Notes on Dreams

 A compilation of notes I had written  sometime in the past

DREAMS ~ In a recent group discussion, a yogi shed light on some amazing details of our Consciousness from what we experience daily but don’t pay much attention to. 

@letsgetlost_ai

Our subconscious state has many layers. In sleep state we are accessing the astral and causal layers of our being.  The quality of experience during sleep in each of these layers changes as the body and its chemical constitution change due to varying moods of the individual.  Sleep ranges from the very light sleep (bordering on insomnia) to dreamless sleep which is ideal. There are deeper states that aren’t accessible to normal humans in our current state of evolution.

 

Dreams take place when we are traversing one of such layer of the subconscious. The dream state itself is multi layered. So you can have dreams which make no sense to dreams which are profound. Anytime you have a dream which is very impactful or revealing specially in the spiritual sense, you will find that such a dream occurs mostly during 3:30 to 5:30 am. At this time the frequency in the environment is suitable in revealing the subtle and is also why yogis prefer this time to meditate. 

When we wake and remember our dream, we will notice that the length of the dream is not the same as the length of our sleep. Let’s say we sleep 7 hours. Have you seen a 90 mins movie and how much info it contains, so how long should the 7 hour dream be? But it isn’t. Most of our dreams seem from 10- 20 mins long yet they dominate our memory of sleep. While our sleeping body is governed by time, that part of our subconscious mind which is active in sleep is not operating in any time frame. This is part of the reason our dream experiences seem a little weird or distorted,  and then a few minutes of dream can seem like a whole life story. 

@letsgetlost_ai

One of the layers of our subconscious is a state where we can fully or semi control parts of our dreams. This enables a vivid, life-like experience of the events of the dream. Most of us at some point or another will have experienced this. It is a very fascinating, hard to forget experience, specially tactilely and emotionally the experience is very vivid. 

Because of their amazing control over their awareness, yogi's know how to access this state and make use of it to finish a past karma, specially those related to other people. These could include pleasant to unpleasant experiences. 

A well known yogi from the 70’s once shared with his disciple that he had a pending karma with one soul who was currently born in France. It seemed improbable to interact and finish that karma with her in this life and since he did not intend to  come back again, he interacted with her in the dream state and finished the karma, which was one of intimacy. 

People can misunderstand and judge such things without considering that every spiritual seeker has had many normal past lives from which many karmas may still be pending. They have every right to finish a karma, specially if they have the ability and wisdom to do it, and which would anyways have manifested in time. Keen to evolve to higher states of existence, a yogi can thus use this option to clear a karma which may be holding him. In such cases the soul on the other side also receives a similar experience in their dream state.

@letsgetlost_ai

I also know of a case where a Master revealed to his bachelor disciple that he would soon be entering into a relationship. The young disciple bluntly refused this suggestion and was very resistant and agitated by the idea. 6 years later this boy met a girl in Mumbai at a festival and immediately recognized her as someone from the past. But he kept his distance. Destiny had other plans. The girl also saw him and initiated a relation. For the next few years this boy and the girl were together and they would have vivid dreams where they had an elaborate marriage, she becomes pregnant, they are blessed with a baby, they bring it to the Master, the Master names him, in various dreams the Master affirms to him that she is the one for him. Then one day in a  dream the Master tells him to cease and move away from this relation as Trust would be a factor going ahead. The girl goes abroad for studies, finds a 'friend' and despite giving assurances at first, she suddenly breaks her relation with this boy and begins a new relation with her new friend. He falls into depression for 4 years, before the Master helps him realise that this was a pending karma which could have taken a lifetime of its own, but the Master helped him live it now while he was living in His presence. A life long karma was exhausted in 6 years of their relation and their dreams.

Yogi's can great control over the subconscious states. They can be asleep and remain fully conscious as well, just like they can be alive but cease their heartbeats. For them entering certain layers of subconscious can be a clear an experience as going to a room and retrieving something is for us. Thus can they use this dream state to their advantage. Dreams can also be a connecting point of transferring some higher wisdom by masters to their disciples, irrespective of whether the master is himself living or existing in the beyond. But most of us humans are unable to access these subtle layers of dreams  consciously. This is because mostly our sleep is an escape for a body that is in dire need of rest. If we treated sleep more purposefully our experience of it can open new vistas.

                       

@letsgetlost_ai

@letsgetlost_ai

@letsgetlost_ai

The Inner story of Sri Ganesha

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi,

The story goes that Goddess Parvati creates a young boy out of her being, and asks him to stand guard as she takes a bath. The boy follows the command implicitly. When Lord Shiva comes he is prevented by him from meeting Goddess Parvati. Lord Shiva reasons, but the boy is unwilling to listen. A terrible fight ensues, at the end of which Shiva cuts off his head. When Goddess Parvati learns of the situation, she clarifies the truth. Thereupon, Lord Shiva revitalizes the dead child, replacing his head with an elephant head, and so we have Lord Ganesha, who now understands the truth, and they live happily ever after!

This story of Ganesha is well know, but not well understood. Most devotees accept the story form as is; the ignorant make fun of it; the wise, who understand the deeper significance of what the story represents, are the ones who make optimal use of it. Rishis, who composed or rather codified the puranas, humanized these stories, which are full of spiritual significance, to enable humanity to understand it.  

On this day while we celebrate this festival, let us understand the inner significance of the occasion to make optimal use of it.

Goddess Parvati is Shakti - whose energy is the source of all creation, creates the boy who represents an individual soul - the ego. Her taking a bath and making him stand guard is symbolic of empowering the ego energy of protecting and sustaining her leisure time, her leela. Lord Shiva represents the ultimate truth, the supreme reality. Shiva and Shakti belong together. When Lord Shiva arrives, the boy - Ego, does not recognize him and prevents him from disturbing Shakti from her leisure time. The inner meaning of this is - when the higher truth dawns on man, his ego prevents him from disturbing the process of illusion that the individual is engaged in.

This has to be seen from a yogic perspective. Goddess Parvati represents Shakti in form of the sacred Kundalini force residing in the muladhara chakra of a man. According to the yogic science, Lord Ganesha is the Lord of the muladhara chakra. Lord Shiva, the highest spiritual truth, comes home to Shakti, since they belong together. The boy, representing the individual ego in a state of delusion, does his duty from place of ignorance. The fight between Truth and ignorance ensues, represents the spiritual battle that each sadhaka undergoes until Lord Shiva using his trident and slays the Ego/limitations of the individual. When Shiva and Shakti meet, truth emerges, and Lord Shiva replaces the head of the boy with an elephants head, (wisdom).

The elephants large head is again symbolic of vaster understanding. The boy is now Sri Ganesha, embodiment of wisdom, who acknowledges the reality of Shiva Shakti, as his own source, his father and mother. Since Lord Ganesha resides in the muladhara chakra from where the spiritual journey begins, He is the first to be worshipped, and in that sense he is also a Guru - one who shows light. Lord Ganesha’s awakening happens fully, at a cosmic level (not partial). He becomes aware of all truths at once, and so can help any person through any obstacles because he is all knowing. Hence He is blessed to be a vighna vinashaka, remover of obstacles. But does he remove only spiritual obstacles as against the thousands of prayers that humans send him each day to alleviate them from 'worldly' burdens? The desires of the world are also spiritual desires except in a crude and sleeping form. Lord Ganesha removes these obstacles not so that a human can life a happy life in the world for eternity but rather so that having a desire fulfilled man can see that worldly desires cannot give lasting joys as presumed and this encourages man to finally undertake his spiritual journey, the key purpose of his life. 

Today the world celebrates the Ganesh Chaturthi, ignorant of the Ganesha principle. Many focus on outer show, flouting all rules regarding rupa principles of Ganesha, the materials to be used in making the murti, and complete disregard for water and noise pollution that always accompany this sacred festival. We have come a long way from the times when devotees would lovingly create small murtis from the clay at the river bank and at the end of the festival depot the clay back into the river. 

So what does Ganesha chaturthi symbolise in simple terms? Just as on a dark cloudy day the sun may suddenly shine through parted clouds and illuminate the whole earth; similarly on this sacred occasion energy of Ganesha becomes available to humanity a thousand fold from normal times. A human, pursuing ultimate success in his evolution, can “attune” with this energy  of Sri Ganesha by sincere inner Sadhana and seek aid in removal of obstacles and blessings at all levels of existence.

Om Eka-dantaya Vidmahe,

Vakratundaya Dheemahi,

Tanoh Dantih Prachodayat.

I am now aware of the single tusked One

And meditate upon the Lord with the curved tusk 

May the Tusked One illuminate me.

SIMPLIFYING MEDITATION

I have written 3 blogs on meditation previously (links below), assuming they will address everything a first timer needs to know about how to meditate. I get many questions on Quora and Fb asking me about meditation. When I send them these 3 links, I find there are still questions at the most basic level. Conversation with a few helped me see that they are sincere yet utterly untuned to this idea. So I wondered if the idea of meditation could be broken down further. Here goes -

Painting - Akash Bhisikar

I read the Autobiography of a Yogi when I was about 16. Reading about yogis who stepped back from the world so that they could meditate for upto 18 hours a day, I was inspired to meditate. But it was not easy. I knew there was no ways I could go deep into meditation immediately and I  recall how I would pep-talk myself to sit in the inner darkness for only 5 mins. 

When I closed my eyes and glimpsed into the darkness and nothingness, my mind would come storming with a flood of restless complaints and I would somehow force myself to retain the “meditative” state for 5 mins. When the 5 mins ended, I would open my eyes and breathe restlessly as if I did not have any oxygen during meditation. So back then, the struggle was just to enter the doorway of meditation by sitting quiet in the apparent darkness, not knowing what to do. It took me about 6 months of consistent practise to get use to the idea and then move ahead to deal with the other challenges awaiting me.

Let's understand the above with an example. Meditation is like entering a new world. Imagine travelling to a new country. We don’t know anything about it and are obviously clueless and yet there are many things there to make us feel at home. The humans there may be different but they still are humans like us; eat, sleep, walk and talk like us.. the sky above is the same, the food, though different is often made of familiar vegetables. They have houses and beds to sleep on just like us though of a different style. So there are many things that we can relate with.

But meditation is entering a whole new world and all you see is darkness. Nothing else. Nothing for the mind to relate with. A whole new realm of existence.

Looking back, I see that my struggle then was not against the darkness, but my own mind. My mind which had dominated my being for incarnations, was not willing to do what I expected it to. This is the struggle most people have. Even if they close their eyes and sit, their minds, which thrives in doing something, pops up and asks - what am I suppose to do now? And so the most common question asked is - “What do you really do in meditation?”

Here’s what you need to understand. Meditation is a process that will lead you to an uncharted territory where the role of the mind is not as much as the role of your conscious awareness. You are less of a doer and more of a witness. “Witness what??” you may think.. “Its all dark out there!”

Have you ever stayed out in the bright sun for so long that when you enter your own room, all you see is darkness? It takes a good 30 seconds sometimes to adjust your eyes to the light inside the room. It is the same with meditation. You have lived in the outer world through your senses for not just the years in your current life, but many previous incarnations. When you go within, to your own inner world, naturally you see darkness, because in the inner world you need inner eyes, inner ears, inner senses and they are all asleep. The mind has been dominating the show, regaling your senses with  outer panorama. You never needed the inner senses and so they fell asleep, much like a physical part which if you do not use much, grows weak. 

So what do we do? ….. ‘do?’

Darkness is only a phase of transition from the outer world to the inner world.

Like the stages in our human growth, there are stages in our inner growth as well. So initially we must get use to the darkness and inner silence. This requires you to silence and still the mind. This is where 99% of the meditators struggle. The mind scoffs at the idea of doing “Nothing” and sitting in “futile silence”. But this sitting in silence is not nothing. 

Before cooking tandoori paneer, we marinate the paneer in the spices for many hours, so that the paneer takes on the flavour of the spices as its own. So also, when the restless mind is kept in the silent darkness within, it is like marinating the mind in silence and stillness. When silence and stillness permeates our being, the inherent inner intuitive faculties slowly begin waking up. Now this is a preciously important step and takes a good amount of time, so one must have utmost patience and perseverance. My Guruji said “Do not be like a person who sows a seed and digs it everyday to see how much it has grown. Be like a wise farmer who patiently waters and nourishes the seed and waits for its stems to shoot out. He further nurtures the sapling until it grows into a plant and then a tree bearing fruits. Remember - sincere meditation Always bears fruits." So meditation is not a fast-food type, quick fix exercise. This is a game of long innings and therein lies its challenge, grace and beauty and the key is patience and perseverance.

As you grow within, different challenges arise. The mind eventually gets comfortable with the inner darkness and begins to bring outer thoughts into the inner world. So one will notice that when you are meditating, much of your time is spent thinking of some mundane thoughts or issues. This becomes stronger when we are facing challenging issues in outer life. Those thoughts intrude and takeover our inner space. Recognising this helps us to grow further by cultivating inner discipline to manage unwanted thoughts and get detached from them. We learn the virtue of being in now and to be true to ourselves in the moment. This also teaches us to work along with the universe, recognising and accepting the universal intelligence all around us and relinquishing the control the mind wants to exercise in every situation. In this way evolution takes place in the inner world at every stage.

Just like when going abroad, it is wonderful to have a local host who knows everything about the new place and can give you access to any part of the new world, similarly blessed are those who have a inner host who is the master of the inner world, - a Guru, whose grace can take you to the pinnacles of human consciousness. But true Guru’s are rare to find and equally rare are worthy disciples. The teachings of a Guru are like a detailed map which will help negotiate the inner pathways of awareness, and a Guru’s primary objective is to help you enter and rise in higher states of consciousness, until you meet the  highest version of your Self. 

But this does not mean you stall you journey until a Guru comes along. Begin meditation sincerely. 

Your sincerity and perseverance will attract the right teacher at the right time.

Those who are not willing to make the effort but wait for a Guru to make it easy for themselves, either don’t grow at all or worse often find a lesser teacher who may be more of an obstruction than help. Remember any sincere efforts put in your meditation will bear fruits.

Similar Posts :

1. Understanding Meditation -1 

2. Understanding Meditation - 2

3. Understanding Meditation - 3

An Atheist meets God

A few days back I had a conversation with a family friend, who I haven't met in a very long time. She had read a blog I had written, and called to discuss an issue which she felt I could throw some light on. I listened to what she said and at the end asked her if I could share this interesting conversation with others in a blog form, without revealing any names. She consented. 

Presenting it here from her perspective.

I am an atheist. My family members are god loving people, but they are open enough to allow me my perspective. As luck would have it, I got married into a family which was even more devoted, as was my husband. My husband is a very gentle soul. Despite his busy career, he is a practising vaishnavaite and takes his spiritual duties seriously. I asked him once - why he agreed to marry me? Taking a deep breath, he replied that no one told him that I was an atheist, or else he would have escaped his fate. Then he begins laughing. Thats his sense of humour.

Like all couples we have our differences over little things. Sometimes things go out of hand. Sometimes they cross a limit. Usually at such times I take the lead and the feminist fire in me does all the talking. He, on the other hand goes silent after a certain point, and will continue doing his work acting as if the fight didn’t happen, but I can tell that it is affecting him.

Somewhere in the last week of March we had one such fight and I, as usual, give him a piece of my mind and after a certain point he went quiet. Usually we step out to go do our work and by the time we return things simmer down a bit. Since we were in a lockdown period, and in each others space, there was no respite. 

A few nights after our fight, I had a dream. I saw a huge figure of the diety Narsimha, who my husband worships. He wordlessly asked me - why I fight N****(my husband) and why do I pain him? I am at a loss and do not know how to reply, and He disappears. I woke up; it was around 5 in the morning, so I went back to sleep. 

Again, in normal circumstances I would have stepped out for work and would have forgotten this dream. The next day I was sitting in  my balcony when from nowhere the memory of this dream came to me with a force and drew my attention to a few remarkable  things that had skipped my attention before.

In theory I know that Narsimha is the avatar of Lord Vishnu. I would have dismissed his presence in my dream as just another dream or just another creation of the subconscious. I have seen some photos of this deity; there’s a small one in our home mandir. But the deity I saw in my dream was different. For one he was alive and vivid in a literal sense. His presence was detailed in a way that I was previously unaware of. I can dismiss the remarkable image I saw, but am unable to dismiss the presence I felt - tangibly powerful, radiant and divine. His form seemed to be composed of glowing light. 

I emphasise this because these ideas are alien to my thought process. So if dreams are a reflection of our reality, I am sure I have nothing in my life which would lend itself as ingredients to create such a powerful idea in my mind.  And yet in the dream I accepted him as divine simply because I could experience his divinity; a fierce yet benign energy emitting from him. Even now when I am awake, if I were to describe him honestly, I would have to say that it was divine, there is no other way to describe it. 

Over the days, another aspect of this dream began bothering me. My husband is deeply devoted, but I have never heard him speak about god or Krishna in a personal manner. He speaks reverentially but keeps them on a devotional pedestal. However in the dream I recall how the deity Narsimha refers to N**** as his own, as his parent would or best friend would speak protectively on his behalf. It seemed like he belonged more to him than to me. 

I was surprised to feel a tinge of jealousy. Let’s say that there is a God. If God has made everyone, then we are all his creation, his children and logically we are all equal to him. But in the dream I found the deity speaking on his behalf and asking me why I pained him. To be fair, my husband is a sweet person and I do get mean sometimes, but I was troubled as to why the deity was speaking on his behalf. Why wasn’t he speaking on my behalf as well (though I am an atheist)? Was he being partial to my husband because he worships him and I don’t? 

I spent most of April thinking about this. I thought of sharing my dream with my husband, but a gut feeling told me that I could not share this with anyone close to me lest they begin entertaining ideas and that don’t intend to commit to. I often though of dismissing the whole thing. But if I am to be honest with myself then I cannot ignore what I experienced. What power could orchestrate such a powerful presence in my most personal space? Yet I did not feel intruded upon.

I wanted to share this with someone to get a feedback. So I called you. What do you make of this?

I told her that my ideas on this should not matter, because she had done very well to be honest with herself and to go as deep as she did, accept and face what she saw rather than ignore it. The only advice I could give was asking her to consider sharing it with her husband and see what he says, given that he was also a part of the dream. 

As we were saying our goodbyes, I asked her what would she say now if I ask her - “Is there a God?”. She was quiet for a bit and then said “Previously my answer would be a hard no… but now I would say - Maybe there is”.

The Real Religion and Evil

Long time ago, 3 people living in 3 different continents, set out in search of the ocean. No one had ever seen an ocean and many thought it didn’t exist. Most people scorned and scoffed at the idea, making fun of those who spoke of an ocean existing. But these 3 left in search. The journey was difficult with many hardships and setbacks, through mountains and deserts and plains they travelled, often losing hope but setting out again with the dawning sun.

Then one day it was there. The vast beautiful ocean. They looked in awe, overwhelmed and thrilled at finally finding what they had sought for so long. But something troubled them deep within. They thought of those left behind and how ignorant they were about the ocean. So out of love for them, the 3 decided to go back and carry a little bit of the ocean water with them. They searched for something to carry it in. 

The first found a beautiful green color triangular shaped glass container. Delighted, he used it to carry the ocean water with him.

The second found a white squarish glass container and carried the ocean water in it.

The third found a beautiful blue circular glass container and carried the ocean in it, travelling back to reveal to their societies the truth of the ocean.

When they reached home, they saw that most people didn’t care about them or the water.. they were too busy living and enjoying life; too much in a comfort zone to be bothered or disturbed. So the 3 of them searched for suitable people to who they could share the knowledge of existence of the ocean. They found some people who were sincerely curious to know about the Ocean. To such ones, the travelers revealed all truths and secrets of the way to the ocean and then one day they showed them the ocean water in the containers and allows some to taste and touch it to experience a part of what the ocean is.

In time the 3 travellers were on the verge of death and they told their followers that they should tell their world about ocean; that the ocean he mentioned was the real ocean. Above all his path was the real path to the ocean.

When the travellers die, their followers go into the world and reveal their truth. Many are more likely to believe them now that the travellers are dead. Many follow him to repent for their ignorance and they accept the truth of the ocean with immense zeal. The students emphasise how they tasted the water and how it was in a certain color and shape. How the only path to the ocean is the one the traveller took and how any one claims of a different path to the ocean is false and that those people are wrong and are defying the reality. In time the students also die. Now the society has many followers, but the knowledge of the ocean has undergone certain transformation and loss of translation going from one to another. The water has long evaporated.. the containers now broken and lost with a rare little piece found here and there with some sincere follower. 

Thus life goes on. Now people travel from one continent to the other. They exchange goods and exchange ideas. One time one person states that they know about the ocean which is the real ocean.. it is green in color and triangular in shape. The other person says you are wrong - We know the real ocean and its white in color and square in shape. The 3rd says you are both wrong - the real ocean is known only to us and anyone else who dares to say the ocean is any different and the path to it any different is pure evil because he is destroying truth. At first this topic is a debate.. it heats up into an argument.. soon fights break out.. on one occasion a few people are killed.. and before long wars break out over this. Each side thinks they are being loyal and honouring the traveller who they now love and respect and whose words they are trying to protect. However no one, instead of fighting the other, ever makes the effort of following the travellers words and journey themselves to the ocean. They are happy fighting and in this way many years pass. The wars have stopped, life has progressed, but the inner fight and animosity remains as years pass by which shows up every now and then to demonstrate its ugliness amidst portions of peaceful life.

The above is the reality of our world today -

The 3 travellers are the Masters who journeyed into spiritual depths and found the Ocean - God. Each travelled his own spiritual way to Him and each did find Him. But He is infinite. They choose to understand and represent Him coloured from their point of view.. one had green color, one had white and one had blue.. and they used words differently to convey the truth of His existence. One truth form is triangular, one squares and one circular. The traveller shared it with their disciples, they helped them experience a bit of God as well, and the disciples with such experience get the faith and genuine strength to preach His truth. spread it in the world. They also teach that theirs is the only way, and any other way is false. 

When followers of the Master meet, each claims to know God and His being the only way, and their path the only path,, and how their book says - green color vs white color vs blue color.. and how the reality of God is triangular or squarish or circular.. debates lead to arguments and conflicts, and soon wars like crusades and jihads are fought.

Everyone is willing to fight in the name of God, but no one ever thinks of following the Masters path to find God. If they did so they would find that there is but one God and there are different pathways to Him. We have fought wars in the past, we may have progressed and now try to live together, though with traces of hatred and distrust in the hearts of many.

Thus is our reality!

Religions are many, God is One! - Sai Sathya Sai Baba

God is One, though the paths to Him are many. Countless are the ways in which He can be described. - Sri Paramahansa Yogananda

An Invitation to an Inner Journey

What if you got a secret map to a magical exotic place where mysteries of the past lay buried along with mans most desired treasures. Wouldn’t it be exciting to undertake that adventure? That’s what we love about Indiana Jones movies, right?

But what if you could undertake such a journey sitting at home....in the Inner world.. the adventure referred to as Meditation. 

Some people are wary of the idea of meditation.. ‘too difficult’ they think.
Just as magical places are always hidden deep and far in remote parts of the earth, so also the magical places in meditation are hidden deep and far within. This is why most early birds who try to meditate, struggle and fail and are utterly put off. They reject it because they are absolutely unable to understand it. But their giving up is only their loss.. the adventure still lies to be explored.

Why is meditation such a tough mystery.. why are only some people able to make it through?

The answer is simple.. we know it only too well. In Patanjali’s 8 step guide most ignore the first 2 steps - Yama and Niyama - the do’s and dont’s. These are steps we have to follow to purify ourselves by accumulating merit/ punya that is the inner fuel we need to travel ahead. This Punya can be earned by following higher values of living. Such values are taught to us time and again in form of divine teachings by great saints across time - Love all, serve all, Help ever, Hurt never, the Ten Commandments of Moses, love thy neighbour and so on. But we don’t think much of these teachings, we rather take them with a pinch of salt. Know why? 

In the human world the secrets of the path to the magical place are hidden/encoded in complex and often difficult theories. So also the secrets of the path to the divine world are similarly coded but in extremely Simple language. Most teachings the great Ones give us look too simple; whereas we are looking for the exciting and complex, to get us interested.

When we practice meditation deeply we realise that the inner world is a lybrynth of subtle inner pathways - first of seeming nothingness and over a period of time - of the subtle world of light known as the astral world. Do you know that when you sleep or rather when your body is sleeping, your awareness becomes dormant, but it exists or dwells in the subtle world. All our dreams occur at the astral level.

Those who have meditated deep and long can access the light kingdoms of the higher astral worlds known as lokas . These lokas are like the 5 star hotels of our world,where only few can afford to go. The currency here is merit. Just like you find celebrities and famous people in many 5 star hotels, similarly many higher beings of repute are found or reside in such lokas.

On a personal level astral world is also the dimension where exists our thoughts, emotions and deep inner feelings . When we go deep often we find our past memories emerge suddenly in full force because they are lying buried there. ( These may be mostly painful events which we buried within, in the past, cause of our inability to deal with it. They are a barrier crossing which we can move ahead in our journey. ) Compassion, forgiveness and gratitude - are the keys to move ahead. 

Meditating deeper still, a sincere yogi can ascend to the vaster almost infinite- causal world, the world of ideas, awareness ~ consciousness. Finally the inner journey of meditation can take us to the Supremest place of Enlightement, where we are awaken to the Ultimate Truth of our Self. Needless to say that this can be achieved with deep, unwavering, disciplined effort over a great period of ones lifetime.

Here’s an interesting info -
When someone tries to meditate sincerely and real hard, but is getting nowhere - what he may not realise is that He is at the moment in the same place as advanced meditators are... except just like blind people cannot see our world, but they are here.. similarly those sincere mediators are in the higher world, but cannot see it (perceive it).. Sadly many of them give up. 

So how does one get eyes (of subtle perception)? Again the secret lies in practicing virtues that raise our purity and reawaken are inherent divinity. Just like in a video game, we need to collect coins to build a castle, similarly in this game we need to collect the merit of purity to fuel our journey and equip us with inner eyes, inner ears , inner perceptions. Some people who have nearly enough of this merit sometimes see hazy lights in meditation. When a person has more than enough of such merit, then while meditating deep he may suddenly pierce the veil and glimpse the divine light of the higher worlds. This is a level of enlightenment. 

Do you know that there are humans who literally co exist in outer and inner worlds. We know them as sages or saints. When you go and seek help from certain sages they will close their eyes and go into the inner world from where they get to perceive the roots of all problems from the higher perspective and come up with solutions for the same. The greater the sage the clearer the inner sight. 

The reason that this kind of inner secret is being shared now is - its time for humanity to move higher. Our current world is undergoing changes.. rather rapidly. Corona is one of the transformative parts of it. Humans can escape Corona’s reach by raising their consciousness higher. It is really that simple (while still using practical discipline in the outer world). One need not fear it but rather raise themselves to a higher frequency of existence.
Such events are sent to break the ages old mold that has grown and has bound us to this material world. These events are like a sharp chisel, hurting but shaping. 

Now some may dismiss the above truths as mere mental ideas with no substance. But the proof is in the tasting. If any of them were to try sincerely they would prove its validity to themselves. But since the discipline required is of a very high order, most are not willing or not capable of putting the necessary effort, they find it convenient to invalidate it. But you should know that there are many across earth at any given point of time who travel the inner world. They are unconcerned about what these people think as such ignorance is suitable to them. Ignorance is nature’s organic checkpost to prevent the unworthy or those not ready from venturing into the higher regions. When such people through personal efforts inform and enlighten themselves fully, then new vistas of existence unlock themselves and make their presence felt to help that soul further his journey.

Your current isolation is a good opportunity to make efforts to becomes aware of yourself. Try meditation. Some of you will be surprised how easily you take to it.

In the beginning you can take any general type of meditation- Jyoti meditation, Aum Meditation. Take any one which enables you to plunge in the translucent pool of silence and float in alive stillness and active nothingness. . Your Patience and persistence is the key - Shradhha Saburi.

Side Note : 

Shraddha and saburi seem like the key teaching of Shirdi Sai, but He could teach us much more.. This is not represent His highest teaching. He taught us this only because we were lacking even in such basic understanding which we needed first to move ahead in our path of evolution. When we follow and succeed in it, these great Ones come visit us in our inner world to take us further ahead on the path with higher teachings. 

Understanding Meditation - 3 THE RESTLESS MIND

    Forgetting to merge one's attention/ awareness with external things is the very first step in 

    spirituality, for we can remember the Infinite only to the extent that we have forgotten everything else.

- Aghora.

The feedback on my two blogs on Understanding meditation Part 1 and Part 2,  is that although one understood and appreciated the ideas in theory, they still find it difficult to meditate owing to the restless mind and invading thoughts. So in this blog we deal with - mind and thoughts.

In this world, achieving anything of value requires a price to be paid. For a student to earn a Master's degree, they must invest years of hard work and dedication throughout their schooling and college journey. Similarly, for an athlete to win a medal, they must commit to relentless effort, discipline, and rigorous practice to attain the level of excellence required for victory. This principle holds true across all pursuits—whether in the realms of art, business, science, or even spirituality

For humans to reach the spiritual heights of self-awareness, they must pay the price of purifying and stilling the mind. Many seekers, inspired by the writings of spiritual masters, embark on practices with the hope of quickly attaining the profound experiences described in such books. However, when these experiences do not materialize despite their efforts, many become disheartened and are tempted to abandon their journey altogether.

Spiritual realization is a journey comprising two distinct phases. Much like a child progressing through years of study to eventually earn a Master's degree, a seeker must first discipline the mind through sustained effort to purify and still it. This constitutes the foundational phase. The second phase begins when the spiritual dimension unfolds, revealing new realms to explore and ascend.

However, between these two phases lies a significant void—a period of waiting and uncertainty. Despite dedicated efforts to purify the mind, the awakening of the spiritual dimension occurs at an unpredictable time. This process resembles a mother hen patiently incubating her egg; she persists, trusting the natural unfolding, until one day the egg hatches unexpectedly.

The spiritual journey, therefore, is one of patience and perseverance. It all starts with embracing practices like meditation and Japa, which purify the mind and set the stage for this transformative adventure.

MIND -

The mind is a powerful instrument, capable of leading a person to profound understanding and success in various fields. Yet, it has its own inherent nature—it thrives on restlessness and seeks motion over stillness. It feels alive by continuously generating thoughts, emotions, and feelings, rarely at peace.

A human being is composed of a body, a mind, and consciousness. Due to ignorance, consciousness—our true essence—begins to identify itself with the body and the personality associated with it. The mind reinforces this illusion by crafting an individuality defined by attributes like name, age, nationality, class, and religion, thereby constructing the pseudo-identity we call the ego.

Just as the body is sustained by breath, the ego is sustained by the mind. In this dynamic, the mind can be seen as a powerful minister to the King—Consciousness—who, in a state of forgetfulness, has allowed the minister to dominate and rule the kingdom of the body and mind, perpetuating this illusion through countless lifetimes.

The mind sustains the ego’s individuality through traits such as selfishness, separateness, desires, and indulgence, keeping a person constantly preoccupied and enslaved from birth to death. This ceaseless activity prevents one from discovering their true identity as Soul Consciousness. In nurturing the ego, often through comparisons, the mind cultivates negative traits like jealousy, anger, discontent, and hatred, all of which serve to fortify the ego. The relentless demands of the mind create an undercurrent of stress that most people carry unconsciously, leading them to seek the elusive "peace of mind."

The mind has programmed us to believe that we must always be "doing" something to validate our existence. Even in the most serene settings, the mind engages us in a flurry of thoughts. Instead of simply being present in the beauty, we find ourselves doing thinking.

This is why sleep is so rejuvenating and healing. It’s not merely the resting of the body and limbs; even a day spent lying on a bed won’t bring the same peace as true sleep. In sleep, the mind shifts into a subconscious state and becomes inactive, allowing real rest. During this state, one is free from the burdens of identity—name, age, class, nationality, religion, and all the constructs of individuality. In sleep, a person doesn’t even perceive themselves as male or female; they simply Are.

This state of restfulness allows the intelligent body to heal itself more effectively, as the mind’s negativity no longer obstructs the natural processes of rejuvenation. Sleep offers a glimpse into the state of being, unburdened by the mind’s constant demands and the ego’s endless narratives.

MEDITATION -

So in light of the above, lets view meditation. Meditation is the inner laboratory of stillness where we turn our attention inward to explore and understand our true nature.

True meditation is a state of pure Awareness—a state where the restless mind has been consciously quietened. Imagine this state: the mind is silent, yet Awareness is vivid and present. Such a state opens the door to new possibilities, leading to transformative spiritual experiences.

In our wakeful state, the mind is marked by restlessness, constantly flitting between thoughts and emotions. In contrast, the meditative state thrives in silence and stillness. By creating this inner stillness, we cultivate the perfect atmosphere to reconnect with our true essence. In such an environment, the ego cannot survive, for the mind, stripped of its habitual thoughts, can no longer sustain the illusion of individuality.

When Consciousness becomes aware of its own true nature, a profound transformation begins to unfold within. This self-awareness ignites a journey of inner magic, where the more a being identifies with itself as Consciousness, the greater its evolution and expansion. Such a realization empowers one to transcend the limitations of our familiar reality and step into higher-dimensional realms of existence.

As this inner awakening deepens, the Being begins to uncover the essence of pure joy, pure love, and pure wisdom—qualities that are intrinsic to its true nature. It realizes that the happiness the mind once pursued in the external world was an illusion. The joys it sought outside were always within, waiting to be discovered.

This is the profound truth Christ revealed when he declared, "The Kingdom of God is within." 

But when a person sits to meditate, the mind resists stillness and attempts to hijack their attention with a cascade of thoughts to maintain its dominance. Over two decades of meditation practice, I’ve observed that the mind employs four types of thoughts to distract us during meditation:

1. Mediocre thoughts: Trivial matters that we would usually dismiss during our wakeful state suddenly appear important, demanding our attention.
2. Important thoughts: Genuine concerns or tasks that require attention during the day are brought to the forefront.
3. Anxious thoughts: Worries and fears about the future, designed to create unease and pull us away from stillness.
4. Guilt-driven thoughts: Reflections on past failures or unfulfilled duties, aimed at controlling us through guilt and self-criticism.

The mind employs these strategies to engage and scatter our attention. Yet, our Attention is a unique and powerful resource; where we direct it determines what flourishes in our lives.

When the mind is active and focused, it is a valuable tool for achieving success in the material world. When the same mind becomes still and silent through meditation it can lead us to the ultimate victory in the inner, spiritual world.

RESOLVING THE CONFLICT -

The mind thrives only when you feed it with your attention. Withdraw your attention, and the mind naturally becomes quiet. Easier said than done. For most people, the mind is extremely powerful, having wielded control over lifetimes, and it resists surrender. Yet, with perseverance, it is not impossible to overcome its dominance.

Consider your mobile phone. Owning one doesn’t mean you are obliged to answer every call. You have the freedom to ignore, mute, or disconnect calls that aren’t necessary, attending only to those that matter. Similarly, during meditation, you can "mute" your mind—refusing to entertain unnecessary thoughts—and focus your attention instead on simply Being in silent stillness.

A common question people ask is, "What does one 'do' during meditation?" This question itself reveals a misunderstanding. Meditation is not about doing; it’s about Being. In yogic science, Being is considered the highest form of action—the supreme Karm and the ultimate Kriya. It is the state of profound presence, where you let go of all doing and rest in the essence of who you truly are.

However to achieve the state of pure stillness, Masters have given us disciplines such as pranayama, japa, mantra meditation which is a form of doing, but through which the mind becomes still rather than restless. More of this is discussed in Understanding Meditation - 2. 

So meditation is the right environment to practice that Being. How? Simply by creating pockets of silence between thoughts and being keenly Aware. 

Take a moment and think about it!

Creating pockets of silence between thoughts, and ensuring that these pockets keep increasing in time. You need not fight your thoughts or push them away, just do not acknowledge them. Do not feed them your attention. 

Some may find this hard still.

Please understand that the mind is simply a tool, much like the eye, which helps us perceive the world around us.

The eye is incredibly important. Right now, you are reading this blog with the help of your eyes, and your mind is processing the information. Notice how well you control your eyes. Even though there are millions of things around you to see, you have focused your vision solely on this blog, deliberately ignoring everything else. This is how effectively you can control the eye. Similarly, the mind is a tool. You can learn to control it in the same way—by giving it attention only when necessary. When you don't need it, stop feeding it with unnecessary thoughts and simply be.

This is the secret shared by all saints: they use the mind only when required. Otherwise, they dwell in their own inner bliss, free from the distractions and noise of the mind. When we control the mind as we do the eye, we discover a deeper peace and a higher state of being.

Another Yogic secret to subdue the mind is the Breath. Try this - when your mind is restless, consciously and slowly take 3 deep breaths and let go of the breath completely. You will notice the mind go quieter then before.

 

So next time you sit to meditate- 

1. Begin by taking deep breaths and let go of the mind.
2. Create pockets of silence and keenly dwell in BEING
3. Make these pockets of silence larger over time.

Other factors that play a crucial role in calming the mind are the way you live your daily life. Your environment, the company you keep, and the food you consume— not just through your mouth, but also through your eyes and ears— all feed the mind. These influences fuel the mind, and by controlling them, you can begin to control the mind itself. This is why spiritual Masters advocate simple, moderate, and Sattvic living for those aspiring to meditate.

Achieving lasting change in overcoming the mind requires consistent effort and patience. But know that it IS POSSIBLE! One of the greatest Yogi's of the 18th century Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya use to encourage his meditating disciples by saying "Banat banat ban jaye"  simply translated "Striving, striving, one day you achieve!"

(Images - Bahaduri Mahasaya, The levitating Saint, Autobiography of a Yogi & Image drawn by Pascal Campion)

SIMILAR READS -

1. Understanding Meditation - 1

2. Understanding Meditation- 2