Just a collection of one line thoughts! My last written blog of adhara was incomplete due to the computer crashing. The whole article was written and the computer crashed!
1) Surrender occurs in three stages. a) Surrender with effort. Here there is surrender with the sense of I ness. As long as there is a sense of surrendering, the prana is at anahata chakra or below. b) Surrender is without effort. It is a natural state of being. This is the sunlit path as Aurobindo and is Bhakti like a kitten. Here the prana finally ascends above the Anahata chakra and is the “chandra” path. (Different nomenclature from Saundarya lahiri). Even the thought of surrendering is not there. c) Surrender is perfected. As soon as it is perfected, the disciple knows himself as Shakti, or Brahma or Atma.
2) If you try to correlate all descriptions of Yoga with the gross physical world, there is no progress. True Yoga is progression of consciousnes. As consciousness expands, one slowly becomes aware of the subtle world of angels, heavens etc and then the tattvas and finally the divine aspects of God.
3) One can have momentary glimpes of any of the higher states of consciousness. This is often a blessing from higher beings. However, in addition there is also a definite rule that God follows in giving experiences. If one does 12 proper pranayamas, one has the experience of one Pratyahara. 12 Pratyahara give the experience of one Dharana. 12 Dharanas give the experience of one Dhyana. 12 Dhyanas give the experience of one Savikalpa Samadhi. 12 Savikalpa Samdhi gives the experience of one Nirvikalpa.
4) Pratyahara is when the prana spontaneously leaves the body and starts to ascend towards Agna chakra. Depending on how stable the prana is it gives either the experience of Dharana, dhayana or samadhi.
5) Please refer to older blods on definitions of Dharana, dhayana and Samadhi.
6) One can never follow Shiv Swarodaya or even understand it till one has the Shakti FULLY awakened. Slowing of the breath is an after effect and not the cause of awakening of the shakti. Forcefully slowing the breath will lead to headaches and pulmonary problems.
7) For the normal person, breathing appears to start from outside and goes within. For a person with an awakened shakti, the <strong>force that pushes the breath </strong>is felt at Agna chakra. This does NOT mean the breathing starts at Agna chakra. Once this is established, one can understand and reap the benefits of Shiv Swarodaya. This would explain the reversal of HungSau to Sohum as described in SRF.
8) Everything that I type and say gets filtered by the reader or the listener. The same is true for all divine scriptures. The part that the reader cannot understand, he fills in the gaps with his limited understanding. This is why spiritual progress is very slow. A perfect disciple does not filter the words of the great beings. He accepts every divine word and guidance and progresses faster. This does require two things. Only listen to someone who is truly divine and humility on part of the disciple.
9) Divine scriptures that are written or the words of great saints like Gurudev, Yogananada, Lihiri Mahashaya, Vishnutirthji Maharaj are not words but is shakti and like a Mantra. Accept them and move ahead. That is why the scriptures are considered to be a Guru. Progress is faster if one sees the divinity in the books. If it is merely a book to you, then progress will be slower.
Bhavin