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11

Who is a Good Yoga Yogi?

Meaning of a Good Yogi

Foundation of a Good Yoga Practice

It is wonderful that yoga is growing in popularity world wide and that now there are so many yogis amongst us.  A yogi is anyone who practices yoga.  So although there are so many different types of yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Flow Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Power Yoga, Bikram Yoga, etc, etc., all of us are yogis.  The question is, how many of us meet the requirements of being a good yogi, or put another way, what is the foundation of a good yoga practice.

Below are a list of all the things that one might feel are key in deciding whether one is doing well in yoga or not, but all these answers would not be right.  The right answer is the last one…

Good Yoga and Yogi

Who is a Good Yogi?

Wrong Answers:

A good yogi is one who does their practice everyday.

A good yogi is one who can do yoga for 90 minutes at a stretch.

A good yogi is one who can warp their body like a pretzel.

A good yogi is one who has memorized Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

A good yogi is physically strong and can do Plank Pose for 1 hour.

A good yogi is one who has abs of steel and 24 packs.

A good yogi can do multiple styles of yoga.

A good yogi is one who only eats organic, raw, vegan food.

A good yogi is one who will live to 120.

A good yogi is one who practices meditation for 1 hour a day.

A good yogi is one who has found a good guru.

A good yogi can dance, while doing a head stand.

A good yogi is one who prays everyday.

A good yogi is one with great willpower and discipline.

A good yogi is one who does not care for money or possessions.

All these answers are incorrect and if you want your yoga and spiritual practice to reach it’s full potential, then the answer is very important to understand. It is as follow…

Right Answer:

A good yogi is someone who is a good person.

Meaning of a Good Yoga Yogi:

This is starting point and the most important aspect of your yoga and spiritual practice.  You have to be good.  If you are a good person, then I consider you a good yogi, even if you have never done yoga.

You may not realize this, but no matter how much you practice meditation and yoga, their full benefits will not be realized unless you are a good person.  So if you are interested in spiritual evolution, the first step is be good.  Then your practice will really take off.  In fact, another way of defining yoga and meditation, is that it is the full blossoming of goodness.

So be nice, be caring, be compassionate, be forgiving, be giving.  You will have a sweet fragrance around you and you will be a blessing to the world.  Then your yoga will really take you far and you will get all the blessings that a spiritual practice brings.

So if you are interested in yoga and looking to start a yoga practice.  The place to start is with the following mantra;

Be Good, Do Good.

For more reading on this topic, you can check out the following articles:

J Krishnamurti on the Blossoming of Goodness

How to Live Life

and for those of you looking to get started with your yoga practice, here is a good place to start.

Free Online Yoga Beginner’s Class

PS: If you enjoy this article, please do share it with your friends on facebook, twitter, etc.

If you have ideas of who is a good yogi, please do share in the comments section below.

12

Kundalini & Enlightenment Experiences Being Reported by Reader Like You

Real Kundalini Experiences

Real Enlightenment Experiences

The objective of yoga and meditation is to help you connect.  To help you realize that the underlying Truth of Reality is a Oneness, and that all that you see is actually a part of you, in fact all that you see is actually you.  This is the Truth.  Me and my father are One.  Having tasted this Reality, I hope to provide you will tools and encouragement to take this profound journey and discover for yourself this great Truth.

On this great journey to Self-Realization, many fascinating experiences take place as you start to crack the shell of the ego and the ordinary, dualistic mind.  Such cracks allow the light of Truth to shine through and give you glimpses of what lies beyond.  These experiences, I call enlightenment experiences or Kundalini Awakening Experiences, and they offer evidence that there is more to life that what meets the eye, and they offer inspiration and motivation as well.

Kundalini & Enlightenment Experiences

Such experiences come in infinite variety and can be unique to just you.  Below I have selected a few samples of such feedback, that show breakthroughs happening as aspirants devote themselves to their daily spiritual practice.  In the past I have provided testimonials which validate the great benefits of yoga and meditation to health and well-being, and in this article, I want to provide the feedback which shows that such practice can indeed help in cracking the egotistical shell and allow Infinity start to flowing through.

Experiencing Divine Light & the Radiation of the Lord:

Kathleen writes, “Hello, Anmol, I am so happy to have found your website. I have always considered myself a spiritual person and since I have started practicing kundalini yoga and zen meditation around a month ago, I have become much more calm and relaxed. I have to tell you that this morning, as I was meditating I was focusing on my breathing and felt my mind going still as if i was in a empty dark room and it felt so peaceful and then this light started to appear and become brighter like a white light and it felt beautiful and then it was gone. and I couldn’t seem to bring it back.”

Andrew writes, “Hi Anmol! Thank you for such a good advise, I’ll follow it and try to reveal my potential at 100 percent! I have a question about meditation, when I’m meditating I must stop my breath? Because, when I’ve meditated two-three days ago, suddenly, after 15-25 minutes of meditation, with eyes closed and thoughts wiped out, I’ve noticed that somehow, my eyes were at the same level with my nose, and in the next moment I felt a light, that came from above into my head! That was WOW feeling – calm, peaceful, and other… very good it was, but light as I think come down to my head, and after that somehow stopped (or not) at the neck region.”

Experiencing Kundalini Shakti & Prana:

Dagmar writes, “This morning during BOF (Breath of Fire Kundalini Yoga Pranayama), as I could feel the energy moving in my body, around my body, and on the top of my head (?!), I did not want to stop. INCREDIBLE FEELING! I did BOF for 13 min; after I stopped (as I was sitting motionless), I still could feel the energy moving for some time. AWESOME!”

Alythia writes, “This is my first day doing this yoga set (week 1). It was amazing. I am practicing at the beginner level and I found the most difficult pose was the eagle pose when suddenly my consciousness opened a little and I realized that I could be “like” the eagle and imagined that I was soaring and that I was being held up by the air, this changed my frown of concentration into a smile and gave me just enough endurance to finish the minute. After I completed the meditation, my body began to feel balanced and warm, I had a slight, pleasant tingling in the back of my cervical vertebrae, from the tuck pose, I think. All in all, very enlightening.”

Experiencing Tao, Spontaneous Natural Living or Life Opening Up:

Reader writes, “Today something amazing happened. Long story short, I was able to facilitate something, to make something happen for someone else that was extremely unlikely to succeed. It’s as though every single door that needed to open simply opened without much more than a nudge when, normally, these doors should have remained shut tight. Because of this, I helped create a genuinely happy moment for my mother, and I can’t get over how easy it was to find just the right words and the right attitude to adopt, naturally, without even thinking about it. It was more than luck.”

Julia writes, “Hi Anmol, Thank you so much for this site!  I am entering my fourth week and feel fabulous.  I not only have more energy, but I feel as if I am more aware of everything and become more efficient (doing the smart way, not the long way)  I am just starting the 3rd eye opening, course 103, and can’t wait!  Thank you again for all the work you’ve put into this site,  I love it!!”

Mysterious Kundalini & Enlightenment Experiences

Marc write, “I’m not sure what I did, but after completely spacing out and breathing really oddly well, to the point where there was nothing restricting or obstructing the evenly paced airflow, I released something that, at the moment, I can only describe as “The most terrifying and wonderful experience you could never imagine.””

Ed writes, “I believe that I had my first vision last night. it wasn’t a dream since I was awake but the the vision was very weird and a little disorienting.”

How to Approch Kundalini & Enlightenment Experiences:

Below I would like to share a few insights regarding Enlightenment Experiences, which should help you understand how to deal with them better.

1. Don’t Compare Enlightenment Experiences:

Don’t try to judge your progress based on the experiences other have had.  Especially, don’t try to compare or hope for experiences you read certain Masters having.  Hoping “You see yourself as the dancer” (UG Krishnamurti), “Experience unearthly beatitude” (J Krishnamurti), “Hours of no thought and just being” (Master Tolle), “Seeing the cycle of birth & death” (Lord Buddha),  etc, etc, is pointless.  Your path is unique and you may have such experiences or you may not have any “mind-blowing” experiences at all.  Your responsibility is to just keep doing your practice.  Leave the rest in God’s good hands.

2. Don’t Crave Enlightenment Experiences:

This is a common problem with those who have “advanced” experiences early in their practice.  During the early phases, energy pathways tend to open and profound experiences can be had.  The aspirant then starts to crave these experiences and is disappointed when they can’t recreate them.  Enlightenment experiences cannot be captured and put in the refrigerator for future consumption.  Nope, sorry.  They come and go as they please.  Your responsibility… yes that’s right, just keep doing your practice.

Read J. Krishnamurti’s thoughts on this topic here regarding this very topic: J. Krishnamurti Ponders on His Enlightenment & Kundalini Awakening.

3. Kundalini Awakening Signs are Sometimes Subtle:

If you are not having such “mind blowing” experiences, it does not mean that Kundalini is not awakening in you.  Some of the most important signs of Kundalini Awakening have to do with subtle psychological symptoms and not physical ones.  The very urge to Awaken is perhaps the greatest indication that Kundalini is working within you, urging you to discover the Truth.  So if you are here, reading this article, that in itself is a sign that you are being pulled by your Divine Aspect to get busy with your spiritual evolution.

4. Kundalini & Enlightenment Experiences Span All Varieties:

Above I tried to provide a wide range of experiences that readers are having to demonstrate the incredible variety of such experiences.  The descriptions above indicate the experience of Kundalini as energy in various parts of the body, seeing glimpses of Infinity in the from of pure white light, which I call the Radiation of the Lord, experiences with having your life start to open up and “miraculous” things start to happen spontaneously, and then there are also the mysterious and unexplainable experiences that can happen due to such awakenings.

Summary:

The purpose of this article is to inspire you to do your practice and to be open to life and the infinite possibilities she offers.  As I indicated in the article, Top 5 Obstacles to Spiritual Enlightenment, the highest goal of human birth is God Realization and I am happy the tools and techniques on Mastery of Meditation & Yoga are proving to he helpful to you all in this greatest of adventures.

For those looking for where to get started.  You may want to consider the following free online yoga and meditation classes.

Beginner’s Yoga Class

Beginner’s Meditation Class | Learn How to Meditate

Introduction to Kundalini Yoga & Meditation Class

Be Good, Do Good .

13

Importance of Humor on the Road to Enlightenment

Role of Humor on the Spiritual Journey

A few weeks ago I was sitting out on my deck and enjoying what I call holistic vision.  Which is when you don’t focus on any one object, but instead take in the whole scenery together, using an unfocused, steady gaze.  Being aware of the space between the objects magnifies the effect of this way of looking and it a meditation all on it’s own (meditation detailed in Brain Development & Enlightenment Part I).

As most parents with little ones know, getting some alone time can be challenging, so I was making the most of this quiet moment life had blessed me with and really enjoying the beauty of this meditation.  As I was moving deeper into this state, all of a sudden Spiderman attacked me!  Yes that would be my four year old son Shivum.  So much for merging with the Oneness of nature and all that.  It was time for Green Goblin to fight back .

Humor on the Road

This is how life is and it is important to be able to just have a big laugh and carry on.  A sense of humor is absolutely invaluable when it comes to walking the spiritual path and exploring the world of enlightenment.  In the article, J Krishnamurti Ponders His Enlightenment and Kundalini Awakening, Krishnamurti lists having a humorous approach as one of the keys to his own awakening.  From those of us who have been involved in this business for a while, believe it when we say, a sense of humor is likely to be your best friend on your own journey to Self-Realization.

In reflecting over my own journey here are the situations and conditions where I have found humor to be a huge blessing…

1. The Egotistic Mind:

As you start to shine the light of awareness onto your mind, you are going to be alarmed by the amount of mischief that is going on in there.  The endless attempts of the ego to assert itself and gain importance, pleasure, security, etc.  Don’t start judging yourself and getting upset over this, instead just smile, have a laugh and remain a witness to it all.  This is how the egotistical mind works and watching it dispassionately is the antidote.

2. Hiccups in Life:

Getting attacked by Spiderman in the middle of meditation can be potentially upsetting, but I think it is much healthier to learn to laugh about these situations than cry about them.  In fact such situations are a chance to practice meditation for real.  Observing your  mind and thoughts at times like this, will give you a great deal of insight into your attachments and desires.

3. Your Neurotic Tendencies & Weaknesses:

We all have them .  It’s what gives our personalities color and variety.  So whatever idiosyncrasies and tendencies you have, they are what make you you.  So take them in stride and learn to smile about them.

4. Impermanent Enlightenment Experiences:

The enlightenment states and experiences come and go.  That is how they tend to be, so don’t be disappointed and anxious to cling to them.  Enjoy them when they come and also, don’t take to task your desire to have them persist or repeat.

5. Catastrophes in Life:

Hiccups are relatively easy to smile about, but full fledged catastrophes are another story.  Before something new can be built, the old has to be destroyed, and no matter how romantic you think this idea is, it’s actual occurrence can be quite painful and difficult.  But really when everything around you starts falling apart despite your best efforts, remind yourself that you don’t necessarily see the big picture, then go ahead and have a good laugh at the state of your life.  Then start over.

6. Terrible Meditation Sessions:

Trust me, we all have these also.  Meditation sessions where you sit down with passionate intent to break free of time, space and self, but, instead end up spending the whole time planning your finances or fretting over your latest health issue.  It’s ok, you will get ‘em next time.

Summary:

If you don’t have a sense of humor about many of the situations you are going to encounter on this path, it is going to be very difficult for you to keep your sanity, commitment and balance.  So remember this is all a big game that you are willingly playing, and learn to laugh at yourself and the twists and turns that life if going to throw at you.

Please do feel free to share your experiences with us of how humor has helped you in your own spiritual journey.

14

Healthy Eating Guide | 11 Important Guidelines

11 Guidelines for Eating Healthy

Guide on How to Eat Right

You are what you eat.  That statement certainly holds a lot of truth, but equally important to what you eat, is how you eat it and that is the topic of this guide.  The basis for this guide lie in Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of life and longevity, Yoga Philosophy as well as modern medicine.  The objective is to ensure that the food you are eating is providing you maximum benefit, not just at a physical level, but also at a psychological and energetic level.

Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating Guide:

1. Eat with Awareness:

This is the number one universal recommendation when it comes to eating.  Eating with awareness means to really taste your food and not eat while being elsewhere mentally.  So don’t eat while reading a newspaper, chattering endlessly, or while watching TV.  The result of mindful eating are the following…

  1. You will refine your power of awareness and ability to stay in the now. (read J. Krishnamurti on Sensitivity for more on this topic).
  2. Will find that you enjoy simple, natural foods much better.  So won’t need to cake your food with all sorts of unhealthy garnishes.
  3. With your mind on the process of eating, instead of over stimulated by external stimuli, you will find eating a much more enjoyable and peaceful activity.  This will result in much better digestion and positive conversion of the energy you are extracting from the food.

2. Don’t Eat when Upset:

If you are upset, stressed out, angry, depressed,etc, try to calm down before eating.  This is important for two reasons.  First, eating while upset prevents proper digestion and results in the consumed food doing more harm than good.  Second, you don’t want food to become your escape from these emotional states.  Often such emotional eating becomes a root cause for obesity, which can then be a difficult pattern to break (read How to Stop Emotional Eating for more information on this topic).

3. How Much to Eat:

Ayurveda has a nice method of helping you determine just how much you should be eating in any one sitting.  The amount of food you should eat, should be no more than what is required to fill your 2 cupped hands.  This is a handy gauge to keep in mind, when wondering if you ought to go for seconds, or thirds .

4. Right Portions of Food, Water & Air:

Another handy gauge from Ayurveda for determining the right combination of food, water and air for your tumtum to work at its best, is to fill it one third with food, one third with water and leave one third empty.  This ratio allows for the right amount of liquid, oxygen and heat needed to properly convert your food into energy.

5. The Importance of Water:

Sip room temperature, or warm water with your food.  Don’t underestimate the enormous benefits of this simple rule.  Whenever I diligently employ this policy, I feel much better, have more energy and enjoy healthy digestion. 

There are three important aspects of this one rule.  First, no cold water.  Second, don’t chug water with your meals, just sip it between bites.  Both these caveats are important, so that you don’t end up diminishing your digestive fire, keep which strong is key to proper digestion.  Third, nothing else but water with meals.  Try this for a week and you will be surprised by the results.

6. Right Posture for Eating:

The answer to the right posture for eating is a one liner – sit up straight.  This will help you with maintaining your awareness (guideline number 1), ensure the proper flow of food, nutrients and waste, and help you eat in a relaxed manner (guideline number 2).  Eating while standing, walking, lounging, sprinting , etc are all detrimental to the proper digestion of food.

7. Eat Slowly and Chew Well:

As you might have heard, digestion begins in the mouth.  There are enzymes there which are important to digestion and chewing well, helps these enzymes do the work.  In addition, eating slowly is a great way to prevent overeating, as it gives the body a chance to signal the brain that it is getting full.  Furthermore, eating slowly and enjoying the process will again help you with staying in the moment and developing the key art of mindfulness.

8. Eat when Hungry:

This simple guideline will help you bring your life in tune with your bodily rhythms.  Many people eat simple due to the time on the clock, which often leads to eating too much.  Also, apply this policy to how much you eat as well.  If you feel full, stop eating.  Just don’t keep gobbling down the food simply because it tastes good or because you are too distracted to notice the signals from within.

This same rule applies to drinking liquids.  Most people now drink for reasons other than being thirsty.  It could even be that you have not really felt thirsty for quite some time now, due to your regular trips to the coffee machine.  Even if you don’t do this perfectly (I know how enjoyable that morning cup of tea can be ), try to see if you can follow this policy a little more than you might be doing today.

9. Give Thanks Before Eating:

On our planet, life feeds on life.  That is just how it is. Whether you are vegetarian or not, you are still feeding on life.  So take a moment and give thanks for the food you have been provided, and resolve to use this energy for service and spiritual growth.

10. Don’t Eat Very Late:

Unless you have a ferocious metabolism don’t eat late at night.  As a general rule try not to eat at least 2-3 hours before sleeping.  This gives the digestive system a break and is important if you are trying to avoid gaining excess weight.

11. Eat the Right Foods:

This topic is actually too big to cover in this guide, but here what I am saying is that eat according to your constitution and physical condition.  Ayurveda provides a comprehensive model to help you determine what you should be eating and you can read more about this in the following 2 articles:  Introduction to Ayurveda & Healthy Ayurvedic Diet to Burn Fat and Lose Weight.

Briefly I will give some thoughts on this key topic.

  1. Eat according to your body type.  Heavier foods for those who are light and thin, while light foods for those who are overweight, etc.
  2. Eat to help balance the energies in your body.  Eating foods that are cool, pungent, dry, oily, etc, as per the need of your system at a particular time.
  3. Eat foods that are fresh and full of prana (life force).
  4. Don’t eat incompatible foods.
  5. In general eat more whole grains, vegetables and fruits.

Healthy Eating Guide Summary:

Food is a huge part of our lives.  It is also one of the aspects that we have the ability to manage well, if we make the effort.  The greatest gift you have been given is your unimaginably amazing human body.  To allow it to deteriorate and decay due to a lack of proper attention and care is terrible.  This guide to healthy eating will go a long way in helping you keep your body healthy and full of energy, so that you can use it properly in helping you achieve your highest potential.

15

Meditation Technique to Control the Mind

Meditation Technique

Control the Mind and Thoughts 

Mindfulness, choice-less awareness, being in the moment, attention, observation, listening, seeing, etc, are all just part of the Art of Meditation, and at the heart of meditation lies the mind.  Specifically thoughts, and meditation can be seen as an art which brings about the necessary insight for the cessation or quieting of thoughts.  This stillness within, then allows our vast nature to be encountered and appreciated.

I titled this article as “control of the mind” and am sure there are many who would object to the use of the term “mind control” when it comes to the field of meditation, so let me explain what I mean by it before going into the technique itself.  By “control of the mind” here, I am indicating an action that helps in the quietening of the thinking process and thus, allowing for the deeper observation of our consciousness.  So, although we are not imposing control on the mind and thoughts via force, we are creating a scenario whereby the mind is being affection (in this case stilled).

Meditation Technique

Who better to explain this meditation technique and it’s benefits and importance, than the great spiritual teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti.  So here is a quote from him that explains this simple technique, which assists in “controlling” the mind and quieting the brain.

Meditation Technique to Control the Mind 

Title:       The Wholeness of Life

Author:    J Krishnamurti

Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco

Ch/Page:  Chapter XIV / Page 194

In enquiring, can one observe without any movement of the eye?  Because the eye has an effect on the brain.  When one keeps the eyeballs completely still, observation becomes very clear because the brain is quietened.  So, can one observe without any movement of thought interfering with one’s observation?  It is only possible when the observer realizes that he and that which he is observing are one – the observer is the observed.  Anger is not different from me – I am anger, I am jealousy.  There is no division between the observer and the observed; this is the basic reality one must capture.  Then the whole of consciousness begins to reveal itself without the making of any effort.  In that total observation there is the emptying of, or the going beyond, all the things that thought has put together – which is one’s consciousness.

Analysis and Discussion:

So the meditation technique being suggested here is to keep the eyeballs absolutely still, when you are bringing your attention and energy to the observation of the thinking process.   In meditation, specially Zazen (Zen Meditation Technique) or other seated meditations, stillness of body is demanded, but here it is being taken one step further, and the suggestion is that the eyeballs be kept absolutely still as well and that this will extend control over the mind and thoughts – this will help silence the brain.

When it comes to meditation, the only way to really understand is to dive in and explore.  Reading, talking, discussing, etc, although useful, will only help you go so far on the path to Self-Realization, so go ahead and experiment with the technique indicated above and see for yourself the truth of it. 

If you are new to meditation and would like, you are welcome to sign up for the Free Online Classes offered here on Mastery of Meditation & Yoga as well.  Here is the link to the beginner’s meditation class, Learn to Meditate | Beginner’s Meditation Class.

Be Mindful!

16

Understanding Non-Duality, Hinduism, Buddhism, Enlightenment & Life!

Non-duality, Hinduism, Buddhism & Enlightenment

Advaita Vedanta & Zen Buddhism 

I did a google search for the term “non-dual” on this very site and got 742 hits!  So I thought it was high time I wrote something on this topic :-D.

Actually, a reader asked if I could help him understand what all this business of non-duality was all about, as he was not quite sure he was grasping it properly, and as understanding non-duality is absolutely key for real spiritual growth, here is hit number 743.

For those who understand Hindu Philosophy, non-duality is Creation (Param Brahman).  From there, emerges multiplicity as Creation pours out into Existence (Bhuh, Bhuvah & Swaha).  But, in my view, to really grasp deeply what is meant by non-duality, philosophical discussion or debate is not the best approach.  I think it is better understood from the point of view of experience, and I will delve into my own personal experiences with non-duality to help clarify this most profound of concepts and phenomenon.

Understanding Non-Duality

Hinduism (Advaita Vedanta) & Non-Duality:

Non-duality is best understood in Hinduism and Advaita Vedanta by the phrase Tat Tvam Asi, or Thou Art That.  I have described in the article, The Miracle of Self Awareness – I AM ALL, my experience with this Truth.  The true nature of reality is that all is just you.  Everything is you.  It is actually how it is. 

The apparent sense of separation of “me” and “you” is actually false.  There is no you.  There is only me, or as put forth by Advaita Vedanta, there is only “I AM”.  The “I” referred to here though is not the ego, but the True Self.  Everything is a part of this big “I”, and when awareness shifts from the egocentric “i” to the real “I”, you actually see that all is just you.  Then there is no duality of any kind.

Another article which goes into Advaita Vedanta, specifically from a meditation and experiential point of view is, Enlightenment via Who Am I – Advaita Vedanta Neti Neti Meditation.

Buddhism (Zen) & Non-Duality:

Buddhism looks at non-duality also as the absence of the sense of a separate ego.  Simply because that is the Truth, it is not Hindu or Buddhist, it is simply the Truth.  Instead of asserting that “You Are All”, Zen simply stops at the negation of the false sense of separation.  This sometimes helps prevent the confusion of the small “i” versus big “I” concepts in Advaita and Hinduism.

In both cases, a shift of awareness is what creates an encounter with the non-dual nature of Reality.  Such a shift of awareness can produce an experience such that one encounters the emptiness or absence of the sense of separate existence.  There are states where the organism continues to function, with each sense organ working perfectly, but there is no center or “i” to be found.

So in my view, Hinduism and Buddhism only differ in the nature of the non-dual experience.  If you are experiencing the natural working of the organism, without any sense of separation, you are enjoying a Buddhist enlightenment experience, while if you feeling the expanded sense of the Oneness with everything, you are experiencing enlightenment from the Hindu perspective.  Of course I may be over simplifying it a bit, but I think you get the idea.

At the end, it does not matter what you label it, and if you wish to argue it differently you may.  The point is that the roots of non-duality lie in the absence of the sense of separation and to help you understand it all even better, let’s expand this idea of no-self even further.

Understanding Enlightenment Experiences of Non-Duality:

You will notice the common ground of non-duality, is the fact of no-self.  But, above you will notice one other common denominator between the Hindu and Buddhist versions of this experience, which is that both result from a shift of awareness.  From here we can formulate the following definition of enlightenment experience (non-dual experience) which I think is very valuable.

A shift of awareness outside of the ego-centric mind, produces an enlightenment experience.

Predominately, we live consumed by our little lives and little self.  All the time dwelling on our personal drama and struggling for a little more pleasure and security.  Those who are lucky, get a chance to experience cracks in this shell of the ego, and when that happens they get a glimpse of what lies beyond the self-obsessed mind.  That experience of Reality, absent of ego-centric thought, is an enlightenment experience.

Such experiences are wide and varied and the nature of these experiences can form the basis of great philosophies and religions.  Here I want to point out that the experiences do not have to always be mind-blowing to be significant.  Any glimpse of the non-dual nature of Reality, is indicative of cracks in the shell of the ego and will provide the inspiration for further challenges to this apparent dualistic reality.

These non-dual (or enlightenment) experiences can range from being swept away by the enormity of the mountains, the flow of great love, the ecstasy of sexual union, to experiences with the greater sense of Self (Big Mind in Zen Meditation), Bliss, Divinity, Natural Spontaneous Living, etc.  So from here I can even come to a definition of life which I am comfortable with…

Life is an opportunity to set the stage for this shift of awareness to occur.

This shift of awareness is something that happens to you.  As explained in the article, Interesting Osho Quote on Enlightenment, the mystic sage Osho simply defines enlightenment as the reward for living a mindful life.  This is echoed by great spiritual masters throughout history.

Enlightenment, or the necessary shift in awareness, is not something you can force or create in any way.  What you can do though, is help set the stage to facilitate it’s occurrence.  This is where meditation, yoga, self-study and spiritual living comes in.  They are the tools for preparing the soil such that the flower of Truth can blossom.

Additional Reading on Enlightenment & Non-Duality:

There are many articles that expand on the ideas above to help you understand more deeply the concept of non-duality and enlightenment.  Here are a few of these for you… 

Zen Definition of Enlightenment 

Jiddu Krishnamurti on the Flowering of Goodness

Shunryu Suzuki Speaks on Enlightenment and Zazen

The Secret to Enlightenment

The Day When My Identification with Anmol Mehta Snapped

The Secret to Compassion

17

Gratitude

18

Meditation Video – What is Meditation?

Welcome to the new meditation video series on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga.  This series will do a deep dive into meditation and explore this amazing art from basic techniques to it’s very advanced levels.  In this series, you will learn not just what meditation is, but also understand what it is not.
meditation meaning

This first video of the series will introduce you to true meditation and help you understand the real purpose of this practice.  In it we will explore the teachings of J. Krishnamurti and expand on his explanation of the activity of meditation.

The teachings we will discuss can be found in the following article – The True Definition of Meditation by J. Krishnamurti.

The three areas we will investigate in this video are…

1. Does meditation take place in the dualistic world or is it part of the non-dualistic divine field?

2. What is the true purpose of meditation?

3. How can you start to develop and deepen your own meditation practice?

Please feel free to provide your feedback or ask questions in the comments section below.  Also, stay tuned for the next video of this series coming next week :-).

Direct YouTube Link –> What is Meditation Really 

 

19

Inspirational Quotes from Mystic Poet and Saint Kabir

Today we will share some wonderful Kabir Quotes with you to get you inspired for the week ahead. These quotes are designed to remind us of the deeper truths of life, as well as inspire and uplift you.

Kabir was a mystic poet who lived in India in the 15th Century. His writings greatly influenced one of the paths of yoga – Bhakti. Like Krishnamurti who came centuries after him, Kabir was a spiritual man who condemned dogma. He also protested social discrimination like the caste system and economic exploitation. 

Instead of elaborate rituals or enlightenment through following an guru, Kabir preferred reverence for the inner guru and a simple, spontaneous path to the Divine. You’ll see this expressed in the quotes below. 

Interesting, for a poet, Kabir was illiterate. He composed his works orally, and they were written down by his disciples. It’s difficult to know if all the works attributed to him were indeed written by him. 

Kabir has enjoyed a revival in the last fifty or so years – he’s one of the most popular Indian Saints because his works are more accessible and easier to understand than some of the others :-).

Here’s an image of him on a postage stamp from the 1950s. 

You will find some more great quotes and inspiration on our facebook FAN page here.

https://www.facebook.com/MasteryOfMeditationAndYoga

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Kabir Quote 1

“Many have died; you also will die. The drum of death is being beaten. The world has fallen in love with a dream. Only sayings of the wise will remain.” – Kabir

 Picture via Bluepueblo

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Kabir Quote 2

“…But if a mirror ever makes
you sad
you should know
that it does
not know
you.”  – Kabir

Painting by Josephine Wall

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Kabir Quote 3

“If you want the truth, 
I’ll tell you the truth: 
Listen to the secret sound, 
the real sound, 
which is inside you.”  – Kabir

Photo by Urte Lesmana

ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥

Kabir Quote 4

“The river that flows in you also flows in me.” – Kabir

Photo via Bluepueblo

ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥ॐ☼ॐ♥

Kabir Quote 5

“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty.

You don’t grasp the fact that what is most alive of all is inside your own house;
and you walk from one holy city to the next with a confused look!

Kabir will tell you the truth: go wherever you like, to Calcutta or Tibet;
if you can’t find where your soul is hidden,
for you the world will never be real!” – Kabir

Via www.wallpapersland.net

I hope you enjoyed these quotes from Kabir as much as I did!

20

Famous Quotes – Your Divine Nature

Welcome to the second week of our short selection of famous and inspiring spiritual quotes. These quotes are designed to remind us of the deeper truths of life. This week, I’ve chosen quotes that remind you of your own greatness and inner beauty. Sometimes, it’s lying dormant deep inside, but it’s always there. Each and every one of us is capable of great things. We are all potential Buddhas.

Explore your inner walls, the real treasures of life are hidden there.  Let the words of wisdom quoted below uplift, inspire and awaken you to your True Divine Nature and the greatness that lies within.  

You will find some more great quotes and inspiration on our facebook FAN page here.

https://www.facebook.com/MasteryOfMeditationAndYoga

Also some more famous quotes on your Inner Self in the following 2 articles:

Osho Quote on Happiness

Jiddu Krishnamurti on the Flowering of Goodness

Famous Quote 1

You are the source of all purity and impurities. No one purifies another. – Buddha

Image via internet

 

Famous Quote 2

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. – Mahatma Gandhi

Image via internet

 

Famous Quote 3

That bliss of the Self is always with you, and you will find it for yourself, if you would seek it earnestly. The cause of your misery is not in the life outside you, it is in you as the ego. You impose limitations on yourself and then make a vain struggle to transcend them. – Ramana Maharshi

Picture by Trupti Mehta

 

Famous Quote 4

Each person must live their life as a model for others. – Rosa Parks 

Rosa Parks, with Martin Luther King in the background
Rosa Parks, with Martin Luther King in the background.

Famous Quote 5

There is no help for you outside of yourself; you are the creator of the universe. Like the silkworm you have built a cocoon around yourself…. Burst your own cocoon and come out the beautiful butterfly, as the free soul. Then alone you will see Truth. – Swami Vivekananda

Butterfly emerging from the chrysalis

Image from Internet

Enjoy your weekend everybody… and look inwards for your answers!