Atmic awareness

How do we link our spirit with the spirit of the Guru?

Spiritual union will never occur unless we have awakened our atman. It is very difficult to understand what atman is. It is called spirit or self by some. It is an awareness which knows no limitations. It has no barriers and is beyond the confines of time, space and matter. Physical awareness has many barriers. Mental awareness has fewer barriers, while emotional awareness has still less and is the most efficient. A mother can feel her little child and can commune with him/her at any moment. Spiritual or Atmic awareness surpasses even emotional awareness. Continue reading

Law of Opposites and Yoga Nidra

How are we affected by the law of opposites. Prince Ram in the Yog Vasistha said to Sage Vashisht that he did not long to live and he did not long to die. He remained neutral about life as well as about death. Duality exists around us and there is uncharted space which Krishna describes as being free from opposites.

The karma yogis, who neither desire nor hate anything, should be considered always renounced. Free from all dualities, they are easily liberated from the bonds of material energy. – Gita 5.3

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What is the power behind a refusal?

I find that replying in the negative gives one a high. It is adrenalin pumped into the system. It is human nature. One is not doing it intentionally; however, one feels that one is in control. I can say this with comfort as I am 75 years old and being a Yogi and a psychologist, I am a keen observer. If only one was in touch with thoughts, feelings and emotions, one would understand why one does this.

Think of all the times you have said no and the others, who have said no to you. Continue reading

The Yoga of Awareness

How does one become aware? It is a word used by all of us, constantly. But are we aware? How does one practice awareness? Here one concentrates on a symbol. What happens now is that one’s mind after a while starts becoming distracted and inattentive. One feels uncomfortable sitting. There is a mosquito buzzing near one’s ears. The mind behaves like a prancing monkey. Continue reading

952 – Understanding the Shivalingam

The Shivalingam is a symbol of the supreme consciousness in the creative form. The term lingam represents the state of existence that is invisible and unseen. It is used as a representation of Shiva. It is abstract and its ultimate reality is incomprehensible to anyone, even a saint. So how does one comprehend the ultimate reality. It is only possible to comprehend it as the Shiva Lingam. Continue reading

930 – Karma and Divinity

We do not exist independently….
Whenever I walk, sit, eat or practice calligraphy,
I do so with the awareness,
That all my ancestors are within me at that moment.
I am their continuation.
Whatever I am doing,
the energy of mindfulness
enables me to do it as ‘us,’
‘Through interbeing, not as me.’

Ancestors and me – Thich Nhat Hanh Continue reading

882 – Change is the law of the universe

Whatever is happening is also for good.
Whatever will happen, shall also be good.
What have you lost that you cry for?
What did you bring that you have lost?
What did you create that was destroyed?
What you have taken, has been from here.
What you gave has been given here.
What belongs to you today,
Belonged to someone yesterday.
And will be someone else’s tomorrow. – Bhagavad Gita

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859 – God’s will

All is thy will.
Thy will be done
Whether you raise me
To the height of spiritual glory
Or you throw me down
Into the abyss of hell,
I accept it.
Readily, happily, with pleasure
Because that is thy will
I am the chariot,
You are the charioteer.
I am the horse,
You are the master.
Keep me as you like.
Use me, misuse me or abuse me
I have nothing to defend.

Poem written by a great bhakta. Continue reading

796 – Appreciate God’s Creation

A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

It is such an apt saying. We tend to shut ourselves in and become oblivious of the music, poetry and art. We are self-involved and are like the businessman in “The Little Prince,” who spent all his time counting the stars continuously.

The little prince and the businessman

Let me refresh your memory. The little prince arrived at the fourth planet. It belonged to a businessman. He did not even raise his head at the prince’s arrival. The prince greeted him and told him that his cigarette had gone out. The businessman ignored him and kept adding the numbers. He replied that he did not have time to light his cigarette again. Then he let out a deep breath and said that it makes five-hundred and one million, six hundred and twenty-two-thousand, seven hundred-thirty-one.

The prince asked, five hundred million what? The man said, “You are still there, I can’t stop, I have so much to do and I am concerned with matters of consequences.”

The prince was persistent and he had never let go of a question, so he asked,” Five hundred and one million of what?” The business man lifted his head up and said, “I have been disturbed only three times in the 54 years of my life, living on this planet. The first time a silly goose fell and made an infernal noise. The second time I had an attack of rheumatism as I do not get enough exercise. I have no free time. As I was saying five-hundred-and one million—.” The prince asked,” Millions of what?”

The businessman realized that he would not be left in peace, if he did not answer. He replied, “Millions of those little objects, which one sometimes sees in the sky.” The prince was not one to let go, he questioned, “Flies?” The businessman said, “Oh no. Little glittering objects.” “Bees?” the curious prince said. The businessman replied, “Oh no. Little golden objects that make lazy men dream. I am not lazy and I have no time as I am dealing with matters of consequence.”

The prince exclaimed,” You mean the stars?” He answered,” Yes, the stars.” The prince could not be quiet and he said,” What will you do with the numbers?” The businessman said,” I own the stars and it is making me rich.” The prince said “The stars belong to nobody.”

The businessman elaborated and said that if one found a diamond, it would belong to the finder. The prince was not satisfied with his answer and said that he could not put the stars in the bank. The businessman said that he could write the number of the stars on a piece of paper and lock it in a drawer. It was of great consequence to him.

The prince said that he had owned a rose he watered it daily and he owned three volcanoes, which he cleaned every week.

The businessman was silenced.

Aware of the beauty

What do we learn, my dear ones? Caring and sharing are important. Giving is essential as only then we learn about kindness and generosity. We should explore with our senses, listening, reading and appreciating. When we do this, we become more aware of the beauty created around us, which enables our senses to appreciate and absorb it. The businessman was only thinking about possession and was oblivious of the allure of the glimmering stars.

Perceptive philosophers like Goethe and sensitive writers like Antoine de Saint-Exupery create awareness sensitivity within us.

Aim Hrim Klim

 

791 – Handling of fears

Which arise in the mind during puja and meditation.

A saying of the Paramhamsa Swami Satyananda Saraswati.

Explanation by the Master

All of us when we meditate find that we encounter our latent fears. What are these fears? They range from passion, lust, anger, desire, envy and of course unexplained fear. One feels completely blocked as they are churning in the mind. It is a self-defeating battle to suppress them and they keep regenerating and multiplying. Fear is an essential part of Puja with bhava, it pussyfoots in and in dhyana also it comes in. Continue reading