Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 Shankaram Shiva Shankaram Hi All, Recently I attended a Shakti Spurana Program (The flowering of Energy) conducted by Swami Nityananda. I thought the notes I took might be helpful to others too who haven't attended the course. Regards, Srinivas. Introduction: ------------- Shakti Spurana Program is a prepration course for advanced courses like ASP,NSP and beyond. It is a glimpse into the higher states of mind/being and prepares the basis for the whole science of spirituality. A conditioned soul or a being, i.e., a being with a name and form, operates at three levels - physical, mental/intellectual and casual states. For the well-being of the conditioned soul in totality the needs of all the three bodies are to be met. The sciences we have developed so far or that we are aware of only taps the benefits from the understanding of being only in the first level and a little in the second level. The science handed over to us from the Masters and mystics explains with such clarity and simplicity the existence of dimensions that are yet to be explored and the potential benefits that we can accrue. In other words, it is the roadmap into the unknown territories laid down for those who are determined and sincerely persevering towards finding a solution to their eternal problems and ready and courageous enough to travel from the known to the unknown with an open mind. As individuals we are equipped with the faculties of logic and emotions and pure existence that we are, to weed out the problems that we are facing overcoming the hurdles in the path of evolution. Swami explains what the problems are and how we can remedy the situation. It is more or less like a first aid kit. Swami started with a description of different stages of 'consciousness' we can be in at any given point of time. +---------+----------------+-------------------+ | \Being| | | | \ | with | without | | \ | I | I | | \ | consciousness | consciousness | | \ | | | | Mind \| | | +---------+----------------+-------------------+ |with | (wakful state) | (dream state) | |thoughts | physical | subtle | | | conscious | sub-conscious | +---------+----------------+-------------------+ |without | (Samadhi)state | (deep-sleep) | |thoughts | Enlightenment | casual state | | |super-conscious | un-conscious | +---------+---+ This can be compared to an experience with automatic car where the gear-shift happens automatically on most of the roads and we forget to use the manual gear-shift if we are climbing steep elevation. This might lead to wastage of fuel, higher wear-and-tear, higher maintenance and headaches associated with it, and shorter life span of engine. I. Physical State: ------------------ This is the first state which we are comfortable to deal with, though not very well understood. We made several advancements in science and technology and brought the results into our mainstream life with an intention to make a better comfortable living. It brought in its train some benefits and losses still not giving a satisfactory explanation and direction to quench our eternal quest. Perhaps the journey starts with a proper understanding of the fundamental concepts of 'trouble', 'problem' and 'pain'. A 'trouble' or a 'problem' is a recurring situation which happens to us until we find a solution to it. It is something which is not very well understood or addressed. The question as to why it happens is out of the scope of discussion whereas the focus of subject is to find how we can improve the situation. Pain is a phenonemon that we undergo as a consequence. The sciences that we are aware of recommends a solution which is more or less a technique to suppress it rather that to eradicate it completely. It might try to make us insensitive to it which only works for the time-being before it comes back with greater force. Further we see that there are various side-effects. At the outset, we might attribute pain as a physical phenomenon whereas when we delve into it deeply it is a psychological or mental phenomenon. Of course, when we cut ourselves, break a leg or hand or get a chronical disease we experience excrutiating pain. This is inescapable in the normal circumstances and our body has inherenent intelligence to recover from it. We might have to take external help if needbe. With a proper mindset the pain in this case is reduced to pain in the physical sense without suffering. Suffering is nothing but a mental or psychological reaction. We understand and appreciate the above only if we can understand our body and mind properly. Our body has an inherent intelligence to defend against any odds and a recovery mechanism in its own unique way. The potential capacity it has is marvelous and our scientific community has had a glimpse of it. To build a computer with even a fraction of the power which mind exercises, the size of it will be a multistoried building and with a huge supply of power and generates noise which is equivalent to the noise generated by the traffic of a very busy city whereas a mind requires very minimal inputs and works with utter silence. Each part has capacity to extract energy directly from ether and re-equip itself. The intestine which helps in digestion by converting the bread to blood runs 3 km (1.5 miles) in length. The body is designed in such a way that it can replace, replenish, and rejuvinate itself and exist for 300 years. It can sustain without water for 90 days and without food for 21 days. We have trained the body to get its prana or energy only through food and water and other artificial supplements. We identify an individual only by the face or the bust, not by the whole body. By wrong methods of living and preferential treatment to certain parts we lost the ability to exploit the full potential of the body. If we observe a 3-year old child, we can see that the face and the feet have the same shiny skin and freshness. And it has a perfect health. This is because they live throughout the body. Swami delves on certain points on how to live throughout the body. a) getting rid of comparison The first impediment in not being able to live in our body is comparison. We try to compare with others w.r.t to colour, texture, physical strength and beauty and try to imitate them so that we can bring in those changes which we are attracted to. But this causes more harm than benefit. God is an artist, not an engineer. He carves, paints and creates us based on the pattern of our mental and physical setup required to achieve our set goal. Mass production / creation with the same mould does not help in any way as everyone is unique. We have to accept this uniqueness and try not to alter his creation. If we work towards achieving the goal sincerely within the parameters set, a new grace dawns on us. This is infinite times better than the beauty that we run after. We not only start loving our body but gain special respect and regards for our body. We become very sensitive to the changes happening around. This extra sensitivity and awareness helps us differentiate pain from suffering leading to a healthier body. b)Secondly we are descendents from the fish family. 75 % of our body is made of liquid and is salty. Our body as such has an ability to extract energy or prana from water and earth. Once a while it will be helpful to take a water bath (and soil bath if possible). c) Meditation technique: Swami followed this with a meditation exercise which rejuvinates the whole body. The first part is to tense various parts of the body from toe to head - feet, ankles, lower legs, knee caps, thighs, hips, lower and upper abdomen, chest, shoulder and hands, neck, face and head - in phases as we move along from one part to the next and then the whole body. This will be followed by relaxation from head to toe following the same sequence. This technique removes fatigue and gives instant energy. II. Dream state: ---------------- Swami started with the narration of a small story. Three friends were chatting and one of them asked the others what they would do if suddenly the world is to be flooded completely by water. One of them said that he would do all the charity possible so that it could account for his good deeds in heaven. The second friend said that he would start to " learn to live under water. " In this and the subsequent phase, Swami makes us realize that we are " living under water " and enumerates the rules to be followed to be able to live under water. The second phase which is a sub-conscious state describes the dream body which is a storehouse of desires and suppressions. The desires which are not materialized in our wakeful state tries to take control in our dream state. The suppressions consists of two opposite expressions - that we wanted to happen and that we did not want to happen. And both of these find an expression in our dream state. It is like a safetly valve to let go the steam pressure accumulated during the wakeful state. And the impact of it on the wakeful state is tremendous. Restlessness is the immediate effect. This is aggravated by reduced efficiency lack of focus which in turn influence the dream state. This is a chain reaction. As far as the magnitude of disturbances are concerned, the height of it in wakeful state is equivalent to the depth of it in dream-state or casual state. But fortunately there is a corrective mechanism in place. We do get hints and messages which have innate intellingence in conveying itself to our awareness. Call it as intuition or by any other name. But we have to be sensitive and prudent enough to take cue and respond accordingly. Most of the dreams go unnoticed and forgotten. But some of them are vivid and make their imprints. And this could be because of our own imaginations or messages from our higher self or guiding forces. The way we can distinguish the messages from our hallucinations are messages are distinct in clarity, logical in sequence, and colourful. They could even be a peep into the future. The last of the category of messages are flashes of our higher state above all the three which the normal consciousness can rarely experience. This is the Samadhi state. It is a wakeup call reminding us of the ever blissful state from where we fell. How to be released from the clutches of dreams ? If we take a long and hard look at it, it dawns upon us that everything is an illusion. What we experience is in 3-dimensions of space and time. Dreams either drags us into the past with strong associations to the illogical sequence of thoughts or into uncertain future which we dont have control over. Future is uncertain as long as are unprepared, and preparation is possible only now, in this moment. Dreams have a tendency to ossilate between past and future leaving us drifted away to the mercy of external and internal forces acting upon us. It is possible to get a hold on it only if we hold onto the time shaft now in the present. It may need a radical change in our philosopy, our outlook at things, and our approach. Scientists are believing that there are more dimensions to our being than we can possibly think of and research is going on in this area. Mystics on the other hand emphatically say that there are 10 dimensions to it and laid down a methodical approach to experience them. This was followed by a 2-step meditation technique. a) The first step is to shift the wakeful state into the dream state. This is possible by slow and long breath with holding at the transitions points as long as we can. This will give a big jolt and does the required shift. b) The second stage is the hoonkara which removes suppressions. III. Casual state: ------------------ This is also called sushupti which literally means ability to create good energy. When we are in the mother's womb and until we are roughly around three years old, we have the ability to replenish the lost energy to the fullest extent possible. Then due to the follies in the upbringing and social norms, we develop certain notions and inculcate habits which are instrumental in us losing that innate ability to replenish. The most important of those are fear of darkness and fear of losing. Lack of energy results in the casual body interfering the other two states for replenishment. Whereas the darkness is energy, it is complete, full of energy and represented as Kali in Hindu mythology and NOT the dark or evil forces which normally one associates it with. When the casual body enters the wakeful state, it results in lethargy and fatigue. When it enters the dream state, it results in restlessness. This causes ripples in our sub-consciousness and results in dreams which are not very vivid and deep uneasiness and pain as well as tiredness in wakeful state. It has been acknowledged scientifically that it is quality rather than quantity of sleep which is refreshing. One can be afresh with just two hours of sleep, whereas the normal experience is that even after 8 hours of sleep leaves us in tiredness when we wakeup. Mystics say that our body has strong associations with sun and moon and based on the association by choosing the right hours of sleep, it is possible to rejuvinate the energy required by the casual body. Those associated with strong associations with the moon are called Chandramanis and they need sleep during 4 am to 6 am. Those with strong associations the sun are called Sauramanis and they need sleep from 10 pm to 12 pm. During this period the body temperature drops by 2 degrees Celcius and inactive. If anyone doesn't follow the course of the body may feel tiredness, fatigue and lethargy encroaching into the wakeful state. An advanced spiritual practioner can get away from sleep for 14 days without the negative influences on his normal activites. But that needs a special training. This was followed by a meditation technique to energize the casual body by befriending the darkness. This is a primer to the more advanced courses which are more like surgery to remove the harmful parts. The courses are designed in a way that some basic understanding coupled with regular pratise leads to a total well-being and happy life. Three memorable experiences that happened to Him … ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ a) transforming pain into unforgettable spiritual experience. Once His thumb finger was squeezed when the car door was locked. People started panicking and started running around for first aid. Swami refused it. Initially He saw that the thumb was swelling and He had acute pain, but He was undisturbed and He observed He saw energy gushing out to the thumb and the rest of the hand became numb. And He realized that what we call physical pain is the recovery process of the body initiated to heal the affected part. Instead of getting panicky and interfering with it, if we co-operate with that process, healing will be expedited. Once the healing is done this way, if the pain is caused by external factors/agents like cancer or any other disease, it will never happen again as the body will be completely immuned to it. When the pain is viewed from this new perspective, it is possible to understand the play of God and the whole process can be transformed into a spiritual experience. b) pain is just a mindgame. In His wanderings prior to enlightenment, He witnessed a strange incident in one of the villages of Maharashtra. He happened to be in a dilapidated temple. Opposite to the temple a small thatched hut was erected. One day a pregnent lady walked info the hut and came out half an hour later with a baby in her hand. There were no assistants, no doctors, no medication, no screaming whatsoever. The same incident happened a couple of days later. When he asked the priest as to how it is possible for ladies there to go through painless delivery, He had hard time convincing what pain means to the priest. That when He realized that pain is a mental conditioning. c) The whole world is the outcome of thought processes .. In one of the villages in Nepal He witnessed another strange custom. A resident of the village went with a lot of gifts to his neighbour and apologized for a bad thought that he entertained against the neighbour in his mind. When He went and questioned the head panchayat of the village as to why the resident claims the responsibility of causing harm against the neighbour just by entertaining such a thought against him. The panchayat head replied immediately that the world is the outcome of our thought process, and thoughts realize into actions. So before the thought transform into action, it is prudent that he repent for entertaining such a thought and take counter action. Hearing that Swami touched the feet of the panchayat head. He was sure that the whole villagers were either enlightened or very close to enlightenment and enjoying all the benefits of enlightenment. _______________________________ Express yourself with Y! Messenger! Free. Download now. http://messenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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