Deep inside, each of us is aware that our true nature is a state of completeness, of total fulfillment.

That is why we are unable to rest until we reach that state.

If depression and restlessness were natural to us, would we try to get out of it? No!

We would be totally comfortable with it.

There is a beautiful verse in the Upanishad:

Om poornam adah poornam idam Poornaat poornamudachyate Poornasya poornamaadaaya Poornam eva avashishyate

It means: That is Whole, and this too is Whole. From the Whole came the Whole. If you remove the Whole from the Whole, what remains is still the Whole.

WHAT ARE YOU SEEKING?

Here the word 'that' means the Universal consciousness, and 'this' means the individual, each one of us. You are not a limited body mind as you think. You are a complete expression of Cosmic Consciousness. You are deeply linked to the Source. But you have forgotten this link.

That is why, unless you reconnect to the Source, you will never experience fulfillment.

The root of all your fear, all your sorrow, your deep dissatisfaction, is the idea that you are a limited individual, cut off from Existence.

All your running, your striving, your restlessness is just the expression of your desire to reconnect to your true nature.

Meditation is nothing more than rediscovering this connection.

Remember, there is nothing to be done, nothing to be achieved. All you need to do is to become aware and start expressing this Truth in your life.

You are already enlightened, just express it!

Because you are not aware!

You are not conscious that you are infinite, you are whole, you are complete. Because the mind cannot conceive of the infinite, you are not aware of who you are. I tell you,

You are a conscious miracle of Existence.

You are more than this limited body and mind.

You are pure energy!

Nothing needs to be added to you, and nothing can be taken away from you. You are infinite potential!

But can you trust this Truth and simply start expressing it, living it?

Because you think you are bound, you need techniques for liberation. Because you are in deep unconsciousness, you need techniques to pull you out. You need meditation!

Meditation is any technique, any method, which raises the frequency of your consciousness.

Of course, nowadays there is enough research that proves that meditation results in good physical health, mental health, greater productivity and so on.

But these are not the straight results of meditation, they are not the actual purpose of meditation. They are just the side-benefits of meditation.

Good physical health, mental health, etc. are all wonderful to have, but they are only side-effects of meditation.

If somebody asks me, why meditate, my straight answer would be, to raise your consciousness!

The human body is designed to experience expanded consciousness.

The human brain is wired for enlightenment.

Do you know that, by your very nature, you are wired for living enlightenment? That is why, only when we bring all the possibilities of life into a living reality, only when we express our potential completely in our daily living, can we experience real fulfillment.

So please understand, meditation is not an option. It is a very basic need of your life!

People come and ask me, "Is meditation for me?"

'Why should I bother to meditate now? I will have enough time in my old age. I can do meditation when I don't have anything else to do!' And all the older people are thinking,

'I should have done this in my young age, when I was fresh and receptive!'

Bringing meditation into your life is just as necessary as reading the owner's manual before you start driving your car! Meditation is like an owner's manual for your body and for your life. Don't wait for an accident to start meditating! Don't wait for depression and suffering to happen in your life. Be intelligent. Start here and now!

Q. For a beginner like me, what is the right way to approach meditation?

Actually, when you feel you are a beginner, you already have the most important qualification!

You have the 'beginner's mind'.

The beginner's attitude is always sincere, humble, open, full of enthusiasm. When you know that you don't know, you have the highest chance of learning! If you are a 'professional seeker', it's too big a job for you to learn anything new. Whatever new information you come across, your logic will start fighting with it.

Your cup of knowledge will already be too full!

Sometimes, beginners on the path have doubts about whether they are really 'qualified' for meditation.

I tell you, there is no such thing as being qualified for meditation!

Once a man approached the great spiritual Master Ramana Maharshi and asked him, Bhagavan, am I qualified for the spiritual life?

Ramana answered him with a question, Are you alive?

The man was startled. He said, Yes, of course!

That is enough!, Ramana replied. You already have the necessary qualification for spirituality.

When the Divine does not impose any restrictions on you, why should you impose restrictions on yourself ?

Simply enter into meditation as an adventure.

After all, it is the biggest experiment of your life!

Be sincere, not serious. When you are serious, you miss the whole point of meditation.

Spirituality is all about realizing that life is nothing but leela, Divine play. So just celebrate meditation.

Simply enjoy!

In the beginning, you may have to consciously introduce meditation into your lifestyle.

But as you keep practicing, you will see that you naturally move from 'meditation in life' to 'life in meditation'.

Just one glimpse of the joy of meditation is enough to make you fall in love with meditation. Then you will no longer ask how many hours you must practice! When you wake up, your very first thought will be of meditation.

When you take a shower, when you dress, when you eat, you will do everything with such complete awareness that every act, every moment will become alive with meditation.

You will then begin to live life in meditation.

Understand, all the methods that lead man to realization are, essentially techniques to raise your consciousness! Their non-essential components may be different - but each method is essentially emphasizing the same thing. In essence, it is only awareness that leads you to the ultimate goal.

So whatever you are doing, whatever method you are practising, it makes no difference. The different paths are just different names given by different people in different ages for the same technique. There are not many paths. There are many names for one path, and that one path is awareness! None of the authentic paths contradict each other, they only complement each other. So you can practice different methods, if you wish. Only one thing: don't mix-and-match techniques and make your own technique! Practice them independently. Retain the purity of the technique.

If you start thinking, 'I understand all these techniques, I have caught the common thread running through all of them, so now I can make my own technique!' - that is where you will miss the whole thing!

One more thing: there is nothing wrong in learning from many sources. Sometimes, people feel guilty if they have been initiated by one Master, or into a particular technique, and they move to another.

I tell them, the ego is such that it cannot be broken by one method. You need blows from every direction!

So do not think that just because you learnt from one source, you should not learn from another.

No! Learn from all possible sources and raise yourself.

Of course, when you approach an enlightened Master, he will straightaway pick the technique that is right for you. He knows which is the right key to your being!

Meditation is the effort to end all beliefs! Meditation is going beyond both belief and doubt. Be very clear, your strongest doubt contains some doubt, and your most powerful doubt carries some belief! It is inevitable.

A Master and his disciple were crossing a bridge over a river, when suddenly the disciple fell into the river.

He started thrashing his arms and legs about crying, 'Master, save me! Save me!' The Master said, 'Fool! You can save yourself. Just stand up!'

The disciple started crying, 'No, no, only you can save me!'

The Master repeated the same instruction.

Then the disciple started complaining, 'I had so much faith in you, but you have betrayed me!'

The Master replied, 'If you really trust me, have the courage to stand up and see.' Finally the disciple, because he had no choice, slowly put his legs down in the water.

He was shocked to find that the water was only waist-deep!

This is how strong all your beliefs are! It takes only a moment for the belief to turn into doubt.

Meditation is beyond both belief and doubt.

It is entering into the space of trust or shraddha. It is the courage to experiment, to trust the enquiry.

The supreme spiritual treatise called Brahma Sutras starts with the words athaato brahma jignaasaa, let us enquire into the reality.

It means that the guru and disciple are both deciding to have the courage to follow wherever reality leads them! Meditation is not just an enquiry into the Truth, but the courage to go wherever the enquiry leads, wherever the understanding leads.

It is a pure science. Have the courage to try it and see!

A. First of all, we must be clear about what we mean by the word 'health'. Usually when people enter into meditation for health reasons, all they expect is a way to cope with some disease, some little healing - and maybe some peace of mind. That's all!

You don't know, meditation has the power to completely transform you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually!

Only when you are healthy in mind, body and spirit can you be really called healthy.

Physical health is essentially the ability to digest your food well and having that food become part of your body.

Mental health is the clarity to digest and work with all the ideas and problems that you encounter and arrive at the most effective solution. It means living a conflict-free life, with yourself and others. When you add meditation to your life, you will experience a flood of transformation, especially at the mental and emotional levels!

Spiritual health is the maturity to receive all the great Truths and the energy of enlightenment, digest them and live a liberated life. Having all three is total health.

Each individual experiences meditation in a unique way, but these are some of the changes that meditation can bring about in you:

If your digestive system is working perfectly, that is physical health.

I tell you, you don't need anything else. If your digestive system is absolutely perfect, you don't even need food! Your physiology will be so intelligent that it can take in energy directly from the ether.

You may have heard of saints who live for years without food. It is not a miracle! If your digestive system works efficiently, you will need very little or no food. Not only food, meditation is a complement to medication also.

Through meditation, you can regulate your blood pressure and blood sugar, you can increase your body's resistance to disease. You can heal even chronic problems like skin allergies, asthma and arthritis.

No disease can escape the power of meditation.

First of all, meditation can bring tremendous awareness in the outer and inner worlds.

You start living your life in a much better way, with greater awareness and intensity. You will be more alive, more creative.

Yet internally, you will experience a deep and undisturbed silence.

Understand, when you are aware, you are absent. When awareness is present, your ego can't exist. When your ego exists, awareness can't be present. 'Your absence' will make you live enlightenment.

You will no longer be doing - you will only be watching the doer!

This is the whole secret of meditation – to become the watcher, to become the witness of your own actions and emotions.

As you start witnessing your own actions, you will realize that there is someone inside you who does not change, who does not get angry or feel sad, who does not care about money or security or fame.

That is the real you!

The real you can never be touched. The rest is just a personality you have formed around yourself.

Once you become aware that the real you is not the one who acts, that the real you is not the one who feels angry or hurt or depressed, then you experience a tremendous sense of peace. This will happen through meditation.

We have heard that meditation gives freedom, so we turn to meditation in order to be free.

But we misunderstand the word 'freedom'. What we search for in our ordinary lives is either 'freedom for' or 'freedom from'.

'Freedom for' is the freedom for doing, having, and being all that we wish – freedom to live as we imagine right.

'Freedom from' is freedom from all the things that we dread and hate – disease, worry, anger, stress, low self-esteem, pain.

In all our actions, we are prompted by one of these things – freedom for or freedom from. The greed for something good, or the fear of something bad.

Our whole life is controlled by these two ropes of greed and fear. But when you are being controlled by these two ropes, where is the freedom that you are craving for?

A few weeks back a casual visitor, an artist, was speaking to me. He was telling me why he hated meditation.

He said, 'I hate all these rules and discipline. I like to be free to lead my life the way I want. I get up at ten o'clock, first thing I have my coffee, then I go for a swim whenever I feel like it…' He described his whole day to me.

Then I asked him, 'What if someone woke you up at six o'clock? Or what if your coffee didn't arrive at your bedside one morning?'

'Oh, that would make me really mad!' he said, and laughed.

'And what if it was raining and you missed your swim?' I asked.

'Yes, that would be a bad thing. If I can't go for my swim, I feel really bad the whole day.'

Then I asked him, 'If your freedom is dependent on so many conditions, are you really free?'

He was shocked!

To be really free is to be free no matter what.

That's what I call real freedom, not 'freedom for' or 'freedom from'.

Real freedom comes out of living completely in the present moment. Freedom that doesn't depend on any external circumstances is the only true freedom. This is the freedom that you will experience with meditation.

Please be very clear: you always love for a reason!

Either consciously or unconsciously, you enter into a relationship with your own ideas of give-and-take.

Even in the most intimate relationships, even between husband and wife, between parents and children, there are hidden reasons for loving. All our love is tainted, destroyed by jealousy, possessiveness and expectations.

Love for a reason is not love, it is business!

With meditation, for the first time you will understand what it means to love for no reason. For the first time, you will not be giving in order to receive. You give love simply because you have so much to give!

You shower love upon the world in the same way that a raincloud showers upon the earth, or a flower spreads its fragrance all around.

You love because you can't help it!

With meditation, life becomes a joy that you cannot find a reason for.

When joy happens for a reason, it is sure to bring pain sooner or later. If you are happy because you have just had a good meal, you are going to become miserable when you get hungry again – that's all!

If you are happy because you have fallen in love, you are going to be sad when the first fight happens.

Don't think it won't happen to you! It happens to everybody. That is the rule of life.

All happiness leads to pain when it ceases.

That is why, in ancient Bharat, they had only one word to denote both happiness and pain: the word pain!

But the joy you experience with meditation is undisturbed, undisturbable. You may be healthy, you may be ill – the joy will remain the same. It may be cold, warm, raining, snowing – the joy remains. Neither your own condition nor external circumstances can make a difference. When you experience lasting joy that no external circumstance can alter, it means that you are moving deeply inwards.

Life is changing all the time.

Intelligence is nothing but the ability to respond to life moment to moment, to be awake to the challenges that life throws at us. Intelligence is to be aware of the situation, to alter your answers according to the demands of the moment.

When you don't have confidence in yourself, you have to depend on the rules and regulations put down by society, by law, by religion.

Understand, the intelligent person lives without a script. He doesn't need one! He depends on himself, on his inner guidance.

Intelligence is taking your responsibility upon yourself. We are all born intelligent – but society is cleverer than we are!

Right from our childhood, when we are unprepared, society sets up its rules. It manages to build walls around our intelligence. It prevents our energy from flowing naturally. The ultimate intelligence is nothing but the ability to break free of these chains of conditioning.

Meditation is the surest way to awaken intelligence – because the chains which are binding it are all in your mind. With meditation, you go beyond the mind, into the being.

In the being, no rules exist. You become free to explore your full potential.

When I say vision, I don't mean it in the sense we normally use the word. Although some of you will develop greater physical sensitivity, receive visions and so on, these are not important. These are just by-products of the growth process. The real growth is the clarity to understand and fulfill yourself.

What I mean by vision is inner vision, a deep understanding of one's true nature. We all go through life wearing a variety of masks.

For every role, for every occasion, we have a mask.

Mother, Father, Husband, Wife, Doctor, Housewife, Boss, Socialite…the list is endless!

We live and think according to the roles that society has imposed upon us. These roles ultimately become our personality.

With meditation, you touch your own individuality.

Your personality can change, but your individuality is unchangeable. Every individual is unique. With meditation, you naturally start moving in the direction which expresses you, which fulfils you in the ultimate sense.

With meditation, you move inwards. You start living out of our own being. You become integrated. You move from personality towards individuality.

When you take up meditation, you will make the beautiful shift from being serious to being sincere.

Understand, sincere is not serious!

All your stress and all your problems arise because you are taking life too seriously.

People come and tell me, 'Nowadays, life has become so competitive and stressful, we have no time to do anything that we really want to do.'

Actually if you see the Truth of the situation, it is not a question of less time or more work.

It is your attitude about these things that makes the difference.

You see, it is not the work that exhausts you.

It is your mind, your attitude!

Take a simple example.

If you have to take the train to work, you feel tired even before you get there. Even if you have only been sitting comfortably on the train, you feel exhausted. But if you are taking an evening walk along the beach, you don't feel tired even after walking for two or three miles!

Understand, in your mind you feel that the train ride to your office is work, but the walk on the beach is relaxation! You don't have anything to achieve by taking that walk. This is the big difference.

The whole thing depends upon your state of mind.

Naturally, if you carry the same relaxed attitude towards your work, you can give yourself to it without getting stressed-out.

The whole purpose of meditation is this: to get out of the result-oriented mind, and watch every moment of life unfold as a beautiful Divine play!

Q: Can you speak on drugs? What is the state they can put you in? How is it different from the state which meditation puts you in?

Meditation takes you to superconsciousness.

Drugs take you to unconsciousness!

That is the whole difference between them

The biggest problem with drugs is, the more you take, the more you will become accustomed to it. The same dosage which was enough the first time will not be enough the second time, third time or fourth time. So the dosage has to keep increasing. Naturally, within a short time, your whole nervous system will be destroyed! You will not be able to relate with reality anymore.

So you will be constantly craving for that unconscious insensitive state.

I tell you, apart from becoming useless to society, it is like taking up a human body and living like a pig - with the sensitivity of a pig, or a stone. It is abusing yourself, destroying yourself.

So that is why drugs just should not be encouraged - not socially, and especially not on the spiritual path. These people who try to achieve meditation through drugs - nothing will happen! It is simply nonsense. I have seen so many of these so-called spiritual communities here and there, everywhere. Just cheating themselves and cheating others.

Understand, drugs have nothing to do with spirituality.

They will only lead you to deeper and deeper unconsciousness.

A categorical NO to drugs is the first step to spirituality.

Experiencing yourself as the play of pure consciousness

___________________________________________________________

Consciousness is present in your every pore. Your very body is a wave of the universal consciousness. The breath that goes in and out of your body is consciousness. Your movements are consciousness. Your emotions are consciousness. Your thoughts are consciousness. By your very nature, you are an expression of pure consciousness. Understand, I am expressing a very subtle Truth. You don't just have consciousness. You are consciousness!

A few centuries ago, science believed that matter and energy were separate things. It is not possible to convert matter into energy, or energy into matter.

Then it was proved that matter can be converted to energy and viceversa.

When the scientist Albert Einstein delivered the famous equation, E=mc2, he was actually equating E (energy) with mass (matter). In the equation, c is the speed of light.

However, it was believed that the same object cannot exist as matter and energy at the same time.

Later, experiments conducted on light proved that light behaves both as a particle (matter) and as a wave (energy). At the same time, it exists as both matter and energy!

This was a great revelation in the scientific world.

The famous double-slit experiment conducted on the behavior of light was a benchmark in our understanding of the relative nature of what we call 'reality'.

The findings of this experiment rocked the scientific community, by proving that the mere presence of an observer can drastically affect the result of an experiment!

In other words, it is the observer who unconsciously creates his own reality at every moment, by 'choosing' one of many possibilities and causing it to precipitate into reality.

This Truth, discovered by science only a few decades ago, was declared by the Eastern rishis (vedic seers) in the Upanishads, written thousands of years ago.

The very first line of the first major Upanishad, Isha Vasya Upanishad declares this Truth:

īśā vāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ, yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat This whole world-manifestation is nothing but energy, nothing but Divine consciousness!

This is the Truth.

Today, modern science agrees that the fundamental particles that make up our universe are not matter, but energy. So matter itself is actually energy!

Matter is actually energy vibrating at various frequencies and manifesting itself in various forms. We are not able to see this vibration with our eyes because the frequencies of vibration are too high.

Understand, when a fan rotates at a very high speed, we cannot see its three leaves separately. Instead, we perceive a single disc, a solid object. It is as if the separate leaves have merged to create an idea of a solid object.

In the same way, the vibration of energy particles is so fast that cannot be perceived by the eye. It appears to be solid matter!

Today, science agrees that matter is energy, energy is matter. Energy in gross form is matter. Matter in subtle form is energy.

But one thing they cannot understand is that this is not a blind energy.

This energy is a conscious energy.

No, it is consciousness itself!

It has its own intelligence.

In the Shiva Sutras, an ancient spiritual text dealing with meditation, Lord Shiva's consort Devi asks Him, 'Kim rūpaṁ tattvato deva..?' (O Lord! What is your Reality..?)

Shiva replies beautifully, 'tadvapuḥ tattvato jñeyaṁ vimalaṁ viśvapūraṇam…'

('The essential nature of Shiva-consciousness is pure, and inclusive of the entire universe…')

Understand, this whole universe is nothing but Consciousness playing with itself!

When everything is Consciousness, no separate intelligence is necessary to direct this play.

For example, electricity is present in the fan in a potential form, but unless someone presses the switch, it cannot move the fan on its own.

An intelligent person is necessary to activate it.

But in the case of the Divine creation, both the Creator and his Creation are nothing but pure Consciousness. There is intelligence in every particle, every cell.

The Taittiriya Upanishad* says beautifully, 'From the Ultimate Consciousness, or God, came ether, space. From ether came air. From air came fire. From fire came water. From water came the earth. From the earth came food. This is the way Existence has happened.' Thus, mystics again and again emphasize that we are from Consciousness, we are from God. You are a vibration of this Consciousness!

Normally when you hear the word 'consciousness', you feel that it is some vague concept. It is something which you know you have, but you cannot define. You are so accustomed to thinking of yourself as a combination of matter and consciousness. You feel that your body is matter, and somewhere within it is your 'consciousness'.

But I am using the word in a different way.

I am saying to you,

Consciousness is present in your every cell.

Your very body is a wave of the universal consciousness.

• The breath that goes in and out of your body is consciousness.
• Your movements are consciousness.

Your emotions are consciousness.

Your thoughts are consciousness.

By your very nature, you are an expression of pure consciousness.

Understand, I am expressing a very subtle Truth. You don't have consciousness. You are consciousness!

Annamaya means composed of food. This sheath is the physical body itself. It is the outermost of the five sheaths, and is the grossest layer. This is the only sheath visible to us.

Pranamaya means composed of prāṇa, the vital force that holds together the body and mind. It pervades the whole organism, and its physical manifestation is the breath. As long as this vital principle exists in the organisms, life continues.

Manomaya means composed of manas or mind. It is the cause of diversity, of I and mine. Man's bondage is caused by the mind, and liberation, too, is caused by that alone.

Vijnanamaya means composed of vijñāna, or intelligence, the faculty which wills, discriminates and determines. Since this sheath is already within close range of the atman, it is endowed with a reflection of pure consciousness.

Anandamaya means composed of ānanda, or Supreme bliss. The bliss sheath normally has its fullest play during deep sleep, when the mind and senses cease functioning. Being the innermost sheath, the ānandamaya kosha is the purest reflection of the atman, which is bliss absolute. The anandamaya kosha is proof that bliss is our true nature.

According to the Taittiriya Upanishad, the individual consciousness or atman (Self) is 'encased' in five koshas or energy sheaths.

They are known as annamaya kosha (food sheath or physical layer), pranamaya kosha (vital energy sheath or breath layer), manomaya kosha (mind sheath or mental layer), vijnanamaya kosha (knowledge sheath or intelligence layer) and anandamaya kosha (bliss sheath or bliss layer).

The koshas are present in concentric layers around the atman.

Each kosha is interior to, and subtler than, the previous kosha. The annamaya kosha or physical body is the outermost and grossest layer, and the anandamaya kosha or bliss layer is the innermost and sublest layer.

These five layers are not watertight compartments, but are actually gradients of conscious energy, from the grossest to the subtlest.

Understand, every layer of 'you' is a gradation of consciousness! Your physical layer or physical body is the most visible and grossest expression of consciousness.

Your breath layer is a more subtle expression of consciousness – a bridge between the gross body and the subtle mind.

Your thoughts and emotions form the mental layer, which is a still more subtle vibration of consciousness.

In the intelligence layer, the same consciousness is expressed as the ability for visualization and discrimination.

The bliss-consciousness layer is experienced by you only in deep sleep (though you are unaware of it), or rarely, in deep meditation.

These five layers are not physical sheaths, but rather different layers of subjective experience. They function as one holistic system. Each layer flows into the next layer, and is intimately connected to the layers it touches on either side. That is why you will see that many of the meditation techniques combine

techniques for two or more layers.

One more thing: Each of these layers is a vibration of Consciousness, whether gross or subtle. Each layer is linked to the core Consciousness.

So in meditation, we can either work along the spiral of Consciousness, moving slowly inwards - or we can directly jump from any layer to the superconscious state. Understand, you don't have to work along the spiral. You can take a quantum jump from anywhere along the spiral into the core Consciousness!

The traditional methods work along the spiral. That is why they first prescribe techniques to cleanse and energize the body, then they proceed to work with breath, then the thoughts and emotions and so on.

But there is another path, where you can take the leap from anywhere into your inner space. It all depends on the person, on his state of readiness.

Since every layer of 'you' is an expression of consciousness, anything can become a door to enter into that pure inner space.

That is why you will find, in the Vedic Tradition We've spared no effort to turn anything into a meditation! Your very body movements can be used to infuse awareness into your life.

Your breath, your emotions, your thoughts can all become techniques to help you enter that inner space. The Vedic Traditionhas thrown open all the doors!

YOU ARE THE SOURCE! Experiencing yourself as the play of pure consciousness

Q. 'In the Vedic Tradition, why do you have so many deities, so many methods of worship, so many meditation techniques?'

Why do we have so many cars in the West? Because so much time and energy has been invested in doing research, to give us unique designs and different levels of comfort and luxury! The West has done much research to improve the quality of our life in the outer world.

In the same way, in the Vedic Tradition, we have spent so much time doing research and development on how to raise the consciousness of the individual. That's why we have so many methods, so many techniques, so many Gods, so many paths!

In the Vedic Tradition, meditation has been elevated to a pure science for enlightenment.

For thousands of years, the enlightened mystics and Masters of the Vedic Traditionhave given their lives to research and enrich this science.

Understand, a scientist is a person who creates a formula to reproduce the experiences which he has had in the outer world. He creates techniques by which the same understanding can be transmitted to others.

A mystic is a person who creates a formula to reproduce the experiences he has had in the inner world. He creates techniques by which the same realization can be transmitted to others.

Not only are these techniques are time-tested and foolproof, created out of the experiential wisdom of thousands of realized Masters, many of them have been experienced and verified in my own personal life. In the Vedic Tradition we say, 'As many minds, that many paths'!

But basically, there are only three kinds of techniques. The first kind works on bringing the Truth or awareness into your daily life.

These techniques need to be practiced twenty-four hours a day. Techniques like vipassana which focuses on repeatedly bringing your awareness to the present moment, belong to this category. You may be doing anything –writing, reading, cooking, working… but the thread of meditation should be there all the time, like an undercurrent.

The second kind of technique is those which are to be practiced at a particular time of the day, or even during a particular period of life – maybe when you are in love, or when you are going through a difficult phase in your life!

The Mahamantra meditation technique, where you practice intense humming for a few minutes and then remain a witness for a few minutes, is a simple example of this category of meditation.

Then there is the third kind of technique, which you neither need to practice continuously nor at a particular time.

In fact, you don't even need to practice these kinds of techniques. Just the very remembrance of the technique is enough!

Examples of these techniques are the Upanishadic Mahavakya, the statements of the great timeless Truths, and the beautiful Zen koans.

When you are in a highly mature state, you don't need any separate techniques. Just the very remembrance of Truth will transport you to that elevated state, and you will simply experience the Truth!

If a technique appeals to you, simply try it out. Practice it sincerely. Put your whole energy behind the effort, believing fully that it will work for you. If you are enjoying it, stick to it for at l Vedic Tradition ten days - without expecting results!

Our biggest problem is, whenever we initiate any activity, our mind has already leaped to the results! We are unable to do anything without thinking, 'What am I going to get out of this? How much? How fast?' We carry the same attitude into our spiritual practices also. We think that the Divine is going to jump on us during our very first meditation session! Then we wonder what went wrong.

Three monkeys once found a ripe, juicy mango. Like all monkeys, they fought over the mango for a while. Then somehow, they had a moment of clarity, a moment of intelligence. Instead of eating the mango right away, they decided to sow the mango. Once the mango seed sprouted and grew into a tree, they decided there would be enough and more mangoes for all three of them. Each one decided to take up a part of the task of caring for the plant. The first monkey said, "I will water the plant everyday!" The second monkey said, "I will keep the soil healthy and rich, add fertilizers and ensure that the plant grows well." The third monkey said, "I will guard the plant carefully and protect it from harsh weather and animals." One month passed; then two, then three. There was no sign of any plant growing from the seed. The three monkeys called for an urgent meeting to discuss the issue. The first monkey declared, "As promised, I have been watering the seed every single day." The second monkey cried, "As promised, I have been adding fertilizer and making the soil rich." The third monkey said, "As promised, I have been guarding the seed very carefully. Not only that, I have been taking the seed out every single day to check whether it has sprouted or not!"

So just understand what will happen if you check for results everyday! Give the process of meditation some time to grow in you.

Passion means the tremendous will to succeed, and patience is the deep prayer that you should succeed.

When you have passion with patience, you will have intensity without restlessness.

Understand: once a technique has touched you, there is no way you will not be transformed. Sometimes the transformation will be subtle, and sometimes others may see it better than you do.

If a technique is helping you feel more relaxed, more centered, more sensitive – it is working.

If it is making you more joyful, helping you expand, feel more energetic – it is working.

Usually, among the first five or eight techniques you choose, there will be one that is right for you.

Locate it.

Pursue it.

Now one important thing you need to understand: ultimately, all meditation, all techniques, are only for your body-mind.

Your being needs no meditation!

Your being is always in that still, silent, blissful space… or I should say, that still, silent, blissful space is your being!

Meditation is not so far away from you as you think!

In fact, we are all continually experiencing split-second samadhi.

So often, without realizing it, we dip into the Self, into our being.

These are the moments when we enter into spontaneous meditation!

Just recall any moment in your life when you have experienced great beauty: the sun rising suddenly from behind a mountain, or the first time you hear a lovely piece of music.

At such a moment, suddenly, you become totally still, wordlessly aware. Haven't we all experienced such moments?

That is meditation!

At such moments, we are living enlightenment.

But the problem is, we have virtually no control over when such a moment will come or go. Our meditation is a pure accident!

Understand, our meditation is not in our control.

Not just that, even if we do have a powerful glimpse or satori, our body and mind cannot retain that high voltage ecstasy for more than a few hours or a few days.

Actually, experiencing a glimpse of pure consciousness, a moment of satori is not such a big thing. It is not that difficult.

But to stay in that space and to express and radiate that state, preparation is needed.

Training the body and mind to sustain and radiate that experience continuously is the purpose of meditation.

This is a continuous process.

That is why I always tell people that meditation cannot just be a quantity added to your life, it has to become the very quality of life!

Understand, meditation is not against action!

Meditation does not mean just sitting silently with your eyes closed. Actually, even if you want to sit with your eyes closed all 24 hours, you won't be able to do it. Just try it and see!

Experiencing yourself as the play of pure consciousness ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH, YOU NEED TO HAVE DEEP PASSION, WITH DEEP PATIENCE!

In the Bhagavad Gita, the enlightened Master Krishna tells his disciple Arjuna,

Na hi kaschit kshanamapi jatu tishthati akarmakrit Kaaryate hi avashyah karma sarvah prakrtijairgunaihi (Not for an instant can you remain without action, for everyone is helplessly driven to action by their very nature – BG III.5)

Whether you wish to or not, it is impossible for you to remain without doing any action.

That is why, I am an action-based Master!

As long as you have action inside you, my action and yours have to cancel each other out.

Only then can we enter into the space of silence.

This concept of karma yoga or 'inaction in action' needs to be understood. Inaction in action means giving your best to the task before you, without getting caught in the sense of doership, and without worrying unduly about the results.

When we work without the sense of doership, we are free of the burden of our own personality. We are not limited by what we feel we can do, by our past track record.

When we don't worry about the results, we are not caught in our expectations for the future.

When you are intensely focused on the action alone, the mind doesn't have an excuse to jump to the past or the future.

Naturally, you fall into the present moment.

This is meditation.

Externally, your actions will be more aware, more creative, more effective. Yet internally, you will be experience a deep and undisturbed silence. When you work without the load of past and future in your mind, you will suddenly see that tremendous clarity arises, tremendous energy is released within you.

A. In the beginning, yes.

Even to sit silently is to do something.

Even to watch your mind is to do something.

In fact, in the beginning, meditation may seem more like a doing than anything else – because you are doing something that is not natural to you. Even when you are doing something perfectly natural – like just sitting, it can seem like an effort when it is formally imposed upon you.

Do you know, there is a Zen meditation technique called just sitting? But even there, participants struggle to achieve!

Yes, at the start, it is definitely going to be an effort. But in a deeper sense, meditation is not a doing – because when you do it the right way, when you really succeed in meditation, all efforts disappear.

When you become totally relaxed, when you stop trying to achieve results, when you simply enjoy the meditation, you will gradually stop even being aware that you are meditating. Then it will no longer be a doing!

Q. Swamiji, meditation seems like such a tough thing to enter into! I don't know if I can handle it…

A. See ma, if you think meditation is easy, it is easy. If you think it is difficult, it is difficult, that's all! So don't decide straight away that you are going to face many problems!

Experiencing yourself as the play of pure consciousness ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH, YOU NEED TO HAVE DEEP PASSION, WITH DEEP PATIENCE!

Actually, there is only one real obstacle on the path of meditation: your ego! Whatever other issues come up, whatever problems you face, be clear: they are just the different voices of the ego.

The ego is nothing but your sense of 'self ', the collection of ideas and concepts that you have about yourself. Be very clear: the ego is nothing but a collection of ideas! It is an imaginary thing.

The ego doesn't even have a real existence. Yet it is this ego which is controlling your life!

It is the ego which creates a sense of separateness in you.

At birth, it separates you from your mother. Until the moment of birth there is no ego, no boundary. You are simply a part of your mother. At the moment of birth, when the umbilical cord is cut, you sense your own boundary for the first time.

In the very first year after birth, the ego builds your picture of yourself and the world.

The ego is responsible for your sense of 'me' and 'mine'.

Throughout your life, the ego puts you into the position of 'me versus them'. It separates you from your parents, from friends and strangers, from nature, from all of Existence.

Whenever you utter the word 'I', you are breaking away from Existence. You cannot really break away, because you are a part of Existence – but in your mind you break away. You create for yourself a world in which you are separate from all.

This world exists only in your mind – it is just a mental concept - but you allow this concept to rule all your actions.

You always hear people say, The ego is the root of all your misery. Why?

Because the ego thrives on hostility, on conflict. Any environment which creates a sense of isolation is the survival ground for the ego.

The ego may be a product of your own imagination, but it is a cunning animal! To stay alive, the ego creates a distorted version of reality in which all things are in a state of disharmony.

I can give you an easy way to catch the ego; to know when the ego is coming up.

Whenever you experience pain, anger, jealousy, it is always the result of feeling separate from someone else, of feeling alone, of feeling cheated. In times of misery, you always experience yourself as being all alone. This is the ego at work.

In times of joy, you feel naturally connected with everyone and everything around you. When you are joyful, happy, laughing – these are the times when your ego is at its weakest.

In your present life, you may experience these moments temporarily. But meditation is going to take you to a permanent state of bliss. Meditation is the process of falling in tune with the

whole of Existence. In meditation, there is simply no place for separateness, no place for the ego.

Once you sense the lasting harmony of everything, once you sense the deep interconnectedness of all of Existence, what will be the need for maintaining the ego? The ego is your armor against the world. The ego is your shield in times of war. If everything is

peaceful, if everything is harmonious – then where is the need for armor, a shield? You can just relax, that's all.

We have to create a big problem and then fight with it. This is what your ego wants.

That's why you find it so difficult to meditate – because meditation is such a simple thing! It is too simple, actually. All you have to do is sit silently and unclutch from your thoughts as they come up. Is that so difficult?

• Actually there is no need to teach or learn meditation! Meditation should simply happen.

• Just sit still for a few minutes and watch your mind, it is enough to get a glimpse of reality.

• Just for a few seconds, if you can sit silently, watch your racing thoughts, just be – that will be enough to convince you of the Truth.

• And once the Truth is known, where is the place for your ego? The ego will have to be dropped. You will drop it naturally.

• That's why the ego fights meditation so hard.

Meditation is the death of ego!

So the only problem you will face is the strong resistance from your ego. When you are meditating, the ego will raise a thousand questions. Doubt is the most deadly weapon that the ego has! The ego will continuously create doubts and questions in your mind. In the beginning it will make you worry, Can I really meditate? Can I sit for so many hours with my bad back? Is this path really for me? What if I get drawn too deeply in? What will happen to my family? Will my friends call me crazy? Am I really crazy? If you are working with a Master, it will raise doubts against the Master!

Is the Master really authentic? Does he know which technique is right for me? What is his purpose in teaching me meditation? Is this some kind of hypnosis?

So if you find these kinds of questions arising, don't bother.

Simply drop the questions and continue with the meditation. Don't feel guilty about having these questions! These questions arise naturally in everyone's mind.

And don't try to struggle with these questions. Don't make the mistake of struggling with the ego! Ego is just something imaginary; it is nothing but the lack of awareness; it has no positive existence.

Just like darkness is a state of no-light, ego is a state of no-awareness.

If you are in a dark room, can you fight the darkness and push it out to make the room bright? Does it make sense to struggle against the darkness? In fact, your solution has nothing to do with the darkness. You have to simply bring in a lamp and the darkness

will disappear on its own!

In the same way, don't waste your energy fighting with the ego. Focus on bringing awareness into your meditation. By and by, the questions will drop naturally.

Just like the body, the mind too should be an instrument in your hands. The mind is a wonderful instrument, tremendously powerful. It is a marvel of creativity. It is a Masterpiece of design. It is also a social necessity. Without the mind, we would not survive in this world.

But we forget that the mind is only an instrument. Instead, we ourselves become an instrument of the mind! We are totally controlled by our mind. The great trick that the mind plays on us to separate us from reality is the use of language, of words.

Words separate us from reality. The moment you perceive something, you try to verbalize it. When you see a flower, you tell yourself, This is a flower. We absorb all of life through words, through abstract concepts. Understand: words are not the experience!

The word flower is not the flower, the word love is not love, the word enlightenment is not enlightenment. Words form a barrier between you and reality.

Meditation has no need for words. Meditation is the direct experience of reality.

But the mind continues on this constant chatter of words. The mind doesn't let you relax for a single moment. The mind is constantly creating ideas, concepts, opinions for you. It uses words to distort reality.

Just like I said about the ego – don't fight with the mind also.

You cannot achieve anything by struggling against your mind. In fact, you cannot even struggle – because even struggling is a function of the mind! So it will be one part of your mind struggling against the other.

Instead, simply become a witness to the functioning of your mind. Continuously watch your thought and disconnect from them, just unclutch from them

This is not going to be easy.

Especially on this path, the mind is a very dangerous companion!

Initially, it will create all sorts of fears and doubts in your mind. When you start trying to witness your thoughts, it will convince you that you are actually witnessing.

But if the mind tells you that, it means the mind is at work. If you are actually witnessing, there will be no opinions, no judgment, not even the idea, These are thoughts. I am unclutching from them.

But be very clear: the mind is not your enemy. There is nothing wrong with thinking. It is just a process like any other. Don't put yourself into a fighting position. Just be an observer of the mind, an observer of your thoughts. Enjoy the play of your mind!

As you start unclutching from your thoughts, you will see that they start flowing more and more slowly. As your awareness becomes deeper, you become aware of gaps in the flow. A gap that you experience like a flash – you glimpse it, then it vanishes; a gap in which you experience a beautiful silence.

By and by, the gaps start happening more frequently.

Don't become attached even to this experience! Don't wait for the gaps. When the gaps become wider, you will be able to see with intense clarity – not just the outer world, but the inner world as well.

This is the experience of no-mind.

Don't think that all this is too much for you!

When you practice with sincerity, with totality, it will happen.

There are some simple ways you can make your meditation really enjoyable:

In the beginning, keep aside at least half an hour for meditation everyday. Even if you plan on practicing anytime-anywhere meditations, always include a half-hour of sit-down meditation. In the beginning, you need to cultivate discipline in your meditation.

Also, you need to practice consciously, in an environment set aside for the practice of meditation.

Durante este tiempo, asegúrate de que no te interrumpan. ¡No aceptes ningún compromiso. ¡No descolgues el teléfono! Haz saber a tu familia y amigos que durante este tiempo es importante que estés solo.

¡TÚ ERES LA FUENTE! Experimentándote a ti mismo como el juego de la consciencia pura ¿CÓMO MANEJAR LA MENTE?

Es preferible mantener los mismos horarios todos los días. El cuerpo y la mente se acostumbran muy rápido a las rutinas. Si practicas a la misma hora todos los días, encontrarás que puedes entrar en el estado meditativo más fácilmente a esa hora en particular.

Elige un espacio limpio, ordenado y silencioso para la meditación. Si puedes, reserva una habitación en tu casa como Sala de Meditación. Si ya tienes un cuarto de oración en tu casa, ese sería el lugar ideal. Un espacio que ya se ha utilizado para la adoración o la meditación tendrá un alto nivel de energía, lo que te ayudará a meditar mejor.

Es mejor meditar en el mismo lugar todos los días. Si el espacio es interior, asegúrate de que haya suficiente luz solar y mucha ventilación. Si estás meditando al aire libre, por ejemplo en el jardín, asegúrate de que sea un espacio privado donde no te molesten.

A menos que estés físicamente cómodo, ¡no hay manera de que puedas meditar! La meditación requiere que te olvides del cuerpo. Si el cuerpo siente dolor, ¿cómo vas a olvidarlo e ir más allá? Así que asegúrate de estar cómodo. Muchas técnicas requieren que te pongas en cuclillas en el suelo. Si no estás acostumbrado a esto, usa una silla, pero sigue intentándolo. Usa un cojín como asiento si quieres. Para las técnicas de acostarse, no te acuestes en el suelo desnudo. Usa una alfombra o una esterilla de paja. Asegúrate de que haya pasado algún tiempo desde tu última comida, al menos dos horas. Inicialmente, puedes sentir sueño durante la meditación. Este es el tamas (letargo) que está pesando sobre tu sistema. No intentes luchar contra el sueño, ¡al final no podrás ni dormir ni meditar!

Y no te sientas culpable por sentir sueño. Si tienes sueño, simplemente duérmete. Cuando termines de dormir, puedes levantarte y meditar, ¡eso es todo!

¡Entiende, la meditación en sí misma no es más que eliminar tu apego! ¡Así que no puedes apegarte demasiado a ella!

En realidad, a lo que la mayoría de la gente tiene miedo es a que sus deseos, sus miedos y cualquier otra cosa que consideren su vida, les sean arrebatados si empiezan a meditar.

Una vez que empieces a meditar, todo lo que ahora consideras tu vida empezará a perder su importancia, porque las Verdades reales empezarán a revelarse a ti.

Todo el tiempo, estás tratando de protegerte de las Verdades básicas porque tienes miedo de ellas.

Una vez que empieces a meditar, tu software interno tendrá una nueva calidad.

Tu cuerpo puede ser el mismo, tu hardware puede ser el mismo, las cosas con las que estás viviendo pueden ser las mismas, las personas con las que estás viviendo pueden ser las mismas, ¡pero tu Ser será totalmente diferente!

Tu Ser tendrá una cualidad diferente.

Tu software interno será totalmente nuevo.

Desencadenando la Revolución Psicológica Interior _____________________________________________________________

Cuando la revolución psicológica ocurre en ti, de repente te encuentras despierto a tu propio ser. Surge una tremenda consciencia, sobre quién eres, las identidades que llevas y por qué actúas como lo haces. Se despierta una comprensión clara sobre la Fuente del ser, el mundo y Dios. En cada decisión, fluyes hacia la meditación y la claridad, y ocurre un profundo descanso en ti.

"Swamiji, he probado tantos tipos de meditación, tantas técnicas. ¡Pero nada funciona!"

Entiende, para entrar realmente en la meditación, algo importante necesita suceder en ti: ¡una revolución psicológica!

¿Qué quiero decir con revolución psicológica?

Significa tener una comprensión clara sobre ti mismo, sobre el mundo, sobre Dios.

¿Quién eres?

¿Qué identidades estás cargando?

¿Cómo estás conectado con los demás?

¿Cuál es tu lugar en este universo?

Cuando la revolución psicológica ocurre en ti, entras en un espacio de total relajación, donde puedes encontrar tus propias soluciones de vida.

Si entras en la meditación sin esta claridad básica sobre la vida, ¡tu meditación va a ser solo un ritual más! Si entras en la meditación con esta claridad, la meditación te llevará a más claridad, y así sucesivamente, ¡en un círculo virtuoso!

Entiende: sin la revolución psicológica, la meditación también es un ritual. Con la revolución psicológica, incluso un ritual puede convertirse en meditación.

El primer paso para iniciar esta revolución psicológica es tener una comprensión clara de cómo funciona nuestra mente y cómo estamos funcionando en este mundo. Una simple claridad sobre esto puede desencadenar una poderosa revolución en la forma en que manejamos nuestros mundos interno y externo.

Déjame intentar darte un diagrama simple para que puedas entender lo que la meditación puede hacer por ti.

Cada uno de nosotros experimenta dos estados de mente en nuestra vida diaria: uno con pensamientos, otro sin pensamientos.

Por ejemplo, sabemos que tenemos pensamientos cuando estamos despiertos. Pero en el sueño profundo, ¿tenemos pensamientos?

No.

Así que hay dos estados de la mente: con pensamientos y sin pensamientos.

Lo que no sabemos es que nuestro ser también experimenta dos estados. En un estado, tenemos una identidad clara de 'Yo'.

Cuando estamos despiertos, todos nosotros nos experimentamos claramente como 'Yo', llevamos una identidad clara sobre nosotros mismos. En el estado de vigilia recordamos nuestra identidad: Yo soy esto, Yo soy aquello. Cuando estamos despiertos, nuestra consciencia del 'Yo' será como una corriente subterránea, viva todo el tiempo.

Pero en el sueño profundo, no experimentamos la consciencia del 'Yo', ¿verdad?

Cuando estamos en el sueño profundo, no tenemos la sensación de 'Yo'. En el sueño profundo, no recordamos nuestra identidad.

Ahora vamos a entender cómo estos dos estados de la mente y los dos estados del ser se conectan entre sí y crean diferentes estados en nuestra consciencia.

El primer estado es cuando estamos con pensamientos y con consciencia del 'Yo'.

Esto es lo que llamamos el estado jagrat o estado de vigilia.

En este estado, somos conscientes de nuestra identidad, y también tenemos pensamientos.

Por eso podemos controlar los pensamientos en este estado. Si queremos, podemos controlar un pensamiento: podemos expulsar un pensamiento o crear un pensamiento. Esto es posible en el estado de vigilia.

En este estado también tenemos pensamientos, pero no hay consciencia del 'Yo'.

No somos conscientes de nuestra identidad en nuestros sueños. Por eso, en tu sueño, ¡podrías verte estudiando en la universidad, pero sentado con tu hijo al lado!

Esto demuestra que no tienes una identidad clara y lógica en el estado de sueño.

En el estado de sueño, la frecuencia del 'Yo' es menor que la frecuencia de los pensamientos. Por eso no podemos controlar los pensamientos en nuestros sueños. Por eso el estado de sueño está lleno de pensamientos erráticos e ilógicos. Si tuviéramos la libertad de soñar con lo que quisiéramos, ¡todos sabemos qué tipo de sueños elegiríamos!

El tercer estado que experimentamos es el sueño profundo o sushupti. En este estado, no hay ni consciencia del 'Yo' ni pensamientos. Estos son los tres estados que experimentamos constantemente en nuestras vidas: el estado de vigilia, el estado de sueño y el estado de sueño profundo.

Pero hay un cuarto estado que no hemos experimentado. Se llama turiya.

En este estado, la consciencia del 'Yo' existe, ¡pero sin pensamientos!

Muy pocas personas experimentan este estado continuamente en sus vidas. A veces, lo experimentamos durante unos segundos y luego volvemos a nuestro estado de vigilia regular.

Si recibes una descarga repentina, o si estás sentado con la naturaleza en un estado completamente relajado y en profundo silencio, puedes experimentar un estado en el que la identidad está viva, la consciencia del 'Yo' está viva, pero no hay pensamientos. Este es el cuarto estado o turiya.

Todas nuestras enfermedades físicas y mentales tienen su origen en el estado de sueño. Cuando digo 'estado de sueño', no pienses que soñar es solo lo que hacemos por la noche. ¡La mayoría de nuestras horas de vigilia también las pasamos en el estado de sueño!

El estado de sueño puede penetrar y superponerse tanto al estado de vigilia como al estado de sueño profundo.

Si nuestro estado de vigilia es penetrado por el estado de sueño, se llama ensueño o fantasía. Estaremos viviendo y moviéndonos sin apenas consciencia real del mundo que nos rodea.

Algunas mañanas, de camino al trabajo, te subes a tu coche, conduces diez millas y llegas a tu oficina. Pero solo cuando te detienes en tu aparcamiento, coges las llaves y sales del coche, ¡te das cuenta de repente de que has conducido durante tantas millas!

Habrías tomado cientos de decisiones desde el momento en que te subiste al coche y empezaste a conducir: pisar el embrague, pisar los frenos, pisar el acelerador, poner el intermitente, vigilar el semáforo, dar un giro, acelerar, frenar… habrías tomado todas estas decisiones, ¡pero sin tener ninguna consciencia de ello!

Si esto sucede, ten claro que tu estado de sueño está penetrando en tu estado de vigilia.

Cuanto más penetra el estado de sueño en el estado de vigilia, más disminuye la frecuencia de nuestra consciencia. Podemos estar viviendo en nuestro cuerpo humano, pero no estaremos viviendo una vida verdaderamente humana.

No seremos conscientes de las decisiones que estamos tomando.

No seremos conscientes del tipo de palabras que estamos pensando.

No seremos conscientes de lo que está pasando dentro de nosotros.

¡Será como si viviéramos en una casa, pero no supiéramos lo que está pasando dentro de ella!

Cuando el estado de sueño penetra demasiado en el estado de vigilia, no tendremos la claridad para avanzar.

No tendremos libertad ni energía para avanzar.

Sentiremos que todas las puertas están cerradas para nosotros, que todas las posibilidades están agotadas.

¡Vivir en el estado de vigilia que es continuamente perturbado por el estado de sueño es lo que yo llamo vivir en el infierno!

Con la meditación, puedes crear una influencia y consciencia crecientes sobre tu estado de pensamiento y el estado inconsciente.

En lugar del estado de sueño, ¡el turiya o estado de dicha comenzará a penetrar en los estados de vigilia y sueño profundo!

Cuanto más meditamos, más elevamos nuestra consciencia de turiya, el cuarto estado. Turiya en sí mismo solo significa 'cuarto', porque no se puede dar un nombre exacto a este estado.

Puedes llamarlo por cualquiera de estos nombres: samadhi, iluminación, atmagnana, brahmagnana, nirvana…

Cuando este estado comienza a penetrar y superponerse a los estados de vigilia y sueño profundo, veremos que una buena salud ocurre en el cuerpo, la mente y el ser.

Una simple comprensión de los cuatro estados de consciencia puede iniciar la revolución psicológica en ti.

Al aplicar esta comprensión en cada momento de tu vida, verás que en cada decisión, tu proceso de pensamiento fluye hacia la meditación y la claridad, ¡y cada decisión está influenciada de la manera correcta!

Experimentas un poderoso cambio cognitivo en la forma en que recibes la información, la procesas y actúas sobre ella de la mejor manera posible.

El propósito de la meditación es traer cada vez más de turiya a nuestro estado de vigilia y estado de sueño profundo.

Sacarte completamente de los estados de vigilia, sueño y sueño profundo por un tiempo, es lo que yo llamo dhyaana, meditación.

Si tus estados de vigilia y sueño profundo están constantemente iluminados por el cuarto estado, eso es jeevan mukti: ¡vivir la iluminación!

En cualquier cosa que hagas, si se añade intensidad, verás que estás elevando continuamente la frecuencia de tu consciencia, te estás elevando continuamente a estados superiores de consciencia.

Cuando trabajas intensamente para elevar tu consciencia hacia turiya, el cuarto estado, naturalmente tu cuerpo y tu mente comienzan a sanar. ¡Entonces toda tu vida tendrá la cualidad de la meditación!

La intensidad es la cualidad más esencial de la vida espiritual… Ni siquiera quiero llamarla 'vida espiritual', porque el término está cargado de demasiados significados diferentes.

Se necesitan tres cosas para una vida exitosa.

La primera es la intensidad.

La segunda es la intensidad.

¡La tercera es la intensidad!

A veces la gente se siente abatida porque no puede reunir intensidad en sus prácticas espirituales.

Yo les digo: ¡siente intensamente que no tienes intensidad, eso es suficiente!

Constantemente nos sentimos inquietos en el mundo exterior, 'Oh, no he hecho esto, no he hecho aquello…'

¡Solo dirige la misma inquietud hacia el mundo interior, y tendrás intensidad!

Si tu energía fluye hacia el mundo exterior, si tu consciencia se mueve constantemente hacia el mundo exterior, se llama inquietud. Si se mueve hacia el mundo interior, se llama intensidad.

Tu inquietud debe convertirse en intensidad.

La profunda insatisfacción sobre lo que hay en el espacio interior es lo que yo llamo intensidad.

La intensidad es la sensación de que algo necesita hacerse inmediatamente, para liberarse en el mundo interior.

Puedes estar pensando, se supone que debo enseñar satisfacción; ¿por qué estoy enseñando insatisfacción?

Te digo, tu insatisfacción dirigida ahora hacia el mundo exterior tiene que volverse hacia el mundo interior, entonces te conducirá a la satisfacción.

La intensidad no se trata de algo en particular.

¡Deja que se convierta en la cualidad de tu vida!

Cuando estés hablando, deja que la intensidad esté ahí.

Cuando toques a alguien o algo, deja que la intensidad esté ahí, incluso en ese toque.

En tus relaciones, en tus decisiones, en tu memoria, en tu pensamiento, en tus deseos, incluso en tus miedos, sé intenso sin escapar de este momento. Eso es lo que yo llamo intensidad.

No hay un 'cómo' desarrollar la intensidad.

Si te doy el método 'cómo', ¡toda la intensidad se perderá!

Intensity will increase when you have the desire, but not the technique! That's the right way to develop intensity.

The moment the technique is given, your mind will start working around the technique.

The technique gives your mind a chance to escape.

Your mind will start saying, 'Oh, I have done the technique, that's enough. That is all I can do.'

If a technique is given, you start using it like an allopathic medicine that you can swallow and forget about!

In Ayurveda, the traditional Hindu system of medicine, when the doctor gives the patient the medicine he always tells him, 'This medicine is not enough. You need to work with this medicine the whole day. So, you need to be intense, telling your body and mind to heal itself.'

Q. Doesn't living continuously at high intensity cause tiredness?

Intensity is the fuel that can keep your inner dynamo constantly running at high energy, without experiencing fatigue.

Be very clear, when you focus intensely, totally, on whatever you are doing at the moment, there is no scope for greed or fear to play in your inner space.

You will be acting purely from your being, out of sheer inspiration.

You will be working without carrying the load of past and future.

You will see, your inner space will be light, and you will be making decisions in a clear, relaxed way.

There is a very beautiful story, a Zen story:

One day, early morning, a Zen Master came out of his bed and started crying.

His disciples were surprised to see him crying.

They gathered around him and said, 'You are an enlightened being. Why are you crying? It is really surprising to see that you are crying.' The Master replied, 'Last night I dreamt that I became a butterfly.'

The surprised disciples asked, 'It was only a dream. Now you are yourself again. You are out of it. Why are you crying now?'

The Master says very beautifully, 'Because now I do not know whether I am a Zen Master who dreamt that I had become a butterfly, or whether that butterfly is now dreaming that it has become a Zen Master!'

Understand, there is no scale, no proof to say if the state in which you are in is the authentic reality. There is no scale!

When you move from the deep sleep state to the dream state, you understand that the deep sleep state was illusory when compared to the dream state.

When you come out of the dreaming state into the waking state, you understand that the dream state was illusory, that it was not real. When you move from the waking state to turiya, you will realize that

the waking state is also not reality!

You will realize that the waking state is not what you thought it was.

Again and again and again, you get a glimpse of this Truth every time you face a deep depression or low mood.

During deep depression, this understanding starts rising from within. But we are afraid of allowing the psychological revolution to happen in us at that time, because too much is at stake!

Too much of the life that we know, that we are clinging to, is at stake. If we allow the psychological revolution to take place, who knows what might happen?

What will happen to all our cherished desires and goals, our cherished ideals and ideas?

We are afraid that we may have to let go of everything!

So we manage not to allow the psychological revolution to happen in us.

Every instance of depression is actually an opportunity to allow the upheaval to happen, but we miss it.

The moment you hear that your whole life is an illusion, naturally you become afraid.

You feel you may renounce, you may leave everything, and life may change drastically.

But I tell you, when you understand that what is in front of you is not complete reality, you will renounce only one thing - your suffering!

When the psychological revolution happens, tremendous inner healing happens in you.

With inner healing, naturally, outer healing also happens.

Without the psychological revolution, every day that you live, every moment, will only be pravritti - going outwards, towards more suffering, low moods and difficulties.

With the psychological revolution, it will become nivritti – moving towards reality. You will become more and more relaxed, more and more restful, more and more aware.

With psychological revolution, with every decision that you make every day, the aptapramaanaas - the experiences of the enlightened Masters, will become atmapramaanaas - your own experiences!

Understand, this is one of the worst lies taught to you!

Just because your schools, your universities, your society can't teach you how to experience the superconscious state, they teach you the daydreaming state.

I tell you, please don't compromise, please don't waste your life daydreaming!

Don't miss the Truth, the reality, just for your daydreams.

Live your life with superconscious vision, not with dreams!

Daydreams put you in a state of deep restlessness until you fulfil them. But after they are fulfilled, all you will experience is emptiness.

MAXIMIZING YOUR MEDITATION Triggering the Psychological Revolution Within MOVING FROM DREAM TO REALITY

When you function out of the state of thoughtless awareness, whenever a vision or desire rises, you are also empowered with the clarity necessary to fulfil it. You are shown the direction. And after fulfilling the vision, you experience deep satisfaction.

There are only two choices: either you live a superconscious life, or a life of daydreaming. If you are not living a superconscious life, be sure, you are just living with your daydreams!

But there is a great fear, 'If I stop dreaming, how will I plan my life? How will I know what my next step should be? What will I do with my time?...' Your mind has convinced you that you cannot run your life without it! Just like a worker who first convinces his boss that he is indispensable, and then uses this idea to exploit his boss, your mind has convinced you that you cannot take a single decision without it.

Please be very clear: when you plan, you are limited by what you already know.

When you plan, you can only expand your vision to the limit of the known.

All you can do is reproduce the past into the future.

You are actually limiting your growth by planning!

When you trust your vision, your intuition, and work, you tap into your limitless potential.

Have the courage to live spontaneously, with the spontaneous revelations happening in your life every moment.

In ten days, your whole life can't be taken away from you.

In ten days, if everything you have can be taken away from you, then it is not worth having, let it be taken away!

When you work with your spontaneous inner vision, naturally the dilemma, the mental oscillations and mood swings will be much less. Because your decisions arise naturally from your inner space, they won't drain your energy. Your decision-making becomes sharp and straight.

So, just for ten days, don't plan anything. Don't lead life – allow life to lead you! Use your intuition instead of your intellect. Live by your vision instead of your dreams. You will see the power of spontaneity.

Q: Every morning I wake up to the same world. But every night, I don't return to the same dream. Can't this be used as a scale to say that the waking world is real?

Very intelligent question!

This is a wonderful concept which we need to understand and internalize.

Have you ever had an experience in which you have lived fifteen or twenty years in one night's dream, in a span of a few hours? I am sure many of you have experienced this at least once! The dream may start from your college days, and move slowly step by step and move on

to your marriage, your having a son, your son's marriage and so on! In this way, you live many years of your life in just one night's dream, am I right?

One more thing: scientists are now saying that you don't sleep continuously at night.

You spend a maximum of 30 minutes in the deep sleep state. Then you go to the dream state and go through some dreams.

Again you fall asleep, spend about half an hour in the deep sleep state, then again you come back to the dream state. In this way you keep moving from the dream state to the deep sleep state and back.

In theVedic Tradition, the maximum deep sleep time is 30 minutes, but in the West they say that it is only 16 minutes.

In the first episode, you see in your dream you are in college. In the second episode, when you come back to the dream state after your spell of deep sleep, you see you are getting married. In the third episode, when you reenter the dream state, you see you have a son. Maybe in the fourth episode, you see your son getting married.

An important thing you need to understand here: in these different episodes, you do see the same world even in the dream state!

Am I right?

You do see the same world in the dream state.

So please understand: just because you wake up to the same world every morning after the night's break, it cannot be the scale to define this world as reality.

This happens even in the dream state!

Sometimes people ask me,

'Swamiji, I'm not the only one seeing this world, all the people living around me are also seeing this world in the same way. So how can you say it is a dream?'

Understand: in a dream, if you are visiting a particular city along with your family, your dream family will naturally see the same city as you are seeing because they are also projections of your mind!

Understand, it is a very subtle point!

If you can catch this, it will really lead to a very big clarity. It can really revolutionize the way in which you think about your life, the way in which you try to solve the problems of your life. There is a beautiful story:

In the dream he sees a tiger chasing him and starts screaming, 'Oh, a tiger is chasing me! Save me, save me!' His friend is sleeping next to him. He wakes up and he sees that his friend is screaming for help in his sleep, What is the best help he can offer his friend? Just wake him up! Instead, if he tries to hand his sleeping friend a weapon to kill the dream tiger, can you imagine what will happen? The right solution at that moment is just to tell him, 'Wake up!'

If you try to find any other solution, it will only lead to more and more problems.

Who knows, this life in the waking state can be another long dream! You may wake up in a few minutes and discover that your entire life till now was just a dream.

I can say, this is the first step in spirituality.

This is the first step towards the psychological revolution.

Again and again, our sufferings are giving us a clear statement: we are holding onto emptiness.

All our suffering is nothing but a clear statement from reality: you are not living with the reality.

The ultimate Truth is: the stuff out of which your dream world is made is the same stuff out of which this waking world is also made.

If your attention is centered on the stuff, naturally the inner healing cannot happen.

If your attention is equally distributed on the consciousness and the stuff, that is what I call healthy life, balanced life. You will have physical health, mental health, and a vibrant life.

If your attention is totally centered on the consciousness, that is what I call jeevanmukti or living enlightenment!

Simply understanding that this whole world is one more dream brings tremendous inner healing to you.

Whenever you are facing a big difficulty or depression in life, if you realize very clearly, consciously, that this whole thing is a dream, you will simply relax, and the inner healing starts happening in you.

That inner healing is what I call meditation.

That restful awareness which happens in you is what I call satori, the first glimpse of samadhi.

Q. If enlightenment means waking up from the world-dream, why do so many enlightened Masters display siddhi (thaumaturgical powers)? Are these powers not expressed in the material world?

First thing: All siddha may not be enlightened, and all enlightened Masters may not display siddhi!

When a person gets enlightened, he wakes up from the dream of this world. Then, he has a choice to consciously re-enter the dream and play as he wishes!

Did you ever have an experience, where in your dream you suddenly became aware,

And because of that awareness, you would have been able to change some of the dream scenes as you wished – for about two to three seconds.

Understand, for a few moments after you became aware that you were dreaming, you would have been able to move a few things around in your dream as you wish. But if the awareness increases further, suddenly you will be awakened!

In the same way, in the waking state too, if the awareness about 'I', the center, increases, you will realize that the whole world which is in front of you is just a 'waking dream'.

Just because of this awareness, you will be able to move and arrange the incidents in your life as you wish to!

This is what we call having siddhi – mystical powers.

When the frequency of 'I' consciousness increases, you will suddenly start experiencing the waking state as a waking dream, and you will have the energy and freedom to change the incidents of your life.

When this starts happening, if you get caught in the changing of the incidents in your life, by and by, the awareness of the 'I' will come down, and you will fall back into the same waking state again, and these special powers will also disappear.

But if you are not too attracted to changing these scenes, and you remain centered on raising the consciousness, you become enlightened!

MAXIMIZING YOUR MEDITATION Triggering the Psychological Revolution Within MOVING FROM DREAM TO REALITY

And after enlightenment, if you wish to re-enter the dream and play in it, you can do so with complete freedom. The world is no longer a bondage, but a game. That is why we say, an enlightened Master's life is just his own leela (blissful play)!

Q: If my life is just a dream, how can a Master appearing in my dream pull me out of it?

Wonderful question!

It shows you have been thinking, you have allowed my words to start churning your inner space.

You are asking, 'If life is a dream, how can a Master appearing in that dream pull me out of it?'

The enlightened Master Sri Ramakrishna says, the Master is like a 'simha swapna' (lion-dream or nightmare).

Suppose you are sleeping, and suddenly you start dreaming that a lion is chasing you.

What happens?

When the fear becomes too much, suddenly you wake up, you jump out of the dream!

Understand, the lion that is chasing you has appeared only in your dream, but its sheer presence in your dream is enough! It can make you leap out into the waking state.

Just like the 'simha swapna', the Master who is happening in this dream can also wake you up into enlightenment.

Appearing in your dream, he can wake you up from the dream.

Understand, the Master is a simha swapna.

Once you are in his jaws, you no longer have a choice.

You simply have to wake up, that's all!

Preparing your Inner space

Miracle and accident are both beyond your logic. If the effect is favorable to you, you call it a miracle. If it is not, you call it an accident! If you know how to use your inner space, you will be constantly making miracles. Purifying your inner space is the way to make miracles!

If you don't know how to use your inner space,

you will constantly be creating accidents, because you will be attracting incidents of the same frequency into your life.

When the psychological revolution happens, it triggers a powerful understanding inside you.

The very understanding empowers you.

You feel, just this one understanding is enough! Just by understanding about the states of consciousness, I will remain centered on the 'I' consciousness.

Then, when you begin your practice – the next hurdle comes up!

Even though your understanding is clear, even though your practice is sincere, sometimes you may find that these Truths are not becoming the reality of your life.

Why does this happen?

The simple reason is, your inner space also needs to be prepared to receive and practice the Truths.

Just as a seed needs a fertile soil to take root and grow, these great Truths need a clean, prepared inner space in which they can take root and flourish. This is the first thing that has to be taken care of.

The most powerful natural resource available to you is your inner space! But just because we don't know how to use it, we constantly misuse and abuse it.

Someone asked me, 'Can you tell me, in a single sentence, how to get results in my meditation practice?'

Actually, this is a tough thing!

If I can speak at length, if I can give you whatever guidance I want, it is easy.

But if you want it in one sentence, it means it has to be the essence.

So if you want your answer in just a single sentence, I will tell you, 'Take good care of your inner space.' That's all.

Sankara says beautifully, 'Aahaara shuddhayo smrti shuddhihi.' If your intake is purified, your memory and your inner space will be purified.

Understand, when Sankara says 'intake', he does not mean just the food which you take in through your mouth.

No!

He is talking about all that you absorb through all the five senses - your eyes, ears, nose, mouth and skin. Whatever you take in through these five senses is called aahaara or food.

Understand: without realizing it, we are constantly abusing our inner space.

Our inner space is constantly abused by a wrong diet!

Visually, we swallow so much violence everyday through movies and the media.

I don't mean that you should not read the newspaper.

But if you look honestly, you will see that we have a subtle enjoyment in taking in violent information and visualization.

We think, how can just reading about violence affect my life?

After all, these are just incidents happening somewhere far away from me, in someone else's life!

We just don't have the sensitivity to understand that all the negativity we are throwing in is corrupting our own inner space.

Please understand: this is a very important thing you should know when you enter into meditation.

Whenever you encourage or allow such corruption of your inner space, knowingly or unknowingly, you create what is called samskara or engraved memories (engrams).

Samskaras are the memories that go and sit in your inner space and pull you to repeatedly go through the same experiences, to perform the same kind of actions, to run through the same kind of thought patterns, even if you don't want to.

With the right meditation techniques, you can completely cleanse your inner space of unnecessary samskaras.

Of course, all the samskaras accumulated by you are unnecessary! You can be alive and well without any samskara.

The Truth is, your very body has already been created of the particular samskaras that you need to run your life. So your mind does not need to carry any samskaras to run your life! You have already come well-equipped to fulfil the desires for which you took this birth.

At the time of taking birth, you have the clarity to decide about your future life and the kind of life experiences you wish to have. You decide your life, your enjoyments, whatever you want to do, based upon what you think is the 'juice' of life.

Based on your preferences, you design your body.

The energy or the ideas with which you design your body is called prarabdha.It is the innate intelligence you carry as your bio-memory.

Your prarabdha, your bio-memory alone, is intelligent, powerful and efficient enough to run your life and enrich you, materially and spiritually.

So, any accumulated samskara or engram which is operating in your conscious or unconscious layers is nothing but a hindrance to the fulfillment of your life. There is no such thing as good or bad samskaras. No samskara is good!

An inner space filled with samskaras is hell. An inner space free of samskaras is heaven.

So do not try to classify samskaras as good or bad. A samskara by itself, by its very nature, is negative.

Anything that happens in your life out of a deep understanding, out of your pure inner space, always adds value to you.

Anything done because of the pressure of samskaras only creates more and more bondage for you.

Right from a young age, we start collecting all kinds of samskaras from the outer world, consciously and unconsciously.

After a while, these samskaras start reproducing and empowering themselves - even without any further action from our part!

The enlightened Master Mahavira says beautifully that when each human being takes birth, whatever he needs for his entire life is sent along with him. Every grain of rice he will eat during that life is already sent along with him! What Mahavira means is, you have come with the samskaras necessary to fulfill all your desires for which you took this birth.

But the problem is, after taking this life, we start picking up new samskaras from others!

For instance, suppose you want to buy a new refrigerator.

But when you go to the store to buy it, you meet your friend, who has come there to buy a TV.

When you see that your friend is buying a TV, you suddenly decide that you also need a new TV!

After you purchase the TV, naturally you find that you don't have the money to buy the refrigerator that you came there for.

This is exactly what you do in your life!

When you pick up and try to fulfil the samskaras of others, naturally you won't have the energy to fulfil your own desires.

When you accumulate too many samskaras, you have to take more and more births to fulfil them.

During those lives, naturally you pick up still more samskaras from around you.

It is a vicious circle.

You are caught in the samsara sagara – the ocean of repeated birth and death.

Samskaras get strengthened in different ways. Some samskaras are strengthened only when you repeat the action. Some samskaras are strengthened just by receiving information about them, when you receive input from the world about them. Then there are some samskaras that need neither action nor information, just remembrance is enough, and they are strengthened!

Samskaras can be strengthened even without your awareness.

Usually, you don't even know that you are being driven by your samskaras. When you habitually respond to a particular situation in the same way, after a while you will start reacting in the same way to every new situation, without even trying to understand it.

You form a judgment about the person or the situation, and then collect the evidence to support that judgment. Understand, you have made the judgment already. All you need is a few bits of data to support that conviction, that's all!

FROM UNDERSTANDING TO EXPERIENCING Preparing your Inner space SAMSKARAS & HOW WE ACT

It is as if your mind is a projector.

You have a number of slides which you have gathered throughout your life, some even from your past births. These slides are the projections with which you live your life. Each time the slide is repeated, it gets more powerful. The first few times you see it, it may take several minutes for the slide to impact you. As the samskara* gets engraved deeper into your mind, all that is needed is a quick glimpse. Before you know it, your mood changes and you make your decision based on that samskara*.

Molecular biology experiments have revealed a startling Truth: each time you experience a powerful emotion like anger, new cellular transmitters and receptors for anger get activated in our body-mind system.

Understand, this happens not only in your brain, but everywhere in the body.

The first few times the emotion happens in the system, it may be just a brief drizzle. Once more and more cellular structures get built for this emotion, the drizzle turns into a shower, then into a storm and finally into a tsunami!

With each act of anger or violence, the conditioning gets deeper and stronger at the cellular level. It is like cancer. Just like malignant cells can grow, multiply and kill, these cellular receptors also multiply, allowing the emotion to simply flood your system.

Suddenly you find that you are no longer in control! If you are not aware, your samskaras can just take over your entire personality.

What happens to all the samskaras we accumulate throughout our lives?

These engrams get deeply embedded in the various energy layers of our system.

Understand, you don't have only one body, as you think!

At the energy level, you are composed of seven energy layers or energy bodies or shareera.

Just like the five koshas we discussed earlier, these energy layers are also arranged in a concentric way, from the grossest to the subtlest energy layer. The outermost layer is the physical body, and the innermost layer is the nirvanic layer or the space of enlightenment.

Each of your energy layers becomes the storehouse of a particular kind of samskara.

Samskaras are like viruses in your system! They can simply multiply and corrupt your inner space.

If you are carrying too many samskaras, your inner space cannot hold the experience of Truth.

That is why, all initial-level meditation techniques focus on throwing these samskaras out of your various energy layers.

The first (outermost) energy layer is your physical body, made out of flesh and blood.

The second layer (within the first layer) is made up of the prana movements inside your body. Prana is sometimes translated as breath, but it is actually the life energy which you take in when you breathe. The air you breathe is only the medium that carries prana into your body. The third layer is the mana shareera or the mental body. This is a subtle layer, composed of your 'inner chatter', the words and thoughts that are continuously bubbling up in your system.

The fourth layer is the emotion layer.

I can say that intense inner chattering which does not respond to your logical analysis is what we call 'emotions'!

That is the fourth energy layer or etheric body.

The fifth or causal body is the layer which you experience in deep sleep. The sixth layer or cosmic layer you experience only rarely, maybe when you have a joyous spiritual experience during meditation.

The seventh or bliss layer is the space of pure enlightened consciousness.

And likewise, when your system is cleansed of samskaras, you will see that all these seven layers fall in tune with one another.

Living with an inner space free of samskaras is what I call Living Enlightenment.

When are you are living without samskaras, a beautiful balancing, reconnecting, reuniting starts happening within your being. This inner uniting is what is called yoga.

The ancient Master Patanjali beautifully describes yoga: 'Yogaha chitta vritti nirodhaha,' (Yoga is living without samskaras).

Only when you are living without samskaras can you enter into the state of thoughtless awareness.

Suppose you are flipping through a magazine.

You come across an advertisement for a beach resort, with the picture of someone relaxing on a deck chair by the water.

The moment you see the picture, what starts happening inside you? You wish that you could also be relaxing like that, doing nothing!

A deep desire for rest is awakened inside you.

That is what I call intense craving for tamas or lethargy.

Chronic fatigue or lethargy is the desire to continuously be in a state of inertia or rest.

It is the most powerful samskara or engram stored in the physical body. That is why, when you try to do some physical exercise - a workout, or even a simple walk - the first thing the body will bring out is tiredness! If you start walking, in a few minutes, your mind will start suggesting to you, 'I am tired! Enough for today. Let us stop now…'

But if you don't bother about these first level samskaras which are rising and just go ahead, in a few minutes you will see that the same action brings energy to you!

Usually, we are not conscious of this samskara operating in our physical layer. We think that it is a positive sign, a desire for peace and quiet. No!

Understand, if you really find that same beach, that same chair and lie down in it, you will not have that same peace that you imagined!

Actually, till you exhaust the tamas engrams that you carry in the physical layer, you cannot really rest.

Because once you start resting, in a few minutes, this samskara will settle down and the next layer samskara will start!

Even the decision to rest, if it is based on a samskara, will not let you rest.

Chronic fatigue is deeply related to the intense craving for rest. Please understand, this intense craving for rest brings diseases which will put you in bed.

There is a very beautiful story in the Upanishad:

A disciple went to the Master and asks, 'Master, please give me a technique for enlightenment.'

The Master gave him 400 cows from his own farm and said, 'Take these 400 cows with you and breed them. When they have multiplied and become 1000 cows, come back.'

The modern-day disciple would have said, 'What! You are making 600 cows out of my enlightenment! You are trying to make money out of my seeking.'

But the disciple was a really sincere disciple. He did not bother, he just took the cows and did as his Master said.

A few years passed.

And the story says, when he finally came back with the thousand cows, the Master said to him, 'Now we have a thousand and one cows'.

In the Vedic tradition, cows are highly respected as sacred animals. So, the Master raises the disciple also to that level of sanctity.

When you continuously work with animals, they will not let you rest. They don't know that you are working 24 hours a day! They don't know there is nobody else to replace you. They don't know that any particular day is a holiday. They don't know that one person can work only in an eight-hour shift!

They don't care about all your problems. They will constantly demand your attention.

Because of working continuously with the cows, the deep desire for rest had completely disappeared in the disciple. The tamas engrams had been totally wiped out. Without even knowing it, he had crossed the first and most difficult layer of samskaras.

Be very alert about this samskara – it is your biggest hurdle. I can say that if this chronic fatigue, the deep desire for rest, leaves your system, 90 percent of your spiritual journey is over!

The samskaras related to desire are stored in the prana or breath. That is why, whenever your desires are changing, suddenly you will see that your breathing pattern is also changing! Whenever you are caught in a powerful desire like lust or anger, your breathing pattern becomes chaotic.

In the pranic layer, you store your desires, or thoughts about how your life should be in the future.

In the mental layer, you store your engrams about how your life shouldn't have been – your guilt! If your energy is flowing continuously towards the future, it is desire. If it is flowing continuously towards the past, it is guilt.

The fourth layer is the emotional layer.

Your most powerful emotion is pain. So in this layer, you store all your engrams related to pain.

Understand, the fourth layer is a very powerful layer. In the fourth layer, you don't need any action or information to strengthen the engrams. In the first two layers, you need to do some action to strengthen your engrams. For example, in the case of the desire for vacation, the more you give in to the desire for vacation, the more the desire will be strengthened. In the same way, for the other desires also, the more you enter into action based on those desires, the more the engrams will become strong.

In the case of the third layer, related to guilt and its related engrams, you don't need to do the same action. Just the information or remembrance about that action will strengthen the engram. For example, if you have seen the same place, or if you are seeing the same person, if you are seeing the same situation, immediately those engrams will become strong and they will be awakened.

In the case of the fourth layer, the pain layer, neither do you need action nor do you need information related to pain. So, you don't have to have the same pain again and again. You don't even need to receive information related to that pain. Just the engrams are enough, they can multiply. They can simply expand and multiply.

The fifth layer is the layer you experience in deep sleep.

Understand, even though there are engrams in this layer, you cannot do anything about them, because in the deep sleep, your mind cannot do anything!

But when you reduce the depth of the engrams in the first four layers, the fifth layer will be cleansed naturally.

If you are getting into the deep sleep layer more easily, it means the first four layers are clean. If the first four layers are not clean, then you suffer more in the fifth layer. That is why, when you have more stress and load, a lot of disturbances related to sleep start happening in your life.

Sleep has become a big problem. Now, especially in the developed countries, I am seeing, they are able to get beds but not sleep! Their infrastructure has created the facility to have beds and different temperatures, different comforts and so many other things, but not sleep, because there is too much stress.

Not only that, if the engrams in the first four layers are too many, in the fifth layer, the relationship between you and your body gets disconnected. Reducing the engrams in the first four layers is making friends with your body.

We don't realize how we are abusing the body. Understand, if you are overweight, it is directly connected to some of these engrams. When you feel emptiness inside, lonely, you start filling it. You start filling it with food or by drinking.

Q. Swamiji, whatever the external situation, I am in depression 24 hours a day. Is this also a samskara? What is wrong with me?

A. Nothing is wrong with you, ma! You are very fortunate, that is the Truth! Causeless depression is nothing but the call of your Self. We are all living very very far away from our Self! Most of us are living life at the level of intellect, some are living from the heart, and a very few are living at the being-level.

When you travel too far away from your true Self, it calls out to you, 'Please, please don't move far away from me!'

This plea from the Self is what reaches you in the form of depression.

If you want to catch the attention of a mischievous child, what do you do? Grab a few candies and throw it at him. Naturally his attention will turn towards you!

In the same way, your Self is throwing this depression at you, so that you will turn and look inward. We only look inward when depression hits us. Understand, nothing else has such power to plunge you inwards as depression has! Happiness doesn't have the power to take you so deep.

Happiness is the arrow aimed at you by Kamadeva (the deity of wishfulfilment).Depression is the arrow aimed at you by the Divine Himself!

As long as your mind is turned towards wish-fulfillment in the outer world, you can never turn towards the Divine. When you realize that no matter what the external world offers you, there is no peace inside, you have taken the first step on the spiritual path. Depression for a reason is the voice of the ego. If you change the external situation, if the desire is fulfilled or the fear is removed, this kind of depression will go away.

For instance, if you are depressed because you don't have a job, this depression will go away once you get a job.

Depression for no reason is the call of the Self. Nothing but spirituality can fulfil you now.

Causeless depression is the auspicious beginning of your spiritual journey.

If you are in depression 24 hours, it means that the Divine is sending you signals 24 hours!

The Divine is calling you continuously. Your Self is calling you continuously.

All you need to do is respond!

A. Suffering is suffering if you call it suffering!

Suffering is nothing but a name you give to the experiences that life is continuously bringing before you.

Whatever you welcome is seen as happiness, whatever you resist is seen as suffering.

Understand, I am not talking morality!

I am speaking the Truth, the Existential Truth.

All experiences come to you only to enrich you and take you deeper inside. There is no such thing as material life and spiritual life.

Everybody is on the path inwards, whether they are aware of it or not.

Whether they are staying in ashrams or not, whether they are doing spiritual practices or not, everybody is on the path. If you are aware of this, you call the suffering as sadhana or tapas (spiritual penance). If you are not aware, you call it suffering, that's all!

If you are aware, you can use any experience to move inwards.

All external situations bring out your inner potential.

For instance, your beloved is only a reason to bring out the huge resources of love that lies hidden inside you.

Until we fall in love, we never really realize that we too can love, that we too can sacrifice our life for another!

Your beloved makes you aware of your own tremendous capacity to love. In the same way, suffering brings out the great spiritual strength hidden inside you.

Your beloved is the one who brings out the love hidden inside you. Suffering is the one who brings out the strength hidden inside you! All suffering comes to you only to enrich you.

A slightly hard hug, that is all!

When you face any suffering with this understanding, it will be a joy, not suffering.

It will be one more wonderful chance to turn inwards.

A. Understand, having samskaras is not a problem by itself.

Samskaras become a problem when you get attached to them and allow them to take over your life.

As long as you are in the body, you cannot live without samskaras – even after enlightenment. The basic samskaras needed to maintain the body, like eating and breathing, will still remain.

But they will not cause any disturbance in your inner space.

Not only these samskaras, any samskaras which can stay in your inner space without causing any conflict, are not a problem.

Patanjali, the father of Yoga, says beautifully, 'Virama pratyayaabhyasa purvaan samskarasheso'nyaha' (May you experience the samadhi where the cessation of all the thoughts happens.)

What he means is, when you experience Samadhi, all your unnecessary mental functions, all your clutching at thoughts, simply ceases. Only the samskaras that do not cause any disturbance in the inner space remain.

Understand, you don't have to exhaust all your samskaras before experiencing samadhi. If you can live without being disturbed by samskaras, you are already in samadhi.

People are afraid even to enter into Samadhi, because they think that it will put an end to all their samskaras. They are afraid that everything will be taken away from them!

A question that I'm asked again and again is, 'If I reach samadhi, will I become a Swami (renunciate), leave everything and go away? What will happen to my business, what will happen to my family? What will happen to my kids?' It's a big fear!

Samadhi is supposed to bring you out of fear, but we are afraid of samadhi!

In some parts of Bharat, there is a tradition of using mustard seeds to drive ghosts away. If somebody is believed to be possessed by ghosts, mustard seeds are thrown on him to drive the ghosts away.

The enlightened Master Sri Ramakrishna , who is the architect of modern-day Hindusim, says beautifully about this tradition, 'If the ghost enters you, mustard seeds can be used to drive it away. But if ghosts enter the mustard seed also, with what can you be saved?'

In the same way, samadhi is the way to drive away all fears, but if the fear about samadhi enters you, what can be done?

Please understand, if you experience samadhi, you will not become a Swami, you will not lose your business, you will not lose all your material comforts. No!

Only one thing will be taken away from you. The samskaras, the engrams, which create disturbance in your inner space will be destroyed. That's all. Whatever engrams do not disturb you your inner space can remain. It's not as if you will become completely dead or empty.

No.

But people have such weird ideas!

They come and tell me, 'Swamiji, after enlightenment everything is forgotten. Will I forget everything if I experience samadhi?' Understand, samadhi doesn't make you lose your memory!

It's not that you will forget everything.

Only your emotional attachment to your memories, the fear or greed which you feel when particular engrams are awakened, that will disappear. That will disappear.

That is the essence of samadhi.

But we are Masters in creating imaginary problems for ourselves! We know how to make a worry out of anything.

An elderly patient went to the doctor.

'I need your help, Doctor. Do you remember those voices in my head about

which I have been complaining for years?'

Doctor: 'Yes, yes.'

Patient: 'Well, they suddenly stopped.'

Doctor: 'That is good! So what is the problem?'

• Patient: 'No, I think I am going deaf.' You can make a problem out of anything!

When you live with a conflict-free inner space, nothing will be a problem. If you have wealth, wonderful, you will live happily with it. If it goes away the next day, you won't even think about it. You will simply move on. Whether the experience is positive or negative, you will just go through it and move on. There will be no hangover.

Living without hangovers about people, place, objects - that's the ultimate freedom.

Living without hangover is what I call living enlightenment.

When you are completely open in the present moment, you will enjoy completely.

When you live something totally, you can leave it also totally.

For example, when you are with someone, you never open up completely. You never open up totally to the other, because you are afraid of rejection. So you have your shield. You are half/half! Half of you is with them, half you are protecting for yourself.

When you are physically with someone, you are not completely present. So naturally, when you are physically away from them, you cannot be completely away. There will be a hangover in the form of attachment or aversion.

When you experience enlightenment, you can enjoy more, without hangover! In fact, only when you don't have the fear of attachment can you really enjoy something.

When you are with that person you are total, you will respond, you will not be afraid to open up. You will be completely with that person. And when the person is not there, you will remain blissfully by yourself!

People ask me, 'Unless the samsakras of fear and guilt are there in us, how can society run? Will we not fall into immorality?

Understand, when you live without samskaras, your moral standard will be naturally high. Nobody needs to teach you morality.

Your morality will be there just because of your overflowing fulfillment. You will be living based on consciousness, not on conscience.

One experience of samadhi in childhood or youth is enough to turn around your whole life.

Be very clear: enlightenment is not something you can postpone to the end of your life!

Enlightenment is the wonderful key to live your life in a joyful, creative, conflict-free way.

As of now, we live our entire life by trial and error.

We don't have the clarity to meet life directly.

Like a bird on the tree, we just keep hopping from branch to branch, tasting the same sweet and bitter fruits again and again. The grass always looks greener on the other side!

We are never satisfied, never relaxed.

We live in continuous inner conflict.

When you live without samskaras, even your disturbance cannot disturb you! Even your anger or your lust cannot disturb you.

You will either experience and relax, or you will witness and relax.

Working with your body

Your body has an independent intelligence

which can run your life beautifully

without your interference.

Whether you accept it or not, whether you believe it or not,

that tremendous intelligence is operating every single moment.

Trust that intelligence and relax.

Living in harmony with your natural intelligence

is living a spiritual life.

Whenever I speak about 'Meditation and the body', some people start becoming uneasy.

Whenever people are entering into meditation, they feel that the first step is to quickly get rid of their bodies!

Especially if they have read a few spiritual books, they start feeling ashamed because they have a body!

On the spiritual path, the body is projected as the greatest obstacle to achievement. So you develop an unnatural hatred towards your body. This gets rooted deeply in your unconscious mind. You begin to think that your body is working against you.

But the truth is, your body is the boat which will carry you across the river of samsara (worldliness)!

Can you move about in this world without your body?

Can you meditate without your body?

Can you even understand these truths without the help of your eyes, your brain?

Whatever other ideas we may carry about ourselves, our most basic identity is, 'I am this body'.

Right now, whatever you understand most deeply as 'you' is your body.

Tell me, if an attractive woman (or man) passes by, can you still remember that you are not the body?

If you have a migraine or a fever, can you console yourself by saying, 'I am not the body?'

Whenever any strong physical or chemical change affects your body, naturally you lose faith in all the philosophical knowledge you have gathered.

All you can remember is, 'I am this body'! Your meditation has to start from where you are. And right now, your body is your most intimate experience.

So if you are a seeker, especially a 'professional seeker', stop fooling yourself. Straightaway drop whatever other ideas you have read or picked up! Going beyond the body does not mean bypassing the body. It does not mean fighting with the body. It means understanding and welcoming the body. It means preparing the body for meditation. It means tuning up the body to sustain and radiate the tremendous energy of jeevanmukti – living enlightenment.

At the basic level, your body is a physical mechanism, performing various physical functions.

At a subtler level, it is also linked to your thoughts and emotions, and is deeply affected by them.

And ultimately, your body is a powerhouse of superconscious energy. It has tremendous innate wisdom.

The intelligent way to handle your body is to understand your body in all its dimensions.

Intelligence means, not thinking, 'Oh, my body is pure consciousness. So it doesn't need a bath!'

Only when you welcome and work with all the dimensions of your body, can you enter into a meaningful relationship with your body.

When you experience a deep, relaxed friendliness and love for your body, your body can be a powerful ally on the spiritual path.

Through the body you can move about in the material world; through the same body you can move towards the Divine.

The first step in meditation is to start paying attention to the physical health of your body. When your body is functioning with perfect health, it gives you the courage and confidence that you can execute whatever you think.

Understand, at the basic level, your body is a purely physical mechanism.

It needs food and rest.

It feels warm and cold.

It falls sick and heals.

It performs physical functions.

It needs regular maintenance and care.

Naturally, it will be affected by your physical habits - how you eat, sleep, exercise and rest.

When you don't give your body the basic care it needs, naturally you are inviting disease.

As I always say, all your diseases are your guests! You invite them upon yourself with your careless treatment of your body.

For example, when you eat something spicy, your eyes begin to water; your body starts protesting, I can't handle this!

But do you listen? NO!

And then, you complain about your eyes watering.

When you watch television till midnight, your whole system is screaming, I need rest!

But as usual, you ignore it.

Then the next day, you complain about feeling tired; you talk as if it is a disease of the body!

Be very clear: your body is continuously giving you signals, but you don't have the intelligence to understand these signals.

The simplest explanation would be, to get energy. But does your food actually energize you? After a meal, do you feel energetic or sleepy? Most of us feel sleepy!

Because our choice of food is poor, and because we continue to eat long after our stomach is full, we feel sleepy after eating. We throw anything and everything into our stomach. We throw food into it as if it were a garbage bin! We treat our stomach like a garbage bin.

With every meal, we are taxing our digestive system. No wonder we don't feel energetic after eating!

When you eat excessively and don't exercise enough – you become lethargic. A lethargic body is completely unfit for meditation. Not only that, diseases attack the body easily when your energy levels are low.

Exercise can help you expand.

When you exercise, every cell of your body expands. Your lungs get filled with oxygen and the impurities are thrown out along with the carbondioxide that is expelled.

In our lifestyle, we don't have time for either exercise or rest. What we call as rest is not restful. How many of us wake up feeling refreshed and joyful? If you have rested properly, you should dance your way to the bathroom every morning! Instead, when the alarm goes off in the morning, what do you do? Switch it off and go back to sleep!

For instance, why do we eat?

The simplest explanation would be, to get energy.

But does your food actually energize you? After a meal, do you feel energetic or sleepy? Most of us feel sleepy!

Because our choice of food is poor, and because we continue to eat long after our stomach is full, we feel sleepy after eating. We throw anything and everything into our stomach. We throw food into it as if it were a garbage bin! We treat our stomach like a garbage bin.

With every meal, we are taxing our digestive system. No wonder we don't feel energetic after eating! When you eat excessively and don't exercise enough – you become lethargic. A lethargic body is completely unfit for meditation. Not only that, diseases attack the body easily when your energy levels are low.

Exercise can help you expand.

When you exercise, every cell of your body expands. Your lungs get filled with oxygen and the impurities are thrown out along with the carbon-dioxide that is expelled.

In our lifestyle, we don't have time for either exercise or rest. What we call as rest is not restful. How many of us wake up feeling refreshed and joyful? If you have rested properly, you should dance your way to the bathroom every morning!

Instead, when the alarm goes off in the morning, what do you do? Switch it off and go back to sleep! Real sleep is when the body is totally at rest; when all its stress has been released; when your systems can take care of all repair and maintenance work.

How often do we enjoy deep, undisturbed, dreamless sleep?

Very rarely!

But be very clear: only on those days have you actually slept!

You may be wondering, what does all this have to do with meditation?

There are two reasons why we are discussing this subject.

The first thing is, a physically fit body helps you enter deeply into meditation.

And secondly, practicing meditation itself can help you rest and function better.

When the quality of your sleep improves, the quality and productivity of your waking hours increases naturally.

Take a good look at your body.

How do you feel about your body?

We all carry impressions, ideas about our own bodies.

We carry a lot of negative feelings about our bodies.

You may not even be aware, but in your unconscious mind you will be carrying deep

negative impressions about your body.

Understand, most of these impressions are not even your own! Almost always, you have picked up these impressions from other people's opinions of you.

Very, very rarely have I come across someone who is completely comfortable with his body. To be comfortable with one's body does not mean assuming everything about your body is good. It is just being at ease with your body the way it is.

The attitude that we constantly carry towards our body is reflected in the body itself.

Our body carries a powerful bio-memory.

When I spoke about samskaras, we saw how the physical body stores the tamas (inertia) engrams.

Similarly, any thought or emotion we experience is immediately recorded in our body.

Have you noticed how many physical and chemical changes occur in your body when you are overcome by a powerful emotion like fear, desire, anger or pain? Your thoughts and emotions are all powerful energies!

Because the body picks up and stores these energies created by our constantly changing emotions and thoughts, we all have disturbances, energy blockages, complexes and imbalances in our physical system.

Right from a young age, we learn to suppress our natural emotions - because in society, we cannot always express ourselves as we wish!

For example, when you get angry, the body immediately produces the chemicals necessary for fight. The body produces enough energy to attack a man! Because anger is an essential survival tool for all animals, the body prepares you for fighting the other.

But in our civilized society, we can't always express our anger. The other person might be someone you are afraid of – maybe your boss, or your wife! So whatever energy is generated, remains unused. This excess energy stagnates in your body and creates a block in the energy flow.

The same thing happens with all emotions – desire, fear or grief. Most of the time, you are afraid to let your body express itself. You live in deep fear and mistrust of your body. You think that your body doesn't know the language of civilization; that it doesn't recognize the rules of society.

If you set your body free, who knows what might happen? Who knows what your body might do? So you think you have to control; you have to repress.

When you continuously suppress your emotions, not only do they create blocks in your physical body, they eventually lead to mental illness as well. For instance, continuously repressing anger can lead to hysteria. In the same way, mental disturbances can manifest as physical diseases. Not only cardiac disease or migraines, even skin allergies and peptic ulcers are caused by stress. Recent research has shown that over 80% of our diseases are psychosomatic in nature – that is, our physical and mental states are both responsible for these diseases.

Many of the meditation techniques are deep cleansing processes which can help you dissolve these blocks and repressions in your body.

Once you are free of these blocks, you will see for yourself how your body blooms naturally. Your body begins to look more beautiful, more divine.

You will enjoy a beautiful and friendly relationship with your body.

When I tell you, 'You are Consciousness', I don't mean that you are a point of consciousness hiding in some corner of your body.

No!

I mean, your very body is made of consciousness. Your very cells are centers of consciousness. The body is the most visible expression of your consciousness.

Understand, your body is a powerhouse of conscious energy! See, electricity is also energy, but it is a blind energy.

Electric current does not have its own intelligence. If you fix a bulb in the socket, it will glow. If you put your hand in the socket, it will give you an electric shock, that's all!

It doesn't know where to go or how to work.

But the energy in your body is not like that. It is a conscious energy.

Your body is not a simple mechanical system as you think. It is a highly evolved system of distributed intelligence.

• Understand, every cell in your body has intelligence! We have been taught that the center of our consciousness is in our brain. We think that we control the body through our brain; it is the brain which controls respiration, digestion, blood circulation, and all such activities.

Now there is a new field called epigenetics, which is the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work.

One of the pioneers in this field, Dr. Bruce Lipton, an eminent biologist, has been doing research in the field of epigenetics for over ten years.

In his book, 'The Biology of Belief ', he states that our brain does not control our body. There is evidence of intelligence in every cell, even in the cell's membrane!

In recent research at Sandia National Laboratories, USA, scientists studied how cells responded to a harmful substance called an antigen that attacked the cells in the body. They concluded that even the cell membrane had a unique structure to fight the antigen so that it could not enter the cell!

The biggest miracle of cellular intelligence is the growth of a baby from a single cell!

The human body starts from a single cell, which replicates and becomes about 250 different types of specialized cells performing different functions in the body. Which means, the same cell knows whether to grow into a bone or a muscle or a blood cell, depending on where it is going to be used!

And just to maintain and coordinate the activities of all these cells, millions of things need to be done each second.

With all this, your body manages to function as a single organism, a harmonious whole!

Your body is the best example of distributed intelligence.

Because the body is always with you like an old friend, you simply take it for granted!

You are not even aware of the daily miracles being performed by your body. Every day, your body converts bread into blood! Do you know any machine that can do that? In fact, the whole process is so complex, that if we wanted to set up an industry that could do the same job, it would run into a few miles!

Not only that, the body beautifully regulates the body temperature, blood pressure and blood sugar and heart function without any help from you! And do you know, your brain is only about the size of about two fists?

But to date, scientists around the world have not been able to replicate tasks that the brain does so effortlessly.

I read a recent research report which said that ten linguists, working full-time for ten years, could not program a computer to learn a language as perfectly as a human baby does!

Just think, when your body can grow, digest food, pump blood, fight disease, learn new things, adapt to change and perform a thousand other complicated tasks without help, you are still worrying,

'Will my headache get better on its own, or should I see a doctor? Do you see the foolishness?

Your body has a natural self-healing power. There is an automatic intelligence which is constantly rejuvenating and even replacing the cells in your entire body. If some part of the body is damaged, your body intelligence can heal or replace the damaged cells. You can see it at work when you see a cut or a wound healing itself even without any effort on your part.

But when the ego or mind interferes, this natural process is interrupted.

Constantly, cells replace themselves and the body repairs itself.

You might ask, 'Then why does the same disease occur again and again in my body? If my body is again and again replacing itself, rejuvenating itself, then why do I carry the same disease?'

This happens only because you strongly believe that the disease is continuing! You carry the same mental setup that strongly believes that you are not well. This is what stops the self-healing process from happening in your body.

All you need to do is just trust the automatic intelligence which is in you and relax.

Energy is intelligence. Your being is intelligence.

The problem is, you never trust that your being is intelligent. You measure yourself only by your weakest link, and you are not your weakest link. Be aware, you are far more than your weakest link! The strength of a chain can be measured based on the weakest link, but the strength of your being cannot be measured this way, because you are something more than what you think you are.

Actually, your body has the capacity to heal every disease, physical or mental, however complex it might be.

Once a young man came to me and asked me to help him quit smoking.

I asked him how he picked up the habit in the first place. He said, 'One day, I had gone out with a group of friends who were all smokers. I happened to meet my father on the street that day. Seeing me with a group of boys who were all smoking, my father assumed that I had been smoking too. When I returned home, he accused me of smoking, and refused to believe me.

The next day, I smoked a whole pack of cigarettes, just to spite my father! In that way I gradually got addicted.' He asked me how to drop the habit.

I told him, 'Don't drop it! Go ahead and smoke. But don't do it to prove anything to anybody. Don't do it to spite your father. And don't imagine that you have become mature and independent by smoking!

Every time you pick up a cigarette, do it silently. Be conscious of why you are smoking. Consciously feel the smoke entering your system. Be aware of how you hold the cigarette, how you put it in your mouth. You will realize on your own.'

After just a few days the boy returned to me.

He said, 'Swamiji, I am not able to smoke anymore! Doing it consciously, I started wondering how I could send so much smoke into my system! Also I realized that smoking is not that important to me after all.'

THE FLOWERING OF BODY INTELLIGENCE Working with your body

When we become conscious of what we are doing, many things drop on their own. This is the only permanent solution.

Of course it may take a few days to awaken the body intelligence. Your body intelligence may have gone to sleep, because you haven't used it for so many years!

During that time, the important thing is, not to lose hope and fall back on the borrowed intelligence that you have picked up from society.

Have trust in the natural intelligence of your body, that's all.

Don't try to control the body, because whatever you try to control will express itself in some other way. The body will refuse to be controlled!

Just bring awareness into every action, and trust in your natural intelligence.

As I told you, you have an independent intelligence in your system which runs your life beautifully without your interference.

Whether you accept it or not, whether you believe it or not, that tremendous intelligence is operating every single moment.

Because you don't realize this, you constantly feel that life has to be different from what it is at the present moment. Trusting that intelligence and relaxing is what I call devotion.

Surrendering to that higher intelligence is true surrender. Living in harmony with our natural intelligence is living a spiritual life.

A. In the beginning, it is better to start with active or dynamic techniques.

When you are just entering into meditation, there might be too much disturbance inside you.

All the garbage you have collected over the years will be sitting inside, waiting to jump on you!

Straightaway, if you try to sit still and meditate, all you will be witnessing is the terrible disturbance inside.

Understand, meditation releases tremendous energy and awareness inside you. Whatever you have suppressed, all

the physical and mental disturbances, everything will start bubbling to the surface.

If you try to witness all this, you will just go crazy!

You won't be able to cope.

Dynamic meditation is like wiping the slate clean before you start writing on it.

Dynamic meditation is like de-addiction! It is a deprogramming process.

Have you noticed, when your body is active, your mind can't move?

When your mind is still, all the chaos in the deeper layers of your system has a chance to come to the surface and be thrown out.

These techniques are outwardly chaotic, but inwardly, they can lead you to an experience of peace, of silence.

That is why I allow your chaos, your madness!

When you move your body wildly, you will see that the opposite experience begins to happen inside you. You become aware of a silent point within you, untouched by the chaos on the outside.

See, the opposite is always the focus of awareness!

When you try to sit silently, you begin to be aware of all the madness inside, all your suppressed thoughts, your words and confusions.

When you are moving chaotically, you become aware of the stillness and bliss inside you.

So when you are just getting into meditation, choose dynamic techniques.

Once you have settled into meditation, once you have cleaned out your system, you can try any technique you want.

Many of you are making your first conscious contact with your body! Body meditation is a very deep, powerful and intimate way of connecting to your body intelligence. Understand, it is a purely individual experience, just you and your body. So even if you are doing these techniques in a group, stay with yourself.

Wear loose, comfortable clothing where you can move your limbs with ease. As far as possible, be barefoot during the practice. Staying in contact with the earth helps keep the body energies in balance. Use a blindfold so that you are focused on what is happening inside you, not outside, not on the movements themselves. Make sure your stomach is empty. Your last solid meal should be at least 2 hours before your practice. After the meditation, give at least 15 minutes before consuming any liquids and half an hour before eating solid food.

Be prepared for a lot of changes in your system!

When your body is being suddenly flooded with energy, it can be like an electric shock.

But don't worry about over-energy! Many people feel afraid when they experience a sudden flood of energy inside. Over-energy can only be good for you. Over-energy means extra wellness, that's all. Only if you go into fear about it, then you cause trouble for yourself.

You are so used to moving in the same pattern! You even take the same route from your bed to the bathroom every morning. Now you are going to move your body in unexpected ways. You are going to surprise your body. Naturally it is also going to respond in new ways. Allow and cooperate with these changes.

Throughout the practice, listen to your body signals. Be sensitive to your body. Learn to push to your maximum without overdoing it. Take a break when you really have to.

Small aches and pains for the first few days can be ignored.

If you are on medication, or have recently had a surgery, it is strongly recommended that you consult a qualified medical doctor before practicing these techniques.

The meditation techniques in this section include:

Dynamic meditation techniques use extreme physical tension to enter into meditation!

When your body is at maximum tension, a sudden break in tension can make you go directly into deep relaxation.

See, it is difficult to straightaway relax the body.

• You are so used to being in a state of tension! Just observe your body.

Your body is always ready for fight or flight!

Now we are going to take the tension to a peak.

When the tension has been taken to its peak, the only possibility that exists is to fall into relaxation!

When the body relaxes deeply, breath and mind also relax, and you spontaneously fall into meditation.

The body can access three levels of energy.

First-level energy: This is the energy we use in our daily life – for walking, working and other day-to-day affairs. It is only a tiny percentage of the total energy available to us.

Second-level energy: This energy level is accessed only in emergencies. It comes up only when the first layer is exhausted. Other than sportsmen or people in risky professions like rescue operations, most of us never need to use this emergency energy.

Third-level energy: This layer is the energy of the cosmos. It is limitless. We access this layer only very rarely, if at all.

Normally, you always move your body only out of greed or fear. Even when you wake up in the morning, you get out of bed only when you suddenly remember something that has to be done that day! Either because of some desire that you want to fulfil, or out of some fear – maybe you remember your boss' face, or your wife's face!

As long as you act out of greed or fear, you have access only to the first two energy levels. When you act spontaneously, out of inspiration, pure creativity, you access the cosmic level. Because this is the level of infinite energy, you will be continuously fresh and energetic, no matter how much physical work you do.

The following technique is a way to exhaust the first two energy layers and put you directly in contact with the cosmic energy.

Move your body to the point of exhaustion. Just jump up and down, dance, run in circles and jump again until you are totally exhausted. After the first few minutes, your mind will start telling you to stop. Don't pay attention to your mind. These are just the first level samskaras of chronic fatigue opening up. Even if you feel that not a single step can be taken now, keep going! The mind will start screaming to you to stop, to relax. Don't relax! Trust the technique. Keep on throwing your body up and down, keep moving, keep going.

After a while, you will find that suddenly it has become easier! You are not feeling so tired. It means your second level energy has opened up. Your body is running on a new lease of energy. Keep on moving till you are comfortable with this new energy level.

When you are feeling comfortable, mentally relax from the technique. Don't relax from the movement, but relax from your intention to push your body. Just be natural in the movement, as if it is a game. Allow your body to move naturally.

Suddenly you will see that in the middle of all the movement, a still center is created inside you! You are no longer inside the movement, you are witnessing the movement. It is as if the body is moving spontaneously, and you are silent, undisturbed in the center of this current. The movement becomes relaxed and blissful. This is the third level of energy.

There will come a point when the body will relax to the ground without the help of the mind. Let it happen! Don't try to sit or lie down or fall in a proper position. Just drop down gently in a heap, as if the whole body is one and it is falling. When you fall in this way, you will feel for the first time your whole self, your whole being.

Close your eyes and remain this way as long as you wish.

Dancing is a powerful form of meditation!

Both formal dance and free dance can be meditation techniques.

Free dancing is also a great cathartic technique. Here, the idea is to lose yourself in the dance. A seasoned dancer will be able to do this even in formal dancing, because he or she is no longer conscious of the rules. Just like we speak correctly without feeling grammar as a hindrance, the seasoned dancer will dance naturally, even when the dance form is formal. But if you are an amateur, then it is better to enjoy 'free dance', or you will feel restricted by the rules.

Free dancing means that there are no steps, no rules, nothing. Just let your body move as it pleases. Let the dance flow freely. Be playful, enjoy yourself.

Become part of the tremendous energy of dancing.

There are two stages in free dance: dancing and resting.

Close your eyes and begin to dance. Don't bother about the steps. Let your body be free to move as it wishes. Don't be concerned about how you look, how your clothes look. No one is watching you, this is not a performance.

As you continue to dance in this fashion, more and more energy will surge inside you, and you will keep going. The more you dance, the more energetic you will be! You will not feel tired at all. Enter deeply into the dance. Dance as fast as possible, as freely as possible. Forget yourself totally. Just become the dance.

At the end of 21 minutes, wherever you are, in whatever position you are, just drop down on the floor. Lie down. Be silent and still. In the sudden change from frantic motion to sudden stillness, you will experience a moment of blankness. There will be no thoughts. You will experience a deep silence.

In a few moments, the thoughts will start coming back. Watch the thoughts calmly. Don't fight with them, don't get lost in them. Just remain aware. You will become aware of a lasting peace inside you, a great silence that remains even after the thoughts return. Carry this peace, this silence with you throughout the day. Carry the silence into your sleep. You will wake up feeling new and refreshed.

Meditations where you are doing something are the best ones for beginners. It is easier to maintain awareness when you are doing an action, rather than sitting still.

This is a dynamic meditation, a 'running meditation'.

Why running? When you are running, you are naturally alert, aware. When you are running, you experience a beautiful unity of body, mind and spirit. It is as if everything inside you is functioning as one, with only one goal.

When you sit still, only your body is sitting still, your mind is still racing! Your body and mind are divided. Your body is sitting, but your mind is on its own trip! When your body is running, the opposite happens. When you are running, your mind sits still. Your mind stops talking.

And when you continue to run, after a while, the running takes you over. Then neither body or mind is yours. You belong to your running. You become the running!

Choose a time to start your run.

Early morning is the best, next is late evening. Sunrise and sunset are the times when your body is most open, most receptive to the energies of nature.

Choose a path which is fairly straight and easy, not too tough, with a fair amount of silence and solitude. A path where you can focus on your running, without worrying about falling off the edge or being run over by traffic!

If you are not used to running, start off with short distances – say half a mile. Then you can gradually increase the distance.

After that, just run!

Breathe deeply, from the stomach. Run with every limb. When you grow tired, don't push yourself. Rest and enjoy the rest period. Take off your shoes and feel the earth beneath your bare feet. One energy source we have lost touch with is earth energy because of artificial flooring everywhere, and because we no longer enjoy walking barefoot.

In Bharat, it is considered a sacred exercise to walk barefoot. That's also why you are not allowed to use footwear inside many places of worship. The energy level in these places is high, and it is best to keep all your senses open to receive the energy.

If the path is good, running barefoot can be a tremendous experience. Try it on grass, or on the beach. Just being in touch with the earth is being connected with the source of life. It is a beautiful way of staying centered.

Don't get caught up in the extras of running. Don't time yourself, don't try to improve your performance. Don't run to lose weight! Of course, if you also lose weight, that's good – but don't run for a reason. Simply run.

If, after running for many days, you find that the act is becoming monotonous, drop it and switch to another meditation. Try swimming, try dancing. Come back to running when you feel like it.

Apart from the basic instructions you will need to follow, don't make rules for yourself. Rules destroy the joy of the meditation.

Centering techniques are those which balance our energies and return our awareness to our being. Many of our physical and mental problems can be healed just by a simple balancing of energies.

Centering can happen through physical movements, breathing or even through a clear mental understanding.

Centering is the process of putting an end to all the conflicts in the system, whether physical, emotional or mental. By integrating our energies and turning them inwards, centering techniques give us a powerful thrust on the spiritual path.

This is a beautiful, natural meditation to center your energies. It is ancient and powerful technique, drawn from Sufism, a mystic sect of Islam. This is as simple as a technique can get. All you have to do is whirl, turn round and round and round – the way you used to do as a child.

Whirling is a powerful centering technique.

The beautiful thing about this technique is that your body will be whirling, going round and round – but your Being is right at the center, unmoving – like the unmoving center of a moving wheel.

Do not have any food or drink at least three hours before this meditation. Some people may experience a sense of nausea during this meditation. This will disappear after a few days of practice. If it persists, discontinue the meditation. The meditation has two phases: whirling and resting.

Whirling is usually done in an anti-clockwise direction, with the right arm held higher, palm facing upwards, and the left arm lower, palm facing downwards. If you are uncomfortable whirling anti-clockwise, switch to clockwise. Whirling can be practiced for hours – for as long as you feel comfortable. But you will need to whirl for at least one hour to experience the 'energy whirlpool'. Start with whirling slowly, let your whole body be soft and unresisting. As you whirl, the passing images will become blurred. Let them flow past. Don't try to focus on anything – it will make you dizzy or nauseous. For the first 10 minutes, go really slow. Then build up speed over the next 10 minutes. After 20 minutes or so, you will feel as if the whirling has taken you completely over. There will be action and movement on the periphery of the circle, but at the center will be a certain stillness. You will feel as if you are a witness to all this action, not a participant in it.

When you are whirling so fast that you can't stay upright, your body will fall by itself. Don't plan the fall. If your body is soft and pliable, you will not get hurt.

As soon as you fall, turn over onto your stomach so that your navel is in contact with the earth. Feel your body become one with the earth.

Keep your eyes closed. Remain in the same position, passive and silent, for at least 10 minutes. After this meditation, remain silent and meditative for a few hours.

If you sit quietly with yourself for a few minutes, you can see that there are slight movements always happening in you.

Even when you are sitting very still, your energies are moving in almost invisible circles in and around you. Your prana or life force, is moving inside your body in a subtle current.

The problem is, the moment you become aware of these movements, you try to hold onto your body. We hold onto our body so tightly in our mind! Unconsciously, we are always resisting these natural movements, always afraid to let go.

Now, just be with those movements happening inside you. Allow them to happen.

When you allow these movements to happen, you will suddenly become aware that you are not a solid body. You are a flowing energy! Suddenly you will realize you are not just the body. You may be dwelling in the body, but you are not the body.

Experiencing ourselves as a flowing energy is what I call enlightenment or the ultimate experience.

Initially, it may be difficult to experience the energy when we are sitting still. So we should try to help our body and cooperate with it by creating small invisible circles and small movements.

Sit straight and close your eyes. Keep your spine relaxed.

Inhale and exhale as slowly and as deeply as possible. Start moving your body in very slow and small circles from the waist upwards. Even if you only visualize this, it is enough. Suddenly, you will see that your body is moving slowly and you are feeling comfortable with the motion. Just be in that state and allow the movement to happen.

Concentrate near the manipuraka chakra or navel center, which is the source of prana. You will see that your whole body is moving in small invisible circles and you are centered on the navel.

When you allow your body to move with the movement of prana, your energies will get naturally balanced.

As you continue the movements, at one point suddenly you will see you that are disengaged from the 'I'. You are beyond the body, you are flowing, you are a flowing energy.

Try this technique for at least eleven days. You will start experiencing a shift in consciousness.

This technique uses external movement for inner centering. Whenever you are in a moving vehicle, on an airline flight or in a car and when you are not driving, you can try this technique.

When we create a movement ourselves, it is easy to direct it. We are in control. Whether we are walking, running, dancing, the direction of movement is in our hands. We can handle it.

But when you are being carried by a current of movement that you cannot control, you will observe that your entire body resists the movement.

Actually, your body enjoys being in a state of inertia. Once a movement is set up in the body, it likes the same speed and direction to be maintained. In a moving vehicle, like a train or a car, your body continuously resists the natural swinging movement. We always try to hold onto something so that we don't get hurt.

You don't like uncertainty. That is why even a small jolt in a moving vehicle can upset you so much - because for that one moment, you are not in control!

Sit comfortably in the vehicle.

Mentally decide that for the duration of the journey, you will not resist any movement of the vehicle.

Don't be afraid! You are not going to get hurt. No big accident is going to happen in the next fifteen or twenty minutes. We always love to visualize the worst scenario, especially when we get into a vehicle!

Now, allow the movement of the vehicle to move your body. Flow with it. Initially, your body will try to resist. Even if you keep yourself physically loose, not holding anywhere, your mind will be trying to hold somewhere. Just drop this holding. Move with the natural movement of the vehicle. Allow your body to sway back and forth. Allow the small jolts to happen. Even if your body bumps slightly against the sides of the vehicle, don't bother.

Understand, it is not the contact that hurts, it is your resistance to the contact that brings pain.

If you are unresisting, even if you fall, you will fall like a flower. You cannot get hurt.

So drop your fear. Just flow and enjoy the rhythm of movement.

As you enter deeply into the movement, slowly, you will find that you are apart from the movement!

You are not your body, you are just witnessing the movements of your body.

Suddenly, you will see you are disengaged from the 'I'. You will realize that you are beyond the body, you are the pure witnessing Consciousness!

With this one understanding, the fear of losing control of your body will simply leave you. You will experience a deep relaxation in body and mind.

When you tighten and loosen your muscles one by one, the sudden release of tension results in deep relaxation and centering of energies.

This technique has to be practiced in a standing position.

Close your eyes and start tightening and relaxing your limbs one by one. Breathe in when you are tightening the limb, breathe out as you relax. Start at the feet and move up. Clench your feet for about a minute, then relax them. Clench and relax your calf muscle, your knees, your thighs. Remember to relax each part before tightening the next. At any point of time, there should be tension only in one part of your body.

Continue upwards, pulling your stomach in, chest, shoulders and hands. Continue one by one, tightening and relaxing.

Spread your fingers, then clench them into a tight fist and relax them after a minute.

Tighten your neck, jaw and facial muscles. After a minute, gently relax your whole body.

This process frees all the muscles in your body.

Continuing in a standing position, imagine that you are inhaling and exhaling with every part of your body. Clearly visualize yourself breathing through your feet, legs, stomach, hands, face, and arms. Visualize your whole body breathing, not only your nose. Visualize life energy flooding your body.

This will put you in a deep silence.

Our Consciousness is scattered in all directions. That is why we feel fragmented and lacking. If we increase our sensitivity and direct our Consciousness inwards, we can integrate and move into the higher planes of our Being. Sensitivity can play a major role in integrating our Consciousness. It can take us directly to our center deep inside.

This technique helps in creating a beautiful and graceful body. It creates self-confidence and helps you face life with a balanced mind.

When your body is in a state of perfect physical balance, automatically your awareness falls within. Not only will your body feel steady and comfortable, your mind will also be free from the body! You will experience the space in which you are totally balanced, where you are beyond intellect and emotion, where you are beyond the identity you are showing to the outer world and to yourself.

You will experience deep peace just by balancing the body,

This state is called samatva, perfect balance in body and mind.

You may be thinking, 'How can I experience peace just by balancing the body?' Just do it, then you will see!

Sit cross-legged on the floor. If this is uncomfortable, sit on a chair but without resting your back.

Keep your spine erect.

If you are sitting in a chair, do not rest the weight of your body on your feet. Do not let your feet touch the ground. Put your weight on your spine instead.

If you are sitting on the floor, try consciously to lift the calf muscles a bit so that your weight is shifted to your spine. Initially it will be difficult because we never balance our body.

Now bring your awareness to the two points of your body which are pressing down on the ground. Become aware of the mooladhara, the two points at the base of the spine which are taking the weight of your body.

Because we hardly bring our awareness to such things, it may take a few minutes to become aware. Try to focus on these two points which are touching the ground, through which you are transferring your whole weight to planet earth. Once you are able to feel these points, you can start to move to the next step, which is balancing.

Balancing means finding the center in which you are weightless.

Bend forward slowly as much as you can.

Feel the weight of your body as you bend. Feel the heaviness.

Then slowly, very slowly, come back inch by inch. Feel the weight of the body reduce as you move back to an erect position. Slowly, straighten the body.

You will feel the body weight reducing as you straighten up.

At one point, when your spine is erect but relaxed, you will feel that your body weight has become zero! You will feel completely weightless, completely light.

Don't stop here.

Start gently bending your body backwards. Go as far as you can. Again, you will start feeling the pressure on your back. You will start feeling the weight of your body.

Now slowly, very slowly, bring your body back to the position where you don't feel your body weight at all.

Repeat the same action, this time moving your body to the left and right instead of back and forth.

Sway back and forth, left and right a few times.

Each time, put your awareness on the position where you feel weightless. After a few times, you will be able to correctly catch that point or center where you feel weightless.

Now, at the point where you feel weightless, remain. Be in that same space.

There is no need to remember anything or concentrate on anything. Just be completely balanced in the space, in the center in which you are feeling weightless.

When the weight of your body is removed, you will feel an immense relief. Automatically, the mind also becomes silent and balanced.

Try this technique just for ten days. Within 10 days, you will get the knack. Then even without practicing, you will start sitting in that same weightless state the whole day!

This technique is from the Bhagavad Gita. It is actually a technique used to enhance mental strength and willpower. But this technique is like a knife that can be used to cut anything. Here we are using the technique to enhance physical health and healing also.

Even five minutes in this posture is enough to create a tremendous strength and surge of energy in your body. The strength you feel in your body will reflect in your mind. Usually a person who does not feel strong in body will not feel strong in mind. This technique makes you strong in body and mind.

Sit cross-legged on the floor. If you are uncomfortable, you can use a chair. Support your body by sitting on both your hands (palm facing up). Your hands should come underneath you from both sides of your body.

When you sit in this posture, the energy created does not go out of the body. You close the circuit, so the energy circulates inside the body.

Close your eyes. With your eyes closed, bring your vision to the tip of your nose. This helps pull your mind inwards. Focus gently on the tip of your nose. This is an excellent technique for strengthening your willpower.

Fixing your eyes in the same position, bring your awareness to your physical boundary. Feel your boundary distinctly. Initially, it will be easier to do this in the places where your skin touches your clothes. Then extend your awareness over the surface of your whole body. Feel your entire body boundary.

You will start experiencing your body as a whole. Your awareness of your separate limbs will disappear and your body will feel like one solid whole.

Experience this solid wholeness.

Your body will feel as solid as a rock.

Experience the tremendous power you feel in your body and mind.

This technique can be used to achieve both a strong body and a powerful mental will.

This technique is for people who experience some unsteadiness and a trembling in the legs upon waking up in the morning. This is usually because of a feeling of 'uprootedness', a lack of connection with the earth. We have lost our grounding, our direct contact with the earth. Earth is a powerful nurturing and centering force. Not only do we miss this energy, we experience some deeply hidden insecurity when we lose our connection with the earth.

Most of the time, we are not aware that our simply physical problems have an emotional dimension. Once we know what the real problem is, it can be addressed directly.

First thing after getting out of bed, stand in a relaxed way with your feet about six inches apart. Put your full weight on one foot, leaving the other foot totally free and relaxed. Then shift your weight to the other foot, releasing the first foot and allowing it to be free.

Repeat this process four to five times. Feel the shift of energy from one foot to the other each time.

Now, put your weight equally on both feet. Be perfectly balanced. Keep moving slightly and you will feel the perfect balance. This will give you a feeling of centeredness and strength in your legs.

Whenever you can, put your feet in direct contact with the earth. If there is a beach nearby where you can go running barefoot on the sand, wonderful! If not, in a park or garden or wherever you can find a patch of bare earth, takeoff your shoes and absorb the earth energy. Not only will your legs get stronger, you will start feeling more relaxed and centered as well.

Your body is a live intelligence!

It is continuously talking to you, but you have forgotten how to listen.

These techniques help you get back in touch with your body. When you become aware of your body and its moods, you

come closer to your body.

You are sensitized to the needs of your body, and you also awaken to the tremendous latent potential that your body has. You learn how to handle your body with intelligence and compassion.

When you make friends with your body, it becomes an open door to the beyond.

When was the last time you sang with your eyes?

Danced with your smile?

Threw your whole body and being into anything, just anything?

If you notice children, their whole body is one organic unity. Whatever they are doing, their whole body just flows into that action. They don't create separation in the body.

It is not as if the head is important and the feet are unimportant.

The truth is that there is no division in your body, no natural demarcations exist.

But by and by demarcations start coming up. Then the head becomes the master, and the whole body is divided into parts.

We stop experiencing our body as a whole. We create roles for each part of our body, and then limit them in these roles. We forget to be total in anything.

In the martial arts tradition, students are told, Your whole body should become an eye! Just imagine! This is the kind of sensitivity that needs to be developed in the body! This is what is being total.

Totality is the way to live.

Your mind is always limiting you. Drop your mind and be total in whatever you do.

Then there will be no hangover in anything. Everything will become a joyful meditation. You will experience fulfillment in whatever you do.

When you miss the totality, you become fragmented. When you are total, you become integrated. Being integrated is your true nature. Remember that!

This is a 24X7 meditation!

Whatever you are doing, it naturally becomes your meditation for that moment.

When you are looking at something, look with your whole body.

Understand, you don't just see with the eyes. You can see with your whole body! When you are looking at something intensely, totally, your whole being flows towards that.

But we rarely enter into anything totally.

Now, be total and integrated in all your body movements.

When you are listening, listen with your whole body. Let a deep silence be created in your center. Let your listening happen from that center.

When you are laughing, feel the laughter rising from deep inside you. Let your whole body bubble with laughter!

Even when you are working, using only your hands, feel the movement in your whole body.

Experience your body as an integrated whole. Experience every pore of your skin looking, listening, laughing.

Don't think, how can I see with my skin?

There are many interesting incidents where blind people have taught their fingers to 'see' colours!

You don't realize, your body is an integrated intelligence!

You never use all the possibilities of your body.

When you are total, a new sensitivity flowers in your body. Your body responds as a whole to life. You begin to live completely with your body.

Not only that, you will find your body expressing abilities that you never imagined. Your body has a tremendous potential that you have never used. When you fulfill all the possibilities of your body, naturally you become ready to go beyond the body.

This technique is an excellent way to conserve and balance your energy flow.

We don't realize how much energy is continuously flowing out through each of our senses. Even when you simply look at an object, your energy automatically flows towards that object. Similarly with words. You can lose a lot of energy by speaking, or even listening to and trying to digest some information.

That is why pratyahara, withdrawal of the senses, is considered essential for meditators.

Actually, pratyahara does not mean withdrawal of the senses, it means withdrawal from the senses. Externally, you can allow your senses to function normally. But if you simply withdraw your mind from the process, if you don't allow your mind to chase the object, your energy doesn't flow towards it.

Not only external objects, even internal objects are also constantly consuming our energy. If you close your eyes, the outer scenes may cease and the energy may stop flowing out. But even then, inside you, some scenes will be moving and so the energy will continue to be wasted. As I always say, attention is energy. So whatever your mind is preoccupied with, externally or internally, it can simply suck all your energy.

Only if you can put a stop to both the inner and outer scenes can you experience enlightenment!

In this technique, we bring our awareness to the energy flowing out from our eyes. When we become aware of this, we can close the energy circuit and generate a powerful cycle of energy within us.

This techniques can help awaken the kundalinishakti, the tremendous potential energy which you carry within you. It is also a beautiful technique to develop sensitivity in the body.

Gently touch your eyelids with your forefingers, as lightly as a feather would.

You can use a real feather also, if you like. The feather should not bend when touching the eye. If it bends, it means you are applying too much pressure on the eyelids. Too much pressure will not work with this technique. You need to give just a feather-touch.

It is as if you are touching, but not touching. Your fingers are on the eyelids, but not pressing them. Your hands are on the eyelids, but not pressing them. Your hands may tremble at first and you may touch either too heavily or too lightly, or you may not be touching your eyelids at all. Balance your hands and create just the right pressure.

When you touch your eyelids in this way, you will see a strong energy connection getting established between your fingers and eyes. Slowly, you will feel that your fingers and hands have become a part of your eyes.

As of now, when you close your eyes, you feel that your boundary ends inside the eyelids. But with this feather touch, your eyes will feel like they have expanded! If the pressure you apply is just right, you will have this experience. You experience the same sensitivity outside your eyes that you normally feel inside.

Once you start practicing this technique intensely, you will see that the energy starts circulating inside you, instead of leaving you through your eyes as it normally does. An internal current is set up in your system, which rejuvenate your whole body.

It takes about half an hour at the first try to experience this internal energy circle. Within a month of daily practice, you will be able to effortlessly set up this cycle and balance your energies.

THE FLOWERING OF BODY INTELLIGENCE Working with your body

This technique can be practiced only when you are experiencing pain somewhere in the body.

All of us have to face pain at some time or the other. If you are experiencing pain at the moment, you can work on it. Even otherwise, learning the technique will equip you to face and handle any pain you may face in the future.

Here we use visualization to contact and heal pain.

We visualize the body as having become frozen.

When your body movements are stopped, your mind automatically stops. When your mind stops, your natural awareness rises. Your entire focus is on the pain. You are no longer involved in your pain, thinking about it, trying to escape it. You are out of all these games. You become a pure witnessing consciousness.

When you witness your pain without any judgment, just with pure awareness, you are sending a beam of energy to that spot.

Understand, attention is energy!

When you stop everything else and allow the pain to express, just witnessing it, you are sending healing energy to that spot. Healing takes place naturally.

Please close your eyes.

Sit in a very relaxed way. You don't have to sit straight. Just sit in a completely relaxed way. If you want to stretch out your legs, you can. If you want to lean on the wall, you can do that. Just make yourself completely comfortable, so that you will face the real pain or suffering. If you are physically uncomfortable, you will be facing the wrong or pseudo pain, some small pain like back pain or something! Only if your body is comfortable, will you face the real pain or the real suffering.

With your eyes closed, visualize your body as having frozen. You are completely frozen from head to toe.

Don't move. Stop every movement. Even if you feel like making a slight movement, don't do it. Tell yourself that you cannot move your limbs, because they have frozen.

Just be a frozen statue. No movement in the eyes. No movement in the hands, no movement in the legs, no movement even while breathing. Just stop, just freeze.

Only this one idea that you are frozen should be there inside you.

Do not allow, do not encourage and do not entertain any other idea. Remain in this position. No movements till you start feeling the deep

relaxation automatically happening inside.

Do not stop; do not interfere with this process. Be completely frozen.

Do not imagine or visualize any relaxation. Then again it will be a pseudo relaxation. You put your effort only into freezing yourself. Let the relaxation happen by itself. It will happen.

When you are feeling completely relaxed, you can open your eyes.

What is pain?

Pain is nothing but unawareness.

When 'you' are absent from a certain part of your body, your absence is experienced as pain, that's all. Whenever you don't pay attention to some part of your body, automatically your body demands your attention.

The solution for pain is simply giving your presence, your attention to that part of the body.

Understand, attention is energy. When you turn your attention on the pain, you are sending healing energies to that spot.

Even the pain you experience when you have an accident or hurt yourself is part of the healing process. When some part of your body is hurt, energy gushes from the nearest chakra - energy center) to the part that is hurt, and all other energy centers are disconnected. There is a sudden surge in the energy of that area. This sudden imbalance in energy is experienced as pain. It is nothing but the process of reconstruction – but you don't have the patience to let the healing happen. The moment you resist the process, you hinder it. Please do not interfere in the natural healing process of the body. All you need to do is to give your awareness to that part of your body.

THE FLOWERING OF BODY INTELLIGENCE

Working with your body

Lie down if possible, else sit in a comfortable position.

Close your eyes and keenly observe the part of the body where you are experiencing pain.

Even if you don't have any specific pain, you will be carrying some tension in the stomach. We usually carry a tense feeling in the manipuraka chakra, the navel region. Work on that.

In the beginning you will experience the pain as if spread over a large area (e.g. whole back, whole arm). With awareness, try to locate the center of the pain. As you focus, the area of pain will slowly reduce.

Because you are putting your awareness on that area, you will be sending energy also. Because of the energy surge, it will first seem as if the pain is intensified. The area is reduced to a point, but the intensity increases.

Don't stop at this point! Even if the pain becomes unbearable, keep focusing on it. When the body part has absorbed enough energy, the pain will start reducing. As you keep your awareness on the part, the pain will gradually dissolve and disappear. In its place, you will experience a deep easeness, a completely relaxed feeling.

In the earlier technique, you saw how pain can be dissolved simply by focusing your attention on it.

Here we go a step further.

In this technique, you understand experientially that there is no such thing as pain!

Actually, there is no definite sensation called pain!

It is our mind that labels one sensation as pain and another as pleasure.

Just try this experiment.

Close your eyes and concentrate on your tongue. Visualize yourself walking on your tongue!

As you walk, take a chili in one hand, a candy in the other. With total awareness, apply the chili to one side of your tongue and the candy to the other side.

You will see, your tongue will register both the sensations as the same!

Both chili and candy create the same sensation on your tongue. It is only you who labels one as hot and the other as sweet.

Before you name it, the experience itself is the same. It becomes pain or bliss only after you name it.

When you don't label the experience, it is called life. After you label it, it becomes pain or bliss. Let us drop our labels of pain or bliss and experience life as it is.

Close your eyes and sit comfortably. If possible, sit in a dark room or blindfold yourself. Focus intensely on the part of the body that has pain. As you focus, deliberately drop the word 'pain' from your mind.

Do not repeat the word pain, pain, pain in your mind as you usually do! Do not allow the word pain in your mind. Your mental chatter will continue to tell you that you have pain. Turn it off. Feel the area of pain deeply. Just look into it with an open mind, with the curiosity of a child. Look at your pain without any idea about it, as if it were a sensation you are encountering for the first time in your life!

Completely turn off any word that is arising in your mind. Understand, without using words, you will be unable to label the sensation in that area as 'pain'.

Suddenly, you will find that the very same sensation is now being experienced as bliss! When you infuse consciousness, the pain becomes a flood of bliss.

Only then do you understand that pain and bliss are one and the same – the difference is only in your perception.

With just a simple shift in perception, you can heal yourself of even chronic pains.

The moment you understand that you are creating the pain, you can liberate yourself from it.

This simple technique can revolutionize the way you feel about your body. Many of us carry an unconscious, deep dislike of our body. When you carry violence against your body, you unconsciously invite disease. You may not realize it, but many of your psychosomatic diseases like skin diseases, asthma, menstrual disorders in women and even chronic fatigue are born of a subtle condemnation of your body. Cancer is a direct result of a deep unconscious hatred of our body. We never feel the sacredness and purity in our body. We never feel that our body is a reflection of our very being – sweet and blissful. When we feel comfortable with our body, when we enjoy and love our body, naturally good health and healing happen to us.

Sit straight with your spine relaxed.

Just be completely comfortable in the posture.

Close your eyes gently. Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply. Continue for a few breaths.

Now, visualize your body as if filled with nectar! Enjoy the sweet feeling, as if your whole body is smiling. Feel as if your whole stomach is filled with nectar.

Let this nectar wash your limbs, fill the space inside your head. Taste it on your tongue, in your throat!

Visualize that your whole body, head to toe, is filled with nectar.

Enjoy this pleasant feeling.

Just be completely filled with nectar.

If you have pain or irritation in any part of the body, concentrate on it and feel the sweet nectar pouring into it. Gradually, you will feel a gentle explosion of bliss in your body – as if a ripe fruit has burst inside you, sending its sweet juice to every pore.

Your every pore will feel this sweet ecstasy! Feel the sweetness, the bliss in your body.

Your body has become pure sweetness, pure bliss.

This bliss is your true nature! Your body is just reflecting the bliss that is constantly happening inside you.

Experience your body with deep pleasure.

Now relax from your body, relax into the sweetness and experience the bliss within.

We never explore or utilize the tremendous potential that our body has.

We live in such a defined way that we never need to use all our body's resources.

For instance, even though we have five perfectly functioning senses, we really only use one!

We have become so dependent on our vision that we have practically forgotten to use our other four senses.

When you shut off the dominant sense, all the other sense functions come into play.

In this interesting technique, you will get in touch with all the 'hidden resources' that your body has!

This is a 'blindfolded' meditation.

You don't need to actually use a blindfold; even if you keep your eyes closed, it is enough.

Whenever you are in a familiar environment, like your home, try to move around with your eyes closed.

Just try it!

Even five or ten minutes at a time is enough.

Even if you bump into the furniture occasionally, it doesn't matter!

Try to absorb your environment without using your eyes.

When listening or smelling or tasting anything, do it intensely.

Can you tell if there is enough salt in the food, just by smelling it? It is possible! When you are speaking to someone, listen to their voice intonation rather than watching their face. You will be able to catch their actual meaning much better. When picking out clothes to wear, try to tell which is which, just by touching. You will be

surprised! Your fingers have already memorized the texture and feel of the clothes that you wear regularly.

Explore all the possibilities!

• Try writing in a straight line without looking.
• Try pouring water into a glass without looking.
• Keep on experimenting in whatever way you can.

Enjoy your strange new world!

In just a few days, you will find that all your other senses have been heightened. Not only your senses, but your physical coordination, your sense of direction and your general awareness will be much improved. Above all, you understand that your body has tremendous latent potential that you never imagined!

This is a simple way to raise your awareness in your daily living. It is a way to live your life in meditation.

Every activity that is performed without your awareness is a waste. Every moment that you are unaware of is a wasted moment. Every act, every moment that has your awareness is meditation. You will be surprised to know that even simple, day-to-day activities like eating and drinking can be turned into deep meditation!

We always use our senses in a superficial manner.

We use them as gateways to pleasure.

In reality, they can be gateways to deep awareness. Beneath each of the senses lies the center of our being, the seer who is seeing through the particular sense. All senses reach to this level although we are not aware of it.

When we become aware of this phenomenon, every sense-activity can be a way to fall deeper in. Everything we perceive, we start perceiving with deep awareness. We fall in tune with our very being.

When you start a meal, do it as if it is the first time you are tasting food in your life!

Normally we don't chew our food, we just throw the food into our body. We hardly taste the food.

Now whenever you eat, eat with awareness.

Be aware when you are picking up your food. Enjoy the feel of it in your mouth. Roll it on your tongue and taste it.

Taste your food completely. Become the taste. We never really taste our food, because our attention is somewhere else. When you really feel the sweetness of the food, you can feel it not only in the mouth but also in your entire body.

While drinking water, feel the fluidity, feel the coolness of the water as it goes down your throat and into your stomach. Close your eyes and drink it slowly, enjoying every sip. Feel the coolness intensely, not only in the mouth but also in the entire body.

When you eat with awareness, with respect, your food itself becomes amrut, the elixir of immortality. In Sanskrit there is a saying, Annam Brahma (Food is God). When you approach these simple activities with awareness and reverence, you will experience this truth.

If God were an engineer, he would have made us all with the same mold, like in a production line.

Fortunately, He is not an engineer. He is an artist!

He has created each one of us to be unique.

Each person is a masterpiece of god. That is why no two bodies look alike.

But you never feel that your body is good enough. You always focus on whatever is missing in your body!

We constantly compare ourselves with others and try to look like them.

Sometimes people who have a physical handicap are more grateful than those who have a perfect body. The handicapped person knows what it is to miss a body part, so he is automatically grateful to the other body parts. Your body can listen to you!

Every cell responds to your thoughts and feelings about it. When you feel gratitude towards your body, it responds by radiating well-being. When you ignore your body, it responds by shrinking with disease. When you pray intensely to your body, it responds to your prayers and requests. Its intelligence will activate its own healing.

This is to be practiced every morning, as soon as you wake up.

Without getting out of bed, without even opening your eyes, visualize your body. Visualize your body as clearly as you can. Next, touch each part of your body with deep love and gratitude.

One by one, touch your body parts with great love.

You never touch your body with love! Never think that your body can't feel your touch or your love.

No!

Your body is a conscious intelligence that is continuously responding to you.

Carry this deep attitude of gratitude with you throughout the day. In each of your daily activities, keep your awareness on the body part that is performing the activity.

When you are walking, silently thank your legs for carrying your load, for supporting you.

When you are working, eating, taking a bath, reading, be aware of how much your body is supporting you.

Keep with this feeling alive in you every moment, till you go to bed.

In just a few days, you will notice two wonderful things happening in you:

First, you will notice a new grace in your body.

Your body will start looking more beautiful, and radiating health and wellness.

Second, when you continuously watch your body, you gradually realize that the body is not you!

As of now, you are unhappy with your body because you think of your body as yourself. You feel the changes happening in your body as changes that are happening to you. That is why you struggle to keep your body young and beautiful and constant. You don't allow your body to change naturally, to age gracefully. When you know that you are apart from your body, you appreciate and enjoy your body without feeling dependent on it. You release yourself from your body, and release your body from you!

Sometimes, all your body needs is a little rest, a little pampering, a little attention from you. Rejuvenation techniques help to relax, refresh and recharge the body after a hard day. These techniques can heal physical and mental stress silently and effortlessly.

Attention is exclusive, awareness is inclusive. When you concentrate, immediately your body and mind fall into a state of tension. When you need to understand something with your mind, some amount of tension is necessary and even desirable. The problem is, we carry this tension even into our meditation!

To know whether you are in attention or in awareness, just watch your eyes. If your eyes are focused on one spot, if your forehead feels tense – you are concentrating. When you remain alert, but your eyes are de-focused, you are in awareness. The moment you diffuse the focus of your eyes, you experience a great relief. If you see the pictures of saints and realized beings, they always have a peaceful, faraway look in their eyes. Their eyes will never have that focused look that our eyes have. The reverse is also possible! Just by de-focusing the eyes, we can fall into the same space of peace.

Sit comfortably with your spine upright and your eyes closed.

Bring your arms up to your head.

Clasp your hands and let the palms rest lightly on your head.

Now, turn your eyes gently inward and fix your gaze in your armpits.

When you try to gaze at both armpits together, naturally your focus will become diffused.

Your gaze will take in the entire area between the two armpits – your heart region.

The instant your focus is diffused, you will experience a great peace, a great relaxation, as if your whole being is sighing with peace.

Let this peace pervade the region of your heart. Let your heart expand with peace.

Fall deeper and deeper into this peace.

Let your mind be absorbed in this peace.

Without even realizing it, you will enter the space of nomind.

Some postures can instantly put you in a state of relaxation or peace.

One such posture is the baby posture. It is the posture in which you lay in your

mother's womb.

It is the posture you used to sleep in when you were a baby.

Just falling into this posture can evoke powerful memories of peace and bliss.

Sit on the floor with your eyes closed.

Slowly bring your knees to your chest and raise them gently.

Gently rock forward and backward with your eyes closed. Don't allow yourself to fall asleep, just enjoy the rocking movement.

Now slowly, gently, fall to the floor on your side Curl up on the floor in the same posture. Just enjoy the absolute stillness, the peace. You are just a baby, so what problems can touch you? Just watch the things of the world with the total unconcern of a baby.

A few thoughts may rise and fall. Let them. They won't be able to stay long in this atmosphere of peace.

After a while, you will slowly dip into silence below mind. Enjoy this silence with peaceful awareness.

When you lie down to sleep, it normally takes at least 15 minutes for your body to relax totally. All the stress built up during the day has to be gradually released before you can fall asleep.

In this technique, you cooperate with your body by helping to release the stress.

Just through awareness, you can relax your body and prepare it to sleep better. Falling asleep in awareness is meditation.

Lie down on your bed and close your eyes.

Take your awareness to your feet. If you are feeling stress in your feet, start relaxing at that point. Do not move from that point until the tension disappears.

Move to your hands. Your hands are the index of your state of mind. If your hands are clenched, it means your mind is tense. Relax every finger, relax the palm, the back of the hand, and don't forget your wrists.

Slowly, move through your whole body, calming each part until you feel that total relaxation has come.

Step 2:

When the whole body is relaxed, when your whole body is at peace, move on to the mind. It will already be almost relaxed because the body is nothing but an extension of the mind.

Watch your thoughts as they come and go. Don't chase any thought, don't reject any thought. Just keep watching them.

Gradually, you will see that the stream of thoughts has slowed down.

Your mind is slowly becoming empty.

Continue to watch the mind till sleep overcomes you. Simply watch the mind till you fall asleep doing so.

If you fall asleep in meditation, you will wake up in meditation.

Why do you carry your body like an armor?

If you look closely, you will see that you are carrying your body like an armor, a defence against the world. We never release our body. We are so afraid to be vulnerable, to be open.

If you observe children, they are so light, so comfortable inside their body. They don't feel their body as a load. They don't have an idea of 'body' in their mind!

You feel the solidity, the load of your body because you are clinging to it.

It is not clinging to you, you are clinging to it! Not only are you carrying your body as an armor, you are feeding and nourishing this idea continuously.

When you become aware of this, you can simply drop the armor.

I don't mean that you should drop the body! Drop the idea you have of it in your mind. If you don't carry it as an armor, your body will disappear from your mind.

In the night when you go to sleep, when you take off your clothes, imagine that you are shedding your armor too. At least at night, you don't need to wear an armor!

Just imagine that you are not only shedding your clothes, you are shedding your armor too. Actually do it. Take it off.

Take a few deep breaths. Feel the weight of the armor falling away. Don't imagine that you don't have a body. Just experience your body as soft and vulnerable, not as an armor. Feel your body as a flower, as delicate as the body of a newborn baby.

Let your body fall gently on the bed, like a flower dropping on the grass. Go to sleep in this way, unarmored and free.

This is a simple method to flood your body with energy. You can practice it every morning.

Sunrise is the time when the amount of prana (life energy) in the air is at the maximum. Your body can directly absorb this energy from the sun.

If you look into the sky just after sunrise, you can see millions of golden 'worms' continuously swimming in the air at a tremendous speed. You can even see them with the naked eye. These are vitality globules. Just like the food you eat, prana is also food for your body vitality. It boosts your body immunity. When the prana level in your body is high, you can maintain vibrant health even without much food! When the prana level drops, your general vitality drops. This is the reason many people fall during the rainy season and winter, when the prana level is low.

This is also the reason that traditionally, yoga and meditation were always performed outdoors, at dawn. The energy flow in your body is always in a state of imbalance. Your breathing is always imbalanced. Either the left side of your body is receiving more oxygen, or the right side.

For just a few minutes, during sunrise and sunset, your breathing falls naturally into a balanced pattern. The energy flow in your body is perfectly balanced. This time is known as sandhya – the meetingpoint of day and night, light and darkness. When the outer balancing happens, a natural inner balancing also happens.

Normally you are not aware of these processes happening inside you. When you become aware, these few moments can become a natural meditation.

Rise before the sun does! Find a spot outdoors where you can get a clear view of the sunrise. If possible, find an open space where you can watch the sun come up over the horizon.

Watch the sky at dawn, before the sun rises on the horizon. When the sky is gaining color, watch with a deep silent alertness.

As the sun rises on the horizon, clearly feel that the sun inside you is also rising. When it has risen above the horizon, feel that the sun inside you has reached your navel.

As the sun comes up slowly, feel the inner sun also gaining intensity.

Feel your body flooded with the golden light. Feel the glow of the sunrise inside your head.

With your face to the sun, close your eyes for a few moments.

Feel as if your body is absorbing the prana through every pore. With every breath, the prana is entering and rejuvenating your body. Enjoy the living energy inside you. Slowly, turn your focus from the sunrise outside to the sunrise happening inside you. Enjoy the bright, silent feeling of the sun of Consciousness within.

Before knowing what yoga is, it is important to know what yoga is not! Yoga is neither a set of physical exercises, nor is it breath control. These are all part of yoga, but they are not yoga.

Traditionally, yoga means the union of the atma (the individual consciousness) with the paramatma (the divine or cosmic consciousness). But when we say 'union', it is like a product; something which can only be achieved at the end of your practices.

No!

Yoga is not a product; it is a process.

It is a continuous, vibrant, ecstatic process which never ends! Understand, even enlightenment cannot be called the final experience. It is the ultimate experience, but not the final experience. It is a continuous, 360 degree explosion of ecstasy in your being!

Yoga has a much vaster meaning than what we know today. Traditionally, any path that can take us deeper within is known as yoga.

Any process that helps us unite with the divine consciousness is yoga. Yoga is both the path and the goal.

Since ancient times, seekers have followed four different paths to the Divine, according to their individual nature and preferences: Jnana yoga – the path of wisdom Bhakti yoga – the path of devotion Karma yoga – the path of selfless action Raja yoga – the path of awareness

Understand, these four are not separate paths!

The seeker enters into spirituality through one of these four doors, but all lead to the same experience.

For example, the jnana yogi understands and then surrenders, the bhakti yogi surrenders and then understands, that's all!

The jnana yogi who experiences the Divine consciousness naturally surrenders to the experience, and the bhakti yogi who surrenders to the Divine ultimately realizes the Truth.

In Karma yoga, the seeker surrenders his actions to the Divine, becomes a witness of his own actions and ultimately realizes the Truth.

In Raja yoga, all these processes are united. The seeker, while working on his body, breath and mind, surrenders his spiritual practices to the Divine and strives for the experience of Truth.

Of these four paths, Raja yoga is the one which is popularly known as yoga today.

The Patanjali Yoga Sutras, delivered by the ancient enlightened master Patanjali, is a brilliant treatise on Raja Yoga, and is the source of modern yoga.

Patanjali's Raja yoga is also known as 'ashtanga yoga' Ashtanga means eight limbs or eight parts:

• Yama (ethics), Niyama (personal cleanliness) Asana (physical postures) Pranayama (breathing techniques) Pratyahara (integration – withdrawal from inner chatter) Dharana (concentration) Dhyana (contemplation) Samadhi (enlightenment) These eight steps are not like a sequence, to be practiced one after another and finally leading to the last step of Samadhi. Rather, they are eight limbs of yoga, to be practiced simultaneously. Each of them is directly linked to the experience of Samadhi.

Today, the most popular aspects of yoga are the physical postures (asana) and breathing techniques (pranayama). Asana and pranayama are practiced as a separate discipline, known as hatha yoga, which focuses mainly on culturing the body. But if you read the Patanjali yoga sutras, you will be surprised! In the very first sutra, Patanjali declares: 'yoga chitta vritti nirodhah' Yoga is cessation of mind. Understand, he does not even mention that yoga can be practiced for physical health. Directly he says, Yoga is cessation of mind. Yoga is not to be practiced just to be healthy or look good! Yoga is purely a science for enlightenment.

The truth is, when you work on your mind, when you go beyond mind, you will have physical health as well as a grace that is beyond beauty.

You may not work for it, but it will happen.

Both these will happen to you as a side effect, as a byproduct when you understand what is really meant by the word Yoga.

So you see, at the deepest level, there is no difference between yoga and meditation.

Any process that raises your consciousness and takes you into the experience of enlightenment can be called yoga or meditation.

As a young boy, I had the great fortune to be around a great yoga master called Yogiraj Yogananda Puri (Raghupathi Yogi). It was he who introduced me to the great science of yoga.

At the time when I started studying under him, he was already about 105 years old! But he had a perfectly fit body, and he was an adept in all dimensions of yoga. He had mastered the whole science of yoga.

Raghupati Yogi was well versed in the ancient scriptures on yoga, like Patanjali Yoga Sutras. Not only had he mastered the physical postures or hatha yoga, he had a deep understanding of the subtler aspects of yoga also - working with breath, working with the mind, working with visualization power, working with emotions. He also demonstrated many yogic powers like levitation.

Thanks to Raghupati Yogi, I had a deep insight into the core truths of yoga. I understood that without awareness, whatever yoga practices are followed, they are just kriya - physical movements. With awareness, even if physical movements are made, they become a tremendous meditation.

It was Raghupati Yogi who first made me aware of the power of intention.

He used to make me bend my body in all possible ways - you cannot imagine.

Not only that, he used to make me climb pillars the whole day! The temple where he used to teach me yoga had a beautiful hall with many stone pillars. Raghupati Yogi used to make me climb all the stone pillars, and that too using only one hand. I could never understand why he was making me do this, because in no book on yoga does it say that you are to climb any pillars!

So one day I asked him about it.

He told me a beautiful truth.

He said, with whatever intention you move your body, that memory, that purpose will be deeply recorded into your body and mind.

Understand, this was a very shocking revelation!

Whenever you bend the body with a particular intention, that idea, that samskara will start expressing in your body.

The exact posture, the method, the way in which you bend the body is not so important! It is the intention which matters. If your intention is to have good health, just move your body with that intention, and good health will simply happen to you!

Understand, he did not mean just yogic postures.

Any physical movement practiced with a particular intention will create that effect in your body! Even if you are just sitting, with a powerful intention to have good health, it's enough. You will see that good health is happening in you.

I asked him, how can this be?

I was expecting an intellectual explanation from him.

He said, that is the way it is!

After all, your body itself is made out of your memory.

Your idea of yourself, whatever you think of as you, actually makes up the building blocks of your body.

You are an expression of your own self hypnosis.

So when you move your body in any way with the faith that you will get a particular result, that change will simply start expressing in you.

Every memory is recorded in your muscles.

Your intention gets inserted into the very muscle memory and cellular intelligence.

So when you change the memories, you can change your system also. Your system can respond to the memory which you create.

Nowadays, especially in the west, there is too much of a connection between the different asana (postures) and various diseases.

Almost all the postures are being done for curing some disease or the other. Unconsciously, we link every posture to some disease or the other.

This is unfortunate, because the imprint of that thought gets inserted into our system.

On the other hand, there have been many recorded incidents where people have cured themselves of cancer or overcome tremendous physical handicaps by pushing their limits and going beyond what they thought was their capacity.

These things have happened through the power of intention, which can transform basic cellular memory.

Have you come across a book called 'The Biology of Belief '?

In this book, Dr Bruce Lipton, a cellular biologist who has presented a new theory on how cells behave.

We have all been taught that we behave the way our genes are designed. Dr Lipton, after his research, says the opposite - our genes are designed the way we behave! He says, 'We are what our perceptions are. As are our perceptions, so become our actions. As are our actions, so becomes our destiny.' Our traditional scientific treatises emphasize that whatever we think deeply and continuously has a profound effect on us physically, mentally and spiritually. This ancient truth is now being proven with the support of modern scientific findings. It has been found that a powerful intention can actually become physical reality itself.

Since we are now working with the body, we will focus on asana or the physical postures used in yoga as aids to meditation.

Asana literally means 'seat', the place where one sits.

In the context of yoga, asana refers to the various postures or positions of the body whose practice results in physical, mental and spiritual well-being. When practiced with awareness, yoga asanas can become a meditation in themselves.

Most of the asanas are based on a careful observation of the way different animals position and move their bodies. This is also evident from the names of many of the postures (eg. bhujangasana – snake position, ushtrasana – camel position, matsyasana – fish position, etc.) Therefore, according to Yoga philosophy, there are 8.4 million asanas of them (as many as are the kinds of living beings on the Earth). Of these, 84 asanas are considered to be the main postures.

The practice of asanas enhances health and awareness on all planes:

• Physical (improves blood circulation and health of inner organs, glands, muscles, joints and nervous system)
• Psychological (develops emotional balance, inner stability and harmony)
• Mental (improves memory and the ability to concentrate)
• Spiritual (purifies and clarifies consciousness/awareness)

The very first thing to do is shake off all the tension inside. A simple smile can make a big difference.

2. If your eyes are to be kept open, keep them wide, soft and always steady.

3. For sitting postures, keep your spine erect but relaxed. Your head, next and spine should fall in a straight line. Gently swaying your upper body back and forth and sideways will help you find your centre of gravity. This will naturally be the most comfortable and correct position.

4. When you are getting into a posture you need to maintain for a few minutes, be sure that your body feels balanced and comfortable. Once you are in the posture, don't move or fidget. If you are uncomfortable, come out of the posture and repeat it with more awareness.

5. Before you enter into any asana, take a moment to mentally visualize yourself in that particular asana.

Remember the power of intention!

Even if you can't physically do the posture perfectly, your visualization can be perfect, can't it? This can actually influence your body's ability to perform the posture better.

When you visualize the posture, you are awakening your body's muscle intelligence. When the body is prepared in this way, it will flow harmoniously into the posture.

6. In every movement, keep the bliss alive! Experience your body as a cloud of bliss. When you are moving, you are just bliss moving the bliss!

Mudra is the science of positioning the fingers to aid in concentration and awaken consciousness. These finger locks act as catalysts in meditation. According to mythology, Lord Shiva is said to have initiated the science of mudras.

In Sanskrit, the word mudra literally means 'seal'. It could also mean mud-ra (giver of joy?) because it gives the joy of heightened spiritual consciousness.

Mudras have primarily therapeutic effects, but they can be used to enhance awareness in meditation as well. They can act in different ways to close the internal energy circuit and release energy to different parts of the body. In fact, mudras act as the electric switchboard of the body! Not all mudras are finger-locks. Some of them could be facial gestures, or a combination of body postures, facial expressions and gestures of the hands. But

the word 'mudra' as used today usually refers to the finger locks only.

Mudras work at the physical, subtle and spiritual levels.

At the physical level, mudra meditation helps rejuvenate the body by harmonizing the various natural elements (panchabhoota) in the system.

The five elements that constitute the material universe are earth, water, fire, air and space. The human body is also composed of these five elements. The five fingers on our hand represent these five elements. The ring finger represents earth, the little finger represents water, the thumb represents fire, the index finger represents air and the middle finger represents space. Physical ailments are the results of the disturbance in the equilibrium of the five elemental forces of the body. This imbalance of the elements can be cured through the science of mudra.

The hands also carry a 'blueprint' of the entire body. The science of mudras works on the ancient understanding (which is today being proved by medical science) that all the body parts are in some way represented in our hands. That is why working with mudras can directly heal ailments in distant parts of the body.

At the subtle level, mudras can help in linking individual life force (prana) with the universal life-force, thus regulating the flow of energy through the nadis, which are the subtle energy networks of the body.

The five fingers also carry the energies of five chakras (subtle energy hubs that focus and channel the universal life-force into the body). So mudras can also be used to focus and balance the energies of the various chakras. Different mudras can be used to control breath flow, regulate emotions and influence the state of mind.

At the spiritual level, mudras can be a powerful aid in achieving elevated states of consciousness. Specific mudras help in awakening kundalini shakti, the cosmic energy which lies latent in each of us. When the kundalini is awakened, it opens the door to enlightenment.

There is a reason for this. If we lose our thumb, our other four fingers are as good as useless. Symbolically, this establishes the fact that if the divine energy were not present in our lives, then our lives are as good as not being lived!

Since mudras act in subtle ways to bring about powerful changes in body and mind, they must be always practiced with caution and under proper guidance.

Mudra can be practiced by itself for a maximum of 21 minutes, which is the time taken for one energy cycle in the body.

Mudras should never be overdone. When we are in tune with our bodies, we will know exactly when to come out of a mudra.

Working with your breath

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Breath is the bridge between your body and your mind.

When you change your breathing pattern, you can transform yourself

physically, mentally, emotionally. Your body creates a boundary between you and the world, while your breath flows freely in and out. Breath is your point of contact with the universe! Breath is the key to understanding your emotions and thoughts. When you infuse awareness into your breathing, it can become tremendous

Do you know how to breathe? Just hearing this question, people are shocked! All your life, since the moment you were born, the one thing that you have done without a break is breathing! Till the moment you die, the one thing you cannot put aside is breathing.

But you will be shocked to hear, 99% of us do not know how to breathe!

Understand: there are two types of actions in our body – voluntary and involuntary.

Voluntary action is action which is under our control – like walking, moving our limbs and soon. These kinds of actions always take place with our awareness and intention.

Involuntary actions are those which are not under our control – like digestion, brain function and the beating of the heart. Usually, we are not even aware of these actions.

But breathing is one activity which can be both voluntary and involuntary. Breathing can go on smoothly even if we are not aware of it. We don't stop breathing even when we focus our attention on something else. Imagine, if we had to continuously remember to breathe, what a calamity it would be!

At the same time, we can also control our breathing.

We can hold our breath for a few minutes, or control its duration. We can breathe deeply or shallowly, slowly or rapidly, as we wish.

Because breath is a powerful link between the body and mind, we can alter our breathing pattern to transform ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally. Our breath is closely linked to our body and its functions.

But while our physical body creates a boundary between us and the world around us, our breath flow freely in and out.

It is our point of contact with the universe.

It is also the key to understanding our emotions and thoughts.

When we infuse awareness into our breathing, it can become a tremendous meditation.

Right now, what we think of as breathing is not breathing.

We have reduced our breathing to a purely unconscious activity.

We don't know the science of right breathing. That is why I say, we don't know how to breathe!

All we are doing now is, we are simply letting breathing happen to us.

The whole science of working with breath is based on controlling and transforming our breathing pattern with awareness.

Your breathing is the movement of universal life-energy

In Sanskrit, the word we use for breath is prana (from the root prā , 'to fill'). Strictly speaking, prana is not breath.

It is the life-energy that is contained in the breath.

The air you breathe is just a vehicle in which the prana comes in and goes out of your body. When you inhale, the air comes in carrying prana, and when you exhale, the 'empty' air goes out .

We usually use the word prana in two ways: one, as prana-shakti or the universal life-force; two, as the vital force carried by the breath and performing various physiological functions in the body.

HARNESSING THE UNIVERSAL LIFE-FORCE

Based on the physiological function it performs in the body, prana is classified into five types: prana (respiration), apana (elimination), udana (meditation), samana (digestion) and vyana (circulation)

• Prana : Responsible for the beating of the heart and breathing. Prana enters the body through the breath and is sent to every cell through the circulatory system.
• Apana: Responsible for the elimination of waste products from the body through the lungs and excretory systems.
• Udana : Responsible for producing sounds through the vocal apparatus, as in speaking, singing, laughing, and crying. It also represents the conscious energy required to produce the vocal sounds corresponding to the intent of the being. Hence the prolonged focus (samyama) on udana gives the higher centers total control over the body.
• Samana : Responsible for the digestion of food and cell metabolism (ie. the repair and manufacture of new cells and growth). Samana also includes the heat regulating processes of the body. The aura that can be seen or experienced around the body is a projection of this current. With training, one can see the auras of light around every being.
• Vyana: Responsible for the expansion and contraction processes of the body, eg. the voluntary muscular system.

This life energy is universal. Your breathing is not just an internal process. The breath does not flow in an internal circuit as you think. It is a moment-to-moment exchange of energy with the universe.

Understand, if it wasn't for the universal life energy flowing through your body, you cannot be alive for more than a few minutes. Your very survival depends on the flow of the cosmic life-force through your body.

Do you know, our body has the capacity to take in prana directly from the cosmos? In Bharat, during the Kumbh Mela (the world's largest spiritual gathering), you can see yogis who bury themselves completely in the earth for three days. They know the technique to take in prana directly from the cosmos without the help of air.

As long as you take prana through air, you need to breathe through your nose. You need to inhale and exhale. But when you can take the prana directly without the help of air, you don't need to inhale or exhale through the nose. You don't need to breathe!

As long as the incoming breath is bringing in more prana and going out as an empty vehicle, your life will be strengthened. If the reverse starts happening, if the air comes with less prana and goes out with more prana, it means death is nearing or the life energy is going towards death. When death nears, just the empty air will enter but when it goes out, it will go with the prana.

There is a concept in Ayurveda (the traditional Hindu system of medicine) known as 'peak age,' which is based on this science of prana. Till a particular age, a person receives more prana through the incoming breath and loses less prana through the outgoing breath. After that age, the amount of prana carried into the body with the incoming breath starts reducing. When the outgoing breath starts carrying more prana than the incoming breath, we know the person is moving towards death.

That is the reason all the great Masters, such as Buddha, Sankara, Guru Nanak and Mahavira could predict their own death. Six months before their passing away, they were able to see very clearly the prana moving out of their body.

Your breathing is a powerful index of your emotional state.

When we learnt about samkaras, we saw that the breath layer is where all our desire engrams are stored.

That is why we can never decide to stop breathing, because breathing is a basic survival instinct. It is much more powerful than our will.

We are alive because of our very desire to be alive!

This is the most basic desire in all living beings. All other desires are just different expressions of this primal desire.

Because our breathing itself is an expression of this desire energy, there is a close relationship between our desires and our breathing.

People whose personalities are dominated by rajas (restlessness), will usually have a rapid and heavy breathing pattern. Restlessness itself is the result of a deep dissatisfaction with the present moment. Such people will be carrying a lot of desires in their breath layer, and this affects their breathing pattern.

Not only for different individuals, even for the same person, the breathing pattern varies according to to the mood of the moment.

You may have seen that whenever you are in the grip of a powerful desire like lust, your breathing changes visibly.

If you look closely, even emotions like anger, fear and anxiety are indirect expressions of desire. Anger arises when a desire has been thwarted, and fear arises when there is the possibility of a desire not being fulfilled.

To cope with situations which are stressful, physically or mentally, we need an additional supply of life-energy. That is why the breath starts flowing rapidly at such times.

As you are, so you breathe!

Naturally, the reverse is also true.

By consciously altering the prana flow in the body, we can heal ourselves physically and mentally.

Your breathing and your thoughts are very closely associated with one another. The number of thoughts you are having each second is directly related to the flow of prana in your system.

Please understand, along with the length, breadth and depth of the prana movement, the thoughts per second also increases or decreases. Breath is the fuel for the mind!

If the prana movement becomes slow, the number of thoughts also goes down. That is why, when you are tense about something, you are asked to take a few deep breaths. When your breath slows down, automatically your thought flow becomes smoother and clearer.

These things you must have observed yourself.

Your entire inner chatter, the flow of thoughts that goes on continuously in your mind, is purely the expression of prana or energy.

Usually the prana flow starts from your navel and moves upwards. By the time it comes to your anahata (heart) area, it becomes narrow, and when it reaches the vishuddhi (throat area), it becomes a thin shaft.

In the throat area, this energy shaft is known as vak, the energy of verbalization. This is where the prana is molded into words, and comes out as words.

If you are carrying worries and samskaras in the navel centre, the prana becomes an alloyed metal, it is not pure prana. Because of the samskara sediment in your navel region, the prana becomes an alloy; it is not pure gold. So the vak will be molded into 18 carat jewellery, not 24 carat jewellery! Your words will be carrying the impurity of your samskaras.

Are you able to understand?

The purity of your verbalization depends directly on your prana flow. If the energy is pure, you won't even radiate it as words, you will radiate it as silence; just a silence.

But the energy will be flowing out.

Breath and mind are simply two sides of the same coin; the same movement called by two names.

Do you know, your breath and your mind both move in a circular manner? When you inhale, air enters your inner space as the incoming breath. Then it takes a turn, and comes out as the outgoing breath.

At the point where the turn takes place, where the incoming breath becomes the outgoing breath, there is a neutral space.

At this point, both your breath and your mind stop for a second! Are you aware of this?

The difficulty is, you are afraid of losing your mind for that one moment! That is why you never keep your awareness in the zone where the prana takes a turn.

If you know how to drive, you can understand that whenever you shift gears, you have to first come to the neutral zone. In the same way, when the incoming breath takes a turn and becomes the outgoing breath, it has to pass through the neutral zone.

You are afraid of this neutral zone, because in this zone you are empty! Because you cannot experience mind in the neutral zone, you don't have any identity.

When you pass through the neutral zone, your breath stops for a moment. When your breath stops, your mind also stops - and when your mind stops, you also stop.

That is why you jump this space, why you do not want to look at this space. Every moment, this is happening to you again and again. Each time your incoming breath takes a turn to become the outgoing breath, or your outgoing breath takes a turn to become the incoming breath, there is a neutral zone. But you are afraid of both these neutral zones, because you don't want to lose your identity.

The biggest fear human beings have is the fear of losing identity. I tell you, even the fear of losing life is not as great a fear as the fear of losing identity. The fear of death itself is because you don't know how you will be after death. If you are clear in some way, you will not have fear. But you don't know what will happen to you, how you will be after you leave the body. It is the fear of losing your identity which is much worse than the fear of death itself.

You are so obsessed with your identity that you do not want to remain even for a moment, a kshana, without your identity.

Constantly, you are protecting your identity.

You don't realize, your identity is completely social! It is just comparative reality, not existential reality. Whatever you think of as your identity: your name, your gender, your money and whatever else - it is just societal, and suicidal!

The big problem is you are afraid of existential reality, and you are trying to protect your comparative reality. But you think you are protecting something which 'is'. You don't know you are trying to protect something which has no basic existence.

It is really funny actually! You are trying to protect that which is not against that which is!

That which is your reality is that neutral space, that gap.

In the neutral zone, the inner space or consciousness is the reality.

It is the truth; it exists in you every moment. When you are in that neutral space, you are in the space of consciousness.

But you never want to experience that zone, because surrendering your identity means death. Just by hearing the word surrender, people get frightened!

See, all your identity is nothing but your mind. When your mind stops, what you experience the zone of consciousness.

But you never stop in this gap. You don't want it in your life. Constantly, you are trying to avoid God; constantly, you are trying to escape from God; constantly, you are trying to escape from consciousness.

Each breath opens a door for you to enter into the space of pure consciousness, into existential reality, into your reality.

When you become comfortable with the neutral zone, you are getting ready to go beyond mind and enter that space.

The more you feel comfortable, the more you feel protected, the more you feel secure in the neutral zone, the more you will start experiencing and enjoying the neutral zone. When you start enjoying the neutral zone, the more you will remain in the space of consciousness.

Every day, you are passing through three states of consciousness or avastha traya – the states of waking, dream and deep sleep. A simple understanding of the movement of prana in the three states can give you a tremendous understanding of what you call life and death.

You may be thinking, why should I worry now about what happens to my prana at the time of death?

Don't think that death is something that happens to you at the end of your life! As you become more aware of the subtle movements of prana in your system, you understand that life and death are daily processes happening in you. Your daily activities of sleep and waking are actually a daily process of death and rebirth.

When you are in the waking state, your prana moves, functions, and stays in the area of the ajna chakra (the subtle energy center between your eyebrows).

When you are in the dream state, it moves in the area of your neck, around the vishuddhi chakra. When you are in deep sleep, it moves around the anahata chakra or heart center.

That is why you can never fall asleep if your head is erect. You cannot fall asleep unless you relax your head, unless you allow the prana movement to move from the forehead to the heart region.

Even if you are lying down, if you keep your head straight and tense, you will never be able to fall asleep. That is why, when your brain is constantly active, when you have a lot of thoughts, you will have trouble falling asleep.

The moment you start moving towards the dream state, the prana starts moving from the ajna towards the vishuddhi. The more you move towards the deep sleep state, it moves towards the anahata, the heart center.

It is the same in the case of life and death as well. The more you are alive and energetic, the more the prana accumulates and gets centered in the forehead. When the incoming breath is bringing more prana and the outgoing breath is empty, your prana will be centered in the forehead. If the incoming breath is bringing less prana and the outgoing breath is taking more prana, slowly the prana will slip into the throat center. If the incoming breath is not bringing prana at all and only the outgoing breath is taking the prana, you will fall completely into the heart center. Actually, falling from life to death, and falling from the waking state to the deep sleep state, are both directly related to prana movement. If the prana movements of inhalation and exhalation are handled properly, you can handle dream and deep sleep, as well as life and death. Dream and sleep, life and death can all be handled by this single key, this single thread called prana.

Understand: whatever I am saying is not only going to help you at the end of your life, it can help you in every moment of your life!

If you can remain aware when the prana falls into the heart center every time you go to sleep, you can stop, alter and manage your dreams and deep sleep.

The dream state is nothing but the state of low prana. If you can be aware at that time, naturally you will be able to control your dreams. Not only will you be able to control your dreams, you can bring yourself up in energy at any moment.

You can use this understanding to heal yourself of illness. When you fall sick, the prana will start traveling towards anahata. So even before you start feeling the other symptoms of sickness, you know you are falling sick. By bringing the prana back to the ajna, you can heal yourself.

Whenever you are aware of the low prana, you can increase the percentage of prana in your body. The simple awareness that the prana is becoming low is enough to bring more prana into your body! It is the ultimate technique to heal your body and rejuvenate your body.

Not only that, at the end of your life you will be able to change your life and death. When you are dying, relaxing from the body, when the prana falls to the lower level, you can stop it and bring it up. If you want, you can bring in death a little early. If you want, you can postpone it. You can play in whichever way you want!

When you Master prana, you understand that death as you imagine doesn't exist. You will have the freedom to choose your death, to predict it, to postpone it. You will know the art of living and dying. This is the ultimate gift you can receive from any spiritual technique.

When you deeply understand the working of prana, you will have the clarity not only to handle your own states of waking and sleep, but to understand and handle the external reality as well.

When you start experiencing the subtle movements of prana, you make a shocking discovery: prana is responsible for creating the world as you see it!

Prana is the energy of desire, and it is desire which creates and sustains your world. Not only your waking world, your dream world too is created by prana. After all, your dreams are only expressions of your own desires. Even your nightmares are made of prana, because fear is nothing but negative desire. When you have a desire which might not be fulfilled, you experience fear.

So it is prana that creates both your reality and your dreams!

Whatever you call reality and whatever you call dream are both made of prana. This is what Sankara means when he says this entire world is maya, an illusion. Each individual manufactures his private world, his 'reality', according to his conscious and unconscious desires.

Not only your dreams, even your waking world is a pure illusion.

Now your mind will ask, 'If even my waking world is a dream, why should I act? Why should I do anything?' Why should you not act? If you are dreaming, why should you not do anything? Understand, you ask this question because you take action too seriously! You relate your action with something you need to attain. You become attached to

an action because of the result you expect from it.

Be very clear: when you act out of the deep understanding that there is nothing to gain or lose in action, your actions will arise from a center of pure energy inside you.

Because of this, suddenly you will have the tremendous energy needed to direct both your life and your dreams.

Not only that, you will be totally relaxed and in control, even when you are in action.

As of now, you are just a victim of life. You can't even control your own dreams! Can you dream what you want? You can't! You can't control a single incident in your dream. As of now, either you go through the whole dream or you can try to get out of it by waking up. You can't control the dream itself.

If you can bring more awareness to the dream state, the awareness in the waking state will also increase. When the awareness in the living state increases, naturally you will be able to control death.

The person who is aware in his dreams will simply stop dreaming. The person who is aware in his deep sleep will simply stop the cycle of birth and death. He will not take one more body.

When I use the word 'death', I don't mean that you will commit suicide!

When I say that when you become aware of life, you enter into death, it does not mean that you will commit suicide. What I mean is, you will stop living in the normal way. You will stop living with an identity. You will be reborn.

That is why enlightened Masters are called dead people!

Actually, enlightened people are already dead, as far as the world is concerned. Because they no longer carry an identity, they are not alive in the way you understand. Their life cannot be called 'life' anymore. If at all you want to use some term to describe their life, the only term you can use is 'death'! They are not alive as you think.

Life is like a game or a drama to them. It cannot penetrate them and disturb their inner space.

Watching the breath is a powerful and effective meditation. It has led more people to enlightenment than any other meditation. Watching the breath tremendously increases awareness. As awareness increases, inner awakening happens, and bliss follows.

Understand, your breath is entwined with your mind. Your mind is nothing but a constant movement between the past and the future. Your breath holds the key to drop your mind and enter into higher planes of Consciousness. It holds the key to enter into a space of pure awareness, where the mind is no more and only the Being exists.

As you watch your breath, you realize the constant movement of life and death in you. Every inhalation is life, every exhalation is death!

And you deeply understand one more thing: in the gap between the two, in the neutral space where neither life or death exists, still you exist, YOU ARE!

You experience yourself as the silent space that is beyond the inwardmoving breath and the outward-moving breath. You are the pure consciousness that is beyond both, your inner-world identity and your outer-world identity.

Once you have experienced yourself as pure consciousness, even when you are using your identity, you are free of it! When you know you can fly out if it anytime you want, your identity is no longer a trap, it is just a swing on which you can swing whenever you want. Whenever you want, you can play with your identity. Whenever you feel like it, you can simply drop it and fly.

When you watch your breath with total awareness, it can become a key to liberate you from your very identity!

Prana moves through every part of our body. Every cell is infused with prana.

Normally, we only experience prana when it enters our nostrils through the breath.

We feel that we can breathe only through our nose and mouth.

Now, we are going to experience prana moving in every pore of our body! We are going to breathe through every part of our body.

HARNESSING THE UNIVERSAL LIFE-FORCE Working with your breath

Close your eyes and sit in a relaxed way.

Sit very still and feel the slight tingling sensations happening inside you. This is the movement of prana through your body. You will experience it like a very mild energy current circulating inside.

Feel every part of your body filled with prana.

Now, visualize every part of your body inhaling and exhaling. Actually, this is not just visualization. Your body is capable of absorbing prana from the atmosphere. It is just that you are not aware of it.

One by one, feel each of your limbs breathing deeply. Experience this breathing in your prana, hands, your legs, your upper body. Enjoy this energy flow!

Feel the movement of prana in your face. Let your eyes breathe in prana, let your whole face inhale and radiate . Infuse pranic energy into each part of your body.

Let every pore of your skin breathe deeply.

Slowly, you will feel yourself enveloped in a cloud of powerful vital energy that continuously energizes and protects you.

This technique can energize you, as well as give you deep relaxation. Your body begins to glow with new life, and you will radiate peace.

This technique is a quick way to energize your pranic layer. A healthy pranic layer not only enhances your general vitality, it also boosts your immunity to disease.

Close your eyes.

Sit in vajrasana with your eyes closed.

If you cannot sit in vajrasana, simply sit upright on the floor or in a chair.

Inhale through the mouth slowly and deeply.

Swallow the air. Feel that you are digesting the prana present in the air.

You will feel an intense coolness in your being.

Exhale normally, through your nose.

Repeat the process, inhaling through the mouth and exhaling through the nose.

When you swallow your inhaling breath, automatically, your exhaling breath will come through your nose.

This technique can refresh and energize you in just a few minutes.

The same energy which manifested itself as the cosmic explosion constantly keeps exploding and manifesting within your body. Merge your awareness with the meeting point of inhaling and exhaling breaths, the confluence of the powerful and the powerless.

When the inhaled air goes out, it will be full of energy, and your awareness as a whole will vibrate. One can touch and feel life energy. The place where the exhaled air returns will be totally vacant. One can touch and feel death. When the inhaled air comes in, one can touch and feel life directly.

When the exhaled air returns one can touch death. If we merge our awareness with both these meeting points, we can experience within ourselves both the cosmic explosion and cosmic dissolution. The moment you experience the cosmic explosion and cosmic dissolution happening within you, you transform yourself as the universal energy.

Sit in a completely relaxed position. Let your body be completely relaxed.

Step 1: Duration: 5 minutes

Start observing your breath. Start witnessing your breath. Do not increase the length of your breathing. Just witness your normal inhaling and exhaling.

Step 2: Duration: 5 minutes

Next, observe only the breath that goes in. Do not bother about the outgoing breath. Witness only the breath going in.

Step 3: Duration: 5 minutes

Now witness only the outgoing breath, not bothering about the incoming breath. Witness with your full awareness only the outgoing breath.

Step 4: Duration: 5 minutes

Now leave everything else and start witnessing only the gap between the incoming and outgoing breath. Be aware of your breath taking the turn. Be aware only of the gap between the incoming breath and outgoing breath.

Step 5: Duration: 5 minutes

Now be aware of the incoming breath, the gap and the outgoing breath. Be aware of all three. Feel that your whole body is rejuvenated and alive. You are in a silence that is alive and energizing. You are vibrating with high energy.

Step 6: Duration: 5 minutes

Now witness the gap between the incoming breath and outgoing breath. Be aware only of the gap. You may feel you are not breathing at all, witness that feeling also. Step 7: Duration: 5 minutes

Close your eyes and relax. Do not meditate. Just relax. Do not think actively of anything. Just let your mind settle down.

Relax and come out of the high-energy zone slowly. At the end of the five minutes, open your eyes very slowly.

In this meditation, we focus on the neutral zone in breathing. The neutral zone is the gap between two breaths. This gap is the space of pure Consciousness. There are two neutral zones. When the incoming breath takes a turn inside your body to become the outgoing breath, that is one neutral zone. When the outgoing breath takes a turn outside your body to become the next incoming breath, that is the other neutral zone. These neutral zones are the space of great potential.

In these neutral zones, life takes a turn to become death, and death takes a turn to become life! The neutral zone is the silent space between life and death. In this zone, you experience yourself as the consciousness that is beyond life and death.

Your incoming breath is life. Your every incoming breath floods you with life-energy.

Sometimes, even a single desire can bring life to you. For example, on a weekend, you may be sleeping late. You don't feel like getting out of bed. But suddenly, you may remember some friend whom you wanted to see. This single thought can bring your whole body alive. You will jump out of bed and be ready to run.

This life-energy is coming to you in the gap between the incoming and outgoing breath.

When you inhale, your body is infused with life energy. Before you exhale, in the gap between inhaling and exhaling, your whole system is vibrating with life. Whenever you are flooded with energy, be aware that it is happening in this neutral zone.

In the same way, your outgoing breath is death. Your every outgoing breath brings you greater intelligence.

Understand, whenever something is taken away from you and you reconcile yourself to it, you are flooded with intelligence. If you lose something, immediately you are given some message, some understanding about life, and that adds to your intelligence.

This intelligence is coming to you in the gap between the outgoing and incoming breath.

When your breath leaves the body, in the gap before it takes the turn and returns to your body – in this space, you are flooded with intelligence. Whenever you are flooded with intelligence, be aware that it is happening in this neutral zone.

Every moment, you have both energy and intelligence.You are functioning as both energy and intelligence.

At one moment, you are flooded with icchashakti, the power of desire. The next moment you are flooded with kriya shakti, the power of action. One moment you are flooded with energy, the next moment you are flooded with intelligence. If you can be aware of the gap, you will achieve jnana shakti or the power of wisdom.

The whole binary system is based on this constant flux – the duality of intelligence and energy, energy and intelligence: zero-one, one-zero! Constantly, in your inner space, matter and energy are dancing. The power of desire and the power of action are both dancing in your inner space. Not only inside you, but in the entire cosmos, this dance is happening.

This is what we call the cosmic dance of Shiva (intelligence) and Shakti (energy). The whole movement of the cosmos is nothing but this dance. This grand cosmic dance is what you experience so intimately, in every breath! The Divine is constantly enjoying itself, expressing itself in your inner space. If you can be aware in the neutral zones, you will experience this eternal consciousness.

Sit straight, preferably on the ground. Close your eyes. Inhale and exhale as slowly as possible, as deeply as possible.

Step 1: Duration: 3 minutes Slowly, very slowly, put your attention only on the incoming breath. Be aware of the incoming breath.

Step 2: Duration: 3 minutes Now slowly, put your attention only on the outgoing breath.

Now forget about the incoming breath and the outgoing breath. Slowly, very slowly, put your attention between the two breaths. Just be aware of the gap, the neutral space between the breaths. Keep your attention on the gap between breaths.

When the incoming breath becomes the outgoing breath, in the neutral zone, become aware. This is the time when you are flooded with energy.

When the outgoing breath takes a turn and becomes the incoming breath, again be aware of the gap. This is the time when you are flooded with intelligence.

In the neutral zones, you are being constantly flooded with energy and intelligence.

Continuously be aware of both these zones.

The whole day, let your awareness stay in these two spaces.

When you watch both the gaps of your breath, when you are aware of both the gaps, you will be constantly flooded with energy and intelligence.

When your awareness rests undisturbed in the gaps, you rest in eternal consciousness.

You are neither the mind nor the body; you are pure Consciousness. When you understand, you can play the game of life centered within. You are silent even in the middle of the movement of life. You witness the drama of life and flow with it joyfully.

In this technique, you learn to keep your awareness on the neutral space even when your body is engaged in other activities. Normally, it is difficult to watch the breath when the body is moving. Your attention will naturally be on the moving part. Once you get the knack of doing this during meditation, you can effortlessly extend your practice into the rest of the day.

Step 1: Duration: 9 minutes

As in the previous technique, watch your breath – the incoming breath becoming the outgoing breath or the outgoing breath taking the turn into the incoming breath.

Become aware of the neutral space, the space where the breath takes the turn.

Keep your attention between the two breaths. Relax in the neutral space.

While you are in the neutral space, in this consciousness, try to move either hand. While moving the hand, if you feel you have come out of that neutral space awareness, bring yourself back to the neutral space. Come back to the neutral space and move the hand again

Being in the same neutral space, without losing it, try to stand up. If you feel you are losing the neutral space, sit down. Come back to the neutral space again. Now, without losing the awareness of the gap, try to stand up. Let your eyes remain closed. Once you stand up, continue to be aware of the gap between the breaths. Let your attention be between the two breaths, in that neutral space. Be where there is no mind.

Keep your attention between the two breaths. Be aware of the neutral space. Without losing the awareness, try to move both hands very slowly. The important thing is to not lose the awareness of the gap.

Relax. Be centered between the two breaths. Be completely at ease in the neutral space. Be aware of the gap. Without losing the awareness, slowly move your head. The important thing is to not lose the awareness. If you feel you have lost the awareness, bring it back and then move the head.

Without losing the awareness, being totally centered between the two breaths, in the neutral space, try to move your feet. Be aware. Do not lose the neutral space. Be completely centered on the neutral space. If you feel you have lost the awareness, come back. Slow down. Center yourself in the neutral space. Let your attention be between the two breaths. Then, try to move your feet again.

Without losing the awareness, slowly, very slowly, try to open your eyes. If you feel what you are seeing takes away your awareness, close your eyes and again center yourself in that awareness. Very slowly, be in that same awareness, in that same neutral space, and again try to open your eyes. If you feel you are losing your awareness, close your eyes and bring back the awareness. Center yourself in the awareness. Keep your attention between the two breaths. Keep your attention on the neutral space.

Be in that same awareness and try to sit, wherever you are. If you feel you are losing the awareness, then wait, and center yourself in the awareness. Keep your attention between the two breaths and try again to sit without losing the awareness.

Carry this awareness with you the whole day. Let your awareness rest in this space. Remain in this experience of divine consciousness.

This technique is a variant of the earlier technique - awareness of the neutral space between breaths.

Here we use the moment to reconnect to our own deepest being, and to rediscover the deep connection between ourselves and the whole of Existence.

This technique will appeal more to emotional people. It is to be done with a feeling of deep devotion. Any person for whom you feel a deep devotion can become a bridge for you to touch the Divine.

Understand, when we connect to the Existential energy through gnana (awareness), we experience universal Consciousness. When we connect to the same energy through bhakti (devotion), we experience God within and without.

You may feel deep devotion to someone, you may feel deeply connected to someone in your life like god, Master, parent, friend, teacher, a leader who inspired you, a person who contributed something memorable to your life. You can remember more than one person as well, even two or three people who mean a lot to you like your lovely mother, your radiant Master, your favorite god or your beloved friend.

Close your eyes and sit in a relaxed way with your spine erect.

Remember any person who creates a deep devotional feeling in you. Remember any person to whom you feel deeply connected, who is an inspiration for you, to whom you turn whenever you want to spiritually rejuvenate yourself.

It could be your parents, your teacher, your Guru or your favorite deity - anyone.

Remember the transformation they have created in your life. Feel deeply connected to them with your whole being. Allow your whole being to melt with devotion.

In this mood of deep devotion, become aware of the gaps between the incoming breath and the outgoing breath. Between every incoming and outgoing breath, experience the Divine shining through.

Remaining in this mood of devotion, turn your attention within. From the Divine outside, turn inwards to the Divine within.

Understand, you are the very divinity that you wish to experience!

When you experience God, what you are experiencing is your own true nature.

This one understanding can transform all your base emotions into pure love. With the flowering of devotion, you experience the Divine in yourself and in all.

Whether you believe it or not, whether you accept it or not, you are a wave in the ocean that is the cosmos. If you internalize this concept, then your actions become a spontaneous part of the rising and falling waves, part of the cosmic leela, divine play. Then you don't feel you are separate, you are just playing the role that is meant for you. Naturally, your actions become pure and spontaneous, without the play of your emotions in them.

DURATION: 21 minutes

Step 1:

Close your eyes and sit in a relaxed way. Feel your whole being as a wave in the cosmic ocean. You always experience yourself as solid. You experience your boundary so strongly. Now, experience yourself as fluid, as a flowing energy. You are just a wave in a vast ocean. Meditate on this and allow this feeling to go deep inside you.

Step 2:

Now, become aware of the breath flowing in and out of your body. Start feeling your breathing as a rising of a wave. Your breathing is just a wave in the ocean of energy, the ocean of life.

While breathing, feel as if the ocean is breathing in you. The ocean is entering into you and then going out again.

With every breath coming in, feel a wave rising, and with every breath going out, feel a wave dying.

This is the truth!

With every breath, you are living and dying.

But when the wave is rising, when it reaches the peak, and when it subsides and returns to the ocean – at all times, the wave is nothing but the ocean. At all times, you are nothing but the play of the universal consciousness!

When you enter intensely into this understanding, it can create lasting peace and centeredness inside you.

Part 5: Meditation Is for You_English_part_5.md

This technique is an experiential way to understand that a simple awareness of prana flow can be used to alter the incidents of your life.

As of now, you are just a victim of life. You can't handle anything. You can't even stop a small sneeze. You can't stop anything, not only in the waking state, but even in the dream state. Things just happen to you, that's all. At the most, you can have the illusion that you are doing things.

If you can be aware in the dream state, you will have true freedom and your consciousness will become more expanded. Above all, when you are able to change your dream, when you are able to handle your dream, you will have intense power and energy to handle the incidents of your life.

When you lie down to sleep, before falling asleep, just remember the area near the ajna chakra* or the third eye, the center of the forehead.

Do not concentrate. If you force yourself, if you start concentrating, your sleep will be disturbed and you will have a headache. Just be aware of that area in a relaxed way, the way you look at a flower, just casually.

Slowly, you will see that you are relaxing, you are slowly dropping into the deep sleep

state. Just be aware of this movement into deep sleep, that is enough. The first day, you may feel that you are not falling asleep at all and that your sleep is getting delayed by ten or fifteen minutes. Don't bother about it. Just be aware of the prana movement in the ajna chakra. Gradually, you will be aware that you are dreaming. If you want to continue the dream, you can continue it. If you don't feel like it, you can come out of it. But you will not have nightmares. There will be no intensity in the dream.

As of now, your dreams can shake not only your mind, but even your body. If you have

a nightmare and wake up suddenly, you will see that your heart is beating fast and your pulse rate is high. Your body will feel the impact of the dream. This won't happen when you are aware that you are dreaming. This is the first effect of this meditation.

The next thing is, you will start having dreamless sleep. That is the deeper level. Once you start having dreamless sleep, you will also start having a dreamless day! Dreamless day means your energy will be conserved without day-dreaming. You will be living with reality rather than fantasy! When you fall in tune with reality, naturally your actions will be spontaneous, your decisions will be more effective. You start living in a conflict-free way.

This technique combines the awareness of prana flow in the dream state with the awareness of the flow of life in the waking state. By working simultaneously on the dream state and the waking state, this technique helps you go beyond both into pure witnessing consciousness.

The technique has two parts: one that you do when you fall asleep when you are lying in the bed, and the second one that you do whenever you can remember during the whole day. The first one will create more energy to do the second part and vice versa. They are complementary to each other.

DURATION: Not applicable

Part 1:

When you lie down to sleep, decide to become aware of the moment of falling into sleep.

Bring your awareness gently to your brow center, to your third eye. Be aware of the prana movement. If you are aware of the third eye, that is enough, because your prana is there.

Now just be aware that your consciousness is getting diffused, that you are disappearing into the darkness, into deep sleep.

Part 2:

Next, the whole day, whenever you can, remember and think this whole life is maya*. Remember that you are just dreaming, even when you are awake. Just try to think again and again, 'Whatever I am seeing is just a dream.'

Immediately then you will wonder, 'How can I think that? It is not a fact. This world is a reality.'

Do not look at this logically. Do not bother whether it is fact or not. Please be very clear, fact and truth are two different things.

When I say that the whole world is a dream, it may not be a fact according to you .

Understand, the scale of logic which you are carrying to measure whether something is a fact or not, is itself not a fact.

So, you may not understand whether what I am saying is a fact or not.

DURATION: Not applicable

Part 2: (continuation)

Actually, it is a deeper level truth. Once you practice technique for a few days, you will understand the truth behind these words.

You will see that your idea of the reality of this world gets diffused. Slowly, you will start seeing the screen on which this whole dream is played. Your intelligence will be awakened. You will be awakened to the truth that the whole thing is your projection! When you start seeing the screen in waking life, you will become aware of the screen in your dream state. The screen on which you project this whole dream is what I call prana or consciousness.

The next question that the mind will ask is, 'If I am dreaming, why should I continue doing anything at all?'

Understand, it is because you take yourself so seriously that you have so many preferences, so many dos and don'ts in life. If the whole thing is anyway a dream, then what is important and what is not important? Will you fight and struggle with a dream? When you realize this, you will simply relax and let life happen choicelessly. You will be in the flow of life.

Symbolic representation of the Yogic 'Nadi' model

Pranayama is the limb of Patanjali's ashtanga yoga that focuses on controlled breathing practiced with awareness.

The word pranayama consists of two parts – prana (life-force) and aayama (to stretch or to control).

Prana flows through your body through a network of fine subtle energy channels called nadis. Nadis are not nerves but rather channels for the flow of consciousness. (The literal meaning of nadi is 'flow'.) According to tantra there are 72,000 nadis in your body, through which prana flows like an electric current from one point to another.

The three main nadis are Ida (left channel), Pingala (right channel) and the Sushumna (the central channel). They correspond to the sympathetic, parasympathetic and central nervous systems. Ida is the lunar nadi (passive or introverted), and corresponds to the left side of the body and the right hemisphere of the brain. Pingala is the solar nadi (active or extroverted), and corresponds to the right side of the body and the left hemisphere of the brain.

Pranayama aims at the purification and development of these two energy currents, resulting in the awakening of kundalini shakti (the tremendous universal life-force which lies latent in our bodies). When the kundalini awakens, it is guided into the central Sushumna channel, and both these powerful energy currents are balanced. The awakening of kundalini energy results in the awakening of divine consciousness or wisdom in us.

Pranayama is not just an aid to meditation. When you do it with complete awareness, your very breathing can become a powerful meditation. Today, pranayama is often confused with deep breathing techniques which are used to increase vitality, calm the nervous system and for general well-being.

Pranayama also includes introductory cleansing techniques that serve these purposes, but these are not real pranayama.

In real pranayama, the focus is not on breathing, but on witnessing the breath. More than the specific technique itself, it is the awareness that is important!

When you practice pranayama, you become aware of the deep connection between your breath, your emotions and your mind.

When you focus on your breath, you bring your mind naturally into the state of pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), and the process of looking inward begins.

Prana is an energy or subtle vibration that cannot be contacted directly by the senses. Even when you breathe, you are actually contacting only the air which is carrying the prana.

When the same vibration is expressed at a slightly grosser level, it is known as sound.

In the eastern culture, we believe that the whole material universe has been generated by the power of sound. According to the Hindu view of creation, it was sound and not light that appeared first. This sound is called nada brahman or the celestial sound.

The ancient Vedic rishis believed that the brahmanda or universe happened as a result of bindu visphota or an atomic explosion that produced infinite waves of sound vibrations. Eventually, these vibrations precipitated into forms, 'settled down' and became the material universe.

So the material universe is only a gross expression of these subtle vibrations. The whole of creation is nothing but vibrations at various frequencies and amplitudes, which has given rise to the phenomena of the world.

Sound is a grosser expression of prana movement. That is why you are able to contact it with the senses. The point where prana (energy) becomes nada (sound vibration) is very subtle. The most subtle sound is an almost inaudible vibration.

The universal prana itself is continuously being expressed as a subtle sound vibration which fills the cosmos. Understand: the whole cosmos is resonating with this imperceptible humming sound!

This sound is called anahata (unstruck sound), because it is a spontaneous, uncaused vibration. It is also known as the primary varna (letter), because this vibration is the source of all the letters or syllables which are the units of audible speech. All sounds lie latent in this one sound, and arise from it.

If this nada (sound) cannot be articulated, how can we know it?

We know it because this nada expresses itself in the breath of every living creature!

Just listen deeply to the sound of your own breathing.

You will see that the breath is inhaled with the very subtle sound 'ha' and exhaled with the sound 'sah'. This is the first and most natural mantra, which every living being is repeating with every breath. Each human being is repeating this mantra a day! Because it combines the sounds 'ha' and 'sah', it is known as the hamsah mantra.

Our ancient rishis had deeply studied and Mastered the science of sound.

They knew how to harness the tremendous power of sound!

Out of many thousands of years of research, they have formulated millions of mantras to invoke and honour deities, cleanse and energize outer and inner spaces, ward off illness, create material prosperity and aid in spiritual growth.

A mantra is a sound or series of sounds which, when chanted with awareness, can set up powerful vibrations in the body and mind and lift you to higher and subtler levels of consciousness .

The word mantra comes from the root man ('to think') or manas (mind) and the suffix ' tra' (to liberate)

Traditionally, a mantra is defined in this way: manah traayate iti mantrah (that which helps to cross the mind is a mantra) or mananaat traayate iti mantrah (mantra is that which protects those who reflect on it).

The whole science of mantras is based on the understanding of the dual nature of prana.

Prana acts as a subtle biological energy which catches the vibrations of the mind and transmits them to the nerves and plexuses of the body. At the same time, it can transmit the physical vibrations to the mind. So prana acts as an intermediary between the physical and mental energies.

When prana is expressed as sound, the process is known as uccara. Through proper uccara, we can alter both physical and mental energies, as well as convert one to the other.

In the East, language was used to transmit both meaning and vibrations. The Sanskrit language itself has both linguistic and phonetic importance. It was created not only to convey mental concepts, but also to transmit definite vibrations.

That is why our ancient mantras have both linguistic as well as phonetic importance.

Not only the meaning, but the very vibration of the mantra is of tremendous value!

You will see that in the east, many mantras are chanted regularly, even if people don't always understand the meaning. This is not blind belief; it is based on the science of sound. If you understand the meaning of the mantra, that's good, you will feel connected to the mantra - but even if you don't understand, those vibrations will work on you!

The world's best preserved scriptures belong to Vedic literature.

When I say 'best preserved', I mean that the original form has not been altered or modified over thousands of years.

And the surprising thing is, these scriptures were not written down for many thousands of years! They were simply transmitted orally from Master to disciple in the Guru-shishya parampara (Guru-disciple tradition) over many hundreds of generations. Even so, after 10,000 years, not only the words, but even the style of chanting and intonation has not been altered. Even the most minor details are still being strictly followed. This is because they have understood the power of these vibrations.

All the sacred mantras of the Vedic Tradition have arisen out of the enlightened consciousness of the ancient Masters. That is why, the very vibration of the mantra can give you a glimpse of the same space. When an enlightened Master utters a mantra it is called initiation, deeksha.

Even if you don't understand the meaning, those vibrations straight away penetrate your being and start working on you.

That is why it is beneficial to receive a mantra from an enlightened being. Especially if chanting is going to be your main spiritual practice, taking mantra-deeksha from a spiritual Master is essential.

The power of the mantra is not only in the word, but also in the spiritual charge transmitted through it. This charge is known as mantra-chaitanya. When you receive a mantra that has been imbued with this charge, it will not only raise the power of the mantra thousandfold, it will also protect you from the possible ill-effects of wrong chanting or negligence in your practice.

Any mantra, if it comes from the enlightened experience, from the pure inner space, can simply transport you to the same space. You do not know why, how or what, but you suddenly see it is true! It clicks, even if one part of your logic continues to fight.

You may be thinking, how can just the vibration of a sound work on us, if we don't understand its meaning?

Just notice all the different sounds you encounter in your day-to-day life! From the time you wake up, till you go to sleep at night, you are living in an ocean of sound.

How many of these sounds carry meaning?

But how is it that the same sounds have almost the same effect on everybody?

For example, certain kinds of music make us happy, others make us feel sad, others make us feel energetic. Even if there are no words, usually everybody reacts in the same way to the same music.

Everyone finds natural sounds soothing, while Monday-morning traffic sounds have tremendous power to drive us crazy!

This is not just because of the constant mental association of the sounds with a certain mood.

The truth is, different sounds have the definite power to hold different energy vibrations, and so they affect us in distinct ways.

Have you heard of a Japanese scientist called Dr. Masaru Emoto? He recently published a beautiful book called 'The Hidden Messages in Water'.

In this book, he describes a beautiful experiment he had conducted. In this experiment, Dr. Emoto filled ten glasses of water from the same source. He kept the ten glasses in ten different rooms, under similar conditions.

Every day, he would go into the first room and utter some positive words near the glass of water. He would create positive vibrations by uttering words like love, peace, silence.

Then he would go into the second room and create strongly negative vibrations by uttering words like hatred, violence, terrorism and so on.

Then he would go into the third room and chant some verses from the Buddhist scripture Dhammapada. In the other rooms, he played different kinds of music, recited prayers and so on.

Then he froze the different water samples and studied their crystalline structure under a microscope with the help of high-speed photography. He studied thousands of these crystals under tightly regulated conditions. The results he came up with were simply amazing!

The water which had been energized through positive words, prayer chanting or healing music were perfectly crystallized and shining like diamonds! The samples which had been exposed to negative vibrations did not form regular crystals. Not only was the structure irregular, the water itself had a cloudy colour.

He repeated this experiment many times, with the same results.

He concluded that water can respond to the vibrations created by your words!

Your system is 80% water. Can you imagine the effect of different vibrations on your inner space?

This fact was well-known in ancient Bharat. That is why the river Ganga, the lifeline of Bharat, was continuously purified and energized by thousands of rishis through the chanting of mantras. Not only water, even the air inside temples was filled with the positive vibrations of mantras. Even today, mantras are continuously chanted in temples and homes to cleanse and energize the space.

When we listen to mantras, it is known as mantra shravana (listening), and when we chant them, it is known as mantra japa (chanting). Both are forms of meditation.

Listening to a mantra or playing a mantra recitation tape creates powerful positive vibrations and cleanses both outer and inner spaces. Mantra japa is more effective when you have been initiated into the mantra by a qualified Guru.

If the mantra is the name of the Guru or a favourite deity, it is known as nama (name) japa.

Japa is of four types: baahya or vachika japa (chanting aloud or audibly), upamshu japa (whispering to oneself), manasa japa (chanting in the mind) and ajapa japa (the chanting that goes on continuously inside us, whether we are conscious of it or not). When the japa is written down instead of being chanted, it is known as likhita japa.

Japa is usually performed in cycles of auspicious numbers (in multiples of three), the most popular number being 108. You will see that japa malas (rosaries made of sandalwood or rudraksha beads) will usually have 108 beads plus a meru bead (a larger sized bead than the rest).

Japa is performed by rolling one bead on the rosary for every repetition of the mantra. When you are performing japa, always start with the bead just after the meru. Roll the mala between the thumb and third finger of the right hand only, using your thumb to roll the beads.

After completing 108 repetitions of the mantra, if you wish to continue japa, you must turn the mala around without crossing the meru, and repeat the process. This helps in counting the number of cycles completed. As far as possible, don't stop your japa in the middle of a cycle.

In the process of verbalization, the creative life-force or prana moves in a descending arc from para vak or paranada (the primary vibration of consciousness) to pashyanti (the subtle creative pulsation) to madhyama (the formation of concepts and thoughts) to vaikhari (gross physical speech).

Japa seeks to reverse this process, by moving from the grossest to the subtlest form of energy.

When we first start chanting, we start with the most outward or gross form (vachika japa or vaikhari). After some practice, we can move to the subtler forms (upamshu japa and manasa japa).

Ajapa japa cannot be done, but must happen by itself. With constant practice of manasa japa, a time comes when an extraordinary thing happens: the japa starts going on automatically and naturally inside us, without any effort or even awareness on our part. This is ajapa japa.

The ultimate japa is not a recitation of any mantra. It is the spontaneous awareness of aham sphurana, the unchanging vibration of one's own essential Self that can be felt within at all times. All our japa practices are only ways to guide our awareness inward, to tune our body and mind to experience this ultimate japa.

Japa is an excellent technique for integrating the body and mind.

Through japa, you attain one-pointedness, or extreme focus, on the chosen deity or principal idea of the mantra.

When you chant a mantra, it sets up a particular sound vibration in your body and creates a harmony between your body and your mind which is ordinarily missing.

Usually, your body and your mind are never in the same place. Your body may be eating, but your eyes will be looking at the person in front of you, and your mind will be thinking about your work.

While chanting the mantra, both your body and your mind are working towards the same goal. They are not being pulled in opposite directions. Japa acts as an anchor to tie down the mind. When you perform japa, you use the mind to tie down the mind.

Even if one part of the mind is wandering, simply use the other part to witness the japa, to watch where the mantra is coming from. Then the mind is totally engaged.

Japa creates the ekagra chitta (inner integrity) that is required to enter into deeper meditation.

Not only that, japa can be a meditation in itself. Continuous practice of japa gradually leads to manolaya (temporary dissolution of the mind), which is a foretaste of the silence of enlightenment.

Q. I recite the Lalita Sahasranama regularly. For a while I feel very connected to the hymn, but this state does not stay for long. How can I stay in that state continuously?*

*(1008 names in praise of the Divine Mother)

A: Do not decide that you should recite all the 1008 names. Lalitha Devi is not sitting and keeping accounts of whether you recited all the 1008 names or not!

Whatever makes you feel that oneness, that blissful state, recite those names and cherish them. Enjoy those experiences and that mood and rest with that. If you really feel that you are in that state, further chanting will disturb that state.

Just close the book and leave it.

You have already achieved what needs to be achieved through chanting. Do not use the technique to disturb your peace! Sometimes you overdrive, you push beyond the point which you need to reach. So, do not overdrive. Stop where you want to stop.

Start staying in that state whenever it happens, without doing anything. That is the best way to let that experience settle in you again and again.

Q. I have taken mantra deeksha from a Master, but being a Westerner, I am not sure if I am repeating the mantra correctly or not. Will this affect my meditation?

A. No. Just continue your practice sincerely.

See, if you understand the meaning and you can repeat it properly, that is the best.

Otherwise, simply surrender your practice at the feet of your Master and continue.

Your very faith will take care of you.

This is a very important thing you should understand.

A pundit (scholar) used to live on the backs of the river Yamuna.

He was very proud of his learning and intelligence! Every day, a young girl from a village across the river used to supply milk to the pundit.

One day, there was a heavy storm and the girl was late. When the pundit asked her why, the girl said: 'Punditji, the river is in flood. Till now, I could not find any boatman

willing to bring me across!'

When he heard this, the pundit started laughing. He wanted to show off his learning to the poor girl.

He said, 'What? People easily cross even the samsara sagara (ocean of life), just by chanting the name of Lord Krishna. You cannot even cross this small river without a boat?!'

The girl just listened to the pundit's words and left silently. After that, she used to supply milk on time everyday.

A few days later, there was another heavy storm and the river was flooded again.

But the girl appeared with the milk at the usual time! The pundit was surprised.

He asked her, 'How did you manage to find a boat in this storm?'

The girl smiled and said, 'Why do I need a boat, Punditji? I just chant the mantra 'Krishna, Krishna' as you taught me, and walk across the river, that's all.'

The pundit was shocked!

Naturally he could not believe the girl. He demanded a demonstration.

The girl took him to the river, bowed down and chanted the mantra, and simply walked across the river!

Then the pundit thought, 'If the mantra I have given is so powerful, why should I not use it myself? He bowed down and chanted 'Krishna, Krishna', just as the girl

had done.

But before entering the river, he carefully folded his silk dhoti (long waistcloth) up to his knees, so that it wouldn't get wet! Naturally, what do you think happened?

The moment he stepped into the water, he was caught in the current and swept away.

So understand, it is not what you do, but how you do it, the sincerity and the attitude with which you do it, that determines the results of any spiritual practice!

Meditation on sound is a traditional discipline known as nada yoga. Nada yoga is the union (yoga) with the nada, that primordial energy which is the source of all that is.

Paranada, the first vibration from which creation emanates, is so pure and subtle that it cannot be contacted by the senses or the mind.

As nada devolves to grosser vibrational frequencies, it can be experienced by the seasoned meditator as the nadanta shakti (energy current of sound) heard pulsing through the nerve system as a constant high-pitched hum like that of a tanpura or a swarm of bees.

Traditionally, moving from the outer gross sounds to the inner energy is known as nada upasana (worship through sound), while moving from the inner gross sounds to the inner energy is known as nada yoga (union through sound).

The meditator or nada yogi meditates on the inner sound current, thus traveling into the more subtle realms of his being. Beginning with the gross sounds heard in the body, he shifts his focus to more and more refined sounds, until merging with the unstruck sound, the anahata nada.

The householder who lives in the world focuses on singing or playing the outer pure sound on an instrument to connect with the inner sound current or anahata nada.

Even in our daily living, we encounter an overwhelming range of sounds. Sounds of different frequencies create different vibrations that deeply influence us physically, mentally and emotionally, even without our awareness. Since Vedic times, the power of sound has been harnessed to create balance and alignment in the physical body, harmonize the subtle energy centers (chakras) and energize living spaces.

Many sounds also carry powerful spiritual vibrations that can instantly raise you to higher states of awareness. If you notice, during pooja (worship) in any Hindu temple, bells are rung loudly, drums are struck, conches and trumpets are blown and mantras are chanted to awaken worshippers from routine states of consciousness.

Sound is also a powerful healing energy. Today the use of sound in healing is gaining recognition as 'sound therapy' becomes popular. The sounds used can be the human voice or the various resonances of musical instruments.

Music is a form of sound therapy that appeals to everyone!

Every musical note relates to a certain emotion, so while singing or listening to music, we are actually harmonizing specific emotions in ourselves.

Various musical instruments like the tanpura (Hindu drone instrument) can put you in a contemplative state even without your awareness, by balancing the energy flow in the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Traditional Hindu music has been designed for enlightenment!

When the great musical saints like Thyagaraja, Annamacharya and Manickavasagar sang spontaneous verses, they expressed their own experience of enlightenment. That is why, when you listen to their music, you experience the same meditative state. You can enter the very space from which any music has been created.

If the expression has come out of enlightenment, it will lead to enlightenment.

Ultimately, all meditation on sound aims at taking us from the outer sound to the inner sound, and from there to the silence beyond sound.

The meditation techniques in this section include:

• Meditation on Sound
• Meditation on Music
• Meditation on Mantra & Japa

Just playing with sounds is a great meditation technique that can take you directly to your center in the most enjoyable way!

We always live in a storm of sound. Sounds are constantly moving towards us, crashing in upon us, engulfing us. But at the center of this sound storm, there is a silence we haven't heard. This meditation makes us aware of the silence in the center of this storm of sound.

When you meditate on this center, on this silence, you realize that this silence is YOU! This silence is your true nature. You become aware that this vibrant silence is always within you, even when you are engulfed by sound. Just a glimpse of this silence, knowing yourself as this silence, can bring deep relaxation to you. When you know yourself to be beyond the chaos of sound, the noise and stress of the world can no longer touch you.

Sit down somewhere, anywhere. The noisier the place, the better! Look for a place with continuous sound. It could be a natural sound, like the gushing of a river or a waterfall or the crashing of the waves on a beach or it could be a railway station, or a marketplace.

(You cannot try this technique with songs because the lyrics will have meaning for you, and you will tend to focus on the meaning instead of the sound.)

Sit silently. Feel the sounds coming at you from every direction as sound waves. With sounds flowing at you from all directions, feel yourself to be at the center of this storm of sound. You are at the center, and sounds are flowing towards you.

Don't judge the sounds, this sound is bad, this sound is pleasant, just remain in the center.

Understand, at the center, there is no sound! At the center is total silence. If there were sound at the center, you would not be able to hear the sounds outside. The sounds are entering you, penetrating you, but they stop at the center.

Inside you, there is a point where all sounds stop. It is from that point that every sound is being heard. Try to locate that center. We always think that we are hearing sounds with our ears. With this technique, you discover that sounds are not heard in the ears or even in the head. The sound is always heard at the navel point, that is the center of sound.

When you locate it, suddenly, your awareness will turn inward from the outer world of sound. You will be at the center where there is silence, the point where no sound can enter. That point is your center.

It is because your center is silent that you can hear sounds! All the sounds are heard only against the background of this silence, which is You.

Once you have heard that silence, you will never again be disturbed by any sound, you will never be touched by sound.

Sound is the unit of Existence. Through sound, you can merge with Existence. Creating sound through your mind, you can go beyond your mind, into emptiness, an emptiness that pervades the entire Existence; an emptiness that connects you with Existence itself. Merging with this emptiness, you merge with the very source of everything. You will realize that you are not a separate entity but part of the Whole. This simple understanding can liberate you from your mind.

Close your eyes. Inhale and exhale as slowly as possible.

Start chanting the omkara. Omkara means, creating the sound, the vibration 'Om'.

Create the vibration from your navel center, as deeply as possible. Create the sound intensely, but not loudly. Be centered on the sound. Do not allow your mind to go anywhere else.

Now continue to create the sound as before, but start seeking its source. Continue to create the vibration but locate the source from where the vibrations are arising, from where the sound is coming. Go into the source, search for the source.

Just enter the sound. Enter this source from where the sound is coming, from where it is arising. Then, slowly reduce the sound. Don't stop, but just reduce the sound, as you enter into the source from where the sound is coming. Become the sound.

Now relax with your eyes closed. Don't create any sound, but go to the source from where the sound was coming. Enter into that source. Relax into the source.

INSTRUCTIONS Close your eyes and just sit in a relaxed way.

Step 1: Duration: 11 minutes

Concentrate on the navel center, manipuraka chakra (a vital energy center in the body, located in the navel area). Just take a few moments to place your awareness on the navel center. Forget all other parts of the body, remember only the navel center.

Now from your navel, start creating the deep vibration of Omkaara or 'Om' sound. Start the sound from your navel center, as deeply as possible. Don't allow the mind to go anywhere else. Just be centered on the sound, go into the center of the sound.

Step 2: Duration: 10 minutes

Stop. Just sit quietly for a few minutes with eyes closed. Try to hear the sound without creating the sound.

Relax and open your eyes.

Try this meditation for just ten days. You will see that you are able to sit without thoughts. You will be filled by the sound, by the vibration that you create, and your mind will not move outside the vibration.

We always see the world around us, but we never really hear it.

When we focus our awareness on hearing our world, we experience the constant play of sound and silence that is happening around us.

This play is also happening inside us. We can use the outer play to enter into the inner play, to experience the anahata dhvani or soundless sound that is always resonating within.

Step 1: Duration: 11 mins

Sit in a relaxed manner with your eyes closed. Choose the word that you want to chant.

If it is a mantra, it will be better, because the vibrations will have a powerful resonance in the outer and inner space.

You may chant the omkara (the mantra Om) if you wish, or any other mantra that has only a few syllables. It should not be a big job for you to chant it! Your chanting should flow with ease.

Prepare your inner space to hold the vibrations of the mantra. Start chanting the mantra in a deep, even tone.

Forget all other senses including visualization, taste, smell, touch, forget about all other things. Your whole being should be focused on the mantra. Go with the flow of the mantra.

Rise along with the mantra. Reach the peak along with the mantra. And disappear along with this sound. Slowly take your chanting to the peak and disappear along with the sound.

Repeat this process continuously.

HARNESSING THE UNIVERSAL LIFE-FORCE Working with your breath

Step 2: Duration: 10 minutes

Now, stop chanting.

Experience the vibrant silence that the mantra has left behind. Feel how, even in the absence of sound, in the inner space, how you can feel the presence of sound. You can feel the resonance that the sound has left behind.

In the same way, feel the absence of sound. At the same time, it is as if the sound is there and yet not there.

Enter into this 'soundless sound', the vibrating point where sound meets silence. Hold this experience inside for as long as you can.

The anahata dhvani is the primal vibration of the universe. It is called 'anahata' (unstruck sound) because it is a spontaneous, uncaused vibration. The whole universe is resonating with this sound.

This vibration is happening inside us also. Constantly, the music of the anahata dhvani is playing inside us. But because it is so subtle, we never hear it.

Our senses are always so occupied with external sounds that we have never heard the vibration of our own existence! In this technique, we stop the outward flow of our senses and turn them inward. We tune ourselves to the most mysterious and most intimate music in our experience – our own!

Close your eyes and use both your thumbs to close your ears. Close them completely so that you hear that uncreated sound inside you called the anahata dhvani. It is the unstruck sound of the cosmos that can only be heard in meditation.

Let your whole inner space be filled by the unheard sound. Once you feel your whole body is filled with that unheard sound, just contract your rectum and stop all the movements. Remain like this for as long as you can. When your body relaxes, take your hands away and relax completely for a few moments. Until your body relaxes itself, don't give up! Try your best to hold on as long as possible.

If your body relaxes, take a few minutes break and start the process again by closing your eyes and ears, hearing the unstruck sound, contracting the rectum, and relaxing when appropriate.

Do not repeat this process more than five times. After every repetition, take at least thirty or forty seconds to relax. Let your eyes be closed even during the break. After you have finished the meditation, just sit for a few moments with eyes closed, and experience the energy flow happening throughout the body. Relax into it.

In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, there is a very beautiful statement: Ātmanastu kāmāya sarvam priyam bhavati (For the sake of the Self alone are all things dear to us).

Understand, you are the greatest source of your own joy!

You always associate joy with external factors. You wait for people, situations, things to happen, to experience joy. Joy is not part of these things, it is part of you.

All the joy you experience in the outer world is simply a reflection of the bliss within.

This simple and powerful technique can awaken you to this truth.

Your name is your most intimate identity. The moment you hear your name spoken, naturally your attention turns upon yourself.

When chanted with deep awareness, the sound of your own name can take you so deep within, you fall directly into the source of the sound. You fall into pure consciousness, which is your true identity. The sound of your name can lead you to the space beyond all names and forms!

Close your eyes and sit in a relaxed manner. First, choose the name with which you are going to work. If you have a spiritual name (given by your Master), that is best, or choose the name of the deity or the Master with whom you feel deeply connected and identify with. If you wish to, you can just choose your regular name.

If you have a Sanskrit spiritual name, this technique can be really powerful. Understand, Sanskrit is not just a language of communication, its phonetics also have a vibrational value. This means that the actual sounds of the words have a purifying effect on both the speaker and the listener.

Your name is your unique mantra or chant. Chanting or just listening to the name given to you by an enlightened Master will simply create the effect in you of what the mantra stands for, what your name stands for.

The reason a spiritual name is recommended is because it will naturally elevate you to a different state of consciousness. When you work with the name you use at home or in office, there may be some negative associations also.

However, the most important thing is that you should feel totally connected to the name; you could feel that the name is you. Now, enter into the sound of the chosen name. Understand: do not repeat it out loud, just repeat it internally. The chanting should happen internally and you should just enter into that vibration. Your tongue should not move.

DURATION: 10 minutes (continuation)

Create the sound of the name like a vibration, and keep repeating that sound, that name, internally. Be filled with that sound. Let your whole inner space be filled with that sound.

Repeat the sound intensely and at a high frequency. No other thought should rise in your mind.

You will see, suddenly you are in soundless space. You are in wordlessness.

Just play with this technique for one month, practice it every morning for ten minutes and again, in the evening for ten minutes. Even while you are driving, this can be done with open eyes. Try it while you are driving, walking, or sitting and spending a few minutes with yourself.

You will understand the power of this special mantra for you, just this one sound. Suddenly you will see new doors opening in your consciousness, and you will enter into the soundlessness that we call enlightenment.

This is a technique to experience bliss just through a sound!

Sound has a power in itself. It can create a certain vibration, a certain mood in you, independent of its meaning. But when you hear a word, you always focus on the meaning of the word. You never really listen to the sound of a language you know!

So if you really want to enjoy 'the sound of a sound', it has to be a sound which you love, but which has no particular meaning for you.

Whenever you enjoy anything, you are actually experiencing the bliss inside you. At the center of every pleasure you experience outside is the bliss within. Just by deeply enjoying a sound and entering into that experience, you can touch this bliss from which the pleasure arises.

DURATION: 21 minutes

Close your eyes. Sit in a relaxed way.

First choose the sound with which you are going to work. It can be anything, so decide which sound gives you most excitement and joy.

Create that sound out loud and enjoy the feeling created by it. In a mild way, you should be able to create that sound, listen and enjoy the feeling. Just continuously create that sound and enjoy the feeling. Be centered on that feeling.

Now don't give any volume to the sound you are creating. Repeat it internally with just your tongue movement. Keep repeating the sound internally with just the tongue movement, and experience the feeling. Be centered more on the feeling than the sound itself. Be centered on the excitement created by that sound.

Enter deeply into this enjoyment and taste the bliss within.

Every word you utter is energy.

We are so careless with our words because we don't realize that our words are energy. Each word is an expression of pranashakti, the universal life force that is circulating inside us. Before you utter it, it exists in your inner space only as energy. In this technique, you can experience your words as vak-shakti, the energy of verbalization.

Recall an incident which creates a powerful emotion in you.

It can be any emotion – joy, anger, sorrow, anything.

Initially, the emotion will arise inside you without words.

Now try to verbalize the incident to yourself.

As you recall it, you will find words start bubbling up in your system that express your mood.

They arise from the manipuraka chakra, the navel center. All your inner chatter arises here.

As they rise up to your throat, they become coloured with your emotions. Just before the words escape your lips, stop them and turn them back inside.

The words will be struggling to escape you. Don't allow it.

You will feel this struggle in your vishuddhi chakra, your throat center. Turn them inside and simply watch them.

If you can stop your breath for a few moments, you will find that your mind also stops.

Slowly, you will find that they start melting back into the energy form which they were molded.

As your words melt and disappear, you will directly fall into the deep silence of your being.

When you practice this technique for a while, you will understand the enormous amount of energy you are spending on speech – and most of it is unnecessary.

You will start using your words carefully!

This technique needs a piece of soft music to be played.

In any music, whatever be its source, there is a thread that runs through it. This thread holds the key to your awareness. If you can catch this thread, you are in a meditative state. This thread keeps you in a meditative state. Then it doesn't matter what music is played, just your awareness matters, just your meditative state matters. When you catch this thread, you relax into the anahata dhwani, the nadabrahma, the base of all sound.

DURATION: 21 minutes

Close your eyes and sit in a very relaxed way.

(Turn on the music)

Concentrate on the spot inside your head where you experience sound. Understand, sound may be created outside your head but you experience it only inside your head. The hearing happens only inside your head. Remember that spot, remember that space where you experience sound. Completely concentrate on that space, feel that spot where you listen, where you hear the sounds of the music that is playing.

Do not make any judgments about the music. Don't think it is either good or bad. Don't start thinking about all the music you have heard earlier. Don't start comparing this music with some other music. Don't start thinking about any other musicians you have heard until now.

Forget about all other senses. Forget about seeing, touching, tasting, smelling, just forget about everything else. Be filled with the space of listening. Feel the space where you experience sound inside your head.

Listen to this music, not from outside but from inside your head. Be in that space and feel the music. Do not allow any thinking.

Don't go away from the music. Go into the music. Along with the notes there is a center sound, a rhythm, the backbone of the music. Try to feel that center, that backbone of the music, you will relax into the anahata dhwani, nadabrahma, the base of all sound. Just listen every moment to the composite central sound, the backbone, that central thread of the music. Go into it.

Feel the vibration of the sound inside your head. Again, no thinking is allowed. Don't move away from the present moment. Be in the present moment, be in that music.

Play with this technique whenever you find time alone at home. Play some music and enter into that music, don't start thinking. Give the music your total attention. Now, you understand the difference between listening to music as you normally do, and listening meditatively. Play with this technique as time allows for at least a month. It can cause a powerful transformation in you.

The seed syllable Om or Aum is the most fundamental and potent mantra in the Vedic tradition. This mantra represents the underlying unity of Brahman or reality.

Essentially, before existence and beyond existence is only One reality, Brahman, and the first manifestation of Brahman in existence is the vibration of Om. That is why it is known as the pranava mantra, the source of all mantras.

The mantra Om is made up of the syllables 'a-u-m', which represent the three major processes of creation, maintenance and dissolution that are continuously taking place in the manifested universe. The silence that follows the mantra represents the unmanifest reality or Consciousness that underlies all manifestation.

This makes Omkara the complete mantra, which invokes both the form (saguna) and the formless aspect (nirguna) of the Divine.

Om can be either chanted independently, or prefixed to another mantra or prayer. For instance, if we wish to invoke a particular deity, Aum can be combined with name of that deity (eg. Om namah shivaya, meaning Om, salutations to Shiva).

When chanting omkara (Om mantra), the 'O' is generated deep within the body, from inside the navel, and slowly brought upward, joining with the 'm' which then resonates through the entire head.

In this technique, we use omkara to go beyond the mind and enter totally into the resonance of the cosmic manifestation (saguna Brahman).

DURATION: 21 minutes

Sit upright with your eyes closed.

Concentrate on your navel center, manipuraka chakra (a vital energy center in the body, located in the navel area). Just take a few moments to place your awareness on the navel center. Forget all other parts of the body, remember only the navel center.

Now from your navel, start creating the deep vibration of Omkaara or 'Om' sound. Start the sound from your navel center, as deeply as possible. Don't allow the mind to go anywhere else. Enjoy the pure resonance of the mantra. Just be centered on the mantra, go into the center of the sound.

Once you are harmonious with the mantra, you can drop saying it out loud. Now, intone it only inside, don't bring it out. The sound should still fill your whole body, so say it loudly inside. Feel the mantra continuously resonating inside you. Without creating the sound, be filled by the sound within.

Relax and open your eyes.

Try this meditation for just ten days. You will see that you are able to sit without thoughts. You will be filled by the mantra, by the vibration that you create, and your mind will not move outside the vibration.

There are two ways to dissolve the mind.

When the mind enters totally into one single form, all other forms are forgotten and the mind is filled with that one vibration. It loses its individuality and merges with that one form or vibration.

Or, when the mind goes beyond all forms, it realizes itself as the formless Absolute. Here again the individual mind loses its identity and becomes one with the formless.

When the mind loses itself in the form of the Divine (saguna Brahman or the manifest reality) it is known as bhakti yoga, the path of devotion. When the mind realizes itself as the formless Absolute (nirguna Brahman or the unmanifest reality), it is known as gnana yoga, the path of wisdom.

Depending on the way it is chanted, the mantra Om can be used to connect with both the manifest and unmanifest reality.

When we focus on the sound of the mantra, we experience the manifest Divine, the primary vibration of the manifested universe. When we focus on the silence between the intonations of the mantra, we enter into the unmanifested reality or Consciousness that underlies all manifestation.

In the previous technique, we used Omkara to experience saguna Brahman (manifest aspect of reality).

In this technique, we use Omkara to experience nirguna Brahman (the unmanifest aspect of reality).

DURATION: 21 minutes

Sit upright with your eyes closed.

Concentrate on your navel center, manipuraka chakra.

Now from your navel center, intone the mantra 'Om'.

Intone the mantra as loudly as possible, as deeply as possible, as lengthily as possible.

Forget everything else and simply become the sound. Become Om. It is very easy to become the sound, because sound vibrates throughout your whole body. The more you intone it, the more you will experience the pure resonance of the mantra.

Now, slowly shift your awareness to the silence in between the repetitions of the mantra.

After each intonation of Om, there is a gap, a silence.

Let your awareness fall into this gap.

Continue to chant, but let your awareness be upon the silence between the chants.

This silence existed before you started chanting; it was there underneath your chanting, and when the chant ends, the silence alone remains.

Each time you chant the Omkara, experience this space of silence between the intonations.

Enjoy this silence.

Dissolve your mind in this silence.

The play of sound is the play of the mind. We can use it to remain in our periphery, or to reach our core. Complete soundlessness is no mind. When this happens, we have touched the core. When we touch the core, we have transcended the mind. Then inner and outer harmonies happen irrespective of our thought, word and deed. We then remain centered in the core and the outside functions seamlessly.

In the last two techniques, we used omkara to connect with the saguna and nirguna aspects of reality. We focused on the sound and the silence separately.

Here, we go a step further and use the very sound to enter into silence! When the sound dissolves into the silence, we realize that sound and silence are not separate as we think. Without the silence, the sound would have no meaning, and vice-versa. Both form and formlessness, sound and silence are simply the play of the one Reality that is beyond both!

When you work with this technique, you experience the continuous contact of sound and silence in yourself. You experience yourself as the play of the manifest and the unmanifest, of energy and consciousness!

Step 1: Duration: 7 minutes Sit upright with your eyes closed. Concentrate on your navel center, manipuraka chakra Now from your navel, start creating the deep vibration of Omkara or 'Om'.

Intone the mantra as loudly as possible, as deeply as possible, as lengthily as possible.

Enter totally into the resonance of the mantra.

When you feel yourself filled with the resonance of the mantra, stop saying it out loud. Continue to chant the mantra inside. The sound mantra should fill you inside, it should resonate inside you again and again.

Slowly, turn down the volume of your inner chanting. Let the sound of the chanting become subtler and subtler inside you. Let it become a silent vibration inside you, rather than a sound. Continue to experience this vibration.

Wait for the moment when the sound has become so subtle that it will simply dissolve into silence. You can no more hear the sound, even inside. All you experience now is a vibrating silence. Carry this vibrant silence inside you.

The mantra hamsah is spontaneously repeated by every one of us in every breath. The incoming breath produces the sound ha and the outgoing breath produces the sound sah in us. Since this mantra is repeated naturally with every breath, it is also known as the pranic mantra, the mantra of the life-force itself.

Because hamsah mantra is recited naturally, without any conscious effort on our part, it is known as ajapa japa (the unchanted chant). In this mantra, sah represents Shakti or energy, while ha represents Shiva or intelligence (consciousness).

The m sound between the ha and the sah represents jeeva or the individual, who is the contact point of energy and intelligence, the fulcrum on whom this whole play of power and consciousness turns.

The conscious repetition of hamsah mantra is only a way to fall in tune with the spontaneous hamsah mantra that is always going on within us.

Sit in a relaxed manner. Close your eyes and watch your breath for a minute. Let your breathing be slow and relaxed.

Now, when you inhale, repeat 'ham' silently. Repeat the word 'sah' silently as you exhale. Put your awareness more on your outgoing breath. While inhaling, you will be constantly trying to hold on to something.

Focus on exhaling without bothering about inhaling. Continue this silent intonation of 'ham…sah…., ham…sah'. Consciously place more awareness and energy on the exhalation. Help yourself exhale deeper. Let the inhalation happen automatically through the body. Place your energy, attention and effort only on exhaling.

When you place your awareness on exhalation, whatever can die in you will leave your system, your inner space.

It will leave your system, and you will realize that something that can die can never be part of you. If you are identifying yourself with something that can die, that identification will be automatically disconnected.

When you realize this, naturally you will feel connected to that which can never die.

That which never dies is your very being. You will realize you are that which can never die, you are the unchanging Consciousness.

This is a very powerful technique that can give you tremendous freedom from fear.

Whenever you are attacked by fear, just sit back and chant this mantra.

The silent intonation of this hamsah mantra* will awaken you to the Truth that your being never dies.

You will suddenly see that the fear of losing your wealth, your limbs or your health, of losing your near and dear ones, or the fear of unknown - all these fears will disappear. You will be liberated from fear.

This technique can also be practiced at times when you are not facing fear, while you are sitting, talking, walking, eating, even while you are sleeping. Understand, when you constantly intone this mantra, it will gradually become ajapa japa* or a spontaneous vibration in you.

When the hamsah mantra* becomes ajapa* in you, you become a Paramahamsa**! You remain spontaneously in the space of enlightened consciousness.

The following are the mantras most commonly used in meditation. They can be either listened to or chanted.

Initiation is not necessary for meditating upon these mantras.

Although some of the mantras are very small (not more than three or four words), they are potent techniques for achieving both material and spiritual well-being.

When contemplated with clarity and sincerity, they can take you beyond words to the ultimate experience of bliss, devotion, peace and enlightenment.

Mantra for knowledge: Prayer to Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge

Saraswati namastubhyam, varade Kaamarupini

Vidyarambham karishyami, Siddhir bhavatu me sadaa

My humble prostrations unto Thee, O Goddess Saraswati, fulfiller of all my wishes! I begin my learning, may I achieve perfection in it always.

Mantra for auspicious beginnings: Prayer to Lord Ganesha, removal of impediments

om tatpurushaya vidmahe vakratundaya dhimahi tanno dantih prachodayat We devote our thought to that supreme person. We meditate upon Him who has a curved trunk. May the tusked One guide us on the right path.

Part 6: Meditation Is for You_English_part_6.md

Brahmaarpanam brahma havih Brahmaagnau brahmanaahutam Brahamaiva tena gantavyam Brahma karma samadhinaa

Mantra for gratitude: Prayer to Mother Earth

Samudra vasane devi, paravata stanamandale

Mantra for surrender: Concluding prayer after worship

Kaayena vaacha manasendriyervaa Buddyaatmanaavaa prakriter swabhaavaat Karomi yat yat sakalam parasmai Narayanayeti samarpayaami

Mantra to invoke Lord Shiva : Om Namah Shivaya (Om, salutations to Lord Shiva) Mantra to invoke Lord Vishnu : Om Namo Narayanaya (Om, salutations to Lord Narayana) Mantra to invoke Lord Krishna : Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya (Om, salutations to the Lord who is the son of Vasudeva) Mantra to invoke Lord Rama : Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram (Om, victory to Sri Ram) Mantra for Lord Dakshinamurti, the first-ever Guru:

Ishwaro Gururaatmeti Moortibheda vibhaagine Vyomavad vyaapta dehaaaya Dakshinamurtaye namah

Mantra invoking the Divine consciousness, the Light of lights: Prayer during aarati (the ritual waving of lights)

Na tatra suryo bhaati, na chandra taarakam Nema vidyuto bhaanti kuto'yam agnihi Tameva bhaantam anubhaati sarvam Tasya bhaasa sarvam idam vibhaati

The Gayatri mantra is considered one of the most universal of all Hindu mantras, invoking the universal Brahman as the principle of knowledge and the illumination of the primordial Sun.

Gayatri refers to a special three-line Vedic meter used in mantras for invoking and focusing consciousness on the Reality.

When meditating on the Gayatri mantra, the seeker first directs his attention to the radiance of the sun outside, and then turns the attention inwards to the light of Consciousness within.

Om Bhūr Bhuva Svaha Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dhīmahi Dhiyo Yo Nahah Prachodayāt, (Aum)

Om. We meditate on the radiance of that Supreme Divine Being, the Creator of the planes of earth, heaven and those in between. May that Divine Being direct our intelligence. (Om.)

Om, asato maa sad gamaya Tamaso maa jyotir gamaya Mrityormaa amritam gamaya; Om shanti, shanti shantihi

From ignorance, lead me to truth From darkness, lead me to light From death, lead me to immortality; Om, peace, peace, peace!

Om, poornam adah poornam idam Poornaat poornamudachyate Poornasya poornamaadaaya Poornam eva avashishyate Om shanti, shanti shantihi

Om, That is Whole, and this too is Whole. From the Whole came the Whole. If you remove the Whole from the Whole, that which remains is still the Whole. Om, peace, peace, peace.

Om, trayambakam yajaamahe sugandhim pushtivardhanam Urvaarukamiva bandhanaat mrityor muksheeya ma amritaat.

Om! We worship Lord Shiva, the three-eyed one, who is full of fragrance and who nourishes all beings;

May He liberate me from death, bestow salvation and (lead me) towards Eternity (make me immortal) just as the ripe cucumber is severed (from the creeper) of its bondage.

Aum sahanaavavatu, Sahanau bhunaktu Saha viiryan karavaavahai Tejasvi naavadhiitamastu Maa vidvishhaavahai om shanti, shanti shantihi

May both of us* be protected together. May both of us be nourished together. May both of us work together with great vigor. May both of our studies be enlightening May no obstacle arise between us. Om, peace, peace, peace. * (Chanted by a teacher and student)

omkaaram bindu samyuktam nityam dhyaayanti yoginah kaamadam mokshadam chaiva omkaaraaya namo namaha

The sages constantly meditate upon the sound of Om and its 'Bindu´ (dot) We offer our obeisance to the Divine sound of Om repeatedly, Which has the power to fulfill our desires and release us from bondage.

Guru dhyaana mantra (Meditation on the Guru) THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMndam parama sukhadam kevalam gnana moortim Dvandva Teeth gagana sadrisham tatvamasyaadi lakshyam Ekam THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMyam vimalam achalam sarvadhee saakshi bhootam Bhaavaateetam triguna rahitam sadGurum tam namaami

HARNESSING THE UNIVERSAL LIFE-FORCE Working with your breath

(The one) Who embodies eternal bliss and ultimate happiness Who is the manifestation of pure knowledge Who is beyond duality, all pervading like the sky Who indicates 'You are That' Absolute, eternal, beyond purity and impurity, unmoving the witnessing consciousness in all elements Beyond comprehension, beyond the three (human) qualities To that supreme Guru, I offer my 'I' and 'mine'.

Sarveshaam svaastir bhavatu, sarveshaam shaantir bhavatu, Sarveshaam poornam bhavatu, sarveshaam mangalam bhavatu Om shanti, shanti shantihi

May health abound forever, may peace abound forever May fulfilment abound forever, may auspiciousness abound foreve r Om, Peace Peace Peace!

Sarve bhavantu sukhinah, sarve santu niraamayah, Sarve bhadraani pashyantu, ma kaschit duhkha bhaagbhavet Om shanti, shanti shantihi

May all be contented, may all be free of disease May all experience what is auspicious, may no suffering come to anyone Om, Peace Peace Peace!

Working with thoughts and emotions __________________________________________________________

Mind is not a solid thing, as you imagine.

Mind is an action!

It is not an organ, not a machine.

It is a constant happening, a continuous process that is dynamic and alive.

Mind is nothing but the continuous flow of thoughts happening in you.

Thoughts do not flow through the mind, thoughts are the mind!

As your thoughts are constantly changing, your mind is also in a constant state of flux.

There is no such thing as a constant mind.

As long as we are working with the body and breath, we are still in the realm of the physical. It is a familiar zone. We feel comfortable.

When we turn our awareness upon the mind, we know we are taking a leap into a different dimension.

Mind is a very subtle vibration of consciousness.

It is not accessible to any of our senses. We cannot see the mind, hear it, smell it, taste it or touch it.

Then how do we know that mind exists?

We know the mind only by the thoughts, words and emotions that are continuously bubbling up in our system. This constant flow is known as inner chatter, the continuous verbalization that is happening in us whether we are aware of it or not.

The inner chatter that can be understood through logic are known as thoughts.

The inner chatter which does not respond to our logical analysis are what we call 'emotions'!

We are all familiar with the phrase, 'Seeing is believing.' We have complete faith in all the information that we receive through our senses.

We don't know that what our senses perceive is not what gets finally recorded in our mind!

How does the mind perceive the world? Just try to understand the process.

MIND FILTERS REALITY DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS Working with thoughts and emotions

Not only does the mind distort perception, it also filters whatever we perceive. Can you imagine, only about ten percent of what we perceive through our senses gets recorded in our conscious mind!

Everything else goes directly into our unconscious mind.

Just see in your own life. Do you remember all the buildings, all the trees, all the signboards you pass on your way to work every morning? No!

But do you know, if you were put under hypnosis and asked the same question, you would recall each and every detail of your morning drive!

The only thing is, all this information is not stored in our conscious mind. So long as this sensory perception does not interest us in some way, it does not get recorded in the conscious mind. Just think of the traffic jam in our minds if we were consciously recording each and every sensory perception!

What happens to those sensory perceptions that do get recorded in our conscious mind?

These impressions are sorted out by parts of our mind and identified. In the whole process of thinking, your conscious mind has a very small role! Suppose a person is standing before you. Your conscious mind identifies this person – it records whether he is known to you or not. That's all! After this, the 'file' moves to your unconscious zone. In case you know the person, your attitude towards him and your actions are based on the samskaras (engrams) that you have already stored in your mind about him. Even if he is unknown to you, his appearance of that person may trigger some unconscious response in you.

Be very clear: it is your unconscious mind which makes the final decision about how you respond to a situation.

And the unfortunate thing is, we are not even conscious that we are unconscious! We think that we are making a very clear decision based upon our conscious understanding of the person. Actually, less than one percent of our decisions have a rational basis.

Understand, the more you cherish a certain kind of thought, the greater the chance that you will become aware only when such thoughts arise in your mind. The projector light which is inside you comes on, the awareness that you exist comes to life, only when those thoughts cross your field of awareness.

For example, if you enjoy lustful thoughts, it is only when lustful thoughts move across your mind that you become aware, 'I exist'. If you are unconsciously cherishing violence, it is only when violent thoughts arise that you come to life!

If you empower a particular thought again and again, that thought becomes the stimulus for you to become aware of yourself.

Naturally, your inner space responds to and strengthens only those kinds of thoughts.

This becomes a vicious circle.

The greater the load of samskaras in your system, the greater the possibility that your actions and responses will be arising from your unconscious mind.

Meditation cleanses your inner space of the deep-rooted samskaras which decide your conditioned responses. In the superconscious meditative state, it is possible to relive and relieve your embedded memories, and removal and dissolution of these samskaras that bind us.

MIND FILTERS REALITY DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS Working with thoughts and emotions

A recent scientific study conducted by a leading spiritual organization in the USA has revealed that if a boxing tournament happens in a city, the crime rate in that city goes up. On the other hand, if a largescale group meditation session happens in the city, the crime rate comes down.

With powerful cleansing processes, you can throw out all your accumulated samskaras.

But if you are not alert, you will keep accumulating new samskaras to replace the old ones!

The only way is to avoid this is to live and function in the present moment, in moment-to-moment awareness.

Be very clear: every moment of your life that happens without your awareness is suffering.

Have you noticed that your thoughts are always about the past and the future? Your thoughts about the past are usually regrets or guilt about what happened, what you did or didn't do. Your thoughts about the future are all based on your desires, your plans, your worries about what is going to happen.

This is the most useless activity that the mind can pursue – because you have no control over either the past or the future.

MIND FEEDS ON PAST AND FUTURE DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS Working with thoughts and emotions

Can you alter the past by thinking about it? Can you alter the future by worrying about it? We feel, the past is gone, but at least the future is in our control!

Even if you want to control your future, are you going to do it by worrying?

You will be shocked to know that 99% of your worries don't come true. 99% of your fears never materialize. And the 1% that does materialize is usually a good learning experience for you!

But we are not so intelligent to learn from life!

All we try to do is, we use our memories of the past to handle the future. We respond to life out of our past engrams, not out of our spontaneous awareness in the present moment. It is like driving a car looking only at the rear view mirror! You know for sure where you will end up!

Please understand, neither the past nor the future is real.

• The past is dead and gone. The future has not even happened.
• The only moment available to you is the present moment.

But just observe yourself.

Are you ever present in the present?

Only your body is in the present moment; your mind is continuously oscillating between past and future.

You are always jumping, even when you think you are resting. Your mind never wants to rest.

If your mind rests for a moment, you will know you can do without it! When your mind rests for a moment, you will see that you are in a state of bliss.

That state is the present moment!

Your mind is always trying to escape the present moment.

You don't understand, the only thing you can actually experience is the present moment.

You cannot experience the future until it becomes your present!

All your future has to happen in this present moment. It is what you decide now in this present moment that makes your future. If you take care of the present moment, if you live this present moment consciously, you have taken care of your future. Not only that, you will no longer have cause to regret your past. When you live in the present, you take care of both past and future.

Every moment, the future is slipping into the past. At the junction of past and future is the present moment. When your mind is filled with thoughts of past and future, you don't catch this moment!

Again and again, you miss the present moment.

In the diagram, the shaft in the center represents 'time'. Your thought frequency is measured in terms of the number of Thoughts Per Second (TPS).

The greater the frequency of thoughts, the further you are from the awareness of the present moment. For example, if you have 100 TPS, it means that your mind is doing nothing but jumping between past and future. (Of course, the numbers are just to give you an idea; who knows, you may be having even 1000 TPS or 5000 TPS!)

As your TPS comes down, you come closer and closer to the present moment. You start relaxing into the experience of the present moment.

When this happens, you have a clearer vision of the past and the future. Don't think that being in the present moment means forgetting about past and future. No!

The present moment is all-inclusive.

Being in the present means, bringing both past and the future into the present, and handling them while remaining rooted in present-moment awareness.

Understand: only when you can relax totally into the present moment will you have clarity about your past and future.

You may wonder, what is there to gain clarity in the past? One can understand that the future may not be clear, but why the past? I have lived it, so why should it be unclear?

Be very clear, what you now remember of the past is only your judgment of the past, not the way it actually happened!

We saw how mind filters reality and creates its own idea of every event. This distorted idea is stored in our mind, and recalled later as the 'past'. How many times we talk about the golden past!

We don't realize, there is nothing particularly golden about the past. Just like the present moment, it was also a mix of joy and sorrow. We just choose to remember the good parts, so it looks golden!

Have you ever experienced this? Suddenly, for no reason, you think of a person you haven't met in years – maybe an old friend. A few moments later, the telephone rings – and it is that person on the line! Or you are at a party, and suddenly you get a strong feeling that something is about to happen – maybe a particular person is going to walk in, or a certain person is about to drop something – something like that. And immediately, exactly what you expected happens! Usually, we brush off such incidents as coincidence. No!

If it happens to one or two people, it can be called a coincidence. But more than 80% of people have experienced this at least a few times in their lives.

Why does this happen?

When you are in a relaxed mood, your TPS naturally drops.

You come close to the bottom of the time shaft.

Then for a few seconds, you actually fall into zero-TPS – the zone of enlightened consciousness.

It is at such moments that you suddenly catch the signals from your past and future. You are able to see at least a few seconds ahead!

As your TPS goes down, you relax into the space of intuition.

Intuition is not the understanding of the future. Intuition is clarity in the present moment. When you have clarity about the present moment, naturally you will act to shape your future also in a clear way.

Understand: time is nothing but your mind!

All your thinking is nothing but the movement of your mind between past and future.

Actually, mind cannot exist in the present moment.

When mind falls into the present moment, it can no longer be called mind.

It is the state of pure awareness.

When your TPS touches zero, you step out of mind.

Understand, you cannot control or suppress the mind. It is not a permanent solution. At the first chance, your mind will spring back again!

MIND FEEDS ON PAST AND FUTURE DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS Working with thoughts and emotions

You can only transcend the mind.

When you transcend the mind, it can't play games on you anymore! Not only that, you can play with the mind and make it behave as you wish. Meditation liberates you from your mind.

In meditation, we work consciously to free ourselves from the continuous movement of the mind. But all of us, whether we are meditators or not, are trying unconsciously to jump out of our minds!

At least for a few minutes, we want to break free of our minds.

Our obsession with sex, extreme sports, horror films – all these are for the same reason! In moments of extreme desire or fear, the mind stops for a moment. When the continuous flow of thoughts is broken, the bliss that is naturally in us bubbles up to the surface of our consciousness. In those moments, we become aware of ourselves, we taste ourselves.

The 'high' that we get out of these activities is nothing but the bliss of our own Self!

We can also reach this state in the presence of an enlightened being. This is the easy way!

It is the shortcut to living enlightenment!

The enlightened master is always in the zero-TPS state. That is why, in his presence, your own TPS also drops.

Just by being in his space, you can imbibe his state.

Awareness in the master's space is natural meditation

• Try a very simple experiment for just ten minutes.
• Take a sheet of paper and a pen.
• Sit down alone and close your eyes for a few seconds.
• You will see that many thoughts are rushing through your mind.
• Now, open your eyes. Whatever thoughts are coming, just start writing them down.
• Don't change anything, don't edit anything.
• As the thoughts rise, just keep writing them down.
• If you think no thoughts are coming, write that also.
• Honestly write whatever goes on inside.
• After ten minutes, just read all that you have written down.

Just from these ten minutes, you can get a clear picture of how your mind works. You can clearly see that there is no logic in the way your mind works!

For example, your first thought may be of a dog you saw on the street that morning. Then somehow, you remember the dog you were afraid of when you were young, or the one dog used to play with when you were young. The next thought could be about your childhood. Then your mind goes to the teacher who taught you when you were a child. Then you recall the house where your teacher used to live…

Where is the logical connection between the dog that you saw on the street and the house of the teacher who taught you in school? But in just a few seconds, your mind has gone from the dog to the teacher to the house! You can see clearly that your thoughts are simply jumping from one thing to another, continuously moving from one thing to another.

MIND IS AN ACTION! DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS Working with thoughts and emotions

We can't even call this process 'thinking'! It is just 'association', that's all – and that too, not a logical association. Actually, if all your thoughts could be heard, it would sound like a conversation among the inmates of a madhouse! Understand: your mind is nothing but a constant flow of utterly disconnected, illogical thoughts. And this is the mind to which you have trusted your life!

The biggest obstacle to understanding the nature of the mind is this: we all believe that the mind is a solid thing, a biomechanical machine, an object.

Then we search for ways to conquer the mind. Even the greatest scholars and doctors miss this truth: Mind is not a thing, as we imagine.

The Sanskrit word for mind is manas, which means, a constant happening. Mind is not an organ, it is not a machine – it is a continuous process that is dynamic and alive.

Western psychology bases all its studies of the mind on this one idea – that mind is a biomechanical machine. We all believe this – that mind is a solid thing.

Actually, mind is nothing but the continuous flow of thoughts happening in us. Thoughts do not flow through the mind, thoughts are the mind. As your thoughts are constantly changing, your mind is also in a constant state of flux. There is no such thing as a constant mind.

Because we believe that mind is a consistent phenomenon, we constantly connect all the happenings in our mind and strengthen this idea.

If you observe, thoughts arise one after another in your mind just like bubbles in a fish tank!

Just like that, something arises, then something else arises; next, something else is arising… thoughts are flowing, words are flowing.

Because your mind is usually functioning at high TPS, these 'thought bubbles' follow one another in a rapid stream, creating the illusion that it is one unbroken flow.

Because you are not aware of the gaps between the thoughts, you feel that your mind is a solid phenomenon.

When you allow each thought to rise and die, you can take on any amount of stress at the physical and mental level without getting stressed out.

Your consciousness will remain light and blissful.

When we focus only on the thoughts and not the gaps of silence in between, we feel as if we are taking on too much. We start feeling burdened and stressed.

Actually, as you saw in the five-minute experiment, there is no connection at all between our thoughts! You do not even know why one particular thought is following another. There is no logical reason.

But your intellect cannot accept that you are nothing but a bunch of independent, random, unconnected thoughts!

It is too frightening.

You are afraid to live with such an undefined mind!

We base our whole identity on our idea about our past and our future. So we cannot accept that there is no connection between our past life, our present moment and the future.

Be very clear: your idea about your life as a series of logical events exists only in your mind. There is no logic in Existence!

But we try to 'make sense' of our mind by creating a false connection between these disconnected thoughts.

We create an imaginary shaft of pain or joy to connect our thoughts, and think we are giving meaning to our life.

In the picture, these different thoughts are represented by different shapes of varying lengths, breadths, and colors. Each thought is about a separate incident in your life. Some thoughts are memories of joyful events, some are painful, some are a mix of both. Your life is a mixture of some joy, some suffering, some guilt, some pain…

But when you recall your past, you selectively recall only the incidents related to suffering and create a 'shaft', a connection between them. By connecting all these memories with a 'pain shaft', you come to the conclusion that your life is nothing but suffering! For example, the depression that you experienced ten years ago, the depression that you experienced five years ago, the depression that you experienced three months ago and the depression that you experienced yesterday, are completely unconnected and independent incidents!

All these happened for different purposes, different reasons, at different times and situations.

But what do you do?

You connect all these unconnected incidents and say, 'My life itself is nothing but depression.'

Understand, in each case of depression, the reasons would have been different, the situations would have been different. But when you connect all these low moods and decide, 'My life is full of depression,' you have created hell for yourself!

The moment you start believing that your life is depression, your life indeed becomes depression. Once you create this pain shaft, you set the scene for more and more painful incidents to be added to your life!

Whenever you believe in something, you start unconsciously collecting more and more experiences and arguments to strengthen that belief.

Whatever we believe to be our past, we reproduce exactly that in the future. We all know from our past experience that we can't fly. How can we believe that we can start flying from tomorrow onwards?

We can't!

Whatever we believe to be our past, only that we will believe can be our future.

So once we start believing that our past was filled with depression, we have the unconscious faith that our future will also be depression.

When we believe that the mind is consistent, a solid thing, we have already created hell for ourselves.

Very rarely, some people connect all the happy memories of their past and create an imaginary 'joy shaft'. These people believe that their life has always been a joy. They are also making the same mistake. Understand, they are as far away from the truth as the opposite group!

If you have a clear picture about your past, it will become a solid experience. It will not be a load; it will become strength.

Undigested past is a load, digested past is strength.

We don't digest our past. It just stays on us like a load, like a headache. When you connect all the painful incidents and create a pain shaft, you create an enemy who does not exist and spend your life start fighting with him.

There is a song that children sing: As I was coming down the stairs I met a man who wasn't there He wasn't there again today I wish that man would go away!

Understand, you are doing the same thing!

You are fighting with an imaginary enemy.

If you believe that your life is suffering, you will be struggling to break free of this suffering. First you create the belief, then you try to break free of it! Unconsciously, you will be continuously adding to the pain shaft, but consciously

you will be trying to break it.

In the same way, those who believe that life is a joy will be continuously trying to elongate the joy shaft.

This is equally foolish.

Can you hold on to your joyful experiences always?

No! They won't stay forever.

Even if you try to reproduce the same ambience, the same people, the same place, even the same temperature again and again, you cannot continuously experience the same joy.

The main reason for people falling into addiction is this: believing that the joy or ecstasy they experienced at some time in the past came from a particular object or person or situation, they continuously try to reproduce the same thing again and again, even though the same joy or experience does not come back again.

Some people are addicted to partying, some people are addicted to smoking, some people are addicted to drinking, and some people are addicted even to the daily newspaper!

The simple truth is, you can neither break the pain shaft, nor can you add to the joy shaft, because both the shafts do not exist! Both are created just by your selective memory.

Understand, it is not just your state of mind that is affected by this attitude. Your very body, even your chronic physical diseases are consequences of this imaginary pain shaft!

People come and tell me,

'Swamiji, I have been suffering from pain in the knees for the last twenty years.'

No, it cannot be!

Please, understand, it cannot be. I am not disregarding your suffering by saying that all your problems are in your head.

I am just telling the truth: all your problems are in your head!

Whether you believe it or not, medical science has proved that your body continuously rejuvenates itself. Do you know, once in 47 days, your intestine gets replaced completely!

Your brain cells, your skin, your internal organs are all replaced, cell by cell, within a particular number of days.

So if you are carrying the same disease for years, it means only one thing: you are carrying it in your mind.

Your unconscious belief that your disease is a continuous experience forces your mind to bring back the same pain and disease again and again.

When we worked on the body, we saw the power of intention. If a simple intention can change the very cellular structure of your body, why can't it heal your chronic diseases? All you have to do is allow the self-healing to happen naturally.

Working with thoughts and emotions

The moment you hear this new word, 'unclutching', your mind will leap to the conclusion: Oh, this looks like a new technique. Swamiji is asking us to do something new!

Understand, I am not asking you to do anything.

I am only asking you to do stop doing whatever you are doing right now! I am only asking you to stop connecting your thoughts and creating suffering for yourself.

Actually, you don't have to do anything to be unclutched.

Unclutching is your very nature!

By your very nature, you are a free, unclutched, blissful being.

Just the simple understanding of how your mind is playing tricks on you is enough!

Just the awareness of how you are continuously connecting your thoughts is enough to liberate you from both the pain shaft and joy shaft.

It is not a technique for you to sit down and do for a particular period of time. It is a continuous, 24-hour process.

If you are unable to keep this awareness continuously alive, you have to keep returning to it again and again.

That is when you call it a practice!

What exactly do I mean by this word 'unclutching'?

Just sit silently and watch your mind.

You will see so many thoughts coming up.

Your first instinct will be to connect all these thoughts together. Unconsciously, you struggle to make some logical connection between your thoughts.

Understand: your thoughts are not holding on to you, as you imagine. It is you who are clutching onto them and connecting them!

When the thoughts come up, do not try to connect them, to give meaning to them.

The moment you give meaning to the words that your mind is throwing up, either you will try to suppress them or you will try to execute them. Or else, you will try to go beyond them – which is just one more thought! Instead, just remember, 'Let me disconnect from this thought. I am not going to empower this thought by following it, or by fighting it. Let me unclutch from it.'

Again, in two seconds, another thought will come up.

Again say, 'Let me unclutch.'

After few minutes, you will see you are continuously repeating the thought 'unclutching': 'I am unclutching,' 'I am unclutching'…

Now, unclutch from that thought too!

When a thought arises in you, instead of giving meaning to it, just unclutch from it, just relax into its source.

Relax into the silent space inside from which the thought arises. Whenever you remember, unclutch from yourself. Unclutch from the very idea you are carrying about yourself.

For ten days, try this continuously, whether you are eating, driving, whatever you are doing. Whenever the thoughts arise, unclutch again and again, come back and rest.

If it does not change your life in ten days, you can forget about it. But I tell you, it will work! I have seen how it can just transform your life.

When you continuously turn your awareness to your inner space, you will realize a great truth: no thought, however strong, can have total power over your inner space!

We always think that our mind is too powerful to control.

We live in terror of our desires and our fears! We feel we can never escape from our suffering.

Be very clear: even if you want to, even if you try consciously, you cannot possess or hold onto your suffering!

Understand, this is a subtle truth. Even if you try to hold onto your suffering, you cannot - because continuously, your suffering is also replaced by other thoughts. Even the worst suffering, the worst depression, the worst fear, is continuously being replaced with new thoughts.

Fortunately, you can have only one thought at a time.

So if you feel your mind is too powerful to conquer, just face it one thought at a time!

The moment a new thought enters inner space, it means that the earlier thought has already lost its influence over you.

They say you can't step into the same river twice.

I tell you, you can't step into the same river even once! By the time you put your foot into the water and it touches the bed, the water has already flowed on!

This understanding is what I call a click, an initiation. This single understanding can totally transform the way you handle your mind.

It is the key to go beyond all your fears, all your worries, all your phobias! You have already seen that each and every thought is being constantly replaced by others in your inner space.

Actually, you cannot even say that it is easy – because even 'easy' means it needs a little effort. But this process is already happening in you, constantly, naturally.

Now just be aware that it is happening, that's all.

Once you realize that a thought can only occupy your inner space for a few seconds, will you be afraid of it anymore?

Will you respect a phobia that can be wiped out in a moment by another thought?

For instance, if the thought of death comes up, why should you be afraid? Simply replace it, that's all!

A person once came to me and said,

'Swamiji, I am haunted by the fear of death. Please tell me a way to come out of it!

I told him, 'Every time the fear of death comes up, just decide to have a cup of coffee.'

He was shocked!

He said, 'What do you mean, Swamiji? How can that help me?'

I said, 'The moment you are able to think of having a cup of coffee, it means the thought about death fear has already left your inner space. Am I right?'

Then he said, 'No, no, Swamiji, it looks too simple! And even if I do that, the death fear will come back! Then what should I do?' I said, 'If it comes back, have one more cup of coffee, that's all!' He protested, 'No, no, you don't understand how serious this is for me. You are playing with me.'

I said, 'I am not playing with you. Now you know the method how to replace the death fear once; do the same thing again and again, that's all.'

Why are you afraid that you will bring your old thought back? It is like trashing your e-mails and then bringing them back from the trash bin. Why would you do that?

You have the intelligence and the independence to replace any suffering, any fear, any negativity that enters your inner space.

If a thought can be replaced once, it means that it can be replaced as many times as it comes. If you can replace it ten times, the eleventh time the thought will not arise; the frequency will come down. This is the truth.

Fortunately, you have a pure inner space which can never be corrupted by the

thoughts that flow through it. Your inner space is simply like a screen on which your thoughts are projected for a few moments and then fade out. If you project a scene of fire on a cinema screen, will the screen itself get burnt?

No!

In the same way, your inner space can never be polluted or possessed by any particular idea or thought.

Understanding this deeply can completely liberate you from all the sufferings you create for yourself. It can bring tremendous self-healing to you, tremendous freedom, tremendous courage and confidence.

If this one truth clicks, it can destroy the root of ignorance, the root of the mind. Nothing else is needed.

Unclutching is a natural process that is going on in your inner space every moment.

But the moment you hear the word, a powerful fear comes up!

Because deep inside, you realize that living in an unclutched manner means living without the mind.

And you are afraid to live in such an undefined way!

Without your mind, you are terrified that you will lose your identity. So you ask,

If I constantly live in an unclutched manner, how will I run my life? How will I handle my job? Who will maintain my family? Who will pay my bills?

But your actual question is,

If I live without mind, what will happen to my identity?

You are not even so worried about losing your life, as you are about losing your identity.

You don't realize that your identity is nothing more than a bunch of ideas you have about yourself!

Don't think that the mind only filters and distorts the external reality that we perceive.

Your very identity is nothing but a few ideas about yourself that you have chosen to pick up and nurture.

And all your life, you have struggled to protect your identity - both your outer-world identity and your inner-world identity.

Understand, you are not carrying a single integrated sense of identity, as you imagine!

Each of us carries two distinct identities.

One is called ahankar - the identity that you project to the outer world. The other is mamakar - the identity which you believe in your heart to be the real you.

Ahankar, how you project yourself, will always be much more than what you actually are. Mamakar, what you believe as yourself, will always be much less than what you actually are.

Your so-called identity is nothing but a struggle between your ahankar and your mamakar.

In the world, we carry a superiority complex, but in our hearts, we all carry a deep inferiority complex.

Both these identities are constantly in conflict with each other.

That is why we have to be so careful when we talk to anyone – because we never really talk what we think.

The enlightened master Sri Ramakrishna says, if the way from your heart to your mouth is a straight line, you are living a spiritual life. He means that when we can directly express what we feel in our heart, that is true spirituality.

Understand, this is not simple morality.

You will have the courage to speak exactly what you feel only when there is no conflict between your ahankara and your mamakara, only when you go beyond these two identities.

As of now, your thoughts are governed by your inner-world identity, while your words are governed by your outer-world identity. Your whole life is nothing but the fight between these two identities.

What you don't understand is, neither of these identities is the real you!

The reality, the real you, is much more than these two identities. You are beyond these two identities.

As long as you are swinging between these two identities, you are caught in samsara. When you go beyond these identities, you enter the space of enlightenment.

But you are afraid to live without identity!

I tell you, don't bother about these hypothetical fears.

Mind exists only on these hypothetical fears!

Have the courage to live in an unclutched way.

Just opening up to the truth, though it feels like suffering in the initial level, will always lead you to greater awareness and joy, because sat, by its very nature, leads to chit and ananda. By its very nature, the truth (sat) leads to awareness (chit), and awareness (chit) leads to bliss (ananda).

Understand, your being does not need your mind to run your body. When you trust your being instead of your mind, you will see an unchanging, authentic Self arise in you. Your life will unfold in a more spontaneous, joyful, intelligent way.

This is what I call 'living enlightenment'.

Please be very clear, your life does not happen because of you. Your life happens in spite of you!

Only if you have suffered enough in your life with your mind, you will understand what I am saying.

Only if you come to the verge of suspecting your own identity, can you understand.

What you think of as your identity is not needed to run your life!

Your innate intelligence, your prarabdha (bio-memory), is powerful enough to handle your life using your body and your mind.

Your bio-memory is intelligent enough to maintain your body, expand your wealth and take care of your life.

Trusting this truth in every moment is what I call bhakti, devotion.

When I was wandering in the villages of northern Bharat, I had often noticed the villagers using a novel trap to catch birds.

They suspend a stick horizontally from the branch of a tree. The stick will be hanging from the tree by a rope tied around its middle, that's all. This stick is the trap! You must be wondering how a stick can trap a bird!

Understand, when this stick is hanging freely, it is in a horizontal position. When a bird comes and sits on one side of the stick, the stick goes down on that side because of the weight of the bird. Like a see-saw, one side of the stick goes up, the other goes down, and the stick becomes almost vertical.

The bird will end up hanging topsy-turvy, upside down!

The poor bird is terrified of hanging upside down. But it thinks that if it lets go of the stick, it will fall head-first onto the ground and die! I have seen birds clutching at the stick for hours together, afraid to let go. It will be fluttering its wings, shaking its whole body, trying its best to get back to the earlier position. But it won't dare let go of the stick!

Have you ever heard of a bird falling and breaking his head and dying? No!

But the foolish bird does not know that if he just lets go, he can fly…! He can be liberated.

After a few hours, the hunter comes along leisurely, simply catches hold of the bird and puts it in his cage.

Understand: this is the exact story of you and your mind!

Just like the bird, you are hanging onto the very thing that is putting you into suffering!

Because the bird feels that the stick is its security, it hangs onto the stick. But when the hunter comes, not only does the bird lose the stick, but it is captured and caged too.

In the same way, you hold onto your mind, onto your life. You think these things are your security. But when Yama, Death, comes, not only does all your so-called security become worthless, you are also put to death.

Rarely, a bird which was once stuck in the trap but had the courage to let go and open up, comes back to save the other birds. It nudges the bird which is hanging upside down, saying, 'Let go! Do not be afraid. Once, I was in the same state as you. But when I relaxed my hold, I just started flying! I became liberated. All it will take you to regain your balance is a few seconds. Have courage and do it.'

Since the bird is hanging topsy-turvy, when it lets go of the stick, maybe for a couple of seconds it will start falling. Then it will just simply turn upwards and start flying. Courageously facing those few seconds, that chaos, is what I call tapas.

When you unclutch, there will be a revolution in your life, your thinking, your decision-making, your lifestyle. Courageously going through that transformation is tapas.

Understand, if the bird lets go, if it relaxes, it will be soon enjoying its freedom.

If you have the courage to let go, you can become a Paramahamsa this very moment.

I tell you this boldly with the courage, the authenticity, the Truth of my own experience.

When the words come from the inner space of genuine experience, even if your logic is fighting them, don't bother. You will have the experience anyway.

Whatever arises from the space of Truth will touch the same space within you - your true Self, your being. All you need to do is just let go, and you will live like a Paramahamsa.

Life lived in an unclutched way is what I call 'living enlightenment'.

May you all live enlightenment!

Q. Whenever I try to unclutch, my whole system feels a slight tension. The moment I stop unclutching, I become relaxed, but I lose the awareness also!

A. Understand, trying to be unclutched is not causing the tension, it is only making you aware of the tension that is already there inside. Whenever you start witnessing your thoughts, whatever is there inside starts getting highlighted!

Normally, you are always carrying a subtle tension in your body and mind. Your entire system and way of functioning has become combative. You feel you need to protect yourself from the whole world. All your outer worries are nothing but excuses to bring out the tension which is already inside. You feel stupid accepting that you are tense without any reason, so you find some reason, that's all!

So if you are now becoming aware of your tension, that is good. Now just unclutch from the tension also!

Q. If I can see a ten-year dream during ten hours of sleep, does it mean that the movement of time itself is different in different states of consciousness?

How you experience time depends entirely on your state of consciousness. In fact, time differs even from person to person living in the same dimension. Or even the same person experiences time differently when he is in different states of consciousness. That is why, in the Vedic system, time is considered a psychological phenomenon, not a chronological phenomenon.

Just like a ten-year dream happens in ten hours, there may be a different calendar where your 70 years of life may be just seven hours for somebody who is in a different space!

If the number of thoughts per second (TPS) is more, you will feel as if you have lived through a longer time. If the TPS is low, you will feel that the time is flying!

For example, if you are sitting with someone with whom you are completely in tune, you will feel that time is moving very fast, because your TPS at that time will be very low. But if you are sitting with somebody with whom you don't feel connected, what will you do? Every five minutes, you will keep looking at your watch! You will be restless. Your TPS will be high. So you will feel as though a lot of time has passed.

That is why, in the Vedic tradition, the unit of time is called kshana. It is not measured as a chronological second. According to Western understanding, chronological time is calculated in seconds. One unit of time is equal to one second. In the Vedic tradition, the unit of time is kshana. Kshana is the gap between one thought and the next.

According to the Western calendar, your one second and my one second are the same. But according to the Vedic calendar, your one kshana and my one kshana will be different! This is because the gap between one thought and the next will be different for me and you. Here, time is not chronological, it is psychological.

In the dream state, you have too many thoughts or a high TPS. That is why you feel as if you have lived for a long time. In the waking state, there is a medium number of TPS. That is why it seems like time is moving at a normal speed. For someone in the superconscious state, e.g. for the celestial beings, the TPS is very less, and that is why their one day will be one year for us! You can see this difference in the Vedic calendars.

DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS Working with thoughts and emotions QUESTION & ANSWER

Q.I can see the truth of your words, but my ego is too strong. It is not accepting…

• A. Understand, your ego is not as big as you think!
• Your ego itself is an illusion.
• Just like we want to be at the top in everything, we want to be at the top even in our suffering!
• All seekers love to think that nobody can have an ego more powerful than theirs.
• Then they struggle to conquer the ego.
• When you create a powerful enemy for yourself, you feel very powerful. You feel solid.
• Be very clear, this whole thing is the clever game of the ego itself!
• You are creating an imaginary enemy and fighting with it, that's all. The ego itself is a pure illusion.
• Ego is nothing separate from your thoughts! It is just a name we give to the process of creating the shaft.
• Ego is the shaft you use to connect all your thoughts. When we create a shaft and connect our thoughts, it gives us a false sense of personal continuity. This gives us the illusion of the ego.
• Are you able to understand?
• Your thoughts themselves are random and disconnected.
• The shaft that connects them is imaginary.
• The joy and suffering arising from it are also imaginary
• So how can the ego that is built on this base be real?
• If you really look deeply, you will suddenly see that what you think of as your ego does not exist.
• By your very nature, you are free, unclutched and already enlightened.
• Your ego is too small to take away your enlightenment!
• Stop giving so much importance to it, that is enough.

Q. Unclutching is ok in spiritual life, but how can it work in the material world? Even if I try to live in an unclutched manner, the people with whom I need to relate will be living life in the same way…

A. First of all, there are no two separate worlds called material world and spiritual world. Wherever you are living, if you are carrying an identity, you are in the material world. If you are not carrying an identity, you are spiritual, that's all.

If you are carrying an identity, you are in hell, if you are not carrying an identity, you are in heaven!

The moment you drop your identity, you enter into bliss.

There is no need to renounce anything externally. If you can renounce your identity, it is enough. The identity you are holding on to is the only reason for all your fear, all your suffering.

When you live in an unclutched manner, every incident is new. Every experience is fresh. You stop taking people and things for granted. When you are unclutched, nothing can make you suffer.

Understand, I am not saying that if you live in an unclutched manner, you will never have any problems in your life.

No!

Every single person experiences both pain and pleasure in life.

We don't have a choice in that.

But we have the choice of not connecting these experiences and creating imaginary shafts.

Understand, nothing or nobody can disturb without your silent permission. You are attached to a person or thing only because you have already created a shaft about them in your mind. Because of the shaft, you have expectations about what you can get from that situation, from that person or from that relationship.

DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS Working with thoughts and emotions QUESTION & ANSWER

And if the reality turns out to be different from what you imagined, you suffer, and blame the other person for your suffering!

Especially in your close relationships, you will see this happening all the time.

I always say, when you meet a new person, you experience them as they are only for the first few weeks or months. During that time, you form your own idea of what the person is like.

After that, you will be relating only with your idea of the person, not with that person himself!

For the next twenty years, you will be relating to an idea, not to a person. In the same way, the other person would have formed an idea about you, and will be relating to his idea of you, not to the real you.

Can you imagine the confusion?!

You don't realize, the relationship which you shared with someone three years ago, the relationship which you shared one year ago and the relationship which you are experiencing now are independent events. At each instant, you are experiencing a new relationship! Because we are unclutched by our very nature, at each instant, two new people are relating with each other, experiencing each other.

The real problem is not caused by pleasure or pain. It is caused by our creating shafts and trying to break or extend them.

In the life of an enlightened person also, there is both pleasure and pain. But the big difference is, he does not carry them inside. If there is pleasure, he will enjoy the pleasure and forget it. If there is pain, he will suffer the pain and forget it, that's all. So he is always open to the future as it unfolds.

When you create a shaft, it means you already have an unconscious expectation of what the future will be, with a particular person or relationship or thing. You are not open to the experience as it unfolds. You only experience it through the filter of your own ideas.

Opening yourself continuously to the present moment is what I call living enlightenment!

A. Not just you ma, this is the problem that every single seeker faces! No matter how many times we hear it, how many times we read about it, we can never believe that we are enlightened. Not only that, we never even feel that we are qualified for enlightenment! I tell you, the most difficult task for the master is to convince the disciple that he is qualified for enlightenment! The idea of being a limited individual is so deep-rooted in us, it takes lifetimes to be free of it. Actually, the only thing you need to liberate yourself from, is the idea that you are in bondage! You need to liberate yourself only from the idea of bondage you are carrying.

Both bondage and liberation are just ideas created by your mind. But as long as you think you are bound, the masters will have to create techniques for your liberation! Whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not, whether you accept it or not, you are always enlightened. You have never been in bondage.

When the individual wave rises from the cosmic ocean, when it reaches its peak, when it starts to subside, and when it falls and merges with the ocean – at all times, it is nothing but the ocean! It is nothing but water.

When you rise as an individual consciousness, when you live as a separate being, when you seek and struggle to return to your source, and when you finally merge in it – at all times, you are nothing but enlightened consciousness.

A disciple once went to his master and asked him, 'Master, when will I become a Buddha? How long will it take me to become enlightened?'

In reply, the master gave him a hard slap on his face! In that moment, the disciple awakened to his true nature.

How long can it take you to become something which you already are?

What practice can you do to become what you already are? Whether you try to move inward or outward, as long as you are going somewhere, you are missing the truth.

The very process of traveling takes us away from the truth. Truth is here and now! There is no need to go anywhere, to travel anywhere.

The very idea of traveling shows that you have created a shaft. You are seeing some progress. How can there be progress, when there is no individual who is progressing? The individual is dying at every instant. Then who will progress?

When you are unclutched, naturally the question of bondage and liberation will not arise.

Actually, your true self can never be improved by any practice. It is perfect and untouchable. Your true self needs no improvement, and your imaginary self can never be improved! Some people work on self-development. What self will you develop, when all you think of as 'you' is a sequence of unconnected thoughts?

If you try to develop this false self, you will be creating one more shaft, that's all! You will have the idea that your self is developed. It will be one more thought, one more shaft. Maybe it will give you a good feeling, but it will be just one more joy shaft! Really speaking, the self cannot be developed. The imaginary self

can only be eliminated. When you unclutch, your false identity has nowhere to stand. It just disappears for that moment. In those moments, your true self is revealed. You get a glimpse of your own enlightenment.

Be very clear, you are not missing anything.

Nothing needs to be added to you.

So relax from your frame, your idea of what enlightenment should be like.

The best way to experience love is to become love!

The more we give of an emotion, the more we allow it to circulate through us. When you give love, you create the space to receive love as well. But when you become love, there is no longer the idea of giving and receiving. You just flow in love, you radiate love. You love because you cannot help it!

Sit down comfortably by yourself and close your eyes. Focus on your heart region.

Exclude everything else. Focus only on the heart.

Visualize your heart as an endless reservoir from where blessings can flow.

Feel every heartbeat deeply. Let every beat resound throughout you.

Between the heartbeats, feel the energy of love happening. In the deepest parts of your body, mind and soul, the love energy is waiting to be acknowledged.

Invite the love energy of the heart to flow and fill these deepest parts of your body, mind and soul.

When you are feeling completely fulfilled within, allow this love to overflow from you.

Don't try to decide to whom it will flow. It will go wherever it is needed!

Don't be afraid to love!

You have enough love inside to embrace all of Existence. Allow yourself to become a river of love. Let the love flow from you and embrace everyone, everywhere.

When you are completely soaked in the sweetness of this love, slowly open your eyes.

Carry this expanded mood inside you wherever you go.

This meditation is one of the ways to open your heart center. The heart is the portal through which you can enter reality. This meditation is especially useful if you are a head-oriented person, if you are more based in the intellect than in the emotions. Actually, almost all of us are head-oriented. Heartoriented people can't survive very long in today's world. So we have all made our minds strong. Our heart center is weak, because we don't give it enough exercise! We don't operate from the heart, we don't act from the heart. Try looking at the world from your heart, and you will discover a unity in the world. The mind sets up barriers, the heart dissolves barriers. Activating the heart center naturally creates a gush of love in your life.

Simple, though strange!

The only thing you have to do is: imagine yourself as headless! It is not funny; this is a tough technique.

Walk, sit down, feel as if you are headless. Feel that your head has disappeared. All your focus is now on your heart.

In the beginning it will be just a pretence; you will feel weird and disoriented.

What happens to all my sense-organs? How will I see, hear, speak?, you will ask. Your sense-organs have not disappeared – they have simply slipped into your heart region! Just like how blind men use their hands to 'see', you will be using your heart. You will be seeing with your heart, from your heart.

Stand before a mirror and look deeply into your eyes. Feel as if you are looking from your heart.

Feel that you are smelling through your heart.

Feel very clearly that you are breathing through the heart.

Listen through the heart, see through the heart and feel through the heart. When you move, remember that you are moving from the heart. Your center is the heart, not the head. Again and again, forget the head. Allow every act to be controlled by the heart.

By and by, you will feel the heart center flowering, actually flowering.

You will feel a blossoming inside. And then you will feel the onrush of love. You will find your every act becoming more

loving.

That is why, when someone is in love, we say – he has lost his head! When you are flowing with love, when your heart center is overflowing, you actually lose your head. Your actions are no longer controlled by the head.

There is no specific duration for this meditation. Just do it whenever you feel compelled to. And you will keep feeling compelled.

As you keep practising this meditation, you will find yourself growing more and more loving.

Your relationships will improve dramatically. You start perceiving the harmony in the world. You move a step closer to God.

Nobody needs to be taught how to love! Love is the most intimate experience of your being. We always feel that we are not loving enough, that we don't have enough love inside us.

No! You have enough love inside to shower upon the whole world. Your very being is Love.

But we have channeled our love into very narrow channels. We choose the people we should love. We never allow our love to flow towards the whole world. When you choose, it means that you are loving for a reason. As long as you are running on greed or fear, you cannot experience the joy of causeless love.

If you can enter into even one relationship of causeless love, you can expand your love to the world. That one relationship can become your doorway to experiencing universal love.

Sit comfortably with your eyes closed.

Bring to your mind the deepest love you have experienced.

Remember any relationship of causeless love. Everyone must have had this experience at least once, at least with your mother, your child, a friend or beloved, or your master.

Remember that person or that experience intensely. Bring the same memory, that same feeling into your inner space.

Just feel yourself flowing in love towards that person.

Now, put aside the person, the particular memory. Just enter into the experience of love itself. Enter into the same space you experienced when you were in love, when you were deeply connected.

Enter deeply into the emotion of love. Let your inner space be completely filled with love. Let you become a pool of love!

Now, release this love from your heart. Turn your love upon the whole world. Let the pool of love become an ocean. Just experience the love flowing endlessly from you – to your friends, to your enemies, to strangers. Let it flow out to nature, to the earth, to the stars.

Let the world be enveloped in your love.

You will see, your love can expand infinitely – because it flows from you, and you are infinite.

When your love is based on the object, the person, it is narrow. It cannot be shared.

When you shift your attention from the person to the experience of love itself, your love becomes vast and deep. When your love is turned towards every being, naturally, it will turn you towards your own self.

Part 7: Meditation Is for You_English_part_7.md

techniques that really work.

The meditation takes its name from the Sufi mystic Abdullah. Abdullah was famous for his ever-smiling face. It is said that even on his deathbed, Abdullah was laughing.

Finally some of his disciples couldn't help it; they asked him, what was 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% your own choice. Every day, life gives you a chance to be happy or miserable. What you choose is up to you! There can't be a simpler meditation technique than this! But don't be deceived by its simplicity; it is the most simple, basic

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

Ask yourself, What are you going to choose today? Do you want to be happy, or do you want to be miserable?

Naturally, first thing in the morning, you are not going to choose misery! So your mind will say, I choose happiness. Then reply, Then be happy, that's all! It's as simple as that!

When you are faced every day with the truth that your happiness and your misery are entirely in your hands, you will stop blaming the external circumstances. 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.

Your words, your thoughts, have great power over you. They have a great impact over the whole world that surrounds you also. You underestimate the power of the words you use. That is why you use them so casually, often negatively, especially when you talk inside yourself.

If you find that you are in a low mood very often, try this: from now on, decide to use correct and positive words only. Stop supporting the negative thoughts that come up inside you. Give your power and support only to the positive thoughts and feelings, twenty-four hours a day.

DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS Working with thoughts and emotions

Before going to sleep each night, recall the events of the day. Naturally, only the negative things will come up first! You will remember all the things that went wrong, all the mistakes that you made and so on.

Instead, take stock of all the things that went right that day.

Not only that, remember the things that could have gone wrong, but didn't! We always take the good things in life for granted. The bus that you didn't miss, the accident that you didn't have, the money you did not lose – all these also count!

You will see, there are far more positive things on your list than negative ones. Focus on them for a few minutes.

The last thing before you lie down to sleep, tell yourself aloud that you are happy and content. Just welcome life as it is, and affirm this in words. Tell yourself that you are ready to cope with anything that the next day brings; you have the strength. Don't just do it mechanically, feel its truth in your heart.

Repeat this affirmation to yourself three times.

Now lie down. As your head touches the pillow, feel clearly that it is not just a pillow, but the very lap of Existence that you are falling asleep on.

Relax and drop into your very source, into the welcoming embrace of Existence.

When you get up in the morning, before opening your eyes, repeat to yourself the same affirmation three times.

You can use this technique to free yourself of any negative emotion like fear, jealousy, worry, etc. Become aware of the negativity and decide to drop it. Replace it with the corresponding positive emotion and make it your affirmation.

When we are stressed, we experience a sense of tightness inside. We feel as if we are physically shrinking as if our body has become somehow tight and drawn.

Actually, this is true.

When you are stressed, it means your energy level is low. Your pranic layer shrinks and withdraws. This is what you experience as a physical contraction. When you are in bliss, you experience a sense of expansion and lightness. This is your energy expanding and spreading out from you. This technique uses energy to influence emotion.

When your energy level is increased, naturally you are relieved from stress.

If possible, do this meditation in a large airy room, where you can be alone.

If this is not possible, just make yourself as comfortable as you can.

Stand in a relaxed way and close your eyes.

Make sure that no person or object is touching your body.

Now, visualize yourself continuously inhaling and exhaling bliss and light.

As you inhale, feel the soft, blissful light entering your body. Feel it entering and washing every part of your body.

It is filling your body, making you feel light and spongy. Breathe slowly and deeply.

Every time you inhale, feel each pore of your skin blissfully breathing in this light.

As you exhale, the light is radiating from you.

With your eyes closed, hold out your arms and spread your fingers.

Feel the bliss pouring out of you in rays of soft light. Feel your feet resting softly on a cloud of light.

Experience the blissful light energy entering you, filling you, radiating from you.

Feel that your whole body is nothing but a bag of bliss!

Within a few minutes, you will see that the stress and tightness inside you begin to dissolve.

Fear is a powerful energy in you! It is a survival intelligence built into you. If you have fear, it means that you are alive!

You cannot wipe out fear from your life. You can only learn how to handle it, how to transform the emotion.

Whenever we experience fear, we usually try to suppress the fear, or escape from it. When you suppress it, the fear only gets more deeply lodged in you. When you try to escape from it, it leaves for a while and then returns in some other form.

When you go through the fear unconsciously, without suppressing or escaping from it, it results in a fear stroke. Fear strokes directly attack and damage your nervous system.

The only way to overcome fear is to face it consciously.

As long as you are alive, there will always be fear - but your fear of your fear will be gone!

A very effective way of overcoming fear is to visualize going through that fear as clearly as you can. The beauty of this technique is that it can be used when you are not in the situation which causes fear. At the time when you are caught in fear, it is impossible to sit down calmly and start meditating!

Please ensure that you are medically fit before entering into this technique.

Sit upright with your eyes closed.

Visualize the situation which brings up the maximum fear in you.

As you relive the situation, feel clearly the waves of fear coming up in you.

Don't try to suppress the fear. Don't allow your mind to escape from it.

Just let the fear happen in you.

Even if you are suffering, don't resist the process. Go into it fully once, so that you never have to go through it again.

If your body begins to express the fear, let it. Just be completely aware throughout the process. Face the fear with deep awareness.

Let the fear rise to it peak in you. Let it fill you, overwhelm you.

Just let it happen.

Live through the fear completely.

After a while, slowly, you will find that the fear begins to subside.

In its place, you will find a deep calm and centeredness happening in you.

Darkness can be a direct way to merge with the all pervading Existence. Darkness is the natural way of life; only light is a distinction. But we associate darkness with fear, we associate it with death and therefore miss the easy way to merge. If we can embrace darkness as that which we experienced in our mother's womb, the darkness that gave birth to us, we will simply drop the fear and start experiencing darkness as the all pervading Existence. Then, wherever we are, we will simply dissolve into it and become one with it.

We are born out of darkness, the darkness that exists in the mother's womb. Darkness is not negative as we usually think. It is intense healing energy. It is a motherly, positive energy.

The darkness that exists in your mother's womb is an intense energy. It is not the empty darkness of the graveyard. It is the Whole, the energy from which you came. The darkness existing in your mother's womb is the energy from which your body was created. It is called the causal body, the karana sharira. Before entering into this meditation, you need to understand about darkness with more clarity and more positive understanding. If you are afraid of darkness, you can't enter into this meditation.

Darkness is the root cause for your body. Even space is not intense light, but intense darkness. The Vedic scriptures say that at the beginning of creation, darkness was covered by darkness. Darkness is the source, the infinite base. Darkness is the only thing that is. Anything else that is added only comes and goes.

We are taught that darkness is death, the emptiness that happens after your death. You never realize that the emptiness that existed before your birth is also darkness! Now change the understanding. Darkness is the state of fulfillment, the creative energy from which you took birth. This clarity can make you feel connected to darkness.

This technique can heal chronic fatigue, insomnia, oversleeping and depression.

Duration: 25 minutes

Close your eyes and sit still.

We all know how to close our eyelids but not our eyes. Closing the eyes means to completely stop seeing inside, behind the eyelids also.

Usually when you close your eyes, you start seeing many things inside you. The inner television will never be switched off, it constantly goes on! Now close your eyes and completely stop seeing inside. Turn off the inner television!

Then you will see the intense darkness from which you were born, the darkness in your mother's womb, the same darkness that you still carry in your inner space.

Out of the same space energy in your mother's womb, the whole world has emerged.

You came out of one bit of space energy from your mother's womb.

When you came out from your mother's womb, you had already imbibed that darkness, that space energy, into your own inner space.

If you close your eyes and stop seeing things inside, you will see intense darkness.

Just be with the intense darkness for at least twenty minutes.

If your mind wanders, just come back and get centered. Be with the darkness.

After twenty minutes, open your eyes and bring the same darkness outside for five minutes. With your eyes open, see the same scenes that you saw in the darkness. See the same thing with intensity.

This may take up to a month of practice. But if you can see the same darkness inside and outside, you will see you are able to switch off your mind whenever you wish!

Understand, the ability to switch off your mind whenever you wish, liberates you from all problems, all disorders related to the mind, whether it is insomnia, oversleeping, chronic fatigue or depression.

All these things are related to the causal body or the fifth energy body in us. All diseases related to the causal body will be completely healed once you enter into the deep darkness inside and outside. Physiologically and psychologically, this meditation will transform your life.

This technique is not only for healing, but it can also directly open you to deeper and deeper levels of consciousness, to enlightenment.

Pure greed is intense bliss or excitement. Pure fear is intense peace. Through bliss, you can achieve. Through peace also, you can achieve. Relax into the peace, and you will see that you are completely free of fear.

Take your attention to the swadhishthana chakra, the being center. Be intensely aware of the being center, two inches below the navel. Now chant the hookara by producing the sound hoo through the mouth as you exhale.

Chant as loudly and as long as possible. This will create a vibration effect around your mouth.

Allow any fear that comes up to come up.

If you are trembling or shaking or feeling disturbed, it is ok. Intensely chant the hookara mantra.

Relax in the swadhishthana chakra. Experience the undisturbed peace of the being.

We are always afraid of our emotions, especially our negative emotions. We never give full play to our emotions. Suppressing an emotion cannot free you of it. Understand, whatever you suppress will be waiting just below the surface of your consciousness, ready to jump on you at the right moment! When you give an emotion a chance to explode and exhaust itself completely inside you, you will see it will lose its power over you. If you can maintain total awareness at such a moment, witnessing the emotion without getting caught in its play, you will be liberated from your fear of it. This is a powerful cathartic technique that can be used to handle any negative emotion.

Bring to mind the image of someone who fills you with some negative emotion.

The moment you recall the person, naturally you will experience a deep hatred or resentment for him. So many words will bubble up in your mind - words which you wanted to say to him but didn't have a chance to, or which you were never courageous enough to say aloud! Sometimes, even when you have the chance, you have so many words you want to say, but you forget half of them in the heat of the moment.

So now, recall the person, and when these words and feelings swell up inside you, just breathe deeply, settle down and relax.

Continue to hold the image in your inner space.

Let your mind shout whatever it wants to shout. Let all the anger come up silently, let all the violence and vengeance inside come out.

As this happens, witness your inner space in silence.

Watch the emotion rise to its peak.

Let the volcano explode!

After a few minutes you will see, slowly the emotion is dying down. It is getting exhausted.

Suddenly, you will see there is no longer any violence left inside you!

When you recall the person again, or even if you see him directly, that anger or fear stroke will not happen again.

Not only that, you will have more clarity to handle a similar emotion in another situation.

Whenever anger comes up in you, just witness and relax. Again and again come back to your center. Relax into your center.

You will see so many new dimensions open in you, and you will be able to carry a deep silence throughout the day.

In the last technique, we saw that catharsis can liberate us from accumulated negative emotions or samskaras.

Here, we use the power of visualization to handle our negative emotions.

All the negativity you experience in your relationships is nothing but the conflict of two individual egos, two imaginary identities! If even one of these identities can be seen as false, the conflict no longer has a base to exist.

Sit upright with your eyes closed.

Bring to mind the image of someone who fills you with some negative emotion.

Intensely remember the person and all the wrong he has done to you. Relive all your pain and anger against that person. Let the emotion become intense in you.

Now, visualize the same person standing before you.

He has lost everything in life – his money, his home, his social status, his relations, everything.

He is standing before you, totally defeated by life.

He is the same person who had once hurt you.

Now, you are free to say whatever you want to him. He has no more power over you.

You are free to throw all your anger on him.

Let your mind say whatever it wants.

Only thing, you must carefully witness each word that your mind brings up. Be aware of what you are saying, to whom you are saying it.

As you witness your mind, you will find that you no longer have anything to say..!

DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS Working with thoughts and emotions

Your will see that your anger was against the identity of the person, not against the person himself.

Now that the identity is gone, on whom will you throw your anger? Slowly, as you witness it, your anger dissolves on its own.

The next time you see the person, even if the same anger comes up, it will have no force. Just recall that the anger you experienced was against the personality, and the person is not the personality. Just this one understanding will awaken deep compassion in you, not only towards others, but towards yourself also. You will become more authentic in your relationships.

This technique is an instant way to become aware when you are suddenly caught in some powerful emotion like anger or desire.

Usually, we feel that all our emotions are caused by some object. We think that it comes from outside. But, the truth is that these emotions come from you. You are the source of all your emotions. The object is just a means for the emotion to express itself. The origin is you.

If the emotion is bad for your consciousness, you will be freed of it by bringing awareness. If it is good for you, it will deepen through awareness.

At the moment when the emotion rises inside you, become intensely aware.

When you become aware, you arrest the emotion. You don't allow it to flow out of you in the form or words or actions. Now, look within for the real source of the emotion. Forget the person or the situation which caused it. Just go to the source of the energy.

Just see from where the emotion is rising.

If you are experiencing anger, go to the source of the anger. Just feel the irritation in the body.

Feel the disturbance in the mind.

You will see, you are already carrying the seed of anger inside you. You are carrying enough anger-energy inside! The other person just brought it out, that's all.

When you understand this deeply, suddenly your focus shifts from the other to yourself, from the seen to the seer.

When you realize yourself as the source of all your emotions, not only will you stop blaming others, but you will experience a deep relaxation. You will become more flowing in your joy, and more centered in your pain.

When you are caught in a powerful emotion, you cannot see that it is nothing but the play of energy inside you.

All your desires, your anger, your fear – all these are nothing but the same energy to which you are giving different names!

We feel trapped in our emotions only because we don't realize this.

Once you experience an emotion as pure energy, it cannot have any control over your inner space again. Now you are in control! You can play with this energy in any way you want.

If you wish, you can convert a negative emotion into a positive emotion, just with a simple decision.

This technique can instantly liberate you from the clutches of your mind.

Sit straight without relaxing!

For this technique to work, you have to keep your body in a state of tension.

Now you are going to try and get angry, and if you sit in a relaxed way you cannot get angry! Better sit in a tense way.

Close your eyes. Sit with all your tension and pain. That's good because, only if you are feeling uncomfortable inside can you create anger.

Remember the face of your intimate enemy! Just remember the person who really creates anger in you. It need not be a person, it could be a situation or a memory that makes you really.

If you can't remember anything, just remember yourself! Sometimes, just self-remembrance is enough. You are enough to create anger in you!

Create intense anger. Actually, when you try to create it, you will understand that you are unable to create it, because none of our emotions is honest. Even our anger is never honest. Depending on the person in front of us, we decide whether or not we can afford to get angry!

Remember the person with all the force of your anger. Relive the situations which create anger in you. Let your whole body tremble with anger! Create that pressure of anger inside yourself. Throw yourself into the anger. Focus all your anger on that person, that situation, that memory.

Step 2:

Now, drop the person, just forget him. Forget the situation which creates anger in you.

Only be aware of the anger vibrating inside you.

When you remove the external cause, the whole energy of the emotion turns inward and starts vibrating inside you.

A moment ago, what you experienced was anger.

Now, what you are experiencing is just a trembling in the body, a tingling heat in the body. The emotion is now circulating inside you as a powerful energy.

When you go to the source of the emotion, you will see that it is nothing but pure energy.

You are always ashamed of your desires!

You don't realize, every desire you have is only a reflection of your deep desire for inner fulfillment.

In the ancient spiritual text called Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the sage Yagnavalkya instructs his wife and disciple Maitreyi,

Atmanastu kaamaaya sarvam priyam bhavati

It is for the sake of the Self alone that all things are dear to us.

You desire something only because it reflects your own inner bliss back to you!

You desire power and expansion because you know, deep inside, that you are infinite.

You desire wealth because you know that you are abundance itself.

You desire relationships because you know that you are Love.

Not realizing this, you return again and again to the object of your desire.

Again and again, through that person or object or act, you are trying to touch the space of fulfillment that is already there within you.

The problem is not with having desires - it is with your attitude towards them.

Changing the object is never a solution. Changing the attitude is the solution.

When you understand this, the very object of your desire becomes for you a doorway to the Divine.

DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS Working with thoughts and emotions

Make a list of all the things that you feel attached to, or which awaken desire in you.

It might be a habit, a particular pleasure, an object, a person or an action.

Include anything or anyone on the list that makes you feel possessive, greedy or lustful.

Now, sit down and meditate on the object of your desire.

Meditate with a deep and devoted feeling.

Never mind what the desire is!

Don't think, how can I even think of such a desire when I am meditating?

No!

Anything can become sacred when you are respectful and feeling connected to it.

Bring in an attitude of respect towards the object or the person. With a lustful attitude, you will reduce even a living person to an object, because you will try to possess that person. With an attitude of love and respect, you can raise even an object into a living consciousness.

The moment you bring sanctity to it, lust will become love.

Elevate the object or person to the level of a sacred being. Suddenly, you will see that the lust has been transformed into love. The passion has become compassion.

Then every relationship is an ecstasy, and you experience real love.

Desires are always rising in you.

You are always struggling unconsciously with your desires – either trying to fulfil them, or trying to suppress them.

Whether you try to fulfil or suppress, you are giving reality to the desire, you are giving strength to it.

The key is not to suppress them or indulge them, but simply to disconnect from them.

Once you disconnect, it no longer matters whether the desire was weak or strong, right or wrong.

When you unclutch from your desires, you transcend them without effort. Then there will be no struggle, and no need to renounce anything - because there will be nothing to renounce!

Close your eyes and sit in a relaxed posture.

In a few moments, some desire will arise in you.

It may be even a desire to open your eyes or a desire to move your body, any desire!

Just see that desire. Just observe that desire.

Do not judge.

There may be so many desires; do not suppress them, just see them.

Don't think your desire is right or wrong. Just see it.

Let them come, let the desires arise, let them happen.

Let all the desires arise in you; don't suppress them, don't judge them, just consider them and let them happen.

Suddenly, before even your mind recognizes what is happening, unclutch from all the desires and relax.

Do it in one stroke!

Not desire by desire; disconnect from all desires together.

Before your mind can raise any logical argument, just unclutch from them.

Do not argue, do not logically decide, do not decide based on right or wrong.

Simply unclutch from all the thoughts.

Anything that comes up, just unclutch from it.

Just disconnect.

Just unclutch.

When you suddenly unclutch from the noise of all the desires, your mind becomes blank for a few moments. You fall into a space of silence. Catch that moment! Relax into that silence. Relax.

Guilt is a very deep-rooted emotion in us. Unlike other emotions, guilt never gets a chance to be expressed. It is always suppressed.

Guilt is nothing but measuring the actions of the past with the intelligence of the present! Guilt is violence that is directed against oneself. When the violence is turned outwards, it becomes anger. When it is turned inwards, it becomes guilt.

Most of the guilt we carry is unconscious. That is why it is so difficult to free ourselves of guilt.

If the guilt can be brought to the surface of our awareness even once, we can be relieved of it.

Re-living an emotion with total awareness is a powerful way to relieve ourselves of it. When you go through an emotion consciously, you give it a chance to leave your inner space.

Sit in a meditative mood with your eyes closed. Bring to mind the memory that is causing guilt in you. However painful it is, however safely you have locked it away in your unconscious mind, please bring it up.

In the beginning, your mind will protest. Naturally, it does not want to remember. Just understand, if you can experience it again this one time, the memory will leave you forever. It is worth it. Bring up the memory.

Relive the guilt that you experienced at the time. Open the wound completely. If anger comes, let it boil to the surface. If pain comes, allow it to hurt you.

Don't escape from the memory. Don't resist anything. Relive the entire event, as it happened. Let your body tremble and shake with that memory. Let the tears flow.

Do not console yourself. Relive it completely.

Slowly, open your eyes.

Now, write down the event as it happened. Don't miss anything. Write in as detailed a way as you can.

As you write, feel the guilt leaving you.

When you finish writing, spend a few moments with yourself. Don't read what you have written. You don't need it. You have expressed the guilt, that is enough.

You have released it from your memory.

It is no longer yours!

Your guilt has left you now.

Relax.

You are free.

We always carry a standard response to the emotions that arise in us. Whenever a pleasant emotion comes up, we try to grab it with both hands. When an unpleasant emotion arises, we fight it with all our strength. We try to gather as many pleasant emotions in our life as we can. We cannot tolerate anything that is negative.

In this technique, we are going to do the exact opposite! Let us try and fight with our positive emotions and welcome our negative emotions.

Understand, the problem is not with your emotions. It is with your response to them! It is your response which decides whether a certain situation or emotion is positive or negative. Whatever you accept is seen as positive, whatever you resist is seen as negative!

When you alter your responses, you realize that 'positive' and 'negative' are only labels that you are creating.

When you tune yourself to whatever the moment brings, you will see that there is no positive, no negative – there is only the natural flow of life.

Sit comfortably and close your eyes.

Bring up a memory that has emotional significance for you.

Usually, whenever you sit with yourself, you will see that it is the painful memories that always come up first!

When pain is there, what do you usually try to do? Escape it, naturally. If you cannot escape it, you try to suppress it. If that is also not possible, you start fighting with it.

This time, don't do any of these things

Simply welcome the emotion. Enter into the emotion totally.

No need to remember the person or situation which caused it. Just be with the emotion for a while. If there is pain, let it be. Close your eyes and meditate on. Don't resist. Enter it completely, willingly.

After a few moments, bring up a joyful memory.

Your mind will be relieved, it will want to cling to this memory.

Don't allow it!

Fight with this memory, try to throw it out of your inner space. Don't let your mind rest on it.

Repeat this with other emotional memories.

Each time, fight your natural instinct.

Just do the opposite of whatever the mind is saying.

Understand, you can use the mind to kill the mind!

When you repeat this process a few times, you find that your mind is no longer playing the old game. Whatever the emotion, you are able to remain centered. You are neither clinging to anything, nor resisting anything. You fall in tune with the flow of life.

Your mind is always moving in a hundred directions.

It is impossible to withdraw your mind into the inner emptiness, the inner silence.

When you focus intensely on someone or something, your whole mind is filled with that single thought. You gather all your scattered energies into one point. You integrate yourself. Now you are ready to take the leap into nothingness. Understand, from many thoughts to no-thought is impossible. From one thought to no-thought, it is only a single step

This technique has three steps.

Sit in a relaxed way with your eyes closed.

Bring to mind a person or object with whom you feel deeply connected in love.

Feel intensely the presence of this person or object. Do not just see them, feel them. If you are in love with someone, let your whole mind be filled with the memory of that person, your experiences with that person, let them fill your inner space. Become completely lost in them.

Now, feel the absence of all other persons and objects but this one. Exclude everything else. Just be completely absorbed with that one person or one object. Your inner space should be empty of everything else.

Now, drop that one person or object also!

Just do it consciously.

Just be blank, totally empty.

Suddenly, you will see you are centered on you. You will drop into your deeper Self, your consciousness, your very being.

Disappear into your Self.

If you are in love with an object or a person, try this technique. First feel the presence of that object or person and the absence of all other objects or persons. Then feel the absence of that object or person also, and you will become centered on your Self.

We understand the world exactly according to our own mood. If we are feeling happy, the whole world seems to be a wonderful place and everybody is loving and caring. When we are low, we feel that people are unnecessarily being rude to us!

It is almost impossible for us to perceive anything objectively, because our whole evaluation of the world is through the filter of our own emotional condition. This is a wonderful technique to keep this factor in mind, so we can be more objective in our interactions.

Whenever you are feeling exceptionally low and you feel you are on the verge of an outburst, do this.

Visualize that you are carrying a big board hung from your neck, saying, 'Beware! I am in a very bad mood and I may bite you! I have nothing against you personally, but right now I am angry and just want to throw out my negativity somehow!'

Just carry this imaginary board in front of you. Of course, no one else will know about it, but you will know – and that is enough.

Every time you start to blame someone else or some situation for a problem you are facing, you can just picture this big board declaring that it is just your own mood you are expressing!

You just wake up to this truth again and again. After that, how can you take your own anger seriously?

In the same way, when you are in a high mood, you can carry a board saying that, so that you don't get carried away and make any irrational decisions.

Again and again, when you are confronted with the inner reasons rather than their outer expression, you learn how to remain a witness even in your most emotional moments. Naturally, you become more balanced and your mood swings die down.

Most of the time, we react to any situation straight out of our conditioning. For instance, if someone insults us, we feel it is essential to respond with anger. Our conditioning goes so deep that we don't even realize that this is a conditioned response, and we have a choice to respond in another way. This is a classic technique to handle such situations with awareness.

Whatever the situation, if you feel an emotion riding high, just wait 24 hours before responding to it.

If someone misbehaves with you, don't react on the spot.

Just bring in your awareness immediately, before your mind takes off on the same track.

However illogical it may sound at the time, don't break this rule.

Promise yourself that you will have plenty of time to react after 24 hours.

You will be surprised, after 24 hours you can hardly keep the anger or violence alive! You won't feel like reacting to that person or situation at all.

The gap of 24 hours gives you the awareness to see the whole thing in proper perspective.

As you work with this technique, you won't need 24 hours to make this shift! The time will keep on reducing, till gradually you will be able to bring up the same awareness even as you are facing the situation.

We all have times when we are feeling closed, isolated, alienated from everyone else.

At other times, we feel open and flowing. We welcome differences and change. We are conflict-free. We fall into meditation easily.

When we are feeling closed, we cannot relate to anyone. We don't even feel like meditating. Nothing wrong! The important thing is just to be aware that you are going through this.

In any situation where you experience some inner conflict, just ask yourself, Am I being a wall or a door right now?

Chances are, you will find that you are being a wall! Most of the time, it is not the external situation that is causing the conflict. It is your level of receptivity and openness to the situation.

This technique is not for judging yourself, it is only for becoming more aware of your own state.

As you work with it, you will become more and more conscious of the subtle fluctuations of mood you go through all the time. You become conscious of your mental patterns.

Just being aware can help you make the transition from being a wall to being a door, at least most of the time!

Once you understand this constant flux inside yourself, you will be able to see and understand that it happens in others also.

Then you will know when exactly another person can be approached for a discussion; when he will be open to you and when he won't!

The problem is, we always see others from the outside, never from the inside. Once you see the same pattern playing in others as well, you begin to notice the mood, not the person. You get out of the blame-game.

With this simple awareness, you will find yourself becoming less judgmental and more compassionate in your relationships.

Your eyes are a powerful index of your state of mind. When you are restless, naturally your eyes will be restless too.

When you concentrate on something visually, your eyes are fixed upon it. When you arrest the movement of the eyes, naturally your thoughts also cannot move!

Duration: 21 minutes

Choose a blank wall or an empty surface. With a pen, mark a dark spot on this surface that is large enough to be seen from a distance of one or two feet.

Seat yourself comfortably, facing this point. Start concentrating on this point without taking your eyes off it. Do not move your body or allow yourself to be distracted by anything.

As you fix your eyes on the point, feel your thoughts gradually slowing down.

Do not blink, because if you blink, you will give space for the mind to move again. Feel as if you no longer have eyelids.

As you concentrate on it, you will notice a strange thing: the point will begin to dissolve!

When the point dissolves, suddenly, you find that you are thrown to your center.

If you can create a center outside, anywhere, if you concentrate on it totally, you forget the whole world. Automatically, your consciousness gets thrown back to your inner center.

Do you know, your mind always moves in circles? We always think that the movement of the mind is linear, but in truth it is circular.

The mind always moves in a fixed pattern, following a circular track of memories, and associations and expectations.

That is why you experience the same mood swings again and again and again. The same thoughts come up, the same desires, fears and anxieties, the same highs and lows – and again and again you get caught in them.

Just one time, if you can clearly witness your mental patterns, you can directly see how your mind is playing with you. Just this simple awareness can liberate you from your mind!

Keep a diary and note down your feelings, your emotions, at different times of the day – morning, afternoon, evening, night.

Do this for about a month.

Then take a look at your diary. Watch the patterns that your mood follows. Understand your mood cycle.

The next time you feel a low mood, remind yourself of the pattern in your emotional cycle. Remind yourself that this present mood is just one part of that cycle and enjoy it. It is, that's all. But it is not forever, it will pass.

In the same way, if you are feeling really happy, watch.

Watch the emotion, witness yourself through it.

Just as you witness the lows, witness the highs also. Don't get involved in either, as both are passing.

When you practice this technique for a few weeks, you will see that no matter what emotion comes up at each moment, you are able to handle it without getting disturbed,.

You always complain that the mind wanders during meditation. This is a technique that makes a meditation of your wandering!

When your mind wanders, don't try to drag it back, don't suppress the thoughts, don't get angry or feel frustrated.

Simply remember that the mind is wandering, and you are not the mind.

You struggle with the mind because you think it is you.

Simply relax from this idea and witness the wandering.

You will see that without your support and energy, the mind cannot wander very far!

When you relax from the mind, it slowly falls into the center.

When you relax from what you are not, what you are will naturally be revealed.

Close your eyes. Sit in a very relaxed way.

There is no need to control the mind.

If your mind is going somewhere outside, dwelling on things other than you, it is called external wandering.

The moment you remember you, you will remember your name, or some idea about yourself. This is internal wandering.

Watch the external and internal wandering of the mind.

Any idea that comes about you, inside you, is also a wandering, an internal wandering. Witness these wanderings, relax even from them. When you relax from the wandering, you slowly fall into the space where there is no wandering.

Remain in this space for as long as you can.

It is the nature of your senses to always flow outwards. You can never use your senses to experience your inner space. But we always pour all our energy into our senses. Wherever our senses lead us, we follow. That is why we never really experience ourselves from the inside.

Thought always follows the senses. When you stop the senses, automatically thoughts also slow down and stop. When the mind is still, naturally you fall into your center.

Actually, your inner space is not so difficult to contact. It is, after all, your inner space! It is just that we neither had the technique, nor the patience, nor the inspiration to try, that's all. That is why, the moment you have the knowledge about the truth, half of the work is done. The remaining half is just relaxing and experiencing it.

This is an anytime meditation. Initially you may not be able to do this meditation for five minutes at a time. You can reduce the time to one or two minutes, but try to do it five times a day, always on an empty stomach.

When practicing this technique, wear loose clothing; let nothing touch your body.

Sit upright with your spine relaxed.

Keep your body steady and unmoving.

Close your eyes and mouth tight. Lock your tongue firmly.

Now close your ears with your hands.

Stop all sensations coming in through the eyes, ears, mouth and sense of touch. When your mind can no longer receive fresh information through your sense, naturally it will start replaying whatever is already inside.

The thoughts that you already have inside will start bubbling up to the surface coming up, such as what happened yesterday, what happened the day before, what needs to be done tomorrow. All these thoughts will start running through your mind. Do not bother about them. I repeat, they will have life only for a maximum of three kshanas.

Unless new information goes through your senses and the processing happens, the processing system cannot continue for more than three kshanas.

You may be thinking, 'No, no, I can sit and think and visualize forever.'

No! In that case, you must be allowing input through the senses. You must block the sense organs, it is especially important to lock the tongue. Within three kshanas, three or four thoughts may come. The fifth thought cannot happen.

It is important to allow the breathing to be natural during this process.

Just sit for a few minutes and allow the process to happen.

Suddenly, you will see there is a space where there are no thoughts.

Even if you experience that thoughtless rest for two or three seconds, it will give you so much energy that you will feel you had eight to ten hours of sleep! It is a very strong and powerful method. Try this practice five times per day. Within five to six days, if not sooner, you will catch the glimpse.

Your inner space is always crowded with the known! Whatever we see, hear, read, listen to, understand – we continuously throw all the information of the outer world into our inner space. Now, make a conscious decision to put all knowing aside. Free your inner space of everything that you know. Make space for that which is beyond all knowing!

Sit comfortably with your eyes closed.

Watch your inner space in a relaxed way, as you would look at a flower.

Have a clear, relaxed intention that you will keep your inner space free of all concepts and words, all the teachings put inside your head, all the information you are receiving from outside. You are going to keep everything out.

If any thought appears, just watch it with the understanding it does not belong in your inner space. Either the thought came from someone else, or it arose from another thought which entered your inner space earlier.

If an emotion arises, understand that it is not you. Allow no word, no teaching, no concepts, no lies, no truths, no purity or impurity to touch you.

Let your inner space be empty!

When you see that everything which you thought is 'you' or 'yours' has actually come to you from outside, you stop struggling with your imagined identity. You experience a tremendous freedom from yourself. Freedom from yourself is the ultimate freedom, the ultimate peace.

Just remain in that freedom, in that peace. Enjoy the silence, the emptiness that is your true nature.

This meditation is drawn from Zen.

The Zen word Zazen, meaning just sitting, is a tough meditation. The most difficult thing is to just sit, doing nothing.

To sit simply is to allow your mind free play. Your mind is going to come up with all kinds of arguments, reasons, excuses against this technique. It will try to convince you that this is a sheer waste of time. If you persist, the mind will become sleepy, it will daydream, it may even start hallucinating.

The whole purpose of this meditation is to let the mind play all the tricks it wants. Because one day the mind is simply going to get fed up of playing with you. One day the mind is going to realize that it can no longer control you with its games. Then the mind drops of its own accord.

Part 8: Meditation Is for You

Duration: 21 minutes

You can sit anywhere, but make sure that there is no disturbance. If there is too much movement, it might disturb or distract you.

Watching nature is a good thing. Even indoors, you can watch the sky through the window. You could sit facing a plain white wall. Or you could simply face a corner of the room and watch that corner.

Don't focus your attention on anything. Let your eyes be halfopen and unfocussed, your attention diffused. Let your gaze rest softly in the distance. This will relax you.

Let your breathing be relaxed and natural. Find a comfortable posture in which you feel sure you can stay without moving for at least half an hour. Use a mat or cushions if required. When the body is unmoving, the mind also falls still.

Keep your spine straight. Use support if required, but try to do without it. Rest one palm in the other, with the thumbs touching to form a circle. Remain alert and aware, be receptive without allowing your attention to focus on any particular thing. Be present in the moment, moment to moment.

In the beginning it will be difficult to just sit, doing nothing. But in a few days you will start enjoying this tremendously. Layer by layer, you can actually begin to feel the mind drop. And finally, one day the moment will come when the mind drops altogether.

You will glimpse the state of no-mind.

Unclutching is a self-purifying technique. For any technique to be selfpurifying and liberating, the moment you become subtle, the technique should also become subtle by itself. Unclutching is one such technique. The technique that does not become subtle by itself stays in the gross level. If it is not able to kill itself, if the technique is not able to commit suicide, it will kill you! The beauty with the technique of unclutching is that it will become subtler and subtler by itself as you become subtler. Finally, it will dissolve.

Let us see how unclutching is related to what happens every moment in your body – breathing! As you saw, between the incoming breath and the outgoing breath is a neutral zone. Your identity exists in the incoming and outgoing breath spaces. But in the gap of the neutral zone your identity does not exist.

You think that the breathing time is more than the neutral zone, because you have more thoughts when breathing. Because you give more emphasis to your identity, you think that the time of the incoming breath and outgoing breath is more than the time of neutral space. In reality it is not. It is just a psychological game.

The neutral zone is the natural space of unclutching. When there is no identity, naturally there can be no thoughts. If you can keep your awareness in the neutral zone, unclutching becomes effortless.

Duration: 20 minutes

Step1: 5 minutes

Close your eyes.

Sit straight.

For the first few moments, inhale and exhale, as deeply as possible.

Slowly start witnessing only the incoming breath. Do not bother about the outgoing breath or the neutral space. Just witness the incoming breath first.

Be the witness. Be aware of the incoming breath.

Now slowly start witnessing only the outgoing breath. Forget about the incoming breath or the neutral space. Just witness and be aware of only the outgoing breath.

Now slowly, very slowly, be aware of both the neutral spaces when your incoming breath turns into the outgoing breath, and when your outgoing breath turns into the incoming breath. Be aware. Witness both the neutral spaces alone. Intensely be aware of both the neutral spaces.

Duration: 20 minutes (continuation)

Step4: 5 minutes

Now, be aware of the incoming breath, neutral space, outgoing breath, and neutral space.

Be unclutched.

Whatever thought comes in your mind, do not connect it to anything.

Don't even think that you are thinking. Even that idea comes because you connect your thoughts. Everything is just completely independent. So do not connect them and create one more thought that you are thinking.

Let the independent thought bubbles rise and fall. Let the independent thoughts come and go. Do not connect them and think you are thinking.

Be unclutched.

If thoughts come, let them come. If they go, let them go. Your idea that you are thinking is a lie.

Relax from your mind.

Let go.

Be liberated.

Duration: Not applicable

This meditation is done just before you go to sleep every night. Sit in bed with your eyes closed, and the lights switched off. Now go through the events of the whole day, starting from this moment backwards till the moment you woke up in the morning. Just recall each incident, each situation, step by step. Witness all the incidents of the day. Don't try to relive any incident, don't get emotionally involved with anything. Just watch. Just see yourself going through all the actions as if you are watching another person. When you see yourself objectively like this, many memories will lose their 'charge'. For instance, if you had an argument with someone, you can see both sides clearly now. If someone had spoken badly to you, it no longer feels like it happened to you; it just happened, that's all. Only the incident is remembered, minus the pain. As you go through the events, drop them from your mind one by one. Really drop them, with the deep understanding and conviction that none of this is worth carrying forward to the next day. Just unclutch from your whole day. Even if they are positive memories, unclutch from them. You don't have to carry this load of memories to live your next day; whatever is required will arise whenever needed from within.

Trust your natural intelligence, not your stored memories!

Trusting life and living spontaneously in the moment is what I call living enlightenment.

Your body and mind mirror each other.

Whenever a thought arises in your mind, you will see that your body is undergoing subtle changes to accommodate or express that thought.

In the same way, when a chemical change takes place in the body, naturally the quality of your thoughts also change.

Because we are not aware of this connection, we don't notice these changes.

In this technique, we experientially understand how deeply the body and mind influence each other.

With this simple understanding, tremendous physical and mental healing happens in you. This technique can directly bring you out of many chronic psychosomatic diseases.

Sit in a relaxed way with your eyes closed.

Take a few deep breaths to calm your mind and slow down the thoughts.

Usually, you always have a traffic jam in your mind! When your thoughts slow down, you will be able to focus on individual thoughts more easily.

When you witness the mind, you will find a steady stream of thought bubbling up in your mind.

For no reason, some thought will arise in you.

Try to see from where the thought is rising, which part of the body is experiencing movement or feeling through that thought.

At the point from which the thought arises, you will experience some physical sensation or feeling. Try to locate where this is happening.

You will see, one by one, each thought creates some sensation in some internal organ in your body.

Try to see which thought is connected to which sensation happening inside your body. Try to locate the internal organ feeling the sensation, the organ that produced the thought coming into your mind.

Do this with each thought.

Continue this process whenever you can during the day.

Within a few days, you will get a powerful clarity about how closely your body and mind are linked. Just by changing the quality of your thoughts, you can create many positive changes in your body.

Words are a double-edged sword!

Whatever words you use outside to others, you will be unconsciously using the same words on yourself.

Don't think that you can use harsh words outside and peaceful words to yourself! These words which arise out of your unconsciousness can cut both ways.

In the Vedas, spiritual aspirants are counseled to always speak words which are satyam, priyam, hitam (truthful, pleasing and beneficial). Of these, hitam is considered the most important: a truth that is not going to benefit the listener in any way is better left unspoken.

This is not just a moral code.

It is a powerful technique for cleansing your own inner space.

Once you realize this, you will be careful how you use your words – not only for the sake of others, but for your own sake also.

At all times, keep your awareness on the words you are using.

Whenever you use a harsh word or abuse someone else, just visualize that the same word has bounced off the other person and is penetrating you. The same word is vibrating inside you.

The word is resonating inside you; it is describing you!

In the same way, whenever you say a positive, compassionate word to another, visualize that the healing energy is flowing towards you also. The same peace is circulating inside you.

Words are energy, words are consciousness. The same consciousness which you direct at the outer world is naturally directed at the inner world also.

Actually, once you start using your words consciously, the very awareness will make you drop the words which are expressing violence. And once you taste the peace that comes with speaking healing words, you will no longer have to make an effort to censor your speech!

Though you are never aware of it, most of your opinions are inherited or borrowed. Parents, family, teachers, society – all kinds of people are sitting inside you and giving their opinions about how you should lead your life. Many of these may be voices you heard long ago, when you were a child – but they are powerfully influencing the choices you make even today. Now, if you want to find your own voice in this commotion, you will have to filter out layers and layers of other noises!

When you are speaking, arguing, giving an opinion, just watch inside. Who is really speaking?

At first it may seem like your own voice, but soon you will be able to find out – it is your father, or your teacher, or somebody else whose voice has been stronger than your own.

When you are expressing an opinion that belongs to someone else, the moment you put your awareness on it, you will start feeling a certain shaking happening.

If this happens, just stop speaking. First be sure of what your real opinion is! If you lose an argument or two, it doesn't matter. It is important to be authentic to yourself.

When you are really speaking in your own 'voice', the expression will have a totally different quality. You will speak firmly without being assertive, because you are convinced in your being of what you are saying.

Learn to trust in and live by your own intuition, rather than readymade opinions. Understand, however precious an idea or opinion is, it is of value to you only when it becomes your own experience.

DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS

Working with thoughts and emotions

The aura is a subtle shield of bio-energy that surrounds the body and interpenetrates it to some extent. Auras not only reflect our distinctive personalities but are also a barometer of energy fields within our body, warning us of impending trouble well in advance

The aura is a protective shield that keeps you healthy and joyful. However, stress and illness may adversely affect your aura. Certain diseases can even cause gaps in it. When something blocks the energy flow within the aura, the shield weakens, making you unhappy, depressed or sick.

To those who can see it, the aura appears as a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object.

Chakras are subtle energy centers in our body.

The word chakra literally translates as wheel or disk. Chakras are visualized as spinning wheels or flowers with different numbers of petals.

The main subtle energy channels of our body (nadis) are the ida (left), pingala (right) and sushumna (central) channels, which run along the spinal column. They correspond roughly to the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and central nervous system.

Since the nadis run in a curved path, they cross one another several times. At the points of intersection, they form strong energy centers. These are the chakras.

DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS Working with thoughts and emotions

Chakras are subtle energy powerhouses which are responsible for spinning and drawing the universal life-force (prana) into the body. They also act as batteries to store this energy and distribute it to the surrounding areas of the body. Each chakra influences bodily functions near its region of the spine.

The chakras roughly correspond to, and influence the activity of, the important glands of the body. They interact with the body's ductless endocrine glands and lymphatic system by feeding in good bio-energies and disposing of unwanted bio-energies. They are linked to the nerve ganglia (plexus) of the body and influence nervous functions as well.

The seven major chakras also correlate with different states of consciousness, and are directly linked to the ascent of the kundalini shakti in the body.

The effort of all kundalini yoga is to awaken the tremendous kundalini shatki (the universal life-force which lies latent in us). The kundalini lies coiled and sleeping at the base of the spine. When aroused through yogic disciplines, the kundalini ascends up the spine, passing through the increasingly subtle chakras, until union with the Divine energy is achieved in the sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head.

Thus, the chakras are influential at every level of our functioning. They are responsible for keeping the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health of the body in balance.

Although they have no definite physical location, these energy centers are represented in the physical body as aligned in an ascending column from the base of the spine to the top of the head.

The seven major chakras are Mooladhara, Swadishthana, Manipuraka, Anahata, Vishuddhi, Ajna and Sahasrara.

The mooladhara chakra (root center) is located in the sacral area, at the base of the spine. The swadishthana chakra (spleen center) is located two inches above the mooladhara chakra and two inches below the navel

The manipuraka chakra (navel center) is located at the navel, two inches above the swadishthana chakra.

The anahata chakra (heart center) is located in the heat region, in the center of the chest. The vishuddhi chakra (throat center) is located in the hollow of the throat. The ajna chakra (brow center) is located on the forehead, between the eyebrows. The sahasrara chakra (crown center) is located on the crown of the head.

Strictly speaking, the chakras are not present in the physical body at all. They exist on the metaphysical plane, and link together our three shareeras or bodies.

The individual is made up of three shareeras - the physical or gross body (sthula sharira), the mental or subtle body (sukshma sharira) and the causal body (karana sharira). While the five layers (body, breath, mind, intelligence and bliss layers) are categorized according to their functions, the three bodies are categorized according to the states of consciousness where they come into play. Each of the shareeras or bodies is associated with a particular state of consciousness.

The physical body is the body we know in the waking state, which eats, speaks, moves about and so on.

This is the only body we are really familiar with. The mental body is what we use when we dream. While our body is lying fast asleep in our bed at home, in our dream we may be traveling in another country. How does this happen?

At this time, we are using the mental body to travel around! In the dream state, the mental body is as real and functional as the physical body in the waking state. We also use our mental body in the waking state to think, verbalize, visualize and so on.

The causal body is the one we use when we are in deep restful dreamless sleep. It is made up of pure tamas (inertness). During our sleep cycle there are phases when the mind becomes dormant and there are no thoughts. This is the time when we experience the causal body.

These three bodies are not separate as we may think. They are tightly coupled.

Consider two curved lines drawn on a piece of paper in such a way that they intersect at seven different points. If one of the lines represent the physical body, the other line represents the subtle body and the paper represents the causal body, the seven points at which the physical and the subtle body meet the causal body are the locations of the seven chakras or energy centers. So the seven chakras are present at the intersection of the physical, subtle and the causal body.

Some recent research in aura photography has been able to even photograph these energy centers.

The seven chakras are associated with particular emotions in our Being. What is the relationship between chakras and emotions?

All emotions, both good and bad, are nothing but the effect of the engraved memories or samskaras which we have accumulated in the past. When you are carrying too many negative samskaras, naturally the energy flow in the body will not be smooth. In particular, samskaras block the energy hubs or chakras, causing physical and mental disturbances. Most of our diseases are psychosomatic. They have their roots in the mind. What we see is just the effect and so we never really understand this mindbody connection.

When a particular chakra gets blocked, the part of the body near that chakra gets affected.

Each of our major chakras is related to some emotion in us. For example, love is related to the anahata chakra, the heart center. Worry is related to the manipuraka chakra, the navel energy center. That is why, if you receive some news that worries you, the first blow will be to your stomach. You will say, 'I can't digest it!' or 'I can't stomach that!' These expressions can be found in many languages around the world.

Kirlian photography has recorded the effect of emotions on the chakras. If an emotion is handled properly, the corresponding chakra functions well, expanding to the size of even a cartwheel! If the emotion is not handled properly, the corresponding chakra shrinks to the size of even a coat button, which causes low energy in the system. This low energy ultimately manifests as disease in the mind-body system

Several factors like childhood problems, societal conditioning, improper habits, physical and emotional injuries, or even just lack of attention, affect the energy flow through the chakras.

Ultimately, all these energy blocks are caused by the absence of awareness. When we flood awareness on the chakra, it is washed clean of negative emotions, and we start radiating positive emotions like love and compassion. Keeping the chakras clean and energized is essential not only for our physical health, but for our mental and emotional well-being, and spiritual growth as well.

Your aura is a protective energy shield around your body. If your aura is strong and healthy, you cannot catch an illness even if you are in a high-risk environment. Do you know, all your diseases express in your energy body at least six months before they are physically expressed! Just by checking the health of your aura, you can get advance warning of many physical diseases.

On some days, we feel exhausted for no reason, even when we are in good health, and even when we haven't been doing any strenuous work. If this happens to you, it is possible that you are living or working in an environment where a lot of subtle negative vibrations are being transmitted by people, mostly unconsciously. People are constantly broadcasting their tension, their anxiety, their anger, in subtle waves. If you don't know how to protect yourself, you may pick up these vibrations automatically. When your aura is strong, it can work as a protective shield around you. Your aura is a field of conscious energy. It is your point of interchange with the cosmic life-force.

When you sensitize yourself to your aura, you are accessing an inexhaustible source of positive energy.

Before you go to sleep, sit up on your bed. Visualize an aura of energy around you. It is about six inches wide, surrounding your body like a halo. This aura is caring and protective. Nothing can enter it. No outside vibration can affect you. Feel the loving energy of this aura. After a few minutes, fall asleep inside this aura. Feel

as if you are falling asleep in the lap of the Divine.

When you wake up in the morning, don't open your eyes right away. Again feel this protective aura for a few minutes before you get out of bed. Keep this aura with you throughout your day. This visualization will go deep into your unconscious and give you tremendous energy.

You will experience a protective energy that surrounds you and protects you from negative influences at all times.

This method is a way of becoming aware of your own etheric presence. The etheric body interpenetrates your physical body and extends beyond it like a shell. The etheric body is an open door into the Divine. We experience this body many times in our life, but we are unaware of it. Sometimes, we notice it in an unconscious way. When you are in a hostile environment, when you are afraid, feeling separate and isolated, you get a shrinking feeling. When you are joyful, loving, flowing, you feel as if you are filling the whole room. When you are inclusive, you can feel yourself expanding. This is your etheric body expanding and contracting! Without being aware of it, we use the signals of our etheric body to evaluate a situation or to communicate with each other.

Duration: 21 minutes

If you have practised palming, you will sometimes feel as if you are weightless, as if you are ready to fly. This feeling may come to you at other times as well, when you are practising some other meditation.

When you are feeling this way, just close your eyes and become aware of your body

Become aware of your form.

With closed eyes, feel the form of every part of your body, moving from part to part. Feel the form of your fingers, of your hand, of your arm. Feel your legs, your trunk, your head. Become aware of the form of your whole body. When you try to feel your form, it will appear before you.

Gradually, you will notice that around your body is a bluish light. This light will go on spreading, an increasing aura around your physical form.

Initially, practise this with your eyes closed. When you are able to see your aura well, you can try it with your eyes open.

Choose a totally dark room. Preferably, practise at night. When you start seeing the aura with your eyes closed, slowly open your eyes. You will see the same bluish aura around your physical form!

For the first time, you will be able to see your etheric body. When you see your aura, don't do anything. Just sit and watch.

Even as you watch, the aura will begin to spread. It will become bigger and bigger. When you are not doing anything, your energy does not move outward. It accumulates in your etheric body.

As your aura grows stronger, you will begin to feel a deep sense of peace. You will experience a silence. When you practise this meditation frequently, this sense of peace becomes a permanent experience.

We always experience ourselves as separate from others. We cling so strongly to our body boundary that we always feel like a solid being. Maybe at the body level this is the truth, but the moment you take a step inwards, to your energy body, you will see that every being in this universe is deeply connected to the rest. You are not a solid entity as you imagine! You are a flowing energy.

At the energy level, there is a constant interchange going on between you and everyone and everything around you. You are just a beautiful, blissful flux of energies! Because you don't realize how you are part of this collective consciousness, you hold yourself so tight even in your most intimate relationships.

Once you experience yourself as energy, naturally you are no longer afraid to expand and flow. This is a beautiful meditation to become more loving and flowing in your relationships.

Duration: Maximum 30 minutes

Step 1: Sit in a relaxed way. Close your body and take a few deep breaths. Keep your limbs as loose and relaxed as possible. Next, visualize your own aura.

Your aura is your etheric or energy body, which interpenetrates and extends beyond your physical body by about one foot. Visualize your aura as a luminous shell of soft light, like a halo around your whole body.

Now experience this aura growing in size in all directions like a glowing ball.

Understand, this is not just visualization. You can expand and contract your energy body at will. Because we usually do it unconsciously, you are not aware of your own capacity.

As your aura grows outwards, you will find that it starts growing inwards also! You will start feeling it penetrating your physical body, till you cannot experience your physical body anymore. This is the truth! The moment you allow yourself to experience yourself as energy, you will realize that your body is not as solid as you think.

You are now just a huge body of light.

Duration: Maximum 30 minutes

Step 2:

Now, visualize all your emotional relationships as part of your light body. Include all your relationships in your light, whether they are loving or notso-loving.

If you have somebody who is emotionally connected to you, say in another country, visualize that you have a huge body that extends out to that country, and that person (or persons) is also inside your light body! Let all the emotional connections, hateful or loving, be inside your etheric body. Now, visualize whoever you can, friends, strangers, people you have never met – everyone being enveloped by this body of light. Enjoy your own loving, all-inclusive presence!

Expand and include as much as you can. As you expand, you will see that your individual identity simply melts and dissolves in the light. You are no more than a point of awareness in a vast ocean of love and light.

Now, visualize your aura shrinking slowly till you become aware of your body boundary again.

Spend a few minutes inside your boundary with your eyes closed.

Don't get up or move your body suddenly, or you will experience a sense of physical disorientation.

When you feel totally comfortable inside your body boundary, relax and open your eyes.

The Ananda Spurana Program (ASP) is a two-day intensive camp for chakra healing through meditation. At the camp, you learn about the nature and role of each chakra, and are given seven powerful and practical meditation techniques for cleansing and recharging the seven chakras.

The chakras deeply impact our physical and mental health. They are, in turn, affected by our thoughts and emotions.

The chakras are direct channels to the boundless energy of the Cosmos. But immoderate lifestyles, stress and negative emotions can 'lock' the chakras, or cause them to malfunction. Without even being aware of it, we are continuously blocking off these important sources of energy. Energy is health. That's why almost all physical and mental ailments can be partly or wholly cured, simply by cleansing and energising the corresponding chakra.

All these meditations (except Nirbhaya Dhyana for Swadishthana Chakra) can be practised freely once a week. Or you could choose one technique which best appeals to you and continue it for 21 days (Mahamantra, Dukkha Harana and Manipuraka Shuddhi Kriya are the most helpful for beginners). Then you could switch to a new

technique. When practised sincerely, these techniques can work miracles on the physical, mental and spiritual level.

Instruction tapes are available for all seven techniques.

Desire becomes a disease only when the energy flow is blocked by suppression. This is a dynamic meditation technique which will throw out all the suppressed emotions in you and cleanse and energize your muladhara chakra.

Practice this technique in the morning, preferably on an empty stomach.

This technique is like taking a psychological bath! If you want to test the efficiency of this technique, go and have your picture taken today. After 21 days of practising this technique, have another picture taken and compare the two.

I assure you, your face will look completely different! You will have blossomed. Your eyes will have become more pleasing. You will also see a deep silence expressing in your eyes.

For the first 10 minutes, you will work with your breath.

Your mental system is made fully alive by deep breathing and the increased intake of oxygen. Your cells will get more energy and you will create more bio-electricity or bio-energy. This energy will melt all the repressed emotions like melting ice. The subconscious will be thrown open. It is like fanning the flame of the muladhara chakra.

Stand with your eyes closed and legs slightly apart. Bend your knees and get into a semi-squatting position.

Now start breathing deeply and chaotically from the depths of your body, always through your nose, with your mouth closed.

In chaotic breathing, there is no definite rhythm. There is no need to control your breath. Just breathe as deeply as you can. During chaotic breathing, when the body intelligence is allowed to take over, the body will take in however much oxygen is needed.

As you breathe, repeatedly bend your knees and straighten them, moving your whole body up and down. This will create a powerful pumping action which directly hits the mooladhara chakra and throws out the suppressed energies.

Simultaneously, move your hands up and down like a bird in flight. Do the movements gently and synchronize your inhalation with upward movement and exhalation with downward movement.

If you have a heart problem, or are pregnant, or have had a recent ailment or surgery, do this technique only as much as you can without discomfort. Otherwise, put your whole energy into it!

Keep your eyes closed and tense each part of your body, part by part, limb by limb, and then let it relax. Tense and relax one limb, and then move on to the next.

Relax each part fully before you move on to the next.

Start with your feet, then move on to your legs, then your thighs and hips. Next, move to your stomach, then your lower back, then to the chest and upper back.

Move to your arms, working from the fingertips to the shoulders.

Next, work on the neck and shoulders, the facial muscles, and finally the top of the head.

At the end of this exercise, you will find that you have become vacant inside; you will feel cool, calm and composed.

Sit upright with your eyes closed.

Gently chant the sound hoo. This is known as the hoomkara. There is no need to chant it loudly and deeply. Just chant in a relaxed manner.

As you chant, just witness whatever happens inside and outside your being.

The first two parts of this technique are actually a preparation for the third part, which is the actual meditation.

When you come to the third part, you will see that the mind becomes silent effortlessly, by itself. Silence cannot be forced upon you; it can only happen by itself.

Remain in this relaxed state with a smiling face and a blissful mood.

During this time, there may be many experiences. Just watch them as you would watch the television; with a detached interest. Watch your mind thought by thought.

Breathe normally. Don't concentrate on anything. Meditation is not concentration. Meditation is awareness. So just be aware of your thoughts, witness what happens inside your body and outside your body.

A very powerful way of overcoming fear is to visualize going through that fear as clearly as you can.

In this technique, you are going to visualize the situation that causes the greatest fear in everybody - death!

The beauty with this technique is that it can be used when you are not in the fear situation, when you are calm and able to handle yourself.

Feel clearly the fear coming up in you, face the fear with deep awareness.

If you suffer, if your body feels uncomfortable, it is fine. Don't suppress the fear, just allow it to happen. When you experience something completely, you stop the process.

Manipuraka Shuddhi Kriya is a cathartic technique that bypassses mental processes and roots out worries in their most elemental form - which is just negative energy. It is a powerful technique to cleanse the manipuraka chakra or navel energy center, which is locked by stress and worry.

All your worries are nothing but words! Nothing but the sum total of all the languages you know.

All your life, you have put your worries into words, spoken about them in some language which you know.

Now, you are going to speak in a language which you don't know!

You are holding all your worries, negativity and suppressions like a weight in your navel area. Can you see how heavy that area feels? Now you are going to act out all those suppressions - in noises and actions.

Remember, no words! When you start using words, your inner chatter begins to come up. During this meditation, don't allow your inner chatter. Simply get to the core of your deepest suppressions and pluck them out of your system! Just vomit them out in sounds.

This technique is a powerful meditation. It unblocks your unconscious and allows all the negativities stored inside to dissolve.

Typical psychoanalytical sessions when patients talk to their analysts or even throw things around for catharsis, are still conscious processes. Only ten percent of your stored memories will be released.

Processes such as hypnosis are through the unconscious and you have no control. This

technique is a superconscious process in which you retain awareness while cleansing yourself.

This technique should always be practiced before a meal, when the stomach is empty,

and at least four hours before sleep.

Stand apart with your eyes closed.

For a minute, concentrate on the Manipuraka area. All your worries and suppressed negativity will start rising up into your conscious mind. Now, imagine yourself in some situation of conflict.

Imagine that you are fighting hard with someone. Talk to him - in a language that you don't know!

Just use nonsense sounds, like how babies babble. If anyone is listening, it should also not make any sense to them.

Try to convey your problem, your pain, to the other person. But the other person simply doesn't agree with you!

How do you feel? Angry? Throw out your anger on him! If tears come, let them! Don't stop yourself.

Scream, wail, cry, throw your limbs about, roll on the ground if you feel like. Create as much violence as possible! Once you start, you will find that you really won't be able to stop – so much will be coming out.

Do the technique sincerely - this is your chance to get rid of a lifetime's suppressions.

Enter completely into the meditation.

Stop!

Now, simply sit in silence and bring your awareness to your Manipuraka chakra. You will feel a tremendous lightness in that area.

During this silence, just be a witness to your thoughts. Do not suppress them or chase them. Just let them flow before the deep silence of your being.

Repeat this meditation every day for 21 days minimum, or until you feel as if you have nothing left inside to throw out during the meditation. Right from the very first day onwards, you will find a change, a great peace blossoming in your Being. Enjoy the peace!

Mahamantra (The Great Mantra) meditation is a technique to make your mind centered and integrated.

The Mahamantra is the essential vibration which is resonating not only in your Being, but in all of Existence. This technique is designed to make your whole body mantramayaa (vibrate with the mantra) through humming.

Humming is a powerful means of bringing your awareness to the present moment. If you hum intensely, you cannot have any thought at that time. So your Thoughts Per Second (TPS) automatically comes down. The energy generated by the humming cleanses the energy blocks in the mind-body system.

When you are intensely humming, all the ideas which you have about you will be completely shaken. Like an earthquake, this is a technique for a 'mind-quake'!

Chanting the mahamantra is known as the mahamantra uchchaadana – uttering the mantra which is beyond utterance, beyond speech or writing, beyond expression. It is the anahata dhwani (the unheard sound). When you experience the energy of this meditation, you will understand that you are based in this anahata dhwani.

When you practice this meditation, your entire energy becomes centered on yourself.

This meditation should be done on an empty stomach or two hours after a meal. It is best to practise it early in the morning, as it generates a tremendous amount of energy in your body. If you practise it at night, it may interfere with your sleep.

It can be done either alone or with a group. When done with a group, it effectively energizes the place where it is done.

Sit in a relaxed way, cross-legged, with your hands on your knees, palms facing upwards. Remove your watch and jewellery, as they block the energy flow.

Keep your spine erect. Your head, neck and back should be in a straight line. Close your eyes. Really close your eyes. Usually, when you close your eyes, it is just like putting off the TV outside and switching on the inner TV. So don't just close your eyelids – close your eyes!

There is a good way to do this: just imagine that your eyeballs have turned to stone! The movement of our eyes is very closely related to the movement of thoughts in our mind. That is why you are asked to arrest the movement of your eyeballs.

Just harden your eyeballs with mental pressure; the images in your mind will die. Your thoughts will also stop, or become slow. Don't be too worried about keeping them arrested. Just proceed with the meditation. Now, with your mouth closed, start humming. Just create the vibration Mmmm.

Don't chant any other mantra, don't chant Om or Hoom.

Imagine your body as an empty vessel. If you put your mouth to it and hum, what sound do you hear? Create that same vibration inside yourself. Hum as loudly as possible, as deeply as possible, as lengthily as possible. Put your whole effort into your humming. The sound has to come from your naabhi kamala – from your loins.

If you are using the ASP tape, there will be music accompanying your humming. Else, you can simply hum in silence.

Don't attempt any kind of breath control. Your breathing will automatically take care of itself. Just continue humming in an intense yet relaxed manner.

Let your whole body be filled with the vibration of the humming.

Become the humming!

Whatever thoughts arise, throw them also into the humming. Gradually, they will disappear.

After some time, you will feel that the humming continues without your effort and that you have become simply a listener to it! You enter the state of ajapa – where you don't even have to do the japa (chanting), the japa happens on its own. You don't have to repeat the mantra, the mantra will repeat you.

(At the end of twenty minutes, the music stops and a gong sounds.)

Instantly stop your humming. A great silence floods your Being. For a moment, time stands still.

Witness this silence. Experience the tremendous calm in and around you.

During this time, the energy created by the humming will enter all the corners of your being and cleanse it deeply. It establishes you in the awareness of the present moment. This awareness is all that is needed to dissolve the negativities, bring clarity and enable you to experience your true potential.

After a short while, thoughts will slowly start entering into this silence. Don't stop them; don't enter into them. Simply witness these thoughts. Remain silent and blissful.

Become a centre of awareness.

Remain centered in the anahata chakra. You will feel completely centered, calm.

All your life, you have been running a race against others.

Now, you will run against yourself! This technique puts you in touch with the tremendous energy inside of you. There is an immense reservoir of energy inside us that most of us are not even aware of. If you know how to tap into this vast energy source, you can simply go beyond what you now think are your limitations.

Intelligence is nothing but functioning at the highest level of energy available to us. During Shakti Sagar meditation, you unlock the resources of Intelligence.

Stand in silence with your eyes closed. Concentrate your entire awareness upon the Vishuddhi chakra, located in your throat region. When you do this, the cosmic energy enters through the vishuddhi chakra and becomes a tremendous source of energy for you.

Now, standing in place, slowly begin to walk.

If you find this difficult, you can stand behind a chair or use some support.

Start walking slowly, very slowly in the same spot where you are standing.

Start slowly, then increase your pace. Keep walking faster and faster in the same spot.

Push your limits only to the extent that you can, with no discomfort. At all times focus on the vishuddhi. You will be able to feel the energy coming from it.

The important thing is never to slow down at any point in time but always keep your eyes closed, and your awareness on the throat region. When you do this, you automatically absorb the energy that is generated during the movement.

Your body has tremendous potential that you have never used! When you enter totally into this meditation, you will find that the higher levels of energy open up. So keep walking. Let the energy rise!

Step 2 (10 minutes): Relax.

Keep your eyes closed.

Focus all your attention on the Vishuddhi chakra.

This will help assimilate and distribute the energy you have released during the walking.

Materials like silk, gold and diamonds are excellent storehouses for energy. During the meditation, if you wear these around your neck, they will absorb and retain the released energy for a longer time.

The Ajna chakra is known as the Chakra Raj – the Master chakra. It is such a significant chakra that there is no religion that hasn't worked on activating it. When the Ajna is awakened, the whole Being enters into a different realm. A whole layer of faculties opens up.

Divya Netra Dhyana is an extremely powerful technique where you come in direct contact with the master's energy. This meditation is most effective when practised in the master's presence.

Alternatively, you could practise with the picture of Swamiji's eyes that is available for use in this meditation.

This meditation involves two separate techniques: one for cleansing the Ajna, and the other for energizing it.

Our lower chakras mainly need cleansing and channeling. The higher chakras need energizing also – pumping up the energy to the chakra. In the two phases, you will need to alternately close and open your eyes.

Close your eyes and focus on your 'third eye' - on the area of your Ajna chakra. Just see through your eyes, whatever images you are seeing behind the closed eyes.

Step 2: 5 minutes

Now open your eyes - but do not see!

Look through your eyes, not with your eyes.

Don't look with your two eyes as you normally do. Instead, try seeing with your third eye, as if your brow chakra were actually an eye that you could see with.

With your third eye, look intensely at the master's third eye in the picture. Alternatively, you may look at the flame of a lamp lit with ghee or sesame oil. Try not to blink.

Initially, you may feel some discomfort. You may experience a burning sensation in the eyes, or tears may come. Let it happen. This is all part of the cleansing process.

Repeat both steps twice, then repeat only Step 1 and end the meditation.

Be prepared to have unusual experiences during this meditation. Your Ajna has never been activated before. Opening the Ajna will open you to a whole new realm of experience.

You may see visions of your favourite deities, or find that Swamiji's form disappears and is replaced by a point or beam of light. Sometimes you may see total emptiness where his form or picture was.

Don't be alarmed or lose your clarity at these moments. You are not being hypnotized! In fact, only now are you finally being dehypnotized. Only now is your superconscious awakened.

If you see only light or emptiness, it is a sign that you have done the meditation with deep sincerity. Because that is the truth of our nature. We are all nothing but energy. The physical body that we perceive as our own, and the physical existence of everything around us, is nothing but an illusion.

That's why the Ajna chakra is known as Maya Harana – destroyer of illusion.

Sahasrara Dhyana is the simplest possible meditation technique!

It involves the effortless process of paying our gratitude to Existence for everything we have in life, and which we have taken for granted till now. Although the meditation is deceptively simple, it has profound effects on our conscious and subconscious minds. When we recognize that we are part of the total scheme of Existence, and that we are lovingly taken care of by Existence every minute, we are overcome with gratitude. We become truly thankful for what we receive every moment, even if it is as basic as the use of our very limbs and senses. Gratitude is your response to recognizing the abundance of Existence. It is a wonderful flowering energy within you.

If you are using the ASP tape, listen to the Sahasrara music. Else, play any soothing music which appeals to you.

Allow the music to flow through you, to enrich you. Let the music become part of you.

Experience it as if it arises from your own Being.

Now, think of whomever you want - God, your favorite saint or your chosen deity. The form is not important. But pay your gratitude to Existence for this gift of Life.

Life itself is a great gift from Existence.

Have we worked very hard to deserve this life? No!

So living itself is enough reason to be grateful.

When you give your thanks to Existence, remember all the people who have made your life what it is today.

Start with your parents - the people who gave you life. Pay your deepest gratitude to them. Ask their forgiveness for any wrong that you may have done them. In the same way, forgive them for any way in which they may have hurt you.

Forgive completely, feel only gratitude!

Now remember each person who has helped you in life - the doctors in the hospital where you were born, your teachers in school and college, your friends and relatives. Pay your gratitude to them all.

Think of the strangers who have helped you - the farmers who grow your food, the weavers who weave your clothes. Thank them all.

Part 9: Meditation Is for You_English_part_9.md

DOORWAYS TO SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS Working with thoughts and emotions

Even your enemies have played a role in your life, they have taught you something. Drop the anger. Drop the hatred. Forgive them and ask forgiveness. Do it with all your heart, with total sincerity!

Have you thanked Existence for the beauties of nature? Have you thanked the sun for warming you every morning? Have you paid thanks for the water you drink? How many things we have forgotten to pay our gratitude for! Now you can do it. Give each and every one your thanks.

When you pay your thanks to all of Existence, also remember the enlightened masters who have made us aware of the joy of gratitude. The purpose of all enlightened masters, through the ages, has always been the same: they want to lift you into bliss, into Ananda. So the best way to thank them is – simply to be blissful! Finally, pay your gratitude to the Sadguru, the master, for happening in your life.

The relationship with the master is the ultimate relationship. Existence itself has appeared in your life in the form of the master, so that you may break all your boundaries and merge joyfully into the Divine.

Where can you find the words to thank the master enough?

Just remain silent. Let your heart overflow with deep love and gratitude.

When the music stops, remain in silence for a while.

Remain in the attitude of gratitude and bliss.

For as long as possible, stay in silence. Turn your awareness inward and enjoy the peace and contentment within.

Sahasrara Dhyana can be modified to an 'anytime-anywhere' meditation.

Cultivating a permanent attitude of gratitude and positivity can work wonders for your physical and emotional health.

With gratitude, you will see that Existence simply responds to you. Gratitude is your channel to commune with the energy of all Existence.

Your chakras are the points at which pranic energy enters your body. If they are kept in an energized condition, you will be free from all types of diseases. Pranic breathing from the various chakras is a quick way to rejuvenate yourself.

Duration: 21 minutes

Close your eyes and sit comfortably cross-legged on the floor.

Inhale and exhale deeply a few times.

Now place your awareness on the mooladhara chakra (root center), located at the base of your spine.

As you inhale, visualize your mooladhara chakra breathing in deeply. Visualize prana going into your chakra. Feel it touching the chakra and vibrating the chakra. When you exhale, visualize the empty air being expelled from the chakra.

Your mooladhara chakra is infused with pranic energy.

Continue for 11 rounds of inhalation and exhalation.

Now move to the (spleen center), located two inches above the mooladhara chakra and two inches below your navel.

Repeat this process with the swadhishthana chakra for 11 rounds of inhalation and exhalation.

Move upwards through the other chakras up to the sahahrara chakra (crown center).

Repeat the same process with each of the chakras.

The swadishthana chakra is known as the Being chakra. Your being is based in this chakra (swa- means self or being, adhishthana means base). This technique is useful for centering your energies in the swadishthana chakra. It can be practised just before you go to sleep and as soon as you wake up.

When you lie down on your bed to sleep, place both your hands on the swadhistana chakra, two inches below the navel. Press very lightly, just enough so you can feel it.

Step 2: Start breathing deeply.

Breathe from the swadhistana chakra, not from the chest. Feel the chakra moving up and down as you inhale and exhale. Relax into sleep in this way. You will remain centered even in your sleep.

Step 3: In the morning, the moment you feel awake, don't open your eyes. Again place your hands on the swadhisthana chakra and breathe deeply for 15 minutes.

Om or pranava mantra is the most potent of all Vedic mantras. The beauty of Om is that the mantra itself represents the transition from gross to subtle to pure consciousness. When the mantra Om is chanted with awareness on different chakras, it can create different effects. For instance, when we chant from the manipuraka chakra (navel center), we are invoking the gross form of Om (sthula), and the results can also be felt in the physical body. As we move to higher and higher chakras, the energy movements also become subtler and subtler, until at the sahasrara chakra (crown center), the same Om chant can be experienced as pure consciousness.

Duration: 21 minutes

Sit upright with your eyes closed.

Begin chanting the mantra 'Om' as deeply as possible, as loudly as possible, as lengthily as possible, with awareness on the different chakras as shown below:

Place your awareness on the manipuraka chakra (navel center). The manipuraka chakra is the source of the pure energy of verbalization.

Chant the mantra Om, feeling clearly that the mantra is arising from the manipuraka, and not from your throat.

Feel the mantra vibrating the chakra.

As you chant, you will see that your body has started moving slightly in a circular way, as if making small circles in the air. The movement of energy can be clearly felt in the physical body.

Shift your awareness to the anahata chakra (heart center).

The anahata chakra is the source of love energy.

Chant the mantra Om, feeling clearly that the mantra is arising from the anahata chakra. Feel the mantra vibrating the chakra.

As you chant, you will experience not movements of the body, but rather movements within the body. Waves of energy can be felt rising from the heart and spreading inside the body. This is a more subtle expression of the energy generated by the Omkara (Om chanting).

Shift your awareness to the vishuddhi chakra (throat center). The vishuddhi chakra is the source of the creative energy. Chant the mantra Om, feeling clearly that the mantra is arising from the vishuddhi chakra. Feel the mantra vibrating the chakra. As you chant, you will experience a very subtle but powerful energy pulsing in the throat and engulfing your whole body.

Shift your awareness to the ajna chakra (brow center). The ajna chakra is the source of the intelligence energy. Chant the mantra Om, feeling clearly that the mantra is arising from the ajna chakra. Feel the mantra vibrating the chakra. Here, you will experience neither the movement nor the nonmovement of energy. Like a fan that is rotating in full speed appears to be neither moving nor non-moving, the energy of Om resonates in the chakra, moving without movement.

Shift your awareness to the sahasrara chakra (crown center). The sahasrara chakra is the source of pure consciousness. Chant the mantra Om, feeling clearly that the mantra is arising from the sahasrara chakra. Feel the mantra vibrating the chakra. At this chakra, the energy is no longer moving, but remains as pure consciousness.

When the Om chanting becomes constant and effortless (ajapa) at the sahasrara chakra, you enter the space of enlightenment.

Soham mantra is another name for the hamsa mantra. As with the hamsa mantra chanting, here also we focus on the natural sound made by the breath during inhalation and exhalation. When the mantra is chanted with awareness on a particular chakra, it enhances the circulation of prana (life-force) in that chakra.

Sit in padmasana (lotus posture) or just cross-legged on the floor. Your spine should be straight and your eyes closed. Keep your awareness on the muladhara chakra and inhale. As you are inhaling, be aware that your breath is entering your body with the sound 'hummmm'.

When you exhale, be aware of the breath leaving your body with the sound 'sohhhh'. Continue with Soham attentiveness for seven full rounds of breath, with awareness on the mooladhara chakra.

Move upwards to the swadishthana chakra and repeat the process for seven rounds of breathing.

Each chakra has its own mystic beeja mantra (seed syllable). The resonance of this beeja mantra energizes the particular chakra.

Sit comfortably with your spine erect and your eyes closed. Place your awareness on the muladhara chakra. Intone the mantra Lam once with your awareness on the muladhara chakra.

Feel the vibration at the muladhara chakra.

Let your awareness move up to the swadhishtana chakra. Intone the mantra Vam* once with your awareness on the swadhistana chakra. Feel the vibration at the swadhistana chakra. *(pronounced to rhyme with "Hum")

Let your awareness move up to the manipuraka chakra. Intone the mantra Ram ('Rum") once with your awareness on the manipuraka chakra. Feel the vibration at the manipuraka chakra.

Let your awareness move up to the anahata chakra. Intone the mantra Yam ("Yum") once with your awareness on the anahata chakra. Feel the vibration at the anahata chakra.

Let your awareness move up to the vishuddhi chakra. Intone the mantra Ham ("Hum") once with your awareness on the vishuddhi chakra. Feel the vibration at the vishuddhi chakra.

Let your awareness move up to the ajna chakra. Intone the mantra Om ("Ohm") once with your awareness on the ajna chakra. Feel the vibration at the ajna chakra.

Now, reverse the process. Descend to the muladhara chakra step by step, repeating the mantra for each chakra.

Repeat the whole process nine times.

When you meditate on any object, an energy cycle is gradually built up between you and that object.

Yantras or energy maps are essentially geometric diagrams that have been etched on metal, wood or paper. Three-dimensional yantras are those carved out of wood or molded in metal. The earliest yantras were spontaneously created by spiritual masters at the peak moments of meditation. In the early books on meditation, yantras have been referred to as the diagrammatical representations of the structure of the universe.

Just as pyramidical structures are known to absorb and retain energy, yantras also have a specific geometric structure that allows them to store energy for long periods. When a spiritually evolved person meditates upon the yantra, he transfers healing energy to the yantra. The yantra then acts as a battery that stores this healing energy.

When an ailing person meditates upon the same yantra, the energy is transferred to him, and he experiences a glimpse of the spiritual ecstasy that first gave birth to that geometric form.

Since the chakras are the energy portals of the body, we absorb energy most effectively through the chakras. This meditation uses the healing yantra to facilitate chakra healing.

Focus on the chakra where you are experiencing a problem.

Keeping your eyes continuously on the healing yantra, visualize that you are 'seeing' the yantra from that chakra. Focus your attention towards the yantra from that chakra. Feel the flowing to you from the yantra.

Create a cycle of energy between you and the yantra. Feel the flow.

Close your eyes and visualize that the yantra has entered your body at the point of that chakra.

Hold the yantra at that point.

Allow its energy to diffuse throughout your body. Feel the healing energy flowing through the ailing organ or limb. If you wish, you can repeat the cycle. Continue this meditation for 21 days.

LIVING ENLIGHTENMENT

Awakening to your higher intelligence

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Living Enlightenment is nothing but living our life intelligently, expressing all our possibilities, functioning in a conscious and integrated way. Understand, meditation is not apart from life! Living your daily life in a conflict-free way, with deep awareness and understanding in every moment, is the greatest meditation. It can directly lead you into the space of superconsciousness. Living Enlightenment is nothing but an ordinary life lived in an extraordinary way!

Now we will look at the fourth layer or energy body – the intelligence layer.

As we move closer and closer to the core consciousness, you will see that there is less and less action to be performed by us.

When we were working on the body and breath, we had many physical postures, breathing techniques – you had a lot to do!

When we worked with thoughts and emotions, you had to witness, work and transform yourself.

Here, when we are working on the intelligence layer, all you have to do is tune in to the higher vibrations of consciousness already available to you.

What we call consciousness is nothing but a highly subtle form of energy pervading the cosmos.

Consciousness is energy.

When the same consciousness is filtered through the medium of body and breath, it expresses itself as body intelligence and life-force. Here, the consciousness is functioning as instinct.

When it is expressed through the third or mental layer, we understand it as logic or intellect.

In the fourth layer, the same energy shines forth as a highly refined intelligence (vignana).

In the fifth or bliss layer, this energy flowers as intuition.

All of us use a mix of instinct, intellect, intelligence and intuition to handle our external and internal environment.

Basically, all these refer to the same energy working at higher and higher levels of consciousness. When intellect is purified, it becomes intelligence. When intelligence is further purified, it becomes intuition.

Don't imagine that just because you are a human being with mental faculties, you are operating at the level of intellect or intelligence!

The more consciousness you are able to bring into your life, into your responses, your decisions, the higher the chance there is that you are operating at the level of intellect or intelligence.

When we looked at how the mind perceives the world, we saw that our process of perception is partly conscious and partly unconscious. If your unconscious perception (Tq) is greater than your conscious perception (Tp), you are operating at the level of instinct.

If your conscious and unconscious processes are more or less equal, you are operating at the level of intellect.

If your conscious process is faster than your unconscious process, you are using intelligence.

When you operate totally out of awareness, you make the leap to intuition.

Understand, all of us use all these processes at different times.

Not only that, they are not clearly demarcated , but flow into one another. It is simply a process of greater and greater refinement of the same energy, greater and greater awareness being brought in when handling the same energy.

Intellect is what you normally use when making your decisions! Intellect uses only logic to act. It does not know any other language.

Intelligence is more creative, more constructive. It knows how to respond to life moment to moment, how to be awake to the challenge of the moment. Intelligence is aware of the situation, it can alter the answers according to the demands of the moment.

Intuition is when the decision simply happens as a revelation! It happens from the energy of your being, not from the space of the mind. With meditation, you go beyond the mind, into the being. In the being, no rules exist! You are free to explore your full potential.

Living Enlightenment or jeevanmukti is nothing but living a conflict-free life in the inner world and the outer world; living without a gap between the inner world and the outer world.

What are the dimensions of Living Enlightenment?

Shakti – the Energy to understand and change whatever you need to change in life.

Buddhi – the Intelligence to understand and accept whatever you don't need to change in life.

Yukti – the Clarity to understand and realize that however much you change, whatever you see as reality is itself a continuously changing dream

Bhakti – the Devotion, the feeling of deep connection to That which is unchanging, Eternal and Ultimate, and

Mukti, the ultimateLiberation into Living Enlightenment when all these four are integrated.

• The SPH JGM Bhagavan THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

LIVING ENLIGHTENMENT Awakening to your higher intelligence

When we work on the fourth layer, we bring the force of intelligence into our life, to enter the space of pure consciousness.

Living Enlightenment is nothing but living our life intelligently, expressing all our possibilities and functioning in a conscious and integrated way.

Understand, meditation is not apart from life!

Living your daily life consciously, with deep awareness and understanding in every moment, is the greatest meditation.

It can directly lead you into the space of superconsciousness.

When you work on the intelligence layer, two tremendous energies are awakened in you: the power of visualization, and the power of discrimination.

The power of visualization is the energy to transform all your dreams into reality.

The power of discrimination is the wisdom to realize that whatever you think of as reality is also a dream!

Understand, both these dimensions are available in this layer.

We can travel in whichever direction we want.

When intelligence is used to transform our dreams into reality, it is known as shakti or energy.

The path that focuses on awakening our latent potential, raising our energy to its peak and expressing this energy in our life, is traditionally known as yoga-marga. That is why you will see, in yoga marga, a lot of importance is given to culturing the physical body, preparing it to hold the tremendous universal energy.

When it is pursued intelligently, yoga can awaken the tremendous kundalini shakti, the universal life-force that lies latent in us.

Understand, yoga does not just mean body-culture and breathing techniques.

Just though intelligence, through awareness, we can raise our consciousness to perform unimaginable feats in the material and spiritual world.

That is why it is known as jnana-shakti or intelligence-power.

Understand: this energy does not come from outside you!

Every moment, the energy of your Self is available to you. Whatever thought you place before your Self, that becomes reality.

If you place a picture in front of a projector light, that can be seen as reality on the screen. In the same way, whatever thought you place before your Consciousness, before your inner light, you see it in the outer world as reality.

The more often you place the same thought before your Self, the more you see it in the outer world!

Any desire, once you contemplate upon it, once it penetrates your inner space, will express its own power. Every desire that plays in front of your inner light becomes alive.

When jnana-shakti (the energy of intelligence) is added to iccha shakti (the energy of desire), it results in kriya shakti (the energy of action or creation).

When the jnana-shakti or the intelligence is totally purified, any desire is instantly transformed into reality.

When a desire is submitted in front of the pure enlightened consciousness, it is instantly transformed into reality. The sankalpa (desire or will) of an enlightened being has the power to directly become reality. This is the secret behind the 'miracles' performed by enlightened beings! All siddhi (mystical powers) are nothing but the expression of awakened

intelligence in its dimension of shakti, the power of visualization.

Whether you believe it or not, intelligence is a dynamic energy!

Even in your day-to-day life, you can see the power of intelligence at work. Simply by harnessing your intelligence, you can actualize all your latent potential, express all your possibilities.

When you bring intelligence into your daily living, naturally your ability to respond to new situations, your inner clarity, your decision-making abilities are all enhanced.

Whatever you visualize, you are able to execute.

You will see that you are doing things that you never imagined you could do! This is shakti.

Using your shakti, you can change whatever can be changed in your outer and inner world.

All our life, we try to change whatever we can in the outer world and in the inner world.

In the outer world, we constantly try to improve our life by changing our job, our home, our car, if possible even our spouse!

We are constantly trying to express our shakti.

As long as your energy and enthusiasm are at their peak, maybe till you are around forty, you will be on this trip.

Then, when your energies start declining, gradually your buddhi will start expressing itself!

Slowly, you will have the understanding that some things in life cannot be changed. All the changes you see in your physical body, your very diseases will teach you acceptance. When you have thrown yourself against life and hurt yourself enough, you will naturally learn acceptance. Understand, life is the biggest teacher!

Life awakens buddhi in you in the form of experience.

Slowly, you start accepting that, beyond a point, you cannot change anything.

You have to live with the same old body, same old life… same old wife!

Of course, if you are a little intelligent, you will straightaway understand that it is not necessary to change everything! You don't have to change the whole thing. Otherwise you will be too busy changing life instead of enjoying it!

If you think that you can enjoy life only if the world becomes as you want - it can never happen. If you have this understanding, you don't have to wait for life to teach you!

Directly you will have the buddhi to accept whatever doesn't need to be changed.

Learning to handle these two energies, shakti and buddhi, is the basic necessity for a balanced life.

Be very clear: I am not even speaking of spirituality.

Even to handle your daily life, you have to have a clear understanding of how to balance these two energies.

People ask me, how to know which things in life can be changed, and which have to be accepted?

This is an important question.

How to know when to use shakti, and when to use buddhi?

I can tell you, there is one clear experiential way to understand which energy you are using in your life at the moment, and which you need to use.

Just observe yourself when you wake up in the morning.

At the moment of waking, what is your mood?

Usually, the first few thoughts which arise in you upon waking will be about the day ahead.

The moment you remember your day ahead – your office, or the tasks you have to complete that day, if you experience a sense of depression – understand, you have taken on more than you can handle! If you feel that your sleeping state was more pleasant than your waking state, you are expressing too much shakti.

Now you are feeling the stress!

It is time for you to relax and accept.

It is time to bring buddhi into your life.

At the moment of waking, if you feel a sense of release, it means you need to express more energy in your life. If your sleeping state seems to be suffocating, if you are just waiting to wake up and act, it means you have not utilized your shakti enough.

It is time for you to express your shakti and change whatever needs to be changed in your life.

If you wake up feeling relaxed and refreshed, ready to start your day, it means you are living in the right way!

You are maintaining a perfect balance of shakti and buddhi in your life.

But you need to understand one thing: as long as you are expressing only these two energies, you are living life at the minimum.

At the most, you will be leading a peaceful life, but not a life of higher awareness.

It is only when the mind has jumped enough between these two points, between effort and acceptance, expression and relaxation, that a new understanding happens in you.

You finally realize that no matter how much you try to change it or transform it, the whole reality that you experience is itself no more than a waking dream!

Whether you transform or accept, everything in this world is changing continuously. What you imagine to be reality is itself an illusion. This is the awakening of yukti, the power of discrimination.

When intelligence is focused on transforming your dreams into reality, it is shakti, the power of visualization.

When the same intelligence is used to understand that reality itself is a dream, it is yukti, the power of discrimination.

When yukti happens in us, we have taken a quantum leap from the plane of shakti and buddhi. As long as we are playing with shakti and buddhi, we are working on the assumption that whatever we see around us is real. Whether we try to transform or try to accept, we have not understood that the stuff we are working with is itself an illusion!

Yukti always happens only when we are tired of playing with shakti and buddhi. This can happen in two ways.

The first is what I call the depression of failure.

Usually, it is only when the limits of our shakti and buddhi are tested again and again, that we get ready to drop both. When we realize that we are neither able to fulfil all our dreams nor accept the reality, suddenly a new intelligence is awakened in us.

We get out of the game.

In some rare cases, when all your dreams become reality, suddenly the realization comes, that what you think of as reality is nothing but your dream! When there is nothing left to aim at, suddenly we see the futility of the whole process.

This is the depression of success!

Even in your normal life, if all your dreams are constantly fulfilled, if you don't have to struggle to achieve any of your desires, suddenly you will feel empty! You find that whatever you wanted has been achieved, but that sense of fulfillment for which you did everything is still not there.

A small story:

A man dies in a car accident.

When he wakes up, he finds himself in a beautiful place. Many celestial beings are standing around him and asking him, 'What do you want? You only have to ask!'

The man orders food and drink, all kinds of things. Everything is immediately delivered, and he enjoys himself immensely.

The next day he asks for expensive clothes, a palace, beautiful women. The instant he asks, everything is given.

The third day, he is busy searching for things to ask! Somehow he asks for this and that, and everything is instantly delivered. Whatever he asks for is given.

How many days can you live like this? You will die out of sheer boredom, because whatever you can think of is there.

After a week, he tells one of the celestial beings, 'I am getting a bit bored of being in heaven! Just for a change, can I go to hell and see how it feels?'

The being asks him, 'Where do you think you are right now?'

Be very clear, if all your desires are fulfilled, you are in hell, because there is nothing left to hope for!

When you realize that even if all your desires are fulfilled, it cannot bring lasting inner fulfillment, you take the first step on the spiritual path.

This is the expression of yukti.

Traditionally, this path is known as jnana-marga (the path of wisdom) or viveka-marga (the path of discrimination).

In the scriptures it is said: vidyaayaamrutam ashnutey (through wisdom, we can taste immortality). Right knowledge can take you directly into the space of consciousness.

In the tradition of Vedanta, the process of discrimination is said to happen in three stages: shravana, manana and nidhidhyaasana. Shravana means intensely listening to the Truth; manana means contemplating on it and internalizing it; nidhidhyaasana means living it, radiating it in one's life.

It is not necessary that every seeker will need to go through all the three processes to take the leap into consciousness. For a really ripe seeker, just the very process of listening to the Truth from his Guru, or from the holy scriptures, is enough! Just by hearing the Truth, he can experience it, he can enter that space. That is why so much importance is given to shravana, right listening. Just hearing the truth can bring tremendous inner healing.

'Swamiji, how did you heal me with just your words? How did it happen in me? For just a few days, I sat with you and listened to your talks. Suddenly I feel that my entire system is healed. Even my physical health is better!'

Understand: it is Truth which has healed you!

When you listen with complete openness, when you make yourself available to Truth, it can do wonders for you.

The words which arise out of enlightened consciousness are not ordinary words. They will touch the same pure space inside you.

This knowledge of the Truth is what I call 'knowledge-weapons' or shaastra-shastra.

The truths which bring you out of depression and add self-healing clarity and confidence to you are called shaastra-shastraa.

You will see when these truths are added into you, they can redesign your whole life.

Whatever you now think of as the sum total of your life - your desires, your fears, your worries, your depression, your very identity - all these things will suddenly disappear. You will have an inner clarity that cannot be taken away by any fear, any depression.

When the load is taken out of your inner space, nothing remains but healing! Healing is the only thing that can happen to you.

Again and again bringing your awareness back to Truth is manana or reflection upon Truth.

Again and again, using the power of the shastra-shastraa to respond to and handle the different situations of your life is manana.

Whenever depression attacks you, suffering attacks you, life brings different scenes in front of you, just turn this shaastra-shastra upon them!

Understand, the Truth is so powerful, its very presence in your heart can bring you right out of depression.

So, even if the truth is too much, don't bother. Try to digest, assimilate and keep it in the corner of your heart. Let the shaastra-shastra be stored inside you. Don't think that these are mere ideas!

Understand: meditating upon Truth directly increases your self-healing clarity. When you have a mighty store of shaastra-shastra, naturally fear and depression will be afraid to attack you. You don't even have to attack your depression! The moment you display your power, they will think twice before attacking you.

When you accumulate this self-healing understanding, shaastra-shastra, inside your system, you will see that depression will be afraid to come near you.

Recently we conducted some simple research on the connection between spirituality and self-healing clarity.

We chose two groups of people of more of less the same age, from the same economic background, etc. The first group consisted of people who were practicing meditation or studying spiritual literature regularly. The second group consisted of people who had not been exposed to spirituality in any way.

Both groups participated in the 10-minute experiment I mentioned earlier. They were asked to write down whatever thoughts came to their mind without editing them.

When I read those papers, it was a very shocking revelation.

In the case of the group which had not been exposed to spirituality, if a person had written 100 thoughts, more than 80 thoughts were directing him towards more and more depression. Only 20 thoughts were 'selfhealing' or bringing him out of depression.

But in the case of the people who are exposed to spirituality and meditation, I saw that more than 60 percent of their thoughts were selfhealing. Only 40 percent were towards depression. This is the power of the touch of Truth!

Understand, sometimes Truth will be strong.

That is why you are afraid even to listen to it, let alone practice it! If you want to sincerely follow the Truth, you will have to totally redefine life as you know it.

The other day, after a talk, I got a note which said: 'I know that what you speak is the Truth, but it is too strong! I never expected that I will have such clarity. Now I am afraid of my own clarity.'

Sometimes, people are afraid of going near the Truth.

But unless you have the courage to go near the Truth, the real healing will never happen.

There is no other way.

And I tell you, it only looks like suffering at the initial level, because you feel you have too much to lose.

Actually, you have nothing to lose but your depression!

If you just allow the Truth to enter you, it will create so much ecstasy in your inner space, and so much energy to expand in the outer space.

1. No Worries; Be Happy! Express spontaneous creativity for assured success! 2. Intensely Enjoy Life! Enjoy every moment of life with pure excitement! 3. Always Auspiciousness! Whatever happens in life will be auspicious! 4. 'Always-Right' Strategic Planning! Relationships, business, or life – always make right decisions! 5. Ultimate Experience Every Moment! Expand and explode in all dimensions of life! 6. No Study, Just Download! Science, arts, religion, business, cooking… Just download from the Cosmic archives! 7. No Greed, No Fear! Nothing to gain or lose – get all you want right here, right now! 8. Unclutch - the Fastest Gear! Master-mind – Forever free from the clutches of the mind! 9. Being God! Master of your destiny – create your reality! 10. Beyond Space, Time, and Mind! Enjoy being in the lap of eternal bliss! You are eternal bliss - nithya ananda!

In life, you need to balance both these energies.

Energy without the power of discrimination can be fatal. When it is expressed in the outer world, it leads to wars, it gives birth to Hitlers, to terrorism. It results in a purely materialistic society. This is what has happened to Western civilization!

On the spiritual path, this imbalance leads to religious fanaticism and the obsession with siddhi (mystical powers).

All these are expressions of shakti without yukti.

When only yukti is encouraged without shakti, it leads to a passive, unproductive civilization.

This is what has happened in the Eastern cultures!

The people are so accustomed to the idea that everything is a dream that they don't care to make any effort in the material world. Especially in Bharat, you can see, people even look down upon material prosperity.

Don't imagine that this is a sign of spiritual awakening! When a person feels completely fulfilled within, he may not feel the need for outer riches. That is a different matter. But if he just doesn't have the energy to fulfil his desires, it simply means that he is not using his shakti enough.

True intelligence is knowing how to wield both these energies in a balanced manner.

Just as shakti, after a point, gives rise to buddhi, when yukti is awakened, it naturally gives rise to bhakti.

LIVING ENLIGHTENMENT Awakening to your higher intelligence

When you continuously work with this understanding that everything is constantly changing, naturally you hold onto the only thing that will never change – your inner Truth. This single-pointed devotion to Truth is what I call bhakti.

Understand, bhakti is not just simple devotion. It is the surrender born of the ultimate wisdom, out of a clear experiential understanding of the Truth.

If you see the life of Krishna, the gopikas, the women who lived around Krishna, are known as bhaktas (devotees), while the women who lived around Krishna's self-styled rival Shishupala are known as daasis (slaves, or women of pleasure).

Why such different names for two groups of women committing the same act?

Understand, the women who lived around Krishna were perfectly aware that Krishna was a realized being, who was not bound by the pleasures of the senses. Not only that, they themselves had no need for any physical satisfaction from Krishna. They were with him purely for enlightenment.

In Shishupala's case, the women who served him were bound to him only by fear, while he was bound to them by lust. The whole relationship was unconscious, based on fear and greed. It was a relationship based on possession, not on liberation.

Moreover, in the case of the gopikas, their devotion to Krishna was born out of the clear experiential understanding that Krishna (the divine consciousness) was no different from themselves (the individual consciousness). In fact, the entire leela (play)of Krishna and the gopikas is the beautiful play of the Lord and his beloved devotees, the Divine consciousness and the individual consciousness.

Sri Ramaksrishna beautifully calls such supreme devotion as gnana varishtha bhakti – the devotion that surpasses even enlightenment!

You may think, how can there be anything superior to enlightenment?

In the Srimad Bhagavatam (the spiritual text that describes the incarnations of Lord Vishnu), the chapter just before the last speaks about gnana (realizing the Truth).

The final chapter speaks about aashraya (taking refuge in the Truth).

Understand, realizing the Truth is not the final step! Taking refuge in the Truth, surrendering to the Truth and living joyfully in the flow of Truth is the ultimate thing.

When bhakti blossoms in every moment of your life, when you entrust your life to the Truth, when you experience and express Truth every moment, in every situation of your life, it is jeevanmukti – living enlightenment!

It is the ultimate flowering of consciousness.

LIVING ENLIGHTENMENT Awakening to your higher intelligence

Q. I heard that many miracles happen in your presence, like healing and wishfulfilment. Is there any science behind this, or is it just a placebo effect?

A. What do you mean, just a placebo effect?

The placebo effect is the ultimate proof of the power of mind over matter!

Do you understand the science behind the placebo effect?

Some of these words have become so loaded with the wrong meaning that people just use them without even understanding them.

Just the other day, a disciple was asking me, Swamiji, why is it that when a request for healing comes from a particular devotee, you always say that the person will be healed, but with some others you refuse to commit, even if it is only a simple illness?

Understand, not only the person who is ill, but even the person who informs me has a role to play in the healing process!

What the master does is nothing but awaken your body's natural healing intelligence.

You don't know your own potential!

You have tremendous power to heal yourself, physically and mentally. But nowadays people are so intellectual, they decide right away that healing is unscientific, it just can't happen. When you approach with that attitude, naturally you block the process.

Fortunately, even today there are people who live through the heart, not through the head.

Especially the simple people from the villages, they have such deep faith and devotion that they are completely open to my touch.

Their very faith makes things happen. The innate healing power is awakened and they are healed.

The important thing is to have the 'click', the feeling of total connectedness with God or the master. Once the click happens, the healing itself is a simple job. Having faith is nothing more than extending your hand, so that the healing may happen. Only when hands are extended on both sides can the healing happen.

Fortunately, even today some of the population is heart-centered. These are the people who experience healing miracles. It is said that the Lord maintains this universe only for his bhaktas (devotees) who are surrendered to Existence.

Don't think that surrender is only for weak and naïve people! Surrender is simply the recognition that a higher force is operating which can take care of your life. This force is operating at all times, whether you are aware of it or not. But it requires a highly refined, subtle intelligence to recognize this force and fall in tune with it.

Total surrender is equal to enlightenment!

Total surrender means simply dropping the lower intellect, the fighting logic, and allowing the higher intelligence to take over. But until you are fed up with your own logic, your own cunningness and planning, you will not be able to surrender.

When Queen Draupadi was being disrobed in public in the court of the Kauravas, she started crying out to Lord Krishna for help. Again and again, she cried out, Krishna, help me! Krishna, help me!

But at the same time, she was clutching her saree (clothes) with both hands. Finally, when she saw that she was on the verge of being totally undressed, she just threw up both her hands and called out, Krishna, help me! This time, her prayer was answered instantaneously. Her saree reappeared miraculously and she was saved.

Later, Draupadi complained to Krishna, My Lord, why did you take so long to come and save me? Did you not see that I was alone and helpless?

Krishna replied, Draupadi, you were calling me, but at the same time you were trying to protect yourself. Till the very end, you thought that you could manage by yourself. But at the end, when I saw you totally open, I had to come. I had to appear and take care of you.

This is what we all do in our life.

We say that we have faith, but actually Existence or God is only our Plan B! God or the universal intelligence is our last resort.

Understand, the fish is always in the river, whether it chooses to swim upstream and struggle, or just floats peacefully with the current. The Existential energy is always available. Whether you want to tune yourself to it or not is upto you. It is purely subjective.

Precisely because it is such a subjective experience, the causes and effects of energy healing and other such 'miracles' cannot be always correlated and quantified.

That is why, in spite of cases of healing, methods like spiritual healing are not part of mainstream healthcare even today.

In the medical field, if you can show some improvement after using a particular drug, that drug is approved as a medicine.

Definitely, some patients experience relief with healing. So ideally, placebo effect should have its rightful place in physical and mental healing.

But unlike allopathic drugs, it needs the co-operation of the patient as well. The click has to happen.

Unless the human consciousness rises above logic, it cannot comprehend the working of the cosmic law. Until then, some part of the population will continue to dismiss spiritual healing and wish-fulfilment as cheap miracles or autohypnosis!

A. Of course, I cannot give you a technique for living enlightenment, but I can give you some signs by which you can recognize whether you are truly on the path:

As of now, you are not mature enough to hold the chaos, the cosmos, inside the frame of your body. You need to put the chaos in order because you are not capable of handling the cosmos as is. The six feet frame of your body is not mature enough to hold the chaos as is, to experience and enjoy the cosmos as is.

Being with a body, mind and brain that are awakened and tuned to experience the cosmos as is, is what is living enlightenment.

Living enlightenment has nothing to do with married life or celibacy. It is just living a conflict-free life where your actions and knowledge are in tune with your desires.

Not being in the extremes of anything, not being caught in the extremes of emotions is what is called the Middle Path. Being in the middle path, the madhyapantha, suddenly you see a reduction in the number of thoughts that arise before any action starts. That is the period called 'living enlightenment'. When thoughts completely drop and you are able to do all your activity without thoughts, you are enlightened.

Centered in sattva, positive energy, you will be able to perform all your activities, your profession, your business, your relationships, your whole life in a beautiful, effortless way. You will be able to manage everything just centered on positive energy. That is what I call 'living enlightenment' or jeevan mukti - even while you are living, you are liberated.

When you are centered in sattva, positive energy, you have a clear understanding of the jeeva, the self. You have the clear understanding of how to relate with the jagat, the world. Because of the clarity of the self and the world, naturally you will fall into the source, Ishwara, god. The very understanding will give you clarity. That clarity will automatically awaken the non-mechanical parts of your brain.

When that awakening happens, a chaos will start happening in your routine. Your routine will start getting re-arranged by itself. Just cooperate with it. That is what I call 'living enlightenment'.

If you don't cooperate with the new ecstasy that is happening, with the new awakening that is happening, and if you force your same old dull routine on yourself, you may forget, or you may bring yourself back to the same old person, the same old dullness. Cooperating with the awakening that happens in you is what I call being a disciple or living enlightenment.

'Living enlightenment' is the right word! When you are living these great truths, you are enlightened, that's all.

People think that having enlightenment means all responsibilities are taken away and that you don't need to do anything. They think it is a long vacation and you can just lie down on a beach, and that nothing needs to be done. You have a fantasy about what you want to have and all that you never had in your life. You project these and see them as enlightenment. You project your own concept of heaven and think that it is enlightenment.

'Having' enlightenment is a wrong word. 'Living' enlightenment is the right word. You are supposed to live the truths. Living the great truths in your life is enlightenment.

The master cannot hand over enlightenment to you. It is not something separate that he can give. He can only give you the tools for you to experience your enlightenment. He can only give the path. He can only give the truths. You need to start living these truths and experiencing them in your life.

Enlightenment does not mean you will leave your body and die. No! You will live with the five senses, but in a center that is beyond the five senses. Only your center will be shifted. The cognitive shift will happen within you. This is what I call jeevanmukti, living enlightenment.

The three qualities that are absolutely essential for anyone on the spiritual path are: one - intensity, two - intensity , three - intensity! You have never experienced the joy of giving your life to anything! Understand, it is not necessary that you should have intensity only towards enlightenment. It is a quality that should pervade everything you do. If you are working, work intensely. If you are enjoying enjoy intensely. If you are depressed, be intensely depressed! The same intensity, the same yearning will become integrated and will get directed to the unknown, to enlightenment. Not only that, your unfulfilled desires can be simply burnt with the intensity.

Whatever you experience as fulfillment, yearn for that.

The intense yearning is enough, it will evaporate you. And the fulfillment you experience will be many times more than the fulfillment you may have ever experienced before.

Meditating on light can bring you some of the most beautiful meditation experiences. When you meditate on light, you fall in tune with an allpervading, powerful energy. You become part of the conscious current that sustains life.

Practise this meditation in the morning. With sunrise, all living things turn to the sun for energy. Become a part of this great tide.

As soon as you wake up in the morning, you can practise this. Just lying in bed, close your eyes and inhale. As you inhale, visaulize golden light pouring into you through your head. Your whole head becomes warm. Your head becomes a ball of light. Visualize the energy circulating in your ajna chakra, the space between your brows. Feel the whole region engulfed in light.

Feel the light washing your limbs in light. You will feel a tingling warmth in your limbs rising inside. This is real warmth!

Feel the light and warmth in your heart. Feel your breathing become deeper, feel your heartbeat become more relaxed. Feel your whole body become bright and alive, infused with fresh energy. Your whole body is made of light!

Understand, this is not just visualization. You are light, all is light. You are just not used to thinking of yourself as energy, that's all. You have got so used to seeing yourself as just matter. The light is pouring through your lower limbs, right down to your toes. It is flowing out through your toes!

Don't think that this is just something you are just imagining. As you imagine, so it happens. The energy actually flows into you. When you exhale, imagine the opposite. Visualize a great darkness climbing into you from your toes, and traveling up to your head. The darkness escapes through your head.

The golden light is male energy – strengthening and sustaining. The darkness is female energy – calming.

You can also practise this at night, just before going to bed. If you fall asleep doing it, it can be a beautiful experience.

Continue this for two or three months, and you will see great changes in yourself. Not only will you be suffused with energy, your whole consciousness will feel light and expanded.

People come and ask me, 'Swamiji, when you make a powerful sankalpa (wish), it always comes true. Why doesn't this happen when I make a wish even with a powerful intention?'

Understand, for an intention or desire to be transformed into reality, your inner space or inner screen needs to be totally clean. As of now, your inner space is corrupted by many unconscious thoughts. The moment you insert a conscious intention into your inner space, ten unconscious thoughts will rise to fight with it! So the power of your intention is diluted and naturally it cannot become reality.

When your inner space is cleansed of unconscious thoughts, whatever intention goes in will be a single, conscious, integrated force. This intention will be powerful enough to express itself as reality.

This technique is a simple but powerful way to clean your inner screen of unconscious thoughts by infusing awareness into it.

Even if it looks too simple, try it. Only when you do it can you experience the effects. The whole restaurant can be reduced to a menu card. Only when you eat will you realize that the food can fill you!

Close your eyes. Sit straight. Inhale and exhale as slowly and as deeply as possible. Visualize your inner screen as a dark blackboard, as dark as possible.

Whatever appears on that inner blackboard, start visually wiping it away.

Just as an eraser is used to clean a blackboard, in the same way just wipe clean the inner blackboard or inner screen.

Now, visualize the number '3' on your inner screen. Visualize it very clearly and then wipe it away slowly.

Next, visualize the number '2' on your inner screen, and then wipe it away slowly. Then, visualize the number '1' and wipe it away slowly in the same way. Repeat this whole process three times.

Now visualize the number '0' and wipe it away very slowly.

By the time you reach the number zero, you will have no thoughts that are unconscious. Your visualization becomes so powerful that the inner screen really becomes empty.

The moment the inner screen becomes empty, you can start looking in. You will begin seeing your being as it is.

Now, just witness the empty screen. Do not create, maintain or destroy any thought. Just witness the empty screen.

Continue to be with yourself for a few moments.

When you look at your inner being without the movie of the outer world, not only what you are seeing will become different, even the seer will become different. In the outer world, the seer and the seen are two different things. In the inner world, the seer and the seen are both one and the same.

In the Vedas, they say that a spark of the universal consciousness burns brightly in each of us as a small flame in our heart. This individual consciousness is called the angushtha maatra purushah (the thumb-sized consciousness!) which is alive and burning, deep in the cave of the heart. It is not easy to always remember that you are consciousness. This beautiful visualization helps keep this awareness alive in us at all times.

LIVING ENLIGHTENMENT Awakening to your higher intelligence

At all times, feel the presence of this thumb-sized flame in your heart.

Visualize your whole body as illumined from within by this small flame.

This is true!

Even if you cannot see it physically, your body, mind, intellect – all these are functioning only because of the energy, the light of consciousness that pervades them.

Carry this flame as your inner inspiration always, as your deepest contact with own being.

When you are sitting still, feel that your body itself is just a halo around this flame.

All your acts are made divine because they happen in the light of this consciousness.

Let this inner consciousness become your reality.

Let everything else fall away.

When you live constantly with this truth, you will understand what is meant when I say,

You are not a human being having a spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being having a human experience!

You are always flowing outward. Your energies are always focused on the outside world. When you look at something, your consciousness flows towards it. Your focus is never on yourself, it is always on the object of your attention. At all moments we are aware of something outside of ourselves. Whenever we become intensely aware of something – a beautiful sunset, beautiful music – we lose ourselves completely in it. This is a tremendous experience – but this is unawareness.

In awareness, one is aware not only of the object, but also of the subject. You become aware not only of what you are looking at, but of the one who is looking – You. Ordinarily, your energy is always flowing outwards, into the external event. According to the Taoist experience, you could turn this energy back upon yourself, instead of squandering it in the outside world.

Stand before a full-length mirror and look at yourself.

Take a good look at yourself from the outside. You are the subject, and the reflection in the mirror is the object of your attention. You will feel your energy flowing towards the object.

Look at your eyes from the outside. You are looking, and the reflection is being looked at.

Now imagine a reversal of roles!

Try to imagine that the reflection is looking at you.

This can be frightening at first. You are not used to thinking of your reflection in that way, as something that can observe you. Even if the feeling is strange and frightening, keep at it.

In just a few moments, you will feel a great change. You will feel the energy start to flow from your reflection, towards you!

This can be really frightening, really disconcerting. All your life you have been used to extroversion, to the outward direction of energy flow. To suddenly experience this can be a shock. But you will definitely feel the flow- because you have now closed the circuit. By closing the energy circuit, you have ensured that the energy is not wasted, it is flowing back towards you. You are conserving your own energy for yourself.

Practise this technique for a few days, and you will feel a definite change. You will be more energetic, more vital. You will feel more centred, more at peace.

You can practise this throughout the day – not just with yourself, but with anything you focus on. When you have passed your energy to something, imagine it as returning the energy to you. It could even be an inanimate object, it does not matter. You will feel the energy flowing back towards you, rejuvenating you, revitalizing you!

We all have a very clear idea about ourselves. We have made a circle called our identity inside which we feel very safe, and we move about inside it. Even if you don't like your identity, you will not have the courage to try something different, because your identity is your comfort zone. Once you get out, who knows what might happen? Break free of your ideas about you!

Have the courage to expand – no, to explode 360*!

In this technique, you can do anything – as long as you feel you can't do it!

If you feel that you just cannot paint, then paint! Take it up sincerely. Do it whenever you can. Doesn't matter what the result it. Just do it.

If you feel that you are a very poor speaker, start speaking in public. Just don't listen to what your mind tells you. Beware, it is just trying to tie you down to your old identity!

If you cannot sit in meditation for more than ten minutes, sit for an hour.

If you have a phobia of water, take swimming classes.

If you have insecurity about money – live without money, that's all!

You never enter into the adventure that is life!

When you do something you think you can't do, two beautiful things happen to you.

One, you will enter into the experience with the beginner's mind.

When you don't have any idea how to do something, you will just let it happen. You will flow with it.

Second, when you continuously break your own limits, your own ideas about yourself, you will see that whatever you thought as your identity was too small.

The real you is something more, something beyond.

You will radiate a new energy, a new courage, a new consciousness will express in you. You will be liberated from you!

LIVING ENLIGHTENMENT Awakening to your higher intelligence

Part 10: Meditation Is for You_English_part_10.md

This is a powerful technique to awaken the Kundalini shakti, the tremendous potential energy that lies latent in you. When this energy is awakened in you, your energies are balanced and your consciousness takes a quantum leap into enlightenment.

Your life energy flows through your body through a network of fine subtle energy channels called nadis. Nadis are not nerves but rather channels for the flow of consciousness.

In the center of your spinal column, alongside the spine, is a flow of energy like a slender thread, which we call sushumna nadi*. It runs from the base of the spine to the crown, passing through each of the seven vital energy centers in our body called the chakras.

The idanadi*, another slender thread, begins and ends on the left of the sushumna nadi*, and the pingala nadi*, a third slender thread, begins and ends on the right of the sushumna nadi. The ida* and pingala* spiral around the sushumna, crossing each other at every energy center, and all three meet midway between the eyebrows.

Whenever your energy is being sucked by the intellect, the ida nadi* will be active, and the subtle energy of your system will be flowing upwards. Whenever your energy is being sucked by the sexual center, the pingala nadi* will be active, and the energy will be flowing downwards. When enlightenment is activated in you, the central sushumna nadi will be activated, and your intelligence will be awakened!

All your intellectual thoughts suck the energy upward. All your thoughts of comfort or pleasure suck your energy downward. Now you are going to put your energy in the sushumna, the center, so that your enlightenment or intelligence is awakened.

This technique awakens the non-mechanical parts of the brain. Since it is a physical technique, it is available to 80% of seekers. It is safer and easier when practiced in the presence of a living master.

LIVING ENLIGHTENMENT Awakening to your higher intelligence

Sit straight and close your eyes.

Let your spine be erect.

Mentally scan your spine so that you will be able to visualize it easily.

Visualize your spine to be just like a lotus thread, a slender thread from the root of your spinal cord to the top of the head, the crown area.

Visualize a thin thread of light in the center of the spine, running continuously from the base of your spine to the crown of your head.

Put your attention on this thread of light.

See the energy flowing from your root to the crown through this sushumna nadi.

Let your whole awareness be centered on your sushumna nadi.

Although it looks simple, this is a highly potent technique. With this single powerful visualization, you can awaken the energy of enlightenment in you.

Try this technique for at least twenty-one minutes for ten days. In just ten days, you will experience the intelligence, the energy, the enlightenment, awakening in you!

You are infinite potential! Squeezed into the volume of a body, you always experience yourself as limited, insignificant. You always feel that you are the controlled, not the controller.

Understand, your body is not you!

Your body boundary is not your boundary. This is a powerful visualization technique to break free from your body-identification, and experience your natural limitless state.

To enter into this technique, you should be well-rested. If you are sleep deprived, you will fall asleep during the meditation! Also, have someone beside you to ring a bell gently when the time for each step is over. You should not be woken up in the middle of this technique.

Also don't practice the technique for longer than recommended here.

When you are just about to fall asleep, lie down on the bed, close your eyes, and feel where your feet are.

Now, visualize that you legs have grown longer by a foot. Your legs are one foot longer!

Initially, it may be difficult to visualize this. Never mind, just continue. Enter intensely into the visualization. You will be able to do it.

When you are able to experience your feet as longer, move to your head.

Feel where your head is.

Visualize that your head has also become six inches longer.

Step 3: 10 minutes

Now, visualize that both your hands have become longer. Both your hands have grown by a foot.

Now, feel yourself expanding in all directions. Gradually, experience yourself filling the room, then moving beyond.

Continue this expansion as much as you can.

If you are able to visualize it, expand your boundary up to the boundaries of the earth, then beyond.

Feel that you are expanding into limitless space. Feel that the whole sky is absorbed by your head!

The moment that you can feel this, the mind disappears.

You experience yourself as the limitless space that you are.

This technique will be more effective if it is practiced after the previous technique.

Once you awaken your shakti with the previous technique, it will be easier to direct it wherever required, in the outer and inner worlds.

A word of warning: this technique is only to make you aware of the tremendous power of your own visualization.

As you progress on the spiritual path, you may find that many such minor powers will come to you, especially when your shakti has been awakened.

The seeker who gets infatuated by these powers and forgets about enlightenment is comparable to the fool who throws away the fruit and relishes the peel!

In this technique, you will use shakti to direct the movements of a small object in the outer world.

You will need: A small bowl half filled with water

A small wooden stick (like a broomstick) of about 2" length which can float easily on the water

Sit in front of a water bowl and let there be a small wooden piece or something afloat, which can float. Float that on the water bowl. Gaze, first intensely; concentrate. Bring a connection between you and the object which is floating and tell that object, guide that object mentally without physically touching or without moving through your breath. I have seen a few people try to move through their breath (breathes heavily as an example) 'Right, right. Left, left.' (Laughs)

No, without moving through your breath.

Understand, not trying to guide through the breath. Just try intensely to guide through the mind. You will see. If you give four commands, all the four will be executed. Just do for two, three days til you are able to execute all four commands, til that float executes all four commands. It's a very powerful technique.

This is an extraordinary technique which uses the power of visualization to go beyond visualization!

In the earlier technique, you felt as if your own body was growing to occupy all of space. Here, your attention is on the objects outside you. By including everything that you see in your own space, you expand your body boundary till you experience infinity.

Anything which you can logically assimilate is the boundary of your manomaya kosha (mental layer). Anything which you can visualize is the boundary of your vignanamaya kosha (intelligence layer). For example, if you can visualize this room, it means that this has become your boundary. If you can visualize the entire city, the whole city has come inside your boundary. If you can visualize this whole country, the whole country has come inside your vignanamaya kosha boundary. If you can visualize the solar system, the whole solar system comes into your visualization, or vignanamaya kosha. If you start expanding, and visualizing the whole cosmos, what will happen? At some point, your visualization has to break. It has to give way. Sometimes, it will give way even when you try to visualize this whole country. Sometimes, it will give way the moment you try to comprehend the entire planet. At one point, it has to give way.

At least for a few moments, you will relax without visualization happening in your inner space. Suddenly you will see that your visualization gives way to Existence itself!

Sit comfortably with your eyes closed. There should not be anything tight gripping your body. Be aware of your body, the annamaya kosha (physical layer). Feel clearly the boundary of your body.

Feel that you exist within the boundary of your body.

Feel yourself completely alive inside your skin: your head, your toes, your hands, your fingers; feel yourself alive everywhere.

Now, feel that you are expanding up to your pranic layer, up to the space where you can experience smell. The pranic layer boundary extends about ten feet on all sides.

Feel that the people who are sitting around you are all sitting inside of you.

Now, just expand and fill this whole room.

Your boundary has expanded to include the entire room. Feel that you are filling all the corners of this room.

This whole room is inside you; including me, all of us are inside of you. Everybody is sitting inside you. These chairs, sofas, all the meditators, everyone sitting here, is inside you.

Just expand. Fill this whole room. Expand.

Now, expand and fill this whole building. See very clearly: this whole building is inside your body. Whatever you think of as your boundary is now around the entire building.

Next, fill this whole street. See that the whole street is inside you. The traffic, the movements, everything is happening inside your body, inside your boundary. Feel it. Feel every inch of the street, feel every corner of the street to be inside of you.

Now, expand and fill this entire city.

Whatever you know in the city, all the places that you know in the city, just bring all of them back to your memory, and see that everything is inside you. You are filling it.

Every bit is filled by you.

Every street, every road, every home, river, hill, everything… you are filling everything. Everything is inside you.

Now, expand further and fill all the corners of this country.

Whatever you know about this country, bring it into your visualization and see that you are filling all those spaces.

Step 7:

Everything is inside you. All four corners of this country are inside your boundary.

Feel that everything is inside you. You are filling everything.

Next, expand and just feel that this whole globe, the entire planet Earth is inside you. Whatever you know about this planet Earth, all the places that you have heard about or seen, wherever your memory can penetrate, expand to cover it.

Let the whole thing be inside your inner space.

Experience all the places inside your boundary, inside your skin, inside you.

Expand. Let everything be inside you.

Feel the oceans, mountains, rivers, cities, everything to be inside you.

The whole globe is moving inside your inner space.

Expand further so that the whole solar family is inside you.

The sun, moon, planet Earth, all the planets are moving inside you. Feel everything moving inside your head. Let everything be inside your head. See that you have expanded and the whole solar family is moving inside your head.

Step 10:

Now… expand further. Let the whole cosmos be inside you!

The whole empty space, light covered by light, darkness covered by darkness, big bangs and black holes that are happening…whatever you know as the cosmos, expand and allow it to be inside you.

Continue to expand. Feel the bliss in you. Feel the immense lightness in you. Feel the expanse of bliss in you.

You will start moving towards experiencing the anandamaya kosha (bliss layer).

It is at the level of the anandamaya kosha that true yoga happens, where the union of mind, body and spirit takes place, where you are one with the cosmic energy; where the Self is alive to you.

Buddhi is nothing but the intelligence to accept unconditionally whatever you know you cannot change.

Normally, we are always struggling to change everything inside and outside. We are centered in rajas (restlessness). That is why, the attitude of acceptance can become a technique to calm this restlessness and awaken buddhi in us. When you unconditionally accept whatever you cannot change, automatically your intelligence is awakened.

Buddhi is accepting both - the situation in the outer world, as well as the reaction that happens in the inner world.

Normally, you are taught to try and accept the outer-world situation, but never to accept the response that happens to that situation in the inner world. That is why you always suppress your natural emotions like lust, greed, anger and fear.

In this technique, you relax into the acceptance of both the outer and inner worlds, exactly as they are.

Just this one understanding, this attitude of acceptance, can heal all your restlessness in the outer and inner world. It can bring a deep peace and relaxation to you.

Close your eyes and remain still without moving the body. Body movements will create thoughts. If your body is stable without movement, it can take you to the deeper silence.

Very consciously, with a strong decision, intensely, create an intention that you are accepting yourself just as you are this very moment, the outer world and the inner world.

Tell yourself, 'I have enough in the outer world - many wonderful possessions.

I have enough in the inner world - many positive qualities.

I am accepting myself completely.

There is no need to develop myself in the outer world or the inner world.

If I have ego, it is okay.

If I have guilt, it is okay.

If I have fear, it is okay.

If I have greed, it is okay.

Whatever others have told me about myself is also okay.

I accept everything, right or wrong.

I accept everything, right or wrong. I accept everything.'

Naturally, your mind will raise objections -'No, no, no, I can't accept this… I can't accept that… how can I accept myself as I am..?'

Just accept totally that you are not able to accept it, whatever it might be.

Accept that also!

Accept the present moment.

Accept all the future moments.

Whatever your mind thinks as worst thing can happen to your life, accept even those moments. If it happens, you cannot avoid. It is inevitable. Understand the inevitability and accept.

Do not try to do anything else. Just sit with this acceptance, that is enough. Whatever you are seeking from the outer and the inner world, drop it and accept yourself.

The moment you accept, there cannot be any space for the mind to move! There will not be any thoughts.

Just relax with this deep acceptance in your heart.

Om shanti, shanti, shantihi. Om, peace, peace, peace.

'No' is the voice of your ego.

If you notice, almost all the time, you like to say 'no' – to anyone, to anything. When you say 'no', it gives a solid feeling to your personality, your ego. Saying 'no' makes you feel you are somebody. Saying 'yes' makes you feel like a nobody. The moment you 'yes' to anything, you feel you have become vulnerable to the whole world.

'No' is not just a word you are saying, it is the whole attitude you are carrying inside. It is your defence against whatever is happening in the moment.

With just a powerful intention, you can move from 'No' to 'Yes'.

Just an intention is enough.

When you continuously say Yes, you will see that your whole inner space is transformed.

The expression can lead to the experience.

Sit down with yourself for a few minutes and watch your inner space. Feel how you are carrying a tightness inside, a solidity.

Now try to exactly reverse this.

Decide for the next twenty-four hours, you will start with saying 'yes' in every situation. Have this powerful intention that you are going to transform your being.

Observe yourself over the next twenty-four hours.

Watch how the 'No' just jumps up at the slightest disturbance.

Even in your physical movements, this 'No', this rigidness is there.

You carry your body like a defence against the world.

Now, when you are sitting, standing, walking, let your body and limbs be loose. Let your eyes be soft, your movements flowing. Let your being feel soft and vulnerable.

Just be like a flower in the breeze!

Not only your body, watch the movements of your mind also.

In any situation, your mind will feel like saying 'no.'

Now watch the 'no' begin to rise, and drop it.

Consciously say 'yes.'

Again and again, say 'yes'.

Don't try to resist the present moment, don't resist anything.

Don't just accept, welcome the present moment with gratitude.

Carry a deep 'yes' in you.

In just twenty-four hours, you will taste the peace of acceptance. Such a deep relaxation will happen in you. After that, you start living effortlessly in the space of acceptance.

This technique is based on a Zen Buddhist spiritual practice. In this technique, all you have to do is mentally give away everything that you think belongs to you. Don't be deceived by the simplicity of the technique. It is a very powerful technique to heal our restlessness and tune ourselves with Existence. All our restlessness is because we are always struggling to possess more and more, to achieve more and more. When we realize that nothing we possess is actually ours, a deep healing and acceptance happens to us.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says: Ananyaschintayanto maam ye janah paryupaasate Teshaam nityaabhiyuktaanaam yogakshemam vahaamyaham

When you live totally in tune with the Existential power, that same power takes care of running and enriching your life materially as well.

Just the understanding that Existence gives and takes at the right moment is enough. Then you know that what is happening is the right thing for the moment and life is flowing as it should.

This creates a mental gap between you and your wealth, and that gap is the true renunciation.

Sit by yourself for a few minutes as soon as you wake up in the morning.

Close your eyes and visualize that all your things belong to Existence. None of it is yours. Existence is so gracious that it has allowed you to have it.

Now, you are going to return everything to Existence.

One by one, visualize giving away your most precious possessions. You can visualize giving them away to someone, or simply picture yourself without them.

Your money, your home, your car, your jewelry - whatever you are holding onto most tightly, give away that first!

One by one, see yourself without these things. Give away everything that you always felt you could not live without.

As you do this, have the deep understanding inside that Existence will provide for you at every moment. There is no need for you to hold on to anything. Whatever you really need, whenever you need it, will be given to you by Existence.

Feel the gratitude flowing in you towards Existence. Experience this deeply, truly. Let this truth overwhelm you. You will find a tremendous release happening inside you. This technique can directly create a shift in your consciousness. You take the leap from the material life to the spiritual life.

Change is the greatest teacher. It teaches you in no uncertain terms that Existence is fluid and changing every minute. If this is understood, then all our emotions, all our fears, become irrelevant. When you understand change, you grow into a detachment that is beautiful and natural.

Try this technique whenever you are outdoors, when you are with Nature, in a park or a garden, anywhere. Nature is the ultimate proof of change!

This is an open-eye meditation. You don't need to sit still and close your eyes. In fact, you can stroll around if you wish, keeping your eyes wide open.

Intensely take in the flow of life around you. Everywhere, grass is growing and withering away. Dry leaves are falling from the trees, and fresh young ones are taking their place. New shoots are growing out of the earth. Buds are blooming, flowers fade and fall. The butterflies flitting in the sun may not see tomorrow's sunrise. The clouds in the sky form and dissolve, form and dissolve again. Change is the language that Nature speaks.

Your face was not what it was ten years ago, what it will be a few years from now. Like the earth, the texture of your skin changes with the seasons. Even as you watch, your body is changing in a hundred ways. Every moment, your body is dying and rejuvenating itself. Life and death are everywhere, every moment. Everything is part of this great flow of change.

Now close your eyes and sit still for a few moments. Just be with this understanding, allow it to soak into you. Relax deeply into this understanding. Feel the peace of this understanding. Relax into this silence.

In the earlier technique, you saw that everything around you is changing continuously. Here, you discover the same truth inside yourself. To grasp the truth of change, you don't have to look outside yourself. Just look into your own inner space. See the continuous changes happening inside! When you realize that everything inside and outside is changing continuously, you awaken to the unchanging Truth.

Sit upright with your eyes closed. Look into your inner space. See the continuous flow of random thoughts in your inner space.

You are trying to be silent. For a few moments you are silent… then again there are some thoughts.

Tell yourself that you are going to try to be silent. See the continuous changes happening inside. Enjoy the changes happening inside.

Don't try to meditate, concentrate or anything, Just understand that continuously, things are changing in you. That's all you need to understand.

However much you try, everything is going to change. Trying is also one more change. The whole thing is continuously changing. Understand this, that is enough. The awakening will happen on its own.

The earlier two techniques are a preparation for this one.

In both the earlier techniques, you experientially understood that change is the rule of life, in the outer world as well as in the inner world. This technique helps you mother the same understanding, to carry this understanding continuously with you. Understand the changes that are continuously happening inside and outside, and consume the change through the change!

Whatever you do, wherever you go, whatever you face in the internal and external world, carry this understanding: everything changes.

Both outside and inside, everything is constantly changing.

Understand the change that is happening and consume the change through the change. You are a constantly changing internal energy. Let you consume the constantly changing external world. Let the changing internal world swallow the changing external world. Let the chaos swallow the chaos.

Remember that everything changes. With that, enjoy everything which is changing. As a hen mothers her chicks, decide: I will mother this understanding of consuming change by change. Visualize constantly your internal changing mind, swallowing, grabbing the external changing world.

By the change, grab and swallow everything which is changing.

You will become centered in the peaceful, deep, restful awareness. You will find the ultimate unchanging consciousness.

Whatever you do, trusting your internal world or your external world is going to involve trusting chaos. For example, you may think, 'I need this beautiful, flowering plant in the corner of my house,' and you set about organizing for that plant to be in the corner of your house. By the time you get the plant in position and start enjoying it, your whole state of mind would have changed. You may decide the plant belongs in a completely different spot! This is a very common experience.

Or, say you decide to move house. By the time you locate and buy the new house, suddenly you realize that you don't want that house after all. Instead, you want to live in an apartment, or in the ashram!

Everything is constantly changing. Realize the internal changing reality and let it grab or swallow the external changing world. Then nothing will touch you.

As of now, you are always trying to fix either the internal world or the external world, either this or that. It is like trying to travel in two boats! You put one foot in one boat, another foot in another boat. You are trying to balance between these two boats. Understand, no boats will work! Just jump in and start flowing, start swimming with the current. Start flowing, start swimming.

When you understand that both the internal and external are constantly changing, you will see that the unchanging consciousness is the ultimate reality.

When you mother this understanding, you will experience tremendous strength. You will find that sincerity and intensity will be added to your life, to your being. When that sincerity and intensity gets added to you, you are living enlightenment.

Living enlightenment means living authentically. Living enlightenment means mothering authentic experiences, mothering authentic knowledge and authentic action.

Understand this one sutra and carry it in your inner space and mother it. You will live enlightenment.

From time immemorial it has been said, Close your eyes, and see your true nature within. This is exactly the instruction that Shiva gave Devi, in the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra 2, that ancient treasurehouse of meditation techniques.

The eyes play a dual role. When they are open, they are the messengers who bring all the news of the world to you. When you close them, they give you the vision of your inner world.

But closing your eyes doesn't mean simply closing your eyelids! When asked to close our eyes, we normally close only our eyelids. Behind our closed eyelids, we continue to see images of the outer world. We switch off the TV outside, and switch on the TV inside! Our eyes are never really closed.

There is one very effective way to still the movements of the eyes. Just imagine that your eyeballs have turned to stone! In their place, you now have two small lumps of smooth round stone! Visualize it.

The moment you do, you will find that not only are your eye-movements stilled, but your thoughts are stilled too. When your eye movements are stopped, your thoughts slow down tremendously.

Close your eyes and imagine that your eyeballs have turned to stone.

Don't do anything else, just try and remain in that state. It's not going to be easy. It is going to take you weeks of practice before you are able to remain in that state for even a few seconds. But it is well worth the effort – because you will be looking within for the first time.

You have never seen your body from the inside.

Now, try to see every limb from the inside. When you move your arm, you have been aware of it only from the outside - now, become aware of it from the inside.

Travel through your body from the inside.

Start with one fingertip. Become intensely aware of it. Be aware of nothing but that fingertip!

Then slowly move upward, up the arm. Go to each limb. Become aware of each limb. Go totally into each limb. You will experience tremendous sensitivity in each part of your body.

When you experience your body from within, you will automatically become aware that you are not the body. You are witnessing the body, then how can you be the body? You become free of the illusion that you are the body. You break your identification with the body.

Now you are free to move deeper, into the abyss of your mind.

Begin to see your mind from the within.

This is not easy. Initially, all you will be seeing is the inside of your head. But that is not your mind. Your mind is separate from your brain. Think of what you normally imagine as your mind. See it from the outside. Now, reverse the process. Enter the mind and try to see it from within.

With practice, it will happen. Just like your body, you will see that you are separate from your mind. You are the witness.

If you are not your body, you are not your mind – then who are you?

You are the one who is witnessing both. That is your true self.

You cannot witness your true self, because you are not outside of it.

That which you cannot witness is You.

Have patience with these techniques, don't expect instant results. Miracles are not going to jump on you on the very first day! Don't get disheartened. When the experience happens, it will be worth the effort. It will create a permanent change in you. Be prepared!

We are always afraid of emptiness.

We are afraid to become empty.

That is why we constantly try to fill ourselves with possessions, with relationships, with identities.

Do you know, you are actually an emptiness!

You are just a pure, silent emptiness.

Whatever you think of as you is just flowing through this emptiness. You cannot be touched or stained by anything that flows through you.

When you experience yourself as pure emptiness, you will no longer identify with that which is simply flowing through you.

Sit down in a relaxed manner.

Do not put your weight on the spinal cord. You can support yourself with your hands.

Feel yourself as flowing… relaxed.

Now, visualize energy leaving your body through all your twelve indriyas - your eyes, nose, tongue, ears and other sense organs.

You are becoming completely empty.

Visualize that you have now become empty. Feel that you have become empty.

Whatever you think as you, is moving out of you.

It has left you.

Whatever you thought of as you is already gone. You are completely empty.

When you feel you are completely empty, stop visualizing. Be a witness. Witness your thoughts and the gap between your thoughts.

Do not create any thought or destroy any thought.

Just witness the thoughts flowing in you, flowing in the emptiness.

Consciousness is the stuff of which this world is made. But we are so enamored of the picture that we forget to see the canvas. This is a technique to shake you out of the routine way of perceiving the world. As your perception shifts, the world itself 'shifts' to reveal its true nature.

You are so used to seeing the world around you as real.

Now, start seeing it just as a painting!

When you are sitting, walking, moving, touching – visualize that everything around you is just two-dimensional, like a painting on a vast canvas.

When the dimension of depth is lost, the world itself starts looking like a picture – the picture that it really is.

Objects and people will no longer look solid.

Without depth, how can you take this world seriously?

Slowly, the material world will slowly start losing its reality.

All the dualities of good and bad, near and far, loved and hated – all the differences that you see are no more than strokes of different colors on the same canvas!

As the differences lose meaning, the canvas on which the painting has been created draws your attention to itself.

Once the underlying oneness is perceived, even the differences become a source of joy.

And as you go deeper into this understanding, even this idea of 'difference' is lost!

Not only the canvas, but the paint, the painter, the brush and the art – all stand revealed as nothing but the play of Consciousness itself.

We always experience ourselves as moving characters in an unmoving world.

We feel that we are changing, transient, while the objective reality appears solid and unchanging. That is why we always give more importance to the outer reality than to the inner reality.

This technique reverses our perception, helping us glimpse that actually it is the seen which changes, while the seer remains unchanged.

Whenever you are in state of movement, visualize that it is the outer world which moves, while your body remains fixed in its place.

For instance, when you are walking, feel that the scenes you see are moving past you, while you are just standing in the same place!

Everyone has experienced the illusion of relative movement: when you are in a vehicle, looking out at another vehicle, you cannot make out which of the vehicles is actually in motion!

In the same way, when you are moving, feel that your own movement is only an illusion, and it is the world around which is actually moving.

Just trying to experience this can jolt you out of your routine state of consciousness. Suddenly, you glimpse the relative nature of whatever you thought of as absolute.

Just the shock of this perception is enough to turn your awareness directly inwards.

Then you see that there really is a witnessing consciousness inside, that remains still and unchanged, even while your body goes through its motions and actions.

When this understanding penetrates you, you remain centered as this witnessing consciousness, even when your body and mind are engaged in action.

Our perception of the objective world is clearly distorted by our conditioning.

When we look around us, what we see is a large number of diverse objects, with some space between each. Naturally, all our attention is on the objects, not on the space.

Actually, the objects we see are too few and far apart, compared to the ocean of space they are swimming in! You will be shocked to know, if you were to remove the space between all the atoms on planet earth, the remaining matter would come to just about the size of a sugar cube!

But in vacant space, the mind has nothing to hold on to. So naturally, it fixes itself on the objects and jumps the gaps between them. Just as we jump the time-gaps that exist between breaths or between thoughts, we jump the space-gaps that exist between objects.

When we shift our focus to the gaps, we will realize that space or unmanifested energy is the reality, even in the material universe!

This understanding can create a powerful cognitive shift in us, even in our daily life. It can drastically change the way we relate to our material possessions, to our gains or losses. Our priorities shift from matter to consciousness.

At all times, whenever you are looking, moving, relating to any person or object, let your awareness be on the space between you and that object.

Feel very clearly that all the objects around you are just tiny particles swimming in space.

They are just engulfed by space. The space is the reality.

See space, hear space, feel space everywhere. Continuously experience the silent presence of space in and around you.

When you work with this technique, you will lose your fascination with the material world and become centered on the silent consciousness that is always present, both outside and within.

Close your eyes. Sit and look into yourself. First, honestly examine all aspects of your life. Ask yourself exactly in how many areas of your life have you built your identity based on lies? When have you uttered words or made promises, knowing that you are not going to live up to them or not going to fulfill them? No matter how painful it is, do this process honestly. Do not avoid facing yourself honestly. See this as a wonderful chance for self-analysis for introspection. At least be able to admit to yourself where you have constructed your identity based on lies.

Now, for the next 21 days, do not utter any word that you do not mean. Do not use any word or make any promise, knowing that you can't keep your word. Do not think that no one else can pin you down or corner you. Be absolutely straightforward in all your relationships and interactions. Then this technique will work beautifully for you.

Visualize a word like 'love', 'joy' or 'bliss'. Even negative words are okay. So, positive or negative, just choose a word to visualize.

Visualize the word. First visualize it with letters. For instance, for love, visualize L-O-V-E.

Next, drop the visualization of the letters. Repeat that word internally just as a sound. Hear the sound.

Then relax from the sound also. Just be with the feeling of that word. Only remember the feeling, neither the letters nor the sound, just the feeling. Put your whole awareness on the feeling.

Now relax even from the feeling. Just be silent. Do not create a thought of the letter or the sound or the feeling. Just be with yourself.

This is a powerful technique that can straightaway transform you and put you in silence, in bliss.

Be aware of your day-to-day actions every minute. Be consciously relaxed whatever you may be doing. Consciously relax from any tension that you hold in any part of the body.

Accept yourself just as you are. Accept and welcome every moment for the gift of life it has brought you. Whatever you are doing, do it with love and joy. Be total and authentic in whatever you do and feel. The very quality of your 'being' and 'doing' will change.

The four Mahavakyas or Great Teachings are aphorisms that contain the very essence of the Upanishads.

They are: Tat Tvam Asi: Thou Art That Ayam Atma Brahman: This Atman is Brahman Prajnanam Brahma: Consciousness is Brahman Aham Brahmasmi: I am Brahman

Each of the four mahavakyas can work as a powerful initiation.

Ideally, a mahavakya should be received directly from the mouth of an enlightened guru. When a guru gives this teaching to a disciple, he also transmits the spiritual energy to help the disciple understand, assimilate and express the truth of this teaching in his own life.

The power of these Truths is such that the very hearing can liberate us from suffering. For the disciple who is ready, the very shravana (listening) to the Truth) is enough. The Truth will be revealed in a flash. For others, continues manana (contemplation on the Truth) and nidhidhyaasana (living one's life in alignment with the Truth) will lead to the same experience.

Although the same method of listening, contemplation and expression are followed, the mahavakyas are techniques that awaken bhakti rather than yukti. These teachings point, not to the unreality of this changing world, but rather to the unchanging Truth of the Self.

Through these Great Teachings, the seeker meditates on, and ultimately realizes, the oneness of his inner Self (atman) and the all-pervading Supreme Self (Brahman).

In truth, since the Self is ever-present everywhere, it cannot and need not be achieved by any techniques or practices! All that is required is to remove the veil of ignorance from the eyes of the seeker.

The whole effort of Vedanta is only to help in removing this veil.

All spiritual paths, practices and techniques exist for this purpose alone.

Once the Truth is revealed, the seeker will see for himself, that at every step of his spiritual practice – when he was ignorant of the Self, when he was seeking the Self, and when he experiences the Self – at all times, he has always remained the Supreme, unchanging Self alone!

Meditation on the Great Teachings may not be easy for the seeker who is taking his first step on the spiritual path.

Here, these teachings have been presented in a very simple way, just to give an introduction to these great truths. Even so, it may be difficult to grasp their true meaning and contemplate on them.

That is why the guru traditionally imparts these teachings only to the mature few among his disciples.

So don't be disheartened if you are unable to fall in tune with these teachings right away.

Just store them in a corner of your heart and try to remember them whenever you can.

They will stay inside you and ripen into real understanding.

This Great Teaching occurs in the Chhandogya Upanishad. It is known as the upadesha vakya, or the statement of instruction.

The verse states:

Now, that which is the subtle essence – in it, all that exists has its self. That is the Truth. That is the Self. That thou art, Svetaketu.

Tat Tvam Asi is the first of the Great Teachings that is delivered to the qualified disciple.

In the statement, Tat (that) refers to the Supreme Self, Tvam (you) refers to the individual Self, and Asi (are) clearly shows the identical nature of the two.

In other words, the statement emphasizes the oneness of the individual consciousness and the universal consciousness. In this Upanishad, this same statement is repeated by the guru nine times to the disciple.

For the aspirant who is just beginning the contemplation of the Great Teachings, no amount of emphasis can be too much.

Continuously identifying ourselves with the body-mind and its limitations, we find it difficult to even comprehend this Truth. The seeker cannot see how he, the limited, ignorant individual, can be identical with the universal consciousness. To break this false identification, the guru repeatedly advises the disciple to go beyond the differences of name and form, and see the unity of Self.

Since the individual Self and the universal Self are perceived by the disciple as two distinct entities, the guru has to start his instruction from this point.

For the sake of the disciple, he refers to two distinct selves (thou and That), although in truth, only the one Self exists. Working with the assumption of duality, the disciple meditates and discovers that in truth, no two selves exist. That and thou both stand revealed as the non-dual, all-pervading Self alone.

This Great Teaching occurs in the Aitareya Upanishad. It is known as the swaroopa vakya, because it indicates the swaroopa or true nature of the Ultimate Reality.

Brahman in this teaching means Truth, or Reality, or God or whatever we may choose to call it.

The verse states:

Whatever exists here… whether moving or unmoving… all is supported by Consciousness.

The basis (of the universe) is Consciousness. Consciousness is Brahman.

Brahman is the one Consciousness in all manifested forms.

As gold remains gold alone, whether it is molded into coins, jewellery, idols or anything else, the universal Consciousness remains the same, no matter in which form it is manifested.

Whatever we see or know as this universe, as God and as ourselves, is nothing but the play of this one Consciousness.

It is the light of Consciousness that illumines everything, both within and without.

Sankara retells a story from the Upanishads, which is actually a dialogue between a guru and his disciple.

The guru asks the disciple, By what light do you see? The disciple replies, By sunlight in the daytime, and by lamplight at night.

G: By what light do you see these lights? D: By the light of my eyes, naturally. (Without the eyes, all other lights prove useless for the purpose.)

G: And by what light do your eyes see?

D: By the light of consciousness, indeed!

Thus, know that Consciousness is the Light by which all else is seen.

Prajnanam Brahma means, Consciousness is the Reality, Consciousness is All.

In the beginning, one can meditate on the truth that All is Consciousness.

When we are in tune with this truth, we can meditate on the ultimate truth that Consciousness is All.

This Great Teaching occurs in the Mandukya Upanishad.

The verse states: All this is, indeed Brahman. The Atman is Brahman.

This teaching signifies that the Supreme Self is directly experienced as the inmost self of all.

This teaching emphasizes the oneness of the individual consciousness with the universal or Divine consciousness.

It is extremely difficult for an aspirant to meditate on the supreme Brahman.

How indeed, to comprehend Brahman, which is without name, form or qualities? This teaching contains the key.

The Divine Consciousness is continuously experienced by everyone as the inmost Self, the individual consciousness.

There is no moment when we are not experiencing the Self.

The Self is closer to you than your next breath!

But by identifying with your body, mind and changing personality, you do not perceive the ever-present Self.

By purifying our understanding of our own Self, we touch the same point in us, which is beyond name, form and qualities. This is the one Self, which is beyond the dualities of inner and outer, individual and universal.

Thus, by meditating on our own inmost self, we ultimately realize that the individual Self is identical with the universal self.

This Great Teaching occurs in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

The verse states: This [self] was indeed Brahman in the beginning. It knew itself only as 'I am Brahman'. It became all. Whoever… realized this, they also became That [Brahman]… And to this day, whoever in a like manner knows the self as I am

Brahman', becomes all this [universe].

This teaching is known as the anubhava vakya (statement of experience), since it is the declaration that comes out of the direct realization of Reality.

Even in the previous teaching, a separate individual Self and a universal Self have been presumed. Upon meditation, the individual Self ultimately reveals its identity with the universal Self.

But this statement is being made by the realized being who has already become the one Self. This teaching is being delivered from the pinnacle of realization. It is as if the Universal Consciousness itself is delivering this teaching!

When such a being declares, Aham Brahmasmi, we must not misunderstand it as a statement made by the individual ego. Only one whose very identity has been washed away in the flood of realization can declare that he is All!

It is dangerous to meditate on this statement when the sense of individuality is still alive.

While retaining our idea of ourselves as limited individuals, it will be impossible for us to even hold this statement in our mind! We naturally feel, How can I, this individual, be Brahman?

If we persist, the individual ego will start subtly believing that it is Brahman! We must be careful not to fall into these traps of the mind.

Strictly speaking, Aham Brahmasmi cannot serve as a meditation technique, except for the rare seeker who is highly mature, intelligent and refined.

It can be understood only as a statement of the Ultimate Truth, made by one who is living in that experience.

The whole effort of Vedanta is to draw us away from our fascination with the outer world and turn our awareness to the changeless witnessing Consciousness within.

Continuously perceiving the outer world as 'unreal' and the amtan (inner consciousness) as real is a technique that is widely employed by Vedanta to this end.

Since the world certainly doesn't appear unreal in our experience, Vedanta has been called impractical and out of touch with reality. This is because the words 'unreal' and 'real' as used in Vedanta have not been correctly understood.

When the world is called 'unreal', it does not mean that it has no existence! The world definitely has existence and a certain reality on its own plane – but it is not the ultimate reality.

Just as the dream world has reality on its own plane (i.e. to the dreamer), the waking world also appears real to us - but only till we 'awaken' to the realization that it is nothing but pure Consciousness playing in diverse forms. The grace of the realized guru is of supreme importance in this awakening. Just as a man who is trapped in a swamp can be rescued only by one who is himself standing on safe ground, only a guru who is already living in the space of enlightened consciousness can guide a seeker surely to the goal.

Dakshinamurti stotram is a hymn addressed to Sri Dakshinamurti, the great enlightened master who is said to be the first-ever guru of the world. Believed to be a manifestation of Lord Shiva himself, Dakshinamurti is depicted as a radiant youth who sits under a banyan tree and reveals, through eloquent silence, the truth of non-dual Consciousness.

Dakshinamurti stotram is a gem of Vedantic wisdom, equivalent in scope and insight to an Upanishad.

Written by Sri Sankaracharya, the great enlightened master of the 8th century, it flawlessly blends the various spiritual disciplines of gnana (wisdom), bhakti (devotion) and dhyana (meditation).

Shaastra are the intellectual treatises (gnana) that help us understand the Truth; stotra are the devotional hymns (bhakti) that express the experience of the Truth; sutra are the techniques (dhyana) that show us how to go from the understanding to the experience.

Dakshinamurti stotram is at one a shaastra, a stotra and a sutra.

For the discerning intellectual, it can trigger a psychological revolution in the comprehension of Reality, for the devotee, it is a revelation of the incomparable play of the Divine in the world, and for the meditator, every line is a powerful technique that can open the door to Truth.

Although the hymn has ten verses, plus an invocatory and a concluding verse, each verse can be contemplated independently.

In fact, each phrase can be an independent technique! The best way to enter into this hymn is to meditate on one verse, or even one line at a time, for as many days as you feel necessary.

Dhyana shloka (Invocatory verse):

Chitram vatataror mooley Vriddha shishyaa gururyuva Gurostu mounam vyaakhyaanam Shishyaaastu chinna samshayah

(Under the banyan tree they sit, the disciples aged, the guru a mere youth! The guru speaks through silence alone But lo! The disciples' doubts dissolve on their own.)

vishvam darpanadrishyamaana nagaritulyam nijaantargatam pashyan aatmani maayayaa bahirivodbhootam yathaa nidrayaa yah saakshaatkurute prabodhasamaye svaatmaanam evaadvayam tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye

The universe is reflected in Consciousness as a city seen in a mirror. Although the universe exists within our Consciousness alone, it appears as if outside, just as the dream-world appears to the dreamer as if it exists outside him, while in reality it has been created by him (and has no existence outside of him).

On awakening from the dream (of life) and seeing the Truth, the dreamer realizes that he himself is the absolute, non-dual Self. My salutations to Dakshinamurti, the embodiment of the auspicious Guru (who symbolizes this truth).

Dhyana shloka (Invocatory verse):

bijasyaantarivaankuro jagadidam praang nirvikalpam punah maayaakalpita deshakaalakalanaa vaichitrya chitrikritam. maayaaveeva vijrimbhayatyapi mahaayogeeva yah svechchhayaa tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye

As a (potential) tree lies hidden inside a seed, this universe exists unmanifested in Conscisouness before its projection. The dimensions of time, space and distinctions are nothing but the varied pictures created by maya (illusion), like the magician unfolds (an illusory world), or a great yogi creates (a universe) by his willpower.

My salutations to Dakshinamurti, the embodiment of the auspicious Guru (who symbolizes this truth).

yasyaiva sphuranam sadaatmakam asatkalpaarthagam bhaasate saakshaat tatvamasiti vedavachasaa yo bodhayatyaashritaan yatsaakshaatkaranaad bhavenna punaraavrittir bhavaambhonidhau tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye

He, by whose Light alone this (unreal) universe appears real, teaches the Truth to those who seek the Atman, through the vedic teaching tat tvam asi (thou art That) - by realizing which the ocean of birth and death can rise no more. My salutations to Dakshinamurti, the embodiment of the auspicious Guru (who symbolizes this truth).

Part 11: Meditation Is for You

Dhyana shloka (Invocatory verse):

Naanaachhidra ghatodarasthita mahaadeepaprabhaa bhaasvaram gyaanam yasya tu chakshuraadikarana dvaaraa bahih spandate jaanaamiiti tameva bhaantam anubhaatyetat samastam jagat. tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye

Just as the light of a lamp kept in a pot studded with holes escapes through the holes, it is the inner light of Consciousness that gleams through the eyes and other senses. This entire universe shines (exists) only when the light of Consciousness ('I know') perceives it. My salutations to Dakshinamurti, the embodiment of the auspicious Guru (who symbolizes this truth).

deham praanamapindriyaanyapi chalaan buddhim cha shuunyam viduh stribaalaandhajadopamaastvahamiti bhraantaa bhrisham vaadinah maayaashaktivilaasa kalpita mahaavyaamoha samhaarine tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye

Some philosophers consider the changing body, life-force, senses, intellect and non-existence (shunya) as the real `I' (Atman). Their comprehension is worse than that of women, children, the blind and the dimwitted.

He who destroys this great delusion caused by the power of maya (and makes us aware of the Truth)- to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru, I offer my salutations.

Dhyana shloka (Invocatory verse):

Raahugrasta divaakarendusadrisho maayaasamaachchhaadanaat sanmaatrah karanopasamharanato yo'bhutsushhuptah pumaan praagasvaapsamiti prabodhasamaye yah pratyabhijnaayate tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinaamurtaye

The brilliance of sun exists even when intercepted by the planet Rahu during the solar eclipse. Similarly, the power of cognition only remains suspended during deep sleep, when the senses are withdrawn into the Self. The Self exists as pure being even though enshrouded in Maya. A person on awakening becomes aware that he was asleep earlier (and the dream was unreal). Similarly, a person who awakens to the consciousness of the Self recognizes his previous state of ignorance as unreal. He by whose grace alone one awakens to the consciousness of the Self - to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru, I offer my salutations.

baalyaadishhvapi jaagradaadishu tathaa sarvaasvavasthaasvapi vyaavrittaasvanuvartamaanamahamitityantah sphurantam sadaa svaatmaanam prakatikaroti bhajataam yo mudrayaa bhadrayaa tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinaamurtaye

He, whose existence is changeless through the various states of body (like old, young, etc.) as well as mind (like waking, dreaming etc); who reveals the unchanging Atman by the auspicious gnana-mudra (the hand gesture that symbolizes the one Absolute) - to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru, I offer my salutations.

Dhyana shloka (Invocatory verse):

vishvam pashyati kaaryakaaranatayaa svasvaamisambandhatah shishyaachaaryatayaa tathaiva pitrputraadyaatmanaa bhedatah svapne jaagrati vaa ya esha purusho maayaaparibhraamitah tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinaamurtaye

Those who see the world in terms of cause and effect, perceive in the undivided atman such dualities as I-mine, teacher-taught, father-son, etc. But the One remains undeluded (though seeing these distinctions caused by Maya) even in the states of waking or dream - to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru, I offer my salutations.

bhurambhaasya'nalo'nilo'mbaram aharnaatho himaanshuh pumaan ityaabhaati charaacharaatmakam idam yasyaiva murtyashtakam naanyatkijnchana vidyate vimrishataam yasmaatparasmaadvibhoh tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinaamurtaye

It is the one Consciousness whose unmanifest eightfold form shines as the moving and unmoving universe (including the five elements, the sun, the moon and man). By His grace alone, all these manifestation also disappear,

and nothing remains to be perceived but the one Divine.

To that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru, I offer my salutations.

sarvaatmatvamiti sphutikritamidam yasmaadamushhmin stave tenaasya shravanaat tadarthamananaad dhyaanaachcha sankirtanaat sarvaatmatva mahaavibhuti sahitam syaad ishvaratvam svatah siddhyet tatpunarashtadhaa parinatam chaishvaryam avyaahahritam

The verse points out to the all pervasiveness of the indwelling Spirit, Atman. By the recital, contemplation and meditation of this hymn, the disciple attains the state of oneness with Atman and realizes his unity with the universe, thus becoming the very essence of theeightfold manifestation.

vatavitapisamipe bhuumibhaage nishhannam sakalamunijanaanaam gyanadaataaramaaraat tribhuvanagurumisham dakshinaamurtidevam jananamarana duhkha chheda daksham namaami

who sits under a banyan tree and bestows knowledge instantly on all the sages (and the devoted disciples); the lord and guru of the three worlds, whose wisdom destroys the sorrows of birth and death.

Devotion (bhakti) is the sweetest and most beautiful ways to connect to the Divine. Unlike any other spiritual practice, here the path and the goal are both equally blissful. Losing yourself in the Divine is a joy in itself. Devotion is its own reward. When you experience deep devotion for someone, that person becomes your doorway to the Divine. When you lose yourself in the other, you are taking a leap out of yourself. You experience the joy of going beyond your boundary and merging into another. This technique is a simple but effective way to awaken the mood of devotion in you.

Close your eyes and sit in a relaxed way. Bring to your mind any person who awakens devotion in you. It could be any person who has enriched your life, to whom you turn for spiritual clarity, who means a lot to you.

It could be a family member, a friend, a teacher or guru, or even you chosen deity.

Remember him clearly. Recall how he caused great transformation in you, in your life. Remember how much he added to your being. When you remember the person, the emotions of joy, reverence and devotion spontaneously arises in you.

Allow this feeling to grow. Experience the connection with the person deeply.

Deeply relax into his memory, into his being. Just disappear into his being, into the beautiful, loving intimate memories of him. Relax and merge into his being.

You always feel that you cannot live your life without planning. Planning is a disease of the mind! You never realize, whenever you plan, you can only succeed to the limit of your planning. You are limited by the known. When you do not plan, you allow life to happen spontaneously. You enter into the space of unlimited possibilities.

Just for one day, decide that you will drop all plans and move with whatever life brings.

Decide that you will not use your intellect to plan and judge and make decisions.

After all, it is just 24 hours!

You are not going to lose everything you have in just 24 hours. If something can leave you if you don't guard it for just 24 hours, let it go. It is not worth keeping.

For one day, consciously decide that you are not going to use your intellect to solve your problems.

It is your intellect that tells you that you don't have the natural intelligence to solve your problems spontaneously.

The moment you find your mind planning ahead, just drop the plan. Allow things to unfold on their own. Act from your being, not from your intellect.

Again and again, have the courage to remain in the space of notknowing.

You will find that you have enough clarity, enough spontaneous awareness to run your life.

When you drop the thinking, planning, worrying, you will find that a higher intelligence comes into play.

Understand, this higher power is not outside of you. The intelligence which is running this universe is also inside you. It can take care.

This is a beautiful 'emptiness meditation'.

It is a technique to empty out whatever is inside you, so that you can receive the energy of the cosmos into yourself.

Sit still in a calm, silent place. Just become aware of your body. Feel completely at ease with your body. Now, imagine that your body has become a bamboo! Become a hollow bamboo. Be perfectly at rest. Your whole body, your skin, your flesh, your bones, are all part of the bamboo. Inside this space, there is nothing but emptiness, hollowness, silence. Let even your mind be passive. Don't wait for any experience; just be.

Suddenly, you will find energy pouring into you.

These are not esoteric ideas! They are perfectly practical techniques. They may seem odd to you because you haven't explored this dimension earlier. Just try out and see for yourself.

When you make yourself hollow, when you no longer resist, Divine energy starts flowing into you. You become a flute for the music of the Divine. You need not do anything, you simply have to become hollow. This is not easy! You are always used to being someone, something. To become hollow requires great love, great trust. If you are working with a master, become a hollow flute upon which your master can play. It is easier to give yourself up in love, than to a mysterious Divine energy.

At first you will be a hollow bamboo, but then the time will come when the bamboo itself disappears. There will be no more You.

This process can take time, but the results are amazing. Even as you lose yourself, you feel yourself to be one with the spirit that pervades all.

This is one of the most ancient and most current techniques to turn our awareness inward.

Again and again, this technique unfailingly points out to us the unchanging witness of the changing world.

First expressed in the Upanishads, this technique was most widely employed in our time by Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, the enlightened master of the last century.

This technique is an 'all the time' meditation.

No matter what you are experiencing at the moment, your awareness can be turned inward by the simple query, Who is the one experiencing this? When you are eating, working, moving your body, ask yourself, Who is doing this? Whenever you face a situation, ask, Who is facing this? When experiencing an overwhelming emotion, ask yourself, Who is this person who is feeling happy? Who is getting angry? Who am I who is feeling this fear? When in meditation, enquire, Am I this body sitting in meditation? Am I this mind which is wandering? Am I these emotions that rise and fall every moment? If I am not all these, then who am I?

Understand, this question is not meant to be answered!

Don't try to answer this question intellectually.

When the question arises in you, just see where it leads, without having any ideas about the answer.

Just be blank for a moment.

You will see, the moment you ask this question without trying to answer it, automatically your outward-flowing awareness takes a U-turn and returns to you, to your center.

Your question is answered wordlessly.

When you practice this technique continuously, your awareness becomes deeply rooted inside you.

No matter what you are thinking, feeling, doing, you remain the seer, the witness, the unchanging Consciousness.

LIVING ENLIGHTENMENT

Have you noticed how you feel heavier on some days than on others? Actually, the weight you feel is the weight of your body, not of You. You are weightless!

Because you constantly identify yourself with the body and mind, you think of yourself as possessing weight. Your body is just matter, naturally it will have weight. Your mind also has a certain weight. When you are unhappy, you feel physically heavier, as if something is dragging you down. But when you are happy, you forget the body, you forget the mind.

When your consciousness is alive, you are lighter. You don't just feel lighter, you become lighter.

To experience the true lightness of your Being, you have to go beyond body and mind

In meditation, you break the identification with the body and mind. You break the boundaries of body and mind.

When this happens, you automatically feel your own weightlessness. In this technique, we learn to experience our weightlessness at will.

The meditation technique included in this discourse is an aid for curing vertigo and giddiness. It helps in creating a light and blissful mental setup free from anxiety and depression.

This is a wonderful technique even for beginning meditators. You don't need any training, understanding or belief for this technique.

First, remove whatever accessories or jewelry you may be wearing on your body.

Either sit or lie down. Be as comfortable as possible.

You can also lean against a wall if you feel comfortable that way. You can stretch your legs in whatever way you want, but you shouldn't need to exert effort to hold your body.

The idea is to feel very comfortable without supporting the weight of your body.

For example, if your head is straight, be very clear, you are exerting effort to keep it straight. It always requires effort to keep your head straight. In the same way, don't keep your spine erect, because that takes effort.

No part of your body should feel effort or tension. Just drop your arms and relax; do not hold tension in any part of the body. The weight of your body should not be felt anywhere. Otherwise you will be constantly feeling that you are heavy. Let your whole body be relaxed.

Now, visualize that you are a weightless being.

Actually you are weightless. You only constantly visualize that you are heavy. When on a bed or chair, feel your self become weightless and enter the space beyond the mind.

Feeling you are heavy is one shaft of thought. We will now break that shaft with the thought shaft that you are light. It is like using one thorn to remove another. Then, we will throw both thoughts out!

Let your whole body be relaxed, totally relaxed.

Just drop the body, let it be as it is. Let the body take its shape. Even when you stretch your leg, let it take its own shape.

Part by part, let your whole body just be. If you feel you are holding any part of your body, relax and stretch. Feel your legs are weightless. Feel your thighs are weightless. Feel your whole body is weightless. Just relax into that weightlessness.

Use your visualization power. Without any personality inside, just let your body be. See your body without any personality. You can function without any individuality or personality. Let your body be without any identify, just as animals function without any personality or identity interfering in their actions. When you practise this technique intensely, you will discover you are weightless!

You will experience your body as being so light that you have to pull yourself down to the earth!

To feel weightless is to become free of body and mind.

To feel weightless is to become pure consciousness, even for a few moments.

This technique is complete relaxation, total rejuvenation.

You are accustomed to always seeing yourself as the object of others' eyes.

That is why, your entire identity is based on the roles that you play in the outer world.

You have become so used to this idea that even you start regarding yourself from the outside! Even in your own eyes, you have become just a social entity.

Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally also, you always measure yourself based on the judgments of society. You have forgotten that you are not an object that someone else can evaluate. You are the subject, the seer of this entire drama.

We are afraid to feel so powerful, so majestic!

In this technique, you will use visualization to go beyond this constant body identification.

For a change, experience yourself as you really are - as pure bodiless awareness, the unchanging witness of this changing world!

Whenever you are moving in a public place, just imagine that you have become invisible! Continuously visualize that you no longer exist as a person, as a body – you have become a pure awareness that no one can see or contact.

You can see everything, but you cannot be seen. You are free to witness the whole show of the world, but none can witness or evaluate you.

This technique may sound simple, but you cannot imagine its impact!

Your awareness, which was flowing into a hundred things outside yourself, now remains rooted in the inner witness.

With this single visualization, you experience a tremendous sense of power, of freedom.

You realize that you are truly more than everything that you see around you.

The objective world can disturb you, frighten you, only as long as you feel that it is more powerful than yourself.

Once you see the seer, the seen shrinks into insignificance.

This is a technique to be aware of yourself at every moment, in every action. While using any of the five senses, continuously remember the awareness behind them.

It is you who sees through your eyes, the eyes themselves don't see! The ears don't hear, the eyes don't see, and the nose does not smell, they are just windows. While looking at something don't be lost in it, remember the awareness that is behind it.While listening to music, don't forget yourself in the ear, remember the awareness behind it. Return again and again to the unchanging center in this changing world!

All you have to do is remember yourself, remember I am - when you are eating, drinking, walking, talking.

Be aware, I am, and discover within yourself an ever-living current.

Don't imagine it is simple. We cannot maintain our awareness on ourselves for more than a few seconds. Then we forget. You think you are remembering, but your mind has already jumped to a new thought!

Self-remembrance is NOT thinking; it is simply awareness.

If you think, I am, you have missed the point. That is what we usually end up doing – repeating the words, I am, I am.

The words are not the experience. Don't verbalize. Just feel, I am. Don't think about it. When you are walking, stop for a moment and be aware that you are.

Remember who the seer is. When you open your eyes, understand that you are seeing through the eyes. You are not seeing.

When you touch something, just feel the touch. When someone touches you, feel the touch, feel the one who is being touched.

Carry this awareness. Be aware that you are experiencing the sun on your face, the wind in your hair. Be aware of the one who is experiencing. Just feel, I am.

Then suddenly, you will see that your whole energy is centered in the ajna chakra. For a moment, you will be thrown back into yourself!

You get a glimpse of deep silence, of reality. Your consciousness becomes sharper. You will see things more clearly, in more detail like how you see things as fresh after it rains. Retain this awareness at all times.

As you practice this, your awareness becomes more and more centered on yourself. When you are centered within, there can be no attachment, no detachment, no craving, no suffering.

When the seer is realized, the seen can no longer affect you.

This technique sounds like a punishment, or a curse! But its impact is just the opposite. We feel that not being able to move the body is torture. Not being able to move the mind is unimaginable! When we cannot move our body or mind, it is like death. But if we can enter into this death just once, we experience ourselves as Life itself.

Sit on the floor with your eyes closed.

You are going to become a stone - so get prepared!

Try to roll your body into a firm ball – wrap your hands around your knees, put your face down between your knees; breathe as silently as if you are not breathing.

Now, visualize clearly that you have turned into a stone – a big, shapeless stone.

You have no limbs, no power of movement.

Do not allow even the slightest movements in your body.

All kinds of aches and pains and itches will come up.

Just ignore them!

How can you move, when you are a stone?

Just remain absolutely still.

If you hold on, you will see that in a while the body settles down in silence.

Your body has really turned into stone.

Now, without moving your body, stop the movement of your mind. When your body cannot move, the mind starts jumping! Stop the mind.

Feel very clearly that your mind is dead.

You are just a stone, so you cannot have the power to think. Don't stop your thoughts one by one – just stop all thoughts. You can do it.

Just enter deeply into the blank left by the dying thoughts. Just wipe yourself out of existence.

Experience yourself as dead.

Don't think about it! Enter into it.

You are now a lifeless stone.

Suddenly you will see, even when body and mind are no more, there is something in you which says, 'I'!

There is a continuous experience of 'I' which refuses to die.

There is a pure awareness in you, that is not different from you. That awareness itself is you.

You can never be conscious of your own non-existence, because your consciousness itself is that 'I'!

When all that can die has died, only that remains which can never die.

If you can have even a single glimpse of this truth, it can just explode you!

Even though you will continue to live with body and mind, you will never again lose yourself in the body and mind.

The eternal complaint of any aspiring meditator is that the mind refuses to dwell on the object of meditation. Your body is sitting in meditation, but your mind has wandered off to your office, to your friend, to the past, to the future. How to tie down the mind to the contemplation of Truth? This technique turns the whole problem on its head. If you cannot make the mind turn to the Truth, why not perceive the Truth wherever the mind turns? Indeed, since everything in the world is of the nature of Truth, is it ever possible for the mind to meditate on anything else?

Sit upright with your eyes closed.

Choose any object that attracts you as a subject for contemplation. It could be an external object, or an internal one – a thought or an emotion.

Do not judge the object as worthy of meditation or not. Just choose whatever pleases you. Now, meditate on that object with the full conviction that it is nothing but the Divine consciousness. Don't even consider it as a physical object! Whatever other qualities it may have, let them fall away. All you can see is that it is pure consciousness.

When you meditate on something as pure consciousness, it can no longer stand apart as something isolated, something different from the universal stream of consciousness. When it loses its individuality, it stands revealed as it really is – the universal consciousness itself in that particular aspect!

Carry this understanding wherever you go.

Whatever you encounter, in the outer world or in the inner world, see it as one more form of consciousness. Continuously see only this one Truth everywhere.

When everything is uniformly perceived as Truth or consciousness, there is no more scope for individual preferences. All desires, all fears, all differences arising out of individual perception are leveled out by this one mighty understanding.

No other sadhana is needed!

This single realization can simply still your mind, and bring a deep and lasting peace to you.

If you are feeling connected to the Master, there is already a direct bridge in the form of the Master between you and the Divine. All that is needed is to just keep the connection alive and blissfully enjoy the path to the Ultimate bliss. It is the easiest and most juicy way of relating with the Divine because you are just focused on what you are feeling most in tune with. It is the fastest and most effective means because you are just being consciously integrated in your devotion. When there is an intense longing for the Master in your heart, the very power of that longing has the immense capacity to enable a quantum leap in your understanding and trust.

The mind takes the form of that on which it contemplates continuously.

The most effortless way to experience the space of enlightenment is to meditate on a being who lives and moves in that space.

Bhakti is nothing but holding on to that which never changes – the formless consciousness.

But it is not easy for us to directly feel connected with the formless Existential energy.

The master is the form that reminds us again and again of the formless.

This is an extremely effective technique for changing your very biomemory. As you keep practicing it, your body and mind will simply pick up the language of enlightenment.

Whatever situation you are faced with, ask yourself, How will my master behave in such circumstances? Then do the same.

If your mind brings up the question, Who knows how he will behave?, or It is alright for the master. Can I do it? – just ask, how does the master respond to this doubt? He will simply silence the mind, that's all. So you also do just that. Don't bother about any difficulty you might face. What is the worst that can happen to you? Death? Then ask yourself, How will the master handle this? Even if death happens, the master will simply leave the body gracefully. He will be untouched.

When there is a beautiful way in front of your eyes to handle even death, what other problem can stand before you?

Just this one connection can solve all your problems and run your life.

Maybe in the beginning it will seem like that, but when you continuously follow the expressions of enlightened behavior, you will fall into the experience from which it arises. Just live the master, you will live like a master!

Prayer is a powerful form of meditation!

A sincere prayer has great benefits. When you are connected to the Master, the prayer establishes a direct bridge between you and the all-powerful, compassionate Existence in the form of the Master. Prayer can directly remove all the physical and mental impurities you carry inside you. It can simply dissolve all the sins you have been carrying. It is an integrated, focused direction of your energy towards the Ultimate energy.

Can the power of prayer be proven scientifically? If you pray for someone, can that person be benefited? Research has been done especially over the last decade to answer some of these questions. Some of the findings are listed below:

In a 1998 study, some selected practicing healers from a number of traditions including Buddhism, Christianity, Hindu shamans etc were supplied with the first names, blood counts and photographs of 20 patients with advanced AIDS. Every day for an hour per day, the healers concentrated their thoughts on the pictures of these patients, for ten weeks. There was another group of 20 other AIDS patients who were left without being thought about in this way. An important thing to be noted in this is that the patients had no idea that they were being prayed for.

It was found that the patients who received this distance healing had fewer and less severe new illnesses, fewer doctor visits, fewer hospitalizations and in general were more positive than those who were not prayed for.

Similar experiments on mice also showed that the distance healing shrank tumors.

Experiments show that heart attack patients who don't even know that they have been prayed for recover much faster and better.

A similar study in Paris had a group of 60 terminally ill patients in a hospital prayed for while the patients were themselves unaware of this. Another group of 60 terminally ill patients were also monitored who did not receive anything other than the medication that the other group of 60 patients were also receiving. It was found that the group that received the prayers lived an average of four months longer than those who did not.

Not only that, five of the patients who were prayed for even recovered completely. On the other hand, in the other group of 60 patients who did not receive prayers, none of them got well. The power that prayer has on one's own self has also been found to be remarkable as found by various top universities in the US where this has been studied. Some of the benefits found include:

• Lower death rate from heart disease and cancer
• Higher chances of survival after surgery for heart patients
• Double the stroke rate in elderly
• Lesser hospitalization time

Some studies done include:

● A study in San Francisco in the 80's was done on about 400 patients showed that the group receiving healing prayer not only had fewer deaths, they also had lesser need for CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and mechanical ventilators as well as antibiotics.

● An interesting study was done in France to study the effect of thought on the growth of microorganisms. In the experiment, a group of people was asked to influence the growth of some destructive fungi just by their intention. The ambient conditions were tightly regulated and there were two groups of fungi, one that received attention and the other that did not. It was found that the growth in over 75% of the fungi which received the intention to not grow actually showed retardation in growth.

LIVING ENLIGHTENMENT Awakening to your higher intelligence

You can connect to the Existential energy in any way, as long as you feel sincere and integrated in your devotion.

A very easy, powerful and effective way is through the chanting of mantras or sacred syllables which have a deep meaning linguistically as well as vibrationally.

Choose the mantra with which you feel most in tune.

If you have a favorite deity, you can choose that name or mantra of that deity.

If you have a guru, connecting to the Existential energy becomes effortless, as the guru is the living, moving form of the formless energy. He is your direct connection to the Divine.

Whatever the mantra you choose, remember that it is only the means for you to connect. The Divine power is always available. You only have to choose the path that is easiest for you!

The Guru Mantra is 'Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya namaha'.

Om is the primordial sound and is the representation of the male energy, Shiva energy.

Hreem is the bija mantra (seed sound) which has no linguistic meaning but has a powerful vibration which awakens the feminine energy inside us.

Thus the mantra awakens the completeness and fulfillment inside us, a holistic completion of the male and female energies which exist inside every one of us.

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM is invoking the name of the Master – the expression of the ultimate Truth of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM. It is the poorna moola mantra (the complete mantra) because it is the straight path to both Shakti - success in this world, and to Shiva – success in the cosmic world which is enlightenment.

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM also means eternal bliss. You give a clear intention to your being and the universe about your ultimate desire – eternal bliss or enlightenment.

Namaha means 'I don't exist'. It is the laying down of both 'I' and 'mine' at the feet of the Divine. This is the beautiful technique of surrender. You surrender your ego to the Master, your self to the Self.

The mantra can replace your inner chatter which as of now is mostly unnecessary thoughts which cause confusion and drain your energy. When your very inner chatter gets purified, it will result in a great clarity of thought, an amazing surge of energy in you and an intense enthusiasm and excitement for life.

Akshara Laksham is the chanting of the Guru Mantra 'Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha' nine lakh times. The Guru Mantra has nine letters (navakshari). So, each syllable is chanted one lakh times.

Actually, thoughts arise from the navel region, the manipuraka chakra. So, when you chant the Guru Mantra, the manipuraka chakra or the source of thoughts and words gets completely cleansed. This automatically leads to the removal of all worries, negative thoughts and emotions. There is a profound increase in clarity of thinking and peace of mind by the chanting of the energized mantra.

Om Hre

Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha nandaya Namaha m THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Namaha anandaya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namah Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Om Hreem Nithy Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha eem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Om Hreem Nit Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Nama Om H Om Hre 531

Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya Namaha

Om Hreem THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAMya

Make the whole being as an 'ear' for the mantra. Sit down and observe the whole being listening to the mantra. If you just repeat the mantra mentally, the mind repeats many things. When the whole being is made an ear for the mantra, you can feel the mantra coming from everywhere. This will happen naturally with practice. Then you don't need to put effort to chant the mantra.

Finally even the mantra does not exist. You become the mantra – the essence of the mantra just becomes you. The mantra exists as an experience that just fills your whole being and it is no longer separate from you.

The very vibration of the mantra changes the vibration and frequency of the being. The increase in intelligence also results in the increase in the power of cognition.

Anything that you repeat continuously becomes a part of your very being. When you constantly chant the Guru Mantra, your very inner chatter gets replaced with the powerful mantra. So, instead of the unnecessary, random, meaningless thoughts that constantly arise in our inner space, the mantra repeats itself and purifies and energizes your inner space. The energy behind the action of speech, the vak, gets completely purified.

LIVING ENLIGHTENMENT Awakening to your higher intelligence

When you repeat the mantra, be aware of the mantra itself and the gap between two chants. The awareness is very important in this technique. When you chant repeatedly like upto nine lakh times in akshara laksham, naturally, the amount of time you are aware per day increases. So, yYou start becoming more and more aware, more and more conscious in everything you do in your daily life.

When you chant the mantra, witness it. Then it will become the center of your consciousness. Any thought that comes will be like mantra. It is just like in a water tank, if you keep a blue powder at the base, the arising bubbles will also be blue. Same way, as you continuously witness the mantra, you will become the mantra.

You become more aware of the thoughts you think; so you can catch negative thoughts at their very source itself. Witnessing your thoughts and emotions thus becomes a much easier task and you fall into the natural state of meditation. Constantly chant the mantra; your awareness and mind will thus be on the mantra. The speed of chanting is not important; the awareness is key. As you continue chanting, the awareness will start staying more and more and the chant will become effortless and the pace will increase as well. This is a very powerful meditation technique that can still the mind and effortlessly allow only the thoughts that are needed for functioning. You become the master of your mind rather than the mind being your master.

Techniques for sudden enlightenment _______________________________________________________

When you hear the words of the Master, you know he is uttering the Truth to which you always wanted to listen. Now you know you can't escape from this Truth! Your Being says, 'This is the Truth! I am going to follow it. I am going to follow it.' Your logic will try to find thousands of reasons not to believe. Your mind will say, 'No, no, have you gone crazy? Fool, wait! Tomorrow, not today.' It will give a thousand reasons. But your Being simply says, 'No, I've decided. I'm done. It has happened.'

In this space, there is no need for practicing techniques.

You just leap into the experience, that's all!

That is why the fifth layer is called the bliss layer.

Because it is called the bliss layer, don't imagine that here we will be working to create bliss!

No!

Bliss is the fragrance of consciousness.

As you move closer and closer to the core consciousness, as you loosen your hold on your body and mind, the bliss that is naturally there inside you will start bubbling up.

In the fifth layer, you are already so close to the Source, that there is a high chance that you can experience sudden enlightenment.

I can say all major spiritual traditions can be classified into two major categories. One is the category that gives you techniques for gradual progress towards enlightenment.

There will be a clear-cut, defined path, like the five disciplines prescribed by the father of yoga, Patanjali – yama (discipline), niyama (personal conduct), asana (sequence of postures), pranayama (breathing), and pratyahara (withdrawal).

It will appeal to the common mind. You can start and slowly continue to progress! It is easy to start on this path but difficult to end; it is easy to start the practice, but difficult to achieve the final experience.

The other tradition has techniques which catapult you directly into the experience, like the Shiva Sutras (meditation techniques delivered by Shiva). These are techniques that can straightaway take you into the space of enlightenment!

But accepting such techniques may be a little difficult, because logically you cannot feel connected.

For example, there is a technique which says that if you can just be intensely aware when you sneeze, you can become enlightened!

Just a sneeze can lead you to enlightenment!

How can you believe this? You just cannot understand these techniques logically. That is why these sudden enlightenment techniques work only if the seeker has the courage to experiment. You need courage, and a feeling of deep connectedness with Existence or your Master.

The traditions that teach us gradual enlightenment have also contributed a lot. For new seekers, they can be a really inspiring way to start.

Not only that, your body and mind are also gradually prepared, so that when you finally have the experience, you are able to hold it.

It is the slow and steady path!

But these gradual paths have a danger: until the very end the seeker does not even know what he is seeking.

It is like searching for a black cat in a dark room!

Without even a glimpse of the state, how long can you keep up the inspiration? So even before he gets the ultimate breakthrough, the ultimate opening, the mind may get tired.

The modern mind is very impatient.

It wants everything instantly, like instant coffee!

LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK! Techniques for sudden enlightenment WHAT IS SUDDEN ENLIGHTENMENT?

If you are open, sudden enlightenment techniques can straightaway you give a glimpse of the experience.

Even one glimpse can convince you that the experience is possible for you.

Then you will not have so many doubts and problems.

All your problems are nothing but doubts like, 'Does such a state really exist? Is it possible for me? What will happen to my life if I do get enlightened? What will happen to my husband (or wife)?'

When you have at least one glimpse of sudden enlightenment, all these problems and doubts will disappear. It will be a lot easier for you to travel on your spiritual journey.

When you are in an intense energy field - in a holy place, or in the presence of a realized being - naturally the powerful spiritual vibrations can affect you.

When you are sincere, courageous, intensely available, you allow the energy to work on you.

When both are right, 'the happening' can happen!

In every culture, there is the concept of holy places and pilgrimage spots. Sacred places or worship, sacred mountains, sacred rivers are part of every religion. It is well-known that certain places hold vibrations which can raise you to higher levels of consciousness.

These places have such a powerful energy field, it will simply pull you inside! In such places, you don't even have to meditate.

Meditation simply happens to you!

When you are in tune with the energy of the place, meditation will happen naturally. An energy field need not even be a physical location.

In Tibetan Buddhism, they have the concept of 'bardos' – the intermediate states between death and rebirth, the states where the possibility of enlightenment is very high.

The energy field that is always available to you is the presence of an enlightened being. Because he lives, moves and acts in the space of enlightened consciousness, an enlightened being radiates and showers the same experience upon all who come near him. If you are sensitive enough, you can touch the same space in his presence. You can simply absorb and radiate the same experience!

Understand, any expression that comes out of enlightenment will take you to enlightenment.

For instance, if a piece of music has come out of enlightened consciousness, if you imbibe it with deep receptivity, it can take you to the same space.

If you imbibe the expression, the body language of the Master, the expression itself can take you to the experience of enlightenment

That is why they say, being with the Master is effortless meditation.

Blessed are the ones who live around an enlightened Master.

If you are open, the enlightened Master can simply download the software of an enlightened physiology into you.

When the inner space of the disciple is completely available to the Master, the first step is the last.

There is a Sanskrit sutra (aphorism) for this happening, which says, deeksha mokshah.

The initiation is itself the liberation.

Just the initiation liberates.

When the seeker is ripe, you don't need the three steps of shravana (listening), manana (reflection) and nidhidhyasana (expression).

Shravana directly leads to nidhidhyasana. No time is wasted in manana!

When the trust in the Master is total, the disciple simply listens to the Truth and starts expressing it in his life.

A beautiful incident from the enlightened Master Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi's life:

A disciple of Bhagavan called Muruganar was writing the Ramana Purana, verses in praise of Bhagavan.

But he had what you call the 'writer's block', and he was stuck at one point. Whenever you write with ego, the 'writer's block' is sure to happen!

Anyhow, that disciple came to and said, 'Bhagavan, I am not able to write further, please help me.'

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM said, 'Put that paper down and leave. I will talk to you later.' The disciple placed the paper before Bhagavan and left.

The next day when he came back, he saw that the whole poem had been completed! Bhagavan had written the last 300 lines himself.

When the book was printed, the writer enclosed those 300 lines within quotes and added a footnote, 'These 300 lines were written by Bhagavan Himself.'

Bhagavan saw the book and asked, 'Oh! So then, all the other lines are written by you? Alright!'

The disciple later said, 'Something simply broke in me when he said that. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I just dropped down at the feet of Bhagavan and never got up again.'

Just that one comment was enough for this disciple, Muruganar, to become enlightened! Because the disciple was in such a state of readiness, because his trust in his Master was total, that casual comment became a key for enlightenment. Because he did not resist with his logic, the Master's words directly penetrated his being and did their job!

Initiation is the direct transmission of Truth from Master to disciple.

When a teacher conveys the truth to a student in words, it is called a teaching.

When an enlightened Master directly transmits the experience of Truth to the disciple, it is called initiation.

When the Truth is experientially transmitted, the disciple straightaway gets a glimpse, he has a powerful spiritual experience that is beyond his logic.

He gets a 'click'!

If this click happens in the disciple, it means the initiation has happened.

Understand, when the Truth comes from the enlightened experience, from the pure inner space, you do not know why, how or what, but you suddenly see it is true!

It clicks, even though one part of your logic continues to fight. The initiation need not be in a form of a mantra. It can be just a few words, a clear expression of the truth that sinks deep within you and lifts you into its own space.

It literally explodes in you, in your consciousness. Truth has the power to shake you! As you listen, you start to live by it. You cannot forget it. Your life changes without any effort. This is the power of Truth.

LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK! Techniques for sudden enlightenment WHAT IS INITIATION?

Initially, a part of your logic continues to fight with it, because too much is at stake.

If you accept the Truth and start expressing it in your life, all your vested interests are at risk, your very life as you know it is at risk. But your core, your being understands.

It gets the click and says, 'I know that this is the Truth.'

You may not understand logically, but suddenly your heart feels connected to the words being uttered, the truth being expressed. That sudden click or connection with the Master and his teachings of truth is what I call 'initiation'.

Understand, unless you are tired of living with the ordinary logic, mere logic which cannot help you to look into your own life, your own mind, you cannot open up to the Master's initiation!

I am not against logic. Using your logic is not the problem. But when you trust your logic more than your intelligence, all your suffering begins.

The logic which dissects, which judges, which does not allow you to trust anything or open up to anyone, which does not allow any transformation to happen in you, is your first enemy.

In Bhaja Govindam, the enlightened Master sings:

Nahi nahi rakshati dukrinkarane

(Your logic cannot save you, it cannot give you the ultimate experience)

From love to enlightenment, anything can rejuvenate you, anything can make you feel that life is worthy, only when you open up.

If you open up to one person, you experience love. If you open up to a few people, you experience compassion, if you open up to the whole universe, you experience enlightenment, that's all.

Earlier, I had mentioned three types of techniques - the techniques which need to be practised twenty-four hours a day, the techniques which are to be practiced at a particular time and the techniques which can directly transport you to the space of enlightenment.

I call these techniques nithya Sutras, dhyana Sutras and ananda sutras.

Nithya means 'everyday'; these are techniques that need to be practiced everyday.

Dhyana means 'to contemplate; these are the techniques you need to practice for a particular period.

Ananda means 'bliss' - these are the techniques which can directly give you a glimpse of the bliss of enlightenment.

Sutra means 'aphorism' or a technique.

The techniques for sudden enlightenment are what I call ananda sutras.

Understand, the same technique may be a nithya sutra for someone, a dhyana sutra for another and an ananda sutra for a really advanced seeker. In my experience, I have seen that about one-third of the people are able to catch a technique immediately.

The moment they hear it, they feel, 'Yes, it is true!'

The click happens.

They simply start expressing it in their lives.

Another one-third connect to the technique, but they don't have the experience. This group needs to work with the technique. The technique has worked for them also, but they need time.

The third group, the remaining one-third, simply cannot connect to the technique. It makes no sense to them. For this group, it is better to move on, to try something else.

Sometimes, even when the same person works with the same technique, it can be a nithya sutra or dhyana sutra for him first, and suddenly one day it may become an ananda sutra.

For example, when you first try unclutching as a technique, you may do it only for a fixed period of time – maybe during your daily meditation session, or whenever you remember.

Then slowly, it becomes a nithya sutra – no matter what you are doing, you are aware, you are trying to be unclutched.

When the technique has soaked into you, when it has become part of your being – suddenly, one day you will see - the very same technique becomes an ananda sutra for you. You don't have to practice it, the experience just happens. You experience the final break from depression, the ultimate freedom.

The koans used by Zen Masters work in this way.

Koans are riddles which cannot be solved logically – in fact, they cannot even be understood by the intellect.

One of the most famous koans is,

'What is the sound of one hand clapping?'

Just imagine!

You will be shocked just hearing the koan, just trying to grasp it with your mind!

The whole purpose of the koan is to baffle your logic – to make you leap out of your thinking mind, at least for a few seconds.

Sometimes, a koan will have immediate effect, sometimes, the seeker will keep it in a corner of his mind, continuously working with it. It all depends on the ripeness of the seeker.

The sutra need not always be expressed in words!

Zen Masters are famous for using the Zen stick – a staff with which they give a sudden blow to a disciple to wake him up. Of course, nowadays, Masters don't carry sticks – but they can still give blows at the right moment! The 'blow' can be a physical action, a wellaimed word or a look.

If the connection between Master and disciple is so deep, so total, even words are not needed. Then even a look, even a simple movement of the Master's hand is enough to awaken the disciple in a moment.

For such a miracle to happen, the Master's compassion has to be unconditional, and the disciple's trust has to be total.

A small story:

A Zen Master was bringing up a small boy from a young age to be his successor.

This little boy had a very deep, loving connection with the Master, but he was very naughty.

He would always try to behave in the same way as the Master. Standing behind the Master, he would imitate the Master and make fun of him.

The Master had a habit of always holding his thumb up whenever he wanted to emphasize a particular point.

This boy also would stand behind the Master and do the same thing!

One day, when the boy was standing behind him and holding up his thumb, that Master simply turned around and cut off the boy's thumb with his knife.

Understand, he simply cut off his thumb!

The story says beautifully that the trust and the feeling of connectedness with the Master was so deep, the boy did not even think for a moment that something wrong was done to him. The disciple felt very clearly that if the Master does something, it must be good for him.

The story says that this deep trust, even during the intense pain, enlightened him at that very moment.

Understand two important things here.

First thing, the disciple was willing to go through any suffering, any kind of tapas (penance) for the sake of realization. Penance is nothing but being ready to work on the technique at any cost.

Second thing, such a deep sense of connection and trust in the Master existed in the boy.

He had the two qualities that can carry you to the ultimate: deep passion, and deep patience.

Passion is the powerful will to realize the truth, the courage to gamble your life to experience the Truth.

Patience is the deep prayer that you will have the experience, the deep passivity to wait for the experience.

Understand, when I say patience, I don't mean the kind of patience we usually have.

When it comes to enlightenment, we all have a lot of patience.

We don't mind waiting till next year or the next life for the experience! No!

Patience comes out of the deep trust that the Divine is supporting you at every moment.

Actually, when you have passion with patience, you don't even have to wait! Any moment can be the right moment for you.

Of course, such sharp techniques as the Zen Master used are only for whom enlightenment has become their first priority, who are willing to give their life for the experience.

When you are able to surrender your ego in the midst of such intense pain, you don't need another teaching. The very surrender will lead you to the space beyond ego.

LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK!

One question which many people ask me is, 'Swamiji, how to surrender?'

Understand, surrender cannot be done.

It has to happen.

At the most, we can decide to surrender, that's all!

We can carry a deep prayer inside that surrender may happen in us.

Surrender happens at three levels: surrender of the intellect, surrender of emotions and surrender of your very senses.

Surrender of intellect means, trusting the Master's intellect more than your own. This is just intellectual surrender. At this stage, you follow the lifestyle that the Master shows you, that's all.

Surrender of emotions means, trusting the Master's emotions much more than your own emotions. This means trusting that the relationship with the Master is the ultimate relationship, more than any other relationship. If god appears before you and asks you to choose one person on planet earth as the only other person who can be alive except you, who will you choose? If you choose the Master, then emotional surrender has happened to you. If you feel that your emotion towards the Master is stronger than any other emotion, then emotional surrender has happened in you.

Be very clear, 99% of the people remain in the first level. Only 20% to 40% of these people move deeper to the second level.

Then there is the third kind of surrender, surrender of the senses.

In Krishna's life there is a beautiful incident which illustrates this:

After the Mahabharata war, when Krishna and Arjuna are relaxing in a garden one day, Krishna suddenly says to Arjuna,

'Look Arjuna, there flies a green crow!'

Arjuna says, 'Beautiful! A green crow!'

Krishna says, 'Fool! It is black, not green. How can a crow be green?'

Arjuna says, 'Yes Krishna! It is black, not green.'

Krishna asks, 'What is wrong with you? When I say green, you say green. When I say black, you say black. What is going on with you?'

Arjuna says, 'Krishna, let me be honest. I don't know what color that crow is. But when you said green I saw it as green. When you said black I saw it as black. I know nothing else!'

Arjuna's very senses trusted Krishna. He trusted the Master's senses much more than his own!

Once you experience something beyond logic, once you experience the compassion of the Divine, your logic simply gives way, your whole being simply gives in to that experience.

Even if you want to suspect the Master's words, suddenly you will see that your logic has no power over you anymore. His words are simply entering you beyond your logic.

You will see this happening to you also, when you sit in the presence of an enlightened being!

This is what we call Upanishad - just being around the Master, sitting in his presence and opening up to him. Upanishad means 'sitting at the feet of'. When a disciple sits in the presence of the Master, the same experience that happened in the Master is reproduced in the disciple.

The account of how the experience was transmitted - how the process began, what happened and how it ended - this report is referred to as an Upanishad.

Part 12: Meditation Is for You

I always say, 'Upanishad is the enlightenment technique for lazy people!'

The enlightened Master Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says beautifully, 'If you want to scare away some birds sitting on a tree, you don't have to do it one by one. Just clap loudly once, and all the birds on the tree will fly away.'

In the same way, in the Master's presence, you don't have to work on your samskaras one by one. You don't have to work so hard! The Master's powerful grace is the one 'clap' that can destroy all your samskaras once and for all!

See, you don't need to be in the presence of an enlightened being to have a glimpse of enlightenment.

As I told you, we all continuously have brief glimpses of the superconscious state. Such spontaneous glimpses are always happening in our lives.

But the problem is we are neither aware of it when it happens, nor are we able to hold on to it.

All your yoga, pranayama, meditation techniques – all these are only to create the state of readiness in you – the readiness to experience, and the readiness to hold the experience.

Your body and mind are prepared, so that when the experience happens, you will not miss it by being unconscious of it, and you will be able to hold the enormous transformation it creates within.

When you are continuously available in the energy-field of an enlightened Master, you don't need so many separate techniques. Even without much effort from your side, your very bio-memory 'learns' the expression of enlightenment. Your very muscles learn to imbibe and radiate enlightenment.

Understand, even your physiology changes in the presence of an enlightened Consciousness!

When a Master touches and initiates you, the software of enlightened physiology is also downloaded into you, changing your physiology. If you are completely open during the touch, the software of enlightened physiology can be downloaded into you. Your body learns that it can be better than what it is now! Your bio-memory learns the lesson that the possibility for better existence is there.

When you have the grace of the Master, both the hardware and software can be totally changed.

The conscious mind can be cleared by the right teachings, by removing the wrong ideas and taking in clear and correct ideas. The unconscious mind can be cleared by meditation techniques. The unconscious zone in the mind is like the software that can be cleansed by meditation.

But ultimately, for the software change to be permanent, the hardware also has to change. Your very brain grooves have to change to hold and radiate the experience of living enlightenment. This can happen through initiation.

Initiation is directly transmitting the energy by which different dimensions of you will start getting awakened.

The hardware, the brain itself, will be tuned to hold this new software by the darshan or grace of the Master.

As of now, both the hardware and software are directed to the outer world, the material world.

The conscious portion of the software starts turning to the inner world through listening to teachings, and the unconscious portion of the software starts turning inwards through meditation.

But even if software turns inwards, the hardware will not be able to handle it. Then naturally the hardware will try its best to maintain its original nature. If the software is too strong and stays in the same tune, then the hardware will change with time.

Even without initiation, constant meditation and teaching will eventually help change the hardware. Even if the hardware is old, once the new software is installed, the hardware will also get updated gradually.

However, if you want a change immediately in the hardware, darshan is the right thing. Straightaway it will change the hardware.

Sometimes, without even installing the new software the hardware can be changed!

The person will straightaway start radiating the new software's quality.

That can happen when a disciple is completely open to the Master.

Sometimes a disciple falls in love with the Master for no reason. He may not be attracted to the teachings or be familiar with them, he may not be attracted to the meditation techniques or be familiar with them, but he just falls in love. With such a disciple, the Master can straightaway change the hardware along with the software. Not only will the hardware change, it will be prepared to hold on to the same experience.

Such disciples will be simply radiating the quality of the teachings and meditation without even learning any of them.