B L O G -- Bhakti Laya Ojas Gyaan

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2006-10-20T22:08:00.000-04:00

Flirting With Disaster

2006-10-17T08:48:00.000-04:00

We are a push-over when we follow our ego and get distracted by the whims of our mind. If we are push-overs we will never be able to pull ourselves up and reach our highest potential. We are a push-over when we listen to our small self and seek excitement in shallow things, or look for happiness from shallow people. It is our ego that pushes us to be with the wrong people and do the wrong things.

If we are not doing what is good for ourselves, our environment, and the people around us, then we are not doing what is right: we are doing what is wrong. It is wrong to be in our ego and flirt with disaster. It is not called “pushing our luck,” it is called being pushed around by our own shallow mentality, and when we do that our luck has already run out.

Good luck is good effort. When we are not making an effort to improve, we automatically lose our good luck. If we think we can help someone else by flirting with them, by pleasing their personality, or by enhancing their ego, we are deluding ourselves.

Man is seduced by the mystique of a woman, and a woman is enchanted by the charm of a man (or vice versa) and both are flirting with disaster. I understand it is human nature to be attracted to the opposite sex. That attraction is natural. But isn’t there something more than that? Yes, there is our attraction to our True Self. Our True Self is a mystic. When we are connected to the mystic within we are never overwhelmed by the mythical beings we meet outside.

Our own mythical being, our own false self, is outside our being. It is the state of non-being perceived as being, or imagined as being. This false perception (of our self in the form of a ‘person’) is created by our ego (false identification). Our false perception does not let us see the disaster about to happen. It can be a disastrous mistake to flirt with a mythical being, because we can lose touch with reality and make-believe the unreal is real. When this happens, the truth becomes a mystery to us and we are dumbfounded. We are unable to express the truth when we are impressed with untruth.

When the mind is filled with impressions which are in contradistinction to what is Real, the mind expresses that which is contrary to the Truth. This expression of untruth (through our false feelings, misperceptions, and wrong conceptions) makes the mind very thick and we lose our ability to flow and think clearly. When this happens it is very easy for the mind to get stuck in its images, and this gives the ego a stronghold in our mind. This is a disaster waiting to happen.

The disaster is this:

We are on this journey of Life to discover our True Self and share the wealth of our True Self with all whom we come in contact. To uncover the Truth we have to work hard on ourselves and remain committed to the work at hand, which means putting our good knowledge to good use. If we ‘know better’ but do not ‘do better’ we are going to be ‘undone’ by our own false ego. When we go crazy chasing after the empty things of this world (including shallow relationships), we never experience the fullness of Consciousness which permeates every moment of every day of our Life. Surely, this is a disaster. We can avoid this disaster by being sincere and earnest. The choice is ours. The consequences are already worked out by Nature, and nature is very unforgiving. To avoid a natural disaster (such as getting attached or stuck to an uncentered, i.e., self-centered person) we should live a natural life and attain our Supreme Nature. OM

The Trap of Personality

2006-10-14T19:26:00.000-04:00

Personality is the embellishment of ego. Many people are embalmed in their personality. They are mummified but seldom do they keep mum (seldom do they keep quiet). Even if we are outwardly quiet when we are in our ego, we are silently shouting abuses or trumpeting our own praises. This is the nature of the ego-infected mind.

When ego is embedded in the mind, the mind becomes the platform for ego expression, and that ego-expression takes shape in the form of personality. When we feed into our personality we become entrapped by it, because it becomes our habit to live through our personality. If we stopped feeding into it, we could free ourselves from our shallow personality and experience the expression of our True Self.

The True Self is ever manifest, but as long as we are asleep from Consciousness we do not experience it. We are asleep from Consciousness when our ego is in bed with our mind. Personality is the brainchild of ego.

We think we are a self-made man or woman, but in fact, the person we think we are is just a fiction of the mind. We are mythical beings. Our persona is simply a fictional character we create in our mind. Some of us are heroes and some of us are villains, but all of us are mythical beings.

To really understand who we are we need to go beyond our personality. In fact, we need to get out of our personality, because as long as we are stuck in a trap we cannot go anywhere.

We want to go beyond our self-imposed limitations and inadequacies. Ego is inadequate to make us happy. We cannot make ourselves really happy through our ego and personality. Ego and personality will always make us restless, bored, annoyed, angry, and stupid. Ego and personality make us stoop to the shallow things of life and make us degrade ourselves with cheap thrills and puppy love.

Personality is our pet, and when we are in our personality we become the pet of others and we also want others to be our pets. True love has nothing to do with pleasing the ego and personality of others (or our own). True love is constant and consistent because it is rooted in the wisdom of Consciousness, whereas personality-love lasts only as long as our personality is pleased.

We are not puppies or kittens; we are not dogs or cats; we are the Light of the Soul.

Feelings Are NOT Fulfilling

2006-10-13T20:49:00.000-04:00

Feelings are fluctuations of the mind. We say, "I feel like this", or "I feel so bad'', or "I feel really excited", and so on and so forth. Now, these 'feelings' are not really 'my' feelings; they are the feelings of the mind. Of course, if 'my' is also a product of the mind, then I suppose we could say these feelings are indeed 'my' feelings.

'Me', 'my', ' mine' are all instances of ego. That is, they are the result of the identification of Consciousness with the mind (and body). If this 'me' is aware (conscious) of the mind and body without any attachment, then 'I' am not a prisoner of the mind. In other words, when 'I' am not attached to my mind and body, then my 'I-consciousness' (which is ego) is not stuck in my mind. When ego is stuck in the mind, the mind gets infected by ego, and the symptoms of that ego-infection are morbid feelings of the mind like depression, anxiety, hate, cynicism, bigotry, arrogance, and so on.

The detachment of the 'I-consciousness' from the mind is not just an intellectual understanding. Ego is really distinct from the mind. If it were not so, you would not be able to say "I am observing my mind."

Mind is thought-force. Mind may consist of many thoughts, just a few thoughts, or even just one thought. Thought always has an object. The object of thought may be as simple as something seen (such as a sunrise), heard (such as music), tasted, touched, or smelled. You see, these experiences are all forms of thought, even though they do not necessarily involve any words. Now, where there is no thought whatsoever, there appears to be no mind. Actually, the mind is still there, but it is 'still there', that is, the mind is inactive. There are two states of the inactive mind: deep, dreamless sleep, and the yogic state of Samadhi (sometimes translated as Transcedental Awareness). [The early stage of this Transcedental Awareness is called Samprajnata Samadhi.]

To attain the state of Transcendental Awareness it is necessary to practice observing the active mind without taking any active participation in it. In other words, ego (the 'I-consciousness') sees the mind but is unattached to it. Ego is still present, but it is not infecting the mind and the mind does not affect the ego; hence neither (mind nor ego) is effected (moved) by the other. This is what we mean when we talk about 'breaking the mind-ego connection.'

When the mind-ego connection is broken, one's self-awareness is crystal clear, and in that state of clarity one realizes that the ego too is just a phenomenon of Mind. The Mind referred to here is the Universal Mind (MahaTattva). In this deep state of meditation one realizes that the mind which is observed by the ego is the object of 'I-consciousness'. When this object (the mind) is absorbed (dissolved) into the Universal Mind, the 'I-consciousness' (ego) is also dissolved. This is the higher Samadhi (Asamprajnata Samadhi).

The 'one' who experiences this Transcendental Consciousness is the Self in possession of the ego, mind, and body. This 'Self' is known as the living Self, or Jivatman. When the Jivatman (the embodied Soul) attains perfection in this Transcendental Consciousness, the Self is said to be Jivamukta, or a Liberated Soul (actually, a free living soul; a liberated embodied soul).

The person (embodied soul) who is really free, is free from all the fluctuations of the mind. That person realizes the identity of the 'I-consciousness' and the Universe, and is established in That which is beyond both. The liberated soul is beyond duality. This state of Oneness is filled with profound peace and joy. This peace and joy are not a feelings of the mind, but constitute the essence of our own being (ATMAN). Experiencing this Essence is the ultimate aim of all living beings, and no one can ever find lasting fulfillment without It. OM

ILL-WILL = ILL HEALTH

2006-10-11T08:45:00.000-04:00

Ill-will creates ill health. Anyone who harbors a grudge will always find the grudge boomerangs on them. Whenever we have ill-will towards others or ourselves, it makes us sick. Mental sickness, and even physical sickness, is usually rooted in some form of ill-will. For example, we can make ourselves physically ill by being ‘down on ourselves’. When we put ourselves down, our immune system also goes down.

Putting ourselves down means we are not picking ourselves up with inspiration. If we are doing the wrong actions—actions which are hurtful or harmful—it will be very difficult to inspire ourselves. Wrong actions typically consist of either negligence or over-indulgence. In other words, wrong actions are rooted in indiscipline. If we do not control our mind, our mind will control us and we will be miserable.

A miserable human being is a miser of good energy. In other words, they keep their good energy to themselves instead of spending it on good actions like exercising, studying, meditating, serving the family, working hard, and staying inspired. We have to spend our energy on good actions; otherwise we are bound to be miserable.

A miserable human being is damned. Literally, they are suffering from self-damnation. The flow of good energy is blocked by their own obstinate ego. Ego refuses to cooperate with the good; ego holds on to images of others and is unable to see others as souls. When our ego is embedded in our mind, we feel tense, annoyed, and angry when things don’t go our way.

We think others are in our way, but really we are in our way. In other words, our ego is in our way and making us unhappy. Ego drives us to follow our whims instead of following our heart. ‘Heart’ means the core of our being; it is that center of consciousness seated in the mind that is untouched by unreality. If we don’t listen to our heart, our heart will become silent and we will become heartless.

We should only become heartless with our own ego. We should have no place in our mind for ego. Ego will prompt us to repeat our mistakes and prevent us from changing for the better. Unless we are changing for the better, we are changing for the worse; there is just no such thing as the status quo. If we are changing for the worse, we are certainly not going to feel good about ourselves, though we may try to put up a façade.

Let’s face it. We cannot hide from ourselves because we have to live with our self everyday. People who hide behind a façade of false persona eventually find it very hard to live with themselves. Then they take out their frustration and anger on others, usually those who are closest to them. First they hold others in contempt, but eventually they begin to hate themselves.

Bad habits lead to self-hate. Self-hate leads to self-destruction. With our self-hate we destroy both our health and mental balance. The only way to ward off this ill fate is to take back our life and start changing for the better TODAY. Even the longest journey begins with one step in the right direction. Take that step today, and keep moving forward from here to Eternity. OM

Stay on Track

2006-10-04T08:13:00.000-04:00

The life is short and the journey is very long. Unless we stay on track, we will not reach our destination in this incarnation. Our ultimate destination in our Home, and our Home is the state of Absolute Being / Absolute Consciousness / Absolute Bliss (SATCHITANAND).

To get back Home, we need to be ‘upward’ bound, NOT outward bound. To be ‘upward’ bound means to be committed to the process of spiritual growth; and spiritual growth is the elimination of ego. To be ‘upward’ bound means to be determined to go beyond our small self.

We have to be intensely committed, sincere to the core of our being, and earnest in our ceaseless efforts to improve on a daily basis. ‘Spiritual growth’ is not something we do only on weekends, or only in the morning and evening. We have to ‘keep on trekking’ all day long, and keep our spirits high regardless of the obstacles we encounter. We have to keep on attaining higher and higher heights of consciousness, and we do this by becoming humbler and humbler, until we become as humble as a blade of grass.

Being humble doesn’t mean letting people walk all over you. A humble wife is not a door mat; a humble wife is one who holds her head high, is modest in her demeanor, and very loving and forbearing in her nature. A humble husband is one who is deep in his understanding, and cannot be moved from the path of Truth under any circumstance.

Truly speaking, all of us are husbands and wives, because our ultimate soul mate is none other than the Supreme Being. Atman (Soul) is eternally married to Paramatman (Supreme Soul), and that eternal union is the state of YOGA. We practice Yoga when we practice good qualities like high character, modesty, compassion, forbearance, depth of being, courage, and tenacity in rising above all our shortcomings.

If we want to attain the highest state of Consciousness, the highest state of Being, and the highest state of Love, we have to have a one-track mind. A married man or woman does not look outside of their marriage for fulfillment. A truth-seeker on the path of Eternity, the path of Moksha (Total Freedom), does not look for satisfaction in the world of Samsara (the society of the self-involved). We have to direct our search inward, then we will find the guidance we require to continue forward on our journey. Of course, we should seek the advice of seasoned travelers, but we should be wary of those who would mislead us, knowingly or unknowingly. Fortunate are those who have the guidance of a true preceptor.

If we have not yet come in touch with a preceptor of Truth, then we must let the scriptures (the Revealed knowledge and the teachings of the Wise) be our roadmap on this journey of life.

Our life’s journey did not begin with the birth of the body, nor will it cease when this body passes away. Our life is only a fraction of a moment in our endless journey to Eternity. We WILL find our way back Home, because our True Lover and Beloved is calling us in our heart. All we need to do is listen to our heart.

Listening to our heart means slowing down our racing mind. The racing mind makes lots of noise, and then we don’t hear the ‘voice within’. When the mind is looking for diversions, our attention is diverted from our spiritual growth and we are ‘off the track.’ To get back on track we need to constantly fine tune our mind and intellect to the wisdom of Consciousness.

Ultimately, this practice of constantly filling the mind with wisdom, purifies the mind to such an extent that the Light of the Soul shines in the mind with all its luster, and reveals the Essence of Being. We discover within our own being our True Lover and Beloved. We realize our Essence and know for certain (with Absolute certainty) that we are Home at last. OM

Speak Your Peace

2006-10-03T08:09:00.000-04:00

We should always speak our peace, and never speak our anger, never speak our frustration, and never speak our annoyance. This is called non-violence.

When we break our commitment to our higher nature we violate our own real self. This is called violence. Keeping our commitment means staying on track; it means NOT looking for an excuse for our weaknesses or shortcomings. It means NOT breaking our principles to please our ego or the whims of our mind.

Principles have nothing to do with images. When we set a high standard for ourselves and make up our mind to live up to that standard, we cannot compromise with our principles, otherwise we will not reach our goal. For example, if you want to build an airplane—a real airplane, not just a model airplane—you will have to keep in mind the principles of aerodynamics. You will have to follow these principles, otherwise your plane will never fly! In the same way, we will remain grounded to our ego if we do not hold onto our principles. If we do not set a high standard for ourselves and make up our mind to live up to that standard, we will never attain our highest potential.

We have the potential to be mentally at peace and physically fit, but only if we follow the principles of sound mental and physical health. If we break those principles we will lose both our peace of mind and our health. We cannot violate the laws of nature (for example, live an unnatural life) and expect to be naturally healthy; instead, naturally we will be unhealthy. Similarly, we cannot violate the laws of Consciousness and still expect to be peaceful and content. As human beings, the law of our conscience tells us that we must be humane. We can never be at peace with ourselves if we are inhumane.

We can speak our peace only when we are at peace with ourselves; otherwise, we will only be expressing our ego, and that ego-expression is always hurtful. It doesn’t mean that we should be people-pleasers and be afraid to speak the truth. It just means that our words should correspond to our actions and should come from the depth of our being and not our ego. OM

The Madness of Samsara

2006-09-28T18:30:00.000-04:00

Samsara* is the world; not the world of nature, but the world of human beings who torment themselves by going against their true nature.

This world is filled with people who are caught up in self-love and self-hate. This surreal duality is projected as attraction and repulsion, infatuation and disgust, and loving and hating others, superficially. The world of Samsara is superficial; it is not real. Samsaric love is impermanent and painful. Samsaric relationships are relationships of convenience and connivance.

A man or woman who is in love with their small self (ego) is very small-hearted. Their world revolves around themselves. People who move in lockstep with their ego are driven mad. This madness manifests in the form of anger, grudges, greed, despair and desperation. Everyone in Samsara is a desperado. They are anxious to 'go somewhere', meet 'somebody', get 'something', and be 'someone'. But they never find what they are looking for, because what they are really looking for what they really want is to be FREE.

We cannot find freedom by living in our mind ruled by the tyrant ego. We need to kick our ego out and 'put our house in order.' The problem is, many of us have become complacent; we have been accommodating our ego for many, many years. We have learned how to live with our ego even though it is a tyrant. We follow the dictates of our ego and the whims of our mind, and we never know real freedom.

We say we are free, but are we really free? One who is a slave of their mind and ego cannot be called free. One who is bound by their selfish desires and petty preferences is always on edge, always ready to explode in anger when their wants are not met. And how can our wants ever be met when we keep on increasing them?

It is time to simplify, verify, and rectify our lives. If we don't, we are never going to find peace; we are never going to be at peace with ourselves or be able to live peacefully with others. We have to make time for inner reflection and quietude. If we are constantly thinking and worrying and looking for 'something new' we are going to get old very quickly.

We need to take time for inner renewal. This means we have to do our 'homework.' We have to stop going out and looking for excitement, and instead we need to conserve our energies and direct them for self-improvement. Self-improvement means making ourselves less selfish than yesterday. The less selfish we are, the less of a liability we will be to ourselves and others. If we become completely unselfish, we will no longer be in our own way, nor will we be a burden to others. On the other hand, if we are undisciplined and careless, we will become unfit for happiness.

This world does not have to be an ugly place. It can be a beautiful experience in our eternal journey, but only if we keep our eternal nature always in view. We have to stay focused on what is important and real, otherwise we will spend our life remembering what is unimportant and trivial. We need to stay connected to our real nature, otherwise we will get caught up in unreality and find ourselves stuck in the madness of Samsara. OM

*pronunciation: sam (son) sar (rhymes with 'far') a (like the 'a' in 'about')

You Are a Diamond in the Night

2006-09-27T20:45:00.000-04:00

click here to listen to sound file

Oh Human Being,
You are the Shining Light.
Oh Human Being,
You are a diamond in the night.

Be your positive self
and rise above all negativity.
Stand firm on the pathway of Eternity
and enjoy this endless journey.

You need not suffer any more.
Open your mind to the Divine,
Fill your mind with the wisdom of Consciousness.

We are souls,
that is all we are.
That is all we could ever be.
We are the Light of the Supreme.

OM

Be Real, Be Happy

2006-09-27T11:36:00.000-04:00

If we want to be really happy we have to be really REAL. Being real means not pretending to be permanently happy with temporary happiness. In other words, being real means not imagining that temporary relationships are permanent. There is only one permanent relationship, and that is the relationship of that which is permanent with that which is permanent.

The Supreme Self (GOD) is permanent, the soul-self is permanent, and the insentient invisible substance with which the Supreme Self creates this visible world, and with which the soul is embodied as a living being is also permanent.

The Supreme Self is called SatChitAnand. The Supreme Self is simultaneously eternal (permanent) Existence/Consciousness/Bliss. We can say that the Supreme Self (Paramatman: Supreme Soul) is indestructible, unchangeable, all-pervading, ever-existing blissful Consciousness.

The soul-self (our own self) is called Atman, which means all-pervading. Therefore, our essential quality is that we are indestructible, unchangeable, all-pervading, ever-existing Consciousness. We are blissful on account of our being pervaded by the Supreme Self. Our proximity to the Supreme Self is experienced when we experience that All-blissful Presence, and this highest experience is the highest state of consciousness, and is called Moksha (Liberation), Heaven, Nirvana, and so forth.

The insentient, invisible eternal substance is called Prakriti. This is Nature in its primordial (pre-manifested) state. This Nature is vast and expansive, but it is not all-pervading. This Nature (Prakriti) is pervaded by the Supreme Self and ourselves. Though Nature manifests in the form of the Multiverse (universes after universes after universes), or we can simply say, the Universe, this manifested Universe does not in any way change or diminish the eternal Substance called Prakriti (Nature).

The interrelationship of the Supreme Self, ourselves, and Nature creates this drama of existence, and this drama, or play (LILA) exists for only one purpose: so that we can experience our Essence, which is none other than that All-pervading, Ever-existing, Ever-conscious, Supremely Blissful Self.

So, if we really want to be really happy, we must relate or connect to that state of Consciousness which is permanently happy. If we get caught up in the ever-changing phenomenal world, then the happiness we derive from it will surely change into something else: for example, it will change from happiness to unhappiness.

Since our intrinsic nature is happiness itself, we can never be satisfied with impermanent happiness. Hence, we would be wise to practice detachment from the things of this world; and we would be foolish, or other than wise, to practice otherwise. This practice is a mental practice, because really this world exists in our mind only. From the point of view of the Soul-self, this whole world is just a big drama. When the Light of the Soul shines upon the mind, the mind perceives the truth about this world and is no longer disturbed by it.

This practice is the practice of Yoga. This Yoga is a sovereign and secret science, which simply means that it is one which must be practiced by one’s own self (sovereign), and its efficacy must be experienced directly within one’s own self, which is why this science is unknown or hidden (secret) to those who are looking outside of themselves by living in their images and storybook, manmade religious, philosophical, academic, or materialistic pursuits. OM

Why Happiness Eludes Us

2006-09-26T07:36:00.000-04:00

Happiness eludes us because we are running away from ourselves. We do not realize that true happiness is inside of us.

We are running away from ourselves when we live in denial about what we need to change. We are running away from ourselves when we refuse to confront our own ego, and choose instead to seek appreciation and recognition. We want to be adored but we don’t adore our own real self. We don’t want to be ignored, but we ignore our own real self.

Our real self doesn’t need anything. When our mind is clear, we realize this. But when the mind is filled with thoughts of poor ‘little me,’ we think the whole world is against us. The truth is there is nothing happening to us that we are not doing to ourselves. If we are angry, we are making ourselves angry. If we are bored, we are making ourselves bored. If we are miserable, we are making ourselves miserable.

If you think this is over-simplification, then you are simply mistaken. If we mistake our mind for our own real self, then we have created a false identity, and that mistaken identity creates lots of confusion. If we do not know who we really are, and what we really are, it is impossible to be who we really are, which means it will be impossible to be really happy. OM

Live Life to the Fullest

2006-09-25T13:23:00.000-04:00

There is so much beauty in this life, but if the mind is confused we won’t experience it. They say, “We should slow down and experience the flowers.” We should slow down the racing mind and experience the inner beauty of this life.

When the mind is brought under our control we are no longer controlled by things happening outside of us. We are completely responsible for our mental state. We can make the mind a palace of good thoughts and inspiration, or we can make it a dungeon of despair. It is all our own doing.

It is not possible to do the wrong actions and be positive at the same time. A wrong action is one which negates our real nature. Actions which are contrary to our real nature will always cause confusion in our mind. If the mind is confused we will not experience the beauty of our life.

Our ego is a beast that does not let us be our best. When our mind is ruled by our ego our potential to experience our own inner beauty is severely limited. Unless we sever our ego from the mind we will never have a really good time. A good time is a good life; it is NOT a fleeting moment of cheap pleasure. The cheap pleasures of the mind can be very costly in the long run. Even in the near term, they can cut our life short. Before that happens, we should cut ego out of our life. We need to lance the tumor of ego with the sharp scalpel of wisdom.

We think it is painful to remove our ego, but actually it is much, much more painful to let it grow inside of us. When we let ego grow in our mind it completely clouds our vision and doesn’t let us experience the beauty of life. Hence, we spend our entire life looking outside of ourselves for happiness and never find it.

This life is only a single moment in our eternal journey of Liberation (Absolute Freedom). This life is a golden opportunity. We should seize the moment and live it to the fullest. OM

The Open Heart

2006-09-24T14:06:00.000-04:00

An open heart is an open mind. Mind is the heart of the matter. If the mind is messed up, everything that matters in our life will also be messed up. The mind is messed up when we don’t keep it tidy. A tidy mind is one which is put in order. Peace of mind is more important than the material things of this world and more important than the mind is the Self (the soul, ATMAN). If we do not put our soul work first, then our mind is out of order and out of control. That mind becomes narrow and stingy, and gives one a heavy heart. Really, a heavy heart is simply a mind that is burdened with the thought of ‘little me’ (ego).

Opening our heart means opening our mind to the wisdom of Consciousness; it means broadening our awareness and looking beyond our small self. It has absolutely nothing at all to do with being kind or gracious with the wicked and selfish-minded people. If we are open to those who are dead set on using us and abusing us, then we are definitely going to be used and abused, and we might even end up dead.

One whose heart is open is not stuck in their ego. Though they may still have ego, they do not live for their ego, nor do they try to please the egos of others. They are not people-pleasers; they are pleasers of soul, they are pleasers of the pure consciousness.

In our heart of hearts we are nothing but pure consciousness. When we remove all our mental debris we discover in the core of our being the pure state of Divine Love. That state of being is beyond wanting and desiring; it is beyond expecting, projecting, prospecting, accepting or rejecting. In other words, it is free of all selfish motives.

An open heart is a mind free of selfish motives. It is a mind devoid of any ego-agenda. When our heart is open and filled with divine wisdom, we become the source of solace and inspiration. We become a beacon of Light in this world, and when we depart from here we leave the mark of goodness and pass through the rays of the sun into eternity. OM

Oh Restless Human Being. . .

2006-09-23T19:16:00.000-04:00

Oh restless man, oh restless woman. . .

Where will you go? What will you do?

Wherever you go, and whatever you do,

Your boredom comes right back to you.

Sooner or later you have to make up your mind.

Sooner or later you have to stop listening to your ego.

Why are you restless and why are you bored?

You are out of balance and out of tune.

Running with your mind, controlled by your ego,

You will find no satisfaction and no peace.

Your restlessness makes you angry, and

Your boredom makes you depressed.

You cannot find release by appeasing your mind and

Repressing your real self.

Your real self is already happy and full.

It is just your mind and ego that make you think

You are unfulfilled and falling apart.

Slow down your racing mind and get out of your ego.

Listen to the wisdom and take it to heart.

Every moment is a new beginning, a new start.

Live in the freshness of Consciousness and make

This moment the experience of Eternity.

There is no other way to overcome your

Insecurity and uncertainty.

Life has not cursed you; it is just your wrong thinking

That makes you feel down and out.

But what you feel with your mind is not what you really are.

The mind and ego are NOT what you are all about.

Your life is a gift from above, and everything here is just a test.

You have written the test yourself, and your Real Self is

Ever above and beyond all of this.

You can pass this test of life without remiss.

All you need to do is stop your mind from running out.

The running mind is restless because ego

Resides there and causes much agitation.

Besides this, there is also the lack of wisdom.

You were born with a pure heart, but you were not born wise.

You become wise when you control your mind and give up your ego.

There is no other way to find what you are looking for.

When you find it, you will never again be restless or bored.

Make Peace With Yourself

2006-09-22T20:04:00.000-04:00

“Make peace with yourself, then you can make peace with others.”

Our problem is NOT with others; our problem is with ourselves. We are in conflict with others only because we are conflict with ourselves.

Of course, we are talking about interpersonal relationships and not international relationships. However, even the relationship of one nation with another nation can only be peaceful if both countries respect their borders. Now, this means everyone must respect their own borders as well as the borders of others.

Where do we draw the boundaries? Our boundaries are established in antiquity, and they only become antiquated due to neglect. In other words, we are personally bound by the law of our own being: when we break that law we violate our own being. For example, since we are human beings, being humane is a law of our being. If we behave inhumanely, we violate our own being. When we betray ourselves, we will not hesitate to betray others too. When we violate our own boundaries, we will surely violate the boundaries of others.

It is inhumane to be cruel or hurtful. We hurt ourselves with our bad habits. We hurt ourselves when we cheapen ourselves. We hurt ourselves when we ignore our conscience and listen instead to our selfish ego.

Some people become so inhumane that they cease to be human beings. According to the Law of Karma and Reincarnation, those who behave inhumanely are not born again as human beings, but instead they are born as animals (including fish, insects, etc.). Regardless whether or not you believe in reincarnation, it is enough to know that those who are inhumane suffer in many different ways in this life.

Human beings CANNOT be happy with themselves so long as they are lying to themselves. We are lying to ourselves when we think we can stay in our ego and be happy. Sure, we might be temporarily happy or excited, but that happiness or excitement will always fade away, and we will never really find fulfillment or inner peace.

Inner peace can only come to us when we make peace with ourselves. What does this mean? It means we have to be honest with ourselves, recognize our own weaknesses and limitations, and do something about removing them. Our ‘doing’ must be deliberate and focused; otherwise it will be a ‘shot in the dark’.

We can only recognize our pitfalls when we shine the light of wisdom on our mind. This wisdom will expose our own ego and we will clearly see how we limit ourselves with our personality, our preferences, our false expectations, and our images.

As long as we remain in the darkness of Ignorance, we will remain bound by our ego-aspirations and hallucinations. Only the wisdom of Consciousness can give us the insight to see inside ourselves and stop looking outside for meaning and fulfillment.

We are full with the Light of Consciousness! Fullness is our nature. When our mind is filled with the ‘fullness’ of Consciousness, our mind is peaceful, and that peacefulness leads us to experience the Greatest Love, the Highest Bliss, and the Perfect Peace. OM

We Are the Energy of Consciousness!

2006-09-22T17:54:00.000-04:00

Om Yah Pranato Nimishato . . . . .

We are the energy of Consciousness, and that energy is indestructible. Since the beginning of Time, and before Time, and for all Time we have been manifesting in innumerable forms. Our bodies are formed from the elementary particles by the power of Consciousness.

The energy that emanates from Consciousness is our Life Force. It is called PRANA. That living energy has created everything that lives and breathes. That same energy brings into manifestation the material substances of this Creation. That same energy enables our mind to think and understand, our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our other senses to experience this vast Universe.

When we fine tune our mind, we can perceive that this Universe is our body (our greater 'body' is the Universe), and that our small self is only a single particle of our Being. This is not an intellectual experience. It is something we can experience directly in deep meditation.

All living creatures are the manifestation of that Supreme Power which is our Essence, but only we human beings on this planet Earth can experience that Essence. It is for this purpose that we have been born, it is for this purpose that we live, and only by fulfilling this purpose will we be able to conquer Death. OM

Self-delusion

2006-09-18T16:42:00.000-04:00

Nearly everyone in this world is suffering from self-delusion, including this one. If we were not suffering from self-delusion we would not have come here, nor would we stay around. We would be long gone. [We we not get into ego or stay in ego; we would rise beyond it.]

Our ego leaves us when we stop supporting it in our mind. The problem is, everyone is validating their ego. In other words, everyone is feeding their ego to keep it alive; we keep it alive because we think it is real; we think it is real because ‘we are thinking about it.’

Swamis, gurus, acharyas, sanyasis, preachers, mullahs, rabbis, priests and pundits; one and all are living in self-delusion. We say one thing, but do another. We preach one thing, but practice another. At least everyone should admit to themselves that they do not know. If we know that we do not know, then we at least know something; otherwise, we know nothing.

We are imperfect human beings. It doesn’t matter how many college degrees we have; it doesn’t matter how many books we have read or written; it doesn’t matter how many important people we know, or how many people think we are important; it doesn’t matter how many spiritual experiences we have had or how long we can meditate or how often we pray or how many prayers or mantras we have memorized. We are still imperfect human beings; we are still fallible; we are still going to die, forget, and be forgotten.

We keep on thinking about ourselves, because we are suffering from self-delusion. Beyond self-delusion is the State of Being. The State of Being is not known by the want-a-be’s, the wish-I-were’s, and the wish-I-were-not’s. The State of Being is our Essence, and the state of ego-knowing, ego-relating, and ego-expecting is the state of self-delusion.

Depth of Consciousness

2006-09-17T14:58:00.000-04:00

Everyone loves to be in the company of someone who is deep, and no one likes the company of a shallow person. Since we have to live with ourselves everyday, and we take our mind with us wherever we go, we have to connect to our own depth of consciousness to be really happy with ourselves.

Much of our life is spent living on the surface level. From there we cannot see beyond ourselves. When we are living for the satisfaction of our ego, our life is very unfulfilling even if we fulfill all our ego goals. We need to slow down the racing mind so that it stops making so much noise. Often the answers to our questions are right in front of us, but we don’t see them because we are blinded by our ego.

Ego blinds us and ego binds us. It ties us down to our daily routine of self-gratification, frustration, annoyance, blame, and shame. All of these negative experiences exist on the surface only. We need to look deeper to find the cause of our unhappiness and instability. If our happiness is unstable we are definitely going to be insecure. We cannot secure happiness and peace of mind by following the whims of our mind or the dictates of our ego. So long as we are driven by selfish ego-motives, we will remain in self-delusion.

Beneath the ordinary state of consciousness lies our subconscious mind. These two: the ordinary conscious mind and the subconscious mind determine the experiences of all ordinary people. Deeper than these states of mind, and beyond them, is the super-conscious state. When the mind is connected to the state of Pure Consciousness, this is called the super-conscious state of mind.

To establish the mind in the superconscious state requires work. It does not happen by osmosis; in other words, it doesn’t just happen on its own. We need to practice the state of super consciousness. This means we need to:

Practice being peaceful
Practice being compassionate
Practice being a good listener
Practice inner quietude
Practice self-control
Practice patience
Practice simplicity
Practice, practice, and practice

We become deep when we practice the depth of consciousness; we do not become deep by just hearing about it or reading about it.

The depth of consciousness is the state of Being. When we are in the core of our being, we are in our center and we are balanced. We lose our balance only when we are off center. A human being who is uncentered is living on the surface level and is shallow. We cannot be happy when we are shallow, because shallowness is not our real nature. Shallowness is the nature of a mind left unattended. When the mind is left to do whatever it wants to do, it is not going to do what it needs to do. We need to tend to our mind the way a gardener tends to his garden.

We need to keep our boundaries to protect our life. If our mind has no boundaries we will not be able to save ourselves from our own ego. People become insane only because they haven’t sanitized their own mind. Our sanity is rooted in our inner balanced state. When we lose our center we lose our balance, and when we lose our balance we lose our sanity.

The way to stay balanced is to center our mind on the wisdom of consciousness. We do this by being in the company of the Wise, attending satsang (wisdom-gatherings), self-study and introspection (inner-inspection), and performing all our duties in the spirit of dispassion. Dispassion means: compassion without any attachment. Dispassion is a state of being; it is NOT a state of disinterestedness, lack of concern, or other form of false detachment.

Dispassion is the quality of a deep human being. The depth of consciousness is characterized by dispassion. The depth of consciousness can only be known through the practice of dispassion. OM

God Is One, Gods Are None

2006-09-15T21:35:00.000-04:00

God is One, indivisible, immutable, indestructible, eternally existent, eternally conscious, eternally blissful Being (Reality). That Supreme Being (Ultimate Reality) is called SatChitAnand.

God is One, and gods are none. There are no such things as gods and demigods. There is no devil either, this too is just made up in the mind.

When we talk about the different DEVAS, or gods, we are referring to the innumerable qualities of that Supreme Being Who is One Without a Second.

There is one Supreme Being, but there are many other beings too, some conscious and others unconscious. For instance, human beings and other living beings are conscious, whereas non-living objects composed of particles of unconscious matter are unconscious. Space, Fire (energy), Air, Water, and Earth are unconscious.

Some people assign personalities to unconscious objects. For example, some people imagine that a mountain, or a rock, or a river, and so forth, have personalities. In other words, they think these things can be conscious entities. Some astrologers believe that Mars, Venus, Jupiter and other celestial bodies are actually possessed by super conscious beings called demigods. All of this is a fantasy created in the mind of the ignorant.

Certainly, one might make use of analogies in the shape of a story or tale, for the sake of giving a lesson. This is simply poetic, literary, or artistic license, and examples of this exist in every religious and philosophical tradition. When appropriately used, these forms of expression can be helpful in creating a deeper understanding of things. Of course, they can also be misunderstood, and in such cases there should be clarification by those who know better.

Each of us is a self-contained conscious being. By self-contained we mean to say that intrinsically, each and every one of us is absolutely independent in our uniqueness as conscious entities. In other words, at the core of your being you are uncreated, which means you (the Real You) is immortal and immutable (non-modifiable). That core of your being is called ATMAN, or soul-self: absolutely pure consciousness devoid of any and all mental superimpositions.

Though we are self-contained, we take birth in these human bodies (and other bodies capable of supporting life) for the purpose of expressing ourselves. Our life is an art, and each of us is an artist of life. We use our bodies and minds to bring out the best in us, to manifest the core of our being, to share the beautiful qualities of our spirit, in the spirit of unselfishness and divine love.

Embodied in this human body, we are absolutely inter-dependent with all other beings, both sentient and insentient, i.e., conscious and non-conscious forms of existence. As the saying goes, "No man is an island".

Collectively, we (the entire Universe) are an infinitesimal expression of that Supreme Consciousness. That Supreme Consciousness, which is all-pervading and indivisible, cannot be cut into pieces or made into fractions, because Its nature is that It is All-pervading and Unchangeable; hence, Its all-pervading, indivisible nature cannot be changed into a fractionalized one. That Supreme Nature is 100% present in Its entirety within the core of our being and all around us. That Supreme Soul is the Soul of our soul, the Heart of our heart, the Being of our being, and the Life of our life.

Does this mean that the Supreme Consciousness is also present in a rock, river, or mountain, and so forth? It would appear to be so, but it can only be true if the existence of the object can be proven to be real (eternal). But on the contrary, we can prove the non-eternalness of the object, hence, it is established that that which is eternal cannot be said to be present in that which is non-eternal. In other words, that which is eternal can only be said to be absolutely eternal if the characteristic of eternalness is eternally established. Since a temporary object is by nature temporary, it is impossible for something to be eternally present in it; hence, we must conclude that the Eternal Presence (GOD) is NOT present in temporary objects of nature; otherwise, we will have to say that the Supreme Being, who has the unchangeable quality of being eternally present, is temporarily present (in the temporary object). To say so is a contradiction and is absurd.

The Supreme Being is eternally present in that which is also eternally present; namely, in all of the other conscious beings and in the primordial matter (called PRAKRITI). Of course, by conscious beings we mean the innumerable souls in their unmanifested state. Now, when the soul (pure consciousness) is manifested in (for example) a human form (comprised of particles of the primordial matter), the expression of that embodied soul cannot really be said to literally be the manifestation of the soul; nor can the expression of the entire universe (or Multiverse) be said to literally be the manifestation of the Supreme Soul (GOD). For example, when an artist paints, or a musician plays, or a writer writes, the expression is not literally the artist, musician, or writer. You (as consciousness itself) already exist (with or without a body). As an immortal being, you are already eternally manifest [manifest in the sense of being present]. The expression of your eternal presence through the medium of the mind and body is really just a drama, as even the entire Universe is just a drama, a play, a sport (Lila).

When we are playing tennis, or football, or we are acting in a play or drama, we know it is not really real. The part we play in a drama is a real part of the drama, but the drama is still only a drama, and we are not really the part we play in the drama. In the same way, this drama of Life which we think is so real is not really real, it is just a real drama.

As the saying goes, "We are in the world, but we are not of it". Similarly, we are in the body, but we are not of it. In reality, we are not even in the body, we are just in the drama of being in a body.

The truths expressed in this short discourse can only be fully grasped through the direct experience of meditation. Having experienced them, one must employ this meditative awareness throughout the day in one's daily activities. Ultimately, we will fully realize the Essence of our being. OM

Sacred Heart

2006-09-15T21:16:00.000-04:00

This life is a sacred gift from above. We did not arise from the dust, only to return there again. No, we did not evolve from worms or cockroaches or monkeys. Consciousness is the root of all life and all things in this Universe. This Universe was formulated in Consciousness, and shaped from an invisible, primordial substance (called PRAKRITI). This world of matter, and all the living things residing here, are enveloped in Consciousness. If the ends of the Universe are ever reached by the scientists, they will discover that this entire Universe is bound by Consciousness. Ultimately, this world will fade away into Consciousness itself.

At the time of the formation of the Universe, Consciousness was present. That same Consciousness existed before the Universe came into existence, it exists now, and will continue to exist when everything else passes away into oblivion.

Then why are we oblivious to the presence of that Consciousness within ourselves? It is because we take this life for granted and don't realize just how sacred it really is. Our life is not a child's play, but unless we become childlike we will not comprehend what this life is all about. It is NOT all about 'little me'. Life is NOT all about 'my' feelings, 'my' worries, 'my' plans and expectations. This false life is just a nightmare that we create in our minds due to the infection of ego. When we are in our ego we take this life for granted and we think life owes us something. We say, "what can I get out of life?" This is the wrong way to think. We should be asking ourselves what we can give to this life, and how can we share it with others?

If we are truly conscientious we will live constantly in a state of grace. We will feel the power of that Supreme Consciousness present within ourselves and all around us. This is not something that we imagine; it is a vibration of the sacred heart.

Our mind must be purified so that we can perceive the Truth. So long as we are holding a grudge, harboring feelings of self-hate, feeling sorry for ourselves, expressing anger or feeling superior or inferior, we cannot experience our Essence. OM

The Horizon of Understanding

2006-09-15T14:01:00.000-04:00

In this family of mankind, we are duty bound to raise our consciousness and the consciousness of all those whom we come in contact with (especially, our loved ones). 'Raising consciousness' means becoming more and more aware. We should be aware of our own pitfalls and do something about it. We should be aware of our own ignorance and do something about removing it. We remove our ignorance by learning the lessons of life, and not just by remembering the stories. In the same way, it's important that we help our loved ones learn their lessons too. We can only do this if we've learned our own. The problem is, too often we only memorize the stories of our life without really learning from them. This same error is evident in the field of religion, where preachers preach but don't practice, and where teachers teach without having learned the lessons. For example, there is so much ignorance propounded in the name of religion by religious proponents whose primary practice is the perfection of their own perplexing puzzle.

People, especially so-called 'religious' people, think they have everything all figured out. They put all the pieces together like a puzzle, and when all the pieces fit so nicely they feel absolutely positive that they themselves are the keepers of the Truth. They can quote various scriptures and connect all the dots, but THIS IS NOT THE TRUTH. The Truth is in our practices; the Truth is in our character; the Truth is in our behavior; the Truth is in ourselves and its expression is the art of living. 'Connecting the dots' is not art. The Truth cannot be known by an empirical process; but neither is it known by blind faith. It is a matter of practice and direct experience.

When we practice being honest with ourselves, and don't hide behind the facade of ego and personality, our awareness expands and the horizon of our understanding is very beautiful. OM

Persona (Personality)

2006-09-13T21:46:00.000-04:00

Our persona is a facade, and that facade doesn't let us see the work we need to do on ourselves. Behind the facade of our persona is a disturbed mind. Our mind is disturbed by all the junk we have put into it, and also by the rot and decay resulting from lack of proper maintenance and self-improvement.

Imagine a beautiful home with a nice exterior facade of brick veneer or slabs of marble. But behind the facade the structural framework is rotting. Eventually that beautiful home is going to crumble; it's going to fall apart. In the same way, a human being who doesn't see the inner work that needs to be done, and just puts on a facade of being happy, is only fooling himself or herself. Unless they do real work on improving their mind and making it solid with wisdom, they will definitely fall to pieces one day. Outwardly they may continue to put on a show, but inwardly they will be a mess. Unfortunately, this is the case with many people today, because they are not doing their homework.

We cannot continue to fill our mind with nonsense and then expect our life to make any sense. If the life doesn't make sense it is only because we are trying to make sense of the nonsense. Life is what it is, and what it is is beautiful if we make our mind beautiful. If our mind is beautiful we will be beautiful. If our mind is ugly we too will be ugly, regardless how we try to cover it up with our personality.

Our personality is just a shadow; it is not the real self. It is the shadow cast in our life due to the interference of our ego and self-will. If we expel our ego from the mind, the light of consciousness will shine through our thoughts and that expression will be divine. We can call it 'godhead-personality', because it is devoid of selfish ego. If you think everyone is going to recognize that godhead personality, think again. It never works that way. If you do your homework and consequently pass the test, it doesn't mean everyone is going to know your mark or grade. Of course, they will likely sense your confidence and strength, and may be attracted to be near you --- some to cheat and others to learn. If you are really deep you will not fall for the empty praises of the slackers, nor will you be too quick to advise every seeker.

When we see our personality but don't get attached to it, we become established in our Higher Self. To do that, we have to forget ourselves. The problem is this: if we are caught up in our personality, we will also get caught up in other personalities too, and we will never know the Essence of Being. Personality is just a flavor of ego. Like so many flavors of ice cream, there are so many flavors of ego, but the truth is that none of them provide any real nourishment. It is just another junk food for the mind. Personality just adds more junk relationships, junk memories, and junk feelings to the mind. The 'personality play' is just a waste of time and a waste of life.

To experience the state of Pure Consciousness we must go beyond our personality and stop feeding into the personalities of others. We don't have to be people-pleasers, but we do have to please our own soul. We make our soul happy when we see ourselves and everyone around us as living souls, as the beginingless, endless expression of Pure Consciousness. OM

Becoming Open-Minded

2006-09-13T17:21:00.000-04:00

What is a narrow mind? A narrow mind is one which is filled with images. Now, let's come to an understanding about what images really are. To begin with, we have impressions in our mind. These impressions come about from our experiences. More specifically, they are created in the mind when ' I ' do actions. The key word here is ' I ', which means 'me', which means ego-self, which means the identification of the eternally conscious Self with the temporary 'body' (body, mind, intellect, and all the things of this world of mind and matter). No one remembers their first action in this body, and certainly not their first impression either. We may incorrectly call our first memory our first impression, but in fact, our memories are formed from our impressions. The impressions referred to here are subtle impressions (SAMSKARAS). Naturally, we may also form 'impressions' of our memories too.

From our impressions arise subtle tendencies (VASANAS). These subtle tendencies become full blown desires when the 'environment' for their fulfillment comes about. These tendencies and desires induce the mind to 'think'. That is, we have thoughts related to our impressions, tendencies, and desires. In fact, we are prompted, or impelled to think in order to satisfy our desires created from our impressions. [Remember: at the subtle level, our desires are VASANAS, or motivating tendencies.] Our thoughts form our attitudes, or mental disposition. Together, our thoughts, attitudes, and mental disposition are called VRITTIS. Our mental disposition makes us disposed to act in a certain way, according to our impressions and tendencies. So, our attitude, or mental disposition leads us to do actions which in turn create more impressions, and thus the cycle of KARMA goes on, and on, and on. (Karma, Samskara, Vasana, Vritti, Karma. . . . .)

This brings us back to the explanation of 'images'. All images are formed in our thoughts. In fact, images are thoughts, attitudes, and mental dispositions to which we cling to. It is this 'clinging' that makes the thought an image. An image of what? An image of ourselves. In other words, the 'cling-on' is our own ego, which attaches to a particular thought to validate its existence. We support our separate identity by holding on to those thoughts (attitudes, etc.) which perpetuate our separate selfhood. These images are the 'hood' that covers the self and creates in the mind the illusion of separateness. When we remove the images we dis-cover, or uncover the Truth (our own True Self) and the mind recovers from the spell of self-delusion.

When the mind is filled with images (which simply means: 'when we are using our mind to support our ego'), our mind becomes constricted and this constriction creates friction and tension in the mind. We are stressed-out by our own images and ego-expectations. But when we open up our mind, by dropping our images and false expectations, the mind becomes free and clear.

So, how do we do it? How do we remove our mental images? We remove our images by filling our mind with the Wisdom of Consciousness: with the explanation and knowledge of what our real nature is, and what is the real nature of this world (including of course our mind, body, intellect, ego, etc.). The wisdom will create a stir in the mind and make it difficult to remain complacent. Wisdom makes the mind that is filled with images very uncomfortable, but it also gives the mind new insights which are very refreshing. Naturally, the mind wants to feel 'refreshed'. To get more refreshment, the mind makes room for more wisdom by removing more images. When the mind becomes completely image-free, the ego no longer has any support and is removed from the mind. Through intense spiritual practice, the ego is eventually dissolved and the self stands clear. The true nature of the Self, which is self-effulgent and ever free, is manifested. OM

Becoming Imageless

2006-09-12T22:54:00.000-04:00

What does it mean to be imageless? It means to be free from all our past impressions. It means to be ever fresh and ever renewed in the pure State of Being. We get a taste of this freshness in deep meditation and inner quietude.

We need to drop all our images to be happy. We need to leave all our images to be really free from within. It is not enough to memorize a few facts, or study a few books, or attend a few lectures. If we really want to be established in our True Self, we need to be in the state of meditative awareness 24/7 (twenty-four hours a day, seven days week, 365 days a year--and 366 on leap year!).

What is meditative awareness? This is the state of deep, focused receptivity of the mind. Only a clear mind can be focused, and only a mind that is free of mental clutter can be deep. If the mind is filled with emotional debris and mental chit-chat, one can never experience the depth of Being, even though one may be able to concentrate the mind on the things of this gross world. For example, there are people who can excel in their career, but are completely inept at steering their life to reach their ultimate destination. They live their whole life on the surface level and never realize how deep their roots really are.

Our roots are established in the Essence of Being. Our roots are established in Pure Consciousness. From that Pure Consciousness, the wisdom flows. We need to realize that our roots are from above, and all what we call real is not so real after all. In other words, what we see, hear, taste, touch, smell, and think is just an outgrowth of something else which we cannot perceive by these means. The mind and senses cannot fathom the depth of Being because we are trying to find the meaning of Life through the false perception of ego. Ego cannot see beyond itself; it is always looking down on others and down on life.

When we are in our ego we try to make ourselves happy through our attachments, possessions, and accomplishments. We fail to look up to the wisdom of the Wise or listen to our own higher consciousness. Instead, we get caught up in our images and expectations and try to figure everything out through the false perception of ego. We become totally wrapped up in ourselves, in our memories, feelings, desires, and hallucinations. We think we are in control of everything and we don't realize that much of what happens in our life is just the play of Life itself. (In the Gita this is explained with the phrase: "The Gunas are moving among the Gunas.")

Our Real Self, our Higher Nature, is not caught up in this drama of life. The mind, purified by that Higher Nature, becomes the witness and is no longer moved or motivated by that which is unreal. When this happens, the peace begins to descend from above (where are roots are). We feel connected to that which is real, and that connection give us real confidence (Atam-Vishwas, soul-confidence) to continue our inward and upward journey.

The deeper we go, and the higher we go, the more we realize our own imageless Essence. When we become completely imageless, we attain the Highest State of Consciousness. We are Free, forever Free. OM

Reaffirm Your Real Nature

2006-09-10T17:37:00.000-04:00

Why do we have mental problems, like annoyance, insecurity, grudges, jealousy, and so on? These mental maladies arise from the deep hole we have created inside ourselves. This emotional hole cannot be filled even by God, what to talk about another human being. We think a husband or wife can satisfy the longing of our soul; or maybe we think success on the job, material wealth, fame, or personal recognition will give us lasting happiness. It is not possible. It is impossible for that which is temporary to give permanent fulfillment.

All relationships are temporary because they are based on duality, and duality is nothing but EGO; it is the false identification of the Self with the non-self. The sages tell us that we are already full, that we are already complete, but our mind is telling us a different story. The stories of our mind are not real. We think our mental fiction is a fact, but it is only make-believe. We make-believe that we are somebody important, or somebody unimportant, but we never realize what is really important: our pure, unadulterated, ever-full, ever-fresh, ever-free Consciousness.

Consciousness is our real wealth. The connection of our mind to that consciousness is the real marriage, and the identification with that Consciousness is our true identity. We need to become what we have really always been: the indestructible, incorruptible, unalterable, ever-new Consciousness.

To become what we really are we need to fill the mind with the knowledge of Consciousness, and constantly reinforce our identity with that which is ever-real and imageless. We are not what we THINK we are. We are not what we IMAGINE we are. We ARE what we ARE, and THAT is beyond the language of the mind: it is beyond words, feelings, emotions, memories, and images.

We don’t need religion or philosophy to be good, moral, compassionate human beings. We just need to be ourselves. The problem is, our mind portrays us to be something that we are not. Now, our challenge is to take control of our mind, erase our self-portrait (self-image), and just be ourselves. When we are ourselves, we are not in the least bit uncomfortable in our mind. The mind becomes our instrument, and we use that instrument to vibrate, that’s all. This of course requires practice. It means we have to repeat the good things in our mind, over and over, again and again, until the mind begins to echo those good things, and also manifest them in our actions.

A wise human being can guide us to practice the right things, in the right way, so that we achieve the desired result right away. The desired result is TOTAL FREEDOM from the mind (which, in this case, includes intellect and ego). Really, ‘freedom from the mind’ means the FREEDOM OF THE MIND. In other words, it means that the mind is freed from Ignorance.

It is ignorant to think that we are something which we are not. It is also ignorant to superimpose images and expectations on others. We are ignorant when we ignore the lessons of the past and repeat yesterday’s mistakes today.

It has been proven to us again and again that we cannot make ourselves permanently happy by chasing after impermanent things or getting attached to unstable people. But we are driven by our selfishness and ego to go against what is right and do what we know is wrong. This is why it is absolutely necessary to give up our ego. Giving up our ego is not something we do just once and then it is finished. It is a daily effort to go against the whims and weaknesses of the mind, and when we do, we break the strangle-hold of ego. Eventually, we can remove ego completely, and when we do, we experience our FULLNESS. That experience of FULLNESS is very powerful and eventually cleanses the mind of all its hidden tendencies and impressions. Then we are really FREE.

To attain that state, which is our own Real Nature, we must reaffirm our Real Nature everyday. We do this by deliberately thinking and doing what is non-egotistic, non-selfish, and non-violent. OM

On Dogma and Religion . . .

2006-09-06T20:52:00.000-04:00

Dogma is not rooted in the wisdom of consciousness, but in the insecurity of ego. Whether it is Catholic dogma (or other Christian dogmas), Krsna-consciousness dogma (or other Hinduistic dogmas), Islamic dogma, Zionist dogma, or pagan dogma: IT IS ALL DOGMA.

From the point of view of Eternity, all religious persuasions are insignificant and baseless. Nevertheless, from the point of view of the limited understanding of ego-based human beings, religion may be considered a ‘necessary evil’.

On the other hand, a human being whose life is not based on ego (on the idea of separate, individualized existence), that person has absolutely no use for any religion whatsoever. Of course, he or she will certainly have a need and use for self-discipline, but ‘religion’ is absolutely no substitute for self-discipline.

Originally, there existed no formalized religion. But even when there was no religion, we still had DHARMA; we still had our intrinsic nature. For example, when a baby child is born, that child is NOT born with a particular religion, but it IS born with its DHARMA, or nature.

The ‘nature’ referred to here is NOT the nature of the mind and body, but the nature of consciousness itself. To understand our real nature we must return to our pure consciousness, devoid of all mental and physical superimpositions. Once we stop superimposing these things on ourselves, then nobody can ever superimpose anything on us.

We should STOP superimposing so-called religion upon ourselves. Religion is simply a heap of images born out of the interplay of ego and mind. The one who ‘plays’ with the Divine does not get caught up in the personality play.

People talk about so-called godhead-personality but the truth is these people are still immersed in the ordinary personality game. People talk about self-realization, but the truth is they are still strapped down to their small self and only actualize their own ego images. People talk about worshipping God, or worshipping the gods, but both sorts of people never really invoke that Supreme Power within themselves because they are caught up in externalizing the inner quest for Truth. In fact, the search for Truth is not a quest, but rather an expression of Truth itself. Truth is known in Truth. The Self is realized in the Self.

Religion has a vested interest in keeping us in the dark. First of all, religion is the by-product of ego, and ego must remain hidden in order to survive. Religion gives ego a hiding place. We can hide in our religion and delude ourselves into believing we are worshipping God, but we can never realize the Truth so long as we are hiding from it.

The Truth is NOT that we are God. The Truth is simply that GOD is all there IS. Everything else is make-believe. We are ‘making believe’ that we are separated from Him, which is absurd. It’s like making believe that we are not alive. We ARE alive, otherwise, how could we make-believe?

We make-believe in our mind everything that is happening to us. It is really only happening in our mind, and WE are making the mind believe it. Why would we do that? Why do children play ‘hide-and-go-seek?’ Because that’s what children do; they don’t need a reason for it.

We have created this drama in our mind, and only we can decide when to stop playing it. If we think Jesus, or Jehovah, or Krsna, or Shiva, or Mahavir, or Buddha, or some other religious mascot is going to save us, then we are certainly deluded. OM

Remove the Mask of Ego

2006-09-02T07:12:00.000-04:00

Om Hiranmayena Patrena . . . (from Isha Upanishad)

Remove the Mask of Ego

elucidation of Ved Mantra from Isha Upanishad

Om Hiranmayena Paatrena

Satyasyaapihitam Mukham |

Tat Tvam Puushann Apaavrinu

Satyadharmaaya Dristaye ||

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Hiran mayena, by the golden

Patrena, disc

Apihitam, is covered

Mukham, the face

Satyasya, of Ultimate Truth

Tat, that (covering)

Tvam, thou

Pushan, O Light

Aparinu, remove

Dristaye, for the vision

Satya dharmaya, of the true nature of the universe

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We do not have the experience of our real nature because our mind is distracted by the excitement, pleasures, and attachments of life. When we are living in our ‘head’ and not the ‘heart’, we are in our ego. Our ego is a mask, and when we look into the mirror of our mind we only see the mask—we do not see our real self.

The face of Truth is everywhere (Vishvatomukha), and it is not possible to hide from the Truth even though we turn our backs on It. But if we hide behind the mask of ego and the false excitement which it creates, we will delude ourselves into believing we are having ‘fun’ even though we are suffering from insecurity and uncertainty. There is absolutely no stability in the happiness of ego.

The happiness of ego is a lie; it is a false high. Ego-accomplishment, ego-recognition, and ego-love are fictions we create in the mind. The glitter of ego satisfaction makes us complacent. To obliterate our small self ego we must invoke the Light of a Thousand Suns. We must invoke the Shining Light of our own True Self to remove the false ego covering from the mind. When this happens, we have the vision of the true nature of Ultimate Reality.

We need to practice meditation and unselfish action, unselfish speech, and unselfish thoughts. These will purify the mind and intellect and dissolve the covering of ego. OM

Comfort Zone

2006-08-28T06:05:00.000-04:00

As long as we are caught in our 'comfort zone' we are incapable of experiencing the 'zone'. This 'zone' is variously described from the perspective of athletics, business, music, art, etc. But what is this 'zone' really? It is the State of Being beyond ourselves.

Beyond our ordinary state of consciousness is the extraordinary State of Being. This is the state of consciousness devoid of ego superimposition. Our real nature is suppressed in the mind due to the presence of ego: due to the false identification of consciousness with the insentient (unconscious) elements, including the body, senses, mind, memory intellect, and the ego itself. These last four (mind, memory, intellect, and ego) are called the Antahkarana Cautusthya, or 'fourfold inner organ'.

Our mind, memory, intellect and ego are supposed to be used to express the inherent beauty and freedom of the Self, and when this happens one is in 'the Zone'. This is the Zone of zones. All other zones are indicative of this Zone. That is, all our high experiences of having 'gone beyond ourselves' point to the State of Being which is always beyond our self (our small self, ego). In other words, the pristine state of Pure Consciousness already exists. It always exists and is unchangeable, indestructible, unalterable. It cannot be adulterated or modified by the mind. However, its reflection in the mind is changed according to what we 'have in mind'. For example, we all have the potential to go beyond ourselves and achieve the 'zone'. But if our mind is filled with self-defeating thoughts, or we are attached to our 'comfort zone', we will NOT be able to experience the 'zone'. We always have the potential, but that potential is directly proportional to our determination.

We have to make up our mind to go beyond our self-imposed limitations. Our limitations include our bias, our mental images, our grudges, our laziness, and all the other 'babies' of mind and ego. Yes, these are our 'babies', they are produced by the union of mind and ego, and we are very attached to them. We identify with these (and other) creations of mind and ego and after a while we feel 'at home' with them; that is, we feel comfortable in our little space until something comes along to disturb it (which will always happen). This comfort zone is our own self-curse.

To reach our highest potential (in any field of life) we must break out of our comfort zone. In the field of life itself, we have to bring into play all our inherent talents and strengths, our innate knowledge, and most especially, our sincerity and humility to completely go beyond our ego and attain the highest state of Consciousness. OM

Little 'me' is your misery

2006-08-27T19:36:00.000-04:00

Little 'me' is our misery, but we want to blame it on something outside ourselves. Little 'me' is the cause of our loneliness, little 'me' is the cause of our heartbreaks and headaches, but we want to blame it on the 'other'. My mother, my father, my brother, my sister, my husband, my wife--we blame everyone and then we blame 'life', but the truth is we are the author of our own strife.

Our life is a fiction that we create in our mind, and everyone's fiction is a little different, and this creates friction because we want everyone to think just like us. Even though most people are insane, everyone does not think the same.

To remove the friction and discord from our life we need to 'get out of our head' and open our heart to the wisdom of the Wise. Only a human being grounded in divine wisdom is really sane, and such a human being is rare to be found. Most so-called 'wise people' have not really 'wised-up' and are still chasing after name and fame. The wounded and lame flock around them like pigeons at the park, but these 'spiritual' pigeons remain in the dark. The blind cannot lead the blind, and the power-hungry cannot feed the hungry.

We should hunger only for the power of humility, because with that power comes the grace God. Only the grace of God can take away our misery and pain. That grace is essential, and that grace is our own Essence. When that grace flows, every trace of selfishness is removed from our nature.

Misery is of our own making; it is not superimposed upon us by others. Misery is the superimposition of little 'me' on the mind. If we have little 'me' on our mind, our mind becomes heavy and we lose all peace. Don't you think it's time to wise-up and drop little 'me'? We can let it go in the blink of an eye, but only if we connect the mind to the Supreme 'I'.

Connecting the mind to the Real Self is the only way to be happy and free, otherwise, we will remain caught up in little 'me.'

Mental Feelings Are Unreal

2006-08-25T21:59:00.000-04:00

All feelings arising from the mind are essenceless; only the absolute feeling of the Absolute is Real, and that feeling is beyond the mind.

What is the Absolute Feeling?

The Absolute Feeling of the Absolute is the connection of our pure consciousness with the all-pervading Supreme Consciousness. Unless our consciousness is pure, we will not be able to grasp the meaning of the Absolute Feeling. In fact, we won't even have any interest in it.

What is Pure Consciousness?

Pure consciousness is our awareness devoid of mental make-up. Our mental mascara (make-up) masks our perception of reality, hence we are unable to discern what is real and we easily get carried away by our own unreality.

What is Our Own Unreality?

Our own unreality is the story we have created in our own mind. In our mental story, we are the main character in the form of personality. Personality is our own unique flavor of ego. All the stories of our mind revolve around 'little me' (ego). The stories of our mind are unreal, because they have no basis in reality.

What is Reality?

Reality is that which is immutable, indestructible, incorruptible, indivisible, infinite, and immaculate. It is Absolutely Pure, All-Pervading, Formless, Perfect, Eternal, and Changeless. Anything that is based on Reality will naturally exhibit these characteristics. When we are connected to Reality, we manifest the qualities of that Absolute Consciousness. This means that we do not bend our principles to please our little ego, or anyone else's ego.

Principles Have Nothing to Do With Images

Principles have nothing at all to do with images and dogma. Principles are rooted in good practices, whereas images and dogma are rooted in ignorance. It is not possible to know Reality through an image of unreality, and all images are unreal.

What is an Image?

An image is an idea of ego. All ideas born out of ego are created for the sole purpose of supporting and sustaining our individuality, personality, and ego. Most images are only in the form of thoughts, but sometimes we give shape to these thoughts in the form of religion, dogma, and even philosophy. Even science has sometimes given shape to images. Art and literature admittedly give shape to images, but even this admission is sometimes omitted, and the artist or writer will falsely claim that their creation is of a 'special' character or quality, and sometimes even claim that their art or writing represents a Higher Power.

But the truth is, that Higher Power needs no special representation here in this world (or even in the world beyond), because each and every one of us is already the representative of that Supreme Power and Supreme Being. Our problem is that we do not perceive the presence of that Supreme Being within ourselves, and ourselves within that Supreme Being, hence we continue to flounder in our mind and feel tormented by our ego. Our images do not let us see clearly what we need to do to be happy.

We don't need to do much. All we need to do is to stay out of our ego. To do that, we have to drop our images. Images are the crutches of ego, that's why ego doesn't want to let them go. The wisdom of the Wise (the divine Wisdom) confronts our ego and dissolves our images, and we are at once free from both our images and ego (so long as we practice that wisdom).

What does it mean to 'practice wisdom?'

Practicing wisdom simply means to take it to heart and internalize it. If we take something to heart, we will really listen to the good advice even though we are still stuck in our ego. When we internalize what we have taken to heart, we deliberately apply that advice to ourselves, and in so doing our images dissolve and the grip of our ego on our mind is loosened. So long as we keep up the practice, we will ultimately attain the perfection of our consciousness and experience the absolute feeling of the Absolute, beyond the mind. OM

If you really want to be happy . . . .

2006-08-22T22:04:00.000-04:00

If you really want to be happy, be in the company of the Wise. The wise people constantly revolve the mind around the wisdom of Consciousness. If our lives orbit around the wise and noble people, we too become wise and noble.

'Orbiting around the Wise' means staying tuned to higher vibrations. The Wise live in those higher vibrations because their mind is filled with wisdom. Wisdom keeps our vibrations high. When we have the knowledge of Soul (Atman, Consciousness) we do not succumb to negativity, boredom, excitement, and other shallow conditions of the mind. The wisdom of Consciousness gives us the power to go beyond our own personality.

Unless we go beyond our personality we can never stabilize our life in the depth of our being. The depth of our being, the core of our consciousness, is the state of Pure Awareness. In that Pure Awareness there is absolutely no pain, anxiety, want, or woe.

Our awareness is not pure if it is hooked to our self-will. We get hooked to our self-will (ego drive) only because we take the bait. In other words, we are driven by our ego only when we follow it. For example, if someone is in their ego and is blaming us for their own shortcomings, we don't have to react to them negatively. Instead, we can become the witness of their mental drama without becoming judgmental. We just see the whole thing as a drama of the mind and ego and remain established in the state of pure awareness. This is easy to do when we see everyone as the essence of Being, as the embodiment of Supreme Consciousness.

The Wise constantly live in the essence of Being and don't give importance to that which is non-essential (the non-essence and the nonsense). They do not seek to validate their small self (ego) because they know the ego is only a phenomena of this material Creation and is not the Unchangeable, Ever-Real, True Self.

Becoming wise, raising our consciousness, and being enlightened is an ongoing process that should never stop. The moment we think we are perfect we lose our connection to the Real and become unreal. Being unreal means being in our ego. The best way to stay out of our ego is to stay in the company of the Wise, because those who are truly wise will not feed into our unreality. To be in the company of the Wise we have to be humble, which simply means we have to drop our ego.

It is not always possible to be physically in close proximity with the Wise, but if we study their teachings and practice their precepts we will gain 'presence of mind', which means our mind will be clear and focused. When our mind is clear and focused on that which is Real, we will be automatically connected to the essence of Being. Established in the essence of Being, wherein reside all the noble and wise people, together we will celebrate every moment of this life in the ecstasy of Divine Consciousness. OM

Gayatri Mantra

2006-08-21T23:08:00.000-04:00

Gayatri Mantra

OM BHUR BHUVAH SVAH
TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASYA DHIMAHI
DHIYO NAH PRACHODAYAT

OM--The Absolute, the Ever-REAL, never unreal, the All-pervading, imageless Truth

BHUH -- The Creator of all things living and non-living; the basis of all Life, all Creation; the Lower Region

BHUVAH -- The Sustainer of Creation, the Life-Force that pervades the body and invigorates the mind and intellect; the Middle Region

SVAHA -- The Giver of Self, the formulator of Consciousness, the Spirit Self, the Higher Region of Pure Consciousness

TAT -- That

SAVITA -- Creator of all this (Bhur Bhuvah Svaha)

VARENYAM -- is the best choice we can make for our lives; there is no choice more worthy than this choice (which is to choose the Highest State of Consciousness)

BHARGO DEVASYA -- The absolutely pure qualities of That absolutely imageless Self

DHIMAHI -- we meditate upon

DHIYOYO NAH -- We invoke that Supreme Power to guide our intellect so that we always make the right choices in our life.

May we always be guided by Divine Wisdom so that we can clearly discern between the Real and the unreal, the True and the False, the helpful and harmful. We affirm our connection to our Original State of Being, and we reaffirm our True Nature again and again by making up our mind to live in the Highest State of Consciousness while living in this human body. OM

This Gayatri Mantra (pronounced: guy-a-tree) is the universal prayer and positive affirmation, which contains the secret (hidden) power to transform ordinary consciousness into the highest state of consciousness. To unlock this power it is necessary to insert the key of deliberation into the mind. In fact, one of the connotations of the word MANTRA is 'deliberation'. In other words, we must deliberate on the meaning and deliberately practice the lessons derived from this deliberation.

Repeat the Gayatri Mantra over, again and again, concentrating on the meanings and losing your self (ego) in the vibrations. This Mantra will bring you close to your Real Self.

Meditation on the Gayatri Mantra

Knowing is Doing

2006-08-18T05:55:00.000-04:00

Knowing what to do and doing it go hand in hand. If there is a disconnect between 'knowing' and 'doing', we are living in unreality. Unreality is self-deception. When we deceive ourselves we become deluded. Self-delusion is born of Ignorance--it arises when we ignore what we know and don't do what we know we should do. People who constantly ignore doing what they know they need to do become delusional.

Self-delusion is prevalent in all walks of life, but I will talk about self-delusion on the spiritual path.

The 'spiritual path' is supposed to be the way to Self-Realization (Enlightenment, At-one-ment, Nirvana, Moksha, etc.). But it is impossible to actually realize the Truth without practicing it. To reach one's destination one must walk in the right direction. If we take a wrong turn along the way and don't correct ourselves, we will not reach our destination, we will not end up where we really want to go. Unfortunately, this is the situation with many people who search for the Truth.

It is easy to delude ourselves into thinking we are knowers of truth. There are people who think they know everything, but until we realize that we know nothing it is impossible to become truly wise. There are many so-called spiritual masters who are presumably experienced guides on the spiritual path, and yet few of them have truly trodden that path. There are many people who are wise in their own eyes, even though they remain spiritually blind.

It is easy to preach but difficult to practice what you preach. How can you teach others if you haven't learned your own lessons? There are people who profess to know the truth, and yet they live untruthful lives and continue to delude themselves. We are untruthful to ourselves if we compromise our principles to please our ego or gratify the selfish whims of our mind. If the mind hasn't been purified, we will continue to live in the putrid feelings of our small self. Decorating our mind with images of unreality will not remove the stench of our self-centered habits and gross persona.

There is only one path to the Truth and that is the 'path within'. The 'path within' means we need to be self-contained and zealously avoid self-contamination. We need to restrain our ego and purify the mind. This is done through our daily actions. It is not accomplished by merely reading a book, going to so-called places of worship, or attending a self-help seminar or spiritual discourse.

If we don't know what we need to do, then we need to find out what that is. Once we know what we need to do, we need to practice it. When our practice becomes perfect (which means, 'when we remove all our excuses'), then our 'knowing' and 'doing' will be in concord, and that harmony will resonate in our whole being, and we will have attained the highest state of Consciousness. OM

Life is not a Mental Exercise

2006-08-11T16:49:00.000-04:00

Life is not all about thinking. Most people over think and under do. Thinking should be effortless and should not cause any anxiety.

We should be paid for our thinking, otherwise it is a waste of time. At work, we are paid to think. Aside from our duties on the job, our thinking should be minimal, because too much thinking is a source of anxiety. Too much analysis can lead to mental paralysis. The deepest and most meaningful experiences of life do not come from thinking, they come from direct experience. When we experience something through the mechanism of our thinking apparatus (the brain and mind), we are NOT experiencing directly. Thinking is a tool, and we shouldn't become so attached to our tool that we don't know how to put it down and just be ourselves.

When we are thinking about ourselves we are NOT being ourselves. Most of the time, people are thinking about themselves: their feelings, their memories, their expectations, wants, worries, hopes, gains and losses. This is what we call ego-driven thought. When our ego is in the driver's seat it drives us crazy! When we falsely identify ourselves with our mind and its ups and downs, we have no peace or stability. To create balance in our lives we have to find the inner balance and then it will automatically project outward. Inner balance can only be discovered when we control our mind. In fact, inner balance means the control of the mind, and this balance is called Yoga.

A Yogi is one who practices inner balance. A Yogi practices self-restraint. The great sage, Patanjali, has clearly stated in his Yoga Shastra that Yoga is the restraint of the mind; Yoga is to make the mind one-pointed and thus stop it from fluctuating. When the mind becomes still, the Real Self is clearly reflected in the mind; that is, the expression of consciousness is no more distorted.

Too much thinking distorts our perception and cripples our ability to respond in the moment. Instead, we react or just become inert. Mental inertia means to remain stuck in our negative feelings and emotions. We might not outwardly react, but inwardly we are burning up or drowning in our own cesspool of negativity. The 'cesspool of negativity' also includes self-centered exciting feelings which are rooted in our small self ego. For example, you might feel excited when someone pampers your ego, but that excited feeling is not really a positive expression of consciousness, it is simply the stimulus and response mechanism of mind and ego.

Many people drink alcohol, take so-called recreational drugs, engage in promiscuous behavior, etc., all for the sake of experiencing the non-thinking state. But the feelings they experience from these activities are all negative in nature, because these selfish activities destroy the fabric of our being and make us disgusted, demented, and demoralized. 'The fabric of our being' is our character: it is the crystal clear quality of pure consciousness. Only the pure mind can give us the high experience of pure consciousness. People who 'get high' by stooping down to their selfish desires and weaknesses only go lower and lower, and eventually 'bottom out'.

It is not possible to keep our heads high if we don't keep our spirits high, and vice versa: we cannot keep our spirits high unless we can hold our heads high. We should become true Yogis and restrain our mind and senses, and live a life of balance. 'Bhog' means enjoyment, and a Bhogi Yogi is a bogus yogi, a hypocrite and a fraud. Similarly, those people who waste their life away in the shallow enjoyments of the mind and ego, defraud themselves out of their own Real Nature. We rob ourselves of our own true nature when we think and connive in our mind about how to make ourselves permanently happy with the temporary things of this world.

Life is not all about thinking, and thinking, and thinking. Life is all about experiencing our True Nature, our Eternity. For that, we need to silence the mind. To silence the mind, we need to remove our mental disturbances with the wisdom of Consciousness. OM

Universality of Truth

2006-08-10T16:55:00.000-04:00

There are billions of people living on this planet earth, and probably trillions more living in other regions of the universe or in other universes. There are millions and millions of differing opinions, ideas, experiences, and so forth. Is there anything that is common to everyone, irrespective of their personal experience or different ideas?

Some people hypothesize that there is no common basis of understanding or experience, and that basically everything is made up according to ones own like or dislikes. They say that everything is a matter of personal preference. Some people say the Truth is just what we make it up to be, and that just as "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" so also is truth in the eyes of the beholder.

This form of thinking is rooted in individuality, and is not uncommon in a culture that bases itself on the ideal of 'rugged individualism'. Each of us is, after all, unique and 'one of a kind'. One who contemplates deeply on this uniqueness of the self, comes to realize that there is a world of difference between being 'unique' and being 'individualistic'. A unique person is truly one of a kind, whereas an individualistic person is quite common and ordinary. Individuality is the quality of ego, whereas uniqueness is an inherent quality of the soul-self, the pure consciousness.

Ego is the false identification of the conscious self with the mind and body. The soul-self, or pure consciousness, is consciousness devoid of ego expression. When we are really not in our ego, we experience directly the beauty of life, and that experience is always unique, it is always ever-new, and it is not possible to copy that experience in the memory or find a substitute for it. On the other hand, when we are in our ego we intuitively know that our experience is limited, and the mind and ego then react by attempting to cover up our lack. Ego reacts by asserting itself and claims dominion over the mind, which it uses to manufacture images to prop itself up. Ego-individualistic-self-confidence is a very poor substitute for the soul confidence (aatam-vishwas) inherent in the state of pure awareness (aatam-stiti). In fact, it is no substitute at all, because there is no substitute for the state of imageless awareness, the state of pure consciousness.

By its very nature, ego does not let us experience the universality of Truth, because to do so would negate the existence of ego. But of course, ego wants to believe it knows everything, so it creates its own 'Truth', because to know the Truth makes the ego feel important and powerful, even though the truth it knows is not the Truth at all but only its own images. This is why ego holds onto its images, including its images of universality.

There are many, many religious preachers, pundits, prophets, and profiteers but very, very few real teachers and tellers of Truth. No one can really tell you the Truth unless you are ready to hear it, which means no one can teach you the Truth unless you are ready to learn it. Emotional maturity and the desire to learn are both prerequisites.

We become emotionally mature when we begin to realize that the whole world does not revolve around us. The less self-involved we are, the more fit we become for self-realization. Every insight we have into the real nature of our being increases our desire to learn more. The time comes when our desire for Self Knowledge out weighs all other desires. Eventually we are ready to hear the Truth from the lips of a True Teacher.

The Truth-teacher is a facilitator and not a dictator. He or she simply facilitates the truth-seeker in the search for Truth. A true Guide will guide you to look within your own self and discover by direct perception your own True Self.

It is not possible to see clearly if our perception is clouded by our misconceptions, images, and false knowledge. As long as we are holding onto our ego we will remain confused and unhappy. We need to drop our ego by letting go of our images and begin with a clean slate. As the Zen meditation says, "We need to empty the picture filled with mud and water, so that the fresh water can be poured into it." We need to empty our mind of all our preconceived notions of Truth in order to learn the Truth from within. When we drop our ego and images we become simple, humble, human beings, who are eager and earnest to get to the bottom of the matter and experience the Truth directly.

Everyone who has had a taste of divine bliss, a taste of Truth, knows without any doubt that is absolutely real and far beyond the realm of mind, intellect, and ego. Everyone who has had an insight into the Nature of Truth, knows unequivocally that this Truth is Universal and has nothing at all to do with individuality, morbidity, mortality, and immorality.

People who are individualistic, people who are depressed and morbid, people who are dying everyday in selfishness, and people who are living immoral, fiendish, degrading lives do not know the real meaning of this beautiful human life. They remain asleep in Ignorance and continue to suffer in the duality of their nightmares and fantasies until they awaken to the 'still small voice within', the whisper of their own soul beckoning them to return home to their True Self, to reclaim their inheritance of Supreme Ecstasy and Divine Love.

Truth is not in the eyes of the beholder but in the eyes of the True Beloved. When we look into the eyes of the true Love of our Life (that is, when we have the perception of the vision of Eternity), we forget our own small self and experience directly the Supreme, Divine, Universal Truth.

Desire, Its Origin and Dissolution

2006-08-08T15:43:00.000-04:00

What is desire and from where did it originate, and how is it resolved or dissolved?

Desire at its origin is Energy, and it originates within the Self and is also dissolved there. The Self, in this case, is Consciousness itself, devoid of form or expression.

Consciousness is expressed by means of its inherent energy (PRANA), and that energy takes shape in the things seen, heard, tasted, touched, smelled, and thought. In essence, all the five sensory experiences are rooted in the mind, and thus can be considered as forms of thought. Thoughts may or may not be clothed in language. In other words, much of what we experience in our day to day existence is made up in our mind; all of our ordinary experiences are expressions of the mind. “I think therefore I am.” All unenlightened human beings are thinkers of one sort or the other.

The first expression of Consciousness is the desire to create. This is the same thing as saying that the first expression of Consciousness is the manifestation of PRANA (life force), which we experience as both sentient and insentient forms of life. ‘Forms of life’ means Existence, which is all living and non-living things; non-living things include gross matter such as water, air, fire, rocks, etc., and subtle ‘matter’ such as thoughts, feelings, memories, etc.

So, PRANA, or Lifeforce, is the first expression of Consciousness. Prana is the energy of Consciousness. The manifestation of this energy causes the appearance of the distinction between Spirit and Matter, between Purush and Prakriti. In the Sankhya teachings of the Sage Kapila, we learn that the creation of this world of matter begins with the union of Purush and Prakriti, and from that union everything has evolved in an orderly fashion as explained below (for modern readers):

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Purush—Prakriti (Spirit—Matter)

Mahatatva: Cosmic Intelligence

Ego and subtle states of matter (spaciousness, gaseousness, luminosity, liquidity, and solidness)

Intellect

Mind, including memory

Subtle senses of perception and action

Gross organs of perception and action in the form of the physical body, and all other gross objects of mental perception comprised of physical matter in the form of Space, Air (which includes all substances of a gaseous nature), Fire (which includes all substances of a luminous, and hence thermal nature, such as fire, electricity, etc.), Water (which includes all substances of a liquid nature), and Earth (which includes all objects of a solid nature such as minerals, rocks, bones, etc.).

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In essence, Spirit and Matter are never joined because they have never been disjoined. The union of Spirit and Matter, or Purush and Prakriti, is AVIDYA. Here is the inception of Ignorance. Here is the creation of Darkness and the manifestation of Light. Here is where the Cosmic Light Show begins.

The distinction between Purush and Prakriti is first manifested in the form of Cosmic Intelligence (Mahatatva). The Creative Force inherent in that Cosmic Intelligence expresses as “Aham Brahm Asmi”, “I am the Creator.” This principle of self-consciousness is inherent in the Cosmic Intelligence, and is known as Ahamkara, or EGO. Literally it means “I am the doer of actions”.

Through the element of Ego, the self simultaneously experiences the subtle states of matter, known as the five Tanmatras (spaciousness, gaseousness, luminosity, liquidity, and solidness).

The interaction of Ego with the Tanmatras gives rise to the existence of Intellect and Mind. Intellect discerns the existence of Ego and Matter (subtle matter in the form of the Tanmatras), which gives rise to the existence of the mind which in turn records all these subtle experiences (which have been generated by the flow of Lifeforce, or Prana). This subtle activity of the mind results in the manifestation of the subtle senses of perception and action, which together are referred to as the subtle body, or astral body.

All experiences at this level are recorded as impressions (Samskaras) in the mind-stuff (Chit, Memory), and these impressions give rise to tendencies (Vasanas) in that same mind. These tendencies are innumerable and are the basis of all desires as we know them.*

(*In other words, everything to this point has been the product of Desire in the form of the flow Energy, but only at this point, with the manifestation of Vasanas-Tendencies, do we generally begin to view this energy as desire.)

In conjunction with all the other roots of this Tree of Creation (seen with the roots upward, and branches downward), the gross elementary particles and physical body are materialized. The body takes shape (is formed) according to the nature of the mind.

The nature of the mind is formed by (1) the impressions (Samskaras), (2) the tendencies (Vasanas), (3) the subsequent thoughts and attitudes (Vrittis) which arise from those tendencies, and (4) the actions (Karmas) embraced by our five (subtle) senses and our subtle, or intentional, organs of action.

Depending on the type of body formed by the mind, the living organism will have the potential to act; which really means we have the ability to fulfill our desires according to the life form (i.e., body) in which we reside. When embodied in the form of dog or cat (or other animal species), our experiences and our potential to experience are limited. Embodied as human beings we have the potential to have the highest (i.e., most fulfilling) experience of our existence.

When we are embodied as human beings, we bring with us the experiences of many, many—countless lives in millions and millions of different species of existence. (According to Hindu Shastras, we take birth in 8,400,000 different species before we are born as a human being.) Hence, we have innumerable impressions (Samskaras) and associated tendencies (Vasanas---which give rise to, or can be understood as, DESIRES).

As human beings, our impressions (or for the sake of simplicity, we can say memories) and desires DO NOT decide our fate or destiny. Our life is what we make it, according to our attitude and action.

The Cycle of Karma (Action) is this:

Impression --> Tendency -->Thought/Attitude --> Action --> Impression

We can change our life by changing our thoughts/attitudes and actions. Desires will always arise. It is up to us whether we REACT or RESPOND. Animals can only react because they are creatures of habit; but human beings equipped with superior intelligence and power of discernment can consciously respond and make choices based on wisdom, and not just on habit or limited past experience.

Desires CANNOT be resolved by means of an intellectual or empirical process, because intellectual gymnastics is just another ploy of ego. The mind enslaved by ego will continue to revolve around in circles of self-deception, self-delusion, and self-destruction.

We can continue to solve and resolve the same problem over and over, but unless we let go of our ego the problem is not going to go away: because EGO IS THE PROBLEM.

We are a slave of our desires only because we are a slave of EGO. When our ego is dissolved, so is our desire. Hence, the only way to dissolve desire is to dissolve our ego.

The dissolution of ego is the essence of spirituality (Sadhana). In other words, spirituality lies in spiritual practice, and spiritual practice means we must practice being the spirit self, not the ego self. Remember: the Spirit Self (PURUSH) is the original self. To dissolve all desires all we need to do is be our Self. We need to be true to our Real Self.

Being true to your Real Self doesn’t mean having no desires. We are human beings, and desires are a natural element of our existence. The question is this: which desires are healthy and conducive to our well-being, and which are detrimental to our well-being?

The innumerable choices we make will weave a tapestry of colors and designs in the fabric of our mind. Wearing this wonderful costume we will move about in this world and dance with the sun, moon, and the stars. The changes that unfold will be beautiful and awe-inspiring, and the sound vibrations produced by those movements will be melodious and enchanting. In our mind’s eye we will experience the vision of Eternity, our Heart will expand into Infinity and our whole being will vibrate with the Love and Wisdom of the Supreme Being. OM

Infatuation is Self-love

2006-08-08T06:19:00.000-04:00

Infatuation is a mental phenomenon that arises when we are in love with our self (ego-self). It is a form of self-involvement. It is a shallow feeling of the mind that manifests in shallow behavior, shallow discussion, and shallow thoughts.

Infatuation is born out of self-delusion and leads to self-degradation. When we are infatuated we do not see clearly. We lose our objectivity and become a puppet of our feelings and emotions. Our ego is pulling the strings, but we think we are in control.

One who is infatuated is in an unfocused state of mind. That person is mentally imbalanced. The element of desire is predominant in the mind. It is not a selfless desire; it is a selfish desire. When we feed into that desire it increases like fire fed with fuel. When we fuel our desires they can grow out of control and overwhelm us.

Many people have been burned to death by their own desires. Many people have lost control of their mind because they become infatuated with themselves--in other words, thinking to themselves that they were in control, they never realized that really their ego was in control. If we do not keep our ego in check, it will rule our mind and wreak havoc in our lives.

Step back from your self and objectify the human experience and realize that you are potentially divine. "Your potential is in direct proportion to your determination." Dr. Khanna

OM

Premarital Sex is Premature Sex

2006-08-05T22:29:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, nowadays many young people are engaging in premarital sex, which results in premature aging. So many young people are so old and worn out even before they reach middle age (50). At middle age, one should have the vigor to strive strenuously for spiritual knowledge and experience. But this is not possible if one is burned out by too much sex, excitement, overeating, and over-entertainment. If this poor lifestyle begins when a person is just a teenager or young adult, it can become a lifelong habit of self-indulgence and self-abuse.

Bad habits are the result of repeating mistakes. If we make a mistake and learn from it, we can change for the better. The more we learn and grow, the fewer mistakes we will make. ‘Mistakes’ means wrong choices. When our choices (and decision-making process) are guided by commonsense and by the wisdom of those who know better than us, we will make fewer and fewer bad decisions.

The Wise know better than we do because they have practiced longer. It’s as simple as that. We are NOT wise if we know better but do not DO better.

Most people know intuitively that premature sex is just not right or healthy. This knowledge has nothing to do with religion; it has to do with who we really are. The knowledge of who we really are, what we really are, is called Dharma.

Our Dharma, the knowledge of our own real nature, compels us to do what is right. Of course, if we have gone against our Dharma, again and again, it may become our habit to do what is wrong. Then the forces of good and evil will fight for supremacy in the battlefield of our mind, and we will feel much distressed.

Young people should devote their time and energy to learning and growing, to building a strong foundation (in body, mind, and spirit). The time for married life will come soon enough, and one can enjoy the conjugal bliss without any remiss. The married life is only for those who have prepared themselves—because married life is not a child’s play, its hard work, dedication, unbreakable commitment, and lot’s of love without expectation.

When people have premature sex they are likely to lose their balance even before they have learned what balance is! Marriage is a balancing act, and a sexual relationship before marriage is a dysfunctional act that leads to a dysfunctional life. We are dysfunctional if we haven’t learned how to be self-contained, whole, complete human beings without any emotional or sexual strings attached. In other words, if we have emotional or sexual conditions for personal fulfillment, we are confused human beings. If this is the case, we are in need of wisdom and training in the laws of Consciousness. The laws of Consciousness, the Soul-knowledge, tells us that we are not dependent on anything outside of our self for happiness and fulfillment. Of course, this same Soul-knowledge tells us that we are, at the core of our being, all the same Consciousness. Each and every soul is permeated by that same Supreme Consciousness. When we see that Supreme Consciousness in everyone, and everyone in that Supreme Consciousness, we hate no one and we are infatuated by no one; hence, there is no emotional pain or suffering. Our love is pure because it flows from the depth of our being. In that Love, there is no wanting, no possessing, no fear (anxiety), and no grudge or grieving.

When two mature people, who share this soul-understanding, are joined together in marriage, that marriage will not be just a mirage. Challenges will always be there (there is no perfect marriage), but those souls who are matured in the wisdom of Consciousness will be well-equipped to meet those challenges. Whereas, those who have not built up an arsenal of wisdom and commonsense, will only be shooting in the dark (in Ignorance), and may even end up destroying each other.

So, a word of advice to the wise: wait until you are married before engaging in sex. And if you are already having sex, then rethink what you are doing and consider carefully the consequences of your actions. Yesterday is gone, but tomorrow is the outcome of what you do today. You can change your lifestyle if your change your mind and back it up with your actions. OM

Compassion First and Foremost

2006-07-30T21:27:00.000-04:00

"Compassion, rather than annoyance, should be foremost in our interactions with others."

From the Fountain of Inner Joy

To be compassionate we have to stop thinking about ourselves. We have to put the other first. Putting the other first means staying out of our ego mentality. Really, when we are not thinking about 'little me', or 'important me', then our mindset is automatically compassionate.

Compassion has nothing at all to do with 'enabling'. Feeding into the weaknesses of others is NOT compassion, but neither is superimposing our images on others. 'Superimposing our images' means perceiving others through the lens of our ego.

When we are in our ego we can imagine that we are being compassionate, but in fact, it is just a form of self-righteousness. Being self-righteous means we are convinced we are right and we have to let others know it. It means we want others to know we are right when we are not doing right ourselves.

Doing right means doing good for goodness sake. It certainly doesn't mean doing good to show others (or even ourselves) how good we are.

Ego always has a hidden agenda. Ego always seeks some form of personal reward or recognition. To go beyond our ego, we first have to recognize it, and then refuse to give it any recognition. In other words, we need to deliberately deny our ego gratification. If we don't feed our ego it will eventually perish. When our ego dies, compassion will flourish in our mind and will naturally express in our thoughts and actions. We will harbor ill-will to none and will become the well-wisher of all. OM

The Life of Love

2006-07-28T21:27:00.000-04:00

Ahaaaa . . . the life of Love. It is not what you think it is. It is what it is. What it is is undefiled by the mind and undisturbed by the ego. There is absolutely no element of pain or suffering in True Love.

True Love cannot be understood by the mind and is not known to the one who is caught up in the quagmire of self love: ego longing, ego desperation, ego demanding, ego expecting, and ego image-making.

People think they make love, or fall in love and then make love. But the truth is Love is beginningless and endless, and only those who rise in Love can realize it.

You cannot know true love by looking for it outside your self. You cannot make peace with others if you have not made peace with yourself. You cannot discover the ever-shining Truth all around you if you don't uncover the Truth within you.

The truth is covered by ego and ego is born of Ignorance. When we become enlightened, we see the Light of Truth everywhere, because we see the light inside ourselves. We see the light when we stop blocking it with our ego. Our ego is dissolved with the wisdom of Consciousness.

Unless one is established in Consciousness, it is not possible to experience True Love.

Love is not a commodity that is traded in the marketplace of the world. True love is not bought with name and fame. Personal recognition and appreciation have nothing whatsoever to do with True Love. True Love is self-contained --- there is no self-contamination in True Love. True Love cannot hurt or be hurtful. To know True Love we have to give up our small self.

Our Real Self is as vast as the Universe. The love that emanates from the True Self is all-inclusive and impartial. The nature of True Love cannot be figured out by the mind and ego. True love cannot be deciphered, interpreted, or detected by the limited instruments of mind, intellect, and ego. We can know true love only when we are established in the Spirit Self.

The Spirit Self is not a ghost or apparition. The Spirit Self is our own energetic Self. When we put out good energy without any thought of reward or recognition, we are expressing our real self, our Spirit Self. This is called Karma Yoga, and leads directly to Liberation (freedom from ego).

True Love is the state of egolessness. Anything less than that is imperfect and unstable. This doesn't mean one should stop loving just because one is imperfect. But it does mean that we must go on perfecting our nature until our very last breath in this body. We should never become complacent or imagine that we are perfect. We are human beings in search of the Ultimate Truth, the Highest Love, the Supreme Consciousness. This journey of life is only one leg of our journey. We should not cripple ourselves by cutting our life short with reckless living, thrill-seeking, self-centered goals.

We have one goal: to become completely egoless and experience the eternal state of Absolute Love, Absolute Freedom, and Absolute Peace. This is the state of Total Well-Being. Established in the state of total well-being we will experience the Life of Love. OM

Casual Sex is Caustic Sex

2006-07-28T15:26:00.000-04:00

Based on the science of Evolution according to the ancient sages, a human being is the highest grade of existence. No human being should degrade himself or herself or any other person. To do so is inhumane.

We degrade ourselves when we treat ourselves or others as objects. Unless we see the other as pure consciousness (soul, ATMAN), we are seeing them as an object. First, we see ourselves as an object, and then we superimpose our misperception on others. This happens when we are subjectively involved with our mind and ego.

When we are caught up in our ego we subjectively involve ourselves with our mind and in the process we lose our objectivity. 'Losing our objectivity' means that we are unable to perceive our mind, ego, personality, memories, emotions, and body as objects of perception (of the spirit self), and instead, we actually think we are these things. This is the state of self-delusion.

In the state of self-delusion we create tremendous turmoil and confusion in our lives. In the state of self-delusion we fail to take seriously, or even consider, the consequences of our actions. For example, casual sex is a common behavior in this culture today. Those who engage in casual sex fail to see just how unhealthy and detrimental it really is. It destroys (or at least, seriously jeopardizes) one's physical body, makes one 'mental' by hampering one's ability to deter infatuation and false emotions, and severely cripples one's character (spirit of being whole, integrated, and self-contained). In short, CASUAL SEX IS CAUSTIC SEX.

According to dictionary.com, the definition of 'caustic' is the following:

Capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away by chemical action.
Corrosive and bitingly trenchant; cutting. See Synonyms at sarcastic.
Causing a burning or stinging sensation, as from intense emotion: "“Most of all, there is caustic shame for my own stupidity." (Scott Turow).

Have no doubt: casual sex will definitely cause you much grief. For a few moments of pleasure, a human being can lose his or her life. It is not worth it.

Keep your character and hold your head high. Ignoring good advice and sticking your nose up in the air will not save you from the consequences of your actions.

Casual sex is inherently wrong. Sexual intimacy is a sacred and secret (private) aspect of married life. Sexual intimacy is reserved for married couples. Marriage is a lifelong commitment between a man and woman to share their mind, body, and soul with each other as an affirmation of the bond of unfathomable love that exists between them. Sexual intimacy is an expression of that love, and that expression is beautiful, pure, and unifying (conducive to harmony). On the other hand, casual sex between so-called 'consenting partners' outside the bounds of marriage is in fact gross, impure, and selfish, and can only lead to discord and disgust.

Some persons may believe these words ('gross, impure, selfish, leading to discord and disgust') are unfair, and might try to say that 'sex is just natural'. Yes, sex is natural within the bounds of marriage, but outside those bounds it is unnatural. Some people will say that it is not unnatural for most animals, and will say "what's the big deal?". Our reply is that we not animals, we are human beings. We should be deep human beings, with a deep respect for the life and consciousness of other beings, and should never violate that sacred respect under any circumstances, and certainly not for a whim of the mind.

Those who betray their own true nature (their Real Nature), and violate the law of their own Being, are creating discord and violence, and ultimately become the victim of their own ignorance and arrogance.

It is not necessary that anyone in this world should suffer, but each of us must come to the realization that we are the sum total of our choices. Our choice of lunch or dinner can be a casual one, even whimsical, and at worse (perhaps much worse) we might have to work a little harder at the gym to burn off the extra calories. But our choice of whom we will share intimate moments of sexual pleasure with is NOT a casual choice. In fact, it should not even be under consideration except in the context of marriage.

Our choice is not a casual choice. It is a very, very careful choice. It should be the most selective choice of our life. It is definitely NOT a matter of whim or fancy. When we follow our whims, we are going to get a WHAM! (POW!). Sooner or later, Nature, in the guise of Fate is going to give us a slap that is so powerful we may be knocked off our feet and unable to stand up straight again. The rest of our life we may end up groveling in the mud of past regrets---and if we have been really, really selfish, we might even lose this beautiful human incarnation.

So, dear soul friend, BEWARE and remember: always read the labels and know what is inside. Don't be distracted by the pretty shape or design of the package. Know the contents. OM

We Have to Live in Freshness

2006-07-28T13:41:00.000-04:00

The only way to be stable and happy is to live in the freshness of Consciousness. We can't hold on to old habits and negative memories and still expect to be secure and happy. We are free souls, we are not lumps of flesh, fat, bones, and grey matter. Then why do we spend so much time thinking about our non-self? Thinking about the non-self is nothing but nonsense. It doesn't make any sense at all to burn our blood in anger, frustration, envy, and hatred.

The moment we start thinking about our self (non-self, ego) we put ourselves in jeopardy---we risk losing the opportunity to experience our Essence, our eternity.

This life is all about Liberation (Moksha)---we are here to become completely free, to become absolutely happy. Nobody can be happy being a slave of their mind, body, and ego. If we are enslaved by poor physical habits, unhealthy thought patterns, and egotistic expressions, then we need to get our act together.

In this life, our time is limited. If we wile away our time in mental brooding and senseless activities (gossiping, thrill-seeking, and the accumulation of useless mental and material junk) we are bound to be unhappy, dissatisfied, and discontent.

Malpractice (wrong practices) leads to malcontentment. We malign our mind when we escape into excuse making. We need to realign our thinking with our real self --- the pure state of consciousness. Every day is a new day, every hour is a new hour, and every minute is a new minute. We have to be adjustable without losing principles. If we live in the freshness of Consciousness we can make adjustments in our thinking every second. In fact, when we live in Consciousness, we are in control of our thoughts and actions and do not succumb to negativity, boredom, or excitement. We remain stable and self-contained and open to growing and learning. This is the way of the wise. OM

Bad Habits Are Self-Damnation

2006-07-27T08:11:00.000-04:00

A person with bad habits cannot experience Eternity. This same thing can be stated in many ways:

A person with bad habits cannot experience the Truth
A person with bad habits cannot know the Real Self
A person with bad habits cannot be them self
A person with bad habits is preventing them self from being happy

When we have a bad habit, we block the flow of energy. In effect, we are damming our own self. Bad habits are self-damnation.

When we have a bad habit we are not free, and if we are not free we are not real. If we are not real we cannot be really happy. Many people pretend to be happy, some people are temporarily happy, but few people are really happy. Happiness is a state of Being; it is not just a state of temporary mental or physical satisfaction.

A bad habit is formed in the mind, and may also have a physical component to it. A bad habit is the result of a mind-ego connection. When mind is in bed with ego it becomes impregnated by that ego, and the result is a bad habit.

Mind and ego are both born of this material nature (PRAKRITI). Ego is born first, and mind follows. Mind and ego are imbued with the qualities of both Nature and Consciousness. Ego is more subtle than the mind. The first instance of ego appears when we become conscious that we are conscious. Ego is actually formed from extremely subtle elements of Nature; thus, it would not be correct to say that ego is formed in our consciousness. Ego is the idea of separate identity, separate selfhood. From the perspective of the mind, ego covers the Self like a hood or mask. Hence, when perceiving ourselves through the mind, we incorrectly perceive ourselves as ego (personality--personality is a flavor of ego). Our Real Self is masked by the presence of ego.

Our True Self is eternal, ever full, complete, whole, perfectly happy and indescribably blissful. The idea that we are other than That, is called ego. If we think that our time is running out, that we are unfulfilled and incomplete, we will naturally feel compelled to do something. Our desire to act, to discover, to explore, to create, to transform--in short, our desire to live--is a natural expression of our being embodied as living beings. [This embodiment begins at the beginning of time, when Purush and Prakriti (Sprit and Matter) are joined. According to Hindu Shastras, our embodiment as human beings is the result of a lengthy process of evolution* through 8,400,000 different species of birth.]

Embodied as human beings, we all have both ego and mind, and we have had them for quite some time. We have accumulated innumerable impressions during our countless births, and all of these impressions influence our decision making process. The flow of our consciousness (as the Spirit Self) through our personality and mind is a dance of divine energy. Ultimately, our expression must become completely free flowing. When this happens, we have reached the pinnacle of Life. It is a matter of practice, deliberate practice, concentrated practice. The state of effortless effort is reached only after much effort.

Putting out good energy, making a tireless effort to rise above our small self, to go beyond our self-imposed limitations, to recognize our own weaknesses and overcome them --- all of this is an expression of Consciousness, all of this is a statement and affirmation of who (and what) we really are.

When we ignore who (and what) we really are, we fail to mend our ways or improve ourselves, and instead we get stuck in a downward trend and repeat our mistakes. Our mistakes become our habits when we don't correct them. A person with a bad habit is attached to their mistaken identity (ego) and refuses to change that habit.

At least we should recognize that we have a bad habit (whatever it may be). This is the first step. Next, we should see that the bad habit has been formed in the mind, and that it is the mind (which is basically an inert, subtle, material entity) that has the tendency to hold onto the habit. The conscious self (spirit self), through the power of self-awareness (ego) and intellect (Buddhi) sees the habit in the mind and may desire to remove it (realizing that this habit is a source of pain). The problem is, if the ego and mind are connected (in the sense that the mind is filled with ego), then it becomes very difficult to curb the habit because one identifies with it; in other words, the ego-infected mind becomes identified with the habit due to the presence of ego. Consequently, the flow of consciousness is hampered.

To stop this self-damnation, we must break the mind-ego connection. First this means we need to objectify our mind and ego both. Now, how can an ego-infected mind function properly so long as one's behavior is dysfunctional? It cannot. In other words, the mind cannot be free of ego so long as one's thoughts and actions are ego-centered. So, the only way to drop a bad habit is to just drop it! That is, we need to turn the self-will against the bad habit. Self-will is really ego-will; that's why when we turn the self-will against the bad habit we are actually employing our ego to remove the habit from the mind, and in the process of doing so ego will begin to fight with itself (because it is also the ego which is holding onto the habit). Remember: mind and ego have the qualities of BOTH spirit and matter. We, the conscious human being, must invoke that higher force (Satoguna) to overpower our lower tendencies (rooted in Rajoguna and Tamoguna qualities of Nature.)

When we rise to the occasion and confront our own ego and shape our own mind, we become the artists of Life, and the more we go on refining our nature we will eventually see the majesty, incomparable beauty, and Light of Consciousness everywhere, all the time.

OM

*Not to be confused with the Darwinian Theory of Evolution.

We Need to Keep Refining Our Nature

2006-07-27T01:19:00.000-04:00

Life is simple. We complicate it with our complicated thinking. Sure, there are problems and challenges in life, but our life becomes problmatic only when we see things from the point of view of ego. Instead, we need to see everything from the point of view of Eternity.

What does this mean? It means we need to realize that our real self is immortal; that we are beginningless, endless conscious beings. The energy that emanates from this consciousness (our consciousness) is also eternal, indestructable. It is the energy of consciousness (in the form of PRANA, Life Force, Chi, Spirit) that has created the universe and everything in it, including us (embodied beings).

When we think from this level of consciousness, our thinking will not disturb us, because our thoughts will express our eternal nature, and not just our gross, material, mental, intellectual nature.

You see, we have a higher nature and a lower nature. Our Higher Nature is that we are Eternal, unchangeable, ever-new (ever fresh, imageless) consciousness. Our lower nature is that we have an ever changing physical body, mind, and personality (ego). Our lower nature is comprised of natural elements: earth, air, water, fire, and space, as well as the elementary particles from which these 5 general classes of elements are formed. Scientists are now discovering subtler and subtler subatomic particles and are now advancing the String Theroy, which postulates the existence of other dimensions and other universes. Ultimately scientists will come to the realization that beyond all of this is the Pure Consciousness, from which all of this originated, and into which all of this will ultimately be dissolved. This Pure Consciousness is our Higher Nature, our Supreme Nature.

So, who or what is this being, this living entity, which has both a higher and lower nature? This is you, and I, and everyone. Each of us is the embodiment of PURUSH and PRAKRITI, of Spirit and Matter, of Consciousness and Nature. Just as a child will have the characteristics of both its parents, similarly each of us has the qualities of both Spirit and Matter.

The Spirit-Self is the consciousness embodied in Prana, Life Force. More correctly, it is consciousness manifested as Energy. When this conscious energy is joined with Matter, the Matter becomes infused with this Energy and thus begins the cycle of Creation, that is, the orderly manifestation of the Multiverse (universes after universes after universes). Included in this infinitely varied Multiverse is the manifestation of human life. As human beings, we perceive through the agency of the mind (including, memory, intellect, and ego -- this is known as the inner organ, or Antahkarana). Our mind, being a part and parcel of Nature (Prakriti) is influenced by the qualities of Nature, or GUNAS (Sataguna, Rajaguna, and Tamoguna -- Protonic, Electronic, and Neutronic forces). These qualities of Nature, or Cosmic Forces, influence the way we think and feel. But the mind is also influenced by the ever-abiding presence of Supreme Consciousness. All conscious beings (embodied Spirit selves) are constantly living in a state of decision making. We are constantly making choices and our decisions are influenced by many different factors. Ultimately, after many, many years and lifetimes of experience, we come to the firm conclusion that we are totally responsible for our state of mind, because we realize that we are totally distinct from the mind--we realize that we are the Spirit Self. This realization draws us deeper and deeper into the unfathomable Ocean of Consciousness until we ultimately come face to face (so to speak) with the Supreme Self (or you may call it God, or Allah, or whatever).

It is all a matter of refining our nature to the finest point, until the mind becomes atomic (absolutely one-pointed), at which point the mind disappears and all that is left is Pure Consciousness.

OM

The Most Important Work

2006-07-24T23:41:00.000-04:00

Namaste

With this greeting I am acknowledging your Divine Presence. With this greeting I am saluting the Real Self which is YOU. That same Real Self am I. That same Real Self is the self of All.

There is something within you, within me, within everyone, that is the same. That something is the pure consciousness devoid of all mental superimpositions. We call that Pure Consciousness MAHA CHETENA, which means the Supreme Consciousness. Some people call this Supreme Consciousness the Supreme Being, or GOD, or Allah, or many other names. The names are different, but the Essence is the same. The names may change, but the Essence remains immutable (unchangeable).

Supreme Consciousness is all-pervading. Supreme Consciousness is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent reality. When the mind is connected to that Consciousness we feel Real. All insecurity, uncertainty, doubt, bias, bigotry, arrogance, and violence are the result of being disconnected from the Truth, from the Real.

When a human being is caught up in unreality they are bound to hurt inside and will contribute to the pain and suffering of this world. A human being who superimposes his or her ego upon their own self, will also try to impose their little ego-will on others too. Human beings who share a similar or kindred false identity (ego) under the banner of a particular nationality, culture, or religion, etc., will sometimes attempt to force their self-will (ego power) on others through war, propaganda, and forced or deceitful conversion. All of this is born out of Ignorance --- ignorance of our Real Nature, our True Self.

Throughout the history of this planet Earth, there have been many nations, cultures, and religions. People have expressed themselves through countless pages of literature, works of art, science, and industry. During all these many periods of history, both recorded and unrecorded, there has always remained, and continues to remain, one paramount goal to accomplish, one important work that must be done---and this is the work of becoming completely FREE --- free from our small self, our ego, our pettiness, our arrogance and false pride --- in short, it means being Real and breaking asunder the bonds of Ignorance.

This is the most important work which must be accomplished in this incarnation.