SAIEN

Bhadram part 1 Bhadram, the eternal unknowable Veda When the mind releases its curiosity to know, I fall into a strange tranquilizing calm where there is a surrender to the unknowable that strangely seems to be the only thing I know! All the other 'knowns' float away from me as the whole world becomes this unknowable Veda. So I listen to lines not only from the  Prashna Upanishad  with a surrender that breathes relief at giving up trying to understand what it cannot but I listen to every word spoken by people in the room as if their words were part of this undecipherable Veda. Their words are heard but the arrogance of interpretation is shed. They are simply received as sacred utterances that flow and nothing in me wants to sully their holiness with clever interpretations. Partho's (my Vedanta teacher) words - "silence is not surrender to this or that, it is surrender to all unconditionally" suddenly make tremendous sense. Thoughts flowing through this mind are as...

When we examine the question of thought-forms, we recognise that people usually want to imply that a thought is able to turn into some kind of physical reality, purely through the power of thought. This, however, is one element of the question, but not the only element. Thought-forms have a variety of mechanisms for being created and effectuated. Whenever we conceive of an idea, a plan, an invention, a creative direction, we are creating thought-forms at the mental level, on the mental plane, if you will. These forms, in order to be effectuated in the world, can act either purely on the mental level, can influence and create a force on the vital level, or can directly work on creating a physical form. How this happens is really the ultimate question. Most people have a constant array of thoughts flitting in and out of their mind. They generally have very little focus or power and tend not to go very far in terms of effectuation or any detailed manifestation. Those who focus on an effor...

The word  mandala  in Sanskrit literally means  centre  and  circle . It represents wholeness. The centre and circumference always appear together – one cannot live without the other. Mandalas have been used for meditation in many traditions, especially Hinduism and Buddhism. One especially well-known tradition is the Tibetan tradition of making mandalas on the ground with special coloured sand. For days at a stretch one works on a sand mandala as a meditation practice, patiently and in silence. Only to destroy it and start again – to experience the impermanence of everything. The Divine in Nature creates nothing final; everything is temporary and at the same time as perfect as it is possible for it to be under the circumstances at the time.  ( The Mother,  CWM, Vol. 15, p. 10 )   Other examples include making flower mandalas in  urlis.  We see this cultural practice across many regions in India.  And there is also the practice of m...

Spiritual Fellowship  by joining a group of like-minded people in my experience has proved to be rich platform to share, reflect and listen to challenges and also realization during spiritual journey. This concept is akin to professionals who wish to be active contributors in their professional field by taking membership of professional institutions at national and global level. I have had rich experience by being a member of spiritual organizations namely, Sri Aurobindo Society, ISKCON and Chinmay Mission. This has been rich heritage as it facilitates face-to-face discussions between speaker / expert and audience who come to attend these sessions. Satsang has proved to be a good way to develop  Sadbhddhi  finally leading to  Sadgati  (salvation) as it supplements reading and contemplation on scriptures and helps imbibe good aspects in self-realization. Virtual platforms activated during COVID period such as webinars have come to stay as regular forums to listen...