Monday, August 11, 2025

The illusory I, the ego that is not there. The powerful self-belief, that divides and rules.

 Chapter1: The I in you is the ego. 


Try the seemingly impossible. Try forgetting your I self. And you won’t be able to. Who won’t be able to? It’s asking the I to switch itself off. And it can’t. The I in you cannot easily disappear. The somebody we are is because of I.


This is our ego self. It is your formless form. There is nothing tangible about it, but it exists, and drives you an illusion that spreads far and wide.


The measure of I in you is what all affects you as happening to yourself, and what doesn’t. The expression on I is not limited to your body self, but extends to all people, things, intangible stuff that you have in your life.


I starts with your self-image built over time growing up. You developed certain likes, dislikes, pattern of doing things, saying things. All anchored around I. “I like to do it this way. I’d like it to be extra hot please. I have no time for this. I suck at this.”


I and my are same. My incorporates people, things around you in your I, as if they are special or not special because of you.  “my family is the best, my parents so easy going, my kids are the naughtiest, my friends are the best ever, my dog is so loving, my car is so ancient and so on. 


There is an implicit emotion in all “my associations”. The I and the my create all the interesting relationships in the world.


So the I creates your world! Without an I you are nobody. That’s why it is nearly impossible and scary to drop the I. Imagine you have forgotten the I magically. Not that you’d become a stranger to everyone, but you’d find it hard to connect with everyone who is operating at level of I. You’d discover how funny and gone wrong this is!  Beneath the I, hidden you find, a universal self. You exist like all other nature’s creations that don’t have an I - birds, animals. You just are with whatever is. Your mind is open as a blue sky. 


Chapter2: There was a time, where there was no I in you. You were empty.


The I in us is given to us. Your name is xyz. You are a boy or a girl. You oughta be like this, or that. And so on. We took it without asking any questions. Others defined it, told us who we are, how we should do things, act, say, and be. We took it, and built up on it. Kind of snowballed from a little something.


But who took the I form in us? One must fathom. 


There was a time when we had no name identification, no understanding of separate differentiated existence.  And we can remember that time if we try hard.  We were nobody, just existing.  


This nobody took the I form of us today. This nobody is vast relative to the I form.  It encompasses all the nobodies across all life forms. 


The beginning of I in us also is the beginning of separation. And all things separation brings e.g. feeling insecure, jealous, greedy, fearful. Now that there is an illusory I center, it attracts all the other illusions to build upon it. Notice if there is no I, there is no other also. If there is no other, all becoming, all comparison, all fears from the other drops. You are not subject to suffering that is inherent in I. Rather you are in a state of one with all and in wonder.


The I in us divides. But if you really look into it, and start asking who am I, there is no I to be found. Noone has found it. It’s all make-belief. In Fact when you start finding it, you fall back to nobody that you were and still are. 


Chapter3: Examine your I. See what it is made of.  See how it works. 


To examine you I, you must attempt to separate from it. As if there is a person within you but you are not it. You do not change it but simply observe it. Then slowly you discover the workings of ego.


Ego is a complex web or ball of stuff, selected by you, or attracted by you. There is no center in this ball if you try to see to whom all this stuff matters. 



Whatever  is in the radar of I, you will find you are sensitive to it, affected by it. Beyond this radar a lot exists, a lot of which you are indifferent to, and some of it you are also in conflict with. 


Ego or I is always right in its own light. By default there is no self-critique (which requires going beyond). And with this, everyone owning an ego is right in their own mental space. And not everyone is willing to change their right-ness to someone else’s right-ness. Thus conflicts exist. And it’s possible no one is right!


The country you belong to, the state, the city is part of your ego. The accent you have, the style you exhibit, the attitude with which you do things is all a part of initialization of ego. So if someone comments on your country, state, city or your expression you notice it more than anything else. If the comment is negative you feel hurt. If positive you feel elated and proud. The identification is working at subtle levels. While you might have no original contribution to any of these things you are initialized with.


Any object or even abstract belief can be part of your ego. And due to the limited nature of the mind ego cannot tolerate differences easily. All emotions that contract us, like anger, hate, humiliation, narrow minded-ness are because of ego not accepting something that is either right, or just different. When ego is operating inside of you, you get defensive, protective of what you know when challenged with fresh new perspectives, possibilities. Like someone is attacking you. 


The ego is so subtle, that it even works against its past form. If  you sang a song yesterday to an audience, and also repeated the performance today. And if someone says yesterday you were better, you’d feel slightly upset. You want your current self to be in a better light than your yester self. 


Observe if some natural disaster happens at someplace, each country wants to check first how many of their countrymen got affected, and what they can do to get them out. This is a subtle ego working at the level of a country. You are not able to relate beyond your ego-associations. The same exists at a personal level. You can feel the pain for someone you know more than for someone you don’t know. Similarly you can feel more pain for something you own, vs for something someone else owns.


Imagine your house catches fire, but earlier in the day you sold the house to someone else. You won’t feel as bad. But if someone tells you in the next minute the deal didn’t go through, you will start screaming, running, crying. This is the ego association that works through you to see the same thing, situation differently. There is no difference happening in the burning house.


Another aspect of ego is that it can get bigger and bigger with your achievements. And this could be harmful, because life is constantly changing. Your achievements or capabilities do not last forever, but ego doesn’t become smaller once expanded. And then you stay locked in with an ego you cannot operate with. 


If you are able to observe the workings of your ego, you can see how myopic it is. And causes all kinds of drama in life.


Once you start examining, observing ego, you rise above it. The drama doesn’t disappear, but you don’t suffer from any of it if you have risen above and beyond.


Chapter4: Realize it’s all self-made-belief. You have reinforced an identity of you in your mind. 


There is no absolute-ness in ego, no center, nothing that it stands on. It’s much like a castle made in the sky, but believed to exist strongly, even protected, fortified and worth fighting for.


Remember the ego was not there to begin with. If you were to go to another part of the world suddenly with everything different, new, unknown, where you can’t even speak the language or make sense of things, you’d become a nobody. You’d see your past ego as a dream. You’d still carry impressions of it, but soon you’d realize you cannot operate with it anymore. With this conceptual relativity you can see there is deeper you. The ego was just a strong mental construct.


A deeper understanding of the setup of ego, allows you to see it for what it is. It’s not you. You are vast, ego is tiny. And you should not let this tiny thing define you, or limit you in what you can do or cannot do.



ChapterX: The dark side of ego


Ego causes a lot of breakage! You lose people, things because either you or them hold ego based beliefs to be more dear than the other.


Everyone changes due to the cosmic rhythms of life including yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone is free to evolve to a version you don’t like. But ego is very selective, fragile and doesn’t adapt to change very well. And when that happens, relations break, go cold, or become irreparable forever. 


When relations break, it is a sign of a dark side ego operating within you. There are some invisible, implicit preconditions, expectations that exist as a filter in you. And it labels things, people. Accepts, rejects them on whims, sometimes being irrational, arbitrary. Vs accepting them as is.


A thing or a person which is a source of love and joy in your life can disappear. It could be your ego, their ego or a combination. So be aware!


You must get familiar with your dark side and see how it affects you, and other people. The more you know it, the less it’d affect you.


Chapter5: There is a practical purpose of I. 

On the good side, ego in you helps you rise in the external world. Makes a vibrant world happen!


If someone says to you, you are no good at something, it can hit the ego. A hurt ego is like a wild card. Your internal mechanism always finds a way to resolve it. It can push you to improve, or it can cause you to lose interest and do something else. It’s unpredictable what you chose to do. And this unpredictability drives the world. Someone's ego gets hurt, and they are onto something because of it. 


Ego is individual personalization of the universe around themselves. And no one personalization is right or wrong. Collectively all perspectives are needed.


Ego steers you to have strong opinions, views, beliefs. Shapes you up to be unique. And this is needed for the functioning of the world. Diversity of opinions is needed when dealing with complex huge undertakings in companies, governments and so on.


Ego is thus a double edged sword. It's good and bad, and depends on if you manage it or it manages you. More often than not it overpowers you. 


A balanced use of ego would be to apply it where it makes a positive impact. Your unique opinion could make all the difference to make decisions. While it is good to lower your ego in any arguments that could lead to disastrous outcomes.


Ego is the one that drives healthy competitive spirit among people, companies, nations. Drives one to do better than the other  “If others can do it, why cannot I do it”. Overall driving things to excellence. 

Chapter6: I generates all suffering there is. No I, no suffering possible. Suffering always happens to an I.


What is suffering in the first place?


  • Feeling inferiority, jealousy, humiliation, anger, depression and such emotions.

  • Expectations, desire is not met. 

  • Being stuck. Can’t get out of a situation or can’t move on from someone.

  • Discontented with stuff of the world. Endless complaints about all things. 



Look again who is experiencing all of the above. 


Who is the one feeling jealous, or who is the one dictating expectations, or who is stuck, or discontented. 


In all of the above, without someone, some entity claiming to feel so, think so, suffering is not possible. 


Suffering exists so long an I exists. Another word for suffering is imagined separation.


You are obviously the center of your world, materialized by your I or ego. But it is a false center. Or a false home. Much like a balloon filled with space can fathom its separate existence, defining a space inside it, owning it and concluding the space outside is alien. And generating all kinds of suffering based on this separation. But the fact is there is no separation of space because of the balloon. 



Chapter7: Search for real I. Ask to whom all this is happening. Observe. Who am I? Go on asking.


Most of us exit life with all beliefs and identifications of ego. We never start a true committed inquiry into who we really are. What is our beginning state before all identifications? How did this all get started? 


The I self we have identified with serves purpose for worldly existence, but does bring us a lot of suffering. To get away from recurrent suffering the only way is to go within. 


One must ask to whom all this is happening to? There must be some entity that is there all along. It cannot be anything of this physical world. As we are clearly not something that we can see.


It cannot come out of imagination, for then who must be imagining it?


Some contemplation reveals that it cannot be anything other than a deep sense of subjectivity  or i-am-ness. The search cannot stop with this.  What is this subjectivity? Go on asking!


It is not something, someone that exists in the realm of mind.


The mind can be absolutely silent, all senses shutdown voluntarily, then who remains? Someone must remain to observe the state of silence. 


There is nothing in this ultimate subjective self that can be defined. It is unknown. All we can know is that it is not anything we know. It’s negation of all that can be seen, felt, experienced. It is the ultimate seer.


Still go on asking. The asking-ness allows you to see the stuff of the world as distinctly separate from your i-am-ness. Like going through a finer and finer sieve, as if you were distilling yourself to your essence. 


Until you can no longer do the asking-ness. Like you have screamed at the top of your voice and your throat chokes. Then drop it all. 


At some point, when your sincerity is unquestionable, when you are distilled enough, the embedded infinite in you will take notice. It may dawn upon you suddenly you’d know your true self.



Chapter8: Your true identity is here and now awareness, i-am-ness. Reject all other conceptions of you. 


It is here and now only. The i-am-ness cannot be elsewhere. Everything else is just imagination or projection from the past. If there is an ultimate self it must exist in the here and now. 


The more you become aware of your being you are in the present moment, and the more it helps to steer away from an ego which is based on all past stuff. 


The ego needs support from all its associations to exist, all fears, apprehensions. Come to reject it all in the present moment. 

  • I do not exist as this or that identity.

  • I am not afraid of what may unfold.

  • I do not have any labels or worth the world may have given me.

  • And so on until you arrive feeling like a nobody. And then doors to freedom start opening!


Try observing or spending time with people who do not have much ego self built into them. Who are open to whatever is happening and not getting affected by it, and are in here and now celebrating.


If you can spend time with kids, little children, you’d know how light it feels to not have an ego and how vibrant life can be without it.


On the other hand, observe hard when you feel hurt, feel anger, or jealousy or fear. There is the footprint of ego. The best chance to rise above it when you see it active. When you do not react and just observe, you see ego functioning and it’d start to slowly disable it. You’d laugh at yourself for being so totally captured by a mental construct. Then you are on to freedom from it. Then instead of all such negative emotions you’d feel positivity in any situation, any place, no matter what.















Monday, March 17, 2025

Vipassana: The Path to Liberation

Vipassana: The Path to Liberation

Vipassana is a profound method of self-exploration that allows one to enter the realm of the unknown through the workings of their own mind. It is a path of deep revelation, rooted in the teachings of Gautama the Buddha, who dedicated his life to understanding and eradicating human suffering.

The Buddha’s Discovery

Buddha’s relentless pursuit led him to the realization that suffering is not random but has definite causes. He formulated the Four Noble Truths:

  1. There is suffering: Being born in a human body makes suffering inevitable, from birth to death. This suffering includes physical pain, mental anguish, and existential dissatisfaction.
  2. Suffering has a cause: It arises due to specific conditions and reasons, mainly attachment and ignorance. Desires, aversions, and delusions trap the mind in cycles of dissatisfaction.
  3. Suffering can be eliminated: It is not an unsolvable problem. By removing its root causes, one can attain a state of peace and liberation.
  4. There is a step-by-step solution: The Eightfold Path provides a systematic way to end suffering through ethical living, mental discipline, and wisdom.

Vipassana, in essence, is the application of the Fourth Noble Truth.

Surrender to the Three Jewels

To practice Vipassana effectively, one must surrender to three guiding principles, also known as the Three Jewels:

  1. The Buddha – the enlightened one who discovered and walked this path, setting an example for others to follow.
  2. The Dhamma – the universal law of nature that governs existence, impartial and eternal. It is not a doctrine but an observable truth that transcends religious boundaries.
  3. The Sangha – the community of like-minded practitioners who support each other on the path of self-realization.

Among these, Dhamma is paramount. It is not only the law to be understood, but also the very force that enables one to understand it. The process of surrendering allows complete openness to the technique, ensuring it can work as intended. This requires setting aside preconceived notions, refraining from past practices, and adhering to ethical conduct.

The Three Pillars of Practice

Vipassana consists of three foundational stages:

  1. Sila (Moral Conduct): One commits to abstaining from immoral acts. The five key precepts are:

    • No lying
    • No killing or harming living beings
    • No stealing
    • No intoxication
    • No sexual misconduct

    Observing these precepts purifies the mind, creating the right foundation for deeper meditation.

  2. Samadhi (Concentration): Through Anapana meditation (focused attention on the breath), the mind is sharpened and disciplined. This heightened awareness enables the detection of subtle sensations in the body, preparing the practitioner for Vipassana.

  3. Panna (Wisdom): With a concentrated mind, one practices Vipassana by systematically observing bodily sensations. This leads to direct insight into the impermanent nature of reality, dismantling attachments to self and suffering.

Understanding the Cause of Suffering

The mind operates through six sensory doors:

  • Sight (Eyes)
  • Smell (Nose)
  • Hearing (Ears)
  • Taste (Tongue)
  • Touch (Body)
  • Thought (Mind-generated sensations)

The unconscious mind follows a cycle:

  1. Sensory input is detected.
  2. The mind recognizes and categorizes it.
  3. It evaluates whether it is pleasant or unpleasant.
  4. An automatic reaction occurs: Craving for pleasant sensations and aversion for unpleasant ones.

This fourth step is the root of suffering. When cravings and aversions accumulate, they form unconscious habit patterns that shape behavior and perception without conscious awareness.

For example:

  • If one repeatedly indulges in something pleasurable, craving strengthens. When it becomes unavailable, distress and frustration arise.
  • If one repeatedly resists discomfort, aversion strengthens. Avoiding necessary challenges leads to stagnation and escapism.

Since reality is in constant flux, attachment to desired outcomes inevitably leads to suffering when those expectations are unmet.

How Vipassana Breaks the Cycle

Vipassana meditation systematically trains the mind to observe sensations with equanimity, without reacting. The process involves:

  1. Developing high concentration through Anapana meditation, sharpening awareness of the breath.
  2. Scanning the body systematically to detect subtle sensations from head to toe or in any order.
  3. Maintaining equanimity – neither craving pleasant sensations nor resisting unpleasant ones.
  4. Observing impermanence – realizing that all sensations, thoughts, and emotions arise and pass away.

By doing this, one inserts equanimous mind (conscious awareness) between sensory perception and reaction. The mind no longer blindly reacts with craving or aversion, breaking free from suffering’s cycle. The key thing to note is that equanimous mind is very powerful and it melts away past unexamined and conditioned responses.

Undoing Past Conditioning

Through continuous, equanimous observation of bodily sensations, deep-rooted craving and aversion patterns begin to dissolve.

The unconscious mind has been conditioned over time to react to every sensory experience, reinforcing habit patterns of attachment and aversion. Each time we react with craving or resistance, we deepen these patterns. Over years and lifetimes, these reactions accumulate, binding us to cycles of suffering.

When practicing Vipassana, a different approach is taken. Instead of reacting to sensations, the meditator simply observes them with neutrality. This non-reactive observation disrupts the unconscious process of automatic reaction, allowing deep-seated conditioning to surface.

As old patterns arise in the form of subtle bodily sensations, they are met with equanimity. Since no new craving or aversion is generated, these old patterns begin to dissolve. This is analogous to a wound healing: when further injury is stopped, the body naturally begins to repair itself. Similarly, when the mind stops reacting, past conditioning unwinds, restoring balance and clarity.

Imagine a tightly wound coil representing years of accumulated cravings and aversions. Each time we react, the coil tightens. When we stop reacting and remain equanimous, the tension in the coil gradually releases, bringing the mind back to its natural state of peace and freedom.

Over time, as this process continues, even the deepest layers of conditioning are uprooted. The most fundamental illusion—that of a fixed, unchanging self—dissolves, leading to the realization that all phenomena are transient. This is the ultimate liberation, freeing one from suffering and enabling one to live with wisdom and peace.

The Final Realization

Through Vipassana, one directly experiences the impermanent nature of self and reality. Everything—including thoughts, emotions, and sensations—arises and passes away. With this insight:

  • Unpleasant experiences no longer create suffering, as one understands they are temporary.
  • Pleasant experiences are enjoyed without attachment, as one knows they too will pass.
  • The illusion of a permanent “self” dissolves, leading to ultimate freedom.

By practicing Vipassana diligently, one liberates themselves from the prison of craving and aversion, attaining true peace and happiness. This is the path to full liberation and enlightenment, as taught by the Buddha.

Sunday, January 03, 2021

Patanjali Yoga Sutras #5

Strength and purity is the purpose of tapas.

Svadhyaya: Self study, observing the self: Looking into the motives behind your actions. Often you don't go for things yo really want. You never looked into yourself. You are swayed away by fleeting thoughts, desires. Your desire is not even your desire.

Are you your thoughts, mind?

Self study eliminates misery and suffering of mind. Fears, anxieties.

Buddha has said this so beautifully. 

  1. kaayanupaschana, observe the body.  
  2. Vedanaanupaschana, observe the sensations in the body. 
  3. Chittanupaschana, observe the mind, the impressions in the mind, the thoughts in the mind. 
  4. Brahamaanupaschana, observe your very nature. Observe the dharma, the very nature that you are. 

Svadhyaya can eliminate all the mental or emotional impurities or fears, and Ishvara pranidhana, love of God, surrender to the Lord will complete the process.

How can love for God can blossom in you?

First step is to see Lord as separate from you. Lord of all virtues, and I am nobody. In this 'nobodiness' happens. Second step is to surrender.

Realize that it's all you, you (the Lord). This body, this universe is yours. This mind is yours. All mind's conflicts are yours. All the mind's beauty is yours. This offering itself is a technique which brings you back home.

Offer every breath, thought, moment of life. Anything. Offering all the negativity, positivity, you become free. By offering all the negativity, you will be free. By offering all those positive virtues you think you possess, you become free. You will not become arrogant. Virtues make you arrogant. Virtues make you behave as though you are special. 

It is your drawbacks which pull you down and make you feel bad about yourself . If you start feeling bad about yourself, you become unconnected to the divine. 

There is nothing to make you connected to the divine. It's up to you to feel close to the divine. To anybody for that matter. Even if they don't feel close, you can start feeling close. This is because nothing else can convince you that you are dear to the divine other than your own self. 

You just start feeling, that you are the most closest. Whatever seed you sow, it will start blossoming. 

To bring about samadhi in life.

What root causes of misery in life? 

Panch klesha. Ignorance is the root cause. What is ignorance? To think that which is not permanent as permanent. That is which not joy as joy.

A fixed idea about who you are, stops the growth and destroys you. Limits your possibilities.  You do not know who you are, that should be the right attitude. You are changing every moment and you have kept the possibility of change open. 

Asmita is one-ness of our intellect and our self. Inability to see the powers of the instrument as separate.

“Asmita or ego is thinking that the self or the intellect and the instruments of perception are one and the same.”

      




Saturday, January 02, 2021

Patanjali Yoga Sutras #4

Kriya Yoga: Yoga of action.

Action is part and parcel of this creation. There is activity in everything atom, sun, moon, stars. Nothing is stable. There is absolutely no silence at all.

In every activity there is silence too. How do you see it? It needs sharpness of awareness. Keen-ness. 

Kriya Yoga has 3 parts:

Tapas - endurance, acceptance, willingly do something that is not easy. Focus is on physical body. If you had a choice you won't do it. This is tapa. Without grumbling willing accepting something that'd you rather not. Because you know the result of this action is v good.

Svadhyaya - self study, or study of mind

Ishvara pranidhana - devotion to the lord or the self

They all reduce the suffering, misery in life. And give rise to samadhi.

https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/intro-yoga-philosophy-tap-heat/

Fire sustains life. 5 types of fires

Bhutagni: Physical fire. With which you heat your home and keep yourself warm. This sustains life.

Kamagni: Fire of desire or lust or passion. It is because of this that life continues on this planet. This has potential to make you alert if this is kindled properly. 

Jatragni: Fire of hunger and digestion. It affects your balance, health. When you fast, every cell of your body becomes alive. It's a very good therapy. Allow this fire to come up in you. It can purify you, remove the toxins from your body. It can make your feelings better. All religions of the world prescribe fasting and prayer. Fasting touches the deepest sanskara in you from ages. However it should be done with an understanding. Extreme fasting is not good either. 

Badabagni: Fire of social criticism. When people criticize, it wakes you up. As a social animal man must abide by code of conduct. It generates fear of getting punished, and keeps up the morals in you. If you are concerned too much what people will say, it may limit your freedom and you are missing the point. 

Premagni: Fire of knowledge or love. It takes you totally. It can lift you up from fire of criticism. You do not mind what people say. Fire of love begins with intense longing. Only in human birth can this fire be experienced. It moves onto the full blossoming. 


Sattvic tapas is of 3 kinds:

1. Physical Tapas: Having a say over senses, and the body. Remaining in self.

2. Vangmay: Tapas of speech: Speaking such words that do not excite people in wrong sense. Speaking truth, with pleasant expression of truth. 

3. Manomay: Tapas of mind: Maintaining pleasantness in mind is big tapas. You feel pleasant and very soon you can drop it if not maintained. Calm and composed, sensitive to your surroundings. Silent mind. Remaining in the self.


On path of yoga your words become powerful. If you call someone fool, they may become fool. Your words have power to bless and curse.


Normally we think mind is within body. But body is within the mind.

Ten times bigger than your physical body is your body of prana or the energy body.

Ten times bigger than your pranic body is your mind body, your thought body. 

Ten times bigger than that is your intuitive body. 

Ten times bigger than that is your bliss body. Ten times means infinite times bigger is our blissful body. Boundless is our bliss. Blissful body.











Patanjali Yoga Sutras (contd.) #3.2

Looking at a sunset, and you are in Samadhi. Mindy is steady. Senses are steady.

Steadiness is dignity, is the strength, is dispassion.

Experiment this. For a few moments keep your eyes, body steady. Almost immediately the mind will also become steady, stand still. And breath will become stand still too. This is where the time stops. Death stops. Immortality begins.

Before the time swallows you, the earth swallows, gulps you, you wakeup. You swallow the time.......that is samadhi.

Samadhi is the state where you feel you can stay like this for a million years, where the mind freezes. Secret of youthfulness, secret of bubbling enthusiasm, secret of renewal of life.

Every experience of your senses what you see becomes very bright, colorful and complete. Keen-ness of observation.

When you are happy you feel an expansion. Bloating. Awareness is expanding. You are relaxed. But you cannot be alert.

To thread a needle (to do something v minute) it needs keen-ness of awareness. You can't be relaxed. You need to be alert.

To have both -- is Samadhi. Both relaxed and keen/alert awareness. 

When you are in this state, you have heightened senses (you hear better, you see better).  

Samadhi enables sensitivity to other feelings too.

When you become sensitive (your instrument eyes, ears), nature becomes sensitive to you. Natures listens to you.

Seeing things as they are is Samadhi. Seeing through comparison is no samadhi. Seeing a mountain -- it's beautiful. But calculating mind compares -- it's like the other mountain.

When the self, and the senses, the object are in harmony. That is samadhi.

When you are eating food, and aware of every bit of it as you eat.

There is another type of samadhi, where you simply know you are. The feeling that "I am". This is nirvichar (thoughtless, hollow & empty) samadhi.

This is eyes close meditation. More and more of thoughtless samadhi, brings grace of the divine. . Mastery of hollow and empty leads to spiritual awakening. Innermost comes forth and blossoms.

The knowledge that comes from the depth of the being, is different from what you have heard, guessed. It is very special, flawless, beyond time, full of truth (ritambhara). This is pure knowledge. The impression from this deep consciousness removes/erases all other non useful impressions of the mind. It makes you new, renews you. Again and again. That is why you may feel a different person after meditation every time.

The goal is in every moment. Yet the path is long. There should be enthusiasm, with patience. Balance.








Friday, January 01, 2021

Patanjali Yoga Sutras (Contd) #3.1

There is no 10th obstacle.

Imbalance of breath is the side effect of these obstacles.

When you are happy,  joyful, incoming breath is prominent, longer. You are not conscious of out-breath. 

When you are sad, out-coming breath is prominent, longer.

To get rid of them just do one thing. Beat the bush. One pointed attention in one thing. 

What happens when you keep doing one thing? Boredom comes, restlessness comes. They take you to a peak. That brings clarity. This is the only way out.

Our mind is troubled because it has choices. Dwelling on duality. Divided mind is misery. One pointed mind is joy.

When you are happy, mind becomes total.

Attending to one principle. Could be God, Self, Guru etc. Anything. EkTatvaAbhyasa - practice one thing. Then you get over all these 9 obstacles.

It's all me only. See the ONE THING in everyone. 

Friendless with all people those who are happy. Feel they belong to you. You cannot be jealous of someone dear to you.

Be compassionate with un-happy people. Have sympathy for them. Don't be friendly as it'd drag you down.

Breaking the natural rhythms of the breath. And sustaining the breath in different rhythms. Clue for Sudarshan Kriya.

We are bringing breath in a conscious definite particular rhythm. Modulating the prana. By this also mind becomes calm and one-pointed.

Though any one object of senses, the mind can be stilled. After Gazing/Kirtan/Singing the mind comes to a still.




Thursday, December 31, 2020

Patanjali Yoga Sutras (contd.) #2

There is no pleasure that dispassion cannot give. 

Every moment is a peak experience.

Vitarka: Realization of definite irreversible logic/irrefutable understanding of reality. Everything is empty. 

Samadhi: After kriya. Meditative state in which you are in ecstasy.

Just I am. Fourth state of Samadhi.

By doing something/making effort you cannot achieve the samadhi state.

Only by practice of deep resting consciously. Meditation is you resting on your own.

Samadhi is not just this existence. It goes into the other worlds. People who do not have body can also get affected by meditation. You are influencing all levels of creations. Subtle bodies. Also in past and in future.

Asmita (I, me) is cause misery. That is why we do hollow and empty. We exist like space.

Your own idea in the mind gives your misery. Having a separate identity.

5 kleshas:

  1. asmita (ego)
  2. raga (strong craving) 
  3. dvesha (aversion, hatred)
  4. abhinevesha (fear)
  5. avidhya (ignorance)

Deep down in the very center point of you, there is no misery, none of 5 kleshas.


4 types of karma

  1. merit, 
  2. demerit
  3. mix of merit+demirt
  4. devoid of both merit+demerit (go for a walk in evening, has no merit or demerit)

vipaka: fruit of karma

The lord is every beings heart. Free from klesha, karma, vipaka.

The central core of life remains a virgin. Remains untouched by any events, happenings in life.

A circumference collapses into the the center.

There is no difference between God, Guru, Yourself. 

The core of your being rules the entire creation. Totality of consciousness.

The seed of all knowingness is present there. In that state of consciousness. How do you address it? Om is the nearest sound that it could be addressed with.

When you say OM prana is total, complete. All religions have a word close to OM. "

All other names are just the periphery.

There is enormous activity this very moment.

Just the memory of the lordship, can remove obstacles on your way. 

9 obstacles

https://yogalife.co.za/2018/10/18/9-obstacle-of-the-yogic-path/

Styāna: Illness in the body.

Styāna: Illness in the mind. Apathy, lack of interest and enthusiasm, boredom

Samśaya: Doubt of the self worth or ability. Doubts about the teacher.

Pramādā: Doing something wrong with an intention (knowing too well). Or not doing something that is needed. Negligence. Carelessness.

Alasyā: Heaviness in the body.

Avirati: Being engaged in any one of the sense objects and not coming out of it. Obsession.

Bhrāntidarśanā: Hallucination. Delusion.

Alabdhabhūmikatvā: Doubting progress & ability to succeed. One feels stuck.

Anavasthitatvā: I feel all the bliss, but it goes away. I have all good intentions. Very soon it is all gone. It doesn't stay. Not getting stabilized.

These obstacles bring dukha. Sadness. Bitterness. Lack of co-ordination in the body. irregular breathing. Shaky.

What do we do to overcome them?








Monday, December 28, 2020

Patanjali Yoga Sutras (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) #1

When it comes to enjoyment, no discipline is necessary.

Where is discipline needed? When something is not enjoyable, not charming to begin with. It is primarily to calm down the mind.

That pleasure that comes after discipline is long lasting, authentic and sattvic pleasure. 

Discipline should not be for no reason. Purpose of discipline is to attain joy.


Being here total this moment is abhyasa.

Mind may bring all justifications, fantasies to go out of the moment.

Coming back to the center, to the seer, this moment, again and again, and again is abhayasa.


Vairagaya/Dispassion is necessary for meditation. For these few moments I sit, I don't care for anything. Putting a stop for all cravings.

Shatter all dreams and fantasies. Burn them down. What great happiness you want? You'll be finished soon. For sure. Under the mud. It is all going to end. 

Carefully look at each craving you have, and see what is in it. All objects of sense have limitations. 

Become free before earth eats you up.

Desire makes you unhappy. Craving for happiness brings misery.Happiness is just an idea in our heads.

Skillfully come to present moment. Defeat all objects of senses.

Once you know the nature of the being -- total bliss, total pleasure.

Become centered. The essence is dispassion. Abhayasa and Vairagaya.

Dispassion is like doing something for the first time, without connection to the past, or worried of the future.

What pleasure the dispaasion cannot give? Because it puts you 100% in the moment. Every moment is a peak experience.

Dispassion centers you. Gives you strength.

You cannot increase your awareness or intelligence by effort. This can only be achieved by relaxation. You must learn to relax. Conscious resting. Practice of deep rest.

Dissolving oneself with the nature is also meditation. PrakartiLaya Samadhi. Like watching ocean waves, or sunset.

Faith integrates the consciousness. Doubt disseminates it.

Smriti/Memory of joy/samadhi/self brings back to your self.

Equanimous mind gives rise of heightened awareness.

Very EASY for someone who gives it first preference. Then spiritual growth is more easy. Tivr Samvagana Aasana. Rest of things in life have second preference. First commitment is to be with the truth. 

Just by one pointed devotion to God.

The very center core of life is ruled by love. Beyond all changes, the very center of consciousness, there is love.

A flower blossoms because of love. Young ones are cared for because of love. Love is inbuilt in the creation. God is love. Love is God. Synonymous.

















Saturday, December 26, 2020

Inner journey

Doubt until you find something un-dubitable.

Move inwards -- this is meditation.

Take 3 steps:

1. Observing all your activities: Body and it's acts. Remain a witness

2. When you have become capable of witnessing your body, watch the activities of your mind. Thoughts, dreams, imagination. Just remain a witness. As if you are standing by the side of the road. You are not part of this. Reflecting without any judgement. Just like a mirror. Become pure witness. As witnessing grows, thoughts stop in the same proportion. 100% witness => no thoughts, pure nothingness. This is the door to the last step.

3. In this step, witness the moods, feelings, which are more subtler than thoughts.

After this there is suddenly a quantum leap, where it happens by itself. You are thrown at the centre of your being. This is the end of the inner journey. You've come home.







Osho on three steps of Awareness

Question: Beloved Master, Is Maturation an ongoing process? How is maturation related to awareness? Please explain.

Osho: Yes. Maturation is an ongoing process. There is no full stop, not even a semicolon anywhere... it goes on and on. The universe is infinite. So is the possibility of your maturing. You can become so huge.... Your consciousness is not confined to your body. It can spread all over existence and all the stars can be within you. And there is no place where you will find a plate that says, ”Here ends the universe.” It is just not possible. It never begins; it never ends.

And you are part of it. You have been here always and you will be here always. Only forms change, and forms don’t matter. What matters is the content. So remember that particularly in America, containers matter more than the content. Who cares about the content? The container has to be beautiful.

Remember, the container is not you. You are the content. Forms change, your being remains the same. And it goes on growing, maturing, goes on becoming more enriched. And you ask, ”What is the relationship between awareness and maturity?” Awareness is the method; maturation is the result. Become more aware and you will have more maturity; hence, I teach you awareness and don’t talk about maturity. It is going to happen if you are aware.

There are three steps of awareness. First, become aware of your body – walking, chopping wood or carrying water from the well. Be watchful, be alert, aware, conscious. Don’t go on doing things like a zombie, like a somnambulist, a sleepwalker. When you have become aware of your body and its actions, then move deeper – to your mind and its activity, thoughts, imagination, projections. When you have become deeply aware of the mind, you will be surprised.

When you become aware of your bodily processes, you will be surprised there too. I can move my hand mechanically, I can move it with full awareness. When I move it with full awareness, there is grace, there is beauty. I can speak without awareness. There are orators, speakers.... I don’t know any oratory; I have never learned the art of speaking, because to me it looks foolish. If I have something to say, that is enough. But I am speaking to you with full awareness, each word, each pause... I am not an orator, not a speaker.

But when you are aware of speaking, it starts becoming art. It takes on the nuances of poetry and music. One man, a Western journalist, wrote a book, the new Mystics. His name is Aubrey Menen. He introduced me to the West. He has covered other mystics, but I was on his front cover. And the things he said, I could not believe myself. He said that he has listened to Adolf Hitler, who was a tremendous orator. He has listened to Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, who could hold millions of people while he was speaking.

He mentioned Kennedy – President Kennedy, who was a great speaker. But I was surprised: he said that listening to me, he felt a tremendous difference. ”Certainly this man is not trained in oratory or speaking, but whatever he is saying is reaching directly to people’s hearts. It was not the case with Adolf Hitler, Jawaharlal Nehru or President Kennedy; they were just repeating words like parrots.”

This is bound to happen if you speak with awareness. Then every gesture, every word has a beauty of its own. There is grace. When you become aware of the mind, you are in for a greater surprise. The more you become aware, the less thoughts move on the track. If you have one hundred percent thoughts, there is no awareness. If you have one percent awareness, there are only ninety-nine percent thoughts – in exact proportion. When you have ninety-nine percent awareness, there is only one percent thought, because it is the same energy.

As you become more aware there is no energy available for thoughts; they die out. When you are one hundred percent aware, the mind becomes absolutely silent. That is the time to move still deeper.

The third step: to become aware of feelings, moods, emotions. 
In other words, first the body – its action; second, the mind – its activity; third, the heart and its functions. When you move to the heart and bring your awareness there, again a new surprise. All that is good grows, and all that is bad starts disappearing. Love grows, hate disappears. Compassion grows, anger disappears. Sharing grows, greed disappears.

When your awareness of the heart is complete, the last surprise, and the greatest surprise: you don’t have to take any step. A quantum leap happens on its own accord. From the heart, you suddenly find yourself in your being, at the very center. There you are aware only of awareness, conscious only of consciousness. There is nothing else to be aware of, or to be conscious of. And this is the ultimate purity. This is what I call enlightenment.

And this is your birthright! If you miss, only you are responsible. You cannot dump the responsibility on anybody else. And it is so simple and natural, that you just have to begin. Only the first step is difficult. The whole journey is simple. There is a saying that the first step is almost the whole journey. Okay?


Source: https://www.messagefrommasters.com/Meditation/Awareness/three_steps_to_Awareness.htm