dhyan

Answering questions on doing Dhyan

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I wrote this post on doing Dhyan using the Ajapa mantras Soham or Hamsa or OM. I have in fact written several posts on spiritual practice and the mantra you use when you do these (do use the index page to locate them). There were some questions so will write a bit more in this post.

‘Look’ at your third eye chakra while doing Dhyan.

The mind has to be trained to stay still, to stop its continuous whirring. So you have to focus at one single point, ie the point where the Sushumna, Ida, Pingala Nadi merge, ie the third eye chakra. The Ajnya chakra आज्ञा चक्र is the only point where you have to focus on always and ever. This will grant stability to the mind/ Manas with time. Ajnya आज्ञा is a Sanskrit word which means authority, unlimited power, command, to order, rule, to grant permission, to perceive, principal, assurance etc. Your lower 5 chakras are controlled by the Ajnya chakra in ever way possible. So when you focus on your Ajnya chakra and do your Dhyan, you power it here. Then the Ajnya chakra automatically distributes the power generated to the lower chakras as per requirement in the gentlest and safest manner. The lower chakras then distribute it in their associated nadis. So the entire energy body benefits.

Some people have this misconception that while doing Dhyan, the focus should shift, ie they focus on each one of the lower chakras in sequence, up and down the back! This is not how it works. Such a practice creates instability in the mind and causes jerks in the flow of pran in the nadi/ chakras which ultimately damages them. If you do this up and down thing or focus on specific lower chakras while doing your 108 breath/mantra combo, there is a clear danger of overloading the lower chakra and causing its associated nadis to fry. Always focus on the Ajnya chakra for your Dhyan and not on the lower chakras.

(You can do focussed chakra healing. This is different from Dhyan. I have written on doing the chakra healing in this post here.)

Then there is a particular Dhyan method given in the Vidnyan Bhairav tantra where you focus only on the Brahmarandhra for the 108 breaths. But do not do this unless your Sat-Guru sits before you physically and guides you while you are doing it. Else you can mess up your nadi/chakra system so badly that you might not only kill yourself, but also spend the next few lives insane recovering from the damage. This is a very intense method taken up by Sanyasis who have formally left the material world. It is not for householders like us.

Temples in India where I have been to

Dhyan is not ‘mediation’, you do not relax when you do Dhyan. You do not float up in dreamy clouds as shown in popular culture. What you are doing is very actively and intentionally manipulating the Pran in your Nadi/Chakra system. Pushing more and more pure Pran into your energy body, the pran-mai-kosh. Doing Dhyan is the same as fighting the War of Kurukshetra within, it is called Karma-yog and the entire Bhagwat Gita talks about this internal war.

So do not experiment, be very alert, focus your attention at your third eye, do your 108 mantra/breath combo. And do your practice regularly.

Next is how to ‘look’ at the Ajnya chakra. If you have noted, I always use apostrophes around the word ‘look’ like ‘look’ at your Ajnya chakra. This means that you are supposed to inwardly focus your attention at your third eye. You are not supposed to roll your eyeballs up and try to physically look at the middle of your forehead! If you do this, you will get eye-strain and create problems for yourself. So imagine that you are sitting on a mountain and looking straight at the far horizon. Your physical eyes have to remain straight, relaxed and unfocussed. Do not force your eyes to go cross eyed or roll them up or squint, scrunch your eyes or anything. If you think your eyeballs are rolling up, bring them back down gently. Do not strain your eye muscles. Dhyan is an internal thing, your physical eyes are nowhere in the picture. People who are blind or do not have physical eyes also do Dhyan as it has nothing to do with the physical eyes.

Soham, Sushumna Yog and the Sat-guru

And its a two step process.

I have stressed in all my posts that you should do your 108 breaths with your mantra as a first step. Then sit for some more time in the same pose, ideally for 30mins at least. This second part is an important part, do not skip this. You have trained your mind with your 108 breaths and now you have to immediately test it. Has your mind learnt to focus? Has it absorbed the efforts of your 108 breaths? In this second phase think of nothing. The mind has to be blank. You are enjoying the energy of your 108 Mantra-breaths, the mind cannot be allowed to interfere in this. The mind cannot think anything, not even your Dhyan-mantra. It is a truly delightful phase as the constant whirring of your mind slows/ stills and you are refreshed from the inside. You are brought to the possible state of internal health and happiness. You absorb pure pran while you do Dhyan, and this refreshes you more than the sleep, Swapna and Sushupti states.

Also you will see visions from your past lives, future events, your deity may give you a Darshan, bursts of color, white lights, geometric stuff, sounds, anything. You might see things which might make you emotional, secret stuff might be told to you etc. Just observe and let it go. Do not let the mind start working while you are enjoying this part two. This part two will test how well you did in your part one of the Dhyan process.

Advaita 18-66 Bhagvat Gita Part-1

Now which mantra to use.

I stress on the Ajapa mantras, Soham/ Hamsa or the pure OM, as these are naturally embedded within every breath you take. These are the easiest, most natural, the most powerful yet the gentlest mantra which you can do while a living householders life. If you can do a proper Dhyan twice a day it would be great. But even if you cannot find the time you can mentally recite these with your breath at any time, eg while travelling etc. as even this helps. Convert every breath you take into Soham/ Hamsa/ Om and you will realise the Eternal.

But if you wish, you can do Dhyan on the following mantras. (I do not use them as I feel it unnecessarily complicates the process. I prefer the pure energy of the two Ajapa mantras Soham/Hamsa or OM.)

  • Om Brahmane namah
  • Om namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
  • Om namah Shivaya
  • Or you can choose the Gayatri mantra as your Dhyan-mantra.

If you want to use any other mantra, then its your wish. But be very careful, choose a Vedic mantra linked to the Saumya gentle form of your adored deity. Do not choose mantras of the Ugra terrifying forms. Best stick to the well-known mantras. If you focus with something incorrect, you will damage your Nadi/ Chakra system. Damage here not only affects the immediate present but also the future lives. (I had written somewhere about a woman who was doing Dhyan using some ‘brzeee’ mantra and causing harm to herself and the people around her.)

If you choose a longer mantra, then you should recite the complete mantra once with every inhalation and once with every exhalation. Example, if you choose the mantra ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ you have to recite it once completely as you inhale and recite it again completely as you exhale. Do this for the usual 108 breaths. Obviously one inhalation and one exhalation is one breath.

Leo ascendant Integration

The mantra can change sometimes spontaneously. Ultimately all Dhyan-mantra will merge into OM.

While you do your Dhyan-mantra with the 108 breathes, you are training your mind with it. Mantra means ‘manah tarayati iti ‘, ie the mantra is used to save, entrain, clean, enlighten etc, the mind. So naturally the mantra is of use as long as the mind is still whirring out of control. Once you achieve the unmani-avastha, ie the mind becomes still, the mantra will change its form and purpose.

Or if you are doing a longer mantra then as you reach the seed of the manifested it will convert to the Ajapa mantras or directly to the OM. Every mantra has a specific level of energy, once you have absorbed it all, it will change its form. This mantra changing thing is not really relevant if you are using one of these three, Soham/ Hamsa/ Om mantras. These three will take you to the highest Advaita as they are at the very deepest creation point of the manifested Universe. Once you have absorbed their immensity only the Self remains. This is the reason why I suggest you choose any of these three as your Dhyan-mantra. These are the fast-tracks, they work at the very core of your existence. 

Ultimately all the Mantras merge into OM. Then as you pierce the Bindu that OM is, you reach the undefinable indescribable Advaita. 

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Outer forms of pujas, pilgrimages, satsangs are all junior school. Dhyan is senior school. What is desired is the Eternal Advaita.

Suppose you have hurt your legs and cannot walk properly, and have to use a crutch. The crutch is essential but you do not love it nor do you wish to use it forever. You wish your legs get well so that you can walk without support. Similarly the practice is a crutch, you are going to need it as long as your mind misbehaves. But you cannot get attached to the crutch. You should study your mantra, check out how you can use it most effectively, maintain it, respect it, learn about its functions etc get the most use out of it. Use it. Be dispassionate about your practice. Your mantra is a tool, you have to use it. It will get you till a point in your journey, but after its work is done later you will discard it. 

Another way of looking at it is this. In your journey, you travel in a boat, then go in a bus, travel in a plane and then trek a bit depending on the route. You keep on changing your mode of transport, you do not remain attached to the boat or the bus you travel in. The boat-ride is not your objective. Yes, the boat helps you travel a particular stretch of your route but once that stretch is over you change your mode of transport. You are not attached to the route you travel nor the act of travelling. Neither the journey or the route or the vehicle is your final objective. Will you keep sitting in the car when you reach home? You get out of it and enter your house.

Your final destination is what inspires you. Rest of it, the route and the vehicle, just is, it is incidental. Your deepest desire is to get to Your Self, this is the source of your faith.

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And finally even if you are just learning astrology do you need to do Dhyan in the first place?

Yes, you have to. Astrology is actually Jyotish, the science of the internal illumination. It is a Veg-Ang, it is connected to the Ved, it is a part of Sanatan Dharma aka Hinduism. And it is a Vidya. Vidya is a science which studies conscious intelligence. You cannot learn a Vidya unless you are connected to the Advaita within your own self. I remember when I was a child, about 5yrs old, my Dad made me learn the Ganapati Atharvasheersha. Only then did I start on the Nakshatra, the Graha and the Rashis of Jyotish. So if you want to become an exceptional Jyotishi you must power yourself with these 108 breaths + Dhyan-mantra. 

So do your Soham or Hamsa or Om with every breath you take. Choose one of these and practice regularly. And if you have time for yourself, do your Dhyan at least once a day. It will heal you at the core of your being and eventually give you Eternal Happiness.

Venus and Jupiter in opposition

Jagat Guru Adi Shankaracharya

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Adi Shankaracharya is the Jagat-guru, the Guru of the entire Universe. Today, the Vaishakh Shukla Panchami, 5th day of the bright fortnight of the Vaishakh month, is celebrated as his birth anniversary. There is no clarity on when he actually lived in his physical form, but he is the essential Advaita Nirvishesh Brahma so life/death are meaningless words in his context.

I feel very deeply about him, Jagat Guru Adi Shankaracharya, he is the Sat-guru. He is the reason why I am able to, albeit dimly, understand the highest philosophy, Advaita and progress surely towards myself. The force/Guru which pulls me towards the Sat/Truth. ‘I am the Truth’, I wish to experience this realisation in its entirety.

Jagat Guru Adi Shankaracharya

His books and literary compositions are immense, voluminous, full of real enlightenment, Jnyan. Books include Vivek chudamani, Upadesha Sahastri etc. Commentaries include the first ever commentry on the Bhagvat Gita, ‘Bhagvat Gita Bhashyam’. The epic commentary on the Brahma-Sutras, on the several Upanishads etc. Several verses which describe the Eternal Advaita, eg Nirvan shatak and my very own favourite Brahma Jnyanavali mala. Verses in praise of the deities and Prakruti, ie Soundarya lahari, Kanakdhara Stotram etc. All his work is in Devbhasha Samskrutam, Sanskrit. These books are all translated into various languages and you will find them in bookshops near you if you wish to read.

Adi Shankaracharya established the four Math-s for the 4 Ved-s in the four corners of Bharat. In these Math-s the Ved-s are worshipped ie taught and learnt, pure knowledge. His Samadhi is at Kedarnath behind the Kedarnath temple. (if you are a follower of Sanatan Dharma, you should try to visit this Samadhi if you can travel physically.)

Adi Shankaracharya is the Sat-Guru of every single soul who desires to know himself in the real sense. If I desire Sadyo-mukti, I am requesting guidance from the Advaita none other. That is why listening or reading his works is important, he writes with the authority of experience of the Self. When I listen to his upadesh/ teachings, I realise that I am listening to my own self. I am to realise My Self, so I will do it only when I listen to descriptions of myself. As I contemplate on myself, meditate on myself, bit by bit I remember myself. I become myself.

I listen to the Brahma Jnyanavali Mala once a day.

A pdf with the text and a reasonably good translation Brahma Jnaanaavali Mala, there are 20 shloks/verses.

The first Shlok is this,
“asangah aham asangah aham asangah aham punah punah, sat chit anand rupah aham, aham evah aham avyayah”
Unattached am I, untouched am I, unconnected I am, ever and always. I am the truth, pure, eternal happiness. I am the only one. I am. I am indestructible, unchangeable.

And the last shlok is this

“antah jyotih bahir jyotih pratyak jyotih paratparah, jyotih jyotih, svayam jyotih Atma jyotih, Shivah asya aham”
I am the inner light. I am the outer light. I am the light within the light. The greatest light, higher than the highest light. I am self- luminous. I am the light of the ever-lit Self. I am the ever auspicious One.

In this short composition, Adi Shankaracharya, very succinctly, clearly unambiguously declares that ‘I am the Unchanging, I am’, in the strongest words possible. Even more than his ‘Nirvan Shatak’, the ‘Brahma Jnyanavali Mala’, resonates with indescribable power of the Advaita

This composition, is the essence of all philosophy in the simplest words. The power of these words in Sanskrit shakes me to the core, dissolving the Illusion of the creation that surrounds me. If I have time, I try to contemplate on every word in this Brahma Jnyanavali Mala. This will help me realise that I am the ‘Light’ the Advaita, and the power of this Light, Atma-Jyoti.

I am required to contemplate on the concept of ‘Aham sakshi’, ‘I am the Witness‘. Saying these words ‘Aham sakshi’ is rather easy, but bringing it in practice when I have the entrancing dance of creation before me is difficult. That is why I listen/read these words again and again. So that I gain the mental strength to continue focussing on what really matters, ‘Me’.

When I really desire to know myself, I feel an intense internal turmoil, just like a fish is breathless out of water. I know what I am deep within me, but the illusions of Prakruti, do not allow me to experience myself fully. Then appears the Sat-guru, the one who grants clarity, dissolves the illusions. When I give myself over to the power of the Guru, I do not get deeply caught in even more illusions of this world. He makes me realise that the ‘karma’ which I thought bound me is in fact insubstantial, imaginary, does not exist. At one point of time I used to think that I have this karmic pendency or that I owe this other person something. And unless I give it back or experience its negativity through, I won’t be free. I would think that I had to complete the karma I had created in my past lives etc. But nothing is complete in this incomplete illusionary world. So I disregarded this thought of ‘completing the karmic baggage’ and instead focused even more sincerely on ‘Me’. I am the only Reality. So best focus on Me. My one single mantra, my Soham. And as this got even more intense, these other ‘karmic ties’ evaporated as if they never existed over me. I experienced all of them in my dreams or during Dhyan, I died several times in my swapna-avastha, travelled astrally, did the work in the astral realms, let the astral body suffer, break down, get hurt, all the karma was experienced by this body.  Then my Guru repaired the bodies, while I did even more Dhyan. The only use of these bodies is to do Dhyan. So if you do your Dhyan, your so-called ‘pending karma’ will get resolved in dreams, like the dream they actually are. Whatever level of Karma may exist, it will be dissolved if you do your Dhyan systematically and regularly. (This is a bit difficult to understand if you do not do Dhyan. But if you do Dhyan, you will notice that you also are doing this same thing.)

You get deeper and more powerful glimpses of your own self as you focus on your self. There is only one thing which deserves your focus and this is your Own Self, none other. But then the created illusions, Maya, also tests you, so you need support from such verses, books, commentaries, which help you navigate thorough these tests. Use your Intelligence and the blessings of the Guru, and keep focussing intently on Your Own Self..

May you and me both realise that we are the Advaita, the Non-Dual, in the gentlest, happiest and kindest way possible.

Dedicated to the Lotus feet of the Jagat Guru Adi Shankaracharya, the Nirvishesh Brahma, the Advaita Himself in all gratitude and Shraddha/faith.

Kedarnath Palkhi

This is a photograph of the Palkhi, palaquin of the Kedarnath Mahadev taken yesterday. In the winter months the Moorthi of the deity comes to his temple at Ukhimath and then goes back to Kedarnath in the summer. The temple at Kedarnath is to be opened on 29th April. In this current lock-down situation, 6 people are travelling with the Palkhi, barefoot, carrying Him over 25kms in the snow, rocks and through the cold Himalayan streams. In reality He is carrying his devotees in all his love and compassion. Jai Kedar! Har Har Mahadev!

Constant Nija Guru v/s Other Anya Guru

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As per the Vedic panchangam, today is Skand Shashthi, dedicated to Kartikeya, the son of Shiv-Shakti. The Vasant Panchami was yesterday, Sarasvati puja and Gayatri mantra jaap. And the day before was the Maagh Ganapati Chaturthi. Tomorrow is Ratha Saptami, the rising Sun and Gayatri mantra again. Dhyan is a daily affair, but when these energies add to it, it goes deeper. These days from Makar Sankranti to Ratha Saptami are bursting with energy. Vasant Panchami is a very special day for me and this time I missed my Guru. But then he is kind and a dream/vision blessing settled the missing-feeling, yesterday morning I was euphoric.

So today I will write about my Guru in gratitude and specifically on what a Nija-Guru is. There are very few people in this world who have been fortunate that they have been blessed by a Nija-Guru.

  • Nija निज means personal, innate, continuous, constant, inborn. He is also called a Sat-Guru. The force which takes you to the Eternal Truth.
  • The other type of Guru is the Anya-Guru. Anya अन्य means other, different. (These words/ definitions are from the 11th Skandh of the Bhagwat Mahapuran in case you want to refer.)

There is a story where a spiritual aspirant was motivated by a honey-bee and he paid respect to the honey-bee by calling it a ‘Guru’. The honey-bee visits several flowers and collects just their essence, this is a quality which a spiritual aspirant must cultivate. Similarly you will read books, you will collect the essence of spiritual teachings written there. You meet with other spiritual aspirants, perhaps some Yogi-s who are on higher levels than you. You learn from them, they might teach you how to do pujas, you get blessings from these Yogi-s. These are also Guru as they are taking you onward in your journey to Moksh. They are adding to your understanding and motivating you. But these all are the Anya-Guru, the other-guru. You learn what they had to teach you, but you do not get satisfied and you still search for someone to guide you further. An Anya-Guru cannot take you to your ultimate destination Moksh.

An Anya-Guru is somewhat like an Uncle, the Nija-Guru is the Father.

I know someone who searching for a Guru, he found the perfect Guru who taught him the perfect Gayatri puja. Now Gayatri puja is in itself very potent and will take you to Moksh if you perform it regularly. But this person was not satisfied with this and now wanted to learn Kriya yog from a proper Guru. He met another perfect Guru who taught him the perfect Kriya yog. The perfect Kriya yog will also take you to Moksh if you do it regularly. But this person was still not satisfied and now desires to learn tantra, mantra, yantra and all the other facets of Sanatan Dharm. He will definitely get those appropriate Gurus who will teach him all that he desires to know, but these will all be the Anya-Guru. This person’s intention is to learn these things and the Parabrahma always grants what is desired with intense intention. Then it may take one life or more lives to complete the desired intention. The choice is always with the aspirant. It depends on what you intend.

I just want to be at the same position that my Nija-Guru had realised, the Nirvishesh Brahma, the Advaita. And that is all. I don’t focus on the steps, just the target. He will take care of the process and also the target.

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Sri Samarth Sadguru, Shri Muppin Kadsiddheshwar Maharaj

A Nija-Guru is a realised Seer. He has realised Nirvishesh Brahma and is the Parabrahma himself, he is a Jivan-mukt. The Guru stotra defines just this superlative power ie the Nija-Guru.

The one over-riding quality of the Nija-Guru is this. When you meet him (or her), you know in your innermost heart that you have reached your destination. Your search is over and you are convinced about it. Whatever has to be attained will be attained only under his guidance. The satisfaction is real and the trust deep, but only when one meets the Nija-Guru. When you meet the correct guide to take you home, you are assured of success. You feel the brightness in his aura, in his words; the confidence and the power of Realisation. When he is in front of you, or when you even think of him, there are no questions in your mind, the chattering mind goes silent. You feel it in the core of your heart that this in front of you is not an old 96yr man but the ultimate beauty of the Parabrahma. You know that you are standing in front of the Singular source. When he says to you that you will reach your destination, you do not doubt his words nor his ability to guide you. You search no more. This is your Nija-Guru. Once you find him and in case you need to take more lives to complete your karma, he will be there again and again in every life till you reach your own Moksh yourself.

My Nija-Guru and his Gurus, all who attained Nirvishesh Brahma and were Jivan-mukt. This is my lineage, my source and also my destination.

  • My Nija-Guru – Shri Muppin Kadsiddheshwar Maharaj who was the 26th Math-adhipati of the Siddhagiri Math, Kolhapur, Maharashtra
  • My Grand-Guru – Shri Siddharameshwar Maharaj
  • My Great-Grand-Guru – Shri Bhausaheb Maharaj
  • My Great (2) Grand Guru – Shri Gurulingajangam Maharaj
  • My Great (3) Grand Guru – The 22nd Kadsiddheshwar of the Siddhagiri Math
  • The lineage goes back a thousand years to the 1st Kadsiddheshwar also called Shri Revan-nath Maharaj and he was of the Nath Sampraday.

Shri Siddharameshwar Maharaj
Shri Gurulingajangam Maharaj

My own Nija-Guru left his physical shell on 16th Aug 2001. In all these years I have never felt any need to search for guidance. Nor have I met anyone living who elicited the same feelings of deep trust, power, confidence, faith and the sheer magnificence that I could sense around him. Whatever I have needed in my spiritual journey has been provided by him, my Sat-Guru, the Parabrahma. Whenever I needed protection, he has always been there. And whenever I have felt that my life has gone bad, he has always brought the solution in front of me. I just do my Dhyan and mantra as much as I can and I leave all the rest to him. He is always there, if I need to know anything specific he can assume an astral form or I hear his words echoing around me or there are visions in Dhyan or in the dream states or the situation changes and things just fall in place.

This sort of full and complete trust can only be put in a Nija-Guru and not in an Anya-Guru. Your soul recognises him. A Sat-Guru is your own constant guide, its a guide and a follower relationship. He has witnessed Pure Reality and thus can guide you till there, you are convinced in your soul about this fact. An Anya-Guru is like two fellow travellers, one is more senior than the other but still both are co-travellers. The soul has not accepted these other Guru-s (who may be at very high levels of spiritual progress/ enlightenment) as the Sat-Guru and still is in search for the correct guide.

My Guru taught each one of his disciples to use the mantra ‘Soham’ for doing Dhyan. But he never compelled anyone to do Dhyan. Surprised? Yes, he would say that doing systematic Dhyan or even reciting ‘Soham’ consciously with the breathing whenever possible, would give faster spiritual progress but he never ordered anyone to do anything. A real Guru will never order a disciple, because if he does so, it becomes a Guru-adnya, the order of the Guru, which has to be followed and it continues beyond death into the next lives. There are no exceptions to a Guru-adnya. And no Nija-Guru takes away the free will of any disciple.

‘Yatha icchasi tatha kuru’, this is the last line of the Bhagwat Gita, where after telling the entire Yogshastra Gita to Arjun, Shri Krishna himself tells him that ‘I have told you everything that is necessary, now you should do as you desire’! This means that the Parabrahma recognises free-will of the individual soul. (Even if the free will is an illusion for the purpose of this Game/ Lila/ creation, it still exists.) Every individual soul always has the choice of action. My Guru would use this phrase often.

My Guru had several lakh disciples from all strata of society. They would naturally ask him about their material life’s problems. He would sometimes indicate a way out but also tell them to do follow it only if they wanted to. Yatha icchasi tatha kuru! ’Guru- Krupa’ is another word which is freely used by modern ‘gurus’. What this word means is, if you sincerely follow the spiritual practice suggested (never ordered) by your Nija-Guru, you will reach Moksh. This is the real Guru-Krupa. ‘Guru- Krupa’ does not have any material connotations. So you have found a Nija-Guru and what do you ask him for, money? marriage? children? job? eg my Uncle is very rich and interested in even more money, (typical Capricorn nature focussed on the material), he would request the Sat-Guru to bless him with more money! If you have the Parabrahma sitting in front of you, what should you ask for, money or Moksh?

A real Jivan-mukt Sat-Guru will never give blessings for material accomplishments. His blessings, his Guru Krupa, is only and only for the spiritual life. (If you meet a ‘guru’ who offers you success in wealth, marriage, profession and says nothing about Moksh, is not a real Guru). In this modern world, spirituality has also turned into a marketable item. So many people out there waiting to capitalise on your faith and your trust.

Your faith and trust is the most precious energy you have. Offer it only to that one Nija-Guru, the correct guide, who you are convinced will take you to Moksh.

Jai Jai Guru Maharaj Guru, Jai Jai Parabrahma Satguru!

 

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Experiences in Dhyan

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Here are a few things which may help you be more at ease with your Dhyan and the experiences which you will get while you engage in your spiritual practices. There is always a Guru (Guru is energy so can be in any form, physical, astral, anything) to guide through this phase but with so much misleading information on the internet, this is just to bring clarity and sense. If someone needs to read this, it will remain available.

Experiences in Dhyan

Doing Dhyan or having experiences while doing it is nothing special. It is natural and not an achievement. If you create labels for yourself like- I am a ‘yogini’, ‘sadhak’, ‘kriyavan’ etc. you are falling even subtly into the trap of ego. This ego will be colored by ‘spirituality‘ thus even more difficult to get out of.

Do not expect anything to happen during Dhyan. Once you start expecting, you will feel the mental/ emotional response of achievement and disappointment. Anyways these experiences are as fleeting as the manifested Universe. There is no point in remembering and reliving them. If you think that you are controlling your pran or controlling your kundalini or whatever, your own thoughts are going to magnify your experience. Whatever you think of you will manifest. Do not think of anything. You are trying to manifest the Ultimate, you cannot think of That as it has no attributes. If you put labels in your thought processes you will never realise the Ultimate.

And stop thinking of Kundalini. It is over-hyped. It is the restriction on your self. It holds back the force of self-realisation, it is a lock. The first lock in a series of locks. It is the basic energy holding you to this manifested universe. If you have to break the ego you have to break this kundalini, not desire it! The lock of the kundalini is under the control of Devi Mahamaya. It is by her blessings that it will be opened. Thus Devi is often visualised as a compassionate benevolent protective mother. She is the Mother as She has created this illusion of ‘jivatma’/soul and the playground Universe. Visualising her as ever helpful, ever generous and protective helps. As you visualise you manifest.

As your Dhyan deepens you will have ‘paranormal’ experiences, you might even doubt your vision and other senses. You might hear voices, see things, feel things, get strange disconnected from reality thoughts. This can happen even when you are doing your regular daily activities. So just be careful especially if you drive, you might lose your sense of coordination. These are random things and will eventually resolve as your body balances out the energy.

Now this is important, as you progress more deeply into your own self, try to limit physical contact. Interactions with others might also reduce, they will continue on superficial levels of course. Try to eat satvik food, cook something for yourself everyday, even a cup of tea! It might help if you wash your clothes separately, not with the general family’s clothes.

Remember you have activated the force of self realization. You are not your body and neither your physical environment. You might face strange responses from your family/friends. You are actively dissociating from them internally. Your physical body may act strange e.g. you will stop feeling hungry or thirsty, as your Dhyan generates enough pran for your sustenance. But consciously remember to eat, drink and sleep adequately. Yes, you are not attached to your body, but your body is the tool. You will attain reality only with the support of this body, so always take good care of its health. And the vehicle is only useful till you reach your destination, so do not get attached to your body/vehicle.

During this no-hunger phase do some fire related yagnyas/homa of whichever mantra which appeals to you. This will help in maintaining the digestive fire and create appetite. Or you can give Surya arghya every day at sunrise. After you Realise Yourself at the final step of your journey at the Dwadashant, you will have 2 choices, one is to simply discard the vehicle. The vehicle has served its purpose you have reached your destination. Or second option is to continue in the vehicle and function in the manifested Universe with full Awareness. This is Your Ultimate Self bring kind to the other mortals. If You choose the second option, you are going to need the body, so take care of it. Then you will be a Guru, guiding others on their journey to Moksh.

Now the idea is to have no desires and no thoughts. You have to discard everything related to the manifested universe and this is difficult as this creation is all you consciously know. Your mind consciously knows only these things, thus silencing the mind is necessary. So your foundation has to be strong, the more strongly you discard all evident and subtle desires during your initial phases, the easier it will be later after the locks on self-realization open.

Experiences in Dhyan

Now Siddhis. As the force of pran and then later the force of self realisation moves upward in the brahmanadi, at each point you will be shown an aspect of Yourself. (remember the 33 koti/classes of gods each occupying one segment of your vertebral column). Each of these ‘deities’ energies will offer you gifts, these abilities are called Siddhi. Siddhis are available only for that one life as they are not carried forward into next lives. Engaging in Siddhis will slow down your journey. If you get fascinated by these Siddhis and use them with a sense of self/ego, you get caught in the trap of ego. The higher up you get caught the more tightly and subtly you get entangled. You will require even more lives to resolve this subtle ego- trap.

Some might justify that they are using the Siddhis to help other people and do good. But this is self-delusion. You have started on your journey to experience yourself, first complete what you have set out to do. Helping people can be done later, first experience what you have to! Unless you know the Ultimate how can you help others in their journey?

Be very clear about what you think yourself to be at the deepest levels. Whatever you think of yourself to be deeply, a king, teacher, leader whatever, this entire Dhyan process will augment this thought. So be very very careful of your thoughts.

This path to self realisation is for everyone and still is extremely personal. Each one has a different experience depending on what his past expectations and studies have been. If you have followed the Devi Mahatmya, (you might see events described in it) or the Bhagwat Gita (you might perform the entire battle of Kurukshetra) or the Vignyan Bhairav tantra (you might experience the 108 ways of self realization) or anything else you will experience things differently. However one thought should be uppermost, ‘I am the Parabrahma, I have no attributes and no limits. I Am.”

Finally trust yourself and do not discuss what you experience with others. If you have doubts or questions, ask Yourself, before sleeping at night ask your subconscious self that question, it will be shown to you in your dreams.

Always, you are the Parabrahma, you cannot be defined by anything of this manifested Universe. All ideas, all words, all concepts are of Mahamaya, the creative force of the Parabrahma, these cannot be used to define ‘Parabrahma’. That is why it is called Para = beyond/other/higher, Brahma = knowledge/existence/absolute etc.

“Om Yoham-asmi brahma-aham-asmi | aham-eva-aham-maam juhomi svaahaa ||”

(Om, I am That, I am Brahma, I Am what I Am, I worship Myself, I offer Myself to My Ultimate Consciousness!)

 

Experiences in Dhyan

 

Kundalini myths busted

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On the internet, there are sites which describe ‘Kundalini rise’ as gentle, pleasant, floating on clouds, agreeable sensations in the body, seeing clouds of lights, etc. This is not unlocking Kundalini, this is flow of prana in the body which may be enhanced by spiritual practice.

Kundalini myths busted

When the physical body dies, the self-identity/jivatma leaves this shell through any of the 16000 nadis available for its exit. When Moksha is achieved it leaves the physical body through the Brahmanadi, thus ‘dies’ as it gains its final Identity i.e. Parabrahma.

Are you, the Real You, prepared to leave this body? The answer of this question is very important. As long as you are attached to things connected to your identity your Kundalini lock will remain firmly locked. Things like, “I have to pack my son’s tiffin. I have a presentation tomorrow. I have to go the gym. I am cooking dinner. I am watching my favourite TV show”, are all expressions of the ego and a lock on your kundalini. ‘I am doing sadhana to wake my Kundalini’, is also an expression of your personal self-identity, thus linked to the Kundalini-lock.

However when you do your Dhyan, you sit on your Asan, and take 108 breaths you are focussing on the mantras, either Om/ Soham/ Hamsa. As your Dhyan deepens your identity of Amit, Riya, Ajit etc becomes irrelevant. Your mind stills allowing you a merest glimpse of your supreme self. This tiny glimpse is the start of the unlocking process. Your only work is to sit on your asan, breathe 108 times with the mantra and sit for as long as you can every day without breaks (1/2/3 times a day). This is it! You do not have to do any ‘activation yoga’, ‘kundalini exercises’ nothing. Regular spiritual practice is Dhyan. It is as simple as that. But do you have it in you to sit for about 30mins? Not everyone can do it because you are up against your own mind which does not like sitting still.

There are 2 distinct phases during the Dhyan. Initially pran is used to clean out the brahmanadi and then after it is cleaned out till the top, the energy of self identification is let loose from its locks. During this first pran phase you will sense several things happening, sensations like ants walking on your back, tingling along the body, sounds, sensations, tastes, smells, voices, whatever. This is quite normal as you are now remembering how to sense everything directly at the third eye/hrudaya itself. (Amrit sukta happens). As you become more aware of your third eye, the opening of that branch of the Sushumna which lies here opens. Then later the lower opening guarded by the kundalini also opens.

This kundalini lock has till now limited your sense of personality to just the Bhu-lok, the first Vhyariti (Gayatri mantra). Once it opens and the energy starts rising in your brahmanandi, you are no longer confined to the lowermost Bhu-lok. Your personality gains its aspects of the Bhuvah-Lok, Swah-Lok, Mahah-Lok, Janah-Lok and Tapah-Lok as the energy ascends and each of the 6 locks of the Shatchakra are successively opened. The last Sahasara when accessed allows the personality to add the attributes of the Satyam-lok. After this is also crossed the Ultimate is achieved.

All this happens inside the hyper dimensions of your energy geometry, which is seen as the Shrichakra in 2-dimensions and Mahameru in the 3-D.

Now you manifest what you think. You have been thinking about this Experience throughout your lives. You have been following different spiritual practice. So each of you will experience the same energy in different ways depending on your personal desires, thought patterns and prior conditioning. These conditionings have to be removed because they are in the realm of the manifested. These are blockages. E.g. If you have been deeply reading the Ramayan, you will find in your Dhyan scenes being replayed from the Ramayan and the final face of your ego will be seen as Ravan. If you have been practicing using the Bhagwat Gita as your base, your final encounter with your ego will be seen as the battle with Duryodhan. If you read the Vishnu puran, your ego can appear as Hiranyaksh or Hiranyakashyap. If you read the Devi Mahatmya, your ego can take the form of Mahishasur.

As the energy courses through your brahmanadi and the locking mechanisms at the chakras, you will sense this movement during Dhyan. You might feel that your body is leaning down, moving, disoriented, it might feel like a roller-coaster ride, or a rolling sensation. You will feel the movement. Don’t get agitated and get up from your asan if this happens, continue with your breath /mantra /focus. This is very normal. You will also lose awareness of your body and position of your body parts. You will see the denizens of the other dimensions. You will hear sounds of the chakras, buzzing, chirping, tinklings, deep bells, waterfalls so loud that you will feel you have gone deaf, lights so blinding that you will feel you have gone blind, mumbling sounds, beej mantras, the Gayatri mantra, oh so many things! But always remember these are also distractions, you are supposed to just breathe/mantra/focus.

These experiences are not to be discussed or relived. Forget them. These are internal, personal to you alone and not for others.

Kundalini is so hyped up that it seems if you can get it to rise you have attained Moksh! Nothing can be further than the truth. Opening the kundalini is just the first step, after that there are so many many things. And you can fail at every micro-inch in this path. So be eternally vigilant and continue your regular Dhyan.

Kundalini myths busted

So is it worth doing the complicated exercises to unlock the kundalini? I would say no. Not unless you have an enlightened Guru sitting in front of you guiding you. (If you have such a Guru you won’t need to read blogs on this topic)

Kundalini is just maybe 1% of the job at hand. The major part is controlling your desires, silencing your mind and removing the subtle conditioning your soul is tied to. If you are successful in doing this, the unlocking and energy movement will happen on its own.

See you will die at some point of time, it is reality. If you are able to clean yourself out and gain a high spiritual level you will exit the body through some high energy nadi. This will assure you a higher realm/Lok. If you have managed to focus your mind and remove all desires completely you will be allowed to exit via the highest high tension nadi, the Brahmanadi. Moksh!

In energy terms, what we are attempting to gain through Dhyan is, when we leave the body we leave it through the Brahmanadi and thus gain Moksh.

Suppose you have to climb Mt.Everest. You will prepare and exercise regularly. You know your final objective but you will focus on your daily practice. You know that if you prepare well you will ascend on your first attempt. You will spend hours preparing. You will not waste time wishing for magical ways to fly you to the top. You know you have to prepare rigorously. Mind, body and soul, all will be needed to attempt this climb. Even if you make practice climbs you know that this is not an assurance that you will succeed on the final climb. So you are alert and vigilant every step of the way. This ascent to Moksh is something similar. Kundalini is a very minor practice climb, if you are successful here doesn’t mean you will be finally successful. In fact it may instil a strange ego and casualness towards the final climb.

Kundalini is the lock which limits self-identity to the Bhu-lok. The other chakra-locks limit the self-identity to their corresponding Lok-s. If you are unable to negotiate and transcend all of them and get trapped somewhere you will be again dragged back to the starting point, with even more subtle karmic baggage. So it would be be better if all locks open at once after the path is fully prepared till the top of the brahamarandhra, so that energy can ascend in one smooth continuous flow. But as you think so will it manifest. If in your past lives you have intended hard that the ‘kundalini wakes’, and your present karma allows, it will wake. If you have desired ‘mystical experiences’, they will be shown.

So do not think about anything, do not expect, do not feel disappointed, let things happen naturally. You just do your Dhyan.

You want a healthy body, so you will need to go to the gym, work out daily! Reading about how muscles work will not make your body muscular.

So practice and practice, to start with daily sit for 30mins in Dhyan. It will take care of everything naturally.

 

Kundalini myths busted

(I have received a question in the contact me section on the posture for doing Dhyan. Ideally the back and the neck and the head should be straight, not rigid, just relaxed and straight, have mentioned this in my post on Dhyan. However there are genuine medical problems so here are some ways you can make your body comfortable, you can but try with full intention the rest is upto Her. You focus on what you can do.

  • If you cannot fold your legs in the yogic posture, you can sit in a chair but ensure that your back, neck, head is relaxed but straight.
  • If you cannot fold your fingers in the Mudra it is ok, just place your hands in your lap, be comfortable.
  • And finally if you cannot keep your back/neck straight but still you deeply desire to do Dhyan, it is also ok. Sit using a back rest or use whichever type of chair/recline to make your body comfortable.
  • If you cannot sit at all for medical reasons, final option is to lie down in a flat surface in the Shavasan pose.
  • Just don’t don’t go to sleep doing Dhyan, be mindful of every breath you take and the mantra you are mentally reciting and focus on the third eye. Even this much with full intention will work.)