Thursday, November 5, 2009

Scattered Paper

Once upon a time an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief. As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young man was proven innocent. After been released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him. In court the old man told the Judge: 'They were just comments, didn't harm anyone..' The judge, before passing sentence on the case, told the old man: 'Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper . Cut them up and on the way home, throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence.' The next day, the judge told the old man: 'Before receiving the sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday.' The old man said: 'I can't do that! The wind spread them and I won't know where to find them.' The judge then replied: 'The same way, simple comments may destroy the honor of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it.
If you can't speak well of someone, rather don't say anything. 'Let's all be masters of our mouths, so that we won't be slaves of our words.' Explore and Experience SILENCE in RETREAT and SILENCE Camp

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Beloved Amma Bhagavan !!!

Let every breath I take be Your Deeksha, Let every beat of my heart be Your presence

Vision

Find Your Vision

We should have a permanent and Lifetime Vision – For example: Look at Bhagavan’s Vision. His Vision is to make man Happy. His vision is oriented towards the next thousand’s of years when man would still be happy. If ours is also like that it’s good. But still at the least let us have a vision where we would work for through our life.

Our Vision should be Wide. If we have problem identifying it. Talk to relevant people and gather information and see what interests you. What do you think or consider as being the Best thing to do. Mostly our own experience in this world would be sufficient to determine what our Vision is.

For working through our life there are 2 factors or conditions. Or else what ever our vision is it will take a max of only 2 years. And if we don’t set right our vision we will convert this 2 years vision to a life time vision. This is very slow progress & growth rate just like our Nation.

2 Factors for a Vision:
Contribution (To help others) – It is a never ending process. We can keep contributing through our life. Ex: Again Bhagavan. You can contribute in any field that interests you. It is our choice.
Growth – Learning is the most important thing in this world. To contribute we have to learn.

Split the Vision into Long Term and Short Term: How are we going to achieve it. What do we have to learn in the process? Since Growth is also a factor, we have to see what we have to learn to achieve it. How are we to develop ourselves to be capable of achieving it?

There should be details in the Vision – Time and year for achieving each step and the final vision.

The Vision should be split up into Short Term Goals. Because to climb a ladder first we have to climb each step. These goals should be wholesome including Career (Wealth, growth, etc.), academics (Learning), relationship (Very important to enjoy life), health and Spirituality (Complete dedication in whatever we are doing). Also our Vision should depend on us and not on others.

Our effort is required for all the above factors. Which is what we can we do. Any attempt or effort in the above direction will enhance the following.

Amma Bhagavan’s Blessing. When we do all the above, we realize that there would be many things which are beyond our control and not possible by us. For what is not possible by us, there is Amma Bhagavan and for what is possible they have given us life and whatever we have. When these both are interlinked our life becomes a miracle.

Remember we have to become our Vision. And that is Amma Bhagavan’s Vision.

Daily Morning (Immediately after waking up) and Night (Before going to Sleep) think and Visualize about your Vision. No harm if you can think about it in other times too.

The Villager and the Happy Man

In a small village in the valley, there lived a man who was always happy, kind, and well disposed to everyone he met. He always smiled and had a kind and encouraging word to say whenever necessary. Everyone who met him left feeling, better, happier and elated. People knew they could count on him, and regarded him as a great friend.
One of the village dwellers was curious to know what his secret was, how could he be always so kind and helpful? How is it that he held no grudge towards anyone and was always happy?
Once, upon meeting him in the street he asked him: "Most people are selfish and unsatisfied. They do not smile as often as you do; neither are they as helpful or kind as you are. How do you explain it?"
"When you make peace with yourself, then you can be in peace with the rest of the world. If you can recognize the spirit in yourself, you can recognize the spirit in everyone, and then you find it natural to be kind and well disposed to all. If your thoughts are under your control you become strong and firm. The outer mask of the personality is like a robot programmed to do certain tasks. Your habits and thoughts are the programs. Be free from these programming and then the inner good that resides in you will be revealed."
"But a lot of work is necessary. Good habits have to be developed. The ability to concentrate and to control the thoughts has to be strengthened. The work is difficult and endless. There are many walls that need to be to climbed. It is not an easy task." Lamented the villager.
"Do not think about the difficulties, otherwise that what you will see and experience. Just quieten your feelings and thoughts and try to stay in this peace. All the abilities and powers awaken spontaneously. You do not work on them directly. They are by-products of your peace of mind. Just try to be calm and do not let yourself be carried away by your thoughts."
"Is that all?" Asked the villager.
"Try to watch your thoughts and see how they come and go. Stay in the quietness that arises. The moments of peace will be brief at first, but in time they will get longer. This peace is also strength, power, kindness, and love. When you realize that you are one with the Universal Power, you begin to act from a different dimension, not from the selfish, small, limited ego."
"I will try to remember your words," said the villager and continued, "there is another thing that I am curious about. You do not seem to be influenced by the environment. You have a kind word to everyone and are helpful. Yet people do not exploit your goodness, and they treat you well."
"Goodness and being kind do not necessarily point to weakness. When you are good you can also be strong. People sense your strength and do not impose on you. When you are strong and calm inside, you help people because you can and you want to. You then act from strength and not from weakness. Goodness can also go with power and strength; it is not a sign of weakness as some people erroneously think."
"Thank you very much for your advice", said the villager and went away happy and satisfied.

The Truth about Failure

Failure doesn't mean you are a failure, it does mean you haven't succeeded yet.
Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing, it does mean you have learned something.
Failure doesn't mean you have been a fool, it does mean you had a lot of faith.
Failure doesn't mean you have been disgraced, it does mean you were willing to try.
Failure doesn't mean you don't have it, it does mean you have to do something in a different way.
Failure doesn't mean you are inferior, it does mean you are not perfect.
Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life, it does mean you've got a reason to start afresh.
Failure doesn't mean you should give up, it does mean you should try harder.
Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it, it does mean it will take a little longer. Failure doesn't mean God has abandoned you, it does mean God has a better idea!

Be Positive

The plus symbol is made with a pair of minus symbols.. All negative things can be shaped as positive.
Always think positive in your way of life

What can I do to persist the change in a better way, or do I have to bear it?

Question: In meditation, prayer and silence I feel lot of bliss. Then I'm leaving my house for work and I'm confronted with the full hardship of the other reality. I experience noise, stressed people, hectic rush, fears, insecurities and dishonesty. What can I do to persist the change in a better way, or do I have to bear it?

Sri Krishnaraj: The reason we are struggling with these tough situations is that the mind is continuously lost in imaginations of a situation where there is only peace and cooperation. But that is only an imagination; it is unreal. The real world is definitely full of tension and stress. The way Amma Bhagavan have trained us is, 'This is all there is! How successful can you be amidst this stuation?'People who live with a clear vision only bother about how to go ahead with the existing situation whereas those who lead lives without a vision will keep dreaming about how to change it. We cannot try to change life outside us; we can only get prepared and become mentally and spiritually strong to face these challenges.

Self-confidence that gave him the power

A business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.
Suddenly an old man appeared before him. “I can see that something is troubling you,” he said. After listening to the executive’s woes, the old man said, “I believe I can help you.” He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, “Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time.” Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.
The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world! “I can erase my money worries in an instant!” he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the un-cashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.
With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again. Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the un- cashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.
“I’m so glad I caught him!” she cried. “I hope he hasn’t been bothering you. He’s always escaping from the rest home and telling people he’s John D. Rockefeller. ” And she led the old man away by the arm. The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he’d been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him.
Suddenly, he realized that it wasn’t the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.

The 'Big Rocks' Secret

An expert on the subject of time management was speaking to a group of Business students. He stood in front of these high-powered overachievers,
pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar, and set it on a table in front
of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed
them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no
more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"
Everyone in the class said, "Yes."
Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of
gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of
gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then
he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"
By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered.
"Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of
sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left
between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar
full?"
"No!" the class shouted.
Once again he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to
pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.
Then he looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of this
illustration?"
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full
your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things into
it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration
teaches us is this: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in
at all."
The big rocks symbolize our top priorities. What are the "big rocks" in your life?
Are you putting them in first?

Path of karma

A holy man during his wanderings came to a village. He stayed there for a few days and impressed the villagers greatly with one of his yogic powers. He displayed the extraordinary ability to kill or revive anything by sprinkling water on it while chanting mystic words or mantras.

During the holy man's stay in the village, a young boy served him daily by dong various chores. As a result, the holy man grew very fond of the boy. He called the boy aside one morning and said, "I am leaving this afternoon, but before i leave i would like to give you a gift. I have had this rosary for many years; i give it to you. You may use it when you say your daily prayers." But the boy said, "Sir, if you don't mind, I would rather have some other fight from you." The holy man said, "I am a man of very few possessions. What else can I give you!" The boy said, "Please teach me how to give or take life as you do. I want this gift from you."

The holy man bound by his commitment, had to teach the boy the mantras and said, "My child, before you chant them you have to be very careful about one thing, You must never think of a black cat, If you do, the mantra will not work." The boy went to neighbourhood and called upon his friends and said "Now I can kill or revive any being", but nobody would not believe him. So he decided to show it using his pet cat. He tied the cat into a pole and sprinkled the water, But nothing happened. The boy became a laughingstock in his neighbourhood, Embarrassed he ran to the holy man and said "Sir the mantras did not work..", So the holy man asked "Did you by any chance, think of a black cat", The boy replied, "Sir I may be young, But I am not stupid, When I was chanting the mantra I kept telling myself all the time that i must not think about the black cat.". The holy man said, "Thats as good as thinking of a black cat."

We all time think about the fruit of any Actions.. So we are bonded with the actions.. We should do our wordly works with attachment, Attachment is selfish involvement, and always rooted in selfish expectations...

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

How our inner Ego sometimes misjudges a person

A lady in a faded grey dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun suit walked in timidly without an appointment into the Harvard University President's outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Harvard. "We want to see the President "the man said softly. "He'll be busy all day "the secretary snapped. "We'll wait" the lady replied. For hours the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away. They didn't and the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the president. "Maybe if you see them for a few minutes, they'll leave" she said to him. The President, stern faced and with dignity, strutted toward the couple. The lady told him "We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. My husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus." The president wasn't touched....He was shocked. "Madam" he said, gruffly, "We can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery." "Oh, no" the lady explained quickly "We don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard." The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, and then exclaimed, "A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical buildings here at Harvard." For a moment the lady was silent. The president was pleased. Maybe he could get rid of them now. The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it costs to start a university? Why don't we just start our own?" Her husband nodded. The president's face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford got up and walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California where they established the University that bears their name. Stanford University, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about. Most of the time we judge people by their outer appearance, which can be misleading. And in this impression, we tend to treat people badly by thinking they can do nothing for us. Thus we tend to lose our potential good friends, employees or customers. Remember In our Life, we seldom get people with whom we want to share & grow our thought process. But because of our inner EGO we miss them forever. It is you who have to decide with whom you are getting associated in day to day life.
Please never be under the influence of EGO, your EGO will kill YOU only

Monday, November 2, 2009

Fear

A king ran into a Fakir and in keeping with the custom when a king met a subject he said, “Ask for a favor.”
The fakir replied, “It would be unseemly for me to ask a favor of one of my slaves.”
“How dare you speak so disrespectfully to the king”, said a guard man. “Explain yourself or you shall die.”
The fakir said, “I have a slave who is the master of your king.”
“Who?”
“Fear”, said the fakir.
If we search the depths of our hearts we come face to face with the fact that we are zeros. We are empty inside. Be it a prime minister or a petty laborer, every man feels empty. Man cannot face this emptiness. So he creates any number of images and imaginations about him and the world around. In our relationships, in our workplaces and in the society at large we try to be something; to project to the near and dear ones an image of a good man, a humble man, an intelligent man, an integral man.
A lot of effort foes into keeping this image intact. However life is a strange thing. Whenever something is founded on untruth it goes on to give you a blow, pushing you towards truth. Its constant endeavor is to show you ‘you are a zero’.
When the image you have created within and outside of yourself faces the threat of a collapse or crashes then fear arises in you. That is why Sri Bhagavan says, “Mind is fear. Fear is never in the action. It is only in the anticipation. Mind is an amplifier. It controls and manipulates life.”
Enlightenment is liberation from the mind.
Enlightenment is liberation from fear.

Why do we keep *** Kumkum *** on the Eyebrow Center?

The center of our forehead where the eyebrows would meet if they were extended is called the “Brumadhya”. The Agneya Chakra or the Wisdom Center (one of the seven energy centers of the body) is located here.

There are two rationales as to why Kumkum is kept on ones forehead.

The Brumadhya is the center that attracts various kinds of energies from the outside world. “Kumkum”, the turmeric based powder, is usually applied on the forehead to prevent negative energies from entering inside.

Another reason is that the Agneya Chakra should be touched with the solar finger at least once in a day, so that the solar energy (the energy of wisdom) is activated into the Agneya Chakra, initiating the inner journey leading to one’s Enlightenment.

It was recommended that people of both sexes should wear the Kumkum on their foreheads. However, with efflux of time, the wearing of Kumkum became mandatory for women. Probably the [rather uncharitable] stereotyping of women as the more emotional of the two sexes could have contributed to this mandate!

The turmeric content in the Kumkum lends luster to the skin while acting as a powerful germicide. Today most brands of Kumkum are made to suit aesthetic needs. However, the beneficial effects of scientifically prepared Kumkum transcend cosmetic needs. Even today, there are dedicated people preparing Kumkum the traditional way, with high quality turmeric as the base.

“Why do we say *** Shanti *** Thrice”

All the Shanti mantras in the Veda and Upanishad end with, “Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi”, chanting Shanti Thrice.

Shanti means peace, the reason for chanting ‘peace’ three times is because there are three different types of disturbances, which we experience in life; and we do not want to be troubled by these disturbances.

The first is Adi Daivikam, the disturbances that come from nature, eg. Earthquakes, cyclones, floods, draughts and other disturbances like sounds, mosquitoes etc. Can one meditate peacefully in the middle of an earthquake? We would be running to save our lives. Man has no control over such things. For external disturbances and calamities to end we chant the first ‘Shanti’.

The second ‘Shanti’ is chanted to overcome disturbances from the astral planes. These are disturbances caused due to spirits and souls that have not left the planet.

The third type of disturbance is that, that comes from within – our own mind. This is called Adhyatmikam. As we try to meditate we find that the mind wonders all over and we involve in our own thoughts instead of being a witness to it.

There was a man who wanted to be in an atmosphere that was perfect for his meditation. So he tried many different places. Wherever he went, there was some sort of disturbance – the birds were chirping, dogs were barking, or people were fighting and yelling. So he thought, ‘I want a room that is soundproof’. He then sat inside a soundproof room and started meditating. As he meditated in his soundproof room, the ticking of his clock greatly disturbed him. The noise seemed so loud that he finally threw the clock away. He then resumed his meditation. After sometime, he began to hear his own heartbeat. When the clock made too much noise, he threw away the clock. Even then he was unable to meditate. His own mind was chattering incessantly.

Can one control one’s own mind? Meditation is not about controlling one’s mind. It is just being able to witness whatever is happening – it could be the incessant honking sound of the cars on the main road, it could be voices of people in a busy market street, it could be the chattering of your own mind – meditation is all about witnessing; not about controlling.

*** Shanti *** Shanti *** Shanti ***

Why do we Prostrate before Parents and Elders?

Indians prostrate before their parents, elders, teachers and noble souls by touching their feet. They, in turn bless us by placing their hands on our heads. Prostration is done daily, when we meet elders and particularly on important occasions like the beginning of a new task, birthdays, festivals etc. In certain traditional circles, prostration is accompanied by Abhivaadana, which serves to introduce one-self, announce one’s family and social stature.

Man stands on his feet. So, touching the feet in prostration is a sign of respect for the age, maturity, nobility and divinity that our elders personify. It symbolizes our recognition of their selfless love for us and the sacrifices that they have done for our welfare. It is a way of humbly acknowledging the greatness of another. This tradition reflects the strong family ties, which has been one of India’s enduring strengths.

The legs also have some points which when touched, would invoke good wishes (Sankalpa) and blessings (Aashirvaada) in the heart of the person. Good thoughts create positive vibrations. Good wishes springing from a heart full of love, divinity and nobility have tremendous strength. When we prostrate with humility and respect, we invoke the good wishes and blessings of elders, which flow in the form of positive energy to envelop us. This is why the posture assumed, whether it is in the standing or prone position. It also invokes forgiveness. That is why it is believed to be the best way of seeking forgiveness.

The different forms of showing respect are:
Pratuthana – rising to welcome a person.
Namaskaara – paying homage in the form of Namaste.
Upasangrahan – touching the feet of elders or teachers.
Shaashtaanga – prostrating fully with the feet, knees, stomach, chest, forehead and arms touching the ground in front of the elder.
Pratyabivaadana – returning a greeting.

Rules are prescribed in our scriptures as to who should prostrate to whom. Wealth, family name, age, moral strength and spiritual knowledge in ascending order of importance qualified men to receive respect. This is why a king, though the ruler of the land, would prostrate before a spiritual master. Epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata have many stories highlighting this aspect.

Why do we Chant Mantras ‘108’ Times?

On a mala or set of mantra counting beads, there are generally 108 beads, or some fraction of that number. The question arises” “Why are there 108 beads on a mala?”

The mala represents the ecliptic, the path of the sun and moon across the sky. Yogis divide the ecliptic into 27 equal sections called Nakshatras, and each of these into four equal sectors called Padas, or “Steps”, marking the 108 steps that the sun and moon take through heaven. Each is associated with a particular blessing force, with which you align yourself as you turn the beads.

The 109th bead is called the “Guru Bead”. It represents the summer and winter solstices, when the sun appears to stop in its course and reverse directions.

Traditionally, we stop at the 109th “Guru Bead”, flip the mala around in our hand and continue reciting their mantra as we move backward through the beads. It is said that the index finger and the little finger should not be used to count the mala. The mala should be held with the middle finger and counted using the thumb.

We are deeply interconnected with all of nature. Using a mala is a symbolic way of connecting ourselves with the cosmic cycles governing our universe.

Also, the distance between the earth and the sun is approximately 108 times the sun’s diameter. The diameter of the sun is about 108 times the earth’s diameter. And the distance between the earth and the moon is 108 times the moon’s diameter. This could be the reason as to why the ancient sages considered 108 such a sacred numbers

The microcosm (us) mirrors the macrocosm (the solar system). We could say that there are 108 steps between the ordinary human awareness and the divine light at the centre of our being. Each time we chant another mantra as our mala beads slip through our fingers, we are taking another step toward our own inner sun.

Some Points of Interest:

Heart Chakra: The charkas are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of tem, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-Realization.

Sanskrit Alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit Alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shaki. 54 times 2 is 108.

Upanishads: Some say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages.

Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersection has masculine and feminine, shiva and Shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body.

Astrology: There are 12 constellations and 9 are segments called namshas or chandrakalas. 9 times 12 equals 108. Chandra is moon, and kalas are the divisions within a whole.

Gopis or Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maidservants of Krishna.

Silver and the Moon: In astrology, the metal silver is said to represent the moon. The atomic weight of silver is 108.

Stages of the Soul: It is said that Atman, the human soul or centre goes through 108 stages on the journey.

Seva

Seva

Seva could be precisely called as a Spiritual Action born out of compassion to serve others. If we observe God’s creations, man has been bestowed with certain unique qualities, which would naturally help him to evolve into a higher self. One amidst such rare benediction is that “Man” can naturally feel for another man. But today’s man has lost touch with this natural quality of his, due to many factors beyond his control. By doing Seva in any form, man can discover this hidden virtue of Compassion, which is presently dormant within him.

The essence of “Seva” is “Sacrifice”. This sacrifice could be of any kind, but a Sevak must undergo some hardship while rendering Seva. If we closely watch how this nature works, we can actually see that there is a Bhavana of Seva between one element of nature with the another. To elucidate further, take the case of clouds, they yield to the natural process of turning from vapor to water just to quench the thirsting species down on this earth. Given a choice they could have still preferred to be up over there, undergoing no hardship and sacrifice for someone else’s benefit. Similarly flowers containing nectar and inherent fragrance yield themselves to the honeybees for their survival. Thus we can see on one hand that God has created everything with an underlying principle of Seva accompanied by Sacrifice. But today’s man has gone far away from this unwritten law of creations. He neither believes in sacrifice, nor is he willing to undergo any hardship for someone else’s betterment. All this pursuits are self-centered. This is the reason he finds himself very lonely and even the nature does not co-operate with him in his endeavours. If at all he wishes to mend his ways in order to bring happiness and joy into his life, he must start doing seva passionately. To begin with, he can help his co-human beings. Eventually he would evolve himself to realise the supreme truth of this creation.

Sri Kalki says “Man has to move from Passion to Compassion”. According to Him, Passion is to feel for one’s own suffering and Compassion is to see other’s suffering as your own. When compassion is put to action Seva Occurs.

Today’s Man has to realise that he is karmically related to every other human being of this whole universe and not just to himself or to his family. When a stone is thrown into a pond, it creates ripples in the entire pond. Similarly, what affects one human in one part of our Globe affects the entire human race. It is our sheer ignorance that we still cannot come out of our belief in Individual Karma Theory while it is a well-acclaimed truth that we are inter-dependent for our survival. We have from time to time, played directly or indirectly some role, which is capable of creating a significant impact on the life of some other human being, somewhere else. For instance we have intruded upon the lives of tribal and migrated into their livelihood causing untold hardship to them. In this way we have been instrumental in affecting the entire human race, over a period of time, by our thoughts, words and deeds. Hence we must elevate our understanding and realise that we are a part of the entire human race on this Planet Earth. Each one of us is also sharing the karmic effects of the entire human race. This higher understanding about our own life vis-à-vis Karmic principles would naturally inspire us to serve the suffering humanity.

The Spiritual Avatars in the form of Amma and Bhagavan have been working tirelessly to help humanity by bringing joy and happiness into everyone’s life. They say that they have not come to help humanity but rather themselves. It is true that they have been experiencing the suffering of every single soul in this Planet earth every second. Hence a devotee doing any form of Seva for humanity would naturally bring joy to Amma and Bhagavan and would go closer to Them.

Hence the devotees of this Dharma have taken upon themselves the responsibilities of serving this humanity and we invite each one of you, as a passive reader, to contemplate on the above truths and join hands with us. This will also be a natural way for us to show our Gratitude to Amma Bhagavan for whatever They have done for us in our lives.

No one becomes a Sevak by training. Sri Kalki and Amma say, “Every Cultivated Virtue is a Vice”, meaning, we cannot cultivate the virtue of Seva into anyone. The Seva Bhavana arises naturally from a flowered heart having deep compassion to serve the suffering humanity. This is the need of the hour if we have to save this humanity from further untold suffering of every kind. There is no hope for this Planet to survive if we do not arise now and discover the joy of Seva.

Today Amma and Bhagavan expect only two forms of Seva from every human being –
Get yourself Enlightened and come out of your own internal suffering and enrich yourself.
Inspire every other human being to get Enlightened and come out of their own suffering.

This is the best form of Seva that we can do today to bring Joy and Happiness to Amma and Bhagavan as they fulfill Their Divine Intentions of Liberating every human soul from every form of suffering.

Om Tat Sat

To Forgive to be Forgiven

To Forgive to be Forgiven
by Parama Pujya Sri Akshayamati Bhagavad Dasaji

In one of the Mahavakyas Sri Kalki Bhagavan says, “If you suffer and forgive, you shall abide in Me and I shall abide in you and your human nature shall become Divine”

Religions and seers from times immemorial have been stressing on the importance of forgiveness in attaining spiritual growth. It has been people’s timeless discovery that if you fight fire with fire, you can only end up with ashes. However, people have hardly understood what “forgiveness” really meant and the importance of its actual implementation in everyday life. Further more, in the highly competitive and achievement oriented world of today, man can be pardoned if he takes the whole concept of forgiveness to be too esoteric for his colloquial comprehension. Everybody feels that it is something very extraordinary.

It is at such a time that Sri Bhagavan reveals the know-how and the mystery behind forgiveness in the simplest of manners ever explained, probably in the entire history of mankind. Let us now explore this…..

What is Forgiveness?
An internal “happening”, where, you no more carry the pain or the hurt that someone has caused you. There is no inner judgement, condemnation or a feeling of taking revenge (even at the thought level). The incident or the person does not keep haunting you. There is only understanding and love when you remember or see that person, not any kind of malice or hatred. You are totally at peace.

One has to understand “To forgive does not mean to forget”. In short, the person is no more controlling you.

Why should we Forgive?
There are many that refuse to forgive. They feel an act of forgiveness from a person implies being weak and afraid. And that, when other people know of this, they would take you for a ride. Fortunately, this is not true!!!! So, let us now understand the necessity of forgiving and what happens when forgiveness is absent in our lives.

1. Sri Bhagavan says in one of His Mahavakyas:
“Remember, every time we met, I judged you as a friend, but did not sit in judgement over you. You passed judgement over yourself even as you passed judgement over others. Not able to forgive yourself, you sought repentance, not able to forgive others, you sought revenge. Thus, you have been caught up in the cycle of births and deaths. On my part, I have been keeping my word”.
As we see in this Mahavakya, we are caught up in the cycle of births and deaths on account of our inability to forgive, both others and ourselves. This world is a school designed for our learning; we have to repeat our visits on earth if we fail to learn and evolve.

2. If we don’t forgive, we carry the other person in us and he/she is controlling our lives though we are physically faraway. We are not able to forget the situation or the person. Whatever we might be doing, the past keeps continuously haunting us and as a result we loose peace of mind and are not able to carry on our works efficiently. In a way there occurs “failure of intelligence”.

3. Also, when you have an intense charge, strangely, you meet the same kind of people wherever you go, until and unless the charge is gone. For example: “A” hates people who are angry and very critical (he has a charge). In his life he will meet people who are short tempered and critical. So, until you have completed your learning, life keeps throwing similar situations or people.

4. As the external world is only a reflection of the internal world, intense feelings like hurt or hatred result in financial problems, health problems and failures in life.

5. And lastly, even Sri Bhagavan cannot give us grace as our hearts are filled with hatred and have no space for the Divine Grace to flow though Sri Bhagavan very much wants to help us.

Knowing the grave loss we incur with lack of forgiveness, one will understand the necessity of forgiveness. For, wherever there is forgiveness, miracles are natural happenings. The doors of Grace are opened. (However, one should not do it in the expectation of a miracle).

How to Forgive?
By EXPERIENCING the pain or hurt in its totality. Not by escaping it, justifying it, being indifferent to it, etc., but by experiencing the pain just as it is. To experience the pain, one has to relate to it in all its rawness and nakedness. It is there and that is it. Absolutely no excuses or justification for it’s presence in our lives. It is only in such a perspective that we actually EXPERIENCE the pain. In this process, the paid would disappear and forgiveness “happens”. Hence, forgiveness is a happening when you experience the pain fully.

Rajat is deeply hurt. His teacher was very harsh on him today, when he failed to give a correct answer at the inter-school quiz contest. Rajat felt that he had tried his best, but luck was not with him. Rather than understand him, his teacher was behaving rudely and insensitively to him.

Self-pity overpowered Rajat. He really felt what was happening was very unfair on him. He tried to pinpoint exact reasons why his teacher was behaving this way towards him. Was it because someone was poisoning the teacher’s ears against him? Was his teacher unforgiving because Rajat had not responded to his teacher’s suggestion that he take tuitions from her? Or was it because the teacher was favouring his archrival at class, Milind? So many thoughts came into Rajat’s mind.

Why should we Forgive?
There are many that refuse to forgive. They feel an act of forgiveness from a person implies being weak and afraid. And that, when other people know of this, they would take you for a ride. Fortunately, this is not true!!!! So, let us now understand the necessity of forgiving and what happens when forgiveness is absent in our lives.

What was the Consequence?
The normally alert and sharp Rajat began to lose concentration in his class. He became hypersensitive and irritable. He was constantly depressed and low in energy. He was miserable and unhappy. He tried to forget the event, but it seemed to come back to him with greater venom. He seemed to be getting caught in a vicious “chakravyuh”.

Now, suppose that Rajat understood Sri Bhagavan’s Mahavakya on forgiveness, let us see how he would behave.

When the teacher scolded him, he was hurt. Instead of indulging in self-pity, blaming the teacher, reacting or suppressing the feelings, he sees the fact that he is hurt and experiences the pain completely. As he is experiencing the hurt, he feels terrible; he might also weep and his chest might pain, but as he experiences the hurt totally, the pain goes to a peak and lo and behold the pain vanishes and forgiveness happens. There is no residue left and hence Rajat is able to respond to the situations without any prejudice, judgement or pre-conceived notions.

Let us look at another example. Once a devotee of Sri Bhagavan was preparing dinner for some guests. As she had to go out on some important work, she told the servant maid to prepare the dough using the mixer. Unfortunately, by the time she came back she found the rubber of the mixer burnt and the preparations half-ready. She was terribly upset and angry at the servant maid’s negligence. She was about to yell and even beat up the maid when she suddenly realized the mahavakya of “forgiveness”. She immediately sat down and started experiencing the hurt and anger in her, continuously praying to Sri Amma and Sri Bhagavan to give her the strength to experience. As she fully experienced the pain (remember, it is not indulgence), the pain vanished and in its place there was only joy and a feeling of strange love for the maid. She went up to the maid and told her to be careful the next time and asked her to get it repaired. Unfortunately, it was a festive day with all the shop establishments remaining closed. So she just went to the kitchen, praying to Sri Bhagavan in abject helplessness. To her amazement, the mixer started working. It was a Miracle!!!

In just the same, we come across innumerable situations where we are hurt. We are unable to suffer (experience) our situations totally. Strangely, however, everybody feels he/she is suffering the pain. Sri Bhagavan tells us that what we perceive as suffering is usually our attempt to run away from the pain. If we learn to “suffer” correctly, it is in the nature of creation that forgiveness has to occur.

At this juncture, one might ask, shouldn’t we be practical. Say, somebody cheats Gaurav, is it that Gaurav has to simply suffer and forgive! Sri Bhagavan says forgiveness is an internal process. It should not be confused with the practical actions one may have to take, in the external world.

What Gaurav needs to do is to experience the hurt and anger within him. As he experiences, he comes to peace with himself and hence would spontaneously respond to the external situation without any inner grudge or judgement. One has to remember that any action coming out of hurt or judgement can only lead to more miserable situations. You don’t respond; you only react or control your emotions.

Thus, while suffering a situation internally, one can be very functional in the external world as well. It is not enough if you know this intellectually. The teaching has to be implemented in your real lives.

Remember, Sri Bhagavan will never tell you to do this if it is impossible.

Initially, it may be a little difficult. Once you get the hang of its however, you will enjoy doing the same.

So don’t just think about it. Do it now and here in every event that life blesses you with for your learning’s and then witness the miracles unfold……

Footprints

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed that he was walking along the beach with God and across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of Footprints in the Sand, One belonged to him, the other to God. When the last scene of his life flashed before them, the man looked back at the Footprints in the sand. He noticed, that many times along the path of life, there was only one set of Footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered the man and he questioned God about it.

“God, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way, but I noticed that during the most troublesome time in my life there is only one set of Footprints. I don’t understand why in times when I needed you most, you would leave me”.

God replied, “My precious precious Child, I Love You and I would never never leave YOU during your times of Trails and Suffering.

When you see only One Set of Footprints, it was then that I Carried You”.

Praise the Divine!

Praise the Divine! Appreciate and Let Gratitude Make Your Heart Sing

As a person’s chakras are energized and activated, the Kundalini starts to rise (Kundalini Aro-ha-nam or Kundalini Rising) and then, after piercing the Sahasrara (Thousand Petal Lotus, or Crown Chakra on top of head), Kundalini starts its downward journey (Kundalini Avarohanam) bringing in the blessings of the heaven!
Kundalini Arohanam is the rise of Shakti (Nature of potential power is feminine) from within from the Root (first) Chakra; Mother’s (Devi’s) shakti is given to every person inherently and rising Kundalini signifies the increasing potential of that person.
As Kundalini works through and pierces the 7th Chakra (Crown, or top of head), it will join the Cosmic powers (Shiva Shakti) and starts and the energies acquire a flow and becomes Kinetic Energy – converting potential that we have developed thus far, with collective energies of the network of souls – to a flow – for our personal benefit, and also the multitude of people around us. Kundalini shakti is made of a feminine (Shakti) and a masculine (Shiva) energy.
You may have seen some Diksha = Oneness Blessing Givers who adopt the Bhakti Yoga (Yoga means “Union”, achieved through the means of love and devotion) such as Saktiji. Asking receivers to say “Amma” when drawing in your breath (inhale with the nurturing and oxygenating “Amma!”) and “Bhagavan” when exhaling (breathe out). Amma is the Devi Shakti that provides you the means to work your Kundalini to rise, cleanse you as it rises, providing you the necessary means to nurture you as you draw in air with appreciation!
Saying “Bhagavan” while you exhale and breathe out gratefully (or “Bhagavan and Amma,”) thus surrendering all of your impurities for purification, and your inner potential to the Divine for the greatest good! Do this at least thrice when you begin Diksha = Oneness Blessing or meditations. Kundalini energies of Appreciation (Feminine energy, attracts, and draws in creating an inward flow, or inhaling), and Gratitude (Masculine energy will make it flow outwards) make the two sides of the Holy Grail in which God\'s Grace can be held or savored! “Appreciate” your opportunities of Satsangs (good, spiritual gatherings) or Holy Communion, and let “Gratitude” make your heart sing in your prayers! Praising the Divine is thus at the core or “heart” of many religions and spiritual practices to usher in the transformational energies to work with a person! The Union of Appreciation and Gratitude is the true marriage that produces true love!
Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love!
On the flip side, there is "distrust", and “fear", which make up the "Cup of Misery".

You block healing and positive energies from coming in if you "distrust" which blocks the flow of love inwards; and "fear" distances you from what you desire!
Praising the Divine with the following has great positive effects:


“Hai Sat-Chit-Ananda Parabrahma, Purushottama Paramathma, Aishwarya Pradhata, Pahimaam Pahimaam, Rakshamaam, Rakshamaam!"

Meaning: The Supreme Soul appearing as the best of humans, One whose "Good" (Sat) "Will" (Chit) is the basis for creation of lasting "Bliss" (Ananda), Giver of Abundance (of good things we enjoy in life), Grace, Please grant us Your Grace (purify us, purify us – twice for emphasis) - to dissolve all of our past Karma, Please protect us, Please protect us – from any future bad Karma (or karmic debt) from accumulating! Aishwarya – Abundance; ParaBramha – Supreme Bramha or Over Arching Principle of Creation (namely for our bliss that is eternal and evolving); Purushottama – combination of “Purusha” (mankind) and “Uttama” (Best); ParamAtma – combination of “Param” –Supreme, and “Atma” – Soul or Consciousness; Pahi-maam – purify us; Rakshamaam – protect us from future difficulties and calamities; maam – us;

The Art of Prayer

The Art of Prayer

Prayer is a form of communication with the Divine. One may pray to any form of the Divine one chooses and relates to best. There is an ancient verse in the Vedas which says:

Aakashath Pathitham Thoyam
Yatha Gachathi Sagaram
Sarvadeva Namaskaram
Keshavam Prathi Gachathi
"As the water that falls down in rain from anywhere in the sky finally reaches the Ocean, the worship of any divine aspect ultimately reaches the Supreme Being."
1. Invoke the Presence
Invoke the Presence of the Divine before you start the prayer. One way to invoke the Presence is chanting the Moola Mantra. You may chant the Moola Mantra 3, 21 or 41 times and invite the Presence to fill you or take over you completely. And request the Divine to fulfil your prayer even if there are flaws in your prayer or possible errors in your belief system.

2. Emotional bond
The first and most important thing in a prayer is the personal bond or relation you establish with God. Consider the Divine as your child, father, mother, friend or master. Bhagavan usually says that he and Amma are happiest if the relation you choose is that of a friend. But then, look at yourself and ascertain that you too are a true friend who responds to the request of your friends immediately. The response of the Divine will be similar to your response to the request of your friends.

3. Surrender and helplessness
The prayer should always be prompted by a feeling of surrender and helplessness. If you feel that you can manage even without Divine grace and that you are just trying one more way, then, that is not the way of a genuine prayer. Surrender to the Divine will that you are prepared to accept whatever the outcome may be. And that you are absolutely helpless. Whatever effort you put in is just as an instrument of the Divine and not as per your own volition.

4. Pray from the heart not from the head
Prayer should come from the heart, not from the head. It is the feeling that is important, not the thought. When the feeling is intense, it creates waves of a higher frequency that get connected with the cosmic energy easily and make the fulfilment easily possible. The passion that you feel for God is very significant in raising the emotional intensity.

5. Clarity and completeness
Next, your request should be clear and complete in all respects. It is like a sort of communication with cosmic energy, and so, what you communicate is very important. If you communicate something different or incomplete, the response too may be what you do not expect. Hence before you pray, consider all aspects of your request and make it a perfect one.

6. Speak internally
As already mentioned, prayer is a communication. You have to speak internally to God. You can say it aloud also. But it is better to speak internally as it will not distract others. The involvement increases as you go on talking to God and there will come a time when you shall feel God with you everywhere, as an inseparable PRESENCE.

7. One request at a time
You should see that you request for only one thing at a time. It is much similar to cooking a delicious dish. You should not mix two recipes at the same time. Because what we finally get will not be either of the two, but a third distortion of both. Hence stick to the principle of "one at a time".

8. Visualisation
As you pray to God visualise the expected result of your prayer, that is, what you want to achieve in great detail. That means, visualise yourself in a state of having fulfilled your prayer, and then enjoy the happiness and joy. Accept that the situation has changed as you have been blessed.

9. Pray with full faith
Such an acceptance comes from full faith in God. As you know, it is very important to have faith without which nothing can ever happen. Have full confidence in the efficacy of prayer and the benevolence of the Divine.

10. Enjoy the feeling of Grace
Enjoy the blessing and flow of Grace into you. And request the Divine to fulfil your prayer even if there are flaws in your prayer or possible errors in your belief system.

11. Thank the Divine for the blessing received
Naturally, you shall be filled with immense gratitude for the Divine. Express it freely and sincerely to the Divine from the depth of your heart. Prostrate at the feet of the Divine in deep gratitude and surrender.

Meaning of Moola Mantra

Moola Mantra
Aum Sat Chit Ananda ParabrahmaPurushothama ParamatmaSri Bhagavati SamethaSri Bhagavate Namaha

This mantra evokes the living God, asking protection and freedom from all sorrow and suffering. It is a prayer that adores the great creator and liberator, who out of love and compassion manifests, to protect us, in an earthly form. This Moolamantra has given great peace and joy to people all over the world, who have chanted, or even listened to it. It has the power to transport ones mind to the state of causeless love and limitless joy. The calmness that the mantra can give is to be experienced, not spoken about. Dear reader, here is the key with which any door to spiritual treasure could be opened. A tool which can be used to achieve all desires. A medicine which cures all ills. The nectar that can set man free! All auspiciousness and serenity is yours simply by chanting or listening to this magnificent Moolamantra.

Whenever you chant the Moolamantra even without knowing the meaning of it, that itself carries power. But when you know the meaning and chant with that feeling in your heart then the energy would flow million times more powerful. Therefore it is essential to know the meaning of the Mantra when you use it.

The Mantra is like calling a name. Just like when you call a person he comes and makes you feel his presence, the same manner when you chant this mantra, the supreme energy manifests everywhere around you. As the Universe is Omnipresent, the supreme energy can manifest anywhere and any time. It is also very important to know that the invocation with all humility, respect and with great necessity makes the presence stronger.

Meaning
Om
Om has 100 different meanings. It is said 'In the beginning was the Supreme word and the word created every thing. That word is Om'. If you are meditating in silence deeply, you can hear the sound Om within. The whole creation emerged from the sound Om. It is the primordial sound or the Universal sound by which the whole universe vibrates. Om also means inviting the higher energy. This divine sound has the power to create, sustain and destroy, giving life and movement to all that exist.
Sat Chit Ananda
Sat
The all penetrating existence that is formless, shapeless, omnipresent, attribute less, and quality less aspect of the Universe. It is the Un manifest. It is experienced as emptiness of the Universe. We could say it is the body of the Universe that is static. Every thing that has a form and that can be sensed, evolved out of this Un manifest. It is so subtle that it is beyond all perceptions. It can only be seen when it has become gross and has taken form. We are in the Universe and the Universe is in us. We are the effect and Universe is the cause and the cause manifests itself as the effect.
Chit
The Pure Consciousness of the Universe that is infinite, omni-present manifesting power of the Universe. Out of this is evolved everything that we call Dynamic energy or force. It can manifest in any form or shape. It is the consciousness manifesting as motion, as gravitation, as magnetism, etc. It is also manifesting as the actions of the body, as thought force. It is the Supreme Spirit.
Ananda
Bliss, love and friendship nature of the Universe. When you experience either the Supreme Energy in this Creation (Sat) and become one with the Existence or experience the aspect of Pure Consciousness (Chit), you enter into a state of Divine Bliss and eternal happiness (Ananda). This is the primordial characteristic of the Universe, which is the greatest and most profound state of ecstasy that you can ever experience when you relate with your higher Consciousness.
Parabrahma
The Supreme Being in his Absolute aspect; one who is beyond space and time. It is the essence of the Universe that is with form and without form. It is the Supreme creator.
Purushothama
This has different meanings. Purusha means soul and Uthama means the supreme, the Supreme spirit. It also means the supreme energy of force guiding us from the highest world. Purusha also means Man, and Purushothama is the energy that incarnates as an Avatar to help and guide Mankind and relate closely to the beloved Creation.
Paramatma
The supreme inner energy that is immanent in every creature and in all beings, living and non-living. It's the indweller or the Antaryamin who resides formless or in any form desired. It's the force that can come to you whenever you want and wherever you want to guide and help you.
Sri Bhagavathi
The female aspect, which is characterized as the Supreme Intelligence in action, the Power (The Shakti). It is referred to the Mother Earth (Divine Mother) aspect of the creation.
Sametha
Together or in communion with.
Sri Bhagavathe
The Male aspect of the Creation, which is unchangeable and permanent.
Namaha
Salutations or prostrations to the Universe that is Om and also has the qualities of Sat Chit Ananda, that is omnipresent, unchangeable and changeable at the same time, the supreme spirit in a human form and formless, the indweller that can guide and help in the feminine and masculine forms with the supreme intelligence. I seek your presence and guidance all the time.