MEDITATION

 

“ Life is a process of learning, every moment of unfolding is a learning. Life is ever on the move, never stagnating. It is like a meditation, a meditation in being.” said the Yogi.
The snake had known what it was to be in meditation. But he wondered why the Yogi talked of ‘meditation in being’.
“This is an echo process you know” , said the Yogi. “Being in meditation, being in meditation, and then meditation in being”. “Tell me” , said the Yogi, “what do you know of being in meditation, and I shall tell you of meditation in being”.

"Since I had no formal teaching in meditation. I made my own improvisations, said the snake, I took a blanket, folded it for a seat, closed my eyes and meditated upon what there was when there was nothing".

  "Good" , said the  yogi, "This is a direct way of looking for the source, the beginning. What did you realise?"

"The curious mind, which has, so far identified itself with its conditioning, thoughts, and own conceptions, yearns to transcend itself, to know the truth about the truth, to reach the unreachable. Meditation, is a step to introduce this mind to the truth.During meditation, the meditator strives for maximum awareness." said the snake.

   " Yes, and this striving is paradoxical too, it comes only after complete relaxation and ‘at easeness’. One should not be, therefore, rigid or conditioned even about approaches to meditation. Continue", said the  Yogi.

 " In due course, it perceives many new sensory lights, sounds and smells, which of it, did not exist earlier. These serve as indicators of progress. The mind now knows that there is nothing known as soundless. That in fact, the absence of noise which we call silence, alone leads to anahata, the eternal reasonance, vibrating the universal hum. Similarly, that, which we have known as darkness, is actually permeated by lights.Then, the meditator becomes conscious of an energy formation that rises slowly, up the spine. This is a higher awareness and the arrangement is being made for the mind to meet the self, through (within) the meditator. The steadily rising energy reaches the brain and explodes into permeation. This one moment of culmination is spontaneous and the mind meets with, knows, and fuses into the self, all at once. This is the highest awareness. There is nothing more to be seen, heard or smelled; only a knowingness.This knowingness is known by itself.  The mind that has been so stilled by the meditator into perfect awareness, knows that it has transcended itself, that it stands in the truth. That, it is experiencing eternity, void, nothingness, everythingness, all at once. There is the experience of the great ‘I am’ness and all previous conceptions of duality between the meditator and the self stand erased. You are at once the knower and the known, the experiencer and the experienced." said the snake.

  "Do not forget the vital links", said the yogi," You are not only the experiencer and the experienced you are the experience. You are the knowing."

   "The concept of time too, stands radically altered, because you know you have taken a cosmic journey in a split second; indeed, you have experienced time immemorial in a fraction of the present. Later, when the mind returns to the level of intellect, and then reflects upon the experience, it may be called ‘near death’ since there was no body or mind consciousness at the time; and you are trying to understand it through memory. You are filled with the wonderment again, who was it that experienced all that?" Exclaimed the snake.

  "Only pure consciousness reflecting upon pure consciousness", said the Yogi. A declaration of the primordial state of being. So did you realise what there was, when there was nothing?Pure consciousness, pure energy, pure transcendence; no matter, no manifestation, nothing of dynamics, only lots of potential energy. Nothing gross, only a subtle state. Like a seed not sprouted, an egg not hatched, a baby not born to the outer world; Prakasa!"

~ From the book The Yogi and the snake ( conversations with God Shiva)

THE FOUNTAINHEAD

 

THE FOUNTAINHEAD

Like a fountain that springs

like a rush of joy

like a child,

yes, He Plays!!!

Spilling over the catchment of Primal Oneness:

Make way

and AUM,

A Universe is toy,

but lo! Her presence, doubles the joy:

She who is.

With Her myriad magical ways,

whispers

Namah Shivaye..

Aum Namah Shivaye.

~ Shiva poetry Vol2

Kundalini, the Chakras, and Raja Yoga of Lord Shiva.

 

Kundalini is the Universal energy force present in each of us in its microcosmic aspect, symbolised in the form of a sleeping serpent.Yogis teach that since this force is latent, it needs to be raised from its lowest residence, passing through various stations, called Chakras, to the highest peak, where lord Shiva Himself resides. When she does reach the summit and merge into her lord, the person is supposed to become 'enlightened', having really found himself ( That's why you may have noticed the portayal  of a serpent head over the head of many of our saints )

The whole inner journey of arousing the energy and raising it to its highest potential, is supposed to be the summary purpose of human evolution to a higher being, carefully systemized under Raja Yoga marg by Lord Shiva. And this divine power, itself permeates both the inner and the outer world. And speaking of  the outer, or macrocosmic dimension of the force, while Tibet ,Egypt, and many other civilizations learnt of the force,even the gnostics of western tradition knew of it, but  the ancient Indian science of spirituality ,is now becoming truly becoming international. Or should we say kundalini has risen above geographical boundaries ,in her macrocosmic arousal! And we find a whole lot of literature, research and teaching going on, the world over.
In India, of course our peers have always known of the chakkers! but extensive work has been done on this esoteric science right  in Jammu and kashmir, from Lal ded, Abhinava Gupta,down to Swami Lakshman jee and Pandit Gopi krishna in our own age, all of who have been doyens in teaching of this sacred science. The very basics of the science state that a human has seven major levels of existence, each corresponding to a station within his own body, like a vortice or dominative energy field of that particular realm of existence.
So , we have :

1) Muladhar, The base Chakra below the spinal cord, where Kundalini sleeps, happy with her shelter, and if this Chakra is not transcended,one would lead an existence of food/shelter needs.
This can go on for years, as in the human evolution itself,and we know that our forefather, the first man, lived as a cave dweller for years before he wandered out to explore.
Even today, though the human race as a whole has evolved past just looking for shelter,
the first Chakra dwellers would be  those individuals who never rise above material realms.So it can be a moneyed man or even a nation that does not think beyond materialism.

2) Svadhisthan,the second Chakra at the root of the progenitive organ, which,appropriately, stands for the procreative need of the individual or race.

3) Manipura, the third Chakra,at the navel, symbolising the 'power' need, a sort of umblical cord of the individual to his higher potential.

4) Hrdya, the fourth, at the heart,denoting the emotive need. Behaviours may be better understood at this level.

5) Visudhha, the fifth at the throat, denoting eloquence .An appreciation of arts and crafts leads to 'culture'.

6) Ajna, the sixth, at the forehead, also the third eye, or Gyan chakshu,denoting intuition, again, appropriately, the sixth sense.

7) Sahasrara, the seventh, over the roof of the head,meaning literally,the thousand petalled, or, symbolically, where the individual becomes, anant- endless,or the Universal itself.

Interestingly, in the outer macrocosm, this is true of sacred geography,and so you may understand even Yatras, to be gradual ascents,
for example, at Vaishno deviji Yatra, say from Kol kondoli ,to Charan paduka, Ardh kawari, Haathi matha and finally Mata darbar at Vaishno devi; or at our Amarnath yatra , beginning from Pahal gam, Chandanwari, Sheshnag,Panchtarni, the Mahagunas, and finally the linga at the top, called Amarnath!
Of course, this is true for even the geographical abode of Shiva ,Kailash! where one traverses through various stations,before the  culmination of Kailash darsana itself.
You may even realise that the older day maharajas had gardens,palaces, even cities designed in the chakra weave, Jaipur , with its pols(gates) may be a fine example of sacred geometry. Such was the importance given and pointers erected in honour of Kundalini.
 Aum Namah Shivaye.

Shail Gulhati is the Author of the books :
SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
The Yogi and the snake
Shiva Poetry
NAAM ROOP- A Tribute to the Divine
And Life Said.

The Truth Seeker ( A story of determined Bhakti )

 

There was once a time, when people were not as busy with their worldly life as they are now. One did not have to bother too much about which car to buy, there were only horses and bullock carts. There was no such thing as a posh locality, everyone lived in the same village, or the next. Food and festivity also meant more or less the same thing to most people.
Now, because people then did not have to worry too much about these things, they did however, strongly believe in knowing God for themselves, first hand.
And though some intellectuals always scornfully remind us that we have grown out of 'The bullock cart age', yet everything God has made ,  has its virtues, and the story I am about to tell, is exactly from that time, when knowing God first hand was considered a good aim in life.

In that time, in a mountainous region, there lived a master, who was fabled to be very knowledgeable about God and godly matters. The master was in charge of a simple monastery, where he would teach and impart wisdom to only a few select students.
People said that in his youth, he had visited a very Divine cave. In that cave, there was said to be a "Great red jewel" Laal Ratan , at which he had gazed and gained direct access to almighty God.

Now, the master kept with him a map to the secret cave, and every year, he would disclose the map only to the best spiritual student in the monastery, so that he too could see the great red jewel. It was the greatest privilege to be selected for the mission. Year after year, the top student would be given the map in front of the whole congregation, and asked to undertake the great spiritual expedition for themselves.

When they would return after a few days,the master would ask in a set manner, about the journey,
" Did you use the map i gave you?"
" Yes master"
" Were the directions accurate?"
" Yes master"
" Did you see the red jewel?"
" Yes, thank you great master," would be the reply.
The master would then accord a great seat of honour to the student, saying,
" Be seated, and guard your secret well!"
and there, seated with the others in the hall of fame before them, the successful students would guard the secret and hold their heads high.

Year after year, people came to him from far and wide, and the process continued.
One day a young man walked into the monastery hall, and on the first glance itself, the master knew that he was a very sincere seeker of God. From that first day, the master would delight in the young man's company, calling him always " My little truth seeker" . But many of the others did not like this, and were jealous. Whenever they could get a chance, they would try to turn the master against the boy, but masters, of course, do not turn, that is why they are masters!

Within a few years only, the master declared that the young man was to be given the secret map. This disappointed many students who could not understand why they had not been chosen, but the master had conveyed his decision, and so the truth seeker went his way.

Days passed, then weeks, and even a month, but the boy did not return. The detractors started passing unpleasant comments about the mission ,but the master said simply " He will return".
And one day, when the full hall was in attendance, true to the master’s confidence, the truth seeker walked in.

His clothes were torn, he had lost weight, grown a beard, he even walked with a limp, altogether, he had a beggarly appearance, but there was a certain light in his eyes- a light of certainty.
"Did you use the map i gave you?" the master asked his usual question
"Yes ,master" came the reply
"Were the directions accurate?'"
"Yes master,but.." the boy hesitated
"But what?" asked the master, as the congregation got restless
"But, the map took me only to a grove, and there it ended, and i was lost" came the reply
"And then? " The master beckoned, "Then what happened?"
"Then i continued, and used so many of your teachings with my own understanding, and i found the cave"
"And did you finally see the red jewel?"
"Yes, i saw the jewel, master, but..."
"But what? "
" But was Blue" said the boy

" He is an unworthy pupil" cried the congregation, feeling sure that now he would be reprimanded,and they looked to the master as refree.
But the master was up from his chair, he danced and beamed as he held the boy, and looking at the pupils, declared authoritatively , " He speaks the truth".
"All these years you guarded your secret, which is that you were never able to reach the cave" The master continued, "But this boy went beyond the map, and he did go to the cave for himself, and yes it is true that the jewel was always blue. The search for God is not about secrets and maps, but about sincerity and courage. It is not about someone else’s truth, which he will hand down to you, but about our own truth which we all must find for ourselves, And which is thereafter realised as the ONE truth for all ”

The search for God, therefore, is also not about this story and a red or a blue jewel, this is just a little parable I made up for you from my own journeybook.
Your search for God is about you embarking on your own journey, of course with help from the masters that have already been. It is your good fortune if you can take their guidance and reach quite near the divine heights, but there comes a time when even the Buddha tells you, to discard all that comes in your way of the truth, and the Buddha went as far as to compare any support to a raft used to cross a river. He advised that the crossing was more important than the raft and that the raft could be discarded on the other side. People often say that death is a last journey, a journey that one has to undertake alone. But dear friends, i like to remind that finding God is also a tremendous journey that one has to undertake alone, that too, when alive! And this can only be done with an unmatched passion, to the exclusion of all other things. So don’t wait for a secret map, don’t worry about the colours of God’s jewel, just begin your own adventure, and be, as the Buddha said,” a lamp unto yourself”.



Shail Gulhati is the Author of the books :SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
The Yogi and the snake
Shiva Poetry
NAAM ROOP- A Tribute to the Divine
And Life Said.