Transform Poison into Nectar

 

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Transform Poison into Nectar

The very first foundations of a life of spiritual endeavour are love of oneself and spiritual harmony. This will definitely confound the reader, because we have always been advised to suppress something within us. In reality, there is nothing within us that needs suppression – each individual has certain drives that need to be harnessed, not extirpated, certain forces that need to be awakened and loved, not suppressed. They should be controlled and directed along the proper course. But those who consider them hostile can never be successful in transforming them. A man of understanding can transform even poison into nectar, but one who has no understanding whatsoever is sure to turn his nectar into poison.

If we have visited any farm, we would have noticed that there are putrefying things that emit a foul odour kept in a heap, this is used as fertilisers. When this smelly fertiliser is spread around the farm and fruits and flowers blossom from the trees, then the whole area is filled with a fragrance, a wonderful aroma. This very smelly fertiliser has transformed and become fragrant – that is nature – the fertiliser has nourished the roots and stems of the plants, trees and has been transformed!

What we understand as ‘smell’, is nothing but an undeveloped form of fragrance. In music, a discordant note is nothing but the undeveloped and disarranged form of the harmonious notes that blend so well in perfect music.

There is nothing in human life that needs to be shattered to pieces, but there is much in human life which should be transformed, sublimated, and elevated. Human beings possess certain powers which are intrinsically neutral – not good, not bad. They assume the form in which these powers are utilised. What we call sexual potency, the power of passionate lust against which religious leaders have waged a relentless war, when transformed, evolves itself into a divine force as it elevates one from body consciousness to soul consciousness. This is the primordial creative power, and what it is competent to do depends on how we use it.

What it can be, does not depend on it alone but on our understanding and on the art of living our lives. Once transformed, does it not attain the nature of the self-realised individual! This power of lust and blind passion when transformed becomes peace, calmness, and inner silence. It is just a question of transformation!

In our life the process of creation is of far greater importance than the process of destruction. If we understand this clearly, the question of a struggle with the Self will hardly arise, for the creation of the Self is possible only in an atmosphere of self-love.

Hate – What to do?

 

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Hate – What to do?

Hate is a very powerful negative emotion – we are often faced with the question what to do if someone hates us, or if this emotion arises in us against somebody else! Powerful emotions of hate and love – both are identified with the body, if one has reached the soul-level then it does not matter whether someone hates or loves us.

Either at home, or with friends or in the office there are people who like to pull others’ legs, generally out of fun and some with a malicious intent. Those who are at the receiving end continuously begin to get angry and the leg pulling continues and the anger increases – if anybody can push our buttons and affect our state of being, that means there is something wrong with us. This means that we are slaves and not masters. Our mastery over the self begins only when we do not change whatsoever happens outside, our inner climate remains the same – calm and peaceful.

If anyone hates us or loves us, that is their problem, not ours. If we have understood our state of being, we remain in tune with ourself. Nobody can disturb our inner harmony – if somebody loves us, good; if somebody hates us, good. Both remain outside us – this is mastery over the self.

If we have observed ourselves when we are angry, we notice that we are simply angry, whatever the root cause, whosoever comes in front of us faces the brunt of the anger. That person may be innocent and would be left bewildered and hurt – but that is how anger works – it is totally irrational. This anger is nothing but our inner disharmony which is projected outwards and affects others.

This anger and hate are nothing but our own inner churning and if we begin to look within, we will find the cause and thereby the solution. Meditation helps us look within and introspection helps cleans and heal our inner wounds.

Once we realise that we are a soul, our being is filled with compassion, unconditional compassion. Compassion then becomes our natural state of being, it isn’t like we can switch it on or off, it is there – a part of us. There will be moments when the compassion does not flow, then we again need to introspect and open the door and window which we have closed.

When we are not identified with the body or the mind, we have come home to our inner abode. The body can be hurt, it can die, the mind can be hurt, but the soul remains pure, untouched. As a witness, we remain unaffected by whatever is happening outside – we identify ourselves as pure, holy souls – that’s it!

Judging Others

 

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Judging Others

Why do we judge people? Sometimes our opinion is formed even before having been introduced to a person. After spending several years on the spiritual path, we develop a sixth sense, we think we understand energy, and based on that we again judge people and slot them as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’

We do not have to stop judging people, we need to understand why and how we judge people. We can only judge that which is visible – like the behaviour of a person, because only the behaviour is available to form an opinion. We do not actually ‘know’ the person, we do not know the reason for his /her behaviour and despite that we go ahead and judge that person. It is alright to judge the act, but not the person.

Sometimes it could so happen that a person is always smiling and laughing and being jovial, but deep down he/she may be sad and is just putting on a show to avoid passing on his wounds to everybody. Maybe he/she is smiling on the surface and crying deep within.

Just by seeing a smiling face we cannot judge what is happening inside. The inside is not available to us. The inside is private; it is not available to anybody. So, the first thing to understand is that we can look only at the behaviour and the behaviour does not mean much. All that is really significant is the person behind. And we do not know. Our judgements are going to be wrong. And we know it – because when people judge us by our acts, we always feel that they have judged us wrongly.

Never judge anybody by their action – but that is the only thing available to us. So, what to do? Do not judge! By and by become more and more aware of the privacy of being. Every being inside his/her own soul is so private there is no way to penetrate it. Even when we love, something at the deepest core remains private. That is, one’s dignity. That is the meaning when we say man has a soul. Soul means that which can never become public.

So, before forming an opinion and judging others, look within and ask yourself what would you have done in similar circumstances – it is always better to try and put yourself in the other person’s shoes before making any judgement.

If we are truly spiritual, we will just watch and ‘see’ how things turn out. Life is flowing and events are happening, we are a part of the divine drama, judging others will only reflect on what is wrong with our own self deep down.

Control Over Sense of Taste

 

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Control Over Sense of Taste

It is said that – If one is able to control one’s senses, even if the person is blind, he she will reach the destination of moksha or liberation. On the other hand, if one’s senses are not controlled, even if the person is the best of people, he/she will not be able to reach the divine destination.

We must learn to use the elements of nature properly in order to promote the well-being of man. Although everything in the world is God’s creation, we must cultivate the wisdom to make proper use of things. Our sense organs, for instance, have also to be used in the correct manner. Each particular organ has a distinctive feature. Amongst them, the one that tastes, namely the tongue, is a very important one. It is imperative that we keep it in check. Sometimes to satisfy our pallet we consume all types of food, not knowing that through it, bad qualities like lust, anger, greed, attachment, arrogance and selfishness grow in us. Many of the different foods that we eat change, in the gross appearance at least, into waste matter which is not of any value and get excreted. In a subtle way, the same food is changing into our blood and muscle.

Even more subtle parts of this food will appear as our mind. Therefore, either for the distortions in our mind or for the sacred thoughts that generate therefrom, the food that we take is mainly responsible. Therefore, good qualities like peace, forbearance, love and attachment to truth can only be promoted by taking good food. Indian culture, as contained in the Vedas, advises us that control of our sensory organs and living on sattvic and good food are the paths for realisation of the self and liberation thereof. This is the reason why from time immemorial, in our Indian traditions, the rishis ate sattvic food and drank clear flowing water. They kept their minds perfectly clean, and this is how they were able to understand the divine spirit. One should make an attempt to control one’s tongue when we are young. If, in this age, we do not control our tongue and all other sensory organs, we will have to face many difficulties in our later life.

The patience which the tongue shows is not shown by any other organ. If we turn this tongue into a path which is not sacred, we will be turning our life itself into a path which is not sacred. If we want to know also the sacrifice which the tongue exhibits, we have to realise that when we put some good tasty food on the tongue it only recognises the taste and immediately passes it on to the stomach for further digestion, but it does not keep it for itself. On the other hand, if we give bad food which does not taste well, the tongue immediately throws it out of the mouth.

In our body, all the other organs are controlled by the tongue. If only we can control our pallet and avoid excessive eating, excessive talking and refrain from using words which ought not to be uttered, our health will improve, and we can have peace of mind.

Adversity - an Opportunity

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 Adversity – an Opportunity

In every adversity there is opportunity. We fail because we only see the adversity. Because of our fragmented mind we do not recognise the opportunity.

Adversity will surface in some form in every life. How we prepare for it, how we meet it, makes the difference. We can be broken by adversity, or we can become stronger. The final result is up to the individual.

Adversity is the trial of principle. Without it, a man hardly knows whether he is honest or not. Adversity is an opportunity to grow. As everyone says, this life is a trial of faith. We can be broken by adversity or we can become stronger. Each one of us has our own difficulties, but the outcome depends on our attitude and how we deal with it.

Another thing is that adversity is an opportunity to change. The very opportunity for us to face adversity and affliction is part of the evidence of the Divine’s infinite love. God gave us the gift of living in mortality so that we could be prepared to receive the greatest of all the gifts of God, which is eternal life.

Karma is not only action of the physical body, but also action of the mind, and the mind’s action is on a more subtle level, but it is still action. If the mind is regulated and put into a proper channel with the help of meditation, then we automatically draw on Grace. It works in a cycle. The more we draw Grace, the better our actions become, and more the Grace in our lives. That is how man evolves and finds greater and greater happiness until he achieves totality, self-realisation.

When self-realised, a man becomes law unto himself, because he is not touched by any form of karma. When events occur, he is unaffected by them because he has developed integration which brings non-attachment. It is attachment that brings suffering. Attachment produces expectations, and when expectations are not fulfilled it produces suffering and that is what we call karma.

Karma does not only mean pain it also means pleasure. Good karma within its range will bring you good results. Bad karma within its same range will bring you bad results. When man has become non-attached, then he has risen above both. He has risen to the level where there is no polarity left and all is oneness, and that is the stage where everything is just accepted. That is the stage when he sees no evil, hears no evil, and speaks no evil, because he is apart from it and yet a part of it. This may sound very paradoxical, but the greatest truths are paradoxical, because a truth is a wholeness.

Consciousness

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Consciousness

Cosmic Consciousness is a term often used to denote a higher or particularly spiritual level of awareness and consciousness. This type of awareness may be associated with an experience of “knowing God," or of transcending the five senses and finding a hidden consciousness or reality which is beyond the perceivable world. For many, the journey to experiencing cosmic consciousness involves practices such as yoga, meditation, prayer and acts of faith.

In Swamiji’s presence, when we are in His aura we can feel the flow of consciousness, enjoy that state of thoughtless bliss and joy. It is a state which we attain in that moment and that shows us the potential to be in that state all the time, if and only if we do our own spiritual practice and aspire to reach that state.

When we reach that state of cosmic consciousness in meditation, the mind becomes elevated beyond the awareness of the self and the ego, and enters a place of oneness and unity with the universe.

When that state of consciousness is reached, the individual moves from believing in the oneness of the universe to having a direct knowledge of that fact. At this level of consciousness, the superficial ego also disappears.

Our body is made up of the 5 elements which are a part of the universe – earth, water, air, fire and ether. There is a fundamental intelligence which binds these things together in a particular way to make life out of it. The same ingredients that are lying there in the mud sit here as the life we are. That is the incredible transformation caused by a profound and unimaginable intelligence that converts simple things like air into life. The only reason that we experience life and aliveness is because we are conscious.

There are four states of consciousness that humans live in. The first is wakefulness. If ten people fall asleep and they are awakened at the same time, then all of them may not be fully awake simultaneously, some will take more time and some will be watchful and alert instantly. Thus, there are different levels of wakefulness.

The next dimension of consciousness is the dream state. A dream state is far more vivid than the wakeful state for most humans. This can be correlated to the manner in which we watch a movie. The lights turn off and the movie starts, similarly our eyes shut and the dreams begin. This dream state is considered a more powerful state than wakefulness. Wakefulness is important for performing action in the world but for human consciousness, in terms of profoundness of experience, a dream is always more profound than walking on the street.

The next state is the dreamless one with awareness of dimensions of consciousness. It is a totally dreamless sleep state, but in complete awareness. There is no picturisation or video running in the mind, there are no people or words, but we are conscious in our sleep. This is a very powerful state if we really want to manifest something in our life.

The final state is turiya or consciousness – here there is no memory of any kind. In this state of consciousness there is only joy and bliss, nothing else exists – there is unity with the universe, only one exists, everything else just falls away.

Friendliness

 

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Friendliness

The modern virtual world is full of friend requests on social media – and these requests come from people who one has never met before. What kind of friendship can be established in this manner is beyond my understanding – but I too have got thousands of virtual ‘friends’ on social media. But these are just social contacts who like what appears on one’s social media page or what they would like to share on our social media page – but these are not the kind of friends who will respond to a call for help in times of distress.

Relationships are important in life and unalloyed pure friendships are rare gems to be preserved and valued. These are pure relationships based on zero expectation – these are the kind of people who will walk through fire to help one get out of a sticky situation.

Friendship is a relationship. We can be in a relationship with a few people. Friendliness is a quality not a relationship. It has nothing to do with anybody else; it is basically our inner quality. We can be friendly even when we are alone. One cannot be in friendship when one is alone - the other is needed - but friendliness is a kind of fragrance. A flower opens in the jungle; nobody passes by - still it is fragrant. It does not matter whether anybody comes to know of it or not, it is its quality. Nobody may ever come to know about it, but that does not matter. The flower is rejoicing.

Spirituality is a natural process. It connects hearts which in turn should strengthen the bond of humanity. If we want to realise that, we must learn to interact with people. There is no bondage in spirituality. But it shows the divine dimension to relationships. We have to turn to divinity. How do we do it? This is where the Guru plays a role. A Guru is one who leads us on the path of righteousness. In the journey of life each day is a walk which has neither a beginning nor an end. Relationships and friendships are those that join their steps with the innumerable steps we take.

When we speak of relationship, stress is upon individual relationship which is related to spiritual thinking and not to material existence. It helps the disciple who yearns for the Guru’s grace. We fail many a time in our path of practice. We fail to develop a proximate relationship with the Guru. That does not mean that the inseparable relationship between the Guru and disciple has ended. One need not lose heart. Here the disciple is the achiever and the Guru is the motivator. 

The Guru has knowledge and the disciple has the desire for knowledge. This desire must be deep. Only then does the patience to understand develop. That patience will strengthen the bond with the Guru. Such a strong bond makes the path to spirituality smooth.

Meaning of Om (Aum)

 

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Meaning of Om (Aum)

One finds the first references to ‘Om’ is in the Mandukya Upanishad. Om is said to be imperishable in this text and to be all states of time, past, present, and future, as well as transcending time itself. The symbol consists of 5 parts – Lower Large Curve, Upper Smaller Curve, Middle Curve, The Dot, Maya (the Crescent).

Each aspect of Om’s visual form represents a different state of reality. The large lower curve represents the normal waking state, where the mind identifies with the physical body and perceives the world through the sense in this state.

The upper curve represents the unconscious state, or deep sleep (Sushupti). This is a state of complete unconsciousness in which one is in a deep, dreamless sleep and has withdrawn from all physical and mental activities.

The middle curve (Swapna) represents the dream state. The dream state occurs between deep sleep and waking sleep and is where a person explores their subconscious. As our fears, hopes, and desires manifest in an imaginary world, our consciousness turns inwards.

The dot represents enlightenment. In this state, a person becomes in tune with the absolute, realising that all creation is made up of spirit and that they are all connected by that commonality. This state transcends the ordinary senses and can only be attained by connecting with spiritual energy.

Maya is represented by the crescent, which separates the three curves from the dot. Maya is the illusion that binds a person’s soul to the physical world. By chanting Om, one can reach the dot of enlightenment and transcend the three curves of material consciousness. The meaning of Om is simple. Om encompasses everything in the universe and is the essence of ultimate reality. The vibrations produced by the Om sound energise the chakras throughout the body, particularly the third eye and crown chakras, which assist us in connecting with our Divine selves. 

It is believed that the God of Creation “Brahma’s” thoughts caused a vibration that became the sound Om, which resulted in the creation of the world. Om is also known as Pranava, which means “control of one’s life force.”

As faiths are generally built around some holy trinity, the three phonetic components of Aum represent the rule of three. Aum represents not only the three states of consciousness but also the three realms: Earth, Heaven, and the Underworld, as well as the Hindu Gods: Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), and Shiva (the Destroyer).

Churning of the Mind

 

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Churning of the Mind

Churning of the mind is usually considered as a topic of discussion in psychology. Only when a mind is churned-up can it explore fresh horizons, else it becomes fossilised, and that mind is of no use to anyone, not even its owner. The Sanskrit word for churning-up is manthan. In India we are all familiar with the concept of Samudra manthan – in which it is said that the oceans were churned up by the Gods and the demons, then what happened?

The Gods and the demons churned the ocean of milk, and what was flung out first was the poison, that too the most dangerous kind called hala hala visha – that which could have annihilated the entire creation. The story is that the great God, Shiva, the Lord of destruction, and also the symbol of the one with the third eye or the eye of intuition, the eye of understanding, lapped up the poison and saved the world. 

So, it’s quite possible that when the mind is churned, so many poisons from its innermost depths come to the surface and then they vanish. There is no other way they can be taken out. From the point of view of yoga psychology, bottling up is not the answer. Taking them out – that’s where tantra comes into the picture, where one’s emotions, one’s fears, one’s anxieties, one’s desires are all brought to the surface before they evaporate; they vanish once for all.

How can the mind become quiet? In the Upanishad, it says that one cannot form an image or come to a final conclusion about something that is constantly on the move, which is the mind and the Self. It is constantly expanding, it never stops and therefore, if we think it is this and forget about it and say this is what it is, it cannot be that. It is ever on the move and it is not that which can be understood by the ordinary modes of thought. 

That Supreme Truth, the Self that we seek, is beyond the understanding of the ordinary modes of linear thinking. It can be understood only when the mind, having discovered the futility of all the exercises of ordinary thinking, has quieted down and become absolutely still. When it thus becomes still, then the mind has reached its source and the source is the creative source of everything in this universe. And that source is the Supreme Being.

Whether it is a physical problem or a mental problem, a psychological problem or a spiritual problem, the most important thing is that the body has to be fit; the mind has to be calm, quiet and relaxed, not asleep, of course. It has to relax to be able to think clearly and, sometimes even to go beyond thought and begin to understand that which lies beyond the ordinary state of consciousness.

We are keeping the room in order: sweeping it, cleaning it, sweeping off the cobwebs, opening the windows, pulling the curtains, we are ready. Then, infinite patience is required. The breeze is definitely going to blow in. 

When it will come, nobody knows. When it comes, it comes in a flash. That is why all this preparation is necessary. Otherwise, when the breeze of understanding comes, our windows and doors are shut. Spiritual practice opens these out.

Instant Gratification

 

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Instant Gratification

Instant gratification is a term that refers to the temptation, and resulting tendency, to forego a future benefit in order to obtain a less rewarding but more immediate benefit. When we have a desire for something pleasurable—be it food, entertainment, or sex—you rarely think thoughts like, “My stomach is rumbling and I would love to have that delicious dish, but I’d rather wait another hour.”

It’s a natural human urge to want good things and to want them NOW. It has almost certainly provided an evolutionary advantage for humans and their ancestors, as life for pre-modern humans hinged on decisions made and actions taken in the immediate far more than those intended for long-term gain.

It’s all well and good to plan for the future, but actions that are taken to benefit you in the here and now are much more advantageous when you’re being stalked by a fierce predator or offered the opportunity to eat your fill in a time when starvation was a much bigger concern than obesity.

The flip side of instant gratification is delayed gratification, or the decision to put off satisfying your desire in order to gain an even better reward or benefit in the future. It’s easy to see how delayed gratification is generally the wiser behaviour, but we still struggle on a daily basis with the temptation to give in to our immediate desires. Why is it so difficult to choose delayed over instant gratification?

Instant gratification in the spiritual field is never going to happen, as any kind of temptation, any expectation is a sure-fire recipe for groping in the dark. With all things which are good, they happen in their own sweet time and specially when one has reached the stage to evolve spiritually.

We have ourselves to blame when we expect things to happen immediately with the Guru’s Grace – in fact they happen too, but we are not in a position to receive and absorb what is being offered. We consider a diamond to be a stone and throw it away! I know so many people who think that Swamiji should do everything for them – promising liberation in this birth does not mean that he will take on your karma from the past birth. He does this for the current birth and that itself is a huge favour. Our problem is our expectation and our giving in to temptation. It is always one step forward, two steps backward.

Once we realise that meditation and regular spiritual practice is the only thing that will purify us and lead us to liberation, our desire for instant gratification also dies a natural death. We learn to take life as it is, living in the moment with complete awareness.

Energy is Just That

 

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Energy is Just That

How many times have we heard the phrase, “He is such a bundle of energy” – this is often said of children who are invariably bubbling with fresh energy, they never seem to get tired. So, as we grow up how do we channelise our energy?

As an experiment, Gurdjieff would create situations in which anger would be forced upon a newcomer. All the other disciples would be given prior instructions to be rude and insulting to the target person for that day. They would be so rude and insulting, that anger would rise in that person, and it would reach a point where it was about to explode, that is when Gurdjieff would tell the person to close his eyes and step back and watch the anger in awareness, and look for its source. As the energy which had arisen fell towards its source, just watch where it came from; now you can connect with the original source. This according to Osho, is one of the most successful methods of meditation.

Energy is simply energy, it is neutral. Our energy takes several emotional forms – anger, love, sex, hate. For meditation to take place we should learn how to channelise the energy from its source. These are all forms of the same energy. We give the form, our mind gives the form, and the energy moves into it.

The child has more sex energy than us, but it is still in the source; it has not moved to the body yet. It will move. When the body will be ready and the glands will be ready and the body will be mature, the energy will move. Why does a child look so innocent? The energy is at the source; it has not moved. Again, the same thing happens when someone becomes enlightened. The whole energy moves to the source, and the person becomes childlike. That is what Jesus means when he says, “Only those who are like children will be able to enter into my kingdom of God.”

If you really express anger, you feel relief. If you go through sex, you feel relief. If you destroy something, your hate is released and you feel relief. Why is this relief felt? Because suspended energy is burdensome, heavy. Our mind is cloudy with it. We have to throw it out or allow it to move back to the original source; these are the only two things.

If it goes back to the source, it becomes formless. In the source, energy is formless. For example, electricity is formless. When it moves into a fan, it takes one kind of form. When it moves into a bulb, it takes a different form. We can use it in a thousand ways – the energy is the same. The form is given by the mechanism through which it moves.

Being Neutral

 

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Being Neutral

When we learn to embrace our situations in life without swinging one way or the other, we can say that we are neutral. When we are neutral at the personal or at the patterned level of being or existing, we’re free to express as we are moved to express in this moment, in the here and now. We are no longer responding to this moment in a preconditioned, patterned manner. We are present in this moment; we are responding to this moment. Our response is fresh, alive, originating in this moment. We are present in the here and now.

Being neutral does not mean being neutral to life. It does not mean that we have to walk through life feeling nothing at all. It is actually quite the contrary. When we are neutral to our personal patterning, all the energy that was being utilised to maintain control of the self and others is freed up. Now we have access to an infinite supply of energy. We feel more deeply. Our perceptive abilities are clearer and we are able to know the truth and respond appropriately. We are fully present and able to attend to ‘what is’ present before us in this moment.

When our conditioned behavioural patterns are brought to neutral, we are no longer bothered by it. We have basically cleansed the inner conditioning and past impressions no longer matter as they have been neutralised. Thinking of such issues no longer evokes any kind of response – positive or negative. Our polarisation has disappeared. When the issue comes to mind and we think about it, it’s just neutral.

Now, when we come across a situation which used to trigger a response in us earlier, now it simply provides us with clear information. Now, we are free to express as we are now in this moment. We are free to make a choice that’s no longer influenced by our conditioned patterning. We are now completely free to open our innate knowing and know how to respond in a manner that’s appropriate for all those involved in the situation.

When we meditate and learn to be in the moment, we learn to embrace whatever situations we come across in life, we learn to bring them to neutral without colouring them as positive or negative. This also helps us become more conscious of what neutrality feels like, so that we are able to access this state at will, whenever we want to.

Magic of Sharing

 

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Magic of Sharing

There is only one magic in the world, and that is the magic of sharing. One can share only if one has experienced in absolute depth – love, blissfulness, ecstasy (not the drug!), not just as words but as our very heartbeat, as our very breath! Then the magic happens. There is no magician, just the magic. We don’t do anything, it just happens, it simply overwhelms us. There is somebody ready to receive, vulnerable, thirsty, longing, then something invisible starts flowing between the two. We have seen this happen innumerable times during Swamiji’s discourses – a kind of ray from his eyes pierces the heart and we just melt within ourself, and are overcome with such love and joy – it is beyond description.

We cannot see the connection, but we can definitely feel it, and that is way beyond the reach of the mind. Neither can anybody else see this, but if there are people of understanding around you, they can definitely see its effects. The person who becomes overwhelmed is no longer a person, but only a presence, no longer a flower, but just a fragrance.

If one decides to marry, it is a beautiful field in which one can learn a lot about sharing and sacrificing. Before getting married one should decide for oneself – can I share my life with someone? Can I dedicate my whole life to that person?

Division starts in life from the time one gets married – something for the self, something for the spouse. Then the babies come along and the division continues. One starts sharing more and more, and this sharing is out of pure love. Challenges come and sacrifices have to be made, these too are done happily and for the betterment of the family.

We learn to both share and sacrifice as our life becomes filled with responsibility. Life keeps testing our resolve constantly and we learn to pass these tests again and again. The problem happens only if we resist; when we live in the moment and go with the flow, then solutions to problems are always to be found. 

In school we are tested. Why? It helps us to find out whether we learned properly or not. It also helps others to know whether we studied well or not. So, in family life we also have tests to face. If we don’t want to answer the questions and solve the problems there, if we just quit this examination and go somewhere else, eventually we will find an examiner standing in that place too. Wherever we go, we cannot escape from that.

Change – Eternal Conundrum

 

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Change – Eternal Conundrum

In the Bhagwad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna – That which is subject to change (unreal) is not eternal. That which is real never ceases to be. Seers have realised the truth about both.

We have always been told that the only thing that is constant is change, in which case what is Krishna talking about? What is being referred to is the physical body – Arjuna sees his relatives, his Gurus on the other side of the battlefield and is in a dilemma as to what joy will he get over the blood of his relatives? Krishna then talks about the unreal and the real. The soul is permanent, all the embodied souls on the battlefield have always been there and will always exist, it is only the body which is impermanent. The physical body keeps changing, how can that be permanent – the soul is eternal, never changing, it is the part of universal consciousness which is embodied in the individual physical body – that is eternal.

So, it is important to realise that we are eternal – not the momentary, but the eternal….not the changing but the unchanging. If we see a flower, then in that flower there are two constituents – one, which is constantly changing, the body part, the form; and then, hidden behind that form is the formless which is unchanging. Flowers come and go, the beauty, remains. The flower will wither and die, and its seeds will fall onto the ground, a new plant will be born, giving new flowers – again there will be beauty that will assert itself…then they will drop and the beauty will move into the unmanifest.

The same is happening with human beings, birds, animals, everything. We have two dimensions – the day part when we become manifested, and the night part when we become unmanifested – but we are eternal. We have always been, and will always be. Being is beyond time and beyond change.

We need to express the desire to change. Once that happens, then it is very simple. The change happens inside, no one is stopping anyone from changing from within. Once we decide we want to change, then the universe will send a Master to help us on our way. The desire to change has to well up from deep within us, and only then will we be able to experience the real that never ceases to be.

Change cannot be partial. Either it is or it is not – it can only be total. So, we need to decide whether we want that permanent change – and if we do, then universal consciousness sends us our Guide and Master to show us the way. With our spiritual practice, we soon realise that we are not the body and as our soul consciousness increases and ego consciousness decreases – we come closer to our real self, the eternal soul!

Problems?

 

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Problems?

In life, we face many problems – some big, some small, some frightening and some  appear to be absolutely insurmountable. The intensity of each problem is directly proportionate to the state of our mind. When there is a problem in life, we might try to let it go. People keep advising us, “If you can’t find a solution to the problem, surrender, let it go.” It is so easy to give advice isn’t it! When one faces the same situation, will that same advice be taken? That is the test.

We may let the problem go, but will the problem let us get away? Suppose we have taken a loan from a bank and due to some financial problem, we are unable to pay the instalment. We surrender, let go of the loan – will that work? Will the bank let us go, will it not ask for its money back? Life is like that – if we get into some situation, it is like a debt. We have to pay it – not with money, but with our life. If one is smart, one will definitely pay it one way or another.

Actually, if we observe, there are no problems in life – they are only situations that we find ourselves in. These situations could be because of past birth or current birth karma. All problems that we face are problems only because we call them problems. This is a mind thing – the mind calls it a problem to trick you into escape mode or to do something which one would not normally do. There are no problems – just situations!

If we call it a problem, it becomes one, if we call the same situation wonderful, it becomes wonderful. Somewhere in the world someone is being forced to marry against their will, for such persons this is a huge problem. Elsewhere somebody else is getting married because they want to, for them it is wonderful. These are just situations; it is our approach which designates them as a problem or otherwise.

If we don’t want to get into situations, just observe what has happened in complete awareness; close scrutiny will show doors through which you can walk through and get away. If you want a breath of fresh air, one can open the window and make it a little more relaxing. If one wants to get out, just open the door and walk away, that is our choice. If we stay there is a consequence, if we walk away there is a consequence. The question is are we ready to face the consequence?

The real problem with most people is they want the situation but not the price attached! There is always a price to pay – it is for us to decide whether the price is worth it or not – that is what we have to estimate in our life.

Gratitude – it’s Importance

 

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Gratitude – it’s Importance

God is the creator of the universe. We too are a part and parcel of the universe. So, both, the universe and we were created by God. All events in the universe followed thereafter. These include me, my happiness and unhappiness, intellect, actions, my family, country, religion, spiritual practice, etc. Thus, whenever one thinks about the self and / or the world, unconsciously harbouring awareness of God or one of His forms and offering the credit for even this awareness to God, is known as gratitude. Prayer is actually a synonym for surrender. This act of surrender is completed only after the expression of gratitude. The Guru Himself is God for a seeker who has been blessed by the grace of a Guru or for one who is practising Spirituality according to the Path of the Guru’s Grace. Hence it is but natural to harbour more gratitude towards the Guru.

Gratitude is a means of offering the doer-ship of an act to God / the Guru; hence it helps in reducing the ego. Often seekers forget to thank God for anything occurring as wished in a prayer or after deriving joy/bliss from rendering service. A seeker can also develop a subtle ego about getting spiritual experiences or experiencing bliss. It is therefore important to offer the credit for a spiritual experience or the experience of bliss to the Guru.

In expressing gratitude, one offers the result of an action unto God and as the result of the action is sacrificed, the action becomes a non-action (akarma karma) and no give and take account is generated. Thus, the chances of a seeker getting entrapped in the cycle of birth and death are reduced.

Gratitude can be expressed in different ways. It could be by through spiritual emotion or bhav telling the God/Guru that whatever one has received is because of His Grace. One can express gratitude for every breath of life that one is taking and also thank the Guru for bestowing the Guru-mantra so that through repetition it could be established within one’s own being. Repeating God’s name filled with spiritual emotion thus enabling the chant to reach ‘God’. Chanting with spiritual emotion protects one from negative energies.

Expression of gratitude should become an innate part of our spirituality – this should come from the heart and not as a formality, not just on the surface. For gratitude to give spiritual benefit, expressing heartfelt gratitude gives great benefits. I thank all the readers from the bottom of my heart for the loave and support they have provided.

Greatest Barrier

 

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Greatest Barrier

On the spiritual path, we all follow a common objective – liberation. Before liberation we have to first realise that we are a soul, it is only then that our inner journey commences. For many people realising that one is a soul itself is a huge task – Swamiji has given us this realisation so easily that many of us do not truly value it. Like Swamiji says, “I have distributed the seed equally to all of you, how you consider it is your business. Some will think of it as a diamond and preserve and nurture it, others may think it to be just some stone and ignore it.”

What we do with the seed depends on us – and this gives our inner journey the required momentum. If we value it, then our inner journey gathers pace, else it just meanders around without direction. This is a game about energy, and how we preserve it and direct it for our own inner progress.

When we do not get quick results – remember we live in a very fast world, where instant gratification is the flavour of the day – we begin to doubt ourselves. When we doubt ourselves, subconsciously we are doubting our own Master who has bestowed us with the seed of self-realisation and liberation.

Our entire focus is the desire to get liberated, and this desire itself become the biggest barrier – the more we desire the further away we are from it. We have to drop all our desiring and hoping – and when we do that then enlightenment is possible at any moment. We need to give space – don’t be filled with desire for it.

Like Osho says, when we become desireless we are nirvana, we are enlightenment. The desire is the disturbance within us, just like the ripples in a lake – ripples disturb, the lake is silent.

Enlightenment cannot be desired, because enlightenment happens only when there is no desire. And enlightenment is not something that comes from the outside. When the mind is freed from desire, suddenly, we become aware of the king of kings sitting inside. He has always been there. but we were so worried about desiring and reaching and gaining and achieving. The achieving mind is the barrier, so it is good that we have given up all hope for enlightenment.

That doesn’t mean we have given up all hope — otherwise it would have happened. We may be right, however, practically, we have given up all hope for enlightenment. But deep down we are still dreaming about it, desiring it. Practically, we may have given up, but deep down the desire must be there. Otherwise, there is no question — why the enlightenment has not happened. It should happen immediately — there is not a moment’s gap. It is absolutely certain - when desire has left us completely, it is there. So, search deep, dig a little deeper within, we will again find desires, layers of desires - and go on throwing them. Peel down the onion to its very core. 

One day it is going to happen. Any day it is possible. Any moment when there is no desire, not even a flicker of it — no trembling, no wavering — and consciousness is unclouded — no smoke of desire. only the flame of consciousness, the fire of consciousness…. And suddenly we start laughing, suddenly we understand that that which we were seeking was always within.