About Homams

What are Homams
	Homams are pujas performed for a particular deity by invoking Agni – the God of fire. It is said that when Lord Brahma (the creator among the Trinity) created man, he also created “Homam” for man’s livelihood and his attainment of spiritual desires. The fundamental premise of Homam is derived from the Vedams, although, according to “Purusha Sooktham”, it is the other way around – Vedams originated from Homam! Anyhow, Vedams and Homam are eternal truths having neither beginning nor end, and are “Apourusheyam” (divine, not the creation of humans). Karmam (work or action) is an integral part of living. Right and wrong Karmams can hardly be discerned by human intellect, and has to be guided by knowledge. Vedams, indeed, contain the highest form of knowledge. The singular goal of Vedam is to guide man through the correct path. And Homam forms the essence of all the Karmams prescribed in the Vedams. The goal of all Homams is the prosperity of the people at large by energizing and protecting the environment. The Sun is considered as the main source of energy supply, and fire is considered as a representation of the Sun’s energy. According to the ancient texts on Homam, any offer to Fire as a god, is actually an offer to Sun. Any such offer is either to enrich energy in the environment or to destroy the undesirable elements in the environment, and thus, in both ways, environment is protected. Attaching divine nature to such rituals (like Homam) induced people to practice them. Thus, the ancient texts proclaim that “Such Vaidika Karmams are result-oriented, and meant to lead to Sreyass or spiritual attainments”. Performing the Homam Ritual Each Homam is performed strictly according to scriptures. These are conducted by fully learned and experienced vedic scholars.The ingredients recquired for these homams are different for each homams.Each homam is performed after praying (Shankalpa) for the specific relief / benefit desired for each individual.After each homam, pundits are fed with vedic prayers.

 

http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/showarticles.php?artid=384

About Parad

About Parad
	Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in air, water and soil. It exists in several forms: elemental or metallic mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds. Mercury is an element in the earth’s crust. Humans cannot create or destroy mercury. Pure mercury is a liquid metal, sometimes referred to as quicksilver that volatizes readily. It has traditionally been used to make products like thermometers, switches, and some light bulbs. Mercury is found in many rocks including coal. When coal is burned, mercury is released into the environment. Coal-burning power plants are the largest human-caused source of mercury emissions to the air  Burning hazardous wastes, producing chlorine, breaking mercury products, and spilling mercury, as well as the improper treatment and disposal of products or wastes containing mercury, can also release it into the environment. Mercury and its compounds have been used in medicine, although they are much less common today than they once were, now that the toxic effects of mercury and its compounds are more widely understood. Mercury in the form of one of its common ores, cinnabar, remains an important component of Chinese, Tibetan, and Ayurvedic medicine. As problems may arise when these medicines are exported to countries that prohibit the use of mercury in medicines, in recent times, less toxic substitutes have been devised. Mercury exposure at high levels can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages.

 

http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/showarticles.php?artid=339

The Meditation Society of America’s Site Links

What is Meditation?

http://www.meditationsociety.com/what.html

The Total Meditation System

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108 Meditation Techniques

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Technique Archive

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Concepts of Meditation

There is alot more to meditation than just learning the techniques. It is an entire state of mind and a whole different way of looking at the world. To help you understand this, we present a series of informative concepts.

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• Evolution 
• Contemplation 
• I Forget What It Is, But There Seems To Be A Problem With Memory 
• Meditation: Good for Believers and Non-Believers 
• Jnana Yoga 
• Moha – Don’t Put Up With People Who Put You Down 
• Two Types of Meditation: Stabilizing and Analytical 
• How to Deal with Pain 
• Meditation in Education 
• Meditation Lessons 
• Let It Go 
• Meditation and Non-Duality

http://www.meditationsociety.com/concepts.html

3rd Eye Meditation

3^rd Eye Meditation

Imagine what your life would have been like if you had kept your eyelids shut for your entire lifetime. Your eyes would have worked perfectly and yet your sense of vision would have gone to waste. Similarly, not using your 3^rd eye is keeping you in the dark in relation to enjoying the wonders and wisdom of your sense of mystic sight.

Every one of us had our 3^rd eye fully open when we were babies. We were effortlessly able to witness the glory of the universe from its subatomic nature to its multi-galactic infiniteness. Through conditioning by our parents, teachers, and peers, we started a process of covering our 3^rd eye with layer after layer of illusion. As an example, let’s imagine that at one month of age we were laying in our crib looking at the paisley patterned dance of energy that life is. Our mommy stuck a stuffed doll in front of our face and said, “Look at the piggy, look at the piggy.” We then started the process of recognizing that particular shape and associating it with the label “pig”. We also might have been introduced to the concepts of color, texture, size, and other things. “Baby, look at how pink and fuzzy the nice little piggy doll is.” And this began our habit of replacing direct perception of reality with a perceiving, labeling, reacting physically, emotionally, and mentally process. And we went further and further away from an unfiltered pure experience of living life as it takes place. As we aged, we also added a thought analyzing method of judging, comparing, and commenting on every thing our senses brought our attention to, and we got less and less in touch with Now.

The result of this process is similar to putting shutters on a window. No light comes through and those within can only imagine what is on the other side of the shutters. Unfortunately, this really leaves us in the dark about what is real and what life is really about. Just as you can’t adequately describe an orange to anyone who has never seen the color orange, or has not tasted one, you cannot understand what a 3^rd eye vision is like from reading about it, or hearing it described by someone who has them. You will have to experience it first hand. So, the experience of divine perception, astral sight, aura awareness, mystic vision, or whatever other esoteric label you put on it, will remain only a theory until a way is found to actually open the 3^rd eye.

Every time you sit in meditation and do the 3^rd eye technique, you remove one of the shutters covering your inner window of wisdom. It is often compared to peeling away layers of skin from an onion. This continues until there is nothing left. And in this No-thing, there is everything. And we return to the pure direct perception of the glory and wonders of the universe we beheld as a baby. But now, we have the understanding that only comes with maturity.

 

The 3^rd Eye Meditation Technique

To begin, place yourself in the place and position that you have found to be most advantageous to meditation. Relax your mind, body, and emotions. Command your mind to cease its chatter, your emotions to stay in a serene mode, and your body to not disturb your meditation in any way. Focus your attention to the sound and feeling of your breath coming in and going out. Return to your breath awareness if you witness that you have lost your focus. At no time during your meditation should you chastise yourself about anything. So, for example, if you lose your attention and then realize this, just accept it without commenting. Return your attention to your breath and then continue with your meditation.

Close your eyes. Place your attention on the area between your eyebrows. After a short time, a point of light will present itself in the center of your inner field of vision. Keep your focus there. For some people, it will be beneficial to raise your eyeballs as if you were looking up at about a 25-degree angle. For others, just directing their attention upwards will be easier and less distracting. After some experimentation, go with one of the ways exclusively. In the beginning of 3^rd eye practice, it may help to place your thumb at the outer edge of one eye and your middle finger on the outer edge of the other, while placing your index finger at the mid-point between your eyebrows. This gives you a point of focus to place your attention. It also allows you to prevent your eyelids from fluttering. This commonly occurs, and can be distracting until you get used to the sensations that accompany this technique.

Let the light come to you. Be available to be filled. The more you continue practicing this meditation, the more layers of the veil of illusion will peel away and Reality will reveal itself to you. As you perceive the Truth, your understanding of the delusional concept that you are apart from the rest of the universe will lose its grip on you, and the knowledge that you are a part of all and everything will become undeniably apparent. Your chattering mind will eventually dissolve in the unspeakable transcendent light of love that is now and forever within and without you.

Once you stop being locked into viewing reality from just one perspective, you will start to be free from habitual reactivity. 3^rd eye experiences put you in that position. You will recognize that nothing more than a show has been playing out before you in what you considered “real life”. And, just like when you are at the theater, you may be interested to some degree with seeing how the plot turns out, but knowing that it is all just a story, you won’t take it any more seriously than a show. The constant anxiety and fear that is attached to a singular ego centered view of life will end and be replaced with the bliss of effortlessly merging and identifying with all of creation.

Once a chick has pecked its way out of its shell, it knows that there is a lot more to life than was within its dark confines. Mother Nature, Grace, then gives the chick strong wings that let it fly to the heavens. The 3^rd eye meditation technique has the potential to be the beak you use to break out of your shell, as well as the wings to transport you to the infinite, eternal, universal divine reality that is your birthright.

http://www.meditationsociety.com/week38.html

The Significance of the Figure 108

The Significance of the Figure 108

From: http://www.hinduism.co.za/japa.htm#The%20Secret%20of%20the%20Mala:%20(Rosary)

One complete Mala consists of 108 repetitions. Various reasons are given with regard to the significance of this number. Some of the main reasons are:

It has been established that man takes 10 800 breaths during a period of twelve hours. Therefore, in a period of 24 hours, one takes 21 600 breaths. One half of this time may be allowed for sleeping, eating or other essential activities. The remainder of the time should be spent in the thought of God. The merit of taking God’s name is multiplied 100 times when done on a Mala. Therefore, 108 Mantras done on a Mala is equivalent to the taking of God’s name 10,800 times.

There are 27 Nakshatras or Heavenly Bodies that regulate our destinies. Each Nakshatra enters 4 phases or Charans in the course of an astrological day or Tithi. Therefore all the Nakshatras pass through 108 Charans (27 x 4 = 108) during any Tithi.

The Shastras (scriptures) say that the Brahman (God) is symbolically represented by the figure 9. The three figures in the number 108 add up to nine (1 + 0 + 8 = 9). The figure 9 itself when multiplied by any other figure and the digits of the answer when added up will provide the answer as exactly 9.

Examples:

9 x 28 = 252 (2 + 5+ 2 = 9)

9 x 1855 = 16 695 (1 + 6+ 6 + 9 + 5 = 27) (2 + 7 = 9)

9 x 1368 = 12 312 (1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 =9)

4.The different stages of creation are all linked to the figure 9
as will be seen by adding up each of the following figures:

A Kaliyuga consists of 432 000 human years

A Dwaparyuga consists of 864 000 human years

A Tretayuga consists of 1 296 000 human years

A Satayuga consists of 1 728 000 human years

A Mahayuga consists of 4 320 000 human years

A celestial year in Brahma’s life consists of 3 110 400 000 000 human years

Brahma’s lifespan consists of 311 040 000 000 000 human years.

The digits of each of the above figures when added up or the digits of those answers when added up will produce the figure 9. The figure nine has therefore been taken by Hindus to represent Brahman or Infinity.

http://www.hinduism.co.za/japa.htm#The%20Secret%20of%20the%20Mala:%20(Rosary)

Meditation in Yoga and Vedanta by Swami Adiswarananda

MEDITATION IN YOGA AND VEDANTA

by

Swami Adiswarananda

Spiritual Leader

Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center

New York

 

http://www.ramakrishna.org/activities/message/message20.htm

 

     Meditation is keeping the mind focused uninterruptedly on a subject for a certain length of time. All spiritual practices, ceremonies, prayer, and pilgrimage reach their consummation in meditation. In Patanjali’s Yoga system, meditation is the last step before the final goal, samadhi, or superconscious experience. Sri Sankaracharya describes meditation as maintaining steady awareness within of Atman, the focus of the all-pervading Self.[i] Meditation on Atman, our true Self, is the highest form of yoga. According to the Kurma Purana:

 

The fire of yoga burns the cage of sin which imprisons a man. Knowledge becomes purified and Nirvana is directly obtained. From yoga comes knowledge; knowledge, again, helps the yogi to obtain freedom. He who combines in himself both yoga and knowledge─with him the Lord is pleased. Those who practice maha-yoga [meditation on the Self] either once a day, or twice, or thrice, or always─know them to be gods. Yoga is divided into two parts: one is called abhava-yoga, and the other, maha-yoga. That in which one’s self is meditated upon as a void and without qualities is called abhava-yoga. That in which one sees one’s self as blissful, bereft of all impurities, and as one with God is called maha-yoga.[ii]

 

Vedic sages maintain that our true identity is Atman, or our inmost Self. When we forget It and fail to realize It, we become victims of endless suffering. Knowledge of Atman or Self is the only way to put an end to all suffering and meditation is the only way to Self-Knowledge. In meditation our consciousness rises high, comes into contact with the Atman, or universal Consciousness, and finds connection with It. We expand, taste supreme Bliss, and attain the highest fulfillment of life.

     The state of meditation is supported by concentration, concentration by withdrawal of mind, and withdrawal of mind by purity and self-control. Vedanta texts say that if you can concentrate 12 seconds on a subject uninterruptedly, it becomes one unit of concentration; 12 such units of concentration make one unit of meditation; 12 units of meditation lead to the first stage of samadhi; and 12 units of this samadhi lead to the highest samadhi, the supreme realization of Atman. But this achievement does not come of itself; it calls for repeated practice of meditation. The three components of meditation are: the subject of meditation, the center of consciousness at which the mind is held, and the method employed to guide the mind to concentration. The subject of meditation may be the nondual all-pervading Self, any specific aspect of the divine, or any divine incarnation. The center of consciousness may be at the heart, or between the eyebrows, or at the crown of the head. The method employed to invoke concentration may be any of the following: japa, or repetition of a sacred word; discrimination between the real and the unreal; dispassion, which is knowing the evil effect of sense-enjoyment; pranayama, or control of breath; and ceremonial observances.

Some examples of guided meditation are the following:

Sit in a straight posture. The next thing to do is to send a current of holy thought to all creation. Mentally repeat: “Let all beings be happy; let all beings be peaceful; let all beings be blissful.” So do to the east, south, north, and west. The more you practice this, the better you will feel. You will find at last that the easiest way to make ourselves healthy is to see that others are healthy, and the easiest way to make ourselves happy is to see that others are happy. After doing that, those who believe in God, should pray─not  for money, not for health, nor for heaven. Pray for knowledge and light; every other prayer is selfish. Then the next thing to do is to think that your body is firm, strong, and healthy; for it is the best instrument you have. Think of it as being as strong as adamant, and that with the help of this body you will cross the ocean of life. Freedom is never to be reached by the weak; throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself.[iii]

 

Sit straight and look at the tip of your nose. Later on we shall come to know how that helps to concentrate the mind, how by controlling the two optic nerves one advances a long way towards the control of the arc of reaction, and so to the control of the will. Here is one specimen of meditation: Imagine a lotus upon the top of the head, several inches up, with virtue as its center and knowledge as its stalk. The eight petals of the lotus are the eight powers of the yogi. Inside, the stamens and pistils are renunciation. If the yogi refuses the external powers he will come to salvation. So the eight petals of the lotus are the eight powers, but the internals stamens and pistils are extreme renunciation, the renunciation of all these powers. Inside that lotus, think of the Golden One, the Almighty, the Intangible, whose name is Om, the Inexpressible, surrounded with effulgent light. Meditate on that.[iv]

 

Another meditation is given: Think of a space in your heart, and think that in the midst of that space a flame is burning. Think of that flame as your own soul. Inside the flame is another effulgent light, and that is the Soul of your soul, God. Meditate upon that in the heart.[v]

 

Let your mind dwell on some holy personality─a Buddha, a Christ, a Ramakrishna. Then concentrate upon his heart. Try to imagine how it must feel to be a great saint; pure and untroubled by sense-objects, a knower of Brahman [supreme Reality]. Try to feel that the saint’s heart has become your heart, within your own body. Here, again, the localization of the image will be found very hepful. Both Hindus and Chritians practice this form of meditation─concentrating not only upon the heart but also, sometimes upon the hands and the feet and the whole form.[vi]

 

  Meditate on Vishnu, the Dweller in the hearts of all beings, seated on a lotus within the rays of the sun, his body luminous, adorned with diadem, necklace, earrings, and bracelets of great luster, and holding conch shell and mace in his hands.

  Then the wise man should meditate upon the luminous, benign form of the Lord, without the conch shell and mace, but adorned with ornaments.

  As the mind becomes concentrated on the form, he must then keep his mind on the form without ornaments.

  Then he must meditate upon his oneness with the luminous form of the Lord.

  Lastly, he must let the form vanish and meditate upon the Atman.[vii]

 

     The benefits of meditation manifest on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels. On the physical level, the benefits are good voice, good health, and good complexion. On the mental level, they are emotional stability, clear vision, a sense of peace, freedom from worry and anxiety, and greater concentration. On the spiritual level, the seeker develops more faith, a taste of inner bliss, self-surrender to the divine, and spiritual enthusiasm. Practice is vital to actualize these benefits, and the practice must be right. Practice is considered right when the three components of meditation─subject of meditation, center of consciousness, and method to guide the mind to concentration─are kept unchanged and unaltered, and the practice is followed steadfastly with faith, devotion, and determination.

Meditation is cultivating a single thought reminiscent of the subject of meditation by repeating it over and over again. By following the same method and concentrating on the same subject at the same center of consciousness, that single thought becomes a giant thought-wave. In course of time the mind develops a channel for that thought-wave and the practice becomes effortless. No practice, however mechanical or intermittent, is ever lost. The Bhagavad Gita tells us that even very little of the practice of Yoga saves a person from the great fears of life.[viii]

     Success in meditation is measured not by any attainment of occult powers, not by dreams or visions or miraculous happenings, but by glimpses of the divine that give the seeker a taste of inner bliss and permanent transformation of character.

 

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[i] See Vivekachudamani vv. 332, 378, 381, 383, and 412.

[ii] Quoted in Raja-Yoga, by Swami Vivekananda, in Vivekananda: The Yogas and Other Works, Swami Nikhilananda, ed., Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, New York, 1996, p. 618.

[iii] Ibid., p. 591.

[iv] Ibid., p. 620.

[v] Ibid., p. 620.

[vi] How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood, trs., pp. 73-74.

[vii] From the Vishnu Purana, as quoted in Ibid., p. 177.

[viii] See Bhagavad Gita 2.40.

 

Spiritual Leader Archive Meditation & Its Practices

Copyright© 2002, Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York.

 http://www.ramakrishna.org/activities/message/message20.htm

Kosas (The 5 Sheaths)

Kosas

Kosas are five cases or sheaths which cover the Atman in Hinduism.

The five Kosas are:
1. Annamaya kosa, the food-body
2. pranamaya kosa, the breath
3. manomaya kosa, or "mind-sheath"
4. Vijnanamaya kosa, that which discriminates, determines or wills
5. anandamaya kosa, or bliss

Corporal bodies
In the consequence of acts performed in former states of being
through the actions of the fivefold elements, corporal bodies (which
become the dwelling place of pleasure and pain) are formed. The soul
is wrapped in five investing sheaths and seems formed of these, and
is darkened like crystals on coloured cloth. As winnowed rice is
purified from husk, the soul burdened with its sheaths is purified by
the force of meditation. To remove his bondage the wise man should
discriminate between the self and the non-self. By that alone he
comes to know his own self and existence - through knowledge and
bliss absolute, he becomes happy. He is free indeed who discriminates
all sense-objects and the indwelling, unattached and inactive self as
one separates a stalk from its enveloping sheath. Always merging
every thing in it, he remains in a state of identity with that self.

Covered by the five sheaths, the material one and the rest, which are
the products of its own power, the self ceases to appear, like the
water of the tank by accumulation of sludge. When all the five
sheaths have been eliminated by the reasoning on Shruthi passages,
what remains as the culminating point of the process is the witness,
the knowledge absolute - the Atman. This self–effulgent Atman is
distinct from the five sheaths, as witness of the three states, the
real, the changeless, and the unattained everlasting bliss is to be
realized by a wise man as his own self.

Five Sheaths
The five sheaths (pancha-kosas) are alluded to in the fourteen verse
of the Atmabodha. It must be noted that the individualised soul, when
separated from the Supreme soul, is regarded in the Vedanta as
enclosed in a succession of cases (kosa) which envelope it and, as it
were, folded on over the other, `like the coats of an onion'. The
five sheaths are said to cover the self. The true self or the Atman,
is none of these, nor can it's true nature be known as long as it is
identified with them. All the five sheaths have been eliminated in
the self of man. It appears pure, of the essence of everlasting and
an alloyed bliss, indwelling, supreme, and self-effulgent.

Annamaya Kosa
The physical body is said to be made of food or matter. It is
Annamaya. The Atman is described as enclosed in a series of sheaths.
First there is the Annamaya, the food-body. This is the sheath of the
physical self, named from the fact that it is nourished by the food.
Further it says that the food identifies himself with a mass of skin,
flesh, fat, bones, and filth, while the man of discrimination knows
his own self, the only reality that there is, as distinct from the
body. A materialist thinks he is the body, a religious student
identifies himself with the mixture of body and Soul, while a Sage
who has attained realization due to discrimination looks upon the
eternal Atman as his self, and thinks "I am Brahman".

Pranamaya Kosa
There is another and subtle sheath, which is pranamaya, different
from the body of food. Pranamaya means composed of prana. Prana is
the vital principle, the force that vitalizes and holds together the
body and the mind. It pervades the whole organism, its physical
manifestation is the breath. As long as this vital principle exists
in the organisms, life continues. The prana, with which we are all
familiar, coupled with the five organs of action, forms the vital
sheath, permeated by which the material sheath engages itself in all
activities as if it were living. This is the sheath composed of
breath and the other vital airs associated with the organs of action.
In the Vivekachoodamani it is a modification of vayu, and like the
air, it enters into and comes out of the body, and because it never
knows in the least either it's own weal and woo, nor those of others,
being eternally dependent on the Self.

Manomaya Kosa
Manomaya means composed of manas or mind. It is called the manomaya
or sheath composed or mere intellect, associated with the organs of
action. This gives the individual soul its power of thought and
judgement. The manomaya kosa, for instance or "mind-sheath" is said
more truly to approximate to personhood than `annamaya kosa' or the
food sheath. The vital sheath knowledge together with the mind from
the mental sheath the cause of the diversity of things such as `I'
and `mine'. It is powerful and endowed with the faculty of creating
catagorical differentiation, such as names. It manifests itself as
permeating the preceding.

Sankara uses the example of clouds that are brought in by the wind
and again driven away by the same agency. Similarly man's bondage is
caused by the mind, and liberation too is caused by that alone.
Attaining purity through a preponderance of discrimination and
renunciation, the mind makes for liberation. Hence the wise seeker
after liberation must first strengthen these two.

The mind (manas) along with the five sensory organs is said to
constitute the manomaya kosa.

Vijnanamaya Kosa
Vijnanamaya means composed of vijnana, or intellect, and refers to
the faculty which discriminates, determines or wills. Chattampi
Swamikal defines vijnanamaya as the combination of intellect and the
five sense organs. It is the sheath composed of more intellection,
associated with the organs of perception. This gives the personal
soul its first conception of individuality. The sheath of buddhi or
vijnanamaya kosa together with the pranamaya kosa compose the body.
Sankara holds that the buddhi, with it's modifications and the organs
of knowledge, form the vijnanamaya kosa or knowledge sheath, of the
agent, having the characteristics which are the cause of man's
transmigration. This knowledge sheath, which seems to be followed by
a reflection of the power of the cit, is a modification of prakrti.
It is endowed by the function of knowledge, and it always wholly
identifies itself with the body, organs etc. Owing to its connection
with superimpositions, the supreme self, even though naturally,
perfect and eternally unchanging, assumes the qualities of the
superimpositions and appears to act just like the changeless fire
assuming the modifications of the iron which it turns red-hot.

This knowledge sheath cannot be the supreme self for the following
reasons

• It is subject to change.
• It is insentient.
• It is a limited thing.
• It is not constantly present.
• An unreal thing cannot be taken for the Atman. It is said that
buddhi, (the intellect), together with the five sensory organs,
constitutes the vijnanamaya kosa.

Anandamaya Kosa
Anandamaya means composed of ananda (bliss), and it's sheath refers
to the ego. In the Upanishads the sheath is known also as the `casual
body'. In deep sleep, when the mind and senses cease functioning,
there still stands the casual body between the finite world and the
blissful self. As the fifth sheath is nearest of all to the blissful
self it's name in the Upanishads is anandamaya. Anandamaya or that
which is composed of Supreme bliss, is also named, although not
admitted, by all. It is regarded as the innermost of all, and
therefore, when the five sheaths are enumerated, it is to be placed
before the vijnanamaya. The blissful sheath has its fullest play
during deep sleep, while in the dreaming and wakeful states it has
only a partial manifestation. The blissful sheath (anandamaya kosa)
is that modification nescience which manifests itself by catching a
reflection of the Atman which is bliss absolute, whose attributes are
pleasure and rest, and which comes into view when some object
agreeable to oneself presents itself. It makes itself spontaneously
felt by the fortunate during the fruition of their virtuous deeds,
from which every corporeal being derives great joy without effort.

http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/articledt.php?art_id=300

Satsang – The Company of Truth

Satsang - The Company of Truth
	Satsangh is the company of a good person. ‘Sat’ stands for godliness, ’sangh’ for company. Sat sangh means the company of Sat (Truth). Though sitting at the feet of an “enlightened person” is a great satsangh, the best satsangh is abiding in the Atman, which is Sat-chit-ananda.Company of the sants (saints, which word came from sant) ennobles, educates (in a higher sense) and ‘purifies’ us. Purifies means removes from our mind greed, lust, pride, jealousy, vanity and delusion. We generally see these defects in other people. But in satsangh, we start seeing them in ourselves, because satsangh basically is for oneself, to correct oneself. The company of the highest knowledge and Truth; the company of a Guru; contact with a person or an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the Truth. This highest company also takes the form of hearing or reading the words of highest awareness, reflecting on, discussing and assimilating their meaning, meditating on the source of these words, and bringing this awareness into one’s daily life. From satsangh comes non-attachment, from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, which leads to self-settledness. From self-settledness comes Jeevan Mukti. You see, people approach God to seek for this or that, and even when visiting a friend or a Guru, then think of “what good it will do to me ?” It is indeed rare to find someone who is in search of Brahman alone. As Shankara says “pare brahmaNi ko.api na saktaH” “There is hardly anyone who wants to experience Brahman alone.” Even some monks say ‘I want to read this, know this better than someone. I want to memorize sandhi rules, memorize bhagavad gita. etc.’ Noble motives, but still falls short of only one true motive – Look for the Self, and that alone. The rest are mere details. In satsangh the prevailing atmosphere is one of nobility, understanding, generosity and love. All noble qualities are to the fore, suppressing the baser instincts and feeling. All satsanghiis (people who attend satsanghs) seem to like each other and ever willing to help each other. Who can be a Satsanghi? A satsanghi may be your mother, sister, friend, confidant, loved one. The necessary requisite is that the meeting should be uplifting! Why purification of mind is necessary ? Same reason why we clean our reading glasses; with dust, oilstain and paint marks on spectacles, We won’t be able to read anything, and if we insist on reading through them, you would say that I was crazy; but that’s what’s the whole world’s problem. We just won’t wipe our specs clean and see clearly. So too, the mind full of desires (paint marks) and other enemies (stains and dust), is unable to know what is good for it. Tragically, it does not even know that its specs are full of dust & dirty. In satsangh, you can read the holy scripture of your choice (Gita, Upanishad, Bhaagavatam, Ramaayana etc.), read commentaries and either discuss or someone knowledgeable explains the meaning and its relevance in today’s world. Invariably the practical day to day living guidance is given. ‘Dharma’ is popularly translated as ‘duty’ or ‘religion’. However the word enfolds a lot more. My Dharma as a wife may not coincide with my Dharma as a mother or sister or an individual.What I am trying to say is, while fulfilling my duty as a friend, I may be displeasing my relatives, or social obligations or myself… the list may be endless. Also my dharma in every relationship, may be different to yours, because circumstances differ. Again my dharma as householder differs from that of a renunciate. Which is the right mode of conduct, then? The choice and decision is difficult. This confusion is called a ‘Dharam sankat’ This conflict sends people scurrying to psychiatrists. In India we go to our Guru’s door-step or to satsangh. Goswami Tulsidas has written in ‘Ram Charit Maanas’: Bin satsangh,vivek na hoye Ram kripa bin sulabh na soye Translation: It states that without satsangh, ‘vivek ‘ does not come. Again ‘vivek’ people popularly translate as conscience. In actual fact, vivek means the power to discriminate, within the framework of the right mode of conduct given a certain situation. The second line says that without the Grace of Shri Ram it is very difficult to obtain.Both satsangh and its offspring ‘vivek’ So ,if one does not do satsangh or go to satsangh, one does not obtain Vivek.Without Vivek it sure is tough to live in this jungle we call life.

 

http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/showarticles.php?artid=188

Awakening of the Upa Guru

Awakening of the Upa Guru 

The purpose of holy rudraksha is awakening of the Upa Guru (self).
We have Guru within us as we are all part of the same divine light
that created us. Through our Karma, faith, devotion and holy
rudraksha, we can awaken ourselves to get self realisation
(enlightenment). The Great saints of the past like Sai Baba,
Buddha, Meera Bai, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Jesus Christ, Mother
Teresa to count among millions were all enlightened by Upa Gurus
and not by any Human Guru.

Once a person is enlightened he realises that:

He is Brahman the Pure Soul.

His inner weaknesses of anger, greed, pride and deceit are destroyed.

He experiences self bliss.

Doership and worries diminish as he understands who is the real
doer.

He sees his own faults instead of seeing the faults of others.
This results in inner peace and harmony in life.

He is moved to ask for forgiveness for one’s mistakes.

He realises that one’s soul is absolutely free and pure regardless
of the weaknesses of the body-mind-ego complex.

He strives to unite with the holy light to achieve Moksha which
is ultimate bliss.

http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/showarticles.php?artid=263

Without Meditation There Is No Success

 

 

Without Meditation There Is No Success

by

 

Sri Kaleshwar

My direct statement to everybody is, it depends how much you do japa that determines how much success you will get. Austerity is austerity. Whatever japa you do with strong inspiration, that brings to you, to your soul, to your path, to your great success. Japa is top, top, top, number one, top priority to charge your soul. There’s nothing else in the universe that can charge that much high frequency to your soul. It’s like a super charging to your soul battery. Then, generally, the negativity won’t touch you that much once you’re super charged. You have much willpower, confidence, the highest resistance power, and divine protection circles around you.

We can rise up our energy to make our third eye strong. If the third eye is strong, generally you’ll be able to get your mind under control, the heart will get stronger and you won’t get heartbroken that easily. If you don’t have heartbreak, your way of thinking becomes stronger and your soul capacity increases. When your soul is super strong, then you’re able to connect to supernatural things.