Spiritual Journey

 Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Spirituality is a journey towards 100% equanimity. An ability to face the vicissitudes of life equanimously. Spirituality is an attitude which grows slowly in you. 

It keeps growing. It is helping you. You are better today than yesterday.

You cannot become ' the best ' suddenly one day. 

What you want is that the '100% equanimity' manifests right now in you. Instead what you are finding is you are NOT 100% equanimous , and while dealing with world, you are getting hurt. And you are saying 'come on, I understood Advaita, now please spare me this pain'.

Please understand that, this is a process. All of us has to pass through this small, small painful incidents, making small corrections, and journey towards 100% equanimity'.

It's a learning process. And I agree that it is a painful process. Every one has to pass through this daily painful learnings.

No escape.

Only hope is, we are on the journey path towards 100% equanimity' and somewhere we are on that 0 to 100% equanimity scale. And hopefully we are learning and improving daily

Real Meditation

 Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

I got up, had a shower, and had a nice cup of coffee. Doing nothing. Enjoying the quiet morning.

Sitting quietly, not thinking particularly about anything. Not bothered by anything. Doing nothing. Not even trying to meditate.

This is the real meditation.

Search for Truth

 Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

The term 'God' is an overloaded term.

It's definition varies as per one's religion and belief system. Therefore, no two religions or sects agree with each other. Infact they fight with each other.

Typically , all religions talk about a God, who creates the world and runs it like a kingdom. In these systems, God is other than you, and is one who controls everyone, and individual is the controlled. 

However, let us say one doesn't take this way of understanding things. If one starts with a clean unconditioned mind, and starts enquiring about life, then they may reach to a conclusion, whatever that may be. That conclusion is one's own conclusion. The established religious definitions may agree or not with that conclusion. 

Now, you have to decide whether you are a follower or a leader in all matters, especially, when the question is about all important matter of who you really are. 

Do you want to accept what is there written in a book, or do you want to keep an open mind and investigate?

If you are a person who will listen to others, then there are many books, religious beliefs, heads, sects, teachers. There is no dearth of religious preachers in the world who tell you about a God who they have never met, and tell you about a heaven which they have never visited.

If you are a person of questioning mind, then keep an open mind and investigate, enquire, think, feel, analyze yourself, don't go by what others say or what books say.

Enquire, think, investigate

Life of Gratitude, Life of Bliss

 Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

A life lived with gratitude is a life of bliss. A life lived with discontent, and complaining nature is a life of misery.

When I look at a flower blooming, I am truly, really, sincerely, completely in awe and gratitude towards life, that I got the opportunity to look at a wonderful occurance of a flower bloom.

When I look at sunrise, I am truly, really, sincerely, completely in awe and gratitude towards life, that I got the opportunity to look at that wonderful cosmic sight.

When I am able to breathe, I am truly, really, sincerely, completely in awe and gratitude towards life, that I got the opportunity to be able to breathe and enjoy the process of breathing.

When I am able to have a glass of water, I am truly, really, sincerely, completely in awe and gratitude towards life, that I got the opportunity to be able to sense the cool water quench the thirst

This way when I look and experience life, every moment is a moment of gratitude and bliss.

This gratitude is towards who or what ?

This gratitude is an attitude of approaching life with a sense of sacredness and wonderment.

All these small wonders of life, which are at the same time, of immense value, is flowing towards me from a single source. Not only towards me, these wonders flow towards all from the same single 'One Source'. 

All popular religions call this 'One Source' as God and personify it at some level.

If we are quiet enough, still enough, and go deep inside your self, you will find that, this 'One Source' is the deepest Truth of your very own being, and the Truth of all beings. 

Finding this 'One Source' as your very centre and being with that, leads to beatitude and bliss and fulfillment.

Perfect World, Perfect Beings, Perfect Situations

 Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

If God desired so, he/she/it would have created perfect world with perfect beings in Perfect Situations. God surely would have created a world without suffering.

However, God , in his infinite wisdom , created this world, which is a wonderful mix of nava rasa (Nine types of emotions).

It is not a game of making it a perfect world. Don't think that you can make it into a perfect, ideal world. 

Instead, think that, this world with all its seemingly unjustified things, is a platform where your own inner beauty to unfold.

This imperfect, cruel, unjust, materialistic, gross world is an opportunity for you to display your inner beautiful characteristics of perfection, kindness, justice, spiritual, subtle aspects.

Love, Marriage, Relationships and Vedanta

 Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Human beings seek love always. It is the nature of human mind. That is the reason why they form many relationships. they seek love, validation, acceptance, comfort.

However, they seek them in the wrong direction. They seek in other people's approval and other people's love. The outside direction. They will not find love, acceptance etc from anyone in the truest sense. Every one are concerned about themselves only. 'what do I get out of this person?' this is paramount importance in all human relationships.

One has to change the direction in which one is seeking these values. The right direction for love is inside one's own self.

Do you love your own self?

Are you kind to your own self?

Are you compassionate to your own self?

Do you like your own self?

Do you like your own company?

Do you give yourself space?

Do you enjoy your smile?

Do you accept yourself the way you are, with all your drawbacks and vulnerabilities?

Change the direction of your love, affection, attention, care, acceptance to your own inner self. Love yourself. Accept yourself.

Don't look for love and acceptance from others. You won't find it. They can't give it. 

Marriage, spouse, children, in-laws these are all societal constructs. They have their importance. However, one can't expect other's to behave in a way as per our wish.

Don't mix societal obligation and responsibilities with requirement of love and acceptance.

Nobody truly loves and accepts us in truest sense. We can't expect also. If we expect, we face disappointment.

This doesn't mean one should leave home and live alone. Don't mix marriage, family life and inner fulfillment.

People usually form relationships thinking, expecting that their inner longing for love will be fulfilled. Ultimately they get disappointed.

Stop seeking outside of you. Seek within. Love yourself, and give love to others. Give love and acceptance to others, which you were seeking. 

Love, acceptance should never be sought from others. You won't get it. Instead , you start distributing love and acceptance of all and sundry you meet, and you will find that whole world will love you back, accept you. Once you start giving love and acceptance to whole world, you will find that you will receive bountiful of love and acceptance from all.

The Lasting Solution to Human problem

 Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

As long as there is a person and personality, there is no peace. Even if a person attains peace, it is ephemeral and lasts only till the next unpleasant event in life.

A subtle anxiety will be felt at the heart center, for everyone who is body conscious, or thinks that he is a person. People are just not sensitive about it. Some worry will be there. Some discontent will be there. Some dissatisfaction will be there with something or the other. 

Vedanta and renunciation is the only lasting solution to human problem of discontent. 

Shruthi vakya "Na karmana, na prajaya, dhane na, Tyagenaika amrutatva manushuhu" - meaning "Not by action, not by progeny, not by wealth, but by renunciation alone they attained salvation",  supports this claim.

'Personality' is the root. The feeling that 'I am a person, who is inside this world, affected by the events of the world, I desire some things, and I dislike some things. I am happy if I attain my desired goals. I suffer if my disliked things happen.' is a sure shot concoction for suffering. 

Any healing system, or philosophy which tries to keep the personality alive, with all its desires and ambitions, yet try to make the person to be peaceful, is contradictory in nature and is bound to fail in the long run, even though a temporary peace is achieved by some means. It is like putting a bandage to cover up the deep wound, and giving medicine pill to treat cancer. These kind of approaches are like keeping the roots alive, but cutting the leaves.

The solution lies in transcending the personality and knowing that 'I am spirit unbounded, unblemished and unconditioned. I am not the body, hence I am not the doer. I am not the mind, hence I am not the enjoyer of emotions. I am not the intellect, hence I am not the agent. I am the light that is shining in this body. I am light of all lights. I am supreme light. I am unattached to anything.' -- This knowledge is the only saving grace. This knowledge cuts the root of the problem and provides lasting solution.