Meditation Times May 2008 Taoshobuddha

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Meditation Times – Enlightenment Issue – May 2008

VOL: 1 ISSUE: III

MAY 2008

Lotus Baha'i TempleLotus Baha'i TempleLotus Baha'i TempleLotus Baha'i Temple

New Delhi, IndiaNew Delhi, IndiaNew Delhi, IndiaNew Delhi, India

MEDITATION IS THE WAY TO DISCOVER THIS INTRINSIC NATURE!!!

ENLIGHTENMENT SPECIAL

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ENLIGHTENMENT!!!

A flower that never knew about the sun and a flower

That has experienced the sun are not the same.

Indeed they cannot be. Because a flower that has never

witnessed the rising sun

can never feel the rising sun within!

Such a flower is dead. It has the potentiality

But the potentiality has not attained fruition.

It has never known its own spirit.

However, a flower that

Has witnessed the sunrise has also seen

Something arise within itself.

It has discovered its own soul.

Now this flower is no more a flower.

The flower has known a deep happening within.

KNOW THIS EXPERIENCE AS

ENLIGHTENMENT!!!

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CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTS

EDITORIAL 4

BODY – A DOOR TO ENLIGHTENMENT 5

ATMA DEEPO BHAVA 6

BUDDHA THE ENLIGHTENED ONE 11

ENLIGHTENMENT A FLOWERING 13

EK OMKAR SATNAM SONGS OF NANAK – JAPUJI 17

CHOOSING THE PLACE FOR MEDITATION 22

MEDITATION THE WAY TO SELF REALIZATION 23

MEDITATION A RELEASE AND THE CURE 30

SPIRITUAL COMMANDMENTS 37

TECHNIQUES OF MEDITATION 42

VIPASHYANA MEDITATION 46

HANUMAN CHALISA A MYSTICAL DIMENSION 47

A TAOIST PARABLE 51

UPCOMIG EVENTS 52

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EDITORIAL EDITORIAL EDITORIAL EDITORIAL TEAM:TEAM:TEAM:TEAM:

SWAMI DHARAM BODH; SUFI LAKSHMI SAHAI; PT. MAHENDRA NATH MAHARAJ;

PT. GAJENDRA KUMAR; SWAMI SUDHAMA

CHIEF EDITOR: SWAMI ANAND NEELAMBAR

Swami Anand Neelambar

Welcome to another issue of Meditation

Times. In this May issue we present a

special edition on Enlightenment dedicated

to Buddha. Buddha was born on the full

moon night in the month of May. He

attained Enlightenment on the same day

forty years later and entered Mahasamadhi

– final dissolution into the cosmos – in the

same night when he was eighty years.

We also continue with our regular features,

series and articles. There are excerpts from

MEDITATION – The Way to Self Realization.

Also included are excerpts from “Leaves

from a Sufi Heart” an upcoming publication

by TaoshoBuddha.

Our responses have been very encouraging.

And we really appreciate your comments,

suggestions and opinions. Please tell your

friends about our website and encourage

them to visit.

Each member of the editorial team is

engaged in some special project and

insights into these will be made available at

an appropriate occasion. You can look

forward to many wonderful surprises in our

future issues.

This site is like a mystical Sarovar (lake)

where seekers of various paths can come

and take a rejuvenating dip and go back to

their respective paths refreshed, revitalized,

recharged. We are creating a synergistic

harmony and drawing from the best in all

disciplines. All the paths lead to Ultimate

Fulfilment. Each seeker has a different

temperament and we offer many moods of

reaching the goal. We hope you can find

something that would be useful in your

spiritual sojourn.

From the team of Meditation Times we

wish you all joy on Buddha’s Jayanti,

Samadhi and Mahasamadhi.

Buddham sharanam gachchami

Dhammam sharanam gachchami

Sangham sharanam gachchami

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BODY – A DOOR TO ENLIGHTENMENT

Sage Dattatreya calls the human body as

the twenty-fifth Guru. Intellect, dispassion,

and wisdom come through the human body

alone. It is the human body that gives you

the experience of eternity and Nirvana or

Enlightenment. Your body is the temple. It

is the mystery of the unknown. It creates

harmony. And this becomes the door to the

beyond. If your body is the temple, then

breathing is chanting that goes on within

the body. Respect it. Cherish it. Be with it. It

will lead you to the ‘beyond’ one day.

Human body is the most accessible part of

your existence. It is a vehicle to journey

through lives at every level of

manifestation. When your body reveals and

uncovers the accumulated karmas, we also

find mind operating and moving around the

area in question. Certain parts of the body

speak certain languages. The mind of the

stomach says something and the mind of

the heart says something else, while the

mind of the head remains preoccupied with

its own conditioning and affairs. In Buddhist

terminology, the mind is equivalent to

body-consciousness. And it is one of the

sixth form of consciousness that functions

within our human system. Remember, each

area of the body differs in feelings and

conditioning. This creates a diversified

language of the parts of the body. This is

where and how conflicts arise in life and

also misunderstandings and lack of

communication become inevitable. For

example, when the head dominates the

genitals with its greed and excessive desire,

the heart condemns this behaviour and

then everything gets frozen and

communication breaks. Because of this,

portion around the chest gets constricted

with negative energy locked within. Thus,

according to the language of the heart, it is

a matter of protecting itself by contracting

muscles and withdrawing into its own

world. Then it covers itself with iron bands

so that it does not get broken. Thus the

heart becomes painful. Also, its longings

and needs are blocked, which cannot be

satisfied.

By nature the heart is a loving organ and it

wants to love and be loved. It wants to

expand, and thus reach out to others.

Because the inner world is too constricted

and frozen – This results in aches, pains,

tightness, and sorrow in the heart. Thus, it

cries out for help. This brings the need for

cleansing out all blocked energies. The

feeling tells us all that is happening. But it

can be responded with only care and love.

Feeling therefore is the language of the

body of the mind. If you want to understand

all that the body or the mind wants to

convey, you need to feel at the point of

contact. Then you will know what it wants

to communicate. Words come from the

mind so all words and thoughts that

emanate from the mind are always

Lord Dattatreya

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misleading. Quite often these distort reality.

But the feelings can never be wrong or tell a

lie about the psychological facts in the body

or mind. We can really respond when there

is clear understanding.

Buddha emphasized the feeling, which all

traditionalists tend to ignore. Buddha said

to his monks, “Stop yourself at feeling!”

Quite clearly he instructed his monks about

this. Pay attention to feeling at the point “if

contact through the senses and with every

movement of life. Buddha never

encouraged his monks to jump into

thinking, reasoning and intellectualization.

This will always lead to the accumulation of

karmas. Such reactions produce words.

Words are not the language of the body.

These are simply the ideas and symbols

created by the mind through culture,

tradition, education, training, and

conditioning. Feeling is the language of life.

You come to understand what life is.

‘BUDDHAM SHARANAM GACHCHAMI’

ATMA DEEPO BHAVA!ATMA DEEPO BHAVA!ATMA DEEPO BHAVA!ATMA DEEPO BHAVA! Discipline is the first requirement necessary

for meditation. It is because of the presence

of ego that discipline is needed. Ego is the

false centre in you and beclouds the

manifestation of Truth. By its very nature,

ego does not like discipline.

For meditation it is essential that the ego

cease to function. Discipline is therefore

necessary to challenge this false centre –

Ego. Ego is negation of Truth. It does not

like any sort of disciplining. Sometimes the

ego pretends to have discipline. This is to

avoid discipline and be more comfortable.

And then create a small world to live in, to

avoid any possibility of interaction with

other egos. Negative feelings like anger,

fear, and repression are variations of the

ego. They give you the feeling of reality and

constitute your behaviour pattern. These

remain hidden, within. Furthermore, these

form rigid and inflexible ways of living and

interaction, even without paying any

attention to actual situation of life within

and without.

These become goal-oriented and keep

themselves away from any process of

transformation. When they are disciplined,

tension and distraction is caused within.

Because of them you cannot relax. And

there is no clear insight into the nature of

things and all that is happening. Then you

watch the reaction of ego with all its

compulsions and impulses as the process of

reaction.

What is discipline? Man constantly lives

under the influence of sense objects and

functioning. In that case energy constantly

moves to sense objects. Discrimination

disappears. It is like when a goat sees grass

or when the dog sees food. Then it does not

matter if the animal is full; it cannot resist.

Then these faculties, through which energy

moves outwards, need to be disciplined.

This reminds me of an anecdote about the

Indian king, Akbar and his wise minister,

Birbal. The emperor had nine men of rare

wisdom as the jewels in his court. Birbal

was very intelligent, wise, and witty. One

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day the emperor told Birbal, that he had

two goats, which were always hungry. “It is

almost like greed. They never seem to be

fulfilled, so I want you to train these goats,”

said the king. Consequently, the minister

took the goats for training. He held a bundle

of green grass in one hand and a stick in the

other hand. Each time he showed them the

grass, the goats would move forward

towards it. As they came closer, the

minister gave them sticks instead. This

continued, until they never came forward

seeing the grass. The minister brought the

goats to the emperor and said, “Now they

are trained.” The emperor found them to be

weak but Birbal assured the emperor that it

was not so. They were really full; he could

check. When the emperor showed the goats

the grass the animals turned away. The

emperor tried several times but each time

the goats turned away from the grass. So

the emperor asked the minister, what had

he given the goats to eat. This, the minister

said, could not be revealed but whatever

had been given was enough for sustenance.

This is discipline. Discipline is the stick that

controls the sense objects and functioning.

Ego cannot react unless certain conditions

come to the surface from behind. How can

you be free of such reactions if the

conditions exist within? Is it really possible

that there is just response? A spontaneous

action, with total perception, simplicity, and

clarity! Certainly when things spring forth

from within, simply and spontaneously,

action is then performed full of insight and

deep understanding of the moment! This

means that, it is the immediate perception

of the things and happenings that brings

about an action. Such perception is not a

condition for the action. In reality, when

there is immediate and total perception

then the action is not a reaction, instead it

is a creative one. Then all actions are a

continuation of such perception. This

perception continues and actualizes all that

is perceived. In that case there is no one to

tell us what to do and what not to do. As

long as we are bound by conditions, we

have someone directing our course of

action.

When we engage in conversation, we

continue to live in the graveyards of the

past. The present moment – the now and

here is overlooked. Tremendous energy is

used in such nonessential things. Not much

energy is left for meditation then. To

conserve energy for meditation, we need to

observe silence, creatively and sincerely.

When there is such a silence, many things

manifest. These maybe projections into

people’s reactions, anxieties about making

noises, a feeling of self-consciousness,

patterns of escaping oneself from people,

or depending on others for your own

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pleasure and security. This is the negative

side of silence. However, there is a positive

side as well. Then silence renews our

consciousness, deepens our intuitive

wisdom, and sinks down deeper into peace

and tranquillity. Ego enjoys random

conversation as it is a sort of sleep. It is

good particularly for the ego, as it always

wants to engage in conversation.

Remember, ego cannot survive without

engaging in talks. It cannot keep its mouth

shut. Ego feeds on such conversations.

When you cling to psychological sleep it will

deepen your ignorance and will also

obstruct all natural flow towards

awakening.

Psychological sleep is self-induced. Your

own ego patterns cause this. Psychological

sleep comes in without our knowledge. We

sleep with many things. We sleep with

knowledge. We sleep with methods and

techniques. We sleep with traditions and

culture. We sleep with dreams and

fantasies. We sleep with ideals and

ideologies. We sleep with our conversations

and inner dialogue too. This is psychological

sleep which will deepen our ignorance and

also obstruct all natural flow towards

awakening.

We sleep with conversations and continue

with our inner talk. We do not look, listen,

or see clearly what is happening. What is

there that we do not sleep with! We almost

sleep with everything. This blurs our senses.

They remain unclear, non-radiant, and non-

receptive. That is why we need awareness

to cleanse all those impurities and

conditioned states. These are also called

accumulated karmas; they block the natural

flow of intelligence, wisdom, as well as the

flow of life. We have to be courteous to

creative energies, so that these can work

with awareness and insight while we

engage in other activities. When we allow

this creative energy to work with

awareness, we can maintain silence, remain

without any physical company, and also

remain in touch with all that is happening

both within and without at every moment.

Thus, all inner barriers, blockages, and dust

arrive from our psychophysical systems.

This energy is generated when we are in the

sitting, walking, silence, or working posture.

When we attain inward silence and there is

no noise within, tremendous energy and

vitality flows within our being.

When such energy comes to manifest, all

the negative, destructive, and unhealthy

states of the mind, including repressed

emotions are stirred up. In this process

these are re-lived. And then the process of

purification can take place.

Then this creative energy and the

constructive state of awareness flow

together and continue to grow with beauty,

luminosity, and love. Thus, we can know

realities and facts spontaneously. We need

to allow the explosions and explorations to

do their work. Also, we need to go into total

silence both, outwardly and inwardly. Quite

often it happens that we stop outward talks

but the dialogue inside continues. We are

afraid that if we do not talk, we will not be

able to identify ourselves and also not exist.

Talking either inner or outer gives you a

feeling of somebody. You are aware of your

identity. We do not understand the nature

of silence, its depth and beauty. When you

remain silent consciously you come close to

yourself. The ego begins to lose its identity.

You get scared. You feel something

powerful is marching towards you. There is

a strong feeling that you are going to lose

your mind. You cling to the mind. Because

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this is the only reality which you know! You

believe that you cannot exist without it. So

you do not let it go. Certainly mind will fight

to the last for its survival. Those who negate

the actual experience and stick

compulsively to all that the mind creates,

may make you crazy. It doesn’t matter

what others say as long as you know what is

happening. You need not be concerned

about the ideas, attitudes, and the way

others react.

You go on drowning into your inner silence

and feel its depth. Quite often, you feel that

the inner dialogue continues without a

break and it seems it will go on. Other

comes, it stops briefly. When you strive,

inner noise will stop. But then you create an

overweening opinion and that becomes a

bondage to your greed and attachment. If

you allow it to drop by just being aware and

flow with your breath, there will be no

excitement. Also, you will be able to

maintain equilibrium and inner equipoise

and there will be a natural flow of energy

from your inner depth.

How does this natural energy flow in us?

Breathing is the way. When you breathe,

not only does air go in but the subtle energy

of the existence as well flows in. Air is the

container that brings in energy particles.

Wilhelm Reich calls these particles as

Orgone. Energy comes in with each breath.

So, for the flow of energy it is significant to

stay around trees, hills, lakes, and even

fresh air. When we breathe in, along with

clean air, existential energy particles also go

in. This helps to get in touch with our inner

resources. It penetrates the blockages and

obstacles both in the body and the mind.

With this begins the process of purifying

and when the creative energy operates

within, all that is negative and destructive

moves out with the outgoing breath and

spontaneous expressions.

But things are different. When your

meditation deepens, inward silence

happens. Then you need less air for

breathing because any unnecessary air will

cause distress in the meditative state.

Naturally a meditator requires less and less

air. And yet he still breathes evenly and

silently during deep meditation. For this,

there is no personal reason. In fact, it is the

planning of the organism through its own

wisdom. When you continue to breathe

evenly and your awareness is clear, you can

feel the energy surging within through

breathing. Then you experience that

something is flowing outwards which is

being released. At times you will feel some

minor irritation in certain parts of the body.

Or even, that pain is being released through

breathing. However, larger karmic

accumulations release in a specific manner.

It is through breathing that we remain in

touch with things within us. Then,

tremendous energy is generated and gets

involved with work.

When you are aware and watchful of all

that is happening, your insight and

understanding develops. All that is

necessary is within. You need not consult

books or scriptures to know what to do or

where to start from. Books are no more

alive and therefore quite incapable of

dealing with reality, although they may

appear promising. Also, you could be

deceived by the way people write. So you

try to fit your actual situation in those as

described by the so-called experts. Your

own being is the real source of knowledge,

as also your relationship with others and

yourself and the environment. So

Vipashyana is the way. It goes with you

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wherever you go and whatever you do.

However, you will lose the practice when

you are not aware and attentive. You can

observe, look, or even see. There may be

any object or not. Sit and watch the

raindrops falling, listen to the downpour,

feel the raindrops on your face, or feel the

breeze blowing against you. Everything

enters this open field of desire less

awareness. You are not blocking or making

yourself dead, numb, or devoid of

emotions. Just allow everything to happen.

Be open and vulnerable to all that is

happening but flow with your awareness

constantly. When awareness flows like an

undercurrent, there can be no distraction.

All distractions are the outcome of

concentration. Also, these come along with

desire. Desire to be with someone or

something or, at the same time, desire to

avoid something or desire to get something

which is not present there!

When you are engaged in Vipashyana, the

objects are not fixed. Instead, these are

allowed to move freely and naturally in the

inner sky. You do not hold on to the objects.

Instead allow awareness to be there. It is

like a movie on the screen. So when you

flow with awareness, the object appears on

the screen like a transient phenomenon.

Then you enjoy all that is happening, every

moment. Observe there is a continuous rise

and fall and an endless process of appearing

and disappearing. Everything is seen in its

true nature, as it is. No judgment, no

criticism, no comments, no more

philosophizing! Just awareness! A simple

awareness!

Vipashyana is breath-oriented meditation.

So while breathing, keep your attention on

the movement of breath in the abdomen.

Feel the expansion and contraction as the

breath comes in. As you breathe in, feel

the air filling the body and then expanding.

When you breathe out and as air goes out,

feel the contraction of the body. Simply

watch these phenomena.

Be more and more in touch with the energy

within. Also, be open to all that arises

within or without. Thus, you will not remain

in a fixed or concentrated place. Instead

you move freely and attentively. A firm yet

flexible movement and clarity of vision

become your way of operation. When you

operate from or sit at this centre, you can

watch each and everything around you

without actually facing them. Allow yourself

to be, to feel, perceive, and experience all

that is available in the moment, be it pain,

fear, anger, frustration, sadness, joy, bliss,

happiness, ecstasy, or peace. Life will unfold

a new meaning, a new rhythm.

To allow all that is happening and accept it

in its totality is very essential. But we do not

allow ourselves to look. As a result we

cannot see all that is happening and we

tend to suppress or control automatically.

For instance, when you are frightened, you

tend to escape or attempt to control

yourself. Then you try to be strong. This

creates contractions in your muscles and a

rigid inflexibility in your mind. This is the

pattern to avoid, resist, and obstruct

natural flow of real experiences. This makes

you inwardly frozen because of fear.

Experience these tensions completely and

see how your body actualizes its intelligence

to deal with such situations when they

arise. You are already curious about

everything. Just allow total awareness

within. This awareness is the beacon light

within. Or what Buddha told his monks,

Atma Deepo Bhava! BE A LIGHT ONTO

YOURSELF!

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It is quite significant to see how we hold our

bodies, how we block ourselves, and also

how we go on misusing our bodies. The way

your body is held, determines where the

blocks are: jaw, neck, head, shoulders,

stomach, knees, ankles, etc. And when you

feel pain, cold, shivery, dead, or lifeless, all

these indicate the holding points in that

particular area. To remove it, along with

paying attention to the specific area, it is

equally helpful to breathe into it and then

experience whatever feeling is there at that

moment. This is not a technique; instead it

is a way of helping yourself to get in touch

with all that lies under such feelings.

Awareness and breathing become most

effective tools because it brings the internal

and external energies together.

BUDDHA

THE ENLIGHTENED ONE!




On full moon in the month of May

Buddha was enlightened more than twenty

five centuries ago. The fragrance of this

happening still wafts the atmosphere with

its fragrance. And also the echoes linger in

our hearts like the dissolving notes of

solemn melody. Flowing with this energy

field creates ripples within you. And this can

create an insatiable quest in you as well for

Enlightenment. Enlightenment is the

ultimate flowering of your being. Let me

take you down the ages to the point when

Buddha was born. When Buddha was born,

his father was of a well-advanced age.

Astrologers were called in. One of the

younger astrologers said that Buddha would

leave the kingly splendour in search of

Truth. While the other astrologers

suggested ways to change the destiny, it

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was suggested that he be married. Also it

was made sure that nothing unusual be

allowed to happen around him as

metaphysical questions would arise in him

seeing the leaves turning yellow and then

falling etc. So he was married to Yashodhara

and around the palace where he was living,

all dried leaves were picked up before

sunrise. All arrangements were made so

that no unusual questions would arise in his

mind. However, Buddha had not come to

rule any kingdom. One night he first saw an

old man, then a sick person, and finally a

dead body. That was the destined night. It is

said that these three men were the

enlightened masters of the past, who came

to guide and pave the path for Buddha. He

questioned his charioteer about these

events. He was told that such is the destiny

of each human being. Buddha did not

return to the palace that night. He decided

to seek the answer to these questions. So

he embraced the life of a wandering ascetic.

Then it was believed that there were two

major techniques of meditation. First of

these techniques was of concentration. This

involved experiencing various stages of

meditative absorption.

This is called jhana or dhyana. Buddha went

to two masters of the time to learn this. In

the process he attained the highest state of

jhana. Yet still he was far from the Truth or

Dhamma, so he asked his teachers if they

had anything more to offer. But they were

honest enough to say no. Buddha did all

that was needed to attain the highest

spiritual state and then left. Then he came

across the other form of meditative practice

which was also used. This was the practice

of self-mortification or self-torture. It was

believed then, that by tormenting the body

the self or ego would vanish. This could be

accomplished in several ways, including

fasting or lying on a bed of nails. Buddha

went through all these techniques. For six

years he wandered. His last master was

Alarkalam. For six months Buddha lived on

one grain of rice. He practiced the fasting

intensely. Nothing happened!

After a long period of fasting he became

very frail and weak. He had no energy to

live. He was lying half unconscious under a

banyan tree when he was discovered by a

cowherd boy. The young boy realized that

the recluse must have been fasting for a

long time and that had weakened his body.

But Buddha did not see the boy. The boy

was wise enough to give milk to Buddha but

Buddha was so weak that he could not open

his mouth. The boy hesitated to touch

Buddha as he belonged to a lower caste but

realizing the situation he decided that even

though it was a sin to touch Buddha, it was

more important to save him. He could ask

for forgiveness afterwards.

Buddha felt better after drinking the milk

and was finally able to move. He saw the

boy sitting next to him respectfully, so

Buddha enquired who he was. The boy said

that he was a cowherd and asked for

forgiveness. Buddha consoled the boy; he

told him that he had done the right thing

and there was no need to ask for

forgiveness. Further Buddha said, “We are

not good or bad simply because we are

born in a low or high family. Our goodness

depends on our actions.”

So Buddha stayed under the tree. In the

evening he heard a song coming from the

nearby forest. The song was being sung by a

group of girls who were collecting firewood

in the forest. The song meant that if the

strings of the musical instrument were too

tight they would break on being used. Also

if the strings were too loose the instrument

13


would not make the right sound. The strings

would have to be neither too tight nor too

loose. Thus, Buddha saw the futility of the

extreme paths and also the dangers of

attachment to them. So he decided to

pursue the middle path himself. He realized

the significance of the middle path. He then

went to Niranjana River and sat on the bank

to meditate and discover the middle path.

It is said that Buddha wanted to cross the

river Niranjana but he was so weak that he

fell into it; it was a shallow stony river. He

held on to the branch of a tree leaning from

the other shore. He thought about the

futility of his actions of the past few days.

He thought, “now that I am so weak, what

would I be able to do even if Enlightenment

happened?” He could not sleep. He

remained awake the whole night watching

the stars disappear in the sky. Somehow he

came out of the river! He made a seat of

grass under a Bodhi tree and sat for

meditation.

Then a woman came by to offer him some

food as offering of her good fortune. She

thought that God had come to her in this

human form of a holy man sitting under the

Bodhi Tree. She offered Buddha excellent

food in forty-nine pieces on a beautiful

platter. Buddha ate all that was offered and

then again began to meditate without any

further need for nourishment. It was now

sunset. He decided not to move again until

Enlightenment happened.

That night, at near about midnight, Buddha

was strongly tempted by Mara or Maya or

illusion. It is the symbol of all obstructing

forces. The three daughters of Mara –

Desire, Lust, and Aversion came to

persuade him to leave the path of

meditation and return to the palace and

become the king. This did not affect Buddha

who was tranquil. This made Mara angry, so

he sent his armies by land and air to

frighten Buddha. He became afraid; he

opened his eyes and raised his hand to ward

off the attack. But then he realized there

was no one. They were, in fact, his

hallucinations.

Buddha continued his meditation. He was

tranquil and restful. He meditated watching

his mind until dawn when each star in the

sky had disappeared. With this, something

dawned on him. Buddha got a clear insight

and inner understanding of all the

phenomena, both within and without.

Enlightenment happened at that very

moment! The thing which Buddha was

waiting for years happened that precise

moment. It was during meditation Buddha

discovered the technique of Vipashyana or

Insight Meditation.

The meditation is such that it not only

creates an inner awareness, but

simultaneously allows the awareness to

penetrate to the very cells of the body, to

the whole of one’s being. It is also called

Anapana Sati Yoga. It is a meditation.

That brings awareness of incoming and

outgoing breath. It is based on constant or

attentive awareness. We attach various

meanings to awareness. We have to be

clear about its meaning.

When Buddha spoke of breath awareness,

he meant to look attentively without

applying any knowledge or information. It

means that we simply look with a quiet

mind, without making any comment or

applying knowledge, interpretation, or

explanation! The art of neutral observation

is not so easy. By doing so, we can see that

the mind can be emptied of its contents.

Then we can understand the way the mind

14


works and also examine the contents of the

mind. This is the way to meet everything –

fully with the whole being and with all the

energy that you have. Then there is no

more dissipation of energy. And it can be

directed for looking at what is going on. This

is looking beyond appearance. KNOW THIS

AS ENLIGHTENMENT!

ENLIGHTENMENT A FLOWERING There is nothing like ordinary

consciousness and extra ordinary

consciousness. All that is ordinary is

unconsciousness. There is only one

consciousness and that is enlightened

consciousness. But to say 'enlightened

consciousness' is repetitive, because

both words mean the same.

ENLIGHTENED or CONSCIOUSNESS refer

to the same state. So there is no need to

use two words, simply 'consciousness' is

enough. And certainly it is multi-

dimensional. Unconsciousness is one-

dimensional. Unconsciousness is very

narrow. Consciousness is openness.

Consciousness is wide. Consciousness is

like the open sky. It knows no

boundaries. Only a Buddha enjoys the

world. Not you, you only dream about

your enjoyment. Your enjoyment at the

most is a kind of entertainment. You try

to forget your miseries in your

entertainments. And you call it

enjoyment. Only Buddha knows what

enjoyment is. It is not entertainment.

Once you are aware, you see that you are

blissful. Bliss comes as a shadow to

awareness. Once you know who you are,

you have all that you can dream, that you

have ever dreamed. And more! To

infinite quantum!

Only those who have become awakened

know the green of the trees and the red

and the gold. And only those who have

become awakened, they know the

beauty of the oceans and the sand and

the sun. Only those who have become

awakened they know the immense joy of




15


love, of being related, of communication,

of sharing. Only those who have become

awakened know the benediction that

existence is. They know. Others only

search, seek, and thus grope in the

darkness of their being.

Since the dawn of human civilization

many religions have existed on the earth.

All of these were invented by man in his

unconsciousness. These were invented

out of his misery, and sadness. And they

have been trying to depict the ultimate in

consciousness as if it is dull, and dead.

Christians say that Jesus never laughed.

This is just ridiculous. If Jesus cannot

laugh then who else? Do you think you

can laugh? Yes, sometimes you laugh,

but your laughter is shallow. It is at the

most on the lips. Or if it goes very deep it

goes to the throat. It does not come from

the heart. It never comes from your core.

It is just there. It is shallow.

Only Jesus or A Hotey or a Zarathustra

really can laugh. And when Jesus laughs

he is laughter. Not that he laughs. When

you laugh YOU laugh. When Jesus laughs

he is LAUGHTER. When you dance YOU

dance. When Jesus dances he is DANCE.

When you love YOU love. When a

MASTER loves he is simply LOVE. An

enlightened one never exists apart from

it; otherwise there will be a division, split.

When you laugh you are standing aloof

and laughing. For you laughter is an act.

And your total being is not involved in it.

And Christians say a very foolish thing

that Jesus never laughed. Why do they

say such things? Probably out of their

miseries, anguish, and meaninglessness,

they have depicted Jesus sad, gloomy,

serious, and grave. And because of this

your churches have become graveyards.

You can never find the joy of life there.

And because of this all your scriptures

have become like things that you find in

museums - a snake in alcohol. It will live

long. But a snake on the grass is alive.

Under the sun, on the rock, resting in the

afternoon, taking a nap, moving up on a

tree or swinging with the branches of a

tree, is indeed a living snake. Contrary to

this a snake in the museum, in the

hospital, in the science lab, in alcohol is

harmless and dead. The alcohol snake, or

the alcoholic snake, will certainly live

long, because it is dead. The real snake,

the living one, will not live long, because

it is alive. Death will be coming any

moment. But for the alcoholic snake

there is no death.

Jesus died. He was a flower that

blossomed in the morning, and by the

evening gone. But the Christ invented by

the Christians, lives. It is an alcoholic

snake, bottled, as a museum show-piece.

It can live forever till eternity. Your

scriptures are dead. They are like

butterflies pinned. You can collect

butterflies and go on pinning them. They

look beautiful like butterflies. They are

not. Because a butterfly is no more if it

cannot have freedom. If it is not alive,

and roaming from one flower to another

on the wings it is nothing. It is a corpse.

So are your Bibles, Vedas and Koran.

They are invented things. Jesus, the real

Jesus, is just an excuse. And you have

imposed upon the real Jesus your own

Jesus who never laughs. Jesus was a

totally different kind of man. He was

moving with beautiful people. He was

not moving with saints, remember,

instead he was moving with beautiful

16


people. He was moving with real people.

He was moving with sinners.

Real saints will not be recognized as

saints. No church will sanctify them as

saints. And the saints that are sanctified

by the church are really bogus, false,

artificial, synthetic ones. Yes, they do not

laugh, that is true. But Jesus is not that

kind of saint. He laughs, he drinks, he

eats well, and he loves. He was a true

man of the earth, very earthly, rooted in

the earth.

And the earth is not against the sky. The

tree can go higher in the sky only if it

goes deeper in the earth. And so is the

rule, so is the law. A man who is deeply

rooted in the earth can go deeply in God,

not otherwise. A man, who can laugh and

enjoy and be merry, can pray. His roots in

the earth will give him enough

nourishment to pray. He will be grateful,

only then he can pray.

God is significant only when it comes out

of your gratefulness. But how can you be

grateful if you cannot even laugh?

Churches have become graveyards. So

your question is relevant. You may be

afraid if you become enlightened your

life will not be so spicy. I promise you, it

will be spicier. Right now you are only

dreaming about joys. They are not really

there, not really. Just in your fantasy they

exist.

I promise you real joys, real love, and

authenticity. And whenever a man is

authentic he is not just wise. The just

wise are not wise enough. The really wise

man – I call him the 'other-wise' – the

really wise man has always enough

courage to be fool around a little bit, to

fool around. The real wisdom has

something of foolishness in it always.

And so has the real fool something of

wisdom in him. Because the real man is

always a meeting of the opposites! The

meeting of the earth and the sky, the

meeting of summer and winter, the

meeting of day and night, the meeting of

wisdom and foolishness! Foolishness is

also not all wrong. It has something

beautiful in it -- it has playfulness in it, it

has non seriousness in it. It is non-

ambitious, it is innocent. So the real wise

man has something of foolishness in him

– it is always there, it makes his life spicy.

The really silent man has a song to sing.

Hence this Hakuin's Song of Meditation!

You do not join meditation and song

together in your mind. SONG of

meditation! Song of love is okay, but

song of meditation? Solomon's song is

okay, but song of meditation? Meditation

seems to be non-singing, meditation

seems to be serious, and meditation

seems to be silent. And song! Song is not

silent; song is expressive, jubilant,

dancing. But the real meditation always

has a song to sing, a dance to dance. It is

spicy.

That's why so many people are puzzled

here. Particularly religious people,

because they are the least religious - they

are very much puzzled when they are

around a master. Meditation and dance,

renunciation and love, all go together. I

am trying to create a meeting of the

opposites. This is the way of a Nanak, an

Osho, and Sufis. Existence is a harmony

between opposites. And whenever two

opposites meet, there is great bliss.

When two opposites meet, only then

there is bliss. A man meets a woman and

17


there is orgasm and there is joy. And life

meets death and there is great ecstasy,

only if you know how to allow it. The

moment of death is the greatest ecstatic

moment - if you know how to allow it, if

you know how to relax into it, how to

surrender to it. Here, love will meet with

renunciation. Here, meditation will meet

with prayer. Here, silence and sound will

be together. A merger! A harmony! A

benediction! An explosion of ecstasy!

Silence alone is poor and nagging. So is

sound alone. Sound alone is noise.

Silence alone is death. When silence and

sound meet, there is music. Music is the

meeting of silence and sound. There is a

rhythm between sound and silence,

hence the music. The great music always

contains both silence and sound in its

womb. And the great meditation also

contains both sound and silence

together. Do not be afraid. I am not

teaching you a religion which is life-

negative. I am teaching a religion which is

life-affirmative. This is the religion of

Ultimate Flowering. This is the RELIGION

of ENLIGHTENMENT!

EK OMKAR SATNAMEK OMKAR SATNAMEK OMKAR SATNAMEK OMKAR SATNAM

SONGS OF NANAK SONGS OF NANAK SONGS OF NANAK SONGS OF NANAK – JAPUJIJAPUJIJAPUJIJAPUJI (THIS IS (THIS IS (THIS IS (THIS IS A A A A CONTINUATION FROM APRIL 2008 ISSUE)CONTINUATION FROM APRIL 2008 ISSUE)CONTINUATION FROM APRIL 2008 ISSUE)CONTINUATION FROM APRIL 2008 ISSUE)

Ek omkār sat nām kartā purakh nirbhao nirvair akāl

mūrat ajūnī saibhaŉ* guru parsād.

* pronounced saibhang in Punjabi

There is only one God! His name is Truth! He is the creator! Sans fear! Sans enmity! Eternal! Unborn! Self effulgent! Realized by His divine grace alone!




18


Birth of Japuji

When I said Nanak disappeared in the river

for three days he appeared in front of his

beloved. Found the beloved in front of his

eyes! One for whom he sang! One for

whom he spent sleepless nights! One that

existed within him like a deep thirst! Now

found him in front of his eyes! Eyes are

overflowing with joy. Insatiable quest is

fulfilled now! His beloved asked him now

to return and share all that I have filled

you with.

JAPUJI is the first offering of Nanak to

humanity. After this communion with his

beloved JAPUJI IS THE FIRST WORDS THAT

EVOLVED OUT OF NANAK!

JAPUJI IS THE ECSTACY OF NANAK!

NOTHING IS MORE SUBLIME IN THE

MESSAGE OF NANAK THAN JAPUJI! JAPUJI

IS THE BEING OF NANAK! HIS FRAGRANCE!

This is a story. And I say this is a story. Try to

understand its symbols. Until you disappear

there can be no communion. What is this

paradox! Until you disappear! And if I

disappear then who will meet! Who will be

in front of God! This you need to

understand. You are not what you ought to

be. You are not one. You are divided. There

is utter confusion and conflict within. You

cannot see that a seed is a flower. All this

happens because of the false centre-Ego. So

when I say until you disappear it refers to

the disappearance of ego. Ego has to

dissolve. Only then your real face will

appear. And remember this is the first

criterion. How does this ego disappears it

matters not. It is insignificant whether you

disappear in the river, or mountains or

forests. None of these really matter. What

really matters is that you disappear. Where

and how you disappear matters not. Your

very presence is the obstruction. You are

the china wall. This is the reason that story

says Nanak disappeared in the river.

So too you have to disappear. Your ego has

to vanish. This takes minimum three days.

This is the reason when someone dies we

celebrate Teesara or the third day

ceremony. For the process of death to

complete minimum it takes three days. That

much time is needed. So too ego never dies

instantaneously. Slowly and slowly it

dissolves. And it takes three days. This is the

reason there is gap of three days. Nanak

disappeared in the river for three days.

Nanak remained in the river for three days.

Ego dissolved completely. Man exists as ego

alone. Ego feels happy, sad, etc. All that you

do is the outcome of ego. This happens until

Guru Nanak

19


ego dissolves completely. Thereafter a new

journey begins. Family, friends, and

relatives can only see ego. If you are not

operating as ego you do not have any

existence. Sometimes you would have

observed this happening to you as well. We

do not have the eyes to see the soul. So it

was considered that Nanak drowned or

died.

Whenever one begins the inward journey

he becomes futile for the outer world. Now

he is no more. He does not behave as you

are. There is a discontinuity. Past is no

more. New is now born. This is the reason

that the story has the gap of three days. The

symbol of three days! Three days after

Nanak returned.

On the inward path whoever begins the

journey certainly returns. But returns as

refurbished, as new, as reborn! Certainly

whoever moves on this path ultimately

returns to the world of beings. He returns

to share all that he has experienced through

this commune. On his way he was thirsty.

His quench is satiated now. He was a beggar

while he was going. But he returns as an

emperor. Emperor not of the outer but of

the inner! He is now connected to an

unfathomable ocean of bliss.

JAPUJI is such an offering of NANAK.

Never consider this story of Nanak

disappearing in the river or drowning and

then appearing in front of God literally. If

you still think so then you are still an infant -

juvenile. You have only grown physically.

Consciousness or wisdom is not yet born in

you. What to do? Something sublime has to

be communicated language is the only

medium. This is the problem with the

masters. They have to choose the words

from the language. Words and language has

its limitations. All that he wants to

communicate is magnanimous. And cannot

be put into words! Words are incapable to

manifest its magnanimity. So this remains

the barrier. When ego vanishes the entire

creation becomes godly. In that inner

harmony and oneness everything and

everyone dances in that glory. Remember

God is not a person sitting somewhere and

you have to be in front of him. God is an

invisible energy field. Such an

understanding comes out of maturity.

How can you appear in front of that

invisible energy field? When this happens

you see that invisible energy at work all

around. It is that energy that surrounds you.

To say then that the creator is separate

from the creation is wrong and ignorance.

The creator is hidden in the creation. The

creation is the manifestation of the creator.

And creator is the unmanifest creation. And

creator is the process of creativity. God is an

unmanifest power hidden within you. It is

this power or energy field that knows

beyond our finite understanding. And we

are bound to each other by a causeless

force. We are not aliens nor as strangers

meet. Instead we are bound to each other

by an invisible causeless force. Such an

understanding is the beginning of the

inward journey. An ecstatic Kabir says:

JAB MAIN THA TAB HARI NAHI,

JAB HARI TAB MAIN NAHI!

As long as I was, Ego continued to function.

No union with God was possible!

And now that when God is I have

disappeared!!

20


PREM GALI ATI SSANKRI

TAAMAI DUI NA SAMAI

RAJA PRAJA JEHI RUCHE

SHEESH DAI LAI JAI!!!

The lanes of love are very narrow!

Two can never dwell simultaneously!

The rich or poor; king or the subject

Whoever this appeals can get it!!

Certainly not as he is;

Certainly a price is for this:

And what is the price?

Your mind, your thoughts, your

conditionings,

Your traditions and your dogmas too;

Is the price for this invaluable inner

treasure of love!!!

With ego and vanity how can you be in

front of him? Also how can you be in such a

presence that is not an ordinary presence?

You cannot look towards the sun

attentively. The glare blinds you. Then how

can you be in front of that which is

thousand times more glowing than the sun.

The day your inner vision opens, you will

realize only that energy field surrounds you.

Only you disappear. That is all.

This cannot happen as long as you have

ego. Ego is like a speck of dust in your eye.

With that speck you cannot open your eye.

And with closed eyes you cannot envision.

Do not consider me literally. By opening the

eye I mean the disappearance of the speck

of ego in your eye. The moment this speck

is removed the unknown and the

unknowable becomes visible to you. God is

always. There was never a time when he

was not and also there will never be a time

when he will not be. This is true of you as

well. Only you were not available. Nanak

disappeared. God appeared. And

manifested through his very being, and his

presence! Remember there is nothing

except God. But God only appears through

his creation and godliness. This is more

sublime that God himself.

Nanak returned as God. The man in him

died. And now God is born in Nanak. After

this happening whatever Nanak said is

precious. Every syllable is precious than the

costliest gem. For each word or syllable

even the entire wealth is meaningless. Each

syllable then is Scripture. Each syllable is

VED.

Now try to understand JAPUJI:

Ek omkār sat nām kartā purakh

nirbhao nirvair akāl mūrat

ajūnī saibhaŉ* guru parsād

He is one! His very form is Omkar!

The existential! He is Satnam!

Embodiment of truth!

Truth incarnate! The cosmic doer!

Beyond fear!

Beyond prejudice! Beyond time and

space is his sublime existence!

Born out of his own free will he ever

remains unborn!

21


Yet still he is the cause of his own

existence!

Such are his attributes Sacred and

Sublime!

How can one attain to this

presence!!

Certainly not by your own efforts

alone!

Be assured! By the grace of the

Master!

Let this be your trust and certitude

as well!!!

All that we see around is many. Wherever

you see division is. All around only duality

and multiplicity is. You go to the sea shore.

Only waves are visible. Ocean alone is. And

waves are on the surface. Yet still you do

not see the ocean.

You can see all that is on the surface. This is

the only vision that you have. To do not see

beyond the duality! To see beyond the

outer you need a different eye. As is your

vision so will be the scene. Whatever shade

you have on your eyes will certainly give

you the hue. Your awareness can never be

deeper than your understanding. This is the

reason there are altered states of

awareness. And Sufis call these as various

states of Nafs. And when you have the

outer eye, then you can only see the waves.

And then you will claim that you have seen

the ocean. Use your intelligence to find the

answer yourself. This is not the way to go to

the ocean. From the shore only waves are

visible. To know the ocean you have to be in

the ocean. This is the reason that Nanak

drowned in the river. He is not lost in the

waves. Instead Nanak is deep within the

river. Mystically river symbolizes the being

of an aspirant. And from the surface

whatever you will say will be false. How can

you say that you have been to the ocean? A

wave is not ocean. And neither the sum

total of waves is ocean. There is a

fundamental difference between the ocean

and a wave.

Wave is short-lived. One moment before it

was not! Next moment it appears. And then

the following moment it no more again!

This is transitory. Such cannot be the taste

of God. Can it be? Certainly not!

Once there was a mystic, a Sufi master! His

name was JUNNAID. He loved his son

dearly. Suddenly, one day the son died in an

accident. Junnaid cremated the son. This

baffled his wife. Wife always thought that

Junnaid could never bear the agony of

separation with his son. It appeared as if

nothing has happened to Junnaid. It

appeared son has not yet died. Junnaid

remained unaffected. By evening everyone

left expressing their condolences. An

amazed wife enquired if he did not feel the

agony. You loved your son so dearly that I

thought you may break apart with this.

Junnaid’s response is significant. It reflects

the understanding of a master, one who has

known how to be. For a moment I was

taken aback by the sudden demise. The

same time I remembered something. There

was a time when the son was not and I was

happy. And then the son came, happiness

remained. Now that the son is no more

then why lament. Happiness is still.

Happiness is an inner functioning. It has

nothing to do with the outer. I am blissful

because of a different reason. When the

son was not I was not unhappy. Then how

can I be unhappy when the son is no more.

22


Between these two happenings was a

dream. Children are born through you. Not

from you. You are the door. You are the

mechanism that a child is conceived. A child

is the gift from the unknown. Give them

your love. Mind they will have of their own.

And once you have given them your love

certainly something will evolve from within.

That which comes and disappears is dream.

That which attains form and dissolves is

dream. Waves are dream like. Waves are

numerous. Ocean is one. We can only see

many. As long as we will not see oneness

wandering will continue. Misery and

despondency too will continue.

TRUTH IS SOLITARY. Nanak sings:

Ek omkār sat nām kartā purakh

nirbhao nirvair akāl mūrat ajūnī

saibhaŉ* guru parsād.

Only this much for now! …Cont’d next issue

EE

CHOOSING THE PLACE FOR MEDITATIONCHOOSING THE PLACE FOR MEDITATIONCHOOSING THE PLACE FOR MEDITATIONCHOOSING THE PLACE FOR MEDITATION

It is very important to have a place of

meditation. You can get such places created

especially for creating a milieu for

meditation. However at home it becomes

difficult. In such case you have to create a

place for meditation at home separately.

There are certain criterions for this.

Meditation creates an energy field. Also

each work creates its own energy field.

Quite often people create a place of

worship unaware of this. In such places the

sound of television and other noises keep

disturbing at least in the beginning. In

choosing such place these things have to be

taken into account. When such a place is

not available, then you have to create a

special place for yourself. If you can create a

special place –a small temple or room or a

corner at home where you can meditate

every day; it will certainly help you. Once

you have chosen this place for meditation,

do not use this space for anything else.

Because every purpose has its own

vibration! Use that corner only for

meditation. Then the corner will be charged

and will wait for you everyday. This corner

will be helpful to you during meditation.

The place will create a particular vibration, a

particular milieu, and a particular

atmosphere. This will help you to go deeper

and deeper within very easily. This is the

reason why temples, churches, mosques




23


and communes were created; to allow for a

place meant only for prayer and meditation.

Once you have chosen your place for

meditation, then comes the hour of

meditation. Just as the place is important,

so too is the hour of meditation – the

specific hour of meditation, at least in the

beginning! So when you choose a specific

hour for meditation it is definitely helpful

because your body and mind are a

mechanism. If you take lunch at a particular

hour everyday, your body starts asking for

food at that hour. Sometimes you can even

try to trick it. So when you take your lunch

at one pm in the afternoon, then as soon as

the clock strikes one, you will be hungry.

Even if the clock is showing the wrong time

your body-mind mechanism cannot be

wrong or misleading. As soon as it is one,

suddenly you will feel hunger within. This is

the body-mind mechanism working.

Meditate everyday at the same place and at

the same time. An insatiable quest will be

created in you for meditation within your

body-mind mechanism. Everyday at that

particular time your body and mind will ask

you to go in for meditation. It will certainly

be helpful. A space is created within you

which will eventually become a quest, a

thirst. In the beginning it will be very

helpful. Unless you come to the point

where meditation becomes spontaneous

and natural, then you can meditate at

anytime and anywhere. Meditation then

becomes your breath. However, up to that

moment, use these devices or mechanical

resources of the body and the mind as a

help.

‘SANGHAM SHARANAM GACHCHAMI’

MEDITATIONMEDITATIONMEDITATIONMEDITATION

THE WAY TO SELF REALIZATIONTHE WAY TO SELF REALIZATIONTHE WAY TO SELF REALIZATIONTHE WAY TO SELF REALIZATION By TAOSHOBUDDHA

Edited and Compiled by Swami Anand Neelambar

STERLING PAPERBACKS

An imprint of Sterling Publishers (P) Ltd. A-59, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-II,

New Delhi -110020. INDIA Tel: 26387070, 26386209; Fax: 91-11-26383788

E-mail: [email protected]

[email protected]

Website: www.sterlingpublishers.com

24


Meditation: The way to self- realization ISBN 978-81-207-3889-8

(REPRODUCTION OF PREFACE)

Before I begin to say anything, let me clarify certain things from the very beginning. I am not

interested in any metaphysical questions. It does not matter who created this world or if God is

or is not? You are! This is most important to me. You can be transformed. This is meaningful. It

matters not what was the relationship between Jesus and Mary Madeline nor why did Rama

put Sita to the fire test nor why did Rama

abandon Sita? Answers to these questions

cannot transform you or give you the taste of

Enlightenment. A Buddha is never concerned

with such questions. He works with you and on

you alone.

These methods do not belong to any

religion. Just as the Theory of Relativity is

not Jewish because Albert Einstein

conceived it, so radio and television are not

Christian because a Christian mind

conceived this. And no one asks, why are

you using electricity because it is Christian?

A Christian mind conceived it. Science does

not belong to any religion, race, caste, or

creed! Just because these techniques were

developed by a Hindu mind, does this mean

these techniques are Hindu? But you cannot

change the ‘wisdom’ of human stupidity. So

think through it. Many years ago in deep

silence, a flowering happened. The beauty

and the fragrance of this flower were not

going to last forever. Whatever happens to

the flower is momentary; bees gather

around the flower and begin to experience

its beauty, fragrance, aliveness, presence,

and its fragility. This is the experience in the

end, of all those who are thirsty of

something emanating from deep within the

flowering of the Being; and the flower

continues to share its presence, its being, its

silence, and its wholeness. Those who are

near such flowering, begin to experience

their own inner flowering. This is the Secret

of the Golden Flower of a Zen master, Lu

Tzu. Such is the milieu. Out of this

flowering, a commune is born. A

Buddhafield! Commune refers to a deep

union between Meditation and Love. An

oasis in the desert of the world! In such an

environment of deep lovingness, one grows

in awareness, understanding, and

meditation. This is the trinity of the Hindu

mystical existential sound, AUM. The word

Commune was first coined by Buddha. He

referred to commune as Sangha. It implies a

place where initiates have dropped their

individual egos and are no more functioning

as individual islands or personalities.

25


Communication between heads was

replaced by the communion of hearts!

Whenever so many hearts open, many

flowers blossom! Fragrance is released. This

fragrance that surrounds a Buddha is the

fragrance or the energy of the Being. We

may call this as Buddhafield. If someone has

attained this flowering, a commune is

bound to happen. No one can prevent this.

All those who are thirsty, will start moving

towards the flowering of this Buddha. Just

like, when a flower blossoms, the magnetic

pull of the fragrance attracts many bees –

only bees! No dog will ever be attracted to

this magnetic pull of a flower. A Buddha and

a commune exist only for those who have

the sensitivity, the perception, the

availability, the search, and the openness.

Many will pass but will go on missing the

Buddha and the commune. When many

individuals with openness and a deep

search within, are completely dissolved and

merged into one another, what is created

there is a Buddhafield, a Sangha. Individuals

with complex diverse potentials gather

around the Buddha. Everyone works

wholeheartedly in his or her own way

without any dictatorship or leadership.

Through the Buddha or the Enlightened

one, Godliness starts overflowing and

consciousness creates a commune or

Buddhafield.

The present book is the outcome of such a

happening. Many years ago, the work

started as talks aired on radio, here in

Trinidad and within the commune. In fact,

the entire country became the Buddhafield.

Many listened to these talks. Now it was felt

necessary to bring all these talks in the form

of a concise publication; hence, this book.

The need for meditation was felt

worldwide. Thus, the Buddhafield is now

being extended to the entire world. Just as,

for the body to survive breathing is

essential, so too for the soul to evolve,

meditation is essential! Meditation is the

breathing of the soul. Then what is the

difference between breathing and

meditation? Do the two differ from one

another? There is a subtle relationship

between the two. Naturally, as an individual

you breathe unconsciously. When you learn

to breathe consciously, it becomes

meditation. Buddha introduced Anapana

Sati Yoga Meditation. It is also called

Vipashyana Meditation. This was

introduced to create an inner sun of

awareness. In this meditation, one needs to

become aware of breathing and by doing so

the unconsciousness begins to vanish.

By doing this, one develops witnessing.

Therefore, breathing is used as a tool to

create witnessing. With witnessing, one

comes to know that the body and the being

are separate. Vigyan Bhairav Tantra, which

is almost 5000 years old, is a treatise on

Meditation. It is Shiva who narrates these

techniques of Meditation to His Consort,

Devi. There is a specific approach in Tantra.

Shiva uses this to narrate one hundred and

twelve techniques of meditation. In fact, no

technique of meditation lies outside these

one hundred and twelve techniques. Most

of these techniques use breathing as an

essential technique to attain consciousness

of meditative state.

26


The entire overflow is spontaneous. It is the

poetry of the being that has sprung from

the inner depths of a Buddha! It is a spoken

message; no way a written one. Blended

with compassion, it flows like a river that is

taking you on a voyage to merge with the

Infinite. This will bring the ultimate

transformation of the consciousness in you!

A delight within! Each word and each

sentence is a musical composition. Also it

has its own soul, mind, and body. This

trinity together creates an energy field. This

is the energy field of a Buddha.

Once you consider each word and each

sentence as a living organism and the very

being of Buddhahood and feel life pulsating

through these, you are in tune with the

energy field o a Buddha.

How can one read and absorb the message

and energy contained in these overflows?

Every gem of wisdom and knowledge, each

practice and each sentence contained in

this book is an energy field. This acts as a

message. Such messages have tremendous

healing and energy of blissfulness. This can

balance the matter inside the cells and the

energy that surrounds the cells. So you have

to maintain a particular posture while

decoding the message contained herein.

When you want to decode the message, sit

down with your back straight, bring your

tongue close to your palate but not

touching it, contract your anus a little, and

lastly bring your lower abdomen in;

maintain this posture while reading the

book. Why am I emphasizing a specific

posture? This posture is a meditative

posture. This posture helps us to boost

energy, healing, and thus rejuvenation.

Every word, every sentence is impregnated

with energy. When you maintain this

posture, your cells will be in a state of inner

peace, full of awareness and relaxation.

Whatever part of the book you may be

reading, your cells will be open to receive

both healing and rejuvenation

simultaneously. Read slowly. Comprehend,

digest, and absorb the message. As you do

so, your soul will get connected to the very

soul of each word. Remember, the soul

carries within it the energy of love, light,

healing, blessing, and service. Therefore,

reading in this meditative way, will not only

unfold the inner secrets of this message but

will also transform every aspect of your life.

Meditation brings the Conservation of

Energy. Thus, conservation of energy is an

important aspect of Meditation. This is the

law of Physics. It explains that energy can

neither be destroyed nor lost. Definitely it

can be transformed. Just as baser metals

are transformed into precious gems, so too

meditation transforms the baser nature into

the sublime one. From the quagmire of

senses, meditation takes you to a different

realm of being.

Look at the clouds. Clouds carry within their

womb the water of the oceans. As the

waters from the oceans transform into

water vapor, these vapors represent one

form of energy. When these vapors rise,

clouds are formed. This is followed by the

27


energy from the heavens that descend in

the form of rain. This is another form of

energy. When clouds are full of water

vapor, rain pours. These are all different

forms of energy. Thus, energy is conserved.

Because of rain and wind a stone is eroded.

The stone gets smaller and smaller in size.

When a stone is struck at the same point for

hundreds of years by dripping water, a hole

will form in the stone and eventually, go

through the stone. And then the part of the

stone that got eroded away will form a

hole. This is the part which has transformed

into another form of cosmic energy. So too

when a person dies and is cremated, the

energy is absorbed by Mother Earth and

thus transforms into another form of

energy. Meditation brings a form of energy

that transforms the soul, mind, and body. I

was intending for the book on Meditation:

The Way to Self-realization. But what can I

do. There is a direct connection between

meditation and healing. In fact, meditation

is inner healing. Meditation creates

harmony within, through healing your

emotions and all which creates disturbance

within. Meditation takes you to the realm of

bliss beyond reason and all that is mental.

Therefore it can be said, it is in reality a

journey from medication to meditation.

What is the necessity of meditation? Five

thousand years ago, The Yellow Emperor’s

Canon, the ancient authoritative text on

traditional Chinese medicine, stated, “If Chi

flows, one is healthy; if not, one is sick”. Chi

refers to vital energy. All these are part of

the cosmos. Everyone and everything in the

cosmos radiates chi or energy. That is why I

call various forms of chi or energy as Cosmic

or Existential energy. Then there are

countless universes. And there are

countless energies or chi of these countless

universes. These universes can thus be

divided as yang universes. These constitute

the physical worlds. Then there are yin

universes. These constitute the spiritual

worlds. The unknown and the unknowable

creates both yang and yin universes.

Together, the two radiate Divine Energy or

Chi. Divine is one. Universe is one. There is

only one chi or energy – the Cosmic Energy!

When the strategy of this text was planned,

there was a format to follow. However, as

time flowed on, many new dimensions and

talks were included. I did not want to

include any talks on the healing aspects. But

then I realized, meditation is in itself a

healing process. Healing of the soul! But the

soul is not separate from the mind and the

body. Healing at three different planes!

Because of this, I had to include a section on

healing as well as vital energy, or life force,

or élan vita, or Orgone, or Prana as in tai chi

and chi gong. Traditional Chinese medicine

mentions at least fifty different forms of

energy, for example, heart chi, liver chi,

kidney chi, yin chi, Wei chi, etc. Usually we

are unaware of these forms of chi. It is said

that it takes five years of hard work to

understand this. However, for the purpose

of this text, I will speak of only one form of

chi or energy and that is the Cosmic Energy

or Prana or the existential cosmic sound

vibration, Aum.

28


When this energy radiates through the

heart, it is heart chi, and the energy

radiating through the immune system

represents the chi of the immune system.

When the energy radiates through the cells,

it is cell energy. The energy radiating

through the body and the blood vessels is

wei chi. You can call the energy radiating

through the tree as tree chi. So too, there

are ocean chi, star chi, etc. In this book, I

have attempted to speak all that could be

spoken at this level. Yet still, there are many

dimensions, which are not only beyond

human comprehension but they cannot be

revealed. These are more intricate

techniques that are given by a master to his

disciple. These cannot be put in any book

form.

However, I have attempted to speak of the

Sufi path in relation to meditation. Sufism is

the path of love, as it developed in the

deserts of the Middle East. And Zen is the

path of Meditation that developed in Japan.

Buddha’s technique of Jati Smaran – the

path of going into past lives, has

intentionally been omitted because of the

possible dangers it presents if practiced

without an Enlightened Master.

It is very easy to be entertained, but that is

not the purpose of the Sufis. Then you will

miss the essence. These stories are

reflections of the beyond. They try to state,

that which cannot be said; and they try to

express, that which is inexpressible. They

are not about ordinary life. These belong to

the centre of your being. They are beautiful

devices. If you simply pay attention, if you

meditate on the story! Then parallel to the

story, something else will start revealing

itself in your being.

The story is on one plane, but the revelation

happens on another plane. The two planes

are parallel to one another. Unless you start

tasting that parallel revelation, remember

you have missed the essence. It is easy to

miss the essence. You do not need any

intelligence to miss the essence. However,

to feel the essence and then flow with it,

will certainly require even greater

intelligence. And, in fact, something beyond

intelligence! So pull yourself together and

become integrated in the moment.

Do not read. Instead, listen as totally as

possible; just become your ears. Be there.

Something of immense value is being

imparted in this overflow. In the beginning,

trust is a feeling; in its final flowering, it is

being.

I cannot say anymore. Still much is left to

say. This is my essence, my being, my

presence; feel it and then allow it within

you. Let it work at your inner centre. Trust

is the essence along the path that leads to

inner flowering. And you can trust only if

you are ready to go into insecurity. And

ready to sail your boat without any map

into the unknown! Trust means immense

courage. And only a courageous person can

be religious, because only a courageous

person can say yes.

So when you trust, your unconsciousness

starts revealing many things to you. It

reveals itself only to the trusting mind,

29


trusting being, and trusting consciousness.

Religion is the fragrance of this trust,

impeccable and absolute. When the

planning for this book began, a certain

format was chosen. As time flowed on,

many new dimensions were added and

edited. Now that the work is ready for final

consummation, I felt the need for certain

chapters to be elaborated. All this lies

outside the present format. Chapters like

Meditation Techniques, Vigyan Bhairav

Tantra, Sufi Path and Parables, Healing and

Meditation require a separate overflow

each. This will be undertaken next, after I

finish some other works like Sufi Path and

Parables. Each of these topics will be

elaborated in times to come and will

therefore, appear as separate works. Quite

often people ask me, “Who is your master?”

I have always answered this question in

silence. Now the time has come to reveal,

for the benefit of the listeners. Master and

disciple is an existential game. From the

side of a master it is a game. He knows the

entire existence is Enlightened. In fact, we

are all floating in an existential placenta, the

Enlightenment. Enlightenment is your very

nature. It is like the flowers and the buds.

Each bud has the potentiality to blossom

into a flower. Until this happens, the bud

considers itself separate from the flower.

This is an existential game. The moment a

disciple attains this flowering, he is aware of

the game. Thus, dissolves the master-

disciple relationship. What remains then is a

silent communion between the two. The

two are at the same plane performing the

role in the evolution of human

consciousness. Their techniques and

methods may differ but the ultimate

outcome is the same. There remains

friendliness between the two.

All the masters of the past and those who

are waiting as yet to manifest, are my

friends. The entire existence is my friend –

the masters of the yesteryears and those

who are to come later, the plants, the

rivers, the planets, the stars, the moon, and

the sun have all helped in one way or the

other in the process of evolution. I bow

down to these.

AUM…

I bow down to those who have no enemies.

I bow down to those who have explored inner space.

I bow down to all those who have explored inner world –

And are capable of transferring this to others!

I bow down to all mystics of this universe.

This five-fold salutation and its remembrance destroys all negativities

And it is most auspicious of all that is auspicious.

LOVE TAOSHOBUDDHA

www.taoshobuddhameditations.com

For queries you can contact me at: [email protected]

‘DHAMAM SHARANAM GACHCHAMI’

30


MEDITATION A RELEASE AND THE CURE

MOST OF OUR EVERYDAY DISEASES, DISCOMFORTS, AND TENSIONS

ARISE FROM THE FACT THAT WE ARE ALIENATED FROM OUR BEINGS!

Human conditions reveal to us that we must

deal with emotional and psychological

strain, stress, and tensions as well as

physical pain, suffering, and illness.

Naturally, we seek a remedy or method that

can help us solve such problems and

difficulties. As individuals we want to free

ourselves of such conditions.

This has become essential now. There is an

increasing demand for such cure and

release. Because of this, many therapeutic

techniques and other forms of treatments

have evolved. Traditionally, the society

provides medical doctors, psychiatrists,

psychologists, psychotherapists, and priests.

Also, there are individuals who offer their

services as teachers, healers, clairvoyants,

astrologers, etc.

All those who need help can easily find

methods of treatment. It is significant to see

how we come to respond to our personal

situations, difficulties, and challenges. And

also that of the others! Sickness follows a

pattern of manifestation.

First it appears at the subtle plane. This

includes the magnetic and etheric planes.

Constantly explosions are taking place at

the surface of the sun. As a result,

tremendous energy is released. When this

energy reaches the earth’s environment, it

creates diseases of many dimensions. There

are people who are susceptible to such

energy patterns. Medically this situation

relates to the immune system. A weak

immune system is easily susceptible to such

contacts. Energy always flows from the

higher levels to the lower ones. Also, the

difference in the levels of energy causes

sickness. First it comes to manifest at the

subtle plane and then it trickles down to the

physical plane. Only then it becomes visible.

Thus it can be said that, each disease has its

own energy pattern.

Most of our everyday diseases, discomforts,

and tensions arise from the fact that we are

alienated from our beings. The being is

composed of many layers. The most

apparent of these layers are the mind and

the body. The body and the mind are one

mechanism. It can be said we are

psychosomatic. We are body and mind

together. Whatever, happens to the mind

affects the body, and whatever happens to

the body eventually affects the mind.

Suppose you are emotionally disturbed,

then your body will be affected. When you

take a few pegs of drink, your mind is

naturally affected. All illnesses, conflicts,

and pain require total human growth and

development as a cure. Also, they require

an awakening from our psychological sleep

and ignorance. Those who are involved in

31


this search are now discovering that

without these disturbing factors, either at

the personal or interpersonal level such as

marriage or general human relationship, we

can never grow into total humanness and

thus, reach the beyond.

Any effort to find the solution needs to

establish the inner connection between

different layers of your being. More so,

between the body and the mind! When

such a connection is established, we come

to know how our body works and supports

us. This way we can find new ways and

means to establish the harmony between

the body and the mind. This is a process.

The doctors and scientists have now

recognized what common sense has been

telling us for so long. There exists a deep

connection between your body and the

mind. It affects our overall level of physical

health and well-being. Nearly one-half of

our ailments are stress related. Quite often

it is said, it is all in your head.

For that reason, a mere intellectual

understanding of the cause will not help.

Human mind is a very thin layer of

consciousness. This consciousness is only

one-tenth. Therefore, whatever the mind or

the intellect understands is only one tenth.

The unconscious layer is much larger. It is

nine-tenth of the total consciousness. So

when we are not in touch with this larger

part it proves to be stronger. It is therefore,

this set of relationship between the

conscious and the unconscious layer that

creates harmony between the body and the

mind. With this harmony comes the sense

of well-being. This cannot come without

meditation. For this we need to maintain a

realistic view of life and all situations it

presents. We can take the drama and

dilemma that we encounter as a challenge

to bring out and make use of inner

resources. In other words, we can allow the

seeds of consciousness to grow through our

experience of wholeness. Also, not only

reveal it but to merge with all

circumstances that relate to our existence

in this ever-changing world. Thus, we can

learn to deal with ourselves and also reduce

our difficulties creatively. This way we can

let go of all that hinders our growth,

maturity, and natural flow of life, so that

our Being can manifest. Instead of being

victimized because of negativities, negative

effects, or unexpected and unavoidable

illness, we come to accept facts and reality

with deep understanding and patience. This

is how we can clear all the barriers that

prevent the experience of well-being.

Thus we can, not only clean out or release

all that is unhealthy and impure but also

release the locked-in energies within our

bodies and the mind. Then, natural flow of

health is possible.

In the final analysis, we ourselves are the

vehicles through which liberation can

happen. All you need to do is to create

witnessing and also create situations for the

release and the cure. They act as a guiding

light within and help us move forward

towards the Being, until it comes to

manifest fully and takes charge of our life.

Thus, ends the pain. This is Nirvana; the

total extinction of fire and smoke.

When we look at various situations in life,

we realize that there are many types of fires

burning within the psychosomatic

structures known as the body and mind.

Our desires, hatred, delusions, jealousy,

envy, pride, ambition, uncertainty, fears,

etc., keep us ablaze. All day long we burn,

and in the night we send out the smoke.

32


This is common to all humans. This creates

and accumulates all sorts of activities, such

as habits, fixed modes of recreation,

rigidity, conflicts, constrictions, and

contraction and expansion through our

reactive behaviour. And we continue to act

consciously and unconsciously for our own

benefit or for the destruction of others.

Whatever we do, to ourselves or others,

becomes our conditioning. This gets

deepened and strengthened through games

that we play with ourselves in relation to

others. We do not know why we feel

disturbed, uncomfortable, nervous, and

uneasy and what is actually going on. We

tend to cover up the real issue by turning

away from the actual situations. Then, to

avoid this, we get involved in activities

other than the real issues. This is how

human neurosis expands. We go on

avoiding pain. This results in our being

numb and sleepy, insensitive and deaf in

our existence.

When we turn within and strive to be in the

present moment, we can do anything and

yet still remain in contact with our being.

Thus, we come to know all our inner and

outer situations. Thus, we can clearly see

our actions, reactions, and responses

without imposing anything on them. The

flame of watching takes full charge of

burning and eliminating all that is

undesirable, destructive, and unhealthy.

This happens naturally and spontaneously.

You may wonder, what is needed for this is,

in fact, a trusting willingness to throw

ourselves into the flame of awareness. This

entails to attending all that arises in any

moment. For this do not do anything in

particular or become someone special!

Then you can see what happens. It is only

by accepting ourselves as we are and

recognizing all facts and realities, can we

not only reduce our resistances but also

open the doors for honest communication

and sympathetic understanding. This does

not create any distortion with reality. Thus,

begins the process of release and also the

surge of creative energy.

In the past several decades, while working

through the aspirants, I came to know of

the physical and psychic energies in

different forms. This happens only in sitting

meditation. And thus, it moves to other

states as walking, standing and other

meditations until the release completes.

Such expressions include shaking, twitching,

stretching in various positions, sometimes

entering into difficult yoga postures, and

rolling on the ground etc. Quite often,

sounds arise such as heavy breathing,

crying, laughing, sudden screams, and angry

words.

Also, body expressions as hand movements

that can hit the knees, or anything in front

of the meditators! And sometimes the

hands can massage the belly or pelvic

region, the legs, knees, solar plexus and

chest. Such expression is also and rotate, so

do the eyes, while the jaws and mouth

suddenly open with sound. All this happens

during sitting meditation.

Whenever, there are such expressions,

there is always a release of negative states

of emotions and psychological conditionings

hidden in any particular part of the body as

well as the psyche. This means that the

individual meditators re-live all past

experiences and the accumulated karmas of

the early unconscious life movements. This

can happen through the parents and all

those close to them. Along with this, the

meditators also re-live the negative feelings

such as anger, hatred, resentment, hostility,

33


shame, hurt, frustration, and fear stored up

through the relationship with a lover or the

beloved, partner, or the boss.

It has also been observed that certain

meditators got in touch with their birth

experience. They re-lived and also released

the trauma of birth, fear, anger, frustration,

and confusion at the time of actual birth.

Buddha says it is painful to be born again

and again. The pain and suffering that

comes through birth into our lives is quite

unbearable for many of us. Also, this leads

to psychological and emotional

disturbances, which are not easy to resolve.

For this, certain specific techniques of Jati

Smaran are used by the master. But these

cannot be mentioned in this overflow. Only

a master can work with his disciples using

such techniques.

Very often, the meditators complain about

the process of release. The cure and then

the clearing of karmas never seem to end. It

goes on and sometimes more intensely as

time moves on! This requires patience,

understanding, and being aware. Everyone

suffers. Some accept it quietly, while others

make noises! Suffering is just a life

experience through which we come to

know the reality of our lives, both

individually and collectively. Let me

continue the process of release and

expression in meditation. There are many

layers of tensions, pain, and suffering in the

human body. The human body provides the

storehouse for negative energies and

repressed feelings. When left unseen, these

acquire explosive power. This happens

through the contraction of muscles,

whenever the reactive feelings arise out of

habit or automatic response to the sense

experiences. This also includes those of the

mind as well. It is through the organs of

perception that we come in contact with

the outer world.

Each time we interact in the outer world of

duality, a sensation or feeling arises as

impulse. This can create inward or outward

reaction. Each reaction in the body or the

mind causes muscular contraction. Thus,

negative energy is stored. When it remains

unexpressed, such feelings supported by

fear, form the patterns of reaction and such

behaviour. This becomes automatic,

habitual, unconscious, and uncontrollable at

the time of expression. You do not act or

react. But you have no control over it. Each

time you react, the pattern deepens and

thus, gets stronger. Then it takes control

over you. Thus, you are no longer yourself.

Because of these layers of karmas, these

layers continue to accumulate until you are

totally aware. Then your actions do not bind

you.

Of these layers, certain contain more

tension, more pain, and also more suffering

than others, particularly those on the

surface. The deeper you move, the more

painful it becomes. This continues, until the

final release happens.

Thus, you cannot expect a quick release.

Your impatience and expectation will react

negatively to this entire process and also

accumulate more karma to the already

existing ones. And thus continues the cycle,

through actions, passion, and reactions.

Sometimes, the process of release gets

more complicated. This happens due to the

interference of ego and a weaker

awareness.

When ego – the false center comes to

realize, that the body has more power and

that the body can express itself easily, it can

remove all blockages, and allow the energy

34


to flow freely, it gets afraid of losing control

over the body. This means the end of ego,

its functioning, and the energy field. Ego

needs them for its survival. So what it does

is that it steps up its control over all

expressions! Also it uses the body as a tool

for deceiving the meditators. This way the

meditators undergo the process and

become performers.

Generally, the meditators are not aware of

this. Because, their mind concentrates on

cleaning up all that is negative and thus free

the body of all blockages. There is a motive

behind such a performance. But it still

remains the ego game. This weakness of

awareness stems from the fact that the

meditators are unaware of the actual

events. And the excitement and the

anticipation of the goal have become much

more attractive than penetrating the

process itself. When awareness is keen, the

meditator gets blinded, deaf, and

insensitive to the situation around him.

Without looking you cannot see, and

without this there can be no liberation.

Unless liberation happens, cure cannot take

place. Then, instead of release, there

happens the leakage which gives temporary

relief. Frustration breeds in, and the

meditator begins to react against the

process. This brings more pain and suffering

into life.

The meditator needs to be neutral and

attain inward silence in relation to all that is

happening. Furthermore, he has to remain

still in all movements or postures; then let

go of everything. Allow things to happen on

their own accord. Be aware of breathing

and live through all that is happening to his

intelligence. And whenever you try to

obstruct or oppose, it will cause pain. And

when the energy of release gathers

momentum it can lead to violence, because

there is no channel to direct this energy.

Then let this energy get exhausted through

the body and the mind. This will take care

of everything. Be aware of everything, but

do not interfere in the process. Then you

will not miss any opportunity to see clearly

what is happening, and also all that lies

beyond your present experience. Thus, you

will remain alert and fully awake and move

on freely. There are still some, who get

attached to the negative.

They cannot appreciate the positive feeling.

This negation deepens the identification

with the negative. Then all that is negative

appears real and vice-versa. This is how

reality gets distorted.

But when your attitude is open, you can

allow both sides to exist without favouring

anyone. You need to regard all experiences,

good or bad, as equal. Then move towards

equanimity. Harmonize the opposites. Then,

you can rise beyond all conflicts and

paradoxes. This way you do not get tied to

the lower states. And thus, get lifted up to

the state of higher reality.

Yet you still remain aware of unpleasant

sensations remaining from the experience

of the lower. All expressions in meditation

are natural. And these help in the process of

cleansing the accumulated karmas,

particularly at the psychological and

emotional levels. Yet still, we need to

examine the nature of expressions

thoroughly and not take these for granted.

It is through expressions at various levels in

meditation that we come to reveal our true

nature and thus the self. Such expressions

release our inhibitions! This is individual

psychological revolution. Because, this way

we try to be authentic! And then act from

35


our centre and from the cultural, parental,

religious and social authority. This helps us

to sanctify our emotions and remove all

blockages from the mind and the body.

(Reference: How do such expressions work through meditation? Section Three – Meditation

Techniques of MEDITATION THE WAY TO SELF REALIZATION. You can contact me at

[email protected] or visit my website http//www.taoshobuddhameditations.com.

There is also a downloadable monthly e-magazine, Meditation Times.)

As an individual meditator you have to be

clear that all expressions differ from

reactions. Reactions have the element of

hurt, upset, or desire to crush and destroy

the other, verbally or physically. While

expression focuses attention on the state of

emotion or feeling alone, this is simply to

dissolve such expression. You are not giving

it to anyone else. You can do this with or

without a witness.

Yet, there is still another form of expression

which is called explosion. When the

expression is real, it helps to exhaust the

existing karmas. But when there is reaction,

more and more karmas are accumulated.

And when it is said that karmas never seem

to end, it is because of your reactions. We

live our lives as reactions. Also this deepens

the reactive patterns of our behavior. So

you have to be careful of such expressions

and make sure that these expressions are

not reactions. When such expressions are

allowed within the energy field of a master,

then these do not become reactions. There

are certain observations. First, whenever

these expressions are repetitions,

irrespective of being gentle or violent, these

indicate the interference of ego. Then these

are mere excitements of the body, in the

absence of sensitive awareness. If this

happens, be aware and look into such

expressions deeply. Do not allow these to

continue. When you continue to be aware,

you gain clear insight of the entire situation

and continue the process without wasting

time and energy. Thus, you avoid all

complications.

Secondly, when you use motivation and

self-programming for such expressions, or

for clearing your psycho-physical system, it

is not expression in reality. It will not allow

the awareness to grow. Instead, it is an ego

trip. Always remember, when expressions

take place without any awareness, you may

get some relief but it does not lead to cure.

It is because these are mere performances

to please one or others. When such

expressions are mere performances, much

energy is released and then not much is left

for transformation. Therefore, no growth

can take place when the creation of the

energy is not in the right proportion to the

energy released. Also, when there is no

clear awareness, the excessive release of

energy can create mental instability. This is

why the masters have warned the aspirants,

not to go to those who know nothing of the

process of meditation and its dangers and

gains, when it happens. I have come across

many who have become mentally instable.

Always remember that awareness and

insight play a significant role in the process

of release and cure. Awareness safeguards

you and in its absence, you are in danger.

Once it happened, Ram Chandra, a Sufi had

to go with his master to a person who

became so mentally instable that he had to

be chained. He had lost all sense of

awareness. The master used his energy field

to correct the situation, and later the

36


person became normal. All this had

happened because he went to a novice who

knew nothing of meditation. So while using

any technique to eliminate the unhealthy

energies, makes sure there is awareness.

And let it flow in and out of every

movement and sound. If you do this, then

cure will certainly happen. This will cure all

wounds and illnesses. Then compassion

springs forth. And you experience a surge of

spiritual energy. This deep cure can happen

only when you are enlightened. When

Enlightenment happens, all distortions of

perceptions, thoughts, opinions, and all

compulsive and obsessive character

structures vanish.

Lastly, let me clarify the relation that exists

between the release and cure. Whenever

there is release, we apply remedies and

then take treatments. The experience is

both pleasant and unpleasant. You do get

flashes of insight as lightening into your

personal histories and also the fundamental

issues that affect your life. When the cure

takes place, release has already completed

the process. Wisdom gets fully actualized.

Release has completed the process. Also

springs forth wisdom in its full glory. Many

dimensions of your being, that you have

never known before, open. You enter the

multidimensionality of the Being. Whatever

happens then cannot be put in word. Much

more than you can ever imagine happens.

Someone begins to sing beautifully.

Someone else grows mystically and many

more dimensions! Each evolves in a unique

way.

The unconscious layer is much larger. It is

nine-tenth of the total consciousness. So

when we are not in touch with this larger

part, this proves to be stronger. It is

therefore, this set of relationship between

the conscious and the unconscious layer

that creates harmony between the body

and the mind. With this harmony comes the

sense of well-being. This cannot come

without meditation.

Thus, we can learn to deal with ourselves

and also reduce our difficulties creatively.

This way we can let go of all that hinders

our growth, maturity, and natural flow of

life, so that our Being can manifest. Instead

of being victimized because of negativities,

negative effects, or unexpected and

unavoidable illnesses, we come to accept

facts and reality with deep understanding

and patience. This is how we can clear all

the barriers that prevent the experience of

well-being.

It is through expressions at various levels in meditation we

Come to reveal our true nature and thus the self. Such expressions

Release our inhibitions! This is individual psychological revolution.

Because, this way we try to be authentic! And then act from our

Centre and from the cultural, parental, religious, and social

Authority. This helps us to sanctify our emotions and remove

All blockages from the mind and the body!

‘BUDDHAM SHAR‘BUDDHAM SHAR‘BUDDHAM SHAR‘BUDDHAM SHARAAAANAM GACHCHAMI’NAM GACHCHAMI’NAM GACHCHAMI’NAM GACHCHAMI’

37


Spiritual Commandments: (A continuation from April issue)

It was Naqshbandi master Ibd Khaliq Gijadwani who coined the

following phrases which are now considered the principles of the

Naqshbandi Sufi Order as spiritual commandments. Over the

period of time certain principles are added to it. Bahauddin

Naqshband added three. One ‘Always Choose to be Happy’ was

introduced in this category as the works of another Naqshbandi

master Shakuntala Devi.

1. CONSCIOUS BREATHING (Hosh dar dam)

2. ALWAYS CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY:

(These have been explained in the April 2008 Issue of Meditation Times)

3. YOUR STEP (Nazar bar qadam):

It means that as a seeker while walking you

must keep your eyes on your feet.

Wherever you are about to place your feet,

Make sure your eyes be there. This implies

always BE AWARE of your each movement.

With this your glance will not be able to

waver here or there, to look right or left or

in front of you.

Remember such unnecessary sights will veil

the heart. Most veils on the heart are

created by the pictures and impressions

which are transmitted from your eyes to

your mind during your daily living and

interaction in the world of duality. These

definitely disturb your heart with

turbulence because of the different kinds of

desire which have been imprinted on your

mind. These images are like veils on the

heart. They block the Light of the Divine

Presence. This is why Sufi Masters don't

allow their followers, who have purified

their hearts through constant Jikr

(Remembrance), to look at other than their

feet.

Their hearts are like mirrors, reflecting and

receiving every image easily. This might

distract them and bring impurities to their

hearts. So the seeker is ordered to lower his

gaze in order not to be assailed by the

arrows of negativities. Lowering the gaze is

also a sign of humility. Remember a proud

and arrogant one can never look at his feet.

It is also an indication that one is following

the footsteps of the Enlightened One.

Shakuntala Devi

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Remember who, when walks, never looks

right or left, instead always keeps his gaze

only at his feet, moving steadfastly towards

his destination is ever meditative. It is also

the sign of a high state when the seeker

looks nowhere except towards his Lord. Like

one who intends to reach a destination

quickly! So too a real seeker never looks to

his right or his left, and thus never allows

the desires of this world to filter in He is

always aware of the Divine Presence in and

around.

One Sufi master said:

“The gaze precedes the step and the step

follows the gaze. The Ascension to the high

state is first by the Vision followed by the

Step When the Step The gaze precedes the

step and the step follows the gaze. The

Ascension to the high state is first by the

Vision, followed by the Step. When the Step

reaches the level of the Ascension of the

Gaze, then the Gaze will be lifted up to

another state, to which the Step follows in

its turn. Then the Gaze will be lifted even

higher and the Step will follow in its turn.

And so on until the Gaze reaches a state of

Perfection to which it will pull the Step. We

say, ‘When the Step follows the Gaze, the

murid (disciple) has reached the state of

Readiness in approaching the Footsteps of

the Prophet, peace be upon him. So the

Footsteps of the Prophet are considered the

Origin of all steps.’”

Shah Naqshband said, “If we look at the

mistakes of our friends, we will be left

friendless, because no one is perfect.” It

also implies one never judges the actions of

the others. In the mirror of relationship he

looks at his own faults and shortcomings

and thus goes on improving upon himself

meditatively.

4. JOURNEY HOMEWARD (Safar dar watan)

It means to travel to one’s homeland. What

is meant by homeland? Is it your home, or

the country? No! It isn't. Yes indeed! It

refers to the homeland. But the home land

is not what you understand. This is the

problem with the masters. They have to use

your language. And what they, in fact, want

to communicate cannot be put into words.

By homeland the masters mean your inner

space; a space that is your being, and

represents the existence within you. So this

is inward journey. It means that the seeker

travels from the world of creation! The

traveller moves from the world of duality! –

The world of objects and beings to the

world of the Creator or your inner world. It

is the world of bliss! It is the world of

serenity! It is the realm of meditation. Sufis

say that the Holy Prophet said, “I am going

to my Lord from one state to a better state

and from one station to a higher station.” It

is said that the seeker must travel from the

Desire for the forbidden to the Desire for

the Divine Presence. You operate in the

world of duality or the world of objects and

being. Numerous stimuli reach your mind. It

is like a child walking through a toy store.

Any toy he sees he wants that. And then

39


when he moves to another store,

immediately he forgets about the toy. He

wants something else. This is how we

continue to move in the world of objects

and beings. The inward journey implies the

attention has to move from outer to the

inner world of serenity, bliss and harmony.

The Naqshbandi Sufi Masters divide this

travel or inward journey into two

categories. The first is external journeying

and the second is internal journeying.

External travel is to movements from one

land to another seeking for a perfect guide

along this path to take and direct you to

your destination.

This cannot happen on your own. As such as

you are you cannot seek a perfect master.

And even if you succeed in seeking a perfect

master, will he not seek a perfect disciple as

well. Is it right for you to seek a perfect

master, but not for the master seeking a

perfect disciple? When you say you are

seeking a perfect master, this is the function

of ego. Ego always seeks perfection. What

is, in fact, needed is your inner preparation.

It is your disciple hood that will bring a

master to you.

Sufis say Master appears the moment

disciple is ready. The moment disciple is

born in you master appears. This enables

you to move to the second category, the

internal journey. Seekers, once they have

found a perfect guide, are forbidden to go

on another external journey. In the external

journey there are many difficulties which

beginners cannot endure without falling

into forbidden actions, because they are

weak in their worship and understanding.

Now begins the second stage. This second

stage or category is internal journeying.

Internal journeying requires the seeker to

leave his low manners and move to high

manners, to throw out of his heart all

worldly desires. He will be lifted from a

state of uncleanness to a state of purity.

Journey from duality towards unity or

oneness begins. At that time he will no

longer be in need of more internal

journeying. He will have a sanctified and

enchanting heart that is pure and flowing

like water, transparent like crystal, precious

like a gem. And polished like a mirror too,

reflecting the inner realities in the outer

world of interaction. He will then be in the

world but the world will not be within him.

No more his actions will be anymore

bondage on him. In his heart will appear

everything that is needed for his life and for

the life of those around him.

5. SOLITUDE IN THE CROWD (khalwat dar anjuman)

“Khalwat” means seclusion. And anjuman

means crowd. Together these imply to be

outwardly with people while remaining

meditative, serene, tranquil, unwavering in

all circumstances that life presents.

Sufis say there are two types of seclusion.

These are: external seclusion and the

internal seclusion.

External seclusion requires the seeker to

seclude him in a solitary place that is empty

40


of people. Staying there by himself, he

introspects and thus meditates on

Dhikrullah, the remembrance of God, in

order to reach a state in which the Heavenly

Realm becomes manifest as Sufis say. Or

what as Hindus say Eternity manifests.

When you chain the external senses, your

internal senses will be free to reach the

Heavenly Realm. This will bring you to the

second category: the internal seclusion. This

is what Hindus call as moving to a

mountain, or an ashram, or to a monastery

to be among the likeminded. This can never

bring you to a state of no mind. Or to a

state when the mind is totally empty. The

mind without thoughts or contents!

Remember all your thoughts are borrowed.

Inward journey cannot begin until you

attain to this inner state of emptiness.

The Internal seclusion means seclusion

among people. Therein the heart of the

seeker must be present with his Lord and

absent from the Creations while remaining

physically present among them. That is to

say a state when you are in the world but

the world in not within you. Let me explain

this with an example.

Your beloved has gone away. Every moment

she reminds you of this separation. Her

presence surrounds you each moment. The

separation is unbearable. You have to wait

until she returns. Her thoughts always

remain with you. And everything around

reminds you of her presence. You can be

amidst the crowd but deep within you are

with her. This is what is meant by Jikr

(Remembrance).

It is said, “The seeker will be so deeply

involved in the silent Jikr in his heart that,

even if he enters a crowd of people, he will

not hear their voices.” The state of Jikr

overcomes him. The manifestation of the

Divine Presence is pulling him and making

him unaware of all that is around. This is the

highest state of seclusion, and is considered

the true seclusion, as mentioned in the Holy

Qur'an: “Men whom neither business nor

profit, distract from the recollection of God”

[24:37]. This is the way of the Naqshbandi

Order.

The primary seclusion of the sheikhs

(masters) according to the Naqshbandi

Order is the internal seclusion. They are

with their Lord and simultaneously they are

with the people. He may do anything but

not a single breath will ever be free from

the remembrance of the divine. Each

moment he remains a witness. But your

outward eye cannot envision this inner

happening.

As the Holy Prophet rightly said, “I have two

sides: one faces my Creator and one faces

creation.”

Sufi Master Shah Naqshband Bahauddin

emphasized the goodness of gatherings

when he said: Tariq tuna as-suhbat wa-l-

khairu fil-jamc iyyat (“Our Way is

Companionship, and Goodness is in the

Gathering”).

It is said that the believer who can mingle

with people and carry their difficulties is

better than the believer who keeps away

from people.

41


“It must be known that the seeker at the

beginning might use the external seclusion

to isolate himself from people, worshipping,

introspecting the words of the master, or

meditating until he reaches a higher state.

Or awakening comes in. Of this he will be

advised by his Master. Sufi masters say, '

Totality or oneness is not in exhibitions of

miraculous powers, instead to be among

people, doing all that is necessary, sell and

buy, marry and have children; and yet never

leave the presence of Allah even for one

moment.'" You are then in the world but

the world is not in you. Nanak says, it is not

important what you do, what is more

important is how you do. With awareness

even an insignificant act will become

worship or a prayer. Nanak never separated

the inner and the outer world. Kabir and

Nanak continued to engage in the world of

duality but everything reminded them of

their beloved. Such is the way of Sufi

masters.

6. ESSENTIAL REMEMBRANCE (yad kard):

The meaning of ‘Yad’ is Jhikr

(remembrance). The meaning of ‘kard’ is

the essence of Jikr. The seeker must make

Jikr by negation and affirmation on his

tongue until he reaches the state of the

contemplation of his heart muraqaba

(Meditation). That state will be achieved by

reciting every day the scriptural negation

(LA ILAHA) and affirmation (ILLALLAH) on

the tongue, between 5,000 and 10,000

times, removing from his heart the

elements that tarnish and rust it. This Jikr

polishes the heart and takes the seeker into

the state of Manifestation. He must keep

that daily Jikr, either by heart or by tongue,

repeating ALLAH, the name of God's

Essence which encompasses all other

names and Attributes, or by negation and

affirmation through the saying of LA ILAHA

ILLALLAH. This is the illuminative harmony

of the negative and positive energies. And

when two opposing forces merge

illumination is a reality.

This daily Jikr will bring the seeker into the

perfect presence of the One Who is

glorified. The Jikr by negation and

affirmation, in the manner of the

Naqshbandi Sufi Masters, demands that the

seeker close his eyes, close his mouth,

clench his teeth, glue his tongue to the roof

of his mouth, and hold his breath. He must

recite the Jikr through the heart, by

negation and affirmation, beginning with

the word LA (“No”). He lifts this “No” from

under his navel up to his brain. Upon

reaching his brain the word "No" brings out

the word ILAHA (“god”), moves from the

brain to the left shoulder, and hits the heart

with ILLALLAH (“except The God”). When

that word hits the heart its energy and heat

spreads to all the parts of the body. The

seeker who has denied all that exists in this

world with the words LA ILAHA, affirms with

the words ILLALLAH that all that exists has

been annihilated in the Divine Presence.

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The seeker repeats this with every breath,

inhaling and exhaling, always making it

come to the heart, according to the number

of times prescribed to him by his master.

The seeker will eventually reach the state

where in one breath he can repeat LA ILAHA

ILLALLAH twenty-three times. A perfect

master can repeat LA ILAHA ILLALLAH an

infinite number of times in every breath.

The meaning of this practice is that the only

goal is ALLAH and that there is no other goal

for us to look at the Divine Presence as the

repeat LA ILAHA ILLALLAH an infinite

number of times in every breath. The

meaning of this practice is that the only goal

is ALLAH and that there is no other goal for

us. To look at the Divine Presence as the

Only Existence after all this throws back into

the heart of the murid ( disciple) the love of

the Prophet and at that time he says,

MUHAMMADUN RASULULLAH

("Muhammad is the Prophet of God") which

is the heart of the Divine Presence. Thus

completes the whole sutra or mantra or

Jikr.

….CONTINUED IN THE NEXT ISSUE.

‘SANGHAM SHAR‘SANGHAM SHAR‘SANGHAM SHAR‘SANGHAM SHARAAAANAM GACHCHAMI’NAM GACHCHAMI’NAM GACHCHAMI’NAM GACHCHAMI’

TECHNIQUES OF MEDITATIONTECHNIQUES OF MEDITATIONTECHNIQUES OF MEDITATIONTECHNIQUES OF MEDITATION

AN EXPERIMENT IN SILENCE AND SECLUSION

ALL READING! ALL THINKING! ALL DOING BELONGS TO THE MENTAL BODY.

AND MEDITATION BELONGS TO THE ETHERIC BODY.

Experiment with silence and seclusion for a

period of twenty-one days. This will bring

about a transformation in your attitude,

both inner and outer. When you are

experimenting do not expect anything. A lot

will happen. But if you are anxious of results

then nothing will happen. This is an

experiment in breath awareness. During

this period you must observe total silence

and seclusion.

This was invented by the Buddha of the

twentieth century – Osho. During this

period of twenty-one days, practice

Dynamic meditation every day. Then the

whole day carry out breath observation for

twenty-four hours. Do not read. Do not

write.

Do not think. All these belong to the mental

body. And meditation belongs to the etheric

body. You can go for a walk. Walking

belongs to your etheric body. But when you

are walking do not think or talk. These

belong to your mental body. And

meditation happens when you are beyond

mind in the etheric body. All manual actions

belong to your Prana Sharira or etheric

43


body. In fact, your physical body does

everything but it is for the etheric body. So

all that is concerned with the Etheric body

should be done! And anything which is

concerned with other bodies must be

avoided. Bathing belongs to the etheric

body, so you can take a bath twice a day.

However, while taking a bath let there be

no doing of any kind.

Follow what Buddha said. When you walk,

just walk! Do not do anything else. Be

concerned with walking alone. While

walking keep your eyes half open and half

closed. This way you cannot fall asleep. And

also you will not be worried about the outer

world. Then you can only see your path.

And the path is so monotonous that it will

not give you anything new to think about.

Maintain a monotonous world. Just stay in

one room, seeing the same setting. It needs

to be so monotonous that you cannot think

about it. Thinking cannot happen without

new stimuli and sensations. When your

sensory system is constantly bored, then

there will be nothing outside of you to think

about. You can decide to eat only one type

of meal. This will create boredom.

And when there is boredom the mind

cannot operate. The mind always wants

change. So if you move to the new, then

you are moving to the dimension of the

mind. During the first week there will be

less need for sleep.

There is nothing to worry about. Because

you are not thinking and also not doing

anything, naturally sleep will be less. And if

you are constantly aware of breathing,

tremendous energy will generate within

you. This will not let you sleep much. So if

sleep comes or not, both are good! The

absence of sleep will not harm you

anymore.

You may wonder why this breath awareness

creates more energy. As you begin to be

aware of breathing it becomes rhythmic.

Breathing will follow its own pattern. It will

create harmony and make your whole being

musical. When your breathing is rhythmic, it

will create more energy. As you are, your

breathing is haphazard. Such breathing

leads to the leakage of energy, while

rhythm and harmony not only generate

energy they conserve as well! And with

breath awareness only minimal energy is

needed. This is the state of non doing.

The moment doing comes in, energy is

wasted. Even in moving the body or your

hands energy is needed. So when you are

aware twenty-four hours, wastage is

minimal and energy is conserved. You then

become a reservoir of energy. This energy

will be used in Kundalini. Generally, too

much energy is wasted during the day when

you are operating in the world of objects

and beings. Then nothing is left for

Kundalini. Energy moves downwards

naturally, as this is the only path known to

you.

Downward movement is easy. But when

this energy has to move upwards a reservoir

of energy is needed. Only then the gates

will open. Those who have less energy can

only think of sex as the outlet. Those who

are very sexual are considered as full of

vitality, but this is not the case. This is a

misconception. A person who is full of

vitality cannot be sexual. His energy has

started moving upwards. It is only when the

energy is minimal and cannot move

upwards, it moves downwards through the

sex outlet.

44


Energy cannot remain stationary. It needs

to move continually. Energy has only two

passages, upwards and downwards. So

when it is moving upwards it cannot move

downwards. Automatically that passage

stops. It is not that you have to make any

effort to stop the downward flow, instead it

stops by itself. When you are aware of

breathing, all doing will stop and the energy

will be conserved. With awareness and

alertness, life force becomes more vital

within you. It is like someone watching you.

And when someone watches you, laziness

vanishes; you are full of vitality. Such is the

case with leaders and sportsmen and

women. The more people watch you the

fuller of vitality you will be. And the

moment the crowd forgets, you are no

more alive. This is the happiness of a leader

being a public man. This feeling of vitality

comes through people watching you. In

fact, vitality does not come through

observation; instead it comes through

alertness when the crowd is watching you.

Thus, this alertness becomes vitality. When

you are aware of your breathing, you begin

to watch yourself; your innermost source of

vitality is touched. So if there is loss of

sleep, it is natural. You need not worry

about it.

During this period, you will observe an

upheaval in your mind. Also, if certain

images and stories that you have never

known before come to your mind, just

watch them without worrying. All that was

a part of your unconscious and is now being

released! This is natural; before it is thrown

out, all that is hidden in the unconscious

has to become conscious. Do not suppress.

Any effort to suppress will push it back to

the unconscious once again. Also, when you

are too much concerned then too much

energy is wasted. Just be aware of

breathing and go on watching everything

else that appears on the periphery or in the

background. Just be indifferent to these

things. You just go on witnessing breathing.

You will be witnessing breathing and on the

surface things will happen. Thoughts will be

there, vibrations will be there. However, all

these things will be on the surface alone,

not at the centre. Just like an ocean, all the

waves are on the surface and deep down

there is utter silence.

Many absurd, illogical, unimaginable,

inconceivable, fanatic, and nightmarish

things will happen. But you go on watching

your breath. Such things will come and go.

Be indifferent to these. It is like you are

travelling in a train and things pass on the

way. When you remain indifferent, such

images and fantasies will be released. And

by and by at the end of the first week

unconsciousness is unburdened. No more

noise! A deep inner silence will descend.

You may experience moments of

depression. When a deep-rooted feeling of

depression surfaces from the unconscious,

it will overwhelm you. Instead of a thought

it will be a mood. So moods will also be

surfacing. Sometimes there will be the

feeling of exhilaration and at other times

the feeling of depression. Be indifferent to

these moods, just as thoughts. Let them

come and disappear. In the process of

operation in the dualistic world you have

not only suppressed thoughts but moods as

well. During this twenty-one day sojourn

many thoughts and moods will surface

before something new surfaces.

Each individual will experience differently.

There will be many possibilities. Do not be

afraid. Just allow them to happen. You may

also get the feeling that you are dying.

Accept this, no matter how sure you are of

45


it. Thoughts, feelings, and moods will come;

welcome these. But you go on watching the

breath. It is quite difficult to remain

indifferent to feelings. But this will happen

if you are indifferent to thoughts, moods

etc. You may even feel that death is coming

and that at any moment you may die. There

is no other possibility or escape. There is

nothing that you can do. Accept this. And

the moment you do so, you are indifferent

to it. If you fight, everything will get

distorted. You may feel that death is

approaching or you may get the feeling that

you are sick. But you are not ill. There is

only the feeling of death or illness. This is

the release from the unconscious.

Many illnesses will be felt that are never

heard of. Be indifferent to these. You go on

doing all that you have to. Despite the

thinking, feeling, or happening go on

watching the breath!

In the second week you will have some

psychic experiences. You may feel your

body becomes big or small and sometimes

even disappearing and that you are left

bodiless. Do not be afraid. It may also

happen that you will observe your body

lying or sitting at a distance. Be

unconcerned.

You may even feel electrical shocks. This

happens each time when a particular chakra

is penetrated. This results in shocks and

trembling. The whole body will be in

turmoil. Without any resistance, cooperate

with such reactions. When you resist you

are in fact, fighting against yourself. Do not

resist anything that is happening at the

chakra. Any resistance will create conflict in

your energy. These are psychic experiences.

Instead of getting afraid, cooperate with

them. In doing so these will disappear!

Sometimes there is no feeling of breathing.

It is not that the breathing has stopped;

instead your breathing has become so

subtle that you cannot feel it. And when

you observe this subtle breathing, even

your awareness will become more subtle.

And when there is no breathness, you will

be aware of no breath. This is harmony. And

when you become aware of this, then this

awareness will penetrate even more. The

more subtle is the breath, the more aware

you have to be, to be aware of this. Be

more and more aware. And if you feel there

is no breath, then be aware of no

breathness. This is a blissful moment!

The more the awareness is subtle, the more

it goes in the etheric body. As you go on

watching the breath, first you will become

aware of the breath in the physical body. As

the breath becomes harmonized and subtle,

you are aware of the etheric body. Then

you will feel as if there is no breath but the

breathing is still there.

You would have observed, when you are in

anger you need more oxygen. So too, when

there is sexual passion, your breathing gets

shallow. So the breathing keeps on

changing. When you are silent, then only a

small quantity of air is needed. Just enough

to be alive!

Be aware of this situation. Earlier you were

aware of breathing. Now be aware of the

situation when there is no breath.

Whatever be the situation, be aware.

Awareness flows like an undercurrent.

Whatever be the situation, be simply aware.

If nothing is felt, be aware of this ‘no

feeling’. Do not fall asleep.

This is the moment you have been waiting

for. So if you go to sleep you will waste the

time spent to reach this state. In a state of

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total stillness, breath becomes almost

nonexistent. If you go on watching the

breath and remain indifferent to the rest

that is happening, then the third week will

be the week of total nothingness. It will be

as if everything has vanished or gone into

nonexistence. Then only nothingness

remains.

Continue the experiment for three weeks.

After the first week you may want to stop.

Your mind will say all this is nonsense,

forget it! Take the resolution that you are

not going to stop for three weeks. And after

three weeks, you will not want to leave this.

Your mind will be so blissful that you will

not want to disturb it. If only nothingness or

blissfulness is there, then you can continue

the experiment for a few days longer. But

never stop before twenty-one days. Start

this experiment as soon as possible.

‘BUDDHAM SHARANAM GACHCHAMI’

VIPASHYANA MEDITATIONVIPASHYANA MEDITATIONVIPASHYANA MEDITATIONVIPASHYANA MEDITATION A flower that never knew about the sun and

a flower that has experienced the sun are

not the same. Indeed they cannot be.

Because a flower that has never witnessed

the rising sun can never feel the rising sun

within! Such a flower is dead. It has the

potentiality but the potentiality has not

attained fruition. It has never known its

own spirit. However, a flower that has

witnessed the sunrise has also seen

something arise within itself. It has

discovered its own soul. Now this flower is

no more a flower. The flower has known a

deep happening within.

To create this inner sun of awareness

within, Buddha invented a technique of

meditation almost twenty-five centuries

ago. This technique not only creates the

inner sun of awareness, but at the same

time it also allows the awareness to

penetrate into every cell of the body and

then to the entire being. The technique that

Buddha invented is known as Anapana Sati

Yoga. This is the yoga of incoming and

outgoing breath awareness. It is also known

as Vipashyana meditation. The word

Vipashyana has two words put together – Vi

and Pashyana. Vi means neutral and

Pashyana means to see. Thus, Vipashyana

means to look at everything with a neutral

attitude.

Vipashyana is also known as Insight

Meditation. It was discovered by Buddha to

unravel the questions arising in his mind to

know the truth.

On full moon in the month of May Buddha was enlightened

more than twenty five centuries ago. The fragrance of this

happening still wafts the atmosphere with its fragrance. And

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also its echoes linger in our hearts like the dissolving notes

of solemn melody. Flowing with this energy field creates

ripples within you. And this can create an insatiable quest in

you as well for Enlightenment!

HANUMAN

CHALISA

A MYSTICAL DIMENSION

By Swami Anand Neelambar

I am presenting two more verses from my upcoming

publication on Hanuman Chalisa A Mystical Dimension.

Verse three (3) and verse thirty four (34).

(3)

Maha beera vikrama bajarangee

kumati nivaara sumati ke sangee

You are the greatest warrior, possessed of valour,

with a body that is as strong as thunderbolt.

You destroy all the negative tendencies of the mind

and You are the companion of those




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who are discriminating and wise.

Maha means great, the highest pinnacle, the magnum opus, the

summon bonum, the ultimate achievement – which is not really an

achievement because there is nothing to achieve.

beera is hero. In the language of Pythagoras it is one who has

crossed this realm and entered the realm of gods. It means one who

is enlightened, one who has attained to self realization.

vikrama indicates courage or bravery, usually descriptive of a hero.

Since our hero is the one seeking enlightenment. Then Vikrama is

the courage to lead a spiritual life against the societal norms and

decadent traditions. Vikrama is the quality that will guide one

through the ‘dark night of the soul’. Vikrama is fortitude to resist

temptations and overcome hindrances in the spiritual sojourn.

bajarangee is a truly heroic achievement against the negative

tendencies that sway one from the path. It is a purity and strength

that rises far above the influences of the lower attributes and

remains unaffected by the titanic traits.

kumati is a life lived in cowardice and ignorance of the higher

ideals. A life wasted in pursuit of material acquisition and scholarly

rhetoric with no inkling to spirituality. What Adi Shankara calls

dukrinyakarane – useless indulgence in the semantics and rules of

grammar without understanding the essence of the message. Or

what Shakespeare refers to as ‘a tale told by an idiot full of sound

and fury but signifying nothing.’ Kumati is an application of

intelligence in trivia and pettiness.

nivaara is to purify; to remove impediments that block the spiritual

sojourn. By impediments is meant the physical hindrances, the inner

distractions, the social obstacles, and the blockages to the free flow

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of energy in the psycho-spiritual centres. Impediments can also

mean sickness and disease.

sumati refers to the proper use of intelligence for self-realization

and the welfare of humanity. Sumati means an inward turning of

the intelligence for a spiritual sojourn.

ke sangee is a friend of the aspirants on the path. Sangee is one

who shares his presence and insights. The mere company of a friend

who has attained to enlightenment is a reassuring impetus in the

sojourn. Sangee is a companion who offers solace and guidance.

The mystical interpretation:

Enlightened hero, brave, valiant and resolute who removes all

hindrances and inspires the intellect, you serve as a guide and

impetus for the aspirants on the inner mystical quest.

(34)

Anta kaala Raghubara pura jaaee

Jahaan janma Hari bhakta kahaaee

At death, one goes to Ram’s own city;

wherever (he) takes birth (he) is known as an enlightened being.

Anta kaala means the end of one’s time. It refers to termination of

one’s role in this particular cosmic drama. When one attains to

enlightenment one’s role in the cosmic scheme ceases and one begins a

new chapter in existence.

Raghubara pura means the abode of Sri Ram. It refers to the realm

beyond enlightenment.

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jaaee means to go.

Jahaan means wherever, whenever.

janma means birth, to assume a terrestrial form.

Hari bhakta means a devotee of Hari. It refers to being enlightened.

kahaaee means called, known as.

A similar sloka is expressed in Bhagavd Gita, Chapter 8 verse 5:

Antakaale cha maam eva

smaran muktwa kalevaram

Yah prayaati sa madbhaavam

yaati naa’sty atra samshaya

At the time of death also, whoever quits the body remembering Me

alone, he attains My being, there is no doubt this.

The mystical interpretation:

At the termination of one’s role in this cosmic drama (during to

being enlightened) one attains the realm beyond enlightenment.

Wherever and whenever one chooses to enter the cosmic scheme,

he is born as an enlightened being.




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A TAOIST PARABLE

Duke Huan, seated above in his hall was

once reading a book, and the wheelwright

P’ien was making a wheel below it. Laying

aside his hammer and wheel, P’ien went

up the steps and said, “I venture to ask

your Grace what words you are reading?”

The Duke said, “The words of the sages.”

“Are those sages alive?” P’ien continued.

‘‘They are dead”, was the reply.

“Then”, said P’ien, “What you, my ruler,

are reading are only the dregs and

sediments of those old men.”

The Duke said, “How should you, a

wheelwright, have anything to say about a

book I am reading? If you can explain

yourself, very well; if you cannot, you will

have to die. I will kill you.” He was very

angry. Thus was too much! A wheelwright

coming to a prince and saying,

“Whatsoever you are reading is nothing

but the dregs and sediments of those old

men!”

The wheelwright said, “Your servant will

look at the thing from the point of view of

his own art. In making a wheel, if I

proceed gently, that is pleasant enough

but the workmanship is not strong; if I

proceed violently, that is toilsome and the

joining do not fit. If the movements of my

hands are neither too gentle nor too

violent, the idea in my mind is realized.

But I cannot tell how to do this by word of

mouth.”

Neither too violent, nor too gentle – just

in the middle, balanced….

And the wheelwright said, “But I cannot

tell you how to do this by word of mouth,

how to attain this absolute midpoint

between effort and effortlessness,

between doing and non-doing. I cannot

say how to do this by word of mouth;

there is a knack to it, but still I cannot say

it. I know it, still I cannot say it. I cannot

teach the knack to my son – even my son

– nor can my son learn it from me. There

is no way to learn it. Learning and

teaching, teaching and learning, can be

only of the outer things – it is an inner

feel. Thus it is I am in my seventieth tear,

and am still making wheels in my old age.

But there ancients, and what was not

possible for them to convey, are dead and

gone. So then what you, my, ruler, are

reading is but their dregs and sediments!”

He is saying, “I am alive, I know the knack

of it, still I cannot convey it, I cannot

transfer my knowledge. And I am alive

and I know, and I love my son and I would

like…. And I am old, in my seventieth year,

and still I have to work. If I could teach my

son I would retire. But if while alive I

cannot convey it, how can these old sages

who are dead convey something that can

only be experienced? It cannot be

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conveyed when the sage is alive, so how

can it be conveyed when the sage has

been gone for centuries? You are just

wasting your time, sir”, he said. “This is all

rubbish.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

Divine Life Society Temple Carlsen Field,

Chase Village,

Chaguanas,

Trinidad, West Indies

Weekly Meditation every Wednesday 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th

Buddha’s Jayanti, Samadhi and Mahasamadhi on 21st May 2008

Sikh Gurudwara Eastern Main Road,

El Dorado,

Tunapuna,

Trinidad, West Indies

Talks on Japuji of Guru Nanak 4th

& 18th

May 2008.




Meditation Times May 2008 Taoshobuddha

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Transcript of Meditation Times May 2008 Taoshobuddha