5 Reasons To Observe Mahashivratri

Mahasivratri, the epic Inner Journey to be Consciousness & its Mastery

Mahasivratri: Full Moon that begins our yogi journey- Feb 3rdh. The 2 weeks leads to Feb 17th, 2015, Mahasivratri. 

For a yogi, Mahasivratri is the “Day/Night of Yoga”, the time to transcend, transform and evolve. Mahasivratri has been observed as the single most important vortex of time by the yogis and householders in India for thousands of years. Based on the planetary alignment with earth and the lunar cycle, this vortex of time holds the objectives of yoga as in being the Spirit having the human experience; as in being ‘liberated’ from the limits of the mind and as in having the grace of Source in our daily realities. 

Reasons to celebrate Mahasivratri:



State of Turiya, the super-conscious states of an enlightened yogi:
There are many versions of stories behind Mahasivratri. One of the popular version of the stories behind Mahasivratri is-
A thief was running away into the forest. As he goes deeper in the forest its evening and soon it gets dark. The thief was frightened of the wild animals. So he climbs up a tree with great difficulty.
This thief had done huge dharma in his past lives. This good fortune of the past brought forth a miracle. The tree that the thief chose to c,limb up and spend the night happened to be the Vilva. The Vilva leaves are considered to be a special and sacred heart offerings for Lord Siva. Unknown to the thief, just below tree was a Siva Lingam (Lord Siva represented as a in the form of infinity- the Lingam).

Through the night, the thief was afraid to fall down. The thief stayed up all night long and each time he moved, the leaves of Vilva kept falling down accidently. Leaf by leaf through the night they fell over the Lord Siva Lingam that was below.

Through the night, slowly the fear, fright and ignorance started burning away as the thief sat perched on the branches with his thoughts recollecting all the past deeds. With feelings of repentance, the thief felt the need to surrender this past. Through the sleepless moments of the night, the thief slowly woke up to understand himself as the Spirit having the human experience. By dawn, the thief was on the thresholds of enlightenment as he saw the Lingam below. It takes a being of higher consciousness to understand and realize the power of Infinity in the Lingam- and the thief recognized the Lingam for the Source it represented as in form. Climbing down the tree,  he did he worshiped the Lingam, not as a thief any more for his old nature was forever erased. He had become a yogi, an enlightened being who began celebrating consciousness by way of the Siva Linga worship. 

In India, millions of ordinary people- householders and yogis stay up through the night chanting and signing to Lord Siva. Most householders however are 'weekend warriors' - they simply jump into the Mahasivratri celebrations without any preparations. Through the night they try staying up chanting- and fighting sleep through this timelessly long night as a struggle. They miss the essence of Mahasivratri that celebrates the ‘staying up all night’ event.

Observance of Mahasivratri is a supreme yogic discipline.  The process to descend and alight with Mahasivratri is actually a yogic process of attaining the state of turiya through this period. Turiya is higher consciousness and its attainment changes the way we think forever. 

The state of turiya is called the sleepless sleep- a realm beyond the mind that is of intense joy and bliss. The state of turiya is also attained by each of us when we are in totality of focus, inspiration, excitement and happiness while doing something that we enjoy- when we do not feel tired, hungry, hot or cold or sleepy.
For a yogi, it is an inner journey to attain the supreme objective of yoga- to be Lord Siva, the Yogi.
Lord Siva is our awake soul, the Spirit that is mentioned in the bible as the Holy Ghost. By observing Mahasivratri and attaining the state of of blissful union with Lord Siva, through the night of Mahasivratri, the state of turiya awakens as the experience beyond limits of the mind, the mind always is aware of each breath- to be the yogi.

Consciousness is awakened by attainment of state of turiya, even if it was just for that one night and for all of our life time we are blessed by the empowerment of ourselves through the state of a yogic mind- the state of turiya.
Be the Yogi.
Celebrate Mahasivratri even by default, is worth it :)
Celebrate Mahasivratri as a Yogi, and Be.


The wisdom of ancient spiritual India works in potency through the determined time vortexes:

All scientists of the past in India were yogis. The yogis were intuitive and scientific in looking at time as a very important facet of divinity as much as infinity, matter and energy is looked upon as representing Source/God. For thousands of years, the Mahasivratri observed on the lunar calendar has been determined by the yogis as the  single most important period to attain enlightenment, grace of fulfillment as blessings and a time of renewal. It is a common obervance amongst yogis who do intense spiritual penance, tapas, to be in solitude through the whole year and come out to the public on the Mahasivratri night to bless humanity as in being the human form of Lord Siva. Any religious festival, from Christmas to Ramadan that is observed by millions does create a time vortex by itself by the power of collective consciousness. Mahasivratri is celebrated as in fasting andd worship by the largest mass of humanity together creating adding grace to the already potent time vortex. 


Mahasivratri period is ideal to detox and rejuvenate:

When we want to attain the yogic union of the mind with Source/God/Lord Siva, fasting aids the process. When our digestive tract is kept with minimum activity with a mind that has tuned into the state of joy that forgets hunger, heat and cold and other limits of the body and mind, we are able to step into the grace of stillness to meditate and tune into the state of turiya. 
The fasting of Mahasivratri is not the way 'fasting' is generally done. This 'fasting' is done in stages. The first step is in having fruits, fruit juices, plenty of water and nuts. The yogi then awaken the intense states of joy to gradually reduce the intake of fruits and nuts. The body and the mind must be treated with love and care through this period as we meditate on bliss and become bliss form. Having specific ayurvedic herbs that are wisely chosen during this period intensifies the rejuvenative energies of our body and mind. 



Liberate yourself- the single most crucial essence of yoga!

A primal age old need of any human of ages to now is that of wanting to be free. To be free really means, to be free of limits of the mind,body and realities. 
When anyone does yoga, the first experience is that of bliss and liberation. Any yoga asana done properly with awareness of breath does convey the experience of bliss like a drop of nectar. 
Liberation really means- freedom. This sense of freedom/liberation is in reality the  experience of being the yogi as the Spirit having the human experience- felt as bliss. Lord Siva is called Satchidananda- meaning Sat-truth, chit-consciousness, ananda-bliss. When we experience bliss and transform our life experience as bliss, as a yogi, we attain the body of bliss and the mind of turiya. Mahasivratri holds the condensed and intense experience of this bliss that liberates us. Doing the inner pilgrimage through Mahasivratri for a yogi is the attainment of the honey pot. 


Understanding ourselves as the Emperor through observance of Mahasivratri:

The difference between a slave and an emperor is- who owns time? We are all caught within the 24 hour clock of time within which we are tied into sleep, dream and awake states the mind, the mind in its moods of ups and downs when awake and life circumstances that makes us run the rat race. A yogi is liberated from this time clock. 
The first step to break this prison of time that holds our mind is- to light a lamp/candle/flame atleast once a day and connect to Source/God. 
The next important observance is to observe one day a week solely to connect to Source/God- a precious holiday we can give ourselves as being an emperor.
The third observance is to connect to the moon cycles of new moon (time to celebrate Lord Siva as Spirit) and the full moon (time to celebrate Lord Vishnu as the awake mind). 

The single most important moment through the year is Mahasivratri- when we take our inner pilgrimage to awaken to the I Am experience of Lord Siva as the timelessness, beyond the mind. This experience awakens us to be awake and sets us on a journey to enlightenment and beyond. 

Every once a week- our special day off for being a yogi, we relive the once a year Mahasivratri experience of being Light and expand our consciousness to be the Sun of the mind that has woken up the Spirit to enshrine our body- as an Emperor. It is from timelessness that time can be defined. 
Now as conscious beings of timelessness, let us define realities for ourselves and all of planet earth as time!

aum namah sivaya


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About Nandhi: Siddhar yogi Nandhi is a visionary, humanitarian, artist, ecstatic chant musician, mystic, author and teacher. Nandhi represents the wisdom of the liberated, the arising consciousness of humanity. 

Tapasyogi Nandhi: www.nandhi.com

Founder: 

The Declaration of Consciousness Movement: www.declarationofconsciousness.org

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Tips: Attainment of Genius in Consciousness

                                                                  ॐ

The innate genius now awakens as we become savants.

Various studies on savants show the correlation of the left brain with the right brain that attributes this genius.
The “awakened” conceptualize the vastness of spiritual beingness or connectivity to the infinite with the practical facets of thinking from the inspired flow that enables them to excel in what they do.

While Albert Einstein considered one of the foremost geniuses of the 20th century, has transformed scientists’ understanding of physics and astronomy with his theories, the intellect of Einstein himself has remained misunderstood.

Ever since pathologist, Dr. Thomas Harvey harvested the scientist’s brain in 1955, researchers have tried to crack the mystery of Einstein’s genius by observing that brain.

Now scientists think they’ve found a clue. A new study, published in the journal, Brain, on September 24, 2013, suggests that the two hemispheres in Einstein’s brain were unusually well connected.

All scientists of ancient India’s past were yogis—awake and liberated beings who could think outside the box of the mind. Spirituality’s offspring is consciousness that adheres and creates newer frontiers for humanity as in intellect and realities.

In the yogic philosophy is the chakra system wherein, the crown chakra, when awake, is called the sahasrara (thousand petals of the lotus awake). Once awake, the petals, as awareness, forever stand awake. This awakening experience is like stepping out of one level of consciousness to another higher level while understanding the concept of freedom as being liberated from the mind as in its limits and past momentum of thoughts.

When we have a near death experience or a powerful experience of awakening, we have, ourselves, lifted beyond the limits of the mind and forever, the way we think and perceive our realities have changed. In this state, is the purest state of joy ever experienced and there is no reason (or all the reasons) that is behind this state of joy.

This experience has been expressed by sages of all cultures and religions throughout the world. The yogis of the eastern traditions describe this as the lotus having blossomed with the joy states mentioned as bliss. The yogis attribute the state of bliss as in being Lord Siva, the form of bliss. This is, in reality, the depiction of all religions, the Spirit having the human experience.

Almost immediately after this spiritual experience, the pursuit into even deeper thresholds of seeking for more of this joyfulness begins. This seeking can be described as God, Infinity, Source, Supreme-Self and all other characterizations. Some are born with this awareness while others are activated into this awareness at some point in their life. The moment such awareness is activated, most persons plunge deeper into uncovering the states of joy.

While a few of those who have experienced this first awakening take to a lifelong meditative effort, as the monks and yogis, some return back to the normal realities of the society as in marrying, having children and running a household, having a career and holding responsibilities.

In the mystical path of the Siddhars, returning back to the society to serve humanity from the highest consciousness has been indicated to be the fastest way to evolve.

When awake and in the society’s structures of responsibility, there is a different perception to how we spend each of our moments, our definition of time, our way of perceiving what success is and our ability to understand life at its best and worst situations. All this, as in thinking from a higher place of consciousness and then relating to the mundane realities faced, is the linking of the left brain and the right brain.

As in physical exercise, where the muscle gets stronger with each day, this exercise is the mental exercise of relating the left brain and the right brain.

These are important teachings of the Sages to exercise the left brain and the right brain and in the process, be the genius in our doings:

1. Go to a new country or new location, leaving behind the past.

By restarting our life with awareness, we avoid past habits that were limiting and lead every thought from the intent of where we wish to be. Relocation now stimulates the right and left brain as in relating to each and there is much progress from being a seeker to becoming a master.

2. Respect the root chakra and complete ourselves.

Although most religions advocate celibacy, the mystical paths of most religions, with special reference to the path of the Siddhars, advocates wise utilization of the root chakra, as in understanding the need for a healthy sexual attitude, healthy relationships, the primal needs of food and sustenance from a point of moderation and consciousness.
In other words, when we embrace the root chakra, we embrace all the trivialities of life, as in responsibilities. This enables us to exercise the left and right brain in everyday realities, even more.

3. Understanding time as in what we do each moment.

When realizing that we are the Spirit having the human experience, we also understand the Spirit as very ancient and the body as limited in time by a shelf life. In this understanding, is the utilization of each moment exclusively aligned to our highest purpose.
We awaken to time. We realize that time is an experience and each moment of time needs be justified by what we do. The old Zen adage of “Chopping wood before awakening and chopping wood after awakening” does not hold true.

Once awake, we will want to utilize our time more efficiently by how we act, whether it is in meditation and practices that brings us harmony or in day to day work that has our heart’s intent in it. An awake being, normally, would sooner or later drop out of the rat race of survival mode and instead see each moment of work justifying the highest purpose of existence.

4. Consider this quote by Rumi, “Everyone has been made for some particular work and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.”

Understand genius as states of joy that we uniquely feel while doing whatever we love doing from our heart and that no one is smarter than another. Everyone has a unique state genius: Take the case of any insect or animal as an example to see how there is a particular thing that every living being has that cannot be replicated by another species.

Likewise, every person has a unique talent waiting to be tapped. This talent or talents are that which each one of us are specially programmed for by destiny. When we find the activity that gives us most joy and understand this as an expression of ourselves that gives us maximum satisfaction, we begin to see sparks of our innate genius awaken. This is the right and left brain now aligning itself through the states of joy in our doing.

 5. Consider ourselves whole beings with many spokes in our wheels as abilities.

Beings like Leonardo Da Vinci are perfect examples, who exemplify the genius in the many levels of accomplishment they were capable of. History notes that Leonardo Da Vinci once wrote a bio of himself to the countess of Turin while seeking to be invited. In his bio, he lists over 25 different facets of himself, each facet shows amazing genius.

Today we know Leonardo Da Vinci as a talented master artist. Leonardo Da Vinci lists his skill as an artist as the 23rd. This example of Leonardo Da Vinci depicts the mind of a person awake to understand the wholeness of being and the potency to be the master in many abilities. The ability to do inspired work or play from the perspective of seeing ourselves as immensely huge beings exercises the bridge between the right and left brain.

6. Understanding the journey into vaster and ever vaster consciousness is never ending, while delving into the joy and bliss factor of this inner journey through the subconsciousness, each day.

After the initial experience of awakening, the journey has just started! The right brain is forever thriving on more and more stimulation for connectivity to God/Source/Infinity or whatever we could call this. The Sages of the east call this, yoga, the sacred union between individual ego and Source.

When we awaken to this heightened state of joy, we then set a daily discipline to have more of this each day. This joy and bliss of love in the yoga tradition is called Bhakti. Adi Sankara, one of India’s most revered masters mentions, “When there is more of Bhakti, there is more of wisdom.” This equation of Bhakti and wisdom translates as superior intellect and genius in doings.

It does not matter for us to feel awake or not awake and compare ourselves with anyone. All that matters for ourselves is to hold on to our own experiences, starting with understanding states of joy and bliss in our daily practice of going inward, be it praying, meditation, contemplation or any practice that gives us joy, like dancing, yoga or even cooking and acknowledging that bliss and joy state to be that of genius.

Slowly, we will set our discipline to have more joy as we are on the journey through consciousness.

Awake, the vastness of consciousness now serves as profound realities that fulfill and inspire us. In the process of our own awakening to higher consciousness, humanity, too, transforms itself to the ingrained nature of peace, harmony, tranquility, love, freedom and abundance.

Book: 

Mastery of Consciousness- Awake the Inner Prophet: 

Break the limits of mind, body and circumstances- by Nandhiji      

Available at:

Amazon: 

https://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Consciousness-Awaken-Inner-Prophet/dp/1634437217

Handsigned by Nandhiji: 

http://www.sensitiveplanet.com/mastery-of-consciousness-teachings/mastery-of-consciousness-book/

                                           

Nandhiji

                                                   

Blessings of Resonance: Mantra Power

The most potent blessing we could ever receive from a Sage, Yogi or any Enlightened Master is to receive the uplifting, igniting grace of our own consciousness. In the ancient pre-vedic language Tamil, the word mantra is mentioned as ‘mandiram’ which also means magic- the ability to transform reality in a moment. Called ‘deeksha’, which means, initiation, the giving of a mantra by the Guru to the initiate is the single most important ritual as the mantras serve the lifelong spiritual journey through the thread of the ancient resonance- for the initiate.

Traditionally, in India, the method of conveying awakening consciousness is especially through the mantra. In the mystical yogic tradition of the South Indian Siddhars, there is less emphasis in teachings through writings or even oral teachings and much of the wisdom is conveyed through the mantra energy that awakens the inner knowledge.

Mantra recitation can be said to be the mother of meditation. With the recitation of a mantra, the mind immediately focuses on a single thought leading to transcendence - awareness beyond the mind. By reciting the mantra, effortlessness meditation is enhanced even while doing mundane chores.

When we meet a higher conscious being in the form of a saint, yogi, or even disguised in the ordinary like a taxi driver, we know that we are uplifted by the words, action or simply the mere presence of that person. Higher conscious beings flow with a vibration of peace and harmony. It is said that when Buddha would walk from place to place crisscrossing each village and town, his presence was felt by people over ten miles around him. On feeling his presence as peace, love and calm, thousands would gather near Buddha to experience more of this vibrancy.

There are many scientific studies on meditation that have proven that meditation gives more benefits to society than merely inner peace for the meditator.  The effect of mass meditation has been noted to effect surrounding areas by a significant drop in crime rate. When the founder of Transcendental Meditation, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, would conduct a group meditation with hundreds of persons, the drop in crime rates in the surrounding area where the meditation was being conducted was observed to be consistent. This energy field produced by meditation has, for a long time, been referred to by yogis as consciousness.

Sages, yogis and masters of higher consciousness in India have for thousands of years imparted consciousness through the mantra.  

The secrets of power within the mantras are:

1. Mantras serve as a bridge of consciousness: 

When receiving the mantra from a Guru, understand the significance of this to be an initiation in which we are forever connected in consciousness with the Guru. By reciting the mantra, the seeker is able to climb above states of consciousness and become the master. Every time we chant our mantra, we are invoking the presence of our Guru. An enlightened master’s presence in our lives is protecting, nurturing and guiding and gradually, our own consciousness becomes the presence of the master.

2. Mantra chants create the specific realities we desire:

Each mantra holds a specific dimension of reality- for instance- when we chant a mantra for the Goddess of abundance, we will see that reflect abundance in our realities. Understand the power of recitation of mantras to be tapping into the realities we desire. For instance, when there is a deep fear and we recite a specific mantra, we are creating an energy field to protect ourselves. The more we trust the abilities of the mantra and recite the mantra from our heart in its intent, the better the mantra works to create the specific reality that we seek.

3. Mantras shift and transform our thoughts and thinking pattern: 

Through chanting the mantra, we begin to tune into the inherent vibrations within the mantra and in alignment with those higher vibrations, our mind also perceives thoughts from a higher place.  

4. Mantras are a manifestation tool: 

When we chant the mantras, our mind is slowly brought to a singular focus like a magnifying glass that converge sun light into fire. Any intent held through the mantra is magnified due to the intensity of focus and an intent that has been held long and thus brought to reality.

5. Mantras are supreme prayers: 

Nearly all mantras carry the intent of invoking a specific facet of God/Source. Through chanting the mantra we develop a singular focus on the invoked Deity. Extended over years of chanting, we realize our connection to the invoked Source/God more and more, and with greater ease.

6. Mantras fine tune our breath and optimal thinking process: 

By chanting the mantras, our inner journey to Source/God has begun. Slowly we begin to realize our breath becoming deeper and slower thereby utilizing more of our lungs. This is a natural process that reciting a mantra accomplishes. With enhanced breathing, our mind also thinks optimally from the center of harmony.

7. Reciting the mantra awakens the state of bliss: 

As we chant the mantra, we transcend the limits of the mind. Reciting mantras induces bliss due to the mind slipping away from its past momentum and acquiring the stress free “Now” moment.  We awaken to the “Now” moment that is devoid of worrying of the past or future when the mind is subdued to the ever present harmony in the core of our being. We are able to experience a state of joy within the mantra that the Sages of antiquity held on to. Holding on the state of joys embedded within the mantra, we begin to expand this state of joy in our being - as in a body of bliss, as in realities of bliss and in perceiving all realities from the state of bliss.

8. The power and potency within the mantra can constantly be increased: 

We realize the mantra chanting as a way of connecting our consciousness with our Guru, who imparted the mantra. When we perform acts of goodness and kindness (dharma) we are increasing the power within the mantra.  The mantra serves by being the facilitator to higher consciousness and when we utilize the wisdom of higher consciousness to do good, we are allowing the flow of grace that is awakened through our expanding consciousness.

9. Mantras are empowered with the ‘cooking’ process:

The more we chant the mantra, the more potent and powerful the mantra becomes. As we chant the mantra over longer periods of time and over the years, we realize the mantra’s effect on reality in daily miracles and its potency in realities caused. With time, the mantras we constantly recite mature and gets ‘cooked’. When the mantra is ‘cooked’ over a period of time, the mantra can now be given to another as a field of consciousness that easily alights anyone ready for more consciousness. Even to simply listen to the mantra chant of an enlightened master can shift our consciousness partly because the mantras have been ‘cooked’ by the master and the mantra is embedded with blessings of all masters who chanted the mantra before as the lineage behind the mantra.

10. Chant the mantra and awaken to all the goodness of higher consciousness: 

Chanting the mantra transforms the mind to an effortless meditative state. When the mind is at a meditative state, our consciousness expands to imbibe all the positive attributes such as less stress, increased empathy, more focus, more optimism, more unconditional love, and so on.

11. Mantras carry the vibratory presence of our Guru and all the preceding Gurus as the lineage Presence: 

It is wise to receive our mantra from an enlightened master as most mantras are passed from Guru to disciple, with the mantras having been chanted by each Guru over a whole life time. When we chant the mantra, we are tapping into the primal vibrations of all masters of the past in our own expanding consciousness. When we recite mantras that have a history of lineage, we are able to align to the ancient lineage of the Gurus as guidance, protection and grace in our inner journey.

12. Chanting mantras is an optimal solution for those with Attention Deficit (ADD). Recent scientific studies attest that meditation does help those with ADD. In this age when from childhood our mind seeks inputs of music, television or information and with mass intake of information and working online, it is only natural that our mind is trained to be have an attention deficit. The methodology of meditation with the principle of awareness of breath and eradication of thoughts simply does not work- especially for those of us in urban areas. Reciting the mantra is perhaps the surest way to not only quiet the mind but also to train the mind to focus on a single point for a longer period of time.

13. Awaken the genius within: Through chanting we enhance the mind’s ability to meditate to climb above the normal patterns of the mind. In ‘climbing above the mind’ we are able to think outside the box of limitations. Most of the amazing minds of history, from Albert Einstein to Isaac Newton were able to touch base with the spiritual essence beyond the mind and ‘see’ the higher perspective that we refer to as ‘genius’ and great intelligence. When we go behind to understand the awareness that exists beyond our thought pattern and thinking process, we are tapping into a state of super-consciousness- that the yogi sages call, the state of turiya. Chanting leads us to this super consciousness state that all beings of higher consciousness experience.

14. Empower the mantra by constantly doing Dharma (heart’s work): With the essence of the mantra being the energy field of connect between our own consciousness and the consciousness of the guru behind the mantra, each act of goodness that we do empowers the mantra in its potency. Since mantras enhance realities as our energy within manifesting the reality we desire, the realities we manifest is directly related to the mantra energies we awaken. When we do charitable good deeds, the mantra within us feeds on the good energies  created to become even more potent.

15. Mantras enable the transformative journey within:

Through mantras we change patterns of our past thinking. The spiritual history of India is filled with ignorant persons who were earlier, robbers and murderers wanting to change their lives; surrendering to a mantra and then emerging as enlightened masters. All it takes to awaken the highest wisdom within ourselves is the initiation through mantra and then our journey to become a master unfolds. When we are ready, the right mantra is received.

The Turiya State of Super Consciousness - as reflected by Ramana Maharshi and Mahatma Gandhi

When our meditation practice becomes true to ourselves as states of joy alight, we are in the state of turiya. Turiya is higher consciousness. Turiya is what the Sages call the sleepless sleep. Turiya is the experience of the liberated. The liberated are the Self-realized.

Sri Ramana Maharshi, one of Mother India’s enlightened masters, would awaken the turiya state of higher consciousness of any seeker who sought his blessings simply through silent presence. His simple gaze would awaken a seeker to realization.

Sri Ramana Maharshi's awakening of the turiya state is conveyed in the following story that Nandhi adapted to convey the yogic insights into the essence of meditation and the conscious mind.

“Three thieves ruled over the jungle. If anyone entered this jungle they never could escape - for the third thief was merciless, cruel and lazy. The second thief always wanted things done. He was constantly in action - running around the forest, checking out the neighboring towns and never at one place for very long. The third thief however had goodness in him. He was peaceful, happy, but sworn into company of the other two thieves since they were living together in the forest as a family.

One day, Manidan had to go through the forest. As always happened to anyone who entered the forest, Manidan was held captive by the three thieves. The thieves tied up Manidan as prisoner within the forest.

Imprisoned by the three thieves, Manidan prayed to Source for freedom from this harassment and cruelty, not knowing any other relief. Hearing the prayers the third thief, the good thief came to the rescue of Manidan.

One day, while the first thief, the bad thief, was sleeping, the good thief released Manidan of the bonds. The good thief took Manidan to the outer boundaries of the forest and said, “Walk out to your freedom beyond the entrapment of this forest and the robbers who dwell in it. From now on, remember that you are not Manidan anymore. You are a Deva, an Angel.” Manidan walked out to his true reality, with the name and identity of Deva.

“The Thieves” are the three states of mind. The first state of mind is Tamas - the lower state of the mind that is ignorant. The tamas state is characterized as the nature of sloth, anger, violence and all the lower tendencies of the human. The second state of mind is Rajas which depicts a person who is active and action oriented, as in the fast paced society of the West and as city dwellers - in a survival mode. The third state of mind is called Satva which is characterized as the peaceful tranquil nature that knows basic goodness in each pure thought.

Any time we pray, meditate, or contemplate Source, our satvic mind steps in to untie us from the unique bond of ego and the mental patterns we experience in human limitations. The “Forest” is the human mind that we enter into through this birth. “Manidan”, the man captured and confined in the mind “forest” is the humanness of ourselves. Manidan in Tamil means the human. “Deva” is the Being whom we are when we are shown freedom by the third state of the mind, the Satvic nature within ourselves. "Deva" in both Tamil and Sanskrit means the Angel.

This “Deva” state is turiya - the spirit having the human experience as a higher conscious being. In the state of turiya - experienced as expanded realities - we are able to tap into our potential of genius wherever we choose to focus our attention.

The turiya state is a common denominator of inspiration for all people. For instance, an artist while painting, a mother suckling her baby, or anyone who is aligned to the genius of perfection, steps into turiya states where the doer forgets time, hunger, and tiredness in the intensity of inspiration. Every higher conscious master imparts wisdom through the alignment of being in states of turiya through prayer, contemplation, meditation and inspiration.

The majority of humanity experience turiya unconsciously in states of joy.  In this fleeting flash of a moment, joy reveals itself and sets the human in pursuit to have more of this joy.

A yogi consciously seeks the state of joy perpetually within and until the state of turiya begins to be the perpetual meditation mode - of being in love, as love, in every moment. Disciplines form around the desire to have more joy - leading us to do our daily yoga, lighting a lamp to Source. All of this leads to a mind that is in the joy of awareness, mindfulness and bliss, which is the nature of the turiya state.

Those liberated and blessed by Turiya are Mahatmas - the immense awake souls - like Mahatma Gandhi. If you are traveling through Mother India, visit Sabarmati Ashram. Here Mahatma Gandhi’s divine presence is enshrined in the form of the many books he wrote and the innumerable articles, notes and books written about him. Here was a man who also did household chores, ashram duties and was involved in the relentless struggle for freedom. The time he spent in prison, of course, gave Mahatma Gandhi ample time to utilize in writing. What you will ‘see’ in Sabarmati Ashram is the immense stature of Mahatma Gandhi, as he made more than a mere mark in history.  He was a giant in this moment in time, swaying global leaders while being the epicenter of a mass movement committed to non-violence.

Mahatma Gandhi was in the blessed state of turiya. He was a yogi. He began his day waking up no later than 3:00 to 4:00 am. Every morning without fail, at 4.30 am, he and all the ashram inmates would hold prayer meetings with songs and prayers chosen from all the major religions.

Mahatma Gandhi would go to bed at 11:00 pm. He loved reading and would fall asleep by midnight, providing him with about 4 hours of sleep each day. He did not sleep during most days; and if he did take a nap during daytime, it was a short nap for less than 30 minutes. Mahatma Gandhi said, “If you are really tired during the day, meditate twice as much, to wipe tiredness away.”

In Mahatma Gandhi's most personal book called "Prayer," he is revealing the turiya state. In this autobiographical book, Mahatma Gandhi writes a rare portrait of himself - more open and frank in discussing his intimate spiritual life. In understanding and celebrating each breath in tune with Source, Mahatma Gandhi describes being in a meditative state throughout his daily work, and how intensely inspired each moment was, even during difficult times. He mentions in this book, how he went to sleep with his final plunge into the depth of sleep through prayer and then would wake up each morning with prayer; thus attaining the higher conscious mind that could manifest magnificent realities as a Mahatma.

A historically significant incident was recorded by the disciples of Sri Ramana Maharshi, when the Saint was asked what he thought about M.K Gandhi.  This was at a time when the title of “Mahatma” was not yet conferred to Mahatma Gandhi, about twenty years before India won independence and when the freedom struggle of India against the British imperialism had waned. At that time, Mahatma Gandhi was in a political wilderness, with no seeming breakthrough with the British, in the struggle for freedom. Sri Ramana Maharshi responded with total confidence, “Gandhi operates from the Aadi Atma Shakti, and no matter what, he will accomplish the objective of the freedom struggle.”  

Sri Ramana Maharshi meant that Mahatma Gandhi had tapped into the powerful “Soul Force”, the primal energy of the soul, and this awake turiya state would lead Mahatma Gandhi to victory. Thus, the turiya state of the awake presence and actions of Mahatma Gandhi was recognized by Sri Ramana Maharshi, years before Mahatma Gandhi was truly acknowledged by all of India for this accomplishment of winning independence.

Attain the turiya state through our daily practice to celebrate our union with Source. By cultivating our daily practice we expand our consciousness making each thought potent to manifest the most harmonious, abundant and inspired realities!  Imagine the power of a million Mahatmas shaping our global realities as blessings of turiya for all of humanity! Through turiya be a “Mahatma.”

Gratitude to the editd by Brother Ganganath and Sister Tara

Upcoming release of our new album ARAKARA by White Swan Music!

Music to Awaken the Inner Fire: Turiya Nada: www.turiyanada.com 

Lingam Puja: Multiply Consciousness

*Lord Kutramporunthaeaswarar Vashishta Linga,

The worship of Lord Siva, represented in the form of a Lingam is the Siva Linga Puja.

The Siva Lingam puja is the most personal and intimate time for a yogi as moments of absorption into the Divine, fully aware and intensely in union with Source through breath and as breathless joys. The yogic discipline of doing the Siva Lingam puja is considered the most potent of all yogic practices in being able to push a yogi through states of consciousness and as grace, evolve to be the object of worship, to be Lord Siva- as in the journey into One to be Oneness.

In the yogi traditions of mystical India, each precious moment as human is for the purpose of enhancing more of consciousness and closer to Source. This journey beyond consciousness is enhanced each day with deeper and even more empowerment in the awakened inner wisdom. After having woken up to be the Spirit, the yogi then starts enhancing this experience through intensifying the bliss state for the mind to be at all times. In this journey through consciousness guided by bliss, the yogi understands effort and progress as a yogi through the push factor of own effort and divine grace as the pull factor- through the Siva Lingam puja.

 

What is a Puja?

 A puja is not meditation in the sense, a puja requires a highly alert and involving state of mind. A puja is when Source/object of worship is celebrated in the physical form with offerings of flowers; milk; water etc along with mantra. A puja is a concentrated enhanced form of worship and can be called the mother of all meditations- a puja leads to a mind that is meditative, the natural state of the mind  that is be defined as meditation. By doing a Siva Linga Puja, the yogi aligns in the receiving end of grace by invoking the power of the infinite Source in human realities for themselves and for the entire world.

Utilizing the Lingam as representation of the infinite with the mind in super aware state of connecting as a bridge between the Divine invoked and the object of focus with through offerings of the heart, a Siva Linga Puja is done.

So, what is the meaning of the Lingam?

To yogis, the Lingam is the most apt form representing the Infinite. The Lingam is the infinite as in Form referred in Sanskrit as stambha- beginning-less and endless pillar. The traditional description of the Lingam representing the phallus is not the entire meaning behind the Lingam. Yes, the Lingam is the representation of the ‘Wand of Light” as the experience of our own inner Light rushing above through the spine.

When a yogi does the Lingam Puja, the yogi is invoking the infinite Spirit from within and the Infinite God Almighty of formlessness to be the dweller in the Lingam, the form. The Lingam serves to house, represent and radiant the energies of Infinity.

Later through history by way of Western historians and through ways of convenience in hypothesis, a Lingam began pegged with the meaning of phallus as in being shape.

How is a Siva Linga Puja done?
- Attain or purchase a small Siva Lingam. You will need a few utensils that will help contain the water, milk and other offerings you may pour over the Lingam.
- Attain, receive or learn simple mantras, preferable for Ganesh, Lord Siva and Goddess Sakti. Your Siva Linga Puja is an inner journey through mantras, journey of uniting your external realities and infinite inner realities through the puja using the mind in focus and surrender of all thoughts through the fire of bhakti, devotional love.
- Once a day or once a week or whenever convenient- commit to doing a Siva Linga Puja.

The Inner Journey of the Siva Lingam Puja:

- Prepare Yourself: Prepare yourself for the Siva Linga Puja as a very personal journey between you and Source. Having a shower or washing your face helps to refresh your mind and body. Set aside atleast 45 minutes of uninterrupted time. Create a sacred space for yourself, preferably an altar space that can hold and carry forward positive energies of a Siva Linga Puja. Pick up offerings of flowers, water, milk or anything else you may feel like offering to the Lingam.


- Abishekam:  There is no right or wrong way in a pure heart’s ritual. Begin at first reciting the mantra invoking Lord Siva. Connect your breath to the mantra resonance and feel the invoked Presence through your chanting. Now begin pouring water over the Lingam slowly invoking the Divine Infinite in the Lingam. You may pour milk over the Lingam collecting the milk for later use as Prasad, Divine sanctified offerings. After the final slow pouring the water finally to bathe and cleanse the Lingam, the Lingam is ready for the Puja.

- Siva Lingam Puja: Have many flowers, if not, many petals of flowers as that you will offer the Lingam with every mantra recited invoking Lord Siva. Ideally, when Lord Siva is invoked, it is perfect wisdom to invoke the Divine Goddess to complete the wholeness within the Divine. We end this puja invoking the awake mind state, the God of sustenance and abundance, Lord Vishnu.

- Invoke Blessings of Source:- A Siva Lingam Puja is powerful as we have invoked the power of Infinity in our realities. As we bring the Siva Lingam Puja to closure, from the depth of depth, invoke peace through reciting “Shanthi” by expanding to the infinite vastness we are and bringing forth this energy blessings of peace into our own human form and realities. Create an intent in “Peace” ie, may this Peace for all the living or; may this Peace be for my own health and the health of all of humanity. Blessed are the messengers and custodians of Peace.

-  Sacred Shrine/Altar at your Heart Shrine:- After a Siva Lingam Puja, store the Lingam at an altar space as to keep the divine energies and blessings vibrant in our physical and spiritual realities.

Benefits of a Siva Linga Puja:

1.    Grace to be a Yogi: When we surrender our total focus of the mind to Source, through the puja, the mind develops the ability to rejoice in the dance of stillness. This dance of stillness is the Mother of all meditative practices.

2.    Evolve and Be God: As we invoke the presence of Source through our mantras holding the focus, we are drawing more and more proximity to the object of worship and gradually, we attain all the attributes we are invoking, ie, we slowly evolve to be angelic, invoking the presence of God/Source.

3.     Awaken our innate genius: We awaken to the deeper dimensions of consciousness within ourselves that triggers the innate special powers within ourselves, the “Siddhis”. The Siddhis are the unique special abilities awakened in each of us such as musical genius, the ability to see the future, the awakening of various extra sensory perceptions, ESP etc. Yogis tend to disregard this awakening of various facets of the mind as it distracts us from the power of worship that grows in potency through humility.

4.    Soul Empowerment: We wake up to the joys and bliss of experiencing Source/God- “Ananda”. This joy ebbing from the bottom of the heart through our Lingam Puja is a higher conscious vibratory state. To be in this bliss form state is to be God- with Lord Siva described as Satchidananda, the bliss form. Slowly but surely, our realities too begin to vibrate the higher frequencies of this divine bliss.

5.    Deepen our yoga practice: When we do our daily yoga practice through the various sequences, we understand the deeper journey within after having done the Siva Lingam puja. In fact, it is advisable to do the Siva Lingam Puja after doing our hatha yoga practice so to seat the enormous vast immense energies of Source within us through the awake ‘nerve centers’, the nadis. Hatha yoga and the Siva Lingam Puja is naturally compatible and enhancing to each other.

6.    Live the Magic of Now: To experience being God/Source; worship the Infinite Almighty through the mind and breath; attain grace of inner wisdom as a journey through consciousness- makes us Angelic and God like. Slowly but surely, we not only awaken to the vastness we each truly are but are also guided, protected and gifted with the most valuable gift of this human birth- to be able to celebrate the Now moment completely.

7.    Multiply Potency of Consciousness: Worshipping the Lingam is multiplying consciousness. As we invoke ourselves to be Spirit, the Holy Ghost, we celebrate Lord Almighty Source of Infinite as in Form, empowering this Form to be Formlessness ever more.

8.    Be Blessed: Lord Siva, the nameless Infinite Being invoked represents blessings of wellbeing, wisdom and highest purpose as the Yogi.

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