Some months ago, a dear friend of mine got afflicted by a rather deadly disease. When the disease was discovered, the friend suffered a huge shock. But, she has been quick to recover. She is resilient and, in her own words, always looks forward even in the worst of circumstances. Of course, she has turned contemplative.
Recently, she shared, “At this juncture in life when it may be the beginning of the end, I need to cleanse my mind totally so that there are no shades of grey in the path ahead. I wish to walk on a path full of sunshine, green grass and calm streams and peacefully walk beyond the horizon leaving joy for everybody behind.”
I was extremely touched by the above words and the feelings behind them. I found her intention to accept the present and to "cleanse" her mind totally "so that there are no shades of grey in the path ahead" not just laudable but also insightful.
Ordinary mortals, who have not done any contemplation, fear death as "untoward". The awakened ones, however, know that life and death are two sides of the same coin and that death is happening all the time within the body and the mind - old cells are dying and new cells are being born; old ideas are being shed and new ones are being embraced. In this way, death is integral to life.
Meditation is death. We begin with a body and mind, identified with certain roles etc. As we go within, we start losing our limited identities of who we think we are. In the state of inner absorption, we are devoid of all identities. To put it bluntly, in the state of meditation, when the mind has been stilled, in a practical sense we are no more – we are just dead.
Yet, it is our experience that in reality there is no death. We always come out of meditation back to the waking state and regain all the identities that we had kept aside. This process can be likened to our clothese. We put them aside, when we go to have a bath. Afterwards, we again put them on.
Death, which happens in meditation, holds the secret of eternal life. The more we are soaked in the experience of inner absorption the more we begin to understand ourselves as points of awareness travelling through space and time, taking on myriad identities through millions of life forms, yet not being any of those identities.
Gradually, a person can strengthen his practice of awareness to an extent that he is established in pure unattached awareness all the time. Then he has no death. Of course, the physical form will wither away one day. The body will fall when the time comes. But, such a person enters death with full awareness and wherever he goes he remembers where he has come from.
Generally, we do not remember where we have come from. Hence, we think of this body as our true and only abode. If we knew, there would be little attachment to the body. And, when the time to bid good bye to this life comes, we can easily transit from this body into the unknown spheres of life.
Bhagwad Gita, the Lord says, "When it is night, the Yogi is awake." This mystical statement points to the fact that when the world sleeps, the Yogi (though apparently resting on his bed) is awake and aware of the Self. Living in the awareness of the Self is living in eternal life. No wonder, Jesus, the Saint of saints, who put himself on the crucifix for the love of man, had promised to his followers that he had come to give them eternal life (a life of awareness).
A great seer, Mr Soli Tavaria, once explained to me that to test his disciples depth of awareness, Jesus took to them to a mountain one night and asked them to keep "watch". As his followers were keeping “watch”, Jesus kept returning to the mountain again and again. He found that they were asleep (with no awareness). It was then that he expressed his disappointment and proclaimed that soon one person would betray Him. From this point He engineered His own crucifixion. Christianity appears to have lost sight of this great message of Jesus about eternal life - a life of awareness of the Self.
In Kathopanishad there is this beautiful incident. Nachiketa, the young seeker, goes to Yamaraj (the Lord of death) to seek the key to eternal life. Who else can be a better teacher than Yamaraj in this regard? Yet when Nachiketa reaches Yama's abode, he is told by Yami (Yama's wife) that Yamaraj is not there.
This is no coincidence. It happens to all the time. When we consciously enter death (as we do by going deep within our consciousness in meditation) we make this startling discovery. Death does not exist. We are essentially pure energy - full of charm, grace, light and love. Nothing else exists.
So, what this friend of mine seeks is a journey of merging into the eternal. Whether the body exists or not or how long will the body exist - these questions are immaterial. What is material is that there is light and there is love. As loving fellow travellers and co-seekers, we are always going to be there with persons like her in thought and intention. Having someone like her in our midst is a great blessing for which we have to be grateful to the divine.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
What TRUTH are we seeking?
Recently, an acquaintance of mine observed, "When people are not concerned about truth in small matters, how can they be trusted with truth in huge things."
This set me thinking about the nature of the "truth", we are usually interested in. It occurred to me that most of the time we are concerned only with 'practical' truth and not the 'real' or the 'absolute' truth.
There is a basic difficulty with a 'practical' truth, which by their very nature changes colour and may turn into falshood. Is it not true that our value systems keep changing? What is now being frowned upon as totally unacceptable, may become quite acceptable with time? Hence, a 'practical' truth, just because it changes with time, are not true at all. So, coming to any exposition of the truth, it is good to ask what truth one is referring to? This point is beautifully illustrated in a Mulla Nasruddin Story, I read many years ago.
A rude king was worried about the fact that his subjects were in the habit of telling lies. One day, the king announced in his court, "I have devised a plan to make people speak the truth." Smiling to himself, the king went on to explain, “The plan is simple. Today itself, we shall erect gallows at the entrance to the capital. Each morning, a posse of royal guards shall be posted there. These guards will catch hold of the first person entering the city gates and shall bring him to their captain, who would ask a question to which this fellow will have to give a truthful reply. If the captain finds the reply to be incorrect, the guards will put this person immediately on the gallows and his dead body shall remain on display for everyone to see. Surely, this will deter other subjects, who will learn to adhere to the truth.”
Supplicant courtiers began applauding the king on his ‘brilliant’ plan. Incidentally, Mulla Nasruddin (for a change, a wise man in this avatar), was also present in the court. He rose from his seat, bowed courteously and asked the king, "My Lord! should we not first consider what truth are we talking about here." Taking this as a sign of dissent, the impatient King shouted at Mulla, "You idiot! Keep quiet!! Don’t you try to teach me!!! I know what I am doing.” Mulla did not reply and sat down amidst jeers from fellow courtiers.
Later that evening, Mulla quietly slipped out of the city. The next morning, he was the first person to enter the city, disguised as a mad looking faqir. The royal guards, already posted at the city gates, caught hold of him and dragged him to their captain. Pointing to the gallows erected nearby, the captain growled, “Mad fellow! Get out of your stupor!! I am going to ask you a question. In reply, you are expected to tell me the truth. If you don’t, you shall hang by these gallows.”
An unfazed Mulla shouted back, “Shoot your question.” The captain asked, “Where are you going?” Pat came the reply from Mulla, “I am going to hang by these gallows.” The surprised captain said, “That cannot be.” Mulla challenged the captain, “Then go ahead. Hang me.” Now utterly bewildered, the captain said, “But, that will make it the truth.” Mulla smiled, “Your truth.”……………………..
When we think of adhering to the truth, we should always ask, what truth are we referring to………..
This set me thinking about the nature of the "truth", we are usually interested in. It occurred to me that most of the time we are concerned only with 'practical' truth and not the 'real' or the 'absolute' truth.
There is a basic difficulty with a 'practical' truth, which by their very nature changes colour and may turn into falshood. Is it not true that our value systems keep changing? What is now being frowned upon as totally unacceptable, may become quite acceptable with time? Hence, a 'practical' truth, just because it changes with time, are not true at all. So, coming to any exposition of the truth, it is good to ask what truth one is referring to? This point is beautifully illustrated in a Mulla Nasruddin Story, I read many years ago.
A rude king was worried about the fact that his subjects were in the habit of telling lies. One day, the king announced in his court, "I have devised a plan to make people speak the truth." Smiling to himself, the king went on to explain, “The plan is simple. Today itself, we shall erect gallows at the entrance to the capital. Each morning, a posse of royal guards shall be posted there. These guards will catch hold of the first person entering the city gates and shall bring him to their captain, who would ask a question to which this fellow will have to give a truthful reply. If the captain finds the reply to be incorrect, the guards will put this person immediately on the gallows and his dead body shall remain on display for everyone to see. Surely, this will deter other subjects, who will learn to adhere to the truth.”
Supplicant courtiers began applauding the king on his ‘brilliant’ plan. Incidentally, Mulla Nasruddin (for a change, a wise man in this avatar), was also present in the court. He rose from his seat, bowed courteously and asked the king, "My Lord! should we not first consider what truth are we talking about here." Taking this as a sign of dissent, the impatient King shouted at Mulla, "You idiot! Keep quiet!! Don’t you try to teach me!!! I know what I am doing.” Mulla did not reply and sat down amidst jeers from fellow courtiers.
Later that evening, Mulla quietly slipped out of the city. The next morning, he was the first person to enter the city, disguised as a mad looking faqir. The royal guards, already posted at the city gates, caught hold of him and dragged him to their captain. Pointing to the gallows erected nearby, the captain growled, “Mad fellow! Get out of your stupor!! I am going to ask you a question. In reply, you are expected to tell me the truth. If you don’t, you shall hang by these gallows.”
An unfazed Mulla shouted back, “Shoot your question.” The captain asked, “Where are you going?” Pat came the reply from Mulla, “I am going to hang by these gallows.” The surprised captain said, “That cannot be.” Mulla challenged the captain, “Then go ahead. Hang me.” Now utterly bewildered, the captain said, “But, that will make it the truth.” Mulla smiled, “Your truth.”……………………..
When we think of adhering to the truth, we should always ask, what truth are we referring to………..
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Does one need to convert?
While shooting for "Eat, Love & Pray" Julia Roberts was required to shoot scenes of lighting incense, praying and meditating in a Hindu temple. She enjoyed these practices and has embraced them as part of her routine as she reportedly wants her next life to be quiet and supporting. Some people, obviously Hindus, are rejoicing Julia's apparent "conversion" to Hinduism. To me this inference is not very apt.
Firstly, there is a serious question about Hinduism being a religion. Not a single scripture, held in esteem by the Hindus, speaks of Dharma as the Hindu Dharma. Instead, in these scriptures Dharma is referred to as Sanatan (Eternal) - an eternal principle responsible for cycles of creation, maintenance and dissolution. Even when dissolution has taken place and only undifferentiated energy remains, Dharma would still be in operation and will give rise to a fresh cycle of creation, maintenance and dissolution. In that sense, Dharma propounded by our ancient sages and seers is far beyond any set of defined practices or paths. In comparison, the Hindu Dharma, like any other Dharma, appears limited.
In the early nineties I had the great good fortune of knowing Mr Soli Tavaria, who was a great seer, having easy access to past, present and future. Mr Tavaria once told me something about the origin of the word "Hindu".
When the invading armies of Alexander crossed the river boundary into India, they found to their surprise that waters of the river and also the people on this side were black. Seeing this, Alexander cried "Indu-Indu", which perhaps in Greek means "black". As such, the river came to be called Indus and the country was called India. In course of time, the inhabitants were called Hindus. So, the Hindu identity came into existence very recently, while the Dharma that was already there was far older. Thus, the notion of a Hindu Dharma is not in keeping with the Indian tradition, where Dharma is an eternal principle.
Secondly, conversion or proselytization is not ingrained in the Indian tradition (especially in the context of the Hindus). Sanatan Dharma is the whole, of which other Dharmas (belief systems) can always be part. So, a belief in the Sanatan Dharma recognizes that there is always scope for for accepting any other belief system that cannot be adversarial. This perhaps explains, why the Hindu kings never sent their armies or missionaries out to convert other populations either forcibly or through allurement into Hinduism.
Even in modern times, so many great Gurus have stepped out of India to become Gurus to the whole world. But, they have never "converted" any one into Hinduism because what they preach is more Sanatan (eternal and all encompassing) than Hindu.
All temples, not just Hindu but other places of worship too, witness sustained devotional practices by ardent devotees. Therefore, these places are chrged with extremely positive vibrations. Just by being their, a person finds that the outgoing flow of the energies of his body and mind changes direction and begins to flow to the source within. Temple visits, coupled with practices of lighting incense, chanting mantras, and meditation, further help this process of going within and enable a person to discover the core of his Being. The entire journey takes place within the inner laboratory of the body and the mind. For this, no one needs to renounce the faith he has been born into. Of course, when one reaches the goal of inner absorption, he will have a true understanding of his faith.
The sum and substance of the above discussion is that whatever faith we are born into is fine. We need to evolve by drawing our energies with so that we know who we truly are. This experience will be the same for everyone no matter what faith he originally subscribed to. So what Julia Roberts is doing need not be described as abandoning one faith to embrace another, as long the practces she undertakes help her go within and realize pure awareness (Christ consciousness).
As long as one is caught in to his limted identity as a Christian, a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Jain, and Islamist or a Sikh, he is likely to miss Christ, Krishna (or Rama), Buddha, Mahavira, Mohammad and Guru Nanakdev. What is important is that we realize the consciousness of Christ, Krishna (or Rama), Buddha, Mahavira, Mohammad or Guru Nanakdev that is common to everyone.
So let's celebrate Julia's evolution rather than her so called "conversion".
Firstly, there is a serious question about Hinduism being a religion. Not a single scripture, held in esteem by the Hindus, speaks of Dharma as the Hindu Dharma. Instead, in these scriptures Dharma is referred to as Sanatan (Eternal) - an eternal principle responsible for cycles of creation, maintenance and dissolution. Even when dissolution has taken place and only undifferentiated energy remains, Dharma would still be in operation and will give rise to a fresh cycle of creation, maintenance and dissolution. In that sense, Dharma propounded by our ancient sages and seers is far beyond any set of defined practices or paths. In comparison, the Hindu Dharma, like any other Dharma, appears limited.
In the early nineties I had the great good fortune of knowing Mr Soli Tavaria, who was a great seer, having easy access to past, present and future. Mr Tavaria once told me something about the origin of the word "Hindu".
When the invading armies of Alexander crossed the river boundary into India, they found to their surprise that waters of the river and also the people on this side were black. Seeing this, Alexander cried "Indu-Indu", which perhaps in Greek means "black". As such, the river came to be called Indus and the country was called India. In course of time, the inhabitants were called Hindus. So, the Hindu identity came into existence very recently, while the Dharma that was already there was far older. Thus, the notion of a Hindu Dharma is not in keeping with the Indian tradition, where Dharma is an eternal principle.
Secondly, conversion or proselytization is not ingrained in the Indian tradition (especially in the context of the Hindus). Sanatan Dharma is the whole, of which other Dharmas (belief systems) can always be part. So, a belief in the Sanatan Dharma recognizes that there is always scope for for accepting any other belief system that cannot be adversarial. This perhaps explains, why the Hindu kings never sent their armies or missionaries out to convert other populations either forcibly or through allurement into Hinduism.
Even in modern times, so many great Gurus have stepped out of India to become Gurus to the whole world. But, they have never "converted" any one into Hinduism because what they preach is more Sanatan (eternal and all encompassing) than Hindu.
All temples, not just Hindu but other places of worship too, witness sustained devotional practices by ardent devotees. Therefore, these places are chrged with extremely positive vibrations. Just by being their, a person finds that the outgoing flow of the energies of his body and mind changes direction and begins to flow to the source within. Temple visits, coupled with practices of lighting incense, chanting mantras, and meditation, further help this process of going within and enable a person to discover the core of his Being. The entire journey takes place within the inner laboratory of the body and the mind. For this, no one needs to renounce the faith he has been born into. Of course, when one reaches the goal of inner absorption, he will have a true understanding of his faith.
The sum and substance of the above discussion is that whatever faith we are born into is fine. We need to evolve by drawing our energies with so that we know who we truly are. This experience will be the same for everyone no matter what faith he originally subscribed to. So what Julia Roberts is doing need not be described as abandoning one faith to embrace another, as long the practces she undertakes help her go within and realize pure awareness (Christ consciousness).
As long as one is caught in to his limted identity as a Christian, a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Jain, and Islamist or a Sikh, he is likely to miss Christ, Krishna (or Rama), Buddha, Mahavira, Mohammad and Guru Nanakdev. What is important is that we realize the consciousness of Christ, Krishna (or Rama), Buddha, Mahavira, Mohammad or Guru Nanakdev that is common to everyone.
So let's celebrate Julia's evolution rather than her so called "conversion".
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thoughts on Guru Purnima
Only recently, we celebrated the festival of Guru Purnima. The Guru is the full moon illumining the lives of all beings. People generally think of Guru as some one, who has mastered the craft in his chosen field of work and is able to enthuse and train others to pursue perfection in that field. In the spiritual sense, however, Guru is one who has attained perfection by becoming one with the Absolute and is able to give seekers, who come in contact with him phyically or mentally, a taste of his state. Once a seeker gets this glimpse, his life changes and he is automatically propelled on the path of introspection and self-discovery. His journey has to finding perfection within himself begins.
Guru is the eternal principle of Grace, sitting astride the immensity of time, watching over all beings and guiding each one into evolution through myriad lives. Only when a person becomes ready for discipleship, the ultimate Guru appears in a human form, making it evident that it is possible to find perfection in the human body itself.
In that sense, having a Guru is not about finding the Guru through an arduous search. The Guru is never away and is working continually back stage. It is one's seekership that eventually brings forth the Guru in a physical form that one can easily relate with. Of course, the Guru is a mysterious phenomenon. In course of time, he readies the disciple to find out that the Guru on the outside is no different from his own inner-Self. From this point onwards, the disciple, though apparently still comitted to his Guru, is essentially on his own.
It is my fervent wish that all beings, including myself strengthen their seekership that helps them connect to the Guru
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Using Opportunities
THE TOUCHSTONE
When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers.
The book wasn't very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the "Touchstone" !
The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.
So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles. He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold - throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.
The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about midafternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away.!
REFLECTION
So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant, it's easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it's just as easy to throw it away.
Wise men make more opportunities than they find! Like an eagle, be vigilant to make use of the opportunities around you.
When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers.
The book wasn't very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the "Touchstone" !
The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.
So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles. He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold - throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.
The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about midafternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away.!
REFLECTION
So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant, it's easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it's just as easy to throw it away.
Wise men make more opportunities than they find! Like an eagle, be vigilant to make use of the opportunities around you.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Failed Opportunities - A Contemplation
Recently a friend asked me the following question:
"An opportunity (relating to material world) comes one's way in normal course without any effort or initiative. One starts pursuing the opportunity and soon the door is closed. What is the teaching in this?"
The question has set me thinking. It refers to a pursuit that did not bring the desired result. Interestingly, the pursuit began when an opportunity one was not looking for on the conscious plane surfaced rather suddenly all by itself. It led to a certain involvement that eventually petered out into nothing. Naturally, the questioner is wondering as to why such a thing happened.
It is a very genuine query, which, I feel, everyone, specially a seeker, must contemplate. Here are the thoughts that arose within me out of my contemplation. I am sharing the same with you for any other thoughts that may arise.
Why do things happen the way they happen?
In spirituality, there is an undisputed rule about life. Expected or otherwise, the things that happen to us in our in lives are those that we have sought for ourselves at the level of the mind, a repository of our karmas.
The sub-conscious mind; how it controls us?
We are normally barely aware of what goes on the surface of the mind. Yet, the mind is very huge and can be compared to an iceberg. What lies below the surface is much than what is visible. We normal refer to this hidden area, below the surface, as the subconscious mind. This area holds impressions of all kinds of unfinished businesses, through our present and earlier lifetimes. Though apparently dormant, these impressions are at work. They keep transmitting their signals and continue to attract those forces of nature that will bring life’s hidden agenda to fruition. This is how the subconscious mind determines our life, without giving us any hint of what it is doing. We are held hostage to what lies at the subliminal level of the mind.
We can acquire freedom from the machinations of these latent impressions in two ways alone – by not resisting change and by intelligent interference.
Choice of Resisting vs Not-resisting the Subconscious – A practical perspective:
The uninitiated or the ignorant have no option in the matter. They succumb to whatever the latent impressions bring up. So, things and events materialize and fructify in the normal course. Sometimes, this starts lightening the carried forward baggage of the sub-conscious. It leads to a purging, which encourages evolution. At other times, while settling or resolving existing baggage, it creates other further baggage that continues to exert and make its presence felt in subtle ways bring more or newer limitations to personality of man.
Those who are initiated have two options. The first option is one of intelligent interference. The person intelligently chooses those thoughts and actions that bring silence and stability to the mind. He prefers that which will bring him to the experience of the Self. This way the hold of latent impressions gets loosened and he becomes free. The second option is of non-interference, born out of higher knowledge. In this process, one neither invites nor rejects a latent impression. Such a person does not bother about any opportunity, pursued successfully or otherwise. He simply intensifies his sadhana so that he can burn all latent impressions in the fire of yoga so that in-process Karmas are avoided. Such a person, when he has sufficiently evolved, reaches a state of choiceless-ness. He does not seek or shun anything. He simply witnesses what is happening. He has become Shiva himself.
Exploring the Sub-conscious Mind in Meditation to make the transition from Unconscious to Conscious
The mind, below the surface, is the 'chain' that is holding us back from liberation. We are not aware of it primarily because we are mostly caught up on the surface. When we begin to meditate, we start this journey within. Then we begin to explore these hidden or deeper areas of the mind. No wonder, each one of us, after he has started meditating, begins to discover new dimensions. Hidden possibilities, totally new traits, and fresh talents begin to sprout. In this journey, quite often, a meditator also starts noticing sprouting of even unsavoury things -- anger, selfishness, cowardliness, depravity in sex, or some follies.
Self-exploration is like a massive churner that first digs up and then churns out everything, precious or base. It allows all impressions to travel from the subconscious to the conscious areas of the mind.
When the impressions come up in the field of vision of the conscious mind, one's consciousness is coloured by them. Certain things may be very pleasing while others may be quite unpalatable. The key is to become a witness. If a person simply witnesses these impressions, they surface into the region of the conscious mind and are purged out.
It is part of the healing process, whereby the subconscious mind is being set free of all entanglements, hidden or otherwise. One starts becoming free.
Reacting to the Sub-conscious Mind
Here we must understand that in so far as its events are concerned, life is governed by a higher intelligence that a limited mind cannot probe. Here it must be understood that a limited mind is engaged with ‘BECOMING’, while the empty mind is established in ‘BEING’ (absorbed completely in pure awareness). Being is elusive. We touch this state each night in deep sleep but we don’t know it because our awareness is shut. Hence, to make the transition to ‘Being’ we much first be fully established in ‘Becoming’.
Futile pursuits (or even fruitful pursuits) are necessary tools used by life to educate us in our evolution. Sometimes, a futile pursuit may be sent into our lives to help us learn and inculcate the virtues of planning, focus, and execution. An improvement in these areas will help us when the next opportunity comes our way. In a way, this is to strengthen the 'BECOMING' in a positive way. Only when Becoming is strengthened sufficiently, it will be possible for one to realize its futility.
Therefore, a futile pursuit may be sent into the life a sufficiently evolved person to teach him about something still higher - the futility of all pursuit. This may engineer the final letting go - the leap into 'BEING'. This may lead to complete surrender to the divine will, where one is living in perfect choiceless-ness. He does no do anything on his own. He merely participates in what is happening around him. Each one has to contemplate what the happenings in his or her life (including futile pursuits) are indicating to him.
For the sadhaka the choice is one of sadhana. This alone will take him across.
"An opportunity (relating to material world) comes one's way in normal course without any effort or initiative. One starts pursuing the opportunity and soon the door is closed. What is the teaching in this?"
The question has set me thinking. It refers to a pursuit that did not bring the desired result. Interestingly, the pursuit began when an opportunity one was not looking for on the conscious plane surfaced rather suddenly all by itself. It led to a certain involvement that eventually petered out into nothing. Naturally, the questioner is wondering as to why such a thing happened.
It is a very genuine query, which, I feel, everyone, specially a seeker, must contemplate. Here are the thoughts that arose within me out of my contemplation. I am sharing the same with you for any other thoughts that may arise.
Why do things happen the way they happen?
In spirituality, there is an undisputed rule about life. Expected or otherwise, the things that happen to us in our in lives are those that we have sought for ourselves at the level of the mind, a repository of our karmas.
The sub-conscious mind; how it controls us?
We are normally barely aware of what goes on the surface of the mind. Yet, the mind is very huge and can be compared to an iceberg. What lies below the surface is much than what is visible. We normal refer to this hidden area, below the surface, as the subconscious mind. This area holds impressions of all kinds of unfinished businesses, through our present and earlier lifetimes. Though apparently dormant, these impressions are at work. They keep transmitting their signals and continue to attract those forces of nature that will bring life’s hidden agenda to fruition. This is how the subconscious mind determines our life, without giving us any hint of what it is doing. We are held hostage to what lies at the subliminal level of the mind.
We can acquire freedom from the machinations of these latent impressions in two ways alone – by not resisting change and by intelligent interference.
Choice of Resisting vs Not-resisting the Subconscious – A practical perspective:
The uninitiated or the ignorant have no option in the matter. They succumb to whatever the latent impressions bring up. So, things and events materialize and fructify in the normal course. Sometimes, this starts lightening the carried forward baggage of the sub-conscious. It leads to a purging, which encourages evolution. At other times, while settling or resolving existing baggage, it creates other further baggage that continues to exert and make its presence felt in subtle ways bring more or newer limitations to personality of man.
Those who are initiated have two options. The first option is one of intelligent interference. The person intelligently chooses those thoughts and actions that bring silence and stability to the mind. He prefers that which will bring him to the experience of the Self. This way the hold of latent impressions gets loosened and he becomes free. The second option is of non-interference, born out of higher knowledge. In this process, one neither invites nor rejects a latent impression. Such a person does not bother about any opportunity, pursued successfully or otherwise. He simply intensifies his sadhana so that he can burn all latent impressions in the fire of yoga so that in-process Karmas are avoided. Such a person, when he has sufficiently evolved, reaches a state of choiceless-ness. He does not seek or shun anything. He simply witnesses what is happening. He has become Shiva himself.
Exploring the Sub-conscious Mind in Meditation to make the transition from Unconscious to Conscious
The mind, below the surface, is the 'chain' that is holding us back from liberation. We are not aware of it primarily because we are mostly caught up on the surface. When we begin to meditate, we start this journey within. Then we begin to explore these hidden or deeper areas of the mind. No wonder, each one of us, after he has started meditating, begins to discover new dimensions. Hidden possibilities, totally new traits, and fresh talents begin to sprout. In this journey, quite often, a meditator also starts noticing sprouting of even unsavoury things -- anger, selfishness, cowardliness, depravity in sex, or some follies.
Self-exploration is like a massive churner that first digs up and then churns out everything, precious or base. It allows all impressions to travel from the subconscious to the conscious areas of the mind.
When the impressions come up in the field of vision of the conscious mind, one's consciousness is coloured by them. Certain things may be very pleasing while others may be quite unpalatable. The key is to become a witness. If a person simply witnesses these impressions, they surface into the region of the conscious mind and are purged out.
It is part of the healing process, whereby the subconscious mind is being set free of all entanglements, hidden or otherwise. One starts becoming free.
Reacting to the Sub-conscious Mind
Here we must understand that in so far as its events are concerned, life is governed by a higher intelligence that a limited mind cannot probe. Here it must be understood that a limited mind is engaged with ‘BECOMING’, while the empty mind is established in ‘BEING’ (absorbed completely in pure awareness). Being is elusive. We touch this state each night in deep sleep but we don’t know it because our awareness is shut. Hence, to make the transition to ‘Being’ we much first be fully established in ‘Becoming’.
Futile pursuits (or even fruitful pursuits) are necessary tools used by life to educate us in our evolution. Sometimes, a futile pursuit may be sent into our lives to help us learn and inculcate the virtues of planning, focus, and execution. An improvement in these areas will help us when the next opportunity comes our way. In a way, this is to strengthen the 'BECOMING' in a positive way. Only when Becoming is strengthened sufficiently, it will be possible for one to realize its futility.
Therefore, a futile pursuit may be sent into the life a sufficiently evolved person to teach him about something still higher - the futility of all pursuit. This may engineer the final letting go - the leap into 'BEING'. This may lead to complete surrender to the divine will, where one is living in perfect choiceless-ness. He does no do anything on his own. He merely participates in what is happening around him. Each one has to contemplate what the happenings in his or her life (including futile pursuits) are indicating to him.
For the sadhaka the choice is one of sadhana. This alone will take him across.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Lessons for the Teacher
I began to meditate in 1990. About a year later, at my Guru’s ashram, I was given the seva of teaching meditation. Given the fact that I myself was relatively new to the practice, I was not sure of any success as a teacher. However, I had underestimated the power of Grace.
The teaching sessions at the Ashram went off quite smoothly. I began to grow in confidence. Within the next one year, I started introducing meditation to my office colleagues (at Mumbai, India). This brush with the energies of group meditations has been quite rewarding.
In 1991, my office had a group of lady staff members, pursuing spiritual practices. They had the same Guru. Bound by this fellowship, they would come together in the office every day during lunch recess to study scriptures and to meditate. Once or twice, I joined their sessions and they did mine. Then the requirements of work took me away from Mumbai. The contact was severed.
I returned to Mumbai about a year back. One day, I happened to meet one of these ladies at the office. She filled me in on her group. The Guru had passed away and was no longer there in the physical body to guide them. Several members of the group, including the one who lead them, had retired from service. Some members had been transferred to work at offices in other locations within Mumbai. These developments had forced abandonment of the daily satsang. Yet, the group had largely remained cohesive. Those members, who could, met for four-five hours of practices one Saturday each month at some place of choice.
My contact with the group having been renewed, soon they invited me to lead them into meditation at a get-together they had organized within the office. It was nice to meet them. A few months later, once again they invited me in.
This time, I encouraged them to speak about issues relevant to their sadhana. We dealt with several questions. How do they feel about their sadhana? Where do they think it is leading them? What issues or behavioural patterns they feel they have to work on? How to evaluate the inner work, carried on by the awakened energy? How to deal with the physical absence of the Guru? And so on………
Very soon a significant issue with many came to the fore. The ladies were being bogged down by their own judgment about some undesirables they were not able to let go. They were unhappy that their sadhana had done little to help them in getting rid of unwanted thoughts or habit patterns. Also, just because they were focused on areas of want, they were overlooking those of abundance, specially the wonderful transformation that was all too evident in their lives and did indicate great progress through inner work.
In the course of discussion, I deliberately played the facilitator, allowing others to change focus so that they begin to look for and appreciate the positives. Gradually, a change began to be felt. The general demeanor of the participants was changing perceptibly. Faces began to lighten up more and more with hope and self-belief.
This discussion had consumed considerable time. So, I suggested that we had had a “discussion satsang” and we could call it a day. However, the ladies weren’t ready to forego meditation. Looking for an swift way out, I thought I would give them a short visualization for healing and be done with it.
I began giving instructions accordingly, beginning with a breath awareness induced limb by limb relaxation starting from toes upwards. I was half way through, when I began to feel a great buildup of energy within. It started taking hold of me. The instructions, I was giving thus far, had to stop.
Suddenly, a suggestion for a different kind of dharana (concentration) and meditation began to take shape within me. It was about meditation on the Guru’s form (by identifying the one’s body with that of the Guru). Instructions began to form in my mind spontaneously. I went ahead with the flow and started articulating whatever came up.
It began with the awareness of the toes. The mantra “Om Guru Om” had to be repeated silently with the suggestion that the toes were no longer ours but those of the Guru. Limb by limb this visualization was carried forward with silent repetition of the mantra. Eventually, we reached the crown of the head.
Normally, I would have stopped at that and would have let the ladies meditate on the inner silence arising out of this identification with the Guru’s form. But, this did not happen.
New instructions began to came forth. These were about visualization of a very private and intimate meeting with the Guru, seated comfortably on a lovely chair in the cave of the heart. Everyone was taken through the steps of this process slowly – welcoming the Guru, seating the Guru in the chair, offering the most loving service to the Guru, and sharing with the Guru the innermost secrets, feelings and gratitude. I asked each one to sit in silence and listen if the Guru had any words of advice, instruction and benediction; and, let the words sink in.
Perhaps at this point the instructions stopped. We were in an office hall. Outside, there was some conversation. Once in while voices could be heard. But, we were engulfed by a pool of silence. We sat quietly, each one deeply absorbed in the silent company of the inner Guru.
After a while, I softly guided the ladies into regaining body consciousness. I too was brought out by my own voice. I looked at my watch. Only thn I realized that meditation had lasted almost 50 minutes. Even after everyone had opened their eyes, an unseen curtain of silence hung over us. No one was willing to speak. It took quite a while before we spoke out.
This experience was a strong reminder to me of how the inner Guru guides from within. My ‘limited’ mind had conjured up a concept of the meditation I needed to give those ladies that day. Obviously, the inner Guru thought otherwise. He acted decisively and with grace, compelling me to fall in line and change course. What eventually took place was hugely more enjoyable. The Guru had used me as an instrument. What a splendid blow to any sense of doership that I might have had.
There was another teaching that came to me strongly from this experience. I had gone to these ladies as a ‘teacher’ – ‘somebody’ who would help them ‘receive’ ‘something’. These ladies were surely low on intellectual content. But, they were certainly very high on love for spiritual life, simplicity, purity and receptivity. This had largely engineered the experience that had befallen me.
And, lo and behold, the teacher had become the taught.
Ladies! My heartfelt salutations to each one of you!!.
This is the greatness of a satsang (company of the Truth). It allows one to discover his or her better part in the most inscrutable ways.
The teaching sessions at the Ashram went off quite smoothly. I began to grow in confidence. Within the next one year, I started introducing meditation to my office colleagues (at Mumbai, India). This brush with the energies of group meditations has been quite rewarding.
In 1991, my office had a group of lady staff members, pursuing spiritual practices. They had the same Guru. Bound by this fellowship, they would come together in the office every day during lunch recess to study scriptures and to meditate. Once or twice, I joined their sessions and they did mine. Then the requirements of work took me away from Mumbai. The contact was severed.
I returned to Mumbai about a year back. One day, I happened to meet one of these ladies at the office. She filled me in on her group. The Guru had passed away and was no longer there in the physical body to guide them. Several members of the group, including the one who lead them, had retired from service. Some members had been transferred to work at offices in other locations within Mumbai. These developments had forced abandonment of the daily satsang. Yet, the group had largely remained cohesive. Those members, who could, met for four-five hours of practices one Saturday each month at some place of choice.
My contact with the group having been renewed, soon they invited me to lead them into meditation at a get-together they had organized within the office. It was nice to meet them. A few months later, once again they invited me in.
This time, I encouraged them to speak about issues relevant to their sadhana. We dealt with several questions. How do they feel about their sadhana? Where do they think it is leading them? What issues or behavioural patterns they feel they have to work on? How to evaluate the inner work, carried on by the awakened energy? How to deal with the physical absence of the Guru? And so on………
Very soon a significant issue with many came to the fore. The ladies were being bogged down by their own judgment about some undesirables they were not able to let go. They were unhappy that their sadhana had done little to help them in getting rid of unwanted thoughts or habit patterns. Also, just because they were focused on areas of want, they were overlooking those of abundance, specially the wonderful transformation that was all too evident in their lives and did indicate great progress through inner work.
In the course of discussion, I deliberately played the facilitator, allowing others to change focus so that they begin to look for and appreciate the positives. Gradually, a change began to be felt. The general demeanor of the participants was changing perceptibly. Faces began to lighten up more and more with hope and self-belief.
This discussion had consumed considerable time. So, I suggested that we had had a “discussion satsang” and we could call it a day. However, the ladies weren’t ready to forego meditation. Looking for an swift way out, I thought I would give them a short visualization for healing and be done with it.
I began giving instructions accordingly, beginning with a breath awareness induced limb by limb relaxation starting from toes upwards. I was half way through, when I began to feel a great buildup of energy within. It started taking hold of me. The instructions, I was giving thus far, had to stop.
Suddenly, a suggestion for a different kind of dharana (concentration) and meditation began to take shape within me. It was about meditation on the Guru’s form (by identifying the one’s body with that of the Guru). Instructions began to form in my mind spontaneously. I went ahead with the flow and started articulating whatever came up.
It began with the awareness of the toes. The mantra “Om Guru Om” had to be repeated silently with the suggestion that the toes were no longer ours but those of the Guru. Limb by limb this visualization was carried forward with silent repetition of the mantra. Eventually, we reached the crown of the head.
Normally, I would have stopped at that and would have let the ladies meditate on the inner silence arising out of this identification with the Guru’s form. But, this did not happen.
New instructions began to came forth. These were about visualization of a very private and intimate meeting with the Guru, seated comfortably on a lovely chair in the cave of the heart. Everyone was taken through the steps of this process slowly – welcoming the Guru, seating the Guru in the chair, offering the most loving service to the Guru, and sharing with the Guru the innermost secrets, feelings and gratitude. I asked each one to sit in silence and listen if the Guru had any words of advice, instruction and benediction; and, let the words sink in.
Perhaps at this point the instructions stopped. We were in an office hall. Outside, there was some conversation. Once in while voices could be heard. But, we were engulfed by a pool of silence. We sat quietly, each one deeply absorbed in the silent company of the inner Guru.
After a while, I softly guided the ladies into regaining body consciousness. I too was brought out by my own voice. I looked at my watch. Only thn I realized that meditation had lasted almost 50 minutes. Even after everyone had opened their eyes, an unseen curtain of silence hung over us. No one was willing to speak. It took quite a while before we spoke out.
This experience was a strong reminder to me of how the inner Guru guides from within. My ‘limited’ mind had conjured up a concept of the meditation I needed to give those ladies that day. Obviously, the inner Guru thought otherwise. He acted decisively and with grace, compelling me to fall in line and change course. What eventually took place was hugely more enjoyable. The Guru had used me as an instrument. What a splendid blow to any sense of doership that I might have had.
There was another teaching that came to me strongly from this experience. I had gone to these ladies as a ‘teacher’ – ‘somebody’ who would help them ‘receive’ ‘something’. These ladies were surely low on intellectual content. But, they were certainly very high on love for spiritual life, simplicity, purity and receptivity. This had largely engineered the experience that had befallen me.
And, lo and behold, the teacher had become the taught.
Ladies! My heartfelt salutations to each one of you!!.
This is the greatness of a satsang (company of the Truth). It allows one to discover his or her better part in the most inscrutable ways.
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