Mantras are not the name of a god; it is not a holy word or part of a hymn. It is not a tool for concentration. It is a vehicle for expansion and liberation of the mind and energy. – Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Each Vedic mantra has four centers.
Meghadhuta (Cloud Messenger) was written by Kalidasa in the fourth century CE. This portrays an exiled Yaksha (a benevolent nature spirit) and a cloud, which was perched on a peak. He asks the cloud to take a message of love to his wife in the Himalayan city of Alaka. The Yaksha then describes what the cloud would see. Continue reading
Dear ones, are we aware of the beauty around us? Are we so involved with ourselves? Do we miss the beauty of each new day? Continue reading
Samadhi is the awareness already existing in us. Samadhi is absolute equilibrium. The state of samadhi includes all dimensions of awareness, external and internal awareness. They both have to be experienced simultaneously. In the practice of meditation, one transcends the external experience, but one has to reach out to the external consciousness. In samadhi the mind, the self, the spirit becomes homogenous, and for that spirit, for that consciousness, which is samadhi, both internal and external awareness are the same. – Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Dear ones, what is the path for us? Sadhana and becoming aware of the pause between our ingoing and outgoing breath.
Aim Hrim Klim
I heard a voice from within
‘Siva wake up and fill the cup of your life with this nectar
Share it with all
I shall give you strength, energy, power and wisdom’
I obeyed his command
He did fill the cup and I shared with all. – Swami Sivananda Saraswati
Para Pooja is the highest form of worship in which the devotee experiences and worships nothing but God at all times. This form of pooja is described in this poem: Continue reading
Abhinava Gupta (975 AD—1025 Ad) was a Master of Philosophy and he created an understanding and appreciation about the Kashmir School of Shaivism. He spoke about the three-breath meditation, which today we call Anuloma Viloma. Continue reading
Malas mean impurity. It is seen as the limiting condition of any human being who has not revealed their Divine essence. Therefore, it is caused by avidya (ignorance), one of the five kleshas (causes of suffering). Continue reading
The ancient sages believed that life is nothing but an expression of consciousness and energy. Mind and matter are the expressions of consciousness and energy. Consciousness and energy manifest as life in the form of spirit, mind, senses, intellect and ego. Both are present in every aspect of creation in the form of Astha prakriti, the eight-fold aspect of manifest nature. Continue reading
Bhakti Sadhana in the Srimad Bhagavatam has been explained very simply. There are three things which one must heed. They are Darshan or inner vision, Shravana or hearing, and inner Chintan or contemplation. Through Darshan, Shravan, and Chintan the mind becomes one with the lord. The example given is it does not matter what the shape of a vessel is. It can be misshapen. When one pours liquid into it, it takes the shape of the vessel. The liquid will retain the shape of the vessel as long as it remains in it. Similarly, when one hears the name of the lord, when one contemplates on the qualities of the lord and when one brings to mind the form of the lord, the mind takes on the aspect of the lord. – Swami Niranjanananda.
Words must be spoken to some purpose
Tattle’s more offensive than the tattler may suppose.
Verses from The Tirukkural. Translation by Gopalkrishna Gandhi. Continue reading
Speech is silver and silence is golden. This proverb is attributed to the poet, Thomas Carlyle. However, it is believed to have originated in Ancient Egypt. Continue reading
God is truth and God is love. He is the supreme being. He is the support for the universe. Without him not an atom can move. He is the womb for the Vedas. Indra, Agni, Vayu, Varuna, and Yama are his assistants. Earth, water, fire, air and ether are his five powers. Maya is his elusive Shakti. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva are his three aspects. Creation, preservation, destruction, veiling are the five kinds of activities of God. He dwells in our hearts He is in us. – Swami Sivananda
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
Loneliness and solitude are two different things. When you are lonely, it is easy to delude yourself into believing that you are on the right path. Solitude is better for us as it means being alone without feeling lonely. But eventually it is best to find a person, the person who will be your mirror. Remember only in another person’s heart can you truly see yourself and the presence of God within you.
Extracted from the book, The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak. Continue reading