The irrational path to freedom

 

You usually do only that which is purposeful, useful and rational. Everything you see, you see through the rational mind. But an intuition, a discovery, a new knowledge goes beyond the rational mind. Truth is beyond reason. The rational mind is like a railroad track that is fixed in grooves. Truth needs no tracks. Truth can float anywhere like a balloon. 

Some people step out of the rational mind in order to rebel against society. They want to break social laws but it is for the sake of their ego. They do it out of anger, hatred, rebelliousness and to attract attention. This is not stepping out of the rational mind, though they may think it is. 

We step out of the rational mind when we do something that has no purpose. If there is no purpose, the action becomes a game. Life becomes lighter. If you are stuck with only rational acts, life becomes a burden.

Suppose you play a game without a thought to winning or losing, just acting irrationally. Performing an act without any purpose attached to it is freedom, like a dance. Just step out of the rational mind and you will find a great freedom, an unfathomable depth, and you will come face to face with reality. 

Reality transcends logic and the rational mind. Until you transcend the rational mind, you will not get access to creativity and the infinite. But remember, if you perform an irrational act in order to find freedom, then you already have a purpose. It is no longer irrational. 

This knowledge note has already spoiled its own possibility. Break through the barrier of the rational mind and find freedom for yourself.

Education has 5 aspects: 

1. Information - Often we think that information is education, but it is only one aspect of education. 

2. Concepts - Concepts are the basis for all research. You need to conceive of something in order to create.

3. Attitude - An integral aspect of education is cultivating the right attitude. Proper attitude at the right time and the right place determines your actions and behaviour. 

4. Imagination - Imagination is essential for creativity, for the arts. But if you get stuck in imagination, you can become psychotic. 

5. Freedom - Freedom is your very nature. Only with freedom do joy, generosity and other human values blossom. Without freedom, imagination becomes stagnant, attitudes become stifling, concepts become a burden and information is of no value. 

Impact of bhajans

 

When you sing bhajans, the vibration of sound energy gets absorbed into every atom of your body. This kindles the energy in you and brings up the consciousness. Your entire body gets soaked in energy. Transformation happens. 

A microphone absorbs sound and converts it into electricity, the body absorbs sound vibration and converts it into consciousness. If you sit and listen to gossip or violent music, then that energy gets absorbed by your body and does not give a nice feeling. When you hear the knowledge or chant with all your heart, that elevates your consciousness. 

An ancient proverb in Sanskrit says that the words of rishis and enlightened ones are translated into experience immediately.

Why prioritise satsang?

 

The mind that seeks pleasure cannot be centered. When you are centered, all pleasures come to you anyway, but they cannot charm you any longer because you are the source of the charm. The mind that seeks pleasure can never achieve the highest. If you enjoy drowning in your suffering, you cannot be centered, you are far away from the path. If you are after pleasure, forget about satsang. Why are you wasting your time? This is the Art of Leaving. You either seek pleasure or come to me. 

What should you do when people talk negatively? From your side, give license to everybody to talk about anything, about anybody, anywhere, at any time. What type of time do you give the divine? Usually, you give the time that is left over, when you have nothing else to do, when no guests are coming, there are no parties to go to, no nice movies to watch, no weddings to attend. Such time you give. This is not quality time. 

Give quality time to the divine. You will be rewarded. If your prayers are not answered, it is because you have never given quality time. 

Give satsang and meditation your highest priority. Give prime time to the divine. You will be rewarded. Why do people need homes? Can they live like animals in the forest without shelter? Even intelligent animals make their homes. Humans need protection from the changing elements of nature, so they build shelters for physical comfort. 

In the same way, for spiritual and mental comfort, satsang is the shelter. One who does not come to satsang is like a wild animal. Satsang alone makes you civilized. Satsang is the shelter from the harsh and changing influences on your life. Satsang is the nest in which you can find rest. If you are a taker of happiness, you get misery. If you are a giver of happiness, you get joy and love.

Who is a seeker?

 

You can only seek that which you know of and when you really do know, you already have it. You cannot seek something you do not know of. Whatever you seek and whenever you seek it, it is always only One and the One is what you are already. So, you cannot seek something you do not know and when you know what you are seeking, you already have it. When you seek the world, you get misery and when you want to find the way out of misery, you find the Divine. 

A man lost a penny and was looking for it in a bush when he found a huge treasure. He was not seeking treasure but only his lost penny. In the same way, when you seek something, you may get something else. The truth, or self, cannot be sought directly. 

There are 6 signs of a seeker:

1. An acknowledgement that one knows very little. Many people think they know without really knowing or they become trapped in their limited knowledge, so they never learn. Thus, the first thing is to acknowledge that you know very little. 

2. A willingness to learn. Many people acknowledge that they do not know, but they are not ready to learn. 

3. Be non-judgemental and open-minded. Some people would like to learn, but their judgemental attitude and close mindedness do not allow them. 

4. Total, one pointed commitment to the spiritual path. Some people are open minded but they lack commitment and one pointedness. They keep shopping here and there and never progress on one path.

5. Always place truth and service before pleasure. Sometimes even committed and one pointed people stray from the path in pursuit of momentary pleasures. 

6. Finally, have patience and perseverance. Some people are committed and one pointed and are not swayed by pleasures, but if they lack patience and perseverance, they become restless and dejected.

Act stupid & celebrate boredom

 

Different organs of your body are governed by different devas. The solar plexus is connected with the sun – which is why it is called “solar” plexus. When the first rays of the sun fall on the solar plexus, it is very good for your body. This is why it is good to do Surya Namaskar (sun salutation yoga asana) in the early morning. The solar plexus has a profound impact on the central nervous system, the optic nerves, the stomach and what we usually call our ‘gut feeling’. It is the second brain in your body.

Usually, the solar plexus is slightly bigger than an almond. But with the practice of yoga, meditation and Sudarshan Kriya, the solar plexus can become as large as an apricot. Then it performs better and balances the bodily functions. When the solar plexus expands, the intuitive mind awakens and the mind becomes clear and focused. When the solar plexus contracts, you feel miserable, sad, depressed, and all sorts of negative feelings come. Doing Surya Namaskar yoga asana, sun salutation in the early morning is an excellent way to expand the solar plexus.

Krishna was called Padmanabha, which means “whose navel is the size of a lotus flower”. If you become Padmanabha, you become absolutely creative. Brahma, the Creator, said to be born out of a blossomed solar plexus. These days, the solar plexus remains small, but the tummy keeps getting bigger. 

If you are unable to meditate, if your mind is chattering too much and nothing works, just feel that you are a little stupid. Then you will be able to sink deep in. Your intellect is a small portion of your total consciousness. If you are stuck in the intellect, you miss a lot. Happiness is when you transcend the intellect. In awe or in feeling stupid, you transcend the intellect. Have you noticed how mentally retarded people are more happy? 

How do you go beyond the intellect? By acting stupid. Everyone avoids being stupid, no one wants to look dumb. That is really stupid. Stupidity should be followed by meditation, otherwise depression may follow.

What is boredom? Just a repetition without interest or love that causes a monotonous state of mind and overshadows the self. 

Spiritual practices are again a repetition whose purpose is to destroy the boredom and reunite you with the self. A practice itself creates boredom but as you continue, you penetrate the boredom and destroy it once and for all. Whether the practice gives you joy or boredom, it must be continued. Only your practice of your sadhana can overcome the mind. 

The self is love and love is always repetitive. Love letters are simply repetitive but there is no boredom there. If you are bored with yourself just imagine how much more boring you are for others. Root out boredom in you through deep and continued meditation. Wake up and walk upwards. 

Only a conscious, alert and dynamic person can get bored, a dull and inert person does not. If you get bored, it indicates you are more alive and human. It is a sign that you are growing, that you are evolving. An animal, for example, keeps doing the same thing. It never gets bored. Cows, horses, birds do the same things over and over all their lives. People eat, watch television, change jobs, change partners to escape boredom. They become frustrated and this frustration takes them back to inertia and unconsciousness. 

Only in two states does boredom not occur - in a state of total inertia or in a state of divine consciousness. If you are bored, it indicates you are evolving. Boredom moves you. Be proud of your boredom and celebrate. Dissolving the name is awareness. Dissolving the form is meditation. The world is name and form.

Awareness comes with sadhana

 

Yagnas are the ancient methods of enriching the subtle, to purify the individual as well as the collective consciousness. 

Yagna has 3 aspects -

1. Deva puja - honouring the Divine in all forms. 

2. Sangatikarana - hastening the process of evolution by unifying all the elements and people in creation. 

3. Dana - sharing with others, giving freely what one has been blessed with.

Yagna creates energy and energy creates consciousness, awareness. Heightened awareness brings you close to reality and reality is a witness. To realise that everything is happening you need heightened awareness. And to bring about heightened awareness you have to increase prana.

Prana can be increased through -

1. Fasting and fresh food.

2. Cold water baths. 

3. Total exhaustion, not letting sleep take over

4. Emotional peaks. 

5. Singing and chanting.

6. Pranayam, Sudarshan Kriya and meditation.

7. Giving without giver-ship, serving without doer-ship. 

8. The presence of the master. 

9. Silence. 

All these together are yagnas. To the degree that you are awake, everything around you brings knowledge. If you are not awake, even the most precious knowledge does not make sense. 

Awareness depends upon your ability to open and shut your windows. When there is a storm, you need to shut your windows, otherwise you will get wet. When it is hot and suffocating inside, you need to open your windows. Your senses are like windows.

When you are awake, you have the ability to open and shut your windows at will, then you are free. If your windows cannot be shut or opened at will, you are bound. Attending to this is sadhana or spiritual practice. 

Sadhana is the conditioning needed to attain perfection

 

All the problems that you face in life are because you attach too much importance to events. The events grow bigger while you remain smaller. Imagine you are riding a motorcycle on a busy road and in front of you there is a vehicle emitting exhaust fumes. You have 3 options. 

1. You can remain behind the vehicle, complain and somehow bear with it. 

2. You can slow down or wait, allowing the vehicle to move far ahead. 

3. you can use your skill, overtake the vehicle and forget about it.

As in the first option, most of you stick on the events and are miserable, inhaling fumes throughout your journey. In the second option, you do not get permanent relief, as another bigger vehicle might move in front of you. Running away from events is not a permanent solution. 

Wise people use their skill to surmount the event. If your vehicle is in perfect condition, skill is effective. Conditioning the vehicle is sadhana, practice, and skill is the grace of the master. The mistakes you have made in the past have made you humble; you need not make mistakes in the future to become humble. If you pour water into a half-baked pot, the pot is ruined, and the water is also wasted. If the pot is well baked and strong, it will hold up whether you put water into the pot or put the pot into water. 

Focus sharpens the mind and relaxation expands the mind. Just an expanded mind without sharpness cannot bring holistic development. At the same time, just a sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustration. The balance of a focused mind and an expanded consciousness brings perfection. Sudarshan Kriya and the advanced course techniques aim at developing consciousness that is sharp and unbounded. Seva and commitment play a major role in this, as do the food you eat and your attitude in daily life. 

Expanded consciousness is peace and joy. Focused consciousness is love and creativity. A point of focused consciousness is individual self. When every atom of the expanded consciousness becomes sharp and focused, that is the awakening of Divinity.