Category: SRF

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

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

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

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

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

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