Problem of a Seeker

 

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Problem of a Seeker

The basic problem before a spiritual seeker is not how to know, but how to be, how to exist. Knowing is easy, that it is not the problem. The real problem is how to be, how the being should be strengthened. Knowing can grow easily; knowing has its own ways of growing.

Knowing grows in the memory and memory is mechanical, hence we have mechanical devices such as computers and mobiles with computing ability which have more or less taken over the brain’s functions. These gadgets are more efficient than the human brain and they can do things much faster than the human being. Because of such gadgets the brain is used less and less, some of the functions like remembering phone numbers and addresses, simple mental calculations – people have stopped remembering or doing these things. As a result, that part of the brain has become weak.

The mind is a mechanical device – one can go on feeding it with knowledge and information, and it keeps growing. One may not be aware, but nothing comes out of the mind which has not been put there earlier – nothing. Thus, as far as the mind is concerned nothing is original, everything is just a repetition. At the most, one can make fresh combinations, that’s all. This is one kind of parasitic growth which happens at the cost of our being.

Our being, means our consciousness with which we are born. The mind means the accumulation of information in our consciousness since childhood – from society, through education, through culture and so on. We do not take birth with a mind but with consciousness, the mind comes later.

The mind seems infinite in its own way, and one has to use it constantly. We don’t remember when we were not the mind, and that’s the problem: to remember that we have to create a space, a gap, when we are not the mind. Try to remember our birth, when we were actually no-mind. We get involved with the mind to such an extent that we start identifying with it, we become the mind. The mind becomes the master and we the slave.

Meditation helps in creating that gap so that we can again become the master, the master of our own mind. By controlling the mind, we control our thoughts, we live in the present moment, awareness becomes sharp, soul consciousness comes to the fore. We slowly become one with existence, with our own being. The mind is no more a problem.

The Higher Self

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The Higher Self

It is not easy to understand what ‘higher Self means’; nor can we know what the lower self is. Though we may repeat these words again and again, and to some extent know their literal meanings, their practical suggestiveness is hard for the mind to grasp. The higher Self is not a spatially located, ascending series, but a more intensely inclusive and pervasive nature of our own self – something like the superiority of the waking consciousness over the dream consciousness.

The waking mind is not kept over the dreaming mind, as one thing kept over another thing. The superiority, the transcendence of one thing over the other, or one thing being higher than the other, should not and does not suggest a spatial distance, but a logical superiority which is to be distinguished from spatial transcendence as someone sitting over another person's head. The cosmological scheme enlightens us into the fact that we as individuals or human beings are basically inseparable from the whole of creation, the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether; the five tanmatras: word, touch, form, taste, smell; and the whole of space-time itself. We are not outside this large complex of the expanse of the universe.

We, in our daily life, seem to be totally ignoring this fact; and by a complete violation of this principle, asserting our individuality; we seem to be totally disconnected from everything else as if we have nothing to do with anybody else. We have various types of selfishness – attachment to one's own body is the grossest form of it, and it has subtler forms of egoism, such as psychological self-assertiveness. Attachment to anything that is connected to one's self also comes under the purview and the gamut of selfishness.

We are totally sense-ridden, and the world that we live in is a sense world. Our thinking process and our intellect also is conditioned by the knowledge provided to us by means of sense perception.

Our individualised consciousness is the principle of the affirmation of individuality. The ego, the intellect, the reasoning, and what we think we are at the present moment – all these are inseparable from this type of activity of consciousness. Thus, self-control would mean a bringing back of the surging individual consciousness in the direction of external things, and enabling it to settle in its own self. This is the whole yoga of Patanjali, for instance, which summarises in two sutras – yogaś citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ and tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe avasthānam (Y.S. 1.2-3). "The restraint of the mind is yoga, and then there is establishment of self in its own self." Here is the whole of yoga in two sentences.

The lower self is that state of consciousness which is conditioned by the urge in the direction of objects. The higher Self is that which is the condition of freedom, attained by even a single step taken by this involved consciousness in the direction of disentanglement with objects.

Detachment is a success that we achieve in freeing our consciousness from involvement in any kind of objectivity – whether it is the form of intense liking or intense dislike, or finally even in the complacency that things really are outside. This ultimately leads us to being one with our Higher Self and the Universe.

What is Yagna (Sacrifice)?

 

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What is Yagna (Sacrifice)?

The word 'yajna' is a very significant one throughout the Bhagavad Gita, perhaps through most of the scriptures in India, indicating that the principle of life consists in sacrifice of some sort or the other. The philosophy of India may, in a way, be summed up by the word 'yajna' – sacrifice. Every moment of our life is a sacrifice that we perform in the direction of a higher fulfillment, and a sacrifice is therefore a gain and not a loss. In ordinary language we praise a person who has performed a sacrifice, thinking that sacrifice involves a sharing of one's joy with others, in a sense a sort of loss which one has voluntarily incurred for the welfare of other people. "Oh, what a sacrifice he has done," thus we ejaculate. This is our point of view – whenever we give something, we feel we lose something. Sacrifice, no doubt, means giving something, but it does not mean losing something. In giving, we do not lose. Give and it shall be given back hundredfold. It is difficult to understand the meaning of sacrifice, and a knowledge of it is absolutely necessary to understand the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. The whole of karma yoga, or any yoga for that matter, is centred round this principle governing all life and existence – the principle of yajna, sacrifice.

Yajna – sacrifice – whatever be the form it may take, is a summoning of the higher power into one's own self, and a consequent surrender of the lower self for the higher dimension of one's own being, known as the superior Self.

The yajnas or the sacrifices mentioned here in the Bhagavad Gita in the fourth chapter are, to some extent, gradational attempts on the part of the seeker to overcome selfishness and increase their dimension of one's self by attuning one's self to the larger Self, which is nothing but the establishment of a rapport with a wider area of our relationship than the one to which we are limited at the present moment, due to our sensory outlook. Physically, psychologically, and even intellectually, we are somehow connected to other people and even the five elements. So, sacrifice, yajna, should therefore mean an inward transmutation of our consciousness in its apprehension of relationship with these layers or levels of cosmological descent and ascent; and there are, perhaps, as many types of sacrifice as we would recognise layers in the cosmological scheme. If we say there are infinite series, there can be infinite types of sacrifice. It depends upon our understanding of what the universe is and how the creation process has taken place.

Yajna or sacrifice as yoga or self-control implies an inner training, a sort of educational activity going on inside, enlightenment as it is, by which we become filled with strength with our inward bond with things – not as the senses tell us, but as things really stand.

Diet – Yogic Viewpoint

 

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Diet – Yogic Viewpoint

The Yogis of the past had done great research to figure out what is the best kind of food one should consume which will help in reaching the ultimate goal of liberation – all this has been documented in the Yoga Shastras.

According to the Yogis the human body is the most important instrument that one has on this earth. Yogic science looks upon the human body as a microcosmos, comparing it to the vastness of the universe which is the macrocosm. Hence, by understanding our own bodies and minds and using them in a proper manner we can bring about great changes in the psyche.

The Yoga Shastras describe the path of Yoga as the ‘middle path’. This path can be adopted by all human beings by observing all the rules and regulations prescribed therein. Therefore, Yoga is a path of moderation wherein anything done in excess is detrimental to both the mind and the body. Our aim should be to consume nutrient rich and nourishing food, get enough rest, proper exercise, the right quantum of water and clean air to breathe, good thoughts and company and some quality time for introspection and meditation in silence.

At the physical level it is said that we are what we eat. Our bodies are nothing but the food we eat. This body is called the ‘Annamayakosha’, which means the food sheath. Our thoughts too are governed by the food we eat. In Yoga and Ayurveda, food has three categories – Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattvic according to its effect on individuals.

All reheated, old, stale, deep fried, greasy food and processed food falls into the Tamasic category. It makes the body lethargic, the mind clouded, depressed and dull. It consumes more energy from one’s system as compared to the energy and nutrition it provides.

Spicy, hot, pungent, sour, dry and bitter food types along with beverages and non-veg food falls in the Rajasic category. These food types act as stimulants to the nervous system, increase passion, ambition, brain activity and could also lead one to restlessness and agitation.

Sattva is made of goodness – food that is good on life force is considered Sattvic. This food type promotes sharpness and tranquillity of the mind, helps build high quality body tissues, purifies and calms the mind. After eating such food, one feels light after the meal. Fresh fruits and vegetables, buts and beans, milk, ghee, unhusked and unprocessed foo and naturally sweet tasting food are all Sattvic in nature.

The essence of one’s diet is to balance these three qualities in such a way so as to move from states of lethargy (tamas), to that of action (rajas) that leads towards a state of harmony and balance (sattva).

One has to remember that Yoga is the middle path and hence does not suggest that people should make any drastic changes to their existing diet and lifestyle. Starting with small adjustments and judiciously eating and engaging various daily activities one should strive to conserve one’s mental and physical energies to experience happiness, calm and a sense of wellbeing.

Resistance Strengthens

 

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Resistance Strengthens

All of us are looking for peace and happiness in life, whether consciously or sub-consciously really doesn’t matter. We all have experienced this peace and happiness and seem to have lost it, and we certainly want to have it back. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come that easily. We have to go through many kinds of resistance. Why? Because only by passing through resistance do we become stronger. Resistance is necessary, resistance is good.

Look at a seed which is buried in the ground. It first creates a foundation by letting its roots go deep and then slowly it sprouts through the mud, if there is a rock blocking its path it goes sideways and circumvents the stone and then sees the light of day. As it grows and grows over time, the stone becomes insignificant as the seed becomes a massive tree. The initial resistance only made the seed stronger. The same is with the child at childbirth, or a butterfly as it struggles to come out of the cocoon. The struggle to take birth, the birth pain is all necessary for all round development of the new life arriving on earth.

Look at sportspersons, athletes – their training involves resistance – it is called resistance training – and this pushes the athlete to go beyond the pain barrier. Why do athletes want to go through the pain barrier? It is because they seek greater physical strength and they recognize the personal benefits of strong legs and strong arms. After all, legs are the primary “vehicle” that accommodate human mobility, and strong arms and legs allow a person to lift and carry heavy loads. Humans benefit by increasing or maintaining good leg and arm strength, and this happens only when a person continues physical activity in the face of resistance.

The way of least resistance will only make one weak and fallible. It is the same in spirituality, the struggle makes one strong. The perseverance and total faith that whatever is our spiritual goal, we will definitely achieve it come what may.

Through meditation and by surrendering completely to our spiritual master we develop the will to fight life’s battles. Our fear dissolves completely as we face life’s challenges with a smile. Our will power, our chitta becomes strong and we face whatever challenges come with a song in our heart – we shall overcome, come what may. And we actually do so! 

As we embrace the idea of facing resistance and life’s challenges, as we push back knowing full well that we have our Guru’s blessings, we become stronger and more resilient, and at the same time develop compassion, patience and love for those who are weaker! Resistance makes us stronger and better human beings.

Just Be Yourself

 

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Just Be Yourself

We have been told so many times to “Just be Yourself” that we have lost count of it, without even realising why we were being told that! How many of us really are our true original selves in real life. We play so many roles in this delusional world – son-daughter, mother-father, boss-employee, friend-enemy, lover-hater, and so on that we completely lose sight of who we truly are!

In the quest for answers, I’ve found that it is very much possible to just be yourself. The person who is a jerk to others and the person who is afraid of social situations are, in actuality, not being themselves. Their real self is just being covered up with conditioned, fear-based thinking.

Our true self is who we really are when we let go of all of the stories, labels, and judgments that we have placed upon ourselves. It is who we naturally are without the masks and pretentiousness. It is who we really are when we let fall to the floor the cloak of other people’s stuff that we have taken on.

Everything else that we claim to be when we say, “This is who I am!” is only a story. For us to get in touch who we really are – we need to become a child – Swamiji keeps telling us, “Become children”, what he is really saying is to become as innocent as a little child – once we do that, we will be rid of all the layers we have pulled over our consciousness to live in this wild world. We play roles to fit into society and we suppress our true nature out of fear of what people may think!

We need to live with more awareness – once we do that, we will be shocked at the number of negative thoughts that run through our mind on any given day. Become more aware of the quality of our thoughts by just observing the mind. Thoughts will come and go, just watch them like we are watching a movie, without getting attached to any single thought. When we are done watching, continue observing the mind for the rest of the day.

We have so many unconscious beliefs that we have taken on over the years that were probably handed down to us from somebody else, and that we believed to be who we are. Becoming more aware of the quality of our thoughts, letting go of the old beliefs, and becoming more present can help in revealing our true nature.

We are all so much more than those old negative thinking patterns would ever allow us to believe. We need to learn to follow our intuition, our inner voice, which we have hammered into silence over the years. Our inner voice really lets us be who we actually are.

When we let go of the old way of thinking, following our own bliss, and doing what we love, we begin to align with happiness and peace. These are all indicators that we are connected with our true nature. We then allow our real self to shine forth in all glory.

Why Go Surfing?

 

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Why Go Surfing?

If we just want to feel nature and to do that we decide to go surfing only to be tossed by the waves, then what is the point of the surfing? The nature of the ocean is to try and dump you into the water, make you lose your balance as waves keep changing speed and direction. Our objective is always to maintain balance and stay on the surfboard without getting dumped into the water!

Our mind is somewhat similar – its nature is to constantly change. Our mind keeps oscillating like a pendulum left-right, left-right, past-future, past-future. Our mind is also like the waves of the ocean, rising and falling from the past into the future continuously. We should know how to ride the waves of the constantly busy mind, rather than being tossed and beaten by its waves! We need to affirm to the mind that we are the boss, we cannot afford to become slaves of the mind, specially on the spiritual path. We are the master and not the slave, keep affirming that to the mind.

When faced with a difficult situation, we tend to either fight or run – the fundamental fight or flight tendency which is part of human nature – a weak mind will always surrender and a strong mind will become antagonistic while fighting; a balanced mind will assess the situation calmly and arrive at a decision which will be the most appropriate one under the given circumstances.

Our approach to any situation – good or bad – depends completely on the state of our mind and our mastery over it. If faced with a terrible situation, one thinks, “Oh, I can’t bear this any longer!” But if we manage to hold on just a little longer, the moment passes and we face the situation and move on in life. Why does this happen – simply because the good and the bad are mental matters. How we think decides on our course of action.

Sometimes white clouds come; sometimes black clouds come. Wait a little; everything passes away. Don’t give up. When a restless cloud passes, we are peaceful again.

If we give up and run somewhere else, there will be a difficult situation to face there too. Wherever we go, our own mind goes with us. It will create the same problem, maybe in a different way. If we can keep control over the mind, wherever we are will be a heaven. If we do not have that control, even if we are in heaven, it will be a hell for us.

Thought Power

 

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Thought Power

We are all aware that when we initially start meditation our thoughts bombard us to such an extent that one gets the feeling that meditation is not for us. Swamiji has told us to ignore the thoughts and sit down for a minimum of 30 minutes without moving – regardless of thoughts, cramps, itching or any other physical or mental disturbance which the universe may throw our way.

We need to remember that all these disturbances are nothing but tests which the divine is putting us through. With time, these thoughts and external disturbances come to a stand still and we start getting depths in our meditation, new dimensions begin to open up.

Our chitta or power of attention becomes strong and when this happens, that is when our thoughts become dangerous – simply because they start manifesting. Hence, Swamiji advises us to best remain in a thoughtless state and always in the present moment. Even if one gets thoughts, it would be best to have positive, beneficial thoughts for the good of society. Negative thoughts are dangerous as they could unknowingly harm those who are the subject of your negative vibes.

Thoughts are nothing but vibrations created in our mind which are then emitted out into the universe as thought waves – these waves are caught by those who are the subject of the thoughts – they too are unaware as to the origin of such thoughts, but they definitely are affected by them.

Our thought, ideas, and energy can be transferred without even seeing or touching a person. By our very thought, we can send our energy and thought forces anywhere we want. Touching or seeing are limited in a way. In touching we are only using our body; in seeing we are limited to the sense of sight. But the flow of energy is not limited to these things; it can travel fast. Thought forces are even more powerful than physical forces.

The ability to control our thoughts becomes extremely important in this scenario. Meditation helps us harness the power of our thoughts and channel them in the right directions. Our Master guides us in using these powers, which arise because of our meditation practices.

These powers are to be used rarely and only for the benefit of mankind; else we end up losing more than what we had gained through years of meditative practice. Any selfish use ensures that the fall from our meditative heights is quick, even though the rise took several years to achieve.

Spiritual Relationships

 

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Spiritual Relationships

We may or may not be following the spiritual path, but we definitely get into spiritual relationships without knowing that these relationships are spiritual. The first spiritual relation is established with the self – we may not know it, but from the moment we start feeling comfortable with our own self; we feel happy and at peace when alone – that is when our relationship with our inner self is established. We don’t know it yet, because we are still caught up in the mundane world – but the first step has already been taken unknowingly!

We feel a connect with unknown people, places, forests, the rivers – all this is because of our past life connect with these aspects. We have completely forgotten what our relationship was – suddenly we see someone crossing our path and we feel a strange affinity towards that person, like we have known each other for a very long time. This again is a spiritual relationship which is coming to the fore in this birth.

Most of us are looking for love and affection in all our relationships, but finding love and acceptance can turn into a difficult challenge. In our daily lives our relationships are based on the individual ego with its stream of demands, likes-dislikes, personal memories and conditioning. The ego personality is based on self-interest, it wants more pleasure and less pain; it seeks power, status, achievement – and all these are not a good vehicle for a spiritual relationship.

There is another kind of relationship which is egoless – one experiences this first as an innocent child and then when one becomes a parent. In these phases of life self-interest does not pop up – the innocent child is always egoless and the parent loses self-interest when faced with his/her offspring. In these phases one experiences a range of things unknown to the ego, such as innocent delight, selfless love, trust, intimacy, a desire to cherish the other and pure joy in someone else’s existence. Two beings merge in complete acceptance of each other. The question is - can these qualities emerge in a relationship between two adults? Can the ego be removed out of the equation easily?

This is where meditation helps – we don’t fall asleep during meditation. We relate to ourself without an agenda. We go within to meet our selfless state, which is neither blank nor empty. It is the meeting point where existence is enough and consciousness too is enough. With continuous meditation practice the ego’s agenda becomes more and more pointless. Once we relate with our self without ego, it becomes natural and easy to relate to someone else in the same way. Actually, consciousness completes us – our very own existence completes us!

Eventually, however, it becomes easier to relate to ourself in a simple, uncomplicated way that indicates our state of self-acceptance, and this opens the door to a true spiritual relationship, first with oneself, and then with anyone who wishes to share in the state of completeness.

Limitations of Physical Help

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Limitations of Physical Help

We have heard Swamiji repeatedly telling us that the Guru is not permanent, it is the Guru-element that is permanent and it keeps changing form over time, appearing amidst people according to the needs of the people in that give time frame.

What we assume to be physical – the form of the Guru – is our misconception, the Guru, Master or Teacher, howsoever one names him, is eternal. The Guru is eternal – the Guru’s inspiration, grace, divine energy, vibrations are always there guiding us, directing us in ways we have no way of knowing. To find that out one has to reach that sense of awareness to tune in with the Guru’s frequency – that is easier said than done; only a rare few extraordinary individuals reach that stage.

The help that can be given through the physical body is very limited, on the spiritual plane the Guru can help in a far greater manner. We have all read experiences of sadhaks in Madhuchaitanya magazine, how the subtle body has helped the, how prayer has helped and so on. The subtle dimension of the Guru-element is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent – it is all-knowing and all-pervading, any call for help is always heard, and the help crops up in the most unexpected form, and exactly when we need it the most.

We need to have the faith and belief that our call for help will be heard, and that help will come when we need it the most. When we call our relatives, doctors or friends for help, the only help they can provide is at the physical level and not at the inner level. This physical help will be limited and may give temporary relief even, but for permanent solutions, we need to develop our own inner strength.

This inner strength is built up over a period of time through meditation and once we reach that frequency things just start happening as per some Divine Will. The Guru need not consciously give us blessings and teaching. If we are ready to receive it, even the Guru can’t stop it. The more we follow the teachings, the more we have the Guru’s presence and communicate with the Guru. The teaching is the Guru. The teacher is only a vehicle.

If the Guru is rendering a discourse, the Guru is speaking, not the microphone. But we hear the discourse through the microphone, through the speakers. The real speaker is the spiritual part that simply functions through this machine. For some time, we might need the speaker, but we shouldn’t depend on that always. Learn to receive the message without the help of any machines. That way we can have the Guru with us always.

Faith and Trust

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 Faith and Trust

Faith and trust have similar meanings, and often people will use the words interchangeably. Faith involves trusting in something you cannot explicitly prove. Faith is inseparable from trust; it’s the confidence that God can and will do what He says in His Word. Faith includes both intellectual assent to something and trust in it. So, we believe something to be true, and we also place our trust in it—we rely on it. Faith recognises that a chair is designed to support the person who sits on it, and trust demonstrates the faith by actually sitting in the chair.

Ordinarily people think that trust means faith, which is wrong. Trust does not mean faith. Faith is emotional, sentimental. Faith creates fanatics – Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews. Faith is actually borrowed – borrowed from parents, from the society in which we are born. We live in faith out of fear or greed, but not out of love. Trust is always out of love.

Faith is a conditioning, it is imposed; it is a bondage. The man of faith is a prisoner – he may or may not know it. He may have been living in a beautiful palace, but he is imprisoned in it. The prison will be beautifully decorated with religious books – the Gita, the Bible, the Koran – it may be made out of beautiful doctrines, philosophies, ideologies, but it is a prison because one has entered into it not out of choice, but has been forced to enter it.

Since childhood I have always trusted people, never believing that they would lie to me and innumerable times I have felt disappointed, but the trust in people never left me. Even today I continue to trust people with whom I interact – the feeling being that if I am open with them then there is no reason that they would let me down. That trust and the faith that whatever is happening is out of a divine will ensured that my spiritual journey would be completely based on trust and faith.

After meeting Swamiji, trust and faith have become the rock-solid foundation for spiritual progress. The spiritual experiences are a testimony to the fact that faith and trust, both in the divine and in the medium of the divine of the present time are necessary for inner development.

Faith is not belief; it is not about believing in a certain theory – faith is believing in life itself. Faith is not about believing in the Bible, Koran or Gita. Faith is not belief – faith is a trust, a non-doubting trust. And only those who are faithful, those who are capable of trust, will be able to know what life is and what death is.

Facts Overcome Fear

 

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Facts Overcome Fear

Faith cannot overcome fear; it merely substitutes another fear. Only facts overcome fear. It has been said by a well-known philosopher – “It’s a fact that people are afraid of what they don’t understand. And most are too lazy or ignorant to find out more.”

When we face something fearful, we engage our monkey brain, which is an integral part of our nervous system, it helps us to react quickly to danger. The monkey brain pumps adrenaline into our systems. Adrenaline is harmful to our higher brain functions, so it shuts of circulation to the frontal cortex to protect it.

The problem is, we need to engage our higher thinking functions to make better decisions, if not we react out of fear instead of with a calculated response.  The key is learning how to spot the sources to avoid being manipulated by fear.

Faith cannot overcome fear; it substitutes another fear which it can monetise.  Instead of facing the object of our fear, belief replaces it with another.   The most misused fear is our existential fear of death.

Our existential fear of death should drive us on a journey of inner discovery.  Unfortunately, many people fall for the counterfeit answer from religion.  It comes in the form of Afterlife beliefs.  Now we fear the loss of life and our place in the afterlife.  Will it be an eternity in heaven or hell?  No matter which religion we pick, we will be wrong.

Fear engages our primitive brain, which activates our fight, flight, or freeze response.  It helped us survive by reacting in the wild, but this tactic is counterproductive when we think about the best answer.  Belief cannot overcome fear. Belief is another name for denial.

A better way is to use facts.  Follow the advice of science; this is a better antidote.  If we find ourselves caught up in negative feelings, stop. Regain emotional equilibrium and think instead of just reacting. The emotional check-in process which helps one regain emotional equilibrium.  It can help if we are aware enough to recognise when your emotions of fear and anger are triggered.

Facts overcome fear when we can act responsibly and deliberately.  We are not in denial of a crisis; instead, we learn to make better decisions.  We learn to recognise those who are trying to manipulate with a secondary gain or hidden agendas.

Belief and faith cannot overcome fear.  They are counterfeit that help make one a customer of organised religion. One cannot learn about oneself by pretending.  The belief in fairy tales is a dead end.   Spiritual growth is an inward journey, it has nothing to do with organised religion. Meditation under the guidance of a realised Master is the only way to know oneself.

Balance is Important

 

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Balance is Important

Life is a little like walking a tight-rope.  Our success will depend a lot upon whether or not we maintain a proper balance. The two things we must keep in balance are the natural and the spiritual. 

Nature can teach us a lot about how to maintain balance during trying times. We have all observed a tree during a storm, we have likely noticed how the roots remained anchored while the branches swayed. Likewise, during the storms of our life, it is important to remain anchored through grounding personal practices and positive connection to others while simultaneously being flexible enough to bend and sway with the unexpected.

In addition to being a silent teacher, nature can revitalise on the physical level too. Connecting to the earth discharges accumulated positive ions and allows the electrical system of the body to recharge. The earth literally absorbs our negativity and leaves us with a clean energetic slate. By taking a few deep breaths outside, observing the rising or setting sun, or planting our feet in the damp grass, we can revitalise our body and restore our positive spirit.

Existence is pleased when we are real; when we are unreal existence is not pleased with us. It is not that anybody is pleased or displeased with us. The way existence behaves is like any natural law, for instance gravitation. If we walk in a balanced manner, gravitation will not be destructive to us. But if we lose balance, we will fall down on earth and hurt ourselves – break our bones or get crippled for life. If gravitation is displeased with us means we are going against nature’s law. If we follow the law, we will be happy, if we don’t follow the law, we will be unhappy.

Meditation is something which helps us in following nature’s law. During meditation we turn inwards and in time succeed in balancing the outer with the inner. With this balance our entire being is in unity with nature – we are no longer different.

To attain this level of balance one has to live life in balance – whether it is our diet, our exercise, our inner well-being, our family life and behaviour. Whether we like certain things or not, if we need to accept them, we should and then move on. Balance is the only thing which helps us cross the spiritual barrier with the blessings and grace of a realised Master.

Beyond the Heart and Mind

 

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Beyond the Heart and Mind

Throughout history, many cultures and spiritual practices have emphasised the importance of following our heart, listening to our heart, and gaining wisdom and intelligence from our heart. This is not a coincidence.

When we speak of the “heart” we are not referring to the physical organ but our spiritual heart. While this may be a new concept for some, it is analogous to the mind. While the brain is clearly physical in nature, the existence of the mind as a form of consciousness is universally accepted even though it cannot be detected on an MRI.

Similarly, our spiritual heart embodies a level of consciousness unto itself. More importantly, it is the key to our deepest fulfillment and the doorway to experiencing a deeper relationship with our Creator: one characterised by profound peace, gratitude, joy, safety, and Unconditional Love.

The logical mind is masculine in nature and heart feminine in nature – the yin and the yang. But truth has got nothing to do with male and female. Truth is the consciousness within us. Society has designated that the head should be the master and the heart is the servant – this is because logic rules the world and emotion and heart take the back stage – but in certain circumstances the roles can be reversed. There are certain things which the heart is capable of. Exactly the same is true about the head. The head cannot love, it cannot feel, it is insensitive. The heart cannot be rational, reasonable. But if one has to choose between the two, it is better that the heart rules the mind.

While we may be able to achieve many positive accomplishments in our lives, improve our self-esteem and decrease our emotional reactivity, we may find that we still have a certain level of incompleteness. That lack cannot be fulfilled through our attempts to develop a healthier mind. The wholeness or completeness can only be found through our heart, the ever-present doorway to feel profound peace, gratitude, joy and unconditional love.

As one’s meditation becomes deeper, as our identification with the mind and heart starts falling away, we find a triangle being formed within us. And our reality actually lies in the third force in us – consciousness. Once we awaken our consciousness and become one with it we find that both the mind and the heart belong to it – Unity happens.

What Am I Doing?

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What Am I Doing?

At the time of taking birth the soul is aware of the reason for assuming this physical body. After a period of time – three to four years – the child is filled with so much of unnecessary ‘education’ that the soul completely forgets the reason for taking birth.

But a soul that is spiritual in nature, ultimately finds a way to the spiritual path. After achieving what one wants in life, one still does not find that inner peace – and then the question arises – what am I doing? Why am I here? And so on.

Once this question arises internally it is important to have faith that whatever I am doing is ultimately going to lead me to liberation. Whatever one does – if one is eating, eat with complete faith that the food one is consuming is blessed and it is providing the required energy for the body to function at its best. Have the feeling that the divine is feeding you and you are being fed by the divine – not a leaf moves without divine blessings.

Whatever one does spiritually sticks with one forever. It creates a growing sense of purpose and worth, blesses one and those one comes in contact with, and creates a better life experience. For instance, one might say that there are two ways to play a piece of music on any musical instrument – one is with inspiration and the other without.

If the musician plays without any inspiration, then even if the notes are played correctly, the music lacks positive impact – and we have all noticed this. It may even hurt to continue listening to it. But if the same music is played with inspiration and feeling, the melody lifts the soul to great heights, giving great joy and bliss, rendering a sense of perpetual calmness to the soul.

The same rule applies to our lives in our day-to-day activities. If we just ‘play the notes’, or get through the day without inspiration and an attitude of purposefulness, our work can become tedious and even feel burdensome. But if we ‘play our music’, or act with love and delight in our heart, with inspiration, the outcome can be inspiring and delightful for ourselves and those around us.

The key is to be motivated by spiritual purpose rather than blind obedience to mindless routine. When we sit for meditation, it should not appear to be a task we are ‘doing’ to make our Guru happy. Our Guru is already in ‘that’ state, he is only encouraging us to merge with him and attain his state – that can only be done when one totally surrenders at his lotus feet.

Discovering One’s Spiritual Essence

 

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Discovering One’s Spiritual Essence

Discovering one’s spiritual essence is in a way, simple and intuitive. When we sit for meditation, we have to guide our awareness from our ordinary active mind to our body and then breathe slowly. Slowly, the mind quietens down and then we can guide our awareness inwards.

While sitting our spine should be upright and our breathing slow and steady. Allow the head to kind of float above the shoulders and then direct our awareness to our posture and breathing. Sometimes it becomes difficult to observe the breath, in that case just be aware of the posture; with a little practice we will be able to observe our breath without difficulty.

Thoughts will interrupt this breath cycle, when they do, gently and consciously bring the focus back onto the breath and on your posture – this will quieten the mind. Continue this practice till the mind becomes quiet, silent. In this manner, we will learn to guide our awareness inwards.

Knowing one’s own self is like a voyage of discovery, so, it becomes necessary to write down one’s thoughts and feelings after meditation - this is one way to try and understand and hear what the soul says.

Visualisation techniques also help in cleansing one’s chakras. Visualise positive energy entering the body while breathing inwards and visualise negative energy leaving the body as we breathe out. Regulate the breathing in such a way that you inhale to a count of seven, hold the breath to a count of three, and slowly exhale till you feel all the breath being squeezed out up to the navel. Have faith in the process and slowly we find that we are becoming quiet within.

For some people this works immediately, for others it takes time. Actually, one needs to find one’s own technique out of the 100 odd techniques which Osho has described. The one with which you are most comfortable and which you in going within easily, that one is for you.

Impatience is a barrier – nothing happens in a hurry; everything takes time and it happens in its own given time. So, be patient and continue practicing, and one day you will find that you have slipped into meditation, into a deep slumber without realising it. This is not sleep, this is a deep state which one reaches with full awareness.

Each one of us is on our own path. No two paths are the same – so my spiritual essence will be different from yours. The process and timetable for unlocking one’s spiritual gifts are different for everyone. We are all on our path, going at our own pace. Some people obtain their spiritual experience quickly, for others it takes time. They will come when we are ready for them. Awakening is akin to the birth of a butterfly – it takes time and then the beauty is there for all to see.

Discovering Spiritual Assets

 

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Discovering Spiritual Assets

When we take birth, we are accompanied by whatever merits we have gained through spiritual practices in the past births. This knowledge is stored within us and the moment we start our spiritual practise in this birth – those past birth impressions come back to us. Some of these merits will include the stored bank of spiritual DNA which we have already accumulated.

Language is a wonderful tool, it enables communication, but has varying degrees of accuracy depending on how it is used.  The arena of spirituality is well known for the misuse of language because religions assimilate words and terms into their systems to bolster their legitimacy. So, when we talk about spiritual assets, we need to understand what these are.

People use the term spiritual gifts, but what they are really referring to are skills which can be learned, or philosophical arguments.  One needs to find out what these terms really mean.  Are they talking about the genuine spiritual treasures of the soul, or are they talking about religious dogma or practical skills. Abrahamic religions use this term in reference to skills, abilities, and talents which can be learned.

The Sanatan Dharma uses this term to describe tools and virtues of consciousness. These tools enable us to explore consciousness and find these treasures.  The treasures are expressions of our highest human virtues.  The tools and virtues of consciousness differ from philosophical theories and skills one learns, true tools help us find and open our spiritual gifts.

The virtues of the spirit are our most valuable assets.  They are home to the highest expressions of human nature.  There are nine virtues which correspond to each personality type. The virtues of the spirit are gratitude, joyfulness, happiness, love, thankfulness, blissfulness, appreciation, mindfulness, and serenity.

Western religion refers to spiritual gifts and virtues, however, they are not really talking about the nine virtues of the spirit.  They use these terms as a bait and switch tactic and substitute the study of religious doctrine or texts, which has nothing to do with these gifts.

These treasures of our Soul are the legacy of our ancestors, a culmination of connections stretching back to the beginning. We result from lessons learned and blessings earned. We inherit them through our DNA, acquiring their use by this inheritance.

We don’t need a religion to unlock them; you own them. Our Soul Path is different because our gifts differ from everyone else. Unwrapping your spiritual gifts is a journey of self-discovery, you do not need to join a religion follow doctrine or dogma.

It would be almost impossible to list all variations of these gifts. We recognise them when we see them in operation. For instance, the ability to facilitate healing is a talent. Sages say discovering your spiritual essence is the purpose of life, and opening these gifts is the beginning of our spiritual journey.