Om! GOAL SETTING IN SPIRITUAL SADHANA by Nityananda Atman

Atman at Babaji's Ashram Haidakhan Vishva Mhadam India

  GOAL SETTING IN SPIRITUAL SADHANA
by Nityananda Atman 

FREEDOM, HAPPINESS and COMPLETENESS, are characteristics of our True Nature or Consciousness. We can experience them only when our mind is calm and focused in the center of our existence or consciousness, which is eternal, unchanging and the source of peace and bliss.

Mind introverted focused in its center (consciousness) enable us to be in contact with the eternal source of life (God, Spirit, Consciousness), stops the identification and attachment to the external forms and objects.
This has as result to experience freedom, peace, happiness and fulfillment.

Mind extroverted focused on external objects and forms causes identification and attachment to the external forms and objects, compulsive and mechanical thinking and negative emotions.
This has as result to experience bondage, pain, and suffering, with small breaks of pleasure, and fleeting moments of happiness.

With the aid of spiritual practices (sadhana) the mind becomes introverted and stays firmly focused in its center, the consciousness. When all egoic energies are totally destroyed the abidance of the mind in consciousness becomes effortless and without a break, this state is called Liberation. If we want to be established in our center and live a higher spiritual life it is necessary to organize our daily living properly and follow a well organized daily schedule of spiritual practices.

In order to bear fruits the spiritual practices the practitioner is necessary to have some basic virtues such as perseverance, patience, endurance in hardships and adversity, courage, firm determination, faith ( in himself , in the scriptures and the Masters ). In addition, as I have said the aspirant should do his practices systematically. It is necessary to draw a well- organized program in which will set specific goals and objectives, which will try to achieve by practicing with consistency and zeal.

It is important to be understood that apart from the daily program it is very important the setting of specific goals and objectives. It has been shown that when practice has been associated with the achievement of specific goals is much more effective than the practice which is poorly organized and lacks of goals.

Atman at Sivananda room Rishikesh India

Swami Sivananda since 1935 (when the science of learning had not yet advanced), found through his personal experience that is of great importance the implement of a well- organized daily program, the maintenance of a personal diary and the setting of goals. All the above will enable the aspirant to move decisively to his spiritual journey and achieve self-realization. There are many obstacles and difficulties in the spiritual path therefore it is required a very well organized and honest effort to achieve the final goal which is self-realization. The experience and the guidance of those who already have achieved self-realization make our journey easier and help us to save time and energy and march on with more confidence towards self-realization. 


Read at the end of the essay the instructions of Swami Sivananda about how we can organize our daily sadhana

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING WITH GOALS?

It is important for us to know the benefits of setting goals in our daily practice, because this knowledge will motivate us to set goals and try to achieve them with enthusiasm. Later on when we will get our personal results we will know from firsthand the value of setting goals and we continue to practice with goals with more joy and satisfaction.

The advantages of setting goals:

1. Create greater motivation and interest.

2. It helps us to be more methodical and effective.

3. It helps to have results more quick.

4. It helps us to evaluate our effort and progress.

5. Motivate us to increase our effort and stick with our plan.

6. It helps us find our weaknesses.

7. We become more creative finding new ways and methods to accomplish our goals.

8. It helps us to be more focused to what is important.

When we set goals we must always remember to

• "Keep it simple"
• "Be flexible"
• "Be open minded"
• "Enjoy every moment of your practice" "Focus on present"
•  

PLANNING THE PROGRAM

In the beginning we plan a program of daily practice which we must follow with regularity and steadiness. We can make changes if we think it is necessary.

The program must be proportional to our needs and capacities.

We must be attentive and see if we can fulfill this program with regularity.

The first 2-3 weeks we must note if the program flows. We must observe how things go and reflect on them in order to determine if the program is fulfilled and if not, what impede us to fulfill the program.

We must determine if the obstacles are external or internal (our mental or emotional weaknesses). When we determine the nature of the obstacles we must do the appropriate changes in pour program or we must eliminate our mental and emotional weaknesses which impede us to fulfill it regularly.

Every once we must examine and evaluate the program. We must determine if it is appropriate for us and help us achieve the goals we have set. If not we must do some changes. If we do not know what to do or we have doubts we must ask for help. Spiritual teachers, advanced spiritual aspirants and books can help us to do what is necessary. Prayer can help us a lot.

Program and goal setting

Together with the program we set specific goals (with schedule) which we try to achieve with the means and the practices of our choice.

The goals we set can be relative to the program itself or the capacities and the qualities we want to develop (some examples: to apply without a break the program for one month. To increase the time of concentration or to increase the time of pranayama or the session time of meditation. To develop patience, tranquility, dispassion, truthfulness etc.)

Setting goals according the time:  

• Short-term goals (the goals of the day or week)  
• Medium-term goals (monthly, quarterly) 
• Long-term goals (semester, annual)  
• The final goal is Self realization 

 HOW WE SET THE GOALS:

• Write down your goals (this one is very important!)
• Follow measure and common sense
• Keep the process of setting goals simple.
• Evaluate the current level of the skills you want to develop.
• Set realistic goals regarding the level and time available. Set goals corresponded amount and difficulty to your level. Make goals moderately difficult.
• Increase the amount and difficulty of goals gradually (step by step).
• Set goals for quantity the quality and stability.
• Set specific measurable goals, not abstract. Define exactly what you want to achieve. Use numbers detailing how often, how many, how much.
• Be flexible and make modifications or change the goal if it is needed.
• Decide the means and the method to follow.
• Set a schedule to achieve the goal.
• Review your progress.
• Reevaluate goals weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually.

ATTENTION

Do not set too many short-term goals. Many people get bogged down by working on too many goals at once.
Do not set unrealistic goals out of reach of your level and time.
Also, remember to be flexible. Sometimes goals need to be modified, especially if you are new at goal-setting. Changing goals is not a sign of failure; it merely helps you become more specific about what you need to do now, considering information you didn’t have at the time you originally set your goals.

TYPES OF GOALS

1. Relative to the program 

2. Relative to the development of practices
 
3. Relative the development of capacities and virtues

4. Relative to the elimination of defects  and the  abandonment of harmful habits

EXAMPLES

1. EXAMPLES relative to the program
Sleeping and waking fixed time in order the program to flow.
Doing meditation with the same ritual, in the same place, same time
Doing meditation steadily every day morning and evening without to fail to do the practice more than 2 times a week

2. EXAMPLES relative to the the development of practices (quantity and quality)
To extend the duration of pranayama within 6 months from 10’ to 20’ minutes and the duration of meditation from 30’ to 45’.
To stay completely motionless during meditation
To increase the ability to concentrate without distractions
To increase the control of senses and mind.

3. EXAMPLES relative the development of virtues.

We develop virtues such as: patience, compassion, truthfulness, sincerity, kindness, acceptance, dispassion, discernment, etc.

4. EXAMPLES relative to the elimination harmful habits and egoic tendencies: 

We eliminate defects such as: fear, jealousy, envy, anger, impatience, gluttony, lasciviousness, guilty, etc.
 
We try to eliminate step by step the expression of each egoic tendency of its all particulars expressions . 

We eliminate harmful habits such as: watching a lot tv, smoking, drinking alcohol, sleeping too much, gossiping, talking to much, criticizing, cheating, telling lies, watching films of violence, porn, horror, lousy, etc..

When for some reason we don't remain steady in our practice to achieve the above goals, we are looking for the cause that creates this lack of consistency and I try to find solutions..

When something doesn’t go as we wish, it is not helpful at all to react emotionally (with guilt, sadness etc. )this is also a play of the ego which wants to stop our progress towards happiness and freedom)). If it happens so we do practices in order to eliminate these undesirable emotional reactions. With sobriety we note what is not working with the program and we make the appropriate changes.

Use Your “SMARTS”

Time-management consultant Hyrum W. Smith created this acronym to help people remember some of the most important aspects of effective goal-setting. Keep these things in mind as you create each of your goals:

S = Specific
For example we set as goal to increase the time of japa nama or meditation. We decide to increase the time every month. We will do for example 3 minutes more than the previous one. This is a specific goal and measurable.

M = Measurable – Quantify goals.
Use numbers detailing how often and how much I will do a practice. For example how often I will do pranayama, (every day) how many pranayamas each session or how much time I will do, -15 minutes.

A = Action-Oriented – Goals should imply actions that you need to take.
For example if we want to eliminate a bad habit or a defect (anger) we must decide the practices which we apply with sincerity and enthusiasm in order to achieve the elimination of this defect.

R = Realistic – Make your goals moderately difficult, but reachable.
It is not appropriate to increase the time of pranayama immediately -for example from 10 minutes a day to 45 minutes. It is highly recommended to increase the amount of practice step by step. We can increase the time of pranayama from 10 minutes to 15 minutes or from 30 repetitions to 40 repetitions.

T = Timely – Create goals that you can reach in a reasonable time.
For example we set as a goal to increase the time of meditation at the end of the year from 40 minutes to 1 hour.   

S = Self-Determined – Set your own goals, ones that are meaningful to you.

~~~   ~~~   ~~~

The three important formulas 
 of Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda among so many other instructions that gave to us in order to facilitate our journey towards Self-realization, he suggested three important formulas, considering them of paramount importance for any aspirant who wants to move successfully the path of Self-realization or liberation.

Swami Sivananda says: By keeping a spiritual diary you can then and there rectify your mistakes. You can do more Sadhana and evolve quickly. There is no other best friend and faithful teacher or Guru than your diary. It will teach you the value of time. At the end of every month calculate the total number of hours you spent in Japa, study of religious books, Pranayama, Asanas, sleep, etc. Then you will be able to know how much time You are spending for religious purposes. You have got every chance to increase the period of Japa, meditation, etc., gradually. If you maintain a daily diary properly, without any fault in any of the items, you will not like to waste even a single minute unnecessarily. Then alone will you understand the value of time and how it slips away. to keep a spiritual diary.

The three formulas are:  

1. The twenty important spiritual instructions together with sadhana tattva (or the science of seven cultures for quick evolution of the human being). 
http://www.dlsaus.org/DLSA_Docs/ESSENCE%20OF%20SPRITUALITY_Full.pdf

2. The resolve form
http://www.sivanandaonline.org/public_html/?cmd=displaysection&section_id=565

3. The spiritual diary
http://www.sivanandaonline.org/public_html/?cmd=displaysection&section_id=566

Let your life be a continuous process of Yoga ~ Swami Sivananda

Seek, and you shall find truth.
Inquire, and you shall understand.
Practice, and you shall experience.
Meditate, and you shall realize.
Live the divine life, and you shall find peace and happiness.

Let your life be a continuous process of Yoga.
Efficiency in action is Yoga.
Serving without bondage is Yoga.
Selfless work is Yoga.
Balance of mind is Yoga.
Ethical perfection is Yoga.
Meditation is Yoga.
Emotional integration is Yoga.
Pure devotion is Yoga.
Enlightenment is Yoga.
Cosmic Consciousness is Yoga.
Come now, become a Yogi !
May God bless you all

Yoga is merging in the Self / LOVE-BLISS

Yoga is merging in the Self

 The warding off is to break the identifications and thus disperse ignorance. This is the kaivalya of the seer. (II, 25)

“Kaivalya” literally means “aloneness”; it is a metaphor for pure being, for residing in the Self. It also refers to the Self as pure awareness and the Selfs ability to be aware of fluctuations of the mind without becoming identified with them. This is what is called witnessing. Later Patanjali describes the situation where kaivalya arrises:

Kaivalya (is attained) when the principle of sattva is as pure as the Self. (III, 56)

Sattva is one of the the basic forces of nature, known as gunas (Sattva-Rajas-Tamas). Sattva is characterized as being “stainless, lucid and healthy” (Bhagavad Gitā, XIV, 6). The same verse of Bhagavad Gitā continues: “Sattva binds by attachment to happiness and attachment to knowledge”. What is meant in Patanjali’s sutra is that the mind should not only be sattvic, but that it should be as pure as the Self and permeated with the Self. Simply making the mind sattvic is not enough.

This all leads to a deeper understanding of Patanajali’s initial definition of yoga as “removal of the fluctuations of the mind”. We have now learned that yoga is to ward off identifications between the pure awareness of the Self and the objects of this awareness. We have also learned that yoga is to purify the mind so it becomes sattvic and then purify the sattvic mind by permeating it with the Self.  

We can thus understand that the removal of the fluctuations of the mind is not accomplished by will and subtle force. It is ultimately accomplished by removing identifications and by dissolving the mind into the Self, but in order to accomplish this dissolution, the mind must first be sattvic. What, then, is a sattvic mind? It is a mind longing for wisdom, and is happy, lucid and healthy. But also it is a mind without fluctuations; thus we come full circle back to Patanjali’s initial definition of yoga as removal of the fluctuations of the mind. We therefore arrive at:

Yoga is merging in the Self, removal of identifications and removal of fluctuations of the mind.

SOURCE: http://lovebliss.eu/patanjali-s-definition-of-yoga.html

The process of Yoga - Atman Nityananda

The process of Yoga

Yoga is the union of the individual Soul with God but it is also the process through which we realize the identity of our Soul or Self (Atman), with the universal Soul or Brahman.

The whole process of yoga is a preparation of the internal instrument - named Antahkarana - which is fourfold: manas (mind), buddhi (intellect), ahamkara (ego) and chitta (subconscious mind), in order to be capable for deep meditation and samadhi. Yoga in reality begins from meditation and is completed in Nirvikalpa samadhi. All other practices like asanas, pranayama, kirtan, devotional rituals, reflection, study, control of senses and mind, viveka and vairagya is a preparation for meditation. All these practices purify the Antahkarana and make the mind and intellect capable for deep meditation or Self-enquiry and samadhi.

Thus yoga is possible when we are able to meditate.

Meditation is possible when the mind is serene, introverted, steady and one-pointed. 

The mind cannot be introverted and one-pointed as long as is impure; viz. as long as the chitta is full of samskaras and vasanas, rajas and tamas and as long we cannot stop the creation of new samskaras and vasanas in the chitta.
Thus the purification of the mind includes the elimination of the stored in the chitta samskaras and vasanas (desires, egoic tendencies and impressions) and the stoping of creating of new ones.

In order to stop the creation of new samskaras and vasanas we must succeed in pratyahara with the help of Viveka (discrimination), Vichara (self-enquiry) and Vairagya (dispassion, detachment), control of mind and senses, self-awareness, the attitude of witnessing and not identification with thoughts and emotions. 
We can eliminate the already stored in the chitta samskaras and vasanas, the rajas and tamas gunas by regular systematic sadhana which includes practices like japa nama, repetition of mantras, devotional hymns, kirtan, prayer, pranayama, self-enquiry, auto-observation, reflection, meditation, and other purificatory practices like EFT,  Reiki, Bach's remedies, etc.

These two processes (the elimination of the stored in chitta samskaras and the stoping of creating new ones) will lead to the purification of chitta and will transform the extroverted and distracted mind into a yogic mind; viz. a mind which is indrawn, introspective, detached, steady and one-pointed. This mind is capable to concentrate and meditate without distraction and effort in our center of existence, our essence or true SELF (Atman).

When we have managed to cultivate the yogic mind we reach at the culmination of the yogic process which is profound meditation and samadhi. We spent most of our time in meditation and samadhi until finally in profound Nirvikalpa samadhi we realize clearly our true nature Atman or Brahman and the ego dissolves completely root and branches forever. 

This is the final goal of yoga and our destination; realizing fully our true SELF we live the Oneness of existence, free from  suffering, birth and death and we experience effortlessly the peace, bliss and freedom eternal!

Dual Consciousness of the liberated Yogi (Jivanmukta) in Sahaja Avastha by Swami Chidananda,

Dual Consciousness of the liberated Yogi (Jivanmukta) in Sahaja Avastha*

by Swami Chidananda

Sahaja Avastha*: Superconscious state that has become natural and continuous.

The supreme state of Asamprajnata Samadhi (Highest superconscious state where the mind and the ego-sense are completely annihilated.) entitles the Yogi to be called a Yogarudha (One who is established in Yoga) or one who has scaled the peaks of Yoga and becomes established in the highest pinnacle of Yoga. Such a Yogi is called a Yogarudha Siddha Purusha. He is also called a Jivanmukta (Liberated one). He is established in the consciousness of his Purushahood. (Purusha is the supreme Being) Therefore he is no longer bound; he is no longer within the bondage of Prakriti or Maya or Avidya or delusion or ignorance. In that state, the body continues to be as it was before, and the senses (Indriyas) have their activity (Cheshta) as before. The eyes see and the ears hear and the hands touch; the nose smells and the tongue tastes.

The Yogi is able to differentiate between salt and sugar; he is able to differentiate between hot and cold, between ice-cream and hot coffee. He knows: “This is a child, that is an old man; this is a woman, that is a man; this is a beast, that is a human being”. He is able to see all that. The Cheshta of the Indriyas continues, and yet, the Yogi being in Sahaja Avastha, is not in the least deluded by the same. He has no Moha (infatuation,false identification), no attachment, no desire. 

In that state of Sahaja Avastha, he is not bound by desire, attachment or delusion. His consciousness is not qualified by identification with the various limiting adjuncts or Upadhis such as the senses, the Pranas, the sense-organs, the body, the mind and the intellect. He is therefore established in the full consciousness of his supreme isolated Purushahood, apart from Prakriti, distinct from Prakriti, independent of Prakriti. As such, he is unaffected and unafflicted by the modes of Prakriti. In short, he has regained his pristine status and has established himself in his own Svarupa (essential nature, Atman, Brahman). That is the fruit of Svarupa Avastha (State of being one with Brahman; resting in the Absolute Reality or Brahman). 

In the Yogi who is thus established in Svarupa Avastha, Yoga has fulfilled its purpose. In the midst of Maya, the Yogi is established in a consciousness freed from Maya. He looks upon the world, sees everything going on in it, but knows them to be vanishing shadows having no ultimate reality. He experiences his body and the various states of his mind and intellect, but knows himself as supremely apart from them. He is a mere witness of the changing conditions and states of the Upadhis (limiting adjunct; instrument; vehicle: body, mind, intellect) and remains unaffected and unattached and apart from those Upadhis. And he knows that as long as the least Prarabdha Karma remains to be enjoyed by him, he will have to continue in the state of embodied condition. 

In this state of Sahaja Avastha, the Yogi enjoys dual consciousness. He has the consciousness of the external names and forms. He also has the consciousness of the Svarupa (essential nature:Atman, consciousness) which is beyond all names and forms. And this consciousness of his inner Svarupa prevents him from falling into the delusion of the outer phenomena. In the midst of the waters of Prakriti, he swims on the surface, not drowning, not going in, not being engulfed by the water, but remaining on the surface.

The Yogi who is established in Sahaja Samadhi moves about in the world in a state of dual consciousness—consciousness of the Svarupa within and awareness of the multifariousness of the phenomenal Prakriti without. And at the end of the allotted span of life of his physical body, when the Prarabdha Karma (the portion of Sanchita Karma that determines one’s present life) is spent up and there is no more experience to be undergone, the Yogi gives up his body. Such a Yogi does not return to an embodied condition once again. This is the highest fruit of Yoga. And this is called Kaivalya, a state of liberation from the need to take rebirth once again, from the need to become embodied once again. This ultimate fruit of Yoga comes as the result of a diligent practice of concentration, meditation and Samadhi.

Read also:
Advaita - Nonoduality: Samadhi by Swami Chidananda

Brahman is realised by means of Nirvikalpa Samadhi

MEDITATION – REALIZATION – LIBERATION ...

~~~~~~~

INSTRUCTIONS ON ASANAS by Swami Sivananda

INSTRUCTIONS ON ASANAS

by Swami Sivananda 

1. Asana is the first Anga of the Ashtanga Yoga. When you are established in Asana, then only you will derive the benefits of Pranayama.

2. Spread a blanket on the floor and practise the Asanas over the blanket. Use a pillow or four-folded blanket for practising Sirshasana and its varieties.

3. Wear a Langotee or Kowpeen when you practise Asanas. You can have a banian on the body.

4. Do not wear spectacles when you do Asanas. They may be broken or they will injure your eyes.



5. Those who practise Sirshasana, etc., for a long time, should take light tiffin or a cup of milk after finishing the Asanas.

6. Be regular in the practice. Those who practise by fits and starts will not derive any benefit.

7. Asana should be done on empty stomach in the morning or at least three hours after food. Morning time is best for doing Asanas.

8. If the foundation of a building is not properly laid, the superstructure will fall down in no time, even so if a Yogic student has not gained mastery over the Asanas, he cannot successfully proceed in his higher courses of Yogic practices.

9. Japa and Pranayama should go hand in hand with Yoga Asanas. Then only it becomes real Yoga.

10. In the beginning you cannot perform some of the Asanas perfectly. Regular practice will give perfection. Patience and perseverance, earnestness and sincerity are needed.

11. Never change the Asanas. Adhere to one set tenaciously. If you do one set of Asanas today and some other tomorrow and so on, you cannot derive any benefit.

12. The more steady you are on the Asana the more you will be able to concentrate and make your mind one-pointed. You cannot get on well in your meditation without having a steady posture.

13. Mild Kumbhaka during the practice of Asanas augments the efficacy of Asanas and give increased power and vitality to the practitioner.

14. Everyone should select a course of a few Asanas to suit his temperament, capacity, convenience, leisure and requirement.

15. If you are careful about your diet, Asanas and meditation, you will have fine, lustrous eyes, fair complexion and peace of mind in a short time. Hatha Yoga ensures beauty, strength and spiritual success to the Yogic students.

16. A man can sit for 10 hours at one stretch motionless on the Asana and yet he may be full of desires. This is a mere physical practice like an acrobatic or circus feat. A man without dosing the eyes, without winking, without turning the eye-balls can practise Tratak for three hours and yet he may be full of desires and egoism. This is also another kind of physical exercise. This has nothing to do with spirituality. People are deceived when they see persons who can do the above practices. Fasting for 40 days is also another kind of training of the physical body.


17. Pranayama with Asanas before starting Japa and meditation is very good and conducive. It removes laziness and drowsiness of the body and mind. It steadies the mind also. It fills the mind with new vigour and peace.

18. Asanas can be practised on the sandy bed of rivers, open airy places and by seaside also. If you practise them in a room, see that the room is not congested. You should clean it every day.

19. A Vedantin is afraid to do Asanas on the ground that the practice will intensify Dehadhyasa (attachment to the body) and militate against his practice of Vairagya. I have seen many Vedantins in a sickly condition with poor physique and dilapidated constitution. They can hardly do any rigid Sadhana. They may utter: “Om Om Om,” mechanically through lips only. They have not sufficient strength to raise the Brahmakara Vritti.

20. The body is closely related to the mind. Sickly, weak body is Jada. The body is an important instrument for Self-realisation. The instrument must be kept clean, strong and healthy.

THE YOGA OF NUTRITION by Aivanhov, Omraam Mikhael

THE YOGA OF NUTRITION
by Aivanhov, Omraam Mikhael

Have you ever stopped to think about the power of the elements contained in food, or about the fact that, when it comes to getting you back on your feet again, a meal is always far more effective than any thought or emotion or effort of the will?

The unknown power of food
You consider food to be important only on the level of your instincts, you don’t think it has any importance on the level of your intellectual or conscious life, and yet it is the only thing capable of restoring health and energy. Thanks to the food you eat you can continue to act, to speak, to feel and to think.

Initiates have always devoted a considerable proportion of their time to research concerning nutrition. They have found that food, which is prepared with unutterable wisdom in the laboratories of the Lord, contains magic elements capable not only of preserving or restoring both our physical and our psychic health, but also of revealing great wonders to us. But if we wish to benefit from these magic elements we must first know the conditions we have to fulfil.

No one can fail to recognize that the question of food is in the forefront of everyone’s preoccupations. It is the very first problem that has to be taken care of: this is what men and women work for every day of their lives. Indeed, this is what they even go to war for: many wars and revolutions have had no other cause than that of food! But this attitude towards food is simply an instinct which human beings have in common with animals: they have not yet understood the spiritual importance of the act of eating. In fact they have no notion of how to eat. Watch people during a meal and you will see that they absorb their food mechanically, unconsciously. They swallow everything without chewing it; their heads and their hearts are seething with chaotic ideas and emotions, and often enough they even quarrel amongst themselves while they are eating. No wonder they make themselves ill: all their functions are upset; nothing works as it should any more, neither digestion nor secretions nor the elimination of toxic wastes.

Thousands of people make themselves ill in this way without an inkling that their problems are caused by the way they eat. You only need to observe what takes place in many families: before a meal no one has anything to say to the others, they are all busy reading or listening to the radio or doing their own little job. But as soon as it is time to eat, they all have some story to tell or even some old score to settle, and the meal is spent in talking, arguing and quarrelling. After a meal of that kind they feel sluggish and sleepy and need a rest, or even a nap, and those who have to go back to work do so without zest or enthusiasm. Whereas someone who knows how to eat correctly is clear-headed and alert after a meal.

How we should eat
Perhaps you are now wondering how you should eat. Well, let me talk to you about how an Initiate considers this question of eating. With a view to giving himself the best possible conditions in which to receive the elements that have been put into his food in Nature’s laboratories, an Initiate begins by meditating and by tuning in to his Creator: he does not engage in conversation. He eats in silence.

How silence can help
You must not think that silence during meals is simply an old monastic habit: a sage, an Initiate eats in silence. And he chews his first mouthful consciously and for as long as possible, until, even without his having to swallow, it has all disappeared. Your frame of mind when you take your first mouthful is extremely important because it is this first step which triggers the inner mechanism. You have to prepare yourself beforehand, therefore, and make sure of having the best possible conditions. Never forget that the most important moment in every action is the beginning, for it is the beginning which sets the tone and releases forces which will continue to be active throughout the action. If you are in a harmonious frame of mind at the beginning, the remainder of your action will also be harmonious.

It is important to eat slowly and to chew your food well because, as you know, this is good for the digestion. But there is another reason, as well, and that is that the mouth, which is the first organ to receive food, is also the most important laboratory in the cycle of nutrition, because it is the most spiritual. On a subtler level, the mouth acts as a veritable stomach, absorbing the etheric particles and the finer, more powerful energies from food, whilst the coarser materials are sent on to the stomach.

How food can nourish the subtle bodies
The mouth contains some highly perfected devices in the form of glands on and under the tongue, whose task is to extract the etheric particles from food. I’m sure you have all had this experience often: there you were, so hungry you were almost unconscious, and then you began to eat. With the first few bites, long before your food has been digested, you begin to feel better and more energetic. How can it happen so fast? It is because, thanks to the work that goes on in your mouth, your organism has already absorbed the energies and etheric elements needed to nourish the nervous system. Even before the stomach has received the food, the nervous system has been fed.

It should not surprise you to hear that etheric particles can be extracted from food. A fruit, for example, consists of solid, liquid, gaseous and etheric matter. Everyone is familiar with solid and liquid matter. Fewer bother about the perfume, which is already subtler and belongs to the realm of air. As for the etheric dimension of a fruit, which is related to its colour and, especially, to its life, this is something which is totally unknown and neglected. And yet it is of the utmost importance, for it is by means of the etheric particles in his food that man nourishes his subtle bodies.

Since man possesses not only a physical body but also other, subtler bodies (the etheric, astral, mental, causal, buddhic and atmic bodies) in which reside his psychic and spiritual functions, the question arises of how to nourish these subtle bodies for, owing to his ignorance, they are often left without food. He knows, more or less, what he should give his physical body (I say ‘more or less’ because most people eat meat which is very injurious to their physical and psychic health), but he has no idea what he should give his other bodies: the etheric or vital body; the astral body, which is the seat of feelings and emotions; the mental body, which is the seat of the intellect, and, even more remote, the bodies of his higher Self.

The etheric body
As I mentioned, you must chew your food well, but chewing principally benefits the physical body. For the benefit of the etheric body you must breathe correctly. Just as air revives a flame (you all know that if you blow on glowing embers you can get a flame), similarly if you take a few deep breaths during your meal you will get better combustion. Digestion, after all, like breathing and thinking, is a question of combustion. The only difference is in the degree of heat and the purity of the matter being burned in each case. While you are eating, therefore, you should pause from time to time to take a deep breath and the improved combustion which results will enable the etheric body to extract the subtler particles from your food. And as the etheric body is the vehicle of vitality, memory and sensorial perception, you can only benefit from its development.

The astral body
The astral body, on the other hand, feeds on emotions, elements of still subtler matter than etheric particles. If you pause for a few moments to consider your food with love, your astral body will be ready to extract something even more precious than etheric particles from it, and when it is nourished by these elements it is capable of kindling very elevated feelings in you: feelings of love for the whole world and a deep sense of happiness, peace and harmony with Nature.

Unfortunately, human beings are losing this sense of oneness with Nature more and more: they no longer feel the protection, the solicitude, love and friendship of the objects around them, of trees, mountains or the stars. They are anxious and troubled and even at home, even when they’re asleep at night, they have a vague sense of being threatened. This is a purely subjective impression for, in fact, they are in no particular danger, but something within them is disintegrating, and they no longer feel the protection of Mother Nature because their astral bodies have not received the nourishment they need.

Give your astral body the food it needs and you will experience an indescribable sensation of well-being which will incite you to manifest yourself in generosity and good will, and when something important has to be settled, you will find that you can deal with it in a conciliatory spirit, with understanding and generosity.

The mental body
In order to nourish his mental body, an Initiate fixes his mind on his food; he even closes his eyes so as to concentrate more deeply. And since he envisages food as a manifestation of the Godhead, he endeavours to study every aspect of it: where it comes from, what it contains, the qualities and virtues which correspond to particular types of food, and the entities that have had a part in preparing it (for invisible entities are constantly at work in every plant and every tree). With his mind absorbed in these thoughts, his food provides him with elements superior, even, to those of the astral plane. Clarity of thought and a profound understanding of life and of the world are born of meals taken in these conditions. When an Initiate leaves the table after such a meal, his powers of comprehension are so enhanced, so luminous, that he is capable of undertaking the most demanding mental tasks.

Most people imagine that it is sufficient to read, study and think in order to develop one’s mental capacities. But that is not so: study and reflection are indispensable but they are not enough. If the mental body is to become strong and capable of prolonged effort, it too must be nourished by our meals. We have to be quite clear about this: as the astral and mental bodies are the vehicles, respectively, of emotion and thought, we must give them the kind of nourishment they need if we are to be capable of assuming our responsibilities in the emotional and intellectual domains.

The higher bodies
Over and above his etheric, astral and mental bodies, man possesses other, even more spiritual bodies : the causal, buddhic, and atmic bodies, seats of reason, the soul and the spirit, respectively. These three bodies also need nourishment and you can give them the food they need when you let feelings of gratitude towards the Creator flood into your heart. A grateful heart (which is also becoming more and more rare amongst men) will open the gates of Heaven, and the greatest possible blessings will be showered on you. When this happens the whole of creation will be unveiled before your eyes: you will see, you will feel, you will live! Gratitude is capable of changing crude matter into light and joy, and you must learn how to use it.

Once you know how to nourish your three higher bodies, the subtle particles that you extract from your food will be distributed throughout your being, to the brain, the solar plexus and all your organs. Then you will begin to realize that you have other needs and other joys of a higher kind, and you will see all kinds of possibilities opening up before you.

From The yoga of nutrition by Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov, © Prosveta SA 1990.

The Primacy of Shakti by Dr. David Frawley

The Primacy of Shakti

by Dr. David Frawley

The ultimate goal of human life is liberation or moksha, the realization of the Pure Self or Brahman beyond all time, space and karma . In that alone is complete and lasting peace and freedom. This is made clear in many great spiritual teachings since the Vedas.

This supreme reality of pure unity is not hard to describe and the quest for it is something that we know in our hearts, where we seek oneness with all. The important and difficult question that arises, however, is how to get there? That pure Self is so far removed from our ordinary life experience that it requires a radical change of our entire way of life to even approach.

Brahman is nirguna (devoid of qualities), nishkriya (beyond action) and nishkama (beyond desire).

It is extremely difficult to access even for those with the sharpest minds and the purest life-styles. Brahman, moreover, is beyond all paths, all efforts and all striving. It is outside of time, space and causation and cannot be produced by anything. The very one who seeks it must himself disappear before finding it. Yet even having that thought about its ultimacy does not take one there or even insure that one is going in the right direction.

Only if our minds can be fully concentrated within the heart can we know That Supreme Being. Those whose minds are clear and internally focused can certainly enter into that formless Brahman. But if there is any unfulfilled desire, we cannot reach it, or if we touch it, we cannot abide in it. The problem is that we are full of desires, even if our minds are strong. Desire is the essence of all that we do and the very force behind our lives.

We do not live in Brahman or the unmanifest beyond time and space but in the manifest realm of life experience, filled with its energies, attractions, repulsions and attachments. In our ordinary minds and emotions, we are products of time and space. We are caught in place, person, form and karma as the very foundation of our personal and social reality.

We cannot go beyond this manifest realm unless we first recognize the power behind it. It is not within our power to go beyond the realm in which we exist and of which we are a product. Only the power that has created us can do this for us. So the real question, what is the power behind the universe, behind our bodies and minds and how can we work with it to reach the Ultimate?

The real power behind this manifest universe is Shakti or the energy of the Goddess, which is Brahman´s force of expression and manifestation. Shakti or the power of creation controls everything that occurs within her field. The formless Brahman beyond creation has no concern about this realm or anything that we do within it. It can neither help us nor hinder us in any way. From its point of view, there never has been any birth or death, individual or cosmos, bondage or liberation. Even our seeking of liberation has no meaning for it.

Our lives depend entirely upon Shakti, which grants us vitality, feeling and awareness, through which we operate on all levels and can set in motion both our outer actions and inner sadhana or spiritual practice. Shakti controls the entire manifestation, just as electricity allows all appliances to work. She rules over the processes of birth and death and the unfoldment karma. She provides our souls with the bodies and minds and the worlds in which to experience life. All that we eat, breathe, perceive, feel or know consists of some portion of her energy and an aspect of Her dynamic processes that surround us on every side. All that we seek to acquire for sustenance, happiness, knowledge or growth is part of Her and comes from Her.

Yet Shakti also controls the way beyond manifestation, the return to Brahman. Even to seek Brahman, to seek what is beyond Shakti, we must work with Shakti. Shakti provides us the power of meditation and the discriminating insight through which we can transcend time and space. This means that the best means for both spiritual realization and for gaining all the other goals of life is to worship Shakti, to work with and for the Goddess. There is no other way as effective, if there is any other way at all. If the Brahman is the goal, the Shakti is both the path and the power to traverse it. We can awaken and follow her current to Brahman, or remain asleep and get caught in her outside streams that move in different directions.

Therefore, the issue is not Brahman, which is beyond everything, but Shakti that manifests everywhere. Shakti is all around us, flashing forth in everything, whether we recognize Her play or not. The issue is how to gain the grace of that Shakti - How to ally ourselves with the right Shaktis to facilitate our development as a soul.

We must recognize the primacy of Shakti, or few if any of us can ever come to Brahman, or even successfully gain the ordinary goals of life. Even great Vedantins first worshipped Shakti, as in the case of the great teachings of the text the Tripura Rahasya, or had to recognize Shakti eventually, as in the case of Tota Puri, the guru of Ramakrishna.

Everything is controlled by Shakti. Shakti is closely connected to all aspects of life that we depend on, which attract us and keep life going and developing. Think about it carefully. Birth, reproduction and sexuality are all through Shakti. Food and nourishment are another play of Shakti. Breath, life (Prana), emotion and feeling are all owing to Shakti. The great elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether are all forms of Shakti, which is their underlying energy. The prime gunas of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are root forces of Shakti. Or successes, gains, goals and achievements in any endeavor are only possible because of Shakti or the power to accomplish them that we have been able to discover how to work with.

Energy, science and technology are means of working with Shakti on an outer level and have transformed our world. The mass media is a play of Shakti in the field of communication, which has broken down barriers of communication everywhere. The Earth itself with its rich diversity of life is Shakti in manifest form as the land on which we live. The stars are the flashing forth of the cosmic Shakti through the unbounded expanse of space. Even subatomic particles are alive with powerful subtle forces of Shakti, which forms the ocean or matrix from which they dance in and out of.

All the things that we are attached to or involved with are forms of Shakti or are rooted in Shakti. Whatever we love, seek or desire is some aspect of Shakti that endows forms with color, beauty, charm and delight. It is not the object, person, place or experience in itself that is the real source of our fascination with them but the energy, rasa or essence, the Shakti working through it. We are under the allure of Shakti in one way or another, whether we recognize that underlying Shakti or not.

We cannot get beyond anything unless we first honor the Shakti behind it, which means to touch its core energy in consciousness. You cannot renounce anything that you are really attracted to, however hard you may try. But you can recognize the Shakti behind it and following that out, get beyond the limitations of the form, like the bee that can gather the pollen and does not remember the form. The Shakti within any individual object or experience is ultimately the same Shakti within all.

We cannot get out of the realm of Shakti unless we recognize and honor the Shakti, which is both in this realm and beyond - unless she decides. If she is not willing, our efforts will be in vain. If she is willing, then we will be guided along the way and she herself will lead us forward. We can then just follow her flow and need not calculate or push our way onward, carried forward by her flow. Yet for this to occur we must first learn to look within and discover the deepest movement of the Shakti inside ourselves. This we will discover as our own most inward seeking of truth and divinity.

Shakti is the way to God or Brahman. Even if you only want to practice Yoga, you must awaken and honor the Kundalini Shakti to take you forward. If you are devoted to God or the Goddess in any form, you must have that Shakti of devotion to take you forward. For any yantra, puja or mantra to work, its Shakti must be first be invoked in order to give it power.

Even if you are wholly dedicated to Self-realization or Jnana, it is only possible through the grace of Shakti and her power of knowledge, her Buddhi Shakti through which the higher discrimination works. Without that Shakti supporting you any efforts towards Self-realization or statements of Self-realization that you may make will have no energy, strength or conviction.

In that primal Shakti there is no duality between the manifest and the unmanifest. It is the same Shakti in its active and inactive modalities. That Shakti holds the formless Brahman in the world of form, not by limiting it but as part of its overflow which is her dance. So whether a devotee worships Shakti for home and happiness or for the highest liberation, it is the same movement of Shakti on different levels and in different ways.

Even if you want to change the world through political action, you must first gain the Shakti or power to do so. If you want to be a great artist, you need the corresponding capacity of Shakti, the power and skill in art. Everything has its key Shakti, which contains not only the energy but the code of its manifestation like DNA, both its motivation and the energy to bring it about.

So during whatever spiritual practices you choose or whatever in life you seek that will bring you peace and happiness, do not forget the primacy of the Shakti and you will never lose your way.

The true Shakti will gather all the outer Shaktis and lead you to your inner goal.

There are two main ways of working with Shakti. The first is to recognize the different Shaktis in the universe, externally and internally, their qualities, energies and movements and how to work with them. This is like a doctor learning the powers of healing on different levels, including both those of diagnosis and treatment.

The second and simpler way is simply to worship Shakti directly, seeing the supreme Shakti in all things. If one honors the Shakti behind all Shaktis then one will gain their support as well as learn to understand their specific forms. Yet these two aspects of working with Shakti are related, by learning to discover the unique Shakti in each thing, one also touches the supreme Shakti that is everywhere.

SOURCE: www.vedicsociety.org/