Monday, November 7, 2011

11-ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते |

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते |
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ||
ॐ शान्तिः, शान्तिः, शान्तिः ||

Om pUrNamadah pUrNamidam
pUrNAt pUrNamudachyate
pUrNasya pUrNamAdAya
Om shAntih, shAntih, shAntihi

That is whole; this is whole;
From that whole this whole came;
From that whole, this whole removed,
What remains is whole.
OUM Peace, Peace, Peace.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Why do we do namaste ?

Indians greet each other with namaste.The two palms are placed together in front of the chest and the head bows whilst saying theword namaste. This greeting is for all – people younger than us, of our own age, those older than friends, even strangers and us.

There are five forms of formal traditionalgreeting enjoined in the shaastr as of which namaskaram is one. This is understood as prostration but it actually refers to paying homage as we do today when we greet each other with a namaste.




The spiritualmeaning is even deeper.


"Ram Ram", "Jai Shri Krishna", "Namo Narayana", "Jai Siya Ram", "Om Shanti" etc – indicating the recognition of this divinity.


Tuesday, September 27, 2011


sarvamangala maangalye sive sarvaarthasaadhike

saranye trayambake gouri narayani namo’stu te.

O Narayani, Devi, the three-eyed, the Refuge, the Auspiciousness, the bestower of all wishes, the blessedness that is in all that is blessed. Prostrations be to Thee!”

During Navaratri ("nine nights"), the Lord in the form of the Mother Goddess is worshipped in Her various forms as Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Though the Goddess is one, She is represented and worshipped in three different aspects.

On the first three nights of the festival, Durga is worshipped to gain noble virtues, all evil tendencies in the mind must be destroyed. This destruction is represented by the Goddess Durga.

Lakshmi , for knowledge to dawn within us, we have to prepare our minds. The mind must be pure, concentrated, and single-pointed; this purification of the mind is obtained through the worship of Lakshmi Devi.

And then Saraswati Devi on the last three nights for Victory over the mind can be gained only through knowledge, through understanding; and it is Goddess Saraswati who represents this highest knowledge of the Self.

The following tenth day is called Vijayadasami. Vijaya means "victory", the victory over our own minds that can come only when we have worshipped these three: Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Bhagavati, Bhavani, TripuraSundari-MahaDevi are some names of Maa-Nava-Durga.

Thus, at Navaratri, Goddess Durga is invoked first to remove impurities from the mind. The Goddess Lakshmi is invoked to cultivate the noble values and qualities. Finally, Saraswati is invoked for gaining the highest knowledge of the Self. This is the significance of the three sets of three nights when all these three are gained subjectively, and then there will be Vijayadasami, the day of true victory!

The sum total of all energies put together comprises “shakti”. This Shakti energy or transcendental energy is kriya, karma, and dharma. “Maa” is the first sound of the personified name of the kriya, karma and dharma. “Uma” is the nitya “Durga” whose nine forms are the referred to as “Nava-Durga”. Nava-ratri literally means nine nights. During the spring, we call it Raama-Navaratri [associated with the victory of Raama over Ravana]; and, in autumn, it is known as Durga_Navaratri. The earlier is associated with Ramayana epic and the later is associated with the puranas, Vedic shastras, and ancient Devi-worship by the trinity of Hindu_Vedic Gods Brahma-Vishnoo-Mahesh.

The universal cosmic energy also known as Divine Maa Maha Kali is elucidated in Devi sukta of the Rig Veda Samhita, as well as Kena Upanishads. Adi-shakti [supreme cosmic energy] is beyond the human comprehension and beyond the conceptualisation.


a. As the granter of wisdom, learning and liberation. Her names appear many times in the following text : Aryastave text she is called : Mukti ( liberation ), She who speaks the language of Brahman, She who is the knowledge of Brahman. Mahabharata : Liberator and knowledge of Brahman as well as the mother of the vedas, Intelligence and the destroyer of ignorance and mankind fetters. Lalitha-Sahasranama : Mahabuddhi (The great intelligence ), Vijnanabhanarupini ( She those form is a mass of knowledge ), Prajnatnika ( She who is wisdom itself ), Pasupasavimocini ( She who release creatures from bondage )

b. As embodiment of female beauty and the exciter of desire. Many Text describe Devi extraordinar beauty saundaryalahari : one of the famous hymn praising the Devi. Lalitha-Sahasranama : Ramya (the beautiful one), Kanta ( loveliness ), Vamanayana ( she who have beautiful eyes ), Ratirupa ( she whose form is Rati ).

c. As the source of food and nourishment. She is often associated with earth itself Lalitha-Sahasranama : Annanda ( she who gives food ), Pusti (she who gives nourishment ), Satakasi ( she who has on hundred eyes ), Sakambhari ( she who bestows vegetables ), Annapurna ( she who is full of food ), Jagaddhatri ( she who supports the world or another ).

d. The Devi is said to possess fierce and terrible appearance. Often these forms are associated with war, blood, destruction, death, hunger and anger. These terrible forms arises in two context, namely

1. To maintain cosmic order

2. Asserting her power as that greater than Siva


Other aspects of Devi are often described in three concepts namely : SHAKTI, MAYA and PRAKRUTI.

Great Goddess who is the abode of all blessings. To She who is the primordial energy of the cosmos and the sustaining principle we offer adorations with deepest devotion.

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Vishnu Mayeti Shamsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 1

Salutations to the Great Goddess, the power of Vishnu, who abides in all beings we bow to you again and again. 1

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Chaitenya Rupena Bhidiyate

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 2

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Infinite Consciousness; we bow to you again and again. 2

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Buddhi Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 3

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Intelligence. We bow to you again and again. 3

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Nidra Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 4

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Sleep. We bow to you again and again. 4

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Ksudhi Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 5

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Hunger. We bow to you again and again. 5

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Cchaya Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 6

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Reflection. We bow to you again and again. 6

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Shakti Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 7

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Power. We bow to you again and again. 7

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Thrishna Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 8

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Thirst. We bow to you again and again. 8

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Kshanti Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 9

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Forgiveness. We bow to you again and again. 9

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Jati Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 10

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Genius. We bow to you again and again. 10

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Lajja Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 11

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of modesty. We bow to you again and again. 11

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Shanti Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 12

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Peace. We bow to you again and again. 12

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Shraddha Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 13

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Faith We bow to you again and again. 13

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Kanti Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 14

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Beauty We bow to you again and again. 14

Aum Ya devi sarvabhuteshu, Lakshmirupenasamsthita, Namastastyai Namastastyai Namastastyai namo namaha. 15

Salutations, to the Goddess who is the shakti of Bhagavan Vishnoo.

Salutations to the all pervading Goddess who is Bhagavati Devi. 15

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Vridtthi Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 16

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Activity; We bow to you again and again. 16

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Smritti Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 17

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Memory We bow to you again and again. 17

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Daya Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 18

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Compassion. We bow to you again and again. 18

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Tusti Rupena Samsthita Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 19

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Contentment. We bow to you again and again. 19

Aum Ya Devi Sarva BhuteshuMatri Rupena Samsthita Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 20

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Mother. We bow to you again and again. 20

Aum Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Bhranti Rupena Samsthita

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha 21

Salutations to the Great Goddess who abides in all beings as the form of Delusion. We bow to you again and again.21

Aum Ya devi sarvabhuteshu, Lakshmirupenasamsthita, Shree Bhagavati shakti, TripuraSundari, Maha-Devyayeh, Brahmani Devi; Namastastyai Namastastyai Namastastyai namo namaha. 22


Salutations to the all pervading Goddess who is Bhagavati Devi. 22

Aum Indriyanam Adhistatri Bhutanamcha Akilea Shucha

Bhuteshu Satatam Tasyea Vyapti Devyei Namo Namaha . 23

I bow again and again to her who rules all of the elements and senses. I bow to the Great Goddess. 23

Aum Chiti Rupena Ya Krits Nam Etat Vyapa Stithi Jagat

Namastasyei Namastasyei Namastasyei Namo Namaha. 24

The Great Goddess resides in all beings in the form of Consciousness, and pervades all parts of the Universe. Adorations again and again to her. 24

Maha-Devi has been booned sixty four forms, sixty four chakras, sixty four mantras, sixty four yantras, sixty four tantras of the moon, sixty four shaktis, sixty four energies and sixty four divine trances of higher order. Such is the glory of Maa per all Vedic scriptures.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Rta, Satya and Dharma





Thursday, September 15, 2011

On Emptiness

‎"....Even emptiness itself, which is seen as the ultimate nature of reality, is not absolute, nor does it exist independently. We cannot conceive of emptiness as independent of a basis of phenomenon, because when we examine the nature of reality, we find that emptiness itself is an object...."(~Preethi Raman).... yes, ...

The chariot, with all its appearenances, corresponds to what we call our self,there was no chariot before its parts were put together, and will be none when they fall in to pieces,there is no chariot apart from its parts,"chariot" is nothing but a name, given for convenience to a certain percept, but must not be taken to be an entity (sattva);and in the same way with ourselves who are, just like the chariot,"confections." The Comprehender (evamvit) has seen things "as they have become"(yatha bhutam),causally arising and disappearing, and has distinguished himself from all of them. . .

"Shunya, with its prevalent English mistranslation as emptiness or nothingness, signifies a presence" which we are unable to identify and so we say,neti, neti,, not this, not this...however "empty" evacuates ...but not itself... the two extremes... Acharya Shankar in his commentary of Brahm Sutra says,""Whenever we deny something as unreal, it is with reference to something real." When we wish to describe any thing about The Supreme Being, our dualistic phenomenological conceptualisation becomes a great handicap. Under this, we can not describe any thing unless it is qualified, I mean ,unless it has qualities.No conceptualisation is possible unless there is a quality, even when we say "without any quality" or "not having qualities" it itself becomes a qualitative statement that thee is something which has no qualities.This makes 'understanding' of manifestation extremely difficult, however, to make things 'intelligible' we adhere to the phenomenological mechanism and say "Mirror reflection of the Sun, to the Sun, "Lies within" the Sun.And in this way try to understand,the world of phenomena as the mirror image of That Supreme, which lies in That Supreme.

Om asato maa satgamaya

Tamaso maa jyotir gamaya

Mrityor maa amritam gamaya

Lead us from the unreal to the Real

From darkness to Light

From death to Immortality

Friday, August 12, 2011

What a thing I am I do not know.

What a thing I am I do not know.
I wander secluded, burdened by my mind.
When the Firstborn of Truth has come to me
I receive a share in that selfsame Word.
~Rig Veda: I, 164, 37

Monday, June 20, 2011

What a Life is Meant to Be...

nā tvaham kāmaye rājayam na svarga nāpunarbhavam|
kāmaye dukhataptānām prānināmārtināśanam|

“I do not for a royal realm aspire,
For release or for paradise.
To serve those bent with grief I desire,
and calm their sorrows and help them rise.”

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Creativity is Meant to be Expressed

Every one,who has talent and creativity... in any genre, MUST express it...for,
~this expression in itself is a worship...
~He too, sitting inside the heart, seeks a medium to be manifested...
~Who might be better than the human being himself...
~that is why He has filled humans with so much of creative powers...

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Questions, that Made Bhagavad Gita a Celestial Song!!!

Bhagavad Gita is for the pious hermit,for the householder,and FOR ALL MANKIND.This knowledge is the most secret knowledge-secret because it is meant for only men of the required spiritual preparedness.There are series of questions,answering to which by Sri Krishn has made Bhagavad Gita......a celestial song.This scripture has become as eternal as God himself.Normally we do not know about this series of questions at a time.I feel,probably knowing most of them at a glance,will certainly give an impression about what Bhagavad Gita really conveys to entire mankind.By the time Gita came to conclusion,all the questions raised by Arjun were answered,at that juncture the Lord Himself raised the questions Arjun could not muster up and were in his benefit and clarified the same. At the end of it all,Sri Krishn askd Arjun if has understood and assimilated his words.He asks:"Have you, O Parth, listened intently to my words and, O Dhananjay, is your delusion born out of ignorance dispelled?"
Arjun says:
naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtirlabdhā tvatprasādānmayā’cyuta
sthito’smi gatasaṁdehaḥ kariṣye vacanaṁ tava
"Since my ignorance has been dispelled by your grace, O Achyut, and I have recovered discernment, I am free from doubt and shall follow your precept."
"Achyuth!Because of Your grace,my passion is destroyed,I have regained my memory,I am consistent,being bereft of doubts and am ever ready to obey Your orders.".......Whereas,Arjun was perplexed at the time of reviewing both the armies,to find his kith and kin therein. He prayed:"Govinda! How can we be happy after annihilation of our own relatives? Family tradition will be destroyed because of such a war, there will be scarcity of obsequial offerings like rice cakes and so on to the departed ancestors, hybridization or mongrelization of castes takes place.We, being wise,yet are ready to commit sin. Why do we not find a way out of committing these sins?Let the armed Kaurava kill me, an unarmed man, in the war and that death is glorious.Govinda,I am not going to wage war."Saying thus he sat down at the back of the chariot.
Thus in the Gita,Arjun,in fact,put forward in front of Yogeshwar Krishn a series of big and small questions:

Like in chapter 2 verse 7 : "Please will You tell me that practice of worship through which I can attain to the Absolute good."

In chapter 2 verse 54 : "What are the attributes of an enlightened sage?"

In verse 1 of chapter 3 : "If in your view the way of knowledge is superior, then why do you compel me to do these terrible actions?"

In verse 36 of chapter 3 : "Even without wishing, under whose guidance does a man commit sin?"

In verse 4 of chapter 4 : "Your birth is of recent times, whereas the Sun was born a long time back, then how can I believe that You taught yog to the Sun in the far distant past, in the beginning of this kalp?"

In verse 1 of chapter 5 : "Sometimes You praise renunciation, the way of knowledge, and yet other times you support the Way of Selfless Action. Please tell me one out of these which is final, by which I can attain to the Absolute good."

In verse 35 of chapter 6 : "The Mind is very fickle.With slack efforts,what would be his lot?"
In verses 1 and 2 of chapter 8 : "Govinda,who is that Supreme Being,whom You have described?What is Adhyatm? What are Lords of gods and Lord of being? Who is the Lord of sacrifice in this body?What is that action? How do You come to be known at the end time?"Thus he put forward seven questions.

In verse 17 of chapter 10 : Arjun has evinced curiosity,asking,"While meditating incessantly,through what feelings (emotions) do I call you to mind, to remember you?"
In verse 4 of chapter 11 : he prayed and submitted, "I long to see the splendours that have been described by You."

In verse 1 of chapter 12 : "Who is the superior possessor of Yoga among the devotees who worship you well through unvacillating attentiveness and those who worship the imperishable unmanifest Supreme Being?"

In verse 21 of chapter 14 : "A man who has surpassed the three natural modes is liberated of character and how can a man surpass these three modes?"

In verse 1 of chapter 17 :"What would be the fate of a person who engages in yagya with dedication but does not follow the procedure as laid down by the scriptures?"

And in verse 1 of chapter 18 :"O" mighty armed! I yearn to learn separately and individually everything about the nature of relinquishment and renunciation."

Thus,throughout the Gita,Arjun continued to put forward queries (The esoteric secrets which could not be asked by him were revealed by the Lord Himself.) As soon as his doubts were dispelled he was freed from asking questions and said," Govinda! Now I am ever ready to obey your instructions."In truth the questions raised were for the benefit of all mankind and not just for Arjun alone.

Without having these questions answered,no seeker can progress forward on the path of the highest good.Therefore,to enable a man to obey an enlightened guru and to progress on the path of the highest good, it is necessary, that one should learn the complete teachings of the Gita.Arjun was convinced and satisfied that all his questions had been answered and his doubts allayed.
In Chapter 11,after having revealed his cosmic form,Sri Krishn said in the fifty-fourth verse: "O Arjun ... a worshipper can directly know this form of mine, acquire its essence, and even become one with it by total and unswerving dedication." And just now he has asked him whether he is rid of his delusion. Arjun replies that his ignorance is allayed and that his understanding is restored. Now he will act at Sri Krishn’s behest. Arjun’s liberation should come along with this realization. He has indeed become whatever he had to be. But scripture is meant for posterity and the Geeta is here for all of us to avail ourselves of.
Courtesy: Mrityunjayanand Jee Saturday, 16 October 2010 via Facebook Note

Monday, January 31, 2011

On how to Meditate by Venerable Ācariya Mahā Boowa

An Exerpt from ARAHATTAMAGGA ARAHATTAPHALA :The Path to Arahantship (pp.12-27)

I am speaking here from personal experience. When I first be­gan to meditate, my practice lacked a solid foundation. Since I had yet to discover the right method to look after my mind, my practice was in a state of constant flux. It would make steady progress for awhile only to decline rapidly and fall back to its original untutored condition. Due to the intense effort I exerted in the beginning, my mind succeeded in attaining a calm and concentrated state of samãdhi. It felt as substantial and stable as a mountain. Still lacking a suitable method for maintaining this state, I took it easy and rested on my laurels. That was when my practice suffered a decline. My practice began to deteriorate, but I didn’t know how to reverse the decline. So I thought long and hard, trying to find a firm basis on which I could expect to stabi­lize my mind. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that mindful­ness had deserted me because my fundamentals were wrong: I lacked a meditation-word to act as a precise focus for my atten­tion.
I was forced to begin my practice anew. This time I first drove a stake firmly into the ground and held tightly to it no matter what happened. That stake was buddho, the recollection of the Buddha. I made the meditation-word buddho the sole object of my attention. I focused on the mental repetition of buddho to the exclusion of everything else. Buddho became my sole objective even as I made sure that mindfulness was always in control to di­rect the effort. All thoughts of progress or decline were put aside. I would let happen whatever was going to happen. I was deter­mined not to indulge in my old thought patterns: thinking about the past—when my practice was progressing nicely—and of how it collapsed; then thinking of the future, hoping that, somehow, through a strong desire to succeed, my previous sense of con­tentment would return on its own. All the while, I had failed to create the condition that would bring the desired results. I merely wished to see improvement, only to be disappointed when it failed to materialize. For, in truth, desire for success does not bring success; only mindful effort will.
This time I resolved that, no matter what occurred, I should just let it happen. Fretting about progress and decline was a source of agitation, distracting me from the present moment and the work at hand. Only the mindful repetition of buddho could prevent fluctuations in my meditation. It was paramount that I center the mind on awareness of the immediate present. Discur­sive thinking could not be allowed to disrupt concentration.
To practice meditation earnestly to attain an end to all suffer­ing, you must be totally committed to the work at each succes­sive stage of the path. Nothing less than total commitment will succeed. To experience the deepest levels of samãdhi and achieve the most profound levels of wisdom, you cannot afford to be halfhearted and listless, forever wavering because you lack firm principles to guide your practice. Meditators without a firm com­mitment to the principles of practice can meditate their entire lives without gaining the proper results. In the initial stages of practice, you must find a stable object of meditation with which to anchor your mind. Don’t just focus casually on an ambiguous object, like awareness that is always present as the mind’s intrin­sic nature. Without a specific object of attention to hold your mind, it will be almost impossible to keep your attention from wandering. This is a recipe for failure. In the end, you’ll become disappointed and give up trying.
When mindfulness loses its focus, the kilesas rush in to drag your thoughts to a past long gone, or a future yet to come. The mind becomes unstable and strays aimlessly over the mental landscape, never remaining still or contented for a moment. This is how meditators lose ground while watching their meditation practice collapse. The only antidote is a single, uncomplicated focal point of attention; such as a meditation-word or the breath. Choose one that seems most appropriate to you, and focus stead­fastly on that one object to the exclusion of everything else. To­tal commitment is essential to the task.
If you choose the breath as your focal point, make yourself fully aware of each in-breath and each out-breath. Notice the sensation created by the breath’s movement and fix your atten­tion on the point where that feeling is most prominent; where the sensation of the breath is felt most acutely: for example, the tip of the nose. Make sure you know when the breath comes in and when it goes out, but don’t follow its course—simply focus on the spot where it passes through. If you find it helpful, com­bine your breathing with a silent repetition of buddho, thinking bud on the point of inhalation and dho on the point of exhalation. Don’t allow errant thoughts to interfere with the work you are doing. This is an exercise in awareness of the present-moment; so remain alert and fully attentive.
As mindfulness gradually establishes itself, the mind will stop paying attention to harmful thoughts and emotions. It will lose interest in its usual preoccupations. Undistracted, it will settle further and further into calm and stillness. At the same time, the breath—which is coarse when you first begin focusing on it—gradually becomes more and more refined. It may even reach the stage where it completely disappears from your conscious aware­ness. It becomes so subtle and refined that it fades and disap­pears. There is no breath at that time—only the mind’s essential knowing nature remains.
MY CHOICE WAS BUDDHO MEDITATION. From the moment I made my resolve, I kept my mind from straying from the repetition of buddho. From the moment I awoke in the morning until I slept at night, I forced myself to think only of buddho. At the same time, I ceased to be preoccupied with thoughts of progress and decline: If my meditation made progress, it would do so with buddho; if it declined, it would go down with buddho. In either case, buddho was my sole preoccupation. All other concerns were irrelevant.
Maintaining such single-minded concentration is not an easy task. I had to literally force my mind to remain entwined with buddho each and every moment without interruption. Regard­less of whether I was seated in meditation, walking meditation or simply doing my daily chores, the word buddho resonated deeply within my mind at all times. By nature and temperament, I was always extremely resolute and uncompromising. This tendency worked to my advantage. In the end, I became so earnestly com­mitted to the task that nothing could shake my resolve; no errant thought could separate the mind from buddho.
Working at this practice day after day, I always made certain that buddho resonated in close harmony with my present-mo­ment awareness. Soon, I began to see the results of calm and concentration arise clearly within the citta, the mind’s essential knowing nature. At that stage, I began to see the very subtle and refined nature of the citta. The longer I internalized buddho, the more subtle the citta became, until eventually the subtlety of buddho and the subtlety of the citta melded into one another and became one and the same essence of knowing. I could not sepa­rate buddho from the citta’s subtle nature. Try as I might, I could not make the word buddho appear in my mind. Through diligence and perseverance, buddho had become so closely unified with the citta that buddho itself no longer appeared within my awareness. The mind had become so calm and still, so profoundly subtle, that nothing, not even buddho, resonated there. This meditative state is analogous to the disappearance of the breath, as men­tioned above.
When this took place, I felt bewildered. I had predicated my whole practice on holding steadfastly to buddho. Now that buddho was no longer apparent, where would I focus my atten­tion? Up to this point, buddho had been my mainstay. Now it had disappeared. No matter how hard I tried to recover this fo­cus, it was lost. I was in a quandary. All that remained then was the citta’s profoundly subtle knowing nature, a pure and simple awareness, bright and clear. There was nothing concrete within that awareness to latch on to.
I realized then that nothing invades the mind’s sphere of awareness when consciousness—its knowing presence—reaches such a profound and subtle condition. I was left with only one choice: With the loss of buddho, I had to focus my attention on the essential sense of awareness and knowing that was all-present and prominent at that moment. That consciousness had not dis­appeared; on the contrary, it was all-pervasive. All of the mind­ful awareness that had concentrated on the repetition of buddho was then firmly refocused on the very subtle knowing presence of the calm and converged citta. My attention remained firmly fixed on that subtle knowing essence until eventually its prominence began to fade, allowing my normal awareness to become reestab­lished.
As normal awareness returned, buddho manifested itself once more. So I immediately refocused my attention on the repetition of my meditation-word. Before long, my daily practice assumed a new rhythm: I concentrated intently on buddho until conscious­ness resolved into the clear, brilliant state of the mind’s essential knowing nature, remaining absorbed in that subtle knowing pres­ence until normal awareness returned; and I then refocused with increased vigor on the repetition of buddho.
It was during this stage that I first gained a solid spiritual foun­dation in my meditation practice. From then on, my practice progressed steadily—never again did it fall into decline. With each passing day, my mind became increasingly calm, peaceful, and concentrated. The fluctuations, that had long plagued me, ceased to be an issue. Concerns about the state of my practice were replaced by mindfulness rooted in the present moment. The intensity of this mindful presence was incompatible with thoughts of the past or future. My center of activity was the pres­ent moment—each silent repetition of buddho as it arose and passed away. I had no interest in anything else. In the end, I was convinced that the reason for my mind’s previous state of flux was the lack of mindfulness arising from not anchoring my at­tention with a meditation-word. Instead, I had just focused on a general feeling of inner awareness without a specific object, al­lowing my mind to stray easily as thoughts intruded.
Once I understood the correct method for this initial stage of meditation, I applied myself to the task with such earnest com­mitment that I refused to allow mindfulness to lapse for even a single moment. Beginning in the morning, when I awoke, and continuing until night, when I fell asleep, I was consciously aware of my meditation at each and every moment of my waking hours. It was a difficult ordeal, requiring the utmost concentration and perseverance. I couldn’t afford to let down my guard and relax even for a moment. Being so intently concentrated on the inter­nalization of buddho, I hardly noticed what went on around me. My normal daily interactions passed by in a blur, but buddho was always sharply in focus. My commitment to the meditation-word was total. With this firm foundation to bolster my practice, men­tal calm and concentration became so unshakable that they felt as solid and unyielding as a mountain.
Eventually this rock-solid condition of the mind became the primary point of focus for mindfulness. As the citta steadily gained greater inner stability, resulting in a higher degree of integration,
the meditation-word buddho gradually faded from awareness, leav­ing the calm and concentrated state of the mind’s essential know­ing nature to be perceived prominently on its own. By that stage, the mind had advanced to samãdhi—an intense state of focused awareness, assuming a life of its own, independent of any medi­tation technique. Fully calm and unified, the knowing presence itself became the sole focus of attention, a condition of mind so prominent and powerful that nothing else can arise to dislodge it. This is known as the mind being in a state of continuous samãdhi. In other words, the citta is samãdhi—both are one and the same.
Speaking in terms of the deeper levels of meditation prac­tice, a fundamental difference exists between a state of medita­tive calm and the samãdhi state. When the mind converges and drops into a calm, concentrated state to remain for a period of time before withdrawing to normal consciousness, this is known as meditative calm. The calm and concentration are temporary conditions that last while the mind remains fixed in that peaceful state. As normal consciousness returns, these extraordinary con­ditions gradually dissipate. However, as the meditator becomes more adept at this practice—entering into and withdrawing from a calm, unified state over and over again—the mind begins to build a solid inner foundation. When this foundation becomes unshakable in all circumstances, the mind is known to be in a state of continuous samãdhi. Then, even when the mind with­draws from meditative calm it still feels solid and compact, as though nothing can disturb its inward focus.
The citta that is continuously unified in samãdhi is always even and unperturbed. It feels completely satiated. Because of the very compact and concentrated sense of inner unity, every­day thoughts and emotions no longer make an impact. In such a state, the mind has no desire to think about anything. Com­pletely peaceful and contented within itself, nothing is felt to be lacking.In such a state of continuous calm and concentration, the citta becomes very powerful. While the mind was previously hungry to experience thoughts and emotions, it now shuns them as a nuisance. Before it was so agitated that it couldn’t stop think­ing and imagining even if it wanted to. Now, with samãdhi as its habitual condition, the mind feels no desire to think about anything. It views thought as an unwanted disturbance. When the mind’s essential knowing presence stands out prominently all the time, the citta is so inwardly concentrated that it tolerates no disturbance. Because of this sublime tranquility—and the ten­dency of samãdhi to lull the mind into this state of serene satisfac­tion—those whose minds have attained continuous samãdhi tend to become strongly attached to it. It remains so until one reaches the level of practice where wisdom prevails, and the results be­come even more satisfying.
FROM THEN ON I ACCELERATED MY EFFORTS. It was at that time that I began sitting in meditation all night long, from dusk until dawn. While sitting one night I started focusing inward as usual. Be­cause it had already developed a good, strong foundation, the citta easily entered into samãdhi. So long as the citta rested there calmly, it remained unaware of external bodily feelings. But when I withdrew from samãdhi many hours later I began to expe­rience them in full. Eventually, my body was so racked by severe pain that I could hardly cope. The citta was suddenly unnerved, and its good, strong foundation completely collapsed. The entire body was filled with such excruciating pain that it quivered all over.
Thus began the bout of hand-to-hand combat that gave me insight into an important meditation technique. Until the un­expected appearance that night of such severe pain, I had not thought of trying to sit all night. I had never made a resolution of that kind. I was simply practicing seated meditation as I normally did, but when the pain began to overwhelm me, I thought: “Hey, what’s going on here? I must make every effort to figure out this pain tonight.” So I made the solemn resolve that no matter what happened I would not get up from my seat until dawn of the next day. I was determined to investigate the nature of pain until I understood it clearly and distinctly. I would have to dig deep. But, if need be, I was willing to die in order to find out the truth about pain.
Wisdom began to tackle this problem in earnest. Before I found myself cornered like that with no way out, I never imag­ined that wisdom could be so sharp and incisive. It went to work, relentlessly whirling around as it probed into the source of the pain with the determination of a warrior who never retreats or accepts defeat. This experience convinced me that in moments of real crisis wisdom arises to meet the challenge. We are not fated to be ignorant forever—when truly backed into a corner we are bound to be able to find a way to help ourselves. It hap­pened to me that night. When I was cornered and overwhelmed by severe pain, mindfulness and wisdom just dug into the painful feelings.
The pain began as hot flashes along the backs of my hands and feet, but that was really quite mild. When it arose in full force, the entire body was ablaze with pain. All the bones, and the joints connecting them, were like fuel feeding the fire that engulfed the body. It felt as though every bone in my body was breaking apart; as though my neck would snap and my head drop to the floor. When all parts of the body hurt at once, the pain is so intense that one doesn’t know how to begin stemming the tide long enough just to breathe.
This crisis left mindfulness and wisdom with no alternative but to dig down into the pain, searching for the exact spot where it felt most severe. Mindfulness and wisdom probed and investi­gated right where the pain was greatest, trying to isolate it so as to see it clearly. “Where does this pain originate? Who suffers the pain?” They asked these questions of each bodily part and found that each one of them remained in keeping with its own intrinsic nature. The skin was skin, the flesh was flesh, the tendons were tendons, and so forth. They had been so from the day of birth. Pain, on the other hand, is something that comes and goes peri­odically; it’s not always there in the same way that flesh and skin are. Ordinarily, the pain and the body appear to be all bound up together. But are they really?
Focusing inward I could see that each part of the body was a physical reality. What is real stays that way. As I searched the mass of bodily pain, I saw that one point was more severe than all the others. If pain and body are one, and all parts of the body are equally real, then why was the pain stronger in one part than in another? So I tried to separate out and isolate each aspect. At that point in the investigation, mindfulness and wisdom were indispensable. They had to sweep through the areas that hurt and then whirl around the most intense ones, always working to separate the feeling from the body. Having observed the body, they quickly shifted their attention to the pain, then to the citta. These three: body, pain and citta, are the major principles in this investigation.
Although the bodily pain was obviously very strong, I could see that the citta was calm and unafflicted. No matter how much discomfort the body suffered, the citta was not distressed or agi­tated. This intrigued me. Normally the kilesas join forces with pain, and this alliance causes the citta to be disturbed by the body’s suffering. This prompted wisdom to probe into the nature of the body, the nature of pain and the nature of the citta until all three were perceived clearly as separate realities, each true in its own natural sphere.
I saw clearly that it was the citta that defined feeling as be­ing painful and unpleasant. Otherwise, pain was merely a natural phenomenon that occurred. It was not an integral part of the body, nor was it intrinsic to the citta. As soon as this principle became absolutely clear, the pain vanished in an instant. At that moment, the body was simply the body—a separate reality on its own. Pain was simply feeling, and in a flash that feeling vanished straight into the citta. As soon as the pain vanished into the citta, the citta knew that the pain had disappeared. It just vanished without a trace.
In addition, the entire physical body vanished from awareness. At that moment I was not consciously aware of the body at all. Only a simple and harmonious awareness remained, alone on its own. That’s all. The citta was so exceedingly refined as to be in­describable. It simply knew—a profoundly subtle inner state of awareness pervaded. The body had completely disappeared. Al­though my physical form still sat in meditation, I was completely unconscious of it. The pain too had disappeared. No physical feelings were left at all. Only the citta’s essential knowing nature remained. All thinking had stopped; the mind was not forming a single thought. When thinking ceases, not the slightest move­ment disturbs the inner stillness. Unwavering, the citta remains firmly fixed in its own solitude.
Due to the power of mindfulness and wisdom, the hot, sear­ing pain that afflicted my body had vanished completely. Even my body had disappeared from consciousness. The knowing pres­ence existed alone, as though suspended in midair. It was totally empty, but at the same time vibrantly aware. Because the physi­cal elements did not interact with it, the citta had no sense that the body existed. This knowing presence was a pure and solitary awareness that was not connected to anything whatsoever. It was awesome, majestic and truly magnificent.
It was an incredibly amazing experience. The pain was com­pletely gone. The body had disappeared. An awareness so fine and subtle that I cannot describe it was the only thing not to disappear. It simply appeared, that’s all I can say. It was a tru­ly amazing inner state of being. There was no movement—not even the slightest rippling—inside the citta. It remained fully absorbed in stillness until enough time had elapsed, then it stirred as it began to withdraw from samãdhi. It rippled briefly and then went quiet again.
This rippling happens naturally of its own accord. It cannot be intended. Any intention brings the citta right back to nor­mal consciousness. When the citta absorbed in stillness has had enough, it begins to stir. It is aware that a ripple stirs briefly and then ceases. Some moments later it ripples briefly again, disap­pearing in the same instant. Gradually, the rippling becomes more and more frequent. When the citta has converged to the very base of samãdhi, it does not withdraw all at once. This was very evident to me. The citta rippled only slightly, meaning that a sankhãra formed briefly only to disappear before it could become intelligible. Having rippled, it just vanished. Again and again it rippled and vanished, gradually increasing in frequency until my citta eventually returned to ordinary consciousness. I then be­came aware of my physical presence, but the pain was still gone. Initially I felt no pain at all, and only slowly did it begin to reap­pear.
This experience reinforced the solid spiritual foundation in my heart with an unshakable certainty. I had realized a basic princi­ple in contending with pain: pain, body and citta are all distinct­ly separate phenomena. But because of a single mental defile­ment—delusion—they all converge into one. Delusion pervades the citta like an insidious poison, contaminating our perceptions and distorting the truth. Pain is simply a natural phenomenon that occurs on its own. But when we grab hold of it as a burning discomfort, it immediately becomes hot—because our defining it in that way makes it hot.
After awhile the pain returned, so I had to tackle it again—without retreating. I probed deep into the painful feelings, inves­tigating them as I had done before. But this time I could not use the same investigative techniques that I had previously used to such good effect. Techniques employed in the past were no longer relevant to the present moment. In order to keep pace with internal events as they unfolded I needed fresh tactics, newly devised by mindfulness and wisdom and tailor-made for present circumstances. The nature of the pain was still the same, but the tactics had to be suitable to the immediate conditions. Even though I had used them successfully once before, I could not remedy the new situation by holding on to old investigative tech­niques. Fresh, innovative techniques were required, ones devised in the heat of battle to deal with present-moment conditions. Mindfulness and wisdom went to work anew, and before long the citta once again converged to the very base of samãdhi.
During the course of that night the citta converged like this three times, but I had to engage in bouts of hand-to-hand combat each time. After the third time, dawn came, bringing to a close that decisive showdown. The citta emerged bold, exultant and utterly fearless. Fear of death ceased that night.
PAINFUL FEELINGS ARE JUST naturally occurring phenomena that constantly fluctuate between mild and severe. As long as we do not make them into a personal burden, they don’t have any spe­cial meaning for the citta. In and of itself, pain means nothing, so the citta remains unaffected. The physical body is also meaning­less in and of itself, and it adds no meaning either to feelings or to oneself—unless, of course, the citta invests it with a specific meaning, gathering in the resultant suffering to burn itself. Ex­ternal conditions are not really responsible for our suffering, only the citta can create that.
Getting up that morning, I felt indescribably bold and dar­ing. I marveled at the amazing nature of my experience. Noth­ing comparable had ever happened in my meditation before. The citta had completely severed its connection with all objects of at­tention, converging inward with true courage. It had converged into that majestic stillness because of my thorough, painstaking investigations.
When it withdrew, it was still full of an audacious courage that knew no fear of death. I now knew the right investi­gative techniques, so I was certain that I’d have no fear the next time that pain appeared. It would, after all, be pain with just the same characteristics. The physical body would be the same old body. And wisdom would be the same faculty I’d used before. For this reason, I felt openly defiant, without fear of pain or death.
Once wisdom had come to realize the true nature of what dies and what does not, death became something quite ordinary. Hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, bones: reduced to their original el­emental form, they are simply the earth element. Since when did the earth element ever die? When they decompose and disinte­grate, what do they become? All parts of the body revert to their original properties. The earth and water elements revert to their original properties, as do the wind and fire elements. Nothing is annihilated. Those elements have simply come together to form a lump in which the citta then takes up residence. The citta—the great master of delusion—comes in and animates it, and then carries the entire burden by making a self-identity out of it. “This is me, this belongs to me.” Reserving the whole mass for itself, the citta accumulates endless amounts of pain and suffering, burning itself with its own false assumptions.
The citta itself is the real culprit, not the lump of physical elements. The body is not some hostile entity whose constant fluctuations threaten our well-being. It is a separate reality that changes naturally according to its own inherent conditions. Only when we make false assumptions about it does it become a bur­den we must carry. That is precisely why we suffer from bodily pain and discomfort. The physical body does not produce suf­fering for us; we ourselves produce it. Thus I saw clearly that no external conditions can cause us to suffer. We are the ones who misconceive things, and that misconception creates the blaze of pain that troubles our hearts.
I understood clearly that nothing dies. The citta certainly doesn’t die; in fact, it becomes more pronounced. The more fully we investigate the four elements, breaking them down into their original properties, the more distinctly pronounced the citta ap­pears. So where is death to be found? And what is it that dies? The four elements—earth, water, wind and fire—they don’t die. As for the citta, how can it die? It becomes more conspicuous, more aware and more insightful. This essential knowing nature never dies, so why is it so afraid of death? Because it deceives it­self. For eons and eons it has fooled itself into believing in death when actually nothing ever dies.
So when pain arises in the body we must realize that it is mere­ly feeling, and nothing else. Don’t define it in personal terms and assume that it is something happening to you. Pains have afflict­ed your body since the day you were born. The pain that you ex­perienced at the moment you emerged from your mother’s womb was excruciating. Only by surviving such torment are human be­ings born. Pain has been there from the very beginning and it’s not about to reverse course or alter its character. Bodily pain always exhibits the same basic characteristics: having arisen, it remains briefly and then ceases. Arising, remaining briefly, ceas­ing—that’s all there is to it.
Investigate painful feelings arising in the body so as to see them clearly for what they are. The body itself is merely a physi­cal form, the physical reality you have known since birth. But when you believe that you are your body, and your body hurts, then you are in pain. Being equated, body, pain and the aware­ness that perceives them then converge into one: your painful body. Physical pain arises due to some bodily malfunction. It arises dependent on some aspect of the body, but it is not itself a physical phenomenon. Awareness of both body and feelings is dependent on the citta—the one who knows them. But when the one who’s aware of them knows them falsely, then concern about the physical cause of the pain and its apparent intensity cause emotional pain to arise. Pain not only hurts but it indicates that there is something wrong with you—your body. Unless you can separate out these three distinct realities, physical pain will always cause emotional distress.
The body is merely a physical phenomenon. We can believe whatever we like about it, but that will not alter fundamental principles of truth. Physical existence is one such fundamental truth. Four elemental properties—earth, water, wind and fire—gather together in a certain configuration to form what is called a “person”. This physical presence may be identified as a man or a woman and be given a specific name and social status, but essentially it is just the rýpa khandha—a physical heap. Lumped together, all the constituent parts form a human body, a distinct physical reality. And each separate part is an integral part of that one fundamental reality. The four elements join together in many different ways. In the human body we speak of the skin, the flesh, the tendons, the bones, and so forth. But don’t be fooled into thinking of them as separate realities simply because they have different names. See them all as one essential reality—the physical heap.
As for the heap of feelings, they exist in their own sphere. They are not part of the physical body. The body isn’t feeling ei­ther. It has no direct part in physical pain. These two khandhas—body and feeling—are more prominent than the khandhas of memory, thought and consciousness, which, because they vanish as soon as they arise, are far more difficult to see. Feelings, on the other hand, remain briefly before they vanish. This causes them to standout, making them easier to isolate during meditation.
Focus directly on painful feelings when they arise and strive to understand their true nature. Confront the challenge head on. Don’t try to avoid the pain by focusing your attention elsewhere. And resist any temptation to wish for the pain to go away. The purpose of the investigation must be a search for true under­standing. The neutralization of pain is merely a by-product of the clear understanding of the principles of truth. It cannot be taken as the primary objective. That will only create the conditions for greater emotional stress when the relief one wishes for fails to materialize. Stoic endurance in the face of intense pain will not succeed either. Nor will concentrating single-mindedly on pain to the exclusion of the body and the citta. In order to achieve the proper results, all three factors must be included in the investiga­tion. The investigation must always be direct and purposeful.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Statements becoming Quotes 2010

How can love be Real when lovers are supposed to be unreal ???

Love to be loved....

Most of us have borrowed our images from those who have no idea who they themselves are.

The road to success is always under construction and that is the beauty of this keeps it lively and adventurous.

Love will warm you, lust will harm you!.

Like water, be gentle to follow the natural paths of the earth and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world.

The "aim of being victorious" has been blindfolding most of the religious institutions.

All the tussles have been for the words and their meanings whereas the Referent is the same.

Love in itself is All Pervasive, without any discrimination...without any reason... without any calculation.

It is we (our mind) who install in it a measurement of flow and time...a discrimination,a reason, a calculation...

Beauty's way is simple and elegant..... that is why it IS BEAUTIFUL.

Ego has enslaved us and we are dancing on its toes

The dichotomy between the Tradition and Observation is what is referred to, "The Veil".

It is our mind who thinks Love resides in the Heart.... by Tradition

It is our mind who thinks Heart is a blood pumping Machine.... by observation..

How can we trust some one who does not know who he/she is?

In That Oneness, loneliness itself becomes undefinable and looses its identity...

Time and place are only in silent,close eyes and you will find yourself omnipresent...

We can imagine to impart what is commonly known as "Unconditional love" in giving, but when we look the other way round, we find the truth,

" Love is never Unsolicited".

One can never be inclined even to unconditional love unless solicited from the other side of the Veil/Maya.

I wish for every one,who has talent and creativity, in any genre, and encourage to express his/her creativity...

You know, this expression in itself is a worship...


Who might be better than the human being himself...


Love is like "Nectar" with its own attractors who keep working....that is why "spontaneous" is beautiful

“If You Depict a Bird, Give It Sufficient Space to Fly”

Most of us do not know how to listen to our bodies. Long ago we turned off the body's voice.

The body obediently went silent as we agreed not to notice our emotional life.

Truth is timeless, is love since it is Truth, is Beauty since it is Love.

Same symmetry is pervading from microcosm to macrocosm...and the Truth is the orchestrating beauty...

Each thought or action is synchronized by negative and/or positive emotional tones.

Follow it to discover the path most suitable to the very purpose of life.

Emotion is the energy that interacts and co-ordinates information between spirit, mind and body.

Positive emotions point to what is enlightening and empowering the mind whereas negative emotions to conflicts or limitations that the mind must find and correct.

Your hope in my heart is the rarest treasure,

Your Name on my tongue is the sweetest word,

My choicest hours Are the hours I spend with You...O' my Self.

How surprising it is, my talkativeness taught me silence, my intolerance, tolerance and my unkindness, kindness...strange.

Intention is a great dramatist in deed; It makes at its will, small actions great and great actions small...

"Honesty, integrity, and accountability, the values, which should be the hallmark... are now disqualifications...of rulers...and people support them."

"Love is a great teacher in deed. It Some times holds us upside down. For what? To shake well and squeeze all nonsense out."

Life and death are in the mind, and nowhere else. Mind is revealed as the universal basis of experience, the creator of happiness and the creator of suffering, the creator of what we call life and what we call death.

Who loves whom... at pure level... it is one to thy Self... and at that level, one is never separated from own Self... it is only at this mortal level ...there are attachments or and death...

"The mind has a way of lying to itself, and does this in the most elaborate and convincing way."

at that level we all are one and the same ...but it is unfortunate.. we humans are divided on various grounds of discrimination causing mutual hatred...

Detached living is not living without. It is a state in which one continuously remains facing his Self, or That or... whatever you call... that One and it goes on in continuous awareness that Only That which I am is real and all the rest is Not.

What effect?

This leads to vision of oneness for all and compassion...and reduces the greed and ego factor,that is why detached living has been suggested in almost all the Scriptures and is so rooted in Revelations and "Primordial Tradition".


When Truth and Beauty are synonymous. Truth IS Beautiful and Beautiful IS Truth.~ ReNée Aiken ~, why not love and adore beauty ?

We the Indians, not only see beauty but "adore" it... to the extent.. as "beauty is That which is the Truth, Good and Beautiful"... satyam shivam sundaram... and it always rests in our own hearts...

Fight between good and evil is the basis of this phenomenal universe, it is every where, out side us,within us... Bhagvad GitA's Dharm kshetre Kuru kshetre... signifies this conflict...It is only an example from our SanAtan, it is stated in almost all the Scriptures, and the opposing forces in inherent dualities...

Though this conflict goes on in our hearts... the observer dictates what is already written there...

"The most beautiful truth on earth is written right inside our hearts."

"It is unwise to use the imperfections of others as an excuse not to change yourself."


Be like the sunflower, always turning your face to the Sun of your own Being.

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare,the fact is that they are difficult because we do not dare to solve them.

If we are aware of our humility, then we are arrogant. Just keep a check on it.

"Recognize the boundaries of your "Intellectual Prison and BREAK IT."


In side me,my sun-like majestic presence is a mirror,Whoever comes sees himself in it(me)

There exists a part of our nature of which ordinarily we are completely ignorant, and of whose importance we are usually skeptical.

A common error amongst devotees of mystics is to jump to the conclusion that he possesses miraculous powers because unusual coincidences happen in a few cases, which they universalize.

"Get rid of your doubts" Krishna taught Arjuna! But that did not mean, simply go and believe everything you are told. In the next sloka he explains that the doubt is to be got rid of "by the sword of knowledge."


"It is not God that is worshiped but the group or authority that claims to speak in His name. Sin becomes disobedience to authority not violation of integrity." ... BEWARE

Burning of this or that Holy Scripture is neither a war of Humanity nor Faith nor Gods, but a "war" between "Religious Institutions" who have been resorting it to raise their follower head-counts.... hence dominance and power... BEWARE

There is a very thin line between "Religious Practice" and "Religious Mal-practice".Be "aware"... but also... BEWARE


We are blindfolded by our own convictions...


Saturday, January 15, 2011

Fourteen Questions to which Buddha Remained Silent

The scriptures mention a few occasions when the Buddha remained silent to questions posed to Him.

The Buddha who had truly realized the nature of these issues observed noble silence. An ordinary person who is still unenlightened might have a lot to say, but all of it would be sheer conjecture based on his imagination. When the Buddha knew that the questioner was not in a position to understand the answer to the question because of its profundity,or the real significance of the answer to his question or if the questions themselves were wrongly put in the first place, the Blessed One remained silent. Silence itself is a statement. On several occasions the Buddha did not respond to these metaphysical and speculative questions and there are reasons behind His noble silence.

Some scholars, owing to their misunderstanding of the Buddha's silence, came to the hasty conclusion that the Buddha was unable to answer to these questions. According to the Buddha, there are several ways of answering various types of questions.

The first type of question is one that requires a definite answer, such as a 'yes' or 'no'.

The second type of question is one requiring an analytical answer. We need to analyze what conditions make it possible for a murderer to become Buddha within one lifetime otherwise, it will not be answered correctly and comprehensively.

The third type of question is one where it is necessary to ask a counter question to help the questioner to think through. If you ask, "Why is it wrong to kill or hurt other living beings?' the core of the question is, 'How does it feel when others try to kill or hurt you?' Reply then comes by implication.

The fourth type of question is one that should be dropped. It means that you are liable to not to answer it. These are the questions which are speculative in nature, and any answer to such questions may, (though not necessarily, otherwise all the discoveries through theoretical sciences might not have been possible), only create confusion. Buddhism uses as example a question , 'Does the universe have a beginning or not?' People can discuss such questions for years without coming to a conclusion. They can only answer such questions based on their imagination, not on real understanding.

The paucity of our human vocabulary which is built upon relative experiences cannot hope to convey the depth and dimensions of Reality which a person has not experienced himself through Insight. On several occasions, the Buddha had very patiently explained that human language was too limited and could not describe the Ultimate Truth. If the Ultimate Truth is absolute, then it does not have any point of reference for worldliness with only mundane experiences and relative understanding to fully comprehend it. When people try to do so with their limited mental conception, they misunderstand the Truth. The listener who had not realized the Truth could not fathom the explanation given.

Some of the questions to which the Buddha remained silent are as following:

Two basic views

The view of existence as professed in the Brahmainsm;

The propositions that the world is eternal, that the world is infinite, that the Tathagatha exists after death, and that the Self is independent of the body reflect the view of existence.

According to Buddha, the eternalists view this Self as permanent and unchanging. When the body dies, this Self will not die because the Self is by nature unchanging. If that is the case, it does not matter what this body does, actions of the body will not affect the destiny of the Self. This view is incompatible with moral responsibility because if the Self is eternal and unchanging, it will not be affected by wholesome and unwholesome actions. If he says "I," the Self is eternal, people would fall to the position of eternalism.

The view of nonexistence the view of the Materialists and Hedonists

The propositions that the world is not eternal, that the world is finite, that the Tathagata does not exist after death, and that the self is identical with the body reflect the view of nonexistence

According to Buddha, if the self were identical with the body and the self dies along with the body, then it does not matter what the body does. If you believe that existence ends at death, there will be no necessary constraint upon action. But in a situation where things exist through interdependent origination, absolute existence and nonexistence are impossible.

If Buddha says they are not eternal, they would fall to the position of nihilism, since they would not understand his answer, it was,therefore, more skillful not to specify an answer at all.

According to Buddhist teachings, when ignorance, craving, and clinging are present, the world exists; when they are not present, the world ceases to exist. Hence the question of the absolute existence or nonexistence of the world is unanswerable. Existence and nonexistence, taken as absolute ideas, do not apply to things as they really are. This is why the Buddha refuses to agree to absolute statements about the nature of things. According to Buddhist teachings, Buddha saw that the absolute categories of metaphysics do not apply to things as they really are.

Two Versions

The (Hinayana)Theravada Version

Ten unspecified points appears in the Pali canon (Pali: Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta, within the The Collection of Middle-Length Discourses (Pali: Majjhima Nikaya).

In order to turn ,the monk Malunkyaputta, distracted by metaphysical speculation during his meditation, back to his intensive meditation practice,Buddha remained silent when he asked whether:

the universe is eternal,

the universe is not eternal,

the universe is finite,

the universe is infinite,

after death, a Buddha continues to exist,

after death, a Buddha does not continue to exist,

after death, a Buddha both continues to exist and not to exist,

after death, a Buddha neither continues to exist or not to exist,

the body and the “self” are the same entity,

the body and the “self” are totally separate and different entities.

Questions referring to the world: concerning the existence of the world in time

Is the world eternal?

or not?

or both?

or neither?

Pali texts omit "both" and "neither".

Questions referring to the world: concerning the existence of the world in space

Is the world finite?

or not?

or both?

or neither?

Pali texts omit "both" and "neither".

Questions referring to personal experience

Is the self identical with the body?

or is it different from the body?

Questions referring to life after death

Does the Tathagata exist after death?

or not?

or both?

or neither?

The Mahayana Version

Buddha did not answer when they asked, are the "I" or the "self :


not eternal, since they undergo gross impermanence at the time of their destruction?

as both, in the sense that some beings and their environments, like the Creator Brahma and his heaven, are eternal; while all else, such as his creations, are not eternal and end at the time of their destruction,

neither, since it is impossible to know?

Are “I’s” or “selves” and the universe:



both finite and infinite, in the sense that limited beings (sentient beings) are infinite in number, but the universe is finite in size?

neither, since it is impossible to know?

Does the “I” or the “self” of a Buddha:

continue to exist after death?

not continue after death?

both, in the sense that the body does not continue, but the life-force does,


the body and the "self" are the same entity?

totally separate and different entities?

The Buddha did maintain silence to all these questions put to Him. He was under no obligation to respond to questions which reflected gross misunderstanding on the part of spiritual development. He was a practical Teacher, full of compassion and wisdom. He always spoke to people fully understanding their temperament, capability and capacity to comprehend. Questions were answered to help a person towards self-realization, not as a way of showing His towering wisdom.