Meditation FAQ
Nirguna Bhakti
The unbroken streaming of the mind towards Me, the Supreme Spirit, the Dweller in the cave of the heart. Like the flowing of the Ganga waters to the sea, which starts the moment one hears My glorious qualities praised - that is Nirguna bhakti - inspired by no ulterior end and free from notions of difference.
Such devotees will not accept anything - come to My world (without death), or accept any of My wealth or power; physical nearness to Me; resembling Me, or even absorption/merging in My essence - should any of these things be offered them, if it is meant they would stop serving Me. This is called the ultimate Bhakti yoga, that leads one beyond the influence of the three gunas to the attainment of My State (Brahma). This state is developed through attentive and disinterested practice of one's own duties by;
1. devoutly and steadfastly worshiping My without desiring to attain any reward from the worship, and without causing any injury or serious inconvenience to others
2. reverently gazing on My image or any other image in which I am invoked, lovingly caressing it, offering worship, bhajans, and prostrating; learning to look on Me as present in all creatures
3. cultivating courage and detachment
4. showing great respect to the saintly, sympathy to the lowly, and friendship to one's equals
5. practicing the internal and external disciplines
6. listening to the Shastra that teaches discrimination between Self and non-Self
7. devoutly reciting My names
8. cultivating perfect sincerity and straightforwardness
9. consorting with the virtuous, and abjuring the attitude of possessiveness.
By these means the mind of the person who devotes themselves to the Dharma that leads to Me is purified, and it turns to Me the moment it hears My praises sung.
Just as the fragrance that wafts through the air from its source possesses the sense of smell, so does the mind, devoted to yoga and steadied by it, instantly possess Me, the Paramatman, as their very own.
Srimad Bhagavatam Chapter 29 verses 6 -20
What is a mantra?
Mantra is that which saves one from the enslavement of the mind. What one thinks, one feels. If a person has stressful thoughts they feel stressful. But when the silence of the soul is present, even to a small degree, persons are not as affected by their thoughts; they are able to think more clearly.
Say you were sitting by a babbling brook, enjoying its melodious sounds when suddenly a number of cars and truck drive past you on the road. Suddenly all you hear is the noises of the vehicles. As they drive farther away their noises fade into the distance. The hold on your attention is released from the noise of the cars and trucks and the awareness of the babbling of the brook again brings peace to the mind.
Like this, the true state of awareness is peace, analogous to the peace of the babbling brook. Thoughts in the mind are noises, much like the cars and trucks; they take hold of the mind and obscure the awareness of peace. The mantra increases one's spiritual life force or kundalini shakti (which is also called the state of peace). As the life force or peace begins to predominate the awareness, the hold of the noisy thoughts are released. The mantra is thus nothing but the life force or kundalini shakti.
I cannot meditate. How do I keep thoughts out of my mind?
This is a misconception. Meditation is a natural situation. Forcing thoughts out of the mind is not natural; forcing anything is not natural. Meditation has many forms. Prayer, contemplation, and mantras are forms most commonly associated with meditation. In some cases art, music, or just doing what you love connects one with the Divine.
For others active meditation is more suitable such as helping others, religious ceremonies, rituals, and chanting. The key is that each individual finds what best suits their temperament. Whatever is natural will bring a sense of mental peace and eventually Divine bliss.
Do I have to change religions to meditate?
No, whatever form of meditation or prayer is appealing is what will work best for each person. There is no best religion; there is no best form of meditation.
Organized religion does not work for me. Is there another definition of spirituality?
Yes, each person was created by God and has the Divine spark within them. Each person can find their own inner path back to God. Whatever brings peace of mind is spiritual. Helping others, being ethical, finding purpose in life, all these are ways to develop one's spirituality.
Is the peace that comes from meditation make one become a zombie?
Just the opposite. Brain washing or the zombie state is one of complete loss of one's mental control. Someone else is controlling the mind. Meditation frees the mind from stress and ideas that enslave it. The mind has more clarity, awareness, and penetrative abilities. Thus, it can not be taken over in stressful situations; the mind remains clear, calm and alert.
What is kundalini shakti and why is it called a state of peace?
The kundalini shakti is eternal and non-changing being or divinity; that which is always there (and Divine) is ever peaceful.
How does one raise their kundalini shakti?
The shaktipat guru first infuses this spiritual energy into the student (shishya) at the time of spiritual initiation (diksha). Then as the student practices meditation (sadhana), the kundalini energy is raised. The student grows in peace and virtue.
What does samadhi or enlightenment mean?
There are three main stages of samadhi. When the mind is rid of dulling (tamasic) and overly active (rajasic) thoughts and only has pure (sattwic) thoughts, this is the first stage of samadhi. It is called Saibikalpa Samadhi.
When the mind becomes habituated to this peacefulness it is then able to notice a still greater peace- the inner eternal peace. During meditation the mind gradually becomes drawn within to this inner eternal peace until it forgets the outer mind and becomes absorbed inner eternal awareness; no thoughts or physical sensations are present. There is only absorption. This is the second stage of samadhi, Nirbikalpa Samadhi.
Because the body and mind are not yet fully developed, after some time one's awareness again returns to the world of the senses- the outer world. As meditation progresses one remains in the state of absorption or awareness of the eternal Self, more and more until finally this awareness of eternity no longer leaves. With eyes open or closed, active or meditating, the awareness of the eternal Self is ever present. This is called Kaibalya or Self-Realization. It is also called the highest form of yoga or enlightenment.
What is yoga?
Yoga means union. The highest form of union is the state of kaibalya samadhi. All energy currents in the mind and body are united, flowing into the spiritual channel (sushumna), all energy centers are united as well.
Yoga also is a form of exercise. These gentle stretching postures help heal, tone and prepare the mind and body for Self-Realization.
There are several Siddha shaktipat ashrams in the U.S., do they teach the same things as your ashram?
We do not really know the other ashrams so are unable to comment on them.
The unbroken streaming of the mind towards Me, the Supreme Spirit, the Dweller in the cave of the heart. Like the flowing of the Ganga waters to the sea, which starts the moment one hears My glorious qualities praised - that is Nirguna bhakti - inspired by no ulterior end and free from notions of difference.
Such devotees will not accept anything - come to My world (without death), or accept any of My wealth or power; physical nearness to Me; resembling Me, or even absorption/merging in My essence - should any of these things be offered them, if it is meant they would stop serving Me. This is called the ultimate Bhakti yoga, that leads one beyond the influence of the three gunas to the attainment of My State (Brahma). This state is developed through attentive and disinterested practice of one's own duties by;
1. devoutly and steadfastly worshiping My without desiring to attain any reward from the worship, and without causing any injury or serious inconvenience to others
2. reverently gazing on My image or any other image in which I am invoked, lovingly caressing it, offering worship, bhajans, and prostrating; learning to look on Me as present in all creatures
3. cultivating courage and detachment
4. showing great respect to the saintly, sympathy to the lowly, and friendship to one's equals
5. practicing the internal and external disciplines
6. listening to the Shastra that teaches discrimination between Self and non-Self
7. devoutly reciting My names
8. cultivating perfect sincerity and straightforwardness
9. consorting with the virtuous, and abjuring the attitude of possessiveness.
By these means the mind of the person who devotes themselves to the Dharma that leads to Me is purified, and it turns to Me the moment it hears My praises sung.
Just as the fragrance that wafts through the air from its source possesses the sense of smell, so does the mind, devoted to yoga and steadied by it, instantly possess Me, the Paramatman, as their very own.
Srimad Bhagavatam Chapter 29 verses 6 -20
What is a mantra?
Mantra is that which saves one from the enslavement of the mind. What one thinks, one feels. If a person has stressful thoughts they feel stressful. But when the silence of the soul is present, even to a small degree, persons are not as affected by their thoughts; they are able to think more clearly.
Say you were sitting by a babbling brook, enjoying its melodious sounds when suddenly a number of cars and truck drive past you on the road. Suddenly all you hear is the noises of the vehicles. As they drive farther away their noises fade into the distance. The hold on your attention is released from the noise of the cars and trucks and the awareness of the babbling of the brook again brings peace to the mind.
Like this, the true state of awareness is peace, analogous to the peace of the babbling brook. Thoughts in the mind are noises, much like the cars and trucks; they take hold of the mind and obscure the awareness of peace. The mantra increases one's spiritual life force or kundalini shakti (which is also called the state of peace). As the life force or peace begins to predominate the awareness, the hold of the noisy thoughts are released. The mantra is thus nothing but the life force or kundalini shakti.
I cannot meditate. How do I keep thoughts out of my mind?
This is a misconception. Meditation is a natural situation. Forcing thoughts out of the mind is not natural; forcing anything is not natural. Meditation has many forms. Prayer, contemplation, and mantras are forms most commonly associated with meditation. In some cases art, music, or just doing what you love connects one with the Divine.
For others active meditation is more suitable such as helping others, religious ceremonies, rituals, and chanting. The key is that each individual finds what best suits their temperament. Whatever is natural will bring a sense of mental peace and eventually Divine bliss.
Do I have to change religions to meditate?
No, whatever form of meditation or prayer is appealing is what will work best for each person. There is no best religion; there is no best form of meditation.
Organized religion does not work for me. Is there another definition of spirituality?
Yes, each person was created by God and has the Divine spark within them. Each person can find their own inner path back to God. Whatever brings peace of mind is spiritual. Helping others, being ethical, finding purpose in life, all these are ways to develop one's spirituality.
Is the peace that comes from meditation make one become a zombie?
Just the opposite. Brain washing or the zombie state is one of complete loss of one's mental control. Someone else is controlling the mind. Meditation frees the mind from stress and ideas that enslave it. The mind has more clarity, awareness, and penetrative abilities. Thus, it can not be taken over in stressful situations; the mind remains clear, calm and alert.
What is kundalini shakti and why is it called a state of peace?
The kundalini shakti is eternal and non-changing being or divinity; that which is always there (and Divine) is ever peaceful.
How does one raise their kundalini shakti?
The shaktipat guru first infuses this spiritual energy into the student (shishya) at the time of spiritual initiation (diksha). Then as the student practices meditation (sadhana), the kundalini energy is raised. The student grows in peace and virtue.
What does samadhi or enlightenment mean?
There are three main stages of samadhi. When the mind is rid of dulling (tamasic) and overly active (rajasic) thoughts and only has pure (sattwic) thoughts, this is the first stage of samadhi. It is called Saibikalpa Samadhi.
When the mind becomes habituated to this peacefulness it is then able to notice a still greater peace- the inner eternal peace. During meditation the mind gradually becomes drawn within to this inner eternal peace until it forgets the outer mind and becomes absorbed inner eternal awareness; no thoughts or physical sensations are present. There is only absorption. This is the second stage of samadhi, Nirbikalpa Samadhi.
Because the body and mind are not yet fully developed, after some time one's awareness again returns to the world of the senses- the outer world. As meditation progresses one remains in the state of absorption or awareness of the eternal Self, more and more until finally this awareness of eternity no longer leaves. With eyes open or closed, active or meditating, the awareness of the eternal Self is ever present. This is called Kaibalya or Self-Realization. It is also called the highest form of yoga or enlightenment.
What is yoga?
Yoga means union. The highest form of union is the state of kaibalya samadhi. All energy currents in the mind and body are united, flowing into the spiritual channel (sushumna), all energy centers are united as well.
Yoga also is a form of exercise. These gentle stretching postures help heal, tone and prepare the mind and body for Self-Realization.
There are several Siddha shaktipat ashrams in the U.S., do they teach the same things as your ashram?
We do not really know the other ashrams so are unable to comment on them.