Notes from Meditation

This love that we experience in the non-physical state is so unconditional, pure, and healing. It surrounds us in our existence. 

But when we have a physical body, this love is so rare to experience. We experience thousands of other emotions (which we struggle to experience in the spirit state), but not this love. Why? It is this love that helps us heal, this love that helps us connect with others. Why is it so rare in the physical births? 

When we get it, we get it during NDE (Near Death Experience) or in a meditative state, or in a spiritual exercise or experience. But it should be a part of our day to day interactions. Millions of micro interactions among living spirits, involving an exchange of THIS love. I want to make that happen. 

This love is not something to be experienced lightly. We take physical birth to learn lessons. Only those who make the effort to connect with their divine self during a physical birth, get to experience this love. It won't be right to give this love in micro exchanges of every day. 

But it will be! I want to do it! I want to touch everyone with this love. When they meet me, when they talk to me, they should experience this energy. When we give it in a spiritual experience, we also, unknowingly, create a boundary or a limit around it. But that love is the core of our spiritual existence. It is who we are. The more we experience it, the easier it is for everyone to have a better physical experience. It should be possible for people to experience this love in their everyday transactions. 

This will give your physical birth a lot of pain. Because you know people don't reciprocate. You will be forced to absorb their.... You will be in pain. All the time.

Will I live unhappy? 

Yes. 

Will I die happy? 

I think so. 

Then I want to do it. 

Its not wise at all. There are other things that you can do in an Earth birth. You can guide people to their spiritual state. You can awaken some souls. 

No. I want to do the opposite of that. I want to REMOVE the limit of spirituality around that experience. 

You will not be able to teach or guide. You will not be known for your spiritual practice. You will live a life that is different from your abilities. You will feel frustrated at not being able to do the things that you used to be able to do easily even in previous earth births. 

Yes. 

********** 

And that, apparently, is how I took this birth. 

PS: This particular session is recorded. I will probably update this post after listening to that session again. 

एक प्रेम कथा

ये उस समय की बात है जब तुम और मैं छोटे-छोटे प्रकाश के कण थे। 

प्रकाश पुंज नहीं, सितारे-उल्का तो बिल्कुल भी नहीं। सृष्टि के चेतन होने से पहले के वे प्रकाश कण, जो किसी अदृश्य धुरी के गिर्द चक्कर लगाते थे। 

हमारी नन्ही सी अर्ध-चेतना थी। न उसका कोई व्यक्तित्व था, न उसमें थी निजता। 

हमें एक दूसरे में विलीन होना था, और एक हो जाना था। 

 

चेतना की यात्रा में, विलीनता का आदेश बहुत विरला होता है। दो आत्माएँ साथ-साथ चल सकती हैं, कुछ आदान-प्रदान भी करती हैं, पर विलीनता विलक्षण ही होती है। ये कितना अद्भुत, कितना स्पेशल पल है, हमें इसका ज़रा भी अनुमान न हुआ।   

जाने किस अभिमान में आ कर, हम  दो प्रकाश कणों ने, एक दूसरे में विलीन होने का आदेश ठुकरा दिया। 

तुम और मैं, उस आदेश से बचते, जन्म पर जन्म लेते गए। कुछ एक दूसरे की परिधि में, कुछ उस से बहुत दूर। 

हम शायद प्रकाश कण से चेतन प्राणी बने होंगे, मछली, बगुला, शेर, और बहुत लंबा सफर तय करने के बाद, मानव। 

किन्तु पराचेतना का आदेश केवल आदेश नहीं होता। वह नियति होता है। 

नश्वर जगत के लोग समय को मापते हैं - क्षणों से ले कर सदियों तक। उसी मानक पर समझाऊँ तो, पराचेतना का आदेश वह नियति है जो स्वरूप और सदियों के ऊपर है। उसे आपका यथार्थ बनना ही होता है। आपकी स्वेच्छा पूर्णतया वैकल्पिक है। उसकी इच्छा अनिवार्यता। 

अब हम, फिर से एक दूसरे के सामने हैं। एक ही कमरे में, पर एक दूसरे से कई संसारों की दूरी पर। तुम्हारा भेस, ज़ुबान, देश  - सब अलग हैं। पर इस एक कमरे में, मेरी अर्ध-चेतना ने तुम्हें पहचान लिया है। तुम में विलीन होना मेरी नियति है। मुझ में विलीन होना तुम्हारी। 

अब देखो, तुम्हें समझने में कितना समय लगता है। 

 

Today's meditation conversation

Today, in meditation, I got to speaking about space - that dead place just beyond our atmosphere. 

"I have told you before - there is no such thing as a dead place. You have just not tapped into the consciousness that exists in those entities yet. They are not talking to you. Does not mean that they are not talking." 

The rocks, the nebulae, the darkness, the galaxies - they are all ALIVE? 

There is no other way of being. How can a dead thing revolve? Rotate? How can it maintain consistent movement around a central core? How can all these entities remain moving in synergy, if they are not syncing with each other? What is the source of their endless energy? 

They are all conscious. They are all communicating. You have experienced the Universe as a dark place, but it is, in fact, full of light. You know it to be dead, but it is alive and pulsating. Your consciousness is limited. Think of it as two radio stations not being able to listen to each other because they exist on different frequencies. It is similar. The radio stations CAN learn to sync with each other. 

Human consciousness does not sync with animal or plant consciousness either. In fact, without spoken or written senses, it does not even communicate with other humans. But these other conscious entities are sentient. They are ALIVE. 

What then, is the best way to communicate with the Universe? To make our connection with that large world outside richer?  

What will you do with richer consciousness? Have you ever considered tapping into the consciousness of your fellow living beings? Humans and non humans? It is there, just believe it. You may not be able to sync with it just yet, but it is there. Humans have known it before. Energy has always known it. 

On opening up a new energy center

The most incredible thing happened this week in meditation. 

I received energy in a center that has never known energy. 

The first response was fear, because this center is also associated with a life trauma for me. 

But slowly, the fear was replaced by the warm glow of not just healing, but radiating energy, and within a very short time, it was as if the fear had never been there. 

The deep-seated scar is still there, but it's now a participant in the healing and the energy radiation rather than a scared bystander. 

To more such moments. 

Shivaya: 

Meditation after a spiritual crisis

Last week, a young boy died. He was in my son's school. For 3 days, the entire school community, every single parent, was praying for that kid. We waited for updates but did not stop praying. 

At the end of those 3 days, we lost him. Even now, I am choking while writing this. 

This incident made me lose all faith in God and meditation. 

For one day, I did not pray. The hands automatically went to the lamp in the temple and lit it. 

I don't remember how long the daze lasted. One day, maybe two. 

When it lifted, I realised, i don't pray for God. I pray for myself. It gives me peace. Meditation is like my relaxation technique. 

A little later, when the head was a little cleared, my meditation reminded me that that evening, at about 5 30 pm, I had been distinctly told that the boy has not made it. I ignored that as my own misgivings and continued to focus on positive messaging. But that one newsflash at 5 30 pm was solid enough for me to remember later. 

It was a mistake. Just like Tejaswee - many years ago. She was not meant to go. Nor was this kid. But they went. It was a horrible, horrible mistake. 

I am yet to get over the shock.

Then, it was time to bring Ganpati Bappa home. We did. 

And, as soon as He came, it was as if my house underwent a transformation. I cannot describe it. There was happiness - in the house, and in the heart. 

This year, I just feel like going and sitting near him for no reason at all. That connection that we feel with Ganpati is back. 

Tonight, as I was talking to Him just before bed, the thought of that boy came up strongly, and He said, I need you to open your arms and visualise the fire from your heart. You do not meditate to do anything for God. You do it to complete your own lessons of this birth. Your own work of this birth. 

Will I still be allowed to experience Ananda? 

Of course! You are always welcome to Ananda. But understand that Ananda is a result of many years of doing good. 

You do not do anything for God. You do it to fulfil your duties and karma in this birth. Ananda does not benefit anyone except you. And it is a privilege. Be grateful for it. It is rare. Value it. Treasure it. You cannot live one day without Ananda* to anchor you. 

*A meditative state that I experience during.. well, meditation.  

This is the age of Shiv.

This is the age of Shiv. 

That is all. 

This is the age of Shiv. 

The Journey of my Meditation

There are very few academic decisions that my parents have forced upon me. I can remember only one. As the school topper, I had the choice of junior college (we go to a junior college for grades 11 and 12). My mother insisted that I have to join Maharishi College. So, I did. 

One of the best decisions EVER. 

Maharishi is based on the principles of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Every day, 2 twenty minute sessions of Transcendental Meditation were mandatory. 15 year olds don't want to meditate. So, I used to think about random stuff during meditation. 

During the 12th Board Exams, however, i started doing meditation to relax between the study sessions. It started small - 5 minutes after every 25 minutes of studying. 

That is where the meditation journey started - at the age of 17.  

We had a pooja room in the house and every morning, we had to pray before leaving home. Those 5 minutes of meditation became a lifelong habit. I have now meditated pretty much every day for 30 years. 

The practice itself has evolved. 

Here are the changes I have observed: 

A. Calm. I used to be a very angry soul - easily angered. Over a period of time, that changed to being the kind of person that is rarely, if ever, hassled. 

B. Thoughts in head - For 90% of things, if someone asks me, what do you think? I do not think. Not everything begets an emotional or intellectual response. Not sure if this is good or bad. It just is. 

C. I was fortunate to be in a small organisation where everyone practised Reiki. That is how I got exposed to healing through meditation. A part of my meditation has been healing and aura reading. Sometimes, it has helped people with pain relief. Sometimes, it helps to communicate with a family member who is in coma. The greatest challenge of this practice is that one knows that one should not fight with God or destiny, but there are times when I have. I do not regret it. 

D. I am very, very sensitive to who I meet and where I spend time. There are places from which I will exit immediately. People whom I meet once and am ready to be lifelong friends with. 

E. I did three sessions of past life regression to understand some of the knots I was experiencing in this birth. Recollecting those births and the karmic balance one has to restore in this birth helped my comprehension of this birth a lot. 

F. There is no concept of achievement or failure. Everything is just what it is. If one appears in lots of press articles, that is fine. If one has to shut down a business, that hurts, but that is fine too. 

G. I approach most things and people from a place of love. My default emotion is love. 

H. And this is my greatest experience - after you have climbed the steps, done the siddhis, worked the miracles, after you have done everything of that, you will experience sam bhaav - a sense of equanimity. And after you have experienced equanimity, you will experience Anand - joy for its own sake. I experience it for a very brief period, but am waiting for the time when Ananda is the default state. Ananda cannot be described. It can only be experienced. As a younger person, I did not want Ananda, i wanted to experience the Navarasas in this physical existence. :) 

Very recently, I have been started on a new meditation practice that is different from my lifelong work of healing. I am enjoying this new place and learning a lot. 

I do have a meditation name that is different from my Earth name. It was given to me very early in meditation and has over the years, proved to be very very true.  

Today's question from meditation

Today, I got asked a question in my meditation and have to think about it all day. 

Here is the question: 

यदि शिव और शक्ति एक ही हैं, तो अलग अलग क्यूँ है? उन्हें दो भिन्न स्वरूप क्यूँ दिए गए? 

If Shakti and Shiva are the same, why were they given two different names and forms? 

I thought about it for a while but could not arrive at an answer. Then, a hint was given to me: 

Why does a coin have two sides? Why not print the same thing on both sides? 

सिक्के के दो पहलू क्यूँ होते हैं? एक ही छाप दोनों ओर क्यूँ नहीं? 

All thoughts welcome. 

Edited 11 Jul 2024 (early morning) 

The coin has two distinct sides - one has the denomination and the other has the name of the kingdom / ruler. Both of these pieces of information are needed to define the coin - without either, the coin is useless. 

BUT, they denote two completely unrelated things. All kingdoms have multiple denominations and all standard denominations are issued by every single kingdom. 

How is this connected to Shiva and Shakti? 

Shiva and Shakti complete each other the way the two sides of the coin complete each other. They are absolutely vital. Without one, the other does not exist, has no meaning. 

BUT, they are two different types of energy. The Chinese call them Yin and Yang, but it doesn't matter. What matters is the nature of the two energies - one fluid, nurturing, emotional. The other, fair, just, straight. 

The side that is needed at one place is the energy that comes up in that situation. Sometimes, we need the maternal energy, sometimes, we need the paternal. Sometimes, we need the raw power of Shakti, and sometimes, we need the dhairya of Shiv. Shiv holds his power like he holds the Ganga - quietly. Shakti is the energy that makes that energy visible and obvious. 

Lessons from Meditation

I was started on a new meditation practice recently. 

While praying at someone else's house, I was given two lessons. This post is to share those. 

These ideas were rotating in my head for some time as plausible theories. On that day, they were completely clarified and explained. 

1. In physical entities, size is not always relevant to structure. Elements that have been juxtapositioned in a certain way will go on to form similar structures, irrespective of their physical size. This is true of atoms and of galaxies. 

The structure of atoms is a lot like the structure of galaxies. There are fringe electrons that rotate around the dense core. These fringe electrons are the first ones to participate in a bond, just as the fringes of galaxies are the first to merge. Likewise, all sun and planet systems, because they are juxtaposed in a certain way, will always take the structure of mostly oval orbits. This is irrespective of the size of the star and the relevant planets. 

2. All consciousness holds two levels of consciousness at all times - it is both an ecosystem and an individual entity. This is true of RBCs and the planet Earth, and everything in between. A cell is an ecosystem for all the intracellular elements. But it is a cell unto itself. Tissues are ecosystems to the cells, but also individual participants in an organ. Organs are ecosystems, but also individual organs acting as one. 

This, again, is independent of size. Even the tiniest known conscious element has sub elements. Just as we cannot aggregate the universe and say this is how big it is, we also cannot reach its smallest unit. 

The Book of Zen stories

I was reading this book of Zen stories, and one thing jumped out. 

Zen assumes that there is only one path to salvation, and that path goes through peace, self-control, and a feeling of universal brotherhood. 

Christianity and Islam also propose something similar. Coincidentally, these are all congregation based religions. 

But in my meditation, I know that there is no one path. In fact, the idea of the "one best way" has been the bane of human society in everything. In medicine, science, manufacturing, this one best way to do things has been the idea that made us take one step forward, two steps back. 

But especially in meditation or, more generally, in the path of a soul, there is no one best way. Every soul is on its own path and reaches its own destination. Even the rich blood-sucking man who tortures his family and staff - even that soul is on a spiritual journey that ends at some destination. 

Think of it, not as a journey with one origin and one destination, but a network of train stations. Trains go from many stations to many stations. Which of these journeys is wrong? Very few. But here is the important thing - what makes the journey right or wrong, is neither the destination, nor the source, nor the train. It is not even the traveler. It is the intent of the traveler. Therefore, no one else can judge the journey to be right or wrong.  

One can argue that the train stations are nothing but stops in a maze. There is no progression in them. They are all at the same level. 

So are rivers. So are spiritual paths. We assume them to be vertical. Maybe, for some people, there is a sense of progression. But for some people, they are hops in a game of hopscotch - all at the same level. 

So, enjoy the Zen stories, believe in the 6 forms of Yoga. Or not. 

How do deity based energies heal?

To heal I, I reached out to the energies of Shiva, Panchmukhi Hanuman, and Durga. 

So, a question that keeps coming is - What are these energies? How do they fit in the overall spiritual domain? This is the first time I have actually experienced these energies. 

While various answers were coming, I was aware that the brain is befuddled and not really processing all inputs. 

Today, as things sorted a little bit, the answer I got was clearer: 

Each energy has its own wavelength and medium. They exist for specific purposes. Think of them as light waves or other waves that you are familiar with. The energies co-exist with other spiritual energies. There is no "leveling" between these energies. 

It is possible that you might experience the energy of Ganpati, Jesus, or any other name from any other part of the world. The names are for us to identify the energy. The energies are owned by conscious entities. That is why praying to specific entities helps. This is the logic behind ancient civilizations having Gods for everything. We were invoking energies owned by conscious entities capable of directing energies. 

What are these conscious entities like? 

You cannot imagine them. Because you have not been on that plane yet. Just know that these entities are eternal and conscious. At this time, that is all you can know. 

How does this interact with the overall spiritual energy of aura, healing, etc.? 

They co-exist. It's a vast domain and you are only just starting to get to know more about it. Think of it as a new world. There are many, many things in this world. You will encounter many things. Some, you will be able to compare to concepts, ideas, and things in your physical world. But many, many others, are very new to you. Be open to learning. There is a LOT to learn. As each portal opens, new things, new concepts will be gradually revealed. You will learn the lessons you are ready for, and be confused by the others. That is the most human way of explaining this. But it doesn't come close to what you will *know* a little later in this journey.  

Question - Answer

There is someone who hurts me and other people - intentionally, and all the time. 

I feel vindictive. I want to stop their toxic behaviour. What should I do? 

Answer: 

If they are only inflicting pain on everyone around them, imagine how much torment there must be in their own soul? Even sadists who actually feel happy after torturing others, depend on that torture to feel happy. For a very basic emotion - happiness, they have to depend on others! 

Let me give you another example. A dog that is biting anyone that approaches it, is itself in pain. A dog at peace will not bite. It will take food, reproduce, and sleep. 

So, if someone is biting everyone's head off, hurting other people, they are not at peace at all. No greater torment can be wished upon them than they are already suffering. 

What is the only way to make a biting dog stop biting? 

It is to stop its pain. When the pain is over, then it will see that all it needs to be happy is food, water, sleep, reproduction. It is the same with sadistic, toxic people. The only way to stop the hurt that they are causing others is to wish that their own hurting stops. Only then can they realise how useless hurting others is. 

Let me give you one more example. We might think that a terminally ill patient would be very grateful to their caretakers - because those people are letting go of their healthy lives just to provide care and pain relief. Usually, work like that takes a lot of love. But what really happens is that the person being cared for is usually irritable, grumpy, and all round pain to be with. Why? Are they not aware of the sacrifice of the caregiver? Of course they are! But they are in pain 24*7! That pain makes them detest the whole world and their own lives. It all comes out on the caregiver, who is closest at hand. 

What is the way to end this abuse? It is for the patient to be pain free. That is the only way. No amount of explanation or realisation will change the behaviour of the patient while they are in constant pain. You might reduce caregiving to "teach them a lesson." What effect will that have? The exact opposite, no? 

 

Why to not interfere when someone we love is going through pain

When someone is going through suffering or tough times, it is a result of their karma, or part of their destiny - या कर्मफल या नियति। 

When we try to help them, it can be for two reasons - 1. It is part of their karmic balance with us that we have to step in and help at that time. Very rarely is this the case with healers. 2. We are trying to alter their karma or their destiny. 

But as we do know, it is not possible to alter either the karma or the destiny. A temporary reprieve from pain will only add more karma debt to the person. 

पर हम जानते हैं, कि कर्मफल और नियति, दोनों बदले नहीं जा सकते। इन्हें बदलने की चेष्टा करने का अर्थ है, अपना भार और बढ़ाना। 

कठिन है उस समय मदद न करना जब हम किसी को तकलीफ में देखें। संवेदनशील हृदय के लिए और भी कठिन है। 

परंतु उसे निष्ठुर होना नहीं, तटस्थ होना कहते हैं।  

पीड़ा क्षणिक है, यह जानना एक बात है, और पीड़ा का अनुभव करते हुए इस बात को समझ पाना, बिल्कुल दूसरी बात। जब पीड़ा उन्हें होती हो, जिनसे हम प्रेम करते हैं, तब और भी कठिन है, उनके कर्मफल में हस्तक्षेप न करना। इसी लिए हम सिद्ध हो कर भी अपने घर वालों के लिए सिद्धि का प्रयोग वर्जित करते हैं। 

On Miracles

We think that miracles are rare events - perhaps happening once or twice in a lifetime. 

We might even think that this is an understanding based on data. 

Let's sit and think, shall we? 

When we shave or wax, remember that one stubborn hair that refuses to come out? In a massacre of hair from roots, that one remains ... alive. If not a miracle, what is it? 

The child who stands up to answer the teacher, and suddenly, as soon as s/he stands up, the answer comes to them in a flash... how does that happen? 

The person who gets up in the morning with a song in the head - randomly, boards the bus, and finds the same song is playing - how? 

You crave a dish and miraculously, that dish reaches you. 

The paper goes bad but the marks are good. 

You fall but escape with just a few scrapes. 

You tend to all plants equally, but some blossom, and some wither. Why? 

A child in a house turns out to be a prodigy. 

The truth is, life is full of miracles. Some, we observe. But most others, we take for granted. 

If we think of miracles as rare events, the solution is not to learn spiritual powers. 

It is, my friend, a very simple solution - Observe more. Be more mindful. Be more present. 

And slowly, you will find yourself living on a planet that is full of miracles of all kinds. 

Today's meditation message

Today, I got a strange message in meditation. 

हम प्रेम और शक्ति को विरोधाभासी समझते हैं। जहां प्रेम है, वहाँ शक्ति का क्या प्रयोजन, और जहां शक्ति प्रदर्शन है, वहाँ प्रेम कैसे हो सकता है? वैसे ही जैसे हम सरस्वती और लक्ष्मी को विरोधाभासी समझते हैं। 

पर ऐसा है नहीं। कमज़ोर व्यक्ति प्रेम नहीं कर सकता। वह प्रेम की कामना कर सकता है, प्रेम का भ्रम भी पाल सकता है। पर प्रेम करने, और पाने के लिए मनोबल और सक्षमता दोनों चाहिए। कमज़ोर व्यक्ति के पास दोनों नहीं है। 

कमज़ोर व्यक्ति प्रेम नहीं पा सकता। प्रेम पाने के लिए हृदय और जीवन में स्थान आवश्यक है। वह स्थान बनाने के लिए अपने जीवन पर उतना नियंत्रण होना चाहिए। समुद्र के सतह पर तैरता लोटा अपनी इच्छा से एक बूंद पानी भी ग्रहण नहीं कर सकता। उसी प्रकार कमज़ोर व्यक्ति प्रेम से घिरा होने पर भी, उससे वंचित रह सकता है। 

इसलिए, शक्ति और प्रेम विरोधाभासी नहीं, एक दूसरे के लिए आवश्यक हैं। एक दूसरे के पूरक हैं। प्रेम शक्ति के बिना नहीं पाया जा सकता, और शक्ति प्रेम के बिना बेमानी है। 

Meditation Notes

It was not an entirely new path, but one that was being walked after years. Everything was uncertain. And largely unknown - because, well, paths change. Even ruins don't remain the same year after year. And foot trails among jungles have a way of vanishing. 

A week had passed, 10 days perhaps. 

The message was clear - one just needs to go through this. Why? No answer. 

*********** 

A book appeared. The author had sent a personal copy. 

Small-ish book. Just 60 pages. Short form prose and haiku poetry. 

I opened it and started reading. And stared in disbelief. 

The Universe had just sent me the Illustrated Guide to the Path. 

************** 

I am still speechless at the miracle of it. 

Today's meditation thoughts

एक पथिक था। चलते-चलते उसे प्यास लगी। उसने एक कुँआ ढूंढा। किनारे पर पनिहारिनें  पानी भर रही थीं। उसने एक से कुछ पानी मांगा। प्यास बुझाई, और आगे चला।

थोड़ा आगे जा कर दोबारा प्यास लगी, दोबारा कुंआ ढूंढा, पनिहारिन से पानी मांगा, पिया। 

पथिक ने किसी पनिहारिन से नहीं कहा, "लाओ, अपना मटका मुझे दे दो, मैं उठा लेता हूँ।" 

प्रेम का भी ऐसा ही है। जब हमें प्रेम की व्याकुलता होती है, तब हम पास के कुंए पर किसी भी पनिहारिन से थोड़ा सा पानी  पी कर उस समय की प्यास बुझा लेते हैं। फिर अगला गाँव, अगला कुंआ। 

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सदा ही संभव है, कि एक मटकी सर पर उठा कर चला जाए। रेगिस्तान में लोग करते भी हैं - मशकें उठा कर चलते हैं। पर ज़रखेज़  जगहों पर मटकी उठाने की ज़रूरत नहीं। 

जब हम आध्यात्मिक मार्ग पर चलते हैं, तब भी, आज ये सत्संग, आज वहाँ गुरुजी, आज ये पूजा, कल वो। सब जल प्यास बुझाते हैं, पर अगर मटकी अपने साथ ही हो, तो किसी और पर कोई निर्भरता नहीं रहती। उस से ये रहता है कि थोड़ा संयम से चलना पड़ता है। अपने आप स्थिरता आ जाती है, सौम्यता भी। किसी और की प्यास बुझाने का मन भी। 

और अगर कुंआ ही मन में खुद जाए तो? अगर अपने भीतर की हर प्यास को बुझाने का सोता मन में ही हो तो? 

ऐसा कभी नहीं होता। निरंकारियों के लिए भी नहीं। कुंआ सदा से सब का है। उस में निजता नहीं है। हो ही नहीं सकती। 

क्या अपनी मटकी उठा लेना पनिहारिनों से मांगने से बेहतर है? 

अपने अपने चरित्र पर है। किसी को स्थिरता नहीं चाहिए, नित नूतनता ही चाहिए। ऐसे लोग सर पर मटका नहीं उठा सकते। उठाना भी नहीं चाहिए। वे सदा ही जल के भिक्षु रहेंगे, पर उनकी प्रकृति ही ऐसी है। 

जब मांग मांग कर थक जाएँ, तब अपना मटका उठा लेना चाहिए। 

On Krishna - Meditation Messages

Krishna is the 8th, and if we discount Buddha, the most recent avatar of Vishnu, the sustainer. 

The energy of Krishna is love. Pure, universal love. 

Krishna's life and choices were all conscious. They were all about choices. 

In spite of having the power to subdue Kaliya and kill Kansa, in later life, in spite of being a king, he did not fight, nor lifted a shastra, nor did he contribute to strategy in any way. 

He could have prevented the war, but he allowed it to happen, knowing full well that in spite of not lifting a finger to hurt anyone, his entire kula (tribe) would be ended through a curse. 

That was the message he wanted to leave for all, even at the cost of being called Ran-chhod (one who runs away from war - the worst insult for a warrior / king). 

That love, at the end, conquers all, and left unattended, hatred has only one consequence - destruction. 

Spardha, Irshya, Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh, Ahankar - they are all inherent in the story of Mahabharata, and the story of Mahabharata teaches us that these qualities lead to vansh naash (end of one's bloodline). The Kauravas are just the metaphor. 

He did not go for that one final meeting to just broker peace. He went in to demonstrate that even ONE right step, taken at the very last minute also, can prevent eventual destruction. But, blinded by one's pride and greed, one entirely misreads the path and view hatred as superiority. 

Therefore, Krishna consciousness is the consciousness of the universal power of love, not love of power. 

That love, as a light pink or white or pale yellow energy, flows and in its wake, converts everything that it encounters. 

But whether to encounter the energy of love - that is the decision of each entity. Just as air cannot enter a rock, no matter how forcefully it pushes, likewise, energy of love can only enter a heart if the heart allows it. Whether the entity is a plant, animal, cell, or microbe, it always has the consciousness to make a decision. 

Krishna himself chose the easily understood metaphor of girl - boy love to explain pure, unadulterated, and innocent love. Mortal Humans understand this as the most potent, action-oriented form of love. And therefore, this comprehension is easy for them. 

Only after we understand this do we transcend and ask the question - If not this body, then what? If not this gender, what? And then we understand the love that Krishna is trying to show us. 

In Bhakti Yoga and Gyana Yoga both, Krishna maintains that the bhakt is bigger than the Bhagwan. That the power of love, demonstrated through devotion, is greater than any power that a deity might hold. 

The saints

मनुष्य जब बड़े हो जाते हैं तो संत हो जाते हैं। 

संत जब गंतव्य पा जाते हैं तो पेड़ बनते हैं। 

पेड़ों को अपने जीवन यापन के लिए नाम मात्र की ही हिंसा करनी पड़ती है। 

उनके जीवन में कोई शत्रु नहीं है, क्यूंकि किसी को उं से कुछ पाने के लिए उनका वध करना ही नहीं पड़ता -  फूल और फल स्वत: झरते हैं। लकड़ी बिना पेड़ का वध किए, काटी जा सकती है - तना नहीं, डाली काटो। 

एक दूसरे का साथ देने के लिए वो कभी अपनी जड़ें मिल लेते हैं, कभी हवा से एक दूसरे की मदद करते हैं। 

पेड़ संत होते हैं। ऊपर नहीं, नीचे भी नहीं। बस, अपनी यात्रा पर एक पड़ाव पर। 

कुछ लोग, पेड़ होकर भी कुछ बुरा करते हैं। वे फिर इंसान बन कर पैदा होते हैं, और बड़ी हसरत से पेड़ों को देखते हैं। 

And that is how tree huggers are born. 

Why Shiv on Shivratri?

Today, while meditating, I was asked to keep the Shivalinga in front. I didn't understand why. 

Then, realised that Shivaratri is approaching. 

This led to the question: If the universal light is the torchbearer of humanity, what is the spiritual objective of Shiva on Shivaratri, Ganpati on Vinayak Chaturthi, and so on? How does this devotion towards a deity come automatically in our hearts at just those precise times? 

The Answer: 

This is wave that is needed for entire humanity at the same time. At about this time, the overall energy, the element of Agni is gaun (subdued). At this time, the world needs the energy that is represented by the name Shiv. 

Likewise, around the time of Vinayak Chaturthi, a feeling of coldness is starting to envelop the world as per our Ritu. At that time, a general sense of universal camraderie and well-being, which we call Vighnaharta, Vinayaka, is needed by the world. These are not names of Gods alone. The name and image of a God helps us identify with the energy, but these are energies represented by these specific names. 

Therefore, all humanity is automatically drawn towards these energies at these specific ritus. 

Just like group meditation raises the overall vibe of the universe, likewise, a yagya, or a communal spiritual practice in which everyone feels the same thing (Ojas, for Shivaratri, Kalyan, for Vinayak Chaturthi, Samriddhi, for Deepavali, Harsh, for Holi) raises the balance of these energies for everyone else - even the non-believers. 

That is why you are drawn to the name Shiv at this time.