Whats the purpose of creation ? .... why would someone create so many birds, insects, trees, acquatic creatures, animals with so much of meticulous designing as to where the lungs must be positioned, what sort of body it should possess and leave them as is ?
I dont know the reason behind creation, the reason why u and I are here, the best guess i can make is - God got bored and wanted to have entertainment, like how we watch TV for entertainment - he created this universe with all the variegatedness together with the laws of karma to govern each creatures next body. But why would God get bored if he was always eternally sat-chit-ananda (full of goodness, knowledge and eternal bliss) as the shastras describe ?
I have no clue .... none of the scriptures seem to explain this properly .... they just say there is a God, but they dont say why He did what He did .....
Friday, September 29, 2006
Monday, September 25, 2006
The power of Affirmation
This is based on the concept that the thoughts of the mind are immensely powerful but they last only for a short while. Power of affirmation can be used in order to achieve anything that is desired. This involves programming the subconscious mind by the conscious mind.
For doing this follow these steps
1. Put your goal in words.
Ex: I can finish reading this book. And I will finish reading this book.
2. Close your eyes and imagine how you would "feel" when u have actually achieved the goal
Ex: For the above goal, think about how u would feel if uve finished reading what u had planned to read. Actually feel the situation (as if u have achieved it already)
3. Now repeat the goal statement which u made in 1 a few time.
believe me, this puts you into action immediately. It can be used on anything especially when you are feeling lazy and want to get into action.
For doing this follow these steps
1. Put your goal in words.
Ex: I can finish reading this book. And I will finish reading this book.
2. Close your eyes and imagine how you would "feel" when u have actually achieved the goal
Ex: For the above goal, think about how u would feel if uve finished reading what u had planned to read. Actually feel the situation (as if u have achieved it already)
3. Now repeat the goal statement which u made in 1 a few time.
believe me, this puts you into action immediately. It can be used on anything especially when you are feeling lazy and want to get into action.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Beware of Deja-Vu
We experience a deja-vu every moment, wherther we realize it or not .... we realize it only when we are in the position of the "observer".
One of the biggest obstacles in persisting in the path is what is called as "cycles of experience". We must watch and be careful of these recurring cycles in our life. They consist of both joyous and sorrowful occurences that our "awareness" experiences, sometimes each day, sometimes each week, sometimes each month - are totally dependent upon the +ve control we have of awareness. But then there are greater experiences that have even longer cycles. - perhaps a 3 year cycle, a 5 year cycle, a 10 year cycle and so on ....
The subconscious area of the mind is something like the sacred cow of India. It relives what it takes in. The cow will take in grass and chew it, and then she will chew her food all over again at a later time. The subconscious area of the mind does the same thing. You will find yourself aware of reliving your life, or getting back into the same cycle of the same pattern of life that you experienced many years ago. This you want to avoid, naturally. It is easy. Ponder over what you are doing now, how you are living, and then go back and find out within yourself how that compares to a previous time in your life when you were living more or less in the same way. In this way, you will come to know what area of the mind you will become aware in next.
If something good happened to you after a series of events in the past, you can expect something good to happen to you again. If something happened that was not as good or joyous as you would like it to have been, then you can know that you will become aware in this area of the mind in the future. This you can avoid. You have the power to control your cause and effect. By developing this awareness, one will soon realize that every moment is nothing but a reaction to what we have done maybe moments ago, years ago, decades ago or lives ago .... Knowing this one starts to know the process of escaping from the laws of karma or the cause and effect principle or what u say newtons 3rd law of motion .....
One of the biggest obstacles in persisting in the path is what is called as "cycles of experience". We must watch and be careful of these recurring cycles in our life. They consist of both joyous and sorrowful occurences that our "awareness" experiences, sometimes each day, sometimes each week, sometimes each month - are totally dependent upon the +ve control we have of awareness. But then there are greater experiences that have even longer cycles. - perhaps a 3 year cycle, a 5 year cycle, a 10 year cycle and so on ....
The subconscious area of the mind is something like the sacred cow of India. It relives what it takes in. The cow will take in grass and chew it, and then she will chew her food all over again at a later time. The subconscious area of the mind does the same thing. You will find yourself aware of reliving your life, or getting back into the same cycle of the same pattern of life that you experienced many years ago. This you want to avoid, naturally. It is easy. Ponder over what you are doing now, how you are living, and then go back and find out within yourself how that compares to a previous time in your life when you were living more or less in the same way. In this way, you will come to know what area of the mind you will become aware in next.
If something good happened to you after a series of events in the past, you can expect something good to happen to you again. If something happened that was not as good or joyous as you would like it to have been, then you can know that you will become aware in this area of the mind in the future. This you can avoid. You have the power to control your cause and effect. By developing this awareness, one will soon realize that every moment is nothing but a reaction to what we have done maybe moments ago, years ago, decades ago or lives ago .... Knowing this one starts to know the process of escaping from the laws of karma or the cause and effect principle or what u say newtons 3rd law of motion .....
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Reading this should suffice .... no more reading required
Lord Ramana Maharshi answers
D.: Can the mind be fixed to that point? How?
M.: If the mind is distracted, ask the question promptly, “To whom
do these distracting thoughts arise?” That takes you back to the ‘I’
point promptly.
D.: How long can the mind stay or be kept in the Heart?
M.: The period extends by practice.
D.: What happens at the end of the period?
M.: The mind returns to the present normal state. Unity in the Heart
is replaced by variety of phenomena perceived. This is called the
outgoing mind. The heart-going mind is called the resting mind.
D : What is the good of this process?
M:
(a) Conquest of the will - development of concentration.
(b) Conquest of passions - development of dispassion.
(c) Increased practice of virtue - (samatva) equality to all.
Excerpts that mattered me the most from the book "Merging with Siva"
Perhaps the biggest battle in the beginning stages of practicing attention and concentration is the control of breath. The beginner will not want to sit long enough, or not be able to become quiet enough to have a deep, controlled flow of breath. After five minutes, the physical elements of the subconscious mind will become restless. He will want to squirm about. He will sit down to concentrate on the flower and begin thinking of many other things that he should be doing instead: "I should have done my washing first." "I may be staying here for a half an hour. What if I get hungry? Perhaps I should have eaten first." The telephone may ring, and he will wonder who is calling. "Maybe I should get up and answer it," he thinks and then mentally says, "Let it ring. I'm here to concentrate on the flower." If he does not succeed immediately, he will rationalize, "How important can breathing rhythmically be, anyway? I'm breathing all right. This is far too simple to be very important." He will go through all of this within himself, for this is how he has been accustomed to living in the conscious mind, jumping from one thing to the next.
When you sit at attention, view all of the distractions that come as you endeavor to concentrate on one single object, such as a flower. This will show you exactly how the conscious and subconscious mind operate. All of the same distractions come in everyday life. Such concerns have been there life after life, year after year. The habit of becoming constantly distracted makes it impossible for you to truly concentrate the mind or to realize anything other than distractions and the desires of the conscious mind itself.
There comes a time in man's life when he has to put an end to it all. He sits down. He begins to breathe, to ponder and be aware of only one pleasant thing. As he does this, he becomes dynamic and his will becomes strong. His concentration continues on that flow. As his breath becomes more and more regulated, his body becomes quiet and the one great faculty of the soul becomes predominant -- observation, the first faculty of the unfoldment of the soul.
D.: Can the mind be fixed to that point? How?
M.: If the mind is distracted, ask the question promptly, “To whom
do these distracting thoughts arise?” That takes you back to the ‘I’
point promptly.
D.: How long can the mind stay or be kept in the Heart?
M.: The period extends by practice.
D.: What happens at the end of the period?
M.: The mind returns to the present normal state. Unity in the Heart
is replaced by variety of phenomena perceived. This is called the
outgoing mind. The heart-going mind is called the resting mind.
D : What is the good of this process?
M:
(a) Conquest of the will - development of concentration.
(b) Conquest of passions - development of dispassion.
(c) Increased practice of virtue - (samatva) equality to all.
Excerpts that mattered me the most from the book "Merging with Siva"
Perhaps the biggest battle in the beginning stages of practicing attention and concentration is the control of breath. The beginner will not want to sit long enough, or not be able to become quiet enough to have a deep, controlled flow of breath. After five minutes, the physical elements of the subconscious mind will become restless. He will want to squirm about. He will sit down to concentrate on the flower and begin thinking of many other things that he should be doing instead: "I should have done my washing first." "I may be staying here for a half an hour. What if I get hungry? Perhaps I should have eaten first." The telephone may ring, and he will wonder who is calling. "Maybe I should get up and answer it," he thinks and then mentally says, "Let it ring. I'm here to concentrate on the flower." If he does not succeed immediately, he will rationalize, "How important can breathing rhythmically be, anyway? I'm breathing all right. This is far too simple to be very important." He will go through all of this within himself, for this is how he has been accustomed to living in the conscious mind, jumping from one thing to the next.
When you sit at attention, view all of the distractions that come as you endeavor to concentrate on one single object, such as a flower. This will show you exactly how the conscious and subconscious mind operate. All of the same distractions come in everyday life. Such concerns have been there life after life, year after year. The habit of becoming constantly distracted makes it impossible for you to truly concentrate the mind or to realize anything other than distractions and the desires of the conscious mind itself.
There comes a time in man's life when he has to put an end to it all. He sits down. He begins to breathe, to ponder and be aware of only one pleasant thing. As he does this, he becomes dynamic and his will becomes strong. His concentration continues on that flow. As his breath becomes more and more regulated, his body becomes quiet and the one great faculty of the soul becomes predominant -- observation, the first faculty of the unfoldment of the soul.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
The 'now' principle ...
If i dont make a decision of doing something 'now' .... if i dont accumulate all the willpower and use it for achieving the goal now ..... i'd probably wont do it after an hour, or tomorrow or next year .... or forever in this life nor in a 100 billion lives ! .... The shastras say "Athatho brahma jignyasa" - meaning - Now that you have acquired the human form of life, start enquiring into the Absolute Truth. If you are now reading this blog .... stop reading it .... self cannot be found in the books or any literature ... it can be found only within you through vichara (enquiry). There is no use doubting or reading tons of literature, the right time to do it is NOW.
Focus, Concentrate, Ponder, Enquire !
Focus, Concentrate, Ponder, Enquire !
The Route and where i am
By experimentation on oneself and by experience one can clearly without any doubt say that thought itself is bondage. Thoughts are countless and there is no possibility of controlling them when left without enquiry even in a billion lives, to get the great power of observation its important to bring the thoughts to a standstill, shastras say various ways of bringing it under control, some follow japa, some follow bhajans and singing gods praises in a devotional mood, some do enquiry (sankhya) and some do meditation (dhyana).
The purpose of every action mentioned above is one - to make the mind still.
Time factor is very important, only if one meditates for hours can he really start seeing its effects. I have a problem maitaining focus for long periods, and thats something i have to work on. Japa is a good way of keeping the mind for a fixed time, but how to overcome fatigue and sleep ? ... sometimes the spine starts aching and laziness comes in ..... how do i tackle this ? .... i will find the answers soon.
The purpose of every action mentioned above is one - to make the mind still.
Time factor is very important, only if one meditates for hours can he really start seeing its effects. I have a problem maitaining focus for long periods, and thats something i have to work on. Japa is a good way of keeping the mind for a fixed time, but how to overcome fatigue and sleep ? ... sometimes the spine starts aching and laziness comes in ..... how do i tackle this ? .... i will find the answers soon.
Om Ganeshaya Namah
All salutations to God ganesha, who being in form helps us in knowing the formless. I start this blog seeking your blessings.
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