Change Your Attitude Willingly

Taking to spiritual development is to day seen as a way to stress busting and thus bettering the quality of our lives. This seems to be more relevant in urban living where lifestyle, desires and aspirations are working at cross purposes. People are getting increasingly edgy and short-tempered and social grace is taking beating.

Treading the spiritual path, the aspirant needs to ensure that he has the correct reference point of beneficiary.

There was a sorcerer in a town in Tibet who would torment people with his black magic. Stories spread of how he could bring down hall and destroy villages with his powers. He would rob and kill people at will. He gained great respect out of sheer fear. After a few years, a great personal tragedy shook him and he decided he would practice this sorcery no more.

In the high mountains lived a lama of repute. He had heard of the deeds of the black magician and was overwhelmed with the suffering the people had to undergo because of him. The sorcerer approached the lama and said to him. “I need to redeem myself. Please help me.” The lama suggested: “Very well, now that you wish to change, you need to change your attitude first! Just as you did all the evil things to people causing them great suffering, thereby deriving great pleasure from it, you are to exactly reverse the process!”

“What do you say, master” I don’t understand,” the penitent asked. The lama continued: “Well, just as you did harm to others and derived pleasure now do good to people and derive happiness. It’s so simple. “The sorcerer got the message and went on to become one of the greatest masters of our time.

We always look at benefit with this view point: “How will I derive benefit out of my practices and actions?” The shift of attitude should be in cultivating a mind that thinks of how others can derive benefit from my practices and actions. The moment shift of the reference point of the true recipient of the beneficiary is made the pathway is yours for gainful merit. This has to be done willingly and in happiness, otherwise we will accrue negative karma.

The teacher becomes the compassionate one who gives direction. The rest is up to us, to translate to action willingly, understanding why it is necessary to do so. The shift in attitude, in the point of reference of the true beneficiary of action undertaken, is necessary for all those in public life, too, like administrator and politicians. Then the results would be of great common benefit.

Summarising everything into a single verse, the greatest teacher of Mahayana and Indian scholar, Shantideva said” “All the joy the world contains Has come the misery the world contains has come through wanting pleasure for oneself. Tathagatha realization to you!”

Tathagatha refers to one who has walked the path to full awakening and so reached the end of suffering and is released from life death cycle. The implication is that the path is open to all who would follow it. In later Mahayana, Buddhism, Tathagatha came to mean the essential Buddha nature found in every sentient being.

Buddha, Sangha and Dharma

On the spiritual path there are three factors: Buddha, the master or the presence of the enlightened, sangha the commune or group, and dharma, your true nature. Life blossoms naturally when there is a balance between the three.

The Buddha is a doorway, and the doorway needs to be more charming than what lies beyond so that people come to the doorway. If you are out in the street and there is rain and thunder, or scorching weather, you feel the need for a shelter. You look and find a doorway. Have you noticed that then, the doorway is more inviting and joyful than anything else in the world?

Similarly, the closer you get to the master, the more charm, newness and love you feel. Nothing in the world could give that much peace, joy, and pleasure. It’s like depth without a bottom. This is a sign that you have come to the master.

Once you enter the door, you see the world from there, from any situation you will think, “how would the eyes of the master and the world looks so much more beautiful as a place filled with love, joy, cooperative and compassion.

Looking through the doorway there is no fear. From inside your home, you can look at the storm and the bright sun too; yet you can be relaxed as you are in the shelter. Such a sense of security, fullness and joy comes. That is the purpose of having a master.

Sangha is charming from a distance but the closer you get, it pushes all your buttons and brings out all the unwanted things from within you. If you think a group is good it means you are not yet completely with the group. When you are totally part of that group, you will find that some bickering will come up. But you are the one who makes the group – so if you are good, your group will also be good.

Sangha has a reverse nature to Buddha. Buddha makes your mind one pointed; sangha because it is of so many people, can scatter your mind, fragment it. Once you are used to a sangha, it loses its charm. This is the nature of sangha. Still, it is very supportive. If it were repulsive all the time, then nobody would be part of sangha.

Buddha uplifts with Grace, love and knowledge, Buddha pulls you up from above and sangha pushes you up from below.

Dharma is to be in the middle. Avoiding extremes is your nature – to be in balance, to smile from the depth of your heart to accept entire existence totally as it is. Often you crave for Buddha and are averse to sangha, and you try to change; but by changing sangha or Buddha, you are not going to change.

The main purpose is to come to the centre deep within you, which means to find your dharma. A sense of deep acceptance for this moment, for every moment, is dharma. All problems and negativity are generated from our mind.

The world is not bad; we make our world ugly or beautiful. So when you are in your dharma, your nature, you will blame neither the world nor the Divine.

Dharma is that which puts you in the middle and makes you comfortable with the world. It allows you to contribute to the world, be at ease with the Divine, to feel part of the Divine.s

Piercing of Kundalini (Chakra)

It is a great science to pierce through the Chakras, reach up to the Kundalini at its base, awaken it and utilize its energies for spiritual development. Kunadalini Yoga is far more hazardous than nuclear science. One must undertake it only under the guidance of an adept and not by reading tests on the subject.

Piercing of chakras is done through meditation. Everybody knows that human brain is like an energy-house and the mind is its main power current. Ordinarily movements of the mind are flickering and unsteady. On account of this turmoil, there cannot be concentration of energy on one point, so nothing worthwhile can be accomplished so long as the mind remains disturbed. In the absence of such concentration, precious moments of life are wasted. When the rays of the sun are concentrated through a magnifying glass, fire is produced. In the same way, with the help of accumulated energy of concentration, a Sadhak can pierce through the six chakras. Meditation is the super-science of the mind by which energy scattered in multifarious channels can be collected and conserved, thus, producing an exceedingly powerful beam of light.

 A different text has prescribed different ways of piercing of Shat Chakras. There are some systems, which are traditionally in vogue, in which the spiritual master (Guru) imparts specialized training to his disciple. Success can be achieved by all these methods provided this Sadhana is performed with utmost faith, devotion and confidence under the guidance of a competent guide. The easiest Sadhana by which these Chakras can be pierced through and a wakened without any hazards is described below.

A Sadhak should sit in Padmasan (lotus) posture in the morning with purified body and quiet mind. After doing Brahma-Sandhya (achman, shikhabandhan, pranayam, aghmarshan and nyas), Jap of Gayatri Mantra should be performed hundred and eight times. Thereafter, Vedmata Gayatri should be meditated upon in the form of light in trikuti. (If a straight line is drawn from one ear to another and another line is drawn from the middle of eye-brows to the middle of brain the meeting point is known as trikuti). Mind should be settled in the light of trikuti in a way just as a blacksmith puts a piece of iron in the furnace, takes it out when it becomes red hot, hammers it and prepares the desired object. On being settled for some-time in the light of Gayatri in trikuti, the mind becomes illuminated. Then it should be brought in agya-chakra. Emanating from the spinal cord, Brahmanadi goes through trikuti to Sahasrar. The illuminated mind is made to enter into the hollow channel of Brahmanadi and taken to agya-chakra. When the mind is settled there it experiences all the characteristics of the chakra as already described. Mind of the Sadhak experiences the petals, their letters, elements, seeds, divine power, instrument, lok, mount, characteristic and color of that chakra. In the beginning such experiences are hazy and dim. Slowly some characteristics of the chakra are visualized clearly, some dimly and some in a deformed manner. By and by they become more and more clear. sometimes there are differences in the characteristics according to the internal shape of chakras.

By concentrated performing Sadhana of each chakra for a month carefully, it is stimulated. In meditation its characteristics become clearer and in matrikas as well as in organs of senses and organ of action there are sudden and strange vibrations and stimulation and an itching sensation. These are symptoms of awakening of the chakra. When the form of a chakra starts becoming clear the Sadhak should go ahead and try to penetrate another chakra below the former one according to the aforesaid procedure. It takes about a month's time to awaken each chakra. When the Sadhana becomes ripe the gate leading from one chakra to another opens. However, the Sadhak does not find the gate and remains entangled in a labyrinth so long as there is immaturity in his Sadhana.

Gayatri Mantra is the Divine Culture

Every human being can refine his character, thoughts, talents and actions and transform himself into a great personality, become a world leader like George Washington, an intrepid warrior like Napoleon, a sage like Vivekananda and reach still higher realms of self-evolution. God has bestowed divine potentials in everybody, one only needs to realize, recognize and raise these by spiritual enlightenment. Gayatri sadhana can make it possible in this very life. I have researched and experimented myself on the philosophy and science of this mantra and found that all that is stated in the scriptures about its supreme spiritual force and cosmic radiance and divine power of evolution of consciousness is absolutely true. This is why I can tell you so confidently about it. I want you all, the whole world, to benefit by the divine grace of Gayatri. It will accelerate both your worldly progress as well as spiritual ascent. It is important for us. We need neither renounce the worldly life nor should we neglect our spiritual growth and wellbeing. The support of Gayatri Mantra guides our intellect and orients our capabilities for righteous progress on both the fronts.

I have been explaining and guiding you in different kinds of upasana-sadhana of Gayatri Mantra. Regular sessions for practice in this spiritually vibrant ambience of Shantikunj are also run here throughout the year. Everybody is welcome here. Now, let me tell you something about the siddhis (supramental achievements) bestowed by Gayatri. When and what does the Mother Gayatri bestow upon us?

Well, a mother loves every child but she gives only small toys and toffees and things like that to the tiny kids. She does not give precious gift or valuables to them unless they mature and she is convinced that they can take proper care of those things. What if a five-year old Ramesh asks his mother to give him the key of the lockers! Will she give it to him? No, instead, she would hide it carefully so that the kid won't see it. Yes, but once Ramesh is grown up and starts sharing the responsibilities of the household and is wise and capable enough to transact his duties, the mother would one day herself hand over the keys to him and his wife. When Ramesh was a child he would cry for sweet and expensive toys, and break them in no time. As a teenager he was wayward and would like to imitate whatever good or bad his friends were doing. Show-off, mischief making, quarreling were his interests then, but now things are different. He has matured not only in age but also in wisdom. Earlier he would compel his parents to purchase milk-care of 20 Rupees and eat half and throw away the remaining. But now he himself earns. He knows the value of hard earned money. He would even drink tea without milk if there is some scarcity at him, as he understands that the little children and the elderly need it more. He earns respect in the society because of his good nature and dutiful conduct. What if he were a drunkard, a hoodlum, or a lethargic chap who would do nothing except watching cinema and day dreaming? Then? Even his near and dear ones would not have believed him. No one would like to lend money or extend support to him. One earns his status in worldly life in the society as per his qualities and deeds.

Spiritual attainments are more precious than anything else in this universe. They can't be bestowed upon just anyone. Gods bless only the deserving devotees. What you achieve depends upon your purity, sincerity, and devotion in the sadhana. Siddhis will gradually emerge from within as you progress in the sadhana. A guru (spiritual master) helps you march along the path of spirituality only if you deserve it and only if you are dedicated towards this noble cause. He certainly guides you on how to become a deserving disciple and also initiates you in the sadhana and commences the journey on the path of knowledge. But your success will depend upon your own endeavors. He shows the path but it is you who has to step ahead. There is nothing like a magic wand in spiritual practices, as many of you might think. You may wish that the guru, or a great yogi, will put his hand on your head and you will attain some siddhis. But this is all your delusion.

Importance of Yagya in Gayatri Sadhana

Gayatri and Yagya constitute a pair. Gayatri has been called righteous wisdom and Yagya as righteous action. Coordination of both solves all problems. Yagya may be performed as and when it is convenient. It can be done by chanting Mantra and offering ghee and sugar into the fire. If it is sought to be made still briefer, the purpose of symbolic ritual of Agnihotra can also be fulfilled if a ghrit lamp is lighted, incense-stick is burnt and Gayatri Mantra chanted. If even this little work cannot be performed daily, it should be on any convenient day at least once in a month. Those who are not acquainted with the procedure and expert persons capable of performing the ritual as well as necessary materials is not available, can write solves all problems. Yagya may be performed as and when it is convenient. It can be done by chanting Mantra and offering ghee and sugar into the fire. If it is sought to be made still briefer, the purpose of symbolic ritual of Agnihotra can also be fulfilled if a ghrit lamp is lighted, incense-stick is burnt and Gayatri Mantra chanted. If even this little work cannot be performed daily, it should be done on any convenient day at least once in a month. Those who are not acquainted with the procedure and expert persons capable of performing the rituals as well as necessary materials are not available can write to Shantikunj for performance of the Yagya. Yagya is performed daily in the morning at Shantikunj for two hours in a Yagyashala.

Yagyas at a large scale are required to be performed to purify the subtle environment and destroy pollution permeating the atmosphere. It infuses religious favor and enthusiasm in the participants and they also get an opportunity to take a vow to give up one vice by way of dev-dakshina and adopt one virtue or righteous tendency. In this way big Yagyas help in inculcating ethical values.

The meaning of the word Yagya is to do sacrifice, charity and worship. Its practical message is that one ought not to spend his entire earnings on himself and his family but should also distribute a part of it for the welfare of others. It also implies that divinity and gentlemanliness should be respected and people should live together in mutual cooperation and loving kindness.