ॐ Aum ॐ

Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

A very good morning everyone. :) Aum, ॐ, Ohm, different spellings, different scripts, but one beautiful universal mantra. Aum, the first intonation (Aum is not a word, but a divine sound) I say everyone morning, followed by a thank you to God and of course, my ritual silence. Aum, what a beautiful, beautiful, powerful, positive sound and vibration.

Aum is a sound, a vibration, the very heartbeat of the universe, but above all this, Aum is the absolute. Aum, is a symbol that represents Brahman, omnipresent, omnipotent, the absolute. Aum is all this and more. The Sutras try and explain Aum beautifully (I say 'try' because it's impossible to put the Absolute into words; no words and no image can do it full just and therefore scripture puts a symbol to Aum). The Sutras say: "The repetition of Aum should be made with an understanding of its meaning."

However, if you really want to try and understand Aum, Amit Ray's explanation from his book, 'Om Chanting and Meditation', tells it beautifully. He says, "Om is not just a sound or vibration. It is not just a symbol. It is the entire cosmos, whatever we can see, touch, hear and feel. Moreover, it is all that is within our perception and all that is beyond our perception. It is the core of our very existence. If you think of Om only as a sound, a technique or a symbol of the Divine, you will miss it altogether. Om is the mysterious cosmic energy that is the substratum of all the things and all the beings of the entire universe. It is an eternal song of the Divine. It is continuously resounding in silence on the background of everything that exists."

As you say 'Aum', from the very depth of your soul, you will feel a beautiful cosmic vibration resonate through your body.

Try it: relax, close your eyes, breathe normally and say 'Aum'; try and stretch the mmmmmmmmmmmmmm for as long as your breath allows you and after that, the relax for a bit. Repeat the mantra several times and then, allow yourself to exist in a state of being for a little while. You will feel beautiful cosmic waves surge through you, literally. There are various ways you can chant; some follow the inhale-exhale method, while others may try and match their breaths to their chanting. I use the method I just explained. When chanting, adopt a method your soul is most comfortable with. Try and stretch the mmmmmmmmmmm for as long as you can. The length of the mmmmmmmmmm is inconsequential, it's the chanting that's really important. As long as your chanting comes from the depths of your soul, you WILL feel a heavenly energy move through your very being while your chant and as you rest in your state of being just after you chant.

This beautiful mantra allows us instant peace. Chant and experience. While chanting is fabulous, it's imperative that we try and understand this mantra in its absolute form. Yes, it's an intonation and symbol that represents the Absolute, but do you know that it's also a vibration that is in keeping with our seven levels of consciousness (fours main levels and three transitional ones)!

Let's try and understand the Aum mantra in a deeper way, so that our next chanting will be holistic in the very sense of the word. Aum has four main parts and three transitional parts; the first sound - 'Oooooooooooo', the second sound - 'uuuuuuuuuuuuu', the third sound - 'mmmmmmmmmm' and then the silence that follows, are the main parts.

The 'Oooooooooooo' sound refers to the gross world, the physical world that we touch and feel with our external senses, the waking state of consciousness. Before we get to the second level, we have a transition level called 'Unmani' - this is the transition between waking and dreaming. The 'uuuuuuuuuuuuu' refers to the subtle realm, the world within, the dreaming state of consciousness, and this is followed by the transition level called 'Aladani' - this is the transition stage between dreaming and deep sleep. The 'mmmmmmmmmm' refers to the casual plane out of which the gross and subtle emerge, the state of deep sleep consciousness. This state is followed by the transition of Samadhi - this is a state that's beyond waking, dreaming and deep sleep, this level is a level of self-absorption, a level that's closest to the real us. And then we have the silence, the absolute reality, that is the substratum (foundation) and very basis of our entire being, our true self. This silence is also the witness consciousness who observes the other three states of consciousness.

Indeed, when we chant 'Aum' chant in a way where you are aware of these levels of consciousness and allow yourself to let go of these levels through your chanting. While it's lovely to start your day chanting Aum, you can even chant silently to yourself during the day, you will experience a great sense of peace and oneness with God and yourself.

After all, Aum, is a call to God and we can call on him anytime. In response, he tells us to find him within, in ourselves. Once we find ourselves, our true selves, we find God. The journey we must embark on is an internal one. :)

Have a fabulously blessed day everyone. :)

Breathe

"You know that our breathing is the inhaling and exhaling of air. The organ that serves for this is the lungs that lie around the heart, so that the air passing through them thereby envelopes the heart. Thus, breathing is a natural way to the heart. And so, having collected your mind within you, lead it into the channel of breathing, through which air reaches the heart, and together with this inhaled air, allow your mind to descend into the heart and remain there." ~ Nicephorus the Solitary

A very good evening everyone. :) It’s a beautiful day today. I thought about the above quote a few minutes after I completed my morning meditation. I've been practicing Vipassana for two years now, and like most meditation techniques, this school of meditation too focuses on concentrating on one's breath.

The breath - breathe in, breath out. As we close our eyes, and help our mind focus on our breath, we become aware of the length of breath, its continuity, its simplicity. As we become more aware of our own breath, we become more aware of our very being. Meditation requires discipline and it's natural if our mind wanders sometimes. If it does, rein it in and start concentrating on your breath all over again.

Most people believe that meditation equals mind control, but, meditation is really about mind-discipline. It's about helping our mind co-operate with our heart. In effect, it's about our heart and mind living together. Wouldn’t it be fabulous if our hearts and minds made decisions together? Think of how beautiful life will be, for us, and everyone we meet.

Our physical life lies in each breath we take. It is this very breath, this silent friend who has the key to our spiritual well-being too. Why the breath, you may wonder? When we focus and concentrate on our breath, we introduce ourselves to our own mortality at a level that’s deeper than this physical one. By following our breath, getting to know its duration, we meet our inner selves. We’re more aware of our body sensations. This awareness leads to acceptance, acceptance leads to belief that this too shall pass… after all everything in this physical world is transitionary, acceptance leads to a fulfilled life, a fulfilled life will take us back to our peaceful mind, and there’s our complete circle.


Buddha's last words to his followers were: "Behold, O monks, this is my last advice to you. All component things in this world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation."

Regular practice helps us get to know our spirits and in effect we have a better understanding of life, all its happenings, and reasons for certain things happening etc. But above all this, there is a great sense of peace and acceptance; peace at knowing our souls and acceptance, that this is how things are meant to be. It may be good, it may be bad, but, whatever it is, it too shall pass. And when it does, we will find that acceptance is now easy, because this too shall pass.

As I write this, I am aware of my breath, I know that my physical life depends on me breathing, in and out. Life on Earth is a purpose all of us have to fulfill, a destiny we need to complete and rightfully it depends on our breath; our breathing to live and us observing that very breath to help our mind and heart function cohesively.

With every breath, let’s promise the Almighty, the universe and ourselves that we will respect and value our priceless breaths, get to know our true selves through them and honour our physical lives… because it is this physical life that helps us fulfill our spiritual purpose.

In the silence of our hearts, we hear ourselves breathe; the very breath who holds the key to who all of us truly are.

Have a fabulously blessed evening everyone. J 

Your True Self

Are you quiet? Quieten your body.

Quieten your mind.

By your own efforts

Waken yourself, watch,

And live joyfully.

Follow the truth of the way.

Reflect upon it.

Make it your own.

Live it.

~ Buddha from the Dhammapada

A very, very good morning everyone. I woke up beautifully this morning with a smooth transition from sleep to consciousness. The blink-and-miss-it moments between our sleep and awakening tells us a little something about the state of our minds, if we pay attention. After wishing God, my guardian angel (my nana) a good morning and blowing life a kiss, I decided to quieten my mind, rein it in, listen to my heartbeat, pay attention to my breathing. I realised that I was going into Vipassana mode and as my second course begins in less than a month, my heart remembers a beautiful couple I met on my recent trip to Jaipur.

Taiji (aunt) and taoji (uncle) are a friends relatives who I just met. They opened their hearts and home while we were in Jaipur and insisted that we stay with them (all this in spite of meeting us for the first time). Since we were three women travellers, they believed that we'd be safer in their home. We were served tasty food the moment we arrived and taiji and taoji embraced us with open arms... literally. The peace, satisfaction, love and calmness on their faces and in their hearts was palpable. We were enamoured. We later learnt that the beautiful couple lost everything financially on account of taoji's accident. There was a time, when this lovely couple didn't have a square meal to feed their own children. We learnt that after the accident, taiji devoted her life and breath to taoji and her children. During course of conversation, we learnt that in spite of everything, taoji completed 14 Vipassana courses and taiji had done four! As I sat and listened to them, I realised that taiji and taoji learnt only to love and share... they not only practiced Vipassana, they lived it. It's Vipassana and their belief and faith in the good Lord that helped them through times that could break even the strongest.

Ever since I started practicing Vipassana, I noticed how this form of mediation helps one grow in love, faith and belief. Vipassana meditation helps us get in-touch with ourselves - our minds. It reintroduces us to a part that's constantly on a roller-coaster. It helps us understand our mind and it's through that understanding, we eventually understand ourselves. I've always looked up to my spiritual gurus and used them as examples of spiritual living. I've often faced questions regarding how feasible a spiritual life is in this world we live in. I've never had a problem following the spiritual path in a layman's world; and now taiji and taoji reaffirm my belief that spirituality can find its place in this world. In fact, it's right here, here and now, stop, feel and experience. The real question is - will we allow it to make its place or will we find excuses for its absence?

Each and everyone of us are born spiritual, we'e born holy, we 're born pure. We lose our true selves along the way, but instead of focusing on the loss, we must change our focus to reconnecting and rediscovering our true self. The self - it's through this self that we will find God. Vipassana is one of the ways, one of the paths to finding our true selves. Whether we choose to read The Bhagavad Gita, The Bible, The Torah, Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sogyal Rinpooche, books from the Rigpa, the Buddhist percepts or any other spiritual literature - they begin with love. Love - true love for someone else, is loving oneself first. We often see in someone else, what we see in ourselves.

Let's conduct a little exercise: when you wake up tomorrow, try and observe how you see and feel about the world. If you're feeling cheery and happy and see beauty in everything (and I mean everything), then your mind is at peace and it's working in cooperation with your heart. In case you feel otherwise, then it's time to take a closer look at the state of your mind. Don't focus on the problem, all of us have one problem or another, focus instead on what you can do to solve it. Remember, sometimes God burns bridges, but believe that there is a path there you can cross. You can and you will. A problem is never a problem unless we want it to become one. A problem is a mere learning, an essential learning on the path to spiritual enhancement. Accepting all learnings will be easier only when you know yourself, you truly now yourself, your mind, your truth, you.

It's a simple beginning; begin by observing yourself, observing your breath, and slowly making your way within. When you go within, you may want to run back out and may be you will, but try again and again and again. Most of us, are just scratching the surface when it comes to ourselves and it's okay... as long as we've begun the journey.

Vipassana helps us understand that the good and the bad will change. When we experience joy, it natural for us to grasp at it and want it to stay in our lives forever; when we experience pain, it's natural for us to run away from it and in effect we run away from life's most important lessons (and of course there are a host of emotions and feelings in between). But remember, all things good and all things bad are temporary - there's nothing we can do except to accept the situation, enjoy them, learn from them, live through them and enhance our souls in the process.

Getting to know ourselves must start now, it's now. Vipassana enhances our journey, but sometimes we can begin ourselves by devoting a specific time in the day or night to quiet contemplation. The journey to ourselves is one of the longest ones we will ever undertake, but it's one that helps us realise who we truly are and truly discover God, truly discover God.

Today, I'd like to leave you with a quote from Vipassana, "This too shall change." Remember, if you're having a good time, revel in it, cherish it, love it and feel it for what it is; never rue its end, celebrate instead that it happened. In case you're going through a tough time, embrace it wholeheartedly, remember with faith that God has a lesson in there and once you've learnt your lesson or someone else has learnt theirs, your situation will change. Don't run, just embrace, accept and believe... and if things get too hard, look up at the sky, talk to God and believe that your guardian angel is right with you... here and now.

Have a fabulously blessed day everyone. :)

Understanding Jīva (Life) and God

The words of Dhamma 

Akkodhena jine kodham (conquer anger by love)

Asādhum sāhunā jine (conquer the wicked by goodness)

Jine kadariyam dānena (conquer the stingy by generosity)

Saccenālikavādinam (conquer the liar by truth)

- Dhammapada 223

The Dhammapada is a versified Buddhist scripture that's ascribed to Buddha himself. My vipassanā practice urged me towards reading and studying Buddhist scripture. As I read on, I realised that all holy scriptures (The Bible, The Torah, The Bhagavad Gita, The Dhammapada) have a common message from God - live life with love. Love. God is universal, it's us, humans who choose to give him a name. I believe in the universal God and I am in the process of reading all the holy scriptures above.

Being the product of a Roman Catholic mother and Jewish father, a lot of people have questions regarding my diverse interest in all holy scriptures, love of mediation, vegetarianism and passion for Eastern philosophy. All I can say is that God is one, God is universal, God is love and Eastern philosophy and meditation bring us closer to God in ways that we cannot even imagine. All the scriptures above help us realise that life is about one thing - love; and all the good things come out of love - faith, caring, sharing, giving, generosity, purity, peace and of course the truth.

Today, I began my day with the above paragraph from The Dhammapada. As I read it over and over, I realised that Jesus too preached the same words. The Bhagavad Gita and The Torah too have examples of living life with equanimity (a state of mental and emotional stability that arises from a sense of temporal detachment from a reality we believe to be true), no matter what the situation.

So, how do we do this successfully? Especially, when we live in a world that is centered around 'I, me, myself'? Vipassanā helps us meet our mind, understand it and help it work with our heart and soul. Once our heart, mind and soul work together, it's easy to live with equanimity. Vipassanā started out as a quest for peace of mind, and has now transformed into a journey that shows me so very many layers to my spiritual self, that there is only one way for me now and that's the next step - the next step towards discovering another facet of my soul.

I woke up this morning, gave God, the universe, my guardian angels (my nana and papa) a big, sunny 'Good Morning' and read the above paragraph. So simple and sometimes, it's so difficult to follow, isn't it? But, vipassanā simplified it for me. You see, vipassanā helps us see things as they really are. When we do that, we realise at a deeper level, that we are just a part of a larger universe. We're here to fulfill our roles in accordance with God's will and leave when he knows that it's time. Life is about knowing oneself enough to realise that we're all children of God. Life is about another person more than it is about ourselves. That is how God lived, that is how he wants us, his children to live.

Think about it - a simple argument with a loved one or friend can turn very ugly if both parties argue. It's normal to have disagreements (human nature remember), but what's more important is to realise that an argument, any argument is not about anyone being right or wrong; it's about two or more people with different perceptions and understandings of a situation. Sometimes, mum and me argue. We hear each other out and try and understand the other. In case we don't, we let it rest for a while and when our minds are clearer, we decide to give communication another go. An argument isn't about the 'I, me, myself' being right - it's about accepting another's point-of-view and being able to move on from there. Of course, throw in a hug, kiss and/or a friendly handshake depending on who the person is. :) To me, this is a practical example of conquering anger with love. This can work in professional life too. Accepting an argument for the sake of peace is okay. Sometimes, sorting out a situation when both people are cool, helps. 

Anger shouldn't give rise to more anger, instead it must give birth to a lot of love and understanding, just as wickedness must be answered with goodness, stinginess with generosity and lies with truth. Indeed, the paragraph above is so simple, but the priceless lessons it helps us understand come straight from God. Religious scriptures are not something we may read and put away; they are God's lessons, God talking to us through his word. No matter what we may read, all scriptures teach us the same thing. I believe our universal God has given us different languages to help understand him better. His lesson though are all the same - all of them begin with love and truth.

If we truly contemplate and understand what he's telling us, we realise that different words mean the same thing - when we do things with love, we're able to look beyond ourselves and feel and understand another. Prayer and meditation are ways that bring us closer to him in a way that a blessed soul knows.

The universal language of love awaits us, our universal God loves us, prayer and meditation will take us closer and closer to him. Here's to all of us rediscovering him in each other and in ourselves.

Have a fabulously blessed day everyone. :)

Solace in Silence

How beautiful silence is, and how unattainable we believe it is. The power of silence is as strong as it is powerful. In this ever-noisy world of ours, silence is almost non-existent... almost. Most wonder about the mystery and power that silence holds -  mystery that solves itself and power, the power of being, the power of rediscovering one's soul. Indeed, silence brings us closer to our true selves, our true nature and in effect closer to God.

I am a silence fan; I like beginning my day in quiet contemplation. The search for inner-peace, self-discipline and mind-control led me to doing a Vipassana course in November, 2008. Vipassana is one of India's most ancient forms of meditation that was rediscovered by Gotama Buddha over 2,500 years ago. Vipassana literally means, to see things as they are. It's a way of seeing one's inner-being, leading to one's self-transformation. This form of meditation requires dedication and constant practice. I began by attending the mandatory 10-day course at Igatpuri in Maharashtra. Before the course begins, all practitioners take a 10-day vow of silence that prevents us from talking to one another, even avoiding eye-contact with another person. The only person we can communicate with is our Guruji, during an appointed question time. Vipassana focuses on the inter-connection between the mind and body, seeing oneself for who we truly are, accepting ourselves and in effect practicing change to overcome mental and spiritual impurities.

Indeed, those 10-days brought me closer to myself in a way that's difficult to describe. As I prepare for my second course in another month, my soul and mind crave the peace and serenity that meditation can bring. See, when we begin seeings things as they truly are, we begin to realise that the life we find ourselves bothered with ever so often, are problems we can overcome with ease. It's really not so much the situation, as  much as how each of us choose to deal with it. Vipassana helps us realise that our 'ego' is our greatest enemy. Our ego and pride are partners in crime and they want us to believe that everything revolves around us. If we continue on a path such as this, selfishness increases and we change our very nature for the worse. I've found that Vipassana meditation helps puts things in perspective and helps me see things as they are.

Here are a few of the many discoveries my meditation helped me make:

Gem 1: Anger and hatred are weak and unnecessary - every situation no matter how complicated is better dealt with love, understanding and putting another person before oneself (my nana always told me to live in love. She often said, "Nish darling, there is so little time for love, how can people find time for anger and hate.";
Gem 2: People will have their own perceptions, don't try and change them if they're unwilling to listen - assumption and perception are what they believe; while it's fair that you present your side of the situation, don't try and force someone to change their perception. The truth always has a way of surfacing and in time, people with assumptions and perceptions will realise;
Gem 3: Take a breather, it's good for your soul - we live in an ever-rushing world, that leaves little or no time for ourselves. However, each of us owe it to our souls to stop, just stop ever so often and breath, sit, contemplate, introspect, embrace ourselves and everyone else. No one is going to give you this time, you will have to make some for yourself;
Gem 4: Most alleged problems are self-made - this too stems from our devious friend, the ego. Most like to believe that they're right, no matter what. But remember, we aren't always right and we're not expected to be. However, we are expected to accept our wrongs and be humble enough to admit to them.
Gem 5: Conquer fear because it is nothing - fear, one of our greatest self-made obstacles usually spring from our minds. In fact, fear is a great cancer that prevents us from doing things that could lead to self-discovery at various levels. Meditation helps us reign-in our minds and find God, in effect conquering fear to live holistic lives at a spiritual level.
Gem 6: The truth begins with love - truth and love are great partners. The truth finds itself in love and love is eternal. Truth isn't what we want it to be or what we make it out to be. The truth is the truth in love - in its purest, eternal form.

I believe each of us see in others what we see in ourselves. Yes all of us make mistakes, but we must accept and forgive a mistake, just like we'd like our own accepted and forgiven.

Accept, love, forgive, live, give, care, share - all without expectation. Live life like this because this is how God intended us to live. This is what God is teaching us all through - simple little lessons that we turn into complex problems.

It's time to uncomplicate and we must begin with ourselves. Come, let's discover who we truly are, it's a long journey but with every step, we come that much closer to ourselves and our God.

So the next time you see another, smile and do unto him/her as you'd like to be done unto you. :) Let's rediscover our souls in quiet contemplation.

"In the attitude of silence, the soul finds a path in the clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after the truth." ~ Mahatma Gandhi 

Have a fabulously blessed day everyone. :)

P.S: Vipassana is form of meditation, not a religious sect. Please go to the Vipassana website for all details: http://www.dhamma.org/