D J The monthly ezine from the Light of the Self Foundation Issue 25, Feb 2014
From the editor’s desk
Contents
Hari om, Wishing all Atmajyothis a very happy Holi. Consciousness expresses itself through inâ€? ďŹ nite diversity and Holi the festival of colâ€? ors serves as a reminder to celebrate this diversity in manifestation by seeing the unity behind it and give up our sense of separation. Let the Self be our inspiration and bring its inďŹ nite creativity into our minds so we indulge ourselves in bringing about transformations in and around us through beautiful and seless actions. â€? In Guruseva.
Prabhuji Speaks
3
Sanatana Dharma
4
Panchadasi
5
Renunciation with Awareness
6
Kala Gita
7
Soundarya Lahari
9
Sri Lalitha Sahasranama
10
Swetaswara Upanishad
12
Patanjali Yoga Sutra
13
LADS - Chapter 3
14
Divya Jyothi
Page 3
Prabhuji Speaks
It is Holi time again. Wish you all very Happy Holi. Holi is a festival for celebration of colors of life. Every festival of India has a deep spiritual significance. What is the significance of the festival of Holi ? In one of the popular Bhajans, Shri Krishna complains to Mother Yashodha ‐ Why Radha is fair and I am dark ( Ra‐ dha kyon gori, my kyon kala). Mother Yashodha told jokingly to Shri Krishna, you can splash any color on Radha’s face. This is how the festival of Holi started. Shri Krishna splashed colors on Radha and played holi with all Gopikas. Shri Krishna represents Paramatma – the supreme spirit. Radharani represents Prakriti – nature. White in Nature represents the quality of Satwa – purity. Shri Krishna is dark – indicating that Paramatma is beyond manifestation – unseen. Splashing of the color represents the multifaceted creation. Playing of Holi represents the play of Para‐ matma with Gopikas representing the Jivatmas. This world is a Divine play. Remembrance of this Divine play, cele‐ brating life is holi. Another legend of Holi speaks of Holika – sister of the Demon Hiranyakashyapu who had boon from Deity of Fire that she cannot be burnt. She holds Prahlada on her lap and enters into fire in order to kill him. But Prahlad emerges unhurt while Holika gets burnt in spite of her boon. Hiranyakashyapu represents the ego and holika represents the emotions like anger, jealousy associated with ego. Prahlada represents the deep devotion to the Lord. The devotion destroys all the negative emotions. One more legend of the day represents Shiva opening His 3rd eye to burn Manmatha. This legend represents the opening of the wisdom eye destroying the desires – In other words the state of enlightenment. Thus the festival of holi represents celebration of Divine creation through colors. Festival represents liberation through devotion and State of enlightenment itself.
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Sanatana Dharma The Universal Consciousness is God. The Universal Consciousness is the name, which one cannot understand in gen‐ eral. When the Universal Consciousness is called as God, then one can understand easily. Everyone believes that there is divine power, which creates, sustains and destroys known as Shrusti; Sthithi and Laya in Sanskrit. That divine power is God – The Universal Consciousness which we call with different names like God, Lord, Eshwara, Bhagavan etc. When we ask where is God, then the next question would arise is the place where God does not exist! The Universe is full of Consciousness and that Consciousness is God – The Universal Consciousness. Sanatana Dharma says God is in every minute particle, he is in Chara – movable and Achara – immovable, he is known as ‘charaachara Jaganatha chakra rajaniketana’ which means that he is in movable and immovable things. He is the king of cycle of birth and rebirth, he is infinite. Sanatana Dharma says he is sarvavyapi means all pervading, omnipresent. Science can do research which means that it can search for what is already existing but it cannot search for the existence! Whatever is happening in day‐to‐day life there must be some cause and you are sure to experience the effect of it. For example, a student working hard is the cause and getting first rank is the effect. The result of every action in the Uni‐ verse is the cause and effect of the Universal Consciousness. If the action is good the fruits will be good and we feel happy about it; if the actions are bad naturally the fruits will be bad and we feel sad. Who is the one who decides what fruits should be given to what action? Which action is good and which action is bad? It is God – The Universal Con‐ sciousness. The teacher or the examiner decides the marks to be given to the student based on the answers given by him. Similarly, the God, Universal Consciousness decides what fruits have to be given to the actions performed by each and every hu‐ man being in the Universe. He has no difference between rich and poor; caste and creed. Everyone are equal to him, he is God – The Universal Consciousness. What is needed to get the grace of God is devotion, good actions, love and compassion and not the richness or any materialistic power.
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Panchadasi - Tatva Viveka From the Rajoguna aspect of the five elements are cre‐ ated the five organs of action, viz. speech, hands, legs, anus and organs of procreation, respectively. (21)
procreation. The five great elements are still in tan‐ matra stage i.e., they have not yet undergone any grossification. They are still in their pure state.
Commentary – The rajoguna aspect of Pancha Maha‐ bhutas is responsible for the creation of karmendriyas – the organs of actions. From the sattva guna aspect of all the five elements together, the inner instrument is formed. In yogic terminology Spiritual Heart is called as the inner instrument (antahkarana). From the inner instrument called antahkarana the functions of Jnanendriyas and karmendriyas are performed. Let us see how the spiritual heart – antahkarana is responsi‐ ble for the functioning of indriyas. The functioning of the spiritual Heart is explained below.
Karmendriyas represent the independent manifesta‐ tion of rajoguna of the five great elements.
The operation of the spiritual Heart is shown in the ensuing figure. The inputs from sense organs are re‐ ceived by the objective mind (manas). When the sens‐ es become aware of some object, an impression of the object is created in the objective mind. The objective mind queries, “what is this object”? For further pro‐ cessing, the inputs pass through the subconscious mind (chitta), vast store house of memory and egoistic impressions (samskaras). When the match for the object is found in memory (smriti), associated egoistic impressions (samskaras) arise from the subconscious. For example if chair is the object seen by the senses, chitta identifies the object as “plastic chair or wooden chair”. Egoistic impressions color the perception with “my chair, nice chair ... etc.” The intellect takes decision based on the inputs from chitta and directs the organs of action. Due to accumu‐ lated impressions (samskaras), there is sense of ego – (ahankara) in every decision making. This ego sense is our lower self.
The purpose of various spiritual practices (sadhana) is to reduce egoistic impressions in the Subconscious (chitta) so that intellect becomes free. The freed intellect operates directly under the guidance of the Witness (Sakshi) – our Higher Self. The purpose of practicing the three systems of yoga – Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga or Raja yoga is to puri‐ fy the chitta. Purification of chitta leads to serenity of the mind. Serene Mind can enquire into true nature of self and get freed from the bondage. This process of self‐enquiry is Jnana yoga. Vaak – organ of speech; paani – hands; paada – legs; upastha – organs of excretion and jajnnire – organs of
Inputs from Sense Organs (Eyes ‐ Form, Ears ‐ sound, nose ‐ smell, Tongue ‐ taste, skin ‐ touch.) (Jnanendriyas)
Objective Mind (Manas) (What is this object ?)
Subconscious mind (chitta) with egoistic impres‐ sions (samskara) and memories (Smriti) ‐ Identification of Object
Subjective Mind (Intellect, Buddhi) Decision Making
Output to organs of action (Leg ‐ motion, hand grasping, mouth (speech), sex organs (reproduction). Anus (excretion) (Karmendriyas)
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Renunciation with Awareness One of the myths that we have been conditioned to believe is that to live a spiritually enriched life, seek‐ ers need to renounce everything worldly. This means that seekers should give up their family, their job, their friends, and their possessions and live in a cave or mountains to be with themselves and introspect/ contemplate etc. to realize the Truth. This also means that the seekers need to reject all the roles that they have to perform in the earth school, roles which are meant to provide them the training school to KNOW themselves, roles in which their ego and emotional baggage will come out loud and clear so that they can heal them with awareness and with love and compassion, roles that would help them move beyond duality to seek ONENESS‐this also means Oneness with all beings including their earth family.
There is also a belief that we need to deprive our‐ selves of worldly life and that in deprivation we can find the Source. This would assume that seekers should give up a comfortable bed or their house and sleep on the floor and live in a shack or seekers should not eat proper food that they have been blessed with to realize the Truth.
This belief is probably built upon the premise that renunciation allows the seekers to disconnect from the material world, so as not to get distracted, there‐ by allowing focus in the spiritual quest. And it is be‐ lieved that seekers should not be tempted by the worldly attachments in their quest for spiritual growth. Sleeping on the floor and depriving ourselves of what we are blessed with may not necessarily lead to spiritual living.
be whole and complete. It is like saying that a healthy per‐ son should reject his good health and suffer ill health or a qualified person should give up his profession (unless he chooses) and remain on the street to be spiritual. We are meant to use whatever skills/knowledge/energy/wealth we have for the manifestation of the highest good. That is why we have been provided with that form of abundance. And that is our purpose of life‐to experience and express uncon‐ ditional love.
Any thing that is forced to ‘look’ spiritual is not going to take us HOME. Spiritual Journey is about KNOWING our‐ selves, our true nature, fears, our mind, our emotions and through awareness and meditation releasing the blockages to our spiritual growth. It is about BEING and not ‘doing.’ It is being detached in everything we have and do in whatever circumstances from the place of love and compassion. It is about letting go and having faith in the running of the Uni‐ verse. It is about knowing Oneness and our interconnected‐ ness. It is about radiating the divine qualities that are our real nature. It is all inner work leading to cleansing and pu‐ rifying the mind so that not even a speck of ego/fear re‐ mains. And it is a journey of several life times.
However, I agree that after a certain stage the seeker may need more stillness and solitude, to spend more time to be with himself. And this is a part of our learning and our growth. Yes, balancing the need for stillness while perform‐ ing our roles with more and more love and compassion, from BEING LOVE and COMPASSION, just like the Source. And this to me does not imply renouncing the physical world.
Jyoti Sondhi There are really no ‘should and shouldn't’ in spiritual living. We can be wherever we are and start living consciously. That is why we are, where we are. There are no mistakes in the Universe. If we are blessed with abundance–material abundance being one of them–then rejecting that to ‘self‐realize’ in surely not the way of ‘Acceptance of what IS.’ Rejecting apart of abundance is also rejecting a part of love to feel and
www.lightingthelampwithin.com
Oh Master, see this mighty army of the sons of Pandu, the Pandavas, arrayed in battle order by your very talented disciple � the son of Drupada � Dhrishtadhyumna.
Zen Koans Inch Time Foot Gem A lord asked Takuan, a Zen Teacher, to suggest how he might pass the time. He felt his days very long attending his office and sitting stiffly to receive the homage of others. Takuan wrote eight Chinese characters and gave them to the man: Not twice this day Inch time foot gem. This day will not come again. Each minute is worth a priceless gem.
Reciting Sutras A farmer requested a Tendai priest to recite sutras for his wife, who had died. After the recitation was over the farmer asked: "Do you think my wife will gain merit from this?" "Not only your wife, but all sentient beings will benefit from the reci‐ tation of sutras," answered the priest. "If you say all sentient beings will benefit," said the farmer, "my wife may be very weak and others will take advantage of her, getting the benefit she should have. So please recite sutras just for her." The priest explained that it was the desire of a Buddhist to offer blessings and wish merit for every living being. "That is a fine teaching," concluded the farmer, "but please make one exception. I have a neighbour who is rough and mean to me. Just ex‐ clude him from all those sentient beings."
Source: http://www.ashidakim.com/zenkoans/zenindex.html
Divya Jyothi
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Soundarya Lahari: Verse 9
(For return of people who have gone on journey; for getâ€? ting eight types of wealth) ऎच ं ऎ༂लञधञर༇ कऎ प ऎ णप༂र༇ च༠ताचं ि ़तं ा ध ŕ¤&#x;ञन༇ ऌ
The devotees who use Raja yoga believe that right below the back bone there exists a very micro nerve called Sushmna. Below this is the Mooladhara chakâ€? ra(The wheel which is the ultimate basis), and two inches above is the Swadishtana (ego wishes wheel) chakra. Above that and opposite to the belly button is the Mani pooraka (the complete gem wheel) chakâ€? ra. Above that and opposite to the heart is Anahatha chakra (deathless wheel) and above that, opposite to the throat is the Vishuddhi chakra (wheel of ultiâ€? mate cleanliness). Above the Visuddha and in beâ€? tween the eyelids is the Agna chakra(Wheel of orâ€? der) and in the bottom of the brain is the Sahasrara chakra(the wheel of thousand lotus).They believe that the maleďŹ c bad thoughts of men sleep in the Mooladhara chakra in the form of a snake called Kundalini. If the devotee can wake up this snake and lead it through each of the above wheels, step by step and make it reach the Sahasrara, he attains ultiâ€? mate redemption and sees the ultimate truth behind everything.
ऎ त-ऎञकञज-ऎ༠प#र ༤ ŕ¤Žŕ¤¨ŕĽ‹ŕŽ‰ प &ऎ ༂ 'य༇ सकलऎ प *ŕ¤,ाञ क༠लप़ं सच-ञर༇ प.ऎ༇ स चरच*स प,यञ ाचरस༇ ༼ 9 ༼
Mahim muladhare kamapi manipure Huthavaham Sthitham svadhistane hridi marutamakasam upari; Mano'pi bhruuâ€?madhye sakalamapi bhittva kulaâ€?patham Sahasrare padme saha rahasi patyaa viharase. Oh Goddess of mine! You live in seclusion with your consort, in the lotus with thousand petals, Reached after breaking through the micro ways, Of the power of earth in Mooladhara, Of the power of water of Mani poora, Of the power of ďŹ re of Swadhishtana, Of the ďŹ re of air in the heart, And of the power of ether in between the eyelids¡
The Kundalini: Kundalini is the supreme spiritual power residing in the lowest of the six psychic cenâ€? ters in an individual (Muladhara) as a coiled serpent gone to sleep. As long as this energy is asleep, the individual is outwardâ€?oriented; he involves in the world and lives an ordinary life. The grace of Sadguru is the only way to wake up this energy. When an individual is graced with Shaktiâ€?path deeksha from his Sadguru, the Kundalini gets awakâ€? ened and suddenly the individual becomes inwardâ€? oriented and intensiďŹ es his spiritual practices. When the Kundalini is awake, the energy moves upwards, breaking through the three phenomenal knots of life named Brahma granthi, Vishnu granthi and Rudra granthi burning up the six lotus chakras and reaches the thousandâ€?petalled lotus on top of the head Saâ€? hasrara where Siva, the Pure Consciousness resides. The Kundalini shakti moves upwards and unites with Shiva and this Union is the purpose of what is known as Kundalini â€?yoga. Kundalini shakti is ever present in the form of '' hissing'' sound. When we close both our ears we hear this sound from inside.
Divya Jyothi
The central ascending channel known as Sushumna oc‐ curs inside the most minute channel enclosed within an‐ other channel, which runs inside and along the back‐ bone called Meru‐danda and reaches up to the subtle opening on top of the head (brahma‐randhra). To the left of sushumna but outside the meru‐danda is another channel called ida, originating from the same source as the Sushumna, but ending in the left nostril; and to its right, also outside, the meru‐danda, is the channel known as Pingala, originating as ida does but ending in the right nostril. Sushumna represents the principle of Fire, ida (feminine) represents the lunar principle, and Pingala (masculine) represents the solar principle. The three channels are united in their origin in the basal centre (muladhara) and hence they are called Yukta‐ triveni, (three streams united). The streams are subtle and representatives of the river Ganga‐ida, the river Ya‐ muna‐pingala, and the hidden river Sarasvati‐ Sushumana. The central channel being blocked is responsible for the separation of Shakti and Shiva (pure consciousness). The awakening and arising of Kundalini uncoiling itself, along the central channel and reaching the thousand petalled lotus is the union of Shiva and Shakti ‐ The eternal Bliss. Goddess lives in seclusion with her consort,in the lotus with thousand petals, after breaking through the micro ways of the power of earth in Mooladhara of the power of water of Mani poora, of the power of fire of Swadhishtana of the fire of air in the heart and of the power of ether in between the eyelids·
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Lalitha Sahasranama Champakashoka Punnaga Sougandika lasth kacha Kuruvinda mani Sreni kanat kotira mandita – 4 Champakashoka Punnaga Sougandika lasth kacha Her coiffure has the natural fragrance of the Champaka, Asoka and Punnaga blossoms. Champakam, ashokam, punnagam, saugandhigam are the four types of fragrant flowers that adorn Her hair. But her hair does not get fragrance because of these flowers, whereas these flowers get their fragrance from Her hair. Her hair is always sweet smelling. In Sound‐ arya Lahari verse 43, Sri Shankara said that her hair has natural wetness and extremely soft. That wet and soft nature of the hair will drive away our ignorance (ignorance about the Brahman). Wetness indicates her compassion. Softness indicates her motherhood. The idea behind this description is when Her hair can drive away ignorance (knowledge is considered as su‐ preme in realizing the Brahman), what Her total form can do for her devotees. Realizing Brahman means realizing 'Tat tvam Asi' Tat means 'That‘, Tvam means ‘You’; Asi means Are. Blesses you with Brahma Jnana, the Knowledge of Brah‐ man. Sri Lalita blesses you with the Knowledge of Wis‐ dom 'That Thou Art ‘. Sri Lalita is One form, No one can know her. She is al‐ ways Pure Consciousness. Think the below conversation is between Gurudeva & the student. Student approaches Gurudeva and asks him, ‘Guruji, I want to reach God, can you help me? ' Guruji ‐ 'Yes.' Student‐'What should I do?' . Guruji ‐ 'How can person reach you if he wants to meet you?' Student ‐ 'Oh , I am accessible to anybody , all they have to do is know my address and they can reach me’ Guruji ‐ 'Oh , that's easy then. God follows the same principle. Just give me your card and I'll pass it on. No problem.' So, the student gave Guruji her card. Guruji looked at it & said, 'Isn't this your name?'
Divya Jyothi
Student ‐ 'Yes.' Guruji ‐ 'God wants to know who is coming. He doesn't wants to know your name. The name belongs to you. It is your possession, but God wants to know who the pos‐ sessor is.' So than Student wrote on the card that she is ‘Yogacharini’ in Bangalore and Guruji said, ‘Dear, isn't this your position? That too after the testing is over and if you go through it.' Student ‐ 'Yes.' Guruji ‐ 'He doesn't want to know the position. This again is your possession to be. Who are you?' This went on with the student scribbling all over the card until, finally, she wrote, 'Human being' to which Guruji said, 'Yes, I know you are not a bird or fox. You are human being. That is your species. You belong to it. But who are you?' Student took the card back and went away because she understood she did not know who she was. She thought and thought, attending the satsangs, doing service, dis‐ criminating what she is not. After few months, she met the person whom she wanted to meet, she has the answer ‐ 'it is Pure Consciousness'. Tat ‐ Pure Consciousness, Tvam ‐ ‘I’, Asi ‐ are. Later, she comes to Gurudeva and asks, “I have the answer, I know what it is, still I don't not want to accept it. Why Guru‐ ji?” Guruji – ‘The reason for this is you have the knowledge and at the same time full of ignorance & the percentage of ignorance is more than that of knowledge. This is the nature of your mind, you accept what you see and feel. One side of your mind says ‐ God has no form or name , he is Universal, but the other side of the mind says ‐ God has lots of names and forms, and describes him as such and such devata. You want to recognize God in some physical form or mental form. When I say God is Pure Consciousness, you forget the existence in it; you look upon Pure Consciousness but forget the existence "IS" in it. Catch hold of "IS" and forget the form or experience in it. When we speak of some object or a person, take for example yourself, 'This is Student ‘, the mind recognizes only the name and form of Student , the picture of Stu‐ dent comes to the mind immediately , but not that "IS" which your existence . Say, ' This is Laptop’. To recog‐ nize the non‐existent also you need "IS”. The form of Laptop comes to the mind immediately but not "IS" its existence. "IS" is the Pure Consciousness ‐ The Only Ex‐ istence, which can be realized only when the mind with‐ draws the entire world and world vanishes.
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The One who imparts this knowledge is ' Sri Lalita' ‐ Gurudeva alone!!! Kuruvinda mani Sreni kanat kotira mandita Her physical form is thus being described from head to foot. She is adorned with a crown bedecked with (padmaraga) precious stones mined from Red Ku‐ ruvunda stones, symbolising various emotions like love and also the letters of Student Mantra. This name also refers to the various vrittis in Sri‐Kala‐ Chakra. Vrittis ‐ The whole world appears in Universal Con‐ sciousness or Chit, when the Universal Conscious‐ ness identifies with any limited object – body; it is called Chitta or individual Consciousness. Moment there is individual Consciousness there is a feeling of I am the body, I am the mind, I am the intellect and because of that, feelings of separation, fear, anxiety and agitations in the individual Consciousness arises which is called Chitta vritti. Analogy is that of a king who suddenly becomes a beggar or a pauper. When the beggar was a king, he had neither worries nor thoughts about anything as he was well taken care of, whereas a beggar has to struggle for his existence. Similarly when the Univer‐ sal Consciousness identifies itself with an object and becomes a Chitta, there are thoughts, worries, anxie‐ ties and modifications called Chitta vritti. By silenc‐ ing the Chitta vritti individual Consciousness merges with the Universal Consciousness. Chitta becomes Chit and Chit becomes one with Sat or Existence and bliss is attained.
Divya Jyothi
Swetaswara Upanishad Swetaswara Upanishad Bhavadhare – 2nd chapter
सऎ༇ ŕ¤śŕĽ ŕ¤šŕĽŒ जक2रञािAन ाञल༠कञ ŕ¤ľŕ¤ľŕ¤żŕ¤œ2त༇ जCध ŕ¤œŕ¤˛ŕ¤žDयञ ऌ*ŕ¤ŕ¤ƒ ऎन་न༠क༂ल༇न त༠चF༠पༀथन༇ गच ༠ञ3नाञतDयण༇ Hŕ¤ŻŕĽ‹ŕ¤œŕ¤ŻŕĽ‡ŕ¤¤ ŕĽ? || ༧༌ || So where do we have to sit for meditation? The place should be even, the place should be pure. There should not be stones, ďŹ re, and any sound. There should not be too much movement of people and there should not be strong wind blowing. Where the nature is beautiful and the surrounding is naturally pleasing, such a place is good for meditation. Now in city like Bangalore where do you ďŹ nd such a place? So then you will postpone and postpone saying that ‘One ďŹ ne day I will ďŹ nd such a place and then I will meditate’ or ‘One ďŹ ne day I will go to Himalayas and then I will meditate’. So, these things about having a good place to meditate are told to give you a guideline so that when you sit for meditation you are not disturbed. But don’t make it so rigid and strong and say, ‘Because there are vehicles on the road making sound I cannot mediâ€? tate’. It is not like that. This is ok for a beginner because his mind will be running haywire, here and there. We have to learn to meditate in the place where we are. Don’t look for Himalayas or mountains or hill resorts or forests for meditation. All this was possible in the olden days. They could aord it. Now you cannot aord it. But if you get such an opportunity, do it, no doubt. But don’t wait for such an opportunity to have an ideal environâ€? ment for doing meditation. Make a good room or small place in your house and keep it clean, keep maintaining the vibrations and do meditation regularly. Don’t search for ideal conditions. Create the conditions for meditation in your own house. In your house, I am sure that you have a nice place for TV, very centrally located. Earlier days, a centrally located place was given for Puja room, God’s room. Now the center place in the house is given for the TV which you anyways worship. Prominent place in the house is for TV. Then there is a bedroom, kitchen and a dining hall. And then there is a Puja room in some
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corner or in a cupboard. Where is the place for medâ€? itation? For the most important aspect of the life you don’t have place. Make some nice place and create some good vibrations by meditating every day. I am not saying that you should remove the TV and sit there and meditate, then you can never meditate. Have the TV but switch o the TV before meditaâ€? tion. If both Husband and Wife sit and meditate toâ€? gether it is good, because if the husband switches o the TV, the wife wants the TV and vice versa. So then there will be a war ďŹ eld, no meditation. So make the environment conducive for meditation in whatever way possible. If the morning traďŹƒc is disâ€? turbing too much, then get up a bit early and sit for meditation. For me, I used to meditate after coming back oďŹƒce at 9â€?9:30PM when everybody used to sleep. My meditation starts at 9:30PM and goes up to 1:00AM. There is silence. So you have to create space for yourself. If you are not able to create space for yourself, for whom can you create space?
नༀचञरधऎ ༂ ञक23नलञनलञनञं ख.य་त ा.य༠त प ŕ¤&#x;कजजༀनञऎ ŕĽ? य༇तञ3न 6पञ ण प༠र -ञ ण 78ऎ9य*ŕ¤:यि;तकरञ ण य་ग༇ ||༧༧||
So when you meditate, what happens normally is the Subconscious impressions surface. Vishwamitra, the great king had a ďŹ ght with Sage Vasishta and wanted to become a Brahmarshi, so he sat for meditation and then what happened? A celestial nymph, Menaka came. There is a symbolic meaning to this. Vishwamitra was a King and he married many womâ€? en. So when he sat for meditation the ďŹ rst impresâ€? sion, the deep rooted impression was his wife and other women and that surfaced ďŹ rst. Whatever is the deep rooted impression that surfaces ďŹ rst. Don’t get trapped by that. Let it go, let it go. A person who lost parents in his childhood may get the impresâ€? sions of the parents. The 8yr old boy, Dhruva, when he sat for meditation, the ďŹ rst impression he got was his mother was calling him back to the palace. When he dropped that impression, then he suddenly startâ€? ed seeing the demons dancing and this is because a child can have naturally deep rooted impressions of fear. So our Subconscious impressions can come out, let it go. Then what happens? Then you can have
Divya Jyothi
visions of Subconscious deep rooted impressions. You will have visions of Higher Consciousness, glimpses of various things. Glimpses in terms of snowfall, smoke, sun, wind, fire, lightning, moon etc. So some of these natural elements, you will be able to see in your visions very clearly. So the mind becomes clear, there can be a light, sparkling light in your visions and you can have clear vision of Sun or moon or divinity or Master, there can be many visions. These visions imply that your mind is becoming more and more silent. Don’t get trapped by those visions. Don’t go further. The visions are motivat‐ ing, encouraging but the visions itself are not the final destination. The final destination is the Para Brahma, the Supreme Reality, and the inner Reality. Go for Para‐ brahma, drop everything and stay in that inner silence.
Patanjali Yoga Sutras Satsanga Chapter 2 Sutra 41 (2.41) 12th October, 2012 सJवशु. धः सौमन यैकाLयेिAMयजया,मदश2न योNय,वा3न च ॥४१॥ Sattva‐śuddhihi saumanasya‐ikāgry‐endriyajaya‐ ātmadarśana yogyatvāni ca ||41|| My humble pranams to all Atmajyothis, the Divine Lights of the Self. Today, let us contemplate further on growing in purity. One can grow in purity with Satsanga, the company of people who are focused on Enlightenment, liberation, who work on uplifting and purifying themselves for Self Realization and study of Shasthra which are the sayings and teachings of En‐ lightened Masters. In the presence of a Spiritual Master, in the talks of a Spiritual Master, one finds glimpses of truth and peace of mind. Listening and contemplating on what is told by a Spiritual master purifies the mind. When one performs Seva, service, the mind becomes purified, silent and peaceful and increases the qualities of Sattva. Sadhana, the spiritual practices which we
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teach in Atma Darshana Yoga, involving yoga for body, mind and spirit, purifies the mind. Sharanagati, surrender to the Universal Consciousness is the high‐ est practice for purification of the mind. All these practices together bring serenity, peace and purity in the mind called Shaucha. With Shaucha or Sattva shuddhi, the individual blooms. Purity can be understood as doing or as being. It is a spiritual quality, a person’s inner nature is im‐ bued in Sattva, he becomes a Satvik being, a purified being. A purified being has a Satvik mind – which clearly reflects the pure consciousness. He/She is hap‐ py and has focused mind with which one can realize the Self. For example, sunlight reflects on water, on a stone and on a mirror. Reflection of sunlight in mirror is very clear. Similarly, in Rajo guna or Tamo gunathe consciousness is reflected, but the quality is very poor, whereas in Satva guna the consciousness is reflected fully and one gets close to consciousness, divinity or the inner Self. When one engages in Atma Darshana Yoga meditation practices, the mind becomes si‐ lent, Satvik and moves closer to the inner Self, and Self Realization dawns.
Divya Jyothi
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LADS ‐ Chapter 4 God alone is permanent Shloka 2. 12 natvevahamjatunasam natvamnemejanadhipah nacaivanabhavisyamah sarvevayamatahpaRam Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be. A few days later while Kishan was in his classroom, the Principal's attendant came and told the Teacher that the Principal wants to see Kishan in her office. Kishan was very surprised when his teacher asked him to go and meet the Principal. He went to the Principal's room. The Principal told him that his father had called her and told her that he will be coming to the school in a while to pick up Kishan and requested her to make him wait in the visitors waiting area. She asked Kishan to take his bag from the classroom and wait in the reception area. He was now waiting for his dad and wondering why his dad is coming to school at this hour to pick him up and was hoping that everything was fine. Kishan’s dad arrived and they left from the school imme‐ diately. As soon as he sat in the car Kishan asked his dad, "Dad, why are we going home? What happened?" His dad said, "Kishan, I have sad news for you, your Uncle passed away an hour ago. We have to go to his house. Your mother and Chetana have reached there." Kishan was silent for a moment, trying to understand what he just heard. He then started weeping silently. On reaching their uncle’s house, Kishan was not prepared to see his uncle lying dead. He was holding on to his dad's hand for a long time. He saw everybody sitting around his uncle's body and weeping. He looked at his uncle's body. He recollected his uncle hugging him, tell‐ ing him stories, wishing him on his birthday, taking him and his sister to amusement parks and movies. He wept more. He later observed that while everyone else were crying aloud and saying that this should not have hap‐ pened, his dad was not. His dad appeared to have accept‐ ed the death of his brother. He went up to his dad and asked, “Dad, uncle was your brother. He died, which means that you can never see
him or talk to him again, he was so close to us. I am surprised that you are not crying." His dad wiped tears off Kishan’s face and said, “Kishan, don’t you remember what I told Chetana last week when she was crying for the gift? We should not cry or feel sad for short‐lived things.” Kishan was surprised he could not understand what his dad was trying to tell him. He said, “How can uncle be one of those short‐lived things? He is a per‐ son not a thing and he was with us for so many years dad.” His dad said, “Why not? This body of your Uncle which you are seeing is not permanent. Everyone will become old and die one day. So, body is also one of those short‐lived things. I am not crying because when your uncle was alive I loved him, I always wished good for him and helped him whenever I could and we both had a beautiful relationship. I knew that everything is short lived and I did my best in that short time. It is more important to be good to people when they are alive than cry when they die.” Kishan, now trying to understand said, “In that case, everything in this world is short‐lived. Isn't there anything that is permanent which will never die?” His dad made Kishan sit on his lap and said, “It is God; God is inside us and is present everywhere in this universe. He is the same in everybody. God has neither birth nor death. It is because of the power of God the body runs. Now your uncle died which means that this body that you called as uncle died, but God inside uncle does not die.” Kishan said, “Dad, I did not completely understand what you said, but I feel better now because I was also good to uncle when he was alive.” Kishan went inside and sat down with his aunty, cousins and mother. He was thinking about what his Dad had told him.
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