Why is there restlessness, despite being centered?


In every seeker’s life there comes a time when the heart is at unease, and there is restlessness. In the West, it is known as the “dark day of the soul”. There comes a time when satvik shakti (positive energy) is less and rajoguna and tamoguna are high, that leads to the restlessness. 

There are three kinds of taap (penance) and one such taap is known as adhyatmic taap (spiritual misery). Yet it is for a short while. Therefore satsang is very important, especially when you don’t feel like doing it. 

Once in twelve years a lack in spirituality comes up. There will arise a doubt on the self, the path and the Guru. This is what the scriptures say. Therefore the Kumbh festival takes place once in twelve years and all the saints get together to clear all their sins. This tradition is very old. A place where seekers do satsang and where Vedas are recited- kaliyug never comes there.

Life's code of conduct


Most of the time in our lives, our desires ruin us. But all desires are not bad. In the Bhagwad Geeta, Lord Krishna says, “I am those desires that uphold dharma.” Do not suppress desires, rather, awaken viveka (power to discriminate between truth and untruth) in you. To let go of desires you have to follow a certain code of conduct. This is the manure by which the rose of love will blossom.
Ahimsa (non-violence): Be non-violent, in your action, heart, speech and thoughts. You may be non-violent in action due to fear of the law. But in the mind when you said, ‘‘I am going to kill them,’’ you have already choked them.
Satya (Truth): Follow the truth and live in the moment. The phrase ‘be truthful’ means to express the truth your whole life — speak the truth, speak pleasant truth, and speak beneficial truth.
Saucha (Purity): If some rice is mixed with wheat, soap powder and sand, that mixture is impure. But if the same are presented separately, you would say they are all pure. Observing the observer is saucha. It is when your own mind becomes a witness of its own actions and finds a gap between its own senses, and does not mix with any outer objects.
Daya (Compassion): When people engage in some activity or behave in a certain manner, which you don’t like, it triggers anger in you. Just for a moment, have compassion for the way they are. Then a shift happens. Your self expands and laughs at the smallness of events.
Astikya (Faith): You reason for everything that you do and for all your experiences. When reasoning or logic breaks down, you tremble. Faith, reality and truth are beyond logic. If you could reason out all your life and all its experiences, then you have not lived or known life fully.
Every a bud takes its own time to bloom; don’t force it to become a flower. Wait for the time to come, for the total blossoming in you to come.

Importance of prana


Prana is present in everything. In fact, we are floating in an ocean of prana. When the unit of expression varies, it makes a difference. Stones have got one unit of prana. Water has got two units of prana. Fire has got three units of prana. Air has got four units of prana. Plants have got five units of prana. Animals have got six units of prana. Human beings are capable of holding from seven to 16 units of prana

The expression of prana is the whole universe. When prana is low, that’s when you feel depressed. When prana goes further low, then you feel suicidal. When prana is normal, you feel normal. When prana is higher, you feel enthusiastic. When prana is very high, you feel energetic and blissful. That is why, when people are depressed, or feeling low just giving counselling doesn’t work, what needs to be done is to raise the level of prana

When prana is high there is joy, vibrancy and understanding. When prana is low, the mind starts complaining and then depression, lethargy, suicidal tendencies arise. All is play and display of prana. Now how do we increase prana? This is where meditation, satsang, yoga, satvik diet etc all come into play.

Why is it important to be generous?


We have two internal tendencies:
1. Taking from another.
2. Giving to another.
Which value system we are imbibing in our children is worth noting. If our children are hesitant to take or ask, then that is a sign of good values. But if they are hesitant to give, then there is something wrong there.
If people feel hesitation to put their hand out to take, that is a good sign, but if they hesitate to extend their hands out to help, then we need to change the direction society is going in. If a child is sattvic (positive state of being), s/he will always make an effort to share her/his belongings with everyone. But if a child is rajasic (restless state of being), then s/he tries to take things from everyone. Children should feel happiness in giving and sharing, and hesitation in taking. They should feel hesitation to put their hands out and ask.
There are people who have enough, and yet they keep asking for more. This is very strange.  So, when there is an attitude to give and hesitation to take or to ask, then the direction of life has reached an elevated level. If there is hesitation to give and no shame in taking, then, comparatively, that is of a lower level of existence. And there are some people who even go to the extent of pouncing, grabbing, and seizing, which is an even lower level of existence.
Now, in this world, there are all kinds of people and all sorts of things happen. So we must not hold anyone guilty or judge anyone. The important message is that we must set an example for others, but not make another feel guilty. 
Give in such a way that the other does not even feel they have taken. That is generosity and that is the beauty.

Principles of the universe

There are four levels of speech – para, pashyanti, madhyama, vaikari. Human beings speak only the fourth level. The language we speak is vaikari.
It is the most manifest form of speech. Subtler than vaikari, is madhyama. Even before you say it, the thought form is cognized. When you catch it at that level, it is madhyama. Pashyanti is cognitive. There is no need for spoken words. Para is the untold, un-manifest knowledge that is beyond. 

The whole universe is spherical. It was never born nor will it ever die. It is anadi, beginning-less, and anantha – endless. Then what is the job of Brahma, the creator? They say there are many, many Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in every yuga (age). In time and space this keeps happening. So what is the source of this creation? 

Knowledge lies beyond the akasha. Knowledge lies beyond the five elements. Vedas which were cognized are not vaikari. This cognition is beyond the space. 

All the Divine impulses are established in that field which is all permeating. What is akasha? Akasha is described as vyoma, vyapti – it means all-permeating, all-pervading. What is it that is beyond akasha? It is unimaginable to think of something that is beyond space. Everything is contained in akasha, all the other four elements are in akasha

The most gross is earth, then water, fire, air and space. Air is finer, subtler than fire. Space is the subtlest. What is it that is beyond even akasha? That is the mind, intellect, ego and the mahat tattva. This is tattva gyan – knowing the principle of the universe. Unless you know the principle of the universe, you cannot know the Self. When you go beyond the akasha, it is an experiential field. The whole realm begins beyond the akasha. The ancient seers have spoken about the relationship between the substance and its quality. There is a very interesting debate – if we can separate the quality from the substance. 

Meaning of samadhi


The human nervous system is so designed that it can exhibit the totality of consciousness. Living in a finite body, and expressing infinity, is the possibility of human life! 

What is the highest state of the blossoming of consciousness?

The highest state of the blossoming of consciousness is that the consciousness, which is neither in the past, nor in the future, nor in the present but a witness to all three; or you can say that consciousness, which contains the infinite past, the infinite future and is totally available in the present moment.
It is like a kaleidoscope or a telescope. Let’s take the example of a telescope. A telescope can catch and bring into your vision, something that the naked eye cannot perceive! Through a telescope, you can see the faraway stars, the planets, and their movements, so much more clearly. Now, what does a telescope do? Well, it just magnifies the rays that are coming in anyway, and makes you aware of them; you can comprehend them.
In the same way, the infinite Divine consciousness is present everywhere, its telescopic vision is an altered state of consciousness and that is what’s called samadhi. 

Management mantras for "success"

It is easy to create a company and it is easy to prosper as well, but the real challenge lies in sustaining a company, which is also the underlying factor that decided whether you are successful or not. Here are four management mantras or pointers to help you move towards effective management of your business and steer your ship towards success.

#1 Develop Your Intuitive Abilities

No business can work without intuition! Right from dealing with people to making investment decisions, you have to listen to your gut feeling. If your decisions are based on intuition, you will prosper.
One of the key factors to being a successful entrepreneur is intuition. If you don’t have intuition, you cannot be a good businessperson because you cannot go on gambling. The success that comes to you through gambling is accidental and can also bring you failure. But if you have intuitive abilities, you will not fail. So, intuition is the first management mantra.
The next question is – how do you develop intuition? Is it inborn or can it be developed? I would say both. Intuition can be a gift that you are born with, and it can also be developed through the regular practice of meditation.

#2 Focus on Innovation

The second management mantra is innovation. Innovation is essential to maintain and grow your business. The world is changing very fast and if you are not innovative, you will find yourself in the back seat. And so, it is important to be creative and develop your innovative tendencies.
For every innovation, you need both intellect and intuition. It is not enough if you have just done well academically and have intellectual abilities. For innovation, you need an intuitive insight as well. That intuitive insight comes when you empty your mind a few times every day; in other words, when you meditate.

#3 Create a Sense of Belonging among Co-workers

The third management mantra is to create a sense of belonging among people working in the company. A good measure of this is teamwork and commitment. Ask yourself this question – Are people working for your company while thinking of the company as just an ATM where you take money and walk away, or do they have a relationship with the company?
This is something you need to observe.
You may have a hundred employees, but how many of them have a sense of belonging to the company? How many of them have the same sense of ownership that you have? People working in any setup without a sense of ownership cannot make much progress.

Some important questions you need to ask yourself/look at:
  • Have you given them a sense of not just financial comfort but also a pleasant environment to work with?
  • Have you created a friendly environment for them?
  • Have you given a chance for their talents to blossom?
  • Do they have a voice? Can they raise their concerns about the company anytime they need to?

You need to ask yourself these questions. No one else can answer it for you, and if the answer is no, then you have to do something about it.

#4 Believe in Yourself

What is success? To me, success is an unshakeable confidence and an undying smile.
If you are a business tycoon and you are irritable, stressed, and unhappy, I tell you, your success factor is zero. You know, some of the top businessmen have debts that run into billions, yet they have confidence, they are friendly with other people, and they keep a smile. That is a true sign of success.
Even if you lose everything, if you have the confidence that you can recreate everything again, then that is a true sign of success. Success is an attitude, it is not a phenomenon.