Yogi Speaks

What is happiness and sorrow to me? What is day and night to me? What is pain and pleasure to me? What is heaven and hell to me? What is virtue and sin to me? What is soul and skin to me? What is desire and fulfillment to me? What is movement and stillness to me? All is in me and I’m in all, and beyond...

Who am I? The question has become very famous now, thanks to Bhagwan Ramana Maharshi who, with His grace, is helping masses to go within and find the true ultimate Self (Yes, I replaced "their true ultimate Self" to "the true ultimate Self). So when I read these teachings of Bhagwan Ramana, Bhagwan Buddha, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Shri Ashtavakra and all the masters who primarily prescribe the path of Jnana or Gyan Yoga which translates to the Wisdom Yoga, one of the four main types of Yoga, I am pushed to become aware of the mind and analyze how it all works. So all my literary work is mostly based on my analysis and my little experiences and understanding of the within.  When for the first time I started meditating and I went into a meditative state, what I experienced was pure silence within. For a few moments, there were no thoughts at all, it was pure silence and pure peace and it was so so beautiful. But after a few moments, my karma bounced back and pulled me back to...

In Advaita Vedanta, which is known as the non-dual system of the religion, it is said that there is only one Self (Atman) and that is all-pervasive, that is the Supreme Self (Brahmn) and that is the Ultimate Reality. Rest all are the mere 5 sensory experiences happening in the Self and the Self is beyond all the experiences, but being aware of it all, unaffected by any of it. It is everywhere yet its location is nowhere at the same time which means it is beyond space-time continuum. It is the same Self having different experiences through whole universe at once. It is all a divine play(Leela). Duality exists because the Consciousness is locked up in this mind-body matrix which is called the great illusion (Maya) and when it is freed, it starts to perceive the Ultimate Reality, the Oneness of All there is and there is not. Whereas, Buddhists say there is no Self. There is nothing at the core of it, it is all emptiness (Shunya). What is there are mere sensations, perceptions of the m...

Home, o dear home I've been searching for you from so long Where are you lost? Home, o dear home... I look around and see Nowhere to put my guards off and sleep, Where else can I go? Home, o dear home... Every act has been a transaction now Give and take is the lifestyle somehow Can't I just be and not think much at all? Home, o dear home... Silly heart trying to find it here and there It just can't conceive that the life has played It's still looking for the childhood norm Home, o dear home... When will it all be normal again? When will I have somewhere to go and remain? It can't be said as normal anymore Home, o dear home... Hope is the only hope there is in life I hope someday, it will all be alright Hope I get somewhere that'll keep me from the storms Home, o dear home... Where are you lost? Home, o dear home...

I often hear people especially in religions and spirituality talking about serving other people and I find myself thinking about it. Then I question myself, serving whom? A particular society or community? Who are these people who need to be served and why? Why am I concerned about serving others? If I am really concerned about them, are they still "others?" YES, read the previous line again.  This I feel is the whole point of doing selfless action for others(Karma Yoga). "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;"  When the service is performed because, on a deeper level, somewhere, you have realized that they are no "others" but your own people(I would restrain myself from using the term your own "Self" since I'm not enlightened yet;). Then whatever you do for them becomes sacred. When their joy becomes your joy, which further means that when you have crossed the boundaries of your worldly i...

Mythology, the "myths" particularly in religions and cultures. For the people with "average" or I would say "unexplored" intelligence, these are stories which they may believe or disbelieve. According to me believing or disbelieving, both are insane, both are useless, both will not get you anywhere, both are blunders of human minds for ages. Actually, as per my understanding, some of these stories (not all, depends upon the source and its authenticity), are encrypted with deep wisdom and can be decoded by the people with certain level of Intelligence.  Let's discuss one of the most famous stories when Shiva (a God described in Hindu Culture who mainly represents Consciousness) cuts down the head of His wife Parvati's (Goddess Shakti who stands for the Energy) son and then replaces it with an elephant-like head.  Once Parvati, being a woman, felt the desire for a child, but Her husband Shiva, was in deep meditation and He used to remain i...

Knowledge and Wisdom, both the terms sound the same to most people. Some may distinguish between the two, but may not have given enough thought to this. So let's go into it today. As per the general definition, knowledge means knowing of facts, truths, and principles. And Wisdom means, "knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action" as dictionary.com describes it. So where does the difference lie? Well, let's take an example from the religions. Religions teach people killing someone is a sin, stealing is a sin. Ok, the principles are told, now it's in people's knowledge. But what the shocking part in this example is that does a Messiah or Avatar has to come down from heaven and educate people about all these fundamental things? Why aren't these principles arising from people's own level of perception? And that is where I believe the whole difference between Knowledge and Wisdom lies. When the truths, the fundamental princ...