Busy life

Life has been very busy the past few weeks, I have been working hard every week to complete the berkeley university course on cloud computing and I successfully cleared it. Required lots of concentration and persistence to complete the assignments on time. Thanks to lord ganesha, I made it.

Work and study together is tougher than I expected. But it was a good chance to improve the will power.

Over the weeks I learnt the following
* regular worship has a lot of benefits,  I can sense the gods answering my prayers in a mysterious and wonderful ways.
* affirmations and visualization start a new cycle of maya and makes you ready for a new set of circumstances, so choose them (what you want to affirm and achieve) wisely
* it's only when you have stopped the mind's constant involvement in it's ramifications and endless cycles of maya, can you realize and be in the eternity of the now's which is a higher state of consciousness and give a chance to your intuitive nature to guide you to work out your soul's destiny in this life time.

lastly I want to end this blog by saying gurudeva's quote "when you live in the eternal now, you will realize that eternity within you"

Aum namah Sivaya

Neville power of awareness

Excerpt from Neville's power of awareness book :

The future becomes the present when you imagine that you already are what you will be when your assumption is fulfilled. Be still(least action) and know that you are that which you desire to be.The end of longing should be Being. Translate your dream into Being.

Perpetual construction of future states without the consciousness of already being them,that is,picturing your desire without actually assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled, is the fallacy and mirage of mankind. It is simply futile day-dreaming

This book is really life transforming, it stresses on the power of affirmation, concentration and meditation in getting things done and willpower.

I am Awareness

I am awareness

I am awareness, I project a thought and I see it. I'm not the thought though, I'm awareness which projected the thought.

analogy: I'm a traveler who visited and saw Germany, but I'm not Germany.

I'm awareness who projects various thoughts, and sees it, sometimes the projected thoughts are pleasurable, sometimes the projected thoughts are painful, but I can turn off the remote any time,  disentangle myself any moment from the images, and be awareness.

Why is it that awareness gets caught in its own projections, and forgets that it is awareness? Due to ignorance and illusion?

What's my locus, its nothingness when I'm awareness and only awareness, I'm not having a reference point. Awareness doesn't have any limits or reference point.

Again I'm awareness, I'm not the thought which tries to discover awareness or its locus point.

Kung Fu Panda 2 quotes

Some quotes which influenced me

Shen: [Triumphantly] You were wrong, Soothsayer! [Wields sword] We sail to victory tonight. Your magic panda is clearly a fool! Soothsayer: Are you certain it is the panda that is a fool?! You just destroyed your ancestral home, Shen! Shen: A trivial sacrifice... when all of China is my reward. [Pokes the burning tip to a map of China, which bursts into a spreading flame] Soothsayer: Then will you finally be satisfied? Will the subjugation of the whole world finally make you feel better? Shen: [Sneers] It's a start. I was also thinking of converting the basement into a dungeon. Soothsayer: [Pause] The cup you choose to fill has no bottom. It is time to stop this madness.

Master course study

I started working on the new format of the master course and I'm already feeling the subtle presence of the gods beginning to guide my life. Have surrendered my free will to Lord Ganesha.

Anybody can enroll for the course here:
www.himalayanacademy.com/study/mc/

I realized one thing during the course, though desire itself is the driving force towards self realization or any sort of material accomplishment, what sort of desires should one choose is very important and deep.

The below types of desires are not beneficial for us:

* Desires which cause problems to us if it did get attained.

* Desires which can put us fully down and make us depressed and sad if they don't get attained.

Buzz

When people speak or complain, its a buzz that's occurring due to past Karma

Your association to them at that point is also part of Karma

Your buzz as a response creates Kriyamana karma. Understood this aspect from baba ram dass

Desire

Desire is the fuel for attaining anything. It can either make us or break us. What are the desires that shouldn't be pursued?

# those which make us totally upset and depressed if the desired object/position is not attained

# those which are bad for us if the desire does get fulfilled

#those that cause problems to others

Influencing quotes over weekend

-one often meets his destiny in the route one takes to avoid it

-there is just news, neither good nor bad

-there isn't one thing wrong in the world

-you are always one thought away from the being of yourself

-affectionate detachment, doing without being attached to the mind and its ramifications and the objects associated with it

-the higher you go, the lower you can fall

-through intuition you just know what to do next, timing becomes perfect. When the timing is perfect, you know you are living super-consciously

Ramana maharshi teachings through baba ram dass

I am not the organs of movement namely the hands (ever seen the ego observing the hands?), the legs, the tongue, the anus or the genitals

I am not the 5 senses : the eyes which see things, the ears which hear and listen to many things, the nose which smells and breathes, the mouth which eats food and speaks, the skin which feels and likes sensuality. These I'm NOT

I'm neither the internal movements, circulation, digestion, excretion, respiration or perspiration

I'm not this body or head not even this thought or ego which says I'm not this, not that.

I'm not even the watcher who is watching, also called awareness.

Thus systematically detach oneself from the body and the mind and the thoughts or beliefs which are closest sand sticky and "be".

Aum

"this is called Self Enquiry"

This song is of the soul

Watch "Rabbi Shergill - Bulla Ki Jaana Maen Kaun" on YouTube

The meaning of the song comes within the above video itself, and is the essence of advaita or non-duality.

This beautiful blog has the meaning of the lyrics as well.

http://haroonsaeed.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/bullah-ki-janna-i-know-not-who-i-am/

Two things I learn from Deepak Chopra book

-Effortless attainment : a fish doesn't put effort to swim or hover, a Plant didn't put to grow, yet it happens in nature

-to know your Dharma: what is it that you would do if you had a lot of money? if the answer is you would continue to do the same work which you are doing now which would help mankind in some way, then you have discovered your Dharma and passion.

Also says that intention is devoid of end result and the attachment to it, didn't understand this properly

-Said something like we are pure potential, and then there is intention. Things just happen when the potential mixes with intention and observes it.

Awesome Bhagat

Found this quote from chetan bhagat inspiring

Find the security within

Nobody can take away the feeling of security which one feels when he is not attached to anything in life :)

This dawned lately upon me, thanks to the Gods, attachment causes all sorts of problems, detachment which is affectionate is actinic force free of hassle.

I was (and still am to some extent) attached to growth in career, leading to fear and future thoughts. While these are natural to most professional workers, career is just a part of life, it itself is not life. What would happen if you don't grow in career? at worst you could stagnate in same position when you retire, or worse even get fired if your performance is really bad. Fine, there are 1000 other ways to make a living. Keep the creative energies high and there won't even be a situation which would cause problems in career. But don't be attached. Attachment gives rise to fear, fear gives rise to anger, jealousy, loss of the quiet, and all sorts of complications. The soul is much greater than all this which keeps incarnating in avatars after avatars just to experience : Maya, karma and Anava, this is represented by the 3 lines in the forehead which Siva devotees apply. know that Siva is the life within your life.

Be that secure one within. Be detached, be affectionate

Update:

The day went really bad, though I did try my best to work as above on inner security. Passport renewal failed, insurance failed renewal as policy got canceled. Karma sure sucks, but its my own creation :(

Experiences in life

Difficult experiences in life forced me to quiet my thinking and emoting mind.

Observe that its impossible to think continually and emote when you are sitting straight with neck erect coupled with breathing diagrammatically.

The Ida and Pingala currents
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
I managed to balance the currents and listen to the E and C sounds by grabbing them in meditation after a sustained concentration effort today morning. When they were about to merge on top, observed the pink Ida current on left side, and the blue Pingala current on right side. Both these became one at the center at the top, and became white light also known as sushumna, this is characterized by the eee sound in the inner ear.

The pink current or ida or yin is predominantly feminine in nature, we emote a lot while in this current, the blue pingala is its opposite, the yang, masculine current with intellectual aggression and thinking predominating.

Living in each alone makes life difficult as it will soon lead to its polar opposite. that is, thinking too much carries awareness to areas which emote. I went through some difficult experiences recently which forced me to sit, which forced me to quiet my mind, which forced me to mediate deeply, and thanks to it, I actually realized these two energies within me.

Silent chanting of Aum
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
The Aum mantra starts with AA which vibrates the body and brings awareness from the muladhara & svadhishtana chakras (which are associated with memory and reasoning, thinking) to the throat when the UU letters are uttered, and then merge in the head when the MM letters vibrate in the center of the head. This practice brings about the merging of ida and pingala into the sushumna current. Actually saw this happening today with the third eye. Aum

Thank you gurudeva. The lessons 260 and 261 of merging with Siva book helped me to realize this within me.

Being the Observer

I am being immensely helped by Baba Ramdass podcasts. Am able to maintain the state of observer and write down where all my mind goes during day to day life.

Biggest learning from this

• My beliefs about myself were all wrong.  I see where all my awareness goes, its full of instinctiveness - fear, anger, passion dominating it most of the time with the spiritual strivings sneaking in every now and then
• The ego was embarrassed by seeing itself and how low it could get under the right circumstances of trigger from the external world.
• The ego observes that it has no right to criticize anyone as whatever it sees within itself is the same within all others, for one it may be fear of ill health for another it may be fear of stock market or career, but underlying principle of fear is there in all humans who are unrealized. The beginning of understanding and compassion for all beings for their failures.
• The ego realizes the importance of containment and sublimation. How to use the bodily energies creatively for a higher purpose and the consequences of not doing it -- i.e to lose the state of being observer
• That suffering is a higher state of consciousness than happiness as its very easy to observe the mind and its ramifications when in distress than when things are fine.

Ram dass

This quote kind of gave a reassurance to me when I was struggling with some futuristic thoughts that was limiting my focus in the present at work

"it's ok if you are not able to give up your desire, later everything will be possible but for now it's important for you to learn to work with your energies"

Meditation map

Not sure if I'm doing it right, but this is my mind map in meditation, my awareness takes one of the routes in the green boxes depending on current requirement in life
Aum

Powered by Mindjet Connect. http://www.mindjet.com/products/connect/

Robin sharma podcasts

Heard this from him today

What you resist persists,
What you befriend transcends

Run towards fear, success lies behind it.
At the end of your life, its the risks you didn't take that you regret

At dharmastala

Went on a pilgrimage to dharmastala, the great temple of lord Siva. The place is located east of Bangalore around 300 km away.

The place was wet due to heavy rain along the western ghat jungles. After visiting this temple with family and meditating quietly in the temple amidst lush green nature on the ground and blue beautiful Rain claden skies, experienced a powerful oneness with nature, the eternity of the moment and all encompassing feeling along with the ability to keenly study awareness and its flow in the thought strata.

Thanks Lord for making this pilgrimage with my family possible.Aum.

How To Stay Productive After Work

Loved this article : How To Stay Productive After Work

hoping I'll follow at least few of these, Hmmmm let's see.


Excerpts from this which i loved

Get Started As Soon As You Get Home

getting started as soon as you get home and you're still in work mode goes a long way, For me, body in motion tends to stay in motion, body at rest tends to stay at rest.

Give Yourself 10 Minutes. Just 10 MInutes

Lifehacker Editor-in-Chief Adam Pash gives himself 10 minutes in the evening to work on his pet projects, sometimes more, never less. If he can drag himself off the couch for 10 minutes of focused work, that's a success—and at the end of that 10 minutes, if he feels like working some more, he does. If he feels like closing up shop and going back to the couch, he does. The important thing here is that he makes himself get started, and even on those nights when he doesn't feel like doing anything, he at least gets 10 minutes of progress towards his goals. Photo by bendao (Shutterstock).

Make Sure You Get Some Exercise

Want more energy, or more hours in your day? Exercise. It may seem counterintuitive, but exercise is key. Even a walk around the block will make you feel energized, and the benefits grow with more regular and frequent activity.

Schedule It and Keep It in the Front of Your Mind

If you use some energy earlier in the day scheduling and thinking about your projects, it'll be easier to respond to an alarm or a beeping phone later in the day and go to work. CommenterMischiefMack also pointed out how important planning is, and suggested you get started thinking about your pet project before you even leave the office, so you're pumped and ready to tackle it when you get home. When you do get home, have a very specific goal to accomplish, and get started. Mad Molecule also stressed the importance of specific goals:

First, plan what you want to do with your evening ahead of time. When making this plan (and all plans), BE SPECIFIC. "I want to be productive" is not specific. "I will finish ten pages of this screenplay," "I will clean and organize the hall closet," "I will set fire to the homes of half of my enemies"—these are specific goals.

Be the energy

There are only two possible ways the awareness gets dispersed and we are what is popularly called "lost in the game"

- an event in the conscious mind which linksto another thought causing a chain reaction
-past residual impressions popping up all of a sudden

these two distractions prevent me from being consciously conscious.

Watch the watcher, that is the way out.

while meditating today felt the being of energy in me, this energy is always there and is called by many names - awareness, willpower or energy.

When this energy gets conscious of limiting thoughts due to past conditioning, we feel like a being with limits. This results in misidentification.

This is what I learnt today when I went within.Aum

Gurudeva in dream

My guru Sri Sivaya Subramuniya Swami had come in my dream this early morning. I see him meditating and stay back there looking at him while others move away.

I will consider my life successful if I can achieve 0.1 % of what he had achieved in his lifetime - the understanding of different states of mind, the ability to use the inner eye for understanding and bringing knowledge from within, speaking only out of intuition, the ability to maintain persistence in sadhanas, the ability to realize the self, parasiva, the ability to describe the ancient agamas even without ever having read them.

I surrender at your feet gurudeva. Thanks for changing my life and giving me the right perspective to face life's tests.

Aum namah Sivaya

Siva's world of opposites

It is only when we get into poor health do we really appreciate good health which we take for granted daily.

It is only when we lose and miss people do we realize their importance in our daily life.

It is only when we are ignored /avoided do we realize the value of people who love us unconditionally.

It's only when you are extremely busy and don't have time for what you want to do, do you realize that time is precious when it was available to you which you didn't make use of.

It's only when you are blind and in dark do you realize the value of eyes and light.

It's only when you lose people do you realize the value of relationships and insignificance of money.

It's only when you give abundantly, so much that it hurts, that you realize that you really aren't the giver, but  just a channel in the act of "giving" which the universe does everyday.

It's only when you experience the other person, do you really realize that you are one with him/her.

It's only when the world experienced 2 wars did it realize the value of peace.

It's only when you are bankrupt and in recession do you realize the importance of spending money wisely, living within ones means & value of contentment.

This Siva's beautiful world of opposites has been designed such, so that we learn from the opposites, duality and finally merge in our real identity which is Nondual.

Aum namah Sivaya

Accepting things as they are

Off late, the fiery passion I had for spiritual progress has suddenly gone down, maybe due to the influence of the buddhist book which I read called "the zen mind, beginners mind".

Something about the book made me feel that even the desire for enlightenment must be given up. Life and it's expression is very simple but the mind makes us complicated. We must unlearn more in spirituality than learn. We must 'be' than do. We must enjoy the journey than imagining a future enlightenment which is yet to be attained. How can you become that when you are already that. Any idea of enlightenment is a self created principle, a projection of the mind. A deviation from the now.

All that's needed in Buddhist meditation is accept the fact that there is no goal,  because you are already that which you seek,  the search is always in the wrong way.
The desire has fallen down after reading this. To desire what? That which I am!? If I am seeking a state, then I would be in the mind in duality. The seer can never see himself, all he can do and must do is to be quiet and allow the infinity to express itself.

Aum

There are no accidents

Was searching for something over the weekend and accidentally stumbled upon this website. Talks about the various states of meditation

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-samadhi/jhana.html

And since there is no such thing called accident, I went deep into the article and it helped me understand the missing point in my meditation -- directing thought and continuous evaluation (which the article calls as evaluation)

Both mind and breath start from the same point, its not possible for the mind to be active when breath is traced to its source and kept there. Breath and mind are very related, controlling one automatically controls the other.

SEEING the thought linkage

Have been seeing how thoughts link to past memories. Then the chain reaction starts, those memories link up to other memories. Ramification is the nature of the mind.

When I see things in the external world, the first thing that happens in thought linkage. This is the first thought.

This thought leads to desire, then to action. Observed this yesterday when I took a decision to go to a restaurant. A previous rendezvous with a friend at that restaurant and food coupled with the thought that my family would like to taste the same made me take that action.

This is how we go about making most decisions and actions. The actions match what patanjali says : i.e. they fall under escape from pain or run after pleasure category.

The reason for this is identification with the ego.

whether the mind is desiring something or escaping from a problem, what's really happening is identification of the seer with the ego and objects of seeing.

In short : when you desire or fear, it indicates the presence (emergence) of the ego.

Beautiful sun rays amidst clouds

Saw this scene amidst watching my ego while returning home from work. Not sure what all my ego will try to plan this weekend.

Happy observation !

Knowledge and the conditioning it creates

I read this article ( http://www.well.com/user/jct/mystiq1.htm ) about how U.G Krishna Murthy attained enlightenment. One thing that stood out for me is the way knowledge was not interfering with his process of thinking which made him stay in the de-clutched state.

We all know the cycle of Gnana-ichcha-Kriya (how knowledge leads to desire and then to action) -- we do things every day based on this principle. Things we buy, things we fear and escape from etc all these decisions are influenced by past knowledge. This leads to desire,anger fear etc based on the nature of the knowledge. Then w take action based on that frame of mind - not always the best decisions as they are tainted with past. The best decisions are those that are made in the eternal now.

Don't carry the burdens

Karma and its reactions make people upset and cause conflicts in interpersonal relationships.

This makes them say many things which they don't mean. Patiently listening to such people with affectionate detachment, holding to the self constantly, and knowing the fact that all these talks are basically burdens which arise due to karma, its very easy to be a calm and patient listener.

8 steps for Success

Nice Video in a TED conference on 8 steps for success

Always Watch

Thanks to the speech by Ramakrishnananda a few ideas became stronger today.

Its easy to be the watcher for short amount of time, but needs a new subconscious programming for maintainning that state for longer periods. Every time the little "i" tries to come forward and dominate the awareness by identifying itself with the instruments of watching such as eyes, ears, tongue, body, stomach etc

Even brief amounts of time being the watcher gives an idea, a sort of eye opener on the amount of external engagement and ramification the mind undergoes ever minute.

Krishna says in the Gita:

NA HI KASHCHIT KSHANAMAPI JATU TISHTATI AKARMA KRIT
KARYATE HY AVASHAHA KARMA SARVAHA PRAKRITIJAIR GUNAIH.

No one can ever remain, even for a moment, without performing action. Everyone, with-out his will, is made to do and be in action by the qualities born of prakriti.

The difference between a normal person and a jnani is this, a normal person can experience the "now" state for short amounts of time, eventually the watcher identification with the instruments of watching occurs and the person finds himself roaming around and around in the ramifications of the conscious and the subconscious mind circles (samsara)

A Jnani on the other hand, by the results of his tapas and sadhana, is able to be in the state of the watcher, where the will to be and remain the watcher dominates the mind, his subconscious is so programmed by the results of tapas that his superconscious faculties are functioning in him. Thus one of the first qualities of the soul -- which is that of observation becomes prominent.

Excerpt from Merging with Siva:


'When you are in meditation, you watch the mind. Here and there the mind is hopping. One, two, three,...a hundred. In a few seconds the mind goes to a hundred places. Let him be. You also watch very carefully. Here and there this mind is running. Don't forget Self for a second. Let him go anywhere, but if he goes to a hundred places, you must follow him to a hundred places. You must not miss even a single one. Follow him and note,He is going here. Now he is going there.' You must not miss even a single one. That is the prescription Satguru Yogaswami gave me to open this inner book. He said, 'Watch very attentively and learn to pick up things coming from within. Those messages are very valuable. You can't value them. Realize Self by self and open this inner book. Why don't you open your own book? Why don't you make use of it? Why don't you open your own book? What an easy path I am prescribing for you!' "

Another approach to de-identifying oneself from the ego is by using the Ramana Maharshi approach, im not this eyes, not the senses, not the mind, not the ego, not the form, not even the one who says "not this not this". This method is particularly effective followed by "seeing" how the mind and body was sooo consumed in a particular area of thought and its associated ramifications

Read Merging with Siva chapter here

Last but not the least, always remember that Siva is the life within your life -- and only through him the correct understanding comes to face the prarabdha karma for this lifetime and beyond

Aum namah sivaya

The small "i"

There is a small i which wants to do so many things but yet not determined to do anything at all, whose diversification of energies are so much that finally nothing gets done,  I have observed you and am watching you dear "small i"

The process of meditation is to watch this small "i" and go about facing life and its karmas which have been self-created knowing that Siva is the life of your life. This is not just a belief but a fact, armed with this knowledge one knows that there is no karma that's impossible to overcome since Siva is watching it and leading you through life.

When the mind wants to be elsewhere than where it is, wants to be someone else than what it is, wants to more than what it has, thinks about what it was, and what it will be or should be, what it should have done or what it should be doing --- in all these cases its easy to observe the functions of the small "i".

Busy life

Life has become extremely busy, more busy at home than at work, thanks to my 6 month old :)

Siva is the life of your life

This one video can transform the life of someone like how it did to me. Such simple truth's by such a great guru.  I love you gurudeva.

After listening to gurudeva in this video, i personally got so inspired to face life and its karma's that everything smoothened out in my personal / professional life. Life has become like heaven at home and at work because at the back of the mind is the belief that Siva is the life of my life, any karma can be faced cheerfully with this belief at the back of the mind. Belief is so powerful. And this is truth not just a belief -- that Siva is the life within your life.

Observations in Jan

My observation has really improved in the last few Weeks and I'm able to observe so many things about myself which are part of the ego

+ addiction to finding a new ROM update for my phone, Thx to Android, this frankly has become too much time consuming and its time I do something about it

+ the instinctive mind is still extremely strong in me, fear, anger. I have no right to be judgmental on anyone as the what irks you in someone else is also in you, its the way human mind is with all its addictions to pleasure and escapades from pain, anger especially is if you see

+ observed the maximum ramifications of the mind in dreams, I write every morning whatever dreams I remember, when I look back, most of them just show how the mind branches and connects unrelated thoughts, they hardly make sense, few of them are specific ones where the mind mind is trying to express a repressed desire (leading to either the completion of that karma or intensification of it depending on how you react to it in real world)

+ mind plans to make a complete productive weekend but due to a lack of clear specific goal, most of them are wasted in useless pursuits

+ witnessed how the mind feels insecure if it doesn't hold to a belief (borrowed concept) during day to day life and conversations.

+ figured out how to be a good listener -- Really helps to b a Gud listener if you're observing where a person is in consciousness, generally all talks are abt esc pain/seek pleasure

+ men and women are not the same at all in the mind and the way we think, women are high on emotions: anger, fear, jealousy -- and they connect Past memories and future speculation when a topic makes them upset.same thing occurs in men also at times but not as freely as women.

+ does being ambitious and contentment go hand in hand? There is no contentment in the mind, it is after next thing always

+ when you see people of irritating nature and are upset with them, it is time to turn inwards are examine myself, the root cause of the problem is there.

+ When mind is too busy satisfying short term (immediate) desires, it loses focus on long term goals. Most of the failures in life can be attributed to this nature of man. The key may be to have a long term goal and have daily short term goals which are aligned to the long term goals

+ observed that when a man gets very old, he has trouble getting even the basic tasks correct --such as getting up with ease, attending nature calls, eating food by using hands properly, staying active and alert, the physical body must be well maintained to ensure it gives you good support even when old, by doing exercise and yoga, treat the taking care of the physical body as an investment, the dividends will surely help you when you are old.

+ people may be poorer than you, don't lose your humility with them, remain humble, pride is a strict no, nobody likes a selfish haughty guy at the end of the day

+ wasting money at the salon due to lack of awareness/questioning and also the uncomfortable dress I bought at Levis spending lot of money

Fear

Fear is not living in the now. Fear occurs when a memory of an experience of the past is projected to the future and a painful situation is imagined out of it.

You can't fear things that you don't know, therefore fear is a result of mind going to past, its a strong force which oscillates the mind between the past and then to future. an action is usually the outcome if the fear is deemed to be potentially serious.

Facing boredom

Facing boredom and going beyond the need for entertainment http://t.co/5SqwMdDM -- Gurudev_English (@Gurudev_English)

Memory => Desire/Fear => Action

An experience : while browsing through the world, I observe something which reminds me of a past memory. This memory is many years old stored in subconscious.

this memory triggered a thought which projected the memory into a future (imagination).

Soon after this a desire was formed to reenact the memory in the present.

That led to an action (which is actually a reaction of the past memory)

Be alive

When trying to solve a problem or reach a goal, act from the now and not from the mental patterns, the ego is like a CD, it plays what is recorded in past, there is no way it can change.

In the here and now have the goal of the action very clear & work towards it, but don't think of the result of achieving that goal. This is karma yoga.

An example: a soldier in the field launching a projectile towards a target should be focusing on getting the projectile angle right and acting from the now, if instead he thinks about the results such as he imagine the missile hitting the target, and he getting a medal from his president and so on he will mess it up. This is how many of us live life  everyday.

Acting in the now with the goal very clear is an expression of life, the use of will, in the now. It is an alive feeling. With the goal clearly in mind it is easy to concentrate on the same without getting distracted by thoughts which are linked. Getting constantly distracted is the main reason people fail in attaining their goals, the mind consumes us when we were distracted and there is no channelization of energy.

Experienced this first hand this Saturday !

Everything has it's place

Everything has its place in the world, repression has It's place, knowledge of the past has It's place, people who you hate, people who you love have their place : they are a reflection of how you see yourself, desire has it's place, internet and technology had its place, physical body and its demands has it's place, observation has its place, sublimation and transmutation of the creative forces have their place, devotion and meditation have their place. This beautiful world of Siva of opposites inspires me everyday as it leads to new discoveries everyday, every minute.

Observation becomes of paramount importance once the creative forces of the body are transmuted to a sufficient level, where the Will becomes transformed or assumes the position of a continuous observer (saakshi yoga)

The whole sadhana process is basically a preparation to discover oneself.

Pursuit

There is no satisfaction in the senses and their enjoyments, the temporary fulfillment appears followed by the lack of fulfillment and emptiness leaving the mind for craving and a constant pursuit for pleasure in various avenues.

Gurudeva rightly describes the conscious mind as the donkey and the carrot.

The mind is constantly trying to find satisfaction in new content in

1. Songs.PK/Youtube - you hear a catchy newly heard song, you go and download it or watch it online on YouTube.  The habit builds up you end up downloading many songs, better, next song, next song, etc and you have lost a lot of time and the same lack of fulfillment is back after few days or weeks

2. FM Radio/TV: Same thing here except that you are now not only listening but also watching to the never ending ramifications in the stories and content by various writers coupled with artists trying to making their buck by overacting and the un-fulfillment is back

3. Chat: Met an old friend online, you exchange messages, you even meet up and have a couple drinks, not only talk about past memories and listen to mutual problems / interests, but also create some new memories, which leads to other consequences. A few days later you lose touch, the lack of fulfillment in meeting and catching up with friends is back.

4. Movies: See a lot of movies during holidays, each story is'nt really different from what you have already seen a 100 times in past movies. Back. End up boasting about it with friends

5. Career: Get a promotion/hike. You have a beer party, enjoy with friends, (end up making them jealous as well), after few days you wonder where you are going or whether you need to change your job :)

6. Car/Vehicle/Bike: Find a new car going across you or a friend bought recently, start doing research on what the features of the car (not how a new habit is getting created). There are many people I know who are so crazy about car and driving that they spend too much time even many many hours just discussing about the car features, they could have earned money had they been marketing for these cars in the company which made the car. After many hrs of discussion, back to real life, back to now and the lack of fulfillment is back. Meanwhile the guy who got the ideas about the car from this person is busy shelling out all hard earned money in buying one (inspired!)

7. Phone/Gadgets: There is always a better one coming every 3 months, always a better ROM available with faster easier handling, much better user experience. To do what ? To again repeat all the above habits more effectively online

8. Social Networking: World is now connected. You see your old friends, what they are upto, sometimes feel good, sometimes feel bad depending on where you are relatively positioned. Comparisons start : you may just get an idea to change your career path.

Yes these are the distractions which keep us away from the now. Yet they have their own lesson to teach
1. social networking
2. ROMS
3. Mobile Apps
4. Songs
5. Videos
6. TV
7. Shopping/Eating habits

I can go on and on and on, each of these can consume a person fully for many many lifetimes.

Shutdown the mind

Heard a recent lecture from swami Ramakrishnananda, he compares physical body with mind and I liked the comparison

You order the leg to take you to the bed room, it takes you there, you sit and it goes to rest.

How nice it would have been if the mind was like that? The mind should come up from sleep only when its needed and go back to sleep once the job is done, it should not continue to stay when it is not needed, unnecessarily thinking of past future and go through ramifications

Again watching the body and its movements, associated flow of energies is hatha yoga, watching the mind its thoughts and emotions is bhakti yoga, watching the mind during our actions is karma yoga.

Aum namah Sivaya