Divine intervention at last

My sweet child, I had gone for a YSS weekend spiritual retreat at Igatpuri near Nasik in Nov’ 2004. It was a period of catharsis and I was consumed with a sense of deprivation, grief and loss because of which I had an emotional outburst on the 9^th morning as I was unable to find and appoint a divine godhead or a spiritual entity to sort out my life and ease my problems a wee bit.

There was anxiety building up because I was certain by now that I will not be able to sort it out myself and tide over my complicated ongoing  life-crises. I desperately wanted a Guru to hold my finger like a loving Father and make me walk on my path as I knew that the long, slippery and arduous path of emancipation and salvation was impossible to trek alone. I wished to be initiated by someone so that I could start  as soon as possible and reach my destination fast . My frenzied burning desire to find God and then talk to Him directly reached a crescendo and I was inconsolable. I was weeping bitterly in my bed and praying fervently to find my spiritual mentor when just then a very auspicious incident took place in my room in Igatpuri that morning…

Sri Paramhansa Yogananda

Divine appearance of the loving Spiritual Master and Yoga expert, Sri Paramhansa Yogananda appeared at the threshold of my room. He was wearing a flowing ochre robe, his curly hair were left open on the shoulders and there was an aura of divinity all around Him. His divine face was full of compassion and genuine sympathy and understanding. Though not surprised, I was relieved to see Him and I was released of ongoing painful agony. I took a sigh of relief as  I was being heard at last and with His appearance at that moment, the feeling of being abandoned in me disappeared like a gust of thin air. While still sobbing, I made a very earnest request  to Him by asking- Who is my Guru?  With a gentle smile, He answered- “The Guru is ordained and appointed by God. I am your Guru.”

I was very perplexed at His reply. How can he be my Guru I thought to myself. During those days, I was practically having so many  visions of Divine beings and of celestial beings of astral world that I was unsure who  would be my Guru after all. I was a bit confused now because I did not know what would become of me if I completely surrendered myself at His sacred feet.

It has been my strong conviction since the beginning that once you appoint a Guru and harbour Him in your heart, we must never step back. It was for keeps. Therefore, I wanted to tread my path very carefully and take one step at a time. All this while I was ruminating over this fact,  when he first looked at me with a fixed gaze, smiled at me cryptically. He raised both his hands in the air to shower his godly blessings and  left me. It took me a while to move my body and think of anything else but him. Anyway, I felt comforted after that and I slept soundly for a few hours in the afternoon and all the emotional exhaustion was washed away. I felt better by evening and wished for good things to develop soon. The retreat got over by Sunday afternoon.

I reached the house from the retreat in late evening that day on 10th November and there was nobody at home. I retired early to bed and I was resting by closing my eyes when…

Effulgent mellow light of pale yellow colours and hues began to scatter everywhere in my room and it soon engulfed me. I was bathing in the warm and yet soft genteel rays of Cosmic Light. I became tranquil and serene while the  mind became tuned in with Supreme Consciousness. I was elevated to very subtle divine vibrations and  there was no sense of body consciousness.  I was transported to a far off  world, far away where there was no pull of gravity. I felt very, very light as though I was floating in the waters of the measureless depth and silence of a vast expanse of an ocean! Everything was quiet there…

I must have remained like this for some time when I saw Mahavatar Babaji’s form appear before my closed eyes in radiant golden light and glimmer. I recognized Him instantly though this was a new phenomenon much beyond my wildest expectations and dreams. I was ecstatic and became overjoyed and I began to stir. As Babaji asked me to lie still with a gesture of his hand,  I recalled and connected myself with the incident of Sri Yukteshwarji who saw Babaji one sunny morning, under the shade of the banyan tree on a river ghat after he completed the book ‘Holy Science’ . Recalling that, I became cautious and remained still and my restless mind was firmly reinstated.

(Chapter 36 of Autobiography of a Yogi) (I later visited this river bank and I have mentioned about it in the post-Expand your Consciousness-II) 

Babaji was wearing an ochre coloured dhoti on his waist which ended on his left shoulder. He was walking  swiftly with a long stick in his right hand on a mountainous terrain while his disciples were following him with quick steps. He approached me and I saw his glowing  face and flowing  shiny copper coloured loose long hair uptil his calves. It was still very difficult for me to believe that He was present there with me in  my room. I thought to myself, “How come of all the people He is visiting me? What good have I done in this life to earn this?  What could be the purpose behind his darshan?”

He came a little closer to me and I could get his  close up view. He had a big, dark black serpent coiled around his neck and He looked like Lord Shiva in the snowy mountains. He eyes were so peaceful and benevolence radiated from his face profusely. His face was extra-ordinarily calm and softness in the form of compassion emanated from it. I tried to absorb and retain this holy picture in my mind very intently. I considered  myself  very, very blessed in those peerless moments of being with God.

He came forward  to pick up the serpent from his own shoulder which He did, and then he flung it towards me. Next moment the serpent was in my neck coiled and sitting up harmlessly with his face upright on my right shoulder. I was very frightened to feel its sensation of  heavy spiral weight over me. The sensation of the coiled big snake was very real- heavy to feel and  soft and slimy to touch. So I lifted my left hand in scare and raised it a bit  to remove it from my right shoulder. Babaji scurried forward and made a firm gesture with His hand not to do that at all and  I obeyed Him.

Then His blessed words began to flow, ” You are very fortunate and truly blessed. You are reaping the harvest of your stock of virtuous acts from the reservoir of many lives. From now onward don’t cry. You have taken my refuge, may God bless you. This is not your house, this is tapa- sthal. (A place where penance is to be done.)  Do tapasya.  Be victorious.” With these kind words and  supreme divine blessings, the exalted Maha Siddha Yogi and Immortal Guru left my place for His abode in the high snow-capped Himalayan mountains through the molecules of ether.

Let me now express myself that apart from feeling exhilarated, I had no idea whatsoever what could be the repercussions and impact of such a great spiritual experience over my life. I was still in disbelief and in a shocking daze. But with passing years the mystery around this experience slowly unfolded and I have understood that the serpent was not an ordinary one. It was a kind of a protective armour in the form of a mythological serpent that Babaji gave me to shield the avalanche of physical, mental and emotional onslaughts and harmful surreptitious scathing attacks from people that I faced and encountered later on. To me, it felt as though the serpent was Vasuki, the king of Nagas, also known as Nagaraj and not an ordinary one. But all said and done, throughout my prolonged illnesses that followed later, I did experience and realize that I was very much protected with Babaji’s intense grace and mercy on me, otherwise I would not have been able to survive the lashing of the whirlwinds of typhoons hovering around me for many years.

I assumed that my difficulties were mitigated and will be over from now onward because Babaji had come and blessed me. But alas no! I was naive in dealing with human life problems of huge complexities in nature. In fact, they worsened and what I described to you in the last post is just a small glimpse of the trying ordeals. In fact, Babaji could foresee my impending upheavals in  future and had come to my rescue and to forewarn me so that I would imbibe his spiritual power and mental strength to put up with all my problems and go through it. And after I saw Babaji on 10th Nov 2004 night, rapid significant developments took place.

Swami Nityananda with his disciple Swami Dayananda Shaligram

Soon after, by Babaji’s invisible will, I and your Papa went to Ganeshpuri in May, 2005, where there are samadhis of Swami Nityananda and his foremost disciple  Dayananda  Shaligram Swami. We visited  Ganeshpuri and found the precinct so peaceful and spiritually charging. The moment my eyes fell on  an old photo of Swami Dayananda Shaligram in his room where He once came and stayed, I traveled back in time and history and recognized Him as my very own and felt a kind of affinity for him. The soul remembers everything even if it means things that happened thousands of years ago. That is ‘smriti‘ as explained in one of the previous articles. The soul has a unique power of retention in the form of  memory and it felt so good to recognize and meet my beloved one from distant past once again!

For me life took a beautiful turn at this juncture and grace and blessings began to pour incessantly in my life after my visit to Ganeshpuri.

With Nityananda Baba’s blessing, my soul’s mute voice began to speak to me and my intuition developed. I could now communicate through the media of telepathy and extra sensory perceptions on various levels in the astral world with the blessed souls. I could now depend on them through my new medium of communication and started being  fearless. I became empowered and charged as there was no confusion and doubt any more. Faith in myself and God was re-kindled and re-established. My attitude again became positive and at last I could see rays of hope at the end of the long, dark dark tunnel. They took up charge of me and my family. Nityananda Baba told me not to worry ever again  as they will carry all my burden. I no more felt abandoned and was relieved that after all I was not alone in this big complicated world. I began to make future plans and self assurance and courage was built up. I learnt many life skills, developed new interests like finance, planning, management, life management etc. I took responsibility and control of all the spheres of my life. I resumed my passion and interest in music, building health, participated in social activities and so on. I stopped looking back thereafter and life smiled upon me when…

One early morning in June 2004,  in my dream I saw Nityananda Baba’s benevolent face, he was smiling sweetly and compassionate love radiated from Him. There was golden aura of light dispersing around him and he called me affectionately with his one hand towards him. I went up to Him like a little girl. He gave me a beautiful smile which burnt away all my sorrows. In his hand were four glittering pens which He very lovingly  handed over to me. I clasped them with my fingers and looked at them with fondness. He then pointed towards a wrist watch tied to his left wrist and made a sign to tell me that there is still time for it and that I should wait. At that time, I had no inkling that one day I will ever write down my very intimate and personal spiritual memoirs as a blog open to all to read. I had my reservations and  inhibitions regarding it from the very start. But as it is their wish that I share the prasad or grace with others,  so be it!

Spiritual-Lessons learnt from life -experiences

Due to man’s ignorance and lack of knowledge of God’s laws of action and reaction, he is unable to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil and righteous and wrongful actions. He sows all sorts of  seeds of actions in the cosmic universe which sprout  and manifest as harmful reactions in the form of suffering and illness of various types over a long period of time. The type and quality of our actions done gives shape and quality to our present and future lives.

There are 3 categories of karmas inherent in the humans, out of which he goes through one type at one point of  time in his life. They are:-

Inevitable karmas: These are the irrevocable and unpardonable karmas of the past (sanchit karmas) as well as those done in present life (kriyaman). When we have more negative karmas than the good ones at a particular time in our share, we undergo a tirade of rough weather patch and storms. During such times, the Guru comes forward to help the disciple liberate by carrying some of the weight of his excess baggage. Knowing that they cannot be nullified and preempted now and it is in the interest of the disciple to exhaust the bad effects of the actions done in the past. The disciple’s path is cleared and cleaned by this procedure and exercise. The circumstances cannot be altered now but the perception and outlook of the person in concern can be. Hence, the Guru gives his disciple a new mental perception, a new approach to look from at the existing  state of affairs. Big lessons are learnt by grave mistakes of past as now the devotee obeys the spiritual laws with submission and humility. Penance helps in purification of the soul and redemption is the outcome. Peace is inevitable.

Evitable karmas: When the collective karmas are in 50:50 ratio of bad and good ones they are evitable- the number of count of good karmas equals the bad ones in our pool. So when we are faced with hardships, obstacles, sickness and sorrow, the Guru advises us to do good acts like charity, donations, poojas, forgiveness, spiritual practices by which the adverse effects can be either mitigated or minimized. This is a mild punishment for the man. A mild  slap on the cheek so to say and he is released from the karmic ties. He realizes his mistakes and becomes careful for future and understands that it was a warning from the speechless God.

A reservoir of deeply sunken mass virtuous karmas: Towards the end and pinnacle of the human evolution cycle, when all the negative karmas are to be burnt once and for all, a whole lot of seeds of incredible virtuous karmas which are buried deep inside are waiting to rise up and manifest. The devotee is unconscious of this fact while the guru can see it coming with his divine insight. He understands that the impact of mass good karmas have to be taken advantage of.  Depending on the faith and nature of his disciple, the Guru intervenes and shows him the guiding path by hinted suggestions via telepathy, clairvoyance and other mysterious suggestions. By making his dear devotee carry out specific actions of high degree and quality, the good ungerminated seeds are awakened by creating right environmental conditions consciously. After germination and manifestation of meritorious acts, the impact of the supremely good selfless acts are visible in the disciple’s life soon. They come in the form of good health and fortune, overall prosperity and achievements, exceptional accomplishments, fame and popularity, success in material as well as spiritual world and a forward march in spiritual advancement by leaps and bounds. There is no force to stop the disciple now as the forces in nature are with him. The disciple with his new found freedom and self realization dedicates his life and works for his beloved God and is at last free of every bondage and misery. His soul is at last purified and he takes a deep respite.

In practical life this translates as:

• Take responsibility of your own actions. Have trust in God’s justice. Have unending patience.
• Endure. Face life. Put up with whichever tests comes to you. Do not try to run away from your destiny. Accept it with a smile.
• Have faith in God. He listens. He is impartial.
• Don’t quit. Never ever give up.

Conclusion

Our whole life is a melting pot of a spiral chain of events leading us upwards and towards our goal of God-realisation. Whatever happens, happens for good, it is for our progress. It is with cultivation of our skills and abilities, proficiency and accomplishments that we blossom. By working out our destiny agreeably, we are purified and shine at last. We are ready to seek the attention of God. The blossoms of the sweet flowers of our devotion are then to be offered at the sacred feet of our Guru who opens the door to heaven and God. We enter the House of our Lord and attain indescribable inner peace and Supreme Bliss!

My many, many pranams to all my Gurus and Param Guru Shri Mahavatar Babaji who has given  me refuge, protection, peace, God’s knowledge and salvation. The objective of human life is fulfilled and is being lived with a sense of purpose- of serving God and Gurus. May the fragrance of Divine spread everywhere, everywhere and everywhere!

Om Namo Bhagwate Vasudevaya!

“I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their  principles unto death.”   Leonardo Da Vinci.

Picture of Paramhansa Yogananda: google images

Mandira my dear, the festival of delight and light, Diwali is being celebrated everywhere now. There is so much gaiety, cheerfulness and illumination all over. Beautiful colours, sparkling lights and celebration in the air… All this impels me to write something more on illumination of our minds, of our lives, our spirits and therefore today I decided to tell you more on the same continuing subject.

So, apart from accepting our destiny with an open mind, the next related question one would ask is- What more can I do to create my own future? One of the important things to fulfill this objective is to do ‘creative visualization’.

 ( Ref- using-the-creative-powers-of-visualization)

The human mind is usually very confined and limited because we shut the doors of learning ourselves. Quite a quaint feature of human nature, I must say. However, if we take a decision once to take the initiative and have the motivational will to open the mind to new as well as further learning, the mind’s window is thrown open to receive new insight and understanding, ideas and higher knowing.

Creativity is a spark of illumination and resourcefulness of the Divine in us. If we wish to exercise and blossom our creative powers, we ought to first visualize and imagine it in the mind before it can be materialized in the physical world.

Imagination and visualization are the mental powers given to man for manifestation and extension of God’s universe. These powers are like the blue print of a plan of a project whether small or big. So, before something concrete and real takes shape in the physical world, imagination and visualization should happen in the mental world and then in the astral world.

Creative visualization– The ordinary human brain has 3 layers and corresponding 3 levels of consciousness and awareness. They are:-

• Conscious mind.
• Subconscious mind
• Unconscious mind
• Super conscious mind

Conscious mind- Whatever we see, hear and do during the day through various activities is done with the help of the conscious mind. These activities are carried out by the cells of the lower part of the brain. The nerves ,the communication channels in our body of the 5 senses are involved with this part of the brain and these are connected to the lower chakras or energy centres.

Unless we act attentively and with full awareness, there are no imprints on the cells of the brain, the mind doesn’t form impressions and no grooves are formed. And no specific thought patterns are ingrained in the brain. So every act of ours should be carried out with attention and not mindlessly.

Subconscious mind– It is the next layer after the conscious mind and all the impressions of the sense experiences, material aspirations, mental perceptions, emotional expressions, creative pursuits are stored in the mind as ‘memory’ or ‘smriti.’

‘Smriti’ or memory is Cosmic Intelligence and can be re-awakened by Yoga with regeneration of new cells in the upper parts of the brain by re-charging it with Cosmic Light!

When the chakras of the upper part of the spine and nervous system are activated, lost ‘smriti’ is re-awakened.

Memories of all our lives are stored in the brain and can be recalled during higher stages of meditation, concentration, spiritual practices and Yoga. It helps us to navigate our future path of evolution.

(More about smriti or memory in Kundalini Shakti-II)

Memory is a spark of Higher Intelligence. Scientifically speaking, memory is the impression of the mental, physical, emotional actions and experiences done consciously in our brain.

When impressions are imprinted over and over again by our repeated actions over a long period of time, they become our latent tendencies or ‘sanskaras‘. They are stored in the subconscious mind. New cells are made in the nervous system by which we acquire new habits, talents, skills, creativity, cognition and intelligence. Latent tendencies are deeply rooted and difficult to remove or change.

We act according to the  sanskaras  or the latent tendencies lying in us.

Our actions are induced and propelled by our tendencies of many lives.

Therefore, action or activity and mind or memory are very closely inter-related. It requires a sincere and persistent effort on a very long term basis to change vices into virtues.

By our will, by wise and prudent selection we can recreate our future by activating the dormant, unused subconscious mind. Our subconscious mind is like the ocean of infinite possibilities of untapped positive powers and faculties.

If we continuously visualize a particular thing, feeling  or a thought and wish it to manifest, it will certainly manifest one day. The power of the will, will re-activate the sleepy mind.

Will or ichcha shakti is the current, the force which recharges and electrifies the sub-conscious mind. Where there is will, there the energy flows.

The power of the sub-conscious mind then connects with the constructive, positive forces in the universe and our thoughts, sankalpas, willful aspirations materialize as and when the conditions in the environment are favourable. But for all this, one must have discipline, self-belief, persistence, consistent behaviour and wish for it to materialize with a strong will to support. The spirits must not be dampened.

So dear child, all those good things that we wish to see manifested, must first be visualized and created in the mental sphere. Happiness, a secure future, spiritual advancement, physical and mental beauty, health, intelligence, higher IQ, happy relationships, success and other desires can be materialized by creative visualization.

A fit body, regular meditation, concentration, healthy atmosphere, good nature and amity are helpful in building a vibrant, dynamic and successful future.

Unconscious mind- The lower most layers of the mind is called the unconscious mind. As the name suggests, a human being is unaware of this part of the mind where the memory of first few incarnations is etched. Actions done from this level are repetitive and cannot be controlled. To cleanse this part of the mind of the low quality tendencies, it requires help from a Holy Master who is truly enlightened. Good or bad tendencies are correspondingly ingrained inside. The positive tendencies are put to good use while the negative ones are removed consciously by the Holy Master as sheer grace and unconditional love. Only after cleaning the inner most recesses of the mind, one can penetrate inside the consciousness of God with a purified mind termed as Super Consciousness.

Super-conscious mind- it is the Higher mind or the mind in the highest state of being. This is the fourth dimension. It begins with awakening of intuition. The mind which is super-conscious has very high degree of mental and spiritual awareness. During the higher states of meditation, the mind falls silent and there is complete rest and stillness. The yogi achieves deep concentration on the Atman or True Self and during this time receives the ‘sankalpa’ or the thought from God.

The thought of God or sankalpa withholds within itself locked power and force which is later released and utilized for a noble cause, a great mission or dynamic spiritual work for the society.

This high state of spiritual development is not achieved by mere human endeavour but rewarded by sheer benevolence of God! With purity of mind and a kind heart, humility and devotion it is possible to please God. So let’s all seek and ask for His favour and blessings so that we are able to become the perfect recipient of His boundless love and kindness and re-design our well deserved future.

 (Concluded)

Updated on 05-02-2019

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(For advanced learners)

Part -II

“Conscious, sub-conscious and deep conscious or unconscious,

Are the three states or levels of a human mind built over many lives and years.

They are formed slowly and gradually as we progress from one life to another.

I researched thoroughly on the formation of mind and perfected it; I have told you before,” resumed the Holy Ancient Sage, Bogarnathar.

Part-III

“The mind or mana is divided roughly into three sections-lower, middle and top.

*On top is the recording of the current or present ongoing activities happening to us.

They are recorded by our senses and interpreted by the ever changing mana or mind.

The recording is first in the senses, then in brain, sometimes called mind, and later in the body of the recipient and finally in mana or manas.

&

“Mind and body are separate, in body is the brain which you call mana or mind erroneously.

Mana is in the subtle body though temporarily situated in the physical body when you are alive, but never inside it.

Its place is near the heart; it constitutes of ethereal layers and is made by food and your thoughts.

It is an instrument to feel, perceive, and even guide and is a force that is to be reckoned with if it is fully revived!

&

The mana can be in three stages- the state of being in the physical world called sthool or physical.

It can next go a bit inside and enter sukshma or feeling, perceiving state and lastly it can go to its foundation- the kaaran or ego state-the ‘I am’ state.

Beyond these three states is shunya or emptiness or void where one meets God in light, peace and knowledge.

&

Top is termed as conscious mind or mana, middle sub conscious and lower is the unconscious.

Everything that we think, wonder, do, act or observe is captured as a movie and printed in the various levels of mana.

Together it is a single unit and the printing on the surface is happening every moment to micro minute or second.

Though one unit, functions of levels are different because time, one’s will power and intensity also matters in its composition.

&

The mind or mana is one unit though, but in fact it is a vast collection of many experiences, actions, resolutions and wills of humans.

It is the biggest power that any human can possess if harnessed and developed and retained well in multiple lives!

Revised on 13-05-21

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# Creativity is a spark of illumination and resourcefulness of the Divine in us

# Imagination and visualization are the mental powers given to man for manifestation and extension of God’s universe

#Smriti’  or memory is Cosmic Intelligence       # Memory is a spark of Higher Intelligence

# Regeneration of new cells by Yoga

# Our actions are induced and propelled by our tendencies of many lives

# Action or activity, and mind or memory are very closely inter-related

# We can recreate our future by activating the dormant, unused subconscious mind

# Will is the current, the force which recharges and electrifies the sub-conscious mind

# Where there is will, there is flow of energy

# Super-conscious mind, the fourth dimension

# The thought of God withholds within itself locked power

Mandira, I hope you enjoyed reading some of my mails published in the previous posts which were written to some of my dear friends. It contained some interesting topics for you.

Let’s now move on with another fascinating and intriguing subject like destiny or fate.

We have at some point of time in our life wondered if there was any control over the events occurring in our lives. Where do they come from? Why some circumstances take place in our life and not in other’s? What should we do when we are faced with formidable life circumstances and how can one face their onslaught, if they are overwhelming?

This post was written by me lying in the bed when I was unwell and recovering from sickness a few weeks ago. I hope it will satisfy some of the commonly asked questions in the minds which we seek and wish to know on our long journey of our life.

The last few days have flown at a  dizzying speed. Everything was moving in the right direction for me. I was in a very good health, enjoying good and restful sleep, eating and exercising well. This showed on my face which was glowing and radiant. I was full of energy and bounce. My mental and emotional health was sound when one fine day I suddenly crashed and I fell ill. I got a fever and felt enervated. I was laid up in bed for two days and was recuperating.

Throughout the resting period, I was in communion with my inner self, talking to my Soul asking questions and receiving replies. Although I was cut off from the outside world, there was a lot of activity going on in my inner world. ‘Life goes on, work goes on, they never stop’ as they say I reflected on it. Life flows continuously like the flowing of the river waters and in our lives activity must go on because work is a form of worship, we worship God in this way too. During my confinement in bed, all these things stated in the following space came in my mind which gave me illumination and a slight  peep into the spiritual laws of karmas.

I realised that-

Our destiny or prarabdh is fixed because of our past deeds and released energies in the Cosmos.

Some circumstances will inevitably take place no matter what. Some of these are pleasant and happiness giving while others we wish to ignore or delete them out of our lives.

So how does one face the concurring circumstances? What should be our attitude towards the continuous inflow of not so pleasant, unpalatable and not so easy life situations?

It dawned on me that working out and living one’s destiny is sadhana and tapasya. Whichever karma comes our way, what so ever life circumstances we have to grapple with, should be accepted gracefully as Prasad of God, as Grace of God, as Kripa. This is wisdom.

Therefore, I meditated and contemplated on these enlightening thoughts for two days while recuperating thereby working out my karmas as well as recreating something wonderful and good for future by visualizing, recreating and re-structuring my future.

My future depends on today. What I create today, I get tomorrow!

Although I had very little energy, but these spiritual realizations which led to new wisdom and deeper understanding of karmic theory generated so much peace and tranquility and in the atmosphere around me that it could be compared to blissful moments of prolonged, deep meditation. I bathed in divine peace when….

It was during this time that I saw a big yantra, a geometrical figure with my inner eye. This is the same yantra which we had seen in the birthplace of Divine Mahavatar Babaji in an obscure village in Tamil Nadu. Attached below are a few pictures of Parangipettai or Porto Novo as it was earlier called.

In the centre of this yantra was a circle. Out of this place, I saw  a high level of energy, in the form of Light, which began to emit and flow towards me. It soon began to enter my body. I felt energized at that very moment and I could feel the distinctive creative powers entering in me. My whole body was completely energized and I felt recharged with subtle divine energies. I was immediately elevated and became very relaxed after this. The tingling creative vibrations entered my every pore thereby not only healing me but also bestowing on me a good amount of creative energy. I very much needed them because of my illness. I was pondering over the fact about how will I be able to write my next article and what should I write?

To create good literary work, one needs to ask God to grant you, shower on you divine creative powers and energy otherwise the work reflects ‘you’ and not the Highest Force.

Just after this interlude, in a divine vision, I saw many words descending like a water cascade from the upper space of the skies. They were falling and entering one by one in my brain like weightless white feathers that float in the atmosphere and fall on the ground very gently. As they were falling on me, a voice whispered, “From now onward, do not write very long articles. The following write ups are going to be shorter but full of power and energy.”

In the evening, I got much better and after having a hot cup of tea, I was inspired to blog. To know  the date, I saw the calendar and I found this saying on it-

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the aeroplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”

Lesson learnt- So no matter how many times during our sadhana, we are met with innumerable hurdles because of inevitable play of our destiny or some other unknown forces in nature, we must not be afraid to face them. Prarabdh karmas are going to manifest till our last day, they must not deter us in our spiritual progress. We must not lose hope and feel disappointed and therefore not get tired. We must endure. We must go on relentlessly as this is the only way for the human being to overpower the powerful force of the effects of the karmas created by him/her before in the past. Along side,

We must think, wish and visualize positive pictures and images in our mind to create a pleasant and dynamic future.

Whatever is manifested in the physical world is first created in the mental world. All creations are born in the subtle domain first. In this way, we can recreate a better and brighter future of our choice and liking with the power of our will.

This is ‘Selection by Will.’ This is how destiny can be re-created consciously. Everything lies in our hands. We create and build our destiny by overcoming past karmas with submission and acceptance and at the same time creating new, better, refined karmas with positive attitude and creative visualization.

Om shanti, shanti, shanti Om.

( Also refer Using the creative powers of visualization)

# Prarabdh karma

# Our destiny or prarabdh is fixed because of our past deeds and released energies in the Cosmos

# Working out and living one’s destiny is sadhana and tapasya’; this is wisdom

# We must think, wish and visualize positive pictures and images in our mind to create a pleasant and dynamic future

# Whatever is manifested in the physical world is first created in the mental world

# All creations are born in the subtle domain first

# Selection by Will

# Destiny can be re-created consciously

# Parangipettai, the birth place of Mahavatar Babaji 

# Yantra, a geometrical figure

Revised on 09.05.21

My dearest ____,

I received your sms early today morning and along with it you also sent me a bouquet of beautiful roses! The sms carried with it a mild fragrance of divinity. You know how beautiful roses are! The moment you look at them, one becomes exhilarated. And so was the message, so full of permeating scent of worshiping and remembrance of God!

You know that if the mind is filled with all things that are harmonious, positive, enhancing, pretty and congenial then life becomes so beautiful. Look at the last three letters of the word ‘beautiful’. What does it have?  -Ful.  I always read it as FULL. If you feel beautiful inside, you have the feeling of fullness within. Or if you have a sense of fullness you will see life as very beautiful. Whichever way you like it!

I have always believed that life becomes beautiful if you see the underlying beauty of abstract  everywhere. We say God is subtle. I say life is subtle. We should see and be able to hear its silent speech. Life speaks to us, let’s listen to it, dear. What does it say to us? Is it seeking our attention? Yes, it is. Give attention to the quiet working of the mysterious life.

It wants you to once put your attention on it and then you will be able to get all the hidden meanings and answers.

Some thoughts of felicity captured my mind this morning after your sms arrived. Let’s share them. I thought why don’t we use adversity to our advantage and discover life!

If adversity can be used by us to discover and explore the latent  possibilities lying hidden and unknown to us, then so be it!

Adversity comes in our life as a blessing. It comes to awaken us. If the adverse period is short, it should be used to develop new skills, arts and talents. That is our requirement of the hour.  Qualities like endurance, positive frame of mind, patience, cheerfulness and so on are ideally developed in such a period of life.

If it is long, then for awakening. But, if this period still persists, then this means that we have been given this time frame for a double purpose- that for sadhana as well as for acquiring new skills, talents and new experiences to enrich our lives.

So ask yourself, What is it that I need to know now? What is it that should  be heard? How do I listen to that Voice? What is Life teaching me now? What is stopping me from listening to it? What happens if I don’t give attention and also if I give attention?

If  I wish to use the given opportunities for my all round progress, then I must also have faith that I will be provided the right understanding, the tools and other things required for it to bear. The next step ahead should be taken without preconceived notions, unbiased judgement and openness. The mind should flow freely like the lovely breeze of the monsoon these days-so pleasing, so enchanting!

So let’s move on and climb the flight of advancement, success and cheer!

To wrap up my mail today, let me ask you one useful question.

Where is the beauty of our life hidden?

The beauty of life is hidden in our mind!!

Take your time to ruminate about it and send me your reply when you please.

 Have a very joyous and blessed day.

 Yours Sarika.

‘Adversity causes some men to break,

Others to break records.’ Anonymous.

Dear ___,

‘Rays of Light’ words itself make us think as the word light means illumination. If Grace falls on us as Divine rays of Light, transformation is inevitable because where there is light, darkness cannot stand. The Light falls on the matter present in the form of darkness, dissolves and disintegrates it. In its place falls Light in the form of knowledge, insights and deeper understanding. The mind is then able to grasp and accumulate thoughts of higher understanding and subtleties and its nuances. Thus, the mind is re-created and is constantly improved through a life long process of constant learning and practice and re-aligning the thought processes. A favourable and beneficial change in our behaviour is also brought about alongside.

There are many ways of transformation for humanity. Parenting, schooling, peer groups, various activities like interaction, travelling, playing, reading etc. are ways of transformation.

Transformation should be long term, positive and permanent. The process of transformation should give pleasant experiences so that one’s interest is sustained. Comparisons have no room in this process because comparisons are done between two or more than two people. If the individual is not respected for what he is, true learning is not possible.

We must recognize the fact that each individual has a centre of Light within, called the soul which guides and is the source of all learning. The focus must be in unfolding and blossoming of the soul through love, compassion understanding and dignity.

The very idea of comparison is fatal because it kills the spirit of learning and rejoicing in the act of learning. Learning must be fun, happy times and blissful encounters with the soul. It is as natural for the soul to unfold itself as it is for the birdie to fly.

Our soul has the innate power to unfold itself if we perform the right activities. The process is slow but yields marvelous results for the individual as well as others.

So love, understanding with humility, empathy and due respect for others are some of the requisites for transformation.

Now the Q-“Who determines whether there was growth, accomplishments and perfection?”

• Growth, accomplishment in the material world is obviously visible and is tangible.
• Transformation and growth in the spiritual world is slow, invisible and intangible. It can be felt by  the  practitioner through the mind and soul. If the mind is not restless anymore, if it is concentrated and becomes more powerful day by day it is a sure sign of spiritual progress.
• If happiness surrounds you in all hours and there is abundant hope, energy and zest for life, this is a sign of progress. Creativity follows.
• If you wish to extend your helping hand to others without even a thought and do not worry of tomorrow then surely it can be determined whether there has been transformation in an individual or not.

If one wishes to accelerate the process and the speed of learning and transformation, the power of concentration should be increased so that the mind falls silent at last. The silent mind learns the best.

Lovingly,

Sarika

Dear Mandira, on March 26th evening, I was sitting by myself quietly closing my eyes when I slipped into very deep chambers of my being and my mind fell silent. The mind was very intuitive then, and I experienced a phenomenon which explained to me for the first time some facts about the process of spiritual transformation. This has further answered my unsolved questions of so many years. I used to wonder as to why some people change permanently for good while some people undergo temporary change in their attitude, nature and behaviour. Also a few people like saints and yogis have the power to transform others while the rest of us cannot bring about any change in others as they have no power to influence other people in a positive way.

What are those spiritual powers in them and how do they work? What happens when we come in contact with spiritually advanced people? You must have heard that so and so person underwent a serious or dramatic change after coming in contact with a Divine being or after visiting a holy place.

What does the spiritual person transmit? Why are the spiritually charged and holy places different and special? The answer is that a few places and persons transmit Divine Light which is the only way to real, complete and total transformation.

Transformation that takes place from the region and level of Spirit has the power to bring about benign, irreversible and permanent changes in us. The Divine Light also enters our mind from higher domains and dispels darkness. It is the Light which can disintegrate the dark membranes of brain cells and deposits of heavy clogs of unwanted substance in the mind after which illumination takes place thereby bringing a new way of understanding and a shift in perception!

Some of the posts that will follow will provide further explanation of the process of transformation, what all is required from the point of view of the sadhak or seeker etc. In fact, the next posts are the  e-mails I had written to my friends and family members and I feel it is a very good idea if I publish these  mails in my blog as they explain a lot about the process and procedure of spiritual transformation and learning in human minds. So my dear Mandira, read these posts carefully and I will be glad to explain whatsoever you wish to ask on this subject.

Be a good learner. Happy reading.

Dear ___,

Writing gives me clarity of thoughts and a better understanding of what I am given from Above.  A vibration in the form of thought does come as a ripple in my mind. By writing to you about those fine ripples will get them stored in the right space of my mind. These vibrations are very light and fine in nature. Surely there is some part in my brain which is specifically designed for receiving these fine waves of thoughts. This particular space is not developed in ordinary consciousness of our existence. Like any other thing, it has been cultivated, prepared through a process, made ready unseen to the eyes to become a receptacle and a receiving station to gather one by one those extremely fine waves of thoughts from far-off regions of space. I know they come to me at a very high speed through the medium of ether from space.

I realize that there is a minuscule movement or subtle motion in one part of the brain when these vibrations arrive first as ripples and then as waves. This is a very subtle phenomenon. The mind should be very still and motionless. A contrary thought from a lower plane not only disturbs the mind but breaks the wave of thought of higher region just like a thin hair breaks into two from a weak point when some pressure is exerted upon it!!

How can I extend the timing whereby I can increase the capacity of receiving and expand my precious vessel of fine rays of Light?

Yes, these waves of thought are very fine rays of light which travel in space and touch my mind. In these rays of light travel the seeds of great thoughts, of noble missions and acts of awakening and rising. 

Such thoughts are capable of bringing lasting impressions on our mind and permanent change in our outlook. The right outlook changes the mind and the whole future life.

It is through an activity which will give me more repetitions of this sublime experience. And that activity is meditation where the mind is made calmer and calmer and concentrated till it reaches a point of stillness. The vessel becomes ready and fit enough to fulfill its purpose.

 Warm regards,

 Sarika.

Today is 18^th of July, 2008 and an auspicious day of Guru Poornima. As I feel the compassionate Grace and divine blessings of our Gurus flowing abundantly today, I can’t help but write down my thoughts that are stirring in me. They surely have something to give and say to us on this special occasion. With all my gratitude and complete humility, I bow down to the Divine Preceptors, who at the behest of God are assigned the task of giving spiritual teachings and guidance for the upliftment of the human soul.

Since morning, as the day has been progressing, my mind instead of concentrating on the glory and praises of the Guru, has been mentally occupied with a continuous stream of inspiring and thought raising questions. I am thinking today as to what are my responsibilities and duties towards my Guru? The Gurus are flawless and are constantly sending their divine vibrations, but how can I be more effective and receptive in receiving what they continuously give? How can my relationship with the Almighty, who is an Infinite teacher or Adi Guru and a friend or sakha be more purposeful? How to become an ideal disciple? How to receive the subtle vibrations and god messages from the Higher World? What are the noble qualities of a perfect disciple and how does he stand out from the other so many disciples? How to maximize learning in minimum time span in this life? How to please the Divine and the God given Gurus? What makes the Guru truly pleased and happy with his disciples?

As I think over the couple of  raised questions, I am reminded of the life and story of Eklavya, the great marksman of Mahabharat times. In those days, only the Kshatriyas, the warrior class were given the education and training of archery, shooting, horse riding and other martial arts. Eklavya, being the son of a bheel or the tribal was not qualified and permitted to be initiated in archery. So he used to hide behind the bushes and trees and observe Guru Dronacharya imparting daily lessons in shooting and archery to Arjun and others in the forest. Eklavya wanted to be the favourite student and wished to please Guru Dronacharya. He was keen to learn the nuances of archery and also longed fervently to be the best marksman in the land of Hastinapur. So he established Dronacharya’s image in a  stone idol in the forest and without telling him began to worship him and practicing the learnt art after seeing him from behind the bushes without the Guru’s consent.

But as luck would have it, when Dronacharya found out that Eklavya was practicing archery with his bows and arrows hiding in the thick forest in front of his idol without his consent and knowledge, Dronacharya was furious. Eklavya had installed his Guru’s statue, nestled him in his mind with devotion and began practicing archery and became an expert and had also acquired the potential of a world class archer.

But alas! Dronacharya was furious instead of being pleased with his devotion. To show his displeasure, he asked for his right hand’s thumb as a guru dakshina or teacher’s fee, which Eklavya very bravely cut off and offered to him without blinking his eyes. In turn, for this extra-ordinary act, he has earned a name and glory for himself in history as a classic example of a devoted disciple.

But now, when I review the story of Eklavya with a different view-point, I find myself ruffling some questions which give a new glimpse and perspective to the whole historical saga. Why did Dronacharya get furious with Eklavya and ask for his right thumb so essential for positioning and releasing the arrow from the bow? Why did not his guru bless him for his exceptional devotion towards him and to archery?

To me, these are the most probable answers that seem to be satisfactory and answer all my questions. And let me tell you that even earlier, this was one of the memorable stories that I have kept in my mind so that I emulate the qualities of a great student and learner from the pages of history. Here are some of the qualities that I feel are essential to adorn and play the role of a worthy student. So Mandira, please read to know what makes a good disciple rise in the eyes of his teacher.

Honesty. Be completely honest with your guru. Do not hide anything from him as a pure relationship such as that of a guru -shishya rests on one thing – trust. If you are honest, he will prepare and show you the kingdom of God. God will reveal Himself at the appropriate time to his follower and ardent devotee when the last traces of shallow egoism, craftiness and deception has been completely washed off from his core and inner being, called antha karan.

Do not do anything in deed or thought which will tarnish you and never hide or cover it up from your guru. In real sense, your Guru is the Parmatman or God residing in you so be pure in heart. Do not allow and mix the basal impurities of the mind to blend with the purity of your soul! Be as pure and innocent as your heavenly Father!

Eklavya was always competing with Arjun and wanted to supersede him and take his place and become Dronacharya’s favourite. To this, let me tell you Mandira, that we become special or favourite of our Guru because of our virtues and qualities of the pure soul and not because of specializing in some activity or skill! The qualities and virtues in us belong to the soul while the skills and talents belong to the mental abilities. Can you see the fine line and differentiate the two? Think about it.

The best guru dakshina to our guru will be our guileless and guiltless heart. That will make him most happy. If Eklavya had only wished to be the most superior archer in the world, it would have been a great thought. But he too like Karna, wished to compete with and beat Arjun and thereby become number one in the kingdom. Do you see and understand the fine point that I wish to bring your attention to?

The main aim and aspiration behind Eklavya’s whole endeavour was to compete and not excel! It is ultimately the thought and intention behind any action of a person which defines and decides the result or the fruit of his action. So in your lasting relationship with your Guru, the foremost thing to remember is- Be honest with yourself and your Guru both. Honesty pays. Do not attempt to hide what and who you are. Just be like a mirror in front of him. You will reflect Divinity!

Attunement or linking of minds. The continuous turning in of the mind with the Mind of the Guru is the next essential requirement, my dear Mandira. A true guru is omnipresent and all pervading. He is ever present in the universe and instead of a monologue, a dialogue is possible if you keep your mind always focused on him. He will send you the necessary subtle thoughts, inspiration and spiritual guidance through telepathy, silent hints and meaningful gestures and suggestions in others in your environment. Read them! Decipher them! Interpret them! Soon you will get attuned to the constantly flowing divine powers in your life and you will be able to act on them. Like all other things, attunement also comes with practice. So practice it. Do not waste your energies in unnecessary talking, unproductive activities, gossips, arguments, lethargy and mental confusion. Stay calm, tuned, focused and internalized so that you are ever prepared and enabled to pick up any subtle hint of guidance delivered to you as soon as possible.

The direction of the flow of the mind’s energy through the senses is outwards. Stop for a while now and then. Remember it and bring your mind to the centre of equilibrium time and time again. Be centred always. Do you remember the post on ‘awareness’? Read it again and this important lesson will be reinforced.

Devotion. Just as we offer fresh and clean flowers to God, likewise an untarnished and virtuous heart is to be offered to God!

Offer all your unnecessary, unhealthy and weak thoughts to God, empty out everything and you shall be rewarded in many enriched ways.

It is only with devotion towards one’s guru that we are able to purify ourselves of all the contamination, demerits and shortcomings accumulated over the past so many lives.

The Guru will show us through his stainless Spirit what is divinity. By emulating and following his footsteps, the muddy waters of the mind begin to settle down and we cast off the blemishes and stains ingrained in our psyche gradually. This process being life long, should be endured to get maximum results. So you see the guru is the cleaner, the polisher and the exhibitor of our Divine soul. So my dear child, give your heart and mind as an offering at the Guru’s feet. He will eradicate and sweep the muddy layers of the materialistic perception and attitude of the mind and in return give you devotion.

Devotion is the vehicle which will take us to God’s kingdom.

There are so many stories of devotion of great disciples and devotees down the lanes of history. Can you recall and get inspired by some of them?

Surrender Self surrender comes to a devotee once his heart fills up and brims over with devotion. It begins to flow naturally and the devotee submits himself completely at the holy feet of the Guru.  To me, surrender is not the annihilation and crushing of one’s personality as is widely believed. Surrender to the guru comes by itself with the knowledge that there is a Supreme Power, the highest Force in existence and that is reflected from time to time in the guru. So in fact, we surrender to the Highest Force which is ever shining in the divine preceptor.

The devotee realizes only with selfless devotion towards his guru that his self image and belief is untrue and deceptive and that he is incomplete and powerless. His understanding and perceptions are based on his false and changeable ego which is limiting and misleading. His ego is the sole cause of his restricted personality while his Divine guru is all powerful, empowered and all-knower in persona. As this knowledge dawns on him, he humbly surrenders himself and comes face to face with his true self. A true guru’s aim and mission is imparting self realisation through self discovery.

Self realization leads to God- realization.

So dear, please submit your egoism and be humble always. Humility is a great gift and a virtue in humans and it is an indicator of the soul’s evolution.

Be a great learner. My dear child, our whole life is meant for attaining valuable education and continuous learning. Therefore never be shy of admitting that you are still a student and be a keen learner all your life.

Keep good friends, read enriching books and add value to your life. Be your own good critic.

Be open and receptive to criticism and correct yourself. Accept your mistakes and then take corrective measures. Be a good listener and listen attentively. Respect others and their views and ideas. Avoid arguments and in its place focus on what you can learn from the person and situations.

Look around yourself quietly and observe carefully. Wait patiently till your soul unfolds to you life’s hidden mysteries. That’s true learning!

At night before sleeping, evaluate yourself and your day sincerely. Pray to God to give you better understanding of things and his grace to uncover all the power and glory of your Spirit. Let your soul blossom and shine. God and nature work in silence. Come in contact with blissful silence. Attain peace and divine blessings.

Om shanti, shanti, shanti Om.