Real Yoga Will Not Wreck Your Body

Real Yoga Will Not Wreck Your Body

Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

January 24, 2012

The New York Times published an article on January 5, 2012 entitled "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body". This article has since spread like wildfire throughout internet. I am writing comments in the 16-page attached article to strongly refute much, if not most of what William J. Broad (the author) has said.

~Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

Addendum to the Yoga Nidra article on SwamiJ.com

From:
http://www.swamij.com/yoga-nidra.htm

ADDENDUM TO THE YOGA NIDRA ARTICLE ON SWAMIJ.COM

The distortion of the very high practice of Yoga Nidra is so thorough
in the world these days that it seems necessary to make very bright
titles just to have the point noticed.

Throughout this article (and others linked on this page) you will find
explanations that there are THREE levels of consciousness: Waking,
Dreaming, and Deep Sleep (plus the "fourth" which is the transcendent
state known as Turiya). Yoga Nidra is conscious DEEP SLEEP. Deep Sleep
is NOT conscious Dreaming. It is NOT the transition between Waking and
Dreaming. Those are states to explore, but they are NOT Deep Sleep; if
it did have dreams, that would be called Dreaming, and would NOT be
called Deep Sleep.

It is utterly obvious that Deep Sleep does NOT have Dreams to explore.
It should be self-evident that Dreaming and Not-Dreaming (i.e., Deep
Sleep) are two different things. However, books, articles, and CDs
keep telling people that Yoga Nidra is a state of Dreaming, or
transitioning into Dreaming from Waking. This is just not true.
Throughout the ancient writings of the yogis, sages, and rishis there
are explanations of these three states of consciousness. Please don't
just take my word for it. Read the ancient writings, including Vedas,
Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and others. You will find these states
talked about over and over, and over again.

Many people are now practicing all sorts of guided imageries in the
name of Yoga Nidra so that they can make money, have better sex, or
manipulate other people. There are CDs out which say Yoga Nidra is for
"this or that" named disease or other specific desire-based purpose.
Yoga Nidra has been made to sound like "The Law of Attraction,"
whereby you fulfill your desires through meditative techniques.

Yoga Nidra was taught by the ancient sages for the purpose of
exploring the deep impressions or samskaras, which drive our actions
or karma. They taught this so that sincere seekers can purify the
deeper aspect of the mind-field, which is accessed in the formless
state of conscious Deep Sleep. If I try to explain the whole process
here in this paragraph, I would have to condense the whole article
here, which can't be done. You must do this exploration yourself. Read
the article. Read the other articles. Read the texts mentioned above.

I'm not writing this here just to complain about other people. The
fact is, that Yoga Nidra is a profoundly useful and deep practice for
enlightenment at this highest level of that word (enlightenment). The
term "Yoga Nidra" has become so watered-down, so distorted that
sincere seekers are not likely to see the extremely high value of
authentic Yoga Nidra. If you read this, research this yourself, and
then do the practices, you'll discover for yourself the very high
value of authentic, traditional Yoga Nidra.

I know that all of this can sound like a "sales pitch." Well, we're
stuck with that. I'm writing this here so that possibly some few
sincere people will move forward with authentic Yoga Nidra. There are
a small handful of people out there who can talk to you about this,
and guide you. I'm not going to recommend any specific names of
people, however. Just explore sincerely; you'll find your way to the
real thing of Yoga Nidra.

While you are here, reading this part of the article, please read
carefully the rest of the article, as well as some of the other
articles about these three levels of consciousness (see levels
articles in the link), particularly the third level, which is the
domain of Deep Sleep. I know it can be a difficult read, but there's
great value in understanding these levels of consciousness and how
Yoga Nidra is used as a tool for higher experience.

Levels articles:
http://www.swamij.com/index-yoga-meditation-levels.htm

Yoga Nidra article:
http://www.swamij.com/yoga-nidra.htm

In loving service,

Swami Jnaneshvara

Spanish translations of articles on SwamiJ.com

A total of 14 articles from the SwamiJ.com website have been
translated from English into Spanish as a most generous offering of
selfless service to others by Zulema Higueras from Chile. The articles
range in size from 1 page to 49 pages. The articles are all in pdf
format and can be downloaded from this page:

http://www.swamij.com/spanish.htm

Please freely circulate these links to other readers of Spanish who
may enjoy and benefit from the articles. More translations are to come.

In loving service and with gratitude to Zulema,

Swami Jnaneshvara

Videos on Yoga Meditation and Om Mantra - Mandukya Upanishad

It is with sincere heart that I write articles and have created short
videos to explain complex principles in simple language. Below is a
comment I received from a person I do not know. I share this with you
in the hopes that it will help a few to watch these videos closely and
benefit from them.

Swami Jnaneshvara

FEEDBACK RECEIVED ON TWO VIDEOS:

Thank you for the videos you've assembled. Years ago I turned away
from formal study of Indian Philosophy. The many long and strange
words seemed a wall too high to scale for me. But there was something
in the word 'samskara.' It seemed to contain more meaning than I could
penetrate and had nothing comparable in English. When I came across
your videos (Meditation Visualized, and, Mandukya Upanishad) I watched
again and again with my mouth just hanging open in astonishment. These
video explanations are of highest value, truly a treasure. I've read
so many, many volumes. To think that I could have gained what I have
by watching two, ten minute videos beggars the mind. In fact, if I
wanted to sit down with Guru and plan out my whole life in advance, I
could not have picked a more auspicious moment to have placed these
two videos in my path.

THE TWO VIDEOS:

Yoga Meditation Visualized
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oIXAUCOZ10

Om Mantra and Mandukya Upanishad:
Yoga Vedanta Meditation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNruveUaeRg

More videos by Swami Jnaneshvara
http://www.youtube.com/yogabindu

126 videos by Swami Rama on:
Yoga Sutras (13 hours)
Sri Vidya Tantra - Saundaryalahari (6 hours)
http://www.youtube.com/swamiramahimalayas
(This is a separate, external site)

VIDEO: (3 min) The dance of Yoga on the lips of mind and Mt. Kailash

NEW VIDEO (3:04 Minutes)
(revision of a previous video)

THE DANCE OF YOGA ON THE LIPS OF THE MIND AND MT. KAILASH
By Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

VIDEO at YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8kujQL3xTg

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga, Yoga
Ah, sweet Yoga.
The word dances on the lips of the mind.

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga, Yoga
The wave that is one with the ocean of bliss.
The union of the illusory "I" with the "I" of all,
That was never divided in the first place.
Ah, sweet Yoga.

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga, Yoga
How the word flows through the field of mind.
The consciousness as Purusha,
Never one with, but playing with all the layers of being,
All the levels of the finest soil of matter called Prakriti.

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga, Yoga
One without a second.
One absolute reality,
With the appearance of soul called Atman,
As a breeze thinking itself separate from the wind
Of the absolute called Brahman.

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga, Yoga
Ah, so utterly, incomparably, sweet is the word.
The essence that is both the beauty
And creative force called feminine or Shakti,
And her companion of masculine, Shiva.
The two which are one in Yoga.

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga, Yoga
Ah, passionate, loving, driving, quieting,
Exasperating,
Fulfilling, emptying, full filling Yoga.

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga, Yoga
Ah, so sweet;
No sweeter word to ring in the canyons of mind,
Than the word of Yoga,
That arises from, and returns to the silence.

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga, Yoga
You and I are one.
Only one. Only Yoga.
Yoga, Yoga, Yoga, Yoga

More of my videos at YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/yogabindu

My website:
http://www.swamij.com/

VIDEO (2 min): What Yoga has Become in America

NEW VIDEO (2:00 Minutes)

What Yoga has Become in America
By Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

VIDEO at YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An4LwizAVFo

For more information about what Yoga has become in America, please see:
http://www.swamij.com/traditional-yoga.htm

AUDIO: Theism, Atheism, Nondualism, Contemplation, and Shaktipat

THEISM, ATHEISM, NONDUALISM, CONTEMPLATION, AND SHAKTIPATSwami Jnaneshvara Bharati

AUDIO RECORDING (PODCAST)
(41:33 minutes)
http://www.swamij.com/podcast/080223-swami-j-cnd-conf.mp3

Presentation by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati at the annual conference ofthe Center for Non-Dualism in Fort Walton Beach, Florida on February23, 2008. The talk blends three topics: 1) Theism, Atheism, and Non-Dualism; 2) How do I contemplate? What are "great" contemplations? 3)What is shaktipat? How does it work?

Center for NonDualism

Purpose of the Center for Non-Dualism: The Center for Non-Dualism is a community for people who share the Non-Dual perspective of Religion, Yoga, and Philosophy. The purpose of the Center is to maintain a loving fellowship and to provide a nurturing environment that is conducive to learning and experiencing the oneness of NonDualism.

Meaning of Non-Dualism: Non-Dualism is the orientation that there is one absolute reality without a second, and that each of us, although an individual person, is one with that reality, just as a wave is not separate from the ocean. The emphasis of our Center is on the practices such as contemplation and meditation which lead to the direct experience of this Non-Dual reality.

Weekly Programs: The Center for Non-Dualism serves the Emerald Coast area of Northwest Florida. Our weekly gatherings are each Sunday from 10:30 to 12:30, with the program itself from 11:00 to 12:00. Our meeting location is the Gardenia Room at Cayo Grande, at 214 Racetrack Road NW, Fort Walton Beach, Florida. A map is on the website.

Invitation: Our view is that all dualistic religions, practices, and philosophies are practical tools that ultimately lead to the direct experience of the Non-Dual reality. All people who share this perspective and approach to life and spiritual practices are welcome and invited to participate in our programs and community. Teachers and organizations with a similar view of Nonduality are invited to network through our community, as friends of the Center for Non-Dualism.

Website:

http://www.CenterForNonDualism.org/

Newsletter:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CenterForNonDualism/

Mandukya Upanishad on Om Mantra: Yoga Meditation (VIDEO 9:30)

Mandukya Upanishad on Om Mantra: Yoga Meditation (VIDEO 9:30)

This video is on the Om Mantra as outlined in the Mandukya Upanishad. The pinnacle of the wisdom of the ancient sages is contained in these terse twelve verses, which outline the philosophy and practices of the Om mantra (written as either AUM or OM). The three stages plus the fourth of Om mantra are central to Yoga Meditation, Advaita Vedanta, and Samaya Sri Vidya Tantra.

VIDEO (9:30 minutes):

Click here for VIDEO at YouTube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fNruveUaeRg

Click here for VIDEO at MySpace:
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=17293431

http://www.swamij.com/

Spirituality and When it Dawns - Swami Rama

http://www.swamij.com/swami-rama-spirituality-dawns.htm
From The Essence of Spiritual Life
By Swami Rama
ISBN 8188157015
Reprinted with permission of the Publisher
Copyright Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust
http://hihtindia.org/
Swami Rama Foundation
http://www.swamiramafoundation.us/

SPIRITUALITY AND WHEN IT DAWNS
Swami Rama

It is not necessary to retire to a monastery to lead a spiritual life. We cannot escape from our inherent longings or postpone our utmost needs. In addition to the primitive urges for food, sex, sleep, and self-preservation, there is a higher urge to merge with God. We cannot be at peace unless that inherent divine urge is fulfilled.

We all want to experience the all-pervading, omnipresent God from which the entire universe, as well as each individual, has evolved. Direct experience of the truth that each of us originates from God, and ultimately will return to God, makes us secure, happy, and strong.

Today millions of educated men and women are suffering from a lack of purpose. Lacking also in self-confidence, young girls and boys have become victims of dissatisfaction and frustration. Along with a worldly education, we must provide some spiritual education.

Human beings have done research on three levels so far on mind, energy, and matter. Yet we have not found out a way to live in peace, to attain happiness that is free from all problems, pains, and miseries. We study this “ism,” and that “ism.” We go to this church and that temple. We seek advice from this swami and that other yogi. Yet, we have not found the way.

The whole confusion lies in the fact that we do not understand ourselves, and yet we introduce ourselves to others. We are strangers to ourselves yet we get married, have children, have homes, and claim to love others.

That training that helps us to attain a state of happiness free from pains and miseries, is missing from our daily life. Nobody teaches us how to look within, how to find within, how to verify within.

We are taught to know and see things in the external world, but this inner training and knowledge is missing. When we graduate with flying colors from colleges and universities, we find that we are still unsatisfied. The big questions about life still remain questions:

Who am I? From where have I come? What is the purpose of life? Where will I go from here?

Modern education helps us to understand and to be successful in the external world, the world of means. It doesn’t help us to know ourselves.

To know yourself, you don’t have to go anywhere. If you want to know yourself, you have to follow the path from the grossest to the subtle, then to the subtler, and finally, to the subtlest aspects of your life. You have to search for yourself, because religions do not fulfill this need.

I am not telling you not to follow your religion, or not to believe and trust in your religion. Often religions do not answer certain vital questions of life. Religions tell you what to do and what not to do, but religions do not tell you how to be.

No matter how many temples and churches we build, nothing is going to happen unless we accept one principle—that the greatest of all churches and temples is the living human being.

The scriptures say:

"The greatest of shrines is the human body. Look within and find within. There His Majesty dwells in the inner recesses, in the inner chamber of your being."

The day you come to know this, you will be happy. To believe in God is not a bad thing. It is a very good thing, because at least you have faith; but you should not forget that God is within you.

As a part of our educational training, we must define spirituality in its most precise and universal terms. Spirituality means that which helps us discipline our thoughts, speech, and actions, that which leads us toward the center of consciousness, and thereby unfolds our inner potentials.

Education based on such spiritual guidelines will help humanity to become self-reliant, confident, and active in the external world. At the same time, it will enable humanity to broaden its world view, and to become inward to search for the perennial Truth. Only a spiritually based education can bring harmonious balance to our external and inner lives.

Knowledge of theories that prove the existence of God is not as important as learning to discipline oneself, so that God can be experienced directly. Children should be taught how to sit quietly and make their minds one-pointed. Through their calm and one-pointed minds, children can obtain a glimpse of true peace and happiness. We need not force them to believe that there is a God; however, we should provide them with the opportunity to unfold their inner potentials, gain confidence, and become inspired to search for God, according to their own inner tendencies and backgrounds. Children need to cultivate divine virtues within themselves.

That which is purely physical has its limits, like the shell of an egg. Spirituality has infinite horizons and limitless freedom. It is full of knowledge and perennial light, life, and delight. When one is completely detached, one realizes oneself in a wider and deeper relationship with the Universal Being.

When ego becomes aware of something that is higher than ego—the individual spirit, or soul—then spirituality dawns.

Spirituality dawns when individuality vanishes.

http://www.swamij.com/

Nondualism (Advaita) in Vedanta and Yoga Meditation

Nondualism (Advaita) in Vedanta and Yoga Meditation

VIDEO (3 minutes):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cn5DLp8y3tg

Nondualism is central to Advaita Vedanta and Yoga Meditation. Seek to know that by which knowing, The nature of all things is known, Seek to love that by which loving, That love beyond all forms is known. That by which knowing, loving, holding Comes Absolute Joy, The One Joy that is unbounded, unconditioned, Limitless.

http://www.swamij.com/

Brief Hindu Timeline for Practitioners of Yoga Meditation

Brief Hindu Timeline for Practitioners of Yoga Meditation

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1a6vMAGTUhI
(10 minutes)

The dates for the Brief Hindu Timeline are drawn from a significantly more extensive timeline assembled by Hinduism Today in 1994. It should be self evident that the choice of items on the timelines and the dates themselves may not align with the opinions of all people. This video is presented as general information, not as a scholarly stance. Dates preceded by "ca" are approximate. The notation "bce" means "before common era" in the year zero of the Western or Gregorian calendar. The notation "ce" means "common era" and is after the year zero.

http://www.swamij.com/

Advanced Yoga Nidra

FROM:
http://www.swamij.com/yoga-nidra.htm

ADVANCED YOGA NIDRA

The form of Yoga Nidra being described in this article can be called Advanced Yoga Nidra. In recent years Yoga Nidra has been distorted in ways similar to Yoga itself. Unfortunately, almost any guided practice that brings a modicum of relaxation is now called Yoga Nidra. Therefore, it is now virtually essential that we use another term, such as Authentic Yoga Nidra, Traditional Yoga Nidra, or Advanced Yoga Nidra. I've opted for the term Advanced Yoga Nidra in this article.

CLICK HERE FOR THE
COMPLETE ARTICLE
ON YOGA NIDRA
http://www.swamij.com/yoga-nidra.htm

Bad News and Good News in Yoga Meditation

BAD NEWS AND GOOD NEWS IN YOGA MEDITATION
Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

There is bad news and good news in the inner journey of enlightenment
through Yoga Meditation. The bad news is that some unpleasant
obstacles naturally come. The good news is that there are ways to
deal with those obstacles. However, two things are needed:

1) We need to understand those methods.
2) We need to actually practice them!! :)

With gentle, loving persistence those practices become easier and easier. We need to be ever mindful of these principles and allow them to become a part of our daily lives. Admitedly, this is much easier to say than to do. Still, it is true that gently, lovingly, patiently, and persistently practicing brings the fruits, along with remembering that, in a sense, there is nothing at all to do other than let go of our attachments and aversions, and allow the pure consciousness, truth, purusha, atman, or light to come shining through.

OBSTACLES AND SOLUTIONS
(Yoga Sutras 1.30-1.32)

The "bad" news:

Nine kinds of distractions come that are obstacles naturally
encountered on the path:

1) physical illness
2) tendency of the mind to not work efficiently
3) doubt or indecision
4) lack of attention to pursuing the means of samadhi
5) laziness in mind and body
6) failure to regulate the desire for worldly objects
7) incorrect assumptions or thinking
8) failing to attain stages of the practice
9) instability in maintaining a level of practice once attained.

More "bad" news:

From these obstacles, there are four other consequences that also
arise, and these are:

1) mental or physical pain,
2) sadness or dejection,
3) restlessness, shakiness, or anxiety, and
4) irregularities in the exhalation and inhalation of breath.

The "good" news:

To prevent or deal with these nine obstacles and their four
consequences, the recommendation is to make the mind one-pointed,
training it how to focus on a single principle or object.

STABILIZING AND CLEARING THE MIND
(Yoga Sutras 1.33-1.39)

More "good" news:

In relationships, the mind becomes purified by cultivating feelings
of friendliness towards those who are happy, compassion for those who
are suffering, goodwill towards those who are virtuous, and
indifference or neutrality towards those we perceive as wicked or
evil.

The mind is also calmed by regulating the breath, particularly
attending to exhalation and the natural stilling of breath that comes
from such practice.

The inner concentration on the process of sensory experiencing, done
in a way that leads towards higher, subtle sense perception; this
also leads to stability and tranquility of the mind.

Or concentration on a painless inner state of lucidness and
luminosity also brings stability and tranquility.

Or contemplating on having a mind that is free from desires, the mind
gets stabilized and tranquil.

Or by focusing on the nature of the stream in the dream state or the
nature of the state of dreamless sleep, the mind becomes stabilized
and tranquil.

Or by contemplating or concentrating on whatever object or principle
one may like, or towards which one has a predisposition, the mind
becomes stable and tranquil.

http:www.swamij.com
http:www.swamij.com/yoga-sutras.htm

In Your Meditation Today (Video)

VIDEO (55 seconds):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Hbb-BCisk

In your meditation today...
May your body be still and comfortable....
May your head, neck and trunk be aligned....
May your breath be smooth, slow, serene,
and with no pauses....
May the flow of thoughts in your mind
not disturb you....
May your meditation today bring you peace,
happiness and bliss....

http://swamij.com/

Kundalini Awakening in Yoga Meditation (46 second video)

KUNDALINI AWAKENING IN YOGA MEDITATION
(46 second video)
Swami Jnaneshvara
http://swamij.com

This 46 second video is simple animation of the process: "Prana flows
in Ida and Pingala, the left and right energies. Prana is trained to
flow in Sushumna, the central channel of subtle energy. Kundalini
awakens at the first chakra, and rises to Sahasrara, the crown. The
Self, the Atman or Brahman is realized; the union of Shiva and
Shakti, the Absolute, one without a second."

Watch via YouTube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oQhF9W_DO6A

Watch via Google video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3978162702735362179

Watch via SwamiJ.com:
http://swamij.com/videos/caduceus.wmv

Shakti, Kundalini, and the River of Tantra Yoga Meditation

AUDIO PODCAST:
Shakti, Kundalini, and the River of Tantra Yoga Meditation
Swami Jnaneshvara
Recorded May 15, 2007
6 Minutes, 45 Seconds

SHAKTI, KUNDALINI, AND THE RIVER OF TANTRA YOGA MEDITATION
Click here to listen to the audio Podcast:
http://www.swamij.com/podcast/070514-shakti-river-swami-j.mp3

Brief description (this is NOT a transcript of the recording):

There is one energy flowing in a river, a hydroelectric power plant, electricity, and the many forms of energy such as recorded music, television, and microwaves. Similarly, there is one energy in the universe, Shakti, that manifests as many forms, which have many names, such as kundalini, prana, chakras, and the physical body.

See also this article:
http://www.swamij.com/shakti.htm

What God Is - (Yoga Meditation teachings of Swami Rama)

WHAT GOD IS
Swami Rama

All the religions of the world have been promising the vision of God, mental peace, salvation, and many kinds of temptations to their followers, but so far nothing has come true. The more that people are involved in sectarian religious activities, the more likely they are to become disappointed because of frustrated expectations of God and religion. Many preachers claim that if their teachings are followed without question, believers will find salvation. But after they return from their church or temple, they are frequently more stressed, frustrated, and worried about their problems than are “non-believers.”

Mere belief in God alone does not satisfy the students of life who are searching for Ultimate Truth. Suppose a student believes in the existence of God but is not emotionally mature and does not have a peaceful mind. Such a student does not have tranquility and equanimity, which are the main prerequisites for enlightenment. On the path of enlightenment, it is necessary to have control over the senses and mind, but it is not necessary to have belief in God. Enlightenment is a state of freedom from the ignorance that causes suffering, and attaining this is the prime necessity of every human life. There is no necessity to attain mere belief in God, but it is necessary to have profound knowledge of the truth which lies behind the concept of the word God.

The word G-O-D is not God. The religionists, because they superimpose their own limited fantasies upon the truth and call it God, suffer more than the people who do not believe in the concept of God. If Ultimate Truth is called God, then there is no difficulty. Then it can be practiced with mind, action, and speech, and once the truth is known with mind, action, and speech, knowledge is complete. But having faith in the fantasies of the religionists creates limited boundaries for the human intellect and leads to a religious atmosphere in which the poor followers must suffer until the last breaths of their lives.

Though religious dogma tempts the human mind with promises of the vision of God, it does not clarify and define the concept of God. The way religious books present the picture of God is injurious to human growth, for one who believes in God without understanding what God really is, closes the door to further knowledge and learning and cannot experience the inner dimensions of life. Such false promises are strongly discouraged in the Upanishads, which warn, “Neti, neti—not this, not this.” The student is made aware of the need to understand the reality and is encouraged to search for truth within. The Upanishads inspire one first to know oneself and then to know the Self of all. Upanishadic literature makes one aware that every being embodied in a physical sheath is a moving shrine of Supreme Consciousness. It also provides methods for entering the inner shrine, wherein shines the infinite light of knowledge, peace, and happiness.

Prayer is a major technique used by religionists to seek satisfaction of their desires and comfort in spite of their frustrations. Many people who are not acquainted with the basic principles of Vedantic philosophy think that there are prayers in the Upanishadic literature. For example: "Lead me from the unreal to the Real; lead me from darkness to Light; lead me from mortality to Immortality" may bethought to be a prayer. But it is actually an expression of the aspirant's spiritual desires that remind him of his goal of life constantly. It is not a prayer but a way of maintaining constant awareness of Supreme Consciousness. It is not asking God or any supernatural being to help one or to lead one to the higher states. The idea is not to know God as a different being, but to know one's own real Self and its essential nature, which is the Self of all. One is not attaining something that is not already there but is realizing that which is self-existent. This Upanishadic verse is not a prayer asking for anything but a way of strengthening constant awareness of Supreme Consciousness which is the goal of the Upanishads.

Dualism is the preliminary experience of a contemplative mind. All religions suffer on account of dualistic concepts, such as "Human beings are a creation of God; the universe is a creation of God; human beings have no choice but to suffer and should delight in their sufferings at the mercy of God." These concepts are illogical when they are analyzed with clarity of mind and pure reason. In the course of study, a student first experiences dualism—the reality that he exists and the Supreme Consciousness also exists. Then a state comes when he experiences "Thou art That." These two fields of experience appear to be different, but they are essentially one and the same. These are the progressive states that aspirants experience, but as far as Absolute Reality is concerned, there is only one without second.

Religionists say the ultimate goal of human life is to know God, and materialists say it is to eat, drink, and be merry. But the philosophy of the Upanishads asserts that the ultimate goal is to be free from all pain and misery whatsoever. This state of freedom from anxieties, misery, and ignorance is called enlightenment. It is the union of the individual with Universal Consciousness. Religionists say that one has to have faith in the sayings of the scriptures and in the way they are preached. But in Upanishadic philosophy; the mind is released from all religious prejudices so then one can think and reason freely. The Upanishads declare that even the best of intellects is incapable of fathoming the unfathomable, and that learning the scriptures is not the ultimate way of realization. On the path of enlightenment, even the lust for learning must eventually be abandoned.

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

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

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

http://swamij.com

Yoga Meditation, Electricity and Computers

Yoga Meditation, Electricity and Electricity
From:
http://www.swamij.com/computers-consciousness.htm

I AM THE ELECTRICITY
Swami Jnaneshvara

I am not the picture on my computer monitor;
I am electricity.

I am not the processing in my microchip;
I am electricity.

I am not the data on my hard drive;
I am electricity.

I am electricity;
I am the life in all of these others.

A MODEL FOR MEDITATION:

The computer can be used as a modern metaphor for understanding the
process of Yoga meditation and the levels of consciousness through
which one journeys. By understanding these levels or stages, it is
much easier to understand how meditation is not used merely as a
means of relaxation or psychic experience, but as the means for the
realization of the ever pure, ever joyful core of our being, by
whatever name you choose to call that center.

1) PERIPHERALS/CONSCIOUS:

The ten senses and means of expression (indriyas), along with the
conscious mind, allow the inner person to communicate and act in the
external world, like the peripherals of a computer system, including
monitor, keyboard, speakers, and microphone.

Four functions of mind: Throughout the conscious, unconscious, and
subconscious levels, the four functions of mind operate ever subtler,
until even they are transcended in the fourth stage, noted below.

2) MICROCHIP/UNCONSCIOUS:

The active unconscious mind processes mostly out of view, with only a small part of its functioning normally coming to the surface of the conscious mind, like the microchip of the computer, which does a tremendous amount of processing, yet presents only a tiny amount of
that to the peripherals.

3) HARD-DRIVE/SUBCONSCIOUS:

It is consciousness flowing in or through the deep impressions of the
latent subconscious, which causes them to stir, just like the
otherwise inert binary numbers resident on a hard-drive, which do
nothing until they are energetically brought to life and spring forth
into the microchip.

4) ELECTRICITY/CONSCIOUSNESS:

The conscious, unconscious, and subconscious levels of mind all
function because of the flow of consciousness, energy, or life force,
just as the peripherals, microchip, and hard-drive all operate
because of the electricity. Both the consciousness and the
electricity are uniform, regardless of what programs might be running
in the moment.

I am not the peripherals!: One explores the peripherals, the waking
state, the conscious mind, and the gross world, moving through them
in meditation.

I am not the microprocessor!: One explores the microprocessor, the
dreaming state, the unconscious mind, and the subtle plane, moving
through them in meditation.

I am not the hard-drive!: One explores the hard-drive, the deep sleep
state, the subconscious mind, and the causal plane, moving through
them in meditation.

I am the electricity!: Through deep meditation, one pierces the three
layers described above. Ultimately, one comes to resolve the
question, "Who am I?" in direct experience, with the realization of
being the pure consciousness, energy, or life force that is beyond,
higher, or underneath each of the other three levels, stages, or
states, which is the core of our being.

Bindu of Sri Vidya Tantra, Yoga Meditation, and Vedanta (19 sec video)

Here is a link to a 19-second animation of the chakras of Sri Yantra,
the yantra of Sri Vidya Tantra.

BINDU OF SRI VIDYA TANTRA, YOGA MEDITATION, AND VEDANTA
19-SECOND VIDEO:
http://www.swamij.com/videos/bindu-sequence.wmv

BINDU ARTICLE (about 40 pages):
http://www.swamij.com/bindu.htm

EXCERPT:

Bindu means Point or Dot, is sometimes likened to a Pearl, and is
often related to the principle of a Seed. This is not just a poetic
choice of words or philosophy. There literally is a stage of Yoga
Meditation in which all experiences collapse, so to speak, into a
point from which all experiences arose in the first place. The Bindu
is near the end of the subtlest aspect of mind itself, after which
one travels beyond or transcends the mind and its contents. It is
near the end of time, space, and causation, and is the doorway to the
Absolute. To understand this principle is extremely useful, if not
essential to Advanced Meditation.

Awareness of the nature of Bindu helps tremendously in seeing how all
of the various practices are complementary, not contradictory, with
each, in its own way, leading in the direction of the Bindu. The
Bindu is the convergence point of Meditation, Contemplation, Prayer,
and Mantra, and is part of the mystical, esoteric aspect of many, if
not most religions and meditative traditions. The experience of Bindu
is an actual, internally experienced reality, which is the
convergence point of the highest principles and practices of Yoga,
Vedanta, and Tantra. Seeking to experience and then transcend the
Bindu serves as an organizing principle and focal point for all of
those spiritual or yogic practices that are intended to lead one to
direct experience.

http://swamij.com