Param Pujya Swami Shivakrupandji in his discourses has said that he is non-existence and has reached the state of “Shunya”. He has mentioned that it was Shirdi Sainath who came in his dreams and told him to accept dakshina and then see his Gurukarya increase manifold. In fact in one of his discourses, on the fourth day, he makes you experience Shirdi Sainaths energy! Swamiji has mentioned that you can see your own Guru in Him, and many sadhaks/sadhikas have seen Shirdi Sainath, Osho, Swami Samarth, etc in Him. Swamiji has said that Guru Tattva remains the same, the Gurus change with the times, but the essence is always the same. When we come in contact with a living Sadguru, what does that entail for the sadhaks? At soul level the sadhak has reached a stage for his further evolution, for him to grow further and move into a different dimension. Hence, the sadhak should realize that there are subtle changes taking place within himself/herself, through the Sadguru’s Grace and through his/her own sadhana and behavior in the material world.
Awareness is very important. Be aware of every moment, every breath you take, you should take consciously – as with every breath taken in, God is coming towards you, and with every outgoing breath you are moving towards God. God consciousness, then slowly starts becoming second nature, once that happens you start connecting to Guru Tattva.
What is Guru Tattva? Tattva means essence or element. Guru Tattva, then, means Guru essence or element. In the most complete sense, Guru Tattva is the natural, inexorable mechanism or process by which manifest life moves from a relative state of ignorance of Self to total awareness or Self Realization. The life process of manifest beings is, in general, a movement toward Self-recognition. The lila, or play of manifest life is a game of forgetting and remembering. We forget we are Shiva consciousness, and we slowly remember. If we dedicate ourselves to sadhana, we remember a little faster. Reality, or Shiva, has the capacity to produce experiences we call “duality” or diversity. This capacity to elaborate a world (Maya) is the nature of Shiva consciousness. The creation is not a decision that happened one day. Creation is ongoing in every moment. The creation arises from, within, and is of the primordial intelligence.
Thus once you connect and understand the concept, it becomes slightly easier to start living it in the material world. Staying fully conscious and aware and doing one’s day to day activity without being affected and by living in the present moment, will slowly and inexorably start taking you inside to your inner core. It takes time and once you start going inside and finding peace, then you will start making it a habit and that will immediately reflect on your face – you will find people saying you look fresh, you look peaceful, you look younger, etc.
Ego is another aspect one needs to take into consideration. I have seen some people mention on some web-sites, that so and so web-site is only meant for sayings of a certain Guru. If someone posts some spiritual matter relating to another Guru, which could be of Shirdi Sainath, Osho, Sathya Sai Baba, etc, then some people object, saying that you should post matter only related to that one particular Guru. On a spiritual site, which is open to the public, such small mindedness is the result of Ego. 'My Guru, your Guru', etc… one should understand that Guru Tattva is the same, all Sadguru’s over centuries have spoken the same language, which is the language of love and light and of Universal Consciousness. Thus reprimanding people on a public forum, that to on a spiritual site, is going a bit too far. There is no point in hurting others for posting spiritual matter relating to other Saints - as long as the matter is spiritual, everyone should read and absorb. The energy which flows from a web-site which has lots of diverse spiritual matter is much higher. One just has to open one’s mind and accept everything in love and light. Ego will only make you blind, deaf and dumb…..lets learn to spread love and light and not get bogged down by individualistic opinions and preferences.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Ill Effects Of Female Infanticide And Foeticide
In the news papers we read about the stories of female foeticide or infanticide. The National census 2001 has revealed a shocking picture of the skewed child sex ratio i.e. number of female children per 1000 male children in India. The child sex-ratio in 2001 has gone down to 927 females for 1000 males from 945 for 1000 males in 1991.
Experts say female foeticide in India is mostly linked to socio-economic factors. The girl child has traditionally been considered inferior and a liability. It is an idea that many say carries over from the time India was a predominantly agrarian society where boys were considered an extra pair of hands in the farm whereas a girl was considered a liability. It is quite possible that the practice of female dowry arose as a result of reduction in the number of men in India due to constant warring and the genetic robustness of the female fetus. There are no male shortages now, but the practice continues to thrive. Males are considered heirs to property, thus aggravating the problem.
Historically, in the absence of genetic testing, infanticide was the only inhumane option for discarding the female child. This heinous practice continues today in the southern parts of India where families cannot afford an illegal ultrasound test. People in Punjab, Haryana and other Western states can afford illegal tests to determine the sex of the baby and discard it.
The sharp decline in the sex ratio is a matter of serious concern as it is expected to lead to serious demographic imbalances in the future. There is no doubt that this practice, if continued, will shackle the very social fabric of our nation. As females drop in number in a society, society gets destabilized. Similar destabilization, violence and lack of progress is observed in polygamous societies, where females are treated as properties and the source of all violence is to "acquire and control" females.
The attack on the foetus does not begin in the womb - it begins in the minds of human beings; and that's why we need to change the mindsets of the people. The only way to eradicate this evil is to start educating the Indian public that daughters are equal to sons and deserve the same opportunities whether it comes to education, employment or inheritance.
Experts say female foeticide in India is mostly linked to socio-economic factors. The girl child has traditionally been considered inferior and a liability. It is an idea that many say carries over from the time India was a predominantly agrarian society where boys were considered an extra pair of hands in the farm whereas a girl was considered a liability. It is quite possible that the practice of female dowry arose as a result of reduction in the number of men in India due to constant warring and the genetic robustness of the female fetus. There are no male shortages now, but the practice continues to thrive. Males are considered heirs to property, thus aggravating the problem.
Historically, in the absence of genetic testing, infanticide was the only inhumane option for discarding the female child. This heinous practice continues today in the southern parts of India where families cannot afford an illegal ultrasound test. People in Punjab, Haryana and other Western states can afford illegal tests to determine the sex of the baby and discard it.
The sharp decline in the sex ratio is a matter of serious concern as it is expected to lead to serious demographic imbalances in the future. There is no doubt that this practice, if continued, will shackle the very social fabric of our nation. As females drop in number in a society, society gets destabilized. Similar destabilization, violence and lack of progress is observed in polygamous societies, where females are treated as properties and the source of all violence is to "acquire and control" females.
The attack on the foetus does not begin in the womb - it begins in the minds of human beings; and that's why we need to change the mindsets of the people. The only way to eradicate this evil is to start educating the Indian public that daughters are equal to sons and deserve the same opportunities whether it comes to education, employment or inheritance.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
How I got re-connected to Mahavtar Babaji
I had mentioned in my blog on the visit to Dronagiri that the events leading upto the visit would be documented later. Here it is.
When I was in college (in 1981) my sister-in-law had taken me to Yogoda Satsang Society (YSS) which was formed by Swami Paramhansa Yoganandji in Mumbai. I had on an impulse subscribed to YSS and their Kriya Yoga course. At that time, though I had a spiritual bent of mind, I did not find the idea of writing exams on spirituality too appealing, what with college exams and CA exams! I thought it would be a bit too much! I did pick up an “Autobiography of a Yogi” and read it, wherein was my first brush with Mahavtar Babaji, who is the Guru of Swami Paramhansa’s Guru’s Guru, namely the Guru of Sri Lahiri Mahasayaji. I have read this book three times since, and every time I have always been fascinated when it came to the passage on Mahavtar Babaji, though the whole book, when read again and again throws more and more light on various aspects of spirituality. It just depends on how ready you are to absorb the true meaning of what has been written by the Yogi.
In April this year, a friend of mine called me and told me that he has mailed me a link which gives details about Mahavtar Babaji’s caves in Dronagiri and how to get there. He said that we should plan a visit to the caves, to which I replied that we should do it before the start of the monsoon. That same day, a colleague was sitting in my cabin at office, when a lady colleague who has got a reputation as a palmist came on our floor, and I mentioned in passing to my colleague that she is a good palmist. My friend was very interested and he went to meet her to see what she had to say about him. Later they called me too, and I also showed my palm and she told me certain things about taking care of my health, when I mentioned to her that I have been running the marathon for the last seven years and I have been practicing meditation twice a day for the last two years, hence I am not too worried about my health. To which she replied, in that case I should go to Babaji’s caves, to which I asked her whether she is referring to Mahavtar Babaji’s caves at Dronagiri and she said “yes”! That was the second indication, later in the day I was just browsing through a spiritual video and the last image which came and stayed was that of Mahavtar Babaji, it was too much of a co-incidence and I felt that Babaji was now definitely giving signs that we should go to the caves.
In May, I had gone to Kerala for a CA conference and on our way back, we stopped at Adi Sankaracharya’s math for ‘darshan’. I later came to know that Adi Sankaracharya is also a disciple of Babaji. Next day was my flight to Mumbai. At the airport, I was waiting for my flight when on an impulse I decided to visit the small book shop in the waiting lounge. As I stepped into the lounge, the only book which came in sight was “The Voice of Babaji- A Triology” by V.T. Neelkanthan. I zeroed in on the book and as I took it into my hands, a bolt of very cold energy passed from my scalp (sahastrar), through my body and into the ground, leaving my body encased in a cocoon of cold energy. It was like I had just been touched by Babaji. I was overawed by the experience, just bought the book and sat with it in my hands with my eyes closed, just cherishing what I had gone through, just a few moments ago. Every time I relive that memory the body goes cold again as the energy starts flowing!
Just before leaving for the Himalayas in June, I was going from office to home, when on an impulse I decided to stop at wholesale book shop close to my house, thinking that I would get some more books on Babaji. I walked into the shop, and just went to a dark corner in the shop, where the lights had been switched off, and I started browsing in the dim available light, and there again I saw books on Babaji, I picked up Babaji and the 18 Siddhas by Marshal Govindan and left. It was like I was being magnetically drawn to Babaji. I purchased four copies of the book for myself and the other three spiritual seekers who had booked their passage to visit the caves and left.
Just a day before leaving for Delhi, I got the YSS newsletter, in which the first quote was that of Babaji, along with his photo. I knew we were blessed and our journey to visit the caves would be peaceful and successful, without any hassles. And that is how it turned out to be.
JAI BABAJI
When I was in college (in 1981) my sister-in-law had taken me to Yogoda Satsang Society (YSS) which was formed by Swami Paramhansa Yoganandji in Mumbai. I had on an impulse subscribed to YSS and their Kriya Yoga course. At that time, though I had a spiritual bent of mind, I did not find the idea of writing exams on spirituality too appealing, what with college exams and CA exams! I thought it would be a bit too much! I did pick up an “Autobiography of a Yogi” and read it, wherein was my first brush with Mahavtar Babaji, who is the Guru of Swami Paramhansa’s Guru’s Guru, namely the Guru of Sri Lahiri Mahasayaji. I have read this book three times since, and every time I have always been fascinated when it came to the passage on Mahavtar Babaji, though the whole book, when read again and again throws more and more light on various aspects of spirituality. It just depends on how ready you are to absorb the true meaning of what has been written by the Yogi.
In April this year, a friend of mine called me and told me that he has mailed me a link which gives details about Mahavtar Babaji’s caves in Dronagiri and how to get there. He said that we should plan a visit to the caves, to which I replied that we should do it before the start of the monsoon. That same day, a colleague was sitting in my cabin at office, when a lady colleague who has got a reputation as a palmist came on our floor, and I mentioned in passing to my colleague that she is a good palmist. My friend was very interested and he went to meet her to see what she had to say about him. Later they called me too, and I also showed my palm and she told me certain things about taking care of my health, when I mentioned to her that I have been running the marathon for the last seven years and I have been practicing meditation twice a day for the last two years, hence I am not too worried about my health. To which she replied, in that case I should go to Babaji’s caves, to which I asked her whether she is referring to Mahavtar Babaji’s caves at Dronagiri and she said “yes”! That was the second indication, later in the day I was just browsing through a spiritual video and the last image which came and stayed was that of Mahavtar Babaji, it was too much of a co-incidence and I felt that Babaji was now definitely giving signs that we should go to the caves.
In May, I had gone to Kerala for a CA conference and on our way back, we stopped at Adi Sankaracharya’s math for ‘darshan’. I later came to know that Adi Sankaracharya is also a disciple of Babaji. Next day was my flight to Mumbai. At the airport, I was waiting for my flight when on an impulse I decided to visit the small book shop in the waiting lounge. As I stepped into the lounge, the only book which came in sight was “The Voice of Babaji- A Triology” by V.T. Neelkanthan. I zeroed in on the book and as I took it into my hands, a bolt of very cold energy passed from my scalp (sahastrar), through my body and into the ground, leaving my body encased in a cocoon of cold energy. It was like I had just been touched by Babaji. I was overawed by the experience, just bought the book and sat with it in my hands with my eyes closed, just cherishing what I had gone through, just a few moments ago. Every time I relive that memory the body goes cold again as the energy starts flowing!
Just before leaving for the Himalayas in June, I was going from office to home, when on an impulse I decided to stop at wholesale book shop close to my house, thinking that I would get some more books on Babaji. I walked into the shop, and just went to a dark corner in the shop, where the lights had been switched off, and I started browsing in the dim available light, and there again I saw books on Babaji, I picked up Babaji and the 18 Siddhas by Marshal Govindan and left. It was like I was being magnetically drawn to Babaji. I purchased four copies of the book for myself and the other three spiritual seekers who had booked their passage to visit the caves and left.
Just a day before leaving for Delhi, I got the YSS newsletter, in which the first quote was that of Babaji, along with his photo. I knew we were blessed and our journey to visit the caves would be peaceful and successful, without any hassles. And that is how it turned out to be.
JAI BABAJI
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