Category: Saints

A different take on theory of karma

Let’s say you do something. You want to lose weight or pass an exam. You don’t do well. And you make another effort and again you don’t do well. What do we do ? We get sad. Upset. Give up on it emotionally But this is what Yogananda said “Failure season is the best time …

Continue reading

Boat, wave and ocean

Everyone knows this But first you must know your the wave – the soul. But we identify ourselves as the boat in the ocean. The boat here is the body. Where is the hope of wave and ocean. First get rid of the body consciousness. Do it once. Not in deep sleep. But consciously. Then …

Continue reading

How a Guru May act

Many ways. Depends on the disciple. To change his errors. Flaws. The biggest flaw is not knowing he is the divine From Yogananda he said, Ignorance is the archenemy of man. Therefore, to guide yourself and others by wisdom is the greatest wisdom. To all those who are around me, I speak without weighing my …

Continue reading

Fundamentals that are a must to know

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 …

Continue reading

Shradha or Shraadha

This word is pronounced as Shraadha. It is an occasion celebrated differently in different parts of India in different ways. It refers to the rites done by the children as an oblation to their deceased parents and forefathers. The Full moon and the subsequent fortnight in the month of Bhadarva is the time given to …

Continue reading

Shiv Mahimna Stotra

The story behind Shiv Mahimna stotra is as follows. Pushpa danta was a Gandharva (a musician for the Gods).  He would visit and enjoy the Garden of the King Chitraratha.  He enjoyed the gardens and the flowers immensely and subsequently started stealing flowers from the Garden.  King Chitraratha could not catch him because he had …

Continue reading

General thoughts

It has been a while since I wrote on here. I have had several experiences but have not had time to write them and with time I forget them 1) Swami Vivekananda visited me a few days ago and blessed me. I do not remember the things he told me though. 2) In his books …

Continue reading

Good Friday – The lost significance.

It is very difficult and rare to find a soul who is truly interested in God and God alone.  The 12 disciples (apostles if you insist), Mary and a few others were genuinely interested in God.  They devoted themselves and their life to God.   First the story of Good Friday. After the last meal, Jesus …

Continue reading

Ramayana stories – Hanuman battles Ahiravana and Mahiravana (interpretation)

During the battle between Rama and Ravana, Ravana’s son Indrajit is killed.  At that point, Ravana calls his brother Ahiravana for help.  Now, Ahiravana is the king of Patala (the underworld).  (There are many variations to the story.  All of them can be interpreted spiritually).  Ahiravana promised to help.  Vibhishana somehow manages to hear about …

Continue reading

The right way to leave the body.

How could I not write this story.  It is true that a perfected saint, when he departs, his body remains intact for 21 days. In the recent times, this happened to Yogananda and Sri Aurobindo.  If the soul is to descend back, it would happen in 21 days.   However, in many instances, a perfected saint will …

Continue reading

True Pranayama = Kriya Yoga = Mahayoga = Siddhayoga = Kevali = Keval kumbhaka

Patanjali Bhagwan has described the 8 angas or steps of Yoga.  One of the steps is pranayama.  I refer to the true pranayama and not the nonsense that we hear all the time on the news and from charlatans and from books on Yoga or from even well meaning but self deceving, self proclaimed Gurus …

Continue reading

The curious case of the cart before the horse.

One of the biggest mistakes that people make is they put the cart before the horse.  It is a perpetual mistake in spirituality and thus no matter how much they desire to progress, they always remain stagnant or at best make a tiny step forward. What do I mean by putting the cart before the …

Continue reading

General statements

Just a few general statements 1) Dont wish that you could do good things to those who need.  When you wish to do good, you are also subconsciously wishing that someone be in need.  Instead, God will send you people automatically if they need help but never wish that you could help.  Also help them when  …

Continue reading

Navratri – Chaitri, Durga stories and meaning.

It has been a while since I am writing.  In the Indian calendar there are 2 navratri – the one we all know about and the other is chaitri.   The regular navratri is usually in October and this is usually in March.  In the regular Navatri which is more widely publicized  people are supposed to …

Continue reading

Desires and Satisfying the Senses

As I have written in my previous logs, Vishnutirthji Maharaj told me a few months ago, that the Gita for a yogi is Devatma shakti.  I compare God talks with Arjuna, written by Paramhansa Yogananda like it is the Vedas and devatma shakti is the Gita or smaller excerpt of it. In Devatma Shakti, Maharaj …

Continue reading

The Book of Job

My daughter asked me a question if the book of Job was accurate. Let me relate the story of Job briefly.  Job was an extremely pious and pure person.  He had a wife and 7 sons and 3 daughters.  Job constantly asked Gods forgiveness for the transgressions of his children.  Satan then goes to destroy …

Continue reading

Fleas / Worries and Fear

Worries and thoughts are like fleas on a dog. They constantly bite the individual, suck the energy (blood) and torment. It is only when the number of fleas or worries become insurmountable do we see it as a problem. After a while the individual becomes comfortable being a worry wart. In fact they believe if …

Continue reading

Be careful

I was glad to read Devatma Shakti again.  For the past few months, I had begun to realize different chakras and their distribution of the prana in the body.  I had mentioned earlier that manipur chakra ( the front petals) were associated with the right leg prana.  Later on, more things became clear.  Manipur chakra …

Continue reading

Holi (continued)

My brief excerpt on Holi was incomplete.  I did not have a complete explanation of what was signified by the burning of Holika.  I could not fathom the answer.   Finally, yesterday, both Gurudev and Yogananda communicated the answer to me in the wee AM hours.  They had to repeat the divine vibrations for a long …

Continue reading

Holi

Prahlad was born to a demon named Hiranyakashipu.  Hiranyakashipu had prayed to Vishnu and had obtained a boon. He wanted immortality but Vishnu said, that cannot be given but ask for anything else.  Hiranyakashipu then got the boon that he could not be destroyed indoors or outdoors, in daytime or nighttime, by anything living or …

Continue reading

Swarodaya or knowledge of the breath

Swar : means flow of breath through the nostril.  Odaya means arise.  Swarodaya is the knowledge of the breath. This knowledge of the breath is absolutely necessary for everyone – whether one is walking on the path of Yoga or not.  If you are a Yogi, you must have a detailed knowledge of the breath. …

Continue reading

The path of Yoga (union wih God)

When I use the word Yoga, many people have the vision of someone chanting Om om or sitting in various Yogic postures or doing breathing exercise.  Those things are a small part of Yoga.  The true meaning of Yoga means to be united with God.  Choose whatever path that suits your fancy but the fastest …

Continue reading

Anahata Chakra, Ramal Vidya, The book – the secret

There is some truth to the book “the secret”  However, it is extremely rare for anyone to go to the depth that is needed to practice it.   In order to even BEGIN to get to the secret, one has to be able to take his prana to the Anahata Chakra and MAINTAIN it there.  Just …

Continue reading

Self Realization Fellowship (SRF), Relaxation exercises and Kriya Yoga

I am a little reluctant to mention this aspect of relaxation. YOU MUST HAVE A LIVING GURU WITH CONTROL OVER PRANA BEFORE YOU DO PRANAYAMA OR THE BREATHING EXERCISES INVOLVING KUMBHAKA OR HOLDING THE BREATH. Let me give you an example of control over prana. Remember prana is not breathing. Gurudev had a very advanced …

Continue reading

Sankalpa (WILL)

Todays blog will be brief. A few more points on Sankalpa.  An exercise in liberation and getting your sankalpa perfected. Remember : Sankalpa is done without any desire. The higher the person the more immediate the results of Sankalpa. This entire world is the Sankalpa of God. All interactions between people and the eventual results …

Continue reading

Hanuman Chalisa, Tulsidasji

A few days ago, Hanumanji and the Hanuman chalisa appeared and it has become “jagrat” or alive.  Then very shortly, Tulsidaji appeared and blessed me with his living presence. This morning, once again I was blessed by Ganesh Bhagvan. I believe, that since I am Gurudev and Kashinathdada’s child, God has is partial and blesses …

Continue reading

A brief followup on Tapa and Sankalpa

Tapa is like repeated chanting of a mantra It is the best way to get Gods attention and desires fulfilled A simple prayer would be Jesus I bow and surrender to thee If you say that all day and night it is doing tapa If said with intense devotion and surrender Jesus has to appear or …

Continue reading

Sankalpa, Determination, Wish, Desire and Tapa

It is sad that even the more “advanced” disciples do not know what Sankalpa is.  I would like to clarify these terms one after the other. Wish – I generally equate wish as something that is fleeting. For eg. your walking, it is a hot sunny afternooon and you see your favorite ice cream, you suddenly …

Continue reading

Several points

This is mostly a reminder for me to write on the following points 1) Murcha pranayama 2) Location of gunas – explain the difference as described by Yogananda and Gurudev 3) The chakras and the nadis and how the petals of the chakras which are actually rays of light relate with the sahastrar 4) The …

Continue reading

Purity and Love, Aurobindo, techniques to fight faults

My blogs have been written, solely for my children. I do not wish anyone lead them ashtray in the matters of spirituality. All my accounts, if read and understood, should be signs of the true way to God. Until one has experienced all these things, one still has not fully caught on to the strong …

Continue reading

A few more thoughts – nectar, Gurudev, Love

I have forgotten to mention that of late, tasting the nectar has been more frequent.  I am still ashamed of it – coming from a tradtion where drinking the nectar regularly was a significant characterestic, I have perhaps tasted it only seldom. Gurudev tasted and drank the nectar regularly.  One Gurupurnima in 1982, when all …

Continue reading

SRF – Yogananda’s favorite story and Three Gunas, Difference in Surrender and yielding

One of the favorite stories Yogananda used to relate was the story of 2 frogs stuck in a pot full of milk.  They both tried to get out of the pot but could not.  After a while one frog gave up (yielded) and drowned.  The other frog kept persisting and in his or her effort …

Continue reading

Introspection and Nidhidhyasana.

Before I forget, I should jot down a few experiences. Gurudev told me about my association with Dinesh uncle.  He told me to do a sankalpa for Moksha for both me and Dinesh uncle.  This occured a few days ago.  I hope this is not in anyway a hint from Gurudev that Dineshuncle is about …

Continue reading

Sunderkand and Ramayana

prabhu bhala kinha mohi sikha dinhi, marajadi puni tumhari kinhi. dhola, nagaar, sudra, pasu, nari, sakala tadna ke adhikari    This is from Sundarkand, verse 58.  This particular paragraph caught my attention because of Arvind Pathak when he stated in his lecture that he was making a change in what Tulsidasa had to say.  He …

Continue reading

Mantra, The Word, Aum

I am glad my daughter is taking immense interest in spirituality.  This beautiful and royal road to God has become complicated by everyone claiming to know the way, giving their own versions of concocted ideas and floating in the world of thoughts and ideas but not walking the royal road to God.  This blog will …

Continue reading

Polarity of Chakras

I have alluded this to a few times in my past blogs.  Every chakra except Sahastrar has a negative downward pole, a consciousness that is directed towards the world.  This is referred to in the Bhagvad Gita as the “Dakshinayana” or lower six months of the calendar.  If a person leaves the body while the chakras …

Continue reading

Self Realization Fellowship (SRF) energizing exercises (contd)

I would like to continue on expounding on SRF exercises.  I wrote about it briefly in the past.  However, to understand it fully, one has to have a clear understanding on prana. Yesterdays blog and elsewhere in my blogs there is a more precise explanation of the prana. As we talked about, the only way …

Continue reading

Pranayama – Breathing Exercises, SRF, Kriya Yoga

Pranayama – prana is the vital force, the force or energy used by Om or the Holy Ghost to run all 3 universes – the gross, subtle and causal.  The word ayama means control. The most gross manifestations of the working of prana is breathing.  It also includes all other bodily functions.  Similarly it has …

Continue reading

Joy!

Last night, I was at the movies.  I was curious if I could go into meditation without pranayama.  I would close my eyes, do the Jyoti mudra (without using my hands) and immediately the prana would flow back from my hands and start moving within to the Brahmanadi.  My hanands and feet would become numb.  …

Continue reading

Third Eye, Ritambara Pragna

Todays meditation was more at the Manipura chakra.  It was more clear.  Last year, I had written about the experience of being one with the light.  This experience, the portal to enter the Brahmanadi, starts near the Manipur chakra. When I entered there, I had the similar experience as I had being in the tunnel.  …

Continue reading

General thoughts

Spiritual Books can be writte in 4 ways 1) Pure fantasy or fiction 2) Books which are a compilation of information (I hate to use the word knowledge because true knowledge of God is only when one has experiened him) from a variety of books.  Often times authors dont give credit to their source except …

Continue reading

Atma or Christ Consciousness

Yesterdays, blog had my experience of the consciousness.  Tonight, I had the same experience but a little deeper Although, the bodily consciousness was not there, at times there was the consciousness of the samadhi, but behind it all, like a silent witness, there was the consciousness of the self. A silent witness, without any reaction!  …

Continue reading

Miscellaneous thoughts

In order to stay in meditation for longer durations, one has to learn the technique of turning the heart off.  Somewhere, I have described this technique in previous blogs as Yogananda Maharaja explained it to me about 4 years ago.  It takes a long time to reach that stage.  However, right before this stage is …

Continue reading

Paramhansa Yogananda, Out of body experiences, Subtle worlds

My vision from this morning was a very clear perception of Yogananda maharaja before his samadhi.  I saw him being brought in, in a wheel chair in a banquet hall.  He did not want to go to the stage / center seat in a wheel chair and he made the supreme effort and made it …

Continue reading

Meditations

Last 3 days the meditations have been deeper. No matter how deep you go, you can always go deeper! 2 days ago, my meditation was so deep that all that was left was an awareness of a mass of energy. I suspect that this is the “siddhapitha” one of the places between Agna chakra and …

Continue reading

More clarifications

These clarifications are from Yogananda Maharaj and some from personal experience.  There are three worlds.  Gross physical world, the subtle world and the causal or karana world.  The three forces, a sort of autonomic intelligence, hidden from the human eye are Virata, Hiranyagarbha and Ishwara respectively.  To give an eg.  the function of Virata is …

Continue reading

Meditation

Today’s meditation was exceptionally good. After all it was Christmas ! Yogananda maharaja has described that the halfway meditation is when one is at agnachakra the streams of prana are seen rolling back from the body going back to Agnatha chakra This is what I experienced. The color if the streams of Prana or light …

Continue reading

Jesus

There are other stories about Jesus Christ in these blogs. There are two quotes I will refer to.   Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you …

Continue reading

Fishbowl

After 2 days of struggle, I was finally able to go back to my true consciousness.  When certain karmas are about to come into play, or if one does something that is not appropriate, the first thing that happens is the consciousness gets clouded and one is no longer able to go that deep.  Yes, …

Continue reading

Random

Kumbh Mela : A place where many great saints gather.  One should attend to the Kumbh Mela.  In terms of Yoga, Kumbh means or refers to the head and mela is a gathering of the prana (withdrawn from the entire body).  When that happens, one can say, we have attended the kumbh mela.  Here all …

Continue reading