Say YES

I remember listening to one of the Guruji's talk, where Guruji narrated an incident that happened during the time He was with Maharishi. Guruji said, often Maharishi would give the instructions put all the chairs this way on the left side and after a while He would say why is it on the left side?

No one could argue saying You only told us to put it there! Maharishi would argue that He has not said so...And there was no way to win over Maharishi...

You have to simply accept and say YES. Guruji said it was training to really say YES to whatever it is.

It was very hard training. He would get angry for having followed His instructions, He would say put the chairs on right side and you put it there and you would get scolding for nothing. In either way you will be scolded!

I have heard Guruji saying if you suffer in the ashram, you will never have to suffer outside in the world. Yes all the buttons are pushed in the ashram to make you button proof, leaving you with only YES to whatever it is :-)

It seems the purpose of Divine is to get you to the state of YES, it doesn't matter where ever you are ashram, house, office, movie theatre or on the cross!

Love,
Satyajit

Journey from Head to the Heart

There is a story in Puranas, Sita during her exile in forest was asked by the wife's of Rishis to identify who her husband was among the Rishis. Rama Himself was present there as a Rishi. Sita denied each one of the Rishi who came in front of her. And the story goes, when Rama came she simple bowed down her head and remained silent.

This story seems to have lot of meaning in it. As per analogy Sita is the mind and Rama is the Self. For the Mind to find out who the Self is, it starts with what the the Self is NOT! As in Asta Vakra Geeta Guruji says a seeker starts his/her journey with 'I am not this(body)' 'I am not this(senses)' and so on. And finally when the Mind come to the Self it becomes NO Mind, then only silence prevails. In fact for the Mind to reach the Self it has to become no mind! Bowing down of the head simply signifies dissolving of the mind into the heart.

If we look at this with perceptive of Seven Layers of existence taught in Art Of Living Part One course the Mind is the third layer and Self is the seventh. Self cannot be known from the level of thoughts i.e. the Mind as Guruji had mentioned in one of His knowledge sheet.

You can only know yourself in silence that's why we have Advance Meditation Course. Well during Navratri Gurudev Himself goes into silence for some days, I guess just to set an example for us!

Love,
Satyajit

Dhambhadikam Tyagyam...

As I said last time I remembered an incident with Guruji, when I had gone to Bangalore last year to meet Him. A small incident with lots of learning :-)

We all had gathered to meet Guruji at Vrundavan and He was supposed to meet everyone individually. After waiting feverishly for an hour or two Guruji came and to my surprise He was talking and meeting with everyone except me! The more I would do some gesture to grab His attention, the more I was ignored! And finally He left without meeting even looking at me.

God! I was totally upset and didn't know why would a Master totally ignore His devotee? As Guruji always says a Master cannot even ignore a non-living object, so it's very difficult and painful for a Master Himself to ignore His devotee. Have I made some mistake? Did I do something wrong? I was left with no wonders but just questions, didn't even have my dinner that night!

After some days when I came back to my senses :-) I was listening to 'Narada Bhakti Sutras' a beautiful talk given by Guruji and there came the answers to all the questions!

Here is how Guruji explained it all "Dhambhadikam Tyagyam...Drop your feverishness for attention, see when there is love, behind love also come wanting-ness of attention. Do see this? Some one loves you very much and they don't simply give much attention to you that doesn't mean that they don't love you, but you crave for attention, even a child, say a child will be playing happily and moment some guests come, they (child) come around and show that they are somebody, they bring all their things they want attention. They think you are going to forget them. They will not allow you to talk to the guests!

You will wonder what has happened to this boy he was sitting in the corner all the time playing, and when the guest came he should also come with his books pencil papers and show you tell you and explain you...have you seen this?

The craving for attention! You want attention from everybody, people whom you love, you feel only if they give me attention then they love me, that is the expression for love for us. This is a mistaken notion! You know many times you are very close to somebody you don't give to much attention to them because you take it for granted that they are part of me. You take it for granted that they understand you very well so there is no need to give them attention. You give attention to somebody who is new. But then often it happens that person feels neglected and then they start behaving in a very funny manner. Do you see this happening? Craving for attention … ooh I was not attended, Pandit ji didn't ask me whether you had lunch or not he asked to somebody else....to experience divine love drop the ego and wanting-ness of attention ... Abhiman Dhambadikam....

Ego is the only obstruction to experience divine love I am somebody … I am someone … I have done so much … I am not being attended … I am an old devotee, I have been known for the past 4 yrs - 5yrs. But, I have not been attended!

Craving for attention you have to drop and your ego show off business too … you don't need to show off..."

Listening to this, then and there the 'Aahhoo!' happened. And that very moment I realized my attention seeking ego had already dropped that very day, if your Master Himself doesn't look at you, then from whom else would you crave for attention :-)

Dhambhadikam Tyagyam...I know it would have been difficult for Him also but lesson learnt was immensely valuable! The ways of Masters are mysterious; well I would say my Master Himself is mysterious :-)

That's all for now, lots of Guru stories and pearls of wisdom waiting for you! Have a great week ahead.

Love,
Satyajit

Importance of Sadhna, Follow-Up and Satsang

I know you are doing great and it is the same here! As I began to write this knowledge sheet, an interesting incident came to my mind, which happened last year, when I had been to ashram to meet Gurudev. That incident had made a profound change in my life! Well, hold on I will tell you about that next week :-)

Last week we saw how awareness is very essential along with knowledge, else it is just like a needle (knowledge) without thread (awareness), which cannot sew anything but pricks you a lot! That's where all these practices and sadhana comes in! Yoga, Sudharshan Kriya, Meditation heightens our level of awareness, makes our life like a flower, colorful (celebrity), without weight (ego), delicate (sensitive), whether seen or unseen (talking or being in silence) keeps spreading the fragrance (joy, happiness, smiles) around!

Knowing all this we find ourselves having no time to do our daily sadhana forget about follow-ups and Satsangs! Once someone asked Guruji:

Q: How does one adapt something to like the Sudharshan Kriya breathing technique or the Art of Living? Given we have hectic schedules, we rarely manage time for our families and friends.

Sri Sri: It is just like personal hygiene. Whatever work one has, however busy one is, one takes time to brush their teeth. No body says hat they have no time to brush teeth. In the same way if you do Kriya and a little bit of Pranayam for 15-20 minutes, it brings so much alertness in you, it brings so much energy in you. So your time becomes a good time, it becomes quality time.

Wow, that was a very simple answer I never thought in that way. Like Gurudev keeps on saying meditation is just like a bath for the mind! Well that's why we have a Guru in life to make things simple :-)

That's all for now, see you at the Satsang and follow-up, have a great week ahead!

Love,
Satyajit

Comb of Knowledge

I remember last time Guruji came to one of the sessions and started talking with us and at the same time He was gracefully combing His hair! And I wondered why is He combing His hair in session! I know He is very very busy, but still never seen Him combing His hair in any satsang or session! As it is said every moment, every act, every word, every look, every pause, even a smile of the Master conveys some meaning some deep knowledge, what is it now? Am I missing something?

Ahhaaa, I remembered once someone said to Guruji in satsang seeing His long hair and long beard 'Do you need the address of a good barber?'

And here came the answer, Guruji said 'These very hair can give you the essence of your life, everyone of us are like our hair, see every hair has come from the head separate and when they are short its okay there is no problem! Like when we were all children there is no problem, we fought and we were alright the next day. But when we grow older you know they all get tangled entangled.

Same thing has happened, you all grow up and get entangled one inside the other. We get into a mess, the whole society gets into a mess, then you need the comb of the knowledge. You have to worry about the barber if you don't have comb of knowledge. When you have comb of knowledge it can keep all the hair straight and they can all be together.

Same thing happens in society without knowledge without wisdom we get entangled into each other. Our minds are full of hatred, cravings or aversions for each other. Just look into anybody's mind there is feverishness about somebody, craving or aversion, hatred, with wisdom and knowledge we can keep the society straight. If everybody in the society lives in the present moment; able to accept people as they are and are with a smile, then where is the problem? Do you see that?

We have problem with brother and sister, husband and wife, in relationships, children, neighbors, friends name it...except our pets, even with our cars we have problem! So knowledge is very essential. Knowledge is not just reading the books, you know? The awareness...awareness, don't you think so?'

Yes, knowledge with awareness. Else knowledge without awareness is just like a needle without thread, which cannot sew anything but pricks you a lot.

Love,
Satyajit

Putting Brakes

Hope you enjoyed the Janmasthami celebration! This week some more Guruji tidbits from my last visit to Bangalore Ashram. While talking in one of the morning session Guruji said 'today while traveling in car I (Guruji) felt we forget to apply brakes we just keep on accelerating like driving on free way'. And I wondered why Guruji was giving us car driving lessons! Wasn't this session to be of spirituality with the spiritual Master?

Then He made it very clear and simple, He said acceleration is our desires constantly interruptedly going on in our mind. Brakes simply mean Meditation! And clutch simply is the OMkar!If you simply keep on driving your car continuously without applying brake, the engine gets hot and more chances of break down and bursting of tires. Most of the time we just keep on driving we don't even realize that we have reached our home. That is what happening with our lives isn't it?

Working day and night to fulfill our desires but no time to rest! Thus Guruji emphasized the importance of meditation, slowing down and resting for a while, reposing in the being everyday, so that we are more peaceful, energetic and creative in pursuit of our dreams and desires!This is the art of living; the skill in the living, acceleration and braking such that acceleration aids braking and braking helps you to accelerate :)

Hope you enjoyed reading this one, have a wonderful week, see you at follow-up (braking session)!

Love,
Satyajit

Secrets of Deep Meditation

I am back from Bangalore Ashram and had wonderful time with Guruji :-)

Though lots of knowledge tidbits straight from the Master, He also talked about His visit to Kashmir for resolving the Shrine land issue, His experience with people on His visit to remote countries and islands.

Guruji gave the secret to go into meditation/samadhi. He said just remember three things before you go into meditation.

1. Achaah (अचाह)

2. Akinchan (अकिंचन)

3. Aprayanthna (अप्रयत्न)

Only when your mind is established in these three you can effortlessly go into samadhi.

Achaah(अचाह) - Being desire less! I want nothing; no desires for anything worldly or spiritual else the mind is either caught up in the outside world (people-relationships, bills, payments, laundry etc.), thinking about it or looking for some spiritual experience (light, fragrance, out of body experience etc.) in meditation. This is the biggest impediment to get into your being. Desirelessness is bliss!

Akinchan (अकिंचन) - I am nothing! Dropping the 'I' for sometime, else the mind gets irritated even on the smallest of disturbance, noise. Even a door bell, barking dog or sound of utensils in the kitchen can drive you away from the center. And the mind goes 'I am meditating and people are making so much noise! I need to teach them a lesson!'Dropping the 'I', I am nothing!

Aprayanthna(अप्रयत्न) - No effort! Meditation is effortless; you don't need to put any effort. Like you go to have a massage, you just lie down and the masseur gives you the massage, you don't have to do anything! Do you?Let the divine work for you :)

That's it dear friend, hope you all enjoyed this. It is the most subtle knowledge that will work wonders with any technique. Let's practice this whenever we do our sadhana - sudharshan kriya, padma sadhna, meditations. Have a great week ahead!

Love,
Satyajit

Starting Note

Though I have been keeping in touch with you all through emails, I felt blogging will allow me to share few more things with you – like photos, videos, archives etc. Looking forward for your active participation and feedback. Will keep updating this blogspot whenever I find time.

Love,
Satyajit