Category: Dear Yoga Mentor, My question is

Question

If a mantra is given by an initiator, rather than by an enlightened Master, I do not understand how a person, just a normal human being, can give something to another normal human being that will be effective.

Answers

Randall Krause (Mokshadeva), Lalita Arya (Ammaji), and Michael Smith have answered this question.

Randall Krause (Mokshadeva)

Your concern is that the mantra from an initiator is given by a non-realized person, and you wonder how that mantra could be effective. It’s a good question. What’s important to understand is that the mantra does not come from the initiator; it comes from the Guru. Swami Rama was known as Gurudeva— a person who has brought his mind to the level of the Guru. But the Guru is not a body, is not a person. Because of Swami Rama’s great spiritual achievement, he could speak from that Guru force. But, an initiator, even though not at such an exalted level himself or herself, has been blessed with the ability to receive mantras through intuition from the Guru and pass them on to aspirants.

Swami Veda used to tell stories of how Swami Rama showed him multiple times that the mantra and initiatory energy come through him (Swami Veda) not from him. The Mantra is said to come from the Guru not from the initiator. In one story, Swami Rama asked Swami Veda (who was known as Dr. Arya at that time) to tell him his (Swami Veda’s) personal mantra. Although Swami Veda had repeated that mantra thousands if not millions of times, he could not remember the mantra. Then Swami Rama said “now you can remember it,” and then Swami Veda remembered his mantra. Swami Rama told him that this was to show him who controls the mantra.

I’ve talked with Stoma Parker, who is one of the initiators, and he told me that when he gives initiation he goes into meditation and waits for the mantra to appear in a particular place in his mind—that’s how he described it. Only then does he give it. Swami Veda, who was an expert on mantras, told me that he doesn’t give the mantra, it comes through intuition, from the Guru. He would often think about what mantra would be good for a person but when initiating he’d give the mantra which came through intuition— which may have been different from the mantra he thought would be the right one.

One of Swami Rama’s prime teachings was not to worship any person, not even the Gurudeva. Only worship the infinite—which is within you. The goal of the Himalayan Tradition is to make each of us strong; it is not to make us weak and dependent on some other person.

The mantras given by the initiators are from the Guru, from the Self. Now, you may choose not to believe any of this. That is up to you. Swami Veda also said not to believe anything he said, but to do the practice and verify for yourself. So it’s up to you.

Lalita Arya (Ammaji)

A questioning mind is always a good sign that one is thinking and not just following blindly. Our Guruji encouraged queries but always used to say after his lecture, Do not just believe what I say, go out and practice and find out for yourselves.

Naturally when we do this sincerely all kinds of puzzles arise in the mind and in order to go forward when the answers do not come from within, we seek them out. Bhakti, devotion, Faith and trust that the Guru we have chosen and who has chosen us has to receive these in order for us to progress.

The Mantra Initiator in our Himalayan Tradition is like any “normal human being”, but is different because he/she has undergone training in this ancient Tradition from someone who Knows. The Initiator is chosen to carry the work of the Tradition and one of these is to initiate the trained student.

When the Guru trains – it is a difficult path – we are faced with challenges – and as students, we too go to the Guru for answers. We trust not only in that Guru but in the entire Tradition of Knowledge and wisdom passed on from Lineage to Lineage over thousands of years. It is like breath – when we lose it, it leaves us, but does not disappear, it merges. So is with the Learning, the Grace & the Blessing we receive within that Sangha of Elders.

As Mokshadeva pointed out, it is not the “normal human being” who initiates – it is the thread of inspiration, belief, and surrender through which that sound vibration in the form of a mantra comes and reverberates so that it can be passed on. When we sit to initiate we have no idea what that mantra will be. We prepare ourselves with the necessary tools, and meditate so that our minds are calm and ready to receive so we can give forth.

I would like to share an experience I had with one initiation – this student had come to the ashram, undergone the necessary training, submitted an application for initiation. It was approved and an appointment was scheduled. Unfortunately, the student had to leave urgently that evening and the initiator was not at the ashram. He was sent to me by the ashram office as I was in residence at our private home there, and he explained his predicament. I said OK, fine, go to the Initiation Room. I will meet you there. I prepared my mind, went, and initiated him.

As he was leaving, he thanked me and then said – It is remarkable – the mantra you gave me is one I remember receiving long ago from another tradition, but had never really practiced it. I was shocked that it was the same mantra that came back vividly to me as you whispered it to me. ,

I was not surprised at all, I smiled and said to him, “Now go and practice it. It seeks you as much as you need it.”

May Grace attend us all.

Michael Smith

Thank you for the beautiful thoughts that were shared on Mantra Initiation.

I’m not the person to write about this, because it’s all secondhand, but one of the most amazing things I’ve heard about in terms of the initiatory process in the Himalayan Yoga Tradition is that Swami Veda was able to give “charged” mantras to people in different spiritual paths (Islamic, Christian, Buddhist etc.), and that is true ALSO with the various initiators in the tradition.

So, if a person asks for a mantra particular to her/his tradition, the appropriate mantra will “come.” There are many profoundly baffling things that occur when we connect with an authentic lineage – but, for me, the gift of receiving an intrinsically viable “sound” that can nurture and guide us through our lives is paramount.

I give you the end of a golden string,
Only wrap it into a ball,
It will lead you in at Heaven’s Gate
Built in Jerusalem’s wall.
— William Blake

---

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.

Question

I am practising yoga and meditation taught by Gurudev Swami Rama. I am getting angry. Please help me so that I may control it.

Answers

Stephen Parker (Stoma) and Carolyn Hume have answered this question.

Stephen Parker (Stoma)

Sorry to hear that you are feeling this anger. But it’s important to know that the anger was always there and now it has become clear to you (which is a good thing). You know your starting point with this aspect of emotional purification (citta-prasādana) which is the major goal of our initial practice of yoga. We always want to “control” it or make it go away; what is important is that you can observe it with mindful awareness. If you do this you can then inquire and discover what the anger is about (it may have many sources and levels), how it works, with whom you feel it, etc. All of this helps you to understand it and gradually get a sense of how to redirect that emotional energy in a more constructive way. For myself, I often redirected the energy into aerobic exercise which always left me feeling better afterwards. As long as I had something that would reliably help me feel better. I never felt helpless or hopeless which always made any anger or frustration worse. Gradually I felt more and more choice in how to respond to the anger I saw in myself. This effect of cultivating mindful self-observation is that this sense of freedom grows. In addition, maintaining mindful awareness by remaining aware of the sensation of breath flowing in your nostrils neurologically generates a subtle sense of joyfulness that gradually becomes more and more the habit of your mind.

Remember that your anger is always your responsibility. As Swami Veda used to say, nobody can make you angry; all they can do is hold up a mirror to what is already in your mind. When you blame others, and even when you blame yourself, you try to duck that responsibility but you also give away all your power to change anything. When you blame, you automatically define yourself as a powerless victim. When you take responsibility for your anger, regardless of others’ behavior, you take back whatever power you have to affect the situation.

So I wish you well in exploring the function and the sources of your anger. And I hope that you find your way to the sense of freedom and greater joyfulness that comes with the cultivation of mindful awareness.

Carolyn Hume

Stoma’s response is insightful on anger and how to handle anger.

In addition, diaphragmatic breathing can be a tool in anger management. When one is angry, one is emotionally distraught, and if one examines one’s breathing at the time, one may find that they are not breathing diaphragmatically. One can re-establish one’s diaphragmatic breathing and also relax (this can be a progressive relaxation) which goes well with the mindfulness about which Stoma wrote.

Also, it is good if one does not identify so strongly with the anger that one starts condemning oneself.

“We get angry, and we think, ‘I am angry.’ Who is angry? To say ‘I am angry’ is to identify with the emotion, to believe that the emotion is us. We cannot be an emotion. As humans, we are capable of having anger and experiencing anger, but we are not anger or any other emotion.” – Swami Rama

Swami Rama wrote, “You should decide which desires are helpful for your growth and which desires will create obstructions to your growth. Learning to train the intellect within (buddhi) will definitely help in doing this: when you get angry, you can arrive at the source of your frustration and anger by sitting down and analyzing why you got angry in the first place and examining which desires were not fulfilled.”

And Swami Veda Bharati has written, “Ask yourself, What is the alternative, sattvic way of behavior? Instead of anger how should I have responded to the situation? Slowly these questions will become paramount in your mind. If they create conflict, your rajas is still dominant. A gentle breeze of an answer is what you are looking for from within. The determination of behavioral choices begins within the mind. Instead of pondering on how to act, go to its causes, which are thoughts and feelings. Do not suppress your anger. Strive to convert it into compassion and acceptance…Gradually you will find mental tools to help you alter your choices. Your smile will cool and soothe the other person’s anger and leave him smiling. Having succeeded once, you are encouraged. You now have faith that, yes, indeed, this can be done. For sure, it will bear pleasant results. You then reaffirm your resolve for the next time. We can call this morality of emotions, ethics of emotions.”

Sometimes change can start with the grossest expression and move to the more subtle level. For instance, when I was a child, I was much more likely to strike out with a hit or a kick or something similar if I was angry.  Then later perhaps with a sharp tongue, critical and sarcastic. As I grow emotionally, first I realize that I am not physically striking out at people, and later I notice that I no longer attack with words.  The thought patterns become more sattvic.

However, as one continues the mindfulness, one finds more and more subtle levels of desire and possibly anger or irritation… This can be a lengthy process, but, as Stoma has said, it is also an opportunity, and it is an opportunity that leads one to grow in happiness and greater happiness. As we let go, love flows more freely through us.

---

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.

Question

I suffered from mental anxiety and heart palpitations from the year 2009. From then I tried different yoga and meditations. I get benefited from that for some time but after some time like 6 months, I again suffered from the same mental problems and heart palpitations which did not allow me to practice meditation. For that, I was thinking of taking mantra initiation so that by practicing mantra meditation I can change my personality. I have been practicing some mantras but I am not able to find out that which mantra will be suited to me. Please help me and guide me.

Answers

Stephen Parker (Stoma) and Carolyn Hume have answered this question.

Stephen Parker (Stoma)

You have done well using your yoga practice to deal with anxiety. It is one of the most effective strategies there is for many reasons, both spiritual and physiological. For many people, this is an ongoing process that has better times and worse times, even with a mantra initiation.

A mantra initiation is an intuitive process where the “choice” of a mantra is up to the intangible guru-force which moves through the initiator. It isn’t made on an intellectual basis. We sit together in meditation within a common mind-field, a gentle request is made to the guru and then whatever mantra comes clear is what is given. If I know the person ahead of time, I may have an opinion about which mantra would be good for them, but when it comes to initiation, my opinion doesn’t count. I must pass along only what we are given. Sometimes the person recognizes that it is a sound with which they are already familiar. This may indicate that they have brought that mantra into this life with them and it is being reinforced.

What is most important is that the intangible link to the guru is established and/or strengthened in the process of initiation which makes it possible for the guru to use that mantra from within the mind of the disciple to guide them. Ultimately, one’s ātman is the guru and the process of initiation and mantra meditation helps to awaken and fortify that presence within your mind. An external guide simply assists that process until the inner voice is clear.

Carolyn Hume

While it is true that heart palpitations can be caused by anxiety, it is also possible for there to be an underlying medical condition, such as thyroid problems, arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation….  So you may want to consult a medical doctor to confirm or eliminate these as possible causes.
Taking a foundation course in our tradition and learning or practicing some of the practices under the guidance of a teacher, completing a course of classes in breathing, sitting, and other preparations of yoga meditation with the teachers may be helpful.  This could be a preparatory step towards mantra initiation. Preparations include: Joints and Glands Exercises, training the legs, sitting correctly: with a straight spine, relaxation procedures, diaphragmatic breathing, breath awareness, and breath awareness with so-ham.

---

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.

Question

My question is – Under the theory of karma, we understand that ego (ahamkara) is the root cause of the sense of doership, which in turn envelopes one in the karmic whirlpool. However, what is this ego? Where does it come from? How is it generated? What is its source? What is the process? And finally, how does one get rid of this ego?

Answers

Lalita Arya (Ammaji), Stephen Parker (Stoma), and Carolyn Hume have answered this question.

Lalita Arya (Ammaji)

“ego” is originally from the Latin meaning “I” translated into English…that I that sees, feels, smells, etc.

Without that “I” there is no “doer” as the questioner asks.

From where does it generate? When one takes birth, the “I” appears as identifying with that self. It has to have a reference, so I, the doer.

What is its source? The questioner answers this “in the karmic whirlpool”.

How does one get rid of this ego? One does not so long as one is I… It is the I that asks the question, so that proves there is no getting rid of, in the ordinary sense of the word. BUT…

Let me divert into a story. There used to be a renunciate (or maybe still is) who never used the identity “I”, he always referred to himself as “this self”…I thought when I heard him speak, Wow, what a clever way to get out of that who am “I” syndrome.

In our tradition, we have been introduced to the greatest of all practices for any human being and that is Meditation…we start with being encouraged to practice daily, faithfully, without expectations just following that eternal sound that our mantra introduces us to.  Eventually when the mind is really clear that same “ego – I” becomes absorbed in the greater consciousness. I love this quote that Lord Rama advises the sage Gautama to forgive – Let go of the knots of your mind until aham (ego) gives way to “atma”…(from SITA by D. Pattnaik).

Leave all the analysis aside as it involves the ego and just let go…eventually one day that “I” will disappear and when you open your eyes after that special session you will see the world as an extension not of I but of atma.

May that Moment be ever yours

Stephen Parker (Stoma)

I love Ammaji’s answer.

The ego is the “I-maker,” our self-identifying function. It is part of what creates our individual mind. If you don’t have an ego, you can’t have a body. So it isn’t a question of getting rid of ego, but how to live in the right relationship with it. Sometimes it gets the idea that it is the CEO of the mind (ātman) rather than the general manager. So living skillfully means living with an ego that can surrender at the right moment.
By cultivating mindful awareness, starting with breath awareness, you gradually loosen ego’ grip on the illusory ownership of actions and their results.

Carolyn Hume

Interesting answers from Ammaji and Stoma that are also practical.

Swami Rama has written, “The universe is the outcome of the two principles of one Absolute without a second: Purusha (consciousness) and Prakriti (primordial matter). From Prakriti and Purusha all the animate and inanimate forms of the world are born, maintained, and destroyed. Nothing can exist without the Lord’s Prakriti.  All the manifestations of the universe are diverse forms of Prakriti.”

Sankhya is one of the six systems of Indian philosophy. It is thought that to understand the Yoga Sutras, one must first understand Sankhya philosophy. In this philosophy, Purusha is eternal, and Prakriti is co-eternal.

The Vedanta school of philosophy accepts consciousness as real with all else being maya or illusion, sometimes called apparent reality. It is consciousness from which matter manifests. Everything is the play or sport of Brahman. “…the philosophy of Advaita, which holds that there is one and only one absolute Reality without a second and that all that we see, the entire universe, is but a manifestation of the one Truth.” – Swami Rama

In Sri Vidya, there is a similarity of ideas with the terms of Shiva and Shakti. “According to the science of tantra, the human being is a miniature universe. All that exists in the cosmos exists within individuals, and the same principles that apply to the universe apply to the individual. In this ancient philosophy, the entire universe is a manifestation of pure consciousness. And yet, consciousness seems to be divided into two aspects—one that is unchanging and unidentified with the manifest world, called shiva, and another aspect of consciousness, shakti, which is the subtlest of the created things. Shakti means power or potential. This aspect of consciousness is creative, dynamic, and energetic, and it brings forth the entire manifest world from itself. However, only part of the energy of shakti is involved in the creation of the manifest world, while the other, greater part, remains dormant. Thus both in the universe and in the individual, energy exists in two forms—dynamic and latent.” – Swami Rama

Ahamkara along with Buddhi, Chitta, and Manas are functions of the mind.

Interestingly ahamkara is made of two parts: Aham = I and Kara is within the verb “to do.” So one can perhaps say the idea of “I do,” or of doer-ship.

Swami Rama has said, “It is necessary to have a comprehensive knowledge of the mind and its modifications, for it is the mind that stands between man and the Ultimate Reality….The origin of the mind is atma-shakti, the capacity of the Self… In the philosophy of raja yoga and Sankhya philosophy, mahat denotes the cosmic or universal mind, the first principle manifested out of the unmanifested one, Brahman. Just as a wheel rests on its spokes, and the spokes rest on an axle, so does our mind rest on the cosmic mind, and the cosmic mind rests on Brahman…. From mahat comes ahankara, or ego…”

One looks at the first 3 lines of the Yoga Sutras:

Now, at this auspicious moment of transition begins the instruction in the discipline following the past tradition.

Yoga is the control of the modifications of the mindfield.

Then (upon the dissolution of the vrttis) the seer now rests in his own true nature.

So the practices and teachings of yoga are tools to bring about the idea in the 3 lines above.

Swami Rama has written “You only attain joy when you forget ahamkara. But how is that possible for you to live without a sense of I-ness? That’s not possible so it is better to ‘polish’ your ahamkara. Just as you polish your shoes and use them every day until eventually they are worn out, so should you polish your ahamkara – your ego.”

Actually, you can read for yourself the philosophies found in Sankhya, Vedanta, the Yoga Sutras, and other texts and perhaps gain an intellectual understanding of what you think they are saying and decide what you think is plausible.

If you so choose, you can engage in the practices and follow the teachings of yoga and see where they lead you. “Valid knowledge comes from direct experience alone.” – Swami Rama. This can be a long process because of the layer upon layer of covering to which one holds; polishing will reveal more and more subtle layers as one goes on. And this is also a process of expansion, of letting go, of feeling more and more the flow of love, which eventually cannot be contained.

Talking of samadhi, Swami Rama says, “In this state the senses, mind and intellect cease functioning. Just as a river merges into the ocean, the individual soul merges into the Supreme Soul, and all limitations dissolve.”

“…the stage of Nirvikalpa Samadhi in which the seeker becomes one with the One, Here is to be found the union of Atman with Brahman. This stage transcends the stage of intense love and longing for the ideal. For now the seeker merges into his ideal, and no sense of duality remains. Only one who is well established in the stage of nirvikalpa samadhi is an illumined yogi, and only such a yogi can truly guide other aspirants. Such a yogi is beyond the bondage of space, time and causation, and he is ever free, for it is possible for him to remain dissolved in Brahman and yet return to normal consciousness.” – Swami Rama

Such a one is called a jivanmukta.

Since you have written about karma, I suggest you read Freedom from the Bondage of Karma by Swami Rama, The Royal Path by Swami Rama, chapter 13 in Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Rama (actually the whole book is a good read), The Art of Joyful Living by Swami Rama, as well as other writings.

---

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.

Question

In certain traditions, when one receives Initiation, the Guru is said to “burn” or “take on” the sanchita karmas. The reserve karmas stored far in the unconscious mind.  Does something similar take place here, when we are connected to The Himalayan Tradition?

Answers

Michael Smith and Pandit Dabral have answered this question.

Michael Smith

After Swami Veda met Swami Rama, he asked him, “Why did you take so long to come?”
Swami Rama replied: “What? And get into all that karma?”
That’s the only thing I can think of right now. To me, it’s a mystery because we don’t know how the guru works. Swami Veda has also said that the guru is working all the time to clear the way. There is an entire series by Swami Veda, called The Guru-Disciple Relationship.

Pandit Dabral

Namaste ALL (Sarvam)

The Guru is one who dispels the darkness of ignorance. All Gurus are the same, and ALL Gurus are ONE. Swami Veda told me once that Gurus change their departments so often in their caves.

So the answer to your question is YES. Guru takes away or burns ALL our Karmas in many many different ways. The Himalayan tradition says “Saha Mayaa” which means the Guru saying that NOW you are connected to the tradition and NOW you are with me or NOW you will mediate with me.

Hope this clears your question a bit.

Enjoy being part of the tradition which means being in the womb of Guru.

Pandit Dabral Always sewaayam…

---

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.

Question

“You have no alternative but to learn to love your duty. Then it becomes easy. If you do not love something, and yet you do it, it creates division in your mind, and gives your stress. Learn to create love toward your duties. It can be done.” – Swami Rama, Sadhana, The Essence of Spiritual Life, Pp. 53

So inspiring! Which duty do we have to learn to love? Maybe our miseries and misfortune or our choices in our life?

Answer

Michael Smith has answered this question.

Michael Smith

Namaste! What a wonderful quotation from Swamiji! Thank you! The context of what he is saying about “learning to love one’s duty” pertains mostly to one’s family responsibilities and to one’s occupation. The point Swamiji frequently makes is not to dissipate one’s energy with contradictory thoughts (“I hate doing this, but I will anyway”), but to keep a focused, ekagra (one-pointed) sattvic mind.

---

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.

Question

“Uncontrolled thoughts lead to the asylum, but controlled internal dialogue leads to an understanding of the nature of the mind and helps in the path of meditation and contemplation.” -Swami Rama, Freedom from the Bondage of Karma (pg 19)

How about the many people I have encountered who control their thoughts to often achieve desirable outcomes that involve hurting and damaging other humans or animals or environment? They have spent years directing their thoughts and planning their actions successfully and they feel content with the results. Sometimes throughout generations.

Answers

Michael Smith and Stephen Parker (Stoma) have answered this question.

Michael Smith

The key phrase here is “internal dialogue.” Swami Rama has written a lot about inner dialogue, which involves an inner conversation, prior to meditation, between thoughts which bubble up in the lower mind and the calm, objective “watcher” of those thoughts. The process of internal dialogue clears the mind of extraneous thoughts so that one’s meditation can go deeper. Thoughts and actions which are intentionally harmful to others would definitely be thoughts of an impure lower mind — the very thoughts which an experienced meditator would neutralize.

Below are some poems by Swami Veda pertaining to internal dialogue:

MY MIND, MY CHILD

Mind, why do you act so like a child? Why do you grab at every toy and gleaming tinsel? Why do you wish to horde all these pebbles and lumps in your pouch and then also burden me with their care? How many of my strings of moonlight pearls, my quiet moments, you have unstrung. How many of my laces of sunlight, my illuminated thoughts, you have unraveled, mind.

Mind, why do you not grow to maturity? You know well that you are of human descent with a saintly destiny and yet you join these beasts of malice and petty violence in their pranks against me. You take all the colours and splash them on yourself, one colour now and another the next moment. What a baby’s drawing you have made of yourself and you call that experience, mind.

Mind, choose your colours with care and draw your lines. Here the prayer, there the breath, here the light between your eyebrows, there the celestial sound in the right ear. Mind, come let us sit together today–just me, brother breath and you, and let me give you both a beam of my luminosity. My mind, my child, let me make you beautiful.

MIND AND MEDITATION

An unguided mind is a chariot drawn by untrained horses, ready to throw you by the wayside. Only a mind well restrained will keep to your charted path. A mind without meditation is like a diffuse, scattered light illuminating only a corner. But meditative consciousness is a sharp beam cutting through a thick granite-black darkness.

Your dreams, fantasies, visions and wishes are the clutter from a subconscious corner in which spiders of sense impressions have woven their cobwebs. A meditative mind is like an unclouded sky, full of sunlight, like a candle flame, steady, where there is no breeze. Only such a sky is fit for wings. Only such a flame truly gives light. Only such a mind becomes an instrument of freedom.

Make your choice, then, between confusion and clarity, between clouds and sun, between the pleasant and the good. Say to yourself this day: “I have made my choice, in this life, enlightenment. In this very life, a Christlike stature. The Buddhahood, within my allotted number of breaths.”

Brother mind, meditate and help me.

WATCH OVER YOUR MIND

Your mind is your true personality. It shows through all your movements, gestures and words. Your reactions and decisions come from the mind. Every morning you wash your face before you present it to the world. Why not also wash your mind?

The mind is your servant and seeks to favour you who are its master. Watch over the mind and it will cleanse itself; leave it free and it will soil you. Watching the mind constantly is the art of mediation in action. Follow, therefore, four rules of thought and resolve daily:
Wrong thoughts that have arisen I shall eliminate.
Wrong thoughts that have not yet arisen I shall prevent from arising.
The right thoughts that have not yet arisen I shall make to arise.
The right thoughts that have arisen I shall maintain, nourish and help to grow.

With this observance of thought you will become lovable if no one loved you before. You will become attractive if no one was attracted to you before. You will become a magnet if you were mere iron before.

I wish you this day a mind you can watch over, a mind you have cleansed, a mind you magnetise with your spiritual energy and I wish all beautiful thought to your mind.

MEDITATION MIRROR

My mind, mirror that you are, you are so befogged I cannot see my face clearly. You open all the windows of senses and run about from one to the other, looking out, bringing in all manner of sight and sounds. You distort their truths to me. Why, mind?

Mind, I gave you this agility as I gave vitality to these breaths, and gleams of perception to the senses, and you lead us round and round from cycle to cycle of ignorance and pain, death and rebirth. Can we not become friends, we who share this house of clay, this body, mind?

Mind, shut those windows and sit still, just a while. Do not agitate these breaths. Let them calm down too. Let me cleanse your face and illuminate your eye of wisdom so I may see my own real face clearly, so together we may step off this whirling wheel into a world of eternal stillness. You have been giving care to all else, out there. Just for a moment now, turn around inward and do listen to me. Can we not be friends, mind? Calm down and be still, brother mind.

DRAW YOURSELF TO YOURSELF

Draw yourself to yourself. Empty your mind of all things from sources outside you and look into your mind for a force that may be entirely yours. A body in meditation is totally relaxed. All muscles are limp, there is no twitching, no movement. The mind has no memories and, therefore, no anxieties. When the mind has no anxieties the breath flows evenly and smoothly. All the hollows of the mind are filled and there are no sharp edges. The brain becomes clear. The thoughts do not arise at random.

That evenness of the mind brings an evenness of emotions, and a quality of equilibrium develops in your personality. That equilibrium may last for a moment or two while in meditation, and initially that is so. But as your meditations prosper they begin to permeate your personality and through all your thoughts, words and physical deeds your natural equilibrium begins to show.

Drain all waters from the Pacific Ocean and fill them with liquid light–these are the unfathomable depths of your mind.

I wish you a dive into the depths of an ocean called consciousness, filled with light.

RAYS OF THE SUPERCONSCIOUS

A strange imperceptible poison in you changes the conscious into subconscious. It distorts your images, pollutes the streams of inspiration, holds court with shadows. Whenever an experience enters through the windows of your senses, the subconscious lurking behind the doors alters your perceptions and you find that the residue of your experience is deposited at the bottom of your mind’s lake. It misinterprets lights as shadows and misguides your intuition.

The Superconscious alone can cleanse you and make your waters serene and still. When you meditate let the residue of past actions and experiences lie undisturbed. Let the Superconscious cut through your ego like a razor’s edge. Let it flash like lightning on the forest trail you are walking. Do not let the hoot of the subconscious disturb you. Let not its fears come to the surface.

I wish for you this day a total loss of your subconscious and of every murky thing that arises from its depths. I wish that the rays of the Superconscious make way into your cave and light up your inner world forever.

Stephen Parker (Stoma)

Michael’s response is very thorough. I would only add that the more one practices remaining mindfully aware all the time, starting with breath awareness, the less one’s internal dialogue becomes an exercise in projecting selfish needs. Whenever we maintain that our psychological conditioning (including what we consider “me” to be) goes into the background. As a result our action gradually becomes more compassionate, open, accepting and loving (C.O.A.L attributes of mindfulness). These find their ultimate fruition in the Brahma-vihāras, friendliness, compassion, joyful-mindedness and emotional non-reactivity.

---

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.

Question

I was wondering about what constituted bhakti. And is it necessary?

Answers

Michael Smith, Stephen Parker (Stoma), Lalita Arya (Ammaji), Swami Ritavan Bharati, Carolyn Hume, and Michael Kissener have answered this question.

Michael Smith

Bhagavad Gita 9:26 — “Whoever offers Me a leaf, flower, fruit, or water, with devotion
— that gift of a person of controlled self, offered with devotion, I accept.”

“That which is important is the feeling of devotion.” Verse 9:26 teaches the aspirant to give or offer whatever he can, according to his capacity. Those who acquire this habit cannot stop giving, and finally, they give all that they have as an offering to the Lord. Giving and giving up bring one and the same result. These two virtues are the highest of all and help the aspirant in self-unfoldment. Any selfless action performed is a devotion to the Lord.” (Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Rama, p. 310)

Stephen Parker (Stoma)

Sooner or later all the yogas, all the spiritual paths, funnel into “bhakti,” or, in yoga-speak, īśvara-pranidhāna, or in vedānta-speak, ātma-tattva-avalokanam. The term bhakti is perhaps best used for where this path begins, with channeling emotions in a relatively pure direction and offering everything one does to the Divine in whatever form. Gradually this is refined and intensified so that religious devotion, jñāna-yoga, and karma-yoga all become exercises in cultivating a continual awareness of Divine presence and seeking to remain in that presence at all times. In Bhagavad Gītā 4.11 Krishna says, “By whatever path people come to me I strengthen their faith in that direction.”

Lalita Arya (Ammaji)

Bhakti is one of the rasas – literally means “juice, essence or taste”. It connotes an Indian concept in arts & philosophy that evokes an emotion or feeling difficult to be described.

Bhakti is one of those like any other emotion. We can still be bhaktas even if we do not believe in a god…and simply might be interpreted as Devotion. As a mother is devoted to her child – she doesn’t need to develop it, it comes naturally to her. It is also part of the emotion of Love in its widest sense…so asking if it is necessary is like asking “do we need to love”? We cannot experience Devotion without Love and similarly Love without Devotion.

This is a very simple way I think of devotion.

Swami Ritavan Bharati

As part of our Shri-Vidya sadhana, The Meditation Center Sangha is currently reciting the Sanskrit verse, and practicing contemplation of the 27th verse of Saundarya-lahari:

“Oh, Supreme Divine Mother,
Whatever action of mine, may it be intended for and dedicated to Your worship:
may my speech become recitation of Your name as prayer (japa),
may all my actions become gestures of Your worship (mudras),
may all my movements become a circumambulation around Your form (pradakshina),
may all my food and drink become offerings to You as oblations to the divine fire (homa),
may all my resting and sleep become prostrations to You (pranam),
may all my worldly pleasures and enjoyments be transformed into acts of devotion to you (seva),
(May “I” become “Thine” and “Thou” become “mine”, O Divine Mother)”

…and through that deep contemplation, a glimpse of the Absolute, with the direct experience that Shiva and Shakti as One; then a seeker fully surrenders to Her (ishwara-pranidhana), and maintains that constant awareness (atma-tattva-avalokanam). Everyday actions are an act of worship, because there is no attachment to either the ego (actor), the action or the acts by way of attaching to the objects of desire.

Swami Rama, in Lecture 2 of his Saundarya-lahari seminar, says that you are not praying to somebody who is outside you. Through such a prayer, you learn to be humble, compose yourself and maintain a constant awareness of the source of truth. “…that ‘in-dweller’ is the lord of life who gives me light, the truth; gives me power to hear, think, analyze; who gives me power the energy to walk and do things in the external world. From that center of power within me, I draw strength and awaken the source of that strength.” He reminds us that with constant awareness you train the ego and make your ego aware of this truth, otherwise, the ego refuses to accept that. If you want to enjoy life, learn to be humble and for this, you will have to train and change your ego through this path of bhakti-yoga.

Carolyn Hume

Individuals have certain propensities and, when they start the study of yoga they are naturally inclined towards those elements that follow those propensities. One might be more scholarly, one might be more devotional, one might be inclined towards service, etc. However, as one continues to practice and to grow, the differences between, for instance, jnana, bhakti, and karma tend to evaporate and one discovers that they are the same. This would not happen, of course, with the sadhaka who takes pride in his knowledge, his devotion, his service, and his offerings; such pride separates him from that with which he is involved and from Self. Pain/pleasure felt in this separation can sometimes serve as a self-correcting mechanism of dissolution.

Michael Kissener

On the spiritual path the more refined ego tends to ‘own’ all spiritual progress made, thus preventing full realization and liberation. The one element in practice preventing this trap is bhakti, or īśvara-praṇidhāna, lifting us from ego-centered experiencing into recognition of our true nature of being.

---

Editor’s Note

Bhakti Yoga: Path of Love and Devotion by Swami Rama can be read by clicking on the title.

Ishvara Pranidhana is one of the niyamas. In The Royal Path, Swami Rama writes, “Ishvara Pranidhana or surrender to the Ultimate Reality is possible only with infinite faith and dedication. Such total surrender is achieved only with time, sincerity, and perseverance. The ego has great tenacity and resists such a complete surrender. When the ego is transcended knowledge of one’s true nature is attained.”

The short video Ishvara Pranidhana (5th Niyama, Rung 2) by Swami Rama (YS3#19) can be seen by clicking on the title.

Four lectures by Swami Rama on Saundarya-lahari can be seen by clicking here.

---

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.

Question

I have read this quote from Kundalini – Stilled or Stirred (p.75-76) by Swami Veda Bharati: “Spiritual experience narrated to others loses its power. If people know that you meditate, half the effect of the concentration of meditation is dissipated. The true meditation is that which is held secret. Let no one know, and hold it like a treasure, close to your chest and heart. The secret of meditation is secret meditation. The secret of successful meditation is secret meditation, for which you seek no recognition, no honour and no respect. Instead, seek insult and you will succeed.”

Which means this message lost its power in the transmission?

Another swami shared this with me years ago as I related to him an extraordinary experience I had had. When deeper revelations come it is tempting to share with others. Such as the profound firsthand experience of being one with Brahman. I just want to know how Swamis do it without losing the import of the message. Or do they understand that no such oral representation could ever come close to even approximating the experience? This is how I understand Swami Rama’s explanation with regards to the guru within.

Answer

Swami Ritavan Bharati has answered this question.

Swami Ritavan Bharati

The important message is: “for which you seek no recognition, no honour and no respect,” meaning: to be egoless, non-attached.

When there is an attachment to recognition, name, and fame, the temptation of “graha” to hold, to possess, is identifying with the possession. Maintain the attitude of “namah” this is not mine, and, i am only an instrument of the divine, which is the guru within. Rather than the preya of pride, practice the shreya of aparigraha, and ishwar-pranidhana.

---

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.

Question

I can only visit Rishikesh once or twice in a year, in that case how can I keep track of my practice?

Answers

Lalita Arya (Ammaji) and Stephen Parker (Stoma) have answered this question.

Lalita Arya (Ammaji)

I love to tell stories and lessons we learnt from Baba, Swami Rama, that may help others on the Path. Once when in the very early stage of Baba coming into our lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, my dear husband, who later became a swami, said to Baba that he wished to go to the Himalayas. So Baba queried –

“Why?”.

My husband – “I want to find God.”

Long pause with Baba smilingly replied – “So God does not live in Minneapolis?”

End of Lesson.

However, maybe this lesson might not be applicable to the question asked if the student is seeking direct guidance from one of the teachers/initiators in our Tradition. I would like to suggest that you do not need to ‘keep track’ – just meditate if you have taken classes/or been guided by/or initiated in the Himalayan tradition.

Sincere, dedicated meditation will take you to the place within yourself where you will find the answers you seek…it takes a looooong looooong time, you just have to be devoted. Coming to our Rishikesh ashram helps to renew the focus as it is an ashram of peace, quiet, meditation and devotion. It is important in one’s life to have the experience of that kind of space, just like taking time off to relax the body by getting a massage or some such relaxing session. Proper ashrams provide the tranquility needed for this Path. Come when you can but don’t stress about it.

We as humans get anxious about stuff – and we mistakenly put meditation as some kind of goal we have to achieve. Meditation is the journey, meditation is the goal. It guides you to where you are supposed to not GO, but BE.

Stephen Parker (Stoma)

I loved Ammaji’s response and, in general, I think that is the answer. From time to time if you are working on a specific skill or habit some kind of journaling may be helpful in tracking how it’s going or in keeping track of positive outcomes, in case you are the kind of person who needs to be reminded of them.

Aside from that, it is my Guru’s job to track my progress. If I ever found out that I was in samadhi, I’d just get a big head about it. So I leave that to Him/Her.

---

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.