tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42770752830128356252024-03-13T21:17:41.324-07:00Eternal Way to BlissKesari’s Quest for Answers, Solutions and MeaningVinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-20039628554397313092013-07-10T18:32:00.001-07:002016-08-25T11:26:38.785-07:00Books<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b>New Book:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://devotiondivine.blogspot.com/">"Merging with the Beloved...<i>Mystical Path to Oneness"</i></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b>"Eternal Way to Bliss"</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2012/05/who-said-im-perfect-synopsys-who-said_22.html">Synopsis</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2012/06/personal-note-om-swasti-my-knowledge-is.html"><span style="color: blue;">A Personal Introduction</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2013/07/chapter-1-venting-excerpt.html">Chapter 1 : Venting (Excerpt)</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2013/07/chapter-2-dawn-of-new-day-excerpt.html">Chapter 2 : Dawn of a New Day </a></span></div>
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<a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2012/05/chapter-3-i-want-to-be-millionaire-for.html"><span style="color: blue;">Chapter 3 : How to Be a Millionaire! </span></a></div>
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<a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2012/06/chapter-4-take-deep-breath-in-and-let.html"><span style="color: blue;">Chapter 4 : Take a Deep Breath In and Let Go!</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2012/09/chapter-5-nectar-of-life.html"><span style="color: blue;">Chapter 5 : The Nectar of Life</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2012/07/chapter-6-summary-god-guru-and-self-are.html"><span style="color: blue;">Chapter 6 summary : God, Guru, and Self are Synonymous</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2012/07/chapter-7-summary-doorway-to-knowledge.html"><span style="color: blue;">Chapter 7 summary : Doorway to Knowledge</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2012/07/chapter-8-summary-nature-of-soul-in.html"><span style="color: blue;">Chapter 8 summary : Nature of the Soul</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">Paperback : </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Way-Bliss-Kesaris-Solutions/dp/1780998597/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon US</span></a><span style="text-align: left;"> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eternal-way-to-bliss-vinita-dubey-pande/1115388817?ean=9781780998596" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2012/07/chapter-9-summary-ah.html"><span style="color: blue;">Chapter 9 summary : Ah...Bliss!</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flipkart.com/eternal-way-bliss-kesari-s-quest-answers-solutions-meaning/p/itmdh4ujcz4htfzh?pid=9781780998596" target="_blank">Flipkart</a> | <span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eternal-Way-Bliss-Kesaris-Solutions/dp/1780998597/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | </span><a href="http://www.amazon.in/Eternal-Way-Bliss-Kesaris-Solutions/dp/1780998597" target="_blank">Amazon India</a></div>
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<a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2012/07/chapter-10-summary-perfected-one.html"><span style="color: blue;">Chapter 10 summary : The Perfected One</span></a></div>
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eBook: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Way-Bliss-Solutions-ebook/dp/B00ENH4HUA/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> Kindle | <a href="http://www.infibeam.com/eBooks/eternal-way-bliss-vinita-dubey-pande-epub-ebook-download/9781780998589-BEEPB.html" target="_blank">infibeam </a>India</div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://whosaidiamperfect.blogspot.com/2012/07/chapter-11-summary-dear-son.html">Chapter 11 summary: Dear Son</a></span></div>
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<i>"I am happy you wrote a book on Hinduism. Love and Blessings."</i><br />
<b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Renowned spiritual leader. Founder, Art of Living Foundation</b><br />
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<i>"</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Congratulations to Vinita on her hard work to produce this book which covers some concepts of Hinduism. May this work become her worship to God and may it lead her to further spiritual journey. Best wishes."</i></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i> </i>Swami Bodhatmananda,</b></span></span><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Chinmaya Mission San Jose, CA</span></span></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span></b><i>"</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><i>Really wonderful reflecting your sincerity and Sadhana. It shows your dedication towards knowing truth of human existence and doing justice to it. Can guide many more on path of progress towards truth. All the love n light for growth glory n grace. Pranam Om Om Om<span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b> </b></i></span></span><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><a href="http://www.speakingtree.in/public/meena.om" target="_blank">Meena Om</a>, Spiritual Master, Founder</span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">, <a href="http://pranam.org.in/" target="_blank">Pranam Organization</a> </span></span></b></div>
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<i>"Vinita<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Pande has a clear understanding of the steps and stages on the spiritual path. With insight and compassion she guides the reader on the journey to the Self.</i></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Swami Prasannatmananda</b></span></span><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">, </span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Vedanta Society, Berkeley, CA</span></span></b><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Vinita Pande's Eternal Way to Bliss documents her explorations into the ancient Hindu path of bhakti (love of the Divine), the lessons she has learned and her experiences, musings, feelings and personal growth along the way. Starting from her distress and disillusionment with the world and other human beings, this Krishna devotee articulates her search for answers, meaning and essential Consciousness and Bliss, primarily through the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and of her guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Her acknowledgment of selfless service as a necessary prelude to meditation—so frequently overlooked in this day and age—is most welcome. "I have seen people talk the highest knowledge and not live the basics," she shares. "What's the point? It's useless. Better to live the basics and let the highest knowledge dawn naturally, like the ripening of a fruit."<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Sadasivanatha Palaniswami, Editor-in-Chief, Hinduism Today magazine.</span></b><br />
<i>"Vinita Pande's excellent book is highly readable and most enjoyable, to say the very least. It tells the story of an exhaustive spiritual search through the experiences of an ordinary girl named Kesari. The book is in fact the culmination of the Author, Vinita Pande's, long and extensive practical study into all that constitutes the Spiritual Life with particular emphasis on the Eternal Wisdom of Hinduism. Her Guru is the famed Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and in addition to her long dedicated application and Yoga practice, she has arrived at the gateway to Liberation, under the ultimate guidance of Sat Guru Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. I heartily recommend this book to all interested in Non Dualism and those wishing to discover a practical and infallible way to Self Realisation."</i><br />
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<b>Alan Jacobs, Poet Writer Author, President, Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK</b></div>
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<i>"This book is a welcome addition to the literature that brings the wisdom of the Vedic seers to life for modern seekers. As a Hindu of Indian descent living in America, and as a householder with a family and a career in Silicon Valley, Vinita Pande brings a much-needed perspective to the practical application of ancient teachings to the demands of today’s world. Nothing is more important than the integration of East and West, and this book can help advance that ongoing process."</i><br />
<span style="font-family: "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><b>Philip Goldberg, author of "</b><b>American Veda</b>: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation, How Indian Spirituality Changed the West</span><br />
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Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-41462488634253235992013-07-10T18:30:00.001-07:002020-06-07T15:07:33.450-07:00Chapter 2: Dawn of a New Day [a summary of Hinduism]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> The darkest night is over. Coincidentally, it was '<i>Mahalaya Amavasya,</i>' or ‘no moon night’ symbolizing cosmic dissolution in an ancient eastern tradition. This is followed by the nine nights for cosmic creation, ‘<i>Navratri</i>’. In this ancient wisdom creation is considered cyclical not linear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It's the dawn of a new day. I have decided to look at the world differently. When stuck in one perspective the opposite view is a savior. There can be a shift when you look at things in a different light. So let me explore a completely different way of looking at myself, my life, and this world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It's all in the mind; I know this. My world is a projection of my mind. Whatever I project is reflected back to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I turn to wisdom to remove the darkness. I have faith in the ancient, time-tested knowledge of the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita. It understands human beings, creation, and consciousness so well. It has led so many to liberation. Like the axis of the earth, we should be centered in its wisdom, and not deviate from it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">To understand them correctly I have been attending this lecture series by Swami-ji, who is an expert in these scriptures. He’s a monk dedicating his life to the spiritual path. I went there early today to ask Swami-ji for some advice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He was leaving from his room for the lecture hall and I caught him just in time. “Swamiji I have a question,” I said. “Sometimes I find it just too difficult to go on. I mean there are so many serious problems and challenges in my life, I don’t know how to face them, overcome them, or even if I have the will to go on. Is there some solution in our scriptures that will help me lead a productive, meaningful life?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“Of course,” he said with confidence. “See these problems and challenges as part of a game, like a video game. Otherwise how will life be fun, and how will you end up winning in the end? Come, let’s go to the lecture, you will find many answers.” Still processing his reply, I followed him to the hall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As soon as I entered the hall I melted into the calming presence of the environment. I found a seat and sat down. Everyone was silently waiting for the lecture to begin. Swamiji went up to the front, and sat down cross-legged on a small platform,dressed in orange robes, always a slight smile on his face, glowing, radiant. His presence is so overwhelmingly peaceful and calm that all my gazillion thoughts and complaints come to rest. I'm ready to listen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>"Isha vasyam idam sarvam." </i>Swamiji says the first verse of the Isha Upanishad. "See God, consciousness, pervading everything, as the substratum of everything. See this whole creation as a divine Being. This is the vision of truth," he explains. Adi Shankaracharya, a sage from India in the middle ages, also said that if you look at the world from a divine vision, you will see the whole world permeated by consciousness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So it's up to me how I view the world. It is easy to see divinity in good people but not in evil people. However, evil people can also become good again, so they have to be inherently good as well. If everyone and everything is God, why did He create imperfection in the world?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Oh, wait: Everything in the world is imperfect by design!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There's a Sanskrit mantra, <i>"Purnam Adah Purnam Idam,"</i> which means “That (consciousness) is complete…whole, and This (world) is also complete and whole.” Everything is exactly as it's meant to be, so why should I suffer? I suffer because I'm not in sync with this divine design.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I need to be in sync with both creation and consciousness, with the imperfect and the perfect. It is very important for me to realize the misery is from seeking perfection in people, situations, and myself but never finding it. My misery is also by design. Otherwise, how will I look for perfection inside? So I say to myself, "Relax. It's okay, everything is imperfect. That's the way it's meant to be."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Swamiji continues, "<i>Yat kinca jagatyaam Jagat. </i>The Sanskrit word <i>Jagat </i>describes this creation; it means that which comes and goes and stays only for a short while." Essentially, everything in the world is changing, nothing is permanent. Seeking permanence in anything: love, friendship, jobs, or money is futile. Everything and everyone will change; it's natural. Yet again and again I seek permanence. It changes and I sulk. I want to hold on, like trying to grasp the wind in my fist, or arrest the flow of a river, not wanting it to flow away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So a change in vision is required to see life and the world in a different light. Swamiji says that the way to prepare for this shift, according to ancient sages, is to attain discriminating wisdom (<i>Vivek</i>); dispassion (<i>Vairagya</i>); the six wealths, including faith (<i>Shraddha</i>); and the yearning to be free (<i>Mumukshutva</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When life is going good, when we're happy, we never think of being free, pray to God, ponder questions about life, or ask "Who am I?" There is no need. Very few seek liberation, Moksha, when happy. Sri Krishna says that there are three types of people who come looking for God:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1. Those who want to get rid of problems and misery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2. Those who want to gain something: a job, wealth, health, a child, whatever the object of desire is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">3. Those who are sincere seekers of truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have seen friends who become spiritual when they lose a job, or when they get health problems, or something bad happens to a family member. But a wise person who seeks the truth, God, and Self, even in happy times, will never become miserable in bad times. There is a saying on this by the fifteenth century Indian sage, Kabir:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>"Dukh mein sumiran sab karen, sukh mein kare na koi. Jo sukh mein sumiran kare, to dukh kahe ko hoy." </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This ancient Vedic wisdom understands life so well. I am fortunate that there's someone who has so much experience of this knowledge to explain it to me. Here's how Swamiji puts it:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Problem definition</b>: There is misery in life from problems related to health, wealth, relationships, and children. What values define a "good human being," and how do we overcome the obstacles to becoming one?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1. Ignorance. (<i>Avidya/Avarna</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2. A disturbed and restless mind. (<i>Vikshape</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">3. Negativity or impurities (<i>Mala</i>):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> cravings (<i>raga</i>), aversions (<i>dwesh</i>), desires (<i>kama), </i>anger (<i>krodha</i>), greed (<i>lobha</i>), delusion (<i>moha</i>), self-infatuation (<i>mada</i>), jealousy (<i>matsarya), </i>malice (<i>asuya</i>)<i>, </i>envy (<i>irsya), </i>hypocrisy (<i>dambha), </i>pride (<i>darpa), </i>fear<i> (bhay), </i>and <i>ego</i> (<i>ahamkara).</i> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Solution</b>: What is the solution? The solutions follow...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">God, or nature, gave us this life with its challenges and also handed us a solutions manual to figure out how to be happy. It lists the values we should incorporate to be a good human being. One such guide is the Bhagavad Gita. It's perfect because it's complete; nothing is missing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">According to an eastern wisdom tradition there is a path of evolution for an individual soul (<i>Jiva</i>) from the time it's created, separated from cosmic consciousness, to the many lives it lives, then the final merging back into consciousness (enlightenment). That prescribed path for a successful life was explained by Swamiji as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First: </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Principles for Action (<i>Karma Yoga</i>)</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 24px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Principles for Action (Karma Yoga). Do your duties, serve others, and live from your higher Self. This is external effort. Live your life with an attitude of service. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Serving without expecting anything in return, going beyond the ego, not being propelled by selfish desires, or being attached to the results. Know that you are not the doer, that everything is happening </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">through</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> you. It means at every step, having righteousness and the laws of existence (</span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Dharma</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">) illumine your path. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What is <i>Dharma</i>? The universe was created with certain laws. Some of the physical laws that govern creation are contained in physics, chemistry, and biology. Then there are laws that govern subtle aspects such as the mind. There are laws for plants, for the animal kingdom and for human life. When you are in rhythm with the natural laws of existence then you attain your natural self –that’s pure existence, consciousness, love, bliss. When we live our life in harmony with these natural laws then naturally the following three manifest: material prosperity (<i>Artha</i>); fulfillment of desires (<i>Kama</i>); and enlightenment (<i>Moksha</i>). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Karm</i> done in accordance with <i>Dharma </i>removes impurities from our minds and emotions, subdues the ego, and reduces desires. Selfless service benefits others, and indirectly, oneself also. Most of us are in this stage of evolution, yet so many jump to meditation or knowledge before this critical step of purification. It's like a cake recipe, you need to add the right ingredients and follow the directions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Second: <b>Spiritual practices (<i>Upasana - Raj Yoga and Bhakti Yoga</i>)</b>. This is the internal letting go. It includes; Yoga, Pranayama, meditation, worship, and devotion. These practices are prescribed to calm the disturbed, restless mind and bring faith. They will settle the mind to the extent that impurities have been removed in the first step.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And finally: <b>Knowledge (<i>Jnan</i>) </b>to purify the intellect, lift the veil covering our true Self, remove ignorance by gaining Self-knowledge, and make consciousness an experiential reality. </span><span style="font-size: large;">It's very important to practice the values and virtues of the <i>Atma </i>(Self) such as compassion, humility, service, to step into liberation.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Those who have attained liberation share their knowledge, serve and love all. The purpose of knowing about the Self before experiencing our Self is so that we are prepared for it and not have fear of the unknown. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If we have impurities and a disturbed mind knowledge will just be </span>information<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> not wisdom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In short: If you have muddy and turbulent waters, how can you see the depth? So first we need to remove the mud, then we need to calm the surface, then we can see the depth and a clear reflection of our Self.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">How do we integrate more and more of this knowledge? Swamiji says that spiritual masters have said that, for most people, it’s a continuum of growth that occurs over lifetimes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Our <i>Shastras </i>say that we need to keep practicing—listening to knowledge (<i>Shravanam</i>), reflecting (<i>Mananam</i>), and meditating to realize (<i>Nididhyasanam</i>)—over and over again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The ripening of the fruit takes time, and when the fruit is ripe it will fall. We don't know when or how—it just happens. The fruit of our actions is not in our hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Events come and go. People come and go. The world keeps turning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Nothing matters. Don't worry, be happy! Enjoy this moment. As I drive back home from the lecture on this beautiful moonlit night, alone, I put on my favorite Sufi song, singing, smiling, and swinging, the mystical meaning of the lyrics giving me goose bumps. Who cares about the rest of the world? This is my journey; let me celebrate my time here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">One day I, too, will go, and what happens after that? I don't know and can't know, so let it happen, flow with it, be with it. Peace!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Like Buddha said, sorrow, misery, sickness, and death are going to be there. They're a part of life. We shouldn't let them make us miserable. I have to get back in touch with that space in me that is peaceful and blissful, and separate myself from this misery. That space within me is never changing; there's a substratum that is changeless and permanent. Knowing this difference is called discriminating wisdom (<i>Vivek</i>) in the Vedic texts. I have lost touch with it, and therefore I am miserable. As soon as I get back in touch with my Self, I'm in bliss. When I am more established in myself, that centeredness brings calm. Being aware brings calm. And when I am calm, I make fewer mistakes in dealing with people and situations. Problems will still be there, but when I am established in my Self, I can surf the waves of problems and no longer get battered by them or drown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Knowing this, I need to fully engage in the world and play by its far from perfect rules. If I hate them, I'll be unhappy. So while I participate in the imperfect world outside, I need to be detached (<i>Vairagya</i>) inside, otherwise I will again be miserable. In both the outer realm of imperfection and the inner realm of perfection, I need to be in harmony. Stress and misery come when I'm in disharmony with the rhythms of the universe. All the wheels of the clock need to move in harmony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What am I looking for in this life? <i>I just want to be happy!</i><b> </b>Not just now, but always, every moment. No matter what happens, it should not affect my happiness. I want happiness that's unlimited, permanent, and infinite. But everything gives me only momentary happiness. I get a new car and love it for a few days and after that it's like any other car. It’s same thing with a new gadget, a new house, or any shiny distraction. Most people think that money will make them happy, yet many rich people can't even sleep well at night! Many look for job satisfaction: they live to work rather than work to earn a living. Then one day they lose their job. Those who want to get married think they will be happy once they find the perfect spouse; those who've been married for years envy single people! I have done everything to find this permanent happiness—in relationships, friendships, new jobs, homes, cities, and material things; taken vacations and spiritual courses, and waited for better times. Basically, I have looked for the perfect happiness externally, in places, things, people, and haven't found it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The next day, as I take my evening walk I tell myself, "Okay, now I have to understand what Swamiji was talking about yesterday." There are two aspects to life: First is the "I" within who witnesses, feels, thinks, experiences; the second is that which is experienced or known, like the world, my body, breath, mind, and emotions. If happiness could be attained by acquiring things, then happiness would not change with time, place, or circumstances. But it does. So if happiness isn't the nature of objects, it has to be inherent in the subject, the "I." There's no third aspect. Therefore "I" must be the source of happiness. Logical, right? So the seeking outside needs to change to seeking within. It makes sense. Happiness has to be my nature - that's why I seek it. When I'm removed from it I'm constantly trying to get back to it. And happiness feels natural, not sorrow, which is not my nature so I want to get rid of it. Our true nature according to the ancient Vedic texts (<i>Shastras</i>), is Existence, Consciousness, Bliss (<i>Sat Chit Anand)</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My son said to me one day that reading the Bhagavad Gita feels good, but <i>implementation</i><b> </b>is what’s important and yet so difficult. Those who are spiritual and are learning from a guide need to see how much knowledge has integrated in us. How we handle people or a problem tests how much the knowledge has become living wisdom. How far back we fall and how low, or if we fall and recover quickly, or we don't fall at all, reveals how truly wise we have grown. The lesser the misery, the more the knowledge has been integrated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">All this theory is good but the most precious; the most beautiful thing in my life is <b>devotion</b>. No need to gain it, learn it, or make any effort—it's mine already. And no one can take that away from me. It is eternal, it is always with me. Who needs knowledge? Knowledgeable ones bow to the feet of a devotee—they thirst for a drop of the nectar of devotion. This ocean of divine love in my heart is the source of the all rivers of love. This is the mother of compassion. This <i>Russ</i> (nectar) and <i>Bhāv</i> <i> </i>(devotional ecstasy) dissolves me into eternal bliss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Leave me, let me rejoice in this drunken state - I am intoxicated with boundless bliss. No meditation can match its sweetness; no knowledge can reach its grandeur. Love is supreme. It is me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But then a wise voice within says, "No, no, all paths are supreme. Faith, devotion, knowledge are all one, expressed differently in each of us."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> Now it's the eighth day of the nine nights of "<i>Navratri.</i>" Had a prayer at home and several ladies came. Feels so sacred and serene. The smell of camphor, incense, oil lamps, and flowers makes the atmosphere so divine. Later on this long rainy night I am alone, and all the lights are off. Just looking outside the window, in the lamp light I see the branches of the trees waving in the wind and rain, the pitter-patter on the rooftop like a lullaby. Let me close my eyes and be that child again…simple, natural, innocent, with the spark of divinity, purity, peace, and bliss…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-77128526827566272752013-07-10T18:19:00.004-07:002015-06-27T11:50:54.296-07:00Chapter 1: Venting (Excerpt)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: navy;">There are 3 types of problems and at any given time we may have 1 or all 3. Sometimes major sometimes minor problems:</span><br /><span style="color: navy;">1. Health - We live in a mortal body and we all need to deal with health problems big and small.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: navy;">2. Wealth - There may be money, property, business, investment, job or work related challenges we may be facing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: navy;">3. Relationships - One of the hardest things to deal with is relationships, it would be spouse, children, parents, girlfriend/boyfriend, marriage, boss, and so on.</span><br /><span style="color: navy;">Before we find answers it's good to empty oneself by pouring out all our problems! </span><span style="color: navy;">Here are a few "fictional" words to give an example.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: navy;"><br /></span><span style="color: navy;">(The following is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of my book, "Eternal Way to Bliss", which is similar to chapter 1 of the Bhagavad Gita, 'Vishad Yoga - Arjun's Grief'. I have titled it 'Venting'.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: navy;">"What's the purpose of living? I can't simply turn a blind eye to these questions and live like a robot, or have this herd mentality: everyone is simply living and so should I. I can't follow the patterns everyone else is: go to school, find a job, get married, have kids, work some more, retire, and then finally die. All this for what? Most people don't even ask this question. They simply live their lives like cattle in a herd and follow the norms of the world and do what everyone else is doing.</span><br /><span style="color: navy;">Don't people ever wonder what they are living for? The biggest wake-up call is death. But by then it's too late to aim for Self-realization. If, having seen someone die, one doesn't start living, he or she has missed the opportunity of a lifetime. There are so many depressed people and so much sickness and suffering. Is it just me, or are most people unhappy? Are people only feigning happiness? That superficial happiness evaporates very quickly when faced with a problem, to be replaced with sadness or anger. Most people go through this yo-yo of happiness and sadness all their lives, never attaining equilibrium.</span><br /><span style="color: navy;">The whole world has dried up around me. The only oasis is the lectures I attend given by Swami-ji at the local monastery. In the Bhagavad Gita class today, we learned that there will be misery, sickness, death, and other problems. It is the nature of the world. It is the nature of the body and mind. While the mind is going through this duality of happiness/sadness, anger/attraction, we need to remain aware of our Eternal Self, which is untouched. And while the body may be going through the opposites of health/sickness, youth/aging, we need to be aware that we are not the body but the Eternal Self, that is untouched. Hmmm…It sounds good but hard to practice."</span><span style="color: navy;"> - Eternal Way to Bliss</span></span></span><br />
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Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-60679521751375662642012-09-29T11:52:00.000-07:002014-10-29T12:11:43.550-07:00Chapter 5: The Nectar of Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I feel that self-discipline needed
for Yoga and meditation is easier for men than it's for women. Women being more
emotional, devotion is an easier path to the same goal. Only with faith and
devotion can meditation result in realization, in the revelation of
truth. Worshiping the divine is a form of devotion, and devotion is the
nectar of life. In fact devotion, or love, is our true essence, and
everything in life is an expression of our love. So I need to realize this
great love within me. What is the way back home? Is it through devotion and
worship?</div>
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Like sweetness is to sugar,
devotion is to me. The only reason I in this human body is to experience
devotion. Liberation I can gain even after I leave the body. Nothing exists in
this world for me except for my beloved Krishna. The moment I remember Him, His
presence is with me. My yearning becomes devotion, my conversations become
poetry, our union becomes bliss. Those who have experienced will
understand; for those who haven't: I can't explain! Fortunate are those who in
human birth have felt this devotion for the Lord.</div>
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The most brilliant expression of
consciousness is devotion. God created a mirror to see His love, and the
reflection was a beautiful maiden brimming with devotion. In this divine love
God embedded the highest wisdom, an essence of Himself. Devotion is an intense
longing for the beloved. It is the urge to merge with the divine. Devotion is
an intoxication with the nectar of divine love, the cup of the heart
overflowing with bliss. Without the juice of devotion, all knowledge, all <i>sadhana </i>(spiritual
practices) are dead and dry like sawdust. A perfect relationship has an equal
balance of both love and respect. Devotion is that perfect relationship with
the divine, it is the most intimate with the deepest reverence.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
Love seeks devotion, devotion seeks
bliss. I mistake these human emotions to be His love, like a mirage it
glimmers in the hot dry sand, I chase it till I get tired, exhausted I fall
down. The moment my vision shifts to Him, <i>Giridhari</i>, that moment
there is a coolness, bliss. That instant there is freedom, expansion, relief,
and my thirst is quenched! That emptiness inside is filled in an instant with
immense love. No matter how much I try to express my love for Him it is
incomplete. That strong urge for His presence, that pleading and prayer, my
soul cries, "Oh Krishna! Be with me! Come to me my Govind
Giridhari!". Tears of love and longing roll down my face...</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
I cannot remember a time when He
was not part of my life. When I was a little girl I saw His painting at an
exhibition, my Kanhaiya stealing butter from a pot with his friend. I was
so mesmerized and lost in the painting that I forgot everything. When my parents
looked around, they realized I wasn't with them; they found me staring into the
painting! Krishna is my best friend. </div>
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<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-indent: .3in;">
If I were
to think of all the precious moments in my life, a lot of them are connected
with my Krishna. We were in Zambia, having just returned from a trip to India,
and my mother had bought this statue of Krishna as a gift for someone. I
vividly remember the day when I told my mother that I would like to keep that
statue. I must have been around twelve. I used to hold that Krishna statue in
my hand, put on Krishna bhajans, and sing and dance with Him. One day in my
room He looked so alive in the statue, I asked Him, "Is it You? Show me a
sign," and He did. I still have that sandalwood statue of
Krishna. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
So innocent, pure, and beautiful
were those moments that I shared with Krishna as a little girl. I am still that
little girl, and in my heart there is a sacred space in which there is only
Krishna and my entire existence is within Him. Whenever I feel intense devotion
or deep despair I hold his statue close to my heart, and looking at Him, I fall
asleep.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .3in;">
Like the rays of the sun, each one's devotion is
beautiful and unique.</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
Each one of us is a natural lover; it is the easiest thing to be…</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
Each one of us attempts to express it differently, yet love cannot be
expressed fully…<br />
Each one of us has a definition of love, at different times, for different
people, but love cannot be defined…<br />
Each one of us loves someone or something, so deeply, so passionately, but love
cannot be found in the finite…</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
Where are You, my love, for whom I seek and for whom my soul cries?
Since eons I have longed for you…</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
O my beloved, quench this thirst so I may merge with You and
be One and Whole!</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
There is none other than You in all creation, this "I" will
merge with the true me then roam high and free!</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
Till then I sing in a trance of love…Till then I dance in a play of
love. The angels envy me; I am here in your company, and experience
the colors of love in ecstasy!</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .3in;">
At the pinnacle of devotion is liberation<br />
At the pinnacle of knowledge is Divine Love<br />
In Divine Love knowledge is inherent<br />
Without love, knowledge is meaningless…</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
For a
devotee, this duality is a play, but in the ultimate bliss of divine love the
devotee merges into the divine and becomes One. For a wise one, there is no
duality. He knows he is God—<i>Aham Brahmasmi<b>. </b></i>No matter what
the path, the journey ends in Oneness and the wise one realizes that He is
Love, He is Knowledge. I feel Krishna as my soul! My entire being. A glow from
within. Someone once asked me, "Where is your Krishna," and I
replied, "He is always with me." </div>
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<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
The Raas Leela of Krishna and the <i>Gopis</i>
(devotes) symbolizes the eternal cosmic celebration, the dance of duality.
Krishna is mine, only mine! Like those <i>Gopis</i>, I am dissolving in
devotion…merging into my charming Krishna…oh! I am drunk with this bliss!—and
in the height of this ecstasy I become unconscious; nothing remains,
just His cool, divine loving presence. Leave me here; I am satisfied, I am
finally at rest, my heart at home…</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-indent: .2in;">
The mind
drops to the heart, becomes meditation...</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-indent: .2in;">
The heart
longs…oh! my beloved…blossoms into devotion…</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-indent: .2in;">
These
tears of devotion…become precious pearls…</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-indent: .2in;">
In the
dance of trance un-become…merge…transcend…</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
Devotion is not to be explained or
understood, devotion is a poem to be sung! Around the fifteenth century
there was a burst of devotion with Sufis and saints singing love poems for the
divine. Buddha was wise, enlightened, and complete. Devotional saints Chaitanya
and Meera experienced ecstasy, danced, and sang, and they were also
enlightened and complete. They experienced the highest state of devotion,
"What am I without You?" They demonstrated that this body is capable
of both wisdom and devotion. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
<b>Meera Bai</b></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-indent: .2in;">
Meera Bai
epitomizes Bhakti (devotion). Her unwavering love for her Krishna was the most
beautiful. Even Krishna would helplessly be drawn to her. Her conversations
with Krishna poured out as poetry, as love songs for the divine (<i>bhajans)</i>.
For a devotee, all love songs are <i>bhajans </i>(devotion songs),
and all <i>bhajans </i>are love songs. Hers are remembered even
today. She was born around 1502 AD in Kukari/Kudki near Merta, Rajasthan. She did not want to get married but was married to Rajasthan’s
Mewar kingdom’s prince, Bhoj Raj, when she was thirteen. She was not interested
in married life. For her, no one existed except Krishna. She spent most of her time in the temple and not at the palace
with the family nor did she behave like royal blood. She was an unconventional woman who questioned all the limitations and broke traditions. Her husband died in war
a few years after they married, when Meera was only seventeen. Meera's
father-in-law liked Meera, and protected her from the other family members'
insults. She must have been around nineteen when her father-in-law also died. This really broke her heart and she was left unprotected from the onslaughts. Meera's older brother-in-law, mother-in-law and sister-in-law were very unjust
to Meera and tortured her. They wanted her to maintain the dignity of the
family and act like a princess, not have a daily communion with ordinary people
to sing <i>bhajans </i>and behave like a commoner. They also didn't approve of her lower caste Guru, Ravidas (Raidasa), who initiated her as a disciple, by gaving her a <i>Naam</i>, a sound used in meditation. It was after this that she sang, "<i>Payoji maine Naam ratan dhan payo. Vastu amolik di mere Sat Guru, kiripa kar apanayo</i>."But she was also a rebel. She never let go of her devotion for Krishna, no matter
how much anyone tried. This was the bleakest time of her life, her in-laws
rebuked her, her parents had died, she had no source of unconditional love, she was pained by society's rejection of her. She felt no one loved her except Giridhari; and that is when she sang the painful <i>bhajan</i>,
"Mere to Giridhar Gopal dusaro na koi"—only Giridhar Gopal is truly
my own and no other. I am wedded to that consciousness.</div>
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<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
I don't know why her life was full of so much
misery. Finally, when she was about twenty-one, she decided to leave her
in-laws and she had the spiritual support of Saint Tulsi Das to do so. One night, she and her life long companion, Mithula, left the fort of Chittor with deep pain in her heart,
mourning, "Why don't they understand why I love Him so much?" For
many days, hungry and thirsty, she traveled through the desert. She went to Merta where her cousin brother was ruling, Rao Jai Mal, but even there she felt limited and unable to express herself fully. She wanted to travel to holy places and be with saints and sages. She
spent some time in the birth town of Krishna, Mathura, and Vrindavan. She had
always wanted to find a Guru and was thirsty for knowledge, but Saint Chaitanya's disciple
in Vrindavan, Rupa Goswami, refused to have spiritual discussions with her saying that she was a
woman and he doesn't interact with women. To him she said, "I thought the only male (<i>Purusha</i>) in this universe is
Krishna, the rest all female (<i>Prakriti</i>)," meaning there is only one consciousness, and the rest is all matter. In Vrindavan it was symbolized as Krishna and the Gopis, therefore even Rupa Goswami is the feminine principle. Goswami was so struck by her words that he called her back and had several knowledge discussions with her. She then went to Kashi, I believe, and met several saints including Tulsidas. She also travelled to many other places in India meeting spiritual masters of the 16th century. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
She finally went to Dwarka in Gujarat, which was
the capital city of Krishna's kingdom when she was around thirty. Sometime later, her youngest
brother-in-law, Udai, built a new capital, Udaipur, with beautiful palaces, and
wanted Meera Bai to come back. He sent a few <i>Raj Purohits</i>, royal priests, to Dwarka to convince her.
She was happy in Dwarka and didn't want to go back. One night she entered the
Dwarka Deesh temple, and in her supreme glory, her single-minded devotion for
Krishna and intense longing to unite with him, she did. At that moment there
was only divine light. When the priests went in to look for her, all they found was
her white Sari (garment). She left when she was around fifty. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
If you asked me to choose between this love and
knowledge, I would choose love. Knowledge seems so cold and dry and pales in
comparison with the song, dance, and celebration with the divine! Meditation?
Come feel this ecstasy, the elation, the bliss when a lover merges with the
beloved. It is electrifying. This, too, is <i>samadhi</i>—a sweet <i>samadhi</i>—not
that emptiness.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Kabir</b></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
I love another saint of the fifteenth century,
Kabir. He wrote simple, yet wise, poems that spur an individual to look for a
deeper meaning to life. </div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Here is one of my favorite
poems of <i>sant</i> Kabir:</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Na Mein
Dharmi Na Hi Adharmi<br />
Na Mein Jati Na Kaami Ho |<br />
Na Mein Kehta Na Mein Sunta<br />
Na Mein Sevak Swami Ho ||</i></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Na Mein
Bandha Na Mein Mukta<br />
Na Mein Virat Na Rangi Ho |<br />
Na Mein Kahu Se Nyara Hua<br />
Na Kahu Ke Sangi Ho ||</i></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Na Hum
Narak Lok Ko Jaate<br />
Na Hum Swarag Sidhare Ho |<br />
Sab Hi Karam Hamara Kiya<br />
Hum Karman Se Nyare Ho ||</i></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Ya Mat
Ko Koi Birla Bujhe<br />
So Atal Ho Baitha Ho |<br />
Mat Kabir Kaho Ko Thape<br />
Mat Kahu Ko Mete Ho ||</i></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Translation</b>:<br />
Neither am I Righteous nor Non-Righteous<br />
Neither am I an Ascetic nor a Sensualist ||<br />
Neither do I Speak nor do I Listen<br />
Neither am I a Servant nor a Master ||</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
Neither am
I Constrained nor Liberated<br />
Neither am I Sad nor Jubilant ||<br />
Neither am I Distinctly Isolated from Anything<br />
Nor am I Identified Completely with Anything ||</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
Neither do
I go to the World of Hell<br />
Nor do I proceed to the World of Heaven ||<br />
All Actions are really my Actions<br />
But yet I am Distinct from the Actions ||</div>
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<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Sufis</b></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Sufism is a devotional mystical dimension of
Islam. Sufi poems and music are close to my heart. I wish that this would once
again evolve in the Muslim culture. The wisdom embedded in the love poems of
the Sufis is beautiful and heart-moving. I listen to many old Sufi poems and
contemporary Sufi songs. Rumi is one of the most revered Sufi saints, known for
his mystic style. His poems elegantly and consistently touch our inner being
and inspire us to go beyond our limitations towards the Divine. Rumi
believed in the religion of love.</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Here are some Rumi quotes:</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
“<i>Your
task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers
within yourself that you have built against it.”</i></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<i>“Knock,
And He'll open the door<br />
Vanish, And He'll make you shine like the sun<br />
Fall, And He'll raise you to the heavens<br />
Become nothing, And He'll turn you into everything.”</i></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<i>“We come
spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust.”</i></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<i>“This is
love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment.
First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet.”</i></div>
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<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
No emotion is more powerful or moving than love.
The noblest kind of love is that which flows toward God, called love divine or
devotion. Saints and sages affirm that deep within our hearts lies an
undiscovered, infinite source of love that is without beginning and
endless. Our scriptures reveal that through single-minded devotion we are led
to our innermost sanctum, the higher Self, the source of all bliss and joy. But
we tend to search for this infinite love in people, ideas, and
objects. When this love is directed toward the higher, our vision expands
and we see this divinity everywhere and in everything. In this way, we
come to appreciate all of creation equally, enjoying lasting freedom and true
happiness. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Eleven Manifestations
of Devotion</b></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Love cannot stand distance, and respect requires
it. In devotion, love and respect are in perfect measure. A disciple
or a devotee has intimacy as well as respect combined in one. The sage
Narad in his Bhakti Sutras —The Aphorisms of Love—explains the eleven
forms of devotion:</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
"Although devotional service is One, it
becomes manifested in eleven forms of attachment: attachment to the Lord's
glorious qualities, to His beauty, to worshiping Him, to remembering Him, to
serving Him, to reciprocating with Him as a friend, to caring for Him as a
parent, to dealing with Him as a lover, to surrendering one's whole self to
Him, to being absorbed in thought of Him, and to experiencing the longing of
separation from Him. This last is the supreme attachment." (Narada Bhakti
Sutra, 5.82)</div>
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<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Worship - <i>Upasana</i></b></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Loving the aim you want to reach is worship.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
And how am I to worship Him?</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
My hands are to serve Him, my heart
to love Him, my voice to sing for Him, my eyes to behold His beauty, my ears to
listen to His praise.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
What can I offer to You that you
already don't have? Ah! There is one thing you don't have…with all my love I
surrender my ego to you. <i>Samarpayami.</i> With fullness in my
heart and with folded hands I bow to the divine presence in my soul. I feel
that immense overpowering love for Thee. There is only You, I do not exist. Let
this form drop.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
A saint once said: There are only two types of
people in this world. One who believe in God and the other who worry. If you
worry, you don’t believe. Trust God, and if you believe, have faith in God, you
can't worry. There are some who worship God to ask something from Him, there
are some who worship Him in gratitude, and there are some who know He is within
them and everywhere, always, so they are ever blissful.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
There is a beautiful prayer by Adi Shankaracharya,
the prayer within for God, in which one verse reads:</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Aatmaa
tvam girijaa matih sahacharaah praanaah shariiram griham<br />
Poojaa te vishhayopabhogarachanaa nidraa samaadhisthitih.<br />
Sajnchaarah padayoh pradakshinavidhih stotraani sarvaa giro<br />
Yadyatkarma karomi tattadakhilam shambho tavaaraadhanam.h .. 4"</i><br />
Meaning: My soul is Your abode; may You manifest (divine mother) as my pure
intellect, wisdom. My five vital airs are Your attendants, my body is Your abode,
and all the pleasures of my senses are objects to use for Your worship. My
sleep is Your state of transcendence. Each step I take in life is centered
around You, everything I say may it be in praise of You, everything I do is in
devotion onto You, o benevolent Lord!</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>The Ladder of Devotion -
Gita</b></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
In the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita,.
Krishna talks about a ladder of Bhakti. The lowest rung of the ladder is,
doing each action as an offering in a prayer to the divine is the Yoga of
Action. Taking what comes as God's offering. Swamiji explained the “fruits of
actions” well-he said fruits of action is a technical term that means drop the
worries and anxieties for the future. Keep your mind in the present; action is
done in the present. If the mind is free from worries and anxieties then it is
calmer and more focused and less divided to act. Worrying about the future
takes away so much energy from the mind. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Here is the ladder of devotion from the first rung
to the top most. When tendencies and impressions are 80 percent then drop the worries.
This is when almost all of the ladder is still there to climb. When they become
60 percent (about halfway up), then do Yoga of Action, the mind and impressions
get more purified. Then at 40 percent do spiritual practices, to
bring back the wandering mind again and again. I think for that Pranayama and
focus on breath is good. Then when 20 percent tendencies are there, the mind
can be purified through meditation and contemplation. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Then Krishna explained that knowledge is more
important than practices, meditation more important than knowledge.
The highest form of devotion is meditation on the formless, the cosmic
consciousness. And renouncing the fruits of action more important than
meditation. Peace immediately follows. This is the ladder of Bhakti. If you are
confused it's okay.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-indent: 0in;">
There are different stages
a devotee evolves through. First there is a need for a form, as the heart and
mind are filled only in Him, and the devotee sees the divine in all forms and
everywhere. The devotee then sees the divine as the essence behind all of
creation and worships Him as the formless. As the devotee merges and dissolves
she becomes one with the divine. This is the ultimate knowledge, and at the
climax of devotion there is only this ultimate truth of Oneness. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Devotion is unconditional
love between me and the divine, and at the peak of devotion, the merging into
the divine, I <i>become </i>unconditional love, bliss.</div>
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Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-58912462414720548122012-07-11T19:43:00.001-07:002012-07-11T19:43:49.192-07:00Chapter 11 summary: Dear Son<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
The author writes a personal letter to her son. It's a touching note to a teenager written from the heart. It also personalizes and summarizes a lot of topics covered in the book.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
</div>Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-59172899265150844622012-07-11T19:36:00.002-07:002012-07-11T19:36:18.542-07:00Chapter 10 summary: The Perfected One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
This chapter illumines how <span style="background-color: white;">a realized soul lives and transacts in the world while reveling in the glory of the Self all the time. Everyone wants to know what is the benefit of being enlightened, what exactly is the nature of an realized soul, or is it a mystery? The author's journey is not yet complete, however; listening to the magnificent nature of an enlightened being makes the author recognize some glimmers of it within. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
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</div>Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-35315001056631227292012-07-11T01:40:00.001-07:002012-07-14T11:47:24.217-07:00Chapter 9 summary: Ah...Bliss!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><u><br /></u></b><br />
This chapter emphatically says that bliss is our true nature! It talks about the pursuit of all pursuits, which is happiness. Chapter 9 is the key to the book. The author writes this chapter on happiness just after losing her father, it is a poignant description of her experience and the deep soul searching for that inner happiness.<br />
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</div>Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-67217538973650539962012-07-10T23:11:00.002-07:002012-07-11T01:52:30.104-07:00Chapter 8 summary: Nature of the Soul<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><u><br /></u></b><br />
In this chapter the author beautifully describes the nature of the soul. With examples from texts and from personal reflection it paints a picture of our true nature. This chapter also touches the heart by talking about compassion as an inherent virtue and how values are synonymous with spirituality.<br />
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</div>Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-13404694180004182282012-07-09T12:41:00.006-07:002022-07-28T21:52:56.202-07:00Chapter 7 summary: Doorway to Knowledge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><u>Summary of the chapter:</u></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><u><br /></u></b>
After talking about a "Guru" the author talks about the seeker and what spiritual virtues one needs to have. Before entering the last phase of spiritual evolution, the culmination of knowledge, <span style="background-color: white;">some preparation needs to be done. T</span><span style="background-color: white;">he author emphasizes the criticality to know the basics which are covered here. This chapter prepares the reader who is entering the doorway of knowledge.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><b><u>Text of the chapter</u></b></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">Now that a Guru has been chosen for me, the next question is:</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">Why do I need Self-knowledge? Do I need to be spiritual? I’m quite happy with my life, work, family, hobbies, and my devotion. So why do I need Self-knowledge?</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">Whatever I am inside determines the quality of my life outside. I see one who is established in knowledge, like a sage, as always happy, unaffected, free of anger, ego, and misery. So this is my goal—realizing the perfection within.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">I have been learning for years from a teacher that I am consciousness, the Self, the Atman. But why has this not been my experience? Do I lack the ingredients that are the catalysts in realizing this knowledge?</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">What are these attributes that I need to develop to be a good student of Self-knowledge? Ah yes! They were described by Swamiji earlier as:</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">The four-fold qualifications for a seeker—<i>Sadhana-catushtaya</i>:</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">1. <b>Vivek</b>: discriminating wisdom on what is real/unreal, permanent/changing, Self/not Self, which leads to</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">2. <b>Vairagya</b>: Dispassion which leads to</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">3. The six spiritual wealths <i><b>Shat-sampatti</b></i>:</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><b>Sama</b>: mastery over the mind that leads to</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><b>Dama</b>: control over the external senses, that enables us to</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><b>Uparati</b>: withdraw from the world and do the right thing,</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">i.e. Dharma</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><b>Titiksha</b>: have forbearance with the ups and downs of life.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><b>Shraddha</b>: have faith in the scriptures and your Guru as the</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">sources of knowledge on the unknown. All of the above leads to,</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><b>Samadham</b>: a focused mind that gets absorbed in the Self.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">4. <b>Mumukshutva</b>: yearning for freedom. It is the desire to free oneself from all bondages by realizing one’s true nature. </div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">I have to ask for a Guru to be given one. I have to ask for realization to be given, amazingly nature is listening it grants all true wishes, and miraculously I will gain it.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">I have noticed that these qualities are both the requirements and also the outcomes of learning. I seem to have gained more Vivek and Vairagya over the years.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">There are six philosophies in the Vedic tradition. I believe they are a progression in the evolution of understanding and not parallel paths. They are:</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">1. <i>Samkhya</i></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">2. <i>Yoga</i></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">3. <i>Nyaya</i></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">4. <i>Vaisheshika</i></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">5. <i>Mimamsa</i></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">6. <i>Vedanta</i> - often refers to the last segment of knowledge in the Vedas, i.e. the Upanishads, and the last six chapters of Bhagavad Gita. It is the culmination of knowledge.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">The first step in learning is to purify the mind through Yoga of Action, the second is to attain clarity through spiritual practices (Upasanas). Swamiji says that the last phase of the spiritual evolution, Vedanta, is to lift the veil of ignorance (Aavarna) that is covering the true Self. This can only be done through gaining knowledge of the Self.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">The practice (Sadhana) for final liberation in Vedanta is to first listen to Self-knowledge from a Guru (<i>Sravanam</i>). Then reflect on this knowledge (<i>Mananam</i>) using one’s intellect to remove doubts and answer questions that may arise. This leaves no conflict or confusion in the mind. You gain total clarity of knowledge. The final stage is to abide in the Self through meditation (<i>Nididhyasa</i>), the only way to experience the Self or consciousness. This practice is done repeatedly with patience and perseverance. In due time, depending on the inner qualities of the student, the veil drops forever. With the grace of God, when the fruit is ripe it falls. The self-effulgent soul shines forth like Buddha—the enlightened one!</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">Tattva Bodha</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">Before you read research papers on science, you have to go through the elemental studies of physics, chemistry, etc. In the same way, it is good to learn the fundamentals on which the highest knowledge is based. One of the introductory texts on Vedic wisdom is the “Tattva Bodha,” by Adi Shankaracharya. It</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">covers the above and much more. It talks about the structure of creation and its relation to consciousness. This chart (overleaf) graphically illustrates this part of the text:</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">It is interesting how the microcosm, the human being, is an exact replica of the macrocosm. The macrocosm replicates itself infinitely, like a fractal. An easy way to remember this is using the ten fingers. The five fingers on the right hand, pinky for physical body, ring finger for subtle body, index finger for causal body, fore finger for conditioned consciousness (<i>Jiva</i>) and thumb for soul (<i>Atma</i>). Then on the left hand, pinky for the total physical universe or creation(called <i>Virat</i>), ring finger for the</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">total subtle creation or cosmic mind (called <i>Hiranyagarbha</i> or <i>Mahat Tattva</i>), index finger for the causal cosmic creation (<i>Mool Prakritri</i>), fore finger for the cosmic creator (<i>Ishvara</i>), and thumb for cosmic consciousness (<i>Brahman</i>). In addition to the associations made above, <i>Karmas</i> (account of our actions) and <i>Vasanas</i> (impressions) are part of the causal body. </div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMWIS-zoc09phXeoqi7j7LZP97Ueuk_SfUqkMAPAEjntcSIUZxI7GWaQz-Uu4I3q-0a-L6OAhxxeg_qcpDmCIswghMbMpvC42UaFeVWnoOUrEri5fEdDPKIZ8hLEg2Vk5UEj0_RU4MDDuH3lMa2TpmplMAmvnmyZ_PfjLTYzsl4Dz8HKSyEhTVGaIl" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="760" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMWIS-zoc09phXeoqi7j7LZP97Ueuk_SfUqkMAPAEjntcSIUZxI7GWaQz-Uu4I3q-0a-L6OAhxxeg_qcpDmCIswghMbMpvC42UaFeVWnoOUrEri5fEdDPKIZ8hLEg2Vk5UEj0_RU4MDDuH3lMa2TpmplMAmvnmyZ_PfjLTYzsl4Dz8HKSyEhTVGaIl=w472-h640" width="472" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">All the terms in the chart above such as <i>Isvara, Jiva, Maya</i>, etc. are explained in the Tattva Bodha. <i>Jiva</i> is essentially the same as <i>Maya</i>, illusion. It is the veil of ignorance that covers the true Self. It is the false identification with the causal, subtle and gross bodies that get conditioned and therefore Jiva is the conditioned consciousness.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">The root cause of ignorance creates a sense of separateness, the limited identity, the “I”ness, commonly known as ego. The gross body drops at death but the other bodies still exist and carry into the next birth. Once one is enlightened the Jiva also drops and there is no false separateness. The soul is seen as a part of the whole.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">The text also gives an introduction to other Vedic concepts such as the theory of <i>Karma</i>, the description of an enlightened person, etc. I think the knowledge in the Tattva Bodha is very important, a pre-requisite for understanding any further teachings in the Vedic scriptures on creation and consciousness.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">This book is also available online as an eBook. </div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">The house of the Self has many doors. If you’re a feeler you can enter through the doorway of devotion. If you’re a doer you can walk in through the path of right action. If you’re a thinker you can enter through the gateway of knowledge. Even though one aspect may be dominant, they all exist in each other. Each path is supreme, each one leads to a flavor of enlightenment. </div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">Consciousness has created a beautiful diversity of great souls like Meera-devotion, Buddha-knowledge, and Mother Teresa- right action—each an example of using a different doorway to the Self. The Bhagavad Gita points this out in chapter thirteen, verses twenty-five and twenty-six:</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"></div><blockquote><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">“Some, by meditation, behold the Self in the Self by the Self; others by the “Yoga-of-Knowledge” (by Sankya Yoga) ; and others by Karma Yoga.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">Others also, not knowing this, worship, having heard of it from others; they too, cross beyond death, if they would regard what they have heard as their Supreme Refuge.”</div></blockquote><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><blockquote>- Bhagavad Gita. Ch 13 v 25-26.</blockquote></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">They all lead to Self-knowledge, to the experience of the Self, and existential reality (your own nature).</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">Now I’m at the doorway of knowledge! I am ready to offer my body, mind, and ego into the sacrificial fire of the soul. Once I enter, where will I pass? Without my ego, who or what will I become? Tell me, oh, great soul— what is thy nature? I have read the great ones proclaim that it’s a futile exercise trying to explain your nature. Only indications can be given. What lies on the other side of this veil called <i>Jiva</i>? Have I visited there before? Will I still exist with a body, mind, and “I”? With great faith in my teacher and scriptures, I surrender to the unknown—ready to merge into infinitude. I want to know my soul. With great reverence, I plead, “O Guru! Please accept me as your humble student, let me enter</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on">the house of self-knowledge.”</div>
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</div>Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-14069194077949149112012-07-03T18:27:00.000-07:002012-07-11T01:51:52.334-07:00Chapter 6 Summary: God, Guru and Self are Synonymous<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chapter six addresses the topic of "Guru" - a spiritual teacher. In the east there has been a long tradition of teacher - disciple relationship for gaining Self knowledge. This chapter answers questions such as, "Why do I need a Guru?", "Who is a Guru?", "What are the qualifications of a Guru?".<br />
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-2475187986474881222012-06-27T18:42:00.001-07:002012-07-11T01:53:08.182-07:00Chapter 5 Summary: The Nectar of Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chapter five immerses the reader into the nectar of devotion. Devotion flows from the heart of the writer, effortlessly, as it's her true nature. This chapter describes the her love for <i>Krishna </i>and talks about some the devotional saints of the 15th century such as Meera, Kabir, and the Sufis.<br />
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<br /></div>Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-29314774915943642652012-06-20T23:56:00.001-07:002012-09-26T11:11:58.100-07:00A Personal Introduction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Om Swastih<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4277075283012835625#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[1]</span></b></span></span></span></a></i></div>
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My knowledge is not
yet complete - only a realized one's is. If I waited until I became perfect
before I wrote, I would never write. This
knowledge is not mine; these pages present my reflections on the eternal
knowledge that was revealed to ancient sages around the globe. Knowledge is
inherent in cosmic consciousness, and therefore has no beginning and no of
human origin. Cosmic consciousness is pure existence, eternal knowledge, and infinite: <i>Satyam
Jnanam Anantam Brahman</i>. Much later it was codified into the four
Vedas. The knowledge in the Vedas, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita
is considered "complete." </div>
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With God's grace I
have had the interest in seeking truth and knowledge. I am deeply grateful to
my Guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for his love and grace. He has given me so much
knowledge; techniques such as pranayama, yoga, meditation; and most of all, the
experience of my true nature. The world has been blessed with many masters over
the ages who have brought this eternal knowledge to the world. I am also
grateful to the Chinmaya Mission for being the flag bearers of Vedanta. These
are some of the wonderful works of great masters that I have been fortunate
enough to read and listen to:</div>
<div class="CSP-FrontMatterBodyText" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Tattva Bodha.
Atma Bodha. Narad Bhakti Sutra. Patanjali Yoga Sutras. Isha Upanishad. Kena
Upanishad. Katho Upanishad. Chhandogya Upanishad. Kaivalya Upanishad. Bhagavad
Gita. Ashtavakra Gita. Yoga Vasistha. Kapila Gita. Sadacarah. Aparoksanubhuti. Mahabharat.
Ramayan. I have studied the teachings of Vivekananda, Ramana Maharishi, Sri Sri
Ravi Shankar, and others. I’ve also studied Ayurveda, the practice of Yoga and
meditation, and have accessed several other knowledge sources.</i></div>
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This list is just a
small fraction of the knowledge under the umbrella of "Hinduism." I
would like to learn all four Vedas. However, as Ramana Maharishi said,
it's not about numbers: you only need one mirror to see your true
reflection. </div>
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There are so many
people who have greater knowledge than I, who are more realized than I, who can
write better than I. There are three types of understanding; intellectual,
experiential and existential realization (when it becomes your very
nature). This writing is about my present understanding of this knowledge,
expressed from an experiential standpoint. In addition to my reflections,
I have taken great care in verifying the knowledge that I present here, often
referring to the source, and also can be verified, so I would like the reader
to rest assured that the information here is reliable. However, even in
Hinduism there are different commentaries, I have used the known authorities in
the subject. I have definitely not put in all that is included in
Hinduism. Volumes have been written for thousands of years on this
wisdom. What I have presented is the core theme.</div>
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This book follow the same core theme as the Bhagavad Gita.<br />
Chapter 1: Like the Bhagavad
Gita, Yoga Vasistha, and as in the story of Buddha, the journey starts from
grief, with a deep questioning.<br />
Chapter 2: The second chapter pretty much summarizes the
whole book.<br />
Chapter 3: "<i>Karma Yoga,</i>" or the wisdom on how to act, is the
topic of the third chapter.<br />
Chapter 4: The fourth chapter is on meditation or <i>Upasana</i>.<br />
Chapter 5: One of my favorite chapters is on devotion.<br />
Chapter 6 and 7: These do not have corresponding chapters in the Gita but I have written as preparation for knowledge of the Self.<br />
Chapter 8 and 9: These chapters are on the knowledge of the Self, <i>Jnan</i> Yoga.<br />
Chapter 10: Describes the enlightened one.<br />
Chapter 11: A summary of the book in personal terms, with love, for my son. <br />
<br />
Those
who are familiar with Hindu teachings may find hidden themes and implied
meanings.</div>
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I have read many
modern, western, New Age, and scientific presentations of Hinduism. I have
deliberately made the tone of this book more authentic because I didn't want to
dilute or deviate from how the masters of Vedanta expound this
knowledge. Therefore, I have used the original method and approach used in
Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gita. I am a modern woman in the
technology field and I have a family. I have lived in many places around the
world. I have found that I gained the most from a traditional approach to this
wisdom, and I believe a lot of people around the world will be able to
relate to it as well. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The term
"Hinduism" is not indigenous to India; neither is the name
"India"! The river Sindhu in Bharat (India) was called
"Indus" by the Greeks and later "Hindus" by the Persians.
The names "India" and "Hinduism" come from these. If there
is a native name for this ancient wisdom tradition it is "<i>Sanatana
Dharma</i>," the eternal laws of nature. However, it is often referred to simply
as the <i>Shastras</i> which literally means science.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span>With deepest reverence and gratitude I offer this at the feet of my mother, all enlightened masters, Sri Krishna, and my Gurudev.<br />
<br />
With that much said let's enter the projection of my mind, the expression of my heart and the essence of my soul...<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Om – sound vibration for cosmic
consciousness. Swastih – auspiciousness, prosperity, blessings</span></div>
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Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-9524277858043760442012-06-14T15:05:00.000-07:002012-07-11T01:46:05.653-07:00Musings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b style="background-color: white;"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Musings</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Somethings I wrote sometime ago:</span><br />
<i style="color: orange; font-family: inherit;"><br /></i><br />
<i style="color: orange; font-family: inherit;">Standing on the Ledge of Eternity</i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><i>April 14, 2011</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">This is His house, He has graciously put my life in it. Through His eyes I see, through His ears I hear, through His hands I do. His rays are my thoughts, like glitter on water. He comes to life through my Prana. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: 16px;">Every breath starts from Him, ends in Him. I see Him in the gap between the breaths. Every thought starts from Him, ends in Him, awareness of Him between the thoughts. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">As my eyes retrieve, my ears silence, my thoughts merge into Him. My breath seizes into where? I stand on the ledge of eternity afraid of disappearing into the unknown timeless void, I remain on the brink. Or shall </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #4e2800; line-height: 16px;">I merge into Him as before, taking the leap of faith that I Am Him? </span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: orange; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><br /></i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: orange; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Nachiket and Yama </i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #4e2800; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>April 18, 2011</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #4e2800; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">It is absolutely amazing that the previous post I wrote, before I started listening to Katho Upanishad, was exactly the question that Nachiketa had for Yama. I was astounded to hear the 3rd question by Nachiketa to Yama, is there existence after the death of individuality.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">As a meditater stands at the edge of infinity, there is a sense of the unknown infinite beyond, a fear of the unknown. The state of samadhi can't be known, therefore nothing can be recollected as to what that state was like, nor how long one was there, and if one goes into samadhi will one come back. The mind can't comprehend the concept that I can be infinite - how can I exist without a central reference point. In that existence where there is no "I", no thoughts, there is existence, intelligence, infinity, bliss. It takes great courage to let go of the "I"ness, the reference point, the ego, and take the plunge into the unknown timeless infinite and destroy the ego. Like offering ahutis into the sacrificial fire.</span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;">In the havan, the kund is the body, the fire is consciousness. Into it are offered all the objects and mystically it is done 3 times to offer the 3 types of identity we have, perceiver, feeler, thinker, and also the physical, subtle and causal. Nachiketa is the fire into which the ego is offered and burnt up. He stands face to face with the principle of death who takes you to the other shore - the unknown shore - where Yama takes the soul. Therefore at the ledge, the gateway to infinitude, Nachiketa asks Yama what lies beyond tell me.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span style="color: orange;">Unraveling the Secret of Yagna</span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>April 30, 2011</i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">(work in progress!)</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I was looking for the key that opens the chamber of secrets on the 'Yagna' - and after much searching and inquiring I found the key!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">On the treasure chamber door is written <span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Om Tat Sat"</i></span>. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I unlock the door and walk in. On a red velvet curtain there is something embroidered in gold:</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4e2800;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"To Those Who Enter: The chamber exists only for 360 days and 360 nights! Reach the top or be consumed by fire! Many will come and Read, Few will Hear, and Only those pure of Heart shall ever reach the top!" </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I am determined and move on. This chamber is vertical with stairs going up Seven levels. It is suspended in space and the walls are made of earth, wind, fire and water. I see a white light coming through the top of the chamber and then passing the crystal floor on the 7th level breaks up into blue, green and red, illuminating the lower levels. I find knowledge written on ancient leaves. I think these may be clues, I start reading.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">On the first leaf I find inside is written:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> <i>"You can purify your body by following a proper diet.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i> Money is purified through charity.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i> Actions are purified through seva.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i> Mind is purified through pranayama and Sudarshan Kriya.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i> Emotions are purified through bhajans.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i> Intellect is purified through knowledge."</i> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Thus is given the essence of the yagnas.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">So many dusty leaves of sacred knowledge. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white;">I find leaves on the secret of the 12 types of Yagnas in the Gita, and the Nachiketa Yagna from the Kathopanishad.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> <i>"BRAHMAN is the oblation; BRAHMAN is the offerings; by BRAHMAN is the oblation poured into the fire of BRAHMAN; BRAHMAN verily shall be reached by him who always sees BRAHMAN in all actions."</i> </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4e2800;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> <i>"See creation as fire of Yagna, so too the rain, the earth, man, and woman. The Vedas declare that man should also do Yagna for Brahman with Vedic knowledge, for devas with homa, for ancestors with shraddha, for humans with food, and for creation with bali."</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> <i>"May my body, breath, and mind be fit for Yagna. May the Kundalini fire purify and transform."</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Embedded in the secret of the Yagna is the secret of the Mantra. The continuous up and down of the sounds "Sa" and "Ha" is making this chamber vibrate, it almost seems alive like a Being!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">As I brush the dust off another leaf, a voice inside me whispers a sacred secret knowledge, it is telling me about the yagnas for the finite vs infinite, internal vs external, microcosm vs macrocosm, Apara (lower) vs Para (higher)!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">When I pick up the next leaf the letters on it rise up and start burning, they pierce through my body, then my mind and reach the core of my heart. A voice in my heart reveals the secret of the levels of yagnas and the progression from the first to the final one! I see Nachiketa's footsteps here and follow...</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">As I climb to the next level I hear a voice, "The finite purifies, transforms, merges, unites into the infinite." A scribe on the wall reads, <i>"Asatoma Sat Gamaya - Tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya - Mrtyorma Amritam Gamaya."</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4e2800;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Level after level, layer after layer I am unraveling the secret knowledge of the Yagnas! </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4e2800;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I keep climbing, still looking for the knowledge on the Yagnas for Karmas and Vasanas to do the Yagna for my Jiva. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4e2800;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">The 6th level has mirrors, in one I see my body in flames, in another I see myself inhaling and exhaling fire, and so on.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4e2800;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">"I" can enter the 7th level through a burning door that opens only for a flash of a moment so "I" need to be aware! </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Behind the last leaf, up on the top 7th level in this secret treasure chamber I see a brilliant light - that of a thousand suns! The ancients wore this Sahasra crown on the top of their head - the Mayans wore it, the Egyptians wore it, the Zorastrians wore it, and the Vedics cognized it.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">******************************</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Websites on Yagna: http://www.hinduwebsite.com/yagna.asp </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4e2800;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">http://www.hinduwebsite.com/vedicsection/yajna.asp</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Lecture 15, from 25th minute http://chinmayasaaket.org/resources/audio/ </span></span></div>
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</div>Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-30957188332137408112012-06-12T11:26:00.000-07:002014-02-19T18:00:20.664-08:00Chapter 4 : Take a Deep Breath In and Let Go!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">"Ooooooommm…Shanti…Shanti…Shanti."
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is just finishing a meditation at a public event. He is
one of the foremost spiritual masters in the world today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">An interviewer is asking people
after the event: "What are your thoughts on meditation?"</span></div>
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</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">"Nah, I don't want to
meditate, I'm fine!" "Can't imagine closing my eyes and sitting still
for so long." "Yeah, I meditate but not regularly; guess I need to be
more disciplined." "Oh, yes, of course I meditate, everyone should
meditate!" "Why do people meditate?" "I want to, but
don't know how." "What <i>is </i>meditation?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Boy, there's a whole range of
questions and opinions on meditation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">The most ironic thing in the world
is that everyone wants peace of mind but doesn't have it when it's truly
needed!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I am not a great meditator or
anything. Spiritual masters are established in meditation, they don't need to
sit with their eyes closed and meditate. They <i>live</i> in meditation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I was taking a walk yesterday
evening in my complex. Earphones on, playing my favorite devotional songs. I
started off with my thoughts on the list of things I had to do on Monday. We
live in complex that has lots of trees, on a hillside, with open green areas
and kids playing. As I listened to a soothing devotional song, I started to
enjoy the nature walk through the tall evergreens. The sun was going down, the
sunlight getting softer, birds getting their evening meal, and there was a
gentle breeze. All of nature was in its own rhythm. It was so calming to
be in sync with the harmony in nature, I took a deep breath and smiled, soaking
it all in. Well, that wasn't meditation, but it felt good!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I keep learning and experiencing,
and I can also take a step back and observe my journey so far. So many
wonderful realizations come through me, it's hard to write them all down.
Recently I was thinking about the three phases of evolution of the the
individual soul (<i>Jiva</i>). My thoughts were that the first phase in human
evolution is the removal of impurities (<i>Tamas</i>) and that is through
the Yoga of Action (<i>Karma Yoga</i>). Then we are brought to the second phase
which is to go beyond restlessness (<i>Rajas</i>)<i>. </i>For this we
need to go through the Yoga of Practice (<i>Upasana</i>), i.e., Pranayama (Yoga
of breath), meditation, Yoga, worship, devotion. This settles the restlessness.
Finally, we are taken to purity and clarity (<i>Sattva</i>) that come
through the Yoga of Knowledge (<i>Jnan</i>). It is the last phase of an
individual soul's evolution (<i>Vedanta</i>) and this takes the seeker to the
other shore. This unfolding doesn't take place in one lifetime, but over
lifetimes. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">What is
amazing is that once a person has completed a phase, she is transported into
the next phase. Nature creates a conducive environment, with events
and situations that make it happen. I have just realized this as an
aha! moment in my life. I went through a phase of restlessness<i> </i>and <i>
</i>spiritual practices over many years and now I’ve been picked up and placed
into an environment of purity<i> </i>and knowledge<i>. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I feel that the Yoga of Action
phase is also to settle the account of previous mistakes (Karma theory in Vedic wisdom). If we didn't fulfill the duties as a student in a previous life, we
will come back in another life and be presented with the same situation in
which we need to fulfill those duties. It's like we failed in fifth grade and
now we need to repeat it. This is also linked to tendencies and patterns. Suppose
you have a deeply ingrained tendency to be lazy. You will continue to be faced
with problems related to laziness until you we overpower our tendency through
the Yoga of Action. <i>This is the transition from living with a mind
driven by the wild horses of selfish desires and tendencies, to taming the mind
with the wisdom and guidance of the scriptures (Vasana
anusari to Shastra anusari). </i> Hence the mind is purified
through the Yoga of Action. Of course first one needs to be aware that most,
almost 80 percent, of our mind and actions are driven by patterns and
tendencies (<i>Vasanas)</i>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I have been meditating for many
years, I started spontaneously when I was a teenager without any proper
instruction. Much later, I was initiated by a teacher in the Art of Living
Foundation and given a secret personal <i>Mantra</i>. Recently, I decided to
revisit meditation from the perspective of the ancient Vedas and the Bhagavad
Gita. So I attended a workshop conducted by Swami-ji on meditation. Most
ancient Vedic texts start with a seeker asking his Guru a question and then the
teachings follow. Swamiji started with a list of questions most seekers have
and that would be addressed during the seminar:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.3in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">1. What is
meditation? What meditation is not.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.3in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">2. What to
meditate upon. What is the purpose of meditation?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.3in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">3. Who is
the meditator?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.3in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">4. How to
meditate? The practice of meditation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.3in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">5.
Obstacles in meditation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.3in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">6. Fruit
of meditation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.3in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">5. Living
in meditation. Description of a realized soul. How a wise one lives in the
world. (This part I loved!)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Pre-requisites</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">The Bhagavad Gita’s first few
chapters are on <i>Karma Yoga</i>. Swamiji explained the purpose of <i>Karma
Yoga </i>and its importance for meditation. Can we truly settle the mind if the
mind is not purified first through Yoga of Action? Yes, but the calm will be
achieved only to the extent that the negativity has been removed. We will be
peaceful while meditating and still have negativity later. I have seen many
people, including myself, who have been meditating for years, some for more
than twenty years, but they still have so much ego, anger, and other negativity
in them. So the cup of the Knowledge (<i>Jnan</i>) can't be full until the
cup of Practice (<i>Upasana</i>) is full, and the cup of Practice can't be full
until the cup of Action (<i>Karma</i>) is full. But no one phase is more
superior than the other; each one is supreme. All three need to be done-the
previous ones can't be abandoned, although the quality changes. For example,
one who has gained wisdom serves the world (<i>Karma</i>) as an expression of
love, still meditates and worships the Lord.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Disturbed mind - Vikshepa</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Once the muddy and turbulent water
is purified through Yoga of Action, Swamiji said, the next step is to calm the
waters through meditation. Even if you are a good person, your mind may not be
in control. The restlessness and turbulence is on the surface. We have so
many distractions, and so many agitations and restlessness; the end result is
discomfort and sorrow. This is called "<i>Vikshepa,</i>" or
disturbance. The cause of disturbance, or sorrow, is that the mind
is craving something; there are hidden tendencies (<i>Vasanas</i>). Different
people adopt different methods to get rid of this. These methods can be "<i>Tamasic</i>"
(impure): alcohol, drugs, medication, but the sorrow doesn't go
permanently-there's only temporary relief, and these methods bring more long-term
problems like addiction and other side effects. "<i>Rajasic</i>"
(passion, lust, greed) methods to remove sorrow include turning toward
different kinds of entertainment, becoming a workaholic, keeping busy to avoid thinking
about sorrow, and disturbances in the mind. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Then there
is a "<i>Sattvic</i>" (pure) method to get rid of misery. The pure
means are devotion to God, prayer, Yoga, meditation, being in the company of
wise people, and listening to spiritual teachings to gain peace of mind. Pure
methods don’t produce new desires or have side effects.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Body-Mind-Intellect</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">We are told to eat a good diet and
exercise to keep the body healthy. But what checks how much and what we eat,
tells us to exercise, develops good habits, and has a say over the senses?
A happy, healthy, strong, and disciplined mind. How can we tame the
mind, bring it to rest at will, say 'No!' to the wrong thoughts, and teach it
not to react? How do we manage the mind? So much happens in our mind:
perceptions, beliefs, assumptions, expectations, feelings, and so on. Our goal
is mind over body, but what directs the mind? Will power, awareness, intellect,
wisdom, and conscience.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Prana-yama</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">As a preventative measure, we can
curb our desires internally by gaining wisdom and expanding our awareness, and
externally through Karma Yoga. But if we still end up doing things driven by
selfish cravings, attachment, and ego, then the consequence will be that we
have residue in the form of negative emotions. The cure or purification of
negative emotions can be done through Pranayama. Pranayama is a Yoga technique
that uses rhythms in the breath to affect the mind, as body, breath, and mind are
connected.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">So we can purify our feelings and
emotions through the breath. Also, when the '<i>Prana</i>,' or life force, is
high, we have a positive mind, and when the <i>Prana</i> is low, we have
negativity. Yoga and Pranayamas have to be taught and checked by a Guru, a Yoga
master.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Pranayamas and other Yoga methods
are <i>Tantra</i>. What is <i>Tantra</i>? <i>Tantra</i> means technique. So the
techniques in Kriya Yoga for examples fall under this category, as do other
techniques that deal with 'life force' or 'energy.'</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Pranayama, like other
techniques, <i>naturally leads the
mind into meditation.</i> Some people don't even realize that they are
in a meditative state when this happens.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Body – If you have done Yoga or had
a good work out and then you sit in the sauna, the mind is ripe for meditation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Breath – Pranayama as mentioned.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Senses – You can have an intense
experience through one of the senses that can take you into meditation.
Imagine, for example, observing the vast expanse of the sea, or lie down and
look up into the stars. In these situations, the mind expands, transcends.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Emotions – If you are listening to
a devotional song, and go into bliss, it leads to meditation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Intellect – If you have heard some
deep knowledge and you sit and reflect on it, you can go into meditation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Meditation happens in the transition
between thoughts. Actually meditation happens, you can’t do it. You can only
create a congenial atmosphere for it to do so.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">But there is a procedure for meditation. Sit
comfortably with the spine erect and head straight. Close the eyes and relax
the body, take a deep breath in…and let go…Drop the world, observe the body,
let the mind be…sink into the substratum...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">First, the chain of thoughts that
make the mind flow outward need to make a U-turn and become focused. Worshiping
a form of the Lord helps; repeating the name of the Lord (<i>Japa</i>),
sometimes on a necklace of beads, helps merge the thoughts with love on the
divine. But meditation is not concentration, and this is elaborated upon in one
of the greatest texts on Yoga philosophy, the Yoga Sutras by Sage Patanjali. It
describes the eight steps of Yoga that lead to Samadhi, or oneness, and this
takes us to the final goal of liberation called <i>Kaivalya</i>. The text goes
into the details of Yoga and meditation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">The way to succeed in the world is
with effort, and the way to succeed at meditation is through letting go, making
it effortless, being natural. It is just Being. In the Upanishads and Gita
it says that I should sit in meditation with the attitude of
renunciation, <i>Sanyaas. </i>No matter what is happening in my life,
no matter what I'm thinking. Who cares? Leave it, let me repose in myself.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Panch Kosha - the five sheaths of
our existence</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Meditation is like peeling away the
layers of an onion, moving from the outside, in. Starting from the environment
around us and being at peace with it, dispassionate about everything happening
around us. The sounds, the smells, everything. The eyes are closed. Then being
aware of the whole body, having reverence for the body, relaxing the body. Then
becoming aware of the inflow and outflow of the breath. Strange as it may seem,
we are not aware of the breath, even though we are always breathing! The breath
is always in the present moment. When the mind is in the present moment it
becomes calm and crystal clear. Then becoming aware of the mind, aware of the
thoughts, witnessing the thoughts coming and going, like watching a river flowing
by. Being aware of each thought. The mind settles, thoughts decrease. Then
there is a feeling of peace, harmony, joy, love, expansion.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Sometimes when I meditate it feels
really sweet, and that is very addictive. However, that is not the final stage
of meditation. I still "feel"; it is still the mind enjoying the
nectar of the innermost layer. I want to see my soul, I am determined,
steady…steady… Finally, silence. The final state is that of no-mind and
absolute bliss. You are now completely your true, natural Self. Going beyond
all the layers and returning to the core takes practice, patience,
steadfastness, and dispassion.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">As
stated before, we are all looking for this bliss in many ways. We want to
return to our original state. Alcohol can make you happy, but then you have
submitted your mind to it; those chemicals rule your mind, making you a slave,
and then the effect finally goes away, and you feel down. In meditation you
rule the mind, and that bliss is always available to you. It never leaves,
never diminishes, never changes. Just being in the bliss that we <i>are</i><b> </b>is
meditation. <i>This is why we should meditate.</i> In our everyday lives we
are removed from our state of natural bliss, but saints are always established
in this bliss. They function from this state. In meditation, it
permeates us, it is in every cell, like water in a sponge. Actually, even the
sponge is solidified consciousness.</span></span>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzZaxhHSVXfiXri3PHtr2tgZL1lMU5YiXkBI3uLgPPKABQj-M7Bgknfoq5GuRgmYHEAuMzCd2lUBpByOzSuJXz2EL2yKt_4O7p_sNk_Vi6Q9RgzQmB5uen2wyCevCfDhRshmRoFV2Meg/s1600/MeditationCartoon1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzZaxhHSVXfiXri3PHtr2tgZL1lMU5YiXkBI3uLgPPKABQj-M7Bgknfoq5GuRgmYHEAuMzCd2lUBpByOzSuJXz2EL2yKt_4O7p_sNk_Vi6Q9RgzQmB5uen2wyCevCfDhRshmRoFV2Meg/s640/MeditationCartoon1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mantra - the sacred-secret
sound. </span></b></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is an ancient tradition in
which a spiritual Guru initiates a student by whispering a sacred Mantra for
meditation. I was initiated by a teacher in the Art of Living Foundation. A
suitable mantra is chosen for the student based on the vibration in the sound
of the mantra, and the meaning is not the important part. There is a vibration
that resonates with each of the seven <i>Chakras</i>, the energy centers
in our body. This sacred sound of the mantra is like a seed that is placed
within and that then grows as it resonates. It is repeated mentally during
meditation. The vibrations of the sound rise up and then expand like ripples on
a pond. When there are thoughts, the vibrations of the mantra consolidates them
into a single sound, like ripples bring synchronicity to scattered
disturbances on the surface of water. The vibrations settle, and the mind dives
into deeper and deeper layers of consciousness, like sinking into the ocean
under the waves of thoughts. If thoughts come, repeating the mantra brings
oneness to the mind, and the vibration of the mantra dissolves the thoughts.
When the vibration settles there is absolute silence, stillness, and deep
rest. The mind dissolves into the vast expanse of consciousness.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNRYs0_BL4pRH7aUYHcrcJdq94n8mlqH5T5dSLSIIOjxms5l5e99fRcBJjYilkFdyG5sGCMbp_T6ScyGm3NT3IJLuVR0qFBiqlltg6yewgCHNNSzhhJ5wkxlZ0BtSE4UxXgWCy8sOsFc/s1600/MeditationCartoon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNRYs0_BL4pRH7aUYHcrcJdq94n8mlqH5T5dSLSIIOjxms5l5e99fRcBJjYilkFdyG5sGCMbp_T6ScyGm3NT3IJLuVR0qFBiqlltg6yewgCHNNSzhhJ5wkxlZ0BtSE4UxXgWCy8sOsFc/s640/MeditationCartoon2.jpg" height="473" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sri Krishna gives Arjun guidance on
meditation and describes its results in the sixth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
Nowhere else in the entire extent of the voluminous spiritual literature that
we have in the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita (the three
are known as the <i>Prasthana Traya</i>), can we find such a wealth of details,
explaining not only the technique of meditation so vividly but also the
possible pitfalls and how to avoid them successfully. It talks about the
discipline of "Yoga", to control ones senses and desires, before
getting into the practice of meditation. </span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sri Krishna talks about the right
attitude for meditation. You should mentally prostate to your spiritual teacher
or Guru (if you don't have one, then the God you believe in). Next, think about
God (Allah, Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, or whoever is your
God), single-mindedly. Consider the Self as the supreme goal of life when
you sit in meditation. Withdraw the mind from the world with dispassion, and
eliminate all distractions of the mind, slowly and patiently. Then draw the
mind to the Self with determination. Contemplate on the nature of the Self,
pure existence, consciousness, and bliss. The great gravitational force of the
Self will pull the mind to Itself like a magnet. The mind, then, will dissolve
into the Self like salt in the ocean.</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Meditation is effortlessly abiding
in the awareness of one's own true nature. It is about experiencing the source,
tracing back to see where the "I" comes from. One morning during
retreat, as I meditated, I asked myself, "Who am I?"…"Who is
meditating?"…"Oh, who just asked this question?"…"This
thought— where did it come from?" "Who is the meditator?" Observing
each thought come and go. Reposing in the silence between the thoughts. Being
aware of the subtlest of thoughts. The response to these questions is a great
experience.</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our soul is in the gap between the
thoughts. Even a moment of no-mind without a trace of thought is like a deep
dive into eternity, through a black hole where there is no time or space.
Everything becomes one: the world vanishes, and there is no mind, only
consciousness. When you come back, it feels like only a fraction of a second
has passed, and when you observe things outside, you realize how much time has
passed—you may have been “gone” over an hour! Great yogis can be in this state
as long as they want. During meditation some people blink into this
timelessness and think they went to sleep. If you are not drowsy, it can't be
sleep—it’s deep meditation.</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First stage
of practice is listening to knowledge on the nature of the Self.
Then comes consolidating the knowledge, removing doubts, reflecting. The
last stage is making it an experiential reality. In the Upanishads
the term for meditation is <i>Nididhyasa,</i> which means the yearning for
deep thinking. It is about turning the mind inward to the Subject - the Self, the
<i>Atman</i>.</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The experiences in meditation are
hard to express, but here they are beautifully described in the words of Sri
Krishna:</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When the mind, restrained by the
practice of Yoga, attains quietude and when seeing the Self by the self, he is
satisfied in his own Self; (Gita, 6.20)</span></i></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When he (the Yogi ) feels that
Infinite bliss --- which can be grasped by the (pure) intellect and which
transcends the senses --- wherein established he never moves from the Reality;
(Gita, 6.21)</span></i></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Which, having obtained, he
thinks there is no other gain superior to it; wherein established, he is not
moved even by heavy sorrow. (Gita, 6.22)</span></i></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Let it be known: the severance from
the union-with-pain is Yoga. This Yoga should be practiced with determination
and with a mind steady and un-despairing. (Gita, 6.23)</span></i></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Supreme Bliss verily comes to
this Yogi, whose mind is quite peaceful, whose passion is quieted, who is free
from sin, and who has become Brahman. (Gita, 6.27)</span></i></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Yogi engaging the mind thus
(in the practice of Yoga ) , freed from sins, easily enjoys the Infinite Bliss
of 'Brahman-contact. (Gita, 6.28)</span></i></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With the mind harmonized by Yoga
he sees the Self abiding in all beings, and all beings in the Self; he sees the
same everywhere. (Gita, 6.29) </span></i></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is the Unity Consciousness
state as described by some. The description of a realized one, established in
the Self, is so beautiful and mesmerizing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I like these two for meditation. It's good to know the meaning so the meditation is even deeper.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-46554138802668226902012-05-25T13:24:00.002-07:002012-09-16T12:09:19.166-07:00Chapter 3: How to Be a Millionaire<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
That was a lot of knowledge and information to
integrate instantly. It’s like being handed a concise comprehensive summary of
an entire encyclopedia in a one hour lecture. I need to digest bit by bit. Let
me start with understanding the first step required in spiritual evolution, the
Yoga of Action or <i>Karma Yoga.</i> </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
I am Indian, and we tend to be very social people.
Our get-togethers are very interesting because we don't feel shy about voicing
our opinions, or giving advice. We are also very passionate and emotional
people. We are NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) living in Silicon Valley, and guess
what? We're all in IT.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
So what do you think most of the conversations are
about? Work, companies, technology, stocks, IPOs, H1, green cards, deals to
buy...but because of my interest in spirituality, sometimes the conversations
turn into philosophical discussions. My friends know how
passionate Kesari (that’s me) is about spirituality, and loves to preach her
knowledge!</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Though I’m quieter now, less enthusiastic about
sharing and more focused on integrating. Spirituality, knowledge, and
devotion are the anchors of my life, and they come naturally to me. But
spirituality is a boring topic for a lot of people. Some say it is too heavy,
too serious, impractical, and others wear the sign "Just Not Interested"
on their face!</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Some ask, "What is spirituality anyway?"</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Some say that spirituality makes people lose their
drive to succeed in life. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Silicon Valley is full of successful people. It's
noble to pursue success in life. Who will tell you to be a failure? But how you
define success, how it's achieved, and with what attitude, is also important.
People respect those who have done well through intelligence and hard work.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
There's nothing wrong with earning money: it's
quite useful, but at what cost? I definitely don't want a stressful job. I may
not even realize that I have developed these traits! I don't want to
sacrifice my conscience. No one respects those who have earned money using the
wrong means or who have become arrogant from it. It nullifies
everything. Would I be happy? Would I be healthy? I don't think so. I look
at others and see how their health has deteriorated. Those chasing money,
power, or fame are struggling feverishly to achieve it, fretting to maintain it
in fear of losing it, and then suffering great misery when it starts going
away. In this entire cycle, meant to eventually and inevitably achieve
happiness, where and at what point does one feel satisfaction or joy?</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
So then how do I do well without becoming greedy,
jealous, egoistic, arrogant, selfish, or addicted to money? </div>
<br />
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<br />
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Here's one of my favorite jokes:</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
A top executive on vacation at a Mexican beach
watches a fisherman get up late every day, work a few hours, eat lunch, sleep
in the afternoon, and party in the evening with his amigos (friends). </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The ambitious executive is very restless so he
asks the fisherman: Why do you go fishing only for a few hours? </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Fisherman: I earn enough for my family; I'm happy…</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Executive: Well, you can work double the number of
hours, earn double, get another boat, then two, then open a company…then take
the company public…then you will be rich! </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Fisherman: Okay. How long will that take? </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Executive: About ten to fifteen years.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Fisherman: After all that hard work, then
what? </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Executive: Then you can retire! </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Fisherman: Retire and do what? </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Executive: Then you can get up late, do some
fishing, eat, sleep, and party with your friends.… </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Yes of course we should work hard, during our
working years, earning money to support our family. The lazy want easy money, to
make the most but do the least. There are some who take the easy route in life,
like a man who marries the only daughter of a rich man and then doesn’t work
another day in his life. He doesn’t get much respect from his wife, children,
or relatives, but he doesn’t care. He is so lazy that he doesn’t even help with
anything at home or with the kids. He gets up late, reads the newspaper, eats,
sleeps, and hangs out with friends. What a waste of human life!</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
There are some very interesting people in the
world who are good examples of what <i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">not</span></i><b> </b>to be. I think perhaps some of the worst of
them are the corrupt Indian public officials and their partners in crime. I
know them well. If there is a definition for demon, they would fit it exactly.
They are a disease in society. The whole country is suffering from their sins.
Yes, they, too, have an undying thirst for money and power, any way they can
get it, even if it’s illegally or immorally. What's the point of such money?
People often justify their wrongdoings, saying, for example, that “Everyone is doing
it, and why should I miss out?” Unfortunately for India, these corrupt
politicians and bureaucrats are the dominating driving force.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
In short, three examples of what not to do are
clear to me. My actions should not be driven by unending selfish desires, nor
should I pursue my goals using illegal or immoral means, and I definitely
should not be lazy. And this is the gist of the second verse of the <i>Isha
Upanishad</i>.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
As Buddha also said, the cause of grief is
desire. Greed, ego, and craving lead only to self-destruction. I firmly
believe that, even though it may not seem like that in the short term. This is
also said in the third verse in the <i>Isha Upanishad</i>.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Then what <i>is </i>the right attitude
for doing well in the world?</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Vedic wisdom teaches us that spirituality is not
antagonistic to success. Two of the four goals of life (<i>Purushartha</i>) are
material prosperity (<i>Artha</i>) and fulfillment of desires (<i>Kama</i>)
to sustain oneself. But the only sustainable way is through <i>Dharma—</i>
through moral, legal, and healthy means, without greed, lust, jealously, ego,
anger, etc. <i>Dharma </i>is all about desire management. The Vedic wisdom says awake, arise, realize your potential! There's nothing wrong with being a
rich business owner, a famous celebrity, or a powerful President. Finally, it's
not about how much you have but how content you are.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
There is a good example of this in history. Long
ago there lived a very powerful king with a huge royal treasury. He held the
responsibility for his large kingdom very well. He was very just and kind to
his people, so they loved him. He was a role model for all. He was rich,
powerful, and famous. But he was also a spiritual king, wise and skillful. His
name was Krishna. He taught his friend, prince Arjun, how to be successful
while being spiritual, such as not to drop his role or duties and run away into
the forest and meditate. He guided him on the principles of Karma Yoga, how to
excel in the materialistic realm through righteous actions and a
noble attitude. That this would lead him to the ultimate goal of being a
better, wiser person.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Let me explore this Wisdom in Action that Sri
Krishna explained to Arjun; let me give it a chance. It may make my life
better, happier, and more successful. What do I have to lose? Firstly, I should
not assume it's hard to practice. It may be a better option than being greedy,
lazy, or immoral. So I read chapters two, three, four, and five of the Bhagavad
Gita. Definitely a very good guide for life. Chapter Two, which is like a
summary of the Gita, verse forty-seven famously says this: </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i>"Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu
kadachna. Karmaphalehtur bhurma te sangostv-akarmani."</i> </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i>Thy right is to work only, but never to its
fruits; let not the fruit-of-action be thy motive, nor let thy attachment be to
inaction.</i></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Which basically says the key to happiness is
have a goal, give 100 percent effort, but drop the desire for the results. If
you've done that, then there are no regrets either. Usually the desire for a
result drives our actions and we end up either unhappy or wanting more. Like a
rat on a wheel, we are stuck in this endless cycle.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
If I could do my best in life, but from a sense of
service (<i>Seva</i>) and duty toward my family and our society, and not just
for myself, then there will be no greed, no insatiable selfish desires.
Makes sense, right? I could achieve the max I can in life and at the same time
offer all I do to the divine, and take whatever is the outcome as His offering
to me; there would be no desires (I want…), no ego bragging (I did this), no
selfishness claiming (this is mine), and no attachment—and therefore no misery.
No matter how much wealth, power or fame I get, I will have no side effects
from them; I will enjoy them with a sense of renunciation.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
When I look at them from a broader perspective, if
I realize that everything is God, that it's all Him, then He is doing and
achieving everything, not me. I am not the doer.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
So I have to purify my mind and emotions. When I'm
free of anger and ego, the world will seem like a better place, and I will be
happy. I have to change, not others. There's a Michael Jackson song I
really like called "I'm talking about the man in the mirror. I'm asking
him to change his ways. No method can mend and deliver. If you want to make the
world a better place, take a look at yourself, and make that change."</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Gandhi-ji also said, "Be the change you want
to see in the world."</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
As I change, so will the world.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
But what if I don't change? What happens if I keep
doing things that are driven from some desire, to satisfy my ego, to gain
something as a result?</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
I will be trapped in the endless cycle of <i>Samsar:</i>
of birth and death, happiness or unhappiness, like being stuck a giant wheel
going up and down endlessly<i>.</i> When we act from our desires it
creates certain patterns, impressions and tendencies in us called <i>Vasanas</i>.
The oldest patterns in us are those of eating, having sex, and fear. They are
the hardest to get rid of. These tendencies create desires. For example, if we
have a tendency to eat sweets, it will create a desire to eat desserts. Then we
will act upon these desires and eat sweet things. The memory of the enjoyment
will deepen the tendency, which will again lead to desires in an endless cycle.
These patterns and impressions carry on from lifetime to lifetime.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
That's why we need to reduce these patterns and
bad habits through Wisdom in Action—acting with awareness and
dispassion. Anyway, nothing is permanent, right? Money, titles, jobs,
houses, and cars come and go. They are ours only for a short while. Whose
wealth is it, anyway? Then why should I be so attached to them? It will only
bring misery. Sometimes on the road someone will race past me and the next
thing I see is that they are waiting at the next red light next to me. We can
keep racing through life but we'll all end up in the same place, in a pot full
of ashes!</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<u>Extra credit: </u></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">They
say a picture speaks a thousand words. The image of the Bhagavad Gita with
Krishna and Arjun on the chariot in the battlefield says so much. The chariot,
in modern times, can be replaced by a car and its parts.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #4e2800; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hRpnw3zSx415b_rUfCGtm3WW_S8YcO_QEz28SvVgVhON2WIMbWuJPQacysCwfNbp3CLuMaZgccusyY1hVYXkgPIotPwkG2spwGgS3TCa9kehUXPH_dwYzAq5pHKviVI0q5Jo28D8aEY_/s1600/GitaChariot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #b5653b; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hRpnw3zSx415b_rUfCGtm3WW_S8YcO_QEz28SvVgVhON2WIMbWuJPQacysCwfNbp3CLuMaZgccusyY1hVYXkgPIotPwkG2spwGgS3TCa9kehUXPH_dwYzAq5pHKviVI0q5Jo28D8aEY_/s1600/GitaChariot.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Symbolism:</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
1. Chariot: The physical body, the instrument
through which the Self, intellect, mind, and senses operate.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
2. Charioteer: Krishna represents the
Self/soul/consciousness, is supposed to be the wise giver of instructions to
the mind.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
3. Passenger: Arjun represents the individual
Soul, the embodied Atma, the pure center of consciousness, which is always the
neutral witness.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
4. Horses: Sensory organs, such as eyes (vision),
ears (hearing), nose (smell), tongue (taste), and skin (touch), through which
we relate to the external world by perception and action.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
5. Reins: Mind, through which the senses receive
their instructions to act and perceive.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
6. Roads: The countless objects of senses and
desires in the world and in our memory.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
7. Wheels of the chariot: right effort.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
8. Destination: “Perfection” or “Self-realization.”</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
9. Kurukshetra battlefield: the inner battlefield,
the only place where one can confront, do battle with, and vanquish the inner
demons.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
10. Two armies: One hundred Kauravas represents one
hundred demonic tendencies and the five Pandavas, the five divine virtues.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The battle (<i>Mahabharat</i>) is still going on
every day within us; this is the fight between our demonic and divine
qualities. There has always been a struggle between the two. In this conflict
between opposing forces, consciousness (Krishna) is ever on the side of
righteousness (Dharma), the reality that sustains, not the delusion that undermines.
With the guidance and wisdom (Gita) from one who has merged with consciousness
(Krishna) I can overcome the one hundred inner negative tendencies with only five
inner divine virtues. Then this chariot is to be driven to the destination that
is Self-realization. It is the same on the outside macrocosmic level also. In
the world I find the ration of good people to bad people as 100:5.</div>
<br />
<span style="color: #4e2800; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-78717997370499516082012-05-22T23:46:00.001-07:002013-02-02T12:41:46.460-08:00Synopsis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></i>
<i><span class="fld-row" id="F_bBackCoverCopy"><span class="fld-data" id="D_bBackCoverCopy">
"On this path effort never goes to waste, and there is no failure. Even a
little effort toward spiritual awareness will protect you from the
greatest fear." (Gita. 2.40)"</span></span></i><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Eternal Way to Bliss” is about Kesari's soul stirring
journey, an ordinary girl who wants to be free.<br />
It's her quest to seek truth, happiness, and solutions for life’s challenges.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
This is about her entrapment in the world, the grand design of her mind, and
her journey towards freedom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like each one of us, she is earnestly seeking guidance for
making life evolutionary, transforming from feeling incomplete to being
complete…whole. As she seeks and explores, an ancient wisdom tradition becomes
her guiding light. Starting from her distress and disillusionment with the
world, she articulates her search for answers, meaning, solutions; and for
consciousness and bliss. The theme rhymes with the Bhagavad Gita and summarizes
its teachings. Having faith in this time tested path for liberation, she
unravels the discoveries made. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Being
a householder with a family and a career in the Silicon Valley, Kesari’s quest
becomes real and achievable. As a Hindu of Indian origin living in America she
presents a global, modern perspective. She brings this deep and complex wisdom
to us in a simple, practical, concise yet authentic way.<br />
<br />
The problem is that her journey is not yet complete...<br />
Welcome to her world, truthful tale of an imperfect human. </span></span></div>
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Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-7867490995528918442012-05-22T23:45:00.001-07:002012-09-18T12:33:06.999-07:00Chapter 1 : Venting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After four decades on the planet it is very clear
to me that I don't want to be here. Sad but true. Everything and everyone I see
here, I think, is at least 80 percent negative, including myself. In this
pathetic state of affairs I need to survive.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am disappointed with everyone's immoral
character - their complex egos, the games they play, their nastiness; the list
can be endless. Some are simply demons, and I've written them off. I mean, just
look at the people in this world; in any group of ten people, eight of them
will have 80 percent negative qualities. It is hard to find good values in
people. The same is true for me! I am disappointed in myself; I am just a crumb
on this earth. I am nowhere I aspire to be. I can't deal with people (as you
can see); I am short-tempered, impatient, controlling, and more. I don't know
anything. I talk too much. I am sure others have the same opinion of me that I
have of them.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am disgusted with the worst of people dominating
and driving things, while the silent minority, who are good, refrain from
expressing themselves and hide in a corner. Everywhere I look, whether it's the
work environment or social groups, wherever there are people, negativity
dominates. My spiritual master tells me that negativity is on the surface and
the core is positive, like in an atom. Well, it's the negativity we have
to deal with - how often do we meet someone whose purity and perfection shines
through?</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Negativity is so to get rid of. Past events leave
an impression on my mind; if something bad happens today, I will be sulking
tomorrow too. If only I could have no negative impressions about people or
events, have no negative emotions poisoning my system, what a great benefit it
would be. If I woke up each morning and started afresh with no negativity, no
taints on my heart or mind, it would be such a relief.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The world has become a display of ego, greed,
selfishness, anger, hatred, and utter ignorance. We have developed so much
materially, but I feel as human beings we are degenerating. Are the
standards for friendship and humanity falling with passage of time? Are we
at the lowest point in humanity, and is this world close to becoming a living
hell? Or is it going to get worse still? </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Look at politicians. Recently I dived deep into
Indian politics and came to the conclusion that it's so bad, nothing can be
done; it's simply headed toward the edge of a steep cliff. It's because the
power is in the wrong hands, the worst people are running the show, too many
people are immoral, and the system doesn't work. The bad people are united and
the good people are divided.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I really see no reason to live. Maybe I should
just go and live in some small village, where people are simple, innocent, and
still have some values. At least I'll live the rest of my life peacefully - since
I have to go through life anyway. The only people I truly love are my mother, my
father, and my two sons, and I find them the only reason for living.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Spiritual teachers say life's purpose is self-realization,
enlightenment. So what exactly is that? Yes, we have all heard it, and we just
have to have faith in scriptures that it exists. But when someone attains
enlightenment, what happens? Something happens to them inside, but what? A no-mind
state perhaps. What exactly is that: no-mind, no ego? I've heard that
enlightened people merge with cosmic consciousness. Okay, that's just too far
out for me; I don't understand – or do they still human or they become ETs?
Scary. Is it some psycho state? Do I really want enlightenment?</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think I was quite happy as an innocent little
girl, not knowing anything. I was just happy being me, simple and natural, with
no care for the world, for my little world was perfect. Isn't that Nirvana? But
then it had to change. I had to grow up, become miserable, and then struggle to
seek freedom from that misery. Now I'm stuck. No way out, not knowing where to
go - what is the way forward? Even when I die, I will just come back here again
to be miserable.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What's the purpose of living? I can't simply turn
a blind eye to these questions and live like a robot, or have this herd
mentality: everyone is simply living and so should I. I can't follow the
patterns everyone else is: go to school, find a job, get married, have kids,
work some more, retire, and then finally die. All this for what? Most people
don't even ask this question. They simply live their lives like cattle in a
herd and follow the norms of the world and do what everyone else is doing.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don't people ever wonder what they are living for?
The biggest wake-up call is death. But by then it's too late to aim for
self-realization. If, having seen someone die, one doesn't start living, he
or she has missed the opportunity of a lifetime. There are so many
depressed people and so much sickness and suffering. Is it just me, or are most
people unhappy? Are people only feigning happiness? That superficial happiness
evaporates very quickly when faced with a problem, to be replaced with sadness
or anger. Most people go through this yo-yo of happiness and sadness all their
lives, never attaining equilibrium.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am confused, and I really feel like I am at rock
bottom in my life, trying to find some meaning to it. Tired of the mundane,
going through the motions of life day, in and day out.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have read so much, heard so much, and done so
much, but still I am nowhere. I am supposed to be spiritual - because I need it
the most I think. Look at me. I am a total failure! I still have the same
problems, still crying about this and that.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The whole world has dried up around me. The only
oasis is the lectures I attend given by Swami-ji<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4277075283012835625#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span></span></a>
at the local monastery. In the Bhagavad Gita class today, we learned that
there <i>will</i> be misery, sickness, death, and other problems. It is the
nature of the world. It is the nature of the body and mind. While the <i>mind</i><b> </b>is going through
this duality of happiness/sadness, anger/attraction, we need to remain aware of
our Eternal Self, which is untouched. And while the <i>body</i><b> </b>may be going through
the opposites of health/sickness, youth/aging, we need to be aware
that we are not the body but the Eternal Self, that is untouched. Hmmm…It sounds
good but hard to practice. Although I must admit that when I was sick yesterday
and landed in the ER, I could observe the body and say, "The body is going
through something" and I observed the body to see what was going on
inside. So I have made some progress. But a few days ago, someone at work gave
me a lot of grief and I was truly thrown off my center, lost balance, and
reacted.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why do I react? Why do I get angry? Why am I
defensive when blamed and criticized? What others do is their <i>Karma</i>;
how I react is mine. I need to detach. I need to be more aware. I need to
say "No!" I need to observe my urge to react and take a deep breath.
I need to be smart to tackle difficult people for my own benefit. Otherwise, it
is I who gets hurt. "Having resentment is like drinking poison and
thinking that it'll kill your enemy," said Nelson Mandela.
Others should not be able to control me, affect my health, or disturb my
mind. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm tired. Oh, Krishna, please help me! Where are
you? You are my only hope.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Giridhar Gopal ne hi pyar nibhaya, kisi
dosare ne naahi. </i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Baki sab ka pyar badalaa, mere Giridhar ka
kabhi naahi. </i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Mere to Giridhar Gopal dosaro na
koi." </i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Vohi mera saath nibhate, vohi meri raksha
karte. </i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Vohi mere Priya! Mere Paramatma! Mero pati
soi."</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On this darkest night of creation, where everything
seems to have reached deep into the abyss of evolution, there is nothing but
evil. The only option is total destruction for a fresh start. The only path is
upward now. it has to be after reaching absolute bottom. Knowing that this, too,
will change, knowing that this dark evil night is the climax of creation, I see
a ray of hope. Without this knowing, I would be forever lost in misery. I, too,
have reached the bottom, searching for a way up and out, searching for the Self.
Without the desire to know "Who am I?" I would be forever stuck with
the miserable "I." Still, I have a faint feeling that there is a
better "I," a happier "I," that I have to get back to. When
one's self-esteem is at the lowest a "knowing" has to awaken. So I
tell myself, “Kesari, wake up!”.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I tread the path in search of that pure self, that
awakened self. I can fall no further into that inner pit. I have to find a way
out. This, too, will change; this night will be over. There will be another day
whose dawn will illumine the true me. I will smile again. Where art thou,
Krishna, my savior? My love for you is like nectar in this dry dusty desert. It
has helped me survive. Tell me now the way forward, come to my help. Offer me
some hope and knowledge, show me the way. I trust you and only you. Krishna! Krishna! <i>Krishna!</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Credits & Copyright: Radhikita Bianci</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4277075283012835625#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span></span></a>
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Swami: Hindu monk. Literally
means, established in the Self. “-ji” added for reverence like in Gandhi-ji.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4277075283012835625.post-62931254712626982132012-05-22T17:15:00.006-07:002012-10-01T16:08:44.431-07:00Chapter 2: Dawn of a New Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The darkest night is over. Coincidentally, it
was '<i>Mahalaya Amavasya,</i>' or ‘no moon night’ symbolizing cosmic
dissolution in an ancient eastern tradition. This is followed by the nine
nights for cosmic creation, ‘<i>Navratri</i>’. In this ancient wisdom creation
is considered cyclical not linear.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
It's the dawn of a new day. I have decided to look
at the world differently. When stuck in one perspective the opposite view
is a savior. There can be a shift when you look at things in a different
light. So let me explore a completely different way of looking at myself,
my life, and this world.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
It's all in the mind; I know this. My world is a
projection of my mind. Whatever I project is reflected back to me.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
I turn to wisdom to remove the darkness. I have
faith in the ancient, time-tested knowledge of the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita.
It understands human beings, creation, and consciousness so well. It has led so
many to liberation. Like the axis of the earth, we should be centered in its
wisdom, and not deviate from it. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
To understand them correctly I have been attending
this lecture series by Swami-ji, who is an expert in these scriptures. He’s a
monk dedicating his life to the spiritual path. I went there early today to ask
Swami-ji for some advice. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He was leaving from his room for the lecture hall
and I caught him just in time. “Swamiji I have a question,” I said. Sometimes I
find it just too difficult to go on. I mean there are so many serious problems
and challenges in my life, I don’t know how to face them, overcome them, or
even if I have the will to go on. Is there some solution in our scriptures that
will help me lead a productive, meaningful life?” “Of course,” he said with
confidence. “See these problems and challenges as part of a game, like a video
game. Otherwise how will life be fun, and how will you end up winning in the
end? Come, let’s go to the lecture, you will find many answers.” Still
processing his reply, I followed him to the hall. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
As soon as I entered the hall I melted into the
calming presence of the environment. I found a seat and sat down. Everyone was
silently waiting for the lecture to begin. Swamiji went up to the front, and sat
down cross-legged on a small platform. Dressed in orange robes, always a slight
smile of on his face, glowing. Radiant. His presence is so overwhelmingly
peaceful and calm that all my gazillion thoughts and complaints come to rest.
I'm ready to listen.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i>"Isha vasyam idam sarvam." </i>Swamiji
says the first verse of the Isha Upanishad. "See God, consciousness,
pervading everything, as the substratum of everything. See this whole creation
as a divine Being. This is the vision of truth," he explains. Adi
Shankaracharya, a sage from India in the middle ages, also said that if you
look at the world from a divine vision, you will see the whole world permeated
by consciousness.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
So it's up to me how I view the world. It is easy
to see divinity in good people but not in evil people. However, evil people can
also become good again, so they have to be inherently good as well. If everyone
and everything is God, why did He create imperfection in the world?</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Oh, wait: Everything in the world is imperfect by
design!</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
There's a Sanskrit mantra, <i>"Purnam
Adah Purnam Idam,"</i> which means “That (consciousness) is
complete…whole, and This (world) is also complete and whole.” Everything
is exactly as it's meant to be, so why should I suffer? I suffer because I'm
not in sync with this divine design.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
I need to be in sync with both creation and
consciousness, with the imperfect and the perfect. It is very important
for me to realize the misery is from seeking perfection in people, situations,
and myself and never finding it. But my misery is also by design.
Otherwise, how will I look for perfection inside? So I say to myself,
"Relax. It's okay, everything is imperfect. That's the way it's meant
to be."</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Swamiji continues, "<i>Yat kinca jagatyaam
Jagat. </i>The Sanskrit word <i>Jagat </i>describes this
creation; it means that which comes and goes and stays only for a short
while." Essentially, everything in the world is changing, nothing is
permanent. Seeking permanence in anything: love, friendship, jobs, or
money is futile. Everything and everyone will change; it's natural. Yet again
and again I seek permanence. It changes and I sulk. I want to hold on, like
trying to grasp the wind in my fist, or arrest the flow of a river, not wanting
it to flow away.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
So a change in vision is required to see life and
the world in a different light. Swamiji says that the way to prepare for this
shift, according to ancient sages, is to attain discriminating wisdom (<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Vivek</span></i>); dispassion (<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Vairagya</span></i>); the six wealths,
including faith (<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Shraddha</span></i>);
and the yearning to be free (<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mumukshutva</span></i>).</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
When life is going good, when we're happy, we
never think of being free, pray to God, ponder questions about life, or ask
"Who am I?" There is no need. Very few seek liberation, Moksha, when
happy. Sri Krishna says that there are three types of people who come looking
for God:</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
1. Those who want to get rid
of problems and misery.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
2. Those who want to gain something:
a job, wealth, health, a child, whatever the object of desire is.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
3. Those who are sincere
seekers of truth.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
I have seen friends who become spiritual when they
lose a job, or when they get health problems, or something bad happens to a
family member. But a wise person who seeks the truth, God, and Self, even in
happy times, will never become miserable in bad times. There is a saying on
this by the fifteenth century Indian sage, Kabir:</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i>"Dukh mein sumiran sab karen, sukh mein
kare na koi. Jo sukh mein sumiran kare, to dukh kahe ko hoy." </i></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
This ancient Vedic wisdom understands
life so well. I am fortunate that there's someone who has so much experience of
this knowledge to explain it to me. Here's how Swamiji puts it:</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<b>Problem definition</b>: There is misery in life
from problems related to health, wealth, relationships, and children. What
values define a "good human being," and how do we overcome the
obstacles to becoming one?</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<b>Cause</b>:</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
1. Ignorance.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
2. A disturbed and restless
mind.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
3. Negativity or
impurities like cravings (<i>raga</i>), aversions (<i>dwesh</i>),
desires (<i>kama), </i>anger (<i>krodha</i>), greed (<i>lobha</i>),
delusion (<i>moha</i>), self-infatuation (<i>mada</i>), jealousy (<i>matsarya), </i>malice
(<i>asuya</i>)<i>, </i>envy (<i>irsya), </i>hypocrisy (<i>dambha), </i>pride
(<i>darpa), </i>and <i>ego</i> (<i>ahamkara).</i> </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<b>Solution</b>: What is the solution? The
solutions follows...</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
God, or nature, gave us this life with its
challenges and also handed us a solutions manual to figure out how to be happy.
It lists the values we should incorporate to be a good human being.
One such guide is the Bhagavad Gita. It's perfect because it's complete;
nothing is missing.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
According to an eastern wisdom tradition there is
a path of evolution for an individual soul (<i>Jiva</i>) from the time it's
created, separate from cosmic consciousness, to the many lives it lives, then
the final merging back into consciousness (enlightenment). That prescribed
path for a successful life was explained by Swamiji as follows:</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
First: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Principles
for Action (<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Karma Yoga</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)</span></b>. Do your duties, fulfill your
roles, work. This is external effort. <i>Karma Yoga</i> means serving others
and dedicating this service to God. Serving without expecting anything in
return, going beyond the ego, not being propelled by selfish desires, or being
attached to the results. Another aspect of this wisdom for acting in the world
is to know that you are not the doer, that everything is happening <i>through</i>
you. It means at every step, having righteousness and the laws of nature (<i>Dharma</i>)
illuminate your path. </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
What is <i>Dharma</i>? The universe was created
with certain laws. Some of the physical laws that govern creation are contained
in physics, chemistry and biology. Then there are laws that govern subtler
aspects such as the mind. There are laws for plants, for the animal kingdom and
for human life. When you are in rhythm with the laws of nature then you attain
your natural self –that’s pure existence, consciousness, love, bliss. When we
live our life in harmony with these natural laws then naturally the following
three manifest, material prosperity (<i>Artha</i>), fulfillment of desires (<i>Kama</i>),
and enlightenment (<i>Moksha</i>). </div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Our actions done in accordance with Dharma removes
impurities from our minds and emotions, subdues the ego, and reduces
desires. Selfless service benefits others, and indirectly, oneself
also. Most of us are in this stage of evolution. Yet so many jump to meditation
or knowledge before this critical step of purification. It's like a cake
recipe, you need to add the right ingredients and follow the directions.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Second: <b>Spiritual practices (<i>Upasana</i>)</b>.
This is the internal letting go. It includes, Yoga, Pranayama, meditation,
worship, and devotion. These practices are prescribed to calm the disturbed,
restless mind and bring faith. They will settle the mind to the extent that
impurities have been removed in the first step.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
And finally <b>knowledge (<i>Jnan</i>) </b>to
purify the intellect, lift the veil covering our true Self, remove ignorance by
gaining Self-knowledge, and make consciousness an experiential reality. The
values and virtues we need to live are also knowledge. If we have impurities
and a disturbed mind knowledge will just be information not wisdom.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
In short: If you have muddy and turbulent waters,
how can you see the depth? So first we need to remove the mud, then we need to
calm the surface, then we can see the depth and a clear reflection of our Self.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
How do we integrate more and more of this
knowledge? Swamiji says that spiritual masters have said that, for most people,
it’s a continuum of growth that occurs over lifetimes.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Our <i>Shastras </i>say that we need to
keep practicing—listening to knowledge (<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Shravanam</span></i>), reflecting (<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mananam</span></i>), and meditating to realize (<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Nididhyasanam</span></i>)—over and over
again.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The ripening of the fruit takes time, and when the
fruit is ripe it will fall. We don't know when or how—it just happens. The
fruit of our actions is not in our hands.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Events come and go. People come and go. The world
keeps turning.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Nothing matters. Don't worry, be happy! Enjoy this
moment. As I drive back home from the lecture on this beautiful moonlit night,
alone, I put on my favorite Sufi song, singing, smiling, and swinging, the
mystical meaning of the lyrics giving me goose bumps. Who cares about the
rest of the world? This is my journey; let me celebrate my time here.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
One day I, too, will go, and what happens after
that? I don't know and can't know, so let it happen, flow with it, be with it.
Peace!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Like Buddha said, sorrow, misery, sickness, and
death are going to be there. They're a part of life. We shouldn't let them make
us miserable. I have to get back in touch with that space in me that is
peaceful and blissful, and separate myself from this misery. That space within
me is never changing; there's a substratum that is changeless and permanent.
Knowing this difference is called discriminating wisdom (<i>Vivek</i>) in <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">the Vedic texts</span></span></span>. I have lost touch with it, and therefore I am miserable. As soon as I
get back in touch with my Self, I'm in bliss. When I am more established in
myself, that centeredness brings calm. Being aware brings calm. And when I am
calm, I make fewer mistakes in dealing with people and situations.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">Problems will still be
there, but when I am established in my Self, I can surf the waves of problems
and no longer get battered by them or drown.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Knowing this, I need to fully engage in the world
and play by its far from perfect rules. If I hate them, I'll be
unhappy. So while I participate in the imperfect world outside, I need to
be detached (<i>Vairagya</i>) inside, otherwise I will again be miserable. In
both the outer realm of imperfection and the inner realm of perfection, I need
to be in harmony. Stress and misery come when I'm in disharmony with the
rhythms of the universe. All the wheels of the clock need to move in
harmony.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
What am I looking for in this life? <i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I just want to be happy!</span></i><b> </b>Not
just now, but always, every moment. No matter what happens, it should not
affect my happiness. I want happiness that's unlimited, permanent, and
infinite. But everything gives me only momentary happiness. I get a new car and
love it for a few days and after that it's like any other car. The same thing
with a new gadget, a new house, or any shiny distraction. Most people think
that money will make them happy, yet many rich people can't even sleep well at
night! Many look for job satisfaction: they live to work rather than work to
earn a living. Then one day they lose their job. Those who want to get
married think they will be happy once they find the perfect spouse; those
who've been married for years envy single people! I have done everything
to find this permanent happiness—in relationships, friendships, new jobs,
homes, cities, and material things; taken vacations and spiritual courses,
and waited for better times. Basically, I have looked for the perfect happiness
externally, in places, things, people, and haven't found it.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The next day, as I take my evening walk I tell
myself, "Okay, now I have to understand what Swamiji was talking about yesterday."
There are two aspects to life: First is the "I" within who witnesses,
feels, thinks, experiences; the second is that which is experienced or known,
like the world, my body, breath, mind, and emotions. If happiness could be attained
by acquiring things, then happiness would not change with time, place, or
circumstances. But it does. So if happiness isn't the nature of objects,
it has to be inherent in the subject, the "I." There's no third
aspect. Therefore "I" must be the source of happiness. Logical,
right? So the seeking outside needs to change to seeking within. It makes sense.
Happiness has to be my nature-that's why I seek it. When I'm removed from it
I'm constantly trying to get back to it. And happiness feels natural. Not
sorrow; it's not my nature so I want to get rid of it. Our true nature
according to the ancient Vedic texts (<i>Shastras</i>), is -
Existence, Consciousness, Bliss (<i>Sat Chit Anand)</i>.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
My son said to me one day that reading the Bhagavad
Gita feels good, but <i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">implementation</span></i><b> </b>is
what’s important and yet so difficult. Those who are spiritual and are
learning from a guide need to see how much knowledge has integrated in us. How
we handle people or a problem tests how much the knowledge has become
living wisdom,. How far back we fall and how low, or if we fall and recover
quickly, or we don't fall at all, reveals how truly wise we have grown. The
lesser the misery, the more the knowledge has been integrated.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
All this theory is good but the most precious, the
most beautiful thing in my life is <b>devotion</b>. No need to gain it,
learn it, make any effort—it's mine already. And no one can take that away from
me. It is eternal, it is always with me. Who needs
knowledge? Knowledgeable ones bow to the feet of a devotee—they
thirst for a drop of devotion’s nectar. This ocean of divine love in my heart
is the source of the all rivers of love. This is the mother of compassion.
This <i>Russ</i> (nectar) and <i>Bhaav</i> (devotional ecstasy)
dissolves me into eternal bliss.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Leave me, let me rejoice in this drunken state - I
am intoxicated with boundless bliss. No meditation can match it's sweetness; no
knowledge can reach its grandeur. Love is supreme. It is me.</div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
But then the a wise voice within says, "No,
no, all paths are supreme. Faith, devotion, knowledge are all one, expressed
differently in each of us."</div>
<br />
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Now it's the eighth
day of the nine nights of "<i>Navratri.</i>" Had a prayer at home and
several ladies came. Feels so sacred and serene. The smell of camphor, incense,
oil lamps, and flowers makes the atmosphere so divine. Later on this long rainy
night I am alone, and all the lights are off. Just looking outside the window,
in the lamp light I see the branches of the trees waving in the wind and rain.
The pitter-patter on the rooftop like a lullaby. Let me close my eyes and be
that child again…simple, natural, innocent, with the spark of divinity, purity,
peace, and bliss…</span></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I curl into the warm, comfortable lap of mother nature
like a baby, and slip into sleep…</span></span><br />
<br />
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Vinitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315048714692735493noreply@blogger.com2