VY-II EM-6 Mirror is the seer and reflected images –the seen

Dear friends

Astavakra Gita, Guru says to disciple –

15. You are really unbound and action less, self-illuminating and spotless already. The cause of your bondage is that you are still resorting to stilling the mind.

16. All of this is really filled by you and strung out in you, for what you consist of is pure awareness – so don’t be small-minded.

17. You are unconditioned and changeless, formless and immovable, unfathomable awareness, imperturbable- such consciousness is unclinging.

18. Recognise that the apparent is unreal, while the unmanifest is abiding. Through this initiation into truth you will escape falling into unreality again.

19. Just as a mirror exists as part and apart from its reflected images, so the Supreme Lord exists as part and apart from this body.

Let us recap what we have learnt until today

First step – become aware that all objects of senses are like poison and nectar is the practice tolerance, kindness (some time sincerity), compassion, contentment and truthfulness

 Second step – constant and conscious contemplation over –we are not made of five elements of ether, air, fire, water and earth (yoga says our body, objects of the world, mind are all made of these five elements). Move the mind within and became aware that “we are made of consciousness alone.

Third step- withdraws the mind from body and allows it to rest within .we can be in peace and happiness here and now

Fourth step-contemplation, conscious and every time you live personal, professional, social lives – do not identify with race, caste, color – social identifications. Remain aware and unattached

Fifth step – Righteousness and unrighteousness, pleasure and pain are purely of the mind and are no concern of yours. You are neither the doer nor the reaper of the consequences; you are always free.

Step -6

Find a place in your home that is silent, calm and clean.  Lie down and do 6 step relaxations practice at least two times. Open your eyes gently

Start looking at the things present in the room. While looking at each one, become aware you are seeing them. They are seen.

Become aware of your room, home, all your possessions one by one, and know them they are ‘seen ‘

Wisdom, liberation and awakening are the keys to all yoga and practices. Awakening leads to knowing that sufferings are part of the apparent self. Wisdom leads to knowing that real self is what we are and liberation drops and dissolves all sufferings from the life.

• The question is ‘do we want wisdom, liberation and awakening in life?” or just we like to talk and continue to enjoy our sufferings while mind keeps its mechanical and habitual way of asking to end the sufferings.
• My master said once – what we want, we never get it. What we get it, we never like it and what we like, and it never remains forever in our life.
• Even if I ask what you want in your life? Or what are your wants; you will write or speak of over 100 wants. This comes from the mind that moves into unconsciousness, ignorance and falsehood. Wanting is different than that of what we get It , even without asking it.
• What we received from the existence is the human body, mind to be thinker and understand the purpose of life. What we received from the existence is ability to think and separate ignorance from falsehood. I am sure one is not able to list all things that we have received from the existence as we tend to forget them all. And what we received, we seldom like it. Our mind starts creating dislikes, hatred and problems with what we already have it.
• What we like in our life comes from reaction, and hatred. It comes from our strong urge that comes from the unconsciousness. What we always like is that everything should happen according to our unconscious mind, our instincts, our habits and our crazy thoughts. I came across thousands of people in the last 33 years asking them what they like in the life. They say – I like to have spouse who will never fight, who will listen to me. I asked them – are you a conscious listener or do you listen to the vibes of the nature consciously. Do you follow what nature has offered you –kindness, compassion, heart to love, reason to separate ignorance from wisdom. When you are not listening to the nature and existence, do you think that your spouse will ever listen to you. Do you want to dictate them with your unconscious wants and likes? That is why my master always says – what you like, you never get it as your likings comes from unconsciousness, ignorance and falsehood.
• Life is one of many manifestations of real self, like the mind, intellect and the matter. What we received from the existence is only the bests , highest, and the greatest. Do we care and aware of what we received from the supreme consciousness and what we are receiving constantly and consciously? When you care and love what you receive from a person in material life, the other person also starts caring you, loving you and come closer to you. Our mind always goes for what we like unconsciously and we are frustrated in our life. we bring hatred, jealousy and duality. Think of it again and again. Contemplate over it what my master said – what we want, we never get it ( because our wants comes from the unconsciousness) . What we get , we never care or like it( because our mind jumps from something more  and forgets what we already have in our life, given out of love, kindness and compassion by the supreme consciousness). What we like, it never remains from ever in our life (why – because our liking does not like for what is eternal, real, truth).
• Ho we can understand the above and apply in our daily life. What we want, we never get it because, and it is not there. What we want in our life is perishable, dying, changing. What we want are the images reflated in the mirror. How can we want a person seen in the mirror? But we always want those things that are reflected in the mirror at all the time. Mirror is neutral and reflects everything that is in front of it.  Astavakra says that mirror remains totally separate from what it reflects. The same way reals elf remains totally separate from what it reflects. This body reflects the images of pain, pleasure, habits, cravings and wants. But we are independent and free from this body. What we are “real self” that is free from any changes of the body.
• Know that what is seen is unreal and what lies hidden behind this body, life, mind, and ego is the real self. Knowing starts from understanding what is real and unreal. Real is all pervading, permanent, eternal and every lasting. when you say “ I am here” to who “I” you refer to. The one who was born, the one who was five years old, the one who   was 20 years old and the one who is now. If you say “I refer “I” to all “ it  means , you surely do not refer “ I “ to the body which changes over 20-30-40-50 years of your life. You do not refer to the apparent being that is body, mind, intellect and or anything that changed in your life. Now understand what changes is not YOU or real YOU or not the truth or the real self. Your body, mind, intellect, ego changed millions, rather billions of times.
• The “I” we refer to in our daily like is changing constantly – body changes its billions of cells in a day. Mind changes constantly, therefore , this “I” can never be this body nor the mind. Who we are then. Astavakra explains this reals elf in many ways . all these ways referred to by the master can not be realized without practice , persistence and known what you want, what you like and what you get ?
• This real self or ‘real I’ that we should know , lies within all of us – action less , self-illuminating, spotless, pure awareness, unconditioned , changeless, formless, immovable  awareness,
• Action less – everything is happening in this world and also in our body, life and mind through the force of the consciousness known as Prakriti. Prakriti is the doer of all actions in us, outside, in the world, cosmos, in all other individuals. This is beautiful device, method and practice we should incorporate in our life. you have something wrong , you repent . Repenting creates impressions in your mind, these impressions stored into your unconsciousness. You have increased the contents of the past, memory by repenting, reacting and controlling them all. But when you drop the very ‘doer ship” to the Prakriti, you drop your ego, you dissolve the impressions and you destroy the very effect. You become free here and now. There are two aspects of this understanding – one is inner and other is outer.
• The outer is social, professional, personal and related to world outside. If someone or your mind confirms something wrong is being done or committed by you. Ask forgiveness, become very soft , egoless in your expressions. This will help you to avoid any aggression, reaction and agitation outside in life. but this is just the beginning . if you close down the incident just by saying “sorry “ or asking “forgiveness”. The impression is already created and ready to move into the store house, lies deep within you.
• The inner is more important than the outer. The inner working consciously will help you to drop, dissolve and destroy the very event and accumulated impressions. Go deep within, consciously experience the calmness and drop being the “doer’ of the events happened. Use the device that you are not the “doer”. You cannot be the ‘doer”. You have never been ‘doer’ and you will never be the ‘doer” as doer is the Prakriti or the consciousness force.

And of course, we are practicing Shanti Meditation – Level-II based on Astavakra Gita teachings. We gradually explore the six neighbors of the real-self. Neighbors can be good or bad. But here neighbors are made good or bad, depending upon our level of consciousness.

Level-2 practices

1. Awakening to inner self – Atmadan

The first practice is very important. If you move your mind consciously with the practice, it will move within and bring an experience of I-lessness for some moments. Only a single moment of “i-lessness “ is required to become “seer” what Astavakra says in the verse I explained

We will do the practice again

1. Self-awareness practice – 2

Second practice is all about enhancing self-awareness but is different from self-awareness practice that we do in the first level.

We need to practice with full concentration of three breathing practices so that our energy should rise up and moves the mind within with intense aspiration for awakening, liberation and absolute knowledge with state of mind guided by truth, humility, kindness, contentment and kindness.

1. Body Awareness Session and Energy Ascending awareness session

This group concentrates on loosening the knots of ignorance and unconsciousness so that we sustain and maintain the higher level of awareness, required in Shanti Mediation level-2 practice

1. 6 step relaxation practice

Now is the time to practice 6 step relaxation practices deeply and regularly as you have chosen to follow the path of self-discovery. There are subtle elements in the practice that I will explore with you gradually

1. Yogic breathing

Yes, we are aware of yogic breathing but lack deeper understanding and practice that follow beautiful experiences. We are going to enter into the experiences that can come by the practice of yogic breathing

1. Physical awakening session with 7 point awareness

The previous sessions has 5 point awareness in asana practices. We are going to do all asana, slowly with 7 point awareness.

1. Shanti Meditation -2

This is very subtle level of shanti meditation. That is why I am moving slowly with the practice. I am making fundamentals clear before we move deeply into the practice as I have done in Shanti Meditation – Level-1

If we understand from above sutras, that lays strong foundation of Shanti meditation – Level-2

1. We are at the center of our existence and know that we are the real-self
2. From the center , we know that we are not the doer and move into happiness
3. Wisdom wakens the moment we realize that we are not the doer
4. The feeling, knowing of being a DOER is like snake in the rope. There is no snake in the rope but in dark night , long form a distance , rope appears as snake
5. Constant and conscious contemplation , meditation – I am FREE , pure consciousness of the nature of truth, awareness, wisdom, love and happiness
6. Real self is of the nature of motionless, action less, all pervading witness or seer
7. Meditation on yourself at the center as motionless awareness, free from dualism , giving up the idea that we are six neighbors
8. Our mind lives in ignorance that we are six neighbors – we have to cut this ignorance by the knife of awareness

We will take up other words used by Astavakra in our next session

Let us meet 2morrow May 15 , 2012  at 9.30 am to translate this understanding into our conscious experienc

Be in peace and keep smiling

Course name: Authentic Yoga Tradition: schools of yoga, masters, teachings, practices and applications Starts on 19th May Saturday 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm

Duration: 3 hours /month with assignment and practice

Regular and Online sessions are available

Register at http://www.authenticyogatradition.com/s_authentic_yoga/programs/shreyas_programs.php?id=30

Yoga has attracted global attention in modern times. Yoga in one or the other form is practiced in all continents, possibly in all countries sin the world today. During the last 70 years, yoga became buzz word for practitioners, teachers, and more to people who decided to make money. There is no standardization, common curriculum, and approach to teach and practice. There is no uniformity in teaching, practices and delivery of yoga lessons in the world today. During my work in national institute of yoga in India, effort was made to standardize under United Nations grant but work seemed to be stopped. The very idea of standardization scares those people who do not have the deeper knowledge of the philosophy and practices. It encourages those people who have branded yoga learning from lineage. Further the idea of standardization give enough scope to those people and experts who are famous and teach their style. The conflicts and confusions rule the teachings and practices in the present world today. It confuses more the students who aspire to tread the path of yoga for their evolution, health care and other benefits. In addition, a new breed of people and experts came forward and introduced their styles of yoga labeling them like dog –yoga, horse yoga and so on.

During 6000 years of yoga history, there are many traditions, schools and masters of yoga who continued the evolution and knowledge. A teacher is one who is awakened to inner consciousness is regarded and accepted as master teacher. Buddha before awakening was a prince but after awakening became Buddha (awakened). Kabir, a weaver lived in the oldest city of the world, Varanasi (Banaras) was regarded as one of the great masters when awakened or evolved to highest state. This is one very important part of authentic yoga tradition. When two awakened masters met in the past, which followed separate schools of yoga, they set examples to their disciples that both are the same level in spite of their different teachings. This is the second point found in authentic yoga tradition. All master teachers taught yoga depending upon the state of mind of people living at their time. This means that people aspiring for an evolved life were more important than the master teachers. But in the modern world, teacher, his/her style, his/her reputation rules in the teachings of yoga.

There were many master teachers known as Guru and Sat Guru (we will deal with these two words later in the book) even explained to their disciples and followers that why teaching and practices of other master not relevant to their disciples only because of mental states of students. Many writers considered as if teachers do not uniformity and conformity in the teachings of yoga. Gorakh Nath, known as one of the great masters of yoga, declared in one his early teachings that practice of physical postures are essential. Later when he was evolved, rejected the practices of physical and breathing practices totally. These two statements do not oppose each other as in his early stages, he was student –teacher and in the later stage, he became master teacher. He neither rejected nor accepted one practice over the other. This is the fascinating story of the evolution of knowledge and practices of yoga. My Master, Mentor and Guide with who I learnt for over 27 years, practiced physical postures, breathing, mantra and many other groups of practices but never taught a single posture to his disciples. Wisdom, love, service, peace and inner awakening were his teachings that he taught by examples, as reference to solving personal, professional, social and other issues. He used to say,” my son, when you claim you are intelligent, then ask this intelligence to help drop your stress and problems. And if you cannot do that, it simply means your intelligence is lopsided and has no value for life and living. Your intelligence is only an accumulation of information from outside.”

The one truth about yoga is that it is based on eternal truth that dwells deep within every human being. One may call it real-self, pure consciousness, supreme consciousness or any other word. It is not based on anything that is changing constantly – like body, emotions, mind, intellect and ego. That is why I always call authentic yoga tradition is a consciousness based approach and science of conscious evolution and transformation. The consciousness with all of us is the one and same but the way it reveals itself in body, life, mind of an individual varies from one to the other. That is why we say every individual is unique. Master teacher of Guru knows how this consciousness manifests in you as an individual and guides you the practices, best for one to evolve. Therefore, practices will differ, but it does not mean, they are teaching their styles of yoga. None of these great masters had ever declared that they taught their style/s of yoga but emphasized that they taught what was most important for an individual or group at that time.

In this beautiful journey, we will explore the authentic yoga tradition as taught by 3000 masters who evolved the knowledge and practices. Think of cellphone, 30 years back, it was heavy, ugly and slow and smart phones of today. If cell phone evolved within a span of 30 years and became one of the most important technological gadgets of the present time. What about yoga which evolved for 3000 masters? The journey of yoga is a journey to self-discovery. The path of yoga is path of human excellence. These masters influenced deeply the people from all walks of life in India in the past. These masters brought rulers, kings, aristocrat, philosophers, and thinkers together. They showed to the humanity that it is only the inner awakening that can bring peace, harmony, happiness in life. any person irrespective of race, caste , creed , religion, dogma, belief , gender , age can practice yoga as it is a path of becoming better person. This “becoming better person” aims at unfolding the best, highest and greatest that lies within. As masters declared that if we are better within, we are better for the community, society, country and the world as whole. These masters taught us that a man is truly a global and cosmic citizen and not confined to anything that is manmade or created. The message is very clear but misinterpretation creates many issues that are unfounded and must be rejected. Within months of my arrival in united states, I was invited to speak to group adhering to particular faith objected me saying “ Om Shanti Shanti Shanti” meaning “let there be peace , peace and peace”. I immediately took the words back and said to them, “there is nothing in these words but if you can say peace, peace and peace instead of chanting of mantra, it is equally ok.” Master teachers never dictated to those students who were ready to evolve, learn and aspire to become a better person.

Authentic yoga tradition – is all about wisdom, liberation and awakening

Authentic yoga tradition- wisdom – moving from falsehood to the truth (consciousness)

Authentic yoga tradition- wisdom to moving within – settling in SEER that drops the SEEN

Authentic yoga tradition- liberation – from stress , sufferings and problems of life

Authentic yoga tradition- liberation – is not an effort but knowing what is the SEER

Authentic yoga tradition- liberation is all about moving into the house inside when there is strom outside

Authentic yoga tradition- awakening – like when you get up from deep sleep. Sleep is suffering

Authentic yoga tradition- awakening – moving to the center of existence – SEER  or the Real self

Authentic yoga tradition- awakening to the truth that “I am not the doer” but a witness and Seer

VY-II em-4 awakening is a step away – move within and be the SEER

The email is sent to the practitioners and practitioners of authentic yoga tradition. We are undergoing level-2 program of authentic yoga tradition, every Tuesdays from 9.30 am to 11.00 am aims ay awakening, liberation and absolute wisdom . if you are interested , you may visit http://www.authenticyogatradition.com and contact Us for details

Dear   spiritual self

To talk about authentic yoga tradition is like talking about infinite that never seems to end even if talked for hours, days, months and years. Our real self is also all pervading , infinite , eternal that cannot explained by finite mind.

There were many masters who kept silent, realizing that mind can neither understand nor talk about the real-self. They were right as mind is like ear who tries hard to see.  Yes, as if ear is put to see, it is not possible. The same mind wants to know the real-self, can never be known.

Even though, many masters took up the challenge to explain. All their explanations are pointers to the real self. All their definitions are humble presentations by which we can get a glimpse of what is the real self.  What is liberation, what is the absolute knowledge and what is the awakening?

Many masters declare that one cannot approach the real-self by reasoning, thinking and linear language as it is beyond reasoning, and multidimensional.

Let us recap what we have learnt until today

First step – become aware that all objects of senses are like poison and nectar is the practice tolerance, kindness (some time sincerity), compassion, contentment and truthfulness

 Second step – constant and conscious contemplation over –we are not made of five elements of ether, air, fire, water and earth (yoga says our body, objects of the world, mind are all made of these five elements). Move the mind within and became aware that “we are made of consciousness alone.

Third step- withdraws the mind from body and allows it to rest within .we can be in peace and happiness here and now

Fourth step-contemplation, conscious and every time you live personal, professional, social lives – do not identify with race, caste, color – social identifications. Remain aware and unattached

Fifth step - Righteousness and unrighteousness, pleasure and pain are purely of the mind and are no concern of yours. You are neither the doer nor the reaper of the consequences; you are always free.

Step -6

Find a place in your home that is silent, calm and clean.  Lie down and do 6 step relaxations practice at least two times. Open your eyes gently

Start looking at the things present in the room. While looking at each one, become aware you are seeing them. They are seen.

Become aware of your room, home, all your possessions one by one, and know them they are ‘seen ‘

Seen is always different and separate from the seer.

Look, feel the body and its parts – become aware of that body is ‘seen’. You cannot be body as it is ‘seen’

Look, feel the breath, thoughts, feelings, memories and others sensations – they are all seen and cannot be seer. Even mind is seen and cannot be seen.

Now start knowing within you – who is ‘seer’ in you

When you say – ‘I am ‘become aware if that ‘I am ‘I seen, you can be that seen.

Do nothing and remain aware for a while

Practice it for 3 weeks daily in the morning and evening

You will have a glimpse of the ‘seer’

And of course, we are practicing Shanti Meditation – Level-II based on Astavakra Gita teachings. We gradually explore the six neighbors of the real-self. Neighbors can be good or bad. But here neighbors are made good or bad, depending upon our level of consciousness.

Let us take few verses from Astavakra Gita for the next session on Tuesday May 1, 2012 at 930 am

Four verses

7. You are the one witness of everything, and are always totally free. The cause of bondage is that one sees the witness as something other than this.

8.     Since you have been bitten by that black snake of self-opinion – thinking foolishly that ‘I am the doer,’ now drink the nectar in the fact that “I am not the doer”, and now be happy.

9.      Burn down the forest of ignorance with the fire of understanding. Know ‘I am the one pure awareness.’ With such ashes now be happy, free from distress.

10. That in which all this appears is but imagined like the snake in a rope; that joy, supreme knowledge and awareness is what you are; now be happy.

Astavakra – master teacher , Guru , mentor and guide of King Janaka who surrendered to him for learning the way to awakening , liberation and attaining the knowledge of the absolute , is opening up a topic for understanding the mind , state of the consciousness of his disciple.

7. You are the one witness of everything, and are always totally free. The cause of bondage is that one sees the witness as something other than this.

Astavakra says

What you consider, “who are you”. He answers, listen Janaka, you are the witness of every things that is seen. Seen what you see, your experience, memory, past and anything and everything.

Consider for a moment – what you see or what is seen

• Galaxy, stars, solar systems, earth planet, five elements
• Home, car and all possessions
• Friends and foes, relations, members of the family
• Body , breath, mind, intellect, emotions, memory, feelings , ego

All the above are seen. All the above are objects of the perceptions, therefore, seen.

Who sees all this? – A seer, but who is the Seer within us, and beyond body, life, breath, mind, intellect and ego.

That seer is the witness. That is seer of all other seers. Who are other seers – mind, intellect, ego, and senses?

Either we contemplate or meditate or reason out who is the seer?

If we are looking at a room – mind comes our through eyes and claims itself as Seer.

But there is some one sees the mind also. That is why we say – my mind sees the room. Who is that who sees the mind seeing the room?

May be intellect combined with ego or Inness.

But we also are aware that “there is Inness that sees the room.”

Who is this ‘awareness’ that sees not only the room, senses, mind, ego and Inness?

This seer at the center is the witness – is the real-self

Authentic yoga is the discovery of the THIS – SEER – real-self. This real-self is the WITNESS as it is of the nature of consciousness – pure, eternal, truth, love, wisdom, spiritual happiness or spiritual bliss.

The master says that we are all one WITNESS or the real-self or the pure consciousness.

But our daily experience is that this – Innes is the witness of everything around us. It is because, we have never asked, questioned this witness. And this witness has been taken over by our body, life, mind, and ego all together. This illusion had been with man for millions of years, therefore, we cannot doubt, we cannot disbelieve our “I” that becomes seer.

Have you ever asked yourself – who is this “I” you refer to, when you use this word

Have you ever wondered even without knowing this “I” you have been using ‘I” mechanically, habitually and unconsciously.

We are so much habituated with this “I”, “MY’ “me” that we even say – I have heaviness in the head as if heaviness is within this “I”. But heaviness is in my body. I possess the body but I am not the body.

We say – we go to office. But reality is that our body that we possess goes to the office.

This is ignorance – we need to become aware – we need to remain aware at all the time. We need to break this unconsciousness , habituated mind silently within , so that  we can break the ignorance of considering “SEER” as our mind, habits, body , intellect and  ego.

Because we consider SEER as which is changing constantly, which is habit, comes from unconsciousness. We are in stress and sufferings.

It is like an actor who acts as president of a country but after the act, he becomes himself. But the problem with ourselves, we do know the ourselves and start considering ourselves as if made of body, mind, breath, ego and memory.

This unconsciousness is very deep, this ignorance is very strong and this habit is so strong that even if someone wants to break it, we become angry, agitated and reactive.

That is why authentic yoga tradition follows the path of many practices by which our ignorance can be broken our unconsciousness can be melted, our habits can be washed from as if it is veil of real –self.

That is why in our authentic yoga tradition program – Level-II we practice many groups of practices to drop, dissolve and destroy this ignorance, unconsciousness and habit patterns.

Some habits, movements of our unconsciousness can be easily dropped. Others can be dissolved by easy and effective practices. Still others need to be destroyed by regular practices.

Level-2 practices

1. Awakening to inner self – Atmadan

The first practice is very important. If you move your mind consciously with the practice, it will move within and bring an experience of I-lessness for some moments. Only a single moment of “i-lessness “ is required to become “seer” what Astavakra says in the verse I explained

We will do the practice again

1. Self-awareness practice – 2

Second practice is all about enhancing self-awareness but is different from self-awareness practice that we do in the first level.

We need to practice with full concentration of three breathing practices so that our energy should rise up and moves the mind within with intense aspiration for awakening, liberation and absolute knowledge with state of mind guided by truth, humility, kindness, contentment and kindness.

1. Body Awareness Session and Energy Ascending awareness session

This group concentrates on loosening the knots of ignorance and unconsciousness so that we sustain and maintain the higher level of awareness, required in Shanti Mediation level-2 practice

1. 6 step relaxation practice

Now is the time to practice 6 step relaxation practices deeply and regularly as you have chosen to follow the path of self-discovery. There are subtle elements in the practice that I will explore with you gradually

1. Yogic breathing

Yes, we are aware of yogic breathing but lack deeper understanding and practice that follow beautiful experiences. We are going to enter into the experiences that can come by the practice of yogic breathing

1. Physical awakening session with 7 point awareness

The previous sessions has 5 point awareness in asana practices. We are going to do all asana, slowly with 7 point awareness.

1. Shanti Meditation -2

This is very subtle level of shanti meditation. That is why I am moving slowly with the practice. I am making fundamentals clear before we move deeply into the practice as I have done in Shanti Meditation – Level-1

Now the last part of our understanding.

Who succeeds in yoga?

There are six values and attributes for succeeding in yoga

• Zeal or enthusiasm to practice , to understand and pursue the path
•  Courage to move an extra mile every time you are attending the session
• Patience like Himalayan mountain

We will understand other three in the next email

Please read it again and again and make sure we meet on Tuesdays with

Zeal, Courage and Patience

With love and peace