Divine Yoga School

What is Divine Yoga ?

2016-08-14T07:46:00.001-07:00

Divine Yoga is a science as well an art of healthy living physically, mentally, morally and spiritually. It is a philosophy of life based on certain psychological facts and it aims at the development of a perfect balance between the body and the mind that permits union with the divine i.e. perfect harmony between the individual and the cosmos. Yoga is a scientific system of physical and mental practices that originated in India more than three thousand years ago. Its purpose is to help each one of us achieve our highest potential and to experience enduring health and happiness. With Yoga, we can extend our healthy, productive years far beyond the accepted norm and, at the same time, improve the quality of our lives.

Paramhansa Yogananda: "Yoga means union. Etymologically, it is connected to the English word, yoke. Yoga means union with God, or, union of the little, ego-self with the divine Self, the infinite Spirit. Most people in the West, and also many in India, confuse yoga with Hatha Yoga, the system of bodily postures. But yoga is primarily a spiritual discipline,

Yoga is an art as well as a science. It is a science, because it offers practical methods for controlling body and mind, thereby making deep meditation possible. And it is an art, for unless it is practiced intuitively and sensitively it will yield only superficial results. Yoga is not a system of beliefs. It takes into account the influence on each other of body and mind, and brings them into mutual harmony. So often, for instance, the mind cannot concentrate simply because of tension or illness in the body, which prevent the energy from flowing to the brain. So often, too, the energy in the body is weakened because the will is dispirited, or paralyzed by harmful emotions. Yoga works primarily with the energy in the body, through the science of pranayama, or energy-control. Prana means also 'breath.' Yoga teaches how, through breath-control, to still the mind and attain higher states of awareness. Yoga is a very ancient science; it is thousands of years old. The perceptions derived from its practice form the backbone of the greatness of India, which for centuries has been legendary. The truths espoused in the yoga teachings, however, are not limited to India, nor to those who consciously practice yoga techniques. Many saints of other religions also, including many Christian saints, have discovered aspects of the spiritual path that are intrinsic to the teachings of yoga.

"The higher teachings of yoga take one beyond techniques, and show the yogi, or yoga practitioner, how to direct his concentration in such a way as not only to harmonize human with divine consciousness, but to merge his consciousness in the Infinite.

Yoga is an ancient Indian body of knowledge that dates back more than 15000 years ago. The word "Yoga" came from the Vedas Sanskrit word "yuj" which means "to unite or integrate." Yoga then is about the union of a person's own consciousness and the universal consciousness.

Ancient Yogis had a belief that in order for man to be in harmony with himself and his environment, he has to integrate the body, the mind, and the spirit. For these three to be integrated, emotion, action, and intelligence must be in balance. The Yogis formulated a way to achieve and maintain this balance and it is done through exercise, breathing, and Meditation - the three main Yoga structures.

In Yoga, the body is treated with care and respect for it is the primary instrument in man's work and growth. Yoga Exercises improve circulation, stimulate the abdominal organs, and put pressure on the glandular system of the body, which can generally result to better health.

Breathing techniques were developed based on the concept that breath is the source of life. In Yoga, students gain breathing control as they slowly increase their breathing. By focusing on their breathing, they prepare their minds for the next step - Meditation.

There is a general misconception that in Meditation, your mind has to go blank. It doesn't have to be so. In Meditation, students bring the activities of the mind into focus resulting in a 'quiet' mind. By designing physical poses and Breathing Techniques that develop awareness of our body, Yoga helps us focus and relieves us from our everyday stress.

Six Branches of Yoga

1. Hatha Yoga or Yoga of Postures

Hatha Yoga is perhaps the path of Yoga you are most familiar with since this is the most popular branch of Yoga in the West. This branch of Yoga uses physical poses or Asana, Breathing Techniques or Pranayama, and Meditation to achieve better health, as well as spirituality. There are many styles within this path - Iyengar, Integral, Astanga, Kripalu, and Jiva Mukti to name a few.

If what you want is a peaceful mind and a healthy body to go along with it, Hatha Yoga may just be the path for you.

2. Bhakti Yoga or Yoga of Devotion

Bhakti Yoga is the path most followed in India. This is the path of the heart and devotion. Yogis who practice this branch sees the "One" or the Divine in everyone and everything. Bhakti Yoga teaches a person to have devotion to the "One" or to Brahma by developing a person's love and acceptance for all things.

3. Raja Yoga or Yoga of Self-Control

Raja means "royal". This path is considered to be the King of Yoga and this may be due to the fact that most of its practitioners are members of religious and spiritual orders. Raja Yoga is based on the teachings of the Eight Limbs of Yoga found in the Yoga sutras.

A Raja Yogi sees the self as central, and as such, respect to oneself and for all creation are vital to this path. They achieve self-respect by first learning to be masters of themselves.

If you wish to learn discipline, then Raja Yoga would perfectly suit that need.

4. Jnana Yoga or Yoga of the Mind

Jnana Yoga is the path of Yoga that basically deals with the mind, and as such, it focuses on man's intelligence. Jnana Yogis consider wisdom and intellect as important and they aim to unify the two to surpass limitations. Since they wish to gain knowledge, they are open to other philosophies and religion for they believe that an open and rational mind is crucial in knowing the spirit.

5. Karma Yoga or Yoga of Service

Karma Yoga is the path of service for in this path, it is believed that your present situation is based on your past actions. So by doing selfless service now, you are choosing a future that is free from negativity and selfishness. Karma Yogis change their attitude towards the good and in the process, change their souls, which leads to a change in their destiny.

6. Tantra Yoga or Yoga of Rituals

Perhaps the most misunderstood of all the paths, Tantra Yoga is about using rituals to experience what is sacred. Although sex is a part of it, sex is not the whole of it since this path aims to find what is sacred in everything we do. Tantra Yogis must possess certain qualities like purity, humility, devotion, dedication to his Guru, cosmic love, and truthfulness among other things.

There are still a lot of misconceptions about Yoga, for instance, Yoga being a religion. Yoga is not a religion. It is more of a set of techniques for us to find spirituality. In fact, Yoga is being practiced by a lot of people from different religions like Christians, Jewish, Buddhists, and Muslims.

Another misconception is that Yoga is an exercise, a way for us to keep fit. It is partly true, but if you think that Yoga is just that then you are greatly mistaken. Yoga develops the body since a weak one is a hindrance to spiritual growth. It does not simply focus on the physical but on the mental and spiritual aspects as well.

Refer this page for the above article

According to Isha Foundation:

Yogic science not only provides knowledge about the underlying basis of metaphysical principles and ethical values, but it also provides the necessary tools to completely transform human nature. Its aim is to bring about perspectives beyond intellectual understanding, and to foster experiences that bring life into a new dimension of perception.

The emphasis of yoga therefore is not on the external and perceivable areas of endeavor, which lead to bondage and limitation, but on the inner and intangible fields, which lead to freedom and perfection. It involves the transformation of a limited being into an unbounded one.

Yoga is both a philosophy and a science. The philosophy and the science of yoga are not only intertwined and inseparable, they also reinforce each other. The philosophy emphasizes the existence of the Self within. The science is the method that verifies this doctrine by setting out certain kinds of discipline, certain techniques and practices that enable the emergence of the true being within us.

Yoga is the path towards the union of our bounded self with our ultimate nature. This union results in self-realization - Mukti or Nirvana. Through perfect yoga this freedom is attained. Yoga is not something one does; it is the medium of one becoming the crucible of self-transformation. It is not a practice, but a certain way to be.

Yoga deepens, broadens and strengthens the visionary power of the mind. It opens the door of that realm of sensing beyond the five senses

According to Sivananda, the following are the 4 important yogas: (reference: their site on yoga)

1. Jnana Yoga, The Yoga of Knowledge or Wisdom

This is the most difficult path, requiring tremendous strength of will and intellect. Taking the philosophy of Vedanta the Jnana Yogi uses his mind to inquire into its own nature. We perceive the space inside and outside a glass as different, just as we see ourselves as separate from God. Jnana Yoga leads the devotee to experience his unity with God directly by breaking the glass, dissolving the veils of ignorance. Before practicing Jnana Yoga, the aspirant needs to have integrated the lessons of the other yogic paths - for without selflessness and love of God, strength of body and mind, the search for self-realization can become mere idle speculation.

2. The Eight Limbs of Raja Yoga

Compiled by the Sage Patanjali Maharishi in the Yoga Sutras, the Eight Limbs are a progressive series of steps or disciplines which purify the body and mind, ultimately leading the yogi to enlightenment. These 8 limbs are:

Yamas - The Yamas or restraints (Don'ts) are divided into five moral injunctions, aimed at destroying the lower nature. They should all be practiced and developed by the letter but also more importantly in the spirit. They should all be practiced in word, thought, and deed.

Ahimsa or non-violence
Satyam or truthfulness
Brahmacharya or moderation in all things (control of all senses). Also refers to celibacy
Asteya or non-stealing
Aparigraha or non-covetousness
Niyamas - The Niyamas or observances (Do's) are also divided into five and complete the ethical precepts started with the Yama.. These qualities are:
Saucha or purity - this internal and external cleanliness.
Santosha or contentment
Tapas or austerity
Swadhyaya or study of the sacred texts
Ishwara Pranidhana which is constantly living with an awareness of the divine Presence (surrender to God's Will)

Asanas - Postures

Pranayama - regulation or control of the breath. Asanas and Pranayama form the sub-division of Raja Yoga known as Hatha-Yoga
Pratyahara - withdrawal of the senses in order to still the mind.
Dharana - concentration. The last 3 steps constitute the internal practice of Raja Yoga. When Dharana is achieved, it leads to the next step:
Dhyana - meditation is that state of pure thought and absorption in the object of meditation. There is still duality in Dhyana. When mastered Dhyana leads to the last step:
Samadhi - the superconscious state. In Samadhi non-duality or oneness is experienced. This is the deepest and highest state of consciousness where body and mind have been transcended and the Yogi is one with the Self or God.

3. Bhakti Yoga, The Path of Devotion or Divine Love

This path appeals particularly to those of an emotional nature. The Bhakti Yogi is motivated chiefly by the power of love and sees God as the embodiment of love. Through prayer, worship and ritual he surrenders himself to God, channelling and transmuting his emotions into unconditional love or devotion. Chanting or singing the praises of God form a substantial part of Bhakti Yoga.

4. Principles of Karma Yoga

This page is part of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center Web site. Karma Yoga is one of the four paths of Yoga. In this page are the key components that determine that any action will qualify as being Karma Yoga

"Karma Yoga is the selfless devotion of all inner as well as the outer activities as a Sacrifice to the Lord of all works, offered to the eternal as Master of all the soul's energies and austerities."
Bhagavad Gita

Right Attitude

It's not what you do that counts, it's the attitude while doing it that determines if a job is a karma yoga job, i.e. a liberating job, or a binding job. Work is worship. Swami Sivananda advises us to "give your hands to work, and keep your mind fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord."

Right Motive

Same as attitude. It is not what you do that counts but your real motive behind it. Your motive must be pure. Swami Sivananda says: "Man generally plans to get the fruits of his works before he starts any kind of work. The mind is so framed that it cannot think of any kind of work without remuneration or reward. A selfish man cannot do any service. He will weigh the work and the money in a balance. Selfless Service is unknown to him."

Do Your Duty

Often "duty" is referred to as "righteousness". You will incur demerit if you shun your duty. Your duty is towards God, or Self, or the Inner Teacher who teaches you through all the specific circumstances of your life as they appear.

Do Your Best

Whatever you have to do, do your best. If you know of a better way to serve, you must use it. Do not hold back because of fear of effort or because of fear of criticism. Do not work in a sloppy manner just because no one is watching or because you feel the work is not for you. Give your best. Try to do such actions that can bring maximum good and minimum evil. Do Karma Yoga increasingly.

Give up Results

God is the doer. You are not the doer. You are only the instrument. You do not know God's intentions or God's plans. God is the actor. The Self never acts or changes. It is only the "Gunas", the three qualities, which are playing. The way to realize this truth is to constantly work for work's sake and let go of the results, good or bad. It is the desire for action that binds the individual. It is the detachment from action that will dissolve the karmic seeds. Detachment from results also means detachment from the type of job itself. There is no job that is inferior or superior to a different job. Don't be attached to your job. Be ready to give up your job if necessary.

Serve God or the Self in All

Do to others what you would like to be done to yourself. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Adapt, adjust, accommodate. Bear insult, bear injury. Unity in Diversity. We are parts of the same body. Practice humility in action. Beware of power, fame, name, praise, censure.

Follow the Discipline of the Job

Each job is a teacher of some sort. You can learn different skills by doing different jobs. Each job has different requirements in terms of time, degree of concentration, skills or experience, emotional input, physical energy, and will. Try to do whatever job you are doing, well.

From focal point yoga :-

Yoga can be any or all of the following, depending on WHY you want to take it and HOW you incorporate Yoga into your life:

1) a great physical fitness program, involving stretching, strengthening, and elongating the spine for proper alignment of the vertebrae

2) breathing techniques and relaxation, lowering blood pressure, increasing cardio-vascular health, increasing lung capacity, releasing tension and stress, and learning to relax and enjoy life

3) Meditation - to calm the mind, bring emotional balance, mental clarity, focus and concentration

4) the learning of a philosophy, by experiencing emotional tension release from your own body, increasing awareness of what is happening in your own body and mind (many yogis and yoginis notice and feel their heartbeat, circulation flowing through their body, can increase of decrease blood pressure at will, a heightened awareness of what is going on in your body, then you have a heightened awareness of what is going on with your mind). So yoga is EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING - you don't accept dogma as it is told to you - you question everything, until you feel beliefs yourself and understand what is right for you.

5) a philosophy of life - following several basic principles (non-harming, truthfulness, discipline - see my web site under Yoga Information/Yoga Philosophy/Yamas and Niyamas). It is to awaken the "witness consciousness" - the part of you that can step back and observe what your brain is doing, what is happening for you - dispassionately, so you can better understand yourself.

6) A Spiritual Practice - Spiritual fulfillment - as you learn to awaken the witness consciousness, meditate, and increase your awareness, at some point, you realize that you are MORE than this Body, this Mind, this shell - that you are a drop of beautiful energy in a spiritual ocean (to use the cliché, you are one with everything - Spirit/Life Energy/God/Power of the Universe is in you) and this is a truly fulfilling experience when you realize this for yourself. Someone can TELL you about this all they want, but you really need to feel it and experience it for yourself - awakening the divine energy in you.

Take what you need from Yoga. For some people, it is simply a class to take where they get a good stretch and a nice balanced workout. For others, it is a way of life - we talk about being on the Yogic Path, our own hearts leading us where we need to go. Yoga is about Union - the unity of YOURSELF with the LIVING WORLD around you - you are part of the divine dance. It is about releasing tension in the body and the mind, relaxing, and bringing the mind to stillness so you can listen to your heart, so you can learn and grow.

If you are feeling empty right now, you need to think about whether it is a spiritual emptiness you feel. Yoga is NOT a religion, but it does encourage you to connect with your inner spirit and follow its guidance. It is a spiritual practice IF you want it to be. It may help you.

Online Divine Yoga Training Program: You Need To Know about It

2016-08-07T18:08:00.000-07:00

Divine Yoga is very good for health and overall well-being. While it is something that everyone should learn and practice, many of us find that we cannot fit yoga classes into our busy schedules. With work, family and social life, not a lot of time is left for attending special classes designed to teach yoga.

This is why online yoga training has become very famous. You can learn yoga poses and exercises online and practice them in your own home, according to your own schedule.

Is Online Divine Yoga Training For You?

Anyone can follow these training courses. The only thing to keep in mind is that since there will be no one to supervise you, you need to have a lot of self-control and discipline to follow all the instructions.

Forms of Training Courses:

Courses can be in different forms. These include text instructions that include pictures, video instructions as well as specially designed exams that help determine how effectively you are performing the yoga exercises.

Choosing a Yoga Style:

One con of online training is that you have to figure out on your own which type of yoga you want to practice. There will be no instructor to guide you about which style you should go for. Therefore, you need to do extensive research before you choose a particular yoga style. Once you are satisfied that this is what you want to do, only then start yoga training.

Characteristics of A Good Online Yoga Training Program:

Such a program should be very detailed. If the instructions are in text form, proper pictures, diagrams and illustrations must be included to make it easy for the user to understand exactly what needs to be done. This is why courses that are in the form of videos are better, as they make it easier to copy the poses and exercises.

An efficient training course should include Divine Yoga poses, exercises as well as other components including meditation and breathing techniques.

Another aspect of a good Divine Yoga training program is that it allows the users to contact instructors if they have any questions. In this way, support can be provided to the users.

Benefits:

Taking an online class is convenient as you can exercise according to your own schedule. Also, you do not have to travel to attend classes. These courses are usually affordable and a huge variety of courses are present online, so you can choose one you want.

Therefore, if you are thinking of starting Divine Yoga, taking online training classes is a good idea.

Benefits of Divine Yoga

2016-08-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

The benefits of practicing Divine yoga are many; if you are passionate about practicing yoga, more sooner than later you are going to reap its benefits like getting fewer colds, feeling at ease and relaxed and sleeping better. Western science is beginning to find some concrete clues in the way yoga works.

Divine yoga helps to improve health, heal pains and aches while keeping sickness at bay. If you experience swelling in the legs as a result of kidney or heart problems, yoga helps a great deal. The importance of a yoga course includes:

Improves depression

Well, there are a lot of things you can do to make yourself feel better when you are sad, like taking a Ferrari ride, or maybe hit the pub. But do these solutions really work in the long run, or especially when you suffer from depression? The answer is NO. One of the best ways to deal with depression, other than taking anti-depressants, is to include yoga in your daily exercise routine. Divine yoga increases the levels of serotonin in your body and decreases the level of monoamine oxidase and cortisol that are responsible for flaring up your depression. And the best part is, there are no side-effect as is the case with using anti-depressants.

Lowers body weight

Divine yoga can prove to be very, very beneficial if you are seeking on losing body weight. While dieters follow the policy of eating less and moving more, yoga can help you on both the fronts. Regular practice of yoga can help you burn the excess fat in your body by destroying all the unwanted calories. The emotional and the spiritual dimension of yoga can inspire you to manage your eating habits to turn you into a conscious eater.

Lowers blood sugar

If you happen to have high sugar levels in your blood, you can help here too. Divine yoga, if exercised regularly, can help lower your blood sugar and bad cholesterol level by enhancing the production of good cholesterol. This also works for people who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Divine yoga helps lower the adrenaline and cortisol levels, encourages weight loss and improves sensitivity to effects of insulin. Yoga can also help in preventing health issues arising out of diabetes, such as blindness, kidney failure and heart attack.

Improves the brain capacity

200 hour yoga teacher training is recommended for anyone looking for the best results. According to studies, practicing yoga regularly helps to improve coordination, memory, reaction time and IQ scores. Practitioners engaged in yoga and meditation prove a high ability of solving problems and acquiring and recalling information better. This is attributed to the fact that there is less distraction of the thoughts.

Helps with relaxing

The practice of Divine yoga helps the practitioner to relax, slow the process of breathing and shifts focus to the present, by shifting balance from sympathetic nervous system to parasympathetic nervous system, which is more calming and restorative in nature. It helps to lower breathing as well as the heart rates, increases the flow of blood to the reproductive organs and intestines. Divine yoga also helps to decrease blood pressure.

Divine Pregnancy Yoga Benefits and Care of Your baby

2016-08-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy Yoga

Practicing Yoga through pregnancy can help you to prepare for the challenges of pregnancy and birth. Pregnancy Yoga is a gentler form of Yoga you may be used to seeing and hearing about. The positions or postures will be adapted so they are suitable for pregnant women.

Your Pregnancy Yoga teacher will teach you breathing exercises which can be extremely helpful when you’re in labour. You will also learn how to relax and deal with stress and anxiety which can be common in pregnancy.

What should I take to my first Pregnancy Yoga Class?

The benefits of practicing yoga are many, especially during pregnancy, because this is the time when you need to be healthier than before. So, if you are attending your class for the very first time during pregnancy, you will need to make a checklist of some important things that you’ll need to carry.

While most yoga classes will provide mats, sometimes on rent and sometimes free, the best thing to do will be to carry your own mat. You don’t want to catch any bacteria that might be there on the mats that are not cleaned regularly.

There are many yoga institutes that will provide blocks that make it easier to get into certain yoga positions. Ask your pregnancy yoga instructor to see if these are provided.

You may need to take a blanket or a cushion for comfort to help you get into certain postures and keep you warm. It’s a good idea to take a bottle of water with you to the class in case you get thirsty.
Always dress in light and loose yoga clothing that won’t restrict your movements. Wearing layers is always a good idea so you can take the layers off if and when you get too hot. You won’t need to take any special shoes for your pregnancy yoga because is usually practiced barefoot.

Also, make sure that you inform your yoga instructor of any medical issues that you may have. This will help the yoga teach in chalking out a course of exercise that’ll be safe for the mother and the baby.

Is your instructor properly qualified?

There is nothing better than opting for a pregnancy yoga class if you are conceiving. But before deciding on a yoga class, you will need to make sure that the yoga instructor has proper qualification and experience to teach yoga to pregnant woman. And there are many ways of finding this out.

Start by checking their website. If the yoga teacher has additional qualification to teach yoga to pregnant woman, it will be mentioned on the website. Also, make sure that the instructor is registered with a higher governing body such as the American Yoga Association, ( You can find In India here )and is a member of the same. The yoga instructor will also need to have a track record of teaching yoga to pregnant woman before. Only and experienced yoga teacher can teach you the proper pregnancy yoga exercises that are fit for a woman during her delicate times.

AYURVEDA: The Science of Life

2016-08-07T00:23:00.001-07:00

Ayurveda is the most holistic medicine system existing
Ayurveda is a leading alternative medicine and probably the most holistic medicine system existing. It translates to “Science of Life” and with its 15,000 years of history Ayurveda is also the oldest known healing science — preserved until today in India, where it stems from. It was established by the same great Vedic seers and sages that invented Yoga and Meditation.

So 3 000 years ago Europe was still in Bronze age, healing diseases by trying to get bad spirits out of the body with excruciating methods like trepanation because diseases where thought to be sent from gods or similar so there wasn’t much men could do about them. At the same time Indian medical students were taught psychiatry and paediatrics, toxicology and surgery as well as pure knowledge and got their teeth into broad fields from logic, causality and atomic theory to moral behaviour and evolution. Even today Western Medicine hardly demands such comprehensive general knowledge from their students.

More about Ayurveda: http://ayurvedadosha.org/what-is-ayurveda#ixzz4Gcuac13j

Originally there were four main ancient books serving as the fundament for Ayurveda: the so called Vedas which used to be secret knowledge of the Brahmans and were to be known by heart and passed on verbally. The Vedas are covering topics from health over surgery to ethical living. And while all of those books still form the basis of today’s ayurvedic knowledge, it is said that Ayurveda itself eventually evolved from the fourth book, the Atharva-Veda, which discusses spirituality as healing aspect.

Based on a combination of experience and philosophy Ayurvedic Medicine certainly has evolved over the thousands of years and has developed a consistent, separate philosophy while research and testing have helped to scientifically prove its conventions. Clearly, it has nothing to do with “primitive” rituals despite its age.

According to the Ashtānga Hridayam Ayurveda consists of eight disciplines:

Kaya cikitsa: general medicine; research into symptoms and healing methods
Bala cikitsa: pediatrics; treatment of children and infants
Graha cikitsa: psychiatry; treatment of psychological disturbances
Urdhvannga cikitsa: treatment of eyes, ears, nose and throat
Salya cikitsa: surgery; treatment of pathological disturbances
Damstra cikitsa: toxicology; treatment of animal inflicted wounds and poisoning
Jara cikitsa: geriatrics; treatment of ageing
Vrsa cikitsa: sexology; treatment of impotence

Ayurveda links mind, body and soul

Disease and health are both the result of the interaction of all three aspects: Body, Mind and Spirit. And whatever we can do for our health ourselves is better than what others can.

Like other traditional healing methods Ayurveda follows a unified body-mind-spirit orientation to prevent illness and preserve life. It encompasses all aspects of mind and body that are relevant for the human health; physically and mentally as well as spiritually and deals with the subtle relationships and links between body, mind and environment. This approach differs significantly from the Western Medicine which doesn’t seem to connect them. But it is not enough to make changes on the physical level only because everything is linked in one way or another. So constant good health and well being can’t be achieved by ignoring any of the parts but by achieving harmony between all of them. In Ayurveda the mind-body link is the key to good health because it allows to attack the root causes of a disease.

AYURVEDA: The Science of Life Ayurveda treats people individually and naturally
Rather than indifferently prescribing the same treatments and chemicals to all people Ayurveda treats people individually according to their constitution and personality which can’t be the same for any two persons. Every person is dominated by a unique combination of influencing energies (Tridosha Theory) which affect everyone slightly differently causing individual vulnerabilities and resistances.
So instead of chemically putting the fire out once it occurs Ayurveda focuses on preserving health by gently and naturally balancing energies and their influences to help people using their own self healing powers.

The ayurvedic key method to preventing illness is a balanced and healthy diet attuned to your personal constitution. “Ayurvedic Diet” doesn’t mean strict rules and restraints as Westerners often understand diets. Ayurvedic diet is about methods for healthy and individually advantageous cooking; what might be perfectly good for one person could be less healthy for the next according to their constitutions. Ayurveda teaches that nearly all health problems can be tracked down to a subpar diet that deteriorates the body’s natural ressources in the long term and manifests in in one form or another. Therefore solving resistant health problems that the Western Medicine is unable to clearly locate is often as easy as a change in diet. In addition to dietary balance as a means of a healthy lifestyle Ayurveda has a comprehensive supportive system of natural treatments ranging from massages, Yoga and meditation, aroma- and sound therapy to herbal treatments and detoxifying therapies (“Panchakarma”). In fact, Ayurveda regards everything natural as potential medicine; so if anything acts as medicine or toxin only depends on the quantities taken.

Dreams And Moksha

2016-08-06T20:17:00.002-07:00

Dreams and Moksha

Jyotisha has three skandhas : Siddhanta (Ganita incl. theory), Horaa, and Samhitaa. Shakuna-shaastra is a part of the third skandha Samhitaa.

Shakuna-shaastra includes, among other topics, the interesting topic 'Interpretation of Dreams'.

A large body of work by rishis was available in ancient ages on such topics, but only a small tip of this occult iceberg is now available, and a large number of available works are in unpublished form, mostly in Sanskrit.

Interpretation of Dreams is, therefore, a part of Vedic knowledge. Unfortunately, all available ancient works on this subject has not been even listed so far, leave aside studied.

Ancient shaastras define dream as that state of Jeeva when Mana is awake and Indriyas sleep. Mana is a part of Mind, Mind is Chitta which includes 13 karanas.
Yoga Vaashishtha defines Mana as that faculty of Chitta which has the power to take Samkalpa.

When other external (ie, Indriyas) and internal (Buddhi, Ahamkaara) faculties of Mind either sleep or become dormant, Mana has a free hand. Then, it takes samkalpas according to its desires which are manifest in two types of dreams :
(1) simple seeing (with mind's eye) of imagined dreams which are false and mostly illogical, and
(2) actually taking the Chitta or Kaarana-shareera to other lokas either for fulfilling samkalpas or at the call of other Chittas.

Every night, Chitta of all creatures goes to Brahm loka but only in sushupti when Mana sleeps and soul is under a deception of sleep. Between Brahm-loka and this loka, there are many intermediate lokas which Chitta may visit. Other real Chittas may also visit us. These visits are not voluntary but are conditioned by our graha dashaas. Some such dreams are results of our intense actions and volitions, and some may come without any immediate reason.

Those dreams which are not directly related to day's activities can be explained on account of graha dashaas and are therefore related to horaa skandha of Jyotisha. Effects of dreams are part of samhitaa skandha and are dealt under Omens or Shakunas.

There is another class of dreams : answer of questions we fail to obtain in Jaagrata state. Some samhitaa texts illustrate the method of getting answers deliberately. Eg, Lomash samhitaa. Atharvaveda has mantras against bad dreams.

Hora texts mention that when good or bad effects of some planet are not strong, the results come only in dreams and not in real life. For the Ego (Ahamkaara), Jaagrata state is real and dreaming state is false. But Jaagrata state reveals only the sensory world to us, which is neither permanent nor ultimate reality. Both Jaagrata and Svapna states are for receiving phalas of past karmas, and the real receiver is Jeeva. In Jaagrata, all 13 faculties receive the phala and relish or detest it. But in svapna only Mana tastes the phalas. Hence, only weak phalas are reaped in dreams, except in some nightmares.

Yoga aims at controlling and ultimately getting rid of dreams. Interpretation of dreams is very important for spiritual progress of a would be yogi, and it is important for knowing the mundane results for the grihasthas.

Dr Girija Shankar Shastri of Allahabad is editing, commenting on and publishing many ancient Samhitaa texts, some of which are bringing to lighthitherto unknown aspects of dreams. Many other scholars also work, but no concerted effort has ever been made to collect and publish the vast ancient material on this topic.

============== MOKSHA :

What is Moksha ? To start with, it is deliverance from bondage. It is Mukti from bonds.

What bondage ? Bondage of ignorant Purusha or Atman to Prakriti.

What is Atman or Purusha ? It is the real self, hidden underneath ego or Ahamkaara, generally ignorant of its distinction from ego, which is the false self. Most of us think this false self to be the real. Atman is neither masculine nor feminine, nor eunuch. Yet it is Purusha, not in this worldly sense, but in the sense that it DWELLS in the Pur made by Prakriti.

Prakriti is made up of three antah-karanas (Buddhi, Ahamkaara, Mana), and ten baahya-karanas of five karmendriyas and five gyaanendriyas, plus five tanmaatras (qualities perceived by sense organs, eg Roopa, Rasa, Gandha, Sparsha, Shabda), and five Mahaabhootas (physical forms of tanmaatras). All this make up our physical and astral (kaarana-shareera) bodies. Kaarana shareera is composed of 13 karanas enumerated above, and accompanies the Atman through all cycles of rebirths since time immemorial and will accompany us till we get rid of it through Moksha. In modern psychology this Kaarana-shareera is called Mind which is not Mana but Chitta in ancient terminology.

Desires make up the cement which creates the bond between Prakriti and Purusha / Atman. Kaama is the bedrock of all desires and is essential force behind Oedipus Complex ( I do not want to elaborate this topic here). On this bedrock flourish three broad types of desires : lust for offsprings, for money and for everlasting fame (Putraishanaa, Vittaishanaa, Lokaishanaa).

There are three normal states of Mana : Jaagrata, Svapna and Sushupta.

Jaagrata = when Atman, Mana and Indriyas are all awake.

Svapna = when Indriyas go to sleep but Mana is awake and wanders from one mental drama of wishfulfilment to another.

Sushupta = when Mana also sleeps, and the Atman falsely believes itself to be asleep too.

Atman is by nature super-conscious and is totally incapable of sleeping. But countless lives of hallucination has made the Jeevaatmaa a servant of Mind (Jeevaatmaa is real Atman plus Prakriti's tattvas mentioned above). Jeevaatmaa does not know itself and thinks whatever is thought by the mind. And the mind thinks or does what it likes, it is unconcerned with the Atman. Mana needs rest, like body and Indriyas. When it rests, there is no thought or scene in it, and then Jeevaatmaa thinks there is nothing. This false sense of self-negation is Nidraa (= looking down, ie, not looking at consciousness and light), which is a specific Klishta Vritti of Chitta and permanent deliverance from Nidraa leads to Moksha.

Nidraa normally takes 30% of 24 hours, and most of it is composed of dreams which tax the mind. Deep sleep or Sushupti occurs only for few interrupted moments, but it is enough for refreshing us for the coming day. Why ? Rishis said that during Sushupti the Jeeva lives in communion with Brahm and is therefore rejuvenated, but Jeevaatmaa is ignorant of this fact.

Nidraa is not a permanent trait of Jeeva, and can be overcome with constant practice of Yogic nidraa, in which the Jeevaatmaa remains fully awake while the Mana and Indriyas sleep. This yoganidraa is called fourth or Tureeya or fourth state of Mind. In it, the lives in Communion with Brahm for the whole period, and the benefic effect is far more profound than normal nidraa. Lifelong practice of Samaadhi plus Yoganidraa (no essential difference) takes the yogi to a stage when the Samskaara for Moksha overpower the Samskaara for Vyutthaana (inclination towards this world). Death in such a state results to Moksha, when Atman attains permanent communion with Brahm and does not need rebirth.

There are four subtle types of Moksha described in Vedanta (Brahmsutra). They can be classed into two broad varieties : Advaita and Vishishta-advaita. In advaita state of Moksha, the soul merges into the Brahma and becomes Brahm in effect. In other varieties, the Mukta Purusha lives in Communion with Brahm but retains its own identity. All other states of Jeeva are bonded states opposed to Moksha and fall under Dvaita type of existence : difference between Jeeva and Brahma in actual practice although not in essence. A Mukta Purusha retaining separate identity can do wonders.

Indriyas can see only its Vishayas and not the inner reality. Moreover, Indriyas can see Vishayas of our own Loka only, not of other Lokas.

These are traditional views about Moksha described in ancient rexts. Personally, I have no experience of Moksha like other mortals, but I personally know many sadhus who are in highly advanced stages of spiritual evolution. They do not want contacts with non-devouts, and they avoid TV, propaganda, chelaa-doms, Papal empires or Mahantha-seats in Mathas..

Transcendental Meditation is highly helpful in mental and physical relaxation, but it is not Yoga-nidraa. The latter contains Yoga which means Communion of Jeevaatmaa and Brahma. Alpha state is not samadhi, but merely a highly relaxed state of mind. Doctors can never be allowed to exoeriment with Samadhi.

If night-dreaming relaxes, then daydreaming should follow suit, and all of us should dream as much as possible, day and night.

Sushupti is only momentary, but ancient ideas about it may differ from modern definitions. Medical textbooks on sleep and dream are not unanimous about the ratio of dreaming phase versus deel sleep. Moreover, this ratio differs from person to person. Some dreams may relax, some do the opposite.

Medical experts can help in learning PHYSICAL characteristics of various levels of sleep, but no more. Physical characteistics constitute only the SURFACE of phenomena. NOUMENA cannot be apprehended through sensory organs or instruments, and is closed to positivist sciences. For it, we need to activate our dormant faculties through practical Yoga. Merely by reading books of Yoga cannot help in understanding it.

Deep sleep as defined by physical science is different from Sushupti as defined in ancient classics of India. Sushupti is complete switching-off of all levels of Mana, hence no dreaming is possible in that stage. Some nightmares are not viewed as visual dreams and therefore there is no eye movement and associated activities of brain. Some nightmares come as if from bolt from the blue. But some develop gradually. Some dreams start from normal scenes and then abruptly change into nightmares.

Shavaasana is not simply lying flat. But perfection ie, aasana-siddhi, in lying flat is first stage of Shavaasana which only some rare individuals achieve. Half an hour of transcendental meditation is not aasana-siddhi. Statue like shavaasana for at least 24 hours must be practised for quite some time before real shavaasana is achieved in which one has simply to lie flat and concentrate only on Japa, the rest is helped by God Who makes the body as if it were a corpse (shava) and the bond between Mind and Body is weakened.

For siddhi in siddhaasana, minimum time is 9 ghatis or 3.6 hours (3 hours 36 minutes).

Demons also performed japa and tapa to attain superhuman powers. Hence, the Moksha attained by saints is different from the moksha attained by Asuras like Kamsa &c. Vedants speaks of four types of Mokshas but these types are not adequately explained in any text. Only attainment of Tureeya avastha can help in understanding these things.

Gayatri is a mantra for samaadhi only, which is clear from its meaning (….inspire into us such an intellect, O Lord, which remains FIXED on thee). But many persons use it for achieving worldly things and end up often with unwanted results. The mantra for japa for attaining yoga must be received from a siddha guru.

Asuras like Hiranyakashyapa or Ravana attained such powers that they were relieved from this world permanently, not because they deserved the highest state ever attainable by holiest of saints, but because this world deserved to be relieved from them. These powerful asuras were put in permanent cold storage. There are four types of Moksha ! There are a lot of asuras and raakshasas even today who eulogise and try to follow Ravana, but lack the powers of Ravana. Ravana was a great tapasvi and a great bhakta of Lord Shiva. Yet, Lord Shiva did not help him against Lord Rama. Why Lord Shiva did not help one of His greatest bhaktas ? Because Ravana was not a real bhakta, he became a bhakta because he wanted superhuman powers in return. It is business, not bhakti.

Real Sanyaasa is essential for real Moksha. Sanyaasa ashrama is merely a tool, and not the only one, for achiving real Sanyaasa. Grihasthas like Janaka and Yajnavalkya attained Brahm in grihastha-ashrama, and Dhruva attained the supreme state even before entering into the first ashrama ! Dhruva did not study Vedas or anything else. Valmiki did not enrol in any gurukul. They performed japa and tapa, but mere japa-tapa does not ensure Moksha, japa-tapa helps in removing obstacles to Moksha IF the intentions are good. Hence, the grace of God is essential. Praayashchitta of even one grave sin is very difficult. Deliverance from all sins of all countless lives is impossible without the Grace of God.
God may be anything : Rama or a statue or a symbol or a formless idea or Neti-Neti, and mantra for japa may be anything given by a gifted guru, the essential thing is purity of heart and sincerity plus perseverance of efforts.

Once, a learned sadhu had to take shelter in the hut of an illiterate villager. The sadhu sat in a corner under a Kambala (quilt) and started japa. The villager was earnestly trying to meet God but did not know how. He begged the sadhu to teach the mantra. The sadhu refused, because the villager did not belong to proper caste. The villager started a japa of following mantra in Hindi :

Jo kambala vaalaa bhajataa hai, vahee main bhajataa hoo ("I perform the same japa as this person in quilt does")

After many hours, the Lord appeared before him and taught him the 12-letter mantra of Lord Krishna being used by the sadhu, and then vanished.

The villager started japa of that mantra aloud, not knowing that mental japa was better. The sadhu was surprised and asked the villager who taught him that mantra. The villager said Lord Krishna had arrived in that humble hut to teach him the mantra. The sadhu could not believe that decades of japa of proper mantra failed to show the Lord even for a second, while a wrong "mantra" in vernacular tongue broughtl the Lord ! The sadhu asked him to show the Lord. The villager started japa and begged the Lord to appeared again, but when the Lord reappeared only the illiterate villager could see Him and the learned sadhu could not see the Lord and concluded that the villager was a liar. But the question remained unsolved for him : who taught the villager his mantra? The sadhu wasted time on logic, arguments, etc to solve this riddle, but could not realize the importance of innocence and purity of heart, without which Grace of God cannot be achieved.

Aagama is a pramaana (proof) only for those who have followed Vedic path in actual practice for adequate duration. For others, Aagama is not a proof because they do not travel the distance required to see its proof.

Sandhyaa-vandana's initial portion contains Agha-marshana Sukta taken from penultimate sukta of Rgveda. It says :

…Rta and Sat are born out of Tapa…

Rta is eternal (divine) moral order, and Sat is that which is it eternal Sattaa (ie, the non-material Atma-tattva).

Tapa has three varieties :

aasana-siddhi for shaareerika tapa,
mauna for vaachika tapa, and
praanaayama for maanasika tapa.

Lord Shiva in Tapas

Aasana siddhi enables a person for Samaadhi which is the ultimate goal of Yoga. Aasanas like sheersaasanas are not for samaadhi, they help only in preparation for yoga. Shavaasana is most favoured of all four basic aasanas of samaadhi, the only danger in shavaasana is that it is most vulnerable to sleep. Mauna, according to Yajnavalkya in Brihadaaranyaka-upanishada, is that ultimate state of real Consciousness in which use of words (ie, process of thinking logically which needs words) stops and dormant power of Mana is activated which we can term as super-consciousness. For non-yogis, Mauna is abstinence from speaking. Yogic Mauna of Yajnavalkya is goal of yoga, while normal Mauna is vaachika tapa. Maanasika tapa is praanaayama. Most of moderners wrongly believe that praanaayama is breathing exercize which strengthens lungs. But Patanjali mentions only two benefits of praanaayama : it removes the veils of ignorance (ie, unconscious portion of mind is destroyed by praanaayaama), and it enables for internal yoga (dhaaranaa-dhyaana-samaadhi).

Without performing these austerities, it is impossible to see or feel the direct proofs of authenticity of scriptures. Jyotisha is the only Ptatyaksha pramaana of Veda.

(I am not a perfect yogi, but I have personal experience of all levels of it which I am not fortunate enough to practise as much I should. Without lifelong practice, there is little benefit from attaining Tureeya avastha for some brief periods of life. Whatever I have written under this thread is neither from any modern book of Yoga nor from my secret personal experience, but from ancient classics which I attested through my personal practice. These are not closely guarded secrets but are easily available in bookshops. Dream analysis is very important for becoming a Yogi and I had to study medical texts too, but they did not help me because my aim was different. Scientists merely analyse dreams, yogis control dreams. Without a complete check on all dreams and without complete wakefulness during Sushupti, yoga cannot be perfected. )

Now some personal comments for those who want to ACT :

Asana is defined by Patanjali as that posture in which one can sit in a fixed state for long duration, which is essential for samaadhi. There are only four asanas for samadhi : siddhaasana, shavaasana, padmaasana and vajraasana. The last two cannot be performed for long duration by most of us.

I practised both Shavaasana (for 7.2 hours in night) and Siddhaasana (for 3.6 hours thrice a day) for long periods. For 13 days, I performed continuous Shavaasana for 24 hours followed with 12 hours of siddhaasana, devoting only half an hour to nitya karma and never venturing out of my house where I lived alone. The pain I suffered was tremendous. But the results I received was much more than tremendous : the Jeeva which was under hallucination since Time Immemorial came out of its long stupor and started uninterrupted Japa-yajna which has never stopped to this day, even during sleep, talking, etc. Now-a-days I cannot devote all my time to asanas, but I still adhere to certain lifelong rules : whole night shavaasana, akhanda brahmacharya, abstinence from all spices or oils or salts in foods, practice of Yama and Niyama as much as I can, etc. I never aspired for worldly gains, but worldly gains are also tremendous in all fields : money, fame, etc, which come without my asking.

But interaction with worldly peoples has weakened my gains and I need to intensify my formewr yogic practices now. In the period of greatest austerities, I could see with closed eyes and could read minds of others, although faintly. Not now. But such powers MUST never be one's aim, otherwise one may become Ravana or Mahisaasura.

Real Praanaayaama can be performed ONLY in Siddhaasana, otherwise seminal ejaculation will occur if Praanaayaama is performed with utmost effort, esp the Baahya Kumbhaka which few persons do in Kaliyuga. But even if seminal ejaculation occurs during Praanaayaama, it is not an end of Brahmacharya because it is not caused by Kaama, and is a sign of remaining sins. Saatvika food, solitude, meditation, etc reduce such mishaps.

Blessed are those who experience even brief experience of Divine Bliss which is the normal state of real samaadhi. Till then, we must suffer, either through ignorance and consequent rebirths or through Tapasyaa to get rid of this ignorance. Tapasyaa is painful, but there is no alternative for destroying hard sins. Only soft sins can be destroyed by bhajanas &c, unless bhajana is no intense and prolonged that it leads to uninterrupted Japa-yajna which is the highest yajna according to Gita. Attainment of Divine Consciousness is what Veda aims at, and Jyotisha is the only tangible proof of this divinity hidden underneath Unconscious Mind in all of of us; hence Jyotisha is the Eye of Veda. Jyotisha gives us proofs of fruits of karmas following through rebirths and is therefore a proof of existence of Soul taking rebirths to experiecne fruits of Karmas described by Phalita Jyotisha.

By: +Prof: Koti Madhav Balu Chowdary

Healthy Eating, according Ancient Vedic Food

2016-08-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

Many well-intentioned people are doing their best to "eat healthy" and yet suffering, simply because there is much misinformation about "healthy food" out there in our pop culture. I'll try to give some basic guidelines on healthy eating in simple lingo.

* *
Measuring the quality and impact of food in calories is like judging a book from the number of pages!

Even carb, protein, saturated & unsaturated fat numbers we see on nutrition labels are only of secondary importance and not the primary factor to judge the impact of food on one. Lab testing may show certain nutrients in a food item, but their effect on YOU is decided by how YOUR body handles them, digests them, assimilates them and how various nutrients reach various body parts.

There is a millennia old framework to judge that well and do what is right for YOU!

Some fine-tuning may be needed based on trial and error, but you can start off with what is more likely to work for you, rather than blindly following pop culture fads and one-size-fits-all misinformation and helplessly getting stuck with chronic health issues.

Remember: NOTHING is universally good or bad. Every food item may be fantastic for some and terrible for some. And there is a way to know it without resorting to experiments.

Just because everyone says olive oil or coconut oil is the best, don't switch to it blindly. For a kapha person, mustard oil is the best. Sesame and canola oil may also be ok, but other oils are not good. Again, don't jump to the conclusion that mustard oil is the best for all. For a pitta person, it is like poison. Coconut oil and ghee are best then.

People think that yogurt is probiotic and very healthy. Not so fast. If you are a kapha person, dairy products (especially yogurt) are like a poison.

People think that taking too much oil or ghee is bad, but that is exactly what you need if you are a vata person!

People think that salads are healthy. Not so fast. For a vata person, raw vegetables and greens are poisonous. They'll increase vata and give chronic nervo-muscular aches, chronic anxiety, depression etc.

We are told "one apple a day keeps doctor way". That's true if you are a pitta/kapha person. If you are a vata person, one apple a day ruins your health.

Every food is good for some and bad for some. You need to know your Ayurvedic body type to know what is good for you.

There are 3 types - Kapha (weak metabolism), Pitta (strong metabolism) and Vata (variable metabolism). One can also have a combination of these. For example, one can be primarily Vata and secondarily pitta.

Proceeding to buy food without knowing ayurvedic body type is as ridiculous as going to buy clothes
without knowing size! smile emoticon Unfortunately, people feel far more uncomfortable wearing clothes that don't fit them, than eating food that doesn't suit them! frown emoticon

To find out your body type, you can use questionnaires on online self-service websites. You can search on the internet for "ayurveda body type". Most of them are reasonable. They can atleast tell you your primary type.

You can also read books to get the fundamentals. "Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution" by Dr Robert Svoboda is the best introductory book I have seen. It is a thin book written for laymen with great lucidity.

and see which foods are gooD/bad for you. Click "My food & diet" and select grains, vegetables, fruits, beans/legumes, oils, spices, dairy, nuts, roots etc. You will then see various items under the selected category.

For example, if you select "fruits" category, fruits are listed. If you look at guava in that list, it has V and K crossed out and only P is not crossed out. That means guava is bad for vata and kapha people and good for pitta people.

Even if one does not strictly avoid bad foods, one will still benefit if one predominantly eats foods that are good for one. Even when eating bad foods, one can balance them with other ingredients or spices that are good for one.

For example, suppose a vata person wants to occasionally eat arugula (greens) for some nutrients. It is good for piita and kapha, but not for vata. So one can add some tamarind paste to reduce that vata.

Suppose a kapha person wants to occasionally eat yogurt. One can mix some spicy pickle with it to balance kapha.

Apart from what to eat, how to eat is also important!

(1) Regular habits are helpful.

(2) Do not eat unless you are hungry. If there is no hunger, it is better to skip a meal. Spices like ginger provoke jatharagni (digestive fire) and make one hungry. If liver is clogged, thus killing the appetite, detoxification may be needed. Bitter foods (e.g. bitter melon) cleanse liver. Triphala tea is a great detoxifier for the gastro-intestinal tract and safe for daily use.

(3) When there is hunger, do not suppress it for too long. Your body will be confused and lose its rhythm in long run.

(4) Most importantly, eat slowly and focus on the food when eating. Don't look at food as an object that gives calories, carbs and proteins etc. It is what *makes* you, at least physically. Have love and reverence for it and pay attention to it while you eat it.

The rituals before and after eating were designed to cultivate this attitude. But, they have just become rituals. People say mantras before/after eating, but focus on TV or talking, while eating. Whether or not you say any mantras before/after eating, be aware that the divine has manifested as that food in front of you and will nourish you. Eat each bite with reverence, love and gratitude.

(5) Stop eating when you feel 90% full. There is a delay in the feedback from stomach to brain. If your your brain thinks you are 90% full, you are probably 100% full in reality - you will realize it in a few more minutes! smile emoticon

(6) VERY IMPORTANT: Take time and chew your food perfectly. By the time it is swallowed in, food must be like a smooth and flowing paste. Saliva will turn it into that, if you chew it well. Unfortunately, most people now-da-days do not chew their food perfectly, due to time pressure.

Any big or small unpasted solid pieces swallowed will not give you strength. Instead, they will rot in your stomach and intestines over a long time and become gas.

(7) Do NOT drink much water with a meal. Take just a few sips to soften the food being swallowed.

For ideal digestion, food should stay in stomach for an hour or two, before going down into small intestines via osmosis. If it is over-diluted with a cup or two of water, it will leave stomach before the first stage of digestion finishes. It is like sending a 5 year old child directly to 8th grade - bad idea!

(8) Wait for a couple of hours after a meal and then drink water. Then you can drink plenty of water. Before that, it is ok to take small sips of water, but not too much water that washes food down.

About 30-45 minutes before a meal, a lot of water (e.g. a cup) can be taken to flush the system clean and stimulate the production of enzymes for digestion.

(9) Kapha people should eat less and spicy (but they hate spice). Pitta people should a few big meals and not spicy (but they love spice). Vata people should eat several small meals.

(10) Unless you are a pitta person living in hot climates, avoid cold drinks or cold foods. They destabilize your digestive system.

(11) Do not eat dinner just before sleeping. That is a terrible habit many people have. Eat dinner at least 2 hours before sleeping.

Apart from being aware of what is good for you, try to avoid processed foods with artificial ingredients and preservatives. Avoid hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, sugar alternatives etc. The "sugar free" sweets are a fad taking off in India now and avoid this dangerous trend. Instead of eating sugar free sweets, simply avoid sweets or at least avoid "refined sugar" that is simply sucrose. Natural sugarcane juice has several other ingredients that make it effective. If you remove everything else and use only sucrose, it can become problematic. If you leave me with my house, wife, kids, friends, computer etc, I can do what I do now. If you deprive me of all this and take me into an isolation chamber, I cannot produce the same output I do now! So don't blame sucrose for sugar problems people have, but blame the idoiticity of human race that chose to use sucrose in isolation for sweetness. Consider more wholesome sugars rather than artificial alternatives like sucralose. It is only a matter of time before people realize their dangers!

Instead of using normal white refined salt ("pure" sodium chloride), consider other salt (e.g. natural mineral salt sold by www.banyanbotanicals.com) or unrefined sea salt, which have several other minerals.

As one person put it, refined "white" sugar, refined "white" salt, refined "white" rice are the source of many diseases today. The original brown versions of all three are superior.

Also, in general, food cooked fresh is the best. There is a tamasik quality to old/stale food, even if the ingredients used were saattwik.

A lot of people unknowingly combine incompatible foods and that puts stress on their digestive system. For example, if you mix milk and sour fruits (e.g. strawberries), both become more difficult to digest. One may sometimes not see any external symptom due to this bad practice for a long time, but this overloading of the digestive system creates problems under the surface. By the time, its boils over and shows up as an external symptom, it may be too tough to fix.

A nice list of incompatible foods compiled by Dr Vasant Lad can be found at: http://www.ayurveda.com/pdf/food_combining.pdf

Imagine a workplace where unproductive and undesirable employees are not fired, but retained. They drag everyone down - getting rid of them improves the productivity of others.

Similarly, elimination is as important as assimilation. Without proper elimination, appetite and assimilation will be weaker.

A lot of people now-a-days suffer from various levels of constipation. Please note that constipation is not just complete lack of elimination, but also a lower level of elimination than required.

Not drinking enough water, not drinking water at the right times, drinking too many cold drinks, eating cold food, eating food with many chemicals, drinking too much caffeinated drinks (they dehydrate one), irregular habits, stress & anxiety and toxic build in the digestive system, are some of the reasons.

Drinking one cup of warm/hot Triphala tea before sleeping can improve regular elimination. Triphala is the powder of 3 dried fruits (including amla/gooseberry) and readily available in Indian stores (you can also buy at www.BanyanBotanicals.com). Between 1/2 to 1 1/2 spoons of powder can be boiled with hot water and filtered like tea. The powder quantity can be fixed by trial and error, as different people need different amounts.

Eating right food, eating regularly, being in good spirits in general and especially when eating, regular exericse (however little) will improve health.

If one has bad habits, one's body may handle it fine for a long time and external symptoms of illness may not show up, especially in the first 30-40 years of one's life. As one hits 40s and 50s, problems accumulated under the surface due to bad habits will slowly boil over the surface and start showing external symptoms. By this time, the problems may be too tough to fix with simple lifestyle changes.

As they say, prevention is better than cure!

At least physically, you are what you eat. So eat carefully and wisely. Most importantly, as we live in this dark age of misinformation generated by a cacophony of phony self-interests and agendas, even those who religiously follow what they are told is good for them by pop culture end up suffering. I strongly recommend falling back to the wisdom of rishis!

Vedic Astrology vs Western Astrology

2016-08-06T06:13:00.000-07:00

There are two branches of Vedic Astrology, Ganita (mathematics/astronomy) and Phalita(predictive astrology &c), and in both of them it differs profoundly from Western Astrology. Western Astrology is mostly based on tropical planets although there is a sidereal sidetrack as well, while Vedic Astrology is sidereal, planets referenced with fixed positions of sky. Difference between tropical and sidereal is termed ayanamsha in Vedic Astrology, whose exact value is a bone of contention among modern reformers of Vedic Astrology, but all variants hover around 23 degrees.

Therefore, all 12 houses of a horoscope in Western chart differ from their Vedic counterparts by ~23 degrees. It has profound implications for predictive results, because a difference of 23 degrees out of a total of 30 for a house is considerable. Therefore, we can say thet even if predictive theories remain unchanged, Western and Vedic charts will show over 75% difference in results!

As for the second part(Phalita or predictive theory), original sources of both Western and Vedic theories are same, and date back to a period well before 3000 BC because we find profound similarities between astrological schools of Egypt, Sumer, China, India etc. But with passage of time, differences between Western and Vedic astrological theories increased. Both deal with same themes, but approaches are different. Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS) is the earliest and most comprehensive text of Phalita portion of Vedic Astrology, and it has considerable similarities with Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos. But BPHS is much more comprehensive, vast and organic in philosophical vision than any other Phalita text ever written in India or in the West. Adherents of Vedic Astrology claim that BPHS and related texts work wonderfully in sidereal system, but malfunction in tropical system.

Astrology is denounced as pseudoscience in academic circles of the West, but India has many Sanskrit universities and research institutions with special departments of Vedic Astrology whose degrees are recognized by the government. Besides, government funding is allowed in India for research works in Vedic Astrology, while Western Astrology thrives on public goodwill only. The reason is socio-political : hardly any religious and related function among Hindus, including marriage &c, can be performed without the help of a Vedic Astrologer. Hence, Vedic Astrology has a greater influence than Western Astrology.

As far as logical, philosophical and other coherence is concerned, Vedic Astrology is more organic than Western Astrology. As far as correctness of prediction is concerned, no thorough academic research has ever been carried out to compare Western and Vedic systems of astrology.

[ WARNING : Many statements in this article are copyright materials and should not be cited without proper acknowledgement, such as about Romaka Siddhanta, Almagest, Puranas, etc. ]

11 Rudra Avatars of Yogi

2016-08-05T01:34:00.000-07:00

Lord Shiva Avatars

Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme God in the Hinduism. For setting up an ideal work on the earth in front of his creatures, he had taken variety of the avatars and incarnations. Some of his avatars are related to protecting his devotees from the devils and proud Gods as well. However, five avatars of all his incarnations are hideously important as well as assumed to be the most valuable and effective for his devotees. The most important five incarnations are: Tatpurush, Namadeva, Aghoresh, Sadhojat and Ishan.

1) Tatpurush

Tatpurush is the most popular third incarnation of the Lord Shiva which was manifested in the 21st Kalpa of the planet known as Peetavasa. It was appeared by the prayer of the Lord Brahma.

2) Naamdeva:

During the 20th Kalpa known as the Rakta, Lord Brahma got his complexion changed to a red. Another entity was appeared from him of the red complexion, which was name by him as a Namadeva. It is considered as the Naamdeva was also the incarnation of Lord Shiva.

3) Aghoresh

In the Shiva Kalpa (after the Peetavasa Kalp), an entity of black color complexion was appeared by the Lord Brahma when he was in deep meditation state. Lord Brahma named that entity as Aghor Shiva and considered as another form of Lord Shiva.

4) Sadhojat

During the 19th Kalpa known as Shweta Lohit, there appeared an entity by the Lord Brahma while he was meditating, which was named by him as Sadhojat. It is considered that this form of the Lord Shiva was the first incarnation. Four disciples of the Sadhojat were appeared by his own body named Nandan, Vishwanandan, Sunand and Upanandan.

5) ISHAN

In the Vishwaroop Kalpa, Ishan form of the Lord Shiva and Saraswati were manifested. Four divine entities like Mundi, Shikhandi, Caste and Ardhamundi were manifested from the Ishan Shiva. Lord Brahma was blessed by all of them for the creation facility.

Eight Idols of the Lord Shiva:

There are eight idols of the Lord Shiva which includes Ugra, Sharva, Bhava, Rudra, Bheema, Pashupati, Ishan and Mahadeva. Ten fastidious incarnations of the God Shiva known as Dash Avatar and 10 incarnations of the Mata Sakti known as the Dash Mahavidya. Describing concerning to the 10 incarnations and their corresponding power (Shakti), the first incarnation of Lord Shiva was the Mahakal and Shakti was Mahakali. Second incarnation of both of them was Tar and Tara. Third incarnation of both of them was Bhuvaneshwar and Bhuvaneshwari. Fourth incarnation was Shodash and Shodashi or Shri. Fifth incarnation was Bhairav and Bhairavi. The sixth incarnation was Chhinamastak and Chhinamasta. Seventh incarnation was Dhoomvan and Dhoomvati. The eighth incarnation was Baglamukh and Baglamukhi. The ninth incarnation was Matang and Matangi. Tenth incarnation was Kamal and Kamala.

Lord Shiv with the Rudras

11 Rudra Avatars

Lord Shiva took birth on the earth as the eleven Rudras from the Kashyap wife’s (Surabhi) womb. These forms of the eleven Rudras are associated with the battles with demons in the past in order to save the people and Gods. Following are the name of eleven Rudras:

1) Kapali 2) Pingal 3) Bheem 4) Virupaksha 5) Vilohit 6) Shastra 7) Ajapaad 8) Ahirbudhnya 9) Shambhu 10) Chand and 11) Bhav.

Incarnations of Lord Shiva

Apart from all the above incarnations of the Lord Shiva, he had taken some other incarnations which are described as below:

1. Ardhnaarishwar Avatar: Ardhnaarishwar form of the Lord Shiva includes half body of Lord Shiva and other half of the Mata Parvati. This form is very calm and peaceful, provides blessings to the devotees.

2. Nandi Avatar: Lord Shiva had taken lots of avatars on the earth according to the requirement for their devotees. Nandi avatar is one of all the avatars.

3. Sharabh Avatar: This form of the Lord Shiva was the 6th avatar of him.

4. Grihpati Avatar: Grihpati avatar of the Lord Shiva was the 7th avatar of him.

5. Neel Kanth Avatar: Neel Kanth avatar is also a main form of him. Once there was arisen a lot of Vish from the churning of the ocean. Lord Shiva had drunk all the Vish to prevent his beautiful world from the bad effects of Vish. Mata Parvati had stopped the Vish to fall below the neck by putting her palm on his neck. So, this form of him is known as the Neel kanth avatar.

6. Rishi Durvasha Avatar: It is considered as this avatar of the Lord is the main avatar. He has taken this avatar on the earth to maintain the discipline of the universe.

7. Mahesh Avatar: Mahesh avatar is also a peaceful form of the Lord Shiva which blesses his devotees.

8. Hanuman Avatar: hanuman avatar is considered as the supreme avatar of him. Lord Shiva has taken this avatar during the time Lord Rama to present a good example of the Lord and Bhakt in front of the people.

9. Brishabh Avatar: Brishabh avatar is the very significant form of the God Shiva.

10. Piplaad Avatar: Lord Shiva helps their devotees to get free from the Shani Dosha in this form. It is considered as the name of this avatar was given by the Lord Brahma.

11. Vaishyanath Avatar: This is the main avatar of the Lord Shiva to his devotees.

13. Yatinath Avatar: Yatinath avatar of the God Shiva represents a peaceful form of him to his devotees.

14. Krishna Darshan Avatar: Lord Shiva, in this form had represented the significance of the yagya and important religious rituals in Hinduism.

15. Awdhuteshwar Avatar: In this form Lord Shiva had crushed the ego of proud Indra.

16. Bhichhuwarya Avatar: In this form, Lord Shiva protects his all creatures from any difficulty.

17. Sureshwar Avatar: This form of Lord Shiva represents the love and care of him towards his devotees.

18. Bramhchari Avatar: Lord Shiva had taken this avatar to test the Mata Parvati. When Sati rebirth on the earth to the Himalaya’s house as his daughter, Parvati and started worshipping the God Shiva to marry him.

19. Sunatnartak Avatar: Lord Shiva had taken this form to ask the hand of Parvati from her father, Himalaya.

20. Saddhu Avatar: Lord Shiva had taken Sadhu avatar many times according to the need of his devotees.

21. Vibhuashwathama Avatar: Lord Shiva had taken this avatar in the Mahabharat as Ashwatthama (son Dronacharya).

22. Kiraat Avatar: Lord Shiva, in this form had taken the test of Arjuna.

23. Veerbhadra Avatar: This avatar was taken by the Lord Shiva after the sacrifice of the Sati into the Daksha’s yagya. This form of the Lord Shiva was very terrible, face was full of angry, hair opened, indicated his love and care towards his wife.

24. Bhairav Avatar: Lord Shiva has taken Bhairav avatar to protect the Sati pindas. After the death of Sati into the yagya of Daksha, Lord Shiva was wandering all over the world by taking the Sati body. Lord Vishnu had cut the body of Sati into many pieces (52) by his wheel. Those pieces were fallen on the earth. So to protect those Sati pindas from the devils, Lord Shiva had taken the Bhairav avatar.

25. Allama Prabhu: This is one of the incarnations of the Lord Shiva. This form was involved with the Kalyanapuri revolution where Bijala Raja was slain.

26. Khandoba: This is another incarnation of the Lord Shiva having horse as his vehicle and loaded with the sword, trident, bowl and trident.

The Circle of Creation - Purusa, Prakrtii and Gunas

2016-03-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

When we speak of Three Forces of Creation, or when we want to apply knowledge of Prakrtii – manifested nature of Creation, roughly said, or of Force of Creation or accurately of Cosmic Operational Force – we must know Action or Attributes of Force of Creation. The Three Forces are Force of Action, Force of Resistance and Force of Balance (Neutral force). These Forces influence each of the Worlds in their own way, in certain combinations with the World above them, which in the sense of Creation of Universe means that these Forces create entire Universe, and Forces nearer to the Absolute are not so restrictive as in our case, on our Planet or part of the Universe we are in. Hence, if we now for a moment limit to our Place and Time, we may say that Man and Nature around him – plants, animals, minerals, stones etc. – are under the control of Three Forces named in Tantra Gunas. Gunas denote Attribute, Function, Characteristic, but all these translations are not proper fully, but we have no better. They are known in Tantra as Sattva: Balance; Rajah (Rajas): Action; and Tamah (Tamas): Passivity, Resistance.

Prakrtii or as some translate it Nature (Energy, Law) – which is very bad translation, because it represents Cosmic Operational Force – is composite of these Three Forces, or Sattva, Rajah and Tamah Guna. Entire Universe is manifested with the help of these Three Forces or Prakrtii. Each aspect of Manifestation of Universe is under the control of Three Gunas (Forces). Each aspect that is created in further Creation or so called Evolution of the Universe is limited by additional Forces, i.e. Three Forces from the World above plus Three Forces from the Created Word and so on, and on.
In our case, in accordance with the Law of Creation, there are 48 Forcer ruling over us, or 48 Laws which manifest in this part of the Universe, or World 48.

Purusa or Consciousness doesn’t consist the manifestation of Three Forces, therefore It has no Manifested Universe or Saguna Brahman is manifestation of Three Gunas. Within Consciousness the Three Forces are in complete Balance hence there is no Creation. In order to be Creation, Three Forces must come out of the Balance which results in Creating the Universe. Which then implies that it is not Consciousness what Created the Universe, but Creator is Operational Principle of Consciousness or Prakrtii. Consciousness always stays as a Witness, as a Foundation where certain Creation of Universe happens (we might speak of millions of Universes – something similar as it is said in Quantum Physics).
Manifestation.

When Consciousness is dominant, when Consciousness is fully Realized – said conditionaly – then there is no manifestation of Three Forces, they are in complete Balance which means that they cannot Create.

We might also translate Gunas as Restrictive features, Restrictive Bonds, which means that Consciousness is limited by them, bound by manifestation and there is no word about Consciousness fully Aware of Self, and bond in certain forms and objects of Three Forces Manifestation.

When Prakrtii is in Balance, i.e. when Forces are in Balance, there is no I Feeling, or Knowledge of I or I Am Sensation – to an Individual Conscious – nor there us any psychic vibration or activity. When Conscious is under limited feature of Prakrtii – or more precise when there is Sattva Guna acting in it – what appears is I Feeling or Knowledge of self. So we can say, that wherever is action of Guna within Prakrtii there appears Individual Consciousness or I Feeling or Knowledge of self. Without actions of Prakrtii and Sattva Guna there is no sensation of separate self, or Individual Consciousness.

In other words Wakefulness as a State of Consciousness is Guna Action. Objective Consciousness or Fourth State of Consciousness – Turiya – denotes Balance of Gunas and Consciousness reunited with Self, Purusa.

With Action of Sattva Guna (Neutral Force) within Prakrtii or Dharma of Sattva Guna, Universal Consciousness or Purusa becomes limited and there appears I Am Sensation.

Now, if we put down this to a world where we live in, and which is manifestation of great density of Laws, but which acts in accordance with Three Gunas or Three Forces, knowing that our I Am sensation or I Feeling – Individuality – is a product of Sattva Guna or Neutral Force, then we can understand why is it so difficult to enter Awareness, or to maintain I Am Sensation. The reason for it is because we can divide our world into Three Forces, but each of these Forces consists Forces from the previous world, which means that Neutral Force already consists additional Forces from the World above, and a man doesn’t feel Self, or that Self is under the heavy influence and Actions of Gunas from the Worlds above, which is manifested as a Mind that we know, limited, dull, passive, in heavy conflicts. Mind that we have and are Identified with is built in accordance with the World we are in, i.e. it is not our Mind, it is Mind filled with 48 Forces, said conditionally, i.e. 48 Laws which act in accordance with the World we are in.

None of the Gunas Act separately, but in combination with other Gunas. As soon as Sattva Guna appears in that moment appear both Rajah and Tamah Guna, if we observe it from an Upper Side of Creation. But, if we observe it from our point of view, which is Manifestation of it’s own kind, or Reaction of Lower World to Higher one, then we speak of dominant Guna which Creates by it’s Action other Gunas.

When there is Action of Tamah Guna a result is inertia, passivity, dullness, indolence and it Creates, in accordance to self, other Gunas. When there is Action of Rajah Guna a result is activity, reaction, direction and it Creates, in accordance to self, other Gunas. Tamah or Rajah Guna automatically create it’s opposite. Tamah creates Rajah, and Rajah creates Tamah. In accordance with it, or in accordance with Manifestation of the Universe there must be also an I Sensation so we can speak of creating of Sattva Guna in a moment of Action of any other Guna. We do not speak of Quality of the I Am Sensation, but it is logically tha, if man isn’t Aware his I Am Sensation cannot be proper or Genuine if it is under the influence of any of these Gunas, i.e. if his life is directed by Action of one of other two Gunas.

Characteristic of Sattva Guna, or Neutral Force is Knowledge of Existence and carries within happiness and a sense of relief. Rajah Guna characterizes action which holds “I” Sensation busy and Tamah Guna is characterized by a certain result of Actions of Action or enjoyment in a results of Rajah Guna Actions.

What should be added is that Sattva Guna doesn’t bring inertia as thought by many, because inertia is a result of Tamah Guna. Inertia means certain “stillness” of death, not balance of Knowledge. Each Action consists certain activity of Rajah Guna and Tamah Guna which are in some form of cooperation, we might even say a certain conflict which results with certain situation.

As long as Rajah Guna is dominant there are certain glimpses of Sattva Guna, i.e. certain existence that we feel as “I” or separate “I”, which is created by friction of Rajah and Tamah in which Rajah prevails. But when Tamah Guna prevails, after Rajah has been exhausted – when certain Action is completed and has no potential of Action – certain induration happens and what comes are Resistance or Death. Let’s say that as long as there is certain friction between Action and Resistance, there is some individual I who bears fruit of identification or bears fruit of it’s Action.

Human is born

Human is born and lives his life under the heavy influence of Rajah Guna and when that influence starts to fade, he enters so called old age. In the moment when there is no Action of Rajah Guna dying happens, and Tamah Guna is increased. A constant fight between Rajah and Tamah within certain life result with what we call “our life”, because of Identification Consciousness with Prakrtii, or we might say that Friction of Rajah Guna with Tamah Guna keeps limited Consciousness under this Identification and sensation that It lives, exists. But that Friction, i.e. within that Friction we can identify Rajah Guna as main, as moving, and it is always in certain “conflict”, Friction with Tamah Guna. That conflict, fight, Friction between these two Gunas Identifies a Man’s sense of Existence expressed as “I” and we say that a man fights to live, to act and such. Our life, let’s say out of average 80 years, is divided on Three Periods in accordance with Gunas.

In Third part of Life within Life Tamah Guna is starting to prevail. And Human enters a certain rest, relief, inertia, decreased activity (said from a laic perspective on Life and Creation). That means that Tamah Guna is increasing within him which gradually leads to condensation i.e. dying.

It is called in Tantra a Friction between Creator and Destroyer, Creation and Destruction, Vishnu and Shiva.

A Mind is created by Influence Prakrtii over Purusa. Characteristic of Mind is moving, thinking, emotion. When a Mind starts to manifest towards cruder and gets Identified with material object, this process is called Mental Decreasing or Mental Reduction or Saincara Kriya. When a Mind is reversed and moves from material to Subtler and eventually merges into Cosmic Sensation of I that process is called Mental Attraction or Pratisaincara.

Saincara is a principle lead by Tamah Guna, Pratisaincara is a principle lead by Sattva Guna. Saincara creates static sensation or static “I”, and Pratisaincara creates Cosmic Sensation, or Cosmic Self.

Purusa (the Absolute, Original Consciousness) is not touched by attraction or rejection, Purusa is Nirguna Brahman.

“There is only The Highest Brahman and no other Entity. He controls this World with His Prakrtii and in time of Annihilation of The Universe entire Creation merges into Him. He withdraws Self Alone and His Created Universe.”

The Entity we know as Brahman is called Indestructible Consciousness or Aksara-Purusa for he never degrades from self or his position. He is Untouched and infallible. During Attraction or Rejection a part of Purusa which Manifests is known under the name of Transient Entity or Ksar Purusa.

Tantra states:
“This Universe is a form of Devii or Prakrtii. Everything manifested or visible in the Universe is consisted of Devii. I bow to this Goddess (Devii) which takes over the image of the Universe, as a Mother of Universe.”

Entire Universe is a Creation of Creational Forces or Gunas within Prakrtii. A Mind we know is under the Influence of these Forces or Prakrtii, but part in us which always Witnesses, known as Consciousness or Atman is indestructible and is Nucleus of Brahman Alone. Within that Consciousness Three Gunas act and one of them, Sattva Guna creates individual sensation of “I” that we have as human beings, but limited “I” sensation. The “I” Sensation appears at Birth and disappears by Death, and what remains is Atman, Consciousness unconditioned by Creation and Destruction as Nucleus of The Absolute.

As long as Man is Identified with it’s Mind he cannot be Liberated, i.e. Consciousness which is Original Nature of Human, by Actions of Prakrtii within us – as in the case of Universe – gets mesmerized by Creation or Action of Energy therefore not knowing itself, i.e. Mind doesn’t return to Original State.

If we put this in everyday Work that we must do and which gets us out of circle of Samskara, or circle of Eternal Returns, we might say that Mind we have is Created by action of Three Forces which are not Balanced. Each our Action has a Reaction in the background, but also every Reaction has an Action in the background, to which Individual Consciousness or I Sensation is Identified with. The I Am Sensation which originates from Action of Neutral Force gets mesmerized by Action and Reaction, hence Identified with them isn’t aware of Self, i.e. doesn’t know Self, I Am.

Bringing Consciousness into Situations, also in internal Reactions and Actions, increase Consciousness through I Am Sensation which is Manifested Brahman in Internal Universe. Unmanifested Brahman is Fourth State of Consciousess or Original Consciousness which is like Space – Universe – which enables Action and Manifestation within it.

When a Man reaches State of Union through his Sadhana (Work on Self) within him stops Action of Three Forces, i.e. they come to Balance therefore all manifestations that we know as Inner Reaction or Action stop, and Man enters Nirvikalpa Samadhi, he’s Awake. Nirvikalpa Samadhi (Samadhi without any qualities – Gunas) is a certain “experience”, but we may call it State. If a Man stays in this State some certain period, as Teaching says 21 days without interrupting, he completely merges with Nirguna Brahman and death of body and mind comes.

You get clear, with this, why is it impossible to be constantly in Higher State of Consciousness, or Awareness, because it would be a certain negation of Gunas or Forces, and they could not perform action, which is impossible. But if a Man Consciously approaches every day life, Inner processes and External situations, he increases Sattva Guna which is a kind of Neutral Force of Action and Reaction, Creation and Destruction within us. Therefore, by Balancing self, he recognizes his Original Consciousness as Self Alone and realizes that everything that is happening within him is enabled because of this Consciousness, hence he is that Consciousness, the very Nucleus of The Absolute, It’s very Core.

Many wonder why is this needed to be known?

The answer is simple. If we do not know Self and Cosmology many processes stay unknown and Forces rule over us because we do not know them. These Forces we consider as Self, i.e. we are Identified with them. If we want to Liberate ourselves from Limitations, Limited Self, we must know how it works. Original Tantric Practice teaches that Tantra must have Three Qualities. Jnana (Knowledge), Bhakti (Devotion) and Karma (Action), which enable a Man to Liberate Self. A Man in his Original Nature is Consciousness alone in which all Creation is happening in accordance with Prakrtii manifested through Three Gunas or Three Forces. Each of these Forces may be a spring of limited I Sensation which by it’s Action traps Consciousness, which gets Lulled by Identification of Limited I with the game of Energy or Prakrtii. By knowing we begin to understand what this world means and we understand what it means when Tantra says that even Prakrtii is creation of Consciouosness Alone, which enables us to much better practice our Sadhana in which we recognize manifestation of Prakrtii as Consciousness Alone, which pushes us into Consciousness of Self.

Tantra is a shortcut, but at the same time a Walk on a blade of a sword. To Walk this Path, you must know it, you must know how The Consciousness Manifests, what is the meaning of Law, or Force or Energy, their connection, and it can be seen through knowing Cosmology or Inner Manifestation of Forces. But, you cannot know Self unless you have compared Part and Wholeness. Tantra is a Science which enables that Knowledge therefore enables Liberation.

Off course, what I have written here is just a part of Complete Knowledge of Manifestation, Prakrtii, Gunas, Creation, Destruction, Purusa etc. This here is not even one percent of Knowledge which a Tantric should possess and know, which enables him to Act and to Liberate Self. Tantra states that a Man must be Whole, and Whole Man doesn’t have only one Center and isn’t manifesting through one Force, but must control and know complete Manifestation and Self. Tantra is Esoteric Teaching and most of the Teachings, starting from yoga and further on, originate from this Science. But it is so Vast and Powerful that it cannot fit into these separate fragments of Tantra, but they can fit into It.
And because many things from this Teaching is not publicly given, nor clearly said, there are series of manipulations, series of frauds disguised under the mask of Tantra, and people deceived and used by “experts”. And that’s because every one who is on this Path must, as much as possible, inform about Tantric Science, which is a purpose of this Blog.

Meaning of Shiv Ling

2016-03-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

Lord Shiva is known as Mahadev due to the instinct characteristics which he represents. The form in which Lord shiva is represented is called a Ling. In fact, Lord Shiva is the fundamental god. He is known as Prajapati Shiva. There is no origin or form which can be associated with Shiva. Man needs a symbol to worship so the ling was created “Ling means symbol”. For example Vishnu’s Ling is a chakra or if someone was wearing a stethoscope you would say he was a doctor. A ling is only a symbol to identify something.

This symbol that we call a Shivling has behind it a scientific explanation. This explanation of the Shivling can now be understood as our scientific progresses as we look at recent scientific discoveries now, we are realising that these discoveries have been with us all along in the symbolic form of the Shivling. According to our scriptures, one earth year is equal to our scriptures, one earth year is equal to one day of gods. Twelve years of gods is one “kalp”. Kalps equal one “yug”. Four yugs make one “chaturyug”. Many of these chaturyugs constitute one day and night of Braham make 34560 million earth years.

This counting was determined and logged in our scriptures by the Rishis. It is said that the big bang occurs after exactly that much time, They also said a large fireball exploded and god appeared in a form of light. Modern science’s big bang theory also states this. The theory says that even a second would have made a difference. The creation of nature would have not be possible if the big bang happened one second earlier or later. According to our scriptures this scenario repeats exactly every 34560 million years. The light form which appears as a result of the explosion is named Lord Shiva in the scriptures. It is described in Chapter 201 of the Mahabarata, in which Maharishi Vyasa tells the history of the Universe. He tells of Narayana Muni who worshipped hard to please Shiva.

He saw Lord Shiva and tells that he is immense and formless. It is difficult to describe what he saw because it was seen through the eyes of knowledge. He describes it as one who creates, takes care of and destroys. It creates itself and controls its power at the same time. It is undefeable, has long white hair, and its form is very horrific. It has a necklace of snakes and the moon on its forehead. Hiranygarbha originated after Prajapati Shiva, who is mentioned several times in Vedas. This Hiranyagarbha is called Putagraj, which means “the beginning”.

The beginning of life is called Hiranyagarbha. This is the thread or formula of life which is complete in itself and reproduces itself without any organ. It multiplies itself from 1 to 2, then from 2 to 4 and so on. It is the basic culture of any form of life. It can be compared to DNA which contains the genetic code. It is indestructible, reproduces itself and contains the specifications of any generation. So, how did our ancestors explain DNA? The structure of DNA as we know was first described by scientists in 1953. Nobody had imagined this type of structure. It is also difficult to explain the structure of DNA to a common man. Now we can see the 3D structures with movements on TV. Before that, it was imagined as a set of two spiral interwined staircases. Our Rishis saw this structure through their meditation and explained it the same way modern science explains DNA. They concluded that it was helical, produced itself, and according to our scriptures, it first originated from Lord Shiva.

The Rishis imagined that Prajapati must have created a mound first. You have to make a mound before creating anything, for example, a clay mound for a statue and a store mound for a sculpture. Our Rishis had imagined this round mound, the Shivling, was wrapped with a snake, which might model DNA. To describe more complex DNA, a pair of snakes wrapped around each other can be visualized to represent a double helix, as Rishis explained. The Rishis also said that it was the base structure and entire nature began with it. This was determined by our Rishis to be the fundamental and elemental point with which any life form could being.

Modern science corroborates the findings of our scriptures that DNA is like a thread and is so small that it can not be seen with naked eyes it reproduces itself by multiplying itself and cannot be destroyed. An object can be destroyed, but its DNA will exist in one form or another. The properties suggested for DNA by modern science had also been suggested in our scripture. So the Shivling is not just a mere symbol. Our Rishis wanted to give a message to the masses that you can see the smallest form of nature in the form of the Shivling. The Shivling represents the atomic structure. When they created the Shivling it was imagined that there was one Hari and one Har in the ling. Har is shiva, and Hari is Vishnu. Shiva and Vishnu are present in this Ling. Jalhari has three lines because three signifies “multiple” in Sanskrit. In our atomic structure, there are protons and neutrons which are surrounded by fast spinning electrons.

Our Rishis imagined that this ling has Har (neutron) and Hari (proton) inside, and Brahma (electron) spins around them in the form of Jalhari. Brahma is tied with Haari by a thread through his navel and cannot go too far. He is attached with Hari after creating nature and looks after nature. Har (Shiva) is unattached and in meditation in the Himalayas. He becomes destroyer when necessary. Everything is created by protons and electrons and electrons play the major role. A change in the number of electrons changes the dimensions and properties. Brahma is similar in nature. Har is neutral and is sitting in the nucleus with all the energy. Energy is released by breaking the nucleus also known by our modern science as atomic fission. According to our Rishis, Shiva has the energy within as long as Shiva is in meditation.

Once we make Shiva angry which can be compared to breaking the nucleus, the energy is released in the form of Durga. This energy is indeed the atomic energy as explained by the modern science. The force of Shiva, which we call Rudrani, is always with him. It is described in the Mahabarat by Maharishi Vashishtha that he saw this Rudrani . He saw a huge black shadow dancing in the sky around Lord Shiva, who blinded his eyes. It was so powerful and huge that he could not see the beginning or end and even after running with his mind till the end of time. There is a colossal energy constantly dancing around Lord Shiva. This dance can be compared with electrons spinning and revolving around the nucleus. If a neutron is separated from its nucleus, a destructive force is released, just like if this surrounding energy is separated from Lord Shiva . If Lord Shiva desires, he can release this energy.

You must have seen that the nuclear reactors resemble a Shivling in the shape like a mound, and all the radioactive particles are constantly kept under water. The hard water and soft water are formed there. This water becomes radioactive. Water is constantly sprinkled on the Shivling to control Shiva’s temper, reflecting a nuclear reactor.

In terms of modern science, it is supposed to represent the nuclear reactor. This water from the Shivling is not used as prasad or even as holy water. This could be compared to the water used for cooling the nuclear reactors which is also not used for any other purposes. This water from Shivling flows freely from the jalhari in a stream from a corner of the Ling. One cannot go around the Shivling as it is beyond a human being to really go around or comprehend this tremendous power. This also shows humans their limitations within which we need to live.

We can see the smallest form of this in a Shivling and also the colossal form in our galaxy. If you

look at the pictures of nebulae or galaxies, you will see the mound, which is called the Shivling and the jalahari around it. This is in the reality pictures taken from space show a clear picture of Shivling as described in our scriptures. Shiva is referred to as “bhole” meaning simple and can be pleased by little worship. Once he is happy, he gives boons without thinking of the worshipper’s worthiness. Still one must follow the right path for if you are on a wrong path even by mistake and Shiva is not pleased with you, no one can save you. Shiva is pleased very easily and at the same time, is enormously powerful. One should worship him only after understanding his great power. One who has power can pass it on to others and anyone can receive it. It is critical that you understand the colossal power of Shiva.

Praying to the Shivling helps with two yogas – Atam yoga and Shastra yoga. Atam yoga means innate knowledge of the oneness of Brahma and life. Shastra Yoga means acquired knowledge of Brahma and life. This is the innate knowledge of Gayatri and acquired knowledge of Savitri. Savitri and Gayatri can be worshipped at the same place by worshipping Lord Shiva, because he is a form of Mahakaal and controls these. Gayatri, Atma Yoga, is pure science and Savitri, Shastra Yoga is applied science. If you want to see a combination of both pure science and applied science at one place, you can experience it by worshipping Lord Shiva. You can worship Shiva in two ways: one by acknowledging that he is present in the smallest as well as the biggest forms of life and the other as the creator of the life itself.

This is one of the biggest accomplishments of our culture that modern science and ancient Indian spiritual knowledge are not separate but converge at a point. We can use messages from one to further our knowledge of the other. The need is to expand our thinking spiritual knowledge studies and research in order to expand our understanding.

Meaning of Linga and Yoni in Tantra

2016-03-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

We have, hidden within our own deeper awareness, wonderful Gods and Goddesses in embryo who have but one intention: to bring the sacred and hi quality life back into our lives. Tantra expands horizons about masculine Self and feminine World into a living experience of the eternal time with infinite space.

The sexual symbolism of Tantra, like the subject of sexuality in general, has always engaged the human mind. The modern mind seems to be obsessed with it as well. Many people into Tantra, as well as most of the scholars who write on it, seem unable to move beyond the physical suggestions of these symbols to their spiritual indications. This has kept the study and practice of Tantric Yoga at a superficial level in which its deeper cosmic and creative energies remain latent.
Shiva linga
There is an inclination to reduce the Shiva linga and Shakti yoni, the two main Tantric symbols of

ascending and descending forces – which are often represented by upright conical stones for the Shiva linga and ring stones or basis for the Shakti yoni – to merely the male and female sex organs, which is but one of their representations, and their erotic glorification. There is the tradition of Tantric sexuality of mithuna which uses sacred sex as part of Yoga practice. But it is not the only practice of Tantric Yoga and when done is integrated into a much larger array of practices.

It would be wrong to look at the linga and the yoni only in human sexual terms, just as it would be to see the Deities of Shiva and Shakti as only symbols of sexuality. Sexuality, no doubt, is the strongest of our biological and psychological urges. Yet sexuality reflects greater and higher forces, of which it is a manifestation.

The polarity of forces that we discover in sexuality is mirrored in the great dualities of nature from electricity and magnetism, to the forces of fire and water, the sun and the moon, and the forms of the mountain and the valley. It is this universal duality and polarity that is the basis of Tantric Yoga, working with it, and through it returning to the pure unity behind it. Sexuality is an important force that we must understand in the process, whether we choose to express it in a human relationship or renounce it for a more solitary path of practice.

The Shiva linga is often portrayed in an upright conical form much like the male sexual organ. Indeed, some Shiva lingas are quite phallic in their appearance, but there are many other types of lingas which are not. The linga is the symbol of the universal power, the cosmic masculine force or the Shiva principle. It has many forms in nature.

In the Sanskrit language, the word linga refers to a ‘chief mark’ or ‘characteristic’ of something. As a term, it is not per se a synonym for the male sexual organ, as some would believe. Linga indicates what is outstanding and determinative. In this regard, the male sexual organ can be said to be the distinguishing characteristic or linga of a man at a physical level, but linga in other contexts can have quite a different meaning.

In Yoga philosophy, the term linga refers to the subtle body, which is the dominant principle in our nature over the physical body. The Shiva linga is also the subtle body and can indicate the upper region from the heart to the head. The linga is a place where energy is held, generated and sustained.

The problem is that the modern mind, particularly since Freud, often tries to use sex as the main means of interpreting life, extending even to art and spirituality, which we try to understand according to sexual symbolism or the sex life of the persons involved! This ‘sexual reductionism’ misses the deeper and broader sensitivities and inspirations that people have.

Clearly sexuality is there for most everyone, but real spirituality and genuine creativity are not! Some scholars have gone so far as to try to reduce Hindu Devatas, Gods and Goddesses to sexual symbols, as if a figure like Ganesha, with his head cut off by his father, was nothing more than another manifestation of the Oedipal complex, missing his deeper yogic implications altogether. Of course, such psychological studies have been done on Christianity and Judaism as well. Freud, himself a Jew, tried to reduce Moses to the Oedipal complex, starting off this trend. Such studies do not help us understand what the spiritual path is all about, but get us further caught in our biological impulses as the primary factors of life. Naturally, such efforts to turn a religion into a sexual neurosis is not appreciated by Hindus any more than by Christians and Jews!

Symbolisms of the Linga

The Shiva linga represents the ascending energy of consciousness and life in nature. We see this in such forms as the mountain, the thunder cloud, the tree, and the upright human being. Many lingas like that at Kedarnath – the most important Shiva site in the Himalayas – are rocks in the shape of small mountains. Many other lingas are associated with light, the lingas of the Sun, the Moon and Fire. There are the twelve famous Jyotirlingas or light forms of Shiva at twelve special temples throughout India.

The state of Tamil Nadu has special Shiva linga forms for the five elements with lingas of earth, water, fire, air and ether at special temples in the region. In this regard, each element has its Shiva linga or determinative force. The famous hill of Arunachala, where the great enlightened sage Ramana Maharshi stayed, is said to be the fire linga of lord Shiva.
Other Shiva lingas are associated with gold or crystal, the light powers in the metal kingdom. The Shiva linga is often described in terms of light, crystal or transparency. Shiva himself is said to be pure light or light in its primal undifferentiated state, Prakasha matra.

The Shiva linga is connected to the upward pointed triangle, which is also the symbol of fire. The linga is present in the male sexual organ both in plants and in animals. But we should not ignore its other forms in recognizing that. The worship of the linga is connected more generally to a worship of pillars, obelisks, standing stones and pyramids. Tantric linga worship is connected to Vedic pillar worship (the Vedic stambha, skambha, dharuna), which has parallels throughout the ancient world and in indigenous cultures in general who can still perceive the spiritual powers behind the formations of nature.

The Shiva linga is often a pillar of light. In special Vedic fire rituals, the fire could be made to rise in the shape of a pillar which could also then take the shape of a man! In fact, the term Dharma originally refers to what upholds things and can be symbolized by a pillar. The Shiva linga is the universal pillar of Dharma. The pillar is also an inner symbol indicating the erect spine and concentrated mind.

In terms of our human nature, there are several lingas or characteristic marks. The force of Prana is the linga or pillar force upholding the physical body according to the currents that emanate from it. This is the inner ‘Prana Linga’. Our deeper intelligence or Buddhi provides us the power of insight to discern higher realities, the ‘Buddhi Linga’. The Atman or higher Self is the ultimate linga or determinative force of our nature that remains steady and elevated (transcendent) throughout all of our life experience, the ‘Atma Linga’.

The linga and the yoni always go together, first of all on the level of opposites, as the upward and downward pointed triangles. The linga with the yoni below it, the standing stone and the ring base, show the union of male and female energies, not just in sexuality, but also as electro-magnetic forces.

In addition, the linga in its movement creates a yoni, just as a point in its movement can create a circle. We can see this in the circular movement of the stars, planets and nebulae, as well as many other diverse phenomena in the world of nature. The central luminary is the linga and its field of revolution is the yoni. The planets form a yoni or circle as they revolve around the Sun as the linga, of the solar system, its central principle or axis. Yet the Sun itself is revolving around other stars and creating a yoni or circle of its own.

Stonehenge, and other similar sacred sites that have standing stones formed into great circles, show the union of the linga and the yoni, the cosmic male and female or Shiva-Shakti principles. The linga and the yoni are also united in the chakra or the wheel, with the linga as the axis and the yoni as the circumference. The Hindu usage of chakras in ritual and in art also reflects these two powers. Each chakra of the subtle body shows the union of the Shiva and Shakti energies operative at its particular level of manifestation.

The Shiva energy is the upward current running through the spine or Sushumna and the Shakti energy is the horizontal current through which it travels, forming the various lotuses of the chakras. Together they form a spiral of forces. Both forces are necessary to create this dynamic motion.

The experience of the Shiva linga in Yogic meditation is an experience of a pillar of light, energy, peace and eternity, expanding the mind, opening the inner eye and bringing deep peace and steadiness to the heart. From it radiate waves, currents, circles and whirlpools of Shakti spreading this grace, love and wisdom to all. To concentrate our awareness in the linga is one of the best ways of meditation, calming the mind and putting us in touch with our inner Being and Witness beyond all the agitation and sorrow of the world.

In Ayurvedic healing, the creation of the Prana linga or concentration of Prana at a subtle level is what allows deep healing and rejuvenation to occur. In Vedic astrology, the Shiva linga represents the power of light behind the Sun, Moon, planets and stars. In Vastu Shastra, the Shiva linga is used to stabilize the spiritual and vital energy in a house, as a conduit of cosmic forces.

To understand the ultimate secrets of life we must be able to look at the primal powers of existence, including the needs for sex and food, according to their broader connections and universal implications. Human sexuality is only one of the many manifestations of the cosmic forces of duality, of a greater Divine sexuality as it were, which transcends all creaturely existence.

We must learn to see the cosmic energy behind human sexuality rather than try to reduce spiritual polarities to our own physical and emotional inclinations. This is another aspect of Yoga in which we must look beyond human psychology to the universal consciousness.

Evidence of Meditation Strengthens the Brain

2016-03-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

Earlier evidence out of UCLA suggested that meditating for years thickens the brain (in a good way) and strengthens the connections between brain cells. Now a further report by UCLA researchers suggests yet another benefit.

Eileen Luders, an assistant professor at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, and colleagues, have found that long-term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification ("folding" of the cortex, which may allow the brain to process information faster) than people who do not meditate. Further, a direct correlation was found between the amount of gyrification and the number of meditation years, possibly providing further proof of the brain's neuroplasticity, or ability to adapt to environmental changes.

The article appears in the online edition of the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

Meditation can speed up the brain

The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of neural tissue. Among other functions, it plays a key role in memory, attention, thought and consciousness. Gyrification or cortical folding is the process by which the surface of the brain undergoes changes to create narrow furrows and folds called sulci and gyri. Their formation may promote and enhance neural processing. Presumably then, the more folding that occurs, the better the brain is at processing information, making decisions, forming memories and so forth.

"Rather than just comparing meditators and non-meditators, we wanted to see if there is a link between the amount of meditation practice and the extent of brain alteration," said Luders. "That is, correlating the number of years of meditation with the degree of folding."

Of the 49 recruited subjects, the researchers took MRI scans of 23 meditators and compared them to 16 control subjects matched for age, handedness and sex. (Ten participants dropped out.) The scans for the controls were obtained from an existing MRI database, while the meditators were recruited from various meditation venues. The meditators had practiced their craft on average for 20 years using a variety of meditation types -- Samatha, Vipassana, Zen and more. The researchers applied a well-established and automated whole-brain approach to measure cortical gyrification at thousands of points across the surface of the brain.

They found pronounced group differences (heightened levels of gyrification in active meditation practitioners) across a wide swatch of the cortex, including the left precentral gyrus, the left and right anterior dorsal insula, the right fusiform gyrus and the right cuneus.

Perhaps most interesting, though, was the positive correlation between the number of meditation years and the amount of insular gyrification.

"The insula has been suggested to function as a hub for autonomic, affective and cognitive
integration," said Luders. "Meditators are known to be masters in introspection and awareness as well as emotional control and self-regulation, so the findings make sense that the longer someone has meditated, the higher the degree of folding in the insula."

While Luders cautions that genetic and other environmental factors could have contributed to the effects the researchers observed, still, "The positive correlation between gyrification and the number of practice years supports the idea that meditation enhances regional gyrification."
Other authors of the study included Florian Kurth, Emeran A. Mayer, Arthur W.Toga, and Katherine L. Narr, all of UCLA, and Christian Gaser, University of Jena, Germany. Funding was provided by several organizations, including the National Institutes of Health. The authors report no conflict of interest.

Shiva the Supreme: Shiv Linga, The Mandala

2016-03-12T20:09:00.001-08:00

The frame of the cosmic reality, according to ancient Hindu thought, consists of the three fundamental states called evolution (Shrishthi), existence (sthiti), and involution (samhara) that acts in a cyclic process of infinity. Each one of the forms is controlled by a God, named Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver) and Siva/Shiva (the destroyer); these three Gods are called the Trinity. Shiva, being the last to complete the cycle from where the new cycle starts, is known as Mahadeo, the Supreme Divinity.

The iconographic form of the Shiva, the Linga represents the unity of the three states of cosmos (shown in above figure).The Linga consists of the three parts. The first is a square base of three-layers at the bottom showing the three mythical realms (lokas), symbolizing evolution the place of Brahma.

The second is an octagonal round form in the middle showing the eight directions, symbolizing existence or perseverance the place of Vishnu; and third is a cylinder at the top with a spherical end, symbolizing involution or completion of the cosmic cycle the place of Shiva. This icon shows the supreme state of integrity, the ultimate form of Shiva linga itself is a symbol of cosmic mandala. As Sadasiva (eternal reality) Shiva is represented as linga, standing also for 'total knowledge'. As Rudra, the destroyer, his consort is Kali. As Bhairava, the terrible destroyer, his consort is Durga. As a jovial god living in the Himalaya his wife is Parvati.

As possessor of all forms of divine power Shiva rooms at the bottom of everything that is moving, that is how he is called Ishvara, derived from I-cara, i.e. I the centre, and cara, the rhythm of movement. Shiva is also depicted as cosmic dancer, Tandava Nartakari, the one who keeps up the rhythm of the world in cosmos.

** Special Note:
Above all information regarding Shivlinga and it's description has been taken from "The Linga Puran" and the book "Banaras Region: A spiritual & Cultural Guide. Indica Books, Varanasi. Piligrimage & Cosmology Series: 1 written by "Prof. Rana P. B. Singh & Dr. Pravin S. Rana

Visit Official Website of " Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple" https://shrikashivishwanath.org/

Benefits of Tantric Practice

2016-03-12T18:54:00.000-08:00

Tantra is a spiritual path for integrating body, mind and soul. It differs from other paths in its honoring of the body, using the senses, sexuality, and feelings to help you evolve spiritually. Tantra assists you in realizing your full potential as a human being. If you choose to live from the Tantric perspective, you will transform your life. You will discover bliss. You may apply Tantric practices and principles to many areas of life - to relationship and sexual loving, spiritual practice and lifestyle, physical and emotional well-being.

The benefits of Tantric practice include:

* Transcendent sexuality
* Deepened relationships with self and others
* Emotional freedom & literacy
* Expanded intuitive abilities
* Sustained health and vitality
* Boundless love & Life Force ( Energy)
* and Playful, ecstatic awareness

At the Heart of Tantra is Love.
The practices and rituals of Tantra, both spiritual and sexual, work to create the conditions necessary
for love to flourish and endure. When we achieve states of presence, energy flow, relaxation, harmony, and connection, love emerges and opens the heart. To bring about the conditions that generate and sustain love, we can learn to rely upon Tantric practices to create more of these positive energy states. Tantra, therefore, is not just something to do in our bedrooms, but rather a complete way of life.

Cultivating states of presence, energy flow, relaxation, harmony, and connection is not always easy. A lifetime of hurts and other negative experiences have gradually limited our ability to be present and to express the essence of who we really are, fully and freely. We slowly become cut off from our feelings and the ability to experience our sexual creative energy in a connected, joyful, loving way.

In a subtle, gentle, yet powerful way, Tantric loving brings healing. It breaks up and washes away residues of our past that hold us back from limitless love and intimacy. Tantra teaches us not only how to be great lovers, but how to be great healers for one another as well. Tantra represents a unique paradigm for conscious living and loving. It offers a passionate and expansive way of life for those seeking to connect with their sexuality in a positive, heart-centered way, a way that celebrates freedom of spirit and body alike.

Origins of Tantra

Tantra is a set of spiritual teachings and a unique paradigm for relating to one's self and the universe that originated in India well over 2000 years ago. It is still relevant today. It originated in ancient Vedic times, in matriarchal cultures such as that of the Indus Valley, and in practices revolving around the worship of the Goddess. The essence of Tantra has taken many forms of expression and appears in virtually every culture in history, e.g., Chinese Taoist Tantra, Native American Quodoshka. Tantra is a timeless phenomenon as well as a global one. Even today in the West it satisfies many of our most essential needs: love, connection, intimacy, play, harmony and balance, inspiration, relaxation, celebration, physical and emotional well-being, sexual and spiritual fulfillment.

The Word Tantra

Tantra comes from the ancient Sanskrit words tanoti which means "to expand" and trayati which means "liberation." This implies that you can be liberated by expanding your consciousness. Another definition of the word Tantra is “web” or “to weave.” Tantra is an interweaving of the energies of many levels of consciousness from the mundane, to the most erotic, to the most profound. “Tantra” also signifies scripture that contains Tantric spiritual teachings.

Tantra Yoga

Like other Yogic traditions, Tantra Yoga uses the tools of meditation (dhyana), conscious breathing (pranayama), physical gestures (mudra), sacred sounds (mantra), sacred geometry (yantra), body positions (asana), muscular contractions (bandhas) to achieve self-transformation, conscious awakening, and spiritual evolution.
Tantra is generally divided into two main streams:
Red Tantra and White Tantra. White Tantra or Tantra of the Right Hand (Dakshina Marga) involves the meditative techniques of Tantra and is essentailly a celibate, ascetic path. Red Tantra or Tantra of the Left Hand (Vama Marga) involves the use of elements that were considered taboo, such as the ritual of sexual union (maithuna), as a means of attaining liberation. Here, sexual union is used as means for going beyond into transcendent states of consciousness. “Pink” Tantra strikes the middle ground between the two paths, harmoniously joining the practical and esoteric elements of both orientations.

The Goddess
The Goddess is revered in tantra. In ancient times, The Goddess was worshiped as the embodiment of Hindu Goddess, or archetype, of the divine feminine. Shakti also refers to a particular quality of energy that is feminine and rises upwards in the body, such as earth energy or sexual energy. It was worshipped in ancient India as the primal energy that created the cosmos. Shakti, or sexual energy, is creative life-force energy. Re-awakening the Goddess is central to modern Tantra. Although both the masculine and the feminine energies are equally important, the extra focus on the feminine is necessary in order to counterbalance the predominant masculine energy of our present culture. Daily life in this busy world does not encourage women or men to recognize or acknowledge the Goddess, but rekindling a woman's sexual energy brings forth her Goddess nature. Tantric practices allow the Goddess in every woman to emerge. Both the woman and her partner benefit. The free flow of a woman's sexual energy activates her shakti, creating an atmosphere for spiritual enlightenment. Her pleasure and desire for lovemaking will increase and may even surpass the pleasure potential and sexual desire of the man.
eroticism and the source of all creation. Every woman was seen as Shakti - The Goddess incarnate. Each woman is a Shakti. Shakti is the

The interrelated notions of the Goddess, Kundalini, the Subtle Body, and the Chakra System are central to Tantra and its aims.

Chakra System

Kundalini
The main purpose of the tantric path is to activate Kundalini energy in the body which is also called Kundalini is the most powerful and refined energetic force available to us as human beings. The term means "she who is coiled" and is traditionally depicted as a serpent, coiled and sleeping at the base of the spine. When awakened, it begins to uncoil as it climbs up through the chakras to the crown. For thousands of years, the serpent has been used in many cultures to symbolize rising consciousness. A minimal flow of Kundalini exists in everyone already. It is the energy that animates the body and the physical senses and provides a base level of consciousness. As the flow increases, we begin to access higher realms of consciousness into the spiritual dimensions. Kundalini is activated by the energy of Shakti, or sexual energy. Shakti is generated through conscious lovemaking or specific yogic techniques designed to activate this energy. The tantric path sees sexual energy as an important expression of Kundalini.
life force energy, sexual energy, orgone or chi. Those who achieve this awakening live in an ongoing state of bliss.

Chinnamasta - The Sixth Great Cosmic Wisdom Part 3

2016-03-12T17:15:00.001-08:00

PART 3
The human being experiences only a small fraction of the infinite game of divine light in manifestation and unfortunately this fragment can be distorted through the limited capacities of perception of his or her senses.

Therefore, the pleasure offered by the body and its senses is smaller than the pain, suffering and illness people have to face during their lifetime.

From this point of view, in which the yogi feels incarcerated in the prison of the senses and bodily desires, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta appears as a Savior from the slavery of gross matter.

In the ecstasy of the happiness she experiences all the time, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta can drink all the blood that expresses the joys and sufferings, the pain and the hopes of the earthly life, absorbing and sublimating the whole fragmented experience of time, with its disappointments and illusions.

The Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta does this extraordinary process of absorption and transformation of all that is ultimately ephemeral and illusionary without forgetting her essentially divine nature, which is the eternal nature of the Supreme Self Atman.

Although the form under which she appears to mortals can be terrible and frightening, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta represents one of the beneficialial and deeply transforming energies of the Macro cosmos, and of the micro cosmos.

THE GREAT COSMIC POWER CHINNAMASTA OFFERS US THE PERFECT DISCERNMENT
There is a close correlation between Chinnamasta and Kali , in the sense that the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta represents from a certain perspective the concentration of Kali’s energy.

She is also oriented towards the spiritual transformation of the sincere devotee towards perfection. In this aspect of hers, Chinnamasta name is also Prachanda Chandika, identifying herself with the most terrible form of Kali, which is Chandi.

On the other hand, her terrible aspect can also be correlated with the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi as Chinnamasta is, just as Tripura Bhairavi a great fighter.

Nonetheless, while Tripura Bhairavi resonates more with the tellurian fundamental energies, because her location is Muladhara Chakra, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta resonates more with the dynamic subtle energies of air.

From this point of view, we can say that the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta acts mainly in what we call the intermediary world, in that world that connects the transcendent aspect of the manifestation with the material one.

Thus she represents the lightning that unifies the sky and the earth, which are analogically associated with the mind and the body of the human being.

Her fundamental goal is to free people from the limitations inherent to their condition of incarnate spirits.

If Chandi (Kali’s most terrific aspect) destroys the demons and satanic entities, the aspect of Prachanda Chandi destroys the last and most difficult enemy of spirituality – the ego.

From another perspective, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta is identified with Indrani, the feminine counterpart of the great Vedic god Indra and the greatest and most important of all goddesses.

Indrani is also named Vairochani, “the very brilliant”, “the one who radiates powerfully”, just as Durga the terrible goddess who is described in the same manner.

The Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta is particularly named Vajra Vairochani, meaning “the one that is brilliant and holds lighting with her arm”.

As we already know, lightning is Indra’s weapon and is the very reason for which Indra is considered the diamond god, a personification of instantaneous spiritual enlightening.

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5

Chinnamasta - The Sixth Great Cosmic Wisdom Part 2

2016-03-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

PART 2
WHO DIES BEFORE DYING, DOES NOT DIE AFTER DYING
Consequently, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta whose representation is headless, is the Great Cosmic Wisdom who helps the sincere and devoted yogi to dissolve his or her mind, including all the ideas, attachments, habits, preconceived ideas into the Pure Divine Consciousness. This helps him or her to transcend the mind and to merge with the supra-mental state (unmana) of the Divine Beatific Void.

This is why we need not fear the loss of our head or of time, because sooner or later death takes us all through the great passage, regardless of whether we want it or not.

In fact, the only path towards spiritual awakening is the so-called “sacrifice of the mind”, implying the renunciation to the complicated mechanisms of attachment and possession, of which the most persistent is the idea “I am the body”.

In the spiritual tradition this sacrifice is symbolized by decapitation, suggestively indicating the separation of the mind from the body, it represents the freedom of the consciousness from the material outfit of the physical body.

On the other hand, it helps release the potential subtle energies present in the practitioner’s being.

We can still ask ourselves: why does this concept need to be pictured in the terrible image of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta when it could be explained and analyzed theoretically in less “shattering” conditions?

The answer is that usually, visual images have greater and more dramatic impact on the subconscious. Thus determining faster and more forceful changes in one’s concepts and actions, and achieving more effective results than a theoretical lecture.

Generally speaking, the mind can accept the points of view presented in a theoretical lecture, and still avoid the reality of these teachings, while the impact of the image cannot be avoided so easily, because the image “communicates” more intensely and more directly with the spiritual heart of the being.

The suffering caused by the sacrifice of the ego represents a tough experience for many people, whom many try to avoid, although they may admit its spiritual importance.

This type of experience usually causes a complete re-orientation of their energies towards deeply spiritual purposes and therefore it is associated, in the initiatory tradition to a “second birth”.

The terrible image of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta, the headless goddess, is the most expressive way to suggest a fundamental transformation for the human being, meaning the renunciation of the limited and ephemeral individuality of the ego, so as to be absorbed ecstatically in the plentitude of God’s Universal Consciousness.

The iconographic representations of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta show her holding her own head, whom she cut herself, in her right hand, and drinking the blood springing from her open throat.

Even so, her face does not indicate suffering, or pain, but it shows the beatific feeling of contentment and happiness.

The significance of this aspect is that of the joy of transcending the earthly condition and the suffering caused by its loss.

At the same time, Chinnamasta’s image represents maybe the most energetic form of manifestation of the goddess Shakti eloquently indicating the power of transformation in full action.

As a result of this fact, the cut head does not appear as lifeless, but it is even more alive than previously. The consciousness is not limited to the dimensions and functions of the body, but it exists separately from it.

Only when it is freed from the “prison” of the body can the consciousness express itself fully, acquiring the profound divine freedom and knowledge.

Even if the idea of transcending the physical consciousness can be frightening for certain people, the idea of remaining confined to the bodily consciousness and being subject to the influence of the body and death appears as even more frightful.

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5

Chinnamasta - The Sixth Great Cosmic Wisdom 1

2016-03-12T08:26:00.000-08:00

The Sixth Great Cosmic Wisdom

PART 1
In the Tantric pantheon, the sixth Great Cosmic Wisdom is Chinnamasta, the goddess without a head.

This particularity suggests her capacity of transcending the mind and its functions, so that in the end she achieves the ecstatic union with the Supreme Void of the Absolute Divine Consciousness.

The headless image of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta caused along the centuries, many adverse reactions and erroneous interpretations even amongst the specialists in Hinduism, as she is associated with the obscure magical practices and traditions of Tibet and India.

In fact, these hasty considerations are only limited attempts from certain westerners to understand the deeply esoteric sense of certain aspects from the Tantric spiritual tradition, those aspects that go beyond modern people’s conventionalism and patterns built on preconceived ideas.

Consequently, the relatively natural tendency of the researchers of Hinduism, when facing representations of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Chinnamasta was to see the manifestation of some macabre aspects and psychic deviations.

Therefore, it was impossible for these researchers to accept the idea of spiritual symbolism with deep esoteric significations.

WISDOM TRANSCENDS MIND
From a psychological point of view, what really causes the feeling of fear and rejection for the idea of a headless entity is the idea of lack of identity, which people immediately associate with their own being.

Or, we know that identity is the key element of “support” in manifestation, the basis of understanding and conception about the world. Once this idea or support was eliminated, people felt confused, with no point of reference, lost in a tenebrous unknown.

Thus, people will unconsciously or consciously try to protect themselves, not only against losing their identity, but also from the idea or exterior suggestion implying this separation of identity or ego.

The modern man, whose behavior and way of thinking is mainly reasonable and logical, considers that “losing one’s head” equals losing touch with the regular sense of reality, which is nonetheless true from certain points of view.

However, from a spiritual point of view, these aspects have completely different significance’s.

For the yogis, being without head is one of the known subtle metaphors referring to the transcendence of one’s identification with bodily consciousness or to overcoming the attachment towards thoughts and desires.

Practically, we do not observe our head more than we notice the back of our body, and the experience of the inside of the skull is basically the experience of an empty space because nobody can say they “feel” their brain or the annex glands.

Consequently, during a lucid and detached analysis, from the symbolic perspective of these aspects, we can say that we “have no head” until the moment when we look at our body in the mirror.

From the yogic spiritual tradition, the condition of the headless state represents in fact our true inner nature, of the divine and perfectly detached witness.

Implicitly, this condition proves that our present “location” in this body is not more than an illusory appearance and not the fundamental reality of our being.

If, in fact if the powerful and constant thought “I am the body” would no longer be sustained by the mind, the individual consciousness would gradually go back to its original condition, that which is not dependant on either form or thought.

Furthermore, this idea is frequently used as a spiritual metaphor in the spiritual tradition of Jnana yoga, Advaita Vedanta and Zen.

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5

Tripura Bhairavi and Cosmic Wisdoms

2016-03-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

PART 1
TRIPURA BHAIRAVI – THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF THE SUBTLE FIRE

The fifth Great Cosmic Wisdom of the Hindu pantheon is Tripura Bhairavi, associated both to the terrible force of destruction of the evil and impure, and to the energy of the subtle universal fire.

The implications of these aspects are numerous. For instance, the purifying action performed by the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi implies the manifestation of Her savior aspect, because She saves Her devotees from all suffering and negative karmic pressures.

From an etymological point of view, the name Bhairavi comes from three groups of letters, with precise semantics: bha symbolizes the act of preservation, in the sense of continuity, ra signifies ramana, the creative divine activity and va coming from vamana, referring to relaxation, or ceasing a certain activity.

Consequently, Tripura Bhairavi represents Gods extraordinary power to create, sustain, and at the same time destroy the manifested world.

Unlike the governing gods of the Hindu pantheon (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva ) who rule only one of
these functions, Tripura Bhairavi harmoniously represents two fundamental and apparently contradicting aspects of manifestation.

These aspects refer to bright beauty and terrible action found in creation. This perfect correlation of the divine attributes was also stated in the description of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Kali, however the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi specifically represents the terrible aspect of the divinity.

In other words, She signifies Gods amazing, colossal, unmatched and terrible force of action, which destroys all that is bad and impure and at the same time transforms evolves the various types of manifestation.

From this perspective, these transformations are “rebirths” from the ashes and sublimations of the various aspects of the Creation.

Consequently, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi represents the transformational power of the subtle fire (tejas tattva).

TRIPURA BHAIRAVI PROTECTS US FROM ANY BAD OR HARMFUL INFLUENCES
The great majority of people perceive the action of this extraordinary divine force and energy as a terrible and scary aspect, mostly because She burns and destroys all limitations, preconceived ideas, misconceptions and illusions regarding our individual existence.

As we already mentioned, this terrible manifestation of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi is always directed towards the destruction of impurities (on their various levels of manifestation) and the elimination of negative forces and influences that tend to block the devotees spiritual progress.

Although the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavis terrible force is difficult to bare for many people, Her specific action is necessary for protecting us from harmful influences and for guiding us on the spiritual path.

An eloquent analogical representation of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavis terrible action in manifestation is sometimes materialized in a womans anger, of even more concretely, in the prompt, firm, and determined actions of a mother defending her children against an exterior threat.

From a different perspective, associated with some very subtle and fine aspects of Gods creation, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi represents the supreme power of speech, whose deep nature is fire, according to the Tantric Hindu tradition.

Thus, She represents the divine word, the creative logos in its non-manifested form, as a pure and transcendent divine energy.

PART 2
SHE IS THE FLAME OF THE DIVINE CONSCIOUSNESS
In certain Tantric texts, this fundamental divine energy is associated with a sword that can cut through any opposition or negative manifestation.

She is both the supreme divine light and the extraordinary power of fire. Tripura Bhairavi represents the very flame of the divine consciousness, chid- agni, which is the Supreme Truth.

Another important element, known only by the initiates is that the Great Goddess, in Her radiant aspect, as tejas (the divine fire), is the governess of the subtle and essential realities that define the five elements, mahabhuta form the creation and the sensorial perception through the five sense organs.

These subtle realities are known as tanmantra and through them, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi grants power and energy for the action and manifestation of the elements and the senses.

On the other hand, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi is also known as Durga, the goddess who saves the devotee from difficult situations.

In most of her representations, Durga is riding a lion, a symbol of fire and solar energy. With a terrible and threatening attitude, Durga handles with great dexterity Her divine weapons, in order to destroy all enemies, demons, and disturbing negative forces alike.

Consequently, She helps the devotee to overcome any sickness, sadness, suffering, and ultimately death. We may also note the close connection between Tripura Bhairavi and Tara, as they both represent the logos, even if under different aspects.

Thus, while Tara represents pashyanti vak, or the enlightening logos, Tripura Bhairavi indicates paravak, or the supreme, non-manifested logos.

We may say that the enlightening logos on its highest level becomes transformed into the supreme divine light and the “warmth” of the divine consciousness of the Heavenly Father.

This observation is valid in reverse as well. Thus, the non-manifested primordial logos symbolized by Tripura Bhairavi is gradually shaped through Taras action.

TRIPURA BHAIRAVI ENHANCES THE DEVOTEE’S SPIRITUAL ASPIRATION
The terrible form of the divine energy is manifested in the human being mostly as the “transforming warmth and ardor”, in other words the tapas.

In its superior form of expression, tapas means the ardent aspiration that consumes and burns away the devotees attachments, illusions and secondary desires.

We may better understand this aspect if we remember that when we are truly interested in a certain aspect, we naturally and almost entirely become focused in that particular direction that has caught our interest.

We are no longer interested in the so-called “temptations” of the world. Analogically, the taps represents this form of genuine, real, and complete interest in spiritual life, resulting in the lack of other desires.

This action characteristic to the tapas determines the appearance of heat generated by the force of spiritual discipline and aspiration, which helps us eliminate from our lives all that is unnecessary for our spiritual evolution.

In this form of her manifestation, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi is particularly worshipped by those who follow the path of discriminating knowledge, raja yoga .

As a natural consequence of Her divine protective action, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi grants the capacity of controlling the senses, thoughts, and emotions completely, also helping the devotee to successfully terminate his or her spiritual actions that require discipline and sustained effort.

Therefore, the wisdom of the Tantric tradition urges the practitioners to sincerely and ardently invoke the help of this Great Cosmic Wisdom, Tripura Bhairavi, every time they have to deal with various obstacles or hardships in their spiritual practice.

PART 3
As we already mentioned in our previous articles, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi represents the terrible form of manifestation for God.

She is in close connection with Chandi, the terrible, “angry” aspect of God. This goddess is at the same time the goddess worshiped in the famous Hindu poem “Devi Mahatmya”.

This poem is also named “Durga Saptasati” or simply “Chandi” and it describes the way in which the Great Goddess defeats all demons opposing Her.

This is partly why Tripura Bhairavi is also known as the “warrior woman”, who, through Her powers manifested as divinely inspired speech and extraordinary force of the subtle fire leads to a tremendous purification in the devotee’s heart.

She eliminates all the obstacles standing in the path of the awakening and elevation of the devotee’s consciousness. In her aspect of Chandi, one can invoke the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi in order to eliminate the obstacles that tend to block the path towards pleasure, prosperity, harmony and spiritual freedom.

Another form of manifestation for the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi is as the goddess Mahishasura Mardini, the ten armed glorious defeater of the demon Mahishasura, who is the embodiment of burning passions, especially sexual passions that tie the human being to this world of illusion and suffering through negative karma .

THE FIRE OF ALCHEMY REVEALS THE DIVINE BEAUTY

As in the case of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Sundari, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi “exists in and governs over the three worlds of Creation”.

However, while Sundari signifies the beauty of the three worlds, Bhairavi represents their terrible aspect. This is an important indication of the fact that in reality, beauty and the terrible, frightening aspects are mere facets of the divine unity in manifestation.

Tantric wisdom states that the human being will naturally go on the path from “terrible” to “beautiful”.

In other words, first the devotee has to face the transforming action of the heat and light of the terrible spiritual fire (Tripura Bhairavi), and only afterwards will they get to enjoy the “cooling” and divine beauty offered by Tripura Sundari.

HER BRIGHTNESS PURIFIES THE UNIVERSES
On the other hand, the three-folded aspect of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi refers to agni (fire), vidyut (lightning) and surya (sun), which represent the three forms of light characteristic to the three worlds, the inferior world, the intermediary world and the superior world, corresponding to the physical, astral and causal universes.

The Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi is also depicted in the form of the three goddess who defeated the demons, from the text Devi Mahatmya. These goddesses are Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Mahasarasvati, representing the three great forms of Lakshmi, Vishnu ‘s consort, Kali, Shiva ‘s consort, and respectively Sarasvati, Brahma ‘s consort.

These represent the three great forms of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi, as destroyer of the obstacles and hardships on one’s spiritual path.

SHE BRINGS HARMONY INTO THE DEVOTEE’S LIFE

The Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi is also the consort of Shiva in His frightening aspect, Bhairava .

Bhairava was known as Rudra, the “angry” god, who was one of the most important deities in the ancient Vedic pantheon, from which later on the Hindu tradition took Shiva.

Shiva is the peace and tranquility that follow after the terrible display of Rudra’s forces, whose main target is the “adjustment” of the devotee’s life to the parameters of the divine laws and harmony.

From this point of view, Rudra represents the terrible power of the divine logos, and therefore Bhairavi, His consort, is also known as Rudrani.

The subtle dwelling of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi is the subtle center of force Muladhara Chakra, placed at the base of the spine.

The Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi actually represents the ascension of the fundamental energy Kundalini and its purifying action through all the levels of the human being.

PART 4
In all traditional texts, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi is presented as radiating more
powerfully than a thousand suns put together. She has three eyes and wears a tiara made of precious stones, in the shape of a crescent moon.

Her face is as beautiful as a lotus flower and Her expression is kind, happy and smiling. Her garments are red; Her breasts are stained with blood; She wears a necklace of skulls around Her heck.

In two of her four hands, She holds a rosary and a book, and with the two remaining hands She performs the gestures of knowledge, Jnana mudra and the gesture of granting spiritual gifts and power, Varada mudra.

Sometimes, instead of Jnana mudra She performs Abhaya mudra, the gesture of casting away fear. In some iconographic representations, the Goddess is sitting on a red lotus and in others She is sitting on top of a corpse.

The main characteristic of Her physical form is Her radiating beauty, which is in close connection with the manifestation of the subtle element tejas.

MEDITATE ON THE RADIANCE OF THE SELF

As for the ways to achieve resonance with the sphere of force belonging to the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi, they are mostly related to certain types of meditation, of which the most important is the meditation on the divine inner light, which comes from the Supreme Immortal Self, Atman .

Usually, this profound spiritual light is experienced through the third eye, Ajna Chakra . Nonetheless, the experience of the divine inner light is always accompanied by the experience of the inner sound.

Another form of worshiping the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi is the practice of the various forms of tapas. The spiritual tradition says that in the absence of the subtle, focused energy of the tapas, understood mostly as perseverance and continuity in the spiritual practice, spiritual progress is not possible, it cannot evolve from a desire into an actual fact.

A subtle form of approaching the tapas, as an act of worship for the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi is to gradually renounce all egotistic desires, all attachments and illusionary pleasures in order to become free from the karmic prison.

BURN ALL YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SACRIFICIAL PYRE
The highest form of tapas is that through which one succeeds in obtaining the perfect control over their mind and thoughts.

Consequently, the highest form of worship for this Goddess is to offer all our thoughts, with great sincerity and devotion to the sacred flame of the divine consciousness.

To put it in different words, this means to “dissolve” the content of the mind, sublimating it thus entirely in the subtle sound of the mantra, which represents the quintessential manifested nature of this Great Cosmic Wisdom, Tripura Bhairavi.

In ancient times, the exterior form of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavi was homa, the vedic sacrificial fire. This form of worship can be transformed into a subtle, inner form of worship through the offering of all thoughts and emotions to the inner spiritual fire of the logos from Muladhara Chakra.

This practically means the absorption of the mind from the senses, a process that resembles the so-called sublimation of the sounds, from their physical form, as words into the “light of the transcendent tranquility”, the non-manifested divine logos, situated at the level of Muladhara Chakra.

This way, the yogi who is perseverant and continuously walks the path of spiritual becoming will rejoice in receiving the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Bhairavis grace. He will receive significant beneficialial spiritual powers as well as the state of enlightenment and ultimate freedom.

Bhuvaneshwari and Cosmic Wisdoms

2016-03-11T16:16:00.001-08:00

Fourth Great Cosmic Wisdom in the
Hindu pantheon is Bhuvaneshwari, or Bhuvanesi,

PART 1
THE MACRO COSMOS IS HER BODY
The fourth Great Cosmic Wisdom in the Hindu pantheon is Bhuvaneshwari, or Bhuvanesi, as She is also named in certain areas of India.

This Great Cosmic Wisdom is worshiped as the Great Goddess who protects all manifested worlds. This attribute of the goddess is also suggested by Her name: the Glorious Queen, or the Governor (Ishwari) of the whole realm of creation, with all the worlds (Bhuvana) which are contained in Her.

In other words, She is the Divine Mother who protects the worlds and consequently the whole universe is Her body on which the numerous beings that exist are like jewels adorning her.

SHE PROTECTS THE SEEN AND THE UNSEEN WORLDS
From a symbolic point of view, Bhuvaneshwari is depicted as a goddess with three eyes, a sign of her complete knowledge of the manifested worlds, very big breasts (all beings are nurtured from Her), and a smiling face, once again underlying the maternal aspect of this Great Cosmic Wisdom.

Her glory and greatness are signified by Her brightness filled with goodness that irradiates from Her, just as the rising sun or by the moon that drops the divine nectar (soma) from the goddess’s head.

Bhuvaneshwari sustains all the worlds, with the beings and things that are characteristic to all of them.

In other words, we may say that Bhuvaneshwari is in fact the whole universe embodied as a deity. Her ardent worship attracts the cosmic vision of Reality, thus surpassing any limits imposed by a certain opinion, or belief.

The goddess’s help is manifested mostly for overcoming any types of false identifications and preconceived ideas, including ideas about social class, race, religion, nation, etc., sublimating into global and superior forms of knowledge and understanding.

This general vision offered to us by the Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuvaneshwari (when our aspiration is sincere and ardent enough to make it possible), offers us an intuitive understanding of the great mysteries of creation, helping us understand and perceive the indescribable reality of the absolute.

HER WORSHIP GRANTS THE PERFECT VISION OF REALITY
In the four Hindu Veda -s Bhuvaneshwari is known as Aditi, the Great Cosmic Mother, infinite and indestructible, the origin of all manifestation, the primordial space.

The light comes to life in Her and therefore She is the mother of all suns and of all solar deities. The
Divine Mother Bhuvaneshwari creates space so that all the things in the manifested world could eventually come into it.

Similarly, the space of our consciousness is also created by Bhuvaneshwari so that we are allowed to manifest as individuals in the world in which we exist.

Consequently, it has become obvious that on the level of the whole creation, space has several levels of manifestation, in perfect harmony and resonating with the subtle energies. For instance, in the physical space that is around us there is also the mental space, which is just as infinite as the physical space.

This mental space also has several levels of subtlety, which culminate with the supreme space of the pure divine consciousness, which is beyond all manifestation. All these different types of space represent only various aspects and functions of Bhuvaneshwari.

According to the law of correspondence and analogy, from the Eastern spiritual tradition, the whole macro cosmos is contained in the small, subtle space in our hearts. In other words, the heart is Bhuvaneshwari’s residence.

One of the infallible methods that allow to communicate with this Great Cosmic Wisdom’s gigantic sphere of force is to direct our consciousness towards a loving investigation of this mysterious, subtle space found in our spiritual heart.

PART 2
SHE IS THE SCENE ON WHICH TIME DANCES
Because She represents space, Bhuvaneshwari is complementary to Kali, who, as we know represents Time. Thus, the two goddesses represent the two main faces of the Great Goddess, Shakti, infinity and eternity.

In other words, we may say that Bhuvaneshwari creates in a certain way the stage on which Kali will perform Her dance of life and death.

This analogy of Bhuvaneshwari allows us to notice that at the same time the supreme goddess represents the observer, and the observed, the one who enjoys and is involved in Kali’s dance of life and death. To help you understand this relationship better, know that Kali creates events in time, and Bhuvaneshwari creates objects in space.

This is also an important theme for meditation, indicating one of the methods for the revelation of our Supreme Self through Bhuvaneshwari’s worship.

The deep understanding of these aspects is that all events represent nothing but “sequences” on Divine Mother Kali’s gigantic consciousness (Time), and all locations in space are mere phases of resonance with the Divine Mother Bhuvaneshwari, who represents space.

Reaching thus the mysterious knowledge that the Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuvaneshwari is in fact the “base” on which we are supported and at the same time the subtle reality that saturates us every moment, we gain the capacity of practicing the highest and most elevated yogic techniques with utter success, techniques that may lead us in a very short time to Supreme Spiritual Freedom.

Bhuvaneshwari is also correlated to the cardinal points. The four main directions of space (north, south, east and west) are nothing but different visions or hypostasis of this Great Cosmic Wisdom’s presence, each of them having distinct qualities.

HER RESIDENCE IS YOUR HEART’S HEART
As a significant parallel, Kali creates in the same way what we name the “directions” of time, which as we know are the present, the past and the future. The Tantric spiritual tradition notes the fact that space is mysteriously particularized in time.

For instance, the spatial direction east represents almost always the beginning of an action, while the north represents spiritual illumination. West is correlated to experience and the process of spiritual maturity, and south represents the fullness of spiritual realization.

Because of this, we may state that in a mysterious way, space contains time and similarly time contains space. Each moment in time is characterized by a location and a direction or spatial orientation.

Philosophically speaking, a certain place from space (be it physical or subtle) represents only a reflection of our vision on that particular reality. If this vision changes, the place and the space in which it was will also move and change.

Furthermore, our visions or our imagination also determine the direction of our field of experiences. Thus, when we direct our minds to a certain space-time area, we will perceive various events and places that are characteristic to that particular area.

Therefore the tantric writings of the Hindu sages say that Bhuvaneshwari represents God’s very initial creative vision; in other words, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuvaneshwari represents the direction in which the Divinity directed his attention towards the act of creation or the force of awareness of manifestation.

PART 3
SHE REVEALS THE THREADS OF ILLUSION
Modern science has recently reached the conclusion according to which space (named in yogic terminology akasha) represents the primordial “matrix” from which were born all the other elements (air, fire, water, and earth). For example, the substance from which the earth is made is essentially a concentration characteristic to space in a certain area.

Under this aspect of primordial substance from which emerges everything in the manifested world, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuwaneshwari is also known as Prakriti, or Mother Nature.

However, we need to remember that this primordial space, which is a base for any ulterior manifestation is essentially pure consciousness and consequently it is an ineffable expression of endless freedom and bliss.

From a different perspective, Bhuwaneshwari is also Maya, or the cosmic illusion. Bhuwaneshwari thus spreads the infinite “threads” of illusion in which ignorant people are entangled and end up complicating their lives.

When we measure, appreciate, or compare the different things or situations in life, we simply fall into Mayas illusory trap, forgetting almost entirely the reality of the fundamental unitary space, the primordial matrix from which all things appeared.

Any manifested form is in fact a system of energy waves that exist based on subtle relationships, or resonance’s with the macro cosmic sources of energy from the Infinite.

Therefore, one of the important methods for transcending illusion is to learn to see around us the sacred space of the Divine Mother Bhuwaneshwari, a space that is in fact her gigantic, ineffable consciousness that surrounds us in a kind and loving embrace.

Consciousness is also the fundamental “field” in which all things and events appear and manifest. Consequently, a synthetic and effective awareness on this fundamental reality will immediately grant us the capacity of accessing any of her ways of expression, through a simple act of focused will on our part.

BHUWANESHWARI AWAKENS THE THRILL OF THE INFINITE
Bhuwaneshwari is the space in which Gods endless will and love manifest. Indeed, the pure and deep feeling of a sincere and unconditional love offers the feeling of space and infinite freedom.

Such sublime love does not limit a persons options and does not try to obtain or keep anything for itself, it always manifests altruistically.

On the other hand, the ineffable space of love represents a nurturing space granting the people who are capable of it as well as to their loved ones the possibility of growth and development.

We may state that if love does not create the feeling of space and freedom, it does not represent divine love, but merely the egotistical expression of a possessive and non-spiritual form of affection.

It is known that such affection leads the people in cause to absurd states of suffering and attachment especially when it is manifested through fierce jealousy.

The frenetic worship of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuwaneshwari makes it possible even for such people to transcend their pitiful limitations through the revelation of the fact that the genuine universal love has no form (it is not “constricting” and focuses on one person, or object), yet it is found in all forms.

BUILD HER A TEMPLE INSIDE YOUR OWN BEING
Gods infinite love gives birth to the desire to create and then to follow the wonderful spectacle of Creation. From this perspective, Bhuwaneshwari creates the worlds in which the endless power of the divine love manifests.

This divine game (Lila) is continuously effervescent because space (akasha) represents an infinite potential energy, which is always updated in the infinite ways and forms of manifestation.

Therefore, the yogic spiritual tradition says that the whole universe comes from the infinite space of the Divine Consciousness. Especially for those struggling to become artists, or creators, their devotion for this Great Cosmic Wisdom, Bhuwaneshwari, will prove unbelievably helpful.

This devotion will help them create a sacred space inside their beings. At the same time,
creating a certain space, we become free from stress and tensions, which are merely limited forms of our conceptions, preconceived ideas and attachments.

PART 4

In other words, endless space can be associated to rest, peace and perfect equanimity. This ineffable state is granted through Bhuwaneshwaris grace and consequently one needs to obtain Bhuwaneshwaris grace in order to find supreme peace and tranquility.

Bhuwaneshwari represents the power of openness and infinite expansion, of equanimity in spirit and profound peace that contains in it all things and that cannot be disturbed. Indeed, we will be able to understand this assertion better when we evoke the tantric teachings referring to the Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuwaneshwari.

These teachings state that the goddess is the original space from which emerges any being and any thing. The Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuwaneshwari represents the Void in its creative form, from which creation then emerges and which sustains creations further development.

It is important to understand that this void is not the void anterior to creation, which is transcendent and which is represented by the Great Cosmic Wisdom Dhumavati. From a location point of view, Bhuwaneshwari is everywhere in space.

We can say that we are always in Bhuwaneshwaris sphere of consciousness but beyond
this reality that implies a macro cosmic reality, the goddess represents the very subtle space of our hearts in which the whole manifestation is contained mysteriously. At the same time it also represents the sacred place in which we may become one with the consciousness of our Supreme Immortal Self, through spontaneous, beatific revelation.

Bhuwaneshwari offers you the enlightenment and revelation of the Self. The iconographic representation of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuwaneshwari resembles the representation of Tripura Sundari.

As we mentioned in our previous articles, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuwaneshwari has the color of the rising sun, with the crescent moon on her forehead, four hands and three eyes. In two of her
hands she holds a chain and respectively a stake, and with the other two hands she makes the gesture of casting away fear (abhaya mudra) and the gesture of offering wonderful spiritual gifts (varada mudra).

Sometimes she is represented with a lotus and a jewel bowl in tow of her hands, and in other cases her left foot is placed on a jewel bowl.

The Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuwaneshwari is sitting on a bed resembling a throne, which represents the five forms of manifestation belonging to the God Shiva, as described in the article about the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Sundari.

From this throne, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuwaneshwari controls and organizes the movement of the entire universe. Different gods and goddesses who serve her and immediately obey her orders
surround the Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuwaneshwari.

Meditating with great perseverance on this beautiful goddesss form, the sincere practitioner may
obtain her infinite grace, become enlightened, and reveal his or her supreme Self.

Another way through which one may obtain her grace is to meditate on the reality of infinite space. Another method is to develop and refine within ourselves the attitude of detached witnesses in manifestation, witnesses who simply observe the various events, things, beings that may cross our paths, but without identifying with these aspects.

Another way is to try to eliminate the idea that surrounding names and forms represent the ultimate reality from our mind.

This method resembles the practice of Jnana Yoga, and is based on the fact that everything we know is based on an over positioning of names and forms, which are in fact just conventions, over an unknown presence, which is nothingelse but the creative void supported by an infinite energy.

Of all these spiritual processes of worshipping the Divine Mother Bhuwaneshwari, becoming
perfectly detached from the illusionary nature and dual aspects of the cosmic illusion and at the same time manifesting a sincere and complete openness towards finding the Supreme Truth represent the best ways of adoring Her and also of honoring the charming presence of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Bhuwaneshwari.

Tripura Sundari and Cosmic Wisdoms

2016-03-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

PART 1
THE ESSENCE OF BEAUTY IS GOD
The third Great Cosmic Wisdom is known as Tripura Sundari or Shrividya Tripura. Generally speaking, this Goddess manifests three fundamental aspects of the Divinity, which may be extended to the level of the whole creation.

Furthermore, in the Tantric tradition there are many other forms that reunite these three aspects in one, such as Trishakti (referring to the three fundamental energies of God in manifestation: iccha shakti – the energy of will, jnana shakti – the energy of knowledge, and kriya shakti – the energy of action) and Trilingam (referring to the three aspects of the universal lingam, which are: svayambhu lingam, bana lingam and itara lingam).

From an etimological point of view, ” tri “ means Three, and “pura” means city, or citadel. Thus Tripura may be translated as “the one comprising all three citadels”, referring to the three worlds or gigantic spheres of God’s creation: the physical world, the astral world and the causal world.

Due to the perfect likeness between the structure of the human micro cosmos and the macro cosmos, these three citadels are usually associated to the three “bodies” of the human being: the physical body, the astral body and the causal body.

From a different perspective, the significance is placed on the sovereignty of the goddess, on matter, energy, and thought at the level of the whole creation.

Furthermore, this grandiose manifestation of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Sundari also refers to the three fundamental states of the human being: the state of awakening, the state of sleep with dreams and the state of deep sleep without dreams, symbolized in Tantra as the light of the fire, of the Moon and of the Sun.

Consequently, Tripura Sundari is the bright, gigantic sphere of divine consciousness that pervades all experiences of the three worlds of the Creation, but at the same time transcends them completely. The first “city-citadel” of the goddess is the state of awakening, in which the human being experiences various states of spirit mainly through the five senses.

In this case, the Tantric tradition asserts that the location of the individual consciousness is at the level of the right eye, or in the area of the forehead, in between the eyebrows.

The second “city-citadel” of the goddess’ is the state of sleep with dreams, associated with vishuddha chakra, in which the individual consciousness is centered in the mind.

The third “city-citadel” of the goddess’ is the state of deep sleep, associated with anahata chakra, in which the individual consciousness becomes united with its divine nature.

As the sovereign goddess of these three principal states of consciousness, Tripura Sundari also represents the fourth state of consciousness (turiya), which transcends all other three and which is associated with the state of ecstasy (samadhi) and spiritual freedom.

TRANSFIGURATION IS THE MAGICAL KEY
According to Tantric beliefs, from the perspective of the universal principles, it is known that the feminine principle represents Gods manifestation in the aspect of names and forms while the the masculine principle signifies the transcendent aspect of God.

Therefore, feminine nature is always associated to beauty. We may ask ourselves: where can one find supreme beauty? Tantric teachings urge us to seek this beauty inside ourselves, because exterior beauty can only reflect the ineffable inner beauty, which transcends all forms.

Literally, Sundari means “beauty” and this Great Cosmic Wisdoms worship represents in fact following the path of beauty and ecstatic bliss through manifestation until one reaches the Divine Absolute.

Normally, we imagine beauty as the perfection and harmony of our exterior surroundings and what is found in them, like a beautiful woman or a pretty flower.

However, regardless of their beauty, if we analyze them closer, we will discover certain less appealing aspects. Furthermore, as a direct consequence of our experiences in this life, we know that all external beauty will eventually fade and even disappear. This thing happens because form may only embody amazing beauty for a while, but fortunately, beauty is and means more than any form.

On the supreme level, genuine beauty is eternal, and it is reflected only to a certain degree in the changing forms of things and beings in the universe. From this point of view, Tripura Sundari represents more than the formal beauty (which is mainly the attribute of Kamalatmika, the tenth Great Cosmic Wisdom), Tripura Sundari is the very indescribable beauty that allows you to perceive the divine perfection.

This is the reason why beauty should never be considered as inherent to objects, as it appears from the unwrapping of the divine consciousness light that irradiates from every single thing and being.

PART 2
THE PURE MIND MIRRORS THE TRUTH
In order to resonate with this euphoric state of perception produced by beauty we need to eliminate any preconceived ideas, about what we know or what we can remember.

In other words, we truly need to “cleanse” our mind so that the magnificent and glorious light of the Divine Self can reflect itself. If we do not fulfill this condition, the residues of our thoughts and emotions will obstruct, as a dark lens the divine beauty that surrounds us.

Essentially speaking, Tripura Sundari represents the supreme beauty of pure perception that appears when we are capable of “seeing”, of “envisaging” inside of our being the whole manifestation as a direct reflection of Gods consciousness.

Thus, the Great Goddess appears to us as the beauty of the whole creation, but this perception is performed in the terms of the indestructible divine unity, in the sense that the whole macro cosmos is Brahman or the Heavenly Father and that there is nothing outside His consciousness.

Therefore, the ardent worship of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Sundari is one of the shortest and most secure path towards the revelation of the Divine Self.

When the mind is saturated with this divine knowledge, it will easily find total satisfaction in whatever we do. Our perception is then transfigured, and thus we will find joy and happiness in all that we do, even in the most common and apparently insignificant gestures and actions.

We are now free from any conception of time, space, size, distance etc. Then, any perception reveals Gods eternal and compassionate presence and thus any perception becomes a kind of small universe in itself, allowing us to intuitively know the uniqueness of the Divine Consciousness in the appearance of the myriads of forms of manifestation.

THE WORLD IS A GAME

Tripura Sundari is also known as Lalita, “the one who plays”. The Hindu spiritual tradition asserts
that the whole Creation is in fact the beautiful, charming game, or play of the Divine Mother.

To which we, as human beings are concerned, we are merely transient individualities in the Mothers gigantic game and in order to become free from its illusion we need to understand which is the primordial source of power and energy that moves around it.

Our pain and suffering are mere illusions; they are a direct consequence of the false knowledge rooted in ignorance and the manifestation of the ego. This is relatively simple: because we stubbornly and obstinately tend to control our happiness, or we tend to “own” it from the point of view of a separate, false “self”, we practically “split” ourselves from the genuine spiritual bliss.
As an accurate and pure image of this bliss, Lalita shows us the way to come out of this situation, that we need not deny happiness, but discover it inside ourselves.
Lalita awakens the receptive soul to the divine happiness saturating every single thing that exists in the universe.
Lalita is also known as the deity presiding over the Sri Yantra, the Yantra that is at the base of the whole universe, and that originated in the subtle universal sound, pranava .
Lalita is considered as the most beautiful of deities and represents the supreme ecstatic bliss as the source of any other wonderful perceptions.
Tradition says that She is located on the peak on Mount Meru, the so-called Cosmic Mountain, sustaining and leading movement and action in the whole universe. In the micro cosmos of our being, Mount Meru is associated with Sushumna Nadi.
She also represents the endless divine love, which is in fact the central, essential force motivating the existence of the Macro cosmos and at the same time the initial impulse towards spiritual freedom.

LOVE IS THE GATE TO HER HEART
Tripura Sundari is also named Rajarajeshvari, or the “governess of the whole creation”, because She gives the “orders of ruling” the macro cosmos.

Tripura Sundari is also
named Rajarajeshvari

Therefore, it is important that we think of Her and that we invoke Her grace whenever we are facing a difficult decision in life.

However, Her “orders” are not based on authority, but on the respect for the free will of each being and they are also charged with endless divine love.

Consequently, all we need to do in order to receive Her grace is to open up our hearts with sincerity, to the love she offers us unconditionally.

However, to deeply understand her way of action in the universe, we need to eliminate our selfish desires and to love in a transfiguring manner everything around us.

According to Tantric teachings, beauty and ecstatic bliss represent the fundamental energy of the universe, and the “game”, the “play” is the nature of any existing thing in the universe.

Knowing all of this, the path towards spiritual freedom and towards obtaining real happiness and fulfillment becomes easier. This is the spiritual “key” offered to us by the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Sundari.

PART 3
TRIPURA SUNDARI IS REVEALED AS A 16 YEAR OLD GIRL
One of the most famous representations of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Sundari is as a 16 year old girl. This anthropomorphic vision of the goddess is known as Shodasi (meaning “sixteen”) or Bala (meaning “young girl”).

The age of sixteen was not chosen by accident, because this is when a woman experiences the most pleasant and fascinating aspects of her personality.
At this stage of her life, her strongest inner impulse is to experience new sensations, and to fascinate the people around her with her charm.
This is why it has been said that her innocence and purity disarms even the darkest souls, acting as a powerful magnet for all who resonate with beauty, truth and goodness.
Thus, just as the young girl of sixteen, Shodasi guides the aspirant with great discernment on the spiritual path, representing the innocence and ardor towards God.

SHE SPREADS THE NECTAR OF DIVINE KNOWLEDGE
When we think about the divine transcendent aspects, which imply the essential forms of God’s consciousness and energy, Tripura Sundari is associated to the indestructible reality, which is Cit – Shakti .

In Her aspect of Pure Knowledge, She is known as Samvit, referring to Her capacity of understanding and perceiving everything (every thing, being, phenomenon); as being infused with God’s supreme consciousness.
From this perspective, the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Sundari appears as a Power of intuitive and perceptive knowledge, and less as knowledge gained from discursive analysis and reasoning.
She represents that form of manifestation belonging to the Supreme Divine Energy (Parameshvari) which appears to us as pure consciousness and as pure bliss.
In an attempt of uniting these aspects, we may state that Tripura Sundari combines some aspects of the energy of activity (characteristic to Kali ) with some aspects of the energy of knowledge (characteristic to Tara ), adding to these the dimension of bliss that comes with the supreme realization.
Closely related to the energy of spiritual beatitude, and with the presence of the divine nectar soma, Tripura Sundari also represents the Moon, as a visible embodiment of transcendent beauty and happiness.
From a subtle point of view, Sundari represents the ecstatic experience of spreading pouring divine nectar into an aspirant, due to the process of resonance with the most elevated aspects of God’s Consciousness.
As the very source of the subtle soma, this goddess is located in Sahasrara padma, the crown of the head.
Through Her grace, the divine nectar that confers immortality is spread through the whole being of the aspirant, until the aspirant realizes the fact that the entire manifestation is infused with the same subtle energy of infinite beatitude.

TRIPURA SUNDARI PIERCES OUR HEARTS WITH THE ARROWS OF ECSTASY
With regards to the Goddess’ form, to be visualized during meditation, it is said to be brighter than a thousand suns, and She is said to wear a crescent moon on her head.

Tripura Sundari is represented with four arms, in which She holds a bowl of sugar cane, five arrows made from flowers, a noose and a hook.

She is usually naked in these representations wearing only wonderful jewels, bracelets on her hands and ankles, earrings, rings, necklaces, and so on.

PART 4
Her beauty is dazzling and her face and body are very young. Most of the time she is represented as sitting on a bed (which signifies the great God Sadashiva bent over His four forms: Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Maheshvara, symbolized by the four feet of the bed.

The bright red color in which is represented the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Sundari signifies her state of ecstatic bliss, her knowledge that is illuminating and complete, as well as her compassion for all beings in the universe.

The symbolic significance of the objects she holds in her hands is the following: the bowl of sugar cane represents the mind, the arrows made from flowers represent the senses, which through her grace become like “gates” that manifest an overwhelming happiness.

Metaphorically speaking, Tripura Sundari “pierces” us with the arrows of delight and happiness, revealing to us all the forms of Creation as aspects of our inner divine nature.

The noose she holds in her third hand signifies her ability to attract sincere and devoted worshipers through her dazzling beauty. The hook held in her fourth hand represents the means through which she cuts off any attachment for the illusions of the outside world.

SHE CONTROLS AND FULLY MANIFESTS ALL THE FIVE ELEMENTS
Shiva‘s five forms on which Tripura Sundari is sitting are named “the five bodies”, because they are

absolutely inert in the absence of the energy infused by Tripura Sundari.

From this subtle point of view, these five forms symbolize the five elements (mahabhuta) of the manifested world, and the five types of Shiva’s main activities: create, preserve, destroy, conceal and grant grace.

Thus, Brahma signifies the earth element (prithivi mahabhuta) and the activity of creation. Vishnu is the water element (apas mahabhuta) and the activity of preservation.
Rudra is the fire element (agni mahabhuta) and the activity of destruction and transformation. Maheshvara represents the air element (vayu mahabhuta) and the activity of concealment, in other words Shiva’s action of hiding His essential nature.

Sadashiva is the fifth and most subtle of all the elements, the ether element, (akasha mahabhuta) and symbolizes Shiva’s grace, which frees us from the bonds of illusion and offers us the capacity of transcending it entirely.

THE REVELATION OF OUR SUPREME SELF ATTRACTS HER GRACE UPON US
The most elevated way of worshiping Tripura Sundari is to find our inner peace in the Supreme Self (Atman), or in other words to reveal our divine essence as the supreme, eternal reality of the whole creation.

The most direct method for attaining this goal is that of deep introspection on our real identity, representing atma-vichara, whose method is mainly and synthetically presented in the question “Who am I?” or the very relevant and abstract methods of jnana yoga.

The fundamental experience resulting from here is the one that makes us understand that the things around us are not separated from ourselves, because they have the same source and the same essential nature.

In this respect, the teachings of the vedantic tradition state that it is below our dignity as human beings to let ourselves be taken over by feelings of guilt, fear, worry, or anger or for that matter, any feeling incompatible with the spiritual perfection and harmony that we embody.

It is also beneath our dignity to identify ourselves with this tiny body, of bones and flesh, or with an ephemeral mental structure. It is like an insult to the Supreme Self to be identified with a limited body or a hesitating personality.

The deep understanding of these truths attracts the overwhelming grace of the Great Cosmic Wisdom Tripura Sundari, who will prepare our body, heart and mind for experiencing the eternal and infinite bliss of the Divine Absolute.

Goddess Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi

2016-03-11T05:44:00.003-08:00

Maha Tripura Sundari is the Universal manifestation of the Mother Goddess Parvati.

“Tripura’s themes are religious devotion, forgiveness, relationships, kindness, truth, spirituality, patience and restoration. Her symbols are gold, silver and iron. In Jainism, Tripura is the great mother who lives in three metallic cities (gold, silver, iron) that represent the heavens, the air, and the earth (or body, mind, and spirit). She unites these three powers within us for well-balanced spiritual living that reflects good morals and proper action.

Taking place between August and September, this Paryushana focuses on the ten cardinal virtues of forgiveness, charity, simplicity, contentment, truthfulness, self-restraint, fasting, detachment, humility, and continence. It is also a time to restore relationships that have been damaged during the year and generally reassess one’s life and perspectives, asking for Tripura’s assistance during your daily meditations with words like this:

‘Great Heavenly Mother, create in me a temple

that is strong and pure, a mind that seeks after

truth, and a spirit that thirsts for enlightenment.

Balance these parts of myself so I may walk along

your path with harmony as my companion.’

Another way to generate Tripura’s attributes within today is by wearing gold, silver, and iron toned objects or clothing. If you can’t find anything in an iron color, just iron your clothing using the magic of puns for power!”

(Patricia Telesco, “365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess”.)

“Tripurasundarĩ (‘Beautiful (Goddess) of the Three Cities’) or Mahã-Tripurasundarĩ (‘Great Beautiful (Goddess) of the Three Cities’), also called Ṣoḍaśĩ (“Sixteen”), Lalitã (‘She Who Plays’) and Rãjarãjeśvarĩ (‘Queen of Queens, Supreme Ruler’), is one of the group of ten Goddesses of Hindu belief, collectively called Mahavidyas.

As Shodashi, Tripurasundari is represented as a sixteen-year-old girl, and is believed to embody sixteen types of desire. Shodashi also refers to the sixteen syllable mantra, which consists of the fifteen syllable (panchadasakshari) mantra plus a final seed syllable. The Shodashi Tantra refers to Shodashi as the ‘Beauty of the Three Cities,’ or Tripurasundari.

Tripurasundari is the primary Goddess associated with the Shakta Tantric tradition known as Sri Vidya. The Goddess Who is ‘Beautiful in the Three Worlds’ (Supreme Deity of Srikula systems); the ‘Moksha Mukuta’.”

As Shodashi, Tripurasundari is represented as a sixteen-year-old girl, and is believed to embody sixteen types of desire. Shodashi also refers to the sixteen syllable mantra, which consists of the fifteen syllable (panchadasakshari) mantra plus a final seed syllable. The Shodashi Tantra refers to Shodashi as the ‘Beauty of the Three Cities,’ or Tripurasundari.

The Sri Chakra, frequently called the Sri Yantra.

Tripurasundari is the primary Goddess associated with the Shakta Tantric tradition known as Sri Vidya. The Goddess Who is ‘Beautiful in the Three Worlds’ (Supreme Deity of Srikula systems); the ‘Moksha Mukuta’.”

One source I found stated that “Maha Tripura Sundari is the Universal manifestation of the Mother Goddess Parvati.” Another explained that “Goddess Tripura is the ultimate, primordial Shakti, the light of manifestation. She is the garland of letters of the alphabet and said to be the one who gave birth to the three worlds. She is called ‘the beauty of three worlds’. At dissolution, She is the abode of all Her devotees.

Vidya means knowledge, specifically female knowledge, or the Goddess, and in this context relates to her aspect called Shri, Bala or Tripura Sundari whose magical diagram is called the “Shri Yantra” or the “Bala Tripura Sundari Yantra”.

“Goddess Tripura Sundari is an integral part of the religious life of Tripura. The Tripura Sundari, along with other Goddesses, namely, Tara, Kali, Bhuvaneshvari, Chhinnamasta, Bhairavi, Bagalamukhi, Dhumavati, Kamalatmika and Matangi.

This Goddess is described as being the mate of Lord Shiva. It is commonly believed that the state of Tripura has derived its name from Tripura Sundari. One of the major temples of the satte is dedicated to the worship of Tripura Sundari. The name of this temple is Tripura Sundari Temple. This popular temple of Tripura is situated at the top of a hill close to the village called Radhakishorepur. This place is not very far away from the prominent town of Udaipur. There is a hymn dedicated to Tripura Sundari.

The importance of Goddess Tripura Sundari in Tripura can be understood from the fact that it is considered one of the 51 pithasthanas associated with the religion of Hinduism.

Goddess Tripura Sundari is often referred to as Shodasi. Shodasi is commonly represented in the state as a girl of sixteen years. She represents sixteen different types of urges. The Shodasi Tantra is an important source of information about Tripura Sundari in Tripura. According to this source, Tripura Sundari is actually the illumination in the eyes of Lord Shiva.”

Kali, Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshvari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi, and Kamala.

Pertaining to Lalitha: “Lalitha means ‘She Who Plays’. All creation, manifestation and disslution is considered to be a play of Devi or the Goddess. Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi is a Goddess who is representative of these Goddess on form, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. Tripura means the Three Cities, and Sundari means beautiful; specifically a beautiful female. Therefore Her name means, Beautiful of Three Cities. Tripura Sundari is also worshipped as the Yantra, which is considered by practitioner of Sri Vidya. Vidya means wisdom. Tripura Sundari combines in Her being Kali’s determination and Durga’s charm, grace and complexion. She has a third eye on Her forehead, usually four armed and clad in red or golden in colour, depending on the meditational form. She holds five arrows of flowers, a noose, a goad and sugarcane or bow. The noose represents attachment, the goad represents repulsion, the sugarcane represents the mind and the arrows are the five sense objects. She is the heavily ornamented and sits on a ‘Simhasanam’ before Srichakra. Srichakram is the most sacred thing for Hindus.

Goddess Lalitha Tripura Sundari Devi and Red Goddess are one of the most powerful
manifestation of Goddess, Shakti. Goddess Shakti incarnated as Lalitha demolish the demon called Bhandasura. As per legends Goddess Lalitha represents the panchabhuta of the universe. Panchabhutas are air, water, fire, space and earth. She always appears as She is 16 years of age. According to this theory Goddess Lalitha appears in the form of 16 nithyadevies, while depicting the war between Bhandasura and the Goddess Lalitha. Sahasranama Stotra mentions the Nitydevies, Her consort is Shiva Kama Sundara. The Lalitha Sahasranamam illustrates Her cherisma from head to foot. She described as the ‘One who recreates the Universe’.”

World Peace Formula

2016-03-09T23:17:00.000-08:00

The World Peace Formula

by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Amid the antiwar protests of late 1966, Srila Prabhupada put out a mimeographed leaflet (among the very first of his publications in America) from his small storefront temple on New York's Second Avenue. Srila Prabhupada's followers and sympathizers handed this leaflet out by the thousands on the streets of New York, and later in San Francisco, Montreal, and other cities. His "Peace Formula" was an entirely new approach to the antiwar question, and for thousands of Americans, it provided the perfect solution.

"The great mistake of modern civilization is to encroach upon others' property as though it were one's own and to thereby create an unnecessary disturbance of the laws of nature. These laws are very strong. No living entity can violate them. Only one who is Krsna conscious can easily overcome the stringency of the laws of nature and thus become happy and peaceful in the world.

As a state is protected by the department of law and order, so the state of Universe, of which this earth is only an insignificant fragment, is protected by the laws of nature. This material nature is one of the different potencies of God, who is the ultimate proprietor of everything that be. This earth is, therefore, the property of God, but we, the living entities, especially the so-called civilized human beings, are claiming God's property as our own, under both an individual and collective false conception. If you want peace, you have to remove this false conception from your mind and from the world. This false claim of proprietorship by the human race on earth is partly or wholly the cause of all disturbances of peace on earth.

Foolish and so-called civilized men are claiming proprietary rights on the property of God because they have now become godless. You cannot be happy and peaceful in a godless society. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna says that He is the factual enjoyer of all activities of the living entities, that He is the Supreme Lord of all universes, and that He is the well-wishing friend of all beings. When the people of the world know this as the formula for peace, it is then and there that peace will prevail.

Therefore, if you want peace at all, you will have to change your consciousness into Krsna consciousness, both individually and collectively, by the simple process of chanting the holy name of God. This is a standard and recognized process for achieving peace in the world. We therefore recommend that everyone become Krsna conscious by chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

This is practical, simple, and sublime. Four hundred and eighty years ago this formula was introduced in India by Lord Sri Caitanya, and now it is available in your country. Take to this simple process of chanting as above mentioned, realize your factual position by reading the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and reestablish your lost relationship with Krsna, God. Peace and prosperity will be the immediate worldwide result."

Chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra for World Peace

The transcendental vibration established by the chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the sublime method for reviving our transcendental consciousness.

As living spiritual souls, we are all originally Krishna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere. The material atmosphere, in which we are now living, is called maya, or illusion. Maya means "that which is not." And what is this illusion? The illusion is that we are all trying to be lords of material nature, while actually we are under the grip of her stringent laws. When a servant artificially tries to imitate the all-powerful master, it is called illusion.

In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. Therefore, although we are engaged in a hard struggle to conquer nature, we are ever more dependent on her. This illusory struggle against material nature can be stopped at once by revival of our eternal Krishna consciousness.

The chanting of Hare Krishna is the transcendental process for reviving this original, pure consciousness. By chanting this transcendental vibration, we can cleanse away all misgivings within our hearts. The basic principle of all such misgivings is the false consciousness that I am the lord of all I survey.

Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind; this consciousness is the original, natural energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. By practical experience also, one can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel a transcendental ecstasy coming through from the spiritual stratum.

This chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness -- namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need for mental speculation nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification, and dance in ecstasy. We have seen this practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it.

The chanting should be heard, however, from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that the immediate effect can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of nondevotees should be avoided, as much as milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects.

Krishna and Rama

The word Hara is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord, and the words Krishna and Rama are Krishna and Rama mean "the highest pleasure," and Hara is the supreme pleasure energy of the Lord, changed to Hare in the vocative. This potency, addressed as Hare, helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord.forms of directly addressing the Lord Himself. Both

The material energy, called maya, is also one of the multi-energies of the Lord. And we, the living entities, are also energy, the marginal energy of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the supreme spiritual energy, called Hara, the living entity is established in its happy, normal condition.

These three words, namely Hare, Krishna, and Rama, are the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra. The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Hara, for giving protection to the conditioned soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mother's presence. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the Lord Father's grace, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely.

No other means of spiritual realization is as effective in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy as the chanting of the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Eight Limbs – Ashtanga Yoga by Patanjali Yoga Sutras

2016-03-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

There is little known about this person named Patanjali who outlined stages of practice along the yogic path. There is numerous works and commentary on the text itself. I have found the Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga to be an excellent source of living yoga with a moral compass. Pantajali has thoughtfully outlined a progressive process for the Science of living a yogic lifestyle. The core of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is is an eight-limbed path that forms the structural framework for ones yoga practice.

Upon practicing all eight limbs of this path one is directed to an elevated state. Each limb is part of a holistic process which eventually brings completeness to the individual as they find their connection to the Divine. Because we are all uniquely individual, a person can emphasize one branch and then move on to another as they develop an in depth understanding of each limb.

Chapter (PADA) Two, 28th Verse, The Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga

1. Yama – (Ethical & Social Restraints)

Ahimsa – (Non-injury, Non Harming and Non- Violence) we must not cause injury or pain to another being in our thoughts, words and deeds.
Satya – (Truthfulness)
Asteya – (Non- stealing)
Bramacharya – (sense control, chastity, moderation, appropriate sexual behavior or celibacy).
Aparigraha – (non-greed or non hoarding)

2. Niyama – (Moral & Personal Observance)

Saucha – (Cleanliness)
Santosha -(Contentment)
Tapas – (Austerities)
Svadhyaya – (Self- Study) *yogic text

Ishvarapranidhana – (Surrender to a Divine source)

3. Asana – (Postures or seat, a firm positioning of the body connected to the earth)
4. Pranayama – (Control of life force generally through awareness of breathing)
5. Pratyahara – (Withdrawal of senses, non-attachment)
6. Dharana – (Concentration)
7. Dhyana – (Meditation)
8. Samadhi – (Bliss, absorption into the higher realms of consciousness)

Lets us take an in depth look at each limb:

Yamas- (Ethical & Social Restraints).

Ahimsa: Compassion for all living things (thought, word and actions) The word ahimsa literally means not to injure or show cruelty to any creature or any person in any way whatsoever. Ahimsa is, however, more than just lack of violence as adapted in yoga. It means kindness, friendliness, and thoughtful consideration of other people and things. Ahimsa implies that in every situation we should adopt a considerate attitude and do no harm.

Satya-Commitment to Truthfulness: Satya means “to speak the truth.” We have to consider what we say, how we say it, and in what way it could affect others. If speaking the truth has negative consequences for another, then is it better to say nothing. Satya should never come into conflict with our efforts to behave with ahimsa. This precept is based on the understanding that honest communication and action form the bedrock of any healthy relationship, community, or government, and that deliberate deception, exaggerations, and mistruths harm others,

Asteya-Non-stealing: Steya means “to steal.” Asteya means the opposite — do not take that which does not belong to you. This also means that if we are in a situation where someone entrusts something to us or confides in us, we honor that trust. Non-stealing includes not only taking what belongs to another without permission, but also using something for a different purpose than that intended, or beyond the time permitted by its owner. The practice of asteya implies not taking anything that has not been freely given. This includes fostering a consciousness of how we ask for others’ time. Inconsiderate behavior demanding another’s attention when not freely given is, in effect, stealing.

Brahmacharya-Sense control: Brahmacharya is used mostly in the sense of abstinence, particularly in relationship to sexual activity. Brahmacharya suggests that we should form relationships that foster our understanding of the highest truths. Brahmacharya does not necessarily imply celibacy. Rather, it means responsible behavior with respect to our goal of moving toward the truth. Practicing brahmacharya means that we use our sexual energy to regenerate our connection to our spiritual self. It also means that we don’t use this energy in any way that might harm others.

Aparigraha-Neutralizing the desire to acquire and hoard wealth: Aparigraha means to take only what is necessary, and not to take advantage of a situation or act greedy. We should only take what we have earned; if we take more, we are exploiting someone else. The yogi feels that hoarding implies a lack of faith in God and in self to provide for the future. Aparigraha also implies letting go of our attachments and an understanding that impermanence is the only constant. The Yoga Sutra describes what happens when these five behaviors outlined above become part of a person’s daily life. Thus, the yamas are the moral virtues which, if attended to, purify human nature and contribute to societal health and happiness.

2. Niyama (Personal Observances): Niyama means “rules” or “laws.” These are the rules prescribed for personal behaviors and moral codes like the yamas. The five niyamas are not exercises or actions to be simply studied rather they represent far more than an attitude. Compared with the yamas, the niyamas are more intimate and personal. They refer to the attitude we adopt toward ourselves as we create a code for living soulfully and morally.

Saucha-Purity: The first niyama is saucha, meaning purity and cleanliness. Sauca has both an inner and an outer aspect. Outer cleanliness simply means keeping ourselves clean. Inner cleanliness has as much to do with the healthy, free functioning of our bodily organs as with the clarity of our mind. Practicing asanas or pranayama are essential means for attending to this inner sauca. Asanas tone the entire body and remove toxins, while pranayama cleanses our lungs, oxygenates our blood and purifies our nerves. “But more important than the physical cleansing of the body is the cleansing of the mind of its disturbing emotions like hatred, passion, anger, lust, greed, delusion and pride.

Santosa-Contentment: The next niyama is santosa, modesty and the feeling of being content with what we have. To be at peace within and content with one’s lifestyle finding contentment, even while experiencing life’s difficulties. Therefore, life becomes a process of growth through all kinds of circumstances. We should accept that there is a purpose for everything – yoga calls it karma – and we cultivate contentment ‘to accept what happens’. It means being happy with what we have, rather than being unhappy about what we don’t have.

Tapas-Disciplined use of our energy as in austerity: Tapas refers to the activity of keeping the body fit or to confront and handle the inner urges without outer show. Literally it means to heat the body and, by so doing, to cleanse it. Behind the notion of tapas lies the idea we can direct our energy to enthusiastically engage life and achieve our ultimate goal of creating union with the Divine. Tapas helps us burn up all the desires that stand in our way of this goal. Another form of tapas is paying attention to what we eat. Attention to body posture, attention to eating habits, attention to breathing patterns – these are all tapas.

Svadhyaya-Self Study or Scriptural study: The fourth niyama is svadhyaya. Sva means “self”, adhyaya means “inquiry” or “examination”. Any activity that cultivates self-reflective consciousness can be considered svadhyaya. It means to intentionally find self-awareness in all our activities and efforts, even to the point of welcoming and accepting our limitations. It teaches us to be centered and non-reactive to the dualities, to burn out unwanted and self-destructive tendencies.

Isvarapranidhana- Surrender to the divine: Isvarapranidhana means “to lay all your actions at the feet of a Divine source.” It is the contemplation on the divine source (Isvara) in order to become attuned to the source. It is the recognition that the spiritual suffuses everything and, through our attention and care, we can attune ourselves with our role as part of the Creator. The practice requires that we set aside some time each day to recognize that there is some omnipresent force larger than ourselves that is guiding and directing the course of our lives.

3. Asana-Postures: Asana is the practice of physical postures, It is the most commonly known aspect of yoga within Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The practice of moving the body into postures has widespread benefits; of these the most underlying are improved health, strength, balance and flexibility. On a deeper level, the practice of asana, which means staying or seat, is used as a tool to calm the mind and move into the inner essence of being. The challenge of poses offers the practitioner the opportunity to explore and control all aspects of their emotions, concentration, intent, faith, and unity between the physical and the ethereal body. Indeed, using asanas to challenge and open the physical body acts as a binding agent to bring one in harmony with all the unseen elements of their being, the forces that shape our lives through our responses to the physical world. Asana then becomes a way of exploring our mental attitudes and strengthening our will as we learn to release and move into the state of grace that comes from creating balance between our material world and spiritual experience.

As one practices asana, it fosters a quieting of the mind, thus it becomes both a preparation for meditation and a meditation sufficient in and of itself. Releasing to the flow and inner strength that one develops brings about a profound grounding spirituality in the body. The physicality of the yoga postures becomes a vehicle to expand the consciousness that pervades our every aspect of our body. The key to fostering this expansion of awareness and consciousness begins with the control of breath, the fourth limb – Pranayama. Patanjali suggests that the asana and the pranayama practices will bring about the desired state of health; the control of breath and bodily posture will harmonize the flow of energy in the organism, thus creating a fertile field for the evolution of the spirit. “This down-to-earth, flesh-and-bones practice is simply one of the most direct and expedient ways to meet yourself. This limb of yoga practice reattaches us to our body. In reattaching ourselves to our bodies, we reattach ourselves to the responsibility of living a life guided by the undeniable wisdom of our body.” To this B.K.S. Iyengar adds: “The needs of the body are the needs of the divine spirit which lives through the body. The yogi does not look heaven-ward to find God for he knows that He is within.”

4. Pranayama- Directing Energy: Pranayama is the measuring, control, and directing of the breath. Pranayama controls the energy (prana) within the organism, in order to restore and maintain health and to promote ones evolution. When the in-flowing breath is neutralized or joined with the out-flowing breath, then perfect relaxation and balance of body activities are realized. In yoga, we are concerned with balancing the flows of vital forces, then directing them inward to the chakra system and upward to the crown chakra. Pranayama is very important in yoga and it can go hand in hand with the asana or pose. The practices of pranayama produce a physical sensation of heat, called tapas, or the inner fire of purification. It is taught that this heat is part of the process of purifying the nadis, or subtle nerve channels of the body. This allows a more healthful state to be experienced and allows the mind to become more calm. As the yogi follows the proper rhythmic patterns of slow deep breathing “the patterns strengthen the respiratory system, soothe the nervous system and reduce craving. As desires and cravings diminish, the mind is set free and becomes a fit vehicle for concentration.”

5. Pratyahara – Withdrawal of the Senses: Pratyahara means drawing back or retreat. The word ahara means “nourishment”; pratyahara translates as “to withdraw oneself from that which nourishes the senses.” In yoga, the term pratyahara implies withdrawal of the senses from attachment to external objects. It can then be seen as the practice of non-attachment to sensorial distractions as we constantly return to the path of self realization and achievement of internal peace. It means our senses stop living off the things that stimulate; the senses no longer depend on these stimulants and are not fed by them anymore.

In pratyahara we sever this link between mind and senses, and the senses withdraw. When the senses are no longer tied to external sources, the result is restraint or pratyahara. Now that the vital forces are flowing back to the Source within, one can concentrate without being distracted by externals, or the temptation to cognize externals. Pratyahara occurs almost automatically when we meditate because we are so absorbed in the object of meditation. Precisely because the mind is so focused, the senses follow it; it is not happening the other way around.

No longer functioning in their usual manner, the senses become extraordinarily sharp. Under normal circumstances, the senses become our masters rather than being our servants. The senses entice us to develop cravings for all sorts of things. In pratyahara, the opposite occurs. When we have to eat we eat, but not because we have a craving for food. In pratyahara, we try to put the senses in their proper place, but not cut them out of our actions entirely. Much of our emotional imbalances are our own creation. A person who is influenced by outside events and sensations can never achieve the inner peace and tranquility. This is because he or she will waste much mental and physical energy in trying to suppress unwanted sensations and to heighten other sensations. This will eventually result in a physical or mental imbalance, and will, in most instances, result in illness. Patanjali says that the above process is at the root of human unhappiness and uneasiness. When people seek out yoga, hoping to find that inner peace which is so evasive, they find that it was theirs all along. In a sense, yoga is nothing more than a process which enables us to stop and look at the processes of our own minds; only in this way can we understand the nature of happiness and unhappiness, and thus transcend them both.

6. Dharana Concentration and cultivating inner awareness: Dharana is the sixth limb of Ashtanga Yoga. The word ‘Dharana’ simply means ‘unbending concentration of mind’. Working with complete focus and concentration is something that satisfies every individual at the maximum. Each of us feel a sense of frustration when we are not able to focus. The inability to focus may be because our minds were racing with ideas, judgments, worries, songs, or even memories. The main idea underlying Dharana, is the ability to focus on something uninterrupted both by external or internal distractions. Dharana is a form of meditation that can be called receptive concentration. With the help of Dharana, a set of conditions are created that helps the mind focus in one direction and object, rather than concentrating in many directions, thereby diverting the mind. The term ‘Dharana’ is given to both the practice of deep concentration and the state in which you achieve deep concentration. Ideally, ‘Dharana’ should be performed at every moment of the day to gain utmost awareness of both body and mind.

Benefits of Dharana: Dharana aims at setting up the mind, by focusing it upon some stable entity. One good method to start it is by rolling the eyes upward and downward, in one direction to get the concentration. Any object selected for practicing has no role to play in the meditation process. The object is only used to stop the mind from wandering – through memories, dreams, or reflective thought – by intentionally holding it obsessively upon some static object. This ability is a movement toward perception of its true nature and not an escape from reality.

Dharana helps in channeling one’s thoughts on a certain thing. It makes sure that you reach a level of awareness in anything you do, by focusing on every step you take. Dharana can bring richness to one’s life. With the help of deep contemplation and reflection, one can create the right conditions. Dharana works with the objective to achieve the mental state, where the mind, intellect, and ego are controlled. The mind becomes purified by the practices. It becomes able to focus efficiently on one subject or point of experience. Dharana also helps in the cessation of fluctuations in the mind. The practice of Dharana, at the time when you are struggling with anger, restlessness or expectation helps in balancing those struggles. Dharana is the practice of training the mind to concentrate and focus in such a way, that we can possibly avoid frustrations. Concentrating our attention on one point allows the mind to be stable and calms the disturbance of activity, to which we are used to. The point of concentration can be anywhere within our body or outside. Therefore, maintaining a fixed and focused concentration, throughout the practice, gives consistency and clarity to the thoughts.

7. Dyhana-Meditation Dhyana forms the seventh constituent or limb of the ancient science of Yoga. It is derived from the Sanskrit root “dhyai” which means, “to think of”. The literal meaning of Dhyana is meditation. It concentrates upon a point of focus, with the intention of knowing the truth about it, and is the thought and meditation of spiritual things. While practicing Dhyana Yoga, we meditate on a single flow of idea. The purpose is to withdraw all senses from various objects of interest. The focus is laid upon one object. Dhyana Yoga produces a state of tranquility. Its objective is to cleanse the subconscious, develop concentration, clear the mind, and bring about various stages of unified communion with God. Practising Dhyana Yoga allows the person to calm his mind and allow him/her to look at the outside world without any distractions. This enables him/her to reach a heightened level of awareness. Meditation, consciousness, and experience, are all but a single unity. There are different forms of Dhyana Yoga and it is very important to remember the three things given below. One-pointedness of mind is the first thing that means controlling the movement of mind. etting boundaries to one’s life to help achieve this is the second thing. This means doing actions after weighing and measuring them. The third thing is the evenness of vision or state of level-headedness, which means having the nobility and decency to think in terms of the whole world.

Benefits of Dhyana; Dhyana Yoga is a system that, in the form of meditation, tranquilizes the body and mind. In the process of meditation, we calm the mind and that leads to the realignment of our inner self to the right path. Meditation leads to have less thoughts that give rise to worries, which in turn, results in leading a simple life. It enables us to contemplate on important things to connect with the inner self. It also cuts short too many distractions from our life. The mind becomes so occupied with a particular subject that it concentrates deeply on the object to find the underlying differences, making a connection of the mind to that particular object. While practicing Dhyana, the consciousness of the practitioner flows in the subject and helps in becoming one with the same. The mind is totally observed in the point of focus, while concentrating on the same. On the physical level, Dhyana Yoga helps each cell in the body to refresh and regenerate itself. It also facilitates digestion and makes respiration more efficient, as well as improves circulation and quality of blood. Moreover, it improves your ability to analyze your emotions objectively, and the way you react in certain situations.

8. Samadhi- Bliss; Samadhi is a physical and mental state of body which denotes higher levels of concentrated meditation, or dhyana. Hindu and Buddhist scriptures consider Samadhi a precursor for enlightenment. It is part of Ashtanga Yoga. When one becomes absorbed in it, personal identity vanishes. In the moment of Samadhi, nothing mundane exists. Total Independence, the literal meaning of Samadhi, is ‘to bring together, to merge’. When in Samadhi, we are assimilated with the object of our choice. We blend and become one with it. It becomes an identity without differences, and a liberated soul enjoys pure awareness of this pure identity. When the individual attains the Supreme Cosmic Consciousness from which it descended, the goal of Samadhi is reached. The final stage of Samadhi terminates at the instance the soul is freed. The absolute and eternal freedom of an isolated soul is beyond all stages and it is beyond the boundaries of time and place.

Liberation - moksha

2016-03-09T02:57:00.000-08:00

Moksa or liberation is generally misinterpreted by impersonalists as the merging of one's soul into the Supreme.

Mayavadis are very fond of merging into the Supreme like rivers that come down and then disappear into the ocean by merging with it.

The impersonal way of merging into the Supreme is generally sought by people who are frustrated by the sufferings of material existence. When one is disillusioned from material life and wants to practice renunciation by giving up one's attachment to materialism, there is some leaning towards impersonalism, because of the frustration experienced in that hard struggle for existence.

Consequently those people consider the Supreme to be impersonal. And because they are too materially affected, the conception of retaining the personality after liberation from matter frightens them. When they are informed that spiritual life is also individual and personal, they become afraid of becoming persons again, so they naturally like to lose their individual existence and prefer a kind of merging into the impersonal void. This, however, is a kind of fearful stage of life, devoid of perfect knowledge of spiritual existence.

Moksa or liberation is neither a process of annihilating one's individuality as taught by the mayavadis (illusionists) nor does the living entity merge into the great "nothingness" as taught by the atheistic philosophy of the Buddhist nirvana.

Both of these types of impersonal philosophies teach some type of spiritual suicide. But since the spirit soul is eternal, it cannot be killed by an artificial process of spiritual suicide.

Liberation, as the word implies, is a process of liberating oneself from the false conception of materialistic life. After material cessation, there is the manifestation of spiritual life. In spiritual life the same distinction is there, the same individuality is there, but in pure consciousness, full knowledge and bliss.

Real liberation is, therefore, not an impersonal experience but the attainment of one's eternal spiritual body, free from the contamination of the materialistic ego.

Maya, or illusion, is the condition of spiritual life contaminated by material infection. Liberation from this material infection does not mean destruction of the original eternal position of the living entity. For example, if a person is bound by ropes then he is severely restricted in his free movement. However, when he is freed from his bonds he no longer is conditioned and can move freely wherever he likes. Therefore freedom from his conditioned state does not mean his personal destruction. Similarly liberation, or freedom, from material bondage [mukti] does not mean the destruction of the individual soul.

Mayavadis are confused by the flowery language of the vedas and compare themselves to little drops of water which dissolve when they merge in the ocean of water. Teaching the philosophy of dissolution they like to commit spiritual suicide by dissolving their individual existence.

Since the soul is sac-cid-ananda, or an eternal spiritual being, full of knowledge and bliss, it can never be annihilated or dissolved. The personalists, or devotees of the Lord, do not like to commit spiritual suicide by dissolving themselves. They prefer to keep their individuality and serve the Supreme Lord in a blissful and loving relationship called devotional service.

Those Mayavadis who compare themselves with water may artificially try to become water by merging into it, but the personalists or devotees enjoy this very same water by playing in it like fishes.

Impersonalists also give the example of a river flowing into the ocean to merge with it. This may be a source of happiness for the impersonalist, but the personalist keeps his personal individuality like an aquatic in the ocean. We find so many living entities within the ocean, if we go below the surface. Surface acquaintance with the ocean's waves alone is not sufficient; one must have complete knowledge of the aquatics living below the waves in the ocean depths. The ocean can be compared to liberation, and the rivers to all the different paths of liberation. The impersonalists are dwelling in the river water which eventually comes to mix with the ocean. They have no information, however, that within the ocean, as within the rivers, there are innumerable living entities like fishes and other aquatic creatures. The devotees of the Supreme Lord are compared to sharks who live in that great ocean. The sharks who dwell in the ocean do not care for the little rivers which are gliding down into it. The devotees eternally live in the ocean of devotional service, and they do not care for the little rivers of impersonal liberation. In other words, those who are pure devotees always remain in the ocean of transcendental loving service to the Lord and have no business with the other processes, which are compared to the rivers that only gradually come to merge with the ocean.

Real devotional liberation is defined as the reinstatement of the living entity in his own identity, his
own constitutional position. Every living entity is the part and parcel fragmental portion of the Supreme Lord and eternally related to Him. Therefore his constitutional position is the exchange of transcendental pleasures with the Lord. This natural transcendental pleasure is the ultimate goal of yoga and easily attainable through the process of bhakti-yoga.

For a devotee engaged in bhakti-yoga, liberation is attained automatically without any extra endeavour. This is because all the activities of the Supreme Lord (His Lila) are transcendental to the modes of the material energy. They are all attractive spiritual activities, and therefore constant association with the spiritual activities of the Supreme Lord gradually spiritualises the conditioned soul and ultimately severs the knot of material bondage. Liberation from material bondage is, therefore, a by-product of devotional service. The ultimate aim of liberation is to get release from material bondage and regain one's eternal existence in the spiritual world.