Mira Prabhu's Blog, page 47

Analysis Of The Mind Or Transcendence? By Dr. Harsh K. Luthar

I love this post…because, as usual, Ramana Maharshi cuts to the chase…yes, the mind is what it is! If we waste our precious time analyzing its contents, we will burrow deeper into what can be pretty mesmerizing muck…and will forget why we are really here – to become free of delusion. Thank you, Harsh Luthar!

Luthar.com

Bhagavan Ramana’s teaching of self-inquiry is fundamentally different than the schools of thought which focus on self-improvement through a variety of motivational approaches. Sri Ramana used to say that when you are going to throw out the trash, you need not spend time analyzing its contents. He was referring to the mind.

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Day 2: KRISHNA’S COUNSEL – PLEASE NOMINATE ME ON KINDLE SCOUT!!!

This is Day 2 of a 30-day viewing of Krishna’s Counsel (my second novel in the Moksha Trilogy (moksha = freedom in Sanskrit) on Kindle Scout! (Kindle Scout is a portal into publication by Kindle Press.) Should you nominate Krishna’s Counsel , and if Kindle Scout takes it on, you will not only get a free version but you will also warm the cockles of my heart. So, if you have an Amazon.com account, please click on this link below—and if you like what you see, be kind enough to nominate me: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/11AA1JA16VAV5.

Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 2:

As Pia watched her father’s youngest brother Seb pour himself a generous shot of feni and toss the potent cashew liquor down his throat, memories of her last encounter with Uncle Hari came rushing back. She’d been sitting with the old man beside the lotus pool in his riotous back garden, listening to him explain just why Eastern mystics considered human life in particular so precious. It boiled down to a specific human faculty, Uncle had said gravely—the ability to discern, most often via protracted and bitter experience, which actions caused true pleasure and which caused pain.

A lion, for instance, cannot decide to stop killing, for creatures of the wild are governed by instinct; however a human assassin could experience so potent a blast of remorse that overnight he or she could evolve into a resolute pacifist. In this manner, Uncle had gone on to say, by combining the priceless gift of discrimination with intelligent effort, a few humans had gradually transformed themselves into sages, thereby charting a golden path to enduring peace and joy that others could pursue.

Please do me the favor of visiting my campaign page to NOMINATE this mystical thriller! You would also make my day if you share or reblog this post. Here again is the link: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/11AA1JA16VAV5.

Greetings from Arunachala, a potent cosmic force that aids us in the tricky business of dissolving mini-me, so we can experience the blissful grandeur of the immortal Self!

 

KRISHNA’S COUNSEL – PLEASE NOMINATE ME ON KINDLE SCOUT!!!

So here’s my BIG news— Krishna’s Counsel, my second novel in the Moksha Trilogy (moksha = freedom in Sanskrit) is being considered by Kindle Scout for a publishing contract. (If you don’t already know, Kindle Scout is a portal into publication by Kindle Press.) This is where YOU come in—should you nominate Krishna’s Counsel, and if Kindle Scout takes it on, you will not only get a free version but you will also warm the cockles of my heart. So, if you have an Amazon.com account, please do click on the link for my campaign. It won’t take more than a few minutes of your precious time, and if you like what you see, please be kind enough to nominate me: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/11AA1JA16VAV5 .

A wee bit of history about Krishna’s Counsel….in the summer of 2008, I found myself trapped in a guesthouse in Rishikesh due to a Shiva festival that raged fiercely on in that colorful mountain town. So I dived into writing a novel that my Manhattan literary agent had much earlier suggested I take on. The result was a rough draft of Krishna’s Counsel. In the years since, a slew of friends, beta readers and crack editors have helped me polish this novel to a gleaming finish. To put the icing on the cake, my friend Mishi Bellamy designed a breathtaking cover.

Krishna’s Counsel is a riveting mystical saga of obsession and illumination set in 60s south India. Its protagonist Pia is baffled by the world into which she has been thrust—until her Uncle Hari reveals to her powerful eastern truths/myths and exhorts her to grow into a spiritual warrior—just as Prince Arjuna chose to do, thousands of years ago, on the simmering Indian battlefield of the Kurukshetra.

Here’s the essence of that stirring passage in the Bhagavad Gita: Prince Arjuna is being driven across the battlefield by his divine charioteer Krishna when he is assailed by a noxious cloud of doubt: although his cousins have tried to destroy his family, he does not want to kill them, nor their allies, who have been good to him in the past—so he throws down his magical bow and refuses to fight.

“Your sorrow is sheer delusion, Arjuna!” thunders the Blue God. “Wise men do not grieve for the dead, or for the living. These bodies come to an end, but that vast Self is ageless, fathomless, eternal!” Fortunately, Lord Krishna’s counsel—that the duty of a spiritual warrior is first to determine what is right, and then to fight the encroaching darkness, regardless of how the cosmic dice may fall—penetrates the Prince’s soul. Suffused with fresh courage, the shining star of the Pandavas picks up his deadly bow and prepares for battle.

As for Pia, the protagonist of Krishna’s Counsel, she is a sensitive thinker entranced by the nature of reality; she is also a coward with an addictive streak whose rebellious behavior brings great sorrow to her family. Pia stumbles into one colossal mess after another as she grows into adulthood. Then she faces her most terrifying challenge in the towering expanse of the Himalayas—when she confronts a murderous psychopath. Pia loses her nerve, but the consequences of her cowardice—not just for herself, but for countless others—are too ghastly to contemplate; it is in her most desperate moments that Krishna’s luminous counsel to Arjuna flashes again and she resolves to fight the good fight, no matter the outcome.

Please do me the massive favor of visiting my campaign page to NOMINATE this mystical thriller! You would also make my day if you share or reblog this post. Here again is the link: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/11AA1JA16VAV5.

Greetings from Arunachala, Shiva in the form of a hill, who challenges us to fight our own darkness so we can realize our awesome divine potential!

Gifts from Writing a Memoir

“I took a huge risk by writing and publishing my memoir. My entire life was focused on keeping quiet, not telling, protecting those I loved, or who loved me. It took a long time to understand that by me keeping quiet, I was actually protecting the people who hurt me in my life. Writing Untangled was a way to announce in a really big way, that I will not keep quiet any longer.” Alexis Rose.

There is a spiritual dictum I personally follow – which is to expose everything to the light – the saying is: we are only as sick as we are secret. Especially in traditional communities where the family/community is invested in keeping skeletons in the closet, it is painful and even dangerous to take this risk – but for me it is worth it and I encourage everyone to do the same. By exposing our darkness to light, miracles happen – not just in our own lives, but in the lives of those our stories impact. When we exhibit this form of courage, everyone benefits.

The process of writing Untangled had been an amazing experience. At first, I was writing as a way to incorporate another healing tool into my tool box. For me, using the keyboard as a way to write, instead of using paper and pencil, provided me with a way to get down my feelings, thoughts and emotions without becoming overwhelmed. I was taught that for some people, using the keyboard was a way to incorporate bi-lateral stimulation. This method provided a way to create a bit of distance from the subject matter I was writing about. The first gift, was while writing I began to discern the difference between the truth vs my truth. Both are the same, but for me, being able to say My truth had a profound and healing impact on me.

I always wanted to paint, and since I have very little talent in that department, I…

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Aids To Self Enquiry: By Alan Jacobs

Ramana Maharshi, the shining sage of Arunachala, offered us the Direct Path to moksha — here’s Alan Jacobs with tips on how to get a strong practice going for yourself – thank you for sharing this!

Nothing

“Those who leave the path of Self Enquiry, the way of liberation, and wander off along the myriad forest tracks, will encounter only confusion”. Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

Self Enquiry is the Direct Path and Bhagavan’s great contribution for the modern age for all. Self Enquiry is the backbone of the main weapon in Bhagavan’s teaching for eliminating the vasanas, tendencies and vrittis, the thought forms which act as a veil and occlude your Real Self.Total Surrender will also achieve the goal, but this way is slower as in the beginning we are only capable of partial Surrender.

To start Self Enquiry is not easy! We must have a very great yearning and strong wish to commence. Pray for grace in this respect. It starts with the mind , turning inwards at 180 degrees and with concentration probing inward, beneath the skin, to find the source of the I Thought…

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Ahimsa Is The Highest Virtue

Ahimsa…a Sanskrit word that has spread all over our globe. Non-violence – a synonym for Love. As I prepare for my dawn practice, I make sure to release any toxic feelings that have arisen since the day before – one simply cannot dive deep into the heart when there is anger or dislike for anyone. Negativity retards the rise of consciousness. So Ahimsa is not just a marvelous thing to practice towards others, first of all it benefits us, mind and body. Thank you for this, Harsh Luthar!

Luthar.com

Ahimsa (nonviolence) is the primary ideal and the virtue to be cultivated on the yogic path to Self-Realization. This is a subtle, deep, and fundamental psychological and spiritual truth.

Why such an emphasis on Ahimsa by the sages?

It is because the perfect and calm state of relaxed awareness is only possible in a mind that is free of all violence.

It is in this state that Grace takes over and allows the pure devotee to surrender fully to God who sits in the Heart, as the Universal Heart, and recognize it to be the Self, one’s very own Self.

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SRI ANNAMALAI SWAMI QUOTES – 7/8/2016

Annamalai Swami was one of Ramana Maharshi’s closest disciples…my regret is that I came to Tiru soon after he died and so missed meeting him in person. A beautiful, humble, pure soul. Read on….thank you for sharing this with us, Ronald!

The Direct Path

SRI ANNAMALAI SWAMI

QUOTES

W

hen I say, “Meditate on the Self” I am asking you to be the Self, not think about it. Be aware of what remains when thoughts stop. Be aware of the consciousness that is the origin of all your thoughts. Be that consciousness. Feel that this is what you really are. If you do this you are meditating on the Self. But if you cannot stabilize in that consciousness because your vasanas are too strong and too active, it is beneficial to hold onto the thought, “I am the Self; I am everything.” If you meditate in this way you will not be cooperating with the vasanas that are blocking your Self-awareness. If you don’t cooperate with them, sooner or later they are bound to leave you. If this method doesn’t appeal to you, then just watch the mind with full attention. Whenever the mind…

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In the Jaws of the Beloved Tiger: By Dr. Evan Keith

My eyes fell on the cover of a book decades ago when I was very young and seeking guidance and I saw a luminous countenance I never forgot…it took me decades to find that face again – that of Ramana Maharshi – and, like the author of this post, I too do not need to look elsewhere again. It is said that the genuine seeker of truth falls into the jaws of the Tiger of Liberation – and once this happens, He will never let us go…read on. Thank you for a wonderful share, Dr. Evan Keith and Harsh Luthar!

Luthar.com

I do not know when I first learned of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. I know that at most he was little more than a name to me before my eighteenth birthday and only in the last year has he become of central importance to me. In fact, now I think of Bhagavan as my Guru. Bhagavan never did formal initiation of anyone as a devotee and never even referred to anyone as being or not being his devotee. Nevertheless, he sometimes mentioned that most people needed a guru to overcome their ancient tendencies and “realize” the Self. Sometimes Bhagavan would allude to the Self, itself, or in particular the mountain Arunachala as having been his Guru. In this respect, Bhagavan Ramana is my Sadguru and I am His devotee.

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LOVING ANIMALS STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART…

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Giving from the heart is said to be the first of the great virtues that lead us to permanent freedom from suffering—and not just giving to family, friends or to those important to us in the mundane world—but to animals desperately in need of love, food, shelter and healing—yes, to dogs, cats, cows, snakes, monkeys and other animals in dire straits, sensitive and defenseless beings who’d bless your heart of gold for making their thorny lives just a little sweeter. In fact, while the world might consider you a reckless idiot for giving generously when the wolf is pounding on your door, the radical seeker of enlightenment is taught to give especially when the chips are down—for it is giving, minus the ego, that burns the bad karma that weighs us down. That said, it is such a delight to be able to give to the unfortunate—without strings and straight from the luminous heart!

Here in Tiruvannamalai, home of the sacred mountain Arunachala and the incomparable sage Ramana Maharshi, I’ve found an organization I genuinely wish to support. It is the Arunachala Sanctuary for distressed animals. Here’s the link: http://www.arunachalasanctuary.com. Please especially do take a look at the “straight from the heart” messages from its founder Leslie Robinson who has kept it running against all odds with the ardent support of a few dedicated staff.

For me, the very thought of the Animal Shelter having to close due to lack of funds is appalling! Thousands would fall back into terrible suffering, for all the animals the Shelter now cares for through rescues, emergencies, adoptions, clinic visits, and hospital activity would come pouring onto the streets. The relationship between the homeless dogs and the humans amongst whom they live would collapse, simply because an intensity of suffering is overwhelming to the human psyche. Rabies would re-manifest and in three or four years the population would once again be out of control—because approximately 7,000 more puppies would be born each year, most of whom would suffer and die.

Being inside the Shelter is a deeply moving experience—one sees vulnerable creatures feeling safe, cared for, resting, playing, chasing each other. Yes, watching the loving and unpretentious commitment of the Shelter staff is a poignant experience. The next time you visit Arunachala, come see with your own eyes.

Back to the mystical view, what goes around does not just come around in equal measure, but is multiplied at least four times. No, I’m not suggesting you should give just so you can receive—and yet it’s reassuring to know that the cosmos showers abundant grace on those who acknowledge the sacred fact that we all originate and must eventually return to a single cosmic source. Advaita = Not Two! So, if you too are moved by the brilliant efforts of this valiant team to lessen the suffering of beings who cannot help themselves, please, even if it’s a tiny amount, do make a donation.

For Direct Online transfers, please visit the website: http://www.arunachalasanctuary.com/to-donate-and-other-ways-of-helping/to-donate

For Mailing Cheques:

Make cheque payable to “Arunachala Animal Sanctuary & Rescue Shelter” and mail to:

Arunachala Animal Sanctuary & Rescue Shelter

Chengam Road, Next to Government Arts College

Tiruvannamalai 606 603 Tamil Nadu, India

Important: Please do include a note with your name, address, and email address

For Wire Transfers:

Please email (arunachalashelter@yahoo.com) and we will send you instructions.

With much love and gratitude for being an integral part of our magical life here at the feet of holy Arunachala!

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ARUNACHALA, NOT ABRACADABRA

“Why don’t you teach an analytical meditation at my learning center?” a woman asked me. It was a bright morning in Rishikesh, and while I loved my new apartment with its spectacular view of the Himalayas, my heart was heavy with confusion about the future. I did not like the commercialization of this ancient city, nor the sharks I encountered, mostly wealthy urban businessmen who had bought up all the apartments in my enclave for ‘investment’ purposes and appeared to have few ethics.

“All right,” I agreed, albeit reluctantly; perhaps it would do me good to teach the Seven Flavors of Samsara, an analytical meditation on the nature of relative reality that I had learned from a powerful guru, and which I occasionally shared with those perplexed about the nature of reality—particularly those  who agonized over why bad things happened to good people and vice versa.

My class was well-received. As we sat sipping chai afterwards with the group, a sannyasin (female renunciate) complimented me on the way I had presented these ancient truths. We exchanged contact information and began to call each other. Soon I confessed to her that I had flown down from America hoping to settle in Rishikesh, but that I was now considering returning to the US. “Why not wait a couple of months before you decide?” she asked gently. “I have an Ashram in Tiruvannamalai where you could stay.” “Tiruvannamalai?” I repeated doubtfully; while I had enjoyed the weekend I’d spent there long ago, I had felt no urge to return. But finally I decided that since I loved the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, I should give it another shot.

A month later, accompanied by a friend, I found myself in Tiruvannamalai, at the home of a man with a long beard garbed in white. We walked outside and gazed up at Arunachala towering above us, and our host began to rave about the holy hill’s power to transform. My companion glanced at me in disbelief, and both of us tried to suppress our giggles as this man ran on. You see, neither of us could understand how an intelligent human could believe that a mountain, for god’s sake, could transform the human heart.

I stayed on in Tiru and struggled with the teachings, so simple and yet so profound. Soon I began to experience little flashes of happiness, not to mention minor miracles, all of which encouraged me to make this ancient town my permanent abode. At dawn about a year later, an English friend and I decided to take the inner path around the mountain. Fifteen minutes after we had set out, the heavens opened and it began to pour. My friend pulled out a rain jacket, but I was drenched. I trudged on with him, cursing my fate as the rain pounded down on my defenseless body; by the time we finished circumambulating the mountain, four tedious mud-filled hours later, I was a sodden wreck.

Seventeen days of flu followed; I had no one to care for me, for this friend had returned to the West, and I knew no one else in the vicinity I could trust. One morning I felt well enough to rise; I walked out the door and into the morning sunshine, and gazed up at Arunachala. In a flash, I realized that gradually, without mini-me even being aware of it, the mountain had embraced me in a savage but loving grip, and that I now had no choice but to surrender to its awesome power. So that man raving about the mountain so long ago had been right, after all!

Arunachala means perfect existence-consciousness and bliss, and, according to eastern mystics, this is our true nature, our Self. Delving into this great truth was pure magic; gradually I began to step away from identifying solely with my body and mind, my emotions, and track record. I began to seriously explore Atma-Vichara, the investigation into the Self which Ramana Maharshi called the Direct Path. After all, what is the promise of Arunachala? To destroy the ego of the seeker, so he or she can experience the true Self that transcends body and mind. All the experiences I had had to date, it also struck me, were due to the burning down the edifice of mini-me that had caused me endless sorrow.

How does one know one is following the Direct Path? Given my penchant for reducing complex philosophy into easily digestible atoms, I decided to focus on just these three aspects of highest consciousness (sat-chit-ananda, existence-consciousness and bliss). I could not deny, for instance, the fact of my relative existence, and I knew from years of grappling with and practicing eastern philosophy, that my Spirit would survive the death of my body and mind. Neither could I deny that I was aware, conscious. So the turning point came when I  began to experience that ineffable inner bliss—and it is this bliss, coupled with steady awareness, that tells me I am on the right path.

It is said that Shiva manifested in the form of the sacred mountain Arunachala in order to help those who are ready to achieve permanent freedom from suffering. It is also said that if one dies within a 40-mile (30 yojanas) radius of this sacred hill, one achieves moksha. Can this be true? Recently I read that Ramana had answered this query from a lawyer by saying that Shiva is like the Supreme Court who can overturn all lower court decrees; Ramana also seemed to imply that this reward is given only to those who merit it.

Arunachala has turned into Magic Mountain for me; he is also father, mother, guide, friend and lover. His magic is not dispensed freely, for one must make immense effort before the inner show can begin; our first major chore is, no matter the pain involved, to surrender to the process of burning our ego down to ashes.

Greetings from Arunachala, and may you all find a sure way to the boundless reservoir of peace and happiness that is our true nature!

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