Man is born as an organic individual. Individual means that who cannot be divided by divisible. Science says man is a colony of 90 trillion cells and each cell engaged in a pre-programmed code embedded and has its life cycle and death. Together these trillions of cells form the human body and it has a singularity-individuality which religions call soul. Religion says that man carries the whole universe inside. Mesmerised by the results of quantum physics, science agrees that it could be one way of looking at it.

Life is not a division but everything in life seems to be divided. Popular belief says that man is body and soul, a combination of the two. Science calls man crafted of matter and that also formed the mind but it rejects the existence of the soul incarnating consciousness in beings. Both religion and science agree that body and consciousness are one and not two because science considers consciousness as part of the mind which is made of body matter. But religion says that the body is a visibly manifested soul and the soul is an invisible un-manifested body. Therefore, the world is the extended body of the visibly manifested That-Which-Is and God is extended consciousness of the invisible un-manifested infinitely extended consciousness in which creation and destruction happen. Science calls it dark matter, Hindus say Shiva is the dark matter. But how’s that even possible, one may argue?

When a chromosome is conceived in the womb, that moment ‘the being’ arrives in the womb and the fetus is formed. How does that happen? The chromosome is matter but ‘the being’ incarnates the matter to shape a form. The matter comes from the body but ‘the being’ comes from nothingness, the emptiness that creates the entire world, creates invisible consciousness. Marriage of matter and being is the most amazing occurrence that forms life. Understand it like this when a light is lit by a matchstick, suddenly the light is lit. From where does it come from, it comes from nothingness. A mystic once saw a small boy carrying a candle in the dark night. Mystic doused the light and asked the boy to tell where did light disappear and into what? It was a dark night. The little boy replied by lighting up the light again and said it goes to the same place from where it comes from. When a child is seeded in the womb it comes from nothingness and when a man dies he goes to nothingness. After conception in the womb, the body of a child is embodied with things of matter. On death, the body is disembodied into the matter and becomes a mystery beyond the comprehension of science.

A child in the womb is simply an embodiment of a mother. When a child is born into this world his lifeline begins by ending his existence on the umbilical cord that embraced him with the mother. That embracing umbilical cord is the love. A child breathes his first only when the umbilical cord is severed. Once removed, a child comes to this life to fend for himself. Doctor pats him a cruel occurrence of violence but that is a trick to begin breathing. To cry, a child has to take the first breath. A child becomes an individual and a part of the human civilisation which will train him to be a civil being.

A child is an individual pulsating being. Science trains his mind by school, behaviour, education, language, and ego. Not that he has to live but he is burdened with an overwhelming sense of learning artificiality of human beings. That takes him away from the reality of his being. In the name of being human, the real being is lost and an artificial civil being is born. Civilisation is training to make you unreal what you are never ought to be.

The human mind has been trained to speak languages. But languages breed thoughts. If one remains silent or speaks as much as is needed to communicate that will also be done by your senses, after all, we the sapiens have survived with it and lived in society being real.

We train the child to be a scholar of languages a master of sciences and mathematics. He is tricked to learn information learnt by comprehension and logic. He learns all that with his intelligence that breeds his intellect to grow and there grows his logical thinking and an ability to communicate in complex languages breeding complexities to make the world a more complex complicated place.

In a bid to understand what remains unknown to humans, humans have bred a complex mind that gives them a false sense of being the centre of the world. This false sense forms ego. The ego is fortified by the civilisation which is the refined model for training the ego. Ego and intellect divide life into body mind and soul. Mind that is part of the body assumes itself to be the soul. The mind creates a wedge between body and soul. In the name of religion, politics, society, civilisation, ethnicity, race, country, castes, city, and class, the mind has wrought mindless divisions on man. That has caused war, devastation, violence and holocaust. This has made humans schizophrenic.

 The body that is part of nature and existence is separated from the mind that lives the ego and thoughts. Body senses are natural. Hunger, thirst, sleep, love, and seeking are needed by an individual. But mind that is immersed in the artificiality of humans life abodes at the outer periphery of life and senses remain deeply embedded in the centre where the being resides. That creates division and man is not able to be one with his body and soul. For example, love is non-logical but the mind deals with it with logic and reasoning. Senses keep demanding the basics but the mind keeps controlling them, bipolarity is bred.

Matt Ridley has written a book ‘The Rational Optimist’. He argues that from stone-age to the internet age, life has prospered and prosperity buys survival. A man may be an optimist but not rational. What do all men do is rationalisation. Man rationalises everything that he does to fortify his ego. Whatever right or wrong man only rationalises. Even Hitler rationalises like Gandhi does no matter the consequences, rationalisation should be perfect even to sanctify the most irrational acts the rational way.

Our face becomes distorted. Buddha’s intelligence flowers when you are one with your senses and be there in the being. Buddha the most intelligent disentangled himself from the bane of human artificial life and went in search of life. After six years, That-Which-Is that is the existence that is the one who is the creator of all becomes one with Buddha that endowed on him greatest sense of being and spring of compassion sprouted out of him. A compassion that brings the ability to heal all wounds of the earth.   

Buddha’s intelligence springs when you begin understanding the mystic nature of life and when you become sensitive to your senses. If you are walking just become the walk. If you are hearing just become the ears. If you are seeing just become the eyes.

To become one with the oneness of That-Which-Is who resides in your being, begin to feel him not by words but feeling your own presence in the being-ness of the being. To do that inhale your breath right till your navel which is the source of life. Two inches below your navel is the Centre that Zen masters in Japan call Hara. Attain your Hara.

The author is a spiritual teacher and advisor on policy, governance and leadership. He can be contacted at arunavlokitta@gmail.com

Children, yogais a precious boon given to humankind by the ancient rishis of Bharat. Today, crores of people from all over the globe are regularly practising yoga in their daily lives. However, we should remember that yoga is like other forms of physical. To gain yoga’s complete benefits, we have to cultivate mental purity as well as mental and sensory discipline. Just as someone who is chronically ill not only has to take the prescribed medicine but also must follow the doctor’s dietary regiment to get better, so if one’s yoga asanas are to bear the desired fruit, we must follow a disciplined and value-based lifestyle. 

One of the primary causes of modern society’s physical and mental problems is their lifestyle. Today, all physical comforts are always within our reach. Lying in bed, one can switch on the television, flip on and off the AC, buy train and plane tickets, and order food from hotels. As such comforts increase, our body fails to get the exercise it needs to remain in shape. Moreover, what is the state of the people’s minds? They are constantly racing back and forth, fixated on worries about the future and regrets about the past. The mind is saturated with thousands of such thoughts. Be it at home or work, people don’t have a single moment devoid of stress. Just as our body requires exercise, our mind requires stillness if it is to remain fit and healthy. For some time every day, we have to be able to completely still our mind — at least for a few moments. But typically people do just the opposite: they give their body plenty of rest and they allow their mind to constantly race all over the place. 

Thus, yoga is a tremendous blessing. It rejuvenates and tones our physical body. At the same time, it reduces tension and helps the mind to become calmer and more efficient. 

Moreover, yoga  helps us develop a healthier outlook about life. It teaches us that the ultimate wellspring of peace and bliss is within. Yoga helps us to bring about positive changes in our diet and lifestyle, as well as in our behaviour and relationships. The food we eat not only impacts our physical health but also our mental health as well. This is why we should eat a healthy, nutritiously balanced diet, without overeating. Those who wish to progress in yoga should strictly try to adhere to a sattvic diet, eating pure and wholesome foods. 

Practising such a comprehensive lifestyle can bring about astonishing mental and physical transformations. Thus, yoga is a tremendous blessing, especially for those suffering from chronic diseases arising from a sedentary lifestyle. yoga opens the gates to a healthy, tension-free life, full of joy and equanimity. 

Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma) is a spiritual leader, guru and humanitarian who is revered as the hugging saint by her followers.

An easy-going nature and living life in a relaxed manner bring several benefits. One who is equable is free and light in their behaviour, and this is reflected in their relationships; their physical ailments are easily managed; their problems are not complicated; and since they are not much distracted or stressed, they have better mental focus.

Living life easily is an art. Some people become flustered every time they have an important task on hand, and their mind goes into overdrive. Being relaxed means being patient. This makes our speech and actions more mature and wise. It slows down the speed of our thoughts from the normal level of 25 a minute to 15-20 a minute, which increases our efficiency, enabling us to finish tasks faster.

Those who are relaxed enjoy their work as they do not feel burdened by it. In the absence of stress created by worry and overthinking, they also make fewer mistakes.

How does a laid-back attitude help during illness? Some people are alarmed by a minor ailment: they keep thinking and talking about it and end up feeling worse. Our state of mind affects the body — fear, anxiety and agitation sap our energy and reduce our immunity, making us more susceptible to disease and slowing our recovery. Remaining calm and positive, on the other hand, provides a psychological boost that moderates the force of the illness.

The same happens when we are faced with a difficulty. Instead of getting disturbed, if we quietly consider our situation, focusing on the possible solutions rather than the problem, we will find a way out of it.

Being easy and light makes for harmonious relationships. Such a person readily cooperates and adjusts to different kinds of people and circumstances. Because of their accommodativeness they make fewer demands, which also helps them get along with others. Even in a difficult relationship, a relaxed attitude helps us take harsh words or behaviour from others in our stride. Otherwise we can react immediately and make matters worse.

An easy-going nature, thus, makes our whole life easy, and brings success without any seeming effort.

B.K. Surya is a Rajyoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.

Yoga and meditation have many principles in common. Yoga tends to deal with exercises that stretch and strengthen the body, and meditation focuses more on the spiritual aspects of life, and strengthening the soul. For each modality to be successful, one has to learn how to control the mind.

TAKING THE BREATH

We talk about the breath of life… and yes, this works on a physical level… without breathing there is no life! But what is the breath of mind? At a spiritual level the breath of mind relates to the quality of our thoughts and therefore our experience of life. Inhale positive and powerful energy, and breathe in love and peace. As we generate those high-vibration thoughts, we are more easily able to exhale and expel negative and stressful thoughts and emotions. We definitely do not want those toxins to linger in our body or mind in any form.

Breathing is a recognition of the presence of the life force… the soul…the being… and that ‘I am the soul’, the one who is experiencing life through matter, through this body. But what does it mean to breathe spiritually? It means to take in every moment that we spend with quality thoughts like love, appreciation and gratitude as these will be both powerful and energising for the soul.

Only that which we take in with love will be nourishing for the soul, just as with the food that we eat. Both the body and soul can more easily digest that which is both wholesome and healthy; this enables us to grow and flourish.

Anything toxic that we take into ourselves will only damage us. It is very important for us to spiritually breathe with our soul lungs, just as we breathe with the physical lungs. Therefore, we have to be very mindful to maintain our good health in body, mind and spirit.

LEARNING TO SIT IN SILENCE

The poses of hatha yoga are there to make the body physically flexible and adaptable… malleable…. These postures help us to build up our muscles; to tone the body and increase our overall stamina. Likewise, meditation makes the mind strong and healthy and makes us tolerant and adjustable. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to both, our diet for the body and our mind.

The power of silence enables the soul to take time out; to re-adjust and become re-centred; and to find our natural poise and balance. Just as with physical yoga, many postures require the soul to have great focus, and to concentrate the mind with determination. These are admirable qualities used to balance the body and mind.

KEEPING THE THIRD EYE OPEN

This is the inner eye of understanding, where we are looking from deep within, from the dimension of spirit. As we become familiar with our inner wisdom, then we will begin to live more naturally from this spiritual place.

When we appreciate and value the practice of meditation, the yoga of the mind, it means that we will be careful to pay attention to the nature and quality of our thoughts throughout the day. We will check and change those thoughts when necessary, because our aim in life is to maintain clarity and balance. Ultimately, we have a desire to be peaceful, healthy and happy.

From a spiritual perspective, and as a spiritual being, I know that innate virtues and specialities form the foundation of ‘who I am’. When I practice affirmations, it is like I am breathing life back into these virtues. When I remember my original nature of the ‘self’ as a spiritual being, as pure energy and light, then I can experience some of these eternal truths.

I am love…. I am light… I am peace… I am happy… I am joy… I am wise… I am strong… and eternally… I am…. Om Shanti… I am a peaceful soul….

Courtesy of itstimetomeditate.org

Aruna Ladva is an author and the director of Rajyoga meditation centres in Kuwait and Egypt.

We leave our original home (the soul world), come into the drama of life and eventually we forget the plot. God never comes into the drama, and therefore does not ever forget the plot. Thus, it is He alone who can give us an understanding of the whole play.

Only God possesses such knowledge; only He can come and give it. This is why He is the Supreme Soul. He is beyond, He is different; He is unique. He is the Father, and He gives us new life.

God is wonderful, you know. Even though He is not in the drama, He has the complete knowledge of the drama. He does not have to experience it to know it. He does not have eyes, but He sees our experiences. He gives us recognition so that we can ‘see’ and know Him.

Just as a generator sits in one place, continuously sending out an electric current, so the Almighty Father keeps sending us spiritual power. And we receive it — if, that is, we are linked properly and have taken care that no part has blown its fuse.

In the world there are so many movements for the cause of freedom. Freedom is a deep need of each one of us. True freedom though is spiritual and means identifying and taking support from that which is permanent, that which always exists, that which is eternal.

I can only have and understand spiritual ability and power when I lay the foundation of my life on that which always exists — this is the way to deep spiritual freedom. If I hold on to anything temporary in this world, then that which I am dependent on will ultimately cause me suffering and sorrow in some form.

Spiritual power is lost through the network of ‘I’ and ‘my’ that we create and try to depend on. I look outside and depend on those things that give me temporary support. The ‘I’ of ego and the ‘my’ of dependency is like a sticky spider’s web and the paradox is, that the emptier and more insecure I feel, the more dependent I am on those things outside of me in the web, then the more trapped I feel. It is then that I call out to God to liberate me.

There are pulls, attractions and influences that I am dependent on. One is that I become dependent on a belief that I have of myself; that I am not really loveable, for example. Then even if I am shown love, I cannot really accept it because of the deep belief, on which I have come to depend, that I am not loveable.

God, though, sees the eternal reality of the soul. So, I have to break down these rigid, deeply held beliefs about my own limitations and take the support of One God only. This web, this creation and network I have created, has to be let go of. A spiritual journey is all about letting go. This needs a lot of courage. The intrinsic state of the soul is peace and freedom. This letting go of gross, subtle and refined dependence is the ultimate spiritual journey.

When I turn to God, then the gross dependence is easy to let go of, those things outside of me. It is the first big step. The next step is to become of service to others and become fully involved in serving, but this can also form another, more subtle form of dependence on the new relationships and activities. I begin to depend on this new image of myself, my role or position. To protect this new attractive image, I may begin to feel anger or jealousy. Because I value what I am doing, I fear it may be taken away from me. I may become defensive and territorial. I can tell if this is happening, because I will notice that I am not really happy.

Letting go and turning within I see that my mind is a sacred place, a still state of being, clean. I must not allow anything I see or hear, to penetrate this place and drive my thinking. Because this is also a dependence — to be under the influence of the power of the senses, of what the world is showing me. A true yogi sits in the sacred space of the mind and sees everything and hears everything and yet lets nothing enter or disturb that sacred space. They have become free of the dependence on the sense organs. Their mind is filled only with stillness and thoughts of what is eternal, permanent and always exists—God.

Charlie Hogg, based in Sydney, is the National Coordinator, Brahma Kumaris, Australia.