SST Summer Camp & Guruji Audio Clip

Guruji during Summer Camp

Dear All,

In continuation to our earlier communication on SST Residential Summer Camp from 15th May to 21st May, you may have probably missed our request to register yourself on the link provided confirming your participation for the Camp. Hence this mail is a gentle reminder for your utmost cooperation and support to do so.

Friends, during one of the occasion, Guruji asked me to take up the responsibility of streamlining the camp activities in a phased manner and the beginning is Online Registration. Unless you all cooperate, this particular task is difficult. Therefore, I seek your cooperation by voluntarily registering yourself at the link below and help me to carry on with the task assigned to me by Guruji. Filling the basic info provided on the link would also help the Ashram Administration to facilitate the basic requirements to the participants without any hassles.

Registration link -> http://www.sadhanasangama.org/campreg.php

I will really appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter.  Thanks

Important Update: I recently got the opportunity to listen to one of Guruji's audio clip which is worth sharing with you all for the important message it contains. Listen to the Audio and happily fill up the online registration form :) 

Audio Below:

  

Jai Gurudev!

V.S. Murlidher

Coordinator

Summer Camp 2013 - Series 4 (Guruji Pattabhiram's Janma Dina celebration)

Summer Camp - Special update

One of the exciting feel good factor for all the Sadhaka's who attend the Summer Camp every year is to get a chance to celebrate together this great Day (21st May) with our beloved Guruji. This is the day when all the family members of Sadhana Sangama feel that this is the day of shine, the day of bliss, the day of Joy, the day of happiness, the day of our Guruji Pattabhiram. Yes, this is the 'Janma dina' (birthday) of our beloved Guruji. 

Abraham Lincoln once quoted, "And in the end, it's not the years in your life counts. It's the life in your years". We do celebrate & cherish the birthday's of our closed & loved ones including the 'self' year after year. For some, it's the day of retrospecting, for some it's just the day to share happiness & for some it is the day to feel good about to know how many of them remember their birthday's even if they don't remember other's!!

So in this situation, it is interesting to find out, How a Guru celebrates His Birthday? Does He celebrate in first instance? Below is a brief synopsis of this eventful day during this year Summer Camp to know the answers for these questions. 

Though the day began as usual like any other day, the members of the Sadhana Sangama family, were quietly planning this event to celebrate even if Guruji himself want the day to be treated as any other normal day. This event was planned together by all the aspirants and the Sadhaka's requested Dr. Shikaripura Krishnamurthy ji, Sri. Shankar Narayana Shastri ji & Shri.Srinivasa murthy ji to lead the function.

Dr. Shikaripura Krishnamurthy Ji, Shri. Shastri Ji & Shri. Srinivasa Murthy Ji

Starting this function, Dr. Krishnamurthy ji stated, "We are all integral part of the Sadhana Sangama family and you know when once we become a integral part of the family, we cannot dispense it. A brother/sister cannot say to his brother / sister, that you are no more my brother/sister. We cannot say to our father that you are no longer my father, because it is karma. In the same way, it is our punya (good) karma that we are all integral part of Sadhana Sangama initiated by Shri. Swami Rama and initiation continued in this part of India by our revered Guru Shri Pattabhiram ji. 58 years ago this great soul landed on to this earth and this heart went on beating 58 years and it is going to beat for 62 years more. To celebrate the birthday of our family brother, elder brother, may be fatherly associated by his dharmapatni Prof. Jyothiji, we all sit here for a short program to invoke the blessings of the lord on our Guruji Pattabhiram to continue to serve this land with this divine mission.

With this, he requested the group of sadhaka's to begin the function with a small wishing prayer. This Prayer was sung by Smt. Bhanu along with group of enthusiastic children. Below you can find the live Audio recording of this prayer:

The Prayer:

Janma dinamidam ayi priya Guru

Santomotu te Sarvada mudam 

Prathaya mahe bhava satayusi;

Isvarah sada tvam ca raksatu

Punyakarmana kritimarjaya, 

Jivanam tava bhavatu sarthakam

Janma dinamidam Pattabhiramahe,

Ishvarah sada tvam ca raksatu

Prer yaamahe bharatham sada,

Saadanam tava bhavati sarthakam

Smt. Bhanu singing the prayer along with enthusiastic young aspirants

Sadhaka's joining the wishful prayer

Post the prayer, All the children one by one, gave flowers to Guruji, wishing Him which our Guruji lovingly accepted and blessed them. 

Happy Birthday 'Guruji'

Thank you my dear children's

Dr. Shikaripura Krishnamurthy ji, speaking further briefly translated the meaning of this Prayer to all the Sadhaka's. He stated, "All the good things only comes to us because of our punya (good) karma. We are celebrating this function of our own family. We should pray and get the continued blessings of the god to enjoy this happiness in the family set up. Therefore pattabhirama is the central nucleus force of our family and we beg mata Poorneshwari, mata Lalitaparameshwari to bless you on the janma janamdiam. May god shower on you all goodness, He is always pleasant, He is always happy, I have not seen pattabhi becoming angry. He is like Lord Ganapati, who is always smiling, ever pleasant, Santhosa, blissful face, blissful appearance, blissful personality, so may god bless him ever. 

"What do we pray? May lord isvara protect you from all the difficulties of health. May god bless him with safety, security. He is getting fame by his punya karma, He is inspiring many of us, He is putting back on to the track of dharma for many of us, otherwise we would have gone somewhere else. This punya karma has given Him 'krithi', and He does not enjoy this 'krithi', He says, let it be there and He offers it back to the Lord. May your life be successful". 

"Let us all together motivate bharatham, the whole country so that, all that you have achieved these days, and all that we are together trying to achieve, all our sadhana’s may be successful, may be fruitful, in building up the humane, enlightened, and successful India and world". 

Later Krishnamurtiji requested Shri Shankar Narayana shastri ji to speak few words. Shastriji welcomed all the aspirants for the function and said, "Guruji and Mataji, and beloved brothers and sisters, it’s a privilege to be here on this day, when two things come together, we call it a coincidence. But there is nothing coincidence here, everything is planned and happens. So we are all from different homes, different shades, different culture, different language. All of us merged to be here on this eventful day. I remember the day, on which we met together in a thick jungle near sagara, bachodi. And it is that day, which was brought by Krishnamurthy ji, and personally that occasion myself, associated with the great Sadhana Sangama. Without that, I think I would have been in some roadside. So I hope many of us, are inspired by his presence and by his teachings. Another good thing is, I have not seen Swami Rama. It is true Pattabhiramji, he have been a association with the great Himalayan sadhaka 'Swami Rama' and even though we have not seen Swami Rama, we are linked to His parampara (tradition), through a great soul (Guruji), which has linked all of us with that great soul (Swami Rama). We are really grateful and may the almighty give you all the strength and life and pleasure, if not pleasure, to endure all the problems you face"

As a Symbolic, memorable event for the day, sadhaka's requested Guruji & Jyothi Ma to light the lamp. The light which represents the glow of parampara, was initiated with the Holy chants from all the assembled participants along with Guruji. 

Guruji Pattabhiram & Jyothi Ma lighting the lamp

Guruji Pattabhiram & Jyothi Ma lighting the lamp

Guruji Pattabhiram & Jyothi Ma chanting Shanti Mantra & praying for the well being of all Sadhaka's

Lamp lit on the occasion of our Guruji janma din (birthday)

After lighting the lamp, Both Guruji & Jyothi Ma, did namaskar infront of everybody thanking them for their love & warm wishes. 

Guruji & Jyothi Ma thanking for all the love & wishes showered on them

Our beloved Guruji & Ma prostrating to all for their wishes & prayers

On this auspicious occasion, our beloved Gurudev lovingly stated, "I did not expect this, it’s a great surprise to me and I profusely thank Krishnamurthi ji, Shastri ji, and the entire Sadhana pariwara showering on me, so much love and affection and concern. Life is worth when jeeva receives grace and the showering from the humanity and also from the divinity. Otherwise this life has no meaning. Since my childhood every minute , this inspiration has to go on in me, to serve the humanity. I did not think about myself. During my younger days, I received two mantra’s. The first mantra is “mein nahi tu hi”. It’s all you, you, you and you only. There is no 'ME'. In 'YOU' I see myself. Not in 'ME' I see 'YOU'. In you, I see myself. It means you are the mirror, I am the reflection and I have been growing in this beautiful fragrance of ‘mein nahi tu hi'. 

The second one ‘rastraya swaha , rastraya itham, na mama’. These two have inspired and inspiring me continuously to serve the humanity. At the later stage, Gurudev (Swami Rama) has strengthened this and gave me the clear message, "Bete, selfless service is your worship’, do it. You do the selfless service, the rest is assured from the parampara. Don’t ask anything. Don’t seek anything. We know when to give, what to give, how much to give, where to give. You just offer yourself and serve selflessly". 

Serving selflessly is really a very very challenging, crucifying task. It’s not mere a challenging, but it is crucifying. Every minute, every second, 'ME' tries to pop out. 'ME' tries to come forward, at that time, again and again, sadhaka has to gather that 'I' without hurting that 'I' and offer that 'I' at the lotus feet of the parampara. This is the sadhana. Not controlling, not suppressing, not fracturing, but gather that 'I' again and again. It’s a beautiful 'I', 'I did it', 'because of ME it happened', gather that as a flower, and again and again offer that flower at the lotus feet of the god and the guru and pray to that lord, 'Oh lord this flower, is still has to pick up the fragrance and the essence of the humanity, bless that flower with that fragrance'. 

Ma & Pa

If you work in this direction, life will give us a meaning, will give us a message and will give us an inspiration to travel further, otherwise selfless activity at some point will turn into a very frustrating activity, makes the sadhaka to temp and attempt for suicide again and again. 

It’s not that easy. Because every time the action takes place, but you cannot claim anything about that. Because, the mind over the years, has developed a very powerful impulse called “parigraha” means to possess, i.e. 'ME' & 'MINE'. If you listen to our own mental japa that is going on, when we are not conscious, we hear, 'ME MINE, ME MINE' only. It’s the only japa going on and that is the inspiration to do actions, and every actions comes out of that is going to be a karma and karmabandhana. So a sadhaka has to constantly work inside while performing the duty outside. He has to work continuously. But deep inside he has to find out, is this action painted by 'ME' or is it the action of the grace of the divinity. 

After 50 years of age, we have to celebrate, janmadin as a chintana din. Contemplation. Not merely cutting the cakes and all those things. That is upto may be 15 years. After 15 years, on every birthday, we have to make a sankalpa. It should become a sankalpa din. On this birthday, I am going to aspire & work towards this activity, I am going to work like this, like that etc. It should go on upto the age of 50. After 50, it’s not the sankalpa, it’s the chintana. Contemplation, enquiry. What is that enquiry? Who am I, from where I have come, to where I have to go is the enquiry.

If you are able to work at this level, from where I have come, to where I am going, and find out what is this 'I', Is it possible for me to catch this 'I', Is it possible for me to face this 'I', Is it possible for me to feel this 'I', then grahasta will slowly elevate himself to the vanaprastha level. Upto grahasta level, upto the age of 50, it is sankalpa, I build up my family, I serve my people, I work, I do this, I do that, all excellent. But after the age of 50, we have to elevate ourself to vanaprastha, means 'going inside', where we have created the dense, wild forest, sitting inside the forest, contemplating on 'Who am I'?, What is my relationship with all the surroundings?. Just closing the eyes and able to stay with it, able to feel that itself, becomes a beautiful dhaarana. 

You need not try to find the answer, in contemplation, there is no seeking, in contemplation, there is only 'seeing' and 'experiencing'. So friends, on this day, this is what, I do. I observe silence, I stay with myself, but fortunately or unfortunately, since 7-8 years, I am not able to observe silence, because camp (summer camp) comes only during this time, but it’s really a wonderful thing to spend this day with you all. 

So is it possible for each one of us, on janma din, to contemplate on what is this janma, who has taken this birth, why the birth has taken place and what is the purpose of this birth, on which direction the journey is on, and where this journey is going to culminate?.  If you are able to work on it, immediately, our great acharya, Shankaracharya’s mantra will start ringing in our ear's. The mantra is:

"Bhajagovindam, bhajagovindam, 
govindam bhaja moodamate, 
samprathe sannikite khale, 
nahi nahi rakshat, 
dukrin karane". 

Here, some people call it as a piece of grammar, a rule of grammar, but symbolically, it’s not that. Symbolically this represents the world. By holding on to this world, you are not going to get, samprathe sannikite khale, when I have to leave the body, this world is not going to come to support me, protect me, help me, guide me. This world, whatever I am doing here, fame, name, working day in and day out, working, building, demolishing, constructing, reconstructing, molding, all these things, they are not going to come, that is the dukrin karane here. 

Now is it possible for me to detach from the world and see. When you detach and you see, then bhaja, will start. Bhaja at one level means 'chanting', at another level, 'worship' and at another level, 'merging' with it.  so in the beginning, bhaja means, let me chant, it means, let me introduce, another language in the mind. The language is Govinda. That is the language one has to introduce. It’s a new language which mind is not familiar and now we have to to make the mind to be familiar with the language ‘govinda, govinda, govinda'. Once it is familiarized, then we have to move on to the second, 'pujana'. 'Pujana', means 'worshiping'. Worship means respecting it, respecting means, looking again and again and again, that is called 'Puja'. Respect, re-spect, look again and again. Look at 'Govinda' again and again, that is 'pujana'. It’s not simply doing some ritualistic activities. 

So I have to elevate myself from bhaja to pujana. Once when I start experiencing the pujana, in that the duality drops, and only 'THAT' stays, that is the Samadhi bhava. Here very interesting thing is, Shankaracharya is not insulting the human beings, He says, 'mooda mate', i.e. 'Eh! dull, headed intellect', please see the beauty of it, he is not addressing, 'Eh! stupid fellow', No. He is not using the word, stupid fellow, dull fellow, He says, 'muda mate', 'mate' means the 'intellect'. 'Eh dull headed intellect, think about it, work on it', it means, Shankaracharya, is helping us to respect ourself keeping us at the highest level and the main culprit for all this is the 'mate', the intellect. So catch the intellect, work with the intellect and change the attitude & approach of the intellect towards life. This is the message.  

So on this, occasion , it is not only my 'janma din', it is the 'janma din' of all. So let us feel like that, and let us start contemplating on 'Govinda'. 'Govinda' means that which is sustaining everything, holding everything, protecting everything, relishing everything, that is 'govinda'. So one has to ask this question, "what is that which is relishing me, what is that which is protecting me, what is that which is making me to function, to work, 'bhaja', let me connect with that". 

So friends, let us experience this. So janma din if you celebrate like this, this is the celebration. Otherwise, if we merely cut the cake, we eat the cake, and finish the celebration, there is no real meaning in it. So let us go back with this message, I once again thank you all for showering me so much love on me. Guru parampara bless you all, thank you very much. 

After completing this 'Thank you' speech, our Guruji realized that He still had 15 more minutes before the next break. So with all sincerity and with the permission of the participants, Guruji continued his lecture session on "Love & Family Life" which we will cover in upcoming updates.

Vande Guruparam...

(Aspirants who wish to hear the complete Guruji lecture series on 'Bhajagovindam' public program can get it here)

-'Bansuri'

Summer Camp 2013 - Series 3

Shri. Pattabhiram lecture session on Love & Family Life

Pranams to all of you. Guruji is in exuberant mood and currently busy with our 'Sadhana Vidyalaya' school management, teachers and the students. With the blessings from the Guru Parampara & with continuous sincere efforts from both Guruji & Jyothi Ma, ably supported by good staffs & well wishers, today the school has grown from strength to strength. We would try to provide frequent updates about the school in upcoming months which we are sure, all the readers would be excited to know about. 

Now coming back to this year Summer Camp updates, during the camp, Guruji, had asked the participants to follow three tasks compulsorily.

First - To Observe Silence (mouna) between 5:00 A.M. to 7:30 A.M. He requested aspirants to try not to talk at all during these period even if one needs to communicate badly. He placed a challenge to prove verbal communication is not the real communication and even through silence one can communicate his/her feelings, presence & love.

Second - Personal Anushthana (sadhana) from 6:15 A.M. to 7:30 A.M.  Guruji requested each one of them to select same place, same time & same sadhana practice throughout the camp. He stressed on the importance of discipline & punctuality and asked to find out if all the dimensions of our personality, starts enjoying that fixed time, that space and that activity.

Third - Compulsory walking for one hour in the evening and be together with the nature

Daily Sadhana at Summer Camp

It was evident that the aspirants who had come for the summer camp had enthusiastically practiced them sincerely and could appreciate the positive effects of them.

Moving ahead, hope the aspirants could relate and contemplate on 'shiva shaktya yukto' which Guruji explained during his first session. In this series of updates about the camp, we are today happy to share Guruji's deep thoughts about the Family Life. 

To start with, Guruji gave a brief background about the profound importance of family life. He requested all the aspirants to come together to enquire into, a very vital and highly experiential field called family. He stated that:

"Grahashrama provides an opportunity for a jeeva to go through all types of experiences. With the consent and support of the partner, one can get into any experiment, whether it is sexual experiment, physical experiment or spiritual experiment , It’s only Grahashrama that provides such a wonderful opportunity to learn to understand, to unfold, excel and go beyond. But unfortunately, we have vulgarized it, commercialized it, and killed the very beauty, very sacredness of this family institution.

So now, with all openness let us try to understand, what is a family, what to expect from the family and why we need a family. Grahashrama, It’s called ashrama, ashrama means where there is no strain or no exhaustion. It is a space of leisure, where the relaxation is the base, where there is no exertion and no exhaustion. It is a place of fulfillment, enrichment, enhancement and expansion, that is called ashrama. Family is also called an ashrama where we expand and enrich ourselves.

Here Guruji expressed his concern over not getting any satisfactory answer over the years, from any of the family members during his travel across places about the purpose of a family life. He then stated: 

Everybody says, that they are striving hard to build up a good family? But without defining what is a family, how one can work for it ? Even our prohit’s, or priest, they do not explain anything about marriage, the family, purpose of the family etc., that’s why we are rubbing with the wrong side of the family, where there is only friction and no happiness. This results in always going through self pity, pain, disgust, desperation, helpless feeling, that is because we are not defining it. Moment you define it, then everything becomes very clear.

So let us begin with all humility, with this profound question, what is a family ?

Guruji then asked the participants to define 'family' according to them. Enthusiastic participants then tried to define the Family in their own ways. Hearing each responses, Guruji in his own humorous style  answered why it can't be real definition of the family life. Guruji then stated that even to define now what is a family, without the partners consent one cannot define it. Event to define, both the partners have to come together. So Guruji asked all the participants who have come along with their partners, to sit together later in the day and come with the definition of what family is. Moving on Guruji remarked:

"We discuss all topics, but so far we have not, sat and discussed, 'what is the purpose of our marriage', why we are not able to get along?, why we are not able to relate with each other?, why we are not able to relish the space?. Silently we have been carrying our pain, our misery, our expectation, our desire, our ambition, our idealism, but when we two come together, it’s only an explosion. One yields to it, and another dominates it. It is the story of every family because we are all scared thinking, 'if we open up this what will happen?...

Please don’t lose interest saying it’s an impossible task and don't drop it as it is.

Grahasthrama is a tapas. Tapas means, experiencing the heat and rising above the heat, that is called tapas. In tapas, there is no fighting. There is no resistance. In tapas, there is total acceptance. If I am doing tapas means, there is total acceptance. For e.g. if 'mouna vratha' (silence) is my tapas (austerity), then it means I have accepted it completely. Physically, emotionally, psychologically & intellectually. The moment I accept 'mouna vratha' completely, then all the factors which are there in me, which don’t like this 'mouna vratha' will start reacting. This is the healing crisis. Every sadhaka has to go through this crisis. It’s very easy to fight it out, very easy to avoid, very easy to run away, very easy to pass over, but very difficult to accept it. In that acceptance, only intelligence has to work, nothing else.

So many of us, may be under this feeling, 'Guruji, we have gone beyond this stage, there is no point in going back and suffering;, so let's not really bother about our family'. That's why we have become individualized islands in the ocean. Family is the ocean, and we have created insulated islands where we are constantly working for our survival. Then all through marriage, family is going to remain as a myth where we start accepting the sufferings.

So let us start where we are and find out "Is it possible for me to redefine what is a Family", then the family will have a meaning. Otherwise NO. When I have to leave the body, with what message I am going to to leave the body? This is the challenge, every family person has to answer.

OK, I fought over the years, for what ? why did I fight ? kimartham? This is the basic question we have to answer. Start this question today, don't postpone it to the end, all most at the verge if I start putting the question and don’t find the answer, it’s of no use. Manusya janma (human life) is very rare.  So friends ask this question again, with all sincerity, what is a family?

One could sense that Guruji was really concerned with the careless attitude of many family in today's generation which was evident in his lecture. He seriously remarked:

I need a companion, somebody who can prepare food, I need somebody, who can satisfy my urges, I need somebody to take care of my parents, I need somebody to take care of my desire, is the family for that only? If it is for that only, then why one have to hold on to only one person? One can get varieties who can provide with much more things. If I get married, only for companionship, there are wonderful companions all over. Is that the premise of the family or something else?. If that is the premise, then logically it is right, that’s where the divorce takes the upper hand. Logically every person who is divorcing, has an answer. There you cannot discuss much because it’s very clear, I wanted the companionship, I am not getting here, so I am getting out of it... Very simple, it’s purely a business .

Some of you may be wondering, why did I take up this topic "Love & Family Life" this time. There are two types of sadhana. First type is crucifying your own self and emerge as a bright star. Another type, don’t touch yourself, crucify others and you enjoy. Himalayan parampara belongs to the first type. You don’t crucify anybody, you crucify yourself. You fix your own self. Its very easy to fix others. My marriage & my family is not successful because my wife is like this, my husband is like this, my mother-in-law is like this, my father-in-law is like this, my brother-in-law or sister-in-law is like this etc., It's very easy to blame it on others. For that there is no answer. Your convenience is the answer.

Sometimes I get scared about thinking of our youngsters. It’s very serious issue. If we say it’s a cultural problem, religious problem, social problem etc., then what is your accountability & responsibility in it?. Everybody is dumping like that, there is no end to it. somewhere we have to bell the cat. It may not work immediately, but still you have to move in that direction. We are all suffering because we have the attitude of saying, 'hum kya kar sakthe hai? (what can I do?) For everything this is the statement.

We are trying to compensate this area with money, comfort, outings etc. It’s all easy diversion and they are not helping in building up the relationship. You may be taking your kids, partners, to fancy places, tourist spots all over, but they are not going to build up your relationship. We are just pampering, and it’s becoming an addiction, it’s becoming a habit pattern, it’s becoming expensive and what not.

If you are happy with what’s happening with you, then let’s not go further. We have taken life so lightly. For us money is important, status is important, our word is important, but not this.  For silly reasons, family are getting destroyed. You are not able to just drop it because the mind does not allow you to drop it. 90% of the mind is suffering with the disease called the illogical stuckness.

Even though I want to bring out a good relationship in my family life, why I am not able to bring out the good relationship, is the challenge. Even though I want to create a very happy family, why I am not able to create  a happy family? Here comes the clue, it's not your partner, it is YOU, YOU and YOU only. YOU are the family and YOU are the extension of your family. Everyone else comes later. Now if you are serious, you catch yourself, not your partner, you start correcting yourself. When you start correcting yourself, automatically the corrections happens with your partner also. We are not able to solve the problem because we have identified the problem with others.

We all get tempted, attracted by one face of the person. That person nose is good, so let me marry. After 6 months it gets swollen. So I married not you, I married the nose. Sometimes you would be impressed with the way he or she smiles, the way he or she talks. So to marry, what did you see ? You have not seen anything, you saw what you wanted, you saw what deficiency you had and you wanted to compensate. Once this deficiency is over, then you don’t need it anymore. If you try to find out, then you will see, the problem is not anywhere outside, problem is in you only. This is blocking your entire journey. You are not able to move because we have not understood this properly. 

So I want you to stay with this question, what is a family and why do I need a family. Stay with this question please. Don’t try to get the answer by hook or crook. Just be with the question, then you will start seeing the unfoldment that is going to happen. You have to stay with it. if you stay with it, from different corners, different layers, different levels, things starts coming out. All the hidden thieves will come out, if you start looking at it and if you learn to stay with it. The question is what is this family and why do I need a family. Not a negative or positive question, just a question. If you think positively, then you try to find out positive answers. All rosy, goody goody answer will emerge. If you think negatively, oh my god. Both are dangerous.  So just stay with the question, that’s all.

Friends, let us with all sincerity work on these questions, untill we come up with the next update. Please feel free to share your feedback & opinions through the comment section below. If you do not have an account, you can still provide comments using 'Anonymous' option.

Thanks for reading, Vande Guru Paramparam...

(the messenger)

Summer Camp 2013 - Series 2

Pranams to all the readers. While we are contemplating on the "Shiva Shaktya Yuktho" that Guruji was talking about on the first day of the Summer Camp at Sadhana Dhama, let us today dwell upon Jyothi Ma's intro session.

Jyothi Ma has chosen a very interesting and dynamic topic - "Dhaarana" as taught in Sri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra text for this year Summer Camp. Sri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra is a classical tantric text, which offers 112 varieties of dhaaranas or techniques of concentration, a subject most relevant to modern times, which also can easily be blended into personal life style. These dhaaranas, interestingly enough, can be practiced even by a beginner, aspiring for qualitative concentration and gradually deepen one’s meditation.

What is Dhaarana? Dhaarana is a power of the mind to hold on to something singularly, to the exclusive of everything in a state of complete absorption

Jyothi Ma's in her session, first took the blessings from the Guru Paramapara to make her self and the channel to receive the divine knowledge and trend the path of self enlightenment . She then welcomed all the aspirants to her session on Dhaarana. She shared her sincere intention to give us lot of practice sessions along with little theoretical background. She stressed that, without theoretical background, whatever one try to learn as practice is going to be without proper foundation. The 'why' and the 'how' and 'what' of what we are doing, doesn't get the answer which would then become a blind approach.

Following is the brief synopsis of what Ma spoke on her first sesssion which itself is a wonderful reference for each aspirant in the path of Sadhana to read, contemplate and practice. She explains beautifully, what Dhaarana is, why one need Dharana and how to practice Dhaarana.

Strength of Sankalpa:

Actually it is not how much we learn or how long I speak or how much I teach, the important factor is it has to be the qualitative learning. Those who are very eager to learn sometimes, they feel they are given very less time in the camp as there is so much of thirst to get everything in one swallow / one gulp. And there are some who come to the camp, with the casual approach without any real intention with no Sankalpa in attending the camp. In both the cases, probably they don’t really get much.

When there is so much of thirst to get more and more, a person's dhaarana will be on the thirst and not on the knowledge and When one doesn't have the sankalpa with precise orientation, then the mind cannot maintain the dhaarana of receiving. Then also the listener is the loser. The recipient gets less because the absorption becomes very weak. So it is very important to know first these obstacles in the concept of Dhaarana.

What should be one's approach to practice Dhaarana?

Jyothi Ma then shared one interesting conversation that transpired with her Guru "Shri Srividya swaguru Sri Satyanandanatha of  Sri Vidyaranya Tradition" wherein He in the course of some discussion had made one striking point that, “I have been teaching this Srividya to many many disciplines, the group is growing very big and there are disciplines who are much much senior who might teach so much about srividya. However if a disciple has a conventional mind, then the very convention of the mind becomes an obstacle, an impediment in the process of receiving the knowledge".

Mind's conventional approach - Block in the path of Sadhana

Many of us, have this conventional mind because, it is the nature of the mind to  hold on to one convention or the other. Precisely because, mind cannot stay comfortable without a support. It needs a support.  Convention is a very easy support for the mind to stay and then nourish and then enjoy those conventions. It can be understood through one's habit patterns, it can be as simple as drinking coffee everyday, to a complicated process of doing puja, rituals and all your's spiritual practices. So called, the greatest spiritual practice can also turn into a convention and the mind becomes habituated to that convention, a pattern of living, a pattern of feeling, a pattern of one's own very existence.

Jyothi Ma then emphasized that:

Coming to camp like this annually, can become a convention too. Without any orientation, without any purpose one may attend this camp because he/she needs a change. So your reception gets limited to that convention. See the beauty of this concept of convention. It is very sad that the very convention blocks even a senior disciple's in the path of spiritual sadhana. So the guru tries very hard in different ways to break those conventions created by Himself in the disciple. But some are hardcore disciples and they never want to change. 

In their initial acquaintances with their Guru, these hardcore disciples formulate certain ideas, concepts and conventions as far as his/her sadhana, their relationship with the Guru and all the spiritual knowledge is concerned. Once it gets crystallized, it is finished, one can't go beyond that. These are the difficulties you find in your path of sadhana. 

So a sadhaka has to be very very open minded, and follow the 'Neti' principle, neti in samskrata means not this...,not this.... Keep yourself open like the open space but be sincere to what you are doing. Don’t you ever become a hardcore disciple in the process of doing your sadhana because you never know when you are going to reach your destination. 

For e.g. if you don’t know if your destination is Bangalore, you may get down in any point of the station, thinking that station itself is Bangalore. Is it not? In same way, in spiritual path you really don’t know the destination, only when you have reached the destination, you would know. But until such time, you really have to guard yourself against this hard core discipleship. Otherwise, what happens is, this conventions of disciplines, conventions of sadhana, will make the conventional mind to think, "oh whatever I am doing is perfectly fine, I am the most dedicated disciple, I am the most diligent practitioner...etc.", these are all the aspects of this spiritual ego.

You are bound to get wonderful experiences in the path of your sadhana and those experiences should never become your destination and you should not think that you have reached the goal. This is the toughest part in the path of sadhana. Therefore when I am talking about dhaarana’s also, I want you to keep your mind very open and not get struck with these conventions. Even the greatest of the puja’s, the greatest of the yantra’s i.e. 'Srichakra', that itself can become a stumbling block if I don't know how to open out myself to all the nuances and the beautiful energy dynamics that the Sri yantra or the Srividya practice can offer.

Dive with open arms

Even if I go to the vast sea, the ocean, and if I only carry a small cup, then who is at fault? The ocean is not at fault, the problem is with me, because I decided to carry a small cup. So I would only get a small amount of water. But here is the ocean with open arms to give you everything, if you are ready to dive deep into the ocean then you get the precious stones. But if I don’t want to touch even the water with my hand at the seashore, carefully I would take the cup and then just take the water in the cup and go away. So the problem is with the conventional mind. So when you do the practices of the dhaarana, please see if you can maintain an unconventional mind, not getting struck with any of the experiences, any of the methodology that I am going to give you, but keep flying high without any hesitations reservations and be ready, prepared to come down to the reality when it is needed.

It may not make any sense to you now, because we are yet to begin the practice, but keep this word of caution in your mind. Keep examining and exploring, if your mind is a conventional mind or not. This would help you not only in your sadhana, but in all walks of life. Otherwise your own mind can deceive you with your spiritual practices. 

(to be contd..)

Friends, let us dwell upon on the profound message of Jyothi Ma on Dhaarana before we move further into other wonderful dynamics of Love & Family Life and Dhaarana.

Till we meet next time, Happy Sadhana & Vande Guru Paramparam...

- 'Bansuri'
(a messenger)

Summer Camp 2013 - Series 1

Shri. Pattabhiram lecture session on 'Love & Family Life'

Summer Camp at Ashram is always been one of the highly anticipated event for all the family members of Sadhana Sangama, as it provides a means to come together, spend an eventual week at Ashram to unlearn toxic habit patterns, thoughts & activities and to learn Satvic fruitful teachings from the great Masters.

This year Summer Camp at Sadhana Dhama had presence of highly enthusiastic and motivated participants from different parts and the message we got this time from the Masters is highly valuable & need of the hour as it was on the topic “Love & Family Life”.

We here humbly present the coverage of this year Summer Camp to all the readers in series, so that it benefits the Sadhakas who could not attend the camp and also for Sadhakas who were part of the Camp, to recollect their Golden memories. 

The Camp started on 19th of May evening with Guruji & Jyothi Ma inaugurating the camp with lighting the lamp by chanting Guru Vandana & Shanthi Slokas followed by Guruji’s Introductory talks which set the goal of the camp perfectly in midst of gentle breeze as a welcome sign from the Mother Nature.

OM POORNAMADAH POORNAMIDAM

POORNAAT POORNAMUDACHYATE

POORNASYA POORNAMAADAAYA
POORNAMEVAAVASHISHYATE

OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTIH

Guruji then started his session with a meditation session as He emphasized that meditation is the only space where inner union is possible as it is the very purpose of family life. Guruji guided meditation helped the participants to drop all the activities which are going on deep within that are controlled by us, so that in the very silence one can experience the union within. 

Guruji during the Meditation session guided the participants with the following Prayer:

The entire message for a family man is how to bring that union deep within. There is freedom, there is beauty and there is oneness with everything.  Let us feel that fragrance deep within, the harmony, union and joy.  Whatever comes in the way consciously drop, detach. Don’t try to fight with anything.  Feel the presence of Himalayan masters, let us connect with Gurudev and let us offer our humble sankalpa yuktha prathna, that one week, we are going to be here together. Eh! Gurudev, bless us, intensify our sadhana, strengthen our conviction to carry on the spiritual blessings of the Masters,  bless us to find out the purpose of family and to strengthen the family institution so that all the members of the family and the society will grow beautifully & completely. 

Prayers to lord Ganapathi, lord Hanuman, & the Divine Mother to bless all the Sadhakas were also invoked. 

Post Meditation, Guruji made us aware of the purpose of this year Camp and what we as Sadhakas have in store which is going to be tremendous value add if practiced sincerely. Following is the brief synopsis of our beloved Gurudev’s intro talk which itself is a great insight for all of us:

Friends, we are going to stay together for one week, to meditate together, understand together, learn together - what is family, what is my relationship with family and how to use family as a very powerful ground to connect oneself with the divinity. The entire family revolves around Shiva Shakthi Bhava. Shiva & Shakti, one is the light and another one is the energy.  As we see combination of Electricity & Electric wire which are both needed, so is Light & Energy.

When there is perfect harmony & beautiful relatioship between these two, then one merges with the other, one becomes the other, and in that union there is presence of the divinity.

We are going to discuss these in detail in next few days, but I want you as a sadhaka, to hold on to these two words Shiva and Shakthi and the union of these two.

Life is nothing but relationship. You cannot stay without relationship. So one has to find out what is this relationship & from where this relationship is emerging. So sadhana is not merely doing something mechanically, sadhana means enquiring also. Infact sadhana means, a means to enquiry. Sadhana means whatever I have enquired when I start experiencing it, that is sadhana.

How one can bring this Shiva Shakthi Bhava? Shiva means, auspiciousness, managalamaya, anandamaya, where there is absolute freedom, joy, happiness & satisfaction, that is Shiva. Shiva means, manifestation of that eternity, which is nothing but perfection & happiness. Now what is family then? Family means how I can make this consciousness as energy to organize to create and to build up something called family. So family beings with you, not with your husband or with your wife or with anybody else, it begins with you.

If you experience, Shiva Bhava in you and that becomes the Shakthi, the energy and that energy starts relating. And in that relationship there is no complaint & competition; there is only learning, understanding and the concern. It means, family life is nothing but the tapas (austerity), it’s not just you enjoy and extract, and demand and fight and then divorce. All those things are nothing to do with family. We always fight, we complain, but here, in this space, if I experience, how to translate the Shiva into Shakthi, then it becomes the tapas (austerity). Then it starts moving from yourside to outside. It’s not from outside to inside. it’s from here (inner) to outside. 

So I have to go back to myself, for that I need a base, our rishis have given the base, Shankaracharya has given that base, that is Shiva Shakthi Swarupa. So again family means, it has to start with you. It means, enriching, empowering your inner dimension. If you do this, then you can see, experience, the entire kula (family) of the universe. In that you see, the family which is very close to you also. Otherwise, Just merely getting married, does not make you a family man.

So friends, next few days, let us work on this concept. Shiva Shakthi Swarupa. How I can translate the Shiva into Shakti. Shakthi means manifestation, Shakthi means movement. So how I can push this forward? To do that, one has to find out what is this Shiva & Shakti.

Don’t drop it, by saying Guruji, it’s too difficult. I know it’s difficult. Whole life is difficult. Tell me, what is not difficult in you. Working in Kitchen, going to office, keeping your back straight, listening, taking care of family, sending your kids to school, the whole life is difficult only. So now if you are intelligent, select those difficulties which are going to help you a lot. Everything is difficult; earning money is difficult, getting sleep is difficult, because of too much food, stomach is full, so digestion is difficult..., so every second, we experience this difficulty. So why we accept only few difficulties to carry on, and few (Sadhana) we don’t even take a chance to understand ?

Going to office & taking care of kids is also difficult activity, getting up early to sit and meditate at home is also a difficult activity, both are difficult, Right? If the whole life is difficult, if you are intelligent, select those difficulties which will create an opportunity in you, to empower you, enhance and merge with the cosmos, do that.

Life means difficulty. Morning till evening, you slog, whole day you slog, and you have accepted that difficulty. When you have accepted that difficulty, you accept this difficulty (Sadhana) also. As you would get the fruit if you accept that difficulty, you would definitely get the fruit, if you accept this difficulty (sadhana) also.

But the problem is, we accept that difficulty, and we don’t accept this difficulty (sadhana) completely. That’s why our sadhana is not moving, progressing. To learn the computer & other modern technologies, how much time you have really given.  You spend so much time there;  but you don’t get this feeling that you are wasting your energy there. But here in the sadhana, "oh, I have to give 10 mintues, 15 minute, 1 hour for Sadhana… No Time Guruji…", full of complaints. So difficulty is something which is common everywhere. Even sitting here listening here, is also a difficult activity.

So this one week friends, together let us try to explore, how I can, share Shiva Bhava that is there in me, as Shakthi and share with everybody. That is the beginning of family. For e.g. if you are staying in a community, how I can share completely. Sharing means, I become sensitive, I try to understand the others person feelings, I try to see the difficulties, I try to see the short comings. With all that, I give love. He is the real family man. It means Grihastho Dhanyaha, our rishis have made it very clear. Grahastha means Dhanya, because it is a great tapas (austerity). At present, Grihasthashram is not becoming tapas because we start expecting too much, without contributing anything.  That is the modern trend.

We expect, but we don’t contribute. Ask yourself, how much you are really contributing. In what way we are contributing, not just, providing some money and building a house that is not the contribution, not at all. How much space you have provided for others, where others can come and rejoice in that space that is there in you? This if you start working at it, we realize, we have not created any space, but we are trying to provide material things, hoping that is going to give this, which is not so.

So let us begin the enquiry, with this simple statement, Shiva Shaktya Yukto. Shiva and Shakthi, both are in us. Shakthi means expression, manifestation, Shiva means Ananda that is there in me. What is Ananda, Anada means non conflicting emotion, where there is no conflict. When the mind goes through non conflicting state, it experiences Ananda.  So manifestation of this Ananda is Shiva Shaktya Yukto.

Dear Sadhakas, with this great message from our Gurudev, let us contemplate on Shiva Shaktya Yukto for few days, till we come back with more updates on the Summer Camp...

Till then, At the lotus feet of the Masters, Vande Guru Paramparam....

- 'Bansuri'
(the messenger)