Man comes to earth empty handed with a baggage of karma laid out over time and a character cum constitution to express it, experience it and exhaust it. This is our existence. Nothing less, nothing more. The money called Karma that provoked life gets exhausted with time. Every moment provides an experience, an opportunity and also a completion.
While going through the manifestation of karma at a particular time, if we experience it with a clear attitude of detachment, we are one with the tradition of liberation. Yes, it is happening! It must happen! There is a cause for every effect. Cause is Karma. Effect is its manifested experience. Man must move on like water on lotus leaf, totally unattached, but totally present.
We cannot run away from life and we should not. We cannot speed up or slow down life. We cannot end it half way. Then, what can we do? We can repeat it. We can multiply it. We can do these easily through unacceptance of everyday life and its events. ACCEPTANCE is fundamental to LIBERATION. When we accept every moment, good or bad; when we accept life as it comes, then it comes, manifests and dissolves. If we do not accept and coat it with tons of emotions, it becomes another ingredient for the next set of karma and the next incarnation. Lack of acceptance or resistance is the root cause of uncontrolled incarnations. The seed of karma is desire. The seed of desire is impression. When impressions exist in our causal layer in the form of seeds, the potential for a complete tree is possible.
A tree with its own character, constitution and duration. We call this LIFE. So every impression or residue of our everyday life has the power to create a destiny. Impressions could lead to desire. Unfulfilled desires could lead to incarnations. Incarnations are bound by nature. Bound by Karma. Karma controls incarnations. Nothing over a life time happens beyond the boundaries of the prescribed karma for that incarnation. Period. So, we know how bound we are. Liberation is the exact opposite of binding. Great masters found the recipe for it. Existence of non-attachment. Be here, but be detached. Be involved in everything but be bound by nothing.
It takes various incarnations through various bodies. Yet it remains neutral, unattached and disconnected from all incarnations. It always remains totally empty and free. It has nothing to do with any incarnation. All bodies are temporary rented houses for the soul, for the simple sake of living and experiencing some pending desires which came in the mould of karma. Soul lives just like petrol of the car, not bothered or interested in any destination, but completely connected to the journey.
When a man gets connected to the temporary, visible operating tools, he is under the spell of illusion or MAYA. When he connects himself to his body, he is bound by the desires of body. When he connects himself deeply to the mind, he is bound and deluded by the emotions of life which keeps cropping up from everything around him. When he connects himself to his intellect which is more refined than the general, operating conscious mind, he feels elevated, better off in the sundry world of multiple expressions and knowledge. He may excel in some knowledge and through analysis create a world of his own too. The world may call him a genius and successful.
But, he is still disconnected from the truth. A few who transcend the intellect and touch the realms of the soul or the electricity that operates all these faculties, come in contact with the aspect of liberation.
Totally liberated, totally peaceful, totally unattached and totally blissful! When we keep connecting to the electricity that runs these machines that help this manifestation called us, we start experiencing its state of detachment while in action. The more we identify with it, the more we become detached from the obvious, manifested world. The more we detach from the manifested world, the more we disconnect from the gross and start appreciating the subtle aspects of our existence. The unseen subtle, the thread that unites the universe becomes the umbilical cord of our existence. We call it the Mother.
Since the mother has no form, she has no gender either. Then why do we call her mother? Because her function is creation. A mother becomes a mother only with creation. The mother that is formless yet exists in all forms. The mother manifested in the form of a dot, Bindu, which triggered the idea of creation, the land and purpose, the duration and variety. Everything began from this spherical dot and everything will eventually merge with the spherical dot. The dots expanded to become the whole universe. The whole universe was filled with various layers of subtlety.
The whole creation was based on duality. The whole manifestation as well as experience was based on relativity. The reason is experience. The method is like waves. Waves of time, waves of events, waves of destiny, waves of dissolution, everything happens simultaneously for the sake of experiencing the power within.
The tradition flows out of the mother. The mother manifested as the trinity, to emphasis three aspects of existence – THE BEGINNING – THE MANIFESTATION – and THE DISSOLUTION. The birth, life and death. These aspects are the fundamentals of each incarnation, irrespective of the location of existence in the universe. The tradition is rooted in these aspects as well.
There is no agenda. There is only flow. Accept life, and flow with it. Solid is ego, liquid is flexibility, humility and surrender. Being fluid is our lifestyle. Flowing with the winds of change, not gathering residue, unhooking from the emotions of everyday existence, bathing our inside through the power of purity, we keep flowing. The future has no relevance without the present.
Being 100% here and now is the tradition. Being available to yourself and being kind to yourself and to all the beings around you. Being able to experience the bundles of karma that manifest at each moment in time without prejudices, makes us complete. This helps our liberation.
Tradition is a lifestyle. It is rooted in non-violence. AHIMSA. AHIMSA is a lifestyle. Hurting any being through thoughts, words or action detaches us from the creator whose sole aim is creation of sundry beauty in this universe. Violence is against creation and anything against creation wreaks pain and anarchy. Our tradition strictly adheres to the well being of all beings of the universe. We take extra efforts and pain to ensure that.
The Seekers of the tradition are aplenty, both knowingly and unknowingly. When the sole aim is liberation, they walk the path of NATH. Nath tradition has only one aim, LIBERATION. It’s root exists in every day karma to a baggage free exit at the time of death. All those who have understood existence in its dimensions, and consciously choose the path of liberation spontaneously gets initiated into the Nath path. There is no further initiation. NATH has nothing to prove. This is an internal thing.
The awareness is maintained in its equilibrium every waking moment and a nath seeker surrenders all his thoughts, words and actions to the huge cauldron of existence as his offering every moment. Thus, when every moment and every activity is surrendered, it’s results also gets surrendered. Thus the seeker gets relieved from both the action and the result because there is no mind or ownership connected with it. When things happen through us, and we have nothing to do with it, we attain the state of the soul. We stay liberated.
Every master who walked the earth in an absolutely liberated existence is a NATH Master. Starting from LORD SHIVA, the Supreme Yogi GOD, through numerous manifested, unmanifested and will be manifested for a reason, are all promises of the tradition of LIBERATION. Their key teaching is their own life. Masters just existed in silence and disciples got elevated. This happens only with our tradition.
Question: “How did you attain the enlightenment so early, so quickly?”
Answer:
I served the master. Day and night I stayed looking at the master. He never looked at me so much. I sat on the ground and stared as the master went ahead with his work. My mind was restless. And I saw the master restless and often irritant too. I still kept doing the same practice. Master asked me nothing. I asked the master nothing. Slowly, I started feeling some emptiness inside me. Some things were leaving me. What left me was my restlessness. Mind started to settle down. When I looked at the master, he also seemed pretty relaxed and settled down. No restlessness manifested in him. I continued. My inner silence became deeper and deeper. A kind of ecstasy started occupying the space. When I looked at the master, I found him ecstatic with uncontrollable joy.
When I asked a man sitting next to me why the master is so happy, he asked me “Do you see happiness? I see anger and restlessness”. I decided to follow my own awareness which was the best thing to do. We must be true to ourselves. We must trust our own experience. Ever since, I asked no opinions about my guru to anybody. My inner silence made me immobile. I started sitting at the same place in deep silence with the absence of mind from morning till evening and even through night sometimes. I never bothered about food or water.
Often, they became a hindrance to my state of beingness. I understood that I have no other realms to conquer. I have attained the highest everest of consciousness. I waited for Guru’s command. He never looked at me. He still played his role as always and different people saw his different flavours and thought they knew him. He played this illusion and existed as long as it takes. I felt complete. I asked nothing from my Guru. I never even asked him if he is my Guru. I just watched, watched and watched. I realised I am watching myself when I am watching him. He is my SELF. He is my soul manifested in another form. I understood the core of existence. I understood that I have no existence apart from the universe. “I” died.
Master called me one morning. He put his hand on my head and said “I have emptied you. You have become me. Now go into the world and be a beacon of light unto the darkness of ignorance. Be like a tree that give shade to the wood cutter and nursing mother alike. You have no separation from me. We are essentially one. I gave you emptiness, which made you complete. Now I give you freedom. Be free.
This sums up the unconditional teaching of our tradition. The tradition of love. Every attainment has a minimum requirement – Emptiness. When our minds are full, we cannot absorb anything. When our minds are empty, we can absorb the whole universe. The tradition is all about this emptiness where every personality traits dissolve into sheer purpose. The purpose is liberation while living and while leaving.
The religions of the world are road maps. They have been created based on the teachings of saints or avatars who have appeared to redeem mankind from the veils of ignorance to the path of liberation.
Religions were formed based on the interpretations of teachings of various masters who walked and talked liberation. The key teaching of every religion is unconditional love. It is the basic ingredient for liberation. Liberation is a mind thing. When man is peaceful, society is peaceful. When society is peaceful the world is peaceful. In the midst of peace, godliness flourishes.
Spirituality is beyond religions. When you know the road, you do not need road maps. When man is ready for the beyond, he needs no guidance. His soul guides him. All religions guide people to connect with their own soul and through that path to God. Nath tradition is not a religion. The tradition is what you are. That is why each Nath master is unique and totally free from any kind of protocols or rigid restrictions. They just flow as the river flows through terrains of known and unknown. They never cared who used them or abused them. They always shone like the bright sun which nourished every corner of earth without prejudice.
Author: Mohanji, mohanji.org
To think that techniques will bring about liberation is small minded and ridiculous. Liberation is when you as a person are absorbed by the Supreme Person.
The first Creator “Brahma” had knowledge of the Supreme Person and it is only those who in turn are possessed completely by the Supreme Person who attain immortality (Liberation)…
Any egocentric activity such as the practice of kriya yoga techniques is tapas (worship).
There is no other way for spiritual perfection (liberation) then to be possessed entirely by the One Supreme Being!
Source: Yogivah Giri facebook profile
How do we make the shift from “trying Oh so hard” to “just being”? In one common group counseling session, I noticed a recurring theme during the question-answer sessions, and it’s the same in all such group sessions. People ask: “please help me overcome anger”, and “in spite of resolving not to mind my wife’s nagging, I lose my temper after listening to her for some time,” and “I feel good for a few days after I attend your session and try to be joyful and happy, but I can’t keep it up for long”.
“The great awareness comes slowly, piece by piece. The path of spiritual growth is a path of lifelong learning.” ~ Anon
Does the above story from my counselling sessions sound familiar?
Usually in a moment of rare insight (or weakness), most of us often resolve to shun anger, envy, selfishness and henceforth be compassionate, loving and so on. When the higher calling beckons, we congratulate ourselves and decide to overflow with the milk of human kindness. For a while, we smile at everything and everybody, count to ten instead of blowing up, take deep breaths in times of stress, see the good side of people, and turn the other cheek when slapped. And most often, instead of acknowledgment and reciprocation of our goodness, we find that we are taken for granted and worse, taken advantage of.
It gets harder and harder to keep up the good act, and we reach break-point sooner or later. We then promptly slip back into our original, normal, sometimes nasty selves. Until we attend another of those counseling sessions, to start the game all over again. In the process, we are likely to end up feeling resentful, guilty, useless and unfit to pursue our spiritual goals.
Is it an occupational hazard of being a human being? Are we condemned to go through innumerable lifetimes making the same mistakes, to slip back easily into habitual behavior, incapable of taking up the challenge that evolution throws at us? Shall we ever be able to negotiate the enormous chasm between trying oh so hard and just being?
Oh so many dilemmas, but no easy answers. Since spiritual growth is the only agenda on the menu of human life, we have no choice but to embark on this journey. We need to take charge and do it right, though, sooner rather than later. Just like we consult a map to track the optimum route before embarking on a physical journey, we need to do the same with the spiritual journey as well.
Study the path taken by enlightened souls, internalize the teachings of spiritual masters and listen to our own conscience with sincerity. And take stock of the advantages and limitations of this journey, and how it can be accomplished well in the least possible time.
So here it is – presenting the 4 step journey from “trying oh so hard” to “just being”:
The journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step, and you have taken it. You’ve realized that you need improvement! The very fact that you are aware that you are not perfect puts you far, far ahead of other beings in the path of evolution. It triggers the right process in you. You have decided to do something about your inadequacy – the next step is set it in motion. Somewhere you feel a discontent about life and ask yourself ‘what next?’
You have read and heard about the compassion of great spiritual beings, and you resonate with them. You yearn for that spiritual strength. You clamor to emulate their teachings, and do succeed to a certain extent. It might be only for a week, a day, or an hour, but you have already started earning brownie points! Your sheer willingness to change is your greatest strength. You are now firmly on the right path.
Oh, what pitfalls the journey has! The road, you realize, is anything but a super-duper highway on which you can zip across at 120 km/h. Why is it that the day you resolve to be patient with your child, she does something which is calculated to raise your temper? Or the day you decide to diet, your mom bakes the most delicious cake embedded with chocolate chips and nuts?
The smallest thing that you encounter seems to challenge you to break your resolve and retract totally. You need to literally grin and bear it to the limits of endurance to progress even a centimeter on the right path. Why? Because we are straining against a lifetime of conditioning, of putting ourselves first, of indulging our senses, of doing the easy thing. Great spiritual Teachers have called spiritual growth swimming against the current. It is difficult because it goes against our conditioned habitual instincts.
Liberation, Enlightenment, cresting the cycle of birth and death, total transformation, unleashing your highest potential.
The journey is hard but the opportunities priceless: the greatest prize of human life and the sole reason for our existence. No less! It’s worth all the pain and agonizing uncertainty of the journey? A million times over. So do not despair and Keep at it. It’s worth it when you reach journey’s end and experience that state of total happiness and freedom.
Imagine a state of peace and tranquility even if it is raining bankruptcies, tsunamis, accidents or job loss. Imagine being in a state of unconditional love towards one and all. Imagine giving and giving and giving – without wanting anything at all because you are so completely and totally fulfilled. Imagine total freedom from suffering – zero fear, anger, rage, hate, worry, doubt, resistances, inhibitions and so on. Imagine being free of the human condition-negativity.
You will no doubt be tested to your limit, and you’ll get knocked about mercilessly but in the end all that knocking will make you emerge as a diamond….a shiny priceless well sculpted diamond.
No threats!
All of us are born to be in heaven by default, and it is open, for eternity! So book your place and level right now and get going. It might be useful, though, to carry a handy guide with tips for the spiritual trip.
Never buy vegetables from the roadside vendors – they always cheat with the weights; Never be lenient with your servants – they’ll take you for granted. This is how an average mind thinks; and if you listen to it, it will not let you pursue your spiritual goals either.
It’s necessary to be worldly-wise, but not to the point of disillusionment. You may be compelled to retract from your good intentions once, twice, maybe a hundred times – but The Divine trusts you, has given you a million chances so far to help you realize your divinity – so Never say never again.
…of others, as well as yourself. You may be a paragon of virtue, but of course your neighbor will still dump his garbage in your backyard. Spiritual Growth is all about the change in your response to situations, not change in situations themselves. Each situation and person in your life is put there to help you introspect and grow.
Be kind to yourself too, it’s not easy to change a lifetime of habitual behavior. That’s why spiritual masters insist on keeping the company of good people and good thoughts as aids that will not let you forget your ultimate purpose in life, and put you back on the path again and again. Reading elevating books for at least 15 minutes before going to bed every night is a great habit to inculcate. They help raise energy levels.
Man proposes and God disposes. The trying is left to us, and being happens by grace, and grace alone. But grace descends on one who is well and truly ready for it, and not a moment earlier. The yearning for spiritual growth needs to be as intense as the desperate yearning for air itself.
So, the path you have chosen for yourself may not be a cup of tea. That is why you need to recognize from which point you operate best – body, heart, or mind – and the Divine will help you reach itself from that point.
To kick start the process of spiritual growth, do good deeds. You might not feel the shift at first. But as outward deeds get gradually purified, the attitude will percolate into words and thoughts as well. Because only in the trying oh so hard will the just being eventually materialize. Meanwhile, don’t get so engrossed in reaching the destination that you forget to enjoy the journey.
She is the founder and writer of Positive Provocations, which features writing on positive thinking through healing the Mind, Body, Heart & Soul. She holds degrees in, and practices counseling psychology, motivational psychology, spiritual counseling, motivational speaking, holistic health and naturopathic medicine. Zeenat Merchant Syal is a spiritual traveler by passion, an eternal student and researcher in the school of life and all of its realities, including the fields of metaphysics and New Age thinking.
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