Welcome back dear friends,. If you remember on 30th Nov, Shri Mahavatar Babaji had asked us many questions which are reflecting in the last post Who are you?-I. I suggest it will be good for us if you go back to the previous post to recall what the main theme was in case you can’t get it right away. In any case, it is advised that once you read this post and absorb it well, some time later you should read both posts in line so that there is a continuity in thought and we can hold the philosphy of Vedas firmly in our minds.
We continue from there and will try to bridge the following text with the significance of previous questions. Hope you must have contemplated on those grave issues during this period. I agree the questions were tough and getting their complete answers tougher. Many must have abandoned those questions in their minds in the first place because of ambiguity about this deep philosphy. And some may have attempted but may have not been able to crack and untangle the hard questions if they are already familiar with this knowledge.
One blog reader showed interest in self enquiry and had commented on previous post that he has probed within himself to know who he was and what was his purpose here. Yet he was not able to know about himself. My reply was that his query could be the question of a few other good seekers at present or in future and therefore the reply would come as a new post instead as a reply to his comment. Indeed every sincere thinker, philospher and spiritualist has arrived at a certain stage sometime during his/her journey when these questions boggle him/her. I have tried to satisfy those baffling questions as I too had similar inquiry after I read the story of Nachiketa in Kathopanishada. It was in 1999, that I had got very fascinated by Upanishadas when Nachiketa’s story came up in Swami Viviekananda’s book pertaining to Oriental knowledge. After reading Swami Vivekananda’s reference, I read the summaries of a few Upanishadas by a local author and it was later when I read Yoga Vashishitha again in 1999 that I spent hours trying to analyse my personality and identity with self-examination in afternoons.
This subject is vast, deep and very vital. Yet I am attempting it as it is the wish of God. I have also tried to make a prècis of what was given to me by my Great Master two days ago. The reason why they are concise is because the posts here are not for our intellectualizing attempts but rather for just self enquiry. So after reading the post, go over it a few more times, think about it and if there is anything that needs clarification and elaboration, we shall discuss it in this forum. Everybody is welcome to express themselves freely. There can be some shortcomings in describing this post from my side because it is a difficult and very subtle topic. If something is missed out or not discussed in detail, we will carry it forward in the next post.
Please know that the posts that are coming up at this time are going to have minimal embellishments. The Great Master will create his magic by his mere words!! Master in his elements again is unstoppable and will seek our attention with this high philosphy meant to release souls from their long, long slavery from mental and physical confinements! So meditate and release yourself from the suffering that you have encountered over the years.
The next posts will be brief, grave, investigative and ruminative in nature. So get prepared for more of thinking and side by side many new things will unfold in you automatically. I anticipate many new horizons being touched and many new insights will be arrived at after groping and speculation by you. Deep learning comes only with churning and thinking.
Unlike earlier posts, the new posts will be instructive in nature and will have some steps to follow apart from self enquiry and investigation within. Therefore, bring your focus on yourself once again and get started. Should we start please? We need some preparation before we read the prepared text. We need to do this…….Relax…. Get light.
Take a few deep breaths and fill your mind with some fresh air.
Please calm your mind completely, relax your body by loosening it. The more you relax, the lighter you shall be. And if you are completely calm by now; if your mind dissolves wholly and becomes one with the void sky, then you have to listen to this. Once you have become as light as the sky akashvat, only then you should start listening to what I have to say.
Today introduce yourself to your own self! Know yourself very well today.
And before we begin our enquiry, we should be taking the blessings of His Holiness Shri Mahavatar Babaji. And by touching the holy feet of all the other blessed saints, sages and holy souls, we will begin a new chapter and a new lesson whose title will be, who am I?
So here we begin…..
When the cool and light breeze caresses your face, have you ever asked yourself, who likes it? Is it your skin or your mind?
It is your mana or mind.
So are you the mind?
You are able to observe your mind when you are unhappy or unsettled. This means that the mind has no power of itself; there is some other power above it that can watch it. Who is the observer of this duality of joy and grief? Who is it? Know that.
You are not this body; it is perishable. The body is composed of five elements*and is acquired as per our destiny. Therefore do not love your body more than you should or else your mind will also become inert. The body is inert and the mind conscious; but then you are unaware of the controlling power that rules both- the body and the mind. What is the controlling power?
Your physical body has five senses**, five karma-indriyas** * or the organs of actions and also five gyan indriyas**** or the senses of knowledge. You are not the senses or the sense organs.
The food that you intake also has five elements that are present in the Universe-water, earth, space, fire and air. Because the physical body is made up of food, the five elements are also present in your body because of the food that you eat. Obviously you are not the five elements.
So after knowing all this, you must have by now understood that you are the seer and non-doer of these five elements. All the five elements on their own work outside and inside you. Our job is to balance these elements which are inside our body and outside in the Universe by eating right foods and striking a balance by leading a regulated life.
Therefore your mana or mind is above the five elements, five senses and five sense organs.
The intelligence in humans help them to decide, judge or reason. So many times, the intelligence in humans fails or lacks full strength because it is covered by his ego, lust or desire.
But there is a force that governs the intelligence and illumines us. Which force is that? With which force does man’s vast intelligence gets sharper and brighter? Reflect on this.
Are you the ego? No, surely not. Then what are you?
The mind is a fragment or a part of God’s Light which is present in humans and other living beings.
Ripples are formed in the mind; from ripples are born currents or waves and with those currents, thoughts are formed. Thoughts make up the mind.
The mind does not possess the power to control itself. In the beginning, it needs the power of the Guru and the power of God to stop its senseless running and rampaging. When for a very long duration, the mind’s consciousness goes on aligning and fraternizing with the divine consciousness, it then forsakes its old nature and become one with the Almighty Universal God. Example-when the iron rod is thrown in the hot furnace, it melts completely and becomes one with fire. In the end there is only fire and no iron as it melts fully.
The aim and purpose of Yoga becomes to calm and liquefy the mind. This goes to prove that you are not the mind but you possess the mind. If you possess the mind and are not the mind then who are you?
You are bright Light. You are everlasting ananda, joy. You are the utmost peace. You are an indestructible element. You are the ever present power which the Vedas have called Atma. You are that. Only remove the dust that covers your mind over many lives. You are that blazing Light which permeates everywhere but is silent. The calm and silent Force that governs the universe is present inside you. All we have to do is to acquire that…..
Glossary
*Five elements -water, earth, fire, sky and space
**Five senses – *** speech, smell, taste, sight, hearing and touch
***Karma-indriyas– hands, legs, mouth or tongue and the organs of reproduction and excretion
****Gyan- indriyas or sense organs– eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin
A note-
As I have been engaged in the last two days with the formation of this enlightening post, a beautiful chant has been playing non stop at the back of my mind on its own. It is Chidananda rupah, Shivoham Shivoham…. by Adi Shankaracharya. When I first accidently heard this soulful rendition by Purushottam Jalota in 1984 or so, I liked it immensely. The voice of the singer made a deep impact and much, much deeper impact was made by the words of those verses. It has never me left me ever since; it is so powerful. What Shri Mahavatar Babaji has taught us in a precise form today has been described at length by Adi Shankaracharya in Shivoham Chant called Atma Shatakam or Nirvana Shatakam. The great Adi Shankaracharya of eighth century summarized the Advaita philosphy in six stanzas. When he was wandering in the Himalayas as a boy of only eight years in search of a guru, he encountered a wise sage who asked him, “Who are you?”. The young boy answered in those six stanzas which are called Atma Shatakam or Nirvana Shatakama. The sage was Swami Govindapada Acharya.
In his introduction, Adi Shankaracharya repeatedly says that he is eternal non- dying Consciousness which is bliss and not mind, body or senses. He is not even the five elements or five sheaths of bodies or five types of air that are present in one’s body. He is not even the five vices. Neither will he ever die as he was never born. He is Chidananda, he is bliss, he is mere pure Consciousness, pure Consciousness……..
This post is dedicted to Adi Shankaracharya from my side and I seek his blessings for all of us so that who ever reads this post is helped by him in pursuing self enquiry leading to self realization. I can mentally visualize his grace and kindness helping us in our tough endeavours; so compassionate are the realized Masters.
An after thought
I just heard the shlokas of Chidananda rupah again just now. It was so calming and soothing. I travelled back in my past and began to cry out of gratitude. How far Babaji has got me! Today I understand these words and can identify with them, earlier they were just very close to my heart and I only dreamt of understanding them; if only I could understand them one day I thought…..As I heard the soulful words, I prayed to Babaji to kindly hide me and instead he should come in front in the world because I am too small and young in soul in comparison to him. He is the best person to give us Advait knowledge. Why did he ask me to even attempt what Adi Shankaracharya has said at the age of eight? Imagine how aplogetic I feel when in the presence of these spiritual giants, Mahavatar Babaji asks me to write on who are you? Imagine who am I to write about Atma or Parmatma? How can we ever describe God in words? Or for that matter a state of Divine Consciousness of a very highly realized Guru or Jagadguru? These tears are my flowers of devotion, my offering for my Holy Shri Mahavatar Babaji, who was even Adi Shankaracharya’s master in the Himalayas. I offer my flowers of devotion along with all these words at his most sacred feet, my most humble Jagadguru, Jagat pita with all the gratitude that I have…….
Om shanti, shanti, shanti, Om.
Dear Sarika ,hi we have been also chanting the same mantra .also got the same feeling as ,pls hide me and u take over ,I want to feel your presence oh great master in every cell of my body ,in every karm and every breath I may take is Shri Krishna arpansm astu .yhka and regards
Dear Sangeeta, welcome to the long distance education in the virtual world! Great to see you expressing your thoughts. Stay connected.
O, Realized One, how are we ever so grateful to you and the Master for this Wisdom that has been shone upon us.
Important things are indeed beyond the reach for the intelligent Mind or the unsatisfying Senses, however, these things are very close to a humble Heart blessed by the Masters.
Dear Sarikaji…
First of all.. My humble pranaam to you and Sri Babaji…
Thanks a lot for making me very clear… WHO I AM…!!!!
i would like to share what i have understood from this post.. ” I have come to know that i am not the physical body( which is composed of five elements and which is having five karma indriyas and five gyan indriyas). And i am not even the mana / mind, which is above the physical body, senses and indriyas, and which is a part of god’s light present in all of us, but which does not possess the power to control itself, and which needs the power and blessings of the guru and the god to make itself calm and then to merge with divine consciousness of god… ”
So I am the Atma, Soul, a bright light, peace, joy, love, eternal bliss which is everywhere and which never dies… and which possesses the mind…
Dear Sarikaji.. i would like to ask you one question that once we know that we are atma/soul and chidananda… what practices we need to be continuously in this state. because unknowingly i always try to live in a soul state, but very honestly confessing that sometimes the mind overcomes, specially when someone behaves rudely with me.. automatically reflections with anger comes out.. and at such time its like huge loss of soul energy… i have always felt that its ego, and always have worked on it.. but still not properly out of it.. so i request you to please guide me…
Namaste with love and lots of gratitude…
Nirav…..
Dear Niravji,
For the anger issue, which most of us are facing I have found a lovely short story that will surely help you with the question.
Laugh at your Anger – > http://www.sacinandanaswami.com/en/s1a39/wisdom-stories/laugh-at-your-anger.html
Regards.
My dear friend…
Thanks a lot for this 🙂 i have gone through it and the answer is that myself and anger both are not equal and the moment i feel it.. i should not give attention to that and just try to look at it as a witness.. and finally it shall disappear… how true..!!
Again thanks… so nice of u…
With love and Regards…
Nirav…
Dear Nirav, it is very heartening to see that you have a good grip over spiritual matters and you have understood the whole post in a summarized manner.
We are Atma and we recognize the existance of Atma but the world does not. So accept that others are not interested in attaining any spiritual feats and behave in a rude manner. Yet it feels bad when people lack basic understanding and they can be harsh or rude to us. It can annoy us to a great extent or make us angry in some cases.
We need to look at the whole issue from practical point of view.
Yes, we lose our control and patience and at that time we become angry. Do not react in the same manner as that person has behaved because it will bring you a guilt feeling and earn a bad karma. Listen to that person carefully, answer patiently and then stay calm. If he/she still does not calm down and is still foul, then you can leave that person alone for some time. Sense shall prevail over him/her.
People around us do not change, we change ourselves.With your daily spiritual practice, create a space inside yourself which is very peaceful, restful and quiet. Name it ‘Atmabodh’. Enter that space whenever there is disharmony outside. Meditation will speed up this process. Stay there as long as you like, nobody can enter and destroy your ananda. Equanimity comes after quite a long time because there is chaos, noise and disharmony in the world. If time to time we can dive inside our Eternal Self, the outside world will perish slowly and the anger, hurt and annoyance will minimize and then disappear. So work on yourself more than wasting your energy in expectations. People don’t want to change! You stay in ananda!
God bless you!
Dear Sarikaji, Pranaam.. Thank u so much for this divine guidance. I have started to do it in my meditations.. With lots of love and gratitude… Nirav
Pranaam,
The question that arises now is: How do we get rid of the dust that envelopes the Light?
With gratitude, love and regards,
Pranaam.
My dear one,
Your Q- How do we get rid of the dust that envelopes the Light? is a useful one.
Basically, the dust that gets accumulated over the Atman is of the vices or vikar of Maya. Illusion or Maya is erazed with gyan or knowledge. Knowledge comes with humility and doing right karmas. By taking the help of the Guru, speed up the procedure of enlightenment.
Some previous articles like How to know Atman and Why is it difficult to know Atma will throw some more light on this topic. It discusses sanchit karmas. Sanchit karmas and bhagya or destiny come in the way of knowing Atma, they stand in between. So slowly and steadily, we take steps and go up one by one by holding the hand of our Guru. The Guru is marga darshak or guide. By his illumination and guidance, we walk on the right path and reach our destination…..and finally get rid of the dust of ignorance or ‘not knowing’. Then there is nothing in between the Light and you.
In my meditations daily, i do try to find where this sense of I, identity is coming from, where the thoughts bubble up from suddenly and where they disappear, where the breath comes from, who is the one who is aware of the thoughts/ mind chatter, who makes the heart beat.
It’s 4 am in the morning and very glad to read this post. Also just heard on youtube, Chidananda rupah, Shivoham Shivoham chant. It’s fantastic and I bow at the feet of Shri Adi Shankaracharya.
Deep gratitude for this post.
Dear Sarika,
I cannot thank you enough for bringing out Babaji’s teachings and words out to the public so beautifully with such devotion and surrender. I have reading a few posts of yours since the past few days ever since I came to know of it. I wanted to leave this note of thank you and most of all let you know that reading this particular post “who are you II?” came like a jolt to me. I was asking Babaji earlier this evening to make his presence felt by me somehow not least because I had any doubts that about constant presence but I just wanted some sign to soothe my constantly aching heart and longing for him. Its 10.24pm in California as I write this tonight the 12th of April, 2014. I was about to go to bed and thought I’d read a couple of more posts before I do. As I read through the post, I came to the line wherein you had mentioned about Chidananda Rupah Shivoham Shivoham verses behind the meaning of the message in this post. Incidentally, I was listening to that very verse right at that moment as I was reading your post and those very lines. I refuse to believe that this was mere coincidence. It was so meant to be. I realized Babaji was answering my earlier request that his presence be felt by me this evening. I do clearly.
Many thanks to your soothing and enlightening posts and to my most beloved Babaji for giving me new meaning and purpose to my life.
Love,
Priya
My dear Priya,
You are welcome on this blog with our Guru’s unfailing love and boundless compassion.
I totally believe what you have experienced and shared with me.It does happen like that if our inner calling is flawless and very honest. There is an answer to our prayers if we know how to listen!
This is the best way to realize God; in a very subtle way the omnipresent Divine Master responds.Your own faith and trust should be unfailing. With this testimony now, please go on to the next lesson that you need and divert your mind in learning fast by studying the several posts, you will find solace.
Fulfill your purpose your life!
Lovingly
Sarika
ohm namo bhagavade vasudevaya.
pranam to the great Sri adi sankarajarya swami, pranam to my param guru, pranam to ma.
seeking your blessing swami adi sakarajarya, a great soul, who have been in physical for a very short time but made the swami order, made rituals in temples, made the adwaita vedaanta..etc
during reading, i had to remember one sacred reading related to Sri guruvayurappa ( Sri krishna ) and Sri Sankarajarya, it might be interesting for all, and a sacred must visit temple.
Guruvayoor temple is one of the famous temples of Krishna, The idol of Guruvayur temple is unique, since it is carved out of “Paathalanjana Sila”, and is considered extremely sacred. This idol was once worshipped by Mahavishnu in Vaikunta. Vishnu handed it over to Brahma. King Suthapas and his wife who worshipped Bhrama for a child received this idol from Brahma. He advised them to 2 start worshipping the idol. Once Lord Vishnu appeared before them and blessed them that he himself will be born as their child in their three re-births in three different forms and in three different situations. Thus they got the good fortune to worship the same deity in all three rebirths. They gave birth to Prasnigarbhan who gave to the world the practice of Brahmacharya Vratha (Celibacy) . In their next birth, Suthapas and his wife were born as Kashyapa and Adithi . Their son in that birth was Vamana. The third rebirth was as Vasudeva and Devaki. The Lord Krishna was born as their eighth son. In the long run , the Lord Krishna himself installed this idol in Dwaraka and worshipped it.
Sanctity of idle installation
From Mahavishnu the sacred idol has passed through the hands of Brahma, Suthapas, Kasyapa, Vasudeva, Sree Krishna and finally at the time of Krishna’s ascension to Vaikunta, he instructed Udhava to entrust Brahaspathi (the Guru of Devas) with the task of taking the idol to a suitable place where people could worship it, so as to get salvation in Kaliyuga. A deluge had closed in on Dwaraka, but Guru salvaged the idol with the help of his prime disciple, Vayu. Guru and Vayu went around the world in search of an ideal place. They met Parasurama who lead them to a lush green spot with a beautiful lotus tank where they felt the presence of Lord Siva. Lord Siva along with Parvathy welcomed them and said , “This is the same spot you are looking for, here it was, I imparted the Rudrageetham to the Prechethas” .The idol was installed there. Siva with Parvathy left to the opposite bank, at Mammiyur. Siva permitted Guru and Vayu to perform the consecration rites and blessed them that henceforth this place would be known as GURUVAYUR (since the installation was done by Guru and Vayu).
Vishwakarma, the divine architect was requested to build a Temple , which he made in such a way that on the day of Vishu (Summer equinox), the sun himself makes his obeisance . His first rays on that day fall straight on the Lord’s feet. The idol was installed in the solar month of Kumbha. (February – March). The ceremony was begun on the seventh asterism of Pooyam (Puozhya) and completed on the day of Anizham (Anuradha).
As the idol was once worshiped by the Lord Mahavishnu himself in Vaikunta, Guruvayur is considered to be ” Bhooloka Vaikunta ” – the heaven on earth.
SANKARACHARYA’S FORCED LANDING
Once Sankaracharya was on his aerial journey to Shringeri. While above Guruvayur he smiled at the pompousness and vividity of the procession of Sreebhootha Bali (feeding celestial attendants) and tried to pass the temple without making any obeisance to the Lord. Suddenly his forward movement stopped the procession there at the northwest corner. He soon recovered and saw the Lord in all his royalty. Realizing the cause of his fall, Sankaracharya prostrated before the Lord and tried to win the Lord’s favour by chanting 8 slokas in praise of Govinda, known as Govinda Ashtakam. The small opening in the roof over the North- West courtyard is in commemoration of this event. Sankaracharya is believed to have instituted the Mandala Vilakku (lighting of lamps for 41days).
Pranam again to the great saints…
With love,
Midhun Pk
Thank you Ma and Babaji..
below is the you tube link of shivoham shivoham by purusotam das jalota..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8r9Y1hzMFs
-The mind is a fragment or a part of God’s Light which is present in humans and other living beings.
-Ripples are formed in the mind; from ripples are born currents or waves and with those currents, thoughts are formed. Thoughts make up the mind.
-You are not the mind but you possess the mind.
-Remove the dust that covers your mind over many lives. The aim and purpose of Yoga becomes to calm and liquefy the mind.
-The mind does not possess the power to control itself. In the beginning, it needs the power of the Guru and the power of God to stop its senseless running and rampaging.
-The Guru is marga darshak or guide. By his illumination and guidance, we walk on the right path and reach our destination. Who am I to Journey Home.
with love and gratitude
Thank you dearest mom for this enlightening blog post.
Contemplating upon this:
” The mind does not possess the power to control itself. In the beginning, it needs the power of the Guru and the power of God to stop its senseless running and rampaging. When for a very long duration, the mind’s consciousness goes on aligning and fraternizing with the divine consciousness, it then forsakes its old nature and become one with the Almighty Universal God. Example-when the iron rod is thrown in the hot furnace, it melts completely and becomes one with fire. In the end there is only fire and no iron as it melts fully.
The aim and purpose of Yoga becomes to calm and liquefy the mind. This goes to prove that you are not the mind but you possess the mind. If you possess the mind and are not the mind then who are you? “
Dear Shahid, by this process of melting our mind and then separating it, we are removing the old mind which had undesirable things. Over the period, with sadhana continously, the mind gets fully dissolved and at one point, there is a stationary period, a period of zero activity. It is called shunya also. In that moment one finds the onlooker and the mind as two separate identities. Hence our Spirit is separated from the cover of our thoughts being produced in the mind and we identify a separate identity of ours. Before that it was only our mind.Our soul is further below our thoughts lying mutely.
Practice separating the mind and then living in the tranquility of your Soul.
Mom.
Thank you mom for your reply. Awaiting for the day when I find out I AM not the body,mind or thoughts.
Dear mom, just read this sacred post again. Also read this reply to one of the seekers and pasting it here for everyone’s benefit : ” Equanimity comes after quite a long time because there is chaos, noise and disharmony in the world. If time to time we can dive inside our Eternal Self, the outside world will perish slowly and the anger, hurt and annoyance will minimize and then disappear. So work on yourself more than wasting your energy in expectations. People don’t want to change! You stay in ananda! “
“You are bright light, you are everlasting ananda, joy. you are the utmost peace. you are an indestructible element, you are the ever present power which the vedas have called Atma. you ate that. Only remove the dust that covers your mind over many lives. you are that blazing light which permeates everywhere but is silent. The calm and silent force that governs the universe is present inside you. All we have to do is to acquire that.”