Resurrection

Christ is the “Ego.” The cross is the body and when the “Ego” is crucified, it perishes. And then what survives is the Absolute Being, and this glorious survival is called Resurrection.

~ Sri Ramana Maharshi

Streams of Consciousness

Streams of Consciousness often called Automatic writing or free-intuitive writing is a psychological technique. Sigmund Freud popularized a verbal Stream of Consciousness with his free associative-psychological technique.

The purpose of Streams of  Consciousness writing is to invite the subconscious and unconscious aspects of your mind to empty their contents before you so that you can sift through and look for hidden patterns and thoughts that may have been forgotten, overlooked or simply been discarded. It is quite an intuitive journaling technique.

With Streams of Consciousness you can begin with any word, phrase, sentence, dream character, symbol or a song lyric. And if there is anything frustrating you, making you angry or upset you can begin with that.

You can experiment with Streams of Consciousness writing by starting with the process of Writing itself.

Writing flows, the  written word, expression of being, flow of consciousness, the words appear, movement, motion, being, sense, nonsense.

Can you get a sense of the meditative quality, the slowing down that is derived from the Stream of Consciousness entry above. Yes, one of the values of this technique is its ability to bring you to state of inner balance and serenity.

Overcoming Obstacles
Another benefit of Stream of Consciousness writing is that its ability to show you the barriers you may perceive in any given situation, and perhaps some routes over, around, or through the barriers, as the next entry demonstrates.

Blank, nothing, fog, confused, not knowing, frustrated, nothingness, hitting a brick wall, thick wall, high wall, bricks, no doorway, hidden, treasure, bright, shiny, valuable, quite, serene, joyous, flying, soaring.

This entry started out as a picture of the unknown before me as I was eagerly awaiting word on a job I had previously applied for. I feel like my destiny is in someone else’s hand while I wait to hear. It makes the waiting easier in a sense.

So now you can use Stream of Consciousness in a similar way. When you do find yourself confronted with an insurmountable obstacle, let your imagination float freely around, over, and through it.

Mahiki–The Indigo Bowl

I recently came across this technique from the ancient Hawaiian shamanic practices which I thought was interesting enough to write about.

What really intrigues me is that shamans often draw their wisdom not only from traditional and direct experiences but from what the  mystics call the invisible reality.

A Hawaiian shaman is called a kahuna which means “keeper of secrets.” In the old days there were kahunas who kept the sacred wisdom of everything from seed sowing to canoe building; as well as of course, healing and spiritual illumination.

This method called the “Indigo Bowl” can help solve problems of any kind. It is best performed twice a week before retiring at night. Imagine placing all of your problems – to do with your self, your family, friends, ancestors, cars, pets, animate or inanimate things – into an indigo bowl, which is suspended over the center of the crater of Haleakala volcano in Hawaii.

Allow whatever you have placed in the bowl to turn from indigo to ice blue, then finally to white. Then the Divinity will finish the treatment and the situation will change.

Your Current State

Take a moment to be aware of your current state. Now, imagine that yesterday you died. You are exactly where you are right now, only you are dead. Nothing has changed, except that you are dead. Everything that you do from here on out is the action of a dead person—it means nothing. Try as you might, your actions have no effect. Your touch is that of a ghost, your mightiest efforts like a soft breeze.

Your friends call your name, but as you reach out to them, you see that they too are ghosts. All that you hold dear, is like a storybook—it existed, but was made to be set aside.

In all the universe, there is only you. Utterly powerless to even cast a shadow upon a wall.

You are dead, yet you feel alive. A Light shines through your form, animating your thought. Listen for your ceasing to be, it is calling. Let the ghost cry for the loss of it's self—tears of Truth to set it free.

You died the day you were born. How long will you wait to go Home?

Shawn Nevins, “YOUR CURRENT STATE”

Give Up Everything And Come To My Feet

In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna tells Arjuna, “Give up everything and come to my feet.”

What does Krishna mean by this? When he says, “Give up everything and come to my feet.” By this he means that you have to set aside your feelings and go towards the feet of life itself. Do not run away, you should accept life as it is.

Krishna tells  Arjuna to fight but he laments. He refuses to fight and is full of sorrow and compassion. He says, “I don’t want to kill, I would rather commit suicide than kill my friends, family, relatives and teachers who are on the other side of the battlefield.”

If you are religious you may argue that Arjuna is filled with a sense of righteousness. That he is a sage, a man of wisdom. But Krishna tells him otherwise, “Your sense of  religion has left you, you have gone mad."

He tells Arjuna, “You are mad if you think you can kill someone, as no-one ever dies. You are mistaken to think that you can save those who oppose you. Who has ever saved anyone? And you can’t escape war nor can you be non-violent because as long as I exists – and it is this I that is anxious to save itself and it’s  friends, family, relatives and teachers – non violence is next to impossible.  Now, be rid of this nonsense and face reality. Set aside your sense of I and fight. Accept what is facing you and what is facing you is not a temple where prayers are uttered, it is war. Play your part, and so drop your I. Who are you?”

Confessions Of A Jnani

Merriam Webster defines Jnani (alternately Gyani)  as a term in many Indian languages meaning “wise.”

For the Jnani who has realized the identity of his inner being with the infinite Brahman, there is no rebirth, no migration and no liberation. He is beyond all and is firmly established is his own absolute existence.

The further existence of his body and the world appears to the Jnani as an illusion, which he cannot remove, but which no longer deceives him.  After the death of this body, as in life, he remains where and what he eternally is, the first principal of all beings and things: formless, nameless, unsoiled, timeless, dimensionless and utterly free, untouched by objects, experience or thought.   Death cannot touch him, cravings cannot torture him, sins do not stain him; he is free from all desire and suffering.  He sees the Infinite Self in all, and all in the infinite Self, which is his being. 

I am infinite, imperishable, self-luminous, self-existent.  I am without beginning or end.  I am birthless, deathless, without change or decay.  I permeate and interpenetrate all things.  In all the myriad universes of thought and creation, I alone Am.

Robert Adams, "CONFESSIONS OF A JNANI"

Douglas Harding - Headlessness

“Here is just emptiness. There is no getting my ego out of the way, and all that stuff. There is just seeing, shining in great brilliance and clarity.”

Douglas Harding devoted himself to philosophy, trying to understand the nature of himself. He was intrigued by the question, “What Am I?” As most people are content with their identity and never seek to answer the question. And he wasn’t about to take anybody’s word for it. Neither was he going to accept what religion or society told him about himself. He wanted to find out directly for himself.

At the time philosophy was influenced by the ideas of relativity. He realized that his identity depended on the observer – from several meters away he was a human, but a close range he was cells, molecules, atoms and from further away he was absorbed into the rest of society, life, the planets, the star. He realized like an onion he had many layers.

But what was at the centre of these layers? Who was he really?

For example, take this writing. I can read it now only because I am just the right range - almost 10 inches, and the words are bristling with meaning. Nearer still provided I sharpen my vision with electronic aids - the screen is a collection of patterns called molecules and beyond these atoms, particles, quarks and finally space itself, packed full of energy. Neither the page or anything else will stand up to close inspection.

Whilst searching for his innermost identity he happened to stumble upon a drawing by the Austrian philosopher and physicist. It was a self portrait but with an unusual difference:

What is unusual about this self portrait? The unusual thing is that you don’t see the artists head. For most people this fact is interesting. However for Harding he had discovered the keys to his identity, as he noticed his head was missing to. So at the centre of the world there was no head, no appearance – nothing at all. This nothing was special as it was alive and fully awake to the world.

However he was still seeking the answer to the elusive question, “What am I?” And this occurred with the following experience or realization and at the time he happened to be walking in the Himalayas.

The best day of my life—my rebirthday, so to speak—was when I found I had no head. This is not a literary gambit, a witticism designed to arouse interest at any cost. I mean it in all seriousness: I have no head.

What actually happened was something absurdly simple and unspectacular: I stopped thinking. A peculiar quiet, an odd kind of alert limpness or numbness, came over me. Reason and imagination and all mental chatter died down. For once, words really failed me. Past and future dropped away. I forgot who and what I was, my name, manhood, animalhood, all that could be called mine. It was as if I had been born that instant, brand new, mindless, innocent of all memories. There existed only the Now, that present moment and what was clearly given in it. To look was enough. And what I found was khaki trouser legs terminating downwards in a pair of brown shoes, khaki sleeves terminating sideways in a pair of pink hands, and a khaki shirtfront terminating upwards in—absolutely nothing whatever! Certainly not in a head.

Douglas Harding
from his book, “On Having No Head.”

Douglas Harding had seen his original face. He saw emptiness that contained a world. And nowhere did he find evidence of a head. Hence the original face is also a koan in Zen Buddhism: What did your face look like before your parents were born? You are what you experience in the now moment.

Think about this for a moment! You head only exists as a concept. You imagine yourself to have a head when there is nothing but emptiness.

Do the exercises below with an open mind. Rely on present evidence rather than on imagination, memory or assumptions. Look for yourself – you alone can see who you really are and no one else can do it for you.

Douglas Harding

How do you discover your original true nature? Do you think it is by reading holy scriptures and books? You will never find a total answer to this question by reading holy scriptures and books. By seeking an answer to this age old question you have to become the answer; in essence god discovers himself all along. Nevertheless books can help if your struggling to overcome any obstacles on your search.

When the student is ready, the teacher appears. But this need not be limited to physical appearances as such. Your own intuition is the inner teacher and it will guide you to what is most appropriate for you at the time. On the other hand, you may have cultivated self-reliance, independence and balance to such an extent that you need no ‘guru’. In that case, no teacher will appear, your own intuition will provide direct guidance from within.

On the spiritual search one often hears that our true nature is the easiest thing to see, as it is always present, right underneath our noses. Douglas Harding has devised a method of radical self inquiry that is based on simple, practical exercises that anyone can do anywhere. He calls his discovery headlessness, which he says is the same as “seeing who you really are.”

Douglas Harding passed away on January 11, 2007. He was a remarkable sincere individual whose sole interest was helping individuals to “see who you really are.”

His view is that “seeing who you really are” is available right now and not only after a lifetime of seeking, meditation and esoteric practises. Respectively, he lines up with Maharishis view. “All are seeing God always, but they don’t know it. I see what needs to be seen. I see only just what all see, nothing more. The self is always evident.”

The Self

The self is simply a bundle of perceptions. Perceptions themselves, their organs, and things perceived are without substance, as the Heart Sutra tells us. Yet at the same time, the self is the agent of realization and the setting of serious practice. The Buddha pointed out that it is difficult to be born a human being and difficult then to find the Buddha Dharma. Indeed. When you reflect on the infinite number of happenstances that coalesced to produce you, then you understand how unique, how precious, how sacred you really are. Your task is to cultivate that precious, sacred nature and help it to flower.

~ Hakuin Zenji (1689-1796)

You Can't Sit Too Much

The helpfulness of sitting cannot be exaggerated. By sitting and being still, resting in silence, you begin to feel a natural movement, a shift in the direction toward what you are. It is the most typical setting in which one will experience an awakening.
Please note that I'm not suggesting that you meditate or do practices or other exercises.

You can, and these are often a vital part of many people's journeys. But sitting, to me, is just that: sitting. No agenda, no goal, no plan, no purpose. You sit, you rest, you allow. By sitting you acknowledge an inescapable fact of existence: everything is perfect as it is. All is well. The universe is functioning flawlessly, right now, without any assistance on your part.

This simple act of sitting can have a profound effect. You have no idea what will happen. But the main thing to remember is that by sitting, by allowing everything to be, you are aligning yourself with the truth of what you are. For what you are is always at rest, always still, always allowing everything to be exactly as it is.

Yes, I did learn this "technique" from Adyashanti. And yes, he is quite correct: sitting is the best thing you can do.

Life Is Living You

Get over it! Life is living you! You are not living life and it is really that simple.

Don't believe me? No, probably not. But as soon as you start to see the truth of this, that there is no "I" or "me," then this  becomes self-evident. I am not "me." What I am is all of Life. Therefore, what is living through this body? The little psychological self, what we call the ego? Or all of Life?

Life is living Itself. The more you cooperate with this fact, the happier you will be.

Who Are Our Greatest Teachers?

On a spiritual search there will come a time when you seek the guidance of a teacher. An old ancient proverb comes to  mind: “When The Student Is Ready, The Teacher Appears.” It is a mistake to think that our greatest teachers can be found only in monasteries, hermitages and ashrams  away from hustle and bustle of worldly existence.

Your greatest teacher may have already made a brief appearance in your life, but you seldom realize this. Every circumstance, every person can teach us lessons but you have to be willing to reflect and look beyond the  obvious. By asking the question “What is the lesson I have to learn?” You learn to see the lesson hidden behind the circumstances or event that is causing distress or unhappiness.

Mistakenly we  like to believe that our greatest teachers are those that love and support us. Nevertheless we will not identify with difficult circumstances, people who challenge us and are able to bring out our worst behaviour. You can usually recognize this by your own responses; includes feelings of embarrassment, righteousness and anger.

Those who may frustrate, anger, hurt, confuse or abandon us are our greatest teachers. They could be parents, family, friends, work colleagues, parents, children or strangers. Usually they have an uncanny ability to bruise and displease us, prompting a range of vengeful reactions from us. However these “irritating” people hold powerful keys to our own personal freedom and realization.

Throughout our battles in daily life we learn much about ourselves and we have the opportunity to recognize the value of these people in our lives.

I’m Drawing God

A kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they drew. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's artwork. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.

The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "but no one knows what God looks like."

Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

~Unknown Author

“Baggage” – By Puppetji

A new “socksang” – Travel Light and Let go of Baggage by my favourite guru from the socks drawer, Puppetji. Enjoy the video.

Find A Thought

Can you find a thought, that has not originated from your parents, teachers, significant others, family, friends, media, culture, society or your upbringing. Try to spend a few minutes of your time on this particular exercise.

Isn’t your mind more like a collective of other people’s thoughts, opinions, ideas and behaviours? Are you not more like a composite character of everyone else’s notion.  And, if so then where are you?

Eddie Traversa
from the book, “Truth Realization.”

The Thought of God

If you should find that the thought of God is constantly on your mind, do not try to remove it as it can be very unsettling.  Welcome it and in due time it will seem supreme.

Desiring Immortality

God made the senses turn outwards, man therefore looks outwards, not into himself. Now and again a daring soul, desiring immortality, has looked back and found himself. He who knows the soundless, odourless, tasteless, intangible, formless, deathless, supernatural, undecaying , beginingless, endless, unchangeable Reality, spring out of the mouth of Death.

~ Katha Upanishad.

A Sane Religion

If you cross examine the word religion, you will find that it has been derived from Latin, which means “to bind”. You may ask to bind to what? Obviously to bind with God and that which binds man to God is religion. As you look around at the state of  religions existing in the world today, would you honestly say that they have succeeded in binding man to God. If you are honest, you might have to admit that they have failed to do that.

The Face In The Mirror – By Gangaji

This is a  good video of an exchange between the Spiritual Teacher Gangaji with a satsang attendee entitled, The face in the mirror. Where he describes his perspective on headlessness – on having no head.

What Is The Ego?

Ego is defined by Merriam Webster's dictionary as an inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others. Hence in the society we live in egoists are considered to have a lack of respect for other individuals and their beliefs. As most egoists believe that they are better than the society that exists around them. The word “ego” has an unpleasant connotation and in this post we will examining the ego.

Within esoteric and spiritual schools the world “ego” is thrown around a lot. What  is the ego? The ego is your individual sense of identity; a mask that you wear that wants approval and power from others. In essence it is the belief that you are a separate individual and that you are in control of your world. It is the “I” that identifies with thoughts, feelings and desires.

In Tibetan, ego is called dakdzin, which means “grasping to a self".” Ego is then defined as incessant movements of grasping at a delusory notion of “I” and “mine”, self and other, and all the concepts, ideas, desires and activities that will sustain that false image.

If we place the ego under scrutiny, we will find that it is a collection of past thoughts and memories which have been retained from our personal existence. It is a mass of uninvestigated beliefs and values that drive our life though we may not be aware of it.  The “ego” is our default operating system which we use to navigate life.  Descartes’ reference in his statement, “I think therefore I am” is simple to himself as a person, a self limited to the body, emotions, thoughts, desires and nothing higher or deeper than that, a being whose consciousness was unexamined and unexplored.

The average man thinks that he is body and mind, with an emphasis on the body. But with self-questioning and reflection it shows that although he is these things and is associated with them, that he is in fact neither of them. Everyone possesses throughout their life this “I” but you have to sincerely ask yourself who is this “I”? The body although inseparable from it, is something used and lived in, as a house is lived in and used. Think! What does the “"I” stand for?

The “ego” is all that you know as yourself. Hence enlightenment is striping away all that you will know as yourself, it is like a death. The “ego” is the centre of human individuality and that which separates a man from others, which makes him a person, an individual being, is his “ego”.

The Ultimate Discovery

When you understand that everything that passes through your mind is a thought or an idea, which is therefore an illusion, you are ready for the ultimate discovery.

The ultimate discovery is that life, the universe, human life is nothing but a dream, a phantom, an illusion, It is like the motion picture – it has no reality in itself. It is just a mental picture passing  through your consciousness. The whole world that exists around you has the same value as the dream you dreamt of last night – nothing more. When you awoke you knew it was a dream, but until you awoke, to you it was reality.

It seems so absurd to say that this world which seems so solid, so real, is really dream stuff, and yet that sense of the dream-character of the Universe and of human life is easily proven. Take the whole of your life up until this afternoon. Where is it? Where has it gone? It has gone into memory. It has become a memory.

Those years when you live so intensely and passionately; where are they now? They are just a memory. But what is memory? A memory is a simple thought – an idea in your mind; it is no more than that, a mental picture.

If all your past years have been a passing show of transient thoughts, what of your future years, and the present in which you are living now? Will that not be the same, because the present will become the past and the future the past; so, since the past, present and future constitute the whole of your existence, what is left of your life? It is nothing more than a series of thoughts which come and go; from the highest standpoint, they are illusory.

What Is Spiritual Awakening?

What, after all, is Awakening, Enlightenment, Realization? Awakening from what?  Enlightenment as to what? Realization of what?

It is waking up from all your dreams and imaginings and preconceptions, becoming enlightened as to the given facts, realising what you clearly are in your first-hand experience right now. It is being perfectly honest to yourself about yourself, at last. It is having the courage and effrontery, even the idiocy - to go by what you see, instead of by what you are told.

It is questioning all mental habits and conventional assumptions, however common-sensible or sanctified. It is total open-mindedness, transparency, simplicity, and taking nothing for granted. In one word, it is discovery.

What is to be discovered is your own nature. Who are you? Only you are in a position to find out, because everyone else is elsewhere, off-centre. Only you can investigate what it is to be you.

Douglas Harding
from the article, “Thirty Questions.”

What Karma Is?

It is crazy to treat the idea of Karma as if it were some far out eastern fancy. In essence, it is simple the law which makes us responsible for our own action and which puts us into the position of having to accept the results which naturally flows  from it. It may be called the law of self-responsibility – what I do unto others I do to myself.

The meaning of Karma is “doing” and it is simply that a person’s karma is his or her own doing. We have made ourselves the way we are  by our own actions, which includes mental actions. Karma is simply a law of the universe to effect adjustment, to restore equilibrium, and to bring about compensatory balance. So whatever we do is ultimately reflected back to us. No deed is exhausted in the doing of it and eventually it will bear fruit which will be returned to the doer. Karma is a self moving force. Nobody, human or superhuman, has to operate it.

None of use can escape personal responsibility in the matter or shaping our own internal outlook and external environment by laying blame on something or someone else. Anyone who is struggling with should drink inspiration from Beethoven – master music maker. He sought to hear music when he himself was deaf. He whose life was dedicated to melody composition for others one day  became unable to hear his own compositions. It was disappointing but it did not discourage him. Facing this problem with determination he went on with his work and gave greater and grander things to the world, for what he learned in suffering he taught in song.

Anyone with an eye to see can understand that the universe operates in an intelligent and intelligible order.

The Aftermath – Part 2

After a glimpse of awakening, what then?

Some meditate.
Some sing and dance.

Some practice qigong, others hatha yoga.
Some become pundits, others pedants.

Some assert 'I Am' but aren't.
Some go to spiritual workshops or ashrams.

Some seek to heal themselves or the planet.
Some adjust their wanting machine, the engine driving us through life here and there.
It finally amounts to calming the mind, opening the heart to its inner longing
Other options tend to lose momentum, falling far too short.

Quoted from, “Awakening Sense”

The Aftermath – Part 1

After a glimpse of awakening, what then?
Some distort, distrust or try to ignore, perhaps fearful where it might lead.

Some roll up their sleeves putting mind's house in order.
Some write love poetry or sing songs of praise.

Some weep, some laugh, some only wish to serve.
Some look for spiritual teachers, some assume they are spiritual teachers.

Some start reading spiritual books.
There's no standard procedure in this uncharted territory.

Some take a rest, some welcome back the waking dreams of their dream world. Some anxiously seek more inner experiences.

Some are inspired to prepare the grounds of their garden, to cultivate heart and mind, the better to invite the Beloved's presence.

Quoted from, "Awakening Sense"

Let Go and Let God

If anyone is prepared to follow this practice, let alone study metaphysically or meditate mystically, he may use a related one which will make less demands upon himself. Whenever he is suddenly faced by unexpected misfortune or unpleasant circumstances or environments, when clamorous problems raise their ugly head or when grave danger menaces your very life, he should take  whatever practical measures  are ordinarily called for the external plane and yet alongside of them should abruptly drop his habitual ego centric attitude and hand the problem over to a Higher Power. This will eventually bring about  a sense of inner detachment even when he takes outer action to deal with it.

A whole hearted faith in this existence of a higher power is of course the first essential step to make this practice a successful one. A resigned trust in the outcome of it's hidden function is the second step. He should then cease to worry about the matter, cease to cling in alarm or get depressed at the thought of the outcome but rather give it all up and forget about the problem. Indeed if he permits anxious thoughts to continue to harass him they may break his inner remembrance and obliterate the effectiveness of this technique. Moreover it will become effective only if maintained for a sufficient time and with sufficient concentration. That is, through his personal efforts at making the necessary adjustments he should firmly switch a part of his consciousness constantly inward, carrying not denying the problem with it and then letting the thoughts which constitute the problem to let them dissolve by themselves, in remembrance of the impersonal ever-calm Overself.

This abrupt appeal from a narrow personal outlook to the refuge of wide impersonal one will effectively help to control not only his emotional reaction to what has happened but may also introduce a higher factor of grace and thus control the exterior condition by itself. He many not only draw from this act of self surrender the inner strength to his problems but it will also draw a protective power  beyond his own capacity. We may know that Grace manifests in many other ways, it may for example, give such inner support to a man in grave danger that the fears that arise would naturally be quelled.

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 13

I. Renunciation

The teacher answers the students' complaints about yoga’s difficulty:

Doubtless the mind is hard to restrain and restless, but by practise and by indifference it may be restrained.

The wandering mind becomes tired of resisting and finally submits. However, even if you do not achieve, your reward will still mature.

Having attained to the worlds of the righteous, and having dwelt there for eternal years, he who failed in concentration is reborn in a house of the pure and wealthy.

No effort is lost and everything you have done, all you have attained during your striving, will come back to you in the next earthly birth. Furthermore, if it is possible, you will be reborn into a spiritual family, where it will be easier to attain success on this path. Such a birth is very hard to obtain, however.

Of all yogis, he who full of faith worships Me, with his inner self abiding in Me, is deemed by Me as most devout.

The deepest worship is that of resting in the Overself. Then is one devout in the highest possible fashion. If you feel that rite and ceremony help you, use them. But ultimately you may have to give them up. When you come to realize that the Lord of the world is ever performing the dance of the universe, and that the rite is being performed everywhere, you will no longer want to be in a place limited to some fleeting ceremony, but to take place in the great temple of the world by always remembering and worshipping the God in your heart.

This ends the first section of this wonderful and instructive dialogue, and it is fitting that it should close upon the details of the art of mental quiet. The world would be surprised if it knew how many of its famous figures,past and present, have secretly made this daily withdrawal their refuge from duties and heavy responsibilities, finding in their moments of meditation and strength to endure their inescapable destiny, and guidance amid confusion, when other men grope in the darkness.

He is the loneliness that is within you….You are standing all alone before the sacred fire, and from this time on the fire that will be given to you will be lonely, and you will be lonely with it. Are you ready to accept that loneliness?

In plain language, it simply means that the initiate will first look towards his inner holier self for help, light, love and strength, and only after that towards frail mortal men. This is really the best form of self reliance, for it brings higher spiritual powers to work through your personal life.

A divine purpose pulsates throughout nature. He who learns the art of meditation will ultimately put himself into harmony with that purpose, which will use him as a holy instrument in his labours among the strayed sheep amongst mankind. The universal awareness of the Higherself or Overself as being present in all others, automatically brings him into perfect symphony with others, and therefore makes him yearn to bring them all into how own self-awareness. Because they are living in a physical world and in a physical body, the best way to reach them is through physical means, which means a life of inspired activity.

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 12

I. Renunciation

Let the yogi…remain in seclusion, alone, with the mind and body controlled, free from desire, and having no possessions.

Here we have a description of the practise of meditation for a man who has given up the world. We are trying to find the higher consciousness whilst living the workaday life of people who live in large cities during the modern era – not by running away to monasteries or retreats or jungles or mountain caves, but whilst living in the world. Admittedly that is harder, much harder. Destiny has presented us  with this existence and we have to go through with it and make the best of it. No need to dream that one day when we escape it all. we shall find  a quick and easy road to spiritual freedom. It isn’t that easy. Wherever you are – escape to you will take your faults with you, your mental habits will go with you, and they will remain as strongly with you in the wilderness or the mountain cave as they will in the cities.

The real battle takes place in your mind. So retreats are helpful temporarily, but not as permanent lodgings. You are better of making your own retreat where you are cutting a half-hour of your day and shutting yourself up for that time period.

For the one on the path of renunciation, however, all worldly and family ties must be given up. He must not engage in business nor maintain a household. He must be totally free to devote himself to finding mental equilibrium through mental effort. He must not be anxious about possessions, nor be troubled by desires for them, thus leaving his mind completely free to turn inwards.

Having in a cleanly spot established in a firm seat, neither too high nor too low, with cloth, skin, and grass.

His work now is to make the mind one pointed, sitting motionless for many hours daily, practising concentration of thought. The practise of keeping the body motionless is not an easy, but it is the first struggle. When the exercise is mastered, then he passes onto the practise of concentration. Keeping himself erect and motionless, he must close his eyes and look at the tip of his nose and endeavour to keep his mind still. He must not eat too much or too little. Eating too much will make his body coarse and heavy, whereas as eating too little, the resulting hunger will disturb his mind. Nor must he indulge in too much sleep nor remain too wakeful. He must be moderate in all things. His aim is to save his energy for mental things.

He must restrain his thoughts and concentrate them in a logical chain on one subject. Later he learns to keep them on one point. The concentrate mind has been compared to a lamp sheltered in a spot in which it does not flicker. The object of these exercises is too draw the mind inwards. away from the body, senses, and look back upon itself. To do this successfully it requires constant practise but by constants and discipline of the wavering mind, it will be found that thoughts can be kept quite and still.

At this point the mind must be kept without thoughts, utterly quiet. This is a state of meditation, where you feel that you have become body less. The surest means to success on this path is constant, regular practise, together with indifference to quick results. One must not become disappointed when one does not attain any results. Success comes quite suddenly and when one least expects it.

To Be Continued….

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 11

I. Renunciation

Children, not the wise, speak of these two paths as distinct. He who is rightly devoted to even on obtains the fruits of both.

The teacher explains that truly wise man will be a master of two worlds – the world within and the world without, and not the salve of either. He will be a child of his own epoch and an imitation of some earlier ancestor.

In a sage with endued wisdom and humility, in a cow, in an elephant, as also in a dog and in a dog-eater, the wise see the same OverSelf.

This is the outlook of the sage. In such a man you find humility and wisdom. He looks at all beings expressing the same unity in life. His outlook is universal; it is without prejudice of race or caste. In the eyes of the sage, who sees the OverSelf in all, an outcast merits the same respect and kindness as that given a king.

He knows the OverSelf can neither rejoice on obtaining pleasant, nor grieve on obtaining  the unpleasant – steady minded, undiluted, resting in the OverSelf.

With his mental outlook, the sage can withstand the impulses of desire and anger. This is an interesting statement because it implies that such impulses do reach him.But they can reach him, and why? The idea is that a sage, adept, or master has no such impulses – that they have completely disappeared. This ideas is not quite correct. They do come in some cases because the sage is not yet liberated from the body. Such impulses, however are fleeting. They disappear within seconds because the sage automatically refuses to identify himself with them.

Matter has lost it’s grip on him, and this world no longer possesses the power to enchant him. So he may wander through the materialistic civilisation of the world from Moscow to India, but he will remain inwardly unaffected.

With the Self unattached to external contacts, he finds joy which is in the Self; with the Self engaged in the contemplation of the OverSelf he attains endless joy.

He is not dependant on external things alone for joy and happiness, but on the other hand, he is quite capable of appreciating them when available. He is satisfied whether sitting in a cave by himself or living amongst men in a city. Such is the state of those who have attained recognition of the OverSelf.

The sages attain OverSelf bliss – they whose sins have been destroyed and doubts removed, who are self controlled and intent on the welfare of all beings.

He has no more doubts, They have been removed because he has found truth and is wedded to it. Doubts are thoughts, opinions, and theories. The sage has lifted himself above this realm, his doubts have been removed by clear knowledge. It is needless to flash a light in a room which is already illuminated. Neither is it necessary for a sage to hold theories and opinions when he is illuminated the the radiance of the OverSelf.

To Be Continued….

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 10

I. Renunciation

The disciple asks:

Renunciation of actions, O Teacher, Thou praisest, and again meditation. Tell me conclusively that which is the better of the two.

The teacher replies:

Both lead to the highest bliss; but, of the two, yoga through action is esteemed more than renunciation of action.

How is that? Spiritual ecstasy is the highest state of emotion. But it is not the highest truth. To come to the highest truth one would then have to be initiated in the ultimate quest. Both the path of activity and that of renunciation from the world lead to this bliss. If you must make a choice between the two, follow the path which leads to activity in the world. It is more difficult, but the results are proportionately greater.

In ancient times, people who wanted to gain a higher spiritual dimension would retreat into Mystery Temples for a while and be taught under the most helpful conditions. Sometimes they would spend the life there;  everything was made easier for their spiritual condition. Today they are no such institutions and life has taken their place, so you must gain your initiations, seek your knowledge and develop your intuition amidst and through the very experience which come to you every day.

There is no use saying that you cannot learn in the midst of your life. You can learn by reflecting on your experiences to see the hidden lesson behind them, and this is in a way as helpful as meditation in a monastery. Understanding is just as important as drowning yourself in meditation, and your experiences in the physical world present the proper opportunities for you. The conditions evoke certain thoughts and feelings and you have to choose their direction. They give you an opportunity to understand, to confront, and to overcome obstacles.

Why does the teacher advise the more difficult path? Because of its very difficulty! It is a path that forces you to act more directly on your own initiative. When you live in the world of activity, there is immediate testing of all theories by results. The man who renounces the world may be fostering all sorts of illusions in his head. Talking about spirituality does not make you spiritual. Bring down to the physical plane of action whatever you know,  and live it. To follow a mirage made of words is not to follow the living God who dwells within your heart. Then also, if you remain  in the world you serve and help humanity, by setting an example. In the final sense, however both paths are the same. The man in the world who is acting from the higher motives is not different from the man who has run away from the world.

The Sage may be a king. He may be possessed of splendour but sometimes he may be a nobody, an obscure figure. Whatever part he has to play he will play it. In any situation he still remains a man of divine realization. No one can dictate what part a man of realization should play. You can’t say that he must come out into the world, or that he should remain in retreat. It is foolish for the ignorant to say that an adept must do this or that. He may stay for years in a cave, and yet he is not wasting time. If he receives the divine message the true sage will surely sacrifice the lonely places which he loves. If the command is give from within he will then descend into the crowded streets and babbling forums of the world.

To Be Continued…

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 9

I. Renunciation

Always a life supported by the Overself is a calm, wise, strong life, inwardly protected.

Know this: by long prostration, by enquiry, by service, those men of wisdom who have realized truth will teach thee wisdom.

In India everyone prostrates himself on the ground before approaching a spiritual teacher. It is a symbol of the fact that he seeks a higher power; and that he humbly accepts what he hears as the divine truth. Reverence for spiritually illuminated men is rare in the west, to our loss. The earnest seeker will eventually have to seek a competent teacher. When you find one who appeals, ask for acceptance and then remain in touch with him/her until you are led to truth, no matter how long it takes. Krishna says that when you have “humility, enquiry, and service” then the men of wisdom who have realized truth, will teach you. They will give you their wisdom in various ways, by speech, some by writing, some by silence, but ultimately by bestowing their grace. Humility means having faith and confidence in the teacher, as well as in his/her words. Enquiry means persistent search for reality by piercing through illusions. Service means knowledge freely and never ask anyone for return. If those three qualifications are not fulfilled, it is hard to get genuine tuition. When you have found it, you need not again fall into error.

Even shoulders thou be the most sinful, thou shalt verily cross all sin by the boat of wisdom.

If you can find a genuine spiritual teacher and climb the steps of this auspicious quest under his guidance, you may be the greatest sinner in the world, yet you can transcend all these sins and attain liberation. Your devotion to him will be repaid a thousand fold.

As kindled fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Disciple, so does wisdom reduce all actions to ashes.

If you continue with this road to liberation, and gain a knowledge of truth, destiny will not harm you. No matter how sinful you are, the moment you realize truth you become released from the effects of your sins. What is destiny? Nothing but the collection of thought, desires and actions which persist in your head and eventually materialize, thus resulting in a material re-adjustment or change ion your life. You destroy all these at the root by knowledge of truth.

Verily, there exists here no purifier equal to wisdom. He who is perfected by yoga finds it in time in himself by himself.

When you have practised meditation and achieved control of your mind, then you will eventually find the esoteric wisdom. You will have to wait for someone to lead you into absolute truth, which will be given to you as a reward. You will given this initiation after a lapse of time. Meditation alone is not enough. The only truth is knowledge of the supreme reality.

Therefore with the sword of wisdom cleave asunder this doubt of the Self lying in the heart and born of ignorance, and resort to meditation.

Eliminate your doubts and fears by acquiring real knowledge of the Overself. Knowledge chases ignorance as light chases darkness. Real knowledge of truth does not mean knowledge of material things. The next path is renunciation. It applied only to the man who runs away from the world to practise meditation in solitude or monasteries.

To Be Continued…..

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 8

I. Renunciation

But those who, carping at this, My teaching, practise it not, – know them deluded in all knowledge, as senseless men doomed to destruction.

They destroy themselves and go down into the endless abyss. It is the endless because there is no end to the cycle of birth and rebirth. It can go on  indefinitely unless you follow the quest which lead out of it. Can you think of a time when your births started? In the same manner you cannot think of an end to them, Buddha saw this awful hell infinite birth and rebirth and sought a way out. Hence it can only be done by following this quest by eliminating all false ideas, by right action, by meditation. That is the way which is taught to the disciple, the practise which leads him to a point where he rises to freedom.

Now we come to the quest of spiritual knowledge and the teacher says:

I taught this imperishable yoga…handed down thus in succession, the King-sages learnt this. This yoga, by long lapse of time, has been lost here, O Disciple

Why was it that this path of esoteric knowledge had to be taught to man from the beginning of time? Because the ultimate truth about life is so subtle and transcends the imagination of man to such an extent that without divine revelation one could never discover it. It was first given to man as a revelation from the highest embodied being then existent on this planet. At the time this high knowledge was imparted thousands of years ago, as mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, the knowledge had long been lost and had to brought back. Is it any wonder today even in India the high esoteric wisdom has largely sunk into oblivion and obscurity.

That same ancient yoga has been today taught to thee by Me, seeing that thou art My devotee and friend; for, this is the Supreme Secret…Whenever there is a decay of spirituality, O Disciple, and an ascendy of irreligion, then I manifest myself.

A promise is made here that High Beings have pledged themselves to watch over mankind, and that they will save mankind, in the only truest sense of salvation, in critical moments of history. If no leader arises amongst men themselves to help them, the gods will come down into mortal flesh and give humanity what it must have. Such times come whenever there is a degeneration of spiritual understanding, because the lamp of divine truth must be kept alight in the world. When this truth lapses from human knowledge, it must be brought back by the gods, who incarnate in order to relight the lamp amongst the masses of mankind.

For the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil doers for the firm establishment of spiritual living. I am born in every age.

Every time humanity sinks down to the last depth of spiritual ignorance and there is decay in true religion, then there happens the rebirth of an adept or even god who undertakes a public mission of spiritual service. Peculiarly, at such a time there is a reincarnation in great numbers of those who are plunged  in deep spiritual ignorance, who are filled with hatred, envy, greed and lust. These reincarnated beings contribute largely to the darkness of the age. At this time destiny takes a hand in their spiritual education, and they are reborn in such a period to be given their deepest lesson. They are finally destroyed physically by great natural catastrophes, such as floods and especially by war. At such times their destruction by violent death is the appropriate education which is necessary for their spiritual development.

To Be Continued…..

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 7

I. Renunciation

Those deluded by the energies of Nature are attached to the functions of energies. He who knows the All should not unsettle the unwise who know not the All

Right attitude results only after  trail of spiritual practises. It is of instrumentality rather than doership, the sense that the Overself is doing all works in you, is acting, speaking, and working through you. When you contact Divine intelligence  and permit it to operate freely through you, it will guide you, and guide rightly; it will help wisely. It may even lead you to desert some relative good for solid good. And you do arrive at the highest state of Karma-Yoga. You realize that when you are acting, it is simple Nature acting and finding focus through you.

Renouncing all actions in Me, with thy thought resting on the Self, being free from hope, free from selfishness, devoid of fear, do thou fight.

When you come to the realization that it is really Nature expressing itself through you, then you renounce your actions inwardly. You turn to the witness self, letting nature take care of the results. You reach a final stage where you can watch yourself playing it’s part in the world, without anticipation, without expectation. No more are you concerned with the burdens of the future. That is Nature’s concern. You set the example and others will imitate you and be benefited by this. By practising this with faith, you can be liberated from actions and destiny. It will free you from the cycle of births and deaths.

If you devotedly fulfil the earlier stages of this practise there will come a time when the power of spirit will bring you face to face with the hidden eternal witness. Then you will be liberated from the power of destiny. But even as soon as a partial degree of spiritual illumination has been gained, there need be no conflict with this and worldly activities.

It may seem unspiritual, unjust  or materialistic in the critical eye of others, yet it cannot be judged by appearances alone.  A man may take part in a war, fight, and slay, and yet be living by a diviner light than that of mankind. The main difference between him and the other soldiers of the same army will be one of motive. He fights impersonally, feeling neither hatred nor ill will of any kind  against the enemy, understanding that life no less demands good sense than it demands good will, and knowing that he is performing  a duty ordained by destiny and the social structure  of which he forms part in defending his country.

Another man on the contrary, who may have attained an equally substantial degree of illumination, may refuse to fight and will then be prepared to bear the penalties of the state. Here again the varying destiny of man and the symbolic relationship in which he stands to his own society may neccessate such a defection from social duty. Everything depends upon the particular circumstances of the case.

The truth is that what really matters is to surrender one’s ego to the bidding and will of the Overself, and then to carry out that bidding. If the Overself sends one into the haunts of social outcasts, one must be prepared unhesitatingly to go. And if the Overself sends one into the ranks of idlers and delinquents, one must be prepared to go, and if the Overself places on in the harsh atmosphere  of a soul less business or noisy factory, one must follow it’s bidding. There will always be some lesson to be learned, or some service to be rendered, or some working out of destiny, wherever one is sent.

Finally, if the Overself declares all these activities to be a waste of time, then one must move unhesitatingly out of one’s environment, sacrifice the world, and retire into spiritual retreat whether it be in some secluded rural spot or a monastery.

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 6

I. Renunciation

The disciple asks:

If it be thought by Thee that knowledge is superior to action, O Teacher, why then dost Thou direct me to this terrible action?

He want to know why, if understanding truth is so necessary, he should be asked to plunge into activity and he is still confused.

The teacher replies:

In this world a twofold path was taught be me at first, that of devotion to knowledge and that of devotion to action.

Since one cannot escape activity, whether it be physical or mental. It follows that there is a path for the man of action and another path for the man of thought. The teacher then describes the path of action. He stresses the performance of duty and repayment of debt which one owes to nature.

The real problem for the spiritual aspirant is how to render efficient service and give himself up to his work in this temporary world and yet remain loyal to his inner call. The blissfulness of introspection may tempt him more and more to desert externals, but excessive introspection is only needed in those whom destiny and duty have flung them out of the world into monasteries and ashrams or retreats.

Later, the teacher talks about sacrifice, but it is a different kind of sacrifice. It is a sacrifice of service . You must serve because it is right to serve, act because it is right to act, then sacrifice the results of your actions to destiny. This means you do not act for the reward you receive for the work.  Do your work, perform your duty , not only for your personal need but also with the idea of service . Do not concentrate only on results and personal benefits, but also work impersonally. This is practising a path of yoga , because it tends to curb desires and selfishness and helps to free one from bondage to the senses.

The path is appropriate for one who lives and works in the modern era. It is my personal belief that ancient wisdom must unite with modern science. The mystic of today should be prepared to ride  in an aeroplane; he should carry the scared within his heart, whilst  the press, noise and crowded metropolitan streets throb around him. Then one has to realize that if you have been put into the struggle and strife of modern existence in a western city, that is just where God wishes you to be for something to be learned, some lesson which may provide you with opposition, an opposition that has to be overcome, and that through the strife and effort of overcoming it you will learn the lesson you need.

In that path one learns the meaning of duty and sacrifice. But what does sacrifice really mean? Nothing, except the results of action, and that is done mentally. Do your work in the world – perform your duty, but do not make your happiness depend upon personal results from your actions. Act in such a manner to set a good example for others, thus becoming the teacher of the highest order. By your setting an unselfish standard of action and thinking of the effect of your actions, they will imitate you, and you will teach by lifting others up.

To Be Continued…..

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 5

I. Renunciation

He attains peace, into whom all desires enter as water enters the ocean, which filled from all sides, remains unaltered; but he who desires objects.

That is the state of the true yogi. However to attain peace, thoughts must flow into the mind without disturbing you. To hate is to be disturbed by the strong thoughts of the person you are hating. To live excitedly is also disturbing, and therefore you can’t expect peace. We have to learn to follow the middle way. Peace can only be found by guarding and controlling the mind.

What is night to all beings, therein the self controlled one who is awake. Where all beings are awake, that is the night of the sage who sees.

“night” means the phenomenal world around you. The sage sees through it’s illusion be he is spiritually awake, but others are spiritually asleep. They are deceived by its appearance of solidity. What is that which seems night to all beings? It is the transcendental Overself. The sage dwells in that life, which is divine. One who enters it is neither bound to be an ascetic or a man of the world. The sage is an enigma to other  because he knows that all invisible life and embodied life are the same to him. He is centred on the divine, and as destiny brings the panorama of life before him he understands and accepts it, but remains himself unaltered, because he has attained the condition of inner peace. The ascetic and the would be yogi try to banish all thoughts, but the sage is not trying to do anything. He understands and accepts all thoughts, but he is not at their mercy, for he realized what they really are and controls them effortlessly.

To Be Continued….

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 4

I. Renunciation 

The disciple then asks:

What, O Teacher, is the description of one of steady mind, who is in constant contemplation? How does one of steady mind, speak, how sit, how move?

To put the matter plainly this question simply means What is a true yogi like?

The teacher replies:

When a man, satisfied in the Self alone by himself, completely casts off all desires of the mind, then he is said to of steady mind.

Desires, feelings and wishes in the end are nothing but thoughts. To want something is desire. A passion is simply thought, which is held more strongly and intensely than any other thought. Before a desire is formed in your mind, you must think of it. When it appears in your thought, you still think of it. Desires are part of your stream of thoughts. To get rid of the desire you must eventually get rid of that thought. It follows that to live in a condition where thoughts are reduced, means the will to attain peace. Peace is the absence of thoughts and desires. Then only will you have attained the state of the successful yogi who has found the inner self. Once you have achieved this you may have thoughts running through your mind, but they will be unable to disturb your inner peace.

He whose heart is not distressed in calamities, from whom all longing for pleasures has departed, who is free from attachment, fear, and wrath, he is called a sage, a man steady of mind.

Since we are on this Earth we cannot sieve off the troubles of the material life. We can, however change our reaction to these troubles. Defeat in Business will merely amuse one man, but completely beat another. The first person may continue battling for his Business, the second may commit suicide. We  must understand that troubles are unavoidable because they come as a results of what we may have done in former births. But we can accept them with peace and equanimity by controlling our reactions to them. In this regard, however, the teacher points out that if you wish to control the pain, you must also control your reaction to their opposites. Pleasure and bad fortune, pain and good fortune are opposite ends of the same stick. So you must learn to inwardly give up the good things of life. If you are to do this it will follow that when you are suddenly left a large financial fortune, your mind will not be excites beyond control, but will remain calm. Be like the actor on stage, who although playing his part to perfection, remembers who he is all the time. You are inwardly Divine. Be that.

To Be Continued…..

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 3

I. Renunciation 

Thy concern is with action alone, never with results. Let not the fruit of action be thy motive, nor let thy attachment be for inaction. Steadfast in devotion do thy works, O disciple, casting off attachment, being the same in success or failure.

Never lose your sense of proportion and assume that your actions are going to make any difference to the witness, the Overself, which always remains unaffected. Destiny has given you a part to play. Play your part, do your duty, even as others have their duties. Whether you are a cashier or  manual labourer in a factory, do what your places calls for at the time. Do not make the mistake that you are to do it for all time. That is entireley different. What is right  for you this year may be wrong for you next year.

Krishna did not give his teachings to Arjun, both on yoga and truth in the stir and  turmoil of the battlefield, precisely, where action was needed. Why did he not instruct his disciple in a hermitage?  Holy men may rack their brains for an answer – the fact remains. Life is all-comprehensive and has plenty of room for action and reflection. Neither is holier than the other.

You cannot be deluded by the illusion of life provided you remember who you are. When you remember that your are the divine self then you can act with understanding. You must be able to plunge into the midst of activity in the market-place or at work, and yet be detached from the results of your actions.

Wherever you are you must keep to the sacred quest. You do your work as matter of duty, but you are not so bound up with it, or searching for success, that the world would come to an end should you fail. Success must not be-all things and persons, is a lesson which all of us have to learn sooner or later. Try to cut loose the desire bonds. They are inside of you, and if you can cut them loose, it does not matter what is happening outside.

When you understand this you simply do what you have to do – let it be the best and utmost of what life demands of you – and then let the results take care of itself, not because you do not care, but because you know that a cosmic power is taking care of them. The results are in the hands of the Overself and destiny. Do not run away and refuse to act. Also neither go to the other extreme  and plunge into activity with greed and desire as the only motive for your actions. Have the higher ones as well.

Act and then observe the results of your actions. You must act and move in the external world, but your inner self must be the unseen axis – calm, still and quiet.

To Be Continued……

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 2

I. Renunciation 
During the earlier stages of the quest everything is real is still illusory, while everything  illusory seems real. The final truth about the eternal character of the Overself is not realized until the end of the quest.

Of the unreal no being there is;
There is no non-being of the real.
Of both these is the truth seen by
the seers of Essence.

That is the final truth. We may, however, take certain illusions as convenient stepping stones to help us proceed towards Absolute truth. Remember in the highest sense that this is an unreal world. The real indestructible essence is the Overself, that which pervades the whole universe.

The disciple receives the teaching to fight, to act. But as one studies and advances there naturally comes to him the question: “Why should I act when all this is nothing but a dream?” One thing is as good as another. Why shouldn’t I retire and let others perform the action? Life is obviously a dream, I will sit still and watch the dream go by.”

This attitude indicates progress on the quest is quite an advanced one. So why should one act when one does not want to act? Because whatever you do you cannot refrain from acting. You can’t escape activity and if you retreat from the world you will still be mentally involved with the world. You may sit still and yet be help captive by your thoughts and desires, you cannot escape from your thoughts. Your activity may change it’s character and become a mental one.

The result will be that you be no less bound to the one than to the other. Meanwhile the fact is that whether you act or sit still and think you are still in the essence of the self. But if you know that you can’t destroy the self why should you be afraid of physical activity? Go out into the world, do you duty, fight if you need be, but act. Love and peace constitute your real nature and they do not change with your changing physical activities. Therefore, be the witness of life, but do not be afraid of it. You can’t kill anyone, because you and they are ultimately both one. The Overself.

To Be Continued…..

The Scripture Of The Yogis – Part 1

I. Renunciation 
The deep spiritual comfort emanating from the teachings of the Gita is needed at this stage in the world.

Of What avail is dominion to use, O Teacher?
Of What avail are pleasures and even life?
How can we be happy, after slaying our own people?
Nay, I will not fight.

The disciple is brought to the field of battle and told to fight. But he is confused with doubts. What is the use of it all, he asks? Who does not ask himself the same question in the stress and battle of our modern existence? Can you enter into the competition of the business world, for instance and still not feel that it is not stifling your instincts? Note how simply and understandingly this problem will be answered by the teacher in the following verses.

For those who deserve no grief, thou hast grieved…Never did I not exist, nor thou, nor these rulers of men; and no one of us will ever hereafter cease to exist….Just as in this body the Self passes into childhood and youth and old age, so does he pass into another body…Whoever looks upon Him as the slayer, and the whoever looks upon him as slain, both these know not aright. Unborn, eternal, unchangeable and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain…Just as the man casts off worn clothes and puts on others which are new, so the Self casts off worn out bodies and enters others which are new….But even if thou thinkest of him as ever being born and every dying, even then thou oughtest not to grieve thus. To that which is born death is indeed certain; and to that which is dead birth is certain. Wherefore, about the unavoidable thing, thou oughtest not to grieve……

The teacher points out that wise people do not grieve over death because there is no death. Never were you not and never shall you not be. You are eternal and can never cease to exist. Since the disciple is confused with death the teacher enlightens him with the eternal principle. He tells him that since the inner self is unkillable there is no such thing as death. The body is transient and may be killed, but you are eternal. Circumstances cannot affect the real you. Endure them bravely with wisdom and resignation when they are unavoidable.

In dealing with everyday life, remember that whatever happens circumstances can only touch that part of you which is transient, which comes and goes. Keep your sense of proportion, remembering that you likewise have an eternal value, and that this life comes and goes like the shadow. The wise may have their difficulties, since destiny brings them to all alike, but they do not grieve over them. Grief can only come if you identify yourself with the lesser part, the body.

Troubles, pain and death are unavoidable  and are an inevitable part of life. This is because change is the very nature of this world we live in. Trouble comes, but it will also go. Throughout the events of life you must have wisdom and courage. You need courage  not only to find truth, but to strip off all your illusions and those which others propose to thrust upon you, but to also live the truth.

To Be Continued…..

The Scripture Of The Yogis

There is a very old Indian book, it advocates that the mystic must lie underneath the man of worldly affairs yet it’s pages have often been misunderstood and its value been  reduced considerably. Nearly every literate Yogi in India carries with him a small edition of this inspired and profound classic, the Bhagavad Gita.

The Bhagavad Gita summarises various approaches to the Overself and also describes  the latter. It can be misunderstood and I will reveal selected lines of esoteric meaning rather than the religious.

Arjun, a young prince who is one of the two parties – the divine teacher and his human disciple – engaged in dialogue which runs throughout these blog posts. It typifies in his own figure the man who seeks peace of mind amid worldly harassments, as well as the aspirant of spiritual light.

However, not until he is placed on a battlefield to fight against his beloved relatives, who he sees confronting him in the opposite army, does he cry out for an answer to his questions. The battlefield, obviously represents the battlefield of life in which we are placed under in all kinds of circumstances whether we like it or not.

The disciple cries out for guidance. Only when his anguish becomes almost unbearable and his heart deeply torn does the teacher, who is symbolised by the figure of the divine avatar Krishna appears.

Krishna not only represents the embodied spiritual teacher, but he is ultimately the Overself within man, the God within who can illuminate all dark corners and answer all questions.  He finds the disciple agitated, confused and with eyes full of tears. He seems him torn between the desire to do his duty in battle and the love for his relatives who oppose him in the opposite army.

The occasion is used to give a length discourse upon spiritual subjects and and techniques. At the end of the discourse, after hearing all the teaching, the pupils mind becomes peaceful. He says: “My doubts are dispelled. Destroyed are my illusions.”  By what magic? was the mental change accomplished? Through both the guidance and grace received from his teacher and his own inner growth in striving for insight.

The difficulties one meets in modern life can be met and overcome after we gain such insight. Wisdom is the ability to negotiate all circumstances of life adequately, correctly and with spiritual success. This understanding of the power lying  latent within becomes in time a man’s anchor. He can ride the storms of life which bring uncertainty that there is something  within him that cannot shake from position.

The man of inspired life follows no iron law and clings to no rock-like plan. Sufficient for him to look within for the right direction at all times under all circumstances. To perceive the truth about any matter is to dispel all doubt.

To Be Continued…..

What Is Enlightenment?

A definition of Enlightenment is hard to pin down as it so elusive. In part, this is because the experiences are so rich and complex that it is difficult to express in words, after all how can you express that which is ultimately in-expressible.

There are a lot of misconceptions and mystery surrounding Enlightenment. And I suppose it doesn’t help when spiritual teachers point out that one is already enlightened and he has no need to do anything.  If this is true then why is that  I don’t  know this myself? I don’t really agree with the logic behind these thoughts as they don’t make any sense. But from a seekers point of view it can be quite frustrating  when spiritual teachers sprout out thoughts that seem useless.

Enlightenment is simply the realization of your true divine nature. Your true nature is whole, complete, unbound, eternity, compassionate, divine, clear, unconditioned, untainted, beautiful and  free. In truth it is the recognition that you are not who you once thought you were. It is the realization that you were never born and shall never die as you are in fact eternity itself.

But this would not make sense to anyone unless realization has occurred.

Divinity At My Centre

I am in the process of writing  some new material that will shortly be published, in the meantime I came across this wonderful quote and thought I would share it.

You are divine at centre, human in appearance – at a certain range. Seeing Who you really are doesn’t mean you are no longer aware of your appearance, no longer self-conscious – that’s impossible as well as undesirable. So you still respond to your name, still recognize yourself in the mirror, still take responsibility for your actions. Of course, but you are now aware that your humanity is like a disguise, an incarnation you have taken on to be here in this world. Inwardly you are God, outwardly you are a person – a unique person with a special contribution to make. Instead of thinking you are just that person, that appearance, you are awake to the Power behind you, the Safety within you, the Source of inspiration and guidance at the heart of your human life. This enables you to be yourself even more so.

Douglas Harding, “THE HEADLESS WAY”

 

Why are enlightened people so attractive?

Q: Why are enlightened people so attractive? Why are people so
attracted to them?

Linda: It’s a bit like the feeling you get when you see a baby. You’re instantly attracted to them. There’s a purity about them, an almost childlike quality – a realness. Also, you see your own potential in someone who is enlightened. There’s a recognition of who you really are, and it’s quite beautiful when you see who you really are. Why are you attracted?

Q: Well, I think it has a lot to do with the energetic presence of a
teacher. It seems to satisfy something very deep in someone who is spiritually open. I guess one thing you need to guard against is
attachment to the teacher.

Linda: You have to be aware of it, but I don’t know about guarding  against it, because the mind comes into it then. There almost needs to be an attachment to the teacher. I was very attached to my (first) teacher, but it helped me. It was painful, but it really did help me.

Linda Clair
from her book, "What do you want?", p. 77

“Who Am I?” – By Puppetji

I love puppetji, while his messages are funny they always seem to have  an element of good old fashioned truth in them. His sock-sangs are pretty good. 

Listing The Stepping Stones

Please see the previous post, Progroff recommends that the first stepping stone on your list be, “I was born.” This simple opening statement acknowledges your physical, emotional, and spiritual birth into your body, your family, your culture, your society, your world.

You may choose to list your significant life markers chronologically, or they may come to you in random order. It doesn’t matter. It is helpful, though, to put them in chronological order after you are through with your list so that you can get a sense of the underlying pattern of your life.  Without knowing anything else about this person below, we can begin to sense the drama and hardship of their life.

1. I was born
2. My father left
3. My mother died
4. My father returned
5. I left home to get married
6. I had my daughter
7. I raised my kids
8. My husband left
9. I followed my heart
10. I am being reborn

Can you begin to see the themes develop and take shape? When the stepping stones are broken down in this way, new dimensions begin to take form.

The Steppingstones: A Technique To Bring Together Past, Present and Future

The stepping stones technique is one of the most valuable contributions made to journaling therapy by Dr. Ira Progroff. “When we speak of the stepping stones of our life, we are referring to events that come to our minds when we spontaneously reflect on the course our life has taken from it’s beginning to the present.” Progroff writes; “they are significant points of movement along the road of an individuals life.”

He created techniques for uncovering an inner destiny and describes the journal method as a continuing confrontation with one self in the midst of life, and a psychological laboratory in which personal growth is recorded and studied to bring the outer events and inner parts of one’s experience into harmony.

Let’s imagine that you’re hiking in the mountains. Your trail ends at a shallow stream and then picks up on the other side, You and your friends decide that crossing the stream is no problem; you’ll just step on the stones, one at a time, until you’re across. If you think of the stream as a whole ongoing movement of your life, how did you get from where you were to where you are? Which stones did you select? And so the stepping stones of your life are the markers of your life, places where you paused, times when you said to yourself, “My life is never going to be the same again.”

Now we go back to the metaphor of the stream. As far as the stones are concerned, you could be a small child playing. You could have slipped and cracked your head. The white water could be up, and you could be pulled by the current. Or your could be trout fishing , for all the stones care. The stones are completely neutral; they are unmoved by any emotion significance you attach to the event.

Limit your selection of stepping stones to about 12 or 15. The point being to select those life events which seem to have significance within the context of how you are living your life today. Out of all the experiences you have had from birth until now, let only a dozen or so come into the foreground. These are the stepping stones of your life.

Who Is God?

The worshipper in a temple or mosque or church holds within his mind a picture of what he believes God to be. That picture is purely a metal image and he is worshipping that image, not Reality. This image has come down to him by tradition through hundreds of years, perhaps, and backed by the force of the great organised religions though it may be, still it is only an idea passing though his mind, a picture which he has held because other people have suggested it to him.

Because he is worshipping an idea, something which by its very nature is not eternal, but comes and must eventually go , as all ideas must, he has not found Reality, and from the standpoint of deep enquiry  he is even worshipping an illusion, if by the word “illusion” we mean that “which is not real”, and if by “reality” we mean “that which is true and eternal and abiding.”

It may seem like an appalling statement to say that millions of people have been worshipping their own idea, which they take to be God. Surely, you will point out that, in religious buildings we often feel a holy presence. How is that we are awed in such a place, and that these religions have, during their best days cast a spell over the people?

It is because the power which man has found in religion, the power to help him and lift him up, has come from within himself. He himself has given himself the guidance, help, exaltation, and spiritual consolation which he believed he found in his church or in his faith or in his idea of God. When man has learnt to build a quiet church inside his own heart and to be a ministering priest to his own self, religion will have done its true work.

Man has unconsciously deceived himself into thinking that an external power, something outside of himself  has come to his help or guidance. This was his only belief, man himself through his own inner resources and concentration drew out from within himself, from his own spirit, that which he thought came from God whom he believed to be outside of himself.

So if man wishes to awaken, if he wants to understand himself, he must face the the fact that the real avenue to contact with God is not outside himself, but within, directly inside. He must find his own way to God through and within himself. That is, if he seeks God, there is no other way, but if he is looking for ideas, concepts or mental images, then he can take what orthodox religions and cults offer him. And because most people have been content to let others do their thinking and their questioning for them, they have been satisfied with these answers.

Once Upon A Time

According to an old Hindu legend. There was once a time when all human beings were gods, but they so abused their divinity that Brahma, decided to take it away from them and hide it where it could never be found.

Where to hide their divinity was the question. So Brahma called a council of gods to help him decide. “Let us bury it deep within the earth,” said the council. But Brahma answered, “No, that will not work because humans will ding into the earth and discover it.” Then the council said, “Let us sink it into the deepest ocean. “ But Brahma said, “No, not there, for they will learn to dive into the ocean and  find it. “ Then the council said, “Let’s take it to the top of the highest mountain and hide it.” But once again Brahma said, “No, that will not work, as they will eventually climb up every mountain and once again take up their divinity. “ Then the council gave up and said, “We do not know where to hide it, as it seems there is no place on earth or in the sea that humans will not eventually reach. “

Brahma thought for a long time and then said, “Here is what we will do. We will hide their divinity deep in the centre of their own being, for humans will never think to look for it within. “

The council agreed that this was a perfect hiding place, and the deed was done. Since this time humans have been going up and down the earth, digging, diving, climbing and exploring and searching for something that is already within them.

Author Uknown

Noticing The Gaps

In the first moment of seeing something or hearing a sound and more so if it is unfamiliar, before the mind names or interprets what you see or hear there is usually a gap of attention in which the perception occurs. That is the inner-space. It’s duration differs from one person to another. It is easy to miss because in many people those spaces are extremely short, perhaps only a second or less.

This is what happens: a new sight or sound arises, and in the first moment of perception, there is a brief cessation in the habitual stream of thinking. Consciousness is diverted away from thought because it is required for sense perception. A very unusual sight or sound may leave you “speechless” – even inside, that is to say, bring about a longer gap.

The frequency and duration of those spaces determine your ability to enjoy life, to feel an inner connectedness with other human beings as well as nature. It also determines the degree to which you are free of ego because ego implies complete unawareness of the dimension of space.

When you become conscious of these brief spaces as they happen naturally, they will lengthen, and as they do, you will experience with increasing frequency the joy of perceiving with little or no interference of thinking.

Inner space also arises whenever you let go of the need to emphasize your form-identity. That need is of the ego. It is not a true need.

Here are some ways in which people unconsciously try to emphasize their form-identity. If you are alert enough, you may be able to detect some of these unconscious patterns within yourself: demanding recognition for something you did and getting angry or upset if you don’t get it; trying to get attention by talking about your problems, the story of your illness, or making a scene, giving your opinion when nobody has asked for it and it makes no difference to the situation; being more concerned with how the other person sees you than with the other person, which is to say using other people for egoic reflection or as ego enhancers, taking things personally, feeling offended; making yourself right and others wrong through futile mental complaining; wanting to be seen, or appear important.

Once you have detected such a pattern within yourself, I suggest that you conduct an experiment, Find out what it feels like and what happens if you let go of that pattern. Just drop it and see what happens.

De-emphasizing who you are on the level of form is another way of generating consciousness. Discover the enormous power that flows through you into the world when you stop emphasizing your form identity.

Eckhart Tolle, “A NEW EARTH”

Hang On Tightly, Let Go Lightly

In ancient Japan, there once lived a solitary monk in a monastery high atop a mountain. One day a woman in the town below become pregnant by a local fisherman. Wanting to protect her friend, she accused the monk of the deed. Following the baby’s birth, the villages to him to the monk and said, “Here! It was you who did this. You must now become responsible for the child.”. After a short pause, the monk simply bowed his head and said, “Ah, so.”

Although he had been used to living alone, the monk soon developed a fondness for his new companion and become a good parent to him. One day the boy’s mother become gravely ill. As she lay dying, she confessed to the wrong she had done. Once more, the townspeople took the long walk up the mountain and spoke to the monk. “A mistake has been made. You are not the real father of the child. Although you have dutifully cared for him all these years, now  you must give him up.” After a moment of reflection the monk bowed and replied, “Ah, so.”

Our lives are constantly changing. People and things come and go. All situations that we create are only temporary. By viewing life from this larger perspective, our monastic friend was able to face both loss and gain with peace and tranquillity. It is not always easy to be detached, especially when we must release a situation or a person we hate. But the new always rises to replace the old. And sooner or later you toll will arrive at the point where you, too, can smile and serenely say, “Ah, so.”

What Does Your Life Teach?

Everything has a story to tell, a beginning and then an ending. The trees, flowers, butterflies, spiders, rocks, planets and the solar system all have their stories.

All originate from life, are infused and animated by a life to become a particular life form, and then return to the pool of life. Along the way there are small and great dramas, crossroads of destiny, and surprises both wondrous and disappointing. Some stories end quickly and some continue.

Our families, nations, religions, cultures, and sub-cultures pass on knowledge through story telling, whether in prose or poetry. From first learning how to read to seeking truth and freedom, we look to stories to show the way and they do.

We are entertained by stories in movies, and books; in gossip and in scripture. Stories are the vehicle and proof of the power of language, the central jewel in the crown of language. And mostly we are swept along with the prevailing story. The latest reasons for war, the necessity of doing more, the apocalyptic end of the world, etc. We are manipulated by the stories we read and re-read, and tell and re-tell.

Just becoming more aware of the stories we live, along with their infinite plot lines and sub-plots, begins to wake us up. As in lucid dreaming, we become aware of ourselves as both in the dream (story) and outside it. In lucid dreaming, as in lucid living, we are no longer tyrannized by the stories circulating around us and inside us. The nightmare can be faced directly; the flying dream can be enjoyed in the moment.

What is your story and what is it teaching?

You discover your story by noticing what you are telling yourself, over and over. Notice what you tell yourself about your past, your present, and your future. In order to have any lasting impact (our) stories have to be told and retold. All stories have a narrative. What is your narrative? You can check right now. It is bound to be familiar.

Why Was I Born?

I looked for my true calling
I looked for my true purpose
What I am supposed to do on the planet
why was I born?
and I asked the question deep inside me
beyond logic, beyond thought, deep in the bowels
of the space where I connect to the universe
where I can be thrown into the raging storm of 'not knowing'
and the answer hit me in an immense tidal wave of understanding
"you are your own purpose
nothing more, and nothing less
a bundle of purpose and karma
all existing within itself
and the only thing holding it back
is the separation created by
words like 'I' and 'my' and 'me'"

Forgiveness

The central act of forgiveness and the one that indicates spiritual maturity in every case without exception is the forgiveness of the parents. The reason that we can’t forgive is that we don’t want to face the rage and pain, to admit what really happened.

The truth is that one must experience in full the pain of the actual harm that was done. That’s the block for most people. It has to be gone through again and again, and layer after layer has to come up.

Thoughts

When we sit to meditate, one of the most persistent and annoying distractions is the constant stream of thoughts, they just keep appearing unbidden even though we want to sit in silence. We want to sit in peace for a few minutes and just be. But, the mind will not switch off, thoughts will not leave us alone, we cannot stop them. And yet despite this direct evidence we still maintain the belief that we are the source of our thoughts, that we are in control of them and that this is 'my' mind and is something that I can use at will.

After The Glimpse

There comes a time when out of the silence within himself there comes the spiritual guidance which he needs for his further course. It comes sometimes as a delicate feeling, sometimes as a strong one, sometimes in a clearly formulated message, and sometimes out of the circumstances and happenings themselves. Not only does it tell him and teach him, but sometimes it does the same for others. Such is the effect of the Divine Life now working increasingly within him.

Paul Brunton, “INSPIRATION AND THE OVERSELF”

Destiny Has No Control Over You

Question: Since all is pre-ordained, is our self-realization also pre-ordained? Or are we free there at least?

Answer: Destiny refers only to name and shape. Since you are neither body nor mind, destiny has no control over you. You are completely free. The cup is conditioned by its shape, material, use and so on. But the space within the cup is free. It happens to be in the cup only when viewed in connection with the cup. Otherwise, it is just space. As long as there is a body, you appear to be embodied. Without the body you are not disembodied — you just are.

Nisargadatta Maharaj, “I AM THAT”