Guided Meditation and Deep Relaxation by Yogi Kanna author of "Nirvana : Absolute Freedom"
Read Free Excerpt of the Nirvana book on Google Books here.
A 20 minutes long higher quality Mp3 audio is available for download at:
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Meditation can help prevent incidents like "London Looting" says Author
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"Often people find themselves lacking something or another. If you have time, you don't have money; if you have money, you don't have time; if you have time and money, you don't have health. If you have time, money and health, you may be lacking in wisdom!" says San Diego based author Yogi Kanna. "Time, money, health, etc, are nice to have; but without wisdom, people may find themselves clueless to what brings true fulfillment and may end up investing their time and energies in destructive and self-defeating purposes like we are witnessing in London [referring to the looting incidents in London]. If we encouraged our youth to gain wisdom to help them find true inner fulfillment instead of just teaching them how to make money or how to do a job, we may be able to prevent such incidents from happening."
When asked how do people go about awakening this wisdom, Kanna says "First we have to understand the difference between belief and wisdom. When someone tells you something and you accept it as a fact without investigation, it becomes a belief. Belief is thus second-hand knowledge, whereas wisdom is first-hand realization. When you lead a life based on beliefs, you lead a second-hand life. Before venturing on a journey based on beliefs propagated by the society, it is wise to take the time to examine those beliefs closely and experiment with them before accepting them as 'truth.' We have to learn to de-program ourselves from various forms of conditioning that drive us like social conditioning, biological conditioning, religious conditioning, etc. The ability to question these drives and instincts is what sets humans apart from animals. These drives make humans competitive and fearful of each other like in the animal world. When we deeply question all the values propagated by society, we begin to awaken the inner wisdom which can help us create a more co-operative and harmonious society. We have to encourage our youth to cultivate this wisdom by encouraging them to think for themselves."
So what is the most practical way for people to go about doing that? He replies, "Long answer short, Meditation is the way. I talk about it in detail in my book "Nirvana: Absolute freedom." I talk about why meditation is important, and how it helps one awaken wisdom and discover true freedom. True freedom is that which does not depend on anything outside of you. If you were to depend on any outside object, person or experience for your fulfillment, you remain at the mercy of external circumstances. Such dependency leads to competition and creates conflict and disharmony in society. Instead, when you learn the art of resting within through meditation, for the first time you discover that there is a treasure buried within you. Once you learn to tap into this inner treasure, you begin to experience a state of freedom from worry, freedom from dependence, freedom from suffering; a state so deeply fulfilling that no objective experience can even come close. Unlike with external wealth, where by gaining something somebody else must be losing out; upon finding the treasure within, nobody else is losing anything. On the other hand, the whole world benefits from your discovery of this inner treasure. When you discover the source of unconditional joy within, you open the doorway for others to discover the same thing within themselves. You show them the way to true freedom and fulfillment. If we introduce meditation as a part our educational curriculum, we can help our youth create a better tomorrow."
Yogi Kanna is the author of the book "Nirvana : Absolute Freedom."
For more details about the book or for requesting review copies please contact:
Kamath Publishing
Aparna Kamath
email: aparna@yogikanna.com
http://www.yogikanna.com
"Often people find themselves lacking something or another. If you have time, you don't have money; if you have money, you don't have time; if you have time and money, you don't have health. If you have time, money and health, you may be lacking in wisdom!" says San Diego based author Yogi Kanna. "Time, money, health, etc, are nice to have; but without wisdom, people may find themselves clueless to what brings true fulfillment and may end up investing their time and energies in destructive and self-defeating purposes like we are witnessing in London [referring to the looting incidents in London]. If we encouraged our youth to gain wisdom to help them find true inner fulfillment instead of just teaching them how to make money or how to do a job, we may be able to prevent such incidents from happening."
When asked how do people go about awakening this wisdom, Kanna says "First we have to understand the difference between belief and wisdom. When someone tells you something and you accept it as a fact without investigation, it becomes a belief. Belief is thus second-hand knowledge, whereas wisdom is first-hand realization. When you lead a life based on beliefs, you lead a second-hand life. Before venturing on a journey based on beliefs propagated by the society, it is wise to take the time to examine those beliefs closely and experiment with them before accepting them as 'truth.' We have to learn to de-program ourselves from various forms of conditioning that drive us like social conditioning, biological conditioning, religious conditioning, etc. The ability to question these drives and instincts is what sets humans apart from animals. These drives make humans competitive and fearful of each other like in the animal world. When we deeply question all the values propagated by society, we begin to awaken the inner wisdom which can help us create a more co-operative and harmonious society. We have to encourage our youth to cultivate this wisdom by encouraging them to think for themselves."
So what is the most practical way for people to go about doing that? He replies, "Long answer short, Meditation is the way. I talk about it in detail in my book "Nirvana: Absolute freedom." I talk about why meditation is important, and how it helps one awaken wisdom and discover true freedom. True freedom is that which does not depend on anything outside of you. If you were to depend on any outside object, person or experience for your fulfillment, you remain at the mercy of external circumstances. Such dependency leads to competition and creates conflict and disharmony in society. Instead, when you learn the art of resting within through meditation, for the first time you discover that there is a treasure buried within you. Once you learn to tap into this inner treasure, you begin to experience a state of freedom from worry, freedom from dependence, freedom from suffering; a state so deeply fulfilling that no objective experience can even come close. Unlike with external wealth, where by gaining something somebody else must be losing out; upon finding the treasure within, nobody else is losing anything. On the other hand, the whole world benefits from your discovery of this inner treasure. When you discover the source of unconditional joy within, you open the doorway for others to discover the same thing within themselves. You show them the way to true freedom and fulfillment. If we introduce meditation as a part our educational curriculum, we can help our youth create a better tomorrow."
Yogi Kanna is the author of the book "Nirvana : Absolute Freedom."
For more details about the book or for requesting review copies please contact:
Kamath Publishing
Aparna Kamath
email: aparna@yogikanna.com
http://www.yogikanna.com
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Nirvana : Absolute Freedom - Book Launch
Nirvana : Absolute Freedom
by Yogi Kanna
E-book is now available at
Amazon's Kindle and Barnes and Noble's Nook e-store.
(June 18, 2011)
Paperback version is available in all major outlets like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If you have already read the book and like it, please consider leaving a review on Amazon to help spread the word about the book. Much appreciated!
More info at : http://www.yogikanna.com/nirvana.html
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Cycle of Samsara - a cycle of suffering(simplified version)
Click on the picture below for a larger image.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Cycle of Samsara - The Ego Matrix
Click on the pic below to see the enlarged version.
Also see:
Cycle of Samsara - Simplified Version
Cycle of Samsara - Flowchart version
Also see:
Cycle of Samsara - Simplified Version
Cycle of Samsara - Flowchart version
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Song of the soul
I am absolute contentment,
and ever-present joy;
an ocean of peace,
and unconditional love am I.
Unattached to wealth, possessions and knowledge,
free of expectations of approval, appreciation or attention,
uninterested in respect, fame or recognition;
ever content in the fullness of Self am I.
I have nothing to gain, nothing to lose
nothing to show, nothing to hide;
desireless, fearless and free of anger and pride;
unchanging awareness, pure and simple am I.
Emotions and thoughts, come and go,
like waves of the ocean, high and low;
to keep them from drifting you from the path,
Anchor yourself deeply to the truth of who you really are.
I am the seer behind the seen,
I am the knower behind the known,
I have no beginning, middle nor end,
Eternal awareness bliss am I, Sat-Chit-Anand
and ever-present joy;
an ocean of peace,
and unconditional love am I.
Unattached to wealth, possessions and knowledge,
free of expectations of approval, appreciation or attention,
uninterested in respect, fame or recognition;
ever content in the fullness of Self am I.
I have nothing to gain, nothing to lose
nothing to show, nothing to hide;
desireless, fearless and free of anger and pride;
unchanging awareness, pure and simple am I.
Emotions and thoughts, come and go,
like waves of the ocean, high and low;
to keep them from drifting you from the path,
Anchor yourself deeply to the truth of who you really are.
I am the seer behind the seen,
I am the knower behind the known,
I have no beginning, middle nor end,
Eternal awareness bliss am I, Sat-Chit-Anand
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Love Vs Lust
Lust makes one restless,
Love makes one peaceful.
Lust makes one dependent,
Love sets one free.
Lust makes one needy,
Love makes one Charitable.
Lust makes one deceitful,
Love makes one sincere.
Lust makes one jealous,
Love makes one magnanimous.
Lust makes one angry,
Love makes one compassionate.
Lust leads to temporary gratification,
Love rests in timeless contenment.
Lust makes one agonize in pain of craving,
Love make one bask in joy of freedom.
Lust is insatiable,
Love is immeasurable.
Lust is conditional,
Love has no expectations.
Lust makes one business-like,
Love makes one God-like.
Lust makes one lonely,
Love makes one complete.
Love makes one peaceful.
Lust makes one dependent,
Love sets one free.
Lust makes one needy,
Love makes one Charitable.
Lust makes one deceitful,
Love makes one sincere.
Lust makes one jealous,
Love makes one magnanimous.
Lust makes one angry,
Love makes one compassionate.
Lust leads to temporary gratification,
Love rests in timeless contenment.
Lust makes one agonize in pain of craving,
Love make one bask in joy of freedom.
Lust is insatiable,
Love is immeasurable.
Lust is conditional,
Love has no expectations.
Lust makes one business-like,
Love makes one God-like.
Lust makes one lonely,
Love makes one complete.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
On Meditation - J.Krishnamurti
[J. Krishnamurti had the following dialogue with students at one of his schools in India.]
"[Krishnamurti:] Do you know anything about meditation?"
"Student: No, Sir."
"Krishnamurti: But the older people do not know either. They sit in a corner, close their eyes and concentrate, like school boys trying to concentrate on a book. That is not meditation. Meditation is something extraordinary, if you know how to do it. I am going to talk a little about it."
"First of all, sit very quietly; do not force yourself to sit quietly, but sit or lie down quietly without force of any kind. Do you understand? Then watch your thinking. Watch what you are thinking about. You find you are thinking about your shoes, your saris, what you are going to say, the bird outside to which you listen; follow such thoughts and enquire why each thought arises. Do not try to change your thinking. See why certain thoughts arise in your mind so that you begin to understand the meaning of every thought and feeling without any enforcement. And when a thought arises, do not condemn it, do not say it is right, it is wrong, it is good, it is bad. Just watch it, so that you begin to have a perception, a consciousness which is active in seeing every kind of thought, every kind of feeling. You will know every hidden secret thought, every hidden motive, every feeling, without distortion, without saying it is right, wrong, good or bad. When you look, when you go into thought very very deeply, your mind becomes extraordinarily subtle, alive. No part of the mind is asleep. The mind is completely awake."
"That is merely the foundation. Then your mind is very quiet. Your whole being becomes very still. Then go through that stillness, deeper, further – that whole process is meditation. Meditation is not to sit in a corner repeating a lot of words; or to think of a picture and go into some wild, ecstatic imaginings.
To understand the whole process of your thinking and feeling is to be free from all thought, to be free from all feeling so that your mind, your whole being becomes very quite. And that is also part of life and with that quietness, you can look at the tree, you can look at people, you can look at the sky and the stars. That is the beauty of life."
On Education, first published 1974, Krishnamurti Foundation Trust Ltd., London, , p. 58
"[Krishnamurti:] Do you know anything about meditation?"
"Student: No, Sir."
"Krishnamurti: But the older people do not know either. They sit in a corner, close their eyes and concentrate, like school boys trying to concentrate on a book. That is not meditation. Meditation is something extraordinary, if you know how to do it. I am going to talk a little about it."
"First of all, sit very quietly; do not force yourself to sit quietly, but sit or lie down quietly without force of any kind. Do you understand? Then watch your thinking. Watch what you are thinking about. You find you are thinking about your shoes, your saris, what you are going to say, the bird outside to which you listen; follow such thoughts and enquire why each thought arises. Do not try to change your thinking. See why certain thoughts arise in your mind so that you begin to understand the meaning of every thought and feeling without any enforcement. And when a thought arises, do not condemn it, do not say it is right, it is wrong, it is good, it is bad. Just watch it, so that you begin to have a perception, a consciousness which is active in seeing every kind of thought, every kind of feeling. You will know every hidden secret thought, every hidden motive, every feeling, without distortion, without saying it is right, wrong, good or bad. When you look, when you go into thought very very deeply, your mind becomes extraordinarily subtle, alive. No part of the mind is asleep. The mind is completely awake."
"That is merely the foundation. Then your mind is very quiet. Your whole being becomes very still. Then go through that stillness, deeper, further – that whole process is meditation. Meditation is not to sit in a corner repeating a lot of words; or to think of a picture and go into some wild, ecstatic imaginings.
To understand the whole process of your thinking and feeling is to be free from all thought, to be free from all feeling so that your mind, your whole being becomes very quite. And that is also part of life and with that quietness, you can look at the tree, you can look at people, you can look at the sky and the stars. That is the beauty of life."
On Education, first published 1974, Krishnamurti Foundation Trust Ltd., London, , p. 58
Monday, June 25, 2007
What now? What next?
"Questioner: Having seriously experimented with your teachings for a number of years, I have become fully aware of the parasitic nature of self-consciousness and see its tentacles touching my every thought, word and deed. As a result, I have lost all self-confidence as well as all motivation. Work has become drudgery and leisure drabness. I am in almost constant psychological pain, yet I see even this pain as a device of the self. I have reached an impasse in every department of my life, and I ask you as I have been asking myself: What now? "
"Krishnamurti: Are you experimenting with my teachings, or are you experimenting with yourself? I hope you see the difference. If you are experimenting with what I am saying, then you must come to, 'What now?', because then you are trying to achieve a result which you think I have. You think I have something which you do not have, and that if you experiment with what I am saying, you also will get it - which is what most of us do. We approach these things with a commercial mentality: I will do this in order to get that. I will worship, meditate, sacrifice in order to get something.Now, you are not practicing my teachings. I have nothing to say. Or rather, all that I am saying is, observe your own mind, see to what depths the mind can go; therefore you are important, not the teachings. It is important for you to find out your own ways of thinking and what that thinking implies, as I have been trying to point out this morning. And if you are really observing your own thinking, if you are watching, experimenting, discovering, letting go, dying each day to everything that you have gathered, then you will never put that question, 'What now?' You see, confidence is entirely different from self-confidence. The confidence that comes into being when you are discovering from moment to moment is entirely different from the self-confidence arising from the accumulation of discoveries which becomes knowledge and gives you importance. Do you see the difference? Therefore the problem of self-confidence completely disappears. There is only the constant movement of discovery, the constant reading and understanding, not of a book, but of your own mind, the whole, vast structure of consciousness. Then you are not seeking a result at all. It is only when you are seeking a result that you say, 'I have done all these things but I have got nothing, and I have lost confidence. What now?' Whereas, if you are examining, understanding the ways of your own mind without seeking a reward, an end, without the motivation of gain, then there is self-knowledge, and you will see an astonishing thing come out of it. "
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The True Guru is Within
"It is not the worship of a person that is crucial, but the steadiness and depth of your devotion to the task. Life itself is the Supreme Guru; be attentive to its lessons and obedient to its commands. When you personalize their source, you have an outer Guru; when you take them from life directly, the Guru is within."- Nisargadatta Maharaj
----------------------------------------
The following are excerpts from the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi ...
"Question: How is a Guru found?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: God, who is immanent, in His grace takes pity on the loving devotee and manifests himself according to the devotee's development. The devotee thinks that he is a man and expects a relationship between two physical bodies. But the Guru, who is a God or the Self incarnate works from within, helps the man to see the error of his ways and guides him on the right path until he realises the Self within."
"Question: What are the marks of a real teacher (sadaguru)?
Sri Ramana Maharshi: Steady abidance in the Self, looking at all with an equal eye, unshakable courage at all times, in all places and circumstances."
"Question: There are a number of spiritual teachers teaching various paths. Whom should one take for one's Guru?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: Choose that one where you find you get shanti (peace)."
"Question: Should we not also consider his teachings?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: He who instructs an ardent seeker to do this or that is not a true master. The seeker is already afflicted by his activities and wants peace and rest. In other words he wants cessation of his activities. If a teacher tells him to do something in addition to, or in place of, his other activities, can that be a help to the seeker?"
"Activity is creation. Activity is the destruction of one's inherent happiness. If activity is advocated the adviser is not a master but a killer. In such circumstances either the Creator (Brahma) or death (Yama) may be said to have come in the guise of a master. Such a person cannot liberate the aspirant; he can only strengthen his fetters."
"Question: How can I find my own Guru?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: By intense meditation."
"Question: How then some great persons attain knowledge without a Guru?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: To a few mature persons the Lord shines as the formless light of knowledge and imparts awareness of the truth."
"Question: What is the significance of Guru's grace in the attainment of liberation?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: Liberation is not anywhere outside you. It is only within. If a man is anxious for deliverance, the internal Guru pulls him in and the external Guru pushes him into the Self. This is the grace of the Guru."
"Question: Some people reported you to have said that there was no need for a Guru. Others gave the opposite report. What does Maharshi say?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: I have never said that there is no need for a Guru."
"Questioner: Sri Aurobindo and others refer to you as havinghad no Guru."
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: It all depends on what you call a Guru. He need not be in a human form. Dattatreya had twenty-four Gurus including the five elements- earth, water, etc. Every object in this world was his Guru."
"The Guru is absolutely necessary. The Upanishads say that none but a Guru can take a man out of the jungle of intellect and sense perceptions. So there must be a Guru."
"Questioner: I mean a human Guru- Maharshi did not have one."
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: I might have had one at one time or other. But did I not sing hymns to Arunachala? What is a Guru? Guru is God or the Self. First a man prays to God to fulfil his desires. A time comes when he will no more pray for the fulfilment of material desires but for God Himself. God then appears to him in some form or other, human or non-human, to guide him to Himself in answer to his prayer and according to his needs."
"Question: When loyal to one master can you respect others?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: Guru is only one. He is not physical. So long as there is weakness the support of strength is needed."
"Questioner: J.Krishnamurti says, "No Guru is necessary."
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: How did he know it? One can say so after realising but not before."
"Question: May one have more than one spiritual master?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: Who is a master? He is the Self after all. According to the stages of development of the mind the Self manifests as the master externally. The famous ancient Dattatreya said that he had more than twenty-four masters. The master is one from whom one learns anything. The Guru may be sometimes inanimate also, as in the case of Dattatreya. God, Guru and the Self are identical."
"A spiritually minded man thinks that God is all pervading and takes God for his Guru. Later, God brings him in contact with a personal Guru and the man recognises him as all in all. Lastly the same man is made by the grace of the master to feel that his Self is the reality and nothing else. Thus he finds that the Self is the master."
"Questioner: I am always at your feet. Will Bhagavan give us some upadesa (teaching) to follow? Otherwise how can I get help living 600 miles away?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: The sadguru (the true guru) is within."
"Questioner: Sadguru is necessary to guide me to understand it."
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: The sadguru is within."
"Questioner: I want a visible Guru."
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: That visible Guru says that he is within."
----------------------------------------
The following are excerpts from the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi ...
"Question: How is a Guru found?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: God, who is immanent, in His grace takes pity on the loving devotee and manifests himself according to the devotee's development. The devotee thinks that he is a man and expects a relationship between two physical bodies. But the Guru, who is a God or the Self incarnate works from within, helps the man to see the error of his ways and guides him on the right path until he realises the Self within."
"Question: What are the marks of a real teacher (sadaguru)?
Sri Ramana Maharshi: Steady abidance in the Self, looking at all with an equal eye, unshakable courage at all times, in all places and circumstances."
"Question: There are a number of spiritual teachers teaching various paths. Whom should one take for one's Guru?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: Choose that one where you find you get shanti (peace)."
"Question: Should we not also consider his teachings?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: He who instructs an ardent seeker to do this or that is not a true master. The seeker is already afflicted by his activities and wants peace and rest. In other words he wants cessation of his activities. If a teacher tells him to do something in addition to, or in place of, his other activities, can that be a help to the seeker?"
"Activity is creation. Activity is the destruction of one's inherent happiness. If activity is advocated the adviser is not a master but a killer. In such circumstances either the Creator (Brahma) or death (Yama) may be said to have come in the guise of a master. Such a person cannot liberate the aspirant; he can only strengthen his fetters."
"Question: How can I find my own Guru?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: By intense meditation."
"Question: How then some great persons attain knowledge without a Guru?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: To a few mature persons the Lord shines as the formless light of knowledge and imparts awareness of the truth."
"Question: What is the significance of Guru's grace in the attainment of liberation?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: Liberation is not anywhere outside you. It is only within. If a man is anxious for deliverance, the internal Guru pulls him in and the external Guru pushes him into the Self. This is the grace of the Guru."
"Question: Some people reported you to have said that there was no need for a Guru. Others gave the opposite report. What does Maharshi say?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: I have never said that there is no need for a Guru."
"Questioner: Sri Aurobindo and others refer to you as havinghad no Guru."
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: It all depends on what you call a Guru. He need not be in a human form. Dattatreya had twenty-four Gurus including the five elements- earth, water, etc. Every object in this world was his Guru."
"The Guru is absolutely necessary. The Upanishads say that none but a Guru can take a man out of the jungle of intellect and sense perceptions. So there must be a Guru."
"Questioner: I mean a human Guru- Maharshi did not have one."
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: I might have had one at one time or other. But did I not sing hymns to Arunachala? What is a Guru? Guru is God or the Self. First a man prays to God to fulfil his desires. A time comes when he will no more pray for the fulfilment of material desires but for God Himself. God then appears to him in some form or other, human or non-human, to guide him to Himself in answer to his prayer and according to his needs."
"Question: When loyal to one master can you respect others?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: Guru is only one. He is not physical. So long as there is weakness the support of strength is needed."
"Questioner: J.Krishnamurti says, "No Guru is necessary."
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: How did he know it? One can say so after realising but not before."
"Question: May one have more than one spiritual master?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: Who is a master? He is the Self after all. According to the stages of development of the mind the Self manifests as the master externally. The famous ancient Dattatreya said that he had more than twenty-four masters. The master is one from whom one learns anything. The Guru may be sometimes inanimate also, as in the case of Dattatreya. God, Guru and the Self are identical."
"A spiritually minded man thinks that God is all pervading and takes God for his Guru. Later, God brings him in contact with a personal Guru and the man recognises him as all in all. Lastly the same man is made by the grace of the master to feel that his Self is the reality and nothing else. Thus he finds that the Self is the master."
"Questioner: I am always at your feet. Will Bhagavan give us some upadesa (teaching) to follow? Otherwise how can I get help living 600 miles away?"
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: The sadguru (the true guru) is within."
"Questioner: Sadguru is necessary to guide me to understand it."
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: The sadguru is within."
"Questioner: I want a visible Guru."
"Sri Ramana Maharshi: That visible Guru says that he is within."
Monday, December 18, 2006
Act playfully in the world o Raghava
Sage vasishtha advised Rama as follows upon his enlightenment...
"Steady in the state of fullness, which shines when all desires are given up, and peaceful in the state of freedom in life, act playfully in the world, O Raghava!"
"Inwardly free from all desires, dispassionate and detached, but outwardly active in all directions, act playfully in the world, O Raghava!"
"Free from egoism, with mind detached as in sleep, pure like the sky, ever untainted, act playfully in the world, O Raghava!"
"Conducting yourself nobly with kindly tenderness, outwardly conforming to conventions, but inwardly renouncing all, act playfully in the world, O Raghava!"
"Quite unattached at heart but for all appearance acting as with attachment, inwardly cool but outwardly full of fervour, act playfully in the world, O Raghava!"
The above verses are from Yoga Vasistha selected by Sri Ramana Maharshi to instruct a disciple on how an enlightened person conducts himself in this world.
"Steady in the state of fullness, which shines when all desires are given up, and peaceful in the state of freedom in life, act playfully in the world, O Raghava!"
"Inwardly free from all desires, dispassionate and detached, but outwardly active in all directions, act playfully in the world, O Raghava!"
"Free from egoism, with mind detached as in sleep, pure like the sky, ever untainted, act playfully in the world, O Raghava!"
"Conducting yourself nobly with kindly tenderness, outwardly conforming to conventions, but inwardly renouncing all, act playfully in the world, O Raghava!"
"Quite unattached at heart but for all appearance acting as with attachment, inwardly cool but outwardly full of fervour, act playfully in the world, O Raghava!"
The above verses are from Yoga Vasistha selected by Sri Ramana Maharshi to instruct a disciple on how an enlightened person conducts himself in this world.
Progress in meditation
The following is from 'Living by the words of Bhagavan (Ramana)' by David Godman (Pg 18)
"Questioner: How am I to know if I am making any progress in my meditation?"
"Annamalai Swami: Those who meditate a lot often develop a subtleform of ego. They become pleased with the idea that they are makingsome progress; they become pleased with the states of peace andbliss that they enjoy; they become pleased that they have learned toexercise some control over their wayward minds; or they may derivesome satisfaction from the fact that they have found a good Guru orgood method of meditation. All these feelings are ego feelings. Whenego feelings are present, awareness of the Self is absent. Thethought "I am meditating" is an ego thought. If real meditation istaking place, this thought cannot arise."
"Don't worry about whether you are making progress or not. Just keepyour attention on the Self twenty-four hours a day. Meditation isnot something that should be done in a particular position at aparticular time. It is an awareness and an attitude that mustpersist throughout the day. To be effective, meditation must becontinuous."
"If you want to water a field you dig a channel to the field and sendwater continuously along it for a lengthy period of time. If yousend water for only ten seconds and then stop, the water sinks intothe ground even before it reaches the field. You will not be able toreach the Self and stay there without a prolonged, continuouseffort. Each time you give up trying, or get distracted, some ofyour previous effort goes to waste."
"Continuous inhalation and exhalation are necessary for thecontinuance of life. Continuous meditation is necessary for allthose who want to stay in the Self."
"Questioner: How am I to know if I am making any progress in my meditation?"
"Annamalai Swami: Those who meditate a lot often develop a subtleform of ego. They become pleased with the idea that they are makingsome progress; they become pleased with the states of peace andbliss that they enjoy; they become pleased that they have learned toexercise some control over their wayward minds; or they may derivesome satisfaction from the fact that they have found a good Guru orgood method of meditation. All these feelings are ego feelings. Whenego feelings are present, awareness of the Self is absent. Thethought "I am meditating" is an ego thought. If real meditation istaking place, this thought cannot arise."
"Don't worry about whether you are making progress or not. Just keepyour attention on the Self twenty-four hours a day. Meditation isnot something that should be done in a particular position at aparticular time. It is an awareness and an attitude that mustpersist throughout the day. To be effective, meditation must becontinuous."
"If you want to water a field you dig a channel to the field and sendwater continuously along it for a lengthy period of time. If yousend water for only ten seconds and then stop, the water sinks intothe ground even before it reaches the field. You will not be able toreach the Self and stay there without a prolonged, continuouseffort. Each time you give up trying, or get distracted, some ofyour previous effort goes to waste."
"Continuous inhalation and exhalation are necessary for thecontinuance of life. Continuous meditation is necessary for allthose who want to stay in the Self."
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