Dear ones, many of you must have read this pretty poem. How many of us have tried to be like her, or do we want to be the queen Bee? I am sorry about the gender, but the hard workers are the female bees. All of us can still emulate the attitude, whether we are female, male or trans.
Skulls are seen everywhere in Mexico. They are considered symbols of birth and death. Local culture believes that the afterlife is as important if not more important than one’s life on earth. The skull symbolizes both sides life and afterlife. Continue reading
“We can live freely within the essence of nature
Or stay in the confines of individual consciousness.
Our mind is modified by right and wrong knowledge,
Fancy, sleep, and memory.
Neither right nor wrong knowledge brings wisdom.
Fancy is not based on reality.
Sleep fails to release awareness.
Memory clings, giving no freedom.
Some of these things are painful,
Some are not painful
But burn them all together and find peace.” Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Modifications in our consciousness.
“Each day watch the colors of your mind.
Until the light shines clearly
And you see straight through
The craving of your senses.
Thus, you will win freedom from experiences
Which carves you to its form
Release from desire which eats you from within.” Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
In Hinduism, colors play a very significant role. Some of the main colors are red, yellow (turmeric), green from leaves and white from wheat flour.
Red is the color used most frequently for auspicious occasions like marriages, birth of a child, festivals, etc. A red mark is put on the forehead during ceremonies and important situations. As a sign of marriage, women put red powder (sindhoor made from turmeric and lime juice) in their hair parting. Red powder is applied to statues of deities, during prayers. It is also the color of Shakti’s strength. A red dress is put on Gods who are charitable, merciful and protective against evil. A married Indian woman is wrapped in red, when she is cremated.
Saffron expresses fire, abstinence and celibacy. Wearing this color also means searching for the light.
Green characterizes peace and happiness.
Yellow is the color of knowledge and learning and it symbolizes happiness, peace and meditation.
White is a mixture of seven colors, and therefore depicts the qualities of each color. It typifies purity and cleanliness. It is also the color of mourning for Hindus. The deities always have a little bit of white on their clothes.
Blue is a color which is everywhere in nature. It is a color which demonstrates stability and strong character. Rama and Krishna are colored blue because they protected mankind against evil.
Violet is associated with oneness with God, peace and wisdom. The lotus flower is of many colors but violet is considered the most sacred.
Last but not least, black is a color which is used to ward of the evil eye. According to Astrology if you wish to harmonize the planetary influences, then black is the color to be worn on Saturday. Black color is offered to the fiercest form of mother. In this color she absorbs everything that she has created.
Prakriti, the Goddess is described as having three gunas. Purity, passion and inertia. Knowledge arises from Sattwa; greed from Rajas; delusion, heedlessness and ignorance arise from Tamas. The Gunas are represented by three colors, Sattwa is harmony and purity, and is therefore white. Rajas is energy and passion and is rendered as red. Tamas is inertia and ignorance and is depicted as Black.
Close your eyes. Breathe in and out of your nostrils eleven time. Now visualize your breath, while inhaling going in through both nostrils and meeting at the eyebrow center. While exhaling visualize the breath descending form the eyebrow center out of both the nostrils. This is triangular breathing. Do this fifty-four times. See a color in the Chidakasha, the space behind the eyebrow center. Ten minutes stay with the color, if the color changes, no worry. End the practice with becoming aware of the normal breathing process.
All the colors are very powerful in their energy. Do not push to see a particular color.
Aim Hrim Klim
The Chandogya Upanishad says that Bhuma is a celebration of the auspicious qualities of the Supreme One. When Bhuman is seen and heard, nothing else is seen or heard. When Bhuman is known, nothing else is known. Swaroopoham refers to realization of truth. Love and bhakti are within us. Pursuit of Bhakti with sincerity and genuineness is essential. Continue reading
Our parents, our teachers and our elders elucidated never tell an untruth. I did not attach any importance to it as I never lied to my mother. My father was very strict and so in self-defense or to protect a sibling one lied. Morality was a word also used a great deal and one thought that it was associated with character. When I had my own children, I realized how important it was to tell the truth, and what was the actual meaning of morality. Continue reading
Karma and Yoga are brothers. When they unite, they form a very powerful relationship. Through this relationship it is possible to lead a spiritual life for an ordinary individual. None of us can avoid the actions of our karma. It is not the objective of Yoga to send us on a road, where one neglects one’s karma in the form of our daily responsibilities and duties. Continue reading
The signs of spiritual progress are joy, fearlessness and constantly remembering the Divine. This is blessed awareness and this will guide you in your path. Continue reading
Is it possible to face fears fearlessly or do we have to face fear fearfully? I personally think both are complicated. When one sees an accident, one is deeply disturbed. Is one disturbed for the victim or is one thinking it could have happened to me? Continue reading
Who was Gorakhnath? He was a yogi, who performed tapas for twelve years, living on air alone and he gained tremendous powers through siddhis. He was born somewhere between the ninth and twelfth century and is responsible for spreading the practice of Yoga through out India and Asia. He was a Shiva Bhakti. His sayings are brilliant.
He wrote: Continue reading
This morning I watched the dewdrops falling on the flowers, but their footsteps could not be heard. How peacefully, how silently, and with so much love, were the dewdrops falling. Godliness descends in just the same way when the heart is ready. You realize that it is happening only when it has arrived. Continue reading
It is very difficult as our mind is cluttered with junk. There is an accumulation of thoughts, like the barnacles on a ship. And are you aware how difficult it is to remove them? Continue reading