Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra

This is one of the most popular and powerful of all of the Vedic mantras.  It calls upon Lord Shiva, "the Three-eyed God," to grant protection, abundance, and enlightenment to the devotee.  I have put together a short video to help facilitate the chanting of this great mantra.

OM tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhim puṣṭivardhanam

Urvārukamiva bandhanān-mṛtyormukṣīya māmṛtāt

"We invoke and do homage to the three-eyed Lord [Shiva], creator and protector of the three worlds, whose immanent fragrance of energy and bliss enhances the life and joy of existence all three times. O Rudra, destroyer of evil and suffering, giver of bliss, Release me from the bonds of mortality like the ripe melon falling off the stalk and redeem me into the infinite presence of Immortality."

The Authoritative Guru Gita Book Release

I am very pleased to announce that The Authoritative Guru Gita of H.H. Mahamandaleshwar Paramahamsa Swarupananda Vishwa Guru Maharaj is now available for purchase HERE!

Sanatana Dharma (AKA Hinduism) is founded upon the Guru-disciple relationship. The Guru Gita is the most comprehensive work on the subject. While there are many versions of the Guru Gita, this effort contains an original translation of the complete version, which consists of 352 couplets (called shloka-s). Additionally, this book, The Authoritative Guru Gita, includes a commentary that is notable for a few different reasons. First, it provides insight into the philosophies and traditions that the author (or authors) of The Guru Gita draw from: namely, Kashmir Shaivism, Shri Vidya, and, possibly, some form of Vaishnavism. All of these fall under the broader umbrella of Tantra in this case. The commentary found here is also practical in nature. It is intended to serve as an aid in the practice of the yoga associated with the Guru Path. Incidentally, The Authoritative Guru Gita also includes the full 352-shloka Guru Gita in its original Sanskrit (in Roman script rather than Devanagari) in order to facilitate the chanting of The Guru Gita, which is one of its purposes. Finally, the above-mentioned commentary is noteworthy in that it was composed at the request and under the close supervision of Mahamandaleshwar Swarupananda, one of Hinduism's eighty Mahamandaleshwars. By definition, a Mahamandaleshwar is a theological authority, the weight of whose stance is second only to four Shankaracharyas. Thus, this truly is the authoritative position on The Guru Gita.

Chanting of the Ganapati Atharvashirsha

I chanted the Ganapati Atharvashirsha and set it to photos I took of the various murthis of Lord Ganesha at the ashram of my Guru, Mahamandaleshwar Swarupananda. 

The Ganapati Atharvashirsha is a late Upanishad.  It contains the distilled wisdom of non-dual Advaita philosophy.  Here that supreme, all-pervading Principle, who is also the Guru, and who also is the Self, is honored in the form of Lord Ganesha.

Eventually, I will post a video blog offering a simple translation and some commentary.  For now, please enjoy the chant and the darshan of my Guruji, his Guruji, and Lord Ganesha.

Swami Anantananda Giri @ 2014 Olympia Sync Summit

Here is the video of my presentation for the 2014 Olympia Sync Summit. Much thanks to Alan Green, Sync Book Press, and everybody associated with the event for all their hard work making the event possible, producing all these great videos, and for participating. OM Namo Narayana!

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished?

I am concerned with the frequency that I hear people asking this question or echoing the sentiment that it is somehow detrimental to do good things in the world.  I'm going on the record to call B.S.  Do you want to know what I hear whenever someone says this?  What I hear is, "I am looking for an excuse to be selfish."  The fact of the matter is that karma exists.  It doesn't take much effort to see it at work, although it must be taken into account that this law of cause-and-effect sometimes works in such a way that we don't reap what we have sown until later lifetimes.  We should also keep in mind that the law of cause-and-effect applies to thoughts, words, and deeds alike.

People who cultivate an attitude of gratitude don't necessarily have more to be grateful for, but they're more likely to recognize what they do have to be grateful for.  People who occupy their minds with love, and whose actions are motivated by that mindset, attract the love and admiration of others.  They are healthier and happier than they would be if this were not the case.  This is a prerequisite for good, harmonious relationships because healthy people respect themselves enough to stay out of the drama of volatile people, at least to the extent that there is an option.

If a person's attitude is one which is nurtured by love and gratitude, their words and actions will follow suit.  This brings good karma in general.  Past karma (including past-life karma) is a factor, but what goes around does indeed come around.  On the other hand, a few hollow gestures aren't going to go so far.  What might outwardly appear to be a good deed isn't so wholesome if it is motivated by greed, narcissism, other forms of self-interest, or if it is accompanied by suspicion. 

Nothing personal, Dos Equis Guy.

When someone has expectations of people in return for good deeds, these are not good deeds, they're  business transactions.  If you don't have the foresight to put your terms and conditions in writing, then that says less about the existence of karma than it does about your poor business acumen.  A good deed can never hurt if there aren't any expectations attached to it. When someone thinks a good deed entitles them to something, though, that's a recipe for disappointment.

Some times a good deed isn't reciprocated, appreciated, or even acknowledged.  So what?   That's on the recipient.  A good deed is done for its own sake.  Or maybe for the sake of making it so that there is a even just a little more good in the world.  That doesn't mean putting oneself in a compromising situation, abandoning prudence, or making a martyr of oneself. 

I don't believe in good people or bad people.  People are just people doing the best they can with the understanding and the circumstances they have to work with at any given moment.  By putting in a little effort toward improving the quality of our thoughts, words, and deeds, we are seen as "better people", our subjective experience tends to improve, and our understanding of reality matures.  The higher our understanding, the more it becomes obvious that doing the right thing is the best thing for ourselves and others alike.  This shift in understanding can be accelerated by taking up a spiritual practice.  These are easy changes that we can make which make all the difference in the world.

The Danger of "Us" VS "Them"

To paraphrase Nietzsche, the danger in fighting monsters is that of becoming a monster oneself.  Why do we feel the need to fight monsters?  First we must perceive "I" as distinct from "an other".  At the heart of the matter, all is resolved into Oneness.  But when we fail to perceive this, the sense of separation prevails.  This is the root of all of our troubles.  When we perceive some other who is somehow deemed a threat or is sufficiently "bad", the tendency is to get up in arms.  This fuels the psychology of separation even further.  There arises a battle between "us" and "them".  In a neat little twist of irony, Reality proves that, ultimately, we are all One...even via the medium of our misguided efforts at preserving the separate self at the expense of the others who threaten it.  We become the monster we fight.  We're not different from it.  The only reason that we don't generally see this is broken empathy and short attention spans.

A terrible thing happened to Jews during the German holocaust of World War II.  It was the attempted, and partially successful, genocide of an entire race of people.  Men, women, children, it didn't matter.  I met a woman who was a holocaust survivor when I was eight-years-old.  The pain that was still with her all those years later was palpable.  It was a terrible tragedy and a crime against humanity.  

Today, the nation of Israel, still dredging up the collective pain of a persecuted people, has become the persecutor.  Israelis and Palestinians occupy the same territory.  Some of the people of Israel have done some unsavory things to some of the people of Palestine.  Some of the people of Palestine have responded in kind.  This has turned into an ever-escalating back-and-forth cycle of hatred and retaliation.  Now the State is poised to wipe the Palestinians off the face of the earth altogether.  The Palestinians have been fenced into the tiny Gaza strip.  The infrastructure to support life has been systematically destroyed.  Men, women, and children are being bombed daily - presumably along with militants - in schools and hospitals.  Politicians and citizens alike have openly declared in various ways that complete and utter genocide is the only desired outcome. 

Was every WWII era German a racist?  I know from historical examples that this was not the case.  You couldn't get me to believe that every Israeli or every person of Jewish descent condones the actions of the Israeli State.  Yet it seems that the State, the stated purpose of whose inception was to find asylum from racism and persecution, is (apparently quite successfully) promoting the exact same racism and persecution upon the Arabs of Palestine.  Fighting one particular monster, some Jews at least have become that very monster themselves.

And what of the Arab survivors and refugees of Palestine?  They will now be faced with the same choice.  Essentially, that choice is whether to continue feeding the perception of "Us" VS "Them" - Arabs VS Jews in this case - with hate, or somehow chalking it up to a tragedy and trying to move on - refusing act out of hate or fear.

While all of this is going on, the Western world (and India) continue to be whipped into a frenzy about militant Islam.  Some Western women are still begrudging their now-remedied but historical status as second-class citizens.  As a result of this, men are being presented by some as the cause of this problem or that.

In other news, people are currently alternating between protest and rioting in Ferguson, MO and getting worked up all over the country, and abroad, over the unfolding events.  The reason is that police shot and killed an unarmed 18-year-old young man.  The officer in question is white, while the young man in question was black.  Naturally, this has raised issues of the use of excessive force by police and the question of racial motivation on their part.  Additionally, peaceful protestors are being met with force by authorities.  I don't know what happened.   I wasn't there, but I do know that police do abuse their power.  At the same time, I know that people act crazy enough at times that they must be met with force.  The matter should be investigated thoroughly and justice should be carried out.  The problem is escalated, however, when it becomes, in people's minds, an issue of "police" VS "citizens" and/or "black" VS "white".    By all means, justice should be carried out.  I do believe that the standard police are held to should be raised, monitored, and enforced.  But we should all strive to remember that we are all people and refrain from oversimplifying our outlook to one of "Us" VS "Them", which can only perpetuate the cycle.

Men and women; Germans, ethnic Jews, and Arabs; black, white, brown, yellow, and red people; Muslims, Christians, and Hindus: All are part of the human family.  Everybody is going to have the occasional family member who is just a dick.  I'm not saying that that dick-head family member shouldn't be dealt with appropriately.  What I am saying is that we should abstain from putting labels on the parties involved and join some group.  Life would be better for everybody if we could just learn and apply this one simple lesson.

Taking this a step further, we should all strive toward the non-dual awareness of the Self.  That Self is the underlying Unity of everything.  To know That is pure Bliss.  It is pure Love.  To know this is to know that everything in the world is perfect insofar as it serves the purpose of the world perfectly.  Whether we, as its co-creators, create a harmonious heaven on earth or continue to promote strife, we always have the option of taking refuge in the Peace of Consciousness-absolute.  This is the only safe bet.  We should realize our unity with That because That - which is none other than Peace, Love, Bliss; which brings contentment and equanimity - is the only thing that is permanent.  So long as we reside in the world, apparently cut off from our true nature as the all-encompassing Consciousness-absolute, change is the only constant.  Therefore, take shelter in the Real.  Abide in that which is everlasting, stainless, and unshakable.  Meet me in the place where "you" and "me" cease to be; where there is only one seamless Unity.  May we meet there, merged in Divine Love.  Only then can any conflict truly and permanently be resolved.

OM Nama Shivaya!  Hara, Hara, Hara Mahadev!

Non-Judgment

One who knows what is good for them gives up being judgmental.  This does not mean to abandon pragmatism or discrimination (as in "this is appropriate, this is not").  It means abstaining from applying value judgments to others or to anything that the universe, in the supreme abundance of its infinite diversity, provides.  When you judge others, it is most fundamentally an affirmation of the subconscious misnomer of "I" as distinct from "an other".  Truly, all are One.  Suffering stems from our not recognizing this. 

The lack of recognition is reinforced as we act according to the lie.  Even if we can't presently perceive this fundamental unity for ourselves, our lives will be benefited if we can apply the principle of ahimsa (non-harming) to our lives and interactions with others.  This makes sense as harming others (in thought, word, or deed) is to harm oneself.  If you prick your finger, it hurts you.  Even if the fingers holding the pin regard themselves as separate from their victim, they're not; its pain is their pain.  Any time you point a finger, you can count on having that finger pointing back at you.  Conversely, when our interactions with others are characterized by selfless giving, without conditions or expectations of some sort of payout, one sows the seeds of happiness.

Carrying the concept of non-judgment out further still, we should strive to apply it to everything that arises before oneself: the eternal "I AM".  This is also often framed in terms like "surrender to the Divine" and "gratitude".  The more we cultivate this attitude - the attitude that whatever God provides in any given moment is enough - the more our lives flow in harmony with the universe.  We can swim against the current - wishing for something that didn't arrive, wanting some future payout, etc. - but this is exhausting.  It generates suffering.

This universe is all just a dream.  Its contents can't harm you, and whatever the dreamer provides is neither deficient, nor is it too much.  There is room here for whatever happens to happen.  Still your own essential nature is ever unaffected. It can only ever seem to hurt you and, even then, only because you have given your permission by believing the lie.  The unfolding of the universe, as a general rule, carries on as it will, regardless of our opinions of how it does so.  Keeping an eye toward the Real allows one to increase their acceptance of what is, to increase their gratitude, to drop their judgments.  In the process, you lose 'you' and find that there was only ever the Divine in the first place.  This is the Supreme Bliss.  Know This and be happy.  OM Namo Narayana!

       *The Neverending Dreamer by Parablev

The Big "Aha!"

Sitting on a moss-covered log at the edge of a cliff that hangs over the Pacific Ocean, I curled my toes into the cold loamy soil beneath my feet.  I had just finished setting my intentions for the ritual.  Looking up, I realized that the psilocybin had already come on strong.  I looked East and what was once a seemingly normal outcropping of rock was now a Buddha-faced Native American Indian chief, his illumined crown exploding into a headdress of ancient cedars.  His upturned palms rested upon his extended arms at the level of his cheeks.  His open mouth and pursed lips implied that his breath was generating the wind that was driving the churning waves below. 

            I had been on a quest for some time now.  Driven by strange but tantalizing experiences in the early stages of my experiments with meditation, I had gathered a lot of general information about many different schools of mysticism.  Taoism, Shamanism, and Yoga were what made the most sense to me by that time.  I had recently devoured a book on Yogic philosophy.  It was the first time anybody had really spelled out Advaita, the philosophical school of non-duality, for me.  Simply reading for the first time that the Self is Sat-Chit-Ananda, Existence/Consciousness/Bliss-absolute, was a satori experience in itself.  Somehow this opened something up for me and I was suddenly able to look at things in a way that was a game-changer. 

I resolved to visit the Northwestern-most point of the contiguous United States, a few hours’ drive from where I lived at the time.  I happened to know that there was a major Earth-grid ley line that crossed this spot.  I would prepare by fasting from sugar, salt, alcohol, any refined/processed foods, and sex for a week.  Finally, upon arrival, I would consume a few grams of mushrooms with the intention of experiencing Reality at the level of only Sacchidānanda.

As wisps of dragon’s blood, frankincense, and myrrh curled and arched their way up to copulate with my olfactory sense I was utterly stricken with bliss.  I continued to stare at the unexpected manifestation of the Divine that had emerged from the adjacent stone cliff and I knew that it was alive.  I followed the wind leaving its mouth and watched how the wind played upon the surface of the water and vice-versa.  This was illustrated very graphically for me when a massive spherical cloud of little black birds flew in front of me, nestled neatly in a pocket of air pressure that followed the trough of a small but choppy wave.

The waves’ filling and crashing into the innermost reaches of the sandstone caves beneath me rhythmically vibrated the entire sea cliff that I sat upon.  I put my ear to the ground and listened to the briny deep filling and emptying from these various chambers and I was reminded of the systole and diastole of a living heart.  I sat back up and it seemed as if I could hear every last molecule of water colliding into its neighbor from British Columbia to Australia. 

It seemed obvious to me that the distinction between all of the phenomena that I was witnessing was somewhat arbitrary.  It started with the question, “Where does the water end and the air begin?”  I couldn’t answer that question so I looked to one that should have had a more obvious answer: “Where does the air end and where do the birds begin?”  I couldn’t answer that question either.  Without further enquiry, I just knew that the air, water, waves, the land, the stone deity, the log I was sitting on, and I were all interconnected.  Everything had a place because this world is just a place for the only thing that really exists – Consciousness – to express itself in every way imaginable.

At this point in my life, I had done some things that I was less than proud of to say the least.  Deep down, I had not liked myself for a long time because I no longer lived up to the standard by which I judged others.  But having this experience revealed all of my mistakes as stepping stones.  Whatever qualitative value I had assigned to whatever particular thing I had done had had no impact on the perfection of Reality as I was now perceiving it at this transcendent level.  I realized that my past consisted of events that, while generally performed based upon erroneous assumptions, had been necessary to bring me to this point.  And so I forgave myself.  I saw that, like the new Reality before my eyes I too am perfect.  Purno’ham is how one says that in Sanskrit.  Purno’ham: I am perfect!

Then I found that, in not judging myself, I had no judgement to cast upon anybody else.  There were people who had really done me dirty and I had hated them with all the passion and intensity a person is capable of.  But this simple shift in perspective made it obvious that it just didn’t matter and so I let it go right then and there.  Prior to that point, I had never realized how much baggage it is to hold onto a grudge the way I had been doing since childhood.  It felt so good to have that weight off my chest.

I cried too.  I had started tearing up the minute that I first looked up from my incense and list of intentions.  By the time I got to purno’ham, I was bawling.  My heart was welling up, to the point of overflowing, with joy and gratitude in response to all that I was witnessing.  The raw, unfiltered beauty of everything was just so in-my-face that there was no ignoring it.  If I had been trying to do anything other than simply take it all in, it would have undoubtedly been incapacitating.  I was in love with everything.

In the Wake. . .

This is how I experienced this particular level of enlightenment for the first time.  Somehow the biochemical shift induced by the psilocybin coupled with the ritual context I observed, the set and setting that I had sought out, and the intention that I went into the experience with; all of these factors converged to stop (or at least weaken) the normal processing of sensory data that occurs somewhere after it is apprehended by the senses but prior to its being perceived by the individual.  So I perceived Reality much more closely to the way that it actually is rather than perceiving it through various layers of mental conditioning.  In terms of what is categorically experienced, this is the perception of unity-in-duality – the recognition of which is ultimately the point of all of the various philosophical schools of Yoga/Hinduism, and every one of what are more broadly termed “wisdom traditions” for that matter.

       

            The problem that I encountered is that, although the initial experience came relatively easily, as soon as the biochemical composition of my body returned to normal some four-to-six hours later, I was no longer experiencing Reality in this way.  The filters that ordinarily censor a person’s reality, whether they like it or not, came back full-force.  Yes, the experience was massively healing and cathartic.  It also allowed me to readily accept the claims of the sages who came before me because I had seen exactly what they were talking about.  However, the proverbial diplopia returned; that which causes one to see two suns when there is really only one.  I may have been able to accept that there is only one thing in the universe and that that one thing is Consciousness, but that didn’t make it any easier for me to perceive it. 

           I had continued my practice, but I experienced a lot of ups and downs.  Eventually I came across the concept that a Guru is necessary to get someone to this state and to keep them stable in it.  This is called sahāja saṃādhi, or effortless/natural absorption in the Divine.  Sure, it’s true that the Guru is inside of you and that, in the state of being identified with Reality at the transcendental level that I described above, one is no different from the Guru (or anything else for that matter).  But if one is not perceiving that for themselves then, naturally, this is not perceived to be the case.  Ramana Maharshi often used to say that the inner Guru and the outer Guru are both necessary:  The outer Guru pushes the mind inward while the inner Guru pulls awareness toward it from within.

           So I went and found a Guru.  What I found is that performing the sādhanā, or practice, that he prescribed caused me to draw his Grace.  Grace can be thought of as a subtle and intelligent energetic force that triggers a chain reaction, propelling one toward the awareness of unconditioned Reality.  In the Guru’s transmitting and the seeker’s receiving his Grace, mental conditioning is burned off, Kuṇḍalinī is awakened and drawn upward, attachments and other unnecessary things fall away, and more.  Furthermore, all of this happens at a rate exponentially greater than when one performs sādhanā without the aid of the Guru.

            I have been working with my Guru for three years now.  I’m not there yet, but what I have found is that my baseline level of awareness is much closer to the experience of enlightenment that I described above.  I no longer feel like a pendulum, swinging from the high heights of the most transcendent bliss, back into the hellish depths appearing to be as cut off from That as can be.  Additionally, bits and pieces of that state regularly flash forth.  It’s kind of like a large diamond with many faces.  The light catches a part of it and attention is drawn to that brilliant reflection.  When the light catches it differently, another facet is illumined and so that is where one’s attention goes.  This just happens spontaneously while going about one’s daily routine.  You can be at work, watching TV, or arguing with a family member and suddenly everything is the bliss of being and perceiving only Consciousness-absolute. 

           There is nothing in life to accomplish but this.  The beauty of this proposition is that one need not do anything fundamentally different from what they would be doing anyway.  Yes, there is a certain degree of self-effort involved.  Certain exercises, like seated meditation and mantra repetition, to give a couple of examples, should be worked into one’s routine.  However, this doesn’t mean that there is not room for everyday life.  It doesn’t mean one needs to adopt another culture or way of dressing.  One does not need to establish themselves as different or weird.  This is a completely practical, completely natural, and completely life-positive expression of one’s own personal evolution.  One continues to live life as normal.  The only thing that changes is the reason for doing so.  

Is Homosexuality Adharma?

A popular question seems to be, "Swami, do you work with gay men?" "Can gay men do sādhanā?"

The answer is emphatically "Yes!" Gay men can do sādhanā. This swami does not care one little bit whether it is dicks or tits that catch your eye. Somebody who is attracted to men is no less entitled to experiencing the nature of the common Self of all. This Self is theirs as much as it is anybody elses'. We are all equally the manifestations of That.

It is not sex in itself - homosexual or otherwise - that is sinful.  The fundamental error - that of all individuals who do not know themselves as the Self of all - is the seeking of happiness outside of the Self.  When your awareness is fully trained on the Self, the ever-present bliss of jñāna utterly outshines the appeal of transitory pleasures of the world (although they are but a piece of That).  At this level of realization, bumping uglies is not high on one's list of priorities.  Sexual orientation is irrelevant because the goal is beyond distinctions of male and female, or one who is doing things to another.  It is irrelevant because sex naturally falls away from one's life at a certain point in their development.

So how to reach this point?  Sādhanā.  And even if the goal isn't fully realized in this life, "Even a little of this yoga is never wasted,"  As Krishna reminds us in the Bhagavad Gītā.  This swami can tell you from experience that any spiritual practice that you engage in whole-heartedly will make your life better in whatever way is appropriate for you.  Scriptures tell us that anyone who dies prior to mokṣa, but while engaged in sādhanā, will be granted an even more auspicious birth in the next life.

Therefore, let those who hunger eat their fill.  The time to search for God is precisely that moment that one is stricken with a longing to know Him/Her.  One need not wait until they can abandon their home to go live in the woods.  One need not wait until one feels worthy.  The longing to know God is the sole standard by which to measure one's worthiness.  "Ask and it will be given to you.  Seek and you will find.  Knock and the door will be opened to you."  So said Jesus.  Let no one dissuade you from finding abiding happiness in the one place that it is possible to find it.  It is yours if you will but claim it.  Let us not waste time.  Make use of your auspicious human birth!

I welcome you with great love and great respect.  OM Nāmo Nāyrāyaṇa!

Your own,

Swami Anantananda Giri

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Book Release: The Yogic Gospel of Thomas

Was Jesus actually an enlightened Master belonging to a Shiva-centric sect of Indian mystics? The Yogic Gospel of Thomas sheds new light onto this question by considering alternate accounts of Jesus’ lost years and exploring the philosophical common ground between the Gospel of Thomas and the yogic mysticism of India, particularly Kashmir Shaivism. Of note are the blatant references to concrete symbols belonging to Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism), such as the five trees of Lord Indra’s garden paradise and the iconic Nataraj (Dancing Shiva), as well as the more subtle components of these secret sayings of Jesus that only a fellow mystic would notice. Inner lights, sounds, equanimity, Divine peace, the Guru-disciple relationship, and self-knowledge are all addressed. What was formerly hidden in plain sight is turned over and examined from every angle. 

The Yogic Gospel of Thomas is unique because it is written by someone who not only studies and is knowledgeable in the relevant sets of conceptual frameworks and philosophical disciplines, but who also lives the practice associated with them, who has had the inner experiences that breathed life into these ancient teachings in the first place, and who is connected to (and can connect you to) a tradition that is still alive and well today; a modern analogue to precisely what Jesus represented in Judea and India over 2,000 years ago. As much as it is interesting brain food, The Yogic Gospel of Thomas is equally, if not more so, a practicum and a lifeline. May it serve you well.

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A Sādhaka's Weekly Update

A sādhaka agreed that it was OK to share her weekly sādhanā update. Through a little bit of self-effort and a receptive attitude, she is consistently seeing the effects of Guru's Grace manifesting in her practice and in her everyday life.

Some people come to me for dīkṣā (initiation) -- which I am happy to give -- but they neglect to follow the practice that is recommended to them. I don't hear stories relating any sort of tangible progress from initiates of this category. I am happy to give what I can but, unless you take it from my hand, the exchange is not made. But I can tell you from experience that if you do, Guru's Grace comes into play and meets you more than halfway.

But I digress. This one is a great example. May more aspirants follow her lead. OM Namo Narayana. 

Here is what she shared:

-----------------------------

Dec 8 at 8:54 PM

OM

Namaste

Meditated in the AM & PM. Reading Great Swan by Lex Hixon and also Consciousness is Everything by Swami Shankarananda. I read Ramakrishna's words to one of his followers, "Fearfulness, in turn, is the environment in which suspicion and even hatred can grow." People tell me that I'm too trusting. Anxiety is a family trait going at least two generations back before me. I can relate to the part about hatred. I have carried that around before. I can't say that I hate anyone at present. I credit my Gurus grace, my swami's teachings, and meditation that I don't harbor those emotions.

Meditated for 42 minutes. I remembered it's an early day at school & I have to take a Spanish test. I'm appreciating the experience of contentment, I have enough.

PM

Meditated for 45 minutes. Did some yoga postures for a half hour prior to meditating. Sometimes it improves my ability to focus when I meditate.

Tuesday

Yoga stretches and meditated for 45 minutes. I felt like I was looking at myself outside myself and I was translucsent and light as a bubble. When focusing upon my Guru, he appeared radiant. The church hymn, Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory randomly popped into my head.

PM

Meditated for 45 minutes. I was distracted a little. Felt things shifting around but it was barely perceptible which I don't mind. Sometimes things move around so forcefully that it feels like I'm in an earthquake or what I imagine an earthquake would be like. Found it difficult to sit still. When I was finished I was really sleepy.

Meditated for 45 minutes. It was difficult to focus. Even though the television was on in the other room I was a aware of the ringing sound [nāda]. It's one of my favorite sounds along with babies laughing and the sound of a train whistling.

I'm into my last week of school before we go on break. Usually between mid-term and finals I'm drowning in homework and my practice gets sporadic. Thank you for sending me blessings during test times. I have brought my grade up from a 63% (Spanish) to a 78%. I have my final this next week and some extra credit assignments that still need to be weighed before I receive my final grade.

Namaste

OM

Is God Real? - Logic Meets Experience

A man by the name of Rick Dean Coste wrote a blog series titled, The Problem of Suffering: God Fights Back.  In part one, Coste states:

1. If God exists then He has the following attributes:

     A. God is Omniscient

     B. God is Omnibenevolent

     C. God is Omnipotent

2. God has acted in the past to exhibit these attributes

3. God, in His omnibenevolence, would have the desire to prevent suffering

4. God, in His omniscience, sees and has knowledge of all suffering at all times

5. God, in His omnipotence, has the power to prevent suffering.

6. There is much suffering in this world.

7. God Either:

     a. doesn’t care (contra to his omnibenevolence)

     b. doesn’t know about it (contra to His omniscience)

     c. can’t prevent it (contra to his omnipotence)

8. The God of premise (1) does not exist

Coste further states that if 1 is false, then 8 is automatically true.  Finally, he states that an argument against 6 is demonstrably incorrect.  I would counter that he is correct on the first point and either right or wrong on the second point, depending on how you look at it.  As per the philosophy of the nondual Shaivism of Kashmir, 1b (God's omnibenevolence) must be qualified more than presented here in order to be a true statement.  Thus, the concept of God familiar to most doesn't exist.  However, if we qualify God's omnibenevolence by positing that the suffering of the world serves an ultimately worthwhile purpose, we are now in agreement with the some of the deeper philosophical underpinnings of Kashir Shaivism (and related philosophies which also are both theistic and monistic) which, incidentally, does not demand the acceptance of point 3 of Coste's list for this reason.

Regarding Coste's point addressing the reality of suffering:  While our common experience certainly testifies to it, the suffering inherent in 

the world is real only about as much as the suffering experienced in a dream is real. It sucks when that is where one's attention is but, when awareness goes elsewhere (i.e. when we wake up), it is either a memory (subjectively real) OR it is forgotten and, therefore, nonexistent.  

Thus, if we can agree to amend Coste's point 1b and point 6 of Coste's flow chart, points 3, 7, and 8 are no longer a logically valid conclusion.  

All of this world is God's dream, God being the totality of Consciousness - the ultimate Gestalt.  Suffering hinges upon the principles of certain natural laws.  The various spiritual and religious paths put us in harmony, to varying degrees, with these natural laws.  People at odds with them suffer more.  Following the spiritual path to its climax, one realizes the Self to be the dreamer rather than the dreamed.  At this point, one is beyond the dream, the principles which govern and sustain it, and the suffering intrinsic to it.  This is the splendor of self-recognition.  In the words of Swami Vivekananda, "He is an atheist who does not believe in himself."

I present these points for consideration because my own experience has lead me to these conclusions.  Having known great suffering and the bliss of self-knowledge alike, I say that, truly, all the suffering in the world is worth even a taste of that nectar.  I recommend neither taking my word for it nor accepting any other model of reality based on logic and reason alone, as thought is only useful up to a certain point.  The wise counterbalance the intellect by engaging in practices like meditation (one-pointed concentration, as distinct from prayer or contemplation), self-enquiry (a specific mode of contemplation), and keeping the company of and rendering service to one who is self-realized already.  These are the methods that all who have come to know the truth of what I say unanimously recommend.

My Shaktipat Initiation

Shaktipat is the transmission of Grace from a self-realized Master to the seeker.  Grace is the revelatory power of Shiva (Consciousness, Brahman, or God if you prefer).  It is too subtle to see, hear, smell, taste, or touch, but it is a real thing.  If you're thinking about your spiritual practice in terms of burning off karma/mental conditioning, which is a good way to think about it because mental conditioning is what obscures the perception of Reality as it really is, shaktipat takes you out of the fridge and tosses you in the frying pan.  It accelerates one's practice and the fruits thereof exponentially.  It can occur spontaneously or by any act of intention on the part of the Master or one authorized by him to initiate the process by their own intention.

I first received shaktipat from my then Swami teacher, Swami Shivananda Giri a little over a year-and-a-half ago.  Shortly after, I met my Guru for the first time and received shaktipat from him.  This was all before I moved to Los Angeles to be near him and, subsequently, became a Swami myself.  When I received shaktipat, I wrote down my thoughts and observations on the experience.  Here is what I wrote:

03/22/2012-

I sat down, alert and prepared to recite the given mantra for quite some time, while looking at my Guru's picture to keep my mind on Him, as per the instructions relayed to my by my mentor, Swami Shivananda Giri. I wasn't doing japa (mantra repetition) for more than a couple minutes before shit got real. The colors in the picture that I was looking at and that I had looked at 100 times before began to change from very low saturation/high contrast to very saturated/almost fluorescent, oscillating between these two extremes very rapidly, in a fashion similar to that of a strobe light. I stopped, rubbed my eyes and looked back at my photograph. Still strobe-y. Rub eyes. Look again. Still strobe-y. As I sat on the same meditation seat I had been sitting on for a month, looking at the same picture I had been looking at even longer, sober as a judge, I marveled at the feat of psychedelia before me. I had to acknowledge that this was really happening. My 3rd eye was wide open. My pineal gland was working overtime. My ajna chakra was highly energized. LSD, mushrooms, mescaline; they've got nothing on Shaktipat in this regard.

It was at this point that I returned my full attention to the mantra and the photograph. My Guru's likeness, still in full-on strobe light mode, began to come in and out of focus. As it would come back into focus, occasionally I would see the same likeness except, somehow, I knew Him to be a Tibetan monk. Then He would return to His usual caucasian, Hindu-style monk likeness. The part I have the most trouble explaining and understanding is how His facial features or any other aspect of His likeness never actually changed at all. At one moment, I simply knew Him to be a monk of a more Tibetan, Tantric flavor and ethnicity and then He was the Mahamandaleshwar that I know and love in this form He currently takes. It all really defies logic. It doesn't matter. It just is.

At this point I was about 5, possibly 10 minutes into Shaktipat when, very suddenly and strongly, the urge to lay down came over me. I took the short trip to my bed and continued to look at the picture and recite the mantra until, very quickly, I fell asleep. I awoke to find my body feeling very sore and performing a hatha yoga posture called chakrasana.  I vaguely recalled dreams of meeting and interacting with various saints; One I argued with on facebook, another gave me lessons in hatha yoga, in another I saw Swami Shivananda take the form of an eagle and go meditate in a very nice-looking and secluded spot, where he returned to his human form. I could see this all from where I was sitting. I called Him on a cell phone and told him how I wished I could do this. He told me I could and, eventually, I did.

The photo that I was looking at when I received shaktipat for the first time

05/28/2012 -

I had been invited, for no reason apparent to me, to come to Hollywood to sit at my Guru's feet. This

A graphic representation of shaktipat being
transmitted via the eye

is the day I believe I will refer to as my Divya Dikshadan; the big Shaktipat. On the 2-hour drive from the fog-capped mountain town of Crestline, down to Hollywood, I had felt a softball-sized, gentle but persistent, pressure extending from the area slightly above my eyebrows all the way down to and well behind my nose as I silently repeated my mantra. When I met Him in person, I was so absorbed in trying to take in as much of what He was saying as I could that I almost didn't notice His face going out of focus and disappearing behind a red haze with only His eyes peering through.

Many things occurred on this and subsequent days that I sat at His feet. Some I noticed. Some of these were very meaningful and personal to me. I may keep them close to my heart until the day I leave this body. Others challenged my perception of what a fully realized human being is; It certainly defies any clear-cut textbook definition. I think the most important things that happened were so subtle I didn't even notice them occurring. 

 At one point I asked Him if He could dial up the strength of the Shaktipat since I felt like I could handle quite a bit more (even though I occasionally found myself wandering around after our meetings in a daze, somewhat unsure of my ability to operate a motor vehicle). I was displeased that He told me any more would kill me. What I was perceiving didn't seem profound enough. Now I am home, about a week later, still reeling from the effects.....reeling and contemplating. What exactly did happen? I'm still not entirely sure. I do know I will have quite a bit more to say about it someday. I don't think I've even scratched the surface in terms of detailing the events that will ultimately prove to be of any importance. Really all I've attempted to do here is relate the phenomena that I witnessed to point out the fact that something definitely did happen. More to come.

With Love,

Sita Ram [*]

SADGURUNATH MAHARAJ KI JAY!!!

"Hail the True Guru"

--

* I signed my name "Sita Ram" because, when I was following Guruji's instructions to drive from where I was staying in Kentucky to visit him in Los Angeles, I heard the words, "Jai, Śrī Sita Rām!" arise from within; from somewhere deep in my heart during meditation.  I didn't know what any of these words meant at the time, but later found out that the meaning was significant.  At any rate, this ended up being my name for a while.  When Guruji made me a Swami, he changed my name to Anantānanda.  

What is Expected of an Initiate?

Those of us affiliated with the Western Church of Sanatana Dharma do what we do for the sake of helping people to become enlightened.  To become enlightened requires self-effort and Guru's Grace.  Self-effort alone only takes one so far on this path.  But when self-effort is aimed at performing the practice prescribed by the Guru, as well as rendering service to the Guru (Guru Seva), it takes one all the way to the goal because this sort of effort draws Grace.  Grace is the revelatory power of Shiva and this is how it is earned.  If you would like to have this relationship with our Guruji, taking him as your Sadguru, this is what is expected of you as new initiate:

1. Meditate two times per day for at least 15 minutes.  DO NOT meditate for more than 90 minutes in a single day until you are deemed ready.  Too little won't get you anywhere, too much is dangerous.  The energy or Shakti that is received from the Guru by doing this practice will hurt you if you exceed the time limit without meeting certain qualifications.  Use a timer.  It's a big deal.  See So You Wanna Meditate (book) for more specific instructions on exactly how to meditate.  This info can also be found on this blog.  See the "Resources" section of this post for the relevant links.

2. Perform japa (mantra repetition) on the mantra, "OM Namah Shivaya" (pronounced: OM na-MAH shee-VIE-yah) by simply repeating the mantra mentally throughout the day as much as you can remember to do so.

3. Begin reading or chanting the Guru Gita daily.  I chant the whole thing in Sanskrit every morning after meditation.  It makes heat and energy surge throughout my body, causing me to become very blissed out.  You don't have to chant it and you can gradually work up to reading the whole thing.

4. Read the book, Play of Consciousness, by Swami Muktananda.  Baba, 

as he is affectionately known, is my Guru's Guru.  The book contains info that is valuable to anybody who is considering taking part in this lineage and its reading also confers a whole lot of Shakti or, in other words, it causes one to draw more Grace.

5. Send me daily updates until further notice (even if I don't respond every time).  Otherwise, weeks or months could go by before you are performing your practice the way that we are actually trying to get you to.  This way, misunderstandings get sorted out much more quickly.  Carbon copy all emails to Guruji by typing his email address in the "cc" field of the email (make sure to ask for this because I'm not going to post it here).  He will see these and may occasionally tell you to do something differently than I have.  Always defer to what he says when applicable.

The level of initiation you have received if you have chosen to begin meditation and mantra in the way that I have instructed is called mantra diksha.  Initiates who carry out these instructions well and wish to expand their practice will have the opportunity to be initiated into higher levels of knowledge, such as shaktipat diksha.  People who put in this work generally are happy enough about how it impacts their life that they eagerly choose to deepen their practice.  May your efforts be blessed: OM Namo Narayana.

-Swami Anantananda Giri

--

Resources:

• So You Wanna Meditate paperback by Swami Anantananda Giri

• OR read 1st four chapters here: So You Wanna Meditate, The Immediate Benefits, Beyond Mantra, & The Shiva Drishthi

• The Guru Gita can be found here.  This version contains the original Sanskrit (Roman transliteration) and English translation.  It is free for private (i.e. non-commercial) use.

• To support my work and to help make sense of the Guru Gita, please consider purchasing the commentary I wrote (in collaboration with Guruji and a fellow disciple, named Padma), The Authoritative Guru Gita of H.H. Mahamandaleshwar Swarupananda.  If you are in a country where the above link doesn't work, a simple Amazon search for "Authoritative Guru Gita" should turn up the appropriate link for purchase in your region.

• If you prefer, you can get the Guru Gita in Hindi or Gujrati from the Siddha Yoga Bookstore.  They also have a Gujrati version of the entire Nectar of Chanting, called Swadhyaya Sudha.

• And, finally, don't forget about Play of Consciousness (or Chitshakti Vilas if you prefer a Hindi, Marathi, or Gujrati translation).

This Blog's New Name

My first impulse when creating this blog was to call it "Consciousness is Everything".  This is the title of a book on Kashmir Shaivism by Mahamandaleshwar Swami Shankarananda.  I had already read it at this point and, incidentally, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  So I asked his permission to use the title and called the blog "The Shiva Drishthi" in the meantime.  In a nutshell, the "The Shiva Drishthi", the viewpoint of Shiva, is the recognition of the fact that Consciousness is everything.  But I digress.

Swamiji graciously agreed to let me use the title of his book for this blog.  Below is his kind response, which I share because it both sums up the reason that I wanted to use this title and because Swamiji's warm personality really shines through:

Dear Swami Anantananda, 

Om Namo Narayanaya! It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm glad you're enjoying Consciousness Is Everything. I am honoured that you want to use my title for your blog. You can use that with my blessing. There is no greater philosophy than the non-dual philosophy of Consciousness. It's nice to meet you via facebook. Please give my love to Swami Swaroopananda. 

With love,

Swamiji

Mahamandaleshwar Swarupananda is my Guru.  I had mentioned that he spoke highly of Mahamandaleshwar Shankarananda.  In fact, they were both performing sadhana together in their Guru, Baba Muktananda's ashram many years ago.  I am told that they are old friends.

His very excellent book, Consciousness is Everything, is, in my opinion, the best introductory work on the subject of Kashmir Shaivism that there is (The Splendor of Recognition by Swami Shantananda taking a close second).  My first impression of Kashmir Shaivism was that it was stuffy, antiquated, and riddled with entirely too much archaic technical language.  Just thinking about it gave me a headache.  Swami Shankarananda's book really showed me how this ancient philosophical system and corresponding mode of practice is just as relevant now as it was in the 9th century.  Its cogent analysis of this often heady material clearly illumines the philosophy of the siddha saints, making it accessible to our own era.  Additionally, the depths that Swamiji's insights plumb and the wealth of experience from which he draws really underscore the point that this system is ultimately about the realization of something entirely outside the realm of mind; something infinitely more beautiful and perfect than one can possibly comprehend until mind is transcended (although that is not to suggest that mind is something other than That).  That was what did it for me, personally.  If it sounds like your cup of tea, do yourself a favor and check it out HERE.

Anti-gurus

I have noticed that it's very trendy to profess one's lack of need for a Guru.  "But nobody has all the answers," people like to say.  Irrelevant.  The Guru's job description does not read, "answer questions".   "But the Guru is within you!" someone somewhere will counter.  Actually, this claim is true, but the person citing it in this context is invariably misunderstanding the real implications of what this means.  If there is anything that is perceived as other than yourself, you will seldom, if ever, be able to tap into the guidance of the Guru within.

"But even the Buddha said, 'If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.'"  If the Buddha did really say that,it is prudent to remember that he was an Indian yogi and he was a Guru in every sense of the word.  He obviously was not saying that you don't need a Guru to become enlightened.  However, if you see the Buddha as something distinct and separate from yourself, it is completely profitable to "kill" that erroneous distinction.  The Guru, as one who is awake to his or her own true Self beyond the body, mind and personality, is instrumental in the awakening of others.

But let's back up a bit.  Many of the people I see denouncing the need for a Guru are people who either don't have anything resembling an accurate concept of what the enlightened state is or they refuse to believe it exists.  In either case, these people are not trying to find what the Guru is able to show them.  Therefore, they are correct: they don't need a Guru.  He wouldn't do them much good anyway.

A guy named Vikram Gandhi made a documentary called Kūmārê where he faked being a Swami and a Guru.  He taught his followers that he was "an illusion" in an attempt at hinting that he was a fake. . . in a way that resembled (but definitely was not) the non-dual philosophy of Advaita Vedānta (which points at the unreality of the world or anything other than the homogeneous Self).  Furthermore, after he came clean and admitted that he had been joshing everybody, he shared that he wanted everybody to realize that they had improved their own lives by simply taking his advice to have more confidence in and love for themselves.  Indeed, they had.  However, Vikram's subsequent assertion that they had never had any need of a Guru is a massive and unwarranted leap.  It presumes that nobody there was interested in what it is that a Guru is there to offer in the first place: self-realization.  Either that or that they were capable of realizing the true nature of Self all on their own which, of course, nobody in this case study did.  The subject of enlightenment was never even addressed.

Interestingly, upon deeper investigation, one finds that it is not only the ignorant who claim that the Guru is not necessary.  Jiddhu Krishnamurti is famous for becoming enlightened and then denouncing Guru-Paramparā, the tradition of self-realization being conferred from Guru to disciple in an unbroken lineage stretching back to the dawn of time.  J. Krishnamurti's teaching was something along the lines of, "You are already the Self; just realize it!"  And he was correct.  However, he gave no method of doing this and criticized others who did.  "Truth is a pathless land," one famous quote goes, "and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect."

People followed this person who was so anti-guru, as if he were their Guru, for his entire life.  Yet the general consensus seems to be that there was some flaw in his teaching.  A woman I met when I was offering satsang on the the Santa Monica Promenade one time informed me that she used to frequent Krishnamurti's talks.  She seemed to share her teacher's mistrust for Gurus but also acknowledged that the other people frequenting his lectures were not becoming enlightened.  It is not hard to see why.  While his descriptions of his own experience were often clear, to the point, and quite beautiful, there is little-to-no practical benefit to this alone.  According to the scriptures, the company of saints and self-effort both are necessary to achieve self-realization.  People may have benefited from J. Krishnamurti's presence but he did not provide the other piece of the puzzle and actually discouraged people from making use of this advantage.

Personally, I think that his fundamental flaw was failing to speak in terms that were appropriate for his audience.  For example, one of his teachings is that "Awareness is not the outcome of practice."  From his perspective, or from that of one who shares his state, that is true.  Cause and effect are transcended at a certain level of awareness.  I have no doubt that he was speaking purely from experience.  However, for one who is not able to perceive reality from this transcendental state, cause and effect are very much in play and practice is prerequisite to the unconditioned awareness that J. Krishnamurti enjoyed.  Ironically, in his adamant refusal to join the ranks of what he deemed to be "spiritual exploiters" by offering any sort of path, he did much less to help bridge the gap between the level of awareness his audience showed up with and his own than others who were not above such dynamics.

Let's compare him to one of his contemporaries, Osho, in regard to the matter at hand.  J. Krishnamurti undoubtedly held himself to a more rigorous code of ethical conduct.  If half of the stories about Osho's antics are true I, personally, would not have had anything to do with him.  He would not have been my Guru.  However, he did provide his devotees with a mode of practice which would deconstruct the mental conditioning which colours one's perception of reality.  He may have been more of a dick - certainly more fallible - yet somehow he was more effective in his role as a guide.

Another noteworthy character is U.G Krishnamurti (no relation to J. Krishnamurti).  He is very well known for claiming that Gurus are "sellers of shoddy wares" because there is no such thing as enlightenment.  However, he does acknowledge such a thing as a "natural man" and that his own "cataclysm" event was the precursor to his experiencing this "natural state".  Personally, I am not convinced that U.G. had realized everything that there is to realize, if he realized anything at all.  And if he did, he is a hypocrite because he spent something like 12 years following J. Krishnamurti, he spent time with Ramana Maharshi, and he spent several years with Swami Shivananda of Rishikesh.  He acts as if he had whatever realization that occurred to him in spite of his austerities when, in reality, any realization he did have occurred due to his austerities and in spite of himself.

Anti-gurus like the Krishnamurtis - and guru-phobic sentiments in general - are massively popular among the ignorant.  But is it really of any benefit for one to hold onto this idea?  The ignorance of the transcendental Self is due to the fact that it is obscured by erroneous mental conditioning, which can all be traced back to ego.  The biggest ego trap there is is to assume that we do not need the assistance of someone who is already self-realized: who sees through our mental bullshit.  Performing the austerity of serving a self-realized master as Guru is the most surefire and expeditious way to burn off the mental conditioning that keeps us from fully and permanently realizing our natural condition: the enlightened state.  The insistence by the ignorant that no such thing is necessary is purely egoic self-preservation.  While a couple of people who had left ignorance behind did push this idea, that does not mean that they were correct.  If you don't believe me, just go and get yourself lost in any bustling metropolis and ask a local how to get to the intersection of Fifth and Main.  In almost every case you will find someone knows how to get there him or herself but isn't capable of giving you reliable directions.