Prabhuji Magazine Issue 2 - Solitude

m ag azine DECEMBER 27, 2020

I SSUE no 2

SOL I T UDE Accept yourself and you will be revealed in all your glory. Accept the solitude within and your true nature will be unveiled in its full splendor. ~

It is not my intention to convince anyone of anything.

I neither offer a theology or philosophy, nor do I preach or teach, I simply think out loud. The echo of these words may lead you to the infinite space of peace, silence, love, existence, consciousness, and absolute bliss. ~ Prabhuji

Editor Opening words In these challenging days, when life's circumstances bring us to situations where we are left with ourselves, many find it difficult.

We collected in this magazine some of Prabhuji's writings and words about the subject of solitude.

Hope you will be as inspired as we are!

Stay well and safe!

Ma Ramananda, Ramakrishnananda Ashram

In the loneliness of the ego, you need someone; in the solitude of the Self, you find everyone.

m ag azine www.website.com info@website.com

The acceptance of solitude Excerpt from Prabhuji's Book Advaita Vedanta, Being The Self

We come into and depart from this world surrounded by people but completely alone. We live on this planet with many people, our blood relatives, kith and kin, and our close friends, yet none of them is close enough to reach us where we really are and put an end to our loneliness.

Besides informing and teaching us, jñ?na-yoga is here to remind us of our eternal solitude. Although we try to escape it, we find it in all times and places. Even if we manage to hide from loneliness in the company of friends, a partner, children, and grandchildren or to cover it up with a career, position, fame, and money, in the end, we will discover that it is impossible to completely destroy, annihilate, or make disappear. There are those who have danced a lot without being fond of dancing and those who have sung for hours without any real interest in music. Many people have written books without liking literature, have painted without an inclination for art, or have studied intensively without a passion for knowledge. So many people have converted the most beautiful things of this world into cold currency used to buy a handful of attention. Moreover, so many have hugged without sincere feelings, ready to prostitute themselves for a moment of warmth.

We need sincerity We need sincerity to recognize if we are really interested in clothes, cars, jewelry, money, trees, flowers, romance, family, stars, or strolls along the seashore. It is brave to admit that life has never really interested us and we have not lived but have only used life as a means to buy the energy of others and escape from the anguish produced by that immense emptiness called loneliness. But we should not forget that to use life as a means to obtain something else is the worst business deal of all. We should never be tempted to use our life to buy something else. Whatever we are offered in return is an illusion since, apart from life, nothing exists.

Solitude is what we are To look for a partner, get married, create a family, have children, and dream of grandchildren is beautiful if what we look for is love. Yet it would be really awful to discover that we have converted other human beings into the ground where we have buried our loneliness. Authentic friendship can only bloom when we do not need it.

True appreciation and love can manifest only if we do not need to utilize someone as a means to solve our own problems. To escape from solitude is to try to flee from that infinite void; it is to attempt to rip away the feeling of insecurity, of not belonging to anyone or any place in particular.

However, jñ?na-yoga reminds us that solitude is what we are, our authenticity. We come into and depart from this world surrounded by people but completely alone.

We live on this planet with many people, our blood relatives, kith and kin, and our close friends, yet none of them is close enough to reach us where we really are and put an end to our loneliness. Jñ?na-yoga proposes acceptance: accept yourself and you will be revealed in all your glory. Accept the solitude within and your true nature will be unveiled in its full splendor .

To Accept Solitude To accept solitude is to climb the last four rungs of the ladder to our reality: enlightenment, evolution, elevation, and emancipation.

The first step is enlightenment, awakening to our authenticity.

or

manu?y???? sahasre?u ka?cid yatati siddhaye yatat?m api siddh?n?? ka?cin m?? vetti tattvata?

?Out of thousands of humans, only one strives for perfection and out of those who strive for and have attained perfection, only one knows me in essence.?

(Bhagavad Gita, 7.3)

Only by becoming aware of our solitude will we attain the realization of the One without a second, sac-cid-?nanda, which is the Self.

O? prajñ?na? brahma O? .

"Consciousness is Brahman.?

(Aitereya Upanishadof the ?g Veda, 3.3) The second step is evolution, or the jump from what we think we are to what we really are.

O? aha? brahm?smi ?O? . I am Brahman.?

(B?had-?ra?yaka Upanishadof the Yajur Veda, 1.4.10)

The third step is elevation, or the perception of our soul beyond our ideas, concepts, and conclusions.

O? tat tvam asi ?O? . You are that.?

(Ch?ndogya Upanishadof the SamaVeda, 6.8.7)

And the fourth step is emancipation or liberation, when God ceases to be that in order to be realized as this, what is closer to you than yourself.

O? ayam ?tm? brahma ?O? . The Self (?tman) is Brahman.?

(M????kya Upanishadof theAtharva veda, 1.2)

Solit ude Excerpt from Prabhuji's lecture Your Self as Solitude, September 2, 2018

Lat ely I am becom in g aw ar e of m y lon elin ess, an d t h is m ak es m e su f f er .

In f act I f eel lon ely even w h en su r r ou n ded by m an y people. Wh at can I do?

"Solitude is you! What you are... It is not something that come from somewhere. It is not the absence of a friend. It is not the lack... It is you! It is an infinite ocean of consciousness where there are no friends, no family, not even you... not even you...

That is the Kaivalia of the Jainism; this is the Hitbodedut of the Rabbi Nachman of Breslev.

Solitude is the One, the Divine consciousness, the Unique, Advaita. There is no other there, not even you? So remember Solitude is you. Look for it, don't think about it - look! As you go deep inside, more inside, deeper and deeper and deeper? you will find more and more solitude. You will not meet anything else but solitude. This solitude is your reality, it is your authenticity, it is consciousness, it is God, the Divine... When you escape from solitude you escape from yourself. When you try to be distracted from solitude, you are distracted from your own original nature. This is the phenomenon of escaping from solitude. ?What can I do?? Stop escaping! How can you stop escaping from solitude?

Give your back to any toxic tool, or means, that you use in order to escape from solitude. Give up all these toxic mediums. It can be people, games, dramas? There are people who escape from solitude to nostalgias. In the past they don't feel alone... there are people who do it through hopes, dream... in the future... give up! Renounce every means of escape!... "

SOLITUDE AND LONELINESS Solitude and loneliness have certain similarities, but they are different. Loneliness is solitude with tension, the lack, the absent of something, of somebody.

Solitude is loneliness in relaxation. When you relax in your solitude? this is meditation. When you accept it, embrace it. Not dependent on trees, or sand, or the water of the beach, or the silence of the desert. It is internal, introverted, and when you meet it, in the meeting with yourself as solitude, rest... totally rest, relax into it, and then you will know what is bliss, What is love, what is joy.

IN YOUR SOLITUDE YOUR LOVE IS REVELED Only when you accept your solitude you can love, because in your solitude your love is revealed, and then you can share it. Looking for company is only looking for people that I can use in order to escape from my loneliness, from my fear of loneliness. You use them. Only through solitude can you understand that love is a luxury of kings that should be shared when you are full of it, out of your solitude. looking for company in order to take you from your fear of solitude, is like a meeting between two beggars - one wants from the other, and both of them don't have, so they separate after a while, feeling frustrated, because you didn't help me to escape from my solitude, and the other one say?s you didn't help me... Real love happens when you don't need it, when you don't need the other. It?s more or less like asking the bank for a loan? They are ready to give it to you when you don?t need it... It?s the same thing with love? Love comes to your life when you don't need any company.

Meditation is to fall in love with solitude.

It is to accept it with open hands .

It is to close your eyes to the other, in order to find yourself.

"In solitude you are not dependent on others, but on the happiness, love and harmony in your presence. Your life does not depend on what the other thinks or says. You are completely happy in your share, free from the others.

Solitude means to stop looking at the wealth of others, to stop being jealous of the money, talents and beauty of the other, and to discover the fortune and beauty that is in you."

Prabhuji Food Dist ribut ion Covid-19 response: Th e Divin e is in t h e in n er cor e of ever y h u m an bein g, beyon d r ace, sex or r eligion ; t h er ef or e h elpin g ot h er s is t o ser ve God. As a pr act ical expr ession of Pr abh u ji?s spir it u al exper ien ce, seein g all h u m an it y as h is ow n f am ily, h e f ou n ded t h e Pr abh u ji Food Dist r ibu t ion pr ogr am (2014).

The Prabhuji Food Distribution Program was founded by Prabhuji with the aim to help people who are in need of nutritious food, and assist them with their daily struggle against food insecurity.

With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment has rapidly increased and food insecurity is on the rise. During these difficult times we are working tirelessly to adapt our operations, to address the ever growing need. We are serving 1,000-1,300 people each month through our weekly drive-through food distribution, and new households join the program every week.

A f ew of t h e m an y t est im on ials: We strive to improve the health and well-being of the general public by providing free, healthy, nutritious food to the communities that need them most.

?Thank you all so very much! It has been a rough few years, and this year has topped the charts, but thanks to your help my family has not gone hungry!? ?We want to say thank you for all the food last week. We would not have enough to make it if it wasn't for your help. Thank you so very much?

Prabhuji Toy Dist ribut ion Ever y ch ild deser ves a gif t on Ch r ist m as. Becau se of t h is, Pr abh u ji h as f ou n ded t h e Pr abh u ji Toy Dist r ibu t ion Pr ogr am t o give n ew t oys t o ch ildr en w h ose f am ilies do n ot h ave en ou gh r esou r ces.

Prabhuji Toy distribution program has come to mean a lot to the children and their families, who struggle for the basic things that we usually take for granted.

If you w ou ld lik e t o sh ar e w it h u s t h e joy of t h e Yoga of Givin g, you ar e w elcom e t o join in ! You r con t r ibu t ion w ill m ak e an im pact . Wh et h er you don at e $5 or $500 ever y lit t le bit h elps.

Th an k you f or you r su ppor t !

Prabhuji Food Distribution Program is welcoming your support.

Your contribution will help cover the program?s van payments, wear and tear, and gas expenses, as well as needed equipment, supplies and more.

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This Christmas, Prabhuji Food Distribution supplied food to over 600 people, and gave toys to more than 300 children. Many thanks to all our generous donors! Your kind contribution touched the hearts of so many people and brought joy to hundreds of kids.

Pr abh u ji M ission is a 501(c)(3) n on pr of it or gan izat ion w h ich m ak es all don at ion s t o u s t ax-dedu ct ible.

MEDITATIVE PHILATELY The essence of the philatelic phenomenon is not related only to postal fees, historical events, different inks, types of paper, perforations, or printing methods, but also with attention, introspection, concentration, observation, and awareness. The philatelic experience has been reduced to the intellectual field.

However, it has much more to offer because it is a path that leads to the direct experience of what is most authentic in human beings.

Those of us who have been chosen by the magic of the stamps understand what I mean. Those of us who have been touched by the secret of philately know what I am talking about.

It is not a secret because someone hides it or prefers not to share it, but because this wonderful adventure leads us to a place where language has not yet been developed and words have not yet been born.

Ph ilat elic Yoga aim s beyon d accu m u lat in g an d st u dyin g st am ps.

It is n ot abou t in f or m at ion bu t abou t t r an sf or m at ion .

M edit at ive Ph ilat ely is w h at Ik eban a is t o f low er ar r an gem en t s; w h at t h e t ea cer em on y is t o sim ply dr in k in g t ea; w h at Kar at e-do is t o t h r ow in g pu n ch es.

~ Prabhuji "The creator of Meditative Philately or Philatelic Yoga"

In t h e Far East , f or t h ou san ds of year s, m ast er s h ave t r an sf or m ed sim ple act ivit ies in t o pat h s of in n er developm en t .

In the Far East, for thousands of years, masters have transformed simple activities into paths of inner development.

In this way, simple flower arrangements became "the art of Ikebana"; drinking tea became "the tea ceremony"; confrontations inspired the different martial arts; and even simple walking turned to be "the Zen walk".

Ordinary activities were used as means of meditation and real paths toward ourselves, toward our inner reality. Prabhuji is both a philatelist and a renowned teacher of Eastern religions and philosophies. He has used philately since childhood in an organic and natural way as a means of inner evolution. The essence and foundation of both philately and meditation is observation. Meditative philately is a method, or a set of techniques, created and developed in order to promote concentration, observation and, finally, an expansion at the level of consciousness. Just as a mantra serves as a sound support for the mind, the stamp fulfills similar functions at the visual level being a small paper mandala.

Pr abh u ji's Book s

Advait a Vedan t a, Bein g Th e Self

Bh ak t i Yoga, Th e Pat h Of Love

Exper im en t in g w it h t h e Tr u t h

Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy of non-duality, is one of Hinduism?s most brilliant pearls. It is reserved for seekers of Truth who want to know their own essence and aspire to liberation, or mok?a. It proposes the path of knowledge called jñ?na-yoga and its main tool is self-inquiry: ?who am I?? This question is an expression of the highest and noblest spiritual rebellion. Vedanta restores our dignity and accepts us as the only authority on who we are. It says that our self-exploration might lead us to discover our own nature as the Self beyond time and space.

Bhakti yoga is the path of devotion that can lead every sincere seeker to self-realization. This book explains the devotional evolution that starts from an experience of a personal God and culminates in the unity of the lover and the loved.

With astounding insight, Prabhuji describes a process that divinizes the earthly, spiritualizes the material, and transforms worldly attachments into transcendental love.

Experimenting with the Truth reflects the long path Prabhuji has walked throughout his life. In this compilation of answers to sincere seekers, he shares his wisdom and erudition with those who wish to delve deeper into topics such as enlightenment, meditation, devotion, concentration, and so on. Prabhuji does not address us as a master or guru, but as a friend and traveling companion. He does not teach but encourages us to undertake our own search.

Instead of offering answers, he invites us to observe, inquire, investigate, and explore by ourselves.

Ku n dalin i Yoga

Kundalini Yoga, the power is in you, offers clear explanations of ancient wisdom. The book clarifies the symptoms and the effects of awakening of kundalini, and offers detailed descriptions of each chakra and their functions. The goal of kundalini yoga is to reveal the very secret of creation, which lies within us. It involves an invitation to awaken our dormant divine potential.

Rather than isolating us from life and the world, this path teaches to us that within every moment, lies the eternal; within all places, lies the infinite; within every human being, lies God.

Wh at Is, As It Is

The transcribed lectures included in this book encompass teachings from various paths of the ancient wisdom of yoga and invite the readers to study, contemplate, and integrate the different aspects of the human experience in order to rediscover their authentic nature. For Prabhuji, yoga is "a path that begins and ends in you, from what you believe yourself to be to what you really are." This compilation offers us the rare opportunity to come in contact with the spontaneous words of an enlightened master. With refreshing insight, Prabhuji reveals a unique message of self-inquiry and evolution.

Tan t r a, Liber at ion In Th e Wor ld

Tantra, Liberation in the World takes us back to medieval India, full of spirituality, magic, esotericism, alchemy, and devotion. It guides us through the stages of the Tantric revelation, which shook the established religious order like a powerful earthquake and left its mark on almost all spiritual traditions of the world.

The Tantric path aspires for harmony between nature and spirit, or Shakti and Shiva. The polarity between them manifests at the macrocosmic and the microcosmic level.

Therefore, Tantra invites us to explore the body in order to discover what lies beyond.

Pr abh u ji on You Tu be

Pr abh u ji Radio

Pr abh u ji Au dio Lect u r es

Pr abh u ji Facebook Page

Th e h eadst an d ?ir ??san aor vipar ?t a-k ar a? ?

by Prabhuji

K neel, resting the buttocks on the heels . Rest your hands on the elbows, in such a way that the fingertips of each hand are placed on top of the opposite elbow. Hold your elbows with your hands without moving them from this position. Place the elbows on the ground close to the front of your knees .

K eeping the elbows in their place, release the hands, interlace the fingers, and place the forearms on the ground creating a tripod whose base is the distance between both elbows. Place your head on the ground, at the apex of the triangle, with your interlocked hands on the back of the crown of the head, to serve as support. T he forearms and the top of the head are the base of the posture. T he weight of the body rests on the front, upper- central and upper- rear parts of the head, as well as on the forearms and the elbows.

Straighten the legs, raising the hips. Elongate the back and walk with the feet in small steps towards the head, until the vertebral column is erect. Disconnect the right foot and bring the right knee to the chest. Practice until you can lift the left foot and place both knees close to chest, with the soles of the feet facing upwards.

Balance in this position.

T hen, while keeping the heels close to the buttocks, raise the thighs and knees, aligning the thighs with the trunk. Finally, straighten your legs, aligning the entire body to create a vertical line.

Reduce the tension and the effort in the entire body, until reaching total harmony, quietness, wholeness and silence. Maintain the posture from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. T here are yogis that stay in ?irs?sana for more than an hour.

" M ast er " , Acr ylic on Can vas, by Pr abh u ji

"You were born alone, and will die alone... and as long as you are not aware to the depth of your loneliness, you will not be able to experience divinity."

Bef or e t h e Silen ce

by Prabhuji (Translated from Spanish)

I bow and pray before the silence Which takes mastery over our hearts Soothing fire that burns differences Hushed flame that turns our diversity to ashes A fragment of the sky reflected in the lake of our soul Blessed silence, abode to the ineffable Of what has no name or form, of what has yet to be, and what perhaps will never be I bow and pray before the silence That of the lovers That I saw in your eyes as I took your hand and told you for the very first time? I love you Voice of the spirit, melody of the soul Inaudible ocean from which we came and towards which we all go

IM PORTANT:

David, Ben Yosef , Har -Zion , w h o w r it es u n der t h e pen n am e Pr abh u ji, is a w r it er , pain t er , an d avadh ? t a m yst ic. In 2011, h e ch ose t o r et ir e f r om societ y an d lead t h e lif e of a h er m it . He spen ds h is days in solit u de, pr ayin g, st u dyin g, w r it in g, pain t in g, an d m edit at in g in silen ce an d con t em plat ion .

Pr abh u ji con t in u es t o su per vise t h e ph ilan t h r opic act ivit y of com m u n it y ser vice an d h elp t o people in n eed.

Pr abh u ji ack n ow ledges t h e con t r ibu t ion of t w o h oly spir it u al m ast er s t o h is spir it u al evolu t ion : H.D.G. Bh ak t ik avi At u l?n an da ? c?r ya Sw am i M ah ?r ?ja, disciple of H.D.G. A.C. Bh ak t ived?n t a Sw am i Pr abh u p?da, an d H.D.G. Avadh ? t a ?r ? Br ah m ?n an da B?b?j? M ah ?r ?ja, disciple of H.D.G. Avadh ? t a ?r ?

M ast ar ?m a B?b?j?M ah ?r ?ja.

Alt h ou gh m an y con sider h im t o be an en ligh t en ed bein g, Pr abh u ji does n ot accept t h e r ole of a r eligiou s au t h or it y t h at people h ave t r ied t o gr an t h im f or year s.

Pr abh u ji does n ot claim t o be a pr each er , gu ide, t each er , in st r u ct or , edu cat or , en ligh t en er , pedagogu e, evan gelist , r abbi, posek h alach a, h ealer , t h er apist , sat san gist , leader , ch an n eler (m ediu m ), savior , or gu r u . He does n ot pr oselyt ize or t r y t o con vin ce an yon e of an yt h in g. It is n ot h is in t en t ion t o at t r act f ollow er s, adept s, or adm ir er s of an y k in d.

For f if t een year s (1995?2010), Pr abh u ji accept ed a f ew m on ast ic disciples w h o expr essly r equ est ed t o be in it iat ed. In 2010, h e t ook t h e ir r evocable decision t o st op accept in g m on ast ic disciples, f ollow er s, devot ees, or even visit or s.

Pr abh u ji is r et ir ed f r om pu blic act ivit ies an d does n ot of f er sat -sa? gs, pu blic lect u r es, m eet in gs, r et r eat s, sem in ar s, gat h er in gs, or cou r ses. Cu r r en t ly, h e on ly of f er s pr ivat e t alk s t o t h e sm all gr ou p of ser iou s disciples w h o h ave decided t t o st ay w it h t h eir spir it u al m ast er .

We k in dly ask ever yon e t o r espect h is pr ivacy an d n ot t o dist u r b h im in an y w ay. Please do n ot t r y t o con t act h im t o ask f or in t er view s, blessin gs, ?ak t ip?t a, or in it iat ion s.

We sh ar e Pr abh u ji?s vision on ly t h r ou gh book s, pain t in gs, poem s, m elodies, w ebsit es, f or u m s, an d pr ivat e t alk s f ilm ed by disciples.

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