tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85609182352699234272024-03-28T20:10:14.880+05:30Ravi S. Iyer: SpiritualThis blog is about spirituality and religionRavi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.comBlogger1461125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-11334579787867854532024-03-24T01:30:00.003+05:302024-03-24T01:30:33.174+05:30Referral: Updated Roadmap and Extensive and Well Organized Notes for Learning Full Stack (MERN) Web Development ...<p>Readers may want to see my recent blog post on another blog of mine: Updated Roadmap and Extensive and Well Organized Notes for Learning Full Stack (MERN) Web Development Beginner Level through Free Online Tutorials, <a href="https://raviswdev.blogspot.com/2024/03/updated-roadmap-and-extensive-and-well.html">https://raviswdev.blogspot.com/2024/03/updated-roadmap-and-extensive-and-well.html</a>. </p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-81526748373558104282024-03-21T15:00:00.007+05:302024-03-27T13:30:24.060+05:30Spiritual challenge of understanding and handling the mystery and challenge of grave illness/injury coming to a person<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Last updated on 27 Mar. 2024</i></span></p><p>IMHO, a great spiritual challenge is understanding and handling the mystery and challenge of grave illness/injury coming to a person, and sometimes leading to his/her passing away. After the event, doctors may analyze an illness and say why it happened at physical-body level but it is very difficult for them to accurately predict when somebody is going to fall ill and how severe the illness will be.</p><p>Hindu scripture talks of Rishis having knowledge about such matters from a spiritual perspective (e.g. karmic result) not only about their life but also about other people's lives, and many Rishis had the power to rise above body consciousness at will. </p><p>In our times though, such spiritual masters seem to be very rare. </p><p>Most of us devotees/spiritual aspirants (NOT masters), me certainly included, have no such (clear and precise) spiritual perspective knowledge about why grave illness/injury comes to a person (which could be us). We may loosely speculate about karmic result but without knowing that for sure.</p><p>I think most of us have to sincerely pray to God for protection and help and then surrender to His Will, when it comes to this great mystery and challenge of life of grave illness/injury coming to a person/us. </p><p>==============================</p><p>Given below are my comment(s) (slightly edited) on my associated Facebook post: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0QhqyxHXeJSS5Kbpyva1b2GShcu9wuBue6PrdB7KB7RW2NxmnCRjRA8CSkwuaSWw7l">https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0QhqyxHXeJSS5Kbpyva1b2GShcu9wuBue6PrdB7KB7RW2NxmnCRjRA8CSkwuaSWw7l</a> :</p><p>Responding to both --name-snipped-- and --name-snipped--:</p><p>Thanks --name-snipped-- for your valuable response. I think Ramana Maharshi's approach was the stoic approach as a response to the grave illness/injury case but, as far as I know, he did not have any knowledge about when future grave illness/injury may happen to others or him.</p><p>Thanks --name-snipped-- for your valuable response. Yes, Swami has given us very good advice on handling grave illness/injury as you have shared.</p><p>For both --names-snipped--,</p><p>The trigger for this post is a recent health scare that a noted Indian spiritual master had, where he had a major emergency surgery. I do not want to mention the name as it then may become controversial. While the master seems to be handling it very confidently and even joking about it, the impression I got is that the master was not aware of the seriousness of the health issue he was going through over the past few weeks. The doctors did their investigations and shared the seriousness of his health issue which, fortunately, has been surgically attended to, and the master is recovering well.</p><p>Now I think that the curtain or mystery about when grave illness/injury will strike a person/us, applies to this master too, who I believe has a lot of spiritual tapas (penance) ability and practice! I mean, when even such a master does not know when a grave illness/injury will strike him, what about us devotees (not masters)! How powerful this curtain/mystery is about when grave illness/injury will strike a person, which may lead to the person's death! I think this mystery is taken for granted as a fact of life. But I do think that in the ancient past in India, some Rishis could go beyond this curtain and mystery and know precisely when and what grave illness/injury will strike a person and why. I think that has been an awesome achievement of the ancient Rishis of India. But in today's times, I think masters like these ancient Rishis seem to be either very rare or not in public view.</p><p>That is the background for me putting up the small post.</p><p>Another angle in this context is the health-care and support costs that come into play for grave illness/injury, in our times. Ramana Maharshi does not seem to have got admitted to any hospital for the cancer that he suffered during his last days. His stoicism and endurance power shines through in how he continued to give Darshan almost till the end, if not till the end. But is that something that most of us can or should follow today? Or should that be followed or attempted to be followed by only reclusive (sannyasi or sannyasi-like) persons?</p><p>A free health-care system like what Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has provided us in Puttaparthi is a great blessing, for such cases.</p><p>But if one looks at the scenario in general, I think for most of us devotees today, we have to plan for health-care and support-care costs to handle grave illness/injury to at least some extent. We simply don't know what the future holds for us in this regard, and we have to think about having some level of money (and perhaps some level of health insurance) to meet such costs. I personally feel that it is NOT FAIR to become financially dependent on close relatives and friends to meet such costs if one can earn money. I mean, either one should try to earn money to meet some level of such potential costs, or one should move away from close relatives and friends (trying to reduce any hurt they may have due to such action) and go to a remote place and follow the stoic example of Ramana Maharshi without going to doctors and hospitals and let whatever happens to the body, happen.</p><p>In my social media writing about spirituality, I try hard to share practical reality issues as I think that's what may turn out to help some spiritual aspirants who read my posts. That's why I shared the health-care costs related matter which is quite a sensitive one to talk about but is an important practical reality in India today for most spiritual aspirants especially from middle-class and above kind of background.</p><p>As this response is already long, I will respond separately to my views now on 'I am not the body' approach.</p><p>------</p><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">About the 'I am not body. I am the Atma (pure consciousness)' approach:</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I will frankly share my views on the above, in the context of my post, based on my practice and experience. Note that I have followed the 'Who am I'? approach for many years. I have also documented some benefits I got from this practice in my blog post(s): Sharing my limited self-realization experiences and associated sadhana (spiritual practices) with interested genuine seekers, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/sharing-my-limited-self-realization_29.html (links to related post).</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I am convinced I am not the body. I am also convinced that I am the unchanging and eternal Atma (consciousness/awareness). But despite trying hard, I have failed to rise above body consciousness or detach my Atma/self (myself) from my body and at least temporarily, be totally independent of my body. In other words, I am trapped in my body. A strong spiritual desire I have (since early 2022, after my major health challenges), is to have the ability to go beyond my body consciousness, and be able to return to it (if I want). I pray to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba that if he feels this desire of mine is good, then he may please fulfill this desire of mine.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I find that my inability to rise above body consciousness is a great limiting factor for me currently, for the 'I am not body. I am the Atma (pure consciousness)' approach. I think I should share some details. Perhaps it may benefit some spiritual aspirant reader. I hope these details do not disturb you. If so, please accept my apologies.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">When I had my heart-attack on 7th Jan. 2022, it was late night (around 11 PM, if I recall correctly). While I had had some chest area discomfort in the past too, this time it was quite severe (let me skip the details). I felt that now is the time for me to leave the body. There was intense weakness. I lay down and thought now the body will die. But it did not die! Instead I had a little amount of sleep and woke up early morning (3 AM or so, if I recall correctly), gasping for breath! I was able to slowly make my way to a chair and sat down. The gasping continued and was making quite some noise which woke up a neighbourhood dog which started barking and continued barking, making quite a racket in the silence of the very early morning hours! Now this period was COVID time. Gasping for breath was a sign of COVID which could be a risk for neighbours if I did not get it checked out. Eventually, on phone I called a good friend who was of great help to me, arranged for me to be taken to Swami General Hospital from where, after initial treatment in emergency room, I was sent to Super hospital (I reached there around 8 AM, if I recall correctly). Fortunately I was COVID negative - the gasping was due to the heart-attack I had had. Super hospital people treated me, giving great care and brought me out of the gasping situation, made my health somewhat stable and discharged me after two weeks, with lifelong medication prescription and many diet and other lifestyle restrictions to be followed.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">The doctors told me that if I had come earlier to the hospital, they could have helped me recover better. I was later told by a medical person (from outside Swami hospital system) that due to many hours gap, some of my heart tissue would have died and so could not be recovered now. Medically I now have a weak heart (confirmed through tests) and have to live with the issues that a weak heart creates.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Back to 'I am not the body' approach :-). Well, the problem was that death did not come to me even though I was ready for it. Instead I got into a situation where I have a weak heart and associated weak body now! </span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">And now due to medicines, visits to doctors for specialities not covered by Swami's hospitals, and diet and other restrictions and need for cook and other help, my expenses have risen significantly, putting pressure on my single spiritual aspirant retirement plan (I retired from commercial work in Aug. 2002). </span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I thought seriously about how I should handle this challenge. One option was to continue to live in Puttaparthi but follow Ramana Maharshi path and not go to doctors & hospitals. But then I went to Swami hospitals and they helped me recover! So now I feel obliged to follow all their instructions (medicines, follow up, diet and other restrictions) to the best of my ability, and I sincerely do that. So I cannot take the Ramana Maharshi path when I am living in Puttaparthi even if I am able to muster the stoicism and endurance that such a path needs.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Another option is to go away to a remote place somewhere and follow the Ramana Maharshi path there - focus only on my sadhana, and not bother about medicines, doctors and hospitals, and let the body fall when it will ('I am not the body'). Well, I prayed to Swami and I have not got a green signal for such an option, as of now at least.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Now my big concern is becoming dependent physically and/or financially on others. The 'I am not the body' approach is not helping me here because I do not have the ability to rise above body consiousness at will nor am I able to take the Ramana Maharshi path of stoicism and endurance and not going to doctors and hospitals.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">[Before I get into this part, let me say that I am quite OK financial status wise, as of now. But with inflation and possible further medical costs in future, it is clear that there will be more stress on my finances in future life unless I augment it by earning some money.]</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">For the financial part concern, it was clear that the right thing for me to do was to try to get back to earning money. So I am now on a path of trying to get back to software development and see whether I can get some part-time work-from-home paid work which is within my health limits.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">About the concern about becoming dependent physically, it is a big concern for me as, in the initial months after heart-attack my body had become quite weak. [BTW I got severe COVID after the heart-attack in end Jan. 2022. Once again I thought this body will die but the state government hospital got me out of that.] It was horrible for me to go through that period of very low energy (lots of weakness) and dependence on others for so many things. I repeat, I was ready for death of my body anytime. And I am ready for death of my body, even now as I write this comment response. Death of body - no problem whatsoever! It is living with a weak body and dependence on others that is a big concern for me. Anyway, now while I still have a weak body, it is better than the initial months after heart-attack and COVID. But I feel as if I have been given a taste of what can happen when the body goes down in a big way. And that is very unpleasant. It is something I would like to avoid as much as possible.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">So how am I thinking of handling the concern about becoming dependent physically? I still have not got a clear answer but am working on it. It is too sensitive to write publicly. I can only say that ancient Hindu monks and Jain monks have had their ways of dealing with such situations, and I think they are appropriate for single spiritual aspirants who get into some unfortunate physical dependence issue and do not have money or people for such support.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">To conclude, 'I am not the body' approach has some limitations for me primarily due to my inability to rise above body consciousness at will (and so I feel I am not the body but I am trapped in this body).</span></p><p>------</p><p>Thanks. Though the reason I put up the post and comments are related to the general issue of these challenges. I gave some info. about my particular case to simply convey my view better. I think the truth should be told about these matters. That will help younger spiritual aspirants better understand the challenges in following the path and learn/know how they can try to handle these challenges. That has been the intention of me putting up the post and comments.</p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-19191239515241487182024-03-18T23:32:00.003+05:302024-03-18T23:32:58.701+05:30Referral: Upskilling to MERN web developer: Finished 2nd round of Roadmap to Learning Full Stack Web Development<p>Readers may want to have a look at my recent post in another blog of mine: Upskilling to MERN web developer: Finished 2nd round of Roadmap to Learning Full Stack Web Development, <a href="https://raviswdev.blogspot.com/2024/03/upskilling-to-mern-web-developer.html">https://raviswdev.blogspot.com/2024/03/upskilling-to-mern-web-developer.html</a> . </p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-12013187967297141252023-12-18T18:43:00.001+05:302023-12-18T18:44:11.071+05:30Nice video where a Swami talks of Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi based on Patanjali Maharshi's Ashtanga Yoga and his own experiences<p>Transcending the Mind, Abiding in Pure Awareness – The Psychology of Samadhi: 4, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSQrlf4AKVs">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSQrlf4AKVs</a> , 25 min. 32 secs., published on Aug. 17, 2023 by ArshaBodha - Swami Tadatmananda.</p><p>The Swami bases his talk in this video which is part of a series, on Patanjali Maharshi's Ashtanga Yoga writings and his own experiences.</p><p>I get the impression that the Swami is being very truthful about his experience of Samadhi. From the description of the video (and the Swami says something similar/same in the video): "In samadhi, as Patanjali himself says, tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam, you then abide in your true nature as pure consciousness. That is the state of kaivalya, onlyness, when your true nature alone remains."</p><p>He does not talk about experiencing himself in all and all in himself, knowing about past and future etc. The key points of his experience of Samadhi seem to be: the karta (doer) and bhokta (enjoyer) disappearing and only awareness/pure consciousness being there, time and space disappearing, and an experience of (intense?) peace and bliss though he does not expand on the bliss part. He says that in samadhi state, "... all that remains is infinite, boundaryless, awareness, completely free from the limitations of time and space."</p><p>The word, "bliss" is shown only once in the transcript: (@14:42): "Then, the momentum of your practice can carry you along into a state of utter silence, a state of blissful stillness or perfect peace." </p><p>Perhaps in other videos he may talk more about the bliss part. In this video, he says that he has explained it "as simply as possible".</p><p>He also talks about eventually coming out of Samadhi and how to get back to Samadhi.</p><p>I feel that he has been very honest in this sharing and he seems to be very knowledgeable about Patanjali Maharshi's Ashtanga Yoga. I am deeply thankful to the Swamiji for this great contribution of sharing his knowledge and experience of samadhi state.</p><p><i>[I thank 'ArshaBodha - Swami Tadatmananda' and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above small extract(s) from their video/transcript on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.] </i></p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-35412780164216138172023-12-18T15:23:00.011+05:302023-12-18T15:40:09.278+05:30Awareness-I is the only 'thing'/experience that is unchanging and ever-present and I believe it is eternal and part of God<p>Thought of sharing some recent thoughts/insights in my ongoing and regular meditation practice...</p><p>In my life/living experience, (my) Awareness-I is the only 'thing' or rather experience that is unchanging and ever-present. Everything else including my mind-body is changing, and thus is a "passing show".</p><p>I give some importance even to the "passing show" as I cannot switch off the passing show and am bound to it (or trapped in it). But I give, or try to give, far more importance to experiencing the Awareness-I as that is my ultimate reality and I believe it to be eternal and a part of God.</p><p>Related posts: </p><p>Viewing Awareness-I as essence or part of God in my meditation and trying to dissolve or merge into God (experience oneness with God), <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/06/viewing-awareness-i-as-essence-or-part.html">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/06/viewing-awareness-i-as-essence-or-part.html</a></p><p>Blending of experience of 'Om Sai Ram' Namasmarana and Awareness-I japa-dhyaana, <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/06/blending-of-experience-of-om-sai-ram.html">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/06/blending-of-experience-of-om-sai-ram.html</a></p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-8821276710109955832023-12-09T18:26:00.001+05:302023-12-09T18:26:05.272+05:30Sathya Sai Baba to devotee (in Telugu): Kashtam aina nashtam aina naa bhaktuluni kaapaadu. English: Whether (you are) in difficulty or at a (monetary) loss, help/protect my devotees.<p>Recently a devotee shared with me that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba (in physical form) had said to him in Telugu: Kashtam aina nashtam aina naa bhaktuluni kaapaadu. My English translation of it (hopefully there are no errors) is: Whether (you are) in difficulty or at a (monetary) loss, help/protect my devotees.</p><p>I was very moved to hear these words of Bhagavan. I thought it will be a small but nice contribution to Sathya Sai devotee community, if he permitted me to post this publicly. The devotee sir kindly provided the permission. </p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-25432415606950742552023-12-08T10:42:00.007+05:302023-12-08T10:44:02.581+05:30Ramana Maharshi: Jnani always looks forward to the time when he will be free from the bondage of the body<p>I find these words of Ramana Maharshi from below post to be striking: "A Jnani always looks forward to the time when he will be free from the bondage of the body and be able to throw it away."</p><p>BHAGAVAN’S VIEW ON DEATH, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamanaHridayam/posts/pfbid02rCP2oJ5AN9q5UDHDhjoUSdFFXzsL2SsRMyxpYQcRPxnpBW3J9GbaxSEWLebhcHnBl">https://www.facebook.com/RamanaHridayam/posts/pfbid02rCP2oJ5AN9q5UDHDhjoUSdFFXzsL2SsRMyxpYQcRPxnpBW3J9GbaxSEWLebhcHnBl</a> . The post provides the reference for quote shared above, as: ‘Letters’, p 87, Bhagavan’s remarks to the death of Madhava Swami</p><p>My humble view is that Jnanis may not always look forward to freedom from bondage of body, as at times they may want to use the body in regular world to help or teach others. But quite surely, Jnanis would eventually (perhaps after they feel their work in the world is done) look forward to being free of the body bondage (and be able to throw it away).</p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-49387162698277951182023-11-23T23:22:00.005+05:302023-11-23T23:22:44.647+05:30Referral: Open Source Blogger BlogBackupToBook VB.NET software v4 released on Github<p>Readers may want to have a look at my recent post on another blog of mine: Open Source Blogger BlogBackupToBook VB.NET software v4 released on Github, <a href="https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2023/11/open-source-blogger-blogbackuptobook.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2023/11/open-source-blogger-blogbackuptobook.html</a> .</p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-36324079960990265482023-11-02T13:26:00.001+05:302023-11-02T13:26:08.457+05:30Referral: Why do I provide link URLs as directly visible content in my blog posts?<p>Readers may want to visit my recent blog post on another blog: Why do I provide link URLs as directly visible content in my blog posts?, <a href="https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2023/11/why-do-i-provide-link-urls-as-visible.html">https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2023/11/why-do-i-provide-link-urls-as-visible.html</a> . </p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-77149291856188817112023-09-24T13:42:00.003+05:302023-09-28T12:57:10.440+05:30Are stoicism and surrender to God, the only ways for most contemporary spiritual masters (and spiritual aspirants) to handle deterioration of body due to disease and old age?<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last updated on 28 Sep. 2023</span></i></p><p>On Facebook, I shared a recent post by Facebook user, "Ramana Maharshi", along with some comments of mine. Here's my shared post link: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0p5oi85UKtYDAePKFfLRi34DeB9GCrM15rtkm3TXWEgApmHDatfQ2U56vraMCtMr8l" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0p5oi85UKtYDAePKFfLRi34DeB9GCrM15rtkm3TXWEgApmHDatfQ2U56vraMCtMr8l</a> .</p><p>The Ramana Maharshi post is about the vision of death Ramana Maharshi had (as a young lad), and how at that time/in that experience, even though his senses were numb, the "Aham sphurana (self-awareness) was clearly evident". That (led to) realization that this self-awareness never decays and that even when the body is burned, the self-awareness would not be affected, and that this self-awareness is the (real) "I".</p><p>Given below are the contents of my post and one comment of mine on it:</p><p>I think I may be getting into tricky territory with this comment but I felt I should make it.</p><p>It is one thing to know one's reality is the undecaying self-awareness and that one's ultimate reality/inner core of being is not the body.</p><p>But if one cannot leave (and re-enter) the body at will, one is trapped inside the body or tied to the body. And after a particular age usually (sometimes earlier), the body starts to deteriorate which is quite a terrible thing, IMHO. </p><p>Some near contemporary (20th century) and current spiritual masters handled/handle this with awesome stoicism and surrender to God's will for which they are rightfully admired and revered. <i>[I should add that for spiritual aspirants at least (including me for sure), surrender to God being accompanied by Namasmarana (chanting of God's name) seems to be a powerful spiritual practice in such cases.]</i> But are stoicism and surrender the only ways for spiritual masters (and spiritual aspirants) to handle this? I don't know a clear or definite answer to this. Perhaps stoicism and surrender are very strong ways to handle it. But I think that as per scripture, the ancient Hindu rishis seem to have had more mastery in handling this condition or state of the body deteriorating.</p><p>--------</p><p>In response to a comment on above Facebook post, (comment) about contemplating the body in the self, I wrote (slightly edited): Thanks for your comment. That is why I used the words, "one is trapped inside the body or tied to the body". The "tied to the body" case is to cover the view of the body being in the Self. I mean, even if the body is in the self, at my limited level of spiritual evolution, I (my self/atma/core of my being) am still tied to the body and am not in a position to free myself from that body at will and re-tie myself to the body at will. </p><p>I think this inability to get untied from the body (or go beyond body consciousness) at will, is a fundamental limitation I have in my current spiritual evolution state. Further, to stick my neck out, I think most contemporary and near-contemporary spiritual masters seem to have or have had that limitation. </p><p>In contrast, Hindu scripture talks of some Rishis having the power to rise above or untie themselves from the body at will and get back or re-tie themselves to the body at will. That I think is an awesome spiritual level these Rishis had achieved. </p><p>---</p><p>In response to a comment on above Facebook post, I wrote (slightly edited): Death is not a problem for a committed spiritual aspirant I think. Living with a deteriorating body is the challenge. Stoicism and surrender to God along with Namasmarna are powerful ways to handle that challenge. But I do wonder whether more can be done by spiritual aspirants (or even spiritual masters) to meet that challenge, in our times.</p><p>...</p><p>In response to a comment on above Facebook post, I wrote (slightly edited): I am not clear. Hindu scripture talks of Rishis (of the past) having had the awesome ability to, at will, go out of the body (disassociate with the body) and at will, get back into the body (reassociate with the body). I wonder whether there are spiritual masters today who have that ability and whether they have publicly shared how they acquired that ability.</p><p>...</p><p>In response to a comment on above Facebook post, I wrote (slightly edited): Yes, I think that's how most of us have to handle it - pray to Bhagavan and rely on Him, do Namasmarana and fight (to the finish). I think only a very few persons in our times, would have that awesome ability to leave the body at will and to re-enter the body at will.</p><p>=====================================</p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-73923187286015793062023-09-07T16:02:00.002+05:302023-09-07T16:14:18.243+05:30Is God a power or personality? Does prayer get heard by power and personality?<p>My humble views on the above query which is on the lines of a private query I got recently:</p><p>At a paramaarthika sathyam level, there is only Brahman, which is a formless power or force or presence (and not a personality). At a vyavaharika sathyam level, divinity takes form like Rama, Krishna and Sai Baba. Prayer is heard and understood by divinity in form of Rama/Krishna/Sai Baba as well as by formless Brahman.</p><p>Some quotes about paramaarthika and vyavaharika sathyam are given below.</p><p>From Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's divine discourse on 21st July 1996, <a href="http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume29/d960721.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume29/d960721.pdf</a>:</p><p>There are three aspects of this Divinity: paramarthika, vyavaharika, and pratibhasika (absolutely real, empirical and illusory). These three are not different from each other. The same Divinity is present in all three. There can be no waves without water, and there can be no froth without waves. The waves are the basis of froth, and water is the basis of waves. Water is the same in all the three — ocean, waves and froth. Similarly, the same Divinity is present in paramarthika, vyavaharika, and pratibhasika.</p><p>--- end extract from Bhagavan discourse ---</p><p>...</p><p>Here's an explanation of Adi Shankara's commentary on an Upanishad shloka (verse), <a href="http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/2010-February/023740.html" target="_blank">http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/2010-February/023740.html</a>. A related extract from it:</p><p>While commenting on the mantra सत्यं च अनृतं च सत्यमभवत् ''satyam cha anRtam cha Satyam abhavat' (Taittiriya Up. II.6) Sri Shankaracharya says: satyam = vyavaharavishayam since this is being mentioned in the context of 'sRishti' of the world. He adds: this is not paramArthasatyam (absolute reality) since Brahman alone indeed is paramArtha satyam. This vyavaharavishayam satyam is only Apekshikam, relative, empirical. He explains: when compared to the water in a mirage, the water (that we actually use for drinking, etc.) is real. This is what is meant by</p><p>'vyavaharika satyam'. That which is not thus real is anRtam, unreal.</p><p>सत्यं च व्यवहारविषयम्, अधिकारात्, न परमार्थसत्यम्; एकमेव हि</p><p>परमार्थसत्यं ब्रह्म । इह पुनः व्यवहारविषयमापेक्षिकं</p><p>मृगतृष्णिकाद्यनृतापेक्षया उदकादि सत्यमित्युच्यते । अनृतं च तद्विपरीतम्</p><p>। किं पुनरेतत् सर्वं सत्यमभवत् परमार्थसत्यम् ।</p><p>//satyam cha vyavahaaraviShayam, adhikArAt, na paramaarthasatyam; ekameva hi</p><p>paramaarthasatyam Brahma. iha punaH vyavahaaraviShayamaapekShikam</p><p>mRgatRShNikAdyanRtaapekShayA udakAdi satyamucyate. anRutam cha tadvipareetam.</p><p>kim punaretat sarvam satyamabhavat paramArthasatyam...//</p><p>The above bhashyam [commentary] brings to the fore that three types of 'reality' are admitted in the Shruti. Commonly these are known as:</p><p>1. PAramArthika Satyam which is Brahman alone,</p><p>2. vyAvahArika satyam which constitutes the common world experience of samsara and</p><p>3. prAtibhAsika satyam which is a seeming reality, actually within the samsaaric experience. This seeming reality of say, the mirage-water or rope-snake, is corrected in the vyavahara itself and does not require Brahma jnanam for this.</p><p>The vyvahaarika satyam, of course, gets corrected upon the rise of Brahma jnAnam.</p><p>--- end extract ---</p><p><i>[I thank sssbpt.info and advaita-vedanta.org and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above small extract(s) from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.] </i></p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-30868294982033977572023-09-04T00:16:00.007+05:302023-09-04T11:05:03.152+05:30Few Spiritual Blogbooklets I created recently using ExportFileFilterAndGenBook and ExportFileFilterByIndexList VBA projects<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last updated on 4 Sep. 2023</span></i></p><p>These blogbooklets were created by using the procedure described in the post: Creating Blogger Blogbooklets based on search criteria and excluding some pages/posts from it, <a href="https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2023/09/creating-blogger-blogbooklets-based-on.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2023/09/creating-blogger-blogbooklets-based-on.html</a> . The excluded pages and posts were the long lists of posts pages and a long "Ten years since I started regular blogging"... post.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The files below have been shared on Google Drive. Please Note:</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><i>On Google Drive, HTML file is rendered as text file in the preview. To view it as rendered HTML, the file has to be downloaded to PC/device and then opened in a browser.</i></li><li><i>On Google Drive, PDF file preview shows the document but internal links do not work. Download file to PC and then view locally in browser or PDF reader to use internal links (I use free Foxit Reader 9.7 which supports Alt + Back Arrow to go back to point where internal link was clicked).</i></li><li><i>The log file (text file) preview in Google Drive is OK. But sometimes it is convenient to view the log file in Microsoft Excel (some other spreadsheet program may also be able to do it) where the tab separated fields are shown in separate columns. This makes it easy to view data of some specific column(s) (for example, Matched Search String field) for many rows or each row. To view in Microsoft Excel, one has to download the file to PC/device and then view in Microsoft Excel.</i></li></ol><p></p><p>Top-level folder share: <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13R16xKI1TTrsthvASVYeXKTfgemLNmeX?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13R16xKI1TTrsthvASVYeXKTfgemLNmeX?usp=drive_link</a></p><p>1) Search criteria: <b>historicity AND Rama AND Krishna</b></p><div style="text-align: left;">Blog book(let) with Contents Links: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>(PDF, 38 pages, 9 blog posts and pages, 760 KB) <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vAmvpcUYkjqRCWRhXn5--8feGFeJwbJH/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vAmvpcUYkjqRCWRhXn5--8feGFeJwbJH/view?usp=drive_link</a></li><li>(HTML, 9 blog posts and pages, 295 KB) <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12JKO1mhMbX_PEkbWpdfJdYuLRf4UDiAS/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/12JKO1mhMbX_PEkbWpdfJdYuLRf4UDiAS/view?usp=drive_link</a></li><ul><li>Main log file associated with above HTML blogbook generation (Text, 10 KB): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oZUf9l5LWBnLocFiOqHVoNj9jwPVVz6N/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oZUf9l5LWBnLocFiOqHVoNj9jwPVVz6N/view?usp=drive_link</a></li></ul></ul></div><p>2) Search criteria: <b>i am i AND awareness</b></p><div>Blog book(let) with Contents Links: </div><div><ul><li>(PDF, 109 pages, 22 blog posts and pages, 1.7 MB) <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H-1CgyQW8skzSkIBO8JUWVS3_r2U6pDF/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H-1CgyQW8skzSkIBO8JUWVS3_r2U6pDF/view?usp=drive_link</a> </li><li>(HTML, 22 blog posts and pages, 915 KB) <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZTNSI4DTLuGG8HYakYRNrwNHhVnEVbcs/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZTNSI4DTLuGG8HYakYRNrwNHhVnEVbcs/view?usp=drive_link</a> </li><ul><li>Main log file associated with above HTML blogbook generation (Text, 17 KB): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/104KIYynKs3C6BTpSBpGr8L8CJl4ISEFq/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/104KIYynKs3C6BTpSBpGr8L8CJl4ISEFq/view?usp=drive_link</a> </li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;">3) Search criteria: <b>meditation OR dhyan OR dhyaan</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Blog book(let) with Contents Links <i>(This booklet in both PDF and HTML versions, has a long post (of 125 pages from page 58 to page 184 in PDF) with initial part of title as, "Cooking safely when alone and one has illness;". Next time around I plan to have this post too in the exclude pages and posts list for such search terms)</i>:</div><div><ul><li>(PDF, 432 pages, 110 blog posts and pages, 19.8 MB) <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WGW8fIsCGSOwAGSewuuXKl-q95Iu-20x/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WGW8fIsCGSOwAGSewuuXKl-q95Iu-20x/view?usp=drive_link</a> </li><li>(HTML, 110 blog posts and pages, 4 MB) <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12JKO1mhMbX_PEkbWpdfJdYuLRf4UDiAS/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KUKw3lrJvCJAarNoRCYezKld2-UnNFaJ/view?usp=drive_link</a></li><ul><li>Main log file associated with above HTML blogbook generation (Text, 62 KB): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VuS_H-DkpIo6RamoXwBIJxfsd9Jz5LXg/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VuS_H-DkpIo6RamoXwBIJxfsd9Jz5LXg/view?usp=drive_link</a></li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;">4) Search criteria: <b>Sai Baba AND miracles</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Blog book(let) with Contents Links: </div><div><ul><li>(PDF, 295 pages, 85 blog posts & pages, 10.1 MB) <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1linhVYojwBV-_r9AKLCqfOz-Ejrd-1dv/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1linhVYojwBV-_r9AKLCqfOz-Ejrd-1dv/view?usp=drive_link</a></li><li>(HTML, 85 blog posts & pages, 3.5 MB ) <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IwWZ8jELly_EC83C3s0FHtIOiZ63_cwA/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IwWZ8jELly_EC83C3s0FHtIOiZ63_cwA/view?usp=drive_link</a> </li><ul><li>Main log file associated with above HTML blogbook generation (Text, 55 KB): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/15zQQuVbLF44dIkHF71Un1ZFBG2Jft3VH/view?usp=drive_link" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/15zQQuVbLF44dIkHF71Un1ZFBG2Jft3VH/view?usp=drive_link</a> </li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">[References: 1) ExportFileFilterAndGenBook: Filter Blogger XML Backup file based on date range, produce HTML Blogbook filtered by search string, Split it and Generate Contents Links (VBA project), <a href="https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2023/08/exportfilefilterandgenbook-vba-code-to.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2023/08/exportfilefilterandgenbook-vba-code-to.html</a></div><p>2) ExportFileFilterByIndexList: VBA code to filter Blogger XML Backup/Export file based on Entry Index List text file, <a href="https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2023/08/exportfilefilterbyindexlist-vba-code-to.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2023/08/exportfilefilterbyindexlist-vba-code-to.html</a> ]</p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-57820541109878936952023-06-19T19:35:00.002+05:302023-12-18T14:16:57.977+05:30Blending of experience of 'Om Sai Ram' Namasmarana and Awareness-I japa-dhyaana<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last updated on 18th Dec. 2023</span></i></p><p>My post: Viewing Awareness-I as essence or part of God in my meditation and trying to dissolve or merge into God (experience oneness with God), <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/06/viewing-awareness-i-as-essence-or-part.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/06/viewing-awareness-i-as-essence-or-part.html</a> , 7 Jun 2023, covers how I now view Awareness-I as essence or part of God in my meditation practice. Now it is around one to two months that I have been regularly using this practice.</p><p>I continue to do my Namasmarana practice of "Om Sai Ram" too - so for some time I do "Om Sai Ram" chanting and for some time I do Awareness-I japa-dhyaana (chanting-meditation).</p><p>It was a natural step after viewing Awareness-I as essence or part of God (nameless and formless God) to view my Awareness-I as essence or part of Sai (Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Bhagavan Sri Shirdi Sai Baba) while I was doing "Om Sai Ram" namasmarana. Nowadays when I chant "Om Sai Ram", most of the time, automatically the attention shifts to the Awareness-I within me! So "Om Sai Ram" chanting blends with being in Awareness-I! Many times, I can be in Awareness-I watching me doing the "Om Sai Ram" chanting. If the mind is calm with very limited thoughts or almost no thought, this blending of experience of "Om Sai Ram" namasamarana and Awareness-I japa-dhyaana gives me peace and joy.</p><p>I recall the teaching that paths of devotion (Bhakti), action (Karma) and wisdom (Jnana) all lead to the same destination. After this blending of experience of "Om Sai Ram" Namasmarana and Awareness-I japa-dhyaana that I am having, I have an improved understanding of this teaching. </p><p>----------------------------</p><p>Given below are some of my comments from my Facebook post associated with this blog post, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0eYV8kGEU2oZM679vBdUqdvPJEXXfoUfDFLthHi9AS5bQbmJMYd9mtaLeytzahTNel">https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0eYV8kGEU2oZM679vBdUqdvPJEXXfoUfDFLthHi9AS5bQbmJMYd9mtaLeytzahTNel</a> :</p><p>A person shared a quote of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. I browsed the net and found the discourse for that quote. I am sharing below the entire paragraph of that quote. From 20 July 1997 Guru Purnima discourse, <a href="https://saispeaks.sathyasai.org/discourse/manifest-divine-within-you">https://saispeaks.sathyasai.org/discourse/manifest-divine-within-you</a> :</p><p>In this context one has to understand the implications of oneness with the Divine. One desires to merge in God and achieve Moksha (liberation). How is this to be secured? God is formless. He is the source of all energy. He is effulgent. Eight kinds of potencies have been attributed to God. He is the source of all sound, all motion, all light, all speech, all bliss, all excellence, all illusion and all prosperity. How is one to realise such an omnipotent Divinity? Water can integrate with water. Air can combine with air. Fire can merge with fire. As God is formless, to become one with God, we have to become formless. What does this imply? It means that we have to get rid of the attachment to the body. This is achieved through dhyana (meditation). While retaining attachment to the body one cannot hope to achieve oneness with God merely by praying for it. You have to become formless to realise the formless Divine. As God is the embodiment of effulgence, you have to make your life effulgent to experience God. You have to realise that the light of your life has come from that Param-Jyothi (supreme source of all light). This individual flame should merge in the Supreme Divine effulgence from which all other lights have emanated. Meditating on the Param-Jyothi, the individual has to merge his individual effulgence in the Supreme Effulgence.</p><p>--- end quote of Bhagavan and extract from sathyasai.org ---</p><p>I responded to the comment (having part of above quote) (slightly edited):</p><p>very interesting. Thanks for sharing. Sai Ram.</p><p>...</p><p>It is this part of Bhagavan's quote that is very interesting to me, especially in the context of my current sadhana / spiritual practice: "As God is formless, to become one with God, one has to become formless. What does this imply? It means that one has to get rid of the attachment to the body."</p><p>----</p><p>The person then shared a personal experience of hers with God. To that I responded (slightly edited):</p><p>Fascinating! Thanks for sharing.</p><p>------</p><p><i>[I thank sathyasai.org and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract(s) from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]</i></p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-422504782746850682023-06-17T15:03:00.002+05:302023-06-17T15:07:38.099+05:30About my Thuravoor Narayana Sasthrigal (or Shastrigal) blog - tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com<p>Previously I had created posts related to Thuravoor Narayana Shastrigal (TNS) on this blog of mine: ravisiyer.blogspot.com . On 14th April 2023, I copied all the posts with content mainly on TNS, to a new blog I created: <a href="https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com" target="_blank">tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com</a> blog (referred hereafter as tns blog). The corresponding old posts of this blog - ravisiyer.blogspot.com - inform readers about this move and provide the associated post of the tns blog as a link.</p><p>Thuravoor Narayana Sasthrigal (or Shastrigal / Sasthrikal / Sastri / Sasthri / Shastri ) is my great-grandfather (my mother's father's father). I think the key Sanskrit word for the last name is a honorific - शास्त्री .</p><p>For more about tns blog, please visit: <a href="https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/p/about-blog-and-author.html" target="_blank">https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com/p/about-blog-and-author.html</a> .</p><p>Unfortunately, Google search for: Thuravoor Narayana Sasthrigal</p><p>does not list the tns blog post(s) at all. Instead it returns one post of this ravisiyer.blogspot.com whose contents point the reader to tns blog. While the tns blog thus is accessible indirectly via Google search, I had hoped that a month or so after I had created the tns blog and moved the related post contents to it, Google search for associated terms would show results from tns blog.</p><p>A few weeks ago, I added tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com domain to Google Search Console and requested Page Indexing. That continues to show the message "Processing data, please check again in a day or so" as Page Indexing status. Later I added <a href="https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com" target="_blank">https://tnarayanasasthri.blogspot.com</a> url to Google Search Console and requested Page Indexing. At least a week has passed and even this url Page Indexing status is: "Processing data, please check again in a day or so".</p><p>For some reason, Google seems to be reluctant to index pages from this tns blog.</p><p>So I decided to publish this post on this ravisiyer.blogspot.com blog which hopefully will be indexed by Google and so shown as a top result when somebody searches for Thuravoor Narayana Sasthrigal (or Shastrigal) or similar terms.</p><p>Note that for search term: Thuravoor Narayana Sasthrigal</p><p>both Bing and DuckDuckGo search engines return the new tns blog as the top result. So Bing and DuckDuckGo have indexed the new tns blog. </p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-953839730922580402023-06-15T18:22:00.007+05:302023-06-16T14:29:27.118+05:30How do self-realized persons of our times handle bodily pain and weakening of body due to disease and old age?<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last updated on 16 Jun 2023</span></i></p><p><i>Note: This is a sensitive topic and I may be wildly wrong. But I felt an urge to write and publish it as it may benefit some spiritual aspirant(s), and so have done so. Any constructive criticism is welcome. I will be glad to change my views based on new material that I have so far not read or viewed. end-Note.</i></p><p>Firstly I would like to say that well established in self-realization persons would surely not have fear of (bodily) death. The question in my mind is how they would view bodily pain and weakening of body due to disease and old age. Would they fear having bodily pain and suffering and so try to avoid it whenever possible? If they do have bodily pain and weakening of body due to disease and old age, how do they handle it? </p><p>In what follows in this post, when I use the term self-realized person, I mean a well established in self-realization person. In my own case, I am NOT such a well-established in self-realization person but have had some limited self-realization experiences which I have put up here: <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/my-limited-self-realization-experiences.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/my-limited-self-realization-experiences.html</a> .</p><p>In this post, I am looking at contemporary and near-contemporary (20th century and this early 21st century which I refer to as 'our times') self-realized persons who have publicly shared their self-realization accounts. When I say self-realized person(s) in the following part of the post, it should be understood that I am referring to these publicly claimed self-realized persons.</p><p>Based on fair amount of reading and viewing (videos), I think most self-realized persons of our times are as vulnerable to future health issues and associated bodily pain and weakening of body due to disease and old age they may have to endure, as any other common person.</p><p>I don't think that most self-realized persons of our times are able to be in experience of bliss or great joy when their body is going through significant pain and discomfort. I may surely be wrong in this statement I have made. I welcome corrections from readers which are supported by some articles/videos.</p><p>Note that some mystics claim to have capacity to go beyond body consciousness at will. I recall coming across one account by a living mystic who says that (through his spiritual/mystic abilities) he could go through his hand or leg injury being stitched by a doctor without anesthesia. He claims that he continued to have a normal conversation with the doctor while this was being done. But I think such cases among self-realized persons of our times, is rare.</p><p>In these health issue situations involving bodily pain and weakening of body due to disease and old age, a self-realized person may be ready to endure what he/she has to endure and even have the capacity to be established in the Witness/Awareness/Atma state and view the bodily pain and suffering in a dispassionate and detached way. But even in such cases, I think most self-realized persons would go through or experience bodily pain and suffering. Whether he or she would then attempt to get relief from it or simply let it go on unless somebody else ensures that medical treatment is provided for it, is something I don't know enough about to comment.</p><p>Perhaps most, if not all, of these self-realized persons may not really be fearing bodily pain and disease. If it comes they may accept it (perhaps also accept it as will of God) and go through it with a high level of equanimity. Some of them may be following good health practices and following medical advice within the limits imposed by their material circumstances and so may not be negligent of their body. However, such persons may also face bodily pain and disease and when it does come, they may go through it with a high level of equanimity.</p><p>To conclude, I think that for most, if not all, self-realized persons of our times, bodily pain and weakening of body due to disease and old age, is inevitable. But self-realized persons may handle it with high level of equanimity without any fear of death. They may also not be having any fear of (other) bodily pain and disease. I should also say here that such ability does not seem to be limited to self-realized persons and there may be many staunch devotees of God, and even atheists, who have this ability. </p><p>===================================</p><p>Given below are my comments (slightly edited) from my associated FB post: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid031HmTfmTh5y6cTW68AuPzNf15yPXYmJ94YJCx1t4PERNYNVvNxKMSXKeYZaybCwK4l" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid031HmTfmTh5y6cTW68AuPzNf15yPXYmJ94YJCx1t4PERNYNVvNxKMSXKeYZaybCwK4l</a> . To see comments of others (whole comment exchage), please visit the post.</p><div>In response to a comment, I wrote:</div><div>Interesting view! In this context, are you suggesting that the realized can choose to ignore their bodily pain and suffering (and focus the mind elsewhere like on the Self/God)? I have to say that's what I thought would be the case with Realized persons. But after studying accounts of contemporary and near-contemporary mystics and Realized persons (excluding Sai avatars, of course, as they are very different and much higher than Realized persons), I got the strong impression that only a very few such persons seem to have that ability. But then maybe I am plain wrong. I would love to read accounts of Realized people of our times who say that they can choose to ignore their bodily pain and suffering by focusing their mind elsewhere.</div><div>...</div><div><div>In response to a comment, I wrote:</div></div><div><div>Regarding the choice of words of 'focus the mind elsewhere' - it could be expressed in some other way.</div><div>BTW is it experience for you that you 'control and decide which part of the room to illumine'? Or is it what you think the Realized may have the ability to do? Or have you come across an account by a Realized person that he/she has that ability and so can 'choose' to not experience the pain and suffering their body (at body senses level) may be going through?</div><div>My interest is in written or spoken accounts where contemporary (claimed) self-realized masters write or speak about having ability to not experience pain and suffering at body level. I have found only one or two such accounts.</div></div><div>..</div><div>I think a better expression of the last sentence of one of my previous comments here would be (instead of saying 'by focussing their mind elsewhere'): I would love to read accounts of Realized people of our times who say that they can choose to ignore their bodily pain and suffering, say by being deeply immersed in their awareness.</div><div>...</div><div><div>In response to a comment, I wrote:</div><div><div>Thanks --name-snipped-- for your comment. I think I have a better understanding of your views now. This part of your response, "--snip--", was very helpful for me to understand your view.</div><div>You have also provided good input on what you view as a Realized person when you say, '--snip--'.</div><div>"--snip--" is also a clear statement about your view on this topic. Thanks for providing these clear statements about your views.</div><div>I would like to comment on the above two points. IMHO, only very highly evolved beings will be at a spiritually evolved level where they wouldn't know (about feeling their body-mind bondage and associated suffering). In my study of some 20th century and early 21st century accounts of spiritual masters who are said to have been self-realized by many, I came across only one person (Sadhguru Vasudev) who clearly made a claim of not feeling physical pain (due to his spiritual level/ability) in one case (when his injured hand or leg was being stitched without anesthesia) where normal people would have felt a lot of physical pain.</div><div>Ramana Maharshi is a famous figure of the 20th century who is viewed today by many as a self-realized master. As I was studying this matter, I came across an account of Ramana going through cancer in his last days. In this account, from what I recall now, it was written that while Ramana would not groan in pain while giving darshan, in private he did groan with pain at times. He also commented that it is the body that is having pain and it is the body that is responding to it by moaning (but that he is not the body). While one could interpret this as Ramana not feeling the mind-body bondage even in such a situation as he was not being associated with mind-body, from my limited spiritual level perspective, I think one could say that Ramana was going through the cancer with high level of equanimity but still he was undergoing some pain and suffering (and so groaning with pain at times).</div><div>Regarding the point about (realized people not declaring their self-realization): In my limited understanding view, some self-realized persons mention that they are self-realized and share accounts of their self-realization experiences and some don't. It is the former self-realized persons who get known to spiritual aspirants and some of these self-realized persons become spiritual masters providing guidance to spiritual aspirants. I think Ramana Maharshi is a case of this former group of self-realized persons as he has shared his self-realization experiences. From <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-enquiry_(Ramana_Maharshi)" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-enquiry_(Ramana_Maharshi)</a> : "Ramana's teachings on Self-enquiry originated in his own awakening at age 16, when he became firmly aware of death. It made him aware of the Self. Ramana summarised his insight into "aham sphurana" (Self-awareness)[note 2] to a visitor in 1945"...</div><div>[Note that I am excluding Sai Avatars in these comments as they are descent of God in human form with supernatural powers, and so are different from other spiritual masters who have evolved in their lifetimes.]</div><div>Thanks again for your views. We seem to differ in our views to some extent but that's perfectly fine. We are entitled to have our differing views.</div></div><div></div></div>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-88449522644961979422023-06-13T11:36:00.004+05:302023-06-13T11:41:03.894+05:30Some similarities and differences between an atheist's view of consciousness/awareness and my view as a Hindu theist<p>In the process of putting up and later updating my previous post on Sam Harris interview video, I happened to write about some similarities and differences between how Sam Harris, an atheist, views experience of consciousness/awareness and how I, a Hindu theist, view it. I thought that I should now put up a separate post (this one) on these similarities and differences which is based on some of the contents of my previous post, <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/06/rationalist-sam-harris-on-consciousness.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/06/rationalist-sam-harris-on-consciousness.html</a> , but omits some parts which are not directly related to this topic. </p><p>Note that there probably are more similarities and differences between Sam Harris' view and my view on consciousness/awareness but this post deals with only that related to one section of the video. That is why in the title of this post, I have used the phrase, 'Some similarities and differences'.</p><p>1) Both Harris (atheist) and I (Hindu theist) hold the view that almost all of life is impermanent including various joys, spiritual peak experiences and life itself but that the experience of consciousness/awareness is always there (permanent).</p><p>2) For theists, communion with God is another 'always there' (permanent) experience and which may not need any meditation or thoughtless state and associated experience of consciousness/awareness. Given below is a related extract from my previous post: </p><p>I think for people of great faith in God (Note1), communion with nameless and formless God or their favourite deity with name and/or form (Note2), in their hearts and minds, say through prayer to deity/God (Note3), are "indelible" and happy/joyous experiences that can be re-obtained anytime. Such persons, IMHO, do not need to meditate on, or experience, consciousness for them to experience an ever-present ground truth of their living, as for them God/deity is an ever-present ground truth of their living and who can be communed with anytime they want through prayer.</p><p>In my own case, prayer to Sai Baba (Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Bhagavan Sri Shirdi Sai Baba) through "Om Sai Ram" chanting - Namasmarana (Note3) - almost always, if not always, results in a conviction that Sai Baba is present in my inner being and, depending on the situation and my prayer, is giving me courage as well as guidance (through intuition) and help to face any problems I may be facing, or simply guiding me through intuition in my spiritual efforts or is showering grace and joy on me etc.</p><p>Notes:</p><p>1. Great faith in God is more specifically, great faith in God being available/accessible to them, say through prayer.</p><p>2. Favourite deity with name and/or form is Ishta Devata in Hindu context.</p><p>3. Prayer to God includes Namasmarana (chanting the Lord's name) in the Hindu context.</p><p>--- end extract ---</p><p>3) For Hindu theists, consciousness/awareness is the Atma which they believe (and some experience) is part of Paramatma/God/Universal consciousness. Given below is a related extract from my previous post:</p><p>For a person with faith in Hindu Vedanta (which includes me), the ever-present consciousness or awareness is the Atma, which, as per Vedanta, is part of Paramatma/Brahman/Parabrahman (formless God who created, sustains and will destroy the universe/creation), and the Atma's essence is the same as the essence of Paramatma/God. So by being in consciousness or awareness without thought, one is connecting to Paramatma (God) and one can try to merge/dissolve in, or become one with, this Paramatma (get into samadhi state) to experience more of Paramatma (than what one experiences as Atma). An example of (more) experience of Paramatma would be as the universal consciousness which permeates whole of creation or, in other words, experiencing oneself in all and all in oneself. Note that some self-realized mystics claim to have experienced samadhi states of various kinds and so do not have to try to merge/dissolve in Paramatma/God but spiritual aspirants like me have not experienced such samadhi states and are in the stage of trying to achieve those state(s). My own current sadhana in this context is described in my recent post: Viewing Awareness-I as essence or part of God in my meditation and trying to dissolve or merge into God (experience oneness with God), <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/06/viewing-awareness-i-as-essence-or-part.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/06/viewing-awareness-i-as-essence-or-part.html</a> .</p><p>About Paramatma from wikipedia, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramatman" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramatman</a> : "Paramatman (Sanskrit: परमात्मन्, IAST: Paramātman) or Paramātmā is the Absolute Atman, or supreme Self, in various philosophies such as the Vedanta and Yoga schools in Hindu theology, as well as other Indian religions like Sikhism. Paramatman is the "Primordial Self" or the "Self Beyond" who is spiritually identical with the absolute and ultimate reality." ... "Hindus believe in one God, who is known variously as Paramatman, Parameshwar, Parabrahman, Purushottam and so on."</p><p>--- end extract --- </p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-60001152826072754982023-06-12T23:25:00.002+05:302023-06-12T23:25:32.715+05:30Rationalist Sam Harris on consciousness or awareness being ever present; Similarities and differences between his atheist view of consciousness/awareness and my view as a Hindu theist<p>I watched the section "Understanding Impermanence and its Relation to Suffering" (from 35 min. 19 secs), of the video: Sam Harris: A Rational Mystics Guide To Consciousness & Awakening | Know Thyself Podcast EP 47, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqA-ZRpl1jQ&t=2119s" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqA-ZRpl1jQ&t=2119s</a> till 43 min. 31 secs. and also the next section. But in this post I am limiting myself to above mentioned section.</p><p>Given below are my notes about some of the views expressed by Harris in above section of the video, along with my comments. In the first part of my comments (which goes on till I mention the start of the second part of my comments), I have not brought in faith in God, supernatural power of God, prayer and Grace in the context of the section.</p><p>Harris is quite a famous figure. From his wiki page, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Harris" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Harris</a> , "Samuel Benjamin Harris (born April 9, 1967) is an American philosopher, neuroscientist, author, and podcast host. His work touches on a range of topics, including rationality, religion, ethics, free will, neuroscience, meditation, psychedelics, philosophy of mind, politics, terrorism, and artificial intelligence. Harris came to prominence for his criticism of religion ..." My first exposure to him was as a prominent critic of religion! Prior to watching this video, I had not known about his interest in awakening, consciousness and meditation. That has been a pleasant surprise!</p><p>At least in this segment of the video, Harris does not mention anything about faith in God and supernatural power of God to shower Grace (including happiness) on devotees who pray intensely to God. So this section comes across to me as an atheist or agnostic view of consciousness/awareness and meditation.</p><p>As expected, Harris speaks about consciousness and meditation from a viewpoint of a neuroscientist and philosopher along with being a practitioner of meditation (I presume), rather than as a Hindu Swami or perhaps as a Buddhist monk (my exposure to Buddhist monks even via videos is very limited for me to be sure). It takes some effort to understand Harris perhaps because he tries to be precise (given his neuroscientist and philosopher background) and cover most angles. But Harris articulates his views well and so if one hears him attentively and perhaps hears some parts of his words again, one usually gets a clear idea of his views (not always, I think, as in my case, I did not understand one part of his words in this section and which I have mentioned below).</p><p>The interviewer asks Harris to speak about impermanence and its relation to suffering, (and also about the Buddhist view of consciousness and self (like no self) and contrast it with the Hindu view of self, which I am not covering in this post).</p><p>Harris talks about the impermenance of so many things in life including various joys, spiritual peak experiences and life itself. I am not covering that in this post.</p><p>Then he says that most people are seeking a happiness, a feeling good which is stable, in the context where everything is changing. He seems to then state that it is not possible to have a (happy or good) experience that is permanent, that is so indelible that "it becomes the person you now are". But what is "ever present" and "there always to be noticed is consciousness". For consciousness (he also calls it awareness), whether in waking state or dream state, he uses the phrase "it's like something to be what you are" which I did not understand clearly. He goes on to say, consciousness "is always the ground truth of your living and caring about anything".</p><p><i>[Ravi: From my limited experience of the Atma/Self, I agree with Harris on impermanence of the joys of life (except for contentment-ananda of the Self) and that it is consciousness or awareness that is "ever present" and "always there (to be noticed)". I was very happy to see this agreement I had with Harris who is a rationalist and seems to be an atheist/agnostic! BTW perhaps due to my limitations, I experience the Atma/Self as a contented peace and not as ecstatic bliss which others claim to experience. Further, I am not able, as of now, to always be able to easily switch to the Atma experience and its contented peace. Sometimes I am bored and need to watch some video or do something other than meditating on and experiencing the Atma. Once again, I think this is due to limitations of my meditation practice, as of now. Perhaps as I stablize further on it, I may be able to switch anytime to the Atma experience and enjoy its contented peace.</i></p><p><i>I agree that consciousness is the "ground truth" of your living but I don't know about consciousness being the ground truth of caring about anything. end-Ravi]</i></p><p>Harris then brings in ethics and morality and connects it to the caring aspect of consciouness. <i>[Ravi: This does not match my limited experience of Self/Atma. When I switch off thoughts and focus on the consciousness/awareness within (or simply be only the consciousness/awareness), which I did in the middle of this sentence by taking a few seconds break, my experience is of only the Self/Atma/consciousness/awareness - there is no other to be caring about. In other words, in my limited Self or consciousness experience, I have not experienced any connect between my Self/consciousness and others. Perhaps that's because of my limited experience. Perhaps if I get an experience of oneness with all (which I have not yet had), I may be able to better relate to what Harris has said here. end-Ravi]</i></p><p>Then Harris says consciousness is the basis of all experience and that it has a certain character which in the Buddha sense is selflessness and Shunyata. I am not covering Harris' description about Buddhist view and Hindu Advaita view about the self (or not self) which are mainly covered in the following section 'The concept of "Emptiness" in Buddhism' (from 43 min. 31 secs.) till 56 min. 32 secs.</p><p>That concludes the notes and first part of my comments on interesting parts of the "Understanding Impermanence and its Relation to Suffering" section of the video.</p><p>In the first part of my comments, I have not brought in faith in God, supernatural power of God, prayer and Grace in the context of the section, but which I am now bringing in, in this second part of my comments.</p><p>I think for people of great faith in God (Note1), communion with nameless and formless God or their favourite deity with name and/or form (Note2), in their hearts and minds, say through prayer to deity/God (Note3), are "indelible" and happy/joyous experiences that can be re-obtained anytime. Such persons, IMHO, do not need to meditate on, or experience, consciousness for them to experience an ever-present ground truth of their living, as for them God/deity is an ever-present ground truth of their living and who can be communed with anytime they want through prayer.</p><p>In my own case, prayer to Sai Baba (Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Bhagavan Sri Shirdi Sai Baba) through "Om Sai Ram" chanting - Namasmarana (Note3) - almost always, if not always, results in a conviction that Sai Baba is present in my inner being and, depending on the situation and my prayer, is giving me courage as well as guidance (through intuition) and help to face any problems I may be facing, or simply guiding me through intuition in my spiritual efforts or is showering grace and joy on me etc.</p><p>Notes:</p><p>1. Great faith in God is more specifically, great faith in God being available/accessible to them, say through prayer.</p><p>2. Favourite deity with name and/or form is Ishta Devata in Hindu context.</p><p>3. Prayer to God includes Namasmarana (chanting the Lord's name) in the Hindu context.</p><p>---</p><p>For a person with faith in Hindu Vedanta (which includes me), the ever-present consciousness or awareness is the Atma, which, as per Vedanta, is part of Paramatma/Brahman/Parabrahman (formless God who created, sustains and will destroy the universe/creation), and the Atma's essence is the same as the essence of Paramatma/God. So by being in consciousness or awareness without thought, one is connecting to Paramatma (God) and one can try to merge/dissolve in, or become one with, this Paramatma (get into samadhi state) to experience more of Paramatma (than what one experiences as Atma). An example of (more) experience of Paramatma would be as the universal consciousness which permeates whole of creation or, in other words, experiencing oneself in all and all in oneself. Note that some self-realized mystics claim to have experienced samadhi states of various kinds and so do not have to try to merge/dissolve in Paramatma/God but spiritual aspirants like me have not experienced such samadhi states and are in the stage of trying to achieve those state(s). My own current sadhana in this context is described in my recent post: Viewing Awareness-I as essence or part of God in my meditation and trying to dissolve or merge into God (experience oneness with God), <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/06/viewing-awareness-i-as-essence-or-part.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/06/viewing-awareness-i-as-essence-or-part.html</a> .</p><p>About Paramatma from wikipedia, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramatman" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramatman</a> : "Paramatman (Sanskrit: परमात्मन्, IAST: Paramātman) or Paramātmā is the Absolute Atman, or supreme Self, in various philosophies such as the Vedanta and Yoga schools in Hindu theology, as well as other Indian religions like Sikhism. Paramatman is the "Primordial Self" or the "Self Beyond" who is spiritually identical with the absolute and ultimate reality." ... "Hindus believe in one God, who is known variously as Paramatman, Parameshwar, Parabrahman, Purushottam and so on." </p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-10679014436035856542023-06-09T22:37:00.008+05:302023-06-09T23:15:54.537+05:30Miscellaneous Facebook posts & comments in or around Apr. to May 2023<p>When author of post or comment is not mentioned, it should be assumed that it is me (Ravi S. Iyer).</p><p>To save time, I am usually not providing my FB post links but only contents. I am also not hyperlinking links. So readers may have to copy-paste links from this post onto a browser link box and then browse to that link.</p><p>========================================== </p><p>Interesting words about spiritual awakening. In my humble view, spiritual awakening term seems to have a similar meaning to, if not the same meaning as, becoming or rather being spiritually aware (of your reality as the Atma).</p><p>[FB post https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid02SkiqGke1EQyAYXBfN5ahabizSvoGaqUxg8W551BQXe6M63rk9QdFwvTnEVrK5Uuil shares another post]</p><p>==========================</p><p>Karma is one of the great mysteries of life, for me. I mean, I believe in Karma from what is said in Hindu scripture and which has been reinforced by quotes/words of Bhagavan on Karma. Note that I have heard some of Bhagavan's words on Karma in discourse(s), live sitting in Sai Kulwant Hall and they have entered deeply into my heart and mind. I recall Bhagavan even starting some discourse(s) by singing Telugu verses about Karma (Why does the bat have to lead a tough life (hang upside down or something like that)?; Is it not its Karma?). BTW Puttaparthi has lot of bats which are seen in the evening flying around.</p><p>But I have no idea about what I have done in the past which Karma is resulting in some things happening to me later on. Like many Hindus, I can only speculate that something happened to me or is happening to me, especially something unfortunate, due to karmic effect of some actions of mine in the past (including past births). But I don't know for sure. And so I feel Karma is one of the great mysteries of life, and that it is only highly evolved spiritual beings and Avatars like Bhagavan who can see or know the past actions of persons which are resulting in current happenings to them.</p><p>FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid02sWHiEpdUenpeAcK6V5uyCuTajM7DBfBZWXMNkrraD5tnpAYfnzFUkayp7LbhrFkMl shares post with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba quote, "The consequence of karma can be wiped out only through karma as a thorn can be removed only by means of another. Do good karma to assuage the pain of the bad karma which you have done and from which you suffer now."</p><p>...</p><p>I commented on above post:</p><p>(In context of a comment sharing another spiritual leader's video), --name-snipped-- Perhaps he gives the Hindu scripture description of Karma covering Prarabdha, Sanchita, and Kriyamana or Agami Karma. Does he say that he can see or know the Karma of others like the specific actions of theirs in the past which resulted in some happenings or is resulting in some happenings?</p><p>...</p><p>--name-snipped-- I see. In private both Shirdi Sai Baba and Sathya Sai Baba have told some devotees about their or some other peoples' previous life or lives and associated Karma. Therefore I do believe both Sai Babas had the power to see such karmic effects. I don't think Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Guruji has claimed to have such knowledge/power.</p><p>========</p><p>Very interesting quote!</p><p>FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0UTzfiCbJYyerz9TRivownC5HCzexbK6Y1gPwJbtBL7MpWwzYNLh2VMw1GNrvtEZNl shares Ramana Maharshi quote, "Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world."</p><p>=================</p><p>Interesting meditation video about being in awareness though the video title of "Going Deep Into The Self" seems inappropriate to me. I mean, it is not going into trance or samadhi, or experiencing that one is in all and that all is in one.</p><p>It is a meditation session focused on stilling the mind and experiencing the ever-present and eternal (never comes and never goes) awareness, which if one is able to do so, is a signficant achievement, IMHO. But there are higher levels of meditation, IMHO which I too have not yet been able to get into but which some spiritual masters seem to have got into or, in case of living masters, get into.</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WSfylznkoU , around 22 mins.</p><p>=================</p><p>Hindu scripture mentions many Indian mystics of the past who transcended limitations of ordinary human life and acquired Siddhis or mystical powers like what is covered in the shared post. I strongly believe that Indian mystics of the past did acquire many such Siddhis through their sadhana or spiritual practice. Thanks to --name skipped-- for sharing the post.</p><p>FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid02paMk2huFwxvHF8TchPTUMsE4GnY5C2nNk3cbYHU41RH8PFA7kZ8qanWJB4yLVb7nl shares another post.</p><p>================</p><p>Today evening in Puttaparthi. Sun behind clouds creates an eye-catching picture.</p><div>FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid02RCJ8JwicYNGjk4aHeBPhsMHSQ37Cxbe8p7B2EWzyEAbPKJaFyQVyPLXXAeoHKQmNl has 2 pics.</div><div>===============</div><div>I would add, quoting great masters, that the nothing mentioned as the essence of the self, is not the absence of something but the nothingness that powers the whole of the illusive creation or universe.</div><div><br /></div><div>FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid024P62nestLw1PfEAGtpzamm7pAFVLJdfMAEiKgMkAUEcHdbVoXUrfYWemQvcNqbewl shares quote of J. Krishnamurti, "When you have gone through all the layers of the self, its inmost nature, its essence, is nothing. You are nothing."</div><div><br /></div><div>...</div><div>My comments in above post (slightly edited):</div><div>These posts are about an individual's quest, which perhaps is the easier thing to attempt or do. Improving the world at large is a very challenging thing which these posts do not address. I mean, such meditation would be of interest to few people, and not to most people in the world.</div><div>...</div><div>false paths? I did not follow what exactly you mean.</div><div>...</div><div>Noted your responses. My view is that individual spiritual quest, so long as it does not harm other people, is a very valid and fair thing for people to have, including common folks like me. Making the world a better place requires great leaders who can transform society and the world, and make it better.</div><div>=============</div><p>Andhra Pradesh government has been very supportive of Puttaparthi, IMHO, and Puttaparthi needs to have such support, IMHO. So it is good to see warm relations between AP Hon'ble Chief Minister Sri Jagan Mohan Reddy garu and Managing Trustee of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Sri R.J. Rathnakar garu.</p><p>FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0QNnpG1Jp8pyRNyNUhktms3bcxYP2DwAnqZvgH4ma4rWG39PwLFdZofg1appzzNVnl shares pics of CM with Managing Trustee of SSSCT.</p><p>================</p><p>Hmm. Very interesting instruction and teaching (as sharing from his knowledge and experience) of Ramana Maharshi who surely has to be viewed as one of the great meditation masters of the 20th century. His life and his teachings have been, and continue to be, inspirational and of great help to me.</p><p>FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0tccdcehzjYzHXrxhKRd7SGPh8HrxPhZb7Vvz78HTD3YvkcoPzSkwd2gvwkb6BTBml shares post with quote of Ramana Maharshi, "The final obstacle in meditation is ecstasy; you feel great bliss and happiness and want to stay in that ecstasy. Do not yield to it but pass on to the next stage which is great calm. The calm is higher than ecstasy and it merges into samadhi."</p><p>=====================</p><p>Who Am I - Transcripts of a conversation with Sathya Sai Baba, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_oDm_oZpcA , 27 min. 14 secs.</p><p>Reproducing my comment on above video 4 years back:</p><p>This is a very interesting video for spiritual seekers interested in core aspects of Atma Vidya and Advaita, having practical questions from devotees on these matters along with practical answers from Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The video shows text extracts from an interview that Sathya Sai Baba reportedly gave to a group of about thirty Western devotees in Kodaikanal in April 1983 or April 1985 (http://www.atmapress.com/SaiBabaKodaikanalInterview.htm says 1985 but http://www.ramalacentre.com/sai_baba_print01b.htm says 1983). It intersperses that with great pics of Bhagavan. The entire video has pleasant music playing in the background.</p><p>These features make the video more watchable and may be a preferred medium for some persons to learn or get exposed to the core teachings of Bhagavan about Atma Vidya and Advaita as given in this interview, as compared to reading the only text transcript document.</p><p>==================</p><p>I thought I will share some of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's "Who am I" related messages. I have heard some of these messages live, sitting in Sai Kulwant Hall. So I am very clear that Bhagavan did place quite a lot of value on self-inquiry.</p><p>But I do not see many of these messages of Bhagavan on Facebook nowadays and so thought of digging up some such messages shared by others (in the past) and sharing them now.</p><p>1 min. 50 second video</p><p>FB post https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0ygAuABo6MF6v8ntR5be1x8kMKcHFjQGsng297c1xK2rT3MNejskq7nfT4mYvHhjil shares another post.</p><p>====================</p><p>Sanskrit chant in praise of Guru and Guru parampara (tradition) with English subtitles, https://youtu.be/z9TPUtecZQc?t=8 . The chant ends at around 1 min. 7 secs after which there are Malayalam text messages (credits?) which may be skipped by those who are not interested.</p><p>========================</p><p>On my FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0rdj3UD5zFQTLeEHkLAzH8CJiMZie1EAT6ukazq54UqAzGhtx244QS53DSJykv3zil?comment_id=788093642616781&reply_comment_id=954306565847686 , In context of a comment about "... what happens to those who cause war and murder so many people.", I commented: --Name-snipped-- I have read and heard that they will face appropriate karmic negative consequences but have zero direct knowledge of such things beyond my readings and listenings.</p><p>=============</p><p>On FB post https://www.facebook.com/adiazviana/posts/pfbid0RvfrJoTLBXVdQ3T9ussKXR2hCjrV3pmEK5KJ1UFXDEjiFFwJfTqabbq3Fr9SEWkKl , I wrote: Thanks for sharing --name-snipped--. Hindu scripture mentions many Indian mystics of the past who transcended limitations of ordinary human life and acquired Siddhis or mystical powers like what is covered in the post. I strongly believe that Indian mystics of the past did acquire many such Siddhis through their sadhana or spiritual practice.</p><p>...</p><p>--name-snipped-- Wow! Awesome account about Sayo, Cribeiro, a living person with awesome mystical power who is a medical doctor. Utterly fascinating! I got her Facebook page - plan to look it up (through Google English translation) later. I also looked for any youtube video of her but could not get any suitable results in the top results. Thanks a lot for sharing this. I noted her response to your question about how she had these powers, "I was the last thousand years in meditation". Hmm. I will ponder over this account you have provided. Many thanks.</p><p>--name-snipped-- Fascinating to know she met Sai Baba. Look forward to knowing more about that when you write about it (at your convenience).</p><p>--name-snipped-- About these words in your comment, 'I fully confirmed out-of-body conversations with her in my dreams, she says that the “Masters are sending to you through my body”', I have some questions as I am very interested in out-of-body experiences. I will message it privately to you as sometimes these topics are sensitive.</p><p>===============</p><p>Interesting even if some of it is hard to comprehend (for me 😀 at least).</p><p>Around 13 mins, [Sadhguru youtube video on What happens during enlightenment?, which is now deleted.]</p><p>My comments (slightly edited) in associated FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid02ECcp7ZpZo24GCCv2BVnMiTaZfsPc7st1bFSjg3i6MSrmu1H6TvvLCobwu9pTLvDNl :</p><p>I don't know if he is a "real guru". I don't know how genuine his statements are about the universe, "cyclical movements" (mentioned in this video), causation and so many other topics that he freely speaks on.</p><p>But I do think that he has had some level of mystical experience and so I view him as a genuine contemporary mystic who speaks English and speaks publicly on various spiritual topics quite freely and which speeches/interviews are available on youtube. That makes him a very valuable and quite rare person to me.</p><p>Currently, I am exploring or rather trying to acquire the ability to go into trance or rise above body consciousness/go beyond body consciousness through meditation (dhyaan or dhyaana aspect of yoga). In this context, he has given accounts of him going into trance (through meditation, if I recall correctly) and him helping another Swami to leave his body for good through some form of yoga. I have the impression that these accounts are largely, if not fully, true.</p><p>Will continue response later ...</p><p>... Continuing my earlier comment</p><p>My particular interest in this video is the discussion about his enlightenment experience. Around 2:27, the speaker talks of how Sadguru has written that when he (was in enlightened state or when he was in trance) and then came out of it, it seemed to him that only 10 or 15 minutes had passed but that he had actually been in it for four hours or so (as per his watch).</p><p>Around 8 min., Sadguru talks about disengagement with physicality and then says, "... suddenly there's no sense of time nor space. What is now is then, what is then is now. What is here is there, what is there is here. Everything gets like this." When saying the last word, "this", Sadhguru gestures with his arms and hands moving apart from each other and then the hands coming together with the fingers of both hands getting entwined with each other, which I understand as everything merging into one (thing?!). I think that is a very interesting effort by Sadhguru to explain how he felt when he was in the enlightened state. Therefore this part of the video was of great interest to me.</p><p>Going further, around 9.30 in the video, Sadhguru says, "So if you disengage with your physical nature, suddenly there is no time. So there is no space. So suddenly, what is here is there. What is there is here. People think something miraculous has happened. Nothing miraculous happened. It is just that you kept your accumulations aside for a moment. That's all. What you accumulated and who you are, sat separately." I think these words of Sadhguru are also very valuable to me. I need to ponder on it.</p><p>The process of putting up this set of comments has helped in me focusing better on these words of Sadhguru. So thanks for your question, --- 🙂.</p><p>My initial take from these parts of the video, is that in an enlightened state, one loses sense of time and space, and everything merges into one. I have never had such an experience so far. I think my somewhat recent meditation practice of trying to dissolve into the Awareness-I within me (which is my interpretation of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's teaching to John Hislop on this topic), needs to mature. Perhaps when I improve its intensity to some higher level, the dissolving into Awareness-I will happen and in that state perhaps, there would be no time and no space and only one (Awareness-I).</p><p>...</p><p>Wow ---! You had awesome "mystical experience(s)" then. Fiery explosion like thing surrounding you, tears pouring down, but no attachment to what was happening! Speaking in a language you did not understand, losing all sense of time or (and) space! Hmm. That is a very remarkable thing that happened to you. Thanks a ton for sharing.</p><p>It is fascinating that those experiences seem to have paved the way for you to first hear about our beloved Lord, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and then instantly knowing that He was God.</p><p>All the best with your current life and spiritual practice in your "native country".</p><p>...</p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-55008362661398104352023-06-08T19:36:00.005+05:302023-06-08T19:42:10.720+05:30My recent Facebook posts on being thoughtless in meditation, focusing on Awareness-I and chanting helper-statements, and parts of body focus seems to be on then<p>Contents of my recent Facebook post: Being focused on Awareness-I while being without thoughts in meditation; Chanting helper-statements while being focused on Awareness-I, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid02v3BAgB7FUAR1nBzkMX4zUt5tjJ6HWbzUYZ1m3qMjzbg8KBmCcPaWYvnh2GWuivsKl" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid02v3BAgB7FUAR1nBzkMX4zUt5tjJ6HWbzUYZ1m3qMjzbg8KBmCcPaWYvnh2GWuivsKl</a> : </p><p>In my meditation practice, about being without thoughts and not chanting anything within, I have observed that I can do it in two ways:</p><p>a) Stop thought with focus being on the front side of my head including my forehead (including Bruhamadhya which is point between the eyebrows). The Awareness-I, of course, is there but I am not focusing on it.</p><p>b) Stop thought and focus on Awareness-I in an inner zone which is from the center of my chest to the head including the Bruhamadhya</p><p>I find that way b) is easier for me to maintain whereas way a) needs some more concentration effort and so more difficult to maintain. Therefore I prefer way b).</p><p>In both the ways mentioned above I am not chanting any helper statements within. So it is a sort-of complete nothingness within during such meditation stints when I have been successful in keeping away thoughts. But I do not prefer this type of meditation as I am more comfortable with chanting helper statements while doing meditation. Still, I do such without-chanting-within thoughtless state meditation every now and then in my meditation sessions, for few minutes.</p><p>What I really like and am very comfortable with, is focusing on Awareness-I within and chanting helper statements like 'Go deep into (Awareness) I; Dissolve into (Awareness) I' (at times, I add, 'Go deep into God; Dissolve into God). The chanting can be very slow at times and also just one word like 'Dissolve'. I can do such meditation for significantly longer period of time though I have not really checked how long I do this type of meditation. Note that when I have long meditation sessions, I mix different types of meditation like with chanting-within or without chanting-within.</p><p>In this context, a post I came across today is relevant. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0wmm1i47qvqpYVosTSxdFNZ1Bf1vup5B2XvWNa7KTT366RvZxuVaFiViEeq6QLgH9l" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0wmm1i47qvqpYVosTSxdFNZ1Bf1vup5B2XvWNa7KTT366RvZxuVaFiViEeq6QLgH9l</a> quotes Ādyashānti, "In true meditation, the emphasis is on being awareness; not on being aware of objects, but on resting as primordial awareness itself."</p><p>I think the words, "being awareness" and "resting on primordial awareness itself" are very good expressions of what I experience as Awareness-I in my 'I am (Awareness) I' meditation, and when I say I am focusing on Awareness-I, I think I could also say that I am being Awareness-I and "resting on Awareness-I".</p><p>==================</p><p>Contents of my recent Facebook post: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid02Q4LFfJDdy59gP3UBfSznK14UAFzXpFLjNwuUqswLZUoeng4t9TdxKupodC7vgUL9l" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid02Q4LFfJDdy59gP3UBfSznK14UAFzXpFLjNwuUqswLZUoeng4t9TdxKupodC7vgUL9l</a> :</p><p>[The post shared in it quotes Ramana Maharshi, "If concentration is made with the brain, sensations of heat and even headache ensue. Concentration has to be made in the heart, which is cool and refreshing. Relax and your meditation will be easy. Keep your mind steady by gently warding off all intruding thoughts, but without strain - soon you will succeed. ~ Guru Ramana, P.II, Ch.XI"]</p><p>[My shared intro. text.:] Hmm. Very thought provoking for me. In my meditation practice, when I stop thought and focus on Awareness I, and when I try to locate which part of my body my focus seems to be on, I find it is an inner zone from the center of my chest to the head including the Bruhamadhya (forehead part between the eyebrows) and which in this post I refer to as IZ.</p><p>But it seems to not include the front side of my head above the Bruhamadhya and which in this post I refer to as FSH.</p><p>At times, usually when I am starting my meditation session, I find that my focus seems to be in the FSH. As my meditation settles on the Awareness I, the focus seems to shift to the IZ (inner zone).</p><p>Also, few times I do get slight headache while meditating but I had not identified then whether the focus was in the FSH or IZ. In future, if I have this headache issue while meditating, I hope to remember the shared post of Ramana Maharshi below and then see if my meditation focus then was on the FSH or IZ.</p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-58222436945707552842023-06-07T18:13:00.003+05:302023-06-19T19:45:59.351+05:30Viewing Awareness-I as essence or part of God in my meditation and trying to dissolve or merge into God (experience oneness with God)<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last updated on 19 Jun 2023</span></i></p><p>For a few weeks now, I have slightly modified my meditation helper-statements and practice to additionally bring in "Dissolve into God" helper-statement. It has got somewhat settled now in my meditation practice and so I thought I should share it.</p><p>First, some background ...</p><p>The Awareness-I which I view as the Atma is one of the two most precious parts or aspects of me with the other part being God in formless aspect and in name-and-form aspect of Bhagavan Sri Shirdi Sai Baba and Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. However, my belief is that both my Atma and God, in their essence at least, are one. But, as of now, it is a belief and not an experience of God/Paramatma, the universal divine consciousness that I believe, pervades all of creation. </p><p>Over the past few weeks when I meditate, I view the changeless awareness part in me to be part of God, and in its essence, same as God. I also view it as a pathway to experience God, the universal divine consciousness which I have not experienced so far but hope and want to experience some day. So sometimes while experiencing my changeless awareness in meditation, after the helper chant of ‘Go deep into I; Dissolve (or Merge) into I’ and associated feeling, I chant ‘Go deep into God; Dissolve (or Merge) into God’, focus on my unchanging awareness experience as essence of God and pathway to God, and try to bring in the associated feeling. The dissolve or merge into God is in the sense of (trying to) experience oneness with God.</p><p>This becomes a meditation where I view God as the divine force in the very changeless awareness I feel within me! In other words, I view that I am experiencing at least a part of God when I am directly experiencing the changeless awareness part of me! This has opened up a thrilling and fascinating meditation door to God, for me. But it is based on my faith that my changeless awareness is in essence a part of God, and a pathway to experiencing (more of) God, and it is not yet a direct experience of God (beyond experiencing only my changeless awareness). Over the past few weeks, this meditation has continued to resonate with me and stabilize to some extent. I think it may further stabilize over the coming months and years.</p><p>The following sentence encapsulates an important part of the above and so has some repetition: For me, the really big thing in this meditation is that I view God as not something different from my changeless awareness and so by going deep into my changeless awareness, I am going deeper into God (as universal consciousness, creator, sustainer and destroyer of universe) and I may possibly have experiences of God as universal consciousness if this meditation becomes deeper and stable. </p><p>Today I came across a Facebook post sharing one of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's quotes (from 22nd Oct. 1961 discourse), <a href="https://www.facebook.com/uae123000/posts/pfbid0CATEX2pP3rWKG3DVNEkojXpiZvt2aoGrKMGRKdkjzn9mY75x2VQ3Hmy8CqPBzMwHl" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/uae123000/posts/pfbid0CATEX2pP3rWKG3DVNEkojXpiZvt2aoGrKMGRKdkjzn9mY75x2VQ3Hmy8CqPBzMwHl</a> . An extract from it is very relevant to this post, (Bhagavan says,) "the powers of man are limited by his experience and his knowledge. He is just a Pinda (part), while the Lord is Anda (whole), the force pervading the entire universe. The Anda-Pinda Lingam symbolises this body-limb relationship, the part-whole aspect of Maadhava and man." </p><p>==========================================</p><p>Given below are my comments (slightly edited) from my associated FB post: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0oZHJd7AZD2zp46Rt7mr3o1zRnaVqFKRtXeH76nrsytrEWMRT1k4N8P2eMfSig7sRl" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0oZHJd7AZD2zp46Rt7mr3o1zRnaVqFKRtXeH76nrsytrEWMRT1k4N8P2eMfSig7sRl</a> . To see comments of others (whole comment exchage), please visit the post.</p><p>In response to a comment, I wrote (slightly edited):</p><p>Sairam! Yes I remember Swami telling us emphatically that that we are all God. While I believed in it, and it is in line with Vedanta scripture, I hesitated to bring it into my meditation practice. I mean, I was worried whether I had the maturity to handle it and not get into trouble due to some immature understanding of it. Now I think I am ready to bring it into my practice in the way I mentioned in the post above, and I don't have that immaturity fear and 'may get into trouble' fear.</p><p>Thanks --- for your valuable comment.</p><p>-----</p><p>In response to a comment, I wrote (slightly edited):</p><p>I recall very clearly one discourse of Swami in the last few years of his bodily sojourn on earth (a year or few years before April 2011), that I heard live sitting in Sai Kulwant Hall in Prasanthinilayam ashram. Swami said that from today nobody should Padanamaskar of His, as we all are God and so why should God take Padnamaskar of God! It was too much for me then to digest and still it is quite a lot for me to digest. I mean, I have directly experienced Swami's powers of knowing everything in my mind (and what I have done) and more such paranormal/supernatural powers. Where is Swami and where am I? How can I be God?</p><p>At that time, and even today, I viewed that as a big statement (Mahavakya) of Swami which must be true but which was beyond my limited knowledge and experience to understand. So I believed it must be true but was not willing to bring it into my regular spiritual practice as I felt I was not ready for it. Of course, I did not take or attempt to take Padanamaskar after that discourse (though others did take Padanamaskar after that). But I did not go beyond that.</p><p>Regarding "getting in trouble": It is a sensitive topic and so I will keep silent. Please excuse me on this. Thanks --- for your valuable views.</p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-22378443103491278812023-06-02T23:30:00.006+05:302023-06-02T23:41:14.694+05:30Some follow up questions to those who told me that there is a part of them which does not change<p>These are follow up questions (slightly edited) I sent to some who told me that they feel there is a part of them which does not change over time (other than parts that change like mind and body). I thought I should share them as a public post. Readers who feel that there is a part of them that does not change, are welcome to respond to them, if they want to, either publicly as comments or privately as a message to me. Of course, I will keep names of those who send private messages to me as completely confidential. But I may share general content of such messages without giving any indication of who wrote those messages. This way knowledge about the topic gets shared publicly along with confidentiality of persons (names) being maintained.</p><p>I have kept the questions simple so that persons can quickly answer them and move on to some other work/activity.</p><p>1) Do you feel that this unchanging part of you is a deeper part of your being than the changing mind? Or do you feel that it is just another part of you like the mind is a part of you?</p><p>2) Do you feel that the unchanging part of you will always be with you and is eternal and indestructible? Or is it just that you know it is there and has been there in the past, and that's that?</p><p>3) Do you feel or think that the changing mind part of you will one day disappear (pass away)? Or have you simply not felt anything like that and not thought or bothered about what will happen in future to the changing mind (and instead, for example, focused on the present)?</p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-80712034291932933472023-06-02T22:11:00.000+05:302023-06-02T22:11:04.916+05:30Very interesting detailed account of spiritual journey and experiences of Tamil Nadu based Shanmugam P<p>Recently I read Shanmugam P's very interesting and detailed account of his spiritual journey including claimed self-realization (very, very long, 46 min. read): The Journey of a Seeker — My Story, May 16, 2017, <a href="https://medium.com/@shan_bally/the-journey-of-a-seeker-my-story-f9672bdf573e" target="_blank">https://medium.com/@shan_bally/the-journey-of-a-seeker-my-story-f9672bdf573e</a> .</p><p>I put up the following comment on the article: "Thank you very much for sharing the detailed account of your spiritual journey and related experiences as a public post/article. Your frankness is admirable. I particularly appreciated the questions that you raise related to the enlightenment accounts of contemporary or near-contemporary persons. Once again, many thanks."</p><p>I have given below some notes about the parts of the article that interested me along with some comments of mine within <i>[Ravi-comment ... end-Ravi-comment]</i> tags or if comment is short then only as <i>[Ravi-comment ... ]</i>.</p><p>Shanmugam P (SP) had his first notable experience when in a Chennai polytechnic college as a student. I did not notice mention of a year but from what he has written later on, it is before January 2003. This experience is detailed in the section, "Witnessing — Phase 1" of his article.</p><p>He writes about having "a brief moment of stillness with no thoughts" which gave him clarity and peace of mind of a high level not experienced earlier. SP realized that he can exist without thoughts and that he was not thoughts. He writes that this was like a Eureka moment. He also viewed the experience as a confirmation of something indestructible (in him/associated with him).</p><p>His journey continued on. </p><p>The section, "Exploring Spirituality further" has some questions about the enlightenment experience accounts written by contemporary or near-contemporary persons that I found to be very interesting as it has some of the questions I have. In it SP talks about having many peak experiences in his meditation and refers to Abraham Moslow's description of peak experiences. He mentions the names of some contemporary and near-contemporary spiritual masters whose works he was reading. SP writes that he came to know that many persons claim to be enlightened, including many in the West. SP read their "testimonies" about their "awakening experiences".</p><p>Then SP raises his questions about these accounts. Please read the above mentioned section for these questions.</p><p><i>[Ravi comment on the questions: Terrific questions! There is a lack of clarity and agreement in accounts that I have read or viewed/listened related to enlightenment. Most say it is indescribable and that's it. Some say it is indescribable but attempt to give some indications of that experience. And then there are many differences in whatever they write about the enlightened state. Most such accounts claim to experience a deep peace and contentment (joy associated with such contentment), knowledge of their reality as the changeless, eternal and indestructible self, and having no fear of death. I don't think most claim to have supernatural endurance to any bodily pain and suffering after getting enlightened but some do claim to have such supernatural endurance or ability to transcend body consciousness after enlightenment. Some but not all claim to have ecstatic joy. Some but not all claim to have experience of themselves in all. Some but not all claim to have knowledge of past lives. Some but not all claim to go into trance, specifically transcend body consciousness, for many days. End-Ravi comment.]</i></p><p>SP writes about responses he got from a couple of persons about their enlightenment experiences. Please read the section for details.</p><p><i>[Ravi comment on these responses and SP's comments about them: Very good points. Very good to see that the couple of persons who responded to SP's mail acknowledged that they don't have ability to leave the body at will or memories of previous incarnations. I am very interested to acquire, if possible, the ability to go beyond the body (leave the body) at will and then come back to it at will. So I am very happy to see that Shanmugam asked this question too and got response to it from a couple of persons. The "having a totally thoughtless mind" part is new to me. In my understanding, during meditation some persons (including me, I should humbly add) can get into a "totally thougtless mind" or no-mind or die-mind state for some time at least (in my case, it is for some time during meditation after which time thoughts come and I get caught up in them, notice me getting caught up in these thoughts and then go back to thoughtless state). But when not in meditation and doing activity including intellectual analysis or planning, one uses the mind and so has thoughts. In my understanding, having thoughts is not the issue in the context of a self-realized person, it is the ability to have thoughts at will (e.g. while doing activity or intellectual work) and not have thoughts at will (e.g. while meditating) that is critical. End-Ravi comment.]</i></p><p>In the section "The Major ‘Change’ — Is it Enlightenment?", SP describes his "major" experience in the period of May 2014 to July 2014. It is a long description. </p><p>He writes about experiencing peaceful and clear stillness between thoughts and then having euphoria. <i>[Ravi-comment: This part is something that I can understand and relate to, to some extent. When I am in no-thought state, I do feel a peaceful and clear stillness, and at times I have Kundalini rising kind of sensations. But I have not yet got "intense euphoria" at such times. End-Ravi-comment]</i></p><p>SP writes about "psychological boundaries" between the world and him starting to disappear. <i>[Ravi-comment: It is not clear what exactly he means by pyschological boundaries disappearing. My observation about the people (and animals) in the world around me, is that most of them are not in bliss and peace. Most seem to be having some problems or the other which is dominating their life experience. Most animals like birds, monkeys, cats and dogs that I see or hear seem to usually be in search for food and are involved in fights for territory and food. So I think if a person's "psychological boundaries" between him and the world around him disappear, his mind may be filled with the worries and sadness of many people and animals with some joy and peace from few people and animals. I have similar confusion with some other points he makes about this experience of his. End-Ravi-comment.]</i></p><p>He writes that the excitement and bliss gradually reduced but that "being peaceful and complete" has been his mind's normal state since that experience. <i>[Ravi-comment: Hmm. Those waves of bliss were a transitory experience.]</i></p><p>SP writes that (after this experience) he did not have any paranormal (powers), did not have memories of past life/lives and could not see any aura. <i>[Ravi-comment: Good to see him frankly stating this.]</i></p><p>SP writes that he had a lot of suffering in his material world life after this experience (which he refers to as "transformation") in terms of losing his job and having financial issues. <i>[Ravi-comment: Sad to see that he was having trouble with his material world life.]</i></p><p>That finishes my notes and comments.</p><p>Please note that this post is limited to SP's article. I believe SP also offers spiritual discussion related services but I do not know anything about these services and am not commenting about that at all.</p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-68249713520589729312023-05-29T18:41:00.010+05:302023-05-29T19:08:56.098+05:30Sharing my limited self-realization experiences and associated sadhana (spiritual practices) with interested genuine seekers<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i>The main contents of this post were shared as a public Google Drive PDF document dated 24 May 2023, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_OLX_MWOeN8i4_lbNwrbp2Y-QWST7CFJ/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_OLX_MWOeN8i4_lbNwrbp2Y-QWST7CFJ/view?usp=sharing</a> . So the date of contents of this post is 24 May 2023. The contents below have been slightly edited as they were converted to HTML from the original Word document used to create above PDF.</i></p><p><i>Associated blog post giving some background: Sharing my limited self-realization experiences - document links, <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/sharing-my-limited-self-realization.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/sharing-my-limited-self-realization.html</a> .</i></p></blockquote><h2 style="text-align: left;">What do I mean by limited self-realization experiences?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">With
some meditation effort, I am able to quieten/stop the mind and experience the
core of my being which is an awareness that never changes (changeless awareness)
and which has not changed over my life. This is different from my mental
being/mind which has changed over my life. Of course, it is also different from
my physical body which has also changed over my life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Further,
I am never able to get to a state where the changeless awareness core of my
being is not there or absent. In other words, it is always there and can never
be denied.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">While
experiencing the changeless awareness core of my being, I have the feeling or
intuitively know that it will be there (not die) when the body dies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
view the above as a limited self-realization experience / Atma realization
experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It
is limited due to the following:</span></p><!--[if !supportLists]--><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">If I am having significant bodily distress/pain, I am not able to go beyond the body consciousness and I want to remove or alleviate the distress, say by visiting the doctor.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I have never been able to go into a trance (Samadhi state) or go beyond body consciousness.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I do not experience this awareness core of my being as being present in everybody.</span></li></ol><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Note
that I believe that great self-realized masters have experiences of Samadhi
state, experiencing that they are in all, and also have ability to go beyond
body consciousness or show superhuman endurance, when the body is facing
significant distress/pain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
also do not have any siddhis like mind reading or knowing past birth and future
of myself let alone past, present and future of others. But I think such powers
are there only with Avatars like Bhagavan Sri Shirdi Sai Baba and Bhagavan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba, and some Siddha Purushas. I think most self-realized masters
have not had, or do not have, such powers.</span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">What is the benefit of identifying and experiencing the changeless awareness
core of one's being?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
my case, prior to around 2008/2009, I had read a lot about the Atma being
changeless awareness but had not identified and experienced the changeless awareness
core of my being – Atma/Self. So I was feeling rather dissatisfied then. After
I identified and experienced the changeless awareness core of my being
(Atma/Self), I felt very happy and satisfied as it validated what I had read
about Atma in scripture and teachings of spiritual masters.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Who
am I?" had been a big question for me. I deeply desired to know the answer
to this question from an experience point of view. By identifying and
experiencing the changeless awareness core of my being (Atma), I felt that I had,
and still have, some clear knowledge of "Who am I", though I still
don't have the full knowledge about it. This limited knowledge and experience
of Atma has also been very satisfying to have.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
think this limited Atma experience reduces the stress and fear about life in
the world. We then know from some experience and some intuition that there is a
changeless awareness core of one's being that is unaffected by all the problems
in the world, looks upon the world as a witness, and which never dies. So I
think it reduces fear of death (of the body) too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There
is an experience of deep peace and contentment when one is experiencing the
changeless awareness core of one's being. So when one is being disturbed by
worries and one seeks to have some peace, one can try to meditate and
experience the deep peace and contentment when one is experiencing the
changeless awareness core of one's being. But, in my case, I cannot always get
into this state when I am beset with some worries or have some other issues.
So, for me, it works sometimes to give me peace and contentment but sometimes I
have to handle it in some other way (like Namasmarana and prayer to God).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Who may or may not benefit by reading about and discussing my limited
self-realization experiences with me?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
a person has already experienced a changeless awareness core of his/her being
which is always there, then that person has already experienced what I have
experienced and so would not benefit or not benefit much by reading about and discussing
my limited self-realization experiences with me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
a person is mainly on the path of devotion and has strong faith that God is
with him/her and is there to help him/her whenever required, and the person is
not much interested in doing contemplation and meditation to know his/her
reality (like Who am I? contemplation and meditation), then that person may not
benefit or not benefit much by reading about and discussing my limited
self-realization experiences with me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
a person is deeply interested in doing contemplation and meditation to know
his/her reality (like Who am I? contemplation and meditation), and has not yet
experienced a changeless awareness core of his/her being which is always there
(and thinks that he/she has changed over time and that there is no part of
him/her that is unchanging), then that person may, I repeat may, benefit by reading
about and discussing my limited self-realization experiences with me. Such a
person may also be on the path of devotion with strong faith in God but may
also be interested to experience changeless awareness core of his/her being
through contemplation and meditation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">5 Page Document: My Limited Self-Realization Experiences – Points</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Interested
persons may please go through my document titled, “My Limited Self-Realization
Experiences – Points” which is available as a post: </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/my-limited-self-realization-experiences.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/my-limited-self-realization-experiences.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> and as a PDF download - short link: </span><a href="https://bit.ly/raviiyerlsre" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">https://bit.ly/raviiyerlsre</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> , full link: </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wXGvGTTck1D3wNFVrSATJAglJdlPCBj4/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wXGvGTTck1D3wNFVrSATJAglJdlPCBj4/view?usp=sharing</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> . I am providing
this document as free service (seva) and without any commercial objective
whatsoever.</span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Interested persons can discuss my experiences with me; How can the
discussion take place?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After
a person has gone through above mentioned document titled, “My Limited
Self-Realization Experiences – Points”, if the person is interested in having a
discussion with me, I can be contacted over Facebook (</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> ) or by email (</span><a href="mailto:riyer02@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">riyer02@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> ). After
initial exchange there, if we feel we can go ahead, we can meet in my small
flat in outside ashram Puttaparthi (after scheduling it), or if the person is
not based in Puttaparthi, after scheduling it, we can have a phone call which
could even be over WhatsApp or perhaps even over Facebook. Note that as I face
some health issues, it is possible that the scheduled visit or call may have to
be postponed at short notice. Further note that I am offering this discussion as
free service (seva) and without any commercial objective whatsoever.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">I am NOT a Guru teaching Vedic Dharma but only a spiritual aspirant; Then
why write about my experiences and make a discussion offer? What about
youngsters?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
clearly am not a spiritual master or Guru. I am just a spiritual aspirant with
my fair share of human flaws.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
cannot advise youngsters about following Vedic Dharma and not getting too
carried away with today's materialistic world. I think Gurus and Avatars like
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Bhagavan Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, and Swamijis
including Peethadhipathis like Shankaracharyas are the right persons to advise
on such matters.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">My
document about my limited self realization experiences and related offer to
discuss it are very limited, and are about my experiences of changeless and
undeniable awareness core of my being which I believe is the Self or Atma. But
I think that some may, I repeat may, be interested to read about and discuss
with me these limited experiences I had and which I continue to have on a
regular basis. If they are interested and read about and possibly discuss it
with me, it becomes a small seva (free service) activity which may benefit
them. That is why I wrote the document and am making this offer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">My
document and related discussion offer are not limited to Vedic Dharma persons.
I am willing to share it with non-Hindus and also atheists who are genuinely
interested in such topics.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
response to a question, I thought about youngsters in the context of my limited
offering. Who among youngsters would be interested in such matters?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">People
read and hear about Atma so much in India, and some outside India too hear and
read about it. Youngsters too would read and hear about it (like I did when I
was young in Mumbai/Dombivli). Many youngsters would believe in Atma but not
have much or any experience of it as a changeless awareness entity separate from
the changing mind and body, and among these youngsters, most would be focused
on achieving worldly goals in their lives and not interested in doing contemplation
and meditation sadhana to experience the Atma (as a changeless awareness entity
separate from the changing mind and body). Only a few would be interested
enough in trying to experience the Atma that they would do some contemplation
(Who am I? type of contemplation) and meditation to progress towards that
experience. It is only these few youngsters who may be interested in my
offering. [When I was a youngster in Mumbai/Dombivli, I was interested in these
matters and would read books on it and attend discourses of spiritual masters
about it in Mumbai. If I had been told about somebody offering to share their
limited self-realization experience (experience of changeless and undeniable awareness
which is referred to as self/Atma) and related sadhana in a document with a
possibility of a one-on-one discussion, I would surely have tried to read the
document and meet that person and discuss it.]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Some background about me</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
am very grateful to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for all the love and guidance
he has given me. I am also grateful to, and a well wisher of, Sri Sathya Sai
Central Trust and associated institutions like hospitals for the service they
have provided to me, and to people of Puttaparthi and elsewhere in general. I live in Puttaparthi outside Prasanthi
Nilayam ashram (Puttaparthi ashram) and am currently not associated with the ashram
system or Sathya Sai organization but am a well wisher of them. I follow the
law of the land and try hard to follow ethics in the context of Andhra Pradesh
state and India.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">More
about me & my books and blogs is available on the Internet: short link: </span><a href="https://bit.ly/ravisiyer" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">https://bit.ly/ravisiyer</span></a>,<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> full link: </span><a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/p/about-ravi-s-iyer.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/p/about-ravi-s-iyer.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> .</span> </p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-4696527988634263682023-05-29T18:31:00.002+05:302023-05-29T19:11:58.453+05:30My Limited Self-Realization Experiences – Points<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i>The contents of this post were shared as a public Google Drive PDF document dated 24 May 2023, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wXGvGTTck1D3wNFVrSATJAglJdlPCBj4/view" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wXGvGTTck1D3wNFVrSATJAglJdlPCBj4/view</a> . So the date of contents of this post is 24 May 2023.</i></p><p><i>Associated blog post giving some background: Sharing my limited self-realization experiences - document links, <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/sharing-my-limited-self-realization.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/sharing-my-limited-self-realization.html</a> .</i></p></blockquote><p>Sometime
around or slightly prior to 2008/2009, if I recall correctly, I was able to
separately experience a changeless awareness part of me as one entity and my
mind and mental identity (as Ravi S. Iyer person) as another entity.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Prior to Experiencing
Changeless Awareness Part of Me</h2><h1><o:p></o:p></h1><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Prior
to me separately experiencing a changeless awareness part of me which is
mentioned above, I experienced myself as my mind and mental identity which had
changed over time and would continue to change over time. As far as I can
recall, I had not identified and experienced a changeless awareness part of me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Sadhana
I did then: I was doing fair amount of reading on Vedanta and Who am I
approach, and doing contemplation and meditation. I was also into devotion and
seva (service).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
have led a single (unmarried) spiritual aspirant life in Puttaparthi from Oct.
2002 offering free Seva till March 2012. This single life I was leading gave me
some time and space to do some amount of contemplation and meditation
especially when I was not engaged in seva (like on some holidays/holiday
periods).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The
parts related to Vedanta and Who am I? approach of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai
Baba’s live discourses that I heard in Sai Kulwant Hall (in Prasanthinilayam
ashram in Puttaparthi) and also his books including books/booklets with his
discourse texts, were very helpful to me in doing my Who am I? contemplation
and meditation sadhana. This was in addition to the devotion (Bhakti) and seva
sadhana that I was doing then. Bhagavan’s teachings of Who am I? inquiry, Die
Mind, mind being bundle of thoughts and removing or stopping thoughts to make
the mind (temporarily) go away and then experience the Atma were very helpful
and inspirational to me then. Another important point from Bhagavan’s teaching
in this context, as per my understanding, was that the Atma was Awareness. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Ramana
Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj were two other notable masters whose works
about Self-Realization I read and contemplated about in this period.<o:p></o:p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">First Experiences of
Changeless Awareness Part of Me perhaps in 2008/2009</h2><h1><o:p></o:p></h1><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"><!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->One
day, perhaps in 2008/2009 (I don’t recall the exact year or month), I was
contemplating on part of a discourse of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba that I had
heard live in Sai Kulwant Hall either on that day or a few days earlier.
Bhagavan had said “Who am I?” and then answered it as “I am I”. I was on a walk
at that time (it was evening if I recall correctly) on the road connecting
Puttaparthi to Karnatakanagapalli village. I was thinking about the “I am I”
words of Bhagavan. At some point of this contemplation about “I am I” (while on
the walk), something clicked and I was able to identify a deeper part of me, an
awareness that was different from the mind, that responded to or resonated with
the “I am I” words of Bhagavan. If I recall correctly, either then itself or
shortly (few days?) after that insight and experience, I further realized that
it is an unchanging awareness part of me and a witness which is what the Atma
is supposed to be as per my understanding of my readings/listenings on it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Over
later months and years, during meditation sessions, I was able to regularly
identify and experience this changeless awareness part within me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->8.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->At
such times of experiencing the changeless witness part within me, I would also
instinctively know that it had been with me all through my life and was an
unchanging part of me even then. It was only that in the past I had not
separately identified it and had mixed it up with the mind and mental identity
(as Ravi S. Iyer person) and so I had felt or experienced that I was this
changing mental identity (Ravi S. Iyer) which was attached to my physical body
and I could not experience a changeless part or changeless awareness part in me.
Note that, based on my readings of Hindu scripture from a young age, I believed
from a young age itself that there was an Atma/Self in me which was changeless,
eternal etc. but did not have any experience of it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->9.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
also noted that while I could stop thought and switch off the mind, I could
never switch off this unchanging awareness part within me. In other words, it
was always there. It was an undeniable part of me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->10.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->When
experiencing this changeless awareness part within me, I felt great peace. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->11.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
related these experiences to Hindu scripture and spiritual masters’ teaching
about Atma/Self and came to the conclusion that the changeless awareness part
within me that I was able to experience was the Atma/Self. But my experience
was only a limited experience of it as I only experienced the changeless awareness
and ever-present aspects of it, and had some intuitive knowledge but not direct
experience that it was eternal (would not die). I had no experience of the
aspects of the Atma like it being all-pervading (experiencing that the same
Atma was in all) or having great ecstasy (paramananda) or even going into
Samadhi (transcending body consciousness).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->12.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->It
also was clear that I continued to have my fair share of human flaws, and that
at times I could get into meditation and have a limited experience of the
Atma/Self but many times I would be very caught up in my mind and mental
identity and go through periods of distress and disturbance. I mean, it was not
as if that after these limited experiences of the Atma/Self, I became
completely calm all the time and would never get disturbed. So clearly I had a
long, long way to go in my sadhana so that I could more easily experience this
Atma/Self when I wanted, have deeper experiences of the Atma/Self and get more
established in the Atma/Self, and also work on my many human flaws.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->13.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->These
limited experiences of the Atma/Self boosted my faith in Hindu scripture and spiritual
masters’ accounts about the Atma as I had experienced a small part of it. My
faith about matters like Atma being part of Paramatma which is the supreme
divine power that has created, sustains and will destroy the world/universe,
and that the same Atma is in all became very strong even though I had had no
experience of such matters at all (and still have no experience of it at all).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><!--[if !supportLists]-->14.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->In
2010, I felt an urge to write about my then understanding of some parts of
Vedanta (Upanishads) which (understanding) had improved significantly in the
light of the experience I had of the changeless awareness, and share it
privately with some friends and family. As Chandogya Upanishad and Tat Tvam Asi
Mahavakya in it had been an important part of my study and contemplation, I
wrote about my understanding in the context of Tat Tvam Asi related verses of
this Upanishad. Some years later, I uploaded this document on one of my blogs
(without making any changes to the 2010 document, if I recall correctly):
Chandogya Upanishad – Chapter 6 (Dialogue between Uddalaka and Svetaketu) –
Some Shlokas, Version 1.0, 27<sup>th</sup> June 2010, short link: <a href="https://bit.ly/chandogyachap6" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">https://bit.ly/chandogyachap6</span></a> , full link: <a href="https://iami1.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/chandogyachapter6someshlokas.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">https://iami1.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/chandogyachapter6someshlokas.pdf</span></a> . I also put up a blog post having
lesser details but based on the above document: Divine revelation gems from
Chandogya Upanishad: Chapter 6 (Dialogue between Uddalaka and Svetaketu), short
link: <a href="https://bit.ly/divinegems" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">https://bit.ly/divinegems</span></a> , full link: <a href="https://iami1.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/divine-revelation-gems-from-chandogya-upanishad-chapter-6-dialogue-between-uddalaka-and-svetaketu/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">https://iami1.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/divine-revelation-gems-from-chandogya-upanishad-chapter-6-dialogue-between-uddalaka-and-svetaketu/</span></a> .<o:p></o:p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Break in regular meditation
practice from 2011 to 2021</h2><h1><o:p></o:p></h1><p class="MsoListParagraph"><!--[if !supportLists]-->15.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The
above section covers the period till 2010. I think I was able to continue doing
fair amount of meditation till March-April 2011 when Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai
Baba was first admitted to hospital and then bodily passed away in end April
2011. This brought about a lot of changes in my life which made it difficult
for me to be regular in my meditation practice. This period where I did not do
much meditation continued till mid 2019 (around 8 years), after which I tried
to get back into regular meditation (on Divine Awareness which I use to refer
to Self/Atma which is part of Paramatma, the Universal Divine Awareness and
Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer of the universe). But then we had COVID
pandemic from late 2019 which was a major disturbing global event for me and
which I followed to a great extent. That stopped my regular meditation
practice. I used to still meditate but I was not regular.<o:p></o:p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Regular, Longer and Deeper
Meditation and Experiences of Changeless Awareness Part of Me from March 2022
onwards to now in May 2023</h2><h1><o:p></o:p></h1><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"><!--[if !supportLists]-->16.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->In
early 2022, I faced two major health emergencies/challenges where my body could
have died. Both times, I was ready for death of my body but death did not come.
With love and care from doctors, nurses, paramedical and other staff of hospitals,
and loving support from friends and others, my body was able to survive and
start on a convalescence journey. This gave me more time. So from March 2022, I
started to become more regular in my meditation. This and part of the earlier
point are covered in my blog post: Have become regular in divine awareness
meditation; Meditation affirmation-and-helper statements that I use now in
March 2022 and that I used in the past (May 2019), short link: <a href="https://bit.ly/regularmeditation" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">https://bit.ly/regularmeditation</span></a> , full link: <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2019/05/hope-to-get-back-to-divine-awareness.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2019/05/hope-to-get-back-to-divine-awareness.html</span></a> .<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->17.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Since
March 2022, I have been able to do a lot of meditation (and japam (chanting)
and praarthana (prayer)). I also put up a lot of posts related to my
meditation: List of posts on my meditation practice in reverse chronological
order (currently from Jan. 2022), short link: <a href="https://bit.ly/postsmeditation" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">https://bit.ly/postsmeditation</span></a> , full link: <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/03/list-of-posts-on-my-meditation-practice.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/03/list-of-posts-on-my-meditation-practice.html</span></a> .<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->18.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
am able to regularly do japam-dhyaanam i.e. chanting and meditation. Usually
the meditation sessions can totally (morning and/or afternoon and/or night sessions)
be from an hour a day to four to five hours a day. Perhaps on the average, I
meditate for a total of one to two hours a day. Days when I do no meditation at
all are an exception but there are some such days where I am very busy with
some activities not leaving me time to do meditation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->19.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Now
I am able to have the limited experience of the Atma as the changeless awareness
part of me, quite easily. However, I still get mentally disturbed at times
during which times it is very difficult for me to switch off the mind and get
into my limited experience of the Atma. Further, if there is significant
physical pain or other bodily distress, I cannot get into my limited experience
of the Atma. At such times, I take recourse to Namasmarana and prayer to God
which gives me some relief or at least boosts my mental strength to face what I
have to face.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->20.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
have understood that this changeless awareness part of me (Atma) is the very
core of my being. From that core of my being, I can flow into the mind and
mental identity (Ravi S. Iyer person) and utilize the mind instrument. But even
at that time, the core of my being continues to be there, and many times, I can
very easily experience it by temporarily switching off the mind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->21.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
can meditate for longer periods than earlier. To be more specific, I can
meditate for 1 to 2 hours at a stretch, and if I include short breaks (of 5 to
10 minutes max) to do some short required activity, for up to 3 hours. <i>[Note that this “at a stretch” is a
continuous period or near-continuous period and so different from total period
of meditation in a day mentioned in an earlier point above.]</i> If I want, I am
sure I will be able to extend it to 4 hours easily (with short breaks). During
such meditation, for good part of the time, I am experiencing the Atma with
mind usually being only slightly active with some chanting of helper statements
(like ‘Go deep into (Awareness) I; Dissolve into I’) or mind having no thoughts
or inner chanting and thus being (totally?) inactive. But many times during
such sessions, I do get involved in some thoughts, which are not for long as I
notice them, stop the thoughts and get back to experiencing the Atma/Self which
I now view as the changeless awareness core of my being.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->22.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
can go deeper into the changeless awareness core of my being experience as
compared to earlier but I have not been able to get into a trance (even though
I tried hard to achieve it for 9 months to a year in the recent past). At these
deeper levels of experience of Atma, I feel deep peace and contentment which is
a very satisfying and nice experience. However, I do not have ecstasy or
paramananda that some masters and also Hindu scripture speak about, when having
(deep) experience of the Atma/Self. So my current Atma experience is clearly
limited and needs to become much more deeper for higher spiritual experiences. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->23.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
have never been able to switch off the Atma and so it is my experience over
many years now that it is ever-present or always there, and I now have very
strong faith along with some intuitive knowledge that this part of me (Atma)
will never die. That has led to fear of death not really being there.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->24.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Even
if I do not fear death, my endurance level for pain and bodily distress is not
much and so when I face pain and bodily distress, I seek relief typically by
visiting the doctor/hospital. At such times, I find it very difficult to switch
off the mind and be in the Atma experience state. I would very much like to
avoid pain and bodily distress, especially such bodily distress where I become
dependent on others (which happened to me in the health emergencies/challenges
I faced in early 2022 which are mentioned earlier). So my meditation practice
and associated limited Atma/Self experience, so far, have not helped me much
when it comes to facing health emergencies and dependence on others at such
times. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->25.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
am able to quite easily get detached from worldly issues so long as significant
bodily pain and discomfort are not there. I view the world as a passing show or
as a long waking dream and so do not get much bothered by worldly issues. That
does not mean I do not have empathy and do not try to help others when it is
feasible for me to help – I certainly do or try to do that. It is just that I
do my bit but understand that I have my limitations and that finally it is a
passing show and so I should not get overwhelmed by worldly issues.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->26.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
have had no experience whatsoever of my Atma being the same as in anybody else.
I only have strong faith in the teaching and revelations in scripture and by
masters that the same Atma that is in me is in all.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->27.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
continue to have my fair share of human flaws which I am working on to control
better or remove.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><!--[if !supportLists]-->28.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
feel very satisfied that I have regular experiences of my Atma/Self even if they
are limited experiences, and I am very convinced that it is my core reality
which will endure eternally and outlast the body and the mind. So I feel that
to some extent, I know my existential reality (my truth), in other words, to
some extent, I know who I <i>really</i> am,
and that makes me very happy. Another angle to this is that I know that
everything else in life comes and goes – possessions, hobbies & interests,
even friends come and go, the body functions start to get weak as one ages, the
mind capability also declines with age typically etc. – but the Atma/Self is
always there and changeless. From this angle, the Atma/Self is a very precious part
or aspect of me that I am so very happy to be able to experience and stay in
for some time with quite some ease, any day, so long as I am not facing
significant bodily distress.<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><!--[if !supportLists]-->29.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I
would like to have deeper experiences of this reality of my Atma but I am
willing to focus on my sadhana for that and leave it to God’s Will whether he
will give me those experiences or not.</p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560918235269923427.post-91583512191757986082023-05-23T00:10:00.005+05:302023-05-29T18:57:19.113+05:30Sharing my limited self-realization experiences - document links<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last updated on 29 May 2023</span></i></p><p>Over the past couple of weeks or so, I have been sharing a document about offering to share my limited self-realization experiences with a few friends and family and persons known to them interested in this topic. Later I prepared and shared a document on my limited self-realization experiences itself with these few friends and family. Yesterday night and today early morning (this post was published at 12.10 AM today i.e. 23rd may 2023), I had an inner urge to make these two documents public. So I followed the urge by suitably modifying the documents and making them public.</p><p><i>On 29th May 2023, I provided HTML versions of the PDF document and have added the HTML links below.</i></p><p>Given below are links to the two publicly shared documents:</p><p>1) "Sharing my limited self-realization experience and associated sadhana (spiritual practice) with interested genuine seekers" document: HTML - <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/sharing-my-limited-self-realization_29.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/sharing-my-limited-self-realization_29.html</a> , PDF document of 4 pages (SharingMyLimitedSelfRealizationExp.pdf) - short link: <a href="https://bit.ly/raviiyersharinglsre" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/raviiyersharinglsre</a> , full link: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_OLX_MWOeN8i4_lbNwrbp2Y-QWST7CFJ/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_OLX_MWOeN8i4_lbNwrbp2Y-QWST7CFJ/view?usp=sharing</a> . Note that this document has a link to the below (no. 2) document.</p><p>2) "My Limited Self-Realization Experiences – Points" document: HTML - <a href="https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/my-limited-self-realization-experiences.html" target="_blank">https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2023/05/my-limited-self-realization-experiences.html</a> , PDF document of 5 pages (MyLimitedSelfRealizationExp.pdf) - short link: <a href="https://bit.ly/raviiyerlsre" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/raviiyerlsre</a> , full link: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wXGvGTTck1D3wNFVrSATJAglJdlPCBj4/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wXGvGTTck1D3wNFVrSATJAglJdlPCBj4/view?usp=sharing</a> .</p><p>The above links (and documents) can be freely shared with anybody.</p>Ravi S. Iyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13984595152318980921noreply@blogger.com0