Don't be harsh on yourself

Years come and go. But 2018 was a very important year in my life. My mantra for the year was not to be harsh on myself. I reaped the benefits of this attitude.

Maintaining a daily journal has been a part of many of my new year resolutions. My cupboard is full of diaries, with a few entries for the month of January. All the following months were blank. In latter years I used those diaries, but just as notebooks. I wrote besides the years which were now a part of the past. At the beginning of the 2018 I again resolved to maintain a journal. But this time there was a change in my attitude. Here is an entry from my journal dated 9^th January 2018.

Another year, another diary. Like you all I have many diaries of the years gone by, meticulously written for some days and then the pages were all blank. I utilized those pages after a few years, only as pages of a notebook and not a diary.

But this time around there is change in my outlook. I am relaxed. I am composed. I am not going to be harsh on myself. It is alright if I don’t write for a few days. It is fine if what I write is crap and doesn’t sell. I like the way I am. Believe me this has lifted tonnes off weight (of expectations and self pity) from my chest.

With this attitude I maintained the journal. I didn’t write everyday. There are many pages blank in the diary. But still I wrote far more than what I had written in all these years. I received an acceptance from myself. It sounds so weird but it is true. We don’t accept ourselves the way we are. We keep on finding our own faults and demeaning ourselves.

Here is another entry from my diary

6^th February 2018

So much of protocol, rules of behaviour and etiquettes taught to me by my parents and teachers, some times directly, some times indirectly. I followed them scrupulously. But today I realize the burly pressure and tension that it built within me. In retrospect I feel that I should have been more flexible, for these etiquettes are for us and not the other way round.

You can do your best while staying relaxed. Moreover no matter how much you go by the book, there is no guarantee that the to her person will be pleased by your behaviour. There is no assurance that the outcomes will be as expected by you either. So what’s the point in being steadfast with regard to anything? Why not stay relaxed and do your best.

Hence forth no worrying about manners and etiquettes.

When I stopped exerting unwanted mental pressure on myself a wonderful thing happened. Things started falling place on their own. I became more productive. My relationships, including the one which I have with myself, improved. I became relaxed. Hope that you too stop being harsh on yourself.

Dialogues with Swami Dayananda - book review

Though Yoga has become contemporary and has had a wide reach, the concept of Vedanta has remained an esoteric science. There is a general impression that Vedanta is difficult to comprehend, you must be learned in Sanskrit to understand the same and it is best left to those who wear saffron clothes and stay in a Ashram. This small book sheds away all these misconceptions. In the words of the author “Vedanta is a complete knowledge; it covers every aspect of life. It covers psychological aspects as well.” The book answers commonly asked questions like why do people go to the Himalayas for self-knowledge, what is moksha, idol worship and many more in a very convincing way. 

With the picture of Swamiji in saffron robes on the cover, we carry an impression that he would answer the questions in an orthodox manner. To our pleasant surprise Swamiji gives candidly honest answers which touch us. So Swamiji tells us that there may be pitras or there may not be pitras (for whom you perform Shraddha). He tells us that there is no proof of pitras actually receiving the offerings. He tells us that the same is done only because it is written in the scriptures. He does not tell us that what is written in scriptures is always true. In consonance with the controversial guru Osho, this Swami of Shankaracharya order says that institutionalized religion is a problem, ideologies are destructive and moksha is when time swallows everything. So in sleep there is no time, in a moment of joy there is no time and this is what moksha is.  In today's commercial age where everything, including enlightment, can be experienced on payment of hefty fees, Swamiji cautions us by saying that Vedanta is knowledge not a happening. 

Though the book may appear to be very heavy for the beginners, if you keep patience for first few pages, you are surely to find a treasure alcove. He says you do not require a special experience like Samadhi to have an experience of yourself. It is enough to analyse your experience in waking, dreaming and deep sleep. One of the reasons for why Vedanta is not as popular as yoga appears to be that Vedanta is devoid of mysticism. According to Swamiji, when a tradition of teaching is not involved, it becomes mystical.  He says everything, including asana, pranayama, pratyahara, is useful. It all depends upon what you want. They are useful to gain a quiet mind. But if you think these practices are going to solve the problem of knowing yourself, that is not true. Faith he says all depends upon the past experiences and belief in one’s own judgment. His teachings reveal Vedanta is neither for nor against idol worship. He says nobody worships the idol; everybody worships the Lord. He does not harp upon eliminating all the thoughts in mind. According to him self-realization is not elimination of thoughts. It is to know the fact that I am the Self.  He says only when you do not struggle with mind, it is at peace.  He says even the wisemen like Vyasa had thoughts. If there are no thoughts a person will turn into stone. This is something new for spirituality which keeps on telling us, through books and talks, to live in the moment and strive to be thoughtless. 

Unlike the sects which encourage a newbie to be a renunciate and join their tribe, Swamiji tells Sanyasa is not for everyone. Everyone can be a Kamayogi, but Sanyasa is given only to a few. He stresses that being a Saint is not about performing miracles but being pure. This only eastern mind can comprehend of.  The book is an eye-opener for those who think that Indian philosophy is about not working and accepting whatever comes your way. Swamiji tells us that Indian philosophy is all about doing your best for a given problem and then forgetting about it. He says local problems (even in the body say a pain in the knee) need to be treated locally and not to make a fuss out of it by saying I am in pain. The writing style is very simple and smacked with examples from day-to-day life. The book is written with sole objective of giving a primer on Vedanta and not to convert any one. The book indeed tells many practical things about spirituality which have till date not come to the fore. Hence, I highly recommend the book for everyone who has keen interest in spirituality.

Tantra

Today I am going to talk about the esoteric path of Tantra. Tantra is  misunderstood all over the world. To the west it is sex and its complicated humanly impossible postures. To the east it is black magic.

Tantra says that the world exists in duality. Kali mata represents both the good and bad forces. She governs the universe. So   unacceptable things to accepted religious beliefs like meat, eggs and even liquor are not disregarded by the Tantrics as ugly. According to them everything is created by the some primordial source and hence everything is holy. There cannot be anything unpious in the world created by the Mother herself.

It would not be wrong to say that Tantra is a science. Modern science believes that everything is made of the same atoms and by changing the atomic structure we can change the matter. Applying the same principle Tantric Masters were able to convert even flesh of dead body into sweets and liquor into water of the Ganges. At the same time it is to be noted that a large part of the tantric knowledge has been lost in the course of time.

You will seldom find those well versed with the Tantric knowledge coming before the world and telling us about their knowledge. They will not write any books nor give any interviews. Even in the documented tantric texts like Soundarya lahiri, the most vital part of the process is always missing. It is always given by word of mouth to the disciple.

Indian masses often crowd the Masters in hope of getting quick fix solutions to their domestic problems. This can be a hindrance in the path of Masters as they are disturbed in their spiritual practices. Hence the Tantriks began to move to places where ordinary householders would not disturb them. This is how they found the way to the Samshans or the cremation grounds. In a further attempt to keep away the disturbances they smeared themselves with ashes, carried human skulls and even sprinkled liquor on their clothes. 

Tantra is neither a religion nor is it a sect. Tantra principles are essentially individualistic and the Master is simply a guide. The premise that the whole universe resides within the human form forms a basis in the Tantric schools as well. 

The tantric places like Ujjain, Varanasi, Haridwar are regarded by the devotees like any other religious places. However, these are the places which are conducive to the practices. They are the laboratories of Tantra where all the apparatus, chemicals are readily available. Moreover it is not just the shrine, but everything around the shrine upto few kilometers is holy and vibrates with the energies of Masters who have performed their practices there. It offers you a good opportunity to tune yourself with the frequencies of the great Masters and move towards the higher levels of understanding.

Bringing regularity in meditation

This is my favourite topic. How to bring regularity in the practice of meditation is one of the most asked questions. Devote a specific time for your practice and follow it strictly. This should be the ideal answer to the question. But do you think that seekers like you do not know this. If they know then what is the problem? The problem is that we have been taught to degrade ourselves. We have been taught to say publicly that we are unworthy of the good things in life, including enlightment. To add fuel to the fire we are taught to be dishonest under a sweet garb called diplomacy. So our thoughts and actions are not in sync. With this background let me give you some practical tips to bring regularity in meditation.

1.    Tell yourself that you are worthy of self realization. Every person including even those whom we call insane are capable of being enlightened. The whole universe resides within all of us. So before you sit for your practice tell yourself that you are worth of the highest spiritual experience.

2.   It is ok to miss practice for a day owing to some reason. Don’t feel guilty about it. But at the same time don’t find silly excuses for missing your practice.

3.   The mind gets bored. So try different meditation techniques.

4.   Meditation doesn’t require renouncing the material world, going to the Himalayas or attending some course which charges hefty fees. Remember a course for a week or month cannot guarantee you any instant results. Beware of cleverly marketed meditation packages. Keep in mind that for your enlightment you will have to work. You will have to ignite the passion to find out the ultimate truth. The saying that there is nothing like free lunch applies here as well.

5.   Start from where you are. The very fact that you want to know the ultimate truth goes to show that you are loved by the Divine. You are blessed by Him.  He is always there around you.

6.   Don’t run away from your duties. That is cowardice. Do your duties and steal time for meditation from your daily schedules.

7.   Love yourself. Don’t condemn yourself for the bad things that you did in the past. That was bound to happen. Love will bring in acceptance and your past will not disturb you while you are meditating.

8.   I know that you are still seekers, stumbling along the way, unsure of which path to take. But still teach someone how to meditate. You may ask your best friend or spouse to simply sit idly without doing anything for ten minutes. You may also forward the link of this blog to your friends. That will make you accountable and make meditation a part of your daily routine. Remember whatever you cause to happen in the lives of others increases in your lives many fold. With lots of love and best wishes. You can be enlightened too.

Benefits of meditation

Benefits of Meditation is the magnet that attracts millions of souls world over towards meditation. What is more interesting that research has been conducted by renowned institutes with regard to meditation and its benefits.  It is scientifically proved that meditation has astonishing benefits on the mind, body and the soul. Let us discuss some of them

• ·     Meditation keeps you young – For all those who spend a fortune on cosmetics to keep themselves young, there is good news. Have you ever wondered what makes the body old? The researchers have found an answer that body becomes old due to degeneration of telomeres. Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. Meditation protects these caps and delays the process of aging. I can see the smile on your wrinkle free faces.

• ·     Meditation reduces blood pressure – Meditation significantly reduces the blood pressure. In some cases even medication was dropped. However, we precaution you not to give up any medication without the advice of your doctor.

• ·     Lowers Cholesterol - On analysis it was revealed that the lipid profile of meditators showed lower values in triglycerides.

• ·     Enhances brain performance – Research has revealed that the brain is capable of being trained and physically modified beyond human imagination.

• ·     Reduces pain – Meditation reduces pain, even more effectively, than the pain relieving drugs.

• ·     Meditation better than sleep – Meditation relaxes the body and leads to increased performance.

• ·   Boosts immune system – The more you meditate, the better your health is.

• ·     It brings you near to the Greater Consciousness – Meditation brings you closer to God.

• ·    Peace of mind – Meditation gives you a serenity and peace of mind which cannot be described in words.

• ·     Inculcates virtues -  When you meditate regularly, it has been noticed that you become patient, benevolent, loving, caring, non-violent, compassionate, helping, give up bad habits like smoking, drinking, stealing, lying.

• ·  Destroys bad karma – Meditation destroys your bad karmas and eliminates its results.

Dear ones, though these are some of the benefits of meditation, regular prolong practice is necessary to notice these benefits. Meditation is not a magic wand nor is it a fairness cream which promises to make you look fair in four weeks, of course as a result of strong chemicals.  The purpose of telling you the benefits is to encourage you to meditate. Even if you read this article once in a day, I am sure you will meditate every day. God bless. Peace be to all.

References

1.   Time Magazine 27/07/2003

2.   Studies carried out at Government Medical Colleges and Hospitals in Mumbai

3.   The Observer UK 23/04/2011

4.   Shamatha Project at University of California, Davis

5.   Annals of the New York Academy of Science.

6.   New Scientist November 2005

7.   Research at Massachusetts General Hospital and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centre

8.   Los Angeles Times 29/10/2007

            9.   The Washington Post 03/01/2005

First flower

When people tell me they want to learn meditation, I ask them why they want to learn it. Usually they do not have any concrete answer. However, some are candid enough to share their true answers. From years of experiences I have learnt that people want to learn meditation for the following reasons

•         Peace of mind
• ·     To cure physical and mental illness
• ·     To reduce stress
• ·     Curiosity about supernatural powers of adepts called Siddhis
• ·     Get rid of the things they are guilty about
• ·     They had enough of sensory enjoyment. Now they yearn for the   higher good
• ·     Everybody is meditating
• ·     It is fashion to speak about meditation
• ·     They love meditating
• ·     Students feel that by meditating (and not studying) they will get good marks
• ·     They love meditating

I don’t condemn any of these reasons. At least these reasons make them aware of their true nature. Once I agree to teach meditation people ask me what is meditation. They want a definition of meditation like that of solid, liquid and gases, which they were taught in schools.

Meditation defined         

Sitting silently, doing nothing

Spring comes and grass grows by itself

I give people experience of meditation; still they want me to define meditation in words. After much persuasion I define meditation for them. Meditation, I tell them, is doing nothing.  Yes, you heard it right. Meditation is doing nothing. The disappointment on their faces is palpable. No, they say, meditation cannot be not doing anything.

Now it is my turn to learn from them. For some time they forget that I am the one who is going to teach them meditation. They are still to come out of the mode of denial. They want me to redefine meditation. Come on, it has to be doing something, concentrating on the point between the eye brows, staring continuously at the flame of a candle, breathing exercises, they tell me. They would have been happy if I had told them that meditation is seeing beautiful colourful lights with closed eyes. Meditation is levitating. Meditation is kundalini jagaran. Meditation is rising of the dormant serpent at the base of the serpent. Meditation is zen. Meditation is past life regression. Meditation is producing objects from the air. Meditation is achieving of Siddhis. Meditation is just doing some stretching exercises. Meditation is tantra and copulating while doing headstand. Meditation is this and meditation is that. In today’s age of consumerism, just add few specs of spices in the form of above jargons and the homemade stale roti or bread, becomes a hot selling pizza which will reach your home within forty minutes on payment of a hefty sum.  Meditation is reduced to a commodity which is grown at some exotic location and which can be purchased for a few dollars. You check in an ashram with five star amenities, stay there for a fortnight and check out as enlightened souls. This is what impression people carry about meditation. People are happy to hear such definitions and get instantly enlightened. But I will not lie to you. Because on the true spiritual path one does not lie. Moreover, I am not a commodity for sale for sure.

Then too, let me attempt to define meditation. Meditation is the end result of successful practice of simple techniques, liking sitting quiet and doing nothing. That is why I call it as flowering of the soul. In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras it is the seventh step of the eightfold path and is called Dhyana. According to Patanjali in deepest meditation one experiences the eighth step of communion with God which is known as Samadhi. Meditation quiets the mind. The silent mind becomes an observer and becomes aware of the advanced states of consciousness. No wonders the words meditation and medicine come from the same root which means healing. While the latter heals the body, the former heals the soul. Not only does it heal the soul but makes it blossom.

The Technique

Against the aforesaid background let me begin by teaching you a simple technique.  The word teaching hurts me. Please tell me whether any one taught you how to eat, how to sleep, how to pee and how to shit? It came naturally to you.  Do you know that even the child in the womb defecates? Yes you were disciplined by telling to sleep on the bed that too only during night time. You were taught table manners and were given toilet training. You would be surprised to know that like the aforesaid basic urges, you knew how to meditate even before you were born. I am just going to conduct a sort of refresher course for you.

So now let us come to serious business. If I don’t teach how to meditate today, you would strangulate me to death. So I teach you a very basic technique.

Sit in any comfortable posture. In the beginning do not meditate by lying down. Chances are that you may revert to the most basic form of meditation called sleeping. Close your eyes. Even if the body is stiff it is alright. Even if you are feeling some pain it’s alright. With closed eyes feel your breath. There is a pause once you inhale. There is a pause when you exhale. Just observe the pauses. Even if someone is playing loud music in the background and you can hear it, it is okay. You listen someone talking over the phone. It is alright. Cars are honking and donkeys are brazing. Perfect. Just observe the pauses. Congratulations my friends you have learnt to meditate. 

The Theory of Karma

      One of the most famous theories of Eastern philosophies is the karma theory. In simple words it means as you sow so you reap. Unfortunately karma happens to be the most misunderstood term. Even the author of spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi says that Karma theory should not be given much importance. In my opinion God or existence, whichever way you term it, (I prefer the latter nomenclature) is not any guaranteed return investment plan. So if you give Rs.100/- to a charity, do not expect for the law of karma to work and bring multifold currency notes in your wallet.  Dr. Brian Weiss has documented past life regressions of many persons. His case studies do not support Karma philosophy, as understood in the conventional sense. Darwin traces evolution of man from unicellular organisms. His theory says that every single cell progressed gradually to finally evolve into the most intelligent species called humans. Similarly, according to me, the existence gives us many opportunities to evolve spiritually. So in many lives we have been rich and in many we have been poor. We have been men, women, beautiful, ugly, virile, childless, white, coloured, educated and uneducated. The sole purpose of this entire exercise is to understand life, to understand that we are part of this existence and the existence throbs into every pore of our bodies, irrespective of colour, caste, creed, status and bank balance.

          I am not saying that you should not be virtuous or not perform good deeds. All that I am saying is that good deed by itself does not guarantee enlightment or satori. While mediation keeps you aware and alert, zen asks you to be in every moment to the fullest. You cannot be fully in a moment unless you are alert and aware. Both philosophies suggest the same. The most interesting part is that as you become aware in meditation, you become more virtuous, kind, loving, generous and less tempered, less greedy and evil.

          So the question is why Karma theory has been formulated. When you are in class one, you cannot be taught syllabus of class ten.  It takes numerous years to progress to class ten from one. Similarly it takes numerous years to walk on the path of enlightment or even the quest. So for these beginners Karma theory is just an induction programme. If you cannot be a seeker atleast become a virtuous person.  Greed and fear make the stock market surge up and go down, because these are two predominant human emotions. Karma theory proposes to use these compelling forces to bring humans on the virtuous track. The purpose of this write up is not to defame Karma theory but to promote the good doers to the next stage of spiritual development. Let peace be to all.