138. Living in bliss

• The eight-fold path of blissful living or Ananda Ashtanga

These are:

• 1. Blissful Laughter
• 2. Blissful Affirmation
• 3. Blissful Cleansing
• 4. Blissful Yoga
• 5. Blissful Meditation
• 6. Blissful Tools
• 7. Blissful Energy
• 8. Blissful Chant

Ananda Ashtanga or Blissful Living is a simple eight-fold pathway to Living Enlightenment. These are simple techniques that take you into the experience directly without the need to understand and absorb.

Blissful Laughter

• Laughing meditation or Haasya Dhyana

Meditation

As soon as you wake up in the morning, even before you get up from your bed, laugh for five minutes! Just laugh at yourself. Laugh without a reason!

Laughter is a wonderful meditation technique. The technique of the ancient Zen tradition of masters and disciples is to touch no-mind through laughter.

Laughter works whether we believe it or not. It has an immediate effect. With other techniques, we need to practice to see the result, but with laughter we don't need to practice. It happens the first time and every time. It goes in deep and heals us physically and mentally.

Laughter itself is born out of health and creates health. It is an overflowing energy. It releases emotional suppressions.

Laughter is the greatest spiritual quality. In laughter we become Buddha - the enlightened One. Buddha is 'no-mind'. When we laugh, we are in a no-mind state for those few moments. Either laughter or our mind can exist, never both at once. When we laugh, for that moment, our mind disappears and we become one with the energy of Existence. We don't feel our identity. Can we experience ourselves as separate in the peak of our laughter? No! That ceasing to exist is the momentary nomind and merging with Existence. That is why we need to laugh more. The moments of the self 's disappearance can be extended so that we finally lose our identity and live as one with the energy.

Laughter is known to heal a number of diseases, especially diseases related to the nervous system and throat. A hearty laugh is said to squeeze out harmful byproducts of cellular functioning.

Blissful Affirmation

• A vow of bliss or Ananda Sankalpa Ananda means bliss. Sankalpa means vow. Ananda sankalpais a vow of bliss.

You can decide to be blissful. It is a choice you make. In fact it is not even a choice that you make. If you allow yourself to flow in a choiceless manner along with whatever Existence intends for you, you will be in bliss eternally. This attitude of being choiceless can be cultivated.

Part of this meditation has its origin with the Sufi mystic Abdullah* . Sufis are the most ecstatic sect ever. Their prayer is gratitude, nothing else. Abdullah* was famous for his ever-smiling face. It is said that even on his deathbed, he was laughing. Finally some of his disciples couldn't help but ask Abdullah* how he was always blissful. They asked him, 'Master, what is so funny about dying?'

Then Abdullah gave them the secret that his own master had taught him. He said, 'Remember that your happiness is always in your hands. Your happiness is 100 percent your own choice. Every day, life gives you a chance to be happy or miserable. What you choose is up to you!'

Meditation technique

There can't be a simpler meditation technique than this. Yet it is the most effective one.

Every morning, as soon as you get up, even before you open your eyes, sit up in bed.

Call out your name loud. If you don't wish to disturb people around you by calling out loud, then just speak silently to yourself.

Abdullah - Abdullah Ansari of Herat, a Sufi Master.

Ask yourself (using your name…in the first person), What do I choose to experience today? Do I choose happiness or sadness?

Naturally, first thing in the morning, you are not going to choose misery! So your mind will say, I choose happiness.

Then reply, Ok (your name), be happy, that's all!

Then, with your eyes closed, for a few minutes, strongly and consciously, come to the understanding that nothing can make you suffer without your silent permission. You suffer because you agree to be affected by external circumstances. You have the power within you to be happy all the time. Now open your eyes and live your affirmation!

You will see during the day that just by the strength of your affirmation, you have changed the whole course of your mind. You will see how until then you were blaming others for your misery, while actually you were choosing to become disturbed at every turn of events. You will develop an attitude of being happy, not because of external circumstances, not despite them but irrespective of them. You are happy because you are happy, that's all.

Blissful Cleansing

- Oil pulling

The tongue is said to be an indicator of what is going on in the body. By examining the tongue and its color, it is possible to guess the medical condition of a person. According to Ayurveda* , the tongue is mapped to different organ locations. Specific sections of the tongue are connected to specific parts of the body, like the kidneys, lungs, etc. When we do oil pulling, the oil pulls mucous, bacteria and toxins from your body through your saliva and tongue. According to Ayurveda medicine, mucous is a poison that must be removed.

Meditation technique

Early morning, before brushing your teeth, eating or drinking anything, take one full tablespoon of either sesame or

refined sunflower oil. Put it in your mouth, sit in one place, tilt your chin up so that the oil gets to the back molar teeth, and

Ayurveda - Traditional Indian system of medicine, meaning Knowledge of Life.

slowly pull through your softly gritted teeth for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Don't multitask while doing this. When the time is up, spit out the oil in a washbasin and brush your teeth well. If you have pulled properly, the oil that you spit out will be thin and whitish in color. Drink two glasses of water after rinsing and cleaning the mouth.

Note: do not swallow the oil that you pull. It will contain parasites and bacteria.

If you have to pull oil after meals, wait at least four hours before you do it.

Oil pulling is said to address many conditions, including anything from cracked heels to cancer. Exhaustive research reports on the benefits of oil pulling are available on the web.

Blissful Yoga

-Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar

Surya Namaskar is part of Nithya Yoga. The uniqueness of Nithya Yoga is that it directly brings to life the original teachings of Patanjali by adapting it to suit the modern mind. Sage Patanjali, from southern India, is considered to be the Father of Yoga.

Surya Namaskar is a daily salutation to the sun. Not only does it help keep the body at peak functioning, it also brings a complete awareness of the body-mind connection.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar

The practice of Surya Namaskar awakens the body intelligence to directly draw energy from the sun. Surya Namaskar is designed to access the etheric energy around us. It has tremendous effects on the mind, body and spirit, when practiced facing east in the first rays of the morning sunlight, along with the appropriate breathing technique and the corresponding mantras or chants. Nothing more needs to be done.

Surya Namaskar works on all body parts, every organ, system and chakra (vital energy centers in the body). It is a sequence of postures done dynamically and fluidly with appropriate breathing.

Every morning, you may do six to twelve repetitions of Surya Namaskar. Of all the yogic postures, Surya Namaskar is considered the most effective way to tone up the limbs, stretch and strengthen the entire body and spine. Surya Namaskar is regarded as the king of all postures.

Significance of Surya Namaskar mantras (chants)

A mantra (chant) is a composition of syllables, words, phrases or sentences that, when repeated with awareness, has a very powerful and penetrating influence on the mind and body. The Surya Namaskar mantra comprises a bija* mantra and a glorification mantra. The glorification is to the Sun god.

The bija* mantra has no meaning by itself but the vibration created by chanting it is very powerful in the human system. The 'Theory of Vibration' expounded by modern scientists was put to direct application thousands of years ago by the ancient inner world scientists, our vedic seers!

Scientific studies conducted by Dr. Masaru Emoto of Japan have clearly proven that sound vibration has a profound effect on water. Since water makes up over sixty percent of the human body, it is evident that sound vibrations can and do influence our entire mind-body system also.

Unconscious thoughts and emotions create strong vibrations within us in the form of stored memories or samskaras. We need to dissolve them with awareness. Then we will experience the completely positive consciousness that already exists deep within us.

• There are six bijaOm hraam Om hreem Om hroom Om hraim Om hraum Om hraha

mantras

. They are:

The glorification mantras highlight the glorious qualities of the sun. Beginning with the first, each mantra is chanted with complete awareness before every cycle of Surya Namaskar. The mantra is empowered to imbibe the same qualities of the glorification in the sincere practitioner.

Through this simple set of steps, we can realize that the outer sun symbolizes the shining intelligence of our inner Self. We come to understand our connection to the cosmic energy that is all pervasive.

Surya Namaskar mantras (formed by combining the bija mantras with the glorification mantras)

1. ~ OM hraam mitraaya namaha Salutations to the Friend of all 2. ~ OM hreem ravaye namaha Salutations to the Shining One

Bija - Seed.

3. ~ OM hroom suryaaya namaha

Salutations to the One who induces activity

4. ~ OM hraim bhaanave namaha

Salutations to the One who illumines

5. ~ OM hraum khagaaya namaha

Salutations to the One who moves swiftly

6. ~ OM hraha pushne namaha

Salutations to the giver of strength

7. ~ OM hraam hiranya garbhaya namaha

Salutations to the golden cosmic womb

8. ~ OM hreem mareechaye namaha Salutations to the Lord of dawn

9. ~ OM hroom adityaaya namaha

Salutations to the son of Aditi, the infinite cosmic Mother

10. ~ OM hraim saavitre namaha

Salutations to the benevolent Mother

11. ~ OM hraum arkaaya namaha

Salutations to the one who is praiseworthy

12. ~ OM hraha bhaaskaraaya namaha

Salutations to the one who leads to enlightenment

Breath control

In Surya Namaskar, every movement of the body is synchronized with the breath. With every inhalation and exhalation, visualize clearly you are taking in and sending out bliss energy. Feel the bliss energy moving in every cell of your body and revitalizing your body-mind.

Meditation technique

This should be done on an empty stomach preferably in the morning.

Asana (Posture) Sequence of Surya Namaskar:

1. Stand with the feet slightly apart for balance. Bring the hands together into namaskar (prayer position) in front of the chest. Keep the eyes open throughout the practice of Surya Namaskar. Chant the corresponding mantra.

2. Inhaling, gracefully sweep the arms up over your head and gently arch the spine backwards.

3. Exhaling, sweep the arms forward and down so the hands touch the floor on either side of the feet and close to them, and the forehead comes in close to the knees. You may bend the knees to allow for greater ease in doing this.

4. Inhaling, step the right foot backward as far as you can and lift your heart center, looking up at the same time.

5. Holding the breath, step the left foot back and come into a plank position with the spine, neck and head in one straight line, your hands placed directly beneath your shoulders and eyes looking down at the floor.

6. Exhaling, lower the knees, chest, and chin to the floor and assume ashtanga namaskar (salute with eight parts or points of your body touching the floor). Let your stomach be off the floor with your hips lifted up gently, the elbows tucked in.

7. Inhaling, point the toes out, relax your stomach to touch the floor, keeping the elbows bent at a ninetydegree angle. Then, gently pushing with your hands, lift the chest off the floor. Come into bhujangasana (cobra pose).

8. Exhaling, push with your hands, raise your hips upwards and backwards into the air, and assume adhomukha svanasana (downwarddog pose). Spread the fingers wide and gently push your heels toward the floor. If you are unable to touch the floor with your heels, don't bother about it. But don't shift your position in order for them to touch.

9. With a soft gaze look forward between your hands and step the right foot forward as far as you can, between the hands and in line with them if possible. Inhale, lifting your chin and chest.

10. Step the left foot forward to meet the right foot, bending your knees slightly if you need to. Exhale and bring the head in close to the legs.

11. Inhaling, sweep your arms up over your head and gently arch the spine, saluting the sun.

12. Exhaling, bring your arms down, and your hands back into prayer position in front of your heart.

Each cycle consists of two such movements of twelve positions each. In the first half of the cycle, lead with your right leg in steps 4 and 9. In the second half of the cycle, lead with your left leg.

Complete at least 6 such cycles and if possible 12. Before starting on each cycle chant the mantrain sequence.

Blissful Meditation

• Life Bliss Meditation or Nithya Dhyaan

Up to the age of eleven, I explored and experimented with numerous traditional meditation techniques. At the age of twelve, I had my deep spiritual experience. From twelve to twenty-one years of age, I consciously scanned and analyzed the benefits of several techniques. For three years after my enlightenment, I created and perfected a technology to reproduce the experience of enlightenment in others. The essence of this entire inner-world research to date is formulated in the Nithya Dhyaan meditation technique.

Nithya Dhyaan is a formula and a technique that works on the entire being to transform it and make it ready for the ultimate experience of enlightenment. Each segment of this unique technique complements the other steps to help raise the individual's consciousness. It is an everyday meditation for eternal bliss nithya ananda.

Nithya Dhyaan meditation explained

This is a five-step technique, each step being of seven minutes duration. Please refer to the Nithya Dhyaan chapter for meditation instructions.

Blissful Tools

• Knowledge-weapons or Shaastra-shastras

Meditation technique

Everyday for half an hour, read the books of an enlightened master or listen to his discourses.

A master's words are straightaway shaastra, the ultimate knowledge, Truth.

Weapons used to slay your ignorance are called shastra.

When words become the very weapons to slay the ignorance, they are called shaastrashastras or knowledge-weapons!

The master's words are the knowledgeweapons that can directly slay the ignorance. A master continuously expresses many ideas. Suddenly, some idea will click for you. It will bring you out of depression. It will give the solution to some problem. That is a click. That click is what is called initiation.

The person who gives these knowledgeweapons through his words, techniques and body language is a master.

The person who receives these knowledgeweapons through the master is the initiate.

A master is a person who has created a technology to reproduce in others the same ultimate experience that happened in him. Initiation is the technique. The knowledge–weapons are the techniques to raise ourselves again and again to higher Consciousness. The totality of these knowledge-weapons sitting inside us is our inner master. Till the inner master is awakened, the outer master works on us. He works through words, techniques, his body language, and gives us the confidence to use the knowledge, and above all to live the life of an enlightened being.

Blessed are those who have had the click with enlightened beings. This click is not through logic. Suddenly, some words from the master will get connected to our heart. The first time it happens, we will suddenly know that he is our master, that this is our path. That click is the first initiation. Whoever has felt this click through the master's words, his teachings, books, blessings, techniques, energy, or body language, is blessed.

Understand, the seed is always afraid of breaking open, of rupturing. But only the seed that ruptures and opens becomes a tree. Then the tree needs to give courage to the other seeds by saying, 'Don't be afraid, you will never die by breaking, you will only live. You will only expand like me.' But the seed is waiting for the tree to happen and the tree is waiting for the seed to open! That is the problem.

I know the Truth that I am speaking. O! Sons of Immortality, have the courage to sprout and become the tree!

This energy, this inspiration is the master. The advent of the master is the greatest adventure in one's life. Once the master has entered our inner space, all we need to do is stand up with trust, courage and confidence.

Again and again, use the clicks that have happened in your life. Any weapon not used will not only lose its power on us, but we will also forget how to use it. Again and again, the weapons that are actually used will bring us clarity and courage and we will also have the intelligence to use them.

Add more and more clicks to your life by listening to the master's words. Add them to your inner space. Creating a family, friends, a spiritual circle, will constantly give us the courage and inspiration to use the knowledge-weapons.

One more thing, when we watch the master talk, we are watching the body language of an enlightened being. A person's body language radiates his own truth and totality. A master is an embodiment of the ultimate truth of Existence. His body language is therefore the very body language of Existence. By watching him, the Truth will work on us beyond our logic.

Blissful Energy

• Harnessing the energy of Existence or Shakti Dharana

This technique is taken from Tantra Shastra (Kulaarnava Tantra* ). It is a beautiful technique to relate with the Existential energy.

It is ideal to practice this meditation at night just before going to sleep. This can also be done in the morning but it must be followed by at least fifteen minutes of rest, or else you would be in a state of intoxication because of the effect of the meditation. This meditation leads to your merging with the energy of Existence. The importance of Shakti Dharana meditation is that it leads you to the threshold of the state of turiya, where you are in a state of total awareness but without thoughts.

Meditation technique

Stand on your knees and balance yourself well. Do not sit on your haunches. Close your eyes and raise both hands upwards with palms facing skywards. Tilt your head slightly upwards.

In this position, feel the Existential energy flow through you. Visualize that a lightbeam of Existence is flowing through you.

Kulaarnava Tantra - Ancient literature said to be authored by enlightened master Shiva.

To start with, you can visualize the blissful face of any enlightened master. Just as a miser is at the peak of his energy when counting money or a lover is at the peak of his energy when he is with his beloved, so also a master is at the peak of his energy when laughing or smiling. That is why I tell you to remember his blissful face and allow the energy to flow through you. Also, it is better that you think of a master than allow your mind to wander and think of something else!

As the energy of Existence flows down your arms, you will feel a tingling sensation, a gentle vibration, or a slight tremor in

you. It would be as if a tender leaf is dancing in the breeze. Just allow the tremor to happen. Help the tremor, let your whole body vibrate with the energy. Just allow and help whatever happens to happen. You might feel as if the earth below and heaven above are merging, as if the male and female energies are merging. You might feel as if you are floating or merging. Allow any feeling, just drop yourself completely. There is no 'you'. You have simply dissolved into Existence.

After two or three minutes when you feel that your being is completely filled with the energy of Existence. Bend down, rest on your elbows and

forearms, and kiss the earth, or at least let your forehead touch the ground. You become a medium or a passage for the divine energy that you attracted to unite with the energy of the earth. Allow all your energy to flow into mother Earth. You may visualize the feet of the master when in this posture. It will help to be in a mood of surrender to mother Earth while offering the energy.

Now, regain your original posture and repeat this cycle at least six times. You will do seven cycles totally.

This meditation tremendously improves energy circulation in the body. All troubles related to the backbone will simply vanish by doing this meditation, as the energy goes straight to the muladhara chakra, an energy center which is at the base of the spine.

After completing the meditation, you may go to sleep in the same meditative mood. The sleep that follows this meditation will be intense and dreamless. When you wake up the next morning you will experience great freshness and energy.

This is a very powerful technique. When done consistently, a new life, a new meaning, a new Truth will start flowing into you. A beautiful and alive connection between Existence and you will be created. You will experience much joy and each day will become a celebration!

Blissful Chant

• Chanting the Bliss mantra or Purashcharanam

Mantras are chanted in the Vedic language, Sanskrit. The beauty of Sanskrit is that all the possible sounds are described in its fifty-one syllables. The Sanskrit language not only conveys meaning, its phonetic sounds also transmit special vibrations along with them. Even if you don't understand the meaning of the mantras, the vibrations will work on you.

In the East, Sanskrit mantras are used for initiations. The master will utter a mantra and the mantra itself will give the awakening initiation to the disciple. The vibrations will straightaway enter his being and start working.

The Guru mantrais:

Om hreem Nithyanandaya namaha

In Hindu thought, every simple act is imbued with multiple layers of understanding. This understanding happens depending on the level of awareness of the individual's consciousness. The word or sound 'Om' means many things at many levels.

Om is the elemental sound. The whole of Creation is believed to have stemmed from it. It comprises three utterances - A, U and M. The syllable A (aah) stands for Lord Brahma, the Hindu god who creates the universe; U (ooo) stands for Lord Vishnu, the Hindu god who sustains the universe, and M (mmm) for Shiva, the Hindu god who destroys to create the space for further creation to happen. The combined sound Om is therefore the manifestation of the entire universe.

At a deeper level, the gods are representations of the energies of creation, sustenance and rejuvenation that happen at a cellular level in our personal universe, our body-mind entity.

The vibration of Om when chanted gives one the staying resolve of mother Earth. It dissolves anger, desire and psychosomatic illnesses in us. It fills us with the expansiveness and boundlessness of mother Earth. It frees the mind from negative thinking. It releases tremendous energy and rejuvenates the brain. It brings peace of mind and great power of concentration. It is a jumping board to quiet the mind and enter into the Self.

Hreem is the bija mantra of Devi, the sacred feminine principle.

The sages of ancient India practiced chanting these primordial sounds and experienced deeply at the levels of mind, body and being. They presented the science and method of practicing them to humanity so that they might experience what the great sages experienced. Chants from the vedic times are all research reports of such sages whose love for the ultimate experience caused them to share it with humanity.

Chanting of Om and Hreem together awakens the masculine and feminine energies residing in us.

Nithyananda is chanted to invoke the name of the master as the expression of the ultimate Truth. It is the poorna moola mantra (the complete and 'source of all' chant) because it is the straight path to both Shakti or success in the material world, and to Shiva or success in the cosmic world, which is enlightenment.

The word Nithyananda also means 'eternal bliss'. By chanting this, we give a clear intention to our being and the universe about our ultimate desire for eternal bliss or enlightenment.

Namaha means I am not. By saying I am not, we surrender our ego to Existence or to the master who is the pure form of Existence. The word namaha when repeated strengthens the experience of surrender. It brings humility and obeisance into us.

Meditation technique

Chant the Guru mantra fifty-four times every day for eleven days or continuously whenever it is remembered. The chanting can be done either out loud or silently in the mind. The speed of chanting varies from person to person.

The mantra has the property of energizing your inner space and preventing unwanted thoughts from rising. Thoughts arise as silent words from the navel region, the manipuraka chakra, which is the vital energy center at the navel region. When you chant the Guru mantra, the manipuraka chakra gets completely cleansed. This automatically leads to the removal of all worries, negative thoughts and emotions.

The Guru mantra purifies the energy behind speech, which is called vak energy. It causes continuous bubbling of energy and intense enthusiasm and excitement for life.

The vibration of this mantra can change the vibration and frequency of the being. The important thing is to keep the

awareness on the mantra. When you persistently bring your awareness back to the mantra, you move closer to your inner consciousness.

Like in a water tank, if we keep blue powder at the base, the rising bubbles will also be blue, in the same way, when you keep this mantra at the center of your consciousness, your entire thinking system will be purified.

Slowly you will see, the mantra will begin happening effortlessly, on its own. And you will fall into a naturally meditative state.

The mantra, when done with a particular affirmation, becomes an intense prayer. Medical research has proven that prayer has remarkable effects on the body, mind and spirit.

Leading universities in the United States of America have found that prayer causes a forty-percent lower death rate from heart disease and cancer, up to fourteen times higher survival rate after surgery for heart patients, decreases the stroke rate by half in the elderly, and reduces hospitalization time by up to three weeks. There is a large database establishing the positive effects of prayer on the web.

Chitram vadataror mooley vriddhah shishyaa gurur yuvah

Gurostu maunam vyaakhyaanam shishyaastu chinnah samshayah

Beneath the banyan tree they sit

the disciples, old men, the guru a mere youth!

The guru speaks through Silence alone

But lo! The disciples' questions dissolve on their own!

Understanding of concepts will remain academic, and techniques will remain as tools without the power to transform, unless the master's presence catalyzes the process. One needs the master to realize god.

In the vedic tradition, the spiritual teacher, the guru or the master, is more important than god. Scriptures say that the master is mother, father and god, all in one and beyond all.

God is a concept to most of us. There are few who can speak with authority based on one's own experience about the divinity one has experienced. It is said that one who experiences does not express, and one who expresses has not experienced. The master is one who has experienced and who communicates that experience to others not merely as expressions but through his very body language and life style.

The master is the doorway to one's own divine experience. He leads the disciple by his hand through it to experience the fundamental truth of his own inner divinity. In the process the disciple becomes a master and the cycle continues.

This virtuous cycle of enlightenment resulting in the experience of one's true nature, breaks down the vicious cycle of desires and suffering that all of us are caught in. It is with deep understanding that Buddha said that all desires are suffering. Buddha's reference was to human nature that seeks to fulfill these desires externally through the senses. This can never happen. Desires keep growing again and again. It is only the experience of the inner bliss arising out of the understanding of one's own infinite potential, that can eliminate the suffering which has become human nature.

The master is a mirror. He is an intelligent mirror of energy that leads us to the discovery of who we are. Let us now begin this journey.

Lion and Cub Story

A small story:

Once upon a time, a pregnant lioness attacked a herd of goats while hunting for food. As she jumped at one of the

goats the strain became too much for her and she died giving birth to a cub.

The new born cub could barely open his eyes. He made some sounds and moved around on the ground helpless. The goats saw the orphaned cub and felt compassionate towards him.

You may wonder how goats can feel compassion towards a lion cub. Understand, when the enemy does not disturb or hurt you and you don't feel threatened in any way by his presence, you will feel compassionate towards him even if he is your enemy by nature. In the same way, since the goats did not feel threatened by the lion cub they started showing love towards him.

The goats sensed the cub was not going to attack them and because of this they were able to express compassion towards him. They looked after him, bringing him up in the manner they knew best. They showed him how to eat grass, drink goat milk, live like them and even how to bleat like them!

The lion cub also picked up the body language of the goats. Right from his birth no one had ever told him he was a lion, so he never knew what it was to be a lion. So the cub grew up continuing to live like the goats. The goats also were quite comfortable with the cub being one amongst them.

As the lion cub grew, he began to express his strength in a manner that was natural to him. When the other younger goats fought with him, he used to hit them with a strong blow. The young goats would complain to the mother goat, 'He is hitting us!' The mother goat would try her best to patch things up between the cub and the goats by consoling the young goats and advising them to forget about the fight.

One day a lion attacked the herd of goats. The frightened goats scattered in different directions. The lion then saw a lion cub running away with the goats bleating like them. The lion could not believe his eyes! He could not understand why the cub was running away upon seeing him and why he was bleating like the goats.

The next day the lion returned not to hunt but to look out for the young cub. When he saw the cub he slowly went up behind him and caught hold of him. The moment the lion caught hold of the cub, the cub started shouting, 'Let me go! Let me go! Baa, baa…'

The lion said, 'Fool! Don't be afraid. I am not going to kill you. Don't you know who you are?' The cub cried, 'I am a goat. Let me go! Let me go!'

The lion said, 'Fool! You are not a goat. Don't be afraid of me!' But the young cub was terrified and not ready to listen to anything. Somehow he managed to break free and he ran away.

The next day the lion came back to where the goats were. He managed to catch the lion cub again. This time he held him firmly.

The cub was struggling under the grip, but while one part of his mind told him strongly to escape, another part of him felt good at being touched by the lion. The assuring, comfortable feeling of the lion's touch awakened something deep within the cub. Seeing the struggle of the cub, the lion let him go saying, 'I will come again tomorrow. But at that time I will not be chasing you.' The lion went back into the forest.

The lion cub stayed awake the whole night unable to sleep. His mind was filled with so many thoughts… 'I cannot accept what the lion said to me,' 'But I think there may be some truth in what he said,' 'No! No! No! I don't think whatever he said is correct. I know I am a goat. I have known it from birth. What he says does not make any sense to me. He is just lying to get something from me.'

Understand, the lion has penetrated the cub in a way beyond the cub's logic. Let me be very clear, if the presence of the master affects you beyond your logic, the master in you has already been awakened!

You cannot feel connected to the lion unless the lion in you awakens. If you feel some ecstasy, some comfort, through the touch of the master, the lion, and if you find yourself trying to recreate again and again the same feelings that came up in your memory when you were with the lion, even if it is through visualization, be very clear, the lion has touched you deeply! A part of you has already started feeling soothed. A part of you has already started feeling there is something in what the master says.

The next day when the lion arrived, the cub was standing there waiting for him. The cub was standing patiently at the edge of the forest looking out for the lion. But when the lion appeared, the cub started moving away from him toward the herd of goats. But he did not turn his face away from the lion as he did not want to lose sight of the lion!

He just took a few steps back cautiously telling the lion, 'You stay where you are and I will stand where I am now. We can still talk. It is true that I am not able to forget you. But let us keep this distance between us.' The lion replied, 'That is alright with me. You stay where you are. Now let us talk.'

The lion continued, 'Understand, you are a lion! You are ignoring your true nature by trying to be something else! Look carefully and you will see the difference between you and those goats.' The cub cried, 'No! No! How can that be? I eat the same grass as them. I live exactly as the other goats do.'

The lion said, 'Fool! Understand this very basic thing. See for yourself. No other goat feels attached to me. No other goat is waiting for me. They are all terrified of me. Only you are waiting for me. Understand from this alone that there is something happening within you. What is the need for you to wait for me here? Come with me to the river nearby and look at your reflection in the water. You will be able to see your face and mine.'

The cub felt scared to go with the lion and told him, 'No. Let us just stand here and talk. You stand where you are, I will stand where I am. You say whatever you want to say. I will stay right here and listen.'

Then the lion said, 'Alright, let me tell you this. If you allow me, I can show you your true self in the river and prove to you that you are like me. But I will not force you. I will return after one week. If you are ready, come back to this place and wait for me. I will then take you with me to the river. If not, just forget me. Don't even try to remember me!' The lion then left.

After a week as promised, the lion arrived. The cub's mind was still confused, 'Should I go or not go to meet the lion?' Deep within, the cub really wanted to meet the lion but at the same time he was very afraid of the lion.

Finally, the cub reached the place where he had met the lion the last time and found the lion there. The lion looked up at him and stood up. He led the way and slowly they started walking towards the river. As they were walking, the lion moved a little closer to the cub. The cub got scared and started shouting, 'No! No! You stay where you are. You just show me the path to the river. Please do not walk so close to me. I can walk to the river on my own!'

The lion moved away a little and started telling the cub stories about when he was a cub himself and how he grew up to become a fully grown lion. Listening to these stories, the cub got so engrossed he forgot to keep the distance between the two of them. As they walked, the lion started getting closer to the cub. The cub was completely involved in the stories of the lion and was asking him, 'Is that so?'

'Is that how it happened?' 'Did you also have all these problems?'

Without the cub realizing it, the lion had slowly come so near that he was now touching the cub as they continued their walk! Suddenly the young cub noticed this but he found that it did not bother him at all. He felt the gentle touch of the lion on him so relaxing! He did not protest.

The lion continued talking and the cub was saying, 'Oh! That was nice... that was interesting…' The lion was now almost holding the cub, but the cub was fully engrossed in the 'small stories' about the lion's early days.

As soon as they reached the river the lion caught the cub and took him to the water. The cub knew now there was no escaping. But he was surprised that he no longer had any desire to escape!

Understand, the cub knew that not only could he not escape, but he also did not want to escape! But then, a little ego hiding in a corner of his mind troubled him and he said, 'No! No! Let me go! What are you doing to me? Why are you holding on to me?' The cub still had some fear in him. So he asked, 'What are you doing to me? Tell me please, what are you doing to me?'

The lion replied, 'I am not doing anything to you. Just look into the water.' The cub looked into the water and said, 'Okay, I am looking into the water.' The lion then asked, 'What can you see in the water? Can you see two forms?' The cub replied, 'Yes.'

The lion said, 'Well, one lion is me and the other lion is you.'

The cub repeated, 'Two reflections: one mine and the other yours.' Then suddenly he realized what he was saying. He could not believe it and started shouting, 'May be not! No! No! No! Both the reflections in the water must be of you!'

The lion shouted, 'Fool! Look! I am raising my hand. See which reflection is raising a hand.' The cub pointed to the reflection in the water and said, 'Only that reflection is raising its hand.' The lion then said, 'Okay, now you raise your hand.'

The cub raised his own hand, looked at the reflections in the river and cried out, 'Yes! Yes! Yes! I see! I see!' Then in a small, confused voice he asked, 'But… How can I be a lion? Am I not a goat?'

The lion simply looked at him and said, 'I am not here to play with you.' That is when a feeling of ecstasy began to rise up in the cub. He could sense something incredible was about to happen.

But then again his mind stepped in and his mood went into a low and he started doubting in his mind, 'I think I have been hypnotized. This is not my true nature! Something has happened to me. This is not me. I have never felt so blissful, so joyful! This is not me! He is doing something to me. He has already done something to me!'

The cub still resisted. He struggled to escape, but it was only a half-hearted attempt, an act actually, because he actually had no real desire to escape.

The cub started protesting, 'No! No! No! Let me go! Let me go! I know that you are a lion. As an offering for you, I will bring the grass which I eat everyday. I will bring the milk which I drink every day. I will devote my time to serve you.'

Finally the lion thought, 'I should leave him now. He can only understand this much for now.' So, he told him, 'Alright, be very clear, we shall meet again tomorrow. I will not come to the boundary of the forest to bring you here. I will be in my own home. If you want to see me, find out where I live and come on your own to meet me there. I have no time to waste by coming all the way to your place to bring you here! If you don't want to come to me through your own effort, let it be!' The lion told him this and left.

This time the cub did not run away as he usually would. He walked back very slowly. He did not want to go, but on the other side his mind was pushing him to go back to the goats. Three legs of the lion cub were not moving. Only one leg was able to move. Big drops of tears began to fall from his little eyes at the thought of this farewell.

The next day the lion was seated in a majestic pose in his home. Slowly, very slowly, the cub approached him with freshly-cut green grass thinking, 'This is the best grass available anywhere' and set it down in front of the lion saying, 'Please accept this offering I bring you.'

The lion watched and thought to himself, 'Alright, if I take this grass this fellow will feel connected to me. He might even allow this relationship to become more intense. Through this he might feel more connected to me.' Thinking this, even though a lion never eats grass, he picked up the grass, put it in his mouth and started eating! He praised the cub saying, 'This grass you brought for me tastes really good!' The cub was very happy with himself. The relationship started deepening between them when the lion began to eat the grass.

Understand, the lion comes down and eats grass only to be able to bridge the gap between the cub and himself. Even though he never really eats grass, he acts as if he is eating it and loving it.

Slowly the relationship grew between the lion and the cub. Sometimes when the lion tasted the grass brought by the cub he shouted at him, 'Fool! Don't you know which type of grass you should bring to me? What kind of grass is this? By now you should know what I eat. Next time bring me the right grass!'

The lion cub began to think, 'He is getting angry. I also get angry sometimes. So he speaks my language and I can speak his language. He is just like me!'

When the lion eats the grass, he comes down from his level, from his plane, from his consciousness, to connect with the cub.

The cub immediately felt very comfortable. It could now connect with the lion. Now the cub decided, 'I must bring the right grass and fresh milk next time. I must do things the right way. Maybe I should have the grass packed properly.' The cub made plans, thinking he had been scolded by the lion because he

When the lion eats the grass, he comes down from his plane, his consciousness to connect with the cub.

did not do his work properly! This is how the relationship started happening between the cub and the lion. Now the cub started feeling free and he started coming to the forest to see the lion whenever he felt like it. The cub started feeling very comfortable around the lion, very relaxed. It did not know the 'master' plan of the 'master' lion.

One day when the cub came as usual with grass and milk, he saw the lion sitting with a large chunk of meat in front of him. The moment the cub saw the meat he got afraid and started shouting, 'Why do you have meat on your plate? What is this? Are you a nonvegetarian? I did not know you are a non-vegetarian! You are such a loving and charismatic person. You cannot be a non-vegetarian! You eat all these terrible things! I am a vegetarian! I can't digest this!'

This time the lion did not take the time or energy to explain anything. He simply caught hold of the neck of the cub, picked up some meat and forced it

You are neither man nor the identity you think you are.

into the cub's mouth. The moment the meat entered

his mouth, the cub tasted the blood from the meat and something suddenly happened within him.

The cub could not understand what was going on. The cub had tasted meat for the very first time! He was overwhelmed with the feeling that rose in him. This is what happens in your first experience of bliss, satori! When you experience it, you will understand!

On tasting the meat, the cub let out a roar like a lion! He started roaring announcing his true nature. He expressed his true nature. Now the lion looked straight into the eyes of the cub and said, 'Tat tvam asi' - That art Thou – you are That.' The initiation happened. The lion became a lion. That was all. The lion who thought he was a goat became a lion!

You are a lion, not a goat!

Understand, you are neither man nor the identity you think you are.

You are very much like the goat. In fact, you are the goat. Look at me and understand. I too thought I was a goat, but just look at the way I became a lion. Just take a close look at my own life. Then you will understand how foolish you are to think of yourself as a goat, and you will automatically become a lion!

This is what Krishna means when He says, 'When you understand My life, you will be liberated.' A liberated man's life liberates you because it shows exactly where you stand now. The liberated man too was ignorant once and stood in the same place you are standing now. This will give you the tremendous courage that you need to swallow raw meat to taste your inherent nature that is bliss and to start roaring instead of bleating. When this experience happens you roar instead of bleating.

How long did it take for the cub to realize he was a lion? Hardly a second! The moment the meat and the blood went into his mouth he started roaring. But remember how long it took just to get the meat into the mouth of the cub!

It takes time to enter the master's cave. The relationship, the bridging needs to happen before that. That is why it takes some time.

Enlightenment itself does not take time. The bridge, the trust to transmit that experience takes time.

Is a master needed?

The master speaks not to give you the truth, but to help you recognize that the truth is already within you. The master is only a mirror. You see your own face in the deep silence of sitting by his side. The body language of enlightenment is the master.

The enlightened master, Adi Shankara, recites beautifully in his verses of Bhaja Govindam* :

Enlightenment itself does not take time. The trust to transmit that experience takes time.

When you have surrendered at the lotus feet of the master,

From the chains of this world you will break free,

Then, in complete control of your mind and your senses,

Within your heart, you will find the Lord.

Significance of a master

It is very difficult especially for the modern mind to understand the need for a master.

The master is the one who gives you a glimpse of the Real, the truth of who you are. He is not here just to teach. He is here to awaken.

The master is the only scripture that is alive.

Surrender towards god is difficult because you don't know where god is or who god

Bhaja Govindam - Collection of 32 (sometimes 34) devotional verses composed by enlightened master Adi Shankara. This is considered to be the essence of Vedanta and Advaita, nonduality.

The master is the only scripture that is alive.

is. God is a mere concept to you.

But the master is one with the Whole. He has reached the Ultimate**.** To him god is reality. He lives with god or Existence or whatever you wish to call it. And the master is real to you. He is tangible. So he can become your door to reach god.

Through him you can take the quantum jump into the arms of god.

The only thing standing between you and your true nature of bliss or god is your ego. The process of becoming a disciple is the process of renouncing your ego. The ego is very difficult to drop. Dropping the ego means losing the solid identity that you have been carrying all these years, thinking you need it for survival. Dropping the ego looks like death when actually it is the ego that stands between you and life!

Dropping the ego is possible only in a relationship of deep trust, love and reverence with the master. You gradually gather courage and then risk dropping the only thing you have clung onto throughout your life, your ego. You drop the ego only when you fully know that even if you fall, you only fall into the net of infinite love and compassion of Existence embodied by the master.

As of now, most of the experiences that you add to your being bring in more and more fear or greed. Instead, any experience can add more strength and awareness to your being also. This is the cognitive shift, the psychological revolution the master does on you that results in your complete transformation.

Learning from master

You may ask, 'Why do I need a master? I can learn from life.'

Learning from the master is a very sweet experience, a very joyful experience. The master first puts you in his lap and gives you the anesthesia of love before he starts his operation on the tumor of your ego. Because he showers his love, you will not even experience the pain of going through the transformation. Even if it is mildly painful, you will endure it only with the joy and awareness of being with the master.

Master is intense life. Not only does he teach you, he also sees to that you go through the whole transformation blissfully.

A small story:

The father of a young boy was telling his little son to move a big stone. The boy tried his best, but he was not able to move it. He stood completely tired. The father said, 'You have not used all your potentiality. Use all your potential power.'

The son was completely tired. He shouted at his father, 'What are you talking about? You are saying I have not used all my potential power. I am tired. Are you not able to see?'

The father said, 'Why, you could have asked me. I am also your power!'

In the same way, you can also use the master's presence. Please understand, you can ask me. You can take the master's help. You have never done that. You have never considered the master also as your potential. So much of help is available, you can have so much, but you never ask or you never take it!

Life itself can be your master. But then it will become difficult to know from where to learn, what we should learn and from whom to learn. Dattatreya* , a great master says, 'I never had a master because life has always been my master. I learnt how to concentrate from the hunter who tries to concentrate on the bird. I learnt how to save money for the future by watching ants!' Life can become a master if you have the intelligence to pick up right things from it. But many times, you pick up the wrong things.

A small story: King Harishchandra lived his whole life based on* Through the Master you can take the jump into the arms of god.

truthfulness. The story of Harishchandra says that he lived for the truth and at one point he even sold his wife and children to maintain his truthfulness.*

Once in a village, a preacher was narrating the story of Harishchandra . After the narration he asked a man, 'What did you learn from this story?' The man replied, 'I learnt that I should always speak the truth, no matter what happens in life.' The preacher was happy. Then he asked another man, 'What did you learn?'*

The second man said, 'I learnt another important lesson. In an emergency, you can even sell your wife, nothing wrong!'

Understand, you can learn two different things from the same story!

You may not have the intelligence to always learn correctly from life, which is why the master happens in your life. He shows you the path because he has already tried it and succeeded.

Dattatreya - Representation of the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in one incarnation. Harishchandra - Legendary Indian ruler who was renowned for keeping his word at whatever cost.

The master shows you the path because he has already tried it and succeeded.

See, by giving some medicines also, tumors can

be removed. But it may take years and years. The master simply removes the tumor in no time. One more thing, the pain you will have living life with the tumors will be much worse than the pain you experience when master removes it. The pain with the master when he removes it is hardly anything. But living with the tumor is dangerous and difficult. That is why it is better to go to the master.

Life is too deep a mystery which cannot be captured by our desires. Our desires may appear big and worth a whole lifetime for us. Because of our narrow view of life, we attach so much more importance to insignificant things while there are so many significant and more meaningful experiences just waiting at our doorstep. But the problem is that we can't even imagine them because we have never seen the likes of these.

That is where the master comes in. He has seen the wholeness of life. He can see things which you cannot even imagine, leave alone desire. He is there just to help you move towards realizing that fulfillment in your life too.

All you need is the trust to move with him. Then as things start happening you will be convinced about this truth. Then you enter the virtuous circle. More trust leads to more experiences which lead further to more trust.

The master does not impose anything on you. He simply removes what is not necessary and what has been imposed on you and leaves you fresh and new. You become a beautiful empty canvas upon which you can create your own unique painting. You can compose your own song and you can dance your own dance. The master opens out the gates to the sweetest experience of life, the experience of your own uniqueness.

Understand the difference between technique and process. Technique can be done again and the effect will be the same. But with process, you can't get the same effect every time and you won't even be able to do it on your own.

Technique done with the master is a process. Process done without the master is technique.

The eternal relationship

What is a relationship?

Relationship is that which can reveal to you dimensions in you that you don't even know exist inside you. It gives you the experience and proves to you that you are also capable of loving someone or something. It shows that you can also love and you can also sacrifice to an amazing extent for the sake of someone.

When we are born, we are born with completeness. But we are not aware of many of our dimensions and when we are not aware, the outer world too does not know of it. Relationships have the power to awaken our unknown dimensions and make us experience them and show the same to the outer world.

Relationship awakens the unknown dimensions in you.

A relationship with anyone or anything, no matter who or what, will lead you to the ultimate relationship with the master.

When you fall in love, whether it is with a man, woman or child, deity or master, you will see dimensions of you that you never knew existed inside you. With the flowering of such love, you become more responsible. You experience the very juice of life.

The relationship with the master, who is one with Existence, is deeper than any other relationship. It is a being level connection.

Generally all other relationships will create bondage but the relationship with the master has the power to lead you to freedom and finally to eternal bliss. Even if you try to create bondage in this relationship, it will only lead to eternal bliss! Bondage can never happen in this relationship.

A relationship with anyone or anything will lead you to the ultimate relationship with the master.

The form of

the master is the bridge between the Ultimate and you. Because the form is an embodiment of the Ultimate, it has both the dimensions, of man and god. When you relate with not only the form but also the truth that the form stands for, you reach the knowledge of the Ultimate.

The master is all forms and no form. He refuses to be captured in a frame, to be turned into a stone or worshipped as an image. The master is beyond forms, beyond dimensions. He has infinite dimensions - infini-D!

Frozen into one frame, whether mother or lover, he is easy for you to capture and retain. He becomes easier to market. But the master is not interested in business for him. He wants you to be confused so that you look in and become enlightened. He wants you to die so that you become awake.

Come to the master with your ignorance. He will show you the path. Don't hesitate to fall into his arms with love. You will soar with him into bliss.

Master is the person who awakens the enlightenment dimension in you.

The master relates to us on multiple frames and planes, each

one of which unveils the beauty and intensity of the unique relation he has with every single being that has the fortune of entering his space.

Each one in the quest for the Truth traverses a uniquely beautiful path with the master as he leads from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge. It is a delicate love affair. It is the merger of two beings in such deep trust and communion that the flame from the master just jumps from his being to the disciple's being. The spark of awareness is thus lit.

Different relationships unleash various dimensions in you. A lover unleashes the love feeling in you. Friends around you unleash the feeling of friendship in you. Your kids unleash the motherliness dimension in you. Your parents, grandparents unleash the childhood dimension in you. But only the master can unleash all the dimensions in you. Master is the person who awakens the unknown enlightenment dimension in you. You cannot calculate the transformation the master-disciple relationship creates in you. The master reveals himself in various dimensions and makes you transcend those and lets you experience the Ultimate through communion.

God and master

The poet-mystic, Kabir sings beautifully,

'Master and god both appear before me. To whom should I prostrate?

I bow before the master. He introduced god to me.'

Swami Vivekananda, in one of his discussions with fellow disciples of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, referred to Ramakrishna as god. Another disciple objected saying, 'Surely this is taking it to the extreme. I agree that the master is enlightened, but how can he be god?'

Vivekananda asked him, 'What do you know about god?' The disciple said, 'Oh, god is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent.'

Vivekananda asked, 'What do you mean by saying that god is omnipresent?' The disciple said, 'God is everywhere.' Vivekananda said, 'Surely, then you must be able to see him now.' The disciple was confused and did not know what to say further.

Vivekananda told him, 'To you god is a concept that you cannot see, a notion that you don't even know or

understand. But here is the master in front of you who is god in reality.'

Someone asked me, 'What is the difference between god and master?'

I asked him, 'What do you know about god? All you know is a bunch of words, concepts. You have no clue as to what you are talking about when you refer to god. To you he is just an idea, an imagination of what you believe to be the ultimate energy and universal consciousness, or whatever name you wish to give something you know nothing about!'

The Brahmanda Purana* says,

Master is Shiva* sanshis three eyes,

Vishnu* sanshis four arms

Brahma* sanshis four heads.

He is Parama Shiva* himself in human form

The master is real. He is the reality of the ultimate cosmic energy. He is here and now. He is in the present; He is the present. He is the bridge between you and the concept of god. In that sense he is greater than god.

People ask me, 'Are you god?' I tell them, if you do not know what or who god is, how can you ask me whether I am god? God I am not here to prove I am god. I am here to prove you are god.

cannot be defined. He can only be experienced.

Let me tell you one thing clearly, I am not here to prove that I am god. I am here to prove that you are god. I am not here to prove my divinity. I am here to prove your divinity.

The master is like a forest fire that is happening on one side of the river. The disciple is on the other side of the river. The river is the 'samsara', the river of births and rebirths. Between the master and disciple, if there can be a bridge made of any material, the fire can move, cross over the bridge and reach the disciple. The material of which the bridge is made is immaterial. It can be made of wood or with cement but the forest fire has the capacity to move over the bridge and reach the disciple. In the same way, irrespective of whatever relation you may have with the master, just get totally dissolved into that.

Brahmanda Purana - A collection of 12,000 verses in what is usually considered the last and eighteenth Hindu purana or epic. This epic is the story of the creation of the universe by Brahma.

Shiva - Rejuvenator in the Hindu Trinity of gods.

Vishnu - Sustainer in the Hindu Trinity of gods.

Brahma - The Creator in the Hindu Trinity of gods.

Parama Shiva - Supreme.

If you dissolve into that, it will simply fulfill your feelings and lead you to the ultimate state of eternal bliss. If you understand this truth deeply and try to practice this with the determination, 'I will focus on my feeling and get dissolved into the master-disciple relation', it will lead you to that state. Don't think that you don't know how to dissolve in that. The sheer determination is enough, it will happen automatically in you. Any hurdle between the master and disciple will dissolve just by focusing on the dissolution that happens between the master and disciple.

Five ways to relate with the master

There are five attitudes with which to relate with the master. Through each attitude, a different path unfolds, taking you closer to yourself.

One path is the attitude of the mother towards her child, looking at the master as your child. This is called vatsalya bhava which is how Yashoda, Krishna's foster mother, related with Him.

Another is the attitude of the child towards the mother. This is called matru bhava. This is how Ramakrishna related with goddess Kali, looking at the master as mother.

The third is the attitude of a friend, looking at the master as your friend. This is called sakha bhava. This is how Kuchela* and Arjuna related with Krishna.

The next is the attitude of a servant. It is called dasa bhava. It refers to the masterdisciple relationship wherein the disciple feels like a faithful servant of the master. This was how Hanuman, the monkey god, related with Rama in the famous Indian epic Ramayana* .

The ultimate is the attitude of the beloved. It is called madhura bhava. This is how Radha* saw Krishna. This is how Radha* felt about Krishna, the attitude of the beloved. Let me be very clear, the attitude of a beloved is in no way connected to whether you are a male or female. It is in no way connected to the body. It is completely beyond the body. It is from the being.

If the master is male and you are also male, then too madhura bhava can happen. Or if the master is female and you are female

Kuchela - Childhood friend of enlightened master Krishna who exemplifies the relationship of friendship between master and disciple.

Ramayana - Hindu itihasa or epic about prince Rama. The original version was written by poet sage Valmiki. Radha - Chief among the gopis or cowherd women devotees of enlightened master Krishna.

also, then also madhura bhava can happen. Madhura bhava is in no way related to gender. It is beyond gender consciousness. It is a feeling of intense connection.

The last is the maha bhava. It is all the other five bhavas put together and something more! That is what the master–disciple relationship is all about. Sometimes with the master you will feel he is your son. At some other time you will feel he is like your mother. Sometimes you will feel he is your lord. Other times you will feel he is like your friend. Sometimes you will feel he is like a comforting beloved. The relationship with the master is all these five put together plus something more.

You can relate with the master in any one of these five attitudes or bhavas, or all the five put together.