Reincarnation, Samsara and Karma
Hindus believe in reincarnation - a belief that the soul is eternal and lives many lifetimes, in one body after another. The soul is sometimes born in a human body, sometimes in an animal body and sometimes in a plant body, etc.. Hindus believe that all forms of life contain a soul, and all souls have the chance to experience life in different forms.
The Hindu tradition perceives the existence of cyclical nature of the universe and everything within it. The cosmos follows one cycle within a framework of cycles. It may have been created and reach an end, but it represents only one turn in the perpetual "wheel of time", which revolves infinitely through successive cycles of creation and destruction. Within this cycle of creation and destruction of the universe, the soul (atma) also follows its own version of cycle called samsara, the cycle of rebirth in which individual souls are repeatedly reincarnated.
The Sanskrit word samsara means "the repeated passing of souls through different worlds- gross or subtle." Thus, samsara means going through the cycle of repeated births and deaths. Under the influence of karma, the soul moves upwards and downwards on the wheel of rebirth, the round of birth, death and rebirth undergone by all living beings. It is a cycle of transmigration from one living form into another.
The concept of samsara is first mentioned in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
The belief in samsara is connected with the Hindu belief in karma. The law of karma states that just as every action has a cause, so actions have reactions that are impossible to escape. Karma is the cause of our particular destiny, the law of nature that ensures that we become what we think or do. Misfortunes in our present life are the result of acts that we have committed in the past. Suicide, according to the law of karma, is not therefore an option: karma cannot be escaped or deferred and its effects will only be worse if we try to avoid it.
Our actions in our present lives determine our fate in the lives that follow, and consciousness itself is believed to be a karmic memory, contained by vijnana, the higher conscious mind, throughout the many incarnations of atman, the soul. Desire is the cause of karma, and it is because we still have desires to operate in the realm of action, to live normal lives in the world, that we are constantly reborn into the cycle of samsara, the endless chain of reincarnation.
Death is a key part of this cycle and is treated with specific importance. Death is the last samskara (cycle of life) referred to as the 'last sacrifice'.
The law of karma governs the universe and all beings within it; it acts impersonally and binds each individual soul (atman) to the world and in addition to the cycle of transmigration.
According to the Bhagavad Gita, the soul assumes bodies, or sheaths, as long as it still yearns to live and act. Only by completely renouncing action and the external illusion of the world can we be free of karma, and thus find moksha, or release from reincarnation.
However, Bhagavad Gita also teaches that our actions need not necessarily produce a negative karmic result if we act disinterestedly, so that we are unconcerned about the fruits or rewards of our deeds. Disciplined action is the way of truth (dharma) and the path to brahman (the godhead). By offering our every action, thought, and word to brahman, the ill effects of karma are nullified and the atman (the soul) is free of egotistical desire.
All worldly existence is subject to the cycle of samsara, which is thought of as having neither beginning nor end. According to Hinduism the goal of human life is to be free or liberated from repeated births and deaths. Such liberation is called moksha or mukti in Sanskrit. Moksha can be attained only through God-realization.
Moksha is the end of the death and rebirth cycle and is classed as the fourth and ultimate artha (goal). It is the transcendence of all arthas. It is achieved by overcoming ignorance and desires. It is a paradox in the sense that overcoming desires also includes overcoming the desire for moksha itself. It can be achieved both in this life and after death. Hinduism teaches that the ultimate solution to life's basic problems is to be released from karma and gain freedom from this cycle of rebirth.
Resource: 1sthollistic.com
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Thursday, December 15, 2011
Samsara
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Samadhi: The Height of Divine Consciousness
By Sri Chinmoy
Above the toil of life my soul is a bird of fire winging the Infinite.Samadhi is a spiritual state of consciousness. There are various kinds of samadhi. Among the minor samadhis, savikalpa samadhi happens to be the highest. Beyond savikalpa comes nirvikalpa samadhi, but there is a great gulf between these two: they are two radically different samadhis. Again, there is something even beyond nirvikalpa samadhi called sahaja samadhi.
In savikalpa samadhi, for a short period of time you lose all human consciousness. In this state the conception of time and space is altogether different. For an hour or two hours you are completely in another world. You see there that almost everything is done. Here in this world there are many desires still unfulfilled in yourself and in others. Millions of desires are not fulfilled, and millions of things remain to be done. But when you are in savikalpa samadhi, you see that practically everything is done; you have nothing to do. You are only an instrument. If you are used, well and good; otherwise, things are all done. But from savikalpa samadhi everybody has to return to ordinary consciousness.
Even in savikalpa samadhi there are grades. Just as there are brilliant students and poor students in the same class in school, so also in savikalpa samadhi some aspirants reach the highest grade, while less aspiring seekers reach a lower rung of the ladder, where everything is not so clear and vivid as on the highest level.
In savikalpa samadhi there are thoughts and ideas coming from various places, but they do not affect you. While you are meditating, you remain undisturbed, and your inner being functions in a dynamic and confident manner. But when you are a little higher, when you have become one with the soul in nirvikalpa samadhi, there will be no ideas or thoughts at all. I am trying to explain it in words, but the consciousness of nirvikalpa samadhi can never be adequately explained or expressed. I am trying my best to tell you about this from a very high consciousness, but still my mind is expressing it. But in nirvikalpa samadhi there is no mind; there is only infinite peace and bliss. There nature's dance stops, and the knower and the known become one. There you enjoy a supremely divine, all-pervading, self-amorous ecstasy. You become the object of enjoyment, you become the enjoyer and you become the enjoyment itself.
When you enter into nirvikalpa samadhi, the first thing you feel is that your heart is larger than the universe itself. Ordinarily you see the world around you, and the universe seems infinitely larger than you are. But this is because the world and the universe are perceived by the limited mind. When you are in nirvikalpa samadhi, you see the universe as a tiny dot inside your vast heart.
In nirvikalpa samadhi there is infinite bliss. Bliss is a vague word to most people. They hear that there is something called bliss, and some people say that they have experienced it, but most individuals have no firsthand knowledge of it. When you enter into nirvikalpa samadhi, however, you not only feel bliss, but actually grow into that bliss.
The third thing you feel in nirvikalpa samadhi is power. All the power of all the occultists put together is nothing compared with the power you have in nirvikalpa samadhi. But the power that you can take from samadhi to utilise on earth is infinitesimal compared with the entirety.
Nirvikalpa samadhi is the highest samadhi that most realised spiritual Masters attain. It lasts for a few hours or a few days, and then one has to come down. When one comes down, what happens? Very often one forgets his own name and age; one cannot speak or think properly. But through continued practice, gradually one becomes able to come down from nirvikalpa samadhi and immediately function in a normal way. Generally, when one enters into nirvikalpa samadhi, one does not want to come back into the world again. If one stays there for eighteen or twenty-one days, there is every possibility that the soul will leave the body for good. There were spiritual Masters in the hoary past who attained nirvikalpa samadhi and did not come down. They attained their highest samadhi, but found it impossible to enter into the world atmosphere again and work like human beings. One cannot operate in the world while in that state of consciousness; it is simply impossible. But there is a divine dispensation. If the Supreme wants a particular soul to work here on earth, even after twenty-one or twenty-two days, the Supreme can take that individual into was another channel of dynamic, divine consciousness and have him return to the earth-plane to act.
Sahaja samadhi is by far the highest type of samadhi. In this samadhi one is in the highest consciousness but, at the same time, one is able to work in the gross physical world. One maintains the experience of nirvikalpa samadhi while simultaneously entering into earthly activities. One has become the soul and, at the same time, is utilising the body as a perfect instrument. In sahaja samadhi one does the usual things that an ordinary human being does. But in the inmost recesses of the heart one is surcharged with divine illumination. When one has this sahaja samadhi, one becomes the Lord and Master of Reality. One can go at his sweet will to the Highest and then come down to the earth-consciousness to manifest.
Even after achieving the highest type of realisation, on very rare occasions is anyone blessed with sahaja samadhi. Very few spiritual Masters have achieved this state. For sahaja samadhi, the Supreme's infinite Grace is required. Sahaja samadhi comes only when one has established inseparable oneness with the Supreme, or when one wants to show, on rare occasions, that he is the Supreme. He who has achieved sahaja samadhi and remains in this samadhi, consciously and perfectly manifests God at every second, and is thus the greatest pride of the Transcendental Supreme.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
The Puranas
The Puranas
By Dr.E.Krishnamacharya, M.A., Ph. D
This is an introduction to the Puranic lore, which explains the many intricate points of the features of the Purana literature. This is of real importance for those who want to study them for their inner significance which is artistically hidden in their symbols and allegories. It is precise to say that these symbols and allegories explain the various scientific aspects of our very existence on this planet.
A few words about the authors of the Puranas. Parasara, the son of Sakti, is the first author, who compiled the Vishnu Purana. He is the grandson of Vasistha. Before him the Veda was in its hay day; when the Puranic keys were used orally by the Gurus to divulge the secrets of the Veda. Parasara could foresee the Kali age in which the human beings have their comprehension blurred by mere intelligence and lose synthesising power in the light of the analytical faculty. Hence he could find the necessity of imbedding the puranic keys from the oral tradition in the form of written books. He was well versed in the vedic lore and was a pastmaster of the eighteen cosmic formulae which he edited in the form of the Vishnu Purana. His son Veda Vyasa developed the remaining seventeen formulae into separate books elaborately. Then he also composed the grand Itihasa, the Mahabharata, the scope and the field of which is dazzling to the human comprehension. This book contains the synthesis of the eighteen Puranas in its eighteen books. It also contains the Bhagavadgita of eighteen chapters, which covers the total import in the grand synthesis which is known as Yoga. In the end, Veda Vyasa found his work too intellectual and involved to be carefully followed. He felt a sense of dissatisfaction with what he had contributed to posterity. In a nutshell, he composed the aphorisms of Brahma, but again, he found them too stiff and concise to be easily followed. Then he received a new inspiration from Narada and composed the grand and final book on the Vedas with a particular stress on the Sama Veda. It is the Bhagavata Purana.
10) VARAHA Purana or the formula of the Great Boar which lifts up the Divine Essence from passive nothing to active something.
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
By Dr.E.Krishnamacharya, M.A., Ph. D
This is an introduction to the Puranic lore, which explains the many intricate points of the features of the Purana literature. This is of real importance for those who want to study them for their inner significance which is artistically hidden in their symbols and allegories. It is precise to say that these symbols and allegories explain the various scientific aspects of our very existence on this planet.
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The Puranic literature covers the major portion of the ancient wisdom of India. The main object of the Puranas is to render the proper import of the Vedas in the form of the description of some historical events symbolised and allegorised to suit the need of explaining the various truths of the Veda. Veda forms the centre of the circumference of the basic human consciousness and it is better understood through the Puranas. The Vedic literature is itself so extensive and compact that it requires a specialist to comprehend and provide the import to others. To an ordinary reader, it appears quite like a bush of valuable, yet unapproachable truths. Here the Puranas come to our rescue. In lucid language they give out the import of the whole Vedic literature. They narrate, describe, explain, exemplify, symbolise and divulge the Vedic literature in an engagingly magnificent manner. They are to the reader like the surface of the still waters of a deep lake in the bosom of which we can gauge the mysteries of the paramount heights of the Vedic skies, reflected.The Puranic author finds the gateway between the cosmic and the mundane worlds. According to him, the behaviour of the whole cluster of the universes is cyclic and these cycles render a formula. To him the history is a materialisation of the cyclic mysteries of the universe. The author imbeds this formula in a historical incident. A detailed description of the seasons, necessarily imbeds the formula of the year in it. So also the detailed version of a Purana imbeds the cosmic wisdom enough to reveal the Puranic formula. This formula is quite helpful for us to approach the Vedic import with ease.
The very composition of a Purana means an epic. Any Purana is composed according to the given formula which imbeds five essential features:
1) The unfolding of a cosmos into an egg of various universes with all the details of the evolution of the solar systems and planets thereof. This aspect is called “SARGA”.
2) The stages of creation in its secondary stages called “PRATISARGA”.
3) The order of evolution of the creative intelligences descending upon this earth, which is called “VAMSA”.
4) The nodes and demarcation of time during the process of creation which is called “MANVANTARA”.
5) The dynasties of the divine intelligences descending as ruling forces from the solar and lunar centres. This is called “RAJAVAMSANUCHARITA”. The plan contains a microscopic as well as a bird’s eye view of the whole expanse of one creation from its emanation to its merging.
A few words about the authors of the Puranas. Parasara, the son of Sakti, is the first author, who compiled the Vishnu Purana. He is the grandson of Vasistha. Before him the Veda was in its hay day; when the Puranic keys were used orally by the Gurus to divulge the secrets of the Veda. Parasara could foresee the Kali age in which the human beings have their comprehension blurred by mere intelligence and lose synthesising power in the light of the analytical faculty. Hence he could find the necessity of imbedding the puranic keys from the oral tradition in the form of written books. He was well versed in the vedic lore and was a pastmaster of the eighteen cosmic formulae which he edited in the form of the Vishnu Purana. His son Veda Vyasa developed the remaining seventeen formulae into separate books elaborately. Then he also composed the grand Itihasa, the Mahabharata, the scope and the field of which is dazzling to the human comprehension. This book contains the synthesis of the eighteen Puranas in its eighteen books. It also contains the Bhagavadgita of eighteen chapters, which covers the total import in the grand synthesis which is known as Yoga. In the end, Veda Vyasa found his work too intellectual and involved to be carefully followed. He felt a sense of dissatisfaction with what he had contributed to posterity. In a nutshell, he composed the aphorisms of Brahma, but again, he found them too stiff and concise to be easily followed. Then he received a new inspiration from Narada and composed the grand and final book on the Vedas with a particular stress on the Sama Veda. It is the Bhagavata Purana.
For the information of the reader, we enumerate the eighteen Puranas hereunder:
1) MATSYA Purana or the formula of the great Fish God.
2) MARKANDEYA Purana or the allegory of the Man who survives the deluge.
3) BHAVISHYA Purana or the key to the future.
4) DEVI BHAGAVATA or the formula of the Divine Essence as the Mother.
5) BRAHMA Purana or the formula of the self-expanding principle.
6) BRAHMANDA Purana or the formula of the Cosmic Egg.
7) BRAHMA VAIVARTA or the formula of the precipitation of the expanding principle into the universes.
8) VAMANA Purana, the formula of the Physical Dwarf as a potential God.
9) VAYU Purana, the formula of the Cosmic Pulsation.
10) VARAHA Purana or the formula of the Great Boar which lifts up the Divine Essence from passive nothing to active something.
11) AGNI Purana, the formula of the Mystic Fire as the Light of the Vedas.
12) NARADA Purana, the formula of the Messenger of Gods.
13) PADMA Purana, the formula of the expanding lotus-pattern.
14) LINGA Purana, the formula of the Divine Symbol of Abstraction.
15) GARUDA Purana, the formula of the Greatest Cycle represented as the bird of the eternal periodicities.
16) KURMA Purana, the formula of the stellar dome.
17) SKANDA Purana, the allegory of the Celibate Hero.
18) VISHNU Purana, the formula of the Consciousness of Pervasion.
Of all these, the Vishnu Purana is the first and all-comprehensive. It contains all the eighteen formulae, edited into the synthesis of the eighteen formulas.
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into every widening thought and action.
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
Rabindranath Tagore, “Gitanjali”.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Lord Brahma
Lord Brahma symbolizes the aspect of the Supreme Reality that brings forth the creation. For this very reason, Hindus call Lord Brahma the Creator of the universe. He is the first member of the Hindu Trinity that also includes Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. His divine consort is Saraswati/Gayatri, the Goddess of learning and knowledge. Goddess Saraswati provides Lord Brahma with knowledge that is necessary for the process of creation.
Brahma is usually conceived of by Hindus as a bearded, four-faced, four-armed deity. In popular images, He carries a rosary in the upper right hand, a book in the upper left hand, a kamandalu (water pot) in the lower left hand, and bestows grace with His lower right hand. The four faces represent the sacred knowledge of the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva), and this is the most prominent feature of any image of Brahma. The four faces, therefore, symbolize that Brahma is the source of all knowledge necessary for the creation of the universe. The four arms represent the four directions and thus represent the omnipresence and omnipotence of Lord Brahma.
The four hands represent the four aspects of human personality: mind (back right hand), intellect (back left hand), ego (front right hand), and the empirical self or conditioned consciousness (front left hand). The rosary symbolizes the time cycle through which the world moves from creation to sustenance, from sustenance to dissolution, and from dissolution to new creation. The rosary also symbolizes the materials used in the process of creation. Its position in the back right hand suggests the intelligent use of these materials in the process of creation.
A book in the back hand (symbolizing the intellect) illustrates that right knowledge is important for any kind of creative work. A water pot (kamandalu) in the front left hand symbolizes the cosmic energy by which Brahma brings the universe into existence. The hand symbolizing ego (the front right hand) is shown in the pose of bestowing grace. This conveys the idea that the Lord bestows grace and protects all sincere devotees.
The color gold symbolizes activity and thus the golden face of Brahma indicates that the Lord is active when involved in the process of creation. The white beard denotes wisdom and the long beard conveys the idea that creation is an eternal process. The crown on the head of the Lord implies that the Lord has supreme power and authority over the process of creation.
The lotus symbolizes the Supreme Reality, the essence of all things and beings in the universe. Brahma sitting or standing on a lotus indicates that He represents the creative power of the Supreme Reality. The color white symbolizes purity. Thus Brahma wearing clothes that are off-white, represents the dual nature of creation, that is purity and impurity, happiness and unhappiness, vice and virtue, knowledge and ignorance, and so on.
In Hindu mythology, a swan is said to possess a unique discriminating faculty, which enables it to distinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. The swan is therefore used to symbolize the power of discrimination. Brahma uses the swan as a vehicle. This is intended to convey the idea that although creation is pluralistic in nature, there is only one Supreme Reality that the entire universe emanates from. This knowledge can be acquired by an individual by training his mind and Intellect to acquire the power of right discrimination.
As creation is the work of the mind and the intellect, Lord Brahma symbolizes the Universal Mind. From the standpoint of an individual, Brahma symbolizes one's own mind and intellect. Since an individual is naturally gifted with the mind and intellect, he or she may be said to have already realized Brahma. For this reason the worship of Brahma is not very popular among all Hindus. He is, however, worshipped by seekers of knowledge, such as students, teachers, scholars and scientists.
- Bansi Pandit
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Lord Brahma Mantras
Lord Brahma Mantras
"Gurubrahma Guruvishnu Gurudevo Maheswarah,
Guru saakshaat Param Brahma Tasmai shri guravey Namah."
Meaning : The guru is none other than the creator, Lord Brahma; he verily is Lord Vishnu, the preserver, and the truly is Maheswara, the destroyer. He is the supreme Brahma himself. To such a guru I offer my salutations.Lord Brahma is part of the Hindu Trinity and is the Lord of Creation. Lord Brahma represents the universal mind as creation is the work of the mind and the intellect. He is the generator of life on earth, a role which he performed by creating eleven 'Prajapatis' for fathering human race. Theologically, he is the uncreated creator and the self-born first person. Mythology describes Brahma as springing from a Lotus from the navel of Vishnu. Brahma has four heads and the four Veda's (Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda) are said to have sprung from his heads. Brahma is depicted as carrying a rosary in the upper right hand, a book in the upper left hand, a kamandalu (water pot) in the lower left hand and bestows grace with his lower right hand. He is seen sitting on a swan or standing on a lotus. His consort Saraswati manifested out of him and all creatures of the world resulted from their union. Chanting the Brahma Mantra helps us to fulfill the four aims of life righteousness, Prosperity, Pleasures and Liberation. Brahma Mantras are also good for those who wish to gain knowledge.
Brahma Bija Mantra
"Aum Satchit Ekam Brahma"
“Om Eim Hrim Shrim Klim Sauh Satchid Ekam Brahma”
Brahma Gayatri Mantra
Om Chathur mukhaya Vidmahe
Hamasaroodaya Dheemahe
Thanno Brahma Prachodayath.
Om Vedathmanaya vidmahe,
Hiranya Garbhaya Dheemahi,
Thanno Brahma prachodayath.
Lord Brahma
Brahma: This entire cosmos, with all of its contents, the state of conscious existence which is one with everything.
Longer Brahma Mantra
Om Namo Rajo Jushei Sristau"Om is the name of He who created this cosmos with its three gunas (qualities of nature: positive, negative and quiescent) who brought all things to form and who is universal. He is Brahma whom I salute."
Sthithou Sattwa Mayayacha
Tamo Mayaya Sam-harinei
VishwaRupayaVedhasei
Om Brahmanyei Namaha
Brahman
Let us look at what Hinduism holds to be the Absolute. The ultimate goal and Absolute of Hinduism is termed "Brahman" in Sanskrit. The word comes from the Sanskrit verb root brh, meaning "to grow". Etymologically, the term means "that which grows" (brhati) and "which causes to grow" (brhmayati).
Brahman, as understood by the scriptures of Hinduism, as well as by the 'acharyas' of the Vedanta school, is a very specific conception of the Absolute. This unique conception has not been replicated by any other religion on earth, and is exclusive to Hinduism. Thus to even call this conception of Brahman "God" is, in a sense, somewhat imprecise. This is the case because Brahman does not refer to the anthropomorphic concept of God of the Abrahamic religions. When we speak of Brahman, we are referring neither to the "old man in the sky" concept, nor to the idea of the Absolute as even capable of being vengeful, fearful or engaging in choosing a favorite people from among His creatures. For that matter, Brahman is not a "He" at all, but rather transcends all empirically discernable categories, limitations and dualities.
What is Brahman?
In the 'Taittariya Upanishad' II.1, Brahman is described in the following manner: "satyam jnanam anantam brahma", "Brahman is of the nature of truth, knowledge and infinity." Infinite positive qualities and states have their existence secured solely by virtue of Brahman's very reality. Brahman is a necessary reality, eternal (i.e., beyond the purview of temporality), fully independent, non-contingent, and the source and ground of all things. Brahman is both immanently present in the realm of materiality, interpenetrating the whole of reality as the sustaining essence that gives it structure, meaning and existential being, yet Brahman is simultaneously the transcendent origin of all things (thus, panentheistic).
The Nature of Brahman
As the primary causal substance of material reality (jagatkarana), Brahman does not arbitrarily will the coming into being of the non-Brahman metaphysical principles of matter and jivas (individuated consciousness), but rather they are manifest into being as a natural result of the overflowing of Brahman's grandeur, beauty, bliss and love. Brahman cannot but create abundant good in a similar manner to how Brahman cannot but exist. Both existence and overflowing abundance are as much necessary properties of Brahman as love and nurturing are necessary qualities of any virtuous and loving mother.
Brahman is the Source
One can say that Brahman Itself (Him/Herself) constitutes the essential building material of all reality, being the antecedent primeval ontological substance from whence all things proceed. There is no ex nihilo creation in Hinduism. Brahman does not create from nothing, but from the reality of Its own being. Thus Brahman is, in Aristotelian terms, both the Material Cause as well as the Efficient Cause of creation.
The Final Goal & the Final Cause
As the source of Dharma, the metaphysical ordering principles inherent in the design of the cosmos, Brahman can be viewed as the Formal Cause. And as the final goal of all reality, Brahman is also the Final Cause. Being the ontological source of all reality, Brahman is the only substantial real that truly exists, all other metaphysical categories being either a) contingent transformations of Brahman, having their very being subsisting in attributive dependence upon Brahman, or else b) illusory in nature. These views about the nature of Brahman are in general keeping with the theological teachings of both the Advaita and the Vishishta-Advaita schools of Hinduism.
Brahman is the Ultimate Reality
All reality has its source in Brahman. All reality has its grounding sustenance in Brahman. It is in Brahman that all reality has its ultimate repose. Hinduism, specifically, is consciously and exclusively aiming toward this reality termed Brahman.
Meditation and the Spiritual Consciousness
Meditation and the Spiritual Consciousness Beyond It 
By Remez Sasson
Constant practice of meditation has a profound influence on the consciousness and the mind. The mind is restless and loves constant movement and change. Meditation removes the restlessness of the mind, making it a better and more useful tool.
Meditation develops concentration, awakens inner peace and brings the mind under your control. Constant practice develops peace of mind, silence, inner quietness, joy and inner power that no outer circumstances can take away or change.
There are people who regard meditation as an unpractical, useless and meaningless pursuit. They consider those who seek inner peace and silence as dreamers, visionaries and unpractical people, who are out of touch with reality. This is an erroneous assumption. There have always been very practical, pragmatic and active persons, who also engaged intensively in inner, spiritual quest, some of whom you may find difficult to associate with meditation and spirituality. This shows that practicality, common sense and spirituality can go hand in hand.
Living a spiritual life, and at the same time engaging in mundane activities is not unusual. Read about the life of Papaji, the Indian sage, and you will find out that he had worked hard for many years, while at the same time living an intense spiritual life. He is not the only one. There is no such rule that one has to abandon everything and live in an ashram or a monastery, in order to meditate and lead a spiritual life.
Success in meditation requires earnestness, persistence and strong motivation,but the rewards are great and valuable. After the mind becomes habitually calm and quiet as a result of a regulat practice, one might discover that there is no need for special meditation sessions anymore, becuase inner peace and silence will be experienced at other times of the day.
When the mind is at peace, there arises a kind of calm, joyous and powerful consciousness, which is different from the ordinary, everyday consciousness. It is vast and endless, full of calmness, rest, happiness, joy, power and invincibility. It is a sort of an altered state of consciousness, which is not a a state of trance or lack of awareness of the earthly plane. It is an awareness that encompasses both the earthly and spiritual planes.
After beginning to taste this consciousness of inner peace and bliss, you will find that sometimes you may experience it in your everyday life, not only while meditating. It may suddenly or gradually possess your awareness for some time, and then it goes away. At this stage you will need to make it constant. This is done by pacifying your mind, and by making the effort to remember and awaken it wherever you are, at any time, and under all circumstances. This is the way to turn it into your ordinary, everyday consciousness.
In order to hasten the awareness of the inner consciousness it is recommended that you become more aware of your thoughts as they arise and pass through your mind. Do not let them sweep you away. Just remain focused, uninvolved with them, and deeply aware of the consciousness that looks at these thoughts. Let the peace that wells up fill you completely.
All techniques of meditation actually lead to this state. It is a state of light, happiness and joy, but also of inner power, concentration, practicality and common sense. It is called by many names, Nirvana, Samadhi, Self Realization, Cosmic consciousness, Higher Self. The name is only an outer label. The content is more important, and it is the same under all these labels.
Constant practice of meditation has a profound influence on the consciousness and the mind. The mind is restless and loves constant movement and change. Meditation removes the restlessness of the mind, making it a better and more useful tool.
Meditation develops concentration, awakens inner peace and brings the mind under your control. Constant practice develops peace of mind, silence, inner quietness, joy and inner power that no outer circumstances can take away or change.
There are people who regard meditation as an unpractical, useless and meaningless pursuit. They consider those who seek inner peace and silence as dreamers, visionaries and unpractical people, who are out of touch with reality. This is an erroneous assumption. There have always been very practical, pragmatic and active persons, who also engaged intensively in inner, spiritual quest, some of whom you may find difficult to associate with meditation and spirituality. This shows that practicality, common sense and spirituality can go hand in hand.
Living a spiritual life, and at the same time engaging in mundane activities is not unusual. Read about the life of Papaji, the Indian sage, and you will find out that he had worked hard for many years, while at the same time living an intense spiritual life. He is not the only one. There is no such rule that one has to abandon everything and live in an ashram or a monastery, in order to meditate and lead a spiritual life.
Success in meditation requires earnestness, persistence and strong motivation,but the rewards are great and valuable. After the mind becomes habitually calm and quiet as a result of a regulat practice, one might discover that there is no need for special meditation sessions anymore, becuase inner peace and silence will be experienced at other times of the day.
When the mind is at peace, there arises a kind of calm, joyous and powerful consciousness, which is different from the ordinary, everyday consciousness. It is vast and endless, full of calmness, rest, happiness, joy, power and invincibility. It is a sort of an altered state of consciousness, which is not a a state of trance or lack of awareness of the earthly plane. It is an awareness that encompasses both the earthly and spiritual planes.
After beginning to taste this consciousness of inner peace and bliss, you will find that sometimes you may experience it in your everyday life, not only while meditating. It may suddenly or gradually possess your awareness for some time, and then it goes away. At this stage you will need to make it constant. This is done by pacifying your mind, and by making the effort to remember and awaken it wherever you are, at any time, and under all circumstances. This is the way to turn it into your ordinary, everyday consciousness.
In order to hasten the awareness of the inner consciousness it is recommended that you become more aware of your thoughts as they arise and pass through your mind. Do not let them sweep you away. Just remain focused, uninvolved with them, and deeply aware of the consciousness that looks at these thoughts. Let the peace that wells up fill you completely.
All techniques of meditation actually lead to this state. It is a state of light, happiness and joy, but also of inner power, concentration, practicality and common sense. It is called by many names, Nirvana, Samadhi, Self Realization, Cosmic consciousness, Higher Self. The name is only an outer label. The content is more important, and it is the same under all these labels.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Excerpts from The Bhagavad-Gita
I am Justice: Clear, Impartial
~
Creatures rise and creatures vanish;
I alone am real, Arjuna,
looking out, amused, from deep
Within the eyes of every creature.
I am the object of all knowledge,
Father of the world, its mother,
Source of all things, of impure and
Pure, of holiness and horror.
I am the goal, the root, the witness,
Home and refuge, dearest friend,
Creation and annihilation,
Everlasting seed and treasure.
I am the radiance of the sun, I
Open or withhold the rainclouds,
I am Immortality and
Death, am being and non-being.
I am the Self, Arjuna, seated
in the heart of every creature.
I am the origin, the middle,
And the end that all must come to.
Those who worship me sincerely
with their minds and bodies, giving
Up their whole lives in devotion,
Find in me their heart’s fulfilment.
Even those who do no know me,
If their actions are straightforward,
Just, and loving, venerate me
With the truest kind of worship.
All your thoughts, all your actions,
All your fears and disappointments,
Offer them to me, clear-hearted;
Know them all as passing visions.
Thus you free yourself from bondage,
From both good and evil karma;
Through your non attachment, you
embody me, in utter freedom.
I am justice: clear, impartial,
Favouring no one, hating no one.
But in those who have cured themselves
of selfishness, I shine with brilliance.
Even murderers and rapists,
Tyrants, the most cruel fanatics,
Ultimately know redemption
Through my love, if they surrender
To my harsh but healing graces.
Passing through excruciating
Transformations, they find freedom
And their hearts find peace within them.
I am always with all beings;
I abandon no one. And
However great your inner darkness,
You are never separate from me.
Let your thoughts flow past you, calmly;
Keep me near, at every moment;
Trust me with your life, because I
Am you, more than you yourself are.”
Sri Krishna to Arjuna,
Commentary for Poem of the Day 28/01/06
"The Bhagavad Gita record the conversation between Sri Krishna and Arjuna during the battle of Kuruksetra. It is part of the Mahabarata and is one of the most important Hindu scriptures. The Oxford professor Max Muller described the Bhagavad Gita as "Like a University lecture delivered by God" In this extract Sri Krishna describes the omnipotence and omnipresence of God and also His all forgiving nature."
~
Creatures rise and creatures vanish;
I alone am real, Arjuna,
looking out, amused, from deep
Within the eyes of every creature.
I am the object of all knowledge,
Father of the world, its mother,
Source of all things, of impure and
Pure, of holiness and horror.
I am the goal, the root, the witness,
Home and refuge, dearest friend,
Creation and annihilation,
Everlasting seed and treasure.
I am the radiance of the sun, I
Open or withhold the rainclouds,
I am Immortality and
Death, am being and non-being.
I am the Self, Arjuna, seated
in the heart of every creature.
I am the origin, the middle,
And the end that all must come to.
Those who worship me sincerely
with their minds and bodies, giving
Up their whole lives in devotion,
Find in me their heart’s fulfilment.
Even those who do no know me,
If their actions are straightforward,
Just, and loving, venerate me
With the truest kind of worship.
All your thoughts, all your actions,
All your fears and disappointments,
Offer them to me, clear-hearted;
Know them all as passing visions.
Thus you free yourself from bondage,
From both good and evil karma;
Through your non attachment, you
embody me, in utter freedom.
I am justice: clear, impartial,
Favouring no one, hating no one.
But in those who have cured themselves
of selfishness, I shine with brilliance.
Even murderers and rapists,
Tyrants, the most cruel fanatics,
Ultimately know redemption
Through my love, if they surrender
To my harsh but healing graces.
Passing through excruciating
Transformations, they find freedom
And their hearts find peace within them.
I am always with all beings;
I abandon no one. And
However great your inner darkness,
You are never separate from me.
Let your thoughts flow past you, calmly;
Keep me near, at every moment;
Trust me with your life, because I
Am you, more than you yourself are.”
Sri Krishna to Arjuna,
Commentary for Poem of the Day 28/01/06
"The Bhagavad Gita record the conversation between Sri Krishna and Arjuna during the battle of Kuruksetra. It is part of the Mahabarata and is one of the most important Hindu scriptures. The Oxford professor Max Muller described the Bhagavad Gita as "Like a University lecture delivered by God" In this extract Sri Krishna describes the omnipotence and omnipresence of God and also His all forgiving nature."
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Excerpts from the Gita
Excerpts from the Gita
" Do all thou dost for Me! Renounce for Me!
Sacrifice heart and mind and will to Me!
Live in the faith of Me!
In faith of Me All dangers thou shalt vanquish, by My grace,
But, trusting to thyself and heeding not,
Thou can'st but perish!"
“O Bharata! Whenever righteousness declines and unrighteousness becomes powerful, then I Myself come to birth. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil-doers, for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness I am born from age to age ."
" Do all thou dost for Me! Renounce for Me!
Sacrifice heart and mind and will to Me!
Live in the faith of Me!
In faith of Me All dangers thou shalt vanquish, by My grace,
But, trusting to thyself and heeding not,
Thou can'st but perish!"
“O Bharata! Whenever righteousness declines and unrighteousness becomes powerful, then I Myself come to birth. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil-doers, for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness I am born from age to age ."
Monday, October 3, 2011
What Is Om / Aum
What Is Aum / Om
OM or AUM is the sound substance of the Absolute, the seed of the universal manifestation, and connected to the infinite Brahman. It is also a name of God. It is composed of the letters A, U, and M. Several meanings for these have been written in the Sanskrit texts. "A" represents that which is observed in the state of wakefulness, or the experience of the body and senses. "U" represents that which is observed in the dream state, or the inner astral realm. "M" represents that which is in the state of deep sleep as well as that which is beyond the perception of the senses in the wakeful state.
The silence, which is like the fourth letter of AUM, is the basis and underlying reality found in all states of consciousness, whether waking, dreaming or deep sleep. This is the Brahman, which is all that is manifested and all that is unmanifest. However, OM/AUM also reveals itself according to the depth of consciousness and realizations of the practitioner or sadhaka. For example, another interpretation by the Gosvamis of Vrindavana is that the letter A (a-kara) refers to the Supreme Being, Krishna, the master of all living beings and all material and spiritual worlds. He is the Supreme Leader. The letter U (u-kara) represents Radharani, or the pleasure potency or spiritual energy of the Supreme, otherwise known as the feminine aspect of God.
The M (ma-kara) represents the living beings, the marginal energy of the Supreme. Thus, OM/AUM is the complete combination of the Absolute Truth. In other words, omkara represents the Supreme Being, His name (Krishna), fame, pastimes, entourage, expansions, energies and everything else. Thus, OM/AUM is also the resting place of everything and the full understanding of the Vedas. Further information relates that omkara, as the representation of the Supreme Lord, delivers one back to the spiritual dimension if one remembers or chants it at the time of death. Srila Jiva Gosvami, in his Bhagavat-sandarbha, says that omkara is considered the sound vibration of the holy name of the Supreme Lord.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam also begins with omkara. Thus it is considered the seed of deliverance from the material world. Since the Supreme is absolute, then both He and His name are the same. Contact with the name is also contact with the Lord Himself.
Vedas - The Path To The Absolute
Ultimately, the Vedic system is to engage everyone in a process that will elevate them from whatever position they are in to a higher mode of living. Thus, there are many levels of understanding found within the Vedic tradition in order to accommodate the various forms of consciousness and tendencies of the innumerable living beings, especially humans. But without coming to the highest level of knowledge and Realization, they will continue to engage in activities resulting in different degrees of anxiety and lamentation. Being concerned about this problem and foreseeing the troubled times ahead, the great sages 5,000 years ago requested Suta Gosvami to explain the Srimad Bhagavatam after having learned it from Srila Vyasadeva and others.
Thus they put forth the following request:
O learned one, in this iron age of Kali, men have short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and above all, always disturbed. There are many varieties of scriptures, and in all of them there are many prescribed duties, which can be learned only after many years of study in their various divisions. Therefore, O sage, please select the essence of all these scriptures and explain it for the good of all living beings, that by such instruction their hearts may be fully satisfied. (Bhag.1.1.10-11)
In this way, the sages pointed out that in Kali yuga, this present age, men are easily distracted by so many things and their lives are very short, so, now let us not waste time but hear only the essence of all spiritual knowledge so that everyone can be satisfied and know the real goal of life and not remain confused. It was also for this reason that Srila Vyasadeva was feeling dissatisfied, even after compiling all the previous Vedic knowledge into written form in the earlier texts. The essence of all spiritual and metaphysical understanding and realizations had not yet been put into a concise and conclusive format.
Vyasadeva, while questioning his unexpected dissatisfaction, was at that very moment greeted by the sage Narada Muni who had just arrived at Vyasadeva’s cottage. Suta Gosvami, in Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto One, Chapters Five and Six, relates the story in this way:
Narada Muni asked Vyasadeva whether he was satisfied after having written the great Mahabharata. Sri Vyasadeva answered that in spite of all he had done, he was not content and accepting Narada Muni as his spiritual master, questioned him about the root cause of the dissatisfaction he felt. Narada replied that the cause was that Vyasadeva had not written about the sublime characteristics of the Supreme. The philosophy that does not satisfy the transcendental senses of the Supreme is considered worthless, but that literature which is full of the transcendental descriptions of the name, form, and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme can bring about a revolution amongst the misdirected civilization of the world. Even though improperly composed, such literature is heard and accepted by saintly and intelligent men.
This is exactly what is missing in the earlier Vedic texts as well as most other religious scriptures found in the world today. Narada is recommending that to include the topics he mentioned will certainly bring about a revolution to help all those who are living in a misguided civilization. The reason for this is simple: one may defend the science of religion or engage in so many philosophical conversations, but there will never be any final conclusion to such talks without practical experience of the Supreme. Without this genuine experience, all religious or philosophical talk is merely cultivated knowledge or mental speculation. It is another way of passing time for the armchair philosophers because anyone, simply by juggling words or taking things out of context, can steer various controversial topics towards any conclusion they want. This is the way some so-called religious leaders or propagandists use things like religion to justify their own selfish intentions.
More light is shed on these points in the Bhagavatam (11.22.5-6) wherein Lord Krishna explains to Uddhava that when philosophers cannot agree on the way they view things; it is simply the interaction of Lord Krishna’s illusory energies that motivate their disagreements. But for those who have fixed their minds in Lord Krishna, the Absolute Truth and ultimate conclusion of all spiritual realizations, the cause for argument and differences of opinion disappear.
Just as when you may have several hungry people in a room discussing the various causes of and means to extinguish their pains of hunger, no one has to tell them that the process of eating a nice meal has worked when, after having done so, they automatically feel their hunger subside. The experience is universal and after eating and feeling satisfied, leaves no room for argument. Similarly, after having reached the platform of experiencing the Absolute Truth, what need could there be for further argument or disagreement? The experience is universal for those who have reached it. And for those who have, participating in a religion or faith which condones the idea of deliberately quarreling or fighting wars with members of other faiths is utterly absurd. Indeed, such fighting only shows the gross ignorance of one’s real spiritual identity and the animalistic qualities of such people, though they may claim strong allegiance to a particular religion. Of what use to the world is such a religion or philosophy? As pointed out in the Manu samhita (12.95-96), such a religion is simply based on darkness and is worthless, producing no good reward after death. Therefore, to help avoid further quarrel and confusion among the people in this age, Narada Muni encouraged Vyasadeva to write and describe the eternal spiritual truths in a more direct manner.
Narada explained to Vyasadeva that spiritual knowledge, though free from material faults and connections, is still incomplete if devoid of an understanding of the transcendental characteristics of God. But Vyasadeva, who is completely perfect, can meditate on the Lord’s pastimes for the liberation of all people from material existence. Only one who has retired from activities for material happiness deserves to understand such spiritual knowledge and experience spiritual bliss. Therefore, Narada emphasized that by Vyasa’s mercy, those who are attached to material existence should be shown how to attain spiritual realization. Those who are truly intelligent will endeavor to reach this goal.
Vyasadeva knew all about spiritual knowledge and the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Being because he is a plenary portion of the Lord. Though he is birthless, he appeared in this world for the welfare of all. And to teach a lesson, he displayed dissatisfaction when he had still not engaged himself in writing the glories of the Supreme’s spiritual qualities, and then accepted Narada as a spiritual master to learn the reason for his discontent. Thus, Narada continued to explain to Vyasadeva that learned men have concluded that the actual purpose for engaging in austerities, sacrifices, studying the Vedas, chanting the hymns, etc., is to advance in the knowledge of the transcendental characteristics of the Supreme, which is the only way to remove all difficulties.
This is the ultimate process for perfecting one’s life and for attaining full spiritual Realization. This is the answer to Uddhava’s question about whether a particular process in the Vedic literature is superior. Without understanding the Absolute Truth, one’s knowledge of his real identity, or the universe, the purpose of life, and everything else in one’s experience, is incomplete. So the conclusive purpose of the Vedic process is to increase one’s knowledge of the Supreme, which will encompass all other forms of knowledge. The most direct way of doing that is through the practice of hearing about the Supreme Being from the Vedic literature, such as Srimad Bhagavatam. Simply hearing or studying this literature is a part of the process of Bhakti Yoga. As explained in Bhagavad-Gita (11.54), only through bhakti yoga can one enter into the mysteries of understanding the Supreme as He is. Similarly, Srimad Bhagavatam (1.2.20) points out that only by bhagavata bhakti, devotion to the Lord, can one get positive scientific knowledge of the Supreme Personality. Therefore, Narada requested Vyasadeva to describe the spiritual activities and qualities of the Supreme to satisfy inquisitive and learned men, and mitigate the sufferings of the people in general. After all, by engaging in ordinary Yoga people may attain some peace of mind and freedom from desire and lust, but to give satisfaction to the soul requires the performance of devotional service, Bhakti Yoga, to the Supreme. This is the means of establishing a link between the soul and the Infinite Lord. This is what Vyasadeva had yet to do. And the perfection of this was to compile the great devotional work of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Then, when Lord Krishna had left this planet after performing His various pastimes by which He attracts the conditioned souls and on the new moon night near the end of the month of Phalguna (February-March), the planets aligned themselves in one direction above the Earth, with the planet Rahu over India. On that night in 3102 BC, according to the Vedic scholars, the world slipped into the depths of forgetfulness as Dvapara yuga ended and the age of Kali yuga began. Shortly after this occurrence the great sage Vyasadeva had heard all these instructions from Narada Muni.
Therefore, in this age of Kali yuga the essence of the Vedas becomes all the more important to us which consequently are the only means to the path to the Absolute.
source: thehindulife.com
Thus they put forth the following request:
O learned one, in this iron age of Kali, men have short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and above all, always disturbed. There are many varieties of scriptures, and in all of them there are many prescribed duties, which can be learned only after many years of study in their various divisions. Therefore, O sage, please select the essence of all these scriptures and explain it for the good of all living beings, that by such instruction their hearts may be fully satisfied. (Bhag.1.1.10-11)
In this way, the sages pointed out that in Kali yuga, this present age, men are easily distracted by so many things and their lives are very short, so, now let us not waste time but hear only the essence of all spiritual knowledge so that everyone can be satisfied and know the real goal of life and not remain confused. It was also for this reason that Srila Vyasadeva was feeling dissatisfied, even after compiling all the previous Vedic knowledge into written form in the earlier texts. The essence of all spiritual and metaphysical understanding and realizations had not yet been put into a concise and conclusive format.
Vyasadeva, while questioning his unexpected dissatisfaction, was at that very moment greeted by the sage Narada Muni who had just arrived at Vyasadeva’s cottage. Suta Gosvami, in Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto One, Chapters Five and Six, relates the story in this way:
Narada Muni asked Vyasadeva whether he was satisfied after having written the great Mahabharata. Sri Vyasadeva answered that in spite of all he had done, he was not content and accepting Narada Muni as his spiritual master, questioned him about the root cause of the dissatisfaction he felt. Narada replied that the cause was that Vyasadeva had not written about the sublime characteristics of the Supreme. The philosophy that does not satisfy the transcendental senses of the Supreme is considered worthless, but that literature which is full of the transcendental descriptions of the name, form, and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme can bring about a revolution amongst the misdirected civilization of the world. Even though improperly composed, such literature is heard and accepted by saintly and intelligent men.
This is exactly what is missing in the earlier Vedic texts as well as most other religious scriptures found in the world today. Narada is recommending that to include the topics he mentioned will certainly bring about a revolution to help all those who are living in a misguided civilization. The reason for this is simple: one may defend the science of religion or engage in so many philosophical conversations, but there will never be any final conclusion to such talks without practical experience of the Supreme. Without this genuine experience, all religious or philosophical talk is merely cultivated knowledge or mental speculation. It is another way of passing time for the armchair philosophers because anyone, simply by juggling words or taking things out of context, can steer various controversial topics towards any conclusion they want. This is the way some so-called religious leaders or propagandists use things like religion to justify their own selfish intentions.
More light is shed on these points in the Bhagavatam (11.22.5-6) wherein Lord Krishna explains to Uddhava that when philosophers cannot agree on the way they view things; it is simply the interaction of Lord Krishna’s illusory energies that motivate their disagreements. But for those who have fixed their minds in Lord Krishna, the Absolute Truth and ultimate conclusion of all spiritual realizations, the cause for argument and differences of opinion disappear.
Just as when you may have several hungry people in a room discussing the various causes of and means to extinguish their pains of hunger, no one has to tell them that the process of eating a nice meal has worked when, after having done so, they automatically feel their hunger subside. The experience is universal and after eating and feeling satisfied, leaves no room for argument. Similarly, after having reached the platform of experiencing the Absolute Truth, what need could there be for further argument or disagreement? The experience is universal for those who have reached it. And for those who have, participating in a religion or faith which condones the idea of deliberately quarreling or fighting wars with members of other faiths is utterly absurd. Indeed, such fighting only shows the gross ignorance of one’s real spiritual identity and the animalistic qualities of such people, though they may claim strong allegiance to a particular religion. Of what use to the world is such a religion or philosophy? As pointed out in the Manu samhita (12.95-96), such a religion is simply based on darkness and is worthless, producing no good reward after death. Therefore, to help avoid further quarrel and confusion among the people in this age, Narada Muni encouraged Vyasadeva to write and describe the eternal spiritual truths in a more direct manner.
Narada explained to Vyasadeva that spiritual knowledge, though free from material faults and connections, is still incomplete if devoid of an understanding of the transcendental characteristics of God. But Vyasadeva, who is completely perfect, can meditate on the Lord’s pastimes for the liberation of all people from material existence. Only one who has retired from activities for material happiness deserves to understand such spiritual knowledge and experience spiritual bliss. Therefore, Narada emphasized that by Vyasa’s mercy, those who are attached to material existence should be shown how to attain spiritual realization. Those who are truly intelligent will endeavor to reach this goal.
Vyasadeva knew all about spiritual knowledge and the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Being because he is a plenary portion of the Lord. Though he is birthless, he appeared in this world for the welfare of all. And to teach a lesson, he displayed dissatisfaction when he had still not engaged himself in writing the glories of the Supreme’s spiritual qualities, and then accepted Narada as a spiritual master to learn the reason for his discontent. Thus, Narada continued to explain to Vyasadeva that learned men have concluded that the actual purpose for engaging in austerities, sacrifices, studying the Vedas, chanting the hymns, etc., is to advance in the knowledge of the transcendental characteristics of the Supreme, which is the only way to remove all difficulties.
This is the ultimate process for perfecting one’s life and for attaining full spiritual Realization. This is the answer to Uddhava’s question about whether a particular process in the Vedic literature is superior. Without understanding the Absolute Truth, one’s knowledge of his real identity, or the universe, the purpose of life, and everything else in one’s experience, is incomplete. So the conclusive purpose of the Vedic process is to increase one’s knowledge of the Supreme, which will encompass all other forms of knowledge. The most direct way of doing that is through the practice of hearing about the Supreme Being from the Vedic literature, such as Srimad Bhagavatam. Simply hearing or studying this literature is a part of the process of Bhakti Yoga. As explained in Bhagavad-Gita (11.54), only through bhakti yoga can one enter into the mysteries of understanding the Supreme as He is. Similarly, Srimad Bhagavatam (1.2.20) points out that only by bhagavata bhakti, devotion to the Lord, can one get positive scientific knowledge of the Supreme Personality. Therefore, Narada requested Vyasadeva to describe the spiritual activities and qualities of the Supreme to satisfy inquisitive and learned men, and mitigate the sufferings of the people in general. After all, by engaging in ordinary Yoga people may attain some peace of mind and freedom from desire and lust, but to give satisfaction to the soul requires the performance of devotional service, Bhakti Yoga, to the Supreme. This is the means of establishing a link between the soul and the Infinite Lord. This is what Vyasadeva had yet to do. And the perfection of this was to compile the great devotional work of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Then, when Lord Krishna had left this planet after performing His various pastimes by which He attracts the conditioned souls and on the new moon night near the end of the month of Phalguna (February-March), the planets aligned themselves in one direction above the Earth, with the planet Rahu over India. On that night in 3102 BC, according to the Vedic scholars, the world slipped into the depths of forgetfulness as Dvapara yuga ended and the age of Kali yuga began. Shortly after this occurrence the great sage Vyasadeva had heard all these instructions from Narada Muni.
Therefore, in this age of Kali yuga the essence of the Vedas becomes all the more important to us which consequently are the only means to the path to the Absolute.
source: thehindulife.com
The Vedas
What Are Vedas? |
| The word "veda" translates from Sanskrit as knowledge or wisdom. The Vedas are perhaps the oldest written text on our planet today and are the most sacred texts of the Hindus. They were composed and performed orally over a lengthy period of time, generally over 6,000 BCE. They are considered by Hindus to be revealed literature, having originated with the Gods whose praise they sing. The core of the Vedas is formed by the Mantras which represent hymns, prayers, incantations, magic and ritual formulas, charms etc. The hymns and prayers are addressed to a pantheon of Gods (and a few Goddesses), important members of which are Rudra , Varuna , Indra , Agni , etc. The mantras are supplemented by texts regarding the sacrificial rituals in which these mantras are used as well as texts exploring the philosophical aspects of the ritual tradition, narratives etc. The first portion of the Vedas called the Samhita are the result of their curiosity about the nature of creation, about who created life and who created nature. The Vedic thinkers ascribed creation to celestial beings and Gods. Hence the Samhitas are largely a collection of hymns in praise of the deities of creation. The second section of the Vedas called the Brahmanas contains mantras dedicated to the deities and description of the offerings of suitable foods during worship. The Brahmanas give examples of the many different kinds of rituals and ceremonies. This was the ceremonial phase of religious life, which was elaborate, exotic and dramatic. But this phase too passed into another to answer the new curiosities of man, the new phase developed as an answer to a new question : what if this elaborate ceremonial life was not possible, then, what path was there for people to follow? It was then, that the third section of the Vedas was produced, called the Aranyaka . Aranya means forests and Aranyaka means, relation to forest life. In the Aranyaka are prescribed various kinds of meditation upon the deities. Turned inwards away from the objects of the world, the mind of man became concentrated. The clarity of vision increased manifold and took them to transcendental, spiritual levels of the mind and consciousness. These were direct, intuitive glimpses of spiritual philosophical truth. Thence came the last section of the Vedas, the Upanishads . They were called the Vedanta - the completion of the thinking of their authors. In realizing the true nature of the soul lies the fulfillment of mans life. Towards this realization of the self, contemplation is necessary. And, the contemplation is of knowledge. The Upanishads show us this very direction. You may now ask : how can these very ancient directions be applied to the modern world and life? The answer to this is that, all that advances of the modern world have done is to touch the externals, the objective part of life, none has touched the internal, the core of man. |
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Spiritual Enlightenment
Spiritual Enlightenment - extract of article by Self Awareness Institute
India has a rich philosophy filled with explanations of what enlightenment is and how to attain it; generally referred to as the Santana Dharma, or eternal truths, as recounted by the Rishi's and Yogi's from this subcontinent, enlightenment serves as the very goal of human existence and the source of true enduring happiness and peace.In the world's oldest written spiritual text, the Rig Veda, who's oral tradition extends to pre-history but was first written around 1,400 BC, the aspirant is guided to attain enlightenment. It's the first thing man sought to find and write about. Seeking enlightenment is found in the classical Eastern teachings within the Upanishads, the Mahabharata and Vedanta. The whole purpose of Yoga and meditation is to attain enlightenment. All the guru's, swami's and saints teach the path to spiritual enlightenment in one way or another. Enlightenment is a universal teaching and increasing numbers are seeking it now.
In 1893 Swami Vivekananda from the Sri Ramakrishna mission based in Calcutta, was invited to speak at the Parliament of World Religions held in Chicago, and he is generally credited with bringing Advaita Vedanta, the path to enlightenment and God realization, to Western civilization. It was Vivekananda who inspired Whitman, Emerson and Theroux and lead another enlightenment movement in the United States. In 1920 Paramahansa Yogananda, a guru from within the Kriya Yoga lineage, came to America and planted the seeds of yoga as a path enlightenment as explained in his best-selling book Autobiography of a Yogi. In 1955 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a guru from the Himalayas, first inspired the famous rock group The Beatles, who started writing songs about consciousness (e.g. Within Without) and then brought his Transcendental Meditation to Europe, the United States and then the rest of the world, becoming the a primary vehicle for bringing meditation to millions in Western Civilization.
During the past few decades we have seen an interest in eastern approaches to enlightenment explode and teachers from all over the world have come to America and Europe (and the world at large), including: Sivananda, Satchidananda (Woodstock), Iyengar, Krishnamurti, Sri Chinmoy, Sri Aurobindo, Baba Muktananda and Gurumayi, Satya Sai Baba, Yogi Bhajan, Osho, and Amma (among others), with each reaching millions. The seeking of enlightenment also shows up in modern spiritual movements and organizations.It's on the radio, it's all over the Internet, it's all over the world.
In studying with dozens of Gurus over the years, there was one teacher who stood out to be amongst the wisest of guru's and the most powerful of teachers of our age, and his name was Vethathiri Maharishi from Tamil Nadu state in India. This Swamiji taught the classical path to enlightenment via accessing the innate intelligence, life force, spirit or "Kundalini" directly. In other words, our true nature is the spirit itself that is eternal, and our physical body and mind are vehicles for consciousness to be expressed and made manifest through. As we become more conscious of our own consciousness, our consciousness expands until the mind becomes fully conscious - Satchitananda (beingness-consciousness-bliss). By connecting with our own spirit and consciousness directly, our own mind's become aware of our true eternal nature and the presence of God is realized within one's Self and in everyone one else, and in everything else, everywhere, all the time. In other words, the Kingdom of Heaven lies within and is already spread out upon the earth (as Jesus explains in the Coptic Gospel of Thomas).
I began an apprenticeship with this Maharishi in the early 1980's and after extensive training with him both in United States and India, was asked to first give initiations and lead classes in Swami's absence (when he returned to India or traveled abroad) and then to start the Self Awareness Institute in 1985. Since then the Self Awareness Institute has spread to over 120 countries, teaching the path to enlightenment through self awareness. Our mission is to bridge the differences in our theology to find the universality of truth and omnipresence of God, and enable people from different cultures and religions to enlighten through a practical means within a Western Civilization.
The most powerful yogi I had come across was the legendary arch yogi Sri Sri Sri Shivabalayogi Maharaj from Bangalore, India. This guru had the highest calibrated level of consciousness on the planet (for an explanation of "calibrated levels" see Dr. David Hawkins book Power vs. Force). This yogi sat in continuous meditation for 12 years (with brief breaks for eating and washing) and was a guru to other guru's throughout India and a pilgrimage destination to Sadhus (seeker's) around the world. He is the guru's guru. Rather than gaining an understanding to enlighten, this Maharaj taught to completely transcend mental activity and sense perception through Shaktipat, the transmission of spiritual energy or spirit through one who has attained enlightenment. The teachings are in silence, the insights and awareness are attained from within through Dhyana meditation. As a part of my training to give initiations into this discipline I spent many years sitting many hours a day, eventually building up to a period of meditation called Yoga Tapas sitting 23 hours a day for 40 consecutive days and nights under the guidance of this Maharaj. When the mind's consciousness joins with total consciousness it is "liberated" (moksha) from the trammels of the mind and senses and God is Realized and the consciousness is enlightened.
Having said all this, it is understood by all the great masters that enlightenment itself cannot be understood or adequately explained. Words, ideas and perspectives actually diminish and convolute awareness. The words and ideas only help to direct the mind inward to behold that which observes the mind and lies beyond it (and within it, undifferentiated). This approach to enlightenment is eloquently explained by such Jnana Yogi's as Ramana Maharshi, Papaji (H. L. Poonja), Ramesh Belsekar and Nisargadatta Maharaj. This teaching of "nondualism" or "Advaita" enables the aspirant to realize the true nature of the Self by turning the consciousness inward and beholding what is already there and what you ultimately are. Quoting Papaji: "How far from your house do you need to go to find your way home?" Ultimately, the path is pathless and the true "Self" is already realized. Our mind has created its own sense of "self" based on data that is received through the senses from life experiences, that leave impressions upon the mind that form the basis of our character and personality that the mind identifies with as being "you".
When the mind is turned inward, through meditation, and beholds the eternal nature of our consciousness, this consciousness is awakened, as if one had awakened from a dream and an indescribable awareness and bliss are realized. But at the same time, the sense of one having attained a realization is transcended. The term for this realization is "Samadhi", as described by the arch yogi Patanjali who wrote the Yoga Sutras sometime during the Mauryan dynasty (321-185 BCE) and defines yoga as "the cessation of mental modification (thought)". Samadhi appears to have different levels: Laya Samadhi is the latent potential level of Samadhi which occurs in deep meditation, trance or even in movement such as ecstatic dance or yoga asana (postures and breathing exercises) and is experienced as great joy, well being and peacefulness. Savikalpa Samadhi is an initial temporary state where the conscious mind is still active, but not real (like a Television playing in your head) and the true sense of Self becomes realized. Here one gets a taste of bliss and beingness of God, but is still attached to the vehicle experiencing and discerning. Often a spiritual aspirant mistakes this awakening of consciousness as enlightenment itself, and the egoic sense of self thinks it is enlightened. Most of the gurus teaching today have entered either of these levels.
Nirvikalpa Samadhi is the highest transcendental state of consciousness (and in reality it is not a state, but this is the only word that approximates what is beyond all states of mind). In this state, there is no subject-object differentiation or dualism and the interconnected and undifferentiated whole (the latent potential from which everything appears and goes) is realized. Traditionally, an aspirant would study with a Master who had attained enlightenment, not so much to learn and understand what it is, but, rather, to first experience and then realize it for themselves. Through the guru's "Darshan" (blessings or presence) the fields of awareness transmitted by the guru in their enlightened state become exposed to the student who then acclimates to these higher states naturally and without effort. As "doership" only get's in the way, the guru can help the student move beyond their mind and it's patterns of resistance, and enter these higher states of Samadhi. This effortless state is called Sahaja Samadhi. These states are routinely experienced by students of the Self Awareness Institute. They seem beyond reach, but some part of you is already there, or "here" even now, and that is why you are compelled to read this. Bhakti (devotion) is the key to being receptive enough to receive the grace of the guru and experience their Shaktipat. Finally, Maha Samadhi refers to the state where the physical body is dropped (physical death) and the consciousness and the illusion of separation (layla) is completely transcended.
How to Become an Early Riser
The Secret on How to Become an Early Riser
Meditation and Yoga Guide: Personal Development
Posted in Meditation,Personal Development,Yoga by Anmol Mehta
One of my grandfather’s favorite quotes was, "The heights of great men reached and kept, Were not attained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upwards in the night." Well at least toiling upwards in the early morning would be a good start for some of us . So how is this to be done? How is one to wake up early and thus make full use of that most beautiful time of the day? The answer does not lie in taping an alarm clock to your head, or in using electric shocks, or in hiring a drill sergeant as a personal trainer – the answer is simpler than that – the answer is to figure out what you are most passionate about in life. Those great men above, I am certain, had one thing in common. They all had a burning passion for something in life. That is the key. The secret to not only becoming an early riser, but also for living a fulfilling life. That passion, that love, will give you the energy to spring out of bed at the break of dawn so you can give yourself to that which you love most.
Here is a simple experiment that you can do to validate the above argument. Think about what you really enjoy doing and plan to do that early in the morning. Here are a few simple examples of such an experiment. If you really love a particular TV show and have a DVR (or VCR), tape that show instead of watching it when you normally do. Now wait for a day when you don’t have to rush off to work and plan to watch that show on that day early in the morning. See what happens. You may be surprised at the energy available to you to get out of bed that morning. When there is something that needs to be done, observe carefully within yourself and you will notice that the energy is there at that time for you to do it. Try to never delay or procrastinate the necessary response to a requirement of life in a given moment (this is actually a very interesting topic in and of itself but I will leave that for another article). Here are a few more examples. If you are an avid gamer, lets say playing World of Warcraft. Well, stop right before you level up or before you get your reward for a completed quest and see how quickly you get out of bed the next day and run to the computer. Or leave the book you are reading at an interesting juncture and observe your ability to wake up the next day early to continue. I think the point has been made. Getting up and out of bed early has to do with your enthusiasm for starting the next day.
One problem that comes up of course is that many people do not know what their true passion is and so are not living an inspired life. The article Stop the Madness of Self-Discipline goes into this more but here I will paste one portion of that post which presents the following questions to ask yourself to help you figure out what you love to do. Here are those 6 questions….
1.What is it that you like to do for its own sake, without any concern for reward or compliment? Do you like the joy of building things? Do you like to just create music? Do you like to teach? Do you like the challenge of watching your thoughts in action?
2.If you won the lottery, I mean the really, really big one how would you like to spend the rest of your life?
3.If you were informed you are about to die shortly, what would you regret most as not having spent your time doing?
4.No matter where on Earth you are. In a rich, first world country, in the bush lands of Australia or high up in a Himalayan village what do you see yourself doing regardless of location?
5.What activity do you always find yourself coming back to throughout your life?
6.What activity can you just not see yourself doing without?
Hopefully these questions will start to reveal to you your real interests in life. Once that happens, and you start to live according to your passions, trying to wake up early will be a non-issue.
There is another problem that sometimes comes up with regard to becoming an early riser and that has to do with health and energy. Having good physical, emotional and mental health will go a long way in helping you, not only sleep better, but also in providing the necessary energy to kick-start the day bright and early. If you find yourself lacking energy and feeling depleted there is no better cure for that than exercise and Yoga. Here is a nice beginner Kundalini Yoga Kriya (set) that covers many aspects of your being and will help build your energy and health. The kriya is actually called Morning Wakeup Series and ironically should be done in the morning when you wake up. This Kundalini Kriya, in a short time with regular practice, will help you overcome any energy issues that were hampering you from getting up early.
One last item that I think is worth touching upon while I am on this topic is the motivation for those who practice meditation, yoga, pranayama or other spiritual work to wake up early. Here is a list of reasons why it is advantageous to practice sadhana in the early morning if possible…
1.Early morning is called brahmamuhurta in Sanskrit. It literally means "The Divine Time." This is the time of the day when the spiritual energy on our lovely planet is at its highest.
2.The air at this time is fresh and contains the greatest amount of prana (cosmic life force).
3.The mind is also fresh and unburdened with the worries of everyday life. This will help in the practice of concentration and meditation.
4.This is the time of day when you are least likely to be distracted by the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
5.The stomach is empty, which is necessary before practicing many of the Yoga asanas and pranayamas.
It is said that one of the things that we human beings waste our lives doing is sleeping (too much). So let that not be the case for you. Search inwards, experiment, figure out what you love to do in life and then muster up the courage to go after it. There is a story of a Yogi high up in the Himalayan mountains and what he does early every morning is get up, stand and applaud. He is applauding creation for the wonder of a new dawn, for the beauty of the sunrise and for the opportunity each new day provides. Let us join him bright and early tomorrow morning.
Meditation and Yoga Guide: Personal Development
Posted in Meditation,Personal Development,Yoga by Anmol Mehta
One of my grandfather’s favorite quotes was, "The heights of great men reached and kept, Were not attained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upwards in the night." Well at least toiling upwards in the early morning would be a good start for some of us . So how is this to be done? How is one to wake up early and thus make full use of that most beautiful time of the day? The answer does not lie in taping an alarm clock to your head, or in using electric shocks, or in hiring a drill sergeant as a personal trainer – the answer is simpler than that – the answer is to figure out what you are most passionate about in life. Those great men above, I am certain, had one thing in common. They all had a burning passion for something in life. That is the key. The secret to not only becoming an early riser, but also for living a fulfilling life. That passion, that love, will give you the energy to spring out of bed at the break of dawn so you can give yourself to that which you love most.
Here is a simple experiment that you can do to validate the above argument. Think about what you really enjoy doing and plan to do that early in the morning. Here are a few simple examples of such an experiment. If you really love a particular TV show and have a DVR (or VCR), tape that show instead of watching it when you normally do. Now wait for a day when you don’t have to rush off to work and plan to watch that show on that day early in the morning. See what happens. You may be surprised at the energy available to you to get out of bed that morning. When there is something that needs to be done, observe carefully within yourself and you will notice that the energy is there at that time for you to do it. Try to never delay or procrastinate the necessary response to a requirement of life in a given moment (this is actually a very interesting topic in and of itself but I will leave that for another article). Here are a few more examples. If you are an avid gamer, lets say playing World of Warcraft. Well, stop right before you level up or before you get your reward for a completed quest and see how quickly you get out of bed the next day and run to the computer. Or leave the book you are reading at an interesting juncture and observe your ability to wake up the next day early to continue. I think the point has been made. Getting up and out of bed early has to do with your enthusiasm for starting the next day.
One problem that comes up of course is that many people do not know what their true passion is and so are not living an inspired life. The article Stop the Madness of Self-Discipline goes into this more but here I will paste one portion of that post which presents the following questions to ask yourself to help you figure out what you love to do. Here are those 6 questions….
1.What is it that you like to do for its own sake, without any concern for reward or compliment? Do you like the joy of building things? Do you like to just create music? Do you like to teach? Do you like the challenge of watching your thoughts in action?
2.If you won the lottery, I mean the really, really big one how would you like to spend the rest of your life?
3.If you were informed you are about to die shortly, what would you regret most as not having spent your time doing?
4.No matter where on Earth you are. In a rich, first world country, in the bush lands of Australia or high up in a Himalayan village what do you see yourself doing regardless of location?
5.What activity do you always find yourself coming back to throughout your life?
6.What activity can you just not see yourself doing without?
Hopefully these questions will start to reveal to you your real interests in life. Once that happens, and you start to live according to your passions, trying to wake up early will be a non-issue.
There is another problem that sometimes comes up with regard to becoming an early riser and that has to do with health and energy. Having good physical, emotional and mental health will go a long way in helping you, not only sleep better, but also in providing the necessary energy to kick-start the day bright and early. If you find yourself lacking energy and feeling depleted there is no better cure for that than exercise and Yoga. Here is a nice beginner Kundalini Yoga Kriya (set) that covers many aspects of your being and will help build your energy and health. The kriya is actually called Morning Wakeup Series and ironically should be done in the morning when you wake up. This Kundalini Kriya, in a short time with regular practice, will help you overcome any energy issues that were hampering you from getting up early.
One last item that I think is worth touching upon while I am on this topic is the motivation for those who practice meditation, yoga, pranayama or other spiritual work to wake up early. Here is a list of reasons why it is advantageous to practice sadhana in the early morning if possible…
1.Early morning is called brahmamuhurta in Sanskrit. It literally means "The Divine Time." This is the time of the day when the spiritual energy on our lovely planet is at its highest.
2.The air at this time is fresh and contains the greatest amount of prana (cosmic life force).
3.The mind is also fresh and unburdened with the worries of everyday life. This will help in the practice of concentration and meditation.
4.This is the time of day when you are least likely to be distracted by the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
5.The stomach is empty, which is necessary before practicing many of the Yoga asanas and pranayamas.
It is said that one of the things that we human beings waste our lives doing is sleeping (too much). So let that not be the case for you. Search inwards, experiment, figure out what you love to do in life and then muster up the courage to go after it. There is a story of a Yogi high up in the Himalayan mountains and what he does early every morning is get up, stand and applaud. He is applauding creation for the wonder of a new dawn, for the beauty of the sunrise and for the opportunity each new day provides. Let us join him bright and early tomorrow morning.
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