H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Unless you have had unpleasant moments in life, how will you recognise and enjoy the pleasant moments?
In life, everything is impermanent. Turn back and see - all that you did is like a dream now. You cried, wept, got angry and became agitated. But that didnt stay with you forever. All has passed, the whole thing is finished. In future, you may become the mayor of the town, or rise to the highest position, or have a lot of wealth. So what? That will also pass. Nothing stays forever. This very moment will also pass. See the impermanence in every moment. See the impermanence in everything.
In life, God gives you a pinch of unpleasantness every now and then. This makes you aware of the pleasant moments. Suppose you have never had unpleasant moments in life, how would you ever know the pleasant ones? It is because you have experienced unpleasantness, you can value pleasantness. Every pinch that you are having in life is for the best, to make you strong and capable to face challenges. This is what makes life lively and enjoyable. If you had only pleasant times, your life would stagnate with utter boredom. You would become like a stone. So in order to keep you alive, nature gives you a little pinch now and then.
Nothing is permanent - whether pleasant or unpleasant, it will also pass. Just turn back and tell me very honestly, every time you had a difficulty, were you not taken out of the difficulty? Any time you had some problem, you got a helping hand. You were picked up.
You might have heard stories of people who were stuck in some problem/disaster, but they still came out of it. There are stories of people who were drowning in the river where there was nobody to help and they dont know how they were saved. I dont mean that you should jump into the ocean and see whether somebody takes you out! All I want to say is that you dont have to be afraid in life, because there is always support.
You see, there is purpose in life. Otherwise why are people born and why do they go through all that they are going through? Are you born just to pay your bills? If you are born just to pay your electricity and phone bills and your taxes, life is not worth living. You work so hard day and night; the whole week is spent madly working, coming home tired, eating and sleeping, etc. Again the next day is the same. Weekends have become another routine, a change in routine that is all. It is the same gossip, the same movies and the same types of conversation.
If youre awake, then you will see there is impermanence in everything around. Just watch when four or five people get together and talk, have a gossip session. It is great fun! In a gossip session, people keep changing their topics. If ten people are talking about the weather and you change the topic to stock markets, everybody will immediately talk stock markets, whether they know about it or not. And then from stock markets you change to health food. They will not have completed the previous topic but they will jump on to this topic!
Being aware of this impermanent nature of your life, you find that there is something in you that has not changed. And also, you become aware of the changing nature of happenings. There is a reference point by which you can say things are changing. That reference point is the source of life. Getting to that reference point is wisdom. With wisdom, your life improves.
(H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is the founder of the Art of Living)
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Mind
Where is your mind located?
Traditionally modern science has placed our mind squarely in our brain, assuming that since our brain does the function of “thinking”, the mind must be there as well.
There has now been extensive research on the presence of mind in our bodies, that suggests that the Neuropeptides, chemical substances that form the communication network of our emotions, are present not just in the brain but everywhere in the body while the brain remains the primary analyzer, our mind is not located there and is instead more like an information-processing field spread across the body. Every cell in our body is capable of feeling; every cell can express emotion. No wonder then, people’s thoughts, emotions and expressions sometimes change after undergoing an organ transplant.
Mystics and sages, however, have always maintained that our mind is not confined to our body, much less our brain. To the spiritually accomplished, our mind is beyond space and time. Mind, in fact, is all of creation. In other words, this universe of ours is mind-made.
New experimental findings by a Swedish group of scientists has now challenged our convenient assumption that our mind is located in our brain. In their studies, the mind can be “tricked” into believing that it is in another body, even a mannequin. Here’s the interesting article:
Perceptual Illusion of Body Swapping
If our mind can be fooled into thinking that it is in another body, why would it be so difficult to believe that even now we are being fooled into believing that our mind is purely in our body? That, perhaps, the ancient mystics were right all along when they said that the mind is beyond space and time?
What is Mind & Where is It Located
The whole world is perceived through five senses - seeing, hearing, taste, smell and touch and there cannot be any object which is beyond the periphery of these senses. Think of anything which you have never seen, never heard, never tasted, never smelled and never touched. You may run the horses of your mind day in-day out, but you will not get any answer. So, we can say that all thoughts in our mind or simply ‘the mind’ is nothing but the permutation-combination of the inputs through these senses and these all inputs which are being perceived in the present or have already been perceived in the past or past lives are stored in our sub conscious mind or the ‘Chitta’.
Chitta is the store house of all the perceptions in the form of experiences and these impressions of experiences, whether good or bad, are called samskaras.
These samskaras once made remain there forever till this mind exists not for one life but till the salvation happens. Every individual on this earth comes with this baggage of samskaras-‘impressions of past lives’ which is the root of the different thought processes amongst all. Therefore, this whole thought process in any individual is because of relation of sensory inputs and the samskaras and that is the reason why all individuals think different on seeing the same object. For example, by seeing roses in the flower pot, a teenager may think of presenting a rose to his girlfriend and to have a kiss in return. Whereas, a painter may think of its colours, the depth, the petals, the beauty and would just get engrossed in its contouring. A horticulturist, on the other hand, may think of its species, the genetic engineering behind and how it was nurtured while for a devotee, it would only remind him of his deity or Guru to whom he may offer these.
Hope now it is clear to you that this whole world is perceived through mind. So, anything related with this world is created by your mind or to say ‘you’.
Now if we relate this to our daily life then this me, mine, attachment, greed, anger, hatred, pride, egotism, passions, desires are all because of this mind. So this whole garbage of lust, anger, passions to say a few is created by you.
Now people ask - how to come out of anger? How to remove attachments? And this list goes on and on and on.
Well, if you have created something, then only you can come out of it.
This is in the habit of mind that it creates a web, then gets entangled in it and then starts trembling to come out of it and when it fails then it looks for help. And most of the time it looks for help in its own created web and gets more entangled.
It’s only the enlightened master who has the power to rescue. Master gives the sword of wisdom by which you can cut this web and come out of it.
Our scriptures say that mind is the cause of pain and this mind itself will be the cause of liberation. It is because of the ignorance of this mind that it gets entangled in this world which is created by it self. On the contrary, by understanding it, knowing it and transcending it, one can attain salvation. Whenever there is a knot, the knot can be opened in the same place but the only problem is that this knot does not know that it is a knot.
That is the reason why a living master is needed in this life to unknot this knot of ego, entanglements and pain.
Mind divides itself into three things: the observer, the object and the observation. It identifies itself with the observer first i.e. the body; then perceives objects as different from itself and due to the process of observation it creates different relationships with those objects.
Mind is like a monkey. A monkey may sit idle but a monkey bitten by a serpent can never sit idle and that is the condition of the human mind which is bitten by the serpent of desires. It keeps on moving here and there looking for the worldly pleasures, it always keeps munching on one thing for long thus, creating lust, greed, attachments etc, it keeps on jumping from one branch to another i.e. changing relationships, shifting from one mood to another. Monkey also has a unique habit of mimicking. It tries to mimic others no matter good or bad and the same goes for the mind. If other has a luxury car then it has to have a luxury car. If other has a big brick house then it has to have a similar house no matter how hard it is to get there. And the list is endless. You know it better.
Now the question arises where this bitten monkey - ‘the mind’ located anatomically?
Is it in the brain? You dissect it and try to find out. Is it in the heart? What happens when one goes through an open heart surgery? If it was located in the heart, the surgeon would have come to know everything in that mind. So where the hell is it located?
If mind was an organ, then its infections would have been - attachment, desire, greed, anger, lust, pride, egotism, I-ness etc and any such infection could have been easily treated through right medication or surgery.
This proves that mind is not an organ either. And, it is surely not something which a normal human being perceives.
Mind is very subtle and is located in the whole body in each and every cell and atom of this body and also outside the body. Mind is that invisible power that keeps on doing its work uninterruptedly and we can certainly gain command over this power – through awareness and consciousness which leads to an ever blissful state. The key for which is given by a true master.
Traditionally modern science has placed our mind squarely in our brain, assuming that since our brain does the function of “thinking”, the mind must be there as well.
There has now been extensive research on the presence of mind in our bodies, that suggests that the Neuropeptides, chemical substances that form the communication network of our emotions, are present not just in the brain but everywhere in the body while the brain remains the primary analyzer, our mind is not located there and is instead more like an information-processing field spread across the body. Every cell in our body is capable of feeling; every cell can express emotion. No wonder then, people’s thoughts, emotions and expressions sometimes change after undergoing an organ transplant.
Mystics and sages, however, have always maintained that our mind is not confined to our body, much less our brain. To the spiritually accomplished, our mind is beyond space and time. Mind, in fact, is all of creation. In other words, this universe of ours is mind-made.
New experimental findings by a Swedish group of scientists has now challenged our convenient assumption that our mind is located in our brain. In their studies, the mind can be “tricked” into believing that it is in another body, even a mannequin. Here’s the interesting article:
Perceptual Illusion of Body Swapping
If our mind can be fooled into thinking that it is in another body, why would it be so difficult to believe that even now we are being fooled into believing that our mind is purely in our body? That, perhaps, the ancient mystics were right all along when they said that the mind is beyond space and time?
What is Mind & Where is It Located
The whole world is perceived through five senses - seeing, hearing, taste, smell and touch and there cannot be any object which is beyond the periphery of these senses. Think of anything which you have never seen, never heard, never tasted, never smelled and never touched. You may run the horses of your mind day in-day out, but you will not get any answer. So, we can say that all thoughts in our mind or simply ‘the mind’ is nothing but the permutation-combination of the inputs through these senses and these all inputs which are being perceived in the present or have already been perceived in the past or past lives are stored in our sub conscious mind or the ‘Chitta’.
Chitta is the store house of all the perceptions in the form of experiences and these impressions of experiences, whether good or bad, are called samskaras.
These samskaras once made remain there forever till this mind exists not for one life but till the salvation happens. Every individual on this earth comes with this baggage of samskaras-‘impressions of past lives’ which is the root of the different thought processes amongst all. Therefore, this whole thought process in any individual is because of relation of sensory inputs and the samskaras and that is the reason why all individuals think different on seeing the same object. For example, by seeing roses in the flower pot, a teenager may think of presenting a rose to his girlfriend and to have a kiss in return. Whereas, a painter may think of its colours, the depth, the petals, the beauty and would just get engrossed in its contouring. A horticulturist, on the other hand, may think of its species, the genetic engineering behind and how it was nurtured while for a devotee, it would only remind him of his deity or Guru to whom he may offer these.
Hope now it is clear to you that this whole world is perceived through mind. So, anything related with this world is created by your mind or to say ‘you’.
Now if we relate this to our daily life then this me, mine, attachment, greed, anger, hatred, pride, egotism, passions, desires are all because of this mind. So this whole garbage of lust, anger, passions to say a few is created by you.
Now people ask - how to come out of anger? How to remove attachments? And this list goes on and on and on.
Well, if you have created something, then only you can come out of it.
This is in the habit of mind that it creates a web, then gets entangled in it and then starts trembling to come out of it and when it fails then it looks for help. And most of the time it looks for help in its own created web and gets more entangled.
It’s only the enlightened master who has the power to rescue. Master gives the sword of wisdom by which you can cut this web and come out of it.
Our scriptures say that mind is the cause of pain and this mind itself will be the cause of liberation. It is because of the ignorance of this mind that it gets entangled in this world which is created by it self. On the contrary, by understanding it, knowing it and transcending it, one can attain salvation. Whenever there is a knot, the knot can be opened in the same place but the only problem is that this knot does not know that it is a knot.
That is the reason why a living master is needed in this life to unknot this knot of ego, entanglements and pain.
Mind divides itself into three things: the observer, the object and the observation. It identifies itself with the observer first i.e. the body; then perceives objects as different from itself and due to the process of observation it creates different relationships with those objects.
Mind is like a monkey. A monkey may sit idle but a monkey bitten by a serpent can never sit idle and that is the condition of the human mind which is bitten by the serpent of desires. It keeps on moving here and there looking for the worldly pleasures, it always keeps munching on one thing for long thus, creating lust, greed, attachments etc, it keeps on jumping from one branch to another i.e. changing relationships, shifting from one mood to another. Monkey also has a unique habit of mimicking. It tries to mimic others no matter good or bad and the same goes for the mind. If other has a luxury car then it has to have a luxury car. If other has a big brick house then it has to have a similar house no matter how hard it is to get there. And the list is endless. You know it better.
Now the question arises where this bitten monkey - ‘the mind’ located anatomically?
Is it in the brain? You dissect it and try to find out. Is it in the heart? What happens when one goes through an open heart surgery? If it was located in the heart, the surgeon would have come to know everything in that mind. So where the hell is it located?
If mind was an organ, then its infections would have been - attachment, desire, greed, anger, lust, pride, egotism, I-ness etc and any such infection could have been easily treated through right medication or surgery.
This proves that mind is not an organ either. And, it is surely not something which a normal human being perceives.
Mind is very subtle and is located in the whole body in each and every cell and atom of this body and also outside the body. Mind is that invisible power that keeps on doing its work uninterruptedly and we can certainly gain command over this power – through awareness and consciousness which leads to an ever blissful state. The key for which is given by a true master.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Subtle bodies
Subtle Body Energies: The Seven Subtle Bodies
There are seven subtle bodies, or layers, around the physical body, which create the auric body system (aura). It is commonly said that these layers are like an onion, and that when you peel one away, you'll reach the next, but this is not true. As you extend inward, the one before is also present within the next aura layer. For example, the outer most body is the causal, or Ketheric body. The next is layer is the celestial body, which contains itself and the causal body. As you go inward, towards the first layer (the etheric) it will be the densest because it holds all seven subtle bodies. And of course, there is the physical body, which is the densest of them all.
The seven subtle bodies can be broken down as follows: There are three physical plane bodies, three spiritual plane bodies and the astral body, which is the bridge between the lower and higher bodies (some teachings claim that the astral is the fourth in the spiritual bodies). The lower three bodies process energies dealing with the physical plane, whereas the upper three process energies from the spiritual planes. Ịt is said that the energies from the higher planes must pass through the "fire of the heart" - the heart chakra-- to reach and be of full use by the lower bodies.
Each level of the aura has its own seven chakras, which are nested within the other auric chakras. As each layer extends outwards, the chakras vibrate at higher rates. So the seven chakras within the etheric body will be vibrating at a much lower frequency then the seven chakras within the causal body. So in actuality, the base chakra, for example, will have 7 major chakras, all vibrating at different frequencies. This way, energy can be transmuted between all bodies to all chakras.
First Layer (The Etheric Body)
This is the closest energy body to the physical. It is what is made evident through Kirlian photography. The etheric body extends one quarter to two inches beyond the physical body and pulsates at about 15-20 cycles per minute. The entire body, including organs, can be perceived but it is made of a bluish (emotional) or gray light (highly active).
Second Layer (The Emotional Body)
Since this is the emotional body, it is associated with feelings. It is more fluid in nature, and does not duplicate the body, as does the etheric body. This body is about one to three inches from the physical body. Unlike the etheric body, which is blue or grayish in nature, this is more like colored clouds that change color depending on what kind of emotions the person is going through. Love, joy, excitement, and even anger will result in very brilliant hues, whereas confused emotions will result in muddy tones. This body contains all the colors in the rainbow.
Third Layer (The Mental Body)
With an even more subtle composition, the mental body holds our thoughts and mental processes. It extends three to eight inches from the body, and generally has a yellow light, which radiates around the head and shoulders, and extends to the body below. This yellow will brighten if a person is deep in thought, or concentrating on mental activities. Although the color associated with this body is yellow, other colors are evident if there is an emotion associated with the thought (stemming from the emotional body).
Fourth Layer (The Astral level)
This is the true bridge to the spiritual plane! When we start to work with this plane, and above, our perception and abilities leap from the physical to the subtle. Here we will begin to perceive energies that are not of this vibrational frequency. The body of the astral is composed of gorgeous clouds of color, which extend six inches or one foot from the body. Not only does it have the same colors of the rainbow like the emotional body, but a pink, or rose hue is often present with these colors, especially if the person is a loving one. The astral plane is also called the "emotional" plane, which ties it strongly to the heart chakra and the second subtle body (the emotional body). Because it is so closely tied to the emotions, when people fall in love, great hues of pink can be seen shooting from their heart chakra. This is also why when we are in the astral, our emotions are greatly enhanced either way. When I am with my love in the astral, it is generally free of any lower body emotions, and our love is able to flow, without restriction.
The Fifth Layer (The Etheric Template Body)
This is what you would call a template for the lower template body (the first body referenced). This is the template that exists before the physical body is formed. Although this co-exists in a different dimension, it also extends one and one half to two feet from the body and can only be seen by clairvoyants and very advanced healers. This is an important layer in healing if the lower etheric body becomes disfigured as this is the true building block to the lower etheric. This template has a dark blue hue to it.
The Sixth Layer (The Celestial Body)
This is the spiritual emotional plane where a person will feel things such as bliss, and spiritual ecstasy. When we reach the place of divine love, interconnectedness (generally through deep meditation) we are touching on this plane, which is felt through our celestial body. When we raise our level of awareness, or consciousness, to the sixth level of the aura, we have allowed a connection to happen from the heart chakra and the celestial chakra. Through this, we can love not only our fellow man (the heart chakra) but do so with divine love (celestial chakra). The colors of this body are very soft in nature (pastel) and glow softly from the body.
The Seventh Layer (The Ketheric Template or Causal Body)
This is the mental level of the spiritual plane (whereas the celestial body is the emotional level of the spiritual plane). This body contains all the other bodies within it and extends up to three and a half feet from the body, often in the shape of an egg. Its structure is made of a gold, or silvery-gold, and appears as a grid type structure, which is very durable. It pulsates and vibrates at a very high speed and within this level; we "know" we are one with God. This body also contains the main Kundalini force that runs up and down the body.
Now while the Ketheric body is the last auric level in the spiritual plane, there are other planes (such as the Cosmic plane) but they do not relate to the aura for they are beyond the aura and a different article entirely!
There are seven subtle bodies, or layers, around the physical body, which create the auric body system (aura). It is commonly said that these layers are like an onion, and that when you peel one away, you'll reach the next, but this is not true. As you extend inward, the one before is also present within the next aura layer. For example, the outer most body is the causal, or Ketheric body. The next is layer is the celestial body, which contains itself and the causal body. As you go inward, towards the first layer (the etheric) it will be the densest because it holds all seven subtle bodies. And of course, there is the physical body, which is the densest of them all.
The seven subtle bodies can be broken down as follows: There are three physical plane bodies, three spiritual plane bodies and the astral body, which is the bridge between the lower and higher bodies (some teachings claim that the astral is the fourth in the spiritual bodies). The lower three bodies process energies dealing with the physical plane, whereas the upper three process energies from the spiritual planes. Ịt is said that the energies from the higher planes must pass through the "fire of the heart" - the heart chakra-- to reach and be of full use by the lower bodies.
Each level of the aura has its own seven chakras, which are nested within the other auric chakras. As each layer extends outwards, the chakras vibrate at higher rates. So the seven chakras within the etheric body will be vibrating at a much lower frequency then the seven chakras within the causal body. So in actuality, the base chakra, for example, will have 7 major chakras, all vibrating at different frequencies. This way, energy can be transmuted between all bodies to all chakras.
First Layer (The Etheric Body)
This is the closest energy body to the physical. It is what is made evident through Kirlian photography. The etheric body extends one quarter to two inches beyond the physical body and pulsates at about 15-20 cycles per minute. The entire body, including organs, can be perceived but it is made of a bluish (emotional) or gray light (highly active).
Second Layer (The Emotional Body)
Since this is the emotional body, it is associated with feelings. It is more fluid in nature, and does not duplicate the body, as does the etheric body. This body is about one to three inches from the physical body. Unlike the etheric body, which is blue or grayish in nature, this is more like colored clouds that change color depending on what kind of emotions the person is going through. Love, joy, excitement, and even anger will result in very brilliant hues, whereas confused emotions will result in muddy tones. This body contains all the colors in the rainbow.
Third Layer (The Mental Body)
With an even more subtle composition, the mental body holds our thoughts and mental processes. It extends three to eight inches from the body, and generally has a yellow light, which radiates around the head and shoulders, and extends to the body below. This yellow will brighten if a person is deep in thought, or concentrating on mental activities. Although the color associated with this body is yellow, other colors are evident if there is an emotion associated with the thought (stemming from the emotional body).
Fourth Layer (The Astral level)
This is the true bridge to the spiritual plane! When we start to work with this plane, and above, our perception and abilities leap from the physical to the subtle. Here we will begin to perceive energies that are not of this vibrational frequency. The body of the astral is composed of gorgeous clouds of color, which extend six inches or one foot from the body. Not only does it have the same colors of the rainbow like the emotional body, but a pink, or rose hue is often present with these colors, especially if the person is a loving one. The astral plane is also called the "emotional" plane, which ties it strongly to the heart chakra and the second subtle body (the emotional body). Because it is so closely tied to the emotions, when people fall in love, great hues of pink can be seen shooting from their heart chakra. This is also why when we are in the astral, our emotions are greatly enhanced either way. When I am with my love in the astral, it is generally free of any lower body emotions, and our love is able to flow, without restriction.
The Fifth Layer (The Etheric Template Body)
This is what you would call a template for the lower template body (the first body referenced). This is the template that exists before the physical body is formed. Although this co-exists in a different dimension, it also extends one and one half to two feet from the body and can only be seen by clairvoyants and very advanced healers. This is an important layer in healing if the lower etheric body becomes disfigured as this is the true building block to the lower etheric. This template has a dark blue hue to it.
The Sixth Layer (The Celestial Body)
This is the spiritual emotional plane where a person will feel things such as bliss, and spiritual ecstasy. When we reach the place of divine love, interconnectedness (generally through deep meditation) we are touching on this plane, which is felt through our celestial body. When we raise our level of awareness, or consciousness, to the sixth level of the aura, we have allowed a connection to happen from the heart chakra and the celestial chakra. Through this, we can love not only our fellow man (the heart chakra) but do so with divine love (celestial chakra). The colors of this body are very soft in nature (pastel) and glow softly from the body.
The Seventh Layer (The Ketheric Template or Causal Body)
This is the mental level of the spiritual plane (whereas the celestial body is the emotional level of the spiritual plane). This body contains all the other bodies within it and extends up to three and a half feet from the body, often in the shape of an egg. Its structure is made of a gold, or silvery-gold, and appears as a grid type structure, which is very durable. It pulsates and vibrates at a very high speed and within this level; we "know" we are one with God. This body also contains the main Kundalini force that runs up and down the body.
Now while the Ketheric body is the last auric level in the spiritual plane, there are other planes (such as the Cosmic plane) but they do not relate to the aura for they are beyond the aura and a different article entirely!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Friday, December 4, 2009
LAW OF ATTRACTION
If u have the willpower within u, if u have a really strong desire to achieve something, then the universe helps u in obtaining that desire, and that in life usually everything becomes alright till the end and if it's not...nothing's over...life goes on..
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa
Pray Lord Ayyappa during Mandala Puja and get blessings. All Doshas of shani is taken care with pooja and prayers to Lord Ayyappa and Lord Hanuman.
You can also visit Sabarimalai Temple during these days.
Kerala is a land of temples; perhaps the best known pilgrimage destination in Kerala is Sabarimala, high up in the Sahyadri Mountains (Western Ghats). Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha Temples. It is believed that "Parasurama Maharshi" who retrieved Kerala from the sea by throwing his axe, installed the idol of Ayyappa at Sabarimala to worship Lord Ayyappa.
The pilgrimage begins in the month of November and ends in January. The temple attracts pilgrims not only from the southern states of India, but also from other parts of the country and abroad.
The shrine gets thronged with devotees especially during the main pilgrim season from November to January.
Mandalapooja(Nov.17th)and Makaravilakku(Jan.14th)are the two main events of the pilgrim season. The temple stays closed during the rest of the year except for the first five days of every Malayalam month and during Vishu (April).
Certain customs are to be strictly observed if one has to undertake a pilgrimage to Sabarimala. A pilgrim attending the Mandalapooja should observe austerities for 41 days. During this period, the pilgrim should abstain himself from non- vegetarian habits and cardinal pleasures.
You can also visit Sabarimalai Temple during these days.
Kerala is a land of temples; perhaps the best known pilgrimage destination in Kerala is Sabarimala, high up in the Sahyadri Mountains (Western Ghats). Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha Temples. It is believed that "Parasurama Maharshi" who retrieved Kerala from the sea by throwing his axe, installed the idol of Ayyappa at Sabarimala to worship Lord Ayyappa.
The pilgrimage begins in the month of November and ends in January. The temple attracts pilgrims not only from the southern states of India, but also from other parts of the country and abroad.
The shrine gets thronged with devotees especially during the main pilgrim season from November to January.
Mandalapooja(Nov.17th)and Makaravilakku(Jan.14th)are the two main events of the pilgrim season. The temple stays closed during the rest of the year except for the first five days of every Malayalam month and during Vishu (April).
Certain customs are to be strictly observed if one has to undertake a pilgrimage to Sabarimala. A pilgrim attending the Mandalapooja should observe austerities for 41 days. During this period, the pilgrim should abstain himself from non- vegetarian habits and cardinal pleasures.
Friday, October 23, 2009
How to Meditate
Trying to withdraw from your five senses:
You are sitting ready, first just relax for a couple of minutes, then start, first intensifying the use of each sense then shut if off suddenly. Do this with each sense one at a time starting with the most used, usually sight. Look around the room noticing as many details as possible, fill up your sight. Then close your eyes and keep them closed as you listen to the soundscape. Hear as many details as possible then stop listening and try to ignore all sound. Now just use your sense of touch. Feel as much as you can without getting up or doing anything. Focus only on this sensation, how does the chair feel, how does your skin feel against your clothes, how do you feel inside, etc. Then try not to feel anything, just smell if you can for a moment, then focus only on taste if you can taste anything at the time, even just the taste of your own mouth if it has one. Doing this gets you out of the external world of the five senses so you can look inward and helps to keep the sense from disturbing you with bits of external information. Now look around the room with your eyes closed seeing with the same vision you see your dreams with. Just imagine you're looking around the room seeing it in your mind's eye, see as many details as you can, then shut it off. This last one does two things; it exercises your visulation ability, which makes life's tasks easier. It also helps ensure you won't be overly disturbed by your own imagination or thinking processes. Now you start to meditate. To get into the Alpha, try to feel and encourage that nice relaxed feeling you get when you're falling asleep, but don't go all the way to sleep. Remember this gets easier with practice till you can do it at will. Stay like this for a few minutes trying not to think without trying not to
Go deep into your self and bring everything out. Be like an objective analyst observing a specimen possibly imagine how your situation would appear to someone else. The problems will come up on their own. In order, starting with the worst. You will work on them one at a time for as long as each one takes, days, months or years. Use all of your intelligence on it, list all of your ideas for it's resolution, come up with suggestions of things that might help. Give your higher self something to work with. Once you have exhausted your mortal and material thoughts on it your super human thoughts can start.. You can be emotionally attached to a problem, be ready to give it up completely.
If you count out loud when counting something it will be easier for the mind to keep track. Or if you want to wake up at a certain time you can tap you head on the pillow that many times and it will be more impressed on the memory than if nothing physical corresponded with the memory placement. Now in that same way, use your visualization to see yourself getting rid of the problem in a physical way. Example; imagine that you put the problem in a box and throw it off a cliff or into a furnace. Or imagine that you somehow got it into a computer and erased it. Use your creativity. Also, just doing this every day will impress on your lower self that something is really happening, and you're serious about this.
Now you pray to God knowing that you have tried and you believe your will is the same as God's will at least on this one subject. It doesn't have to be the God of church or any particular idea, just have faith that help will come from some kind of higher power.
.
You are sitting ready, first just relax for a couple of minutes, then start, first intensifying the use of each sense then shut if off suddenly. Do this with each sense one at a time starting with the most used, usually sight. Look around the room noticing as many details as possible, fill up your sight. Then close your eyes and keep them closed as you listen to the soundscape. Hear as many details as possible then stop listening and try to ignore all sound. Now just use your sense of touch. Feel as much as you can without getting up or doing anything. Focus only on this sensation, how does the chair feel, how does your skin feel against your clothes, how do you feel inside, etc. Then try not to feel anything, just smell if you can for a moment, then focus only on taste if you can taste anything at the time, even just the taste of your own mouth if it has one. Doing this gets you out of the external world of the five senses so you can look inward and helps to keep the sense from disturbing you with bits of external information. Now look around the room with your eyes closed seeing with the same vision you see your dreams with. Just imagine you're looking around the room seeing it in your mind's eye, see as many details as you can, then shut it off. This last one does two things; it exercises your visulation ability, which makes life's tasks easier. It also helps ensure you won't be overly disturbed by your own imagination or thinking processes. Now you start to meditate. To get into the Alpha, try to feel and encourage that nice relaxed feeling you get when you're falling asleep, but don't go all the way to sleep. Remember this gets easier with practice till you can do it at will. Stay like this for a few minutes trying not to think without trying not to
Go deep into your self and bring everything out. Be like an objective analyst observing a specimen possibly imagine how your situation would appear to someone else. The problems will come up on their own. In order, starting with the worst. You will work on them one at a time for as long as each one takes, days, months or years. Use all of your intelligence on it, list all of your ideas for it's resolution, come up with suggestions of things that might help. Give your higher self something to work with. Once you have exhausted your mortal and material thoughts on it your super human thoughts can start.. You can be emotionally attached to a problem, be ready to give it up completely.
If you count out loud when counting something it will be easier for the mind to keep track. Or if you want to wake up at a certain time you can tap you head on the pillow that many times and it will be more impressed on the memory than if nothing physical corresponded with the memory placement. Now in that same way, use your visualization to see yourself getting rid of the problem in a physical way. Example; imagine that you put the problem in a box and throw it off a cliff or into a furnace. Or imagine that you somehow got it into a computer and erased it. Use your creativity. Also, just doing this every day will impress on your lower self that something is really happening, and you're serious about this.
Now you pray to God knowing that you have tried and you believe your will is the same as God's will at least on this one subject. It doesn't have to be the God of church or any particular idea, just have faith that help will come from some kind of higher power.
.
Friday, October 16, 2009
CONDITIONING OF MIND FOR MEDITATION
HOW TO CONTROL THOUGHTS
Presence of Mind: Start practising to bring your mind present in all objects and actions that you look and do. Constantly do observe each of your thought and action. Each simple action you do in every second can be remembered if you practise to keep your mind present there with the action. This practice not only makes your action perfect but also helps you to remember what you did, when u did and where u did. This constant practice makes your mind concentrate on each object and action and thereby your thought remains always one at a time.. Then you are constantly concentrating. Means you can control your mind whenever you want to meditate on any one thought of action and that thought will be the strongest and the most perfect result giving one for you. Slowly you can become thoughtless and in a blissful state of tranquility. Though it is very easy to express but very difficult to practise. Not an impossible one also.
Presence of Mind: Start practising to bring your mind present in all objects and actions that you look and do. Constantly do observe each of your thought and action. Each simple action you do in every second can be remembered if you practise to keep your mind present there with the action. This practice not only makes your action perfect but also helps you to remember what you did, when u did and where u did. This constant practice makes your mind concentrate on each object and action and thereby your thought remains always one at a time.. Then you are constantly concentrating. Means you can control your mind whenever you want to meditate on any one thought of action and that thought will be the strongest and the most perfect result giving one for you. Slowly you can become thoughtless and in a blissful state of tranquility. Though it is very easy to express but very difficult to practise. Not an impossible one also.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
KNOW YOUR BRAIN WAVES BEFORE MEDITATION
________________________________________
BETA, ALFA, THETA AND DELTA STATE OF MIND
Beta is the so-called conscious level of mind. Alpha and Theta form the subconscious regions of the mind's operation, and Delta is the unconscious region of thought activity. These states form the spectrum of mind operation.
your brain waves operate at a level called Beta where they mainly oscillate between 14 to 30 cycles per second.
As your mind relaxes and disconnects somehow from the external material world - like when you're daydreaming or meditating, or watching a movie - you enter a more focused, expanded state of awareness where brain wave patterns are mainly composed of Alpha brain waves oscillating at between 8 and 13 cycles per second.
When relaxing even more, your mind enters a region that correlates with a large relative quantity of brain wave patterns of 4 to 7 cycles per second. This is the Theta zone of the mind. The Beta level corresponds to a focus of concentration by the mind upon the outside or perceptually separated world, and the Alpha and Theta levels correspond to a more internally focused, self-reflective state.
Each human being experiences the Theta level for a fleeting moment every night before the mind dips down from the Beta level of awareness (awake state), to the Delta state (brain waves of less than 4 cycles per second: deep sleep), and passes rapidly through the Alpha and Theta states to enter the profound sleep level, where consciousness of self is totally lost, and where even dreams do not occur. (When dreaming, a sense of self is necessary and the mind has to go back up to the Theta or Alpha state.)
Delta is the level of the mysterious universal mind. It is the level at which the differentiated self (ego) expands to become undifferentiated and operates outside of the confines of linear time/space.
Alpha, Theta and Delta (sleep) are defined as "altered states of consciousness," as opposed to Beta, which is considered to be a fully conscious state. They are so called because it is necessary to alter one's state of consciousness from the fully awake state (Beta), to either Alpha, Theta or Delta (sleep), which are all progressive states of expanded awareness and thus are subject to less vibratory interference from the biological brain.
Beta is the so-called conscious level of mind. Alpha and Theta form the subconscious regions of the mind's operation, and Delta is the unconscious region of thought activity. These states form the spectrum of mind operation.
Small children function mainly at the Theta, Alpha and Delta states of mind, as do animals. Human adults operate mostly at Beta.
While the ego (awareness of self) is present and one is in the Beta, Alpha, or Theta state, all levels of the mind operate at once. One only concentrates more on one level than on another, showing therefore more brain wave patterns pertaining to the one band of operation the mind concentrates upon. Nevertheless all patterns are always present, defining life. It is only at death that this spectrum disappears.
In a nutshell: As the mind focuses upon the external (perceptually separated and material) world, it is at the Beta level. When the mind focuses and increasingly concentrates self-reflectively upon itself and its inner processes, it climbs in awareness from Alpha to Theta, and finally to Delta.
BETA, ALFA, THETA AND DELTA STATE OF MIND
Beta is the so-called conscious level of mind. Alpha and Theta form the subconscious regions of the mind's operation, and Delta is the unconscious region of thought activity. These states form the spectrum of mind operation.
your brain waves operate at a level called Beta where they mainly oscillate between 14 to 30 cycles per second.
As your mind relaxes and disconnects somehow from the external material world - like when you're daydreaming or meditating, or watching a movie - you enter a more focused, expanded state of awareness where brain wave patterns are mainly composed of Alpha brain waves oscillating at between 8 and 13 cycles per second.
When relaxing even more, your mind enters a region that correlates with a large relative quantity of brain wave patterns of 4 to 7 cycles per second. This is the Theta zone of the mind. The Beta level corresponds to a focus of concentration by the mind upon the outside or perceptually separated world, and the Alpha and Theta levels correspond to a more internally focused, self-reflective state.
Each human being experiences the Theta level for a fleeting moment every night before the mind dips down from the Beta level of awareness (awake state), to the Delta state (brain waves of less than 4 cycles per second: deep sleep), and passes rapidly through the Alpha and Theta states to enter the profound sleep level, where consciousness of self is totally lost, and where even dreams do not occur. (When dreaming, a sense of self is necessary and the mind has to go back up to the Theta or Alpha state.)
Delta is the level of the mysterious universal mind. It is the level at which the differentiated self (ego) expands to become undifferentiated and operates outside of the confines of linear time/space.
Alpha, Theta and Delta (sleep) are defined as "altered states of consciousness," as opposed to Beta, which is considered to be a fully conscious state. They are so called because it is necessary to alter one's state of consciousness from the fully awake state (Beta), to either Alpha, Theta or Delta (sleep), which are all progressive states of expanded awareness and thus are subject to less vibratory interference from the biological brain.
Beta is the so-called conscious level of mind. Alpha and Theta form the subconscious regions of the mind's operation, and Delta is the unconscious region of thought activity. These states form the spectrum of mind operation.
Small children function mainly at the Theta, Alpha and Delta states of mind, as do animals. Human adults operate mostly at Beta.
While the ego (awareness of self) is present and one is in the Beta, Alpha, or Theta state, all levels of the mind operate at once. One only concentrates more on one level than on another, showing therefore more brain wave patterns pertaining to the one band of operation the mind concentrates upon. Nevertheless all patterns are always present, defining life. It is only at death that this spectrum disappears.
In a nutshell: As the mind focuses upon the external (perceptually separated and material) world, it is at the Beta level. When the mind focuses and increasingly concentrates self-reflectively upon itself and its inner processes, it climbs in awareness from Alpha to Theta, and finally to Delta.
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