En-light-en-ment

As we continue to lift the veils/ blinds/ masks, allowing our 'light' to shine bright, we become 'lighter' at heart and take ourselves 'lightly'.....:))

Inner- Outer Nature

Peace/ Joy/ Success comes when we are in tune with our inner and outer nature....The more we suppress our inner nature and destroy the outer nature; the more stressed/ unhappy/ unfulfilled/ worried/ unsuccessful we become............♥

Master

There is but ONE MASTER..............The One Within.....which is also known as Consciousness/ Oneness/ Light/ Paramatma/ Brahman............Let us surrender to that Master...and say, 'Thy Will Be Done'..........♥

Service- Seva

A meditative life is inseparable from a life of service.............:)) Unless we encapsulate the essence of seva (service) in our life, our meditation cannot be complete....:)

Mind-Heart

For me, mind-heart is one phenomenon....inseparable from each other...Just as words are inseparable from feelings........:)))

Motivated or Inspired

When you are motivated to do something, you want to move forward and take the first step....something internal/ external may stop you from moving........BUT when you are INSPIRED to do something, NOTHING and NO-ONE can ever stop you from taking the first step. You can't help but act- automatically....because you become possessed by your inspiration and consumed by your passion........That's when you know that you are on the RIGHT Path......:))))

Flight of Freedom

Whatever you wish to do/ accomplish/ achieve...don't think too much about it....just take the first step, then the next... and the rest will follow automatically........Remember, the journey of a thousand steps begins with the first step; and actions always speak louder than words...Are you ready/ willing to take that first step? If your answer is a resounding 'Yes' (emanating from your heart), start celebrating your success.......because it is a GIVEN...:))

Begin with baby steps and soon you will be taking giant leaps of faith........ FLIGHT of FREEDOM....:)))

Good or Happy

If you have to choose between being a GOOD daughter/ son, wife/ husband, mother/ father OR being a HAPPY person........always choose the latter........Because if you are a HAPPY person, you will automatically be a GOOD daughter/son, wife/ husband, mother/ father.........:))))

Duality

The apparent paradoxes of duality ( day-night, sunshine-rain, summer-winter, love-fear, light-darkness, anger-calm, greed- satiety, spirit-ego, envy- satisfaction, sadness- happiness, spirituality- materialism) not only serve our interest, but are also essential for our well-being.....while living in an embodiment....A balanced person remains comfortable with/ in BOTH........♥

What's in a name?

Our name keeps us in separation from our source. The day we begin to identify with our name, we begin moving away from oneness.........and the more we get attached to it and all its stories (mera naam hona chahiye) we get mired in more separation......Salvation lies in transcending our name and all that it entails.....(our ego-personality is attached with our name)

One simple solution lies in using our name as in third person........."Chitra Jha says.......Chitra Jha said.............Chitra Jha feels.........etc..." Instead of 'I say....I said....I feel..etc" (the way the royalty did...or some children do...) and if it sounds too corny while conversing with others, we can keep reminding ourselves that I am using 'I' in full awareness that it is Chitra Jha.........The real 'I' is called Consciousness.........I Am Consciousness......♥

Dental Hygeine

The best, most important and simplest, but often neglected dental hygiene practice involves vigorously rinsing our mouth with plain tap water, (after) every time we eat something.......In other words, it is a good practice to clean our mouth (pearlies and all) after every use.......just as we rinse the dishes we eat in....The sooner we do it, easier is the task...but if we leave it for later (before going to bed, after getting up from bed) the food begins to putrefy and stench becomes over-powering......exactly what happens if we leave un-rinsed dishes for too long........:)

Acceptance

Every thought and emotion that I experience is not really ‘mine’…It simply exists in the Collective Consciousness of the Universe, and I happen to merely tune into it, at this particular moment, because my vibrational frequency, as of now, matches with it. This is the ‘tuning fork’ effect or entrainment theory. 

I don’t own any thoughts and emotions, they just pass through me, finding expression through me, just as a certain program finds expression through a certain TV channel at a certain time, if the TV is tuned into it. The TV doesn’t own that program. The program doesn’t belong to the TV. The TV doesn’t feel guilty or euphoric about what is shown through it. 

We do, because we identify with whatever is expressed through us and take its ownership. What if we were to say, ‘The consciousness is expressing this particular aspect through me. It is neither good nor bad, it just is. And I happen to be the channel of this expression at this moment.” 

Will that be true acceptance and surrender or resignation and escape? I wonder.............:))))

And what if I were to raise my vibrational frequency to such a level that I tune into Higher Wisdom and Divine Love 24x7??? Is the remote control in my hand? I wonder.........:)))

As of now, I am in the process of consciously accepting whatever is being expressed through me in the now..........A TV is more enlightened than I am.....:)))))))))))) 

Freedom from Food

As I continue deleting various 'shoulds' from my life, I feel progressively free-er...........For example, I am working towards achieving freedom from 'shoulds/ musts/ have to' etc in my kitchen/dining space... My latest mantra is being in complete resonance with my body, listening to its needs and spontaneously responding to those needs in love, without wondering about what should I eat, when should I eat, what kind of food is nutritious etc.  

I eat, when I feel HUNGRY and not when the clock (family) says, it's time to eat... I have understood that when I respond to the hunger call of my body, the body can digest anything and everything, and also extract optimum nutrients from the food....but if I eat without being hungry, even the best of foods just rot inside my GI tract, as the body reluctantly processes them. My cells are just like me; when I am asked to do things that I am not really ready to do, I do them reluctantly and the results speak for my reluctance/ resistance. 

Such a simple lesson and still it is difficult to follow. 

The problem comes when I become 'responsible' for my family members' gustatory needs, without 'being in their skin', so to say. It is well nigh impossible for me to be in touch/ resonance with their body's hunger pangs; after all each body is unique with unique requirements. Asking each member to eat at the same time (hunger or no hunger) is like charging all the laptops and mobiles of the family at the same time, whether they need to be charged or not....

What if each member of the family (except for children below 13 and elders above 80) were responsible for their own dietary needs; just as they are responsible for charging their own mobiles/ laptops/ other electronic equipment? How simple would life become!!

I have found a do-able formula. I stock my fridge with a lot of fruits and salads (cleaned/ washed/ peeled/ diced). and then there is always some bread/ cheese/ butter/ eggs etc. in the pantry. I cook some food by 1200 hrs; and am also available (since I am a home bird) for any requests for special food/ nimbu-paani/ fruit-juice/ lassi / green tea etc.

As of now, my family consists of just two of us (two body-mechanisms with two very different body-clocks and food preferences) so it is rather easy for me. More the members more complicated it can get!!! Until each one VOLUNTEERS or WILLINGLY abides by the Freedom philosophy.....Freedom for All!!! 

As for me, I am indeed fortunate that my husband is a willing volunteer...............and he values my freedom as much as he values his own..........:))

Conscious, Sub-conscious, Supra-conscious Mind

One more understanding which is getting clearer by the day is to do with the definition of the conscious/ subconscious/ and supra-conscious mind............The way I understand it now; these terms were used by different philosophers in different time-lines to explain the same trinity- our Higher Self. 

The formula: Higher Self= Mind+ Soul+ Spirit can also be written as Higher self = Mind (Conscious Mind) + Soul (Sub-Conscious Mind) + Spirit (Supra-Conscious Mind)

Conscious mind is the so-called tip of the ice-berg, which understands/ philosophizes/ thinks/ deducts/ spins a tale/ imagines/ concludes/ digests information/ creates stories etc 

Sub-conscious mind is the reservoir of memories of all the experiences which are stored in our cells (each cell is like a computer chip with great capacity to store data). In therapy, we move beyond the conscious / logical mind and dip into the Subconscious mind - which lies sub (under the surface of, so to say) the conscious/ aware mind. 

Supra-conscious mind is the divine mind from where intuition/ inspiration/ new-information/ etc. is received. In meditative states we move beyond the conscious and the sub-conscious mind and tap into the Supra-Conscious mind. Seeing the light (literally as we do in meditation and figuratively as a manner of speech) is  all  about accessing the Supra-conscious mind. 

When we 'see' the light in meditation, new information/ knowledge gets en-coded into our system, which gets decoded over a period of time (or instantly in a flash) and eventually gets expressed as wisdom.....:))

However. while reading/ listening to anyone's thoughts, we must always keep in mind that these are just 'understandings/ perspectives' and not absolute truths 

When we search for something on the Internet, what we read are only some people's thoughts/ findings/ deductions/ understandings in the past and in the present. Those are not absolute truths (though we usually take them to be). Having been a Web Content Writer for some time, I know 'how' the content is created. Most of the stuff is re-hashed material, and most 'experts' are tale-spinners. But when we find the same stuff (albeit in different words) on more than two sites, we feel re-assured that this is the truth (after all so many people are saying the same thing). This is how most untruths/ blatant lies become accepted dogma, over a period of time, through continuous repetitions (and from different schools of thoughts). This is how we get brain-washed!!

So, all we need to do is- LISTEN/ READ.....MULL OVER......UNDERSTAND......FEEL ITS ENERGY..........and then ask your heart, "Does this resonate with me?"  If it does, think some more about it...digest it...assimilate it..and imbibe it....But if it doesn't just keep it aside/ archive it/ or simply throw it out of the window!!!!! 

(As my truths keep changing, I often wonder if there are any absolute truths. I only see layers of understandings; and each layer thrills me for a while...before a new layer opens up. I guess, it has something to do with my nomadic life. One place thrills me for a while, until I move on to a new place, with new understandings and a new outlook.)

My-selves

Another over-used ( and misunderstood) word in spiritual circles is 'Higher Self'........In my understanding there are primarily two selves in me (as in every one else)....One self (small s is being used only to distinguish it from the other self.....I could also call it self-1) is my ego-personality (the unique role that I am essaying in this particular incarnation), while the other self (self-2 or Self with a capital S or so-called Higher Self) is my mind+soul+spirit entity.

It is often referred to as 'Higher' self only because it has the larger vision; knows the larger game plan; is privy to the whole script (in movie parlance it is the man behind the role; the actor- the one who KNOWS exactly what is happening behind the scenes). It is not Higher (as in holier/ better/ more important) than the ego-personality.

Can Aamir Khan say if he is 'Higher' than Bhuvan of Lagaan??? Both are equally important in their respective space. However, one is real while the other is an illusion.

Similarly, self-1 (ego-personality) is an illusion (The actor is not the character s/he is essaying in the movie. Those actors, who identify too much with their screen persona- and are too attached to their roles- are usually unhappy). self-2 (so-called Higher Self or the mind + soul + spirit entity) is who I am (the actor/director/ producer/ observer/ witness/ and the one who is watching the movie and enjoying).

We don't need to justify our unique ego-personality to anyone, including (more importantly) ourselves.....Let us just remain who we are at the ego-personality level and at the Higher Self (mind+soul+spirit) level....in full acceptance of both....Our humanity (ego-personality) and our divinity (Higher Self).

Our problem with accepting our ego-personality (finding faults with it) reeks of our most basic issue- I am not good enough!!! And this issue is the construct of our society and its systems- including the systems of spiritual seeking........The Billion-Dollar Spiritual Industry ----which while seeking to solve the root problem, ends up exacerbating  it.....albeit in a different avatar...with newer symptoms.....ego-bashing is one such symptom!

Unless we start thinking for ourselves, we shall remain bogged down by dogmas of all kinds- including spiritual dogmas (and least understood jargon)...:)

More/ Less/ or No Ego

"More is the ego in a person, more love he needs to be at peace."

This statement in my mail-box, set me thinking.........

I look at ego (a Latin word which simply means 'I' in English)  as the ego-personality of my current incarnation (my experience/ action state), which has been very carefully chosen by my soul+ mind+ spirit entity (my home state), while keeping the larger picture in sight (an example which comes to mind is my favorite actor Aamir Khan choosing a particular role in a movie after deliberating over each aspect of the character being portrayed, the script, other characters in the script etc).....

I ( mind+soul+spirit entity) has taken an embodiment with a particular ego-personality which gets shaped by circumstances and situations in a particular incarnation- (all part of the script)- while carrying samskaras from previous incarnation- (flashbacks).

So, when does ego become 'more' or 'less'? When does it disappear?

Is 'more ego' akin to 'over-acting' and 'less ego' akin to 'almost natural acting'? Does 'no ego' mean 'no acting'?

If Aamir Khan does over-acting (God forbid), his movie will be a flop (a failure), but if he does almost natural acting (which is what he does), the movie will be a roaring success!! But if he does no acting at all.....and just remains Aamir Khan, whatever may be the requirement of the role, no director would ever sign him up!!.....Unless of course, he is assaying the role of Aamir Khan itself- playing himself as he is.

Similarly, if we remain (mind+soul+spirit entity) without an ego-personality, we cannot remain in embodiment. Embodiment comes WITH an ego-personality.

If you have to work in a movie you HAVE to act according to the requirement of the role; unless you are playing the role of you as you....Similarly, if you have chosen an embodiment, you have to have an ego-personality and act as whoever you have chosen to be; unless of course you have chosen to play the role of you as you- an Avatar la Rama, Krishna etc.....:))

If I was to put the above phrase in perspective.........I would say, "The more suppressed/ shadow aspects in a person; More love s/he needs to be at peace." .............Does this resonate with anyone???

However, I would also like to add that 'more ego' may mean more masks to cover all the suppressed/ shadow aspects........and 'less ego' may mean being almost natural/ authentic/ spontaneous/ completely in tune with the original personality you have chosen for this incarnation...:))) 'No Ego' is not possible in human embodiment!!

Spirit, Soul, Mind

At another level of understanding..........The light that we 'see' in our meditative experience is God/ Spirit/ Jyoti/ Prakash/ Noor. This light is neutral. 

However, the same light as it becomes denser ( an example to understand this would be the process of photosynthesis), gets divided (not physically but energetically) into masculine mind and feminine soul. Thus, Mind + Soul + Spirit are INSEPARABLE.......They are a package. This is what is Ishwar/ Shiva- Shakti / God within us. This is the Trident/ Trimurti/ the power of 3!

While feminine soul carries the memories of entire existence (in the form of electric charge), the mind works upon/ expands / explains/ digests and extracts meanings/ lessons/ understandings from these memories/ experiences. They work in tandem. One is incomplete without the other. 

The Mind primarily operates through physical brain, while the Soul primarily operates through physical heart...(though they penetrate each body cell)....(New research tells us that heart too contains neurons but they are wired differently than the brain neurons; Heart Intelligence). 

We achieve our highest potential (infinite-ness of God) when we use both our brain and heart (mind and soul) in tandem. 

Interesting download by my mind from the Universal mind (collective consciousness)........Shall be mulling more upon it...:)

Soul Wounds

Soul wounds are our emotional currency that we either use to create more joy, peace and love in our lives, or more pain and limitation. 

These wounds and their dense emotional energy is like a backpack on our back, which we need to put down in order to evolve.......

In computer jargon, these wounds are like virus attack on our software/ hardware.......and we need to not only clean out our files but also install anti-virus protection....:)

Self-Empowerment

Basic ground rules for Self-Empowerment:-

Think for yourself
Don't follow anything/ anyone blindly
Don't give away your power to others by thinking that they are superior to you
Don't suck others' power by thinking that they are inferior to you
Be your authentic self

Soul- Spirit

For those who would like clarity on the difference between Soul and Spirit.......In Hindi, the word for soul is Atma and for spirit Prakash, Jyoti, Noor etc. Parmatma (God) is the whole which is greater than the sum of all its parts (sum of all the atmas/ souls).....ALL THAT IS......♥

Ego, Soul, Spirit Et Al

Coming back to our computer analogy.............:)

Suppose there are 5 members in your family (or more or less), and each one uses their own computer; all computers draw electricity/ power from the same source (even if the sockets are different) and same software has been loaded into all, all have access to Internet .....Easy to imagine this, as it is a common scenario in most homes........Now, if an observer were to look into all the computers and check the folders/ files/ content/ sites accessed/ facebook friends/ likes/ comments etc...there might be some similarity but definitely some variation/ or a lot of similarity/ or a lot of variation whatever.....The fact is that despite drawing from the same power Source, having same basic software, same Internet access; all the computers would display DIFFERENT content; beginning with the wallpaper itself.....Are we in agreement so far?

Now look at these 5 family members (or more or less); all have same human body (-which may outwardly look different but we can find some common features- however the basic anatomy and physiology remains the same), carry the same basic soul format (which contains all emotions stored as positive and negative charge) are connected to the same Source/ God/ Spirit/ Paramatma (Ek noor se sab jag upja; ke change ke mande), have access to the same collective consciousness for thoughts/ ideas/ intuition etc. and yet, each individual is unique.......What makes us unique? OUR EGO PERSONALITY + OUR SOUL/ cellular MEMORIES (collected experiential data stored as positive/ negative charge within our cells). Any questions? Doubts? 

By the way, you will also notice that all computers are password protected (lest others come to know the real you)........Similarly, all humans wear MASKS let others discover the real you!!! Our Masks protect our vulnerability!! 

Suppose we had nothing to hide/ fear.....Then we would either not have passwords or share them with people we trust; provided they ask for it.....

However, you would be surprised that not many loved ones would be interested in your password or knowing the real you.......because they either don't care about your stuff/ don't have time or inclination to know the real you/ are uncomfortable with your honesty- lest you demand reciprocity/ prefer your masks because reality might upset their apple-cart/ would like to keep their own masks on/ want to protect their own secrets/ are fearful of revealing their true self.......

But the best part is that the more FREE/ Bindaas you become about letting whoever see you the way you are; the others start becoming FREE in your presence. When you stop judging yourself; they stop judging you/ themselves. When you let your masks slip; their masks come off sooner or later. When you don't need to protect your vulnerability; they also reveal their vulnerable side. 

Eventually relationships become authentic; based in love, trust and respect for each person's unique EGO PERSONALITY + SOUL MEMORIES. 

Life becomes much simpler, joyful, love-ful,  full-ful and FREE.........:)) Ah, freedom; you don't know its sweetness, until you live it!!!

Ego..........anyone?

Now what is this about our ego-personality that so riles the spiritualists........or so I gather from various utterings---'We must annihilate our ego. Ego is our biggest enemy etc." In fact, the entire 'spiritual' industry is based upon learning the best tools to control/ overcome/ go beyond our ego? 

Before we can learn how to control/ annihilate/ defeat/ overcome/ go beyond something, we must first know what is it that we must control/ annihilate/ defeat overcome/ go beyond....Makes sense, isn't it? 

Ego is a Latin word, which means 'I'...often used in English to define 'self'...Psychologists understand it as one of the three constructs of the structural model of our psyche (id, ego, super-ego)....Spiritualists call it self with a small s (as opposed to Self with a large S, Soul/ Spirit), false-self, self-identity, self-concept, conceptual identity etc. Most common folks (the ones trying/ wanting to control/ annihilate/ defeat/ control/ overcome/ go beyond it.....in other words the suckers...oops the 'seekers') think of ego as all the 'bad' aspects of our psyche/ emotions/ reactions/ actions that keep us in bondage (away from enlightenment---the prized catch). 

Some like me, look at ego as ALL aspects of our personality. There are some aspects of our personality that we like, identify with, display happily, want others to know, feel happy about etc. (In my case, I like my intelligence, wit, honesty, trust-worthiness, authenticity etc....you will have your own list). We do not have any problem with this part of our ego and like to nurture it. 

The 'enemy' are those aspects of our personality that we really would like to be 'dead'/ do away with/ hide behind masks/ don't want anyone- including ourselves- to see/ would like to control, annihilate, defeat, overcome, go beyond...........These are those (shadow) aspects of our psyche that we are ashamed of, which make us feel imperfect/ not good enough/ unworthy/ scum of the earth/ shameful/ guilty/ terrible/ satan's spouse/ unwholesome etc etc etc. This is the part we wish to bring to light (enlighten...the rest is perfect as it is).....This is the part which makes us a sucker/ seeker...(seeking for elusive peace/ joy/ happiness/ ananda/ enlightenment/ awakening/ ascension etc....the names are many but the essence is same or similar)....

So, now we have at least identified the ENEMY.........Now what? Down with the Enemy...Behead it. Annihilate it. Take it away from my sight. I have nothing to do with it. I am not my ego. I am the soul..Is any one listening?....I AM THE SOUL.........but we may cry ourselves hoarse shouting it, and may wear masks upon masks (even the most attractive of them all----the spiritual mask), we CANNOT do away with our shadow self (Ego, The Enemy). It keeps popping its (ugly) head every now and then....catching us unaware, letting our carefully screwed masks slip....Oh, what I do with this Ego? It doesn't let me live in peace/ joy/ ananda whatever...How do I annihilate/ control/ overcome it? Please God/ Angels HELP!! 

The help comes in the form of distractions - whether material or spiritual- distractions are just distractions; they don't solve anything- they just distract us temporarily until our buttons are pushed once again---ouch---- life/ people/ circumstances/ weather/ situations/ politicians/ gods/ EVERYONE is so cruel....Why can't they let me live in peace? Why do they keep pressing my buttons- allowing the shadow to show up? Why? Why? Why? What do I do about it?

Do you get the drift now? Can you identify the root cause of all our suffering? 

The day I understood this game/ leela/ maya.......or whatever you call it......I called it a day. I chose to QUIT! 

Yes, and that's what was needed. Ah, could it get simpler than that? Is that what is known as surrender/ acceptance/ unconditional love? Just Quit the seeking/ sucking/ trying to control, annihilate, overcome etc. 

I made a list of my shadow aspects. It was a deadly cocktail of anger, irritation, resistance, rejection, superiority. inferiority, envy, me-first, poor me, why me, you are not okay, I am not okay, world is not okay, you don't understand, I don't understand, no-one understands me etc. etc. etc. And I did the unthinkable......I began to acknowledge my shadow aspects (much reviled ego) to myself first, then to my virtual friends, and finally to my family- people who matter the most to me. The more I exposed myself (my ego), half-expecting to be ridiculed/ hated/ judged/ criticized, much to my surprise (the ego was practically shaken up in the delight of recognition) I was ACCEPTED more fully than ever before! and what a burden it was off my head/ shoulders/ back......I felt free at last. I didn't have to wear any more masks. I didn't have to make an effort to HIDE some aspects of myself and PRETEND to be an angel anymore. Of course I am an angel but I can be a devil too!! and that's what being human means. A human is not a complete angel nor a certified devil...It is a cross between the two....:))))))) A hybrid!! 

True freedom comes when we can feel comfortable with our entirety and become whole. That is what is spirituality all about. It is a journey of being whole- once again. In oneness with ALL aspects that make us who we are- Unique in all aspects. There is nothing to control/ negate/ annihilate/ overcome. My ego-personality will die its death the day my body is vacated by my soul. Until then I remain at peace with it. 

I am reminded of my childhood, where Pran used to the most-reviled villain. Those days heroes were total heroes (gods/ angels) and villains were complete villains (devil-incarnate). No wonder, I used to HATE Pran; until one day when I read in some film magazine that Pran was a wonderful/ generous human being- a hero in real life. I remember being confused and wondered why the hell would a decent guy choose to portray the role of a devil (apparently I knew nothing about earning a livelihood or challenges of essaying a role that was opposite to who you actually are). As I grew up, I learnt that all the heroes I worshipped (Rajesh Khanna et al) were not really 100% angels in real life. and that's when the Indian Cinema too changed. Roles became more complex. Lines between hero/ zero were blurred. Nothing was as either/or anymore. 

And that is how it happened in real life as well. We became more complex. Virtues became more flexible. Nothing was sacro-sanct anymore- least of all myself----And then I discovered spirituality and found the 'real' villain- my ego! Ah, gottcha!! That was an aha moment alright- but short-lived. My masks couldn't control/ annihilate / overcome my ego (I didn't know about this 'shadow' self business then)......and I remained not-completely happy 24 x7, despite living the most beautiful life ever imaginable by anyone in my league, with the most beautiful/ lovable/ intelligent/ capable people god ever made!!! 

I often used the story of the Princess and the Pea (where a small pea under a pile of soft mattresses wouldn't let a princess sleep), to explain my situation...But at last I found the pea---ah, the ego again but only a part of it...and this time I identified it as my shadow self.

Once the culprit was identified, acknowledged, accepted, embraced and ahem- loved; it was no more the enemy. How could it be? It was an integral part of who I am. Body + Soul+ Ego-personality (and much more besides). 

Inner Peace comes when we become peaceful with all our facets. That's when the diamond is noticed.....and polished. That's when the brilliance gets exposed......and light shines through!!!! 

Would you still want to control/ annihilate/ defeat/ control/ overcome/ go beyond your ego-personality? All the best to you and yours!!! 

Body + Soul... and Much More Besides

Many spiritual practices teach us that we are not our body....we are a soul residing (or trapped) inside a body ( a necessary evil). The entire focus is on 'being'/ expressing this soul; without paying much attention to the body (or negating the body by repeating- I am not this body. I am not this body). 

Our younger son, in his late-teens was so influenced by this theory that he had stopped looking at his reflection in the mirror, lest he is reminded of his body....I too was taken up by this thought process, until I began to think for myself....and used my logic/ left brain (That is another no-no in spirituality and in most other doctrined institutions, such as educational institutions: We are NOT supposed to think for ourselves. Left brain is another enemy just like the ego and thoughts- but I will come to those later. Let me for now stay with the body.) 

Negating our body, in favour of our soul is like negating the hardware in favour of the software. But can a software run without the hardware? Well, soul can. It can be embodied (in a body) or dis-embodied (without a body). Dis-embodied souls are either feared (ghosts) or revered (gods/ masters/ angels). It goes, without saying what kind of disembodied soul, we wish to identify with! (there is a great confusion, even among spiritualists about what is soul and what is spirit? Most use these words inter-changeably; which creates extra confusion; the kind which would be created if we were not too sure which one is the software and which one is the power supply.....in other words HUGE confusion.) 

So, without exactly knowing what is a soul, we keep chanting I am a soul. I am not the body---even though I can't SEE/ FEEL/ TOUCH/ SMELL/ SQUEEZE/ PINCH/ HIT my soul BUT can do all this with my body......CAN IT GET MORE ILLOGICAL THAN THAT? But whoever said, spirituality was about logic. It is supposed to be beyond logic (another trap/ attempt at keeping it mystical- beyond reach of common folks like you and me; who then need a Guru to show them the light.....This is the most amazing marketing technique in the entire history of self-promotion/ job-creation. More the confusion created: more the need for someone to clear that confusion. and who can be better than an enlightened soul ( a big trap- aren't all souls supposed to be enlightened in the first place? and if they are not, what is the point of claiming, I am a soul. Heck, I am a soul, but I still need someone to get myself in touch with my light. Do you see the absurdity of it all???) Traps, more traps: layers, more layers....

Well, let us use another analogy (this is another anomaly. We are not supposed to use logic/ left brain but all the spiritual knowledge can be best explained by using simple, everyday anaLOGIES, which use LOGIC.) Suppose you buy a car (soul gets a body) and then keep saying, 'I am not the car', it will be perfectly understood by everyone. Of course, you are not the car, you just have a car and you use it when you need it.Similarly, you can say, 'I am not my clothes'; of course not; you can change/ discard your clothes at will. Computer's hardware can also say, I am not the software; and that would be right as well. But the car can't run on its own, clothes can't walk by themselves and computer can't run without software. In fact, they all remain dead without you/ software. So, yes, you/ software/ soul is an IMPORTANT/ VITAL aspect but so is the car/ clothes/ hardware.......In fact, computer analogy is the best analogy (though others are used as well. Krishna couldn't have used the computer analogy/ nor could our saints) to explain the working of a human being- even though a Human Being is so much more sophisticated and highly evolved computer than the kind I am using right now. 

So, yes, now you tell me (using your logic/ left brain), can a computer negate its hardware? Can it keep saying, 'I am not the hardware. I am the software'? Can you (god, who operates the computer) (....in the case of a human being, the operator/ god is also inside the hardware!) afford to negate/ neglect the hardware? 

Our body and our soul are both made of energy and information.....the difference is only in its vibration. Soul is subtle while body is gross. We can't negate what is 'in-our-face' for something which is ephemeral. But YES, the idea is to REMEMBER that I am NOT ONLY the body. I am body + soul (and much more besides). A computer is hardware+ software (and much more besides). 

If I think that I am only this body- I am a fool. If I think that I am only a soul- I am a fool. If I think I am a complex, unfathomable, un-explainable, un-knowable  gigam-chikam-pook; I would be closer to reality..........:))))

The 'Master'piece

We cannot be human and not have an ego-personality! 

But yes, we can try and observe our ego-personality and enjoy its stories...share them with friends and have fun.....:))) 

Each one of us plays multiple roles in many stories at different times. It is fun to compile our portfolio and laugh at ourselves....If we can do that, we have transcended our ego-personality/ found peace with it/ accepted our human-ness/ touched our authentic self.....until then let's have fun with/ in our dramas....

'I don't have an ego'..is the biggest drama of them all....The 'Master'-piece, so to say......:))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Subjective- Objective

While the 'parent-child' analogy brings in the required subjectivity in our understandings, the computer analogy brings in the required objectivity........and while staying with this objectivity, do we often look at our old people as out-dated gadgets that need to be replaced? Do we get the same feeling when we look at our out-dated mobile phone/ TV/ computer/ camera etc- such as, I know it must be discarded but I can't afford a new one as of now. I am too attached to it. It is still useful. It is serving my purpose. I have got used to it. It is my comfort zone. I will use it as long as it is working. My children are after my life to throw this but I kind-of love it. It is so wasteful to discard something which is still ticking.

Have you ever wondered why youngsters can easily discard old stuff?.........They don't get too attached to it.

Is that a sign of unabashed materialism or a state of enlightenment?

I wonder........................:)

Being Special

It’s all about being special. When we don’t get our chance to shine, we either sulk or throw tantrums to seek attention.

Can I let go of wanting attention? Can I stop struggling to prove anything? Can I experience the bliss of being nothing and nobody? I believe it is one of the most nourishing and empowering experiences; can I be strong (vulnerable) enough to let go and just be in that experience?

Every time we feel special, superior, or inferior to someone else, we miss Oneness....... Every time we remember that everyone is simply expressing a tiny aspect of The Continuum, we touch Oneness.......It helps to keep reminding ourselves that each one of us is a part of One Whole, which is much larger than the sum of all its parts.

Tuning-Fork Effect

Every thought and emotion that I experience is not really ‘mine’…It simply exists in the Collective Consciousness of the Universe, and I happen to merely tune into it, at this particular moment, because my vibrational frequency, as of now, matches with it. This is the ‘tuning fork’ effect or entrainment. I don’t own these thoughts and these emotions, they are just passing through me, finding expression through me, just as a certain program finds expression through a certain TV channel at a certain time, if the TV is tuned into it. The TV doesn’t own that program. It doesn’t belong to the TV. The TV doesn’t feel guilty or euphoric about what is shown through it. We do, because we identify with whatever is expressed through us and take its ownership. 

What if we were to say, ‘The consciousness is expressing this particular aspect through me. It is neither good nor bad, it just is. And I happen to be the channel of this expression at this moment.” 

Will that be true acceptance and surrender or resignation and escape? 

Body, Soul, Spirit- part 2

Continuing with our computer analogy..........

If too many windows are opened at the same time (we multitask), if some heavy files are being downloaded/ uploaded (too much brain activity), if computer is not updated with new software (new soul lessons are not learnt) or hardware is not upgraded (body is not taken care of,or new neural circuits are not formed), our computer slows down/ crashes/ or hangs up (the body falls sick/ we become tense, angry, worried etc- in other words inefficiency sets in/ or death occurs).

New children (new generation gadgets) are more efficient, have more battery life (need less plug in/sleep), are differently configured with newer software and better hardware (have upgraded physiology/ larger brains/ more soul memory; and carry more light/ spirit-spark). 

A lot of the new generation software cannot be run on older generation hardware (no wonder we oldies don't always understand newbies/ generation gap/ inability to process new information/ incompatibility) unless the old hardware is continuously upgraded, but even that has a limitation. 

Finally, the old hardware needs to be discarded (even though we may get attached to it) and newer one brought in (that's death and re-birth). We usually transfer/ feed our old data/ work (soul) into the new machine (body). The new child (hardware) carries the entire/ relevant data-base of the previous machine (after sorting out and discarding all that is not needed anymore). 

Soul is immortal (software doesn't crash or die), Spirit is eternal (the power supply is inexhaustible, and newer ways of harnessing it are being discovered every day). 

We keep remembering our older gadgets (the ones that have died) for a short while or in nostalgia; but we invariably love the newer, more efficient gadgets (the new  children). It is not often that we remember that our new hardware still contains some part of the old gadget, in the form of data (memories/ understandings etc), it runs on the same power source (spirit spark), logs into the same Internet (collective consciousness), which has been continually growing/ being enriched. Similarly, we don't always remember that new children carry parts (memories) of old people (our ancestors), whose bodies we have disposed of. 

How interesting!!!! and thought provoking!!!

Body- Soul- Spirit

In my journey, I have read/ heard/ and discussed various definitions of mind, soul, spirit, god etc. Tonight in my meditation I asked for the simplest of them all, and this is what came through me....

Let us look at your most favourite toy- your computer. You do not know much about its working but you do know that there is a hardware, sitting right on your desk, and it is loaded with certain software which makes you do all the writing and other stuff, and it needs a source of electricity/ power to run. You are also connected to the Internet (your lifeline). Which component is the most important? Which can you do without? 

And now let us look at you. You have a hardware, your body. It is loaded with certain software which makes you do all kinds of stuff (including thinking, emoting, feeling, working, acting etc); let us collectively call it your individual soul. You are tuned into the Collective Consciousness; which is the Internet of the Universe. and the power comes from your spirit. 

As humans you have different bodies but they all have similar components (just as computers have), the basic software is similar but can be downloaded/ uploaded in different combinations depending upon the kind of work you need/ choose to do (the soul carries combination of emotions/ experiences/ memories/ sanskars etc depending upon the kind of work you need/ choose to do).....Spirit is always connected to the Power (God). If there is no power the computer/ body can't work. If the software crashes (soul leaves), computer (body) can't work. 

Collective consciousness/ Internet is the most vital component of the entire human (computer) experience. That's the place from where you download thoughts/ emotions and upload thoughts/ emotions all the time. It is a constant exchange. Both give and take happens continuously. 

Now tell me, which component is the most important? Which can you do without? 

Is it simple enough? For the time being; YES!! 

and ALL components are equally important. I need them all. 

Love your Medicine

If you want medicines to work for you-most efficiently- You must GREET them and love them. 

None of the medicines will work without this. You must greet them and love them. If you stand idly by, fearful of them, hoping they will work - letting them enter your body, letting them take over something you should be participating in - they will simply lie dormant. You must greet them (for them to work at all).

Some of the things I tell you here may sound silly and unscientific. However, the truth remains the truth, whatever you choose to believe. 

Life is Simple

The question comes......What must we do for our parents? How must we look after them?....the answers are many....

However, another question, "What do we want our children to do for us?" puts everything in clear perspective......:)

I want my children to make me feel loved, needed, respected, cared for...........And this is exactly what I must do for my parent.....make her feel loved, needed, respected and cared for.......Simple...or is it???

And this is also what I must do for my divine parents- aka god...make him/her feel loved, needed, respected and cared for...:)))))))))))))))))

Do I want my children to worship me? Will I get angry and punish them if they don't? Do my earth parents want to be worshiped? Will they get angry and punish me if I don't? The answer is an emphatic NO..........so, what makes me think that my divine parents, named god by me, would want that???

Would I feel happy if my sons tell me, "You do such and such thing for me and then I may call or visit you at my own convenience?" Would my mother feel happy if I tell her so? The answer is an emphatic NO........so, what makes me think that my divine parents- gods- would feel happy with such a transaction???

Simple questions: profound answers..........simpler life.....happiness, joy, bliss, peace, ananda......♥

Surrender

Surrender is a word/ tool I have often used and practiced (in a way that I understand it), however, my understanding keeps changing as I grow...:)

Surrender usually means letting go and letting god- in full knowledge that god knows what is best for us (has the larger picture in mind). Since I look at god as my father/mother; I look at life from that perspective. 

When I was an infant, I was in complete surrender; but as I grew up, I began to progressively take my own responsibility- my earthly parents expected and appreciated it. and then one fine day (or perhaps it happened gradually), I was on my own. I became an adult (graduated so to say) and started my own family (where I was the god/parent); My children remained in surrender and later progressive freedom until they too flew the nest and became adults in the true sense of the word........and this process would continue with their children! 

Do I want my adult children to live in complete surrender to me? NO, definitely not. But I would like them to know that I am there for them, if they ever need me. And that's exactly what god wants me to know. I cannot remain in passive surrender, expecting god to take care of all my needs, and laying the blame on his/her door when they don't; I must take my own responsibility in full knowledge that I can always ask for help and the help will be granted to me immediately without any judgment whatsoever. 

Similarly, when we were spiritual infants, surrender was our most important tool; but will we always remain infants? Is that what god, the parent wants for us? Would we like our children to always remain infants? Won't they be called invalids then? These are some questions that offer me clarity.

My definition of surrender can be summed up in these lines taken from Alcoholics Anonymous:-

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

What does God want?

The moment I ask myself, "What would God want me to do under these circumstances?" The answer comes, "What would you want your child to do under these circumstance?" And I instantly know what to do......:)

God is my loving parent...and wants for me exactly what I want for our darling sons and our sweetest daughter-in-law.....♥

Choices

Woke up this morning with a beautiful new understanding......:)

Let us use the analogy of TV once again. How do we choose what to watch on TV (or what is expressed through the TV)? We either flip channels (especially when we are not too sure what is playing where) or use a TV guide and choose what to watch at a given time, depending upon what we feel like watching then. Or we know for certain (might even be a daily practice) what is playing at what time/ what is my favorite/ what I must watch, and straight away reach for that channel (or perhaps are already tuned into that; it is only the matter of switching the TV on - or perhaps it remains on most of the time). These are two general behaviour patterns, when the control is in our hand.

Now, what happens when the control is in someone else' hands. We may tell them (emphatically) what we wish to watch (whether they like it or not). We may decide by consensus what to watch, and happily watch it together. We may fight for the control. Or we may resign to watching what the other person is watching.

This is exactly what happens in life. 

The Consciousness is a vast field (like a TV network), all kinds of emotions/ experiences are available to us (lots of channels), we can decide to tune into a particular channel at a given time or stay tuned to it forever (if I wish to stay upbeat all the time, it is my choice). Or flip through channels/ look at the guide and then decide at the best choice available (according to my taste). Again, these are possible behaviors when the control is in our hand (self-empowerment). The TV/ Consciousness doesn't judge us for our choice. It is there and we just access/ tune into it. In other words, ALL the experiences of the entire spectrum are available to us and we decide what to tune into. Simple! 

What happens when the control is in other's hand? (whether we have given it to them or they have taken it). Now, we can either tell them (emphatically) that this is not the experience we would choose for ourselves; or we may decide by consensus, what to experience, or we may resign to stay involved in another person's drama/ emotions/ experiences/ story.

This last choice, where the remote is in someone else' hand; and we are perforce- either resignedly or angrily- watching something we would rather not watch- it gives us a headache- we can't even sleep in peace- we want to run away from that room (life)- wishing to either fight or flee, is the most common scenario in most homes (whether with TV or with life), and is the primary cause of our suffering!

Most often we are tuned into (access) other people's emotions from the collective consciousness. and feel miserable about them. 

So, what is the way out?

The simplest way out as I see it is to ask ourselves some simple questions, "What do I want from life? What do I wish to experience in this particular moment (which program do I wish to see)? What am I experiencing right now (which program am I watching instead)? Why am I doing it? (is it because the remote is in another's hand?) Is this experience leading me towards what I want from life or away from it?"

This last question is the real clincher. If an experience is leading us towards what we want from life, it is worth going through (even if it is a so-called-negative experience) but if it is taking us away from what we want from life, what stops us from flipping the channels and tune into something which is more aligned with our purpose??? Does it make any sense?

Wait, there is another way out. Just pray to God and say, "You know what life has to offer to me. Please take me there. And whatever befalls on my way, I shall accept it whole-heartedly." This approach may be called an approach of surrender/ fatalism/ or complete negation of self-responsibility.

Now if you believe that God is your Father/ Mother (something that I believe), how would a parent want a small child to behave? How would a parent want an adult child to behave? 

Time has come for us to grow up and become adults- and choose accordingly!!! But the choice as always lies with us- at the level of each individual! Handing over the control to someone else (even God/ parent) is also a choice. And all choices have consequences!!!!!

Authentic Directness

I am from Western UP, married to a man from Bengal....:) Soon after our marriage, my husband noticed (and commented) that I was rather 'kaath khotta'.....roughly translated, it implied being blunt/ rough/ rude/ not sophisticated or cultured enough...Since I was very conscious of my 'jat-land-roots', I tried (quite unsuccessfully I must add) to veil/ cover/ mask my kaath-khotta-ness with 'socially/ culturally correctness'......

Today, I understand that being 'kaath-khotta' also means being truthful, direct, authentic, and real.......So, even though I agree that my part of the world is famous for being rude/ rough, I also take pride in our authentic directness.........I am learning to ACCEPT both these aspects of my up-bringing......♥

Holy or Whole

When I was a child, I often heard my mother say, "Krishna was the only Poorna-avatar. Even Ram was only 3/4th complete." She had her own explanation to support this statement....(something about Krishna being 16 kala-sampoorna and Ram only 12 kala-sampoorna) which didn't cut ice with me as I didn't understand it then (and don't understand it now). 

For me Ram was a better God because he was more 'holy'.....He had committed only a couple of mistakes, like doubting Sita's fidelity and making her go through Agni-pareeksha, and abandoning her alone in a forest when she was pregnant, (giving in to public opinion, while knowing fully well that Sita was 'un-touched')......Though unpardonable his crime was lesser than all the blatant un-thinkables that Krishna committed, beginning with the theft of butter as a child, encouraging adultery by many gopis, especially Radha, who was someone else's wife, in his youth (that is unthinkable number one), and telling lies on many occasions, even in the battle-field, getting valiant warriors killed through deceit, in his mature years etc. I had nothing to do with such a God who was so un-godly/ un-holy! He wasn't even a good human (by my/ society's standards)......

My mother would laugh at my out-bursts and smile mysteriously....saying, 'Don't judge Gods by your human standards. Who knows their Leela?" But I wasn't impressed with such leelas (including raas-leela) and had nothing to do with such gods.....for a long-long time!

That was until I understood that being spiritual is not about being being 'holy', it is about being 'Whole'.....and that's when it hit me...OMG Krishna was teaching us how to be WHOLE.....encompassing both poles of the polarity and everything in between with elan...with nonchalance.....with grace.....with beauty.....with confidence....and without any guilt, whatsoever....
Oh dear, oh dear.....Ram was 'holier' but not 'whole'......

and when I try to be 'holier', I am also not being whole...........:)))) This understanding has hit me like a punch and woken me up like nothing before.....I do not need to be holy (I already am that), I just need to be WHOLE......I need to encompass/ accept/ love all aspects of my polarity/ duality in this dual/ polar world.....

Simple??????

Ho'oponopono

The basic principle behind Ho'oponopono tells us that as we raise our vibrations, the quality of our work gets imbued with it, and anyone who partakes of that 'work' benefits as well.........In other words, when our vibrations are high, the food that we cook and serve will be more nutritious for those eating it..........and the words we write will be more beneficial for those reading them.........Do you see the tremendous value in raising our vibrations? 

Joe Vitale says, "as I improve myself, my book's vibration will raise, and everyone will feel it when they read it. In short, as I improve, my readers will improve.".............I see the same thing happening with my book/s.........OMG

Self-Empowerment

When we believe that we are lesser than others, we give our power away to them. Similarly, when we believe that we are better than others, we exert power (which was originally given by them) upon them.....:)

The balance of power within us creates Self-Empowerment. In that space, no one is lesser or better than us. We are all different aspects of the same consciousness......and we practice what we believe in....♥

Acceptance to Allowance

Let us move from 'Acceptance of all that is' to 'Allowance of all that is'.........Acceptance involves some effort but Allowance is effort-less........Let us ALLOW all that is finding expression through us in each moment..... So Be It and So It Is.....♥