Mandala, Author At AHYMSIN

Progress in Meditation

Posted on 3 October 20254 October 2025 by Mandala

The student of meditation, without understanding the importance of pratyahara, cannot concentrate the mind and thus is unable to sit in meditation. The mind is in the habit of functioning along the ten avenues or senses. These senses distract and dissipate the energy of mind. But the mind can function without the help of the senses. In such a state, the mind starts turning within. During the practice of pratyahara, the student restrains himself from doing meaningless actions that are not related to this practice. Learning to with draw the senses from the objects of the world does not mean withdrawal from the world, but the student, before sitting in meditation, has to learn to withdraw the senses from the objects of sense perception before he steps into another stage called concentration. Here I would like to mention that concentration for meditation and concentration in the external world are two different ideas. Concentration in the external world does not help the student of meditation.

Paying attention toward the action one is performing and performing one action at a time strengthens the power of concentration. Concentration helps one to be successful in the external world by helping him to do his duties efficiently and competently. It should not be forgotten that the mind attends one thing at a time, though at a fast speed. Students often think that the mind can attend more than one thing at a time. In attempting this, the power of distraction increases and concentration decreases. For strengthening concentration, attention should be trained. That is why the teacher gives an object or a point – to focus the mind for strengthening concentration. A fully concentrated mind has immense power – unbelievable power– which is attained by concentrating and focusing the mind. That makes the mind one-pointed, and pratyahara makes the mind inward. The inward tendency and one-pointedness help the student in doing meditation. In meditation, the mind starts flowing spontaneously and uninterruptedly, but this flow of concentrated mind is inward. The body remains still, and the breath remains calm and serene. Such a mind experiences the joys of meditation.

So often, students learn to sit in meditation without preliminary preparations and are disappointed if they do not find peace of mind and joy in meditation. Actually, according to the system of raja yoga, the student needs to prepare himself before he practices meditation. In our day-to-day life, and from our childhood onward, sitting still, looking within, withdrawing the senses, and focusing the mind on the centres (like the space between the eyebrows and the centre between the breasts) are not taught. Therefore it is difficult for a student to actually meditate and find the inexplicable joy that is quite different from the joy derived from the pleasures of the world. The joy derived out of meditation makes one calm, balanced, and thoughtful. Such a joy gives strength to students, and they remain undisturbed in the trials of life. In order to form such a habit of being undisturbed – even by strong memories and imaginations – one must at first choose a calm, quiet place for meditation.

Meditation opens an entirely new dimension of life for the student. There is no other method for enjoying now except the method of meditation. When meditation deepen, and the mind starts flowing toward the centre of consciousness, then the student finds great delight, and meditation becomes a part of life. When one learns to sit regularly, at the same exact time and place, he gradually expands his capacity, and his mind forms a habit and finds delight in meditation. Much has been written on the subject, but very little is useful, for inner experiences cannot be drawn on a piece of paper. It is important that the student of meditation is guided, at least for some time until his meditation is strengthened, and that he receives instructions from a teacher who has direct experience and who himself practices meditation. Many obstacles obstruct the student when he encounters his memories, symbols, and ideas. Sometimes the fancies and fantasies are mistaken for visions. Some students are deluded by extraordinary visions, and some aspire to experience and visualise something extraordinary. Neither of these types of students progress, because the psychic world bewilders and distracts them. Students should learn to reject such experiences and watch their progress by the signs and symptoms of calmness, clarity, and one-pointedness. If there is no sign or symptom of calmness, balance, and clarity of mind in the personality of the student, there is something wrong with the method of meditation. Anyone can theoretically know the method of meditation in a matter of a half hour, but practice alone is the real method of learning.

Editor’s Note

This passage has been taken from the book Choosing a Path, pp 137 – 139, by Swami Rama, published 1982 by the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the USA.

For published works of Swami Rama and Swami Veda Bharati, please visit www.yogapublications.org

What Is Knowledge

Posted on 5 September 20255 September 2025 by Mandala

Always remember that there is a difference between information and knowledge. You have read something, that is information. You are debating about it in the mind. That is also based on information. Most people think that that information is knowledge and they say to themselves “I have read so much, so I know”. But that information is not knowledge. Knowledge is a personal experience.

That you have read about non-violence, that is not knowledge of non-violence. That you have experienced non-violence, practised it, that is the knowledge of non-violence. You have learned how to use non-violence in situations which will otherwise invoke violence. That is non-violence. You have read about advanced techniques of meditation, that is not knowledge. When you have the experience that those techniques give you, then even without the technique, you have knowledge. Your goal should be that knowledge.

You have read about God in many books, in many religions. That is not knowledge of God. You believe in God, that is not knowledge of God. That you know God personally, that is knowledge. So practice your meditation with that knowledge as your goal.

When you have that knowledge, it shows itself in you. It shows itself in how you look. Do you have a loving look on your face? That a stranger looks at you and feels loved, a complete stranger looks at you and feels loved? That is the knowledge of God.

Your knowledge shows in the way you speak. Does your voice soothe others when you speak, then you have knowledge of God. Does it calm others when you speak, that is knowledge of God.

The way you move your body, inspires in others and appreciation for grace. That is the knowledge of God. Or knowledge of Christ, or knowledge of Buddha, or knowledge of Tao. All these phrases mean the same thing.

Many people who sit in meditation look for many experiences. The only experience that you need to look for is a state of calmness inside you. You have read that in meditation one will see lights and one will hear sounds. Forget about that. Does your body become calm and still? Does your heart become free of disturbed emotions? Does your breath slow down? How long does your mind remain calm and undisturbed even after you have opened your eyes from meditation? That shows whether you are meditating or not. That is knowledge of God.

When you see God not only in your friend, when you see God in your enemy and you act accordingly – that is the knowledge of God. When you enter a state of meditation, what you call meditation at this time, that initial stage will be left behind. You will go further. You will go deeper. You will become even calmer and greater illumination will come to you. Knowledge will start coming to you from within you.

Editor’s Note

This passage has been taken from the book Kundalini: Stilled or Stirred? by Swami Veda Bharati.

Knowledge of Brahmavidyā

Posted on 2 September 20255 September 2025 by Mandala

In some of the Upanishads, the word Īśa or Īśvara, which is roughly translated as God, is used. But the concept of God as preached by religion is not found in the Upanishads. In the Upanishads, the word Īśvara is used to denote a state of collective consciousness. Thus, God is not a being that sits on a high pedestal beyond the sun, moon, and stars; God is actually the state of Ultimate Reality. But due to the lack of direct experience, God has been personified and given various names and forms by religions throughout the ages. When one expands one’s individual consciousness to the Universal Consciousness, it is called Self-realization, for the individual self has realized the unity of diversity, the very underlying principle, or Universal Self, beneath all forms and names. The great sages of the Upanishads avoid the confusions related to conceptions of God and encourage students to be honest and sincere in their quests for Self-realization. Upanishadic philosophy provides various methods for unfolding higher levels of truth and helps students to be able to unravel the mysteries of the individual and the universe.

Knowledge of Brahmavidyā, the direct experience of Supreme Consciousness, is the common theme of all Upanishadic literature. “I am Brahman; the whole universe is Brahman; Thou art That” – such statements are foundations for all its theories, principles, and practices. All philosophical and psychological discussions are meant to make the students aware of their true nature – Brahman, the Supreme Consciousness. For a realized one, there is perennial joy in the universe, but for the ignorant there is only misery everywhere. The moment a student realizes his essential nature, the darkness of ignorance is dispelled, but before that the individual mind travels to the groove of self-created misery and thus projects the belief that there is misery everywhere. In reality, this universe is like a great poem of joy, a beautiful song, and a unique work of art. The moment one unfolds and realizes one’s human capacity and ability, one becomes aware that, “That art that – Brahman.”

Here lies the difference between a Self-realized person and a religionist. The religionist does not know and yet believes in God, but the realized person is directly aware of the self-existent Ultimate Reality of life and the universe. First, he knows the truth, and then he believes it. If God is the Ultimate Truth hidden behind many forms and names, then it should be realized, and, for realizing the Truth with mind, action, and speech, one needs to practice truth rather than being a hypocrite and a fanatic. It is not necessary to believe in God to attain self-enlightenment, but it is very necessary to know the various levels of consciousness and finally to realize the ultimate source. The manifest aspect and the unmanifest aspect of consciousness (Brahman) should be realized, for that alone can enlighten aspirants.

Editor’s note

This is an excerpt from Mandukya Upanishad, Enlightenment without God by Sri Swami Rama, The Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the U.S.A., 1982, pages 22 – 24.

A Special Guru Purnima: Honouring Swami Rama’s Centenary

Posted on 7 August 20257 August 2025 by Mandala

Guru Purnima at SRSG (5)

अखण्ड–मण्डलाकारम् व्याप्तम् येन चराचरम्।
तत्पदम् दर्शितम् येन तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः॥

Akhaṇḍa-maṇḍalākāram vyāptam yena carācaram
Tat padam darśitam yena, tasmai śrī gurave namah

I pay obeisances to Sri Guru, who revealed to me That state, which pervades the entire unbroken circle (of creation), both moving and unmoving.

“This day, the day of Guru Purnima is considered to be the holiest day for the students of life; for those that have been treading the path of light; for those aspiring to attain enlightenment in this lifetime. They remember this day and celebrate it by becoming aware the purpose of life is to attain enlightenment; the state of mind, internal state, that makes one free from all pains and miseries.” – Swami Rama

This year’s celebration of Guru Purnima was imbued with a special grace, as we gathered to honour the birth centenary year of our Gurudeva, His Holiness Swami Rama of the Himalayas. The 9-day celebration began on 2^nd July with Swami Ritavan Bharati, Swami Prayag Giri, and Swami Tattvananda Bharati in the Meditation Hall and the Initiation Room. The Guru Purnima celebrations are a 9-day period filled with pujas, festivities, mantras, yajnas, special meditations and lectures at the ashram. Non-stop recitation (akhanda-patha) of the guru-gita, Song to the Guru and daily yajna with the akhanda-mandalakaram mantra, our sangha mantra, were a constant reminder of the Guru’s subtle yet distinct presence throughout the nine days… The daily pujas, havana (fire offerings) and the akhanda-patha of the Guru-gita were offered both at the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG) and the Sadhana Mandir by 11 pandits each.

For nine days, the Swami Rama Hall reverberated with the sacred chants of the guru-gita as all visiting and resident sadhakas sat in reverence and collective silence.

Each mantra serving as a gentle reminder of the Guru’s boundless grace, a blessing received through mantra, meditation, initiation, and the eternal wisdom of the Himalayan Yoga Tradition. The nine-day observance reached its beautiful culmination with the sacred pujas and purnahuti on the auspicious day of the Guru Purnima on 10^th July.

Swami Rama Dhyana Gurukulam

On this auspicious day, we began a beautiful new chapter in our long term residential study and sadhana program of the Gurukulam. This year, we welcomed three international female students into our Gurukualm, all dedicated seekers and initiates within our tradition. Their journey of self-transformation began with a yajna and a sankalpa, a vow to dedicate themselves to the path of emotional purification and self-discovery for the year ahead. We went on a pilgrimage to the Sadhana Mandir, the spiritual seat of Gurudeva Swami Rama, where they paid homage to Guru Lineage and received bhandara with all.

84-Days Intensive Sadhana Retreat

In honour of Gurudeva Swami Rama’s birth centenary, this year a special 3-month program has been offered at the ashram for the first time—84-day Intensive Sadhana Retreat, guided by Rabindra Sahu. What more auspicious day could there be to begin such a journey than on Guru Purnima itself!

We received 11 dedicated participants from all age groups, from many religions, from eight different countries, including Australia, Ecuador, Hungary, India, Italy, Norway, UK, and USA. There are beginners and long-term initiates in this group. While coming from such diverse life experiences, they all have one thing common—an intense longing for self-purification and self-transformation.

This retreat is a heartfelt offering, a small effort to honour the timeless teachings of the Himalayan Tradition and to share these sacred teachings with all who seek them. As we walk this path of self-purification together, our hearts are filled with gratitude, and we constantly seek the loving guidance and blessings from our revered Guru Lineage.

Guru Disciple Relationship Vol-II: The Sacred Art of Self-Transformation

Posted on 7 August 20258 August 2025 by Mandala

Swami Veda’s New Book

For a sadhaka, the most cherished day of the year is when the presence of the Guru is even more pronounced and palpable—the sacred day of Guru Purnima.

On the auspicious Guru Purnima day of 10th July 2025, we were blessed to receive a sacred prasada—a loving offering in the form of our dear Swami Veda’s new book, Guru-Disciple Relationship Volume-II: The Sacred Art of Self Transformation, along with a long-awaited reprint of the most foundational text within the Himalayan Tradition—Night Birds.

Guru Disciple Relationship Volume-II includes the practices and the teachings that would be a guiding light in our spiritual journey. The annual 40-day spiritual festivals preceding the Guru-Purnima are celebrated and observed every year to keep us rooted to the core nature of our ever-free, ever-pure, ever-wise spiritual Self.

This book is a loving invitation for all sadhakas to take part in the 40-Day Spiritual Festival—a special period of sadhana introduced by Swami Veda over four decades ago and observed by dedicated sadhakas in the tradition since. For the initiates in the Tradition aspiring for spiritual advancement, these 40 days are a time to strengthen our connection with the Guru Lineage. Swami Veda writes, “Unless that relationship (with the Guru Lineage) deepens, all these practices will lead you nowhere. Find ways of deepening the relationship.”

This new book is the second volume in the special series of books by Swami Veda on the Guru-Disciple Relationship, of which the first volume was released last year on the Guru Purnima day. Michael Smith writes: “The chapters of this book are taken from talks Swamiji gave at previous 40-Day Spiritual Festivals from 1990 to 1997. They pertain to ways one can change one’s habit patterns, not only for 40 days, but for an entire Year of Sanctity, establishing a new mode of living for one’s entire life.”

Namita Sinha shares her reflections on the book:

Something that has stayed with me in contemplation (and continues to be an aspiration) is a passage from the section on Rhythms in the book. Swami Ji narrates a story to explain the principle of cultivating subtle and intangible values within.

Once Devi in her wish to please Lord Shiva decided to take up severe ascetic endeavour and sat in stillness under a tree for a long time. A hungry tiger, seeing this mass of flesh approached Her but was completely stilled by the power emanating from the Devi. The tiger became motionless and was transformed and became Her pet like a cat. Swamiji then says, “It is Her presence that is non-violence.” He inspires us to seek this state of non-violence within ourselves.

Swami Veda writes, “We are here for a purpose; it is an on-going spiritual process. We are here for spiritual liberation and serving that mission. We are purifying ourselves of our pride and ego. For these reasons we train ourselves in constant self-observation’ to see oneself, to hear oneself, to develop this internal dialogue.”

It was nearly a decade ago that I first came to know of the 40-Day Annual Spiritual Festival. It was a blessing—a loving invitation to return to sadhana, to anchor myself once more and to walk those 40 days with renewed depth and longing to feel the closeness to the Guru Lineage.

What stayed with me most were the subtle practices of cultivating chitta-prasadana, the pleasantness of mind, and ahimsa.

This book is our beloved Swami Veda’s call—a loving invitation for all to join in the joyful celebration of the 40-Day Spiritual Festival. The practices herein, with a gentle resolve, are an opportunity to take one more step forward on our personal spiritual journey. More volumes on the same topic of the sacred relationship between a guru and his disciples are being prepared at the moment, to be released in the upcoming years.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who works tirelessly, silently, and lovingly in bringing forth Swami Veda’s teachings into new books. We are immensely grateful to Rajini Prakash ji for editing the book, Tejas ji for proofreading the book, Rabindra Sahu ji for the beautiful cover design, and Michael Smith ji for writing an inspiring foreword.

If you feel inspired to make this beautiful book a companion in your spiritual journey, you may reach out to the Bharati Bookstore via email: hyptbooks@gmail.com.

A kindle edition of the book is also available at Guru Disciple Relationship Vol-II.

A Sacred Space of Silent Prayers Dedicated to Swami Veda’s 10th Mahasamadhi

Posted on 7 August 20255 September 2025 by Mandala

SVB 10th Mahasamadhi (1)

On the sacred day of Monday, the 14th July 2025, Swami Veda’s beautiful Ashram and our spiritual home Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama was like a heart, beating and pulsating of special energies and vibrations: the love of many students, devotees, initiates, and disciples who came from all over the world for His 10th mahasamadhi and gathered together to honour and pay homage with pure open hearts to His deep love and wisdom.

The quietness and silence of the entire Ashram was filled by His presence, guiding us in a silent way through His teachings and His example of pure love and care.

We had pujas and havana (Fire Offering) in the morning dedicated to our dearest Swamiji, lead by Swami Ritavan Bharati and priests. The ceremony was also a conclusion to the purascharana of the akhandamandalakaram mantra that the Ashram residents and initiates had undertaken in the past 9 days. Each initiate at the Ashram offered japa of more than 108 malas.

It was a moment for going deeper into a process of self-observation, strengthening our relationship with the Guru Force in the special year of Swami Rama’s Birthday Centenary. Our hearts were connected with each other in a sacred space of silent prayers, feeling deeper and deeper His Infinite Divine Force embracing us, and filling our hearts with pure divine Love.

Swami Ritavan Bharati, Swami Mahant Dev and Idriss Raoua paid their heartfelt tributes to Swamiji by recalling their personal experiences with Him over the past decades. It was a way to remind us of some of the dearest topics to Swamiji: as a united Spiritual Family under the shawl of the Lineage, a unique common mindfield, the importance of such subtle intangible connections.

Simplicity and humility in this path are at the base of our spiritual growth.

Love, Serve, Remember.

Shruti Pushkarna, one of our family members in this spiritual family of the Guru, enchanted us with her soft and delicate voice, full of devotion, dedicating her chants to dearest Swamiji.

About 500 people joined the celebrations, along with 51 sadhus and 120 Sanskrit students, who offered special mantras in the Swami Rama Hall on this auspicious occasion to pay their homage.

The event concluded in the Dining Hall with a grand bhandara offered first to sadhus and brahmanas and then shared as prasada for us all.

May our hearts continue to remain in this sacred space of silent prayers, with true and sincere humility and simplicity, under the shawl of the Lineage and the Guidance of His Divine Force.

Om,

tasmai śri gurave namah

Editor’s Note:

Ilaria Sarri is one of the center leaders of Himalayan Yoga Institute Italia – Centro Per La Salute Globale in Firenze (Florence), Italy. She is a long term initiate in the Tradition, and a TTP teacher and mentor since several years.

For more information about the Himalayan Yoga Institute of Florence, you may contact them directly at segreteria@himalayanyogainstitute.it or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Dharma: A Path with Heart

Posted on 6 August 2025 by Mandala

In my early years as an aspirant in the Himalayan Yoga-Meditation Tradition, I was eager to discover and embody my dharma. Dharma is a Sanskrit word with various meanings, one of which is one’s natural purpose, mission, vocation, or calling. That was what I sought. I wanted to find “my work,” which would enable me to access my hidden talents and gifts, and would, in turn, lead me on the path to Self-realization.

When we walk our dharma path, we touch something deeper within ourselves, tapping into our innate gifts to best serve the world and find greater fulfillment. Swami Rama said that our dharma brings us the experiences we need to grow on our meditative path.

Each of us has a dharma, and it doesn’t have to be grand or earthshaking; it can seem humble. Yet it’s our natural mission, and everyone’s is unique.

You’ve undoubtedly met or seen people living their dharma; they radiate joy while doing their work and excel at it, as if they were born for it.

One’s dharma resembles a guiding star or a way of being, rather than just a job description. For example, Swami Veda Bharati once told me that his dharma was to teach. He didn’t mean he taught in a school; rather, he taught with every move and every utterance. He was a teacher inside and out. His teaching took many forms: sometimes he lectured, other times he provided personal guidance, and at different times he wrote. He taught with a glance and through the tone of his voice. I learned simply by watching how he moved and lived. He taught through his presence, even when he practiced silence.

One’s dharma is not imposed externally; it is an essential truth about you that is found within. When you model your life after a character in a movie, pursue a career only for money, or do work to please your parent, it is unlikely to be your dharma.

My dad, who worked as a dentist, suggested that I follow in his footsteps and arranged an interview at the acclaimed dental school he had attended. However, I had no interest in that career. When I went to the interview, I was first asked to wait in a small room filled with shelves overflowing with teeth, and I was repulsed by the sight. When the interviewer asked me why I wanted to be a dentist, I said, “I don’t. My dad wants me to be one.” Unsurprisingly, I wasn’t accepted into the school, and I felt relieved. I couldn’t see myself doing that as my life’s work.

I don’t believe being a dentist was Dad’s dharma either. Although he was skilled at working with his hands and creating things, he found dental work tedious and tiring. After decades as a dentist, he retired and started a new career as a commercial real property developer, where he excelled. He worked day and night out of enthusiasm rather than obligation and achieved great success. Was that his dharma? I don’t know, but I believe it might have been, as it energized him and provided him opportunities to do things he would not have done as a dentist.

There are no written instructions for finding your dharma. As I searched for mine, I felt my way with my heart, paying special attention to which actions brought me joy and for which I had a natural talent. This was a slow process of discovery. Often, the conditioning I acquired as a child obscured my understanding. But eventually, over the years, I found a path that sang to me and was delightful for me to tread.

I worked for several years as a lawyer, and it became clear to me that it wasn’t my dharma. One time, while serving as a Deputy Public Defender, I defended my client in a trial. As I delivered my final argument to the jury, striving to convince them that my client was not guilty, words came into my mind: “My work is to teach something, but this is not it.” I wasn’t bad at law, but the work of a lawyer was not what anthropologist and writer Carlos Castaneda called a path with heart for me. Castaneda said, “For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length—and there I travel looking, looking breathlessly.” —Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge.

Law was not a way that had meaning, brought fulfillment, and was rich in joy and strength for me. There are people for whom the law is their calling, but I wasn’t one of them.

I left law and got trained as a personal coach, and found I had talent for the work, but still, something wasn’t quite right.

At the same time, I was drawn to yoga meditation for personal and spiritual reasons, and dived in. I never thought my dharma might be tied to yoga, but of course, what is most important to me would be a clue to my work.

I knew I loved to write. Once again, I didn’t consider that it could be my dharma.

But I was thinking about specific jobs rather than broad vocations. Over time, it became clear that the things I excelled at—public speaking, writing, teaching, and yoga—combined to form my dharma. My dharma encompassed all of those and more.

An important consideration is that one’s dharma may not necessarily be how one earns a living. In my case, I didn’t want to make teaching yoga a source of financial support. However, circumstances arose that enabled me to follow my dharmic path without relying on it for income. Perhaps, if something truly is one’s dharma, this is how it works.

Finding your dharma is not always easy. Many obstacles and difficulties may arise along the way. I like to think of the process of searching for and embodying your dharma as akin to the Hero’s Great Adventure, as described by famed mythologist Joseph Campbell in his book titled “The Hero with A Thousand Faces.” According to Campbell, across all cultures, the Hero’s Adventure myth follows a similar pattern: the hero, initially an ordinary person, receives a call, leaves the land of the known and familiar, and ventures into perilous territories. There, he confronts formidable forces, faces great difficulties, triumphs against the odds, and returns home transformed, with powers and gifts that the world needs. This myth serves as a metaphor for the process through which each of us can grow beyond our unformed, initial selves to embody our true potential. The dharma path is the same.

It’s never too late to begin the journey. Seeking our dharma brings us the experiences and grants us the strengths we need to progress toward our ultimate goal of self-realization. We don’t have to drop everything to find and live our dharma. Simply pay attention and be open to the call.

Heaven, Hell, Reincarnation?

Posted on 3 August 20256 August 2025 by Mandala

Does a soul after death go to heaven or hell, or does it reincarnate? On the surface it would appear to be a controversial question, but it really is not, once the definition of heaven and hell is better understood.

There is also the question about the transition period. How long does one stay in heaven, hell or in the purgatory? How long does it take for one to reincarnate? Different cultures and traditions ascribe different time periods. It should be understood that the question of such temporality is irrelevant to the soul which is not limited to our sense of time. The sense of time for different states and levels of consciousness varies. For example, we must measure our time during a dream in two ways. The time an event seemed to take during the dream is quite real while the dream lasts. Yet it is not to be measured against a clock ticking in the same room where the dreaming person lies in bed. One might be tempted to suggest that, well, of course, the time being told by the clock is real; the time experienced during sleep is merely subjective. Such an assertion is based on the unproved assumption that what is subjective is unreal, which is not the case. Are our unexpressed mental thoughts, memories, feelings unreal?

Excepting the liberated Masters, all the experiences of a soul in transition from death through heaven or hell or a reincarnation occur within the subtle body. Our subtle body is constituted of a very refined level of material energies, such as pranas, powers of the senses and so forth, and serves as an individualized instrument of the universal unconscious. The individualized chitta serves as the repository of all our impressions which become the samskaras, creating latent tendencies which finally mature into karmic fruition. Such karma ripens at a physical level but some only on the mental level and within the subtle body. Just as our mental sicknesses – including milder disturbances – are part of the karmic fruition, so also are the experiences between death and the next life. It is important to note that the philosophical systems of India, including Buddhism, accept reincarnation as well as heaven and hell. The deeper aspects of the teaching make it make it clear that heaven and hell exist only in the subtle world. A number of passages in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (4.3.8-20) state that the experiences between death and rebirth are in the same category as dreams, a twilight zone. The wakefulness is like being in this body, in this world; the sleep and dream states are as though a transition after death and before rebirth. The life force, the soul wrapped up in the subtle body, sees whatever it has stored in its unconscious chitta and from its own light creates its own worlds, within its own time zone. The experiences of this zone of awareness draw from the previous life, the previous series of experiences and their samskaras.

According to the same Upanishad (4.4.6),

…to whatever one is attached, he goes to that as a result of his actions, to whatever his subtle body and the mind are affixed. Coming to the end of that action whichever he has performed here, from that world he returns again to this world to perform actions. Such is the state of those who desire…

Editor’s Note

This is an excerpt from Meditation and the Art of Dying by Pandit Usharbudh Arya, who later became Swami Veda Bharati. 1979. Pages 90 – 92.

Death and Transition

Posted on 3 August 20257 August 2025 by Mandala

The fear of death is one of our most prominent fears. We are all afraid of the word “death” and do not want to face the truth that we all have to die. Why do we fear dying? Death itself is not painful; only the fear of death is painful. When we take off an old shirt to put on a new one, we do not feel fear or pain; we are only pleased to have a new shirt. But the thought of taking off our body brings fear.

This is the way of the world. You see a child dying, and old woman or old man dying, your friend dying, or perhaps sometimes a young, healthy person dying, and you say, “I don’t believe in God!” But this is not God’s doing. Death has never given you any assurances or guarantees; it comes at any time. And so we fear it. That fear is projected in many ways. Because you see death all around, you worry: “My husband will die – My mother will die – What will happen to me?” You remain constantly insecure. You need to examine that insecurity; you have to understand it and not be afraid. You are sure to die. Even the strongest dies; the best, the most powerful person dies – even a sage dies, although he has a better dying. How can you ignore this reality? Why do you not understand it?

If you merely remember fear, it will create more fear. But if you systematically analyze your fear, you will see that it has a dual face: you are either afraid of losing something, or you are afraid of not gaining something. That is fear. A major fear with each of us is that our body will perish. But you have not analyzed this fear. Would you want your body to be eternal?

There was once a sage who prayed and prayed for eternal life. Finally, God came down and told him, “Okay, go to the spring in that mountain, drink the perennial water, and you will become immortal.” So the sage rushed there with great pride and anticipation. But when he thrust himself forward to drink from the water, he suddenly heard many semi-immortal beings shouting to him: “Don’t do it! Don’t drink the water! We all drank it and we are suffering.” So the sage asked, “What’s the matter?” They answered, “We wasted our entire energy asking God for eternal life, and God told us to drink the water. Now we are immortal – but to be an immortal human being is not a pleasant thing to be. It is torture being here in this world for a long time. Neither the mind nor the body can handle eternal life.”

If we know something about the philosophy of death and the technique of dying, then our fears about death will be eliminated and we will approach death differently. Actually, there is no mother who can give you the shelter that death can. Your physical mother gives you birth; but death gives you real solace and rest. Death is an expansion of sleep.

In Sanskrit, death is called sahodara, or “sister.” These two sisters, sleep and death, are born from the same mother, the same source. Just as sleep gives you peace, so also does death give you peace. Sleep relieves you rom certain stresses, but death relieves you from the stress of a lifetime. Death puts you into a long sleep. You may sleep now for three hours, but death puts you into a sleep of a hundred years, or perhaps two hundred years. How can we say that death is terrifying? We want to sleep; should we also not want to die? But because people are afraid of the subject, there are very few experiments conducted on death.

Instead of avoiding the thought of death, it is very helpful for us to understand what death is. None of us experiences the reality of our death in our daily life. We do not really believe that we will die, although we see others die. There is a constant battle in the human mind and heart about death, but you do not discuss it because you are afraid. So you push aside the fear of death, the highest fear, and then that fear is projected in many ways. You worry that your spouse or father will die, and wonder what will happen to you. Or you worry that your lover will die, or your bank book will die, because you see death all around. This means that you always remain insecure, and you need to examine that insecurity. You have to understand this fear and not be afraid. You are sure to die.

Actually, nobody is really afraid of death – people are afraid of pain and illness. It is a terrible thing when one suffers great pain and does not die. The actual experience of death is not the pain that makes you cry. But if you understand what that suffering is, it goes away. You understand, by that time, that there is no pain in death. Then you are very close to the Reality, though you are not yet enlightened.

Editor’s note

This passage has been taken from the book Path of Fire and Light Vol 2, pp 19 – 21, by Swami Rama, published 1976 by the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the USA.

Reflections on the Brazilian Retreat in July 2025

Posted on 2 August 202514 August 2025 by Mandala

Brazil Retreat (2)

The Theosophical Institute of Brasilia Paraiso na Terra, in Brazil, hosted the retreat the “Divine Feminine” from 22nd to 27th of July, with Acharya Rabindra Sahu. It is not the first time that the Himalayan Tradition fills this place with its touching presence, and embraces all the participants with deep love. No doubt that the ecological reserve where the Institute is located is a manifest expression of the core topic of the retreat, exactly the divine feminine.

A beautiful land in the Brazilian Cerrado, where the chirps of varieties of colorful birds contours the orange-red sunset, the butterflies showing the path to wondrous waterfalls, bashful owls gifting a curious look, and loving hosts at incessant work. Learning about the masculine and feminine force inside each of us, and how to cultivate the divine feminine as creation, expansion, kindness, gentleness, love both in the world within and without, has been an inspiring journey throughout the retreat, under the incisive and caring guidance of Rabindra. From morning Hatha Yoga and meditation to evening groups’ discussions, in all the sessions were offered clear and practical examples of the work of the Divine feminine force, as well as inspirations on how to live our life with constant awareness of Her presence.

The event enriched by the participation of about 25 people culminated with the fire ritual where everybody was touched by the power of chanting and offering to the Mother Divine.

I have heard from a lady that after almost thirty years of yoga, she has finally encountered the real one.

Our profound gratitude goes to Rabindra who has been able to delicately penetrate each of our hearts, to Eduardo who beyond its spiritual commitment to the Institute, gently translated his words in Portuguese, to Daniel who joyfully sparkled the morning sessions by also translating them, to Osvaldo, who supported us in all practical and subtle aspects by his poetic way of living, to Inaiá and her team who have nourished our eyes, palate and spirit. To all who have worked behind the scene to make this event possible. Last but not least to my dear kalyana mitra Roggerio, who lives and cares for Paraiso na Terra, and whom I found again after many years from our last encounter. To his generous heart, to the divine feminine within him.