Yoga Vasishta..

Namaste.   As written in one of my previous posts, I started reading a couple of  books on Yoga Vasishta written by different authors, but let me admit that it is a very tough and thought-provoking treatise to read.  I have been reading less than a page a day(!),  trying to re-read the lines multiple times and understand the real meanings.  It has not been easy for me.  Though written as stories conveyed by Sage Vashista to Lord Rama, they are everything, but simple!!

Initially I thought I will complete the book and then try to write my learning on it, but looks like that will take a long time, probably in years!.  Hence I am going to blog on the key points (sara) of the highly intellectual book, as I read it.  I will leave it to to the readers to dwell on these lines and try to understand its spiritual deeper meanings. Those who are more interested should definitely get the full book and read. The most popular one seems to be the Vasistha's Yoga by Sw. Venketasananda.  It is available in Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Vasisthas-Yoga-Special-Paper-27/dp/0791413640/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450540304&sr=1-1&keywords=vasistha%27s+yoga  

There are manyother freely downloadable copies of Yoga Vasishta too - both the full 'saraamsa' (content) and the 'laghu' (abridged) versions of it.  Both however needs deep thinking and contemplation on its lines.

Hari Om.

Real love is devotion to GOD.

Sw. Vivekananda, in his speech once referred to the saying "If you want to be a robber, rob the King's treasury! Similarly, if you want to love, love GOD".  Swami was exhorting all to aim for the best in whatever field we choose. 

I think this is very applicable for today's generation especially for girls & women. who have been caught with a love bug for things, dresses pets etc. Give up that materialistic love and refocus your mind to the love & devotion (bhakthi) for GOD. Devotion to that ultimate Supreme power will expand our minds and bring an awareness of the Oneness of everything in this universe. This realization will eventually cascade down to everything we see in our life, but that will not be a materialistic love ; it will be at a much higher level and with peace of mind at all times!
Hari Om.

Hindu view of creation - SHrSHTi

I have been reading a wonderful document on Purusha Suktam with meanings and found this concept (below) that I found very refreshing.  All the more,  this is completely in alignment with nature and different from other religion that we hear nowadays who advocate suicide-terrorism with the belief that they will reach a 'paradise' world!!

According to the author of this document, the underlying theme of the Hindu view is that it is not creation at all!  It is SHriSHTi in Sanksrit which means out-pouring. It is an expansion or transformation.   It is not that GOD created everything,  but GOD is everything!   Only GOD IS!  It is in different forms and types, but it is all GOD!  This universe is part of the Divine. There is no separation between the Creator and the creation!  All are ONE!  Think,  as Gurudev Sw. Chinmayananda used to say.

My Pranams to whoever wrote this document and revealed this concept. Hari Om.

Yoga Vasishta-1

Hari Om.  I am reading Yoga Vasishta and will try to write here the key points and my understanding.  The intention is to read and contemplate ('mananam' ) on the deeper meanings of the lines and absorb it into us as part of our daily life.  So only a few lines are read & written here at a time.

Yoga Vasishta, written by Sage Valmiki, is the spiritual teaching to Lord Rama by his Guru Vasishta.  The main theme of the teaching is that our association and identification with the world and external objects is a dream that the soul must awake from.  It will then realize its true nature.    The key step for this is to destroy our ego or I-ness!  Extinction of all psychological conditioning constitutes liberation or Moksha.  When all the desires are destroyed and the mind is kept controlled and subdued, we reach a state of bliss and freedom with no psychological restrictions.   This is done by controlling the mind and the resulting thoughts that keeps longing for & on external objects.  An example in modern day world is our usage of a car.  We use our car (or any automobile) specifically for a journey only. Before and after the journey, the car is kept shut off and in the garage. We do not want use the car to live or as a dining place or bedroom!   We do not want our mind to dwell on the car all the time and be addicted to it! (some folks are like that and keep cleaning and updating their car all the time!).  Similarly, realize that you are different from your mind or body.  You are the subject  - the Atman or the supreme power.  The BMI (body, mind, intellect) are all objects separate from you.  Use your mind ONLY as and when needed.  At other times, END the mind and be in the pure awareness of the supreme Self or Divine!   When this illusory I-ness or ego perishes, the end of the thoughts to the Maya is called Moksha.  Hari Om.

Yoga Vasishta

Hari Om. I Have started reading Vasishta Yoga written by Valmiki, which is said to be the spiritual teachings of sage Vasishta to Lord Rama.
Yoga Vasishta is the essence of all the Hindu Philosophical texts – Bhagawad Gita, Vedas and Upanishads.
The nature of the ParaBrahma, Supreme God consciousness and the methods to attain Self Realization are vividly described in this book.
"This Atman (Eternal Self) is certainly different from the body, senses, mind, and prana. It is blissful, supreme, non-dual, permanent, formless, sinless, and pure. The moment this realization comes to you, you are liberated."

I will post the key teachings from this sacred book, as I read and understand them. Hari Om.

Om: Sound of the universe.

Hari Om.  Many centuries ago, Our Rishis discovered the original sound of the universe . They defined it as the 'Pranava mantra', the OM.

Watch this amazing 3 min video clipping that shows how NASA through their research have confirmed that the Hindu Pranava mantra 'Om' aligns with the sound of the sun travelling as bio-energy!

https://youtu.be/nSlnHxGFNfs