this is not to be interpreted as mere religiosity, but in the practical way in which one treats other people and objects in the world. If everyone and everything is seen as nothing but the reflection of one's own Self, and is therefore treated with the greatest love and compassion that one would accord to oneself, that is the true index of seeing God in another person or in the world. Mistreatment of other living or non-living objects without understanding of dharma (which can even involve termination of bodily manifestation of another, or killing, provided the circumstances warrant the same under dharma) is not a sign of wisdom.

This entire Creation is one single thought ...

This entire Creation is one single thought in the mind of the Lord, created by Brahma, sustained by ViShNu and destroyed by Shiva. Each thought springs from the Self, the unmoving omnipresent Consciousness and is resorbed in it. This bodily existence is another long thought born of past desires. Desire is the root of manifestation. It is rajo guNa samudbhavah- born of rajas. How to enjoy with constant awareness? VitRShnA- without longing for that which was. So enjoy everything that which comes of its own accord but don't hanker for its permanence or sustenance. One can have this attitude only if one is truly devoid of desire. This does not mean one is devoid of enjoyment. After all bhoga apavargArtham dRShyam.

Insight into an aspect of Tantra

Man in his purest essence is PuruSha: he who burned the sin of ignorance through Self-Knowledge. Man in his purest essence in Shiva: the Auspicious One.

Woman in her purest essence is PrakRti: the Power of PuruSha in the form of the guNas, without which Creation is impossible.
Woman in her purest essence is Shakti: Power of the Shiva.

But when the jIvA descends into the body and thinks it is either man or woman by identification with the body and gender, it loses its Self-Knowledge.

The unawakened man is overpowered by PrakRti through Her power in the form of the senses. Therefore, he tends to think only through his lower two cakras: mUlAdhAra (root cakra) and svADhiShThAna (sex cakra).
He pampers his body and is attracted to the physical aspect of woman for the goal of pleasure through sex.

This undiscriminating man does not pause to assess the emotional, intellectual and spiritual attainment of the woman whom his senses are attracted to. Through actions propelled by past karma he may meet and couple with a woman of varying suitability, and spilling his seed, which is his most potent life force, he may beget children of varying quality. Caring for them and his wife, his time and effort are dissipated and he does not practice tapas and misses the ultimate goal of life, which is his spiritual advancement. This is samsAra.

The discriminating man controls his senses and shuts out the doors through which energy departs from the lower two cakras: mUlAdhAra and svADhiShThAna. He then performs tapas or austerity.

Usually water is below fire in an unawakened man because water is associated with the svADhiShThAna and fire with maNipUraka.

A tapasvI and yogi through the practice of yoga, specifically prANAyAma, is able to move prANa downward and apAna upward, reversing their usual positions. This is called heating the water from below in the Taoist tradition. By doing so, he converts the water to steam which rises. This is the awakening of kuNDalini shakti. This shakti ascends through the cakras and opens his heart at the anAhata, gives him clear and wondrous speech at the vishuddhi cakra, and great insight at the AjnA cakra. Reaching the sahasrAra he experiences great beatitude and Bliss.

Now when the energy descends in such an awakened man, it does not drip into the fire of the maNipUraka cakra, but the Yogi quaffs this nectar higher up.

Then descending in the path of Tantra he is able to spread his love, knowledge and insight to others.

Woman is attracted to the external reality and man through her heart, not usually through the lower cakras (as is the case with man). But similar to the undiscriminating man, the undiscriminating woman follows her senses and opens her heart to any man based on his looks, or his intellectual or other powers, not pausing to see if he is spiritually evolved. She then regrets giving her heart away foolishly and due to family commitments is unable  to pursue sAdhanA and attain the highest goal.

The discriminating woman does not give her heart away so easily, just as a discriminating man does not spill his seed at the first opportunity.

When a man of rare tapas encounters a discriminating woman, his energy descends first through her sahasrAra to her mind. She is captivated by his spiritual insights and entranced by his knowledge of the Vedas and scriptures. As his energy descends into her from her sahasrAra to the AjnA, she is filled with delight at their intellectual interaction. His speech is also sweet, considerate and free of anger even if she may err or do something that is offensive or hurtful. Then his energy descends to her heart cakra: the anAhata. Slowly each petal in the Lotus of her heart cakra opens by the loving energy that pours down from him into her heart. Then she opens her heart to him; and when a woman gives her heart, her mind and body follow of their own accord. This union of love is the highest in the physical world and thus a woman is led to the heights of spiritual attainment or sAdhanA regardless of whether she physically couples with the man, or not.

The union thus far is samaya and mishra part of Tantra. This union is necessary because the embodied  jIva has only half the knowledge of the world through the body and gender. It must unite either internally or externally with the opposite gender to gain full knowledge of the Universe.

In case that both are unattached, there may be physical union also, and that is the kaulava tantra. But the mere practice of physical union and its consequences of children is the painful way to reach sAdhanA and the final beatitude. On the other hand when practiced with true wisdom and dispassion as in the Taoist practices, it can also be productive of the highest enjoyment.

For advanced sages, the kaulava aspect could be omitted as it was performed in previous lives.

Tantra is this dance we see in the external world.

Tantra is this dance we see in the external world.

It is vijnAna, the realization that follows wisdom or jnAna. It is perceived when energy descends from the sahasrAra.

The external is not different from the internal in essence (brahmANDa piNDANDa aikyam) but it manifests seemingly differently.

Purusha as pure Consciousness sacrificed himself to His own power PrakRti to create the external reality.

So too Shiva submits to Devi in the phenomenal world, but She as Sati and pArvatI or aparNA sacrificed Herself twice to attain Him.

 Yang dances with yin and vice versa.

The beauty is in the dance, not the outcome.

When the Shakti or energy descends after ascent to sahasrAra, the old ways of interacting will not be repeated. Because now you know your energy manifests in different forms and bodies. You will accept what Devi gives as prasAdam. This doesn't mean you will be a passive and inert loser, although to ignorant eyes it may appear so. You will be beautifully animated and put forth great energy, but you will be superbly skillful in knowing what to access, what to put forth and how to react. Your yang will bend easily with yin and enjoy the dance of tantra without being attached to the outcome. You will know that it is only by giving that you will receive manyfold. So you won't hold back in any situation. This is in fact true freedom because you will be free from the bond of expectations, and eventually from desires as well.

Living the Truth.

In this play called life that we enact, when we act with true love in our hearts, seeing the other as nothing else but a reflection of our own Self, then the play reflects a certain beauty and joy that is unique and enduring. If this is done with everyone, at all times, without attachment or expectation, regardless of how the other responds to us, that is Self-Realization and jIvanmukti.

This is the life that Jesus lived.

The Lotus of the heart blooms in the Light of Consciousness

The Lotus of the heart blooms in the Light of Consciousness.

Just as lotus in the pond blooms in the sun.

This gives birth to the deep feeling of connectedness that Rumi's poems evoke: for instance, the window between two hearts. Love is for free. Do not constrict. Love completely and freely at each instant with no expectation.

Can you keep giving with no expectation of return? Not as a human being maybe. God has also made the individual with tamas and two lower cakras so we protect the body and procreate and enjoy. This creates the dharma of monogamous marriage for stability of society.

Existence precedes goodness.

Existence precedes goodness. "Be", before you "be good."
VairAgyam (dispassion) to transcend sattva (goodness).

World doesn't need your wisdom or goodness but it will ask for it when necessary.

How long must the world experience continue?

How long must the world experience continue? Until you see only the Lord in everyone and everything at all time and you become maun (silent), not just by controlling speech, but because thoughts arise no more (sarva samkalpa sannyAsi).

Enjoy this moment.

Enjoy this moment. Be present for it. Life is nothing but a succession of moments. If each is enjoyed, then life is enjoyed. Too often we live for the future: for something that we so want to happen, that we forget that even the enjoyment of that instant requires being fully present for it. The past can fill us with regret because we cannot recapture something we enjoyed. But that is also pointless. That past was once the present, and was enjoyed because we were present for it. Enjoyment is anyway merely pleasure of the senses and stroking of the ego. Both are transient and by nature the senses get saturated on satiation, but they then also desire again. Also the same sense object is pleasing in one circumstance and not so in the other. One cannot get too swayed by either pleasure or pain; happiness or sadness. Beyond the two is Bliss, ever present and the source of joy and true love. Once samadhi is attained, one will love all equally, regardless of their behavior towards you. It is only natural.

Do not expect perfection.

Man should not expect perfection. Rahu drank amRtam and so the asuraic tendencies will always be there in man. Wisdom lies in not thinking one is better than the other, but in becoming aware that the battle between devas and asuras is timeless. Others will praise and censure according to their viewpoint, but enjoy every moment with authenticity and the Lord is pleased.

Santosha: contentment

Be happy for what you've got. SantoshAt anuttama sukha lAbhah.

YS. From santosha comes unequalled happiness.

All actions are superfluous and yet ...

All actions are superfluous and yet they must be undertaken to purify the mind by one who has not yet given up every samkalpa, and who is yet bound by sense objects or karmas (thoughts).

Only a yogArUDha is free from karma. So perform action but surrender the fruits of action to the Lord. This is actor-less action or action-less action. This non-binding action is not productive of the ignorance of bondage. Thus these vAsanAs are termed bhoga hetuh and not bandha hetuh.

Arurukshor etc BG

YadA hi etc BG

Dharma and adharma

What is dharma and what is adharma? This is the central question concerning acting in the world. That which contributes to sAdhanA and svadharma is obviously the highest dharma. The next is that which is in accord with the Vedic dharma, although this too being fraught with ignorance (avidyayA mRtyum tIrtvA) is productive of pain eventually on account of guNa vRtti virodhAcca. LaukIka dharma that is not in accord with either of these is productive of greater pain but it is not seen as such immediately, and even when glimpsed it is hard to practice continuously on account of the strength of mental fluctuations and the power of the senses that run towards the sense objects. Knowing what is shreyas and what is preyas is very hard, especially when this discrimination is so contrary to worldly wisdom (which is unfortunately not wisdom at all). When will this become firm-rooted in your thinking O mind? Alas, I have allowed you to grow very strong by feeding the senses for so long that I despair of ever controlling you successfully. The only recourse is prayer and devotion to the Lord and to resort to the yoga of eka tattva abhyAsah. Only that will rid the mind of despair and strengthen it to overcome the senses and uproot the vAsanAs.

The interaction of two people in the world...

The interaction of two people in the world is the interaction of two minds that are seemingly different reflections of the same Self. It is like two chords played together. The consonant notes are the agreement of the reflection, while the dissonant notes are the disagreements. The consonance is easy to experience and it is natural to want to continue the interaction but it is in the dissonances that the true opportunity for self-growth lies. When the mind is ripe it learns about its misperceptions of Reality from the interaction and does not blame the other. It then sees no harm in renegotiating the relationship at a different mutually productive level. But in some cases the timing is such that such renegotiation either doesn't happen immediately or even in this lifetime.

Great samadhi!

Great samadhi attained just after recalling first verse of YS. There was no need to think any further! ParamAnandam!

Devi will quell adhArmic desires

Devi will quell adhArmic desires (and reflection will show that if you see adharma in the world then you have yet to uncover some deeper adharma in yourself), and may grant the fulfillment of dhArmic desires if that is appropriate for one's growth at this stage. Note that fulfillment of dhArmic desires is not without pain. So eventually one has to purify all vAsanas to become desireless for only that state is mukti. Accept everything as Devi's prasAdam. All will be well.

True happiness or bliss is only inside

True happiness or bliss is only inside; never forget this.

shAmbhavI and khecarI mudras

Practice shAmbhavI mudra on recaka and khecarI on pUraka.

Embrace the world

Embrace the world; in doing so the only thing you have to lose is your ignorance.

Idealism is not an obstacle to happiness for an honest mind.

Idealism is not an obstacle to happiness for an honest mind.

The target.

Visualize all world events presented to the mind on a graph with cross-hairs.

On the horizontal axis, positive is attractive causing rAga, negative is repulsive causing dveSha.

On the vertical axis, positive is what is perceived as good or puNya or what is perceived as dharma, and on the negative is what is perceived as bad, or apuNya or adharma. 

The mind should ever rest in the center, the cross hairs, the target, Om.

The world is Bliss, provided...

As long as you go through the world experience not expecting the senses to always be satisfied and the ego to always be stroked, then the world is nothing but a homogeneous mass of Bliss.

Resonances between sAttvic aspect of the mind and the apparent other minds generates joy, while interaction of sattva with rajas or tamas is productive of pain and ignorance, respectively.

By cultivating dispassion to the very guNas (parA vairAgyam), one can cross the ocean of samsAra and see it as an ocean of Bliss.

But undoubtedly this is not easy, at least for this one...!

When we have all emerged from the same Source...

When we have all emerged from the same Source and will return to the same Source and exist even now in the same Source, why this feeling if difference and not loving everyone and everything?

This is a marvelous revelation of the BG verse 2.28:

AvyaktAdIni bhUtAni

The difference arises because guNas play with the guNas. 

Forget the arcane Sanskrit allusions, Yoga is really simple...

Recently a friend asked to view this blog. As I was preparing to send the link over, it suddenly struck me that most of the posts are full of Sanskrit terms that probably make this blog a challenge to access and appreciate for those who do not have any familiarity with the Sanskrit language and the terminology used in the texts that are referred to. This got me to reflect that while many of these references enrich the blog for those who are familiar with the context, it also detracts from the underlying simplicity of the message.

The simplicity of the message of Yoga does not require a deep understanding of Sanskrit or the rich allusions to various scriptural texts, although one may in time come to appreciate and enjoy those as well.

The message of Yoga is simply this: Everyone wants to be blissful and everyone would like to exist eternally in this bliss.

Yoga is simply to rest in that stillness where one simply Is, devoid of thought. In that stillness one is aware of one's true nature that is Pure Consciousness. It is that cloth from which the variety of the world garment is formed. Only peace is productive of this true Bliss, which is one's nature.

No wrongs need to be righted. But accepting the wisdom and power of the Lord (which in Yoga is simply the pure form of this Consciousness that is devoid of the taints of action) opens one up to receiving the truly right things that are productive of the highest Bliss both internally and externally.

When the mind is made thin by prANAyAma ...

When the mind is made thin by prANAyAma it should be killed quickly then and there.

Vasu, Rudra and Aditya

In the early stage of ignorance of the jIva's mind, VAsudeva as Lord and abode of the Vasus will be worshipped; in the intermediate stage Rudra and in the final stage Aditya. These can also correspond to the three divisions of human lifespan.

The path of rAvaNa

The path of rAvaNa, though it may sometimes seem attractive, in the sense of being able to generate and concretize all desires through samkalpa as powerful as BrahmA, should be eschewed through jnAna vision. Even though rAvaNa managed to physically possess sItA for a while, he could not enjoy her love. Those who truly love do not try to possess. If love comes naturally to one by the will of Brahma it should be accepted and not rejected. But pursuing it as rAvaNa did, without Brahma's sanction, leads to pain. Wisdom lies in seeing that the object of desire is nothing but a projection of the Self itself. Seeking it through the outgoing senses weakens Purusha who becomes deluded by His own Power prakRti. Seeking inward the Union of Purusha and prakRti who are in truth identical leads to Eternal Bliss.

The body is merely an imperfect means of apprehending One's True Self...

The body is merely an imperfect means of apprehending the world, which is nothing but One's True Self that simply Is and is non-different from anything else. It simply Is and is all-pervading and is the state of ultimate peace and Bliss. Its Power being Shakti that manifests as the three guNas, play, and all that is perceived is merely a play of these three guNas. See the same Self in everything or see God in everything and know your true nature is non-different from God or the Self. The seeming passage of time, which is nothing but the mind's forgetfulness of Shakti, and the experience of objects and life are merely for bhoga (experience) and liberation from ignorance. Recall Yoga SUtra: Bhoga apavargArtham dRShyam.

In fact, trying to perfect the body reveals the ignorance from delusion arising from annamayakosha. Trying to perfectly cleanse the nADis and cakras through prANAyAma is ignorance from delusion arising from prANamayakosha. Trying to perfect the mind is ignorance from delusion of manomayakosha. Yet all these are necessary and only by purifying the non-existent mind, by situating oneself in the imaginary vijnAnamayakosha, and practicing dhyAnam is all this to be known. Only then can Anandamayakosha and the Self at its core without distinctions be known. 

Blissful experience of sleep.

Don't forget the blissful experience of sleep. How we forget that and focus on day's events!

But to be aware of tamas overpowering awareness of Self in sleep is the goal.

Samadhi is sleepless sleep.

Cremate the ego in the jnAna fire now!

Cremate the ego in the jnAna fire now. How does it then matter if the inert jada body is dropped in uttarAyaNa or dakshiNAyana? The body is inert, jada, has no intelligence of its own, being composed of the panca bhUtas. As long as prANa animates it, it jerks around like a marionette; a puppet on a string. Once the prANa leaves the body no one holds it close. It decays into its constituent elements.

Homam, agni and significance of the gAyatrI sAvitrI mantra.

In the homam one prays to jAtaveda to take the offerings to the devas and to the kravyAdamagni to not take these offerings. This has a wonderful significance and is related to the significance of the gAyatrI sAvitrI mantra.

We are offering all sense inputs into our agni in various ways at all times. When we eat we offer food to the jaTarAgni (the digestive fire). When we process sense perceptions and thoughts we are offering these into the jnAnAgni (the fire of wisdom).

Agni resides in the maNipUraka cakra. Cleanse lower two cakras of both gross and subtle object perceptions through the fire of jnAna. Invoke jAtaveda, the fire that takes the offering upwards from bhUloka through bhuvaloka to svarloka (the abode of the gods of the senses). Process world experience through samAna vAyu. Discard negative thoughts by apAna. Use positive uplifting thoughts from world experience to invoke udAna and take consciousness upward. That savitR who is Pure Consciousness, the source of all senses, may it cleanse my intelligence, buddhi, to realize this.

Make the trimUrtis your friends...

Make the trimUrtis your friends. Spend time with them often. Don't be overly in awe of Brahma etc. Even they are subject to dissolution at the end of a Kalpa. So if you truly seek parabrahman you must access the trimUrtis frequently since they are nitya jnAnis.

If you see adharma in the world, in some instances it is wiser not to fight it...

If you see adharma in the world, in some instances it is wiser not to fight it. The criterion being if there is no hope of wisdom dawning in the other party through this action.

Slowly you will become more friendly with vyAsa and VasiShTha. Your consciousness will ascend. Problems of bhUloka will not trouble you as before. You will transcend your desires of wealth, wife, and  progeny in bhUloka, of the offerings in pitR loka, of desire of sense pleasure in deva loka, of dharma and veda and tapas in tapaloka. Then you will consort with the trimUrti. They will teach you how to go beyond.

First give up adhArmic desires.

First give up adhArmic desires.

Then you have to give up even dhArmic desires!

Such as fulfilling the role of a father etc.

Then give up all samkalpas.

Even dasharatha had to suffer greatly...

Even dasharatha had to suffer greatly by witnessing the adharma done to rAma by kaikeyi on account of his foolish lust and delusion under which he gave her boons. Indeed, desire is the downfall of many a virtuous man who even momentarily succumbs to lust for a woman and falls into the pit of delusion like a majestic tusker.

Every false heart has to be broken until one discovers the unbreakable true Heart!

Every false heart has to be broken until one discovers the unbreakable true Heart that has love of God as its source and that drips with the lifeblood of jnAna. This unbreakable Heart loves all equally even when rejected or accepted, and is the same as Hanuman's heart. When a jnAni's false heart is broken it drips with the blood of wisdom of the Self that purifies the perception of the true Heart until that alone remains and the jnAni becomes a jIvanmukta: liberated while in the body. So heartbreak of the false hearts, which are nothing but delusions of the mind, is good! Welcome them and embrace them wholeheartedly! They are rapid means of spiritual progress!

Do not ever feel you are being subjected to any special adharma or difficulty...

Do not ever feel you are being subjected to any special adharma or difficulty in Kali Yuga. These misconceptions are if course of the dunce mind inhabiting this body and not of the true Self. This is why the story of RAma is so inspiring. If the Lord Himself in His divine incarnation in TretA Yuga was seemingly subject to so many unjust acts, what can an ordinary jIva complain about with all his prArabdha? Just take as an example how cheerfully and wisely SrI RAmacandra bore his lot and remained established in Atma jnAna. Emulate that. That's why SrI RAmacandra is the maryAda purushottam. Note also that he too in his later years lived separated from SItA.

Just as action requires no doer, so too thought requires no thinker!

Just as action requires no doer, so too thought requires no thinker. Thought arises naturally as the svabhAva of Brahman through Shakti. As long as the 'I ' thought does not creep in, there is Bliss (cf story of Dama, Vyala and Kata in the Yoga VasiShTha). There the implication seems to be that repeated thought or performance of action without constant control leads to the 'I' thought. Without the notion of I there is no problem of praise or censure, and no expectation either. So it is liberating. There is simply 'natural ' action playing out prArabdha. The potter's wheel spinning before it comes to rest after all pots have been made. But ashubha vAsanAs should be eliminated by practice and shubha VAsanA allowed but they too die of their own accord in time. Sattva purified dies of itself.

Name and fame....

Name and fame and adoration of anyone in the world is actually a curse in disguise. Generates further karma that has to be endured or transmuted to bliss by jnAna dRShTi. Less karma the better.

The blanket or field of bliss above sahasrAra is slowly brought down through vijnAna.

The blanket or field of bliss above sahasrAra is slowly brought down through vijnAna. First finding it is jnAna. Then each cakra is fully cleansed and all karmendriyas and jnAnendriyas only experience bliss. Poison of world objects is transformed to nectar by self-restraint.

Above the sahasrAra is a field of Bliss...

Above the sahasrAra is a field or blanket of Bliss, but out of ignorance the jIva falls through the vidhRti (cleft or the fontanel that is the focus of the sImantonnayanam samskAra ceremony; see also Aitareya Upanishad for how Purusha entered the body) through the brahmarandhra and suffers human existence.

Avoid these holes of the ego- some are deeper than others.

Householder's life and cessation of thought which is Yoga

This one's purpose was to live as a householder. As RamaNa has said, certainly even getting a thought out is an effort after samAdhi but a householder has to continue actions. So Sri KRShNa's instructions in BG are more relevant- when thoughts arise and actions are performed see the world as Shivashakti; dRShTim jnAnamayIm kRtva pashyet brahmamayam jagat (Through the vision of wisdom perceive the world as Brahman).

Did space arise first or time?

Last evening a question arose in meditation. Did space arise first or time? It was quelled by the question, "Who is the I that asks this?"

Bliss of samadhi

The Bliss of samadhi is incomparable. Once tasted one will only want the mind to rest in Om always.

Here's a simple formula:
Pain=ignorance; wisdom=bliss

The body is a cage of pain. To identify with it is ignorance.

Living outside the body is sheer bliss. 

Why does the bliss of samadhi not appear to be permanent? On account of the mind's forgetfulness of Devi. She is the power of Om, the Shakti. Time continues as long as the mind won't rest permanently in Om. This apparent division of Self into time is merely for other memories to be purified and replaced by Om. 

This body is a memory of the mind. Constant sense experience reinforces viShayAnanda (bliss of objects) and viShayAsmRti (memory of objects). This concretizes the 'I am the body ' idea. 

Constant experience of samadhi controls this memory (recall YS: tajjah samskArah anya samskAra pratibandhi) and replaces those with memory of the true Self through Om (again YS: tasya vAcakah praNavah), which is the same as Ishvara. 

These observations can be mis-interpreted as rejection of the world experience but that is not the import. Once the world is seen as the play of the Lord, everything is the play of the One and Its Power to be Many. Everyone is realized. Everyone is God. Shiva coming to interact with you through Shakti. All experience is vibration of Om. Even the so-called inanimate creation is simply the mind presently overpowered by tamas that in time will be seen as the Self alone. It is only the angle of vision that has to change: jnAna dRShTi with jnAna cakshu. Vision of wisdom through the eye of wisdom.