Read for Divine Knowledge.
Behold the Moon as well as the Sun within You
[English rendering of the discourse of Maharshi Santsevi Paramhans ji Maharaj published in the January 1999 issue of the Hindi monthly `Shanti Sandesh' published by Shanti Sandesh Press, Maharshi Mehi Ashram, Kuppaghat, Bhagalpur -812003 India.
Just a little while ago, you listened to the recitation from the Raam Charit Maanas (a famous epic composed by Goswami Tulsi Das jee) wherein the scintillating light of the Sun of Lord Shri Ram was referred to. It is said that when this sun rose, all the three worlds were illuminated. Now, this does not mean that before this sun came out, all the three worlds had been under darkness; and that only when this sun rose, the three worlds could see the light. It is also not that this sun came into existence only after the incarnation of Lord Shree Ram took place. Goswami Tulsidas jee himself has later clarified the issue:
"Yah prataap ravi jaake, ur jab karanhi prakaash."
That is, when this refulgent Sun or form of Ram or God appears within, or illuminates the inner sky of a person, he/she is able to see through the three worlds or the entire brahmaand (cosmos). We know it very well that the Sun in the outer sky is not able to brighten up even one world simultaneously (i.e. our Earth) in its entirety, let alone lighting all the three worlds. It is right now daytime here (in India), but it is night in the United States of America. That is, not even one world is fully lit at the same time. Again, in some of the countries like Norway and Sweden which are located near the North Pole, they have days and nights spanning about six months each! Had the Sun Tulsidas jee is referring to been this sun only, these countries would also have been illuminated simultaneously… In fact, the Sun mentioned by Tulsidas jee is not the outer sun, but the inner sun, the one which can be viewed inside each one of us. When a spiritual seeker sits in meditation, he/she makes an ascending journey, rising from the Aajnaa Chakra (variously termed as the divine gate, third eye, divya chakshu, teesraa til, dasham dwaar , shiv netra, trinetra etc. etc.) into the region of the thousand-petalled lotus, or the Sahasraar. Ascending further, when entry is made into the Trikutee, the inner Sun becomes visible, by seeing which the seeker acquires the super-natural or divine vision so as to be able to see all the three worlds. Our Gurudev, Maharshi Mehi Paramhans jee Maharaj, had scaled such heights of meditation that he could see events happening in any part of the universe. I have narrated several such incidents to you on different occasions in the past. Describing the inner sun, Sant Kabir Saahab says,
"Yahi ghat chandaa yahi ghat soor, yahi ghat baajai anahad toor. Yahi ghat baajai tabal nishaan, bahiraa shabad sunai binu kaan."
[(Moon as well as Sun is within this body itself. Within this body itself keep ringing myriads of celestial melodies or sounds. Within this body itself sounds the divine drum. Even the outwardly or physically deaf can listen to these divine sounds]
Proceeding from the Ajnaa Chakra, we get a glimpse of moon in the `sahasra dal kamal', or the realm of thousand-petalled lotus. Moving ahead we get to see the sun in the region of `trikutee'.
Not only Kabir Saahab, other saints, too, have testified to sighting the moon and the sun within. Guru Nanak jee, for example, describes it thus:
"Ravi Shashi lauke yahi tanu, kinguree baajai shabad niraaree"
[Sun and moon are visible within this very body of ours, wherein we can also listen to the divine sound current.]
He says further,
"Taaraa chadiyaa lammaa, kiu nadari nihaaliyaaa Raam"
[I hopped onto the star and saw it. The grace of God has made my life gratified, blissful & blessed.]
Whosoever begins this inner voyage i.e., practices meditation, gains in mental concentration. Associated with concentration is ascension. Such persons cross over from the level of `pind' (body) into the `brahmaand' (cosmos) where he/she gets the blissful glimpses of stars, moon, sun etc. These sightings are related to the inner world, not the outer one.
We see that we can not perform any work even in this outer world of ours in absence of light and sound. If both the light and the sound or vibrations go missing from our world, we would find it well nigh impossible to live. So, just as we need light and sound in the outer universe, we need light and sound in the inner universe, too. We identify any person or thing with the help of light (form or appearance) and sound. Similarly, light and sound are also essential to realize the God within us. Drawing on the support or help of light and sound, we can go beyond or transcend these two also to merge into oneness with the Supreme Lord or the God. Here so many persons are sitting in this hall. Each one can see the other in daylight. However, unless you enquire about each other's name, address, nature of job etc., you can not grow full familiarity with each other. Some conversation is essential to ascertain one's identity. At the moment, so many of you are seeing each other. Now suppose, in the future, if you happen to see someone who is present here at some other place, a feeling would come to you that you have seen him/ her somewhere. Driving a few nails down into your head, you might recall that yes; you had seen him here in the satsang hall. However, you would not be able to know what or who he is. Well, that would be possible only after you had exchanged some words of personal information with each other previously. To see each other, you need light. For gaining familiarity, you need to talk, i.e. seek the help of sound. Yes I was saying that as essential or indispensable are light and sound in the outer world, so are they in the inner world, too.
God has provided us with a beautiful analogy in the nature. When black rain clouds are hovering overhead in the outer sky, we, sometimes, see lightning in the sky. After we see lightning, we hear the thunder of clouds. Through this natural illustration, God is hinting at the inner meditation. When the spiritual practitioner, closing his/her eyes softly, tries to look intently at the prescribed place, as instructed by the Guru, in the inner sky, he/she comes to see the hovering clouds, lightning as also the thunderous rumbling. A hymn of Rig Veda says,
"Shrinv Vrishteriv swanah pavamaanasya sushminah. Charanti vidyuto divi".
That is, flashes of lightning are seen in the inner sky. Then, the powerful sound of rains can be heard; this sound is capable of washing or purifying the sins of the listener. During meditation, the saadhak (practitioner) sees a number of scintillations, flashes, sparkles, and electric-like sparks, and hears thunderous rumbles. In fact this sound belongs to or, comes from nowhere else but the pure and pristine aatmaa (soul) only.
You must have observed that very strong light is followed by very strong thundering sound, too. We, thus, first see light, and then we hear sound. Similarly, the saadhak (practitioner) first sees light within and then hears the sound. In fact, if we look at the chronological order of creation of the universe, we would find that first of all sound (the unstruck vibration or melody called the anaahat naad, and numerous other sounds called anahad naad) came into being which was followed, in order, by prakaash (light) and andhakaar (darkness). However, since we are currently living in the darkness of our ignorance, our spiritual journey has to take place in the reverse direction, and, therefore, beginning from within darkness, the seeker first, rising above darkness, sees light and then comes to hear sound. But let this not convey the impression that sound is produced last. In fact, sound was created first, though we hear it the last. Whoever practices meditation honestly & diligently comes across these experiences. There is a story in the Maitreyyupnishad (one of the Upanishads) in a similar context:
There was a Brahmin (one of the four main varnas or castes in India). He did not perform ritual worship (including verbal chanting of prayers & Gaayatree Mantra (one of the most sacred Vedic hymns), showing incense sticks to the idols or statues of gods & goddesses etc.) like other conventional Brahmins of the village. He had devoted himself to genuine meditation. His wife had to face a lot of taunts & critical remarks from her friends who used to vex her saying that her husband was not a true Brahmin and that she, though herself being a real Brahmin, had been married to a Shoodra (the fourth caste, the lowest in the so-called order of castes, despised or looked down upon by the other three). They would further lend credence to their criticism by advancing arguments like "had your husband been a chaste Brahmin, he, too, would have followed a routine befitting a true Brahmin e.g., having bath on prescribed time, orally reciting incantations & Gayatri Mantra, performing sandhyaaa or worship thrice a day etc. But he does not do anything of the sort!". Returning home, she would report to her husband what others said about him. The Brahmin listened to everything patiently, but would not say anything or react. Every time his wife happened to meet her neighbours, she would get to hear the same malicious and mocking remarks again & again. One day she came home extremely dejected and pained, and told her husband, "I repeatedly make you aware of what our neighbors say about you, but you do not pay any heed, everything falls flat on your deaf ears." Seeing the immensity of her grief, the Brahmin said, "O Queen of my heart! Neither do you nor do your neighbours who keep you telling so many things know what I do! Just listen to me! What is this sandhyaa? When is sandhyaa performerd? Sandhyaa refers to the time when the Sun sets or the transition period when the day ends and the night begins. Similarly the juncture when the forenoon comes to a close and the afternoon begins is called "madhyaahna sandhyaa" or the mid-day sandhyaa. Again, the meeting moment, when the night comes to an end and the morning commences, is termed "prabhaat sandhyaa" or morning sandhyaa. Thus, we have the concept of three sandhyaas – prabhaat sandhyaa (morning sandhyaa), madhyaahna sandhyaa (afternoon sandhyaa) and saayam sandhyaa (evening sandhyaa). But, where there is neither the sunrise nor the sunset, just tell me, where do you have sandhyaa? In the inner sky of my heart the sun of consciousness keeps shining bright incessantly. It neither sets, nor rises. Then how do I perform a sandhyaa?" Please listen to the shloka of the Maitreyyupanishad:
"Hridaakaashe chidaadityam, sadaa bhaasati bhaasati.
Naastameti na chodeti, katham sandhyaamupaasmahe. "
[The sun of consciousness within my heart keeps on shining and shining, all the time. Neither does it set nor does it rise. How do I perform sandhyaa?]
Whoever sincerely practices the inner meditation comes to experience light within. First he sees the light and then he hears sound, too. Sound has a natural & inherent property of attracting the listener towards its source or origin. One who is capable of grasping the sound springing straight from the God Himself gets naturally drawn to Him.
The practitioner of "naadaanusandhaan" or "surat-shabda yog" (the Yog of Sound or the Union through Sound) first catches hold of the sound which is generated at the centre of the "sthoola mandal" (gross sphere of creation). Catching that sound at the meeting horizon or junction of the Gross sphere and the "sookshma mandala" (Astral or Subtle sphere), he (the practitioner) is drawn to the centre of the Astral sphere. Grasping the sound at the centre of the Astral sphere he is led to the centre of the "kaaran mandal" (Causal sphere) wherefrom he is pulled up to the centre of the "mahaakaaran mandal" (Supra-Causal sphere). Getting hold of the sound at the centre of the Supra-Causal sphere he transcends the barrier or layers of "jad" (ignorance or non-consciousness) and makes an entry into the realm of "kaivalya" or, "chetan" (pure consciousness) . There he finds the "saar shabda" or "anaahat shabda" (the unstruck or quintessential sound) which takes him to the "nihshabdam paramam padam" or the highest and the Ultimate Soundless State. There he meets and merges into perfect unison with the God losing his individual identity completely. Thus, the cycle of birth and death or transmigration comes to be destroyed or annihilated for ever or permanently. This is in short I told you about the inner meditation of Santmat.
Source:Maharshi Santsevi Paramahansji Maharaj.
English Translation: Shri.Parvesh K. Singh
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Vedic Verses : What's Greater
He who meditates on food as Brahman obtains the world rich in food and drink; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as food reaches-he who meditates on food as Brahman. Narada said: Venerable Sir, is there anything greater than food? Of course there is something greater than food. Please tell that to me, venerable Sir.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad VII, IX - Food as Brahman, 2
Water is, verily, greater than food. Therefore if there is not sufficient rain, then living creatures are afflicted with the thought that there will be less food. But if there is sufficient rain, then living creatures rejoice in the thought that there will be much food. It is water that assumes the form of this earth, this mid-region, this heaven, these mountains, these gods and men, cattle and birds, herbs and trees and animals, together with worms, flies and ants. Water indeed is all these forms. Meditate on water.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad VII, X - Water as Brahman, 1
He who meditates on water as Brahman obtains all his desires and becomes satisfied; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as water reaches-he who meditates on water as Brahman. Narada said: Venerable Sir, is there anything greater than water?Of course there is something greater than water. Please tell that to me, venerable Sir.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad VII, X - Water as Brahman, 2
Fire is, verily, greater than water. For, having seized the air, it warms the akasa. Then people say: 'It is hot, it burns; it will rain.' Thus does fire first manifest itself and then create water. Furthermore, thunderclaps roll with lightning upward and across the sky. Then people say: 'There is lightning, there is thunder; it will rain.' Here also does fire first manifest itself and then create water. Meditate on fire.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad VII, XI - Fire as Brahman, 1
He who meditates on fire as Brahman becomes radiant himself and obtains radiant worlds, full of light and free from darkness; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as fire reaches-he who meditates on fire as Brahman. Narada said: Venerable Sir,is there anything greater than fire? Of course there is something greater than fire. Please tell that to me, Venerable Sir.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad VII, XI - Fire as Brahman, 2
He who meditates on food as Brahman obtains the world rich in food and drink; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as food reaches-he who meditates on food as Brahman. Narada said: Venerable Sir, is there anything greater than food? Of course there is something greater than food. Please tell that to me, venerable Sir.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad VII, IX - Food as Brahman, 2
Water is, verily, greater than food. Therefore if there is not sufficient rain, then living creatures are afflicted with the thought that there will be less food. But if there is sufficient rain, then living creatures rejoice in the thought that there will be much food. It is water that assumes the form of this earth, this mid-region, this heaven, these mountains, these gods and men, cattle and birds, herbs and trees and animals, together with worms, flies and ants. Water indeed is all these forms. Meditate on water.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad VII, X - Water as Brahman, 1
He who meditates on water as Brahman obtains all his desires and becomes satisfied; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as water reaches-he who meditates on water as Brahman. Narada said: Venerable Sir, is there anything greater than water?Of course there is something greater than water. Please tell that to me, venerable Sir.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad VII, X - Water as Brahman, 2
Fire is, verily, greater than water. For, having seized the air, it warms the akasa. Then people say: 'It is hot, it burns; it will rain.' Thus does fire first manifest itself and then create water. Furthermore, thunderclaps roll with lightning upward and across the sky. Then people say: 'There is lightning, there is thunder; it will rain.' Here also does fire first manifest itself and then create water. Meditate on fire.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad VII, XI - Fire as Brahman, 1
He who meditates on fire as Brahman becomes radiant himself and obtains radiant worlds, full of light and free from darkness; he can, of his own free will, reach as far as fire reaches-he who meditates on fire as Brahman. Narada said: Venerable Sir,is there anything greater than fire? Of course there is something greater than fire. Please tell that to me, Venerable Sir.
Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad VII, XI - Fire as Brahman, 2
Monday, February 25, 2008
Law of The Subconscious Mind:-
The #1 law of the mind that governs your health, wealth and happiness.
The universe is governed by law. Success is governed by law. Your subconscious mind is also governed by law.
The law of your subconscious mind is the law of belief.
Many self-help books and motivational gurus talk about the power of belief. The general message they are trying to put across is basically what Napoleon Hill had said, "What your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve".
Is it true that everything your mind believes can be achieved or it is just some kind of motivational lie? This was the question I asked myself after reading several self-help books and attending several success seminars. I also asked questions like "what if I happen to be the unlucky one" or "what if I'm not destined to be successful".
My concept of belief changed when I read the book Spiritual Marketing by Dr. Joe Vitale. You will get a free copy of this book when you sign up for my newsletter.
Strictly speaking, the statement "what your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve" should be "what your conscious mind can conceive and your subconscious mind believes, it can achieve". That's your subconscious mind power.
Here is the reason why.
Your subconscious mind power is like a magnet. It attracts things that resonate with its beliefs. To put it bluntly, if you have a certain belief in your subconscious mind, your subconscious mind will vibrate based on this belief and attract events and people that resonate with or correspond to this belief. This is the Universal Law of Vibration and Attraction. It is a law that exists whether you believe it or not, just like the law of gravity. Let me repeat. This law works on you whether you believe it or not!
If your subconscious mind believes that life is tough, surely, your life will be tough. You will meet people and events that give you hard life. If your subconscious mind believes that money is hard-earned, money will be hard earned. You will only be attracted to opportunities that will take a super-human effort to make a penny!
Let me twist the words around and repeat the previous paragraph. If your life is tough now, that's because your subconscious believes that life is tough. If you are finding difficulties in making money, that's because your subconscious believes that money is hard earn. There is no other reason and there is no need to blame other people for your tough life or your financial situation!
The message I'm trying to put across here is this:
"Your subconscious beliefs create your realities"
The above statement is probably the most important statement that one must fully and thoroughly understand in order to achieve true success in life.
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"Money is usually attracted, not pursued."
Jim Rohn
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We use our conscious mind power to conceive an idea, but our subconscious mind power to attract the result. Most people do it otherwise. They use their conscious mind to pursue the result, which often result in stress and worries. That's the difference between using your conscious mind power and your subconscious mind power.
Here is a good analogy of what your subconscious mind is like. Your subconscious mind is like the hard disk in a computer, and what your see on the computer screen is your reality or your life.
Ask yourself, where does the information on the computer screen come from? It must come from the hard disk, isn't it? If the computer screen is showing your reality, then where does your reality come from? From the above analogy, it must come from your subconscious.
What it means here is your reality or the life you are experiencing now is actually a reflection of the beliefs in your subconscious mind. Many people change from one job to another, but realize that they are still getting the same problem everywhere they go. What they don't understand is that instead of changing the external circumstances, they should change their inner beliefs. Once their beliefs change, they will be attracted to new people, new jobs and the world around them will change according to the new beliefs in their subconscious mind.
When I told the participants of my workshop that your beliefs create your realities, a common negative response I got was "I never believe in the kind of reality I'm facing, but why am I still experiencing them?"
We must understand that it is not what you think you believe that creates your reality. It is what your subconscious believes. You may think you believe that life is abundant, just because you've read some books about it. But subconsciously, you may not be convinced.
So how do you know what your subconscious believes?
The answer is fairly simple. Just look at your reality!
Your reality is the mirror of your life. It reflects your inner beliefs. If you consistently use your reality to guide yourself in reprogramming the beliefs in your subconscious mind, I guarantee your life will never be the same again.
Mind Power Explained.
Secrets of your conscious, subconscious and superconscious mind
Conscious, subconscious and superconscious mind power. Confused? Not after you've read this article!
Your mind power is more powerful than what you think. Read this:
"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
What I'm going to share with you here is not some metaphysical or new age theories. It is what Napoleon Hill has been emphasizing on.
It is an important part in the entire success philosophy.
How many minds do we have?
Technically speaking, each of us only has one mind. But this one mind has 3 parts to it: conscious mind, subconscious mind and superconscious mind. The first two minds are within us, but the superconscious mind is without. It is the mind of our extended self.
Conscious mind power
Your conscious mind is the only part of your mind that thinks. That's why most people use their conscious mind power to solve problems and to achieve their goals. However, the conscious mind power is limited, as compared to the subconscious mind power and superconscious mind power. The most important conscious mind power is the power to decide. It has the power to decide what information to enter into your subconscious mind, but most people are not exercising this power. Instead, they let rubbish enters their subconscious mind and thus garbage in, garbage out.
Your conscious mind also has the power to reprogram your subconscious mind, mainly through repetition. For instance, remember the first time you learnt to drive a car, when you had to consciously think of which paddle to step and which gear to shift? But now, you no longer have to consciously think of these actions. They have become automatic, i.e. you are able to do it subconsciously. Through repetition, you have programmed your subconscious mind. Once it is in your subconscious, it becomes automatic.
While it’s true for driving a car, it is also true for achieving success in life!
Subconscious mind power
Your subconscious mind plays many different roles in your life. As far as I know, we can classify its functions into 5 different areas.
1. It maintains and balances the well-being of our body. That's why our body is self-healing in nature. It has the power to heal any form of diseases you can think of. It is the fundamental of all so-called alternative therapies.
2. It protects us and sometimes our loved ones, from emergencies or dangers.
3. It is the mega-memory bank. It stores all our past experiences.
4. It is like a magnet. It has the power to attract things that resonate with its
beliefs.
5. It is like radar. It sends and receives information to and from the superconscious mind. This is the function that we are going to discuss further in this article.
The relationship between the conscious, subconscious and superconscious mind looks something like this.
Your conscious mind is connected to your subconscious mind, which in turn is connected to the superconscious mind. Same goes for my mind as well as anyone's mind.
From the diagram, you can see that we are all connected at the superconscious level, through our individual's subconscious mind. The conscious mind is not connected directly to the superconscious mind. We rely on our subconscious mind to send and receive information to and from the superconscious.
As your conscious mind impresses your desire upon your subconscious mind, your subconscious mind will impress it upon the superconscious mind which will then conspire to make it happen, as what Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen".
Superconscious mind power
Napoleon Hill called it the Infinite Intelligence. Scientists call it the Universal Mind. Some books or metaphysics gurus sum everything up as the Unconscious Mind. The term Superconscious Mind is widely used by Brian Tracy, and I prefer to use this term.
How is it called is not important. What’s important is what it can do for you.
These are what I know about the superconscious mind.
- There is only one superconscious mind (the Universal Mind), to which all of our minds are connected to.
- It helps you to make good decision, since it has Infinite Intelligence. It has all the answers you want, including tomorrow’s share price!
- It is the source of all true invention. Great inventors like Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein have mastered the technique of receiving great ideas from the superconscious mind. Where else you think they get all their innovative ideas from?
- It helps you achieve your goals. This is the function that I will talk more in the next paragraph.
The superconscious mind is like a mega computer that orchestrates the activities in every little computer connected to it. By impressing your goal upon your subconscious mind, your superconscious will respond accordingly. The right people will start appearing in your life, opportunities will come and lessons will be provided to strengthen you if necessary. Everything will be set in motion to help you achieve your desire. Once you truly understand the superconscious mind power, you will realize that success is not a function of luck.
Alpha brain waves
The secret passage to your subconscious mind
Conscious, subconscious and superconscious mind power. Confused? Not after you've read this article!
In case this is your first time hearing the term, alpha brain waves is one of the four categories of the brain frequencies. When your brain vibrates at 7-14 Hz, you are said to be in Alpha.
Alpha brain wave is the most mysterious brain wave that has aroused the interest of many researchers in the recent decades. You will find out why soon.
Have you ever experienced a light bulb moment when you are bathing? Or suddenly have a solution to a problem just before you sleep?
If you observe carefully, you will realize that creative ideas always come to you when you are relax, which is the time when you are in alpha.
When you are in alpha brain waves, you are relaxed and calm; your creative juice flow faster; you can recall things better, such as where you left your keys; you can learn things faster; you absorb information faster. More importantly, the best time to reprogram your subconscious mind is when you are in alpha.
Besides alpha brain waves, the other brain waves include beta, theta and delta. When you are in beta, you are conscious and alert. Too much beta frequency can make you feel stress and breathless. When you are in theta, you are in a twilight state. You are not conscious. When you dream in your sleep, you are in theta. When you are in delta, you are sleeping. You are not aware of what’s happening because you are in an unconscious state of mind.
Everyday, your brain state moves from delta (sleeping) to beta (alert) and then from beta back to delta. In between, you will experience alpha and theta.
The simplified relationship between your brain waves and your state of consciousness can be summarized in the figure below:
Whenever I draw this relationship, people always ask "Kenneth, how about alpha brain waves?"
Alpha is the bridge between your conscious and your subconscious mind.
Imagine your mind is like a house when two rooms, separated by a door.
When you are in beta, you are in the conscious room. The door is closed, so you have no access to the subconscious room.
When you are in theta, you are in the subconscious room. The door is closed, so you have no access to the conscious room. That's why most people can't remember exactly what they dream about.
But when you are in alpha, you are like standing at the door, with the door open. You are conscious, yet you have access to your subconscious. It is the best time to reprogram your subconscious mind. That's also the reason why you always have your light bulb moment when you are in alpha brain waves.
To prove this point is very simple. Everyday you dream. When you wake up, you often can't remember what you dream. But the moment you just wake up, i.e. when you are in alpha, you can still remember what you dream, but just for that short moment. The moment you are fully awake, you miss your dream again because you are already in the beta room.
If you read any self improvement book, you will learn that the best time to do your affirmation or visualization (techniques used to reprogram your subconscious mind) is before your sleep and after you wake up. By now, you should know that that's because these are times when you are in alpha.
Now I can enter alpha anytime I want because I took up an alpha meditation course, similar to Silva mind control. I have one good news for you. I found a similar but abridged course on the net and it is FREE. Surprised? Me too! You can go to www.subconscious-secrets.com/silvamind to signup for the free course now.
Affirmation
Beginners' tool to reprogram the subconscious mind.
Affirmation is one of the most basic ways to reprogram your subconscious mind.
It is simply a process of repeating your goals or new beliefs that you want to instill on your subconscious.
This can be done in the form of writing, saying verbally or mentally, listening or acting, until the statement is fixed into your subconscious mind.
If an affirmation comes from yourself, it is called autosuggestion. If it comes from other people, it is called heterosuggestion. It's that simple!
Some examples of autosuggestion include:
- repeating your affirmations aloud or mentally;
- writing down your affirmations;
- listening to your self-recorded autosuggestion tape;
- pretending to be the person whom you want to be. (i.e. put yourself in the shoe of someone you admire and pretend that you are the person.)
Some examples of heterosuggestion include:
- listening to self-help, affirmation or subliminal CDs;
- reading books and articles;
- listening to parents', siblings' or friends' opinions;
-Watching TV programs.
Like it or not, you are already practicing affirmation everyday.
When you talk, your subconscious listens. When you grumble about your life, your subconscious listens and obediently follows your instruction by giving you the kind of life that you keep on grumbling about!
So from now onwards, watch what you say, especially what you say repeatedly.
I believe very few people seriously practice autosuggestion everyday. That's why there are fewer successful people in this world.
Warning!!! If you don't auto-suggest, you will be hetero-suggested. Everyday, you hear your friends complaining that the economy is bad, it's hard to pick a good stock these days, life is tough etc.
When you listen repeatedly, your subconscious mind starts to believe that it is true. Then you will see in your reality that it's true (because of the law of attraction). Finally, you are convinced that it is true.
If you do not want to be a victim of hetero-suggestion, it's important that you do affirmation everyday.
Here are some affirmations you can do.
• Every day in every way I’m getting better and better.
• Everything is coming to me easily and effortlessly.
• I am a radiant being, filled with light and love.
• I am naturally enlightened.
• My life is blossoming in total perfection.
• I have everything I need to enjoy my here and now.
• I am the master of my life.
• Everything I need is already with me.
• It’s okay for me to have everything I want!
• This is a rich universe and there’s plenty for all of us.
• Abundance is my natural state of being. I accept it now!
• Infinite riches are now freely flowing into my life.
• Every day I am growing more financially prosperous.
• The more I give, the more I receive and the happier I feel.
You can either write or read these affirmations before you sleep and after you wake up, or record them and listen to the recording over and over again before you sleep.
The key to success in affirmation is repetition.
Your subconscious mind is like your muscle. You have to keep affirming it with things that you want.
If you are lazy to do affirmation everyday, someone else will do the job for you and the result is always not something you want!
To me, the simplest way to keep myself positive is to listen to good self-help CDs everyday on my journey to my office.
The advantage of doing that is twofold:
1. It allows me to start my day with a positive mental attitude.
2. It cleans up my subconscious mind with positive beliefs so that my subconscious is not polluted by all the negative opinions that I hear in my work space.
If you do not have any good affirmation CDs, I highly recommend the CDs from Think Right Now. Mike Brescia calls them the Accelerated Success Conditioning Programs. These programs are capable of instilling powerful thinking, beliefs and attitude into your subconscious mind. When that is done, your subconscious mind will do its part by changing your reality. There is no subliminal messages. You hear every word consciously and subconsciously. It's a wonderful program
Visualization
The language of your subconscious mind
Visualization or mental picture is the language of your subconscious mind.
If you choose to remember only one thing out of all the articles I've written, please remember this:
"Your subconscious mind cannot differentiate what is real or vividly imagined
Through repetition, the image you visualize must come to pass."
Let me illustrate this statement with a real story that I've extracted from the book "The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind".
A young pharmacist, being inspired by Dr. Joseph Murphy, began to imagine that she was in her own store, arranging the bottles, dispensing prescriptions and waiting on customers. Mentally she worked in that imaginary store.
Several years later, her work took her to a small town where there was only one drugstore. When she walked into the store she was surprised that it was exactly the store she had visualized. More amazingly, the store owner was ready to retire and was willing to let her own the store while providing her with the financial support she needed.
That's the power of visualization.
Visualization is not just seeing what you desire in your mind's eye. It is about living in your mind's eye. When I say living, I mean using your five senses to make the images as real as possible.
The best time to do visualization is when you are in alpha because when you are in alpha, you can concentrate on your inner world and fully immerge yourself in your world of visualization.
As what Jose Silva put it, the difference between visualizing in beta and alpha is like saying the word swim and actually swimming. (If you do not know what I mean by beta and alpha, please read the article The Power Of Alpha Brain Waves).
When you visualize in Alpha, you will realize that you can visualize better and the images that you visualize will be so vivid that you may end up thinking that the images are real!
The clearer the visualization, the faster it shows up in reality.
One problem that many people face when starting to do visualization is that they keep changing what they visualize before the goal is achieved. This is often due to lack of self-understanding and poor goal setting technique.
If you are still searching for the right path, you may go into different opportunities.
For example, you may go into a sales job, and you started to visualize yourself being the top salesperson in the company. But before you achieve the goal, you realized that sales is not something you like. Your goal changed and what you visualized changes as a result.
This is bad because in success psychology, we always say success attracts success and failure attracts failure. When you have a successful experience, it is easier for your subconscious mind to relate to that experience and thus bring more of such experience to you.
But if you keep having unsuccessful experiences, you will naturally fill your subconscious mind with images of those experiences, which becomes a hindrance in achieving your other goals.
In fact, one very powerful technique of goal achievement is to condition your subconscious mind with a successful past experience and convert that experience into your new goal that you want to achieve. This technique basically deceives your subconscious mind to believe that what you want has already happened so that it automatically brings forth the belief into reality. Click here to find out more.
If you keep changing what you visualize or keep changing your goals, your faith in visualization will fall and your confidence in yourself will also sink. In this case, the more you visualize, the more you fail to achieve your goals and the worse you feel about yourself. Eventually visualization becomes a tedious and unrewarding process that actually hinders your progress instead of helping you!
The only reason why visualization doesn’t work is because you are not sure of what you want. If you are very sure of what you want, visualization must work for you!
Recommended reading
How To Get Lots Of Money For Anything Fast - By Stuart A. Lichtman and Joe Vitale
Stuart Lichtman, a scientist by training, manage to simplify the process of visualization into a step by step system that everyone can use. I'm really impressed by his systematic approach to use our subconscious mind power to attain anything. I highly recommend it too.
Intuition - Subconscious Communication
How your subconscious mind communicate to you
Can your subconscious mind communicate to you?
Yes. It's through your intuition.
When you ask your subconscious for guidance or help, you may have an urge, an inspiration or a hunch to do certain task.
You may see the answer in your dream or a mental image may just pop up in your mind. Intuitively, you know that there is a message for you.
You may also be intuitively guided to read a book or talk to a person and then you found the answer from these sources.
Different people have different preferred or natural mode of receiving messages from the subconscious mind. Some are in the form of feeling, some are visual while some are auditory. Some can be in terms of external events such as books, songs etc.
I'm not an expert in this topic, but I can speak from my little experience.
For me, I usually get my messages through inner voices and external events. If I program my subconscious, I can also get answers in the form of dreams.
I truly believe that meditation can improve our communication with the subconscious mind. The more you meditate, the more intuitive you become.
The key to receiving messages from your subconscious is this: "Be sensitive to what’s going on around you and trust yourself, your own feeling and your inner voices."
At this moment, you may think that intuition is something that is unique or spiritual. Actually it is not.
In a 2-year study on decision making techniques, Dr. Daniel lsenberg, professor of Harvard Business School, discovered that 80% of the senior managers he had researched said that they preferred to use their intuition especially when making complex decisions or decisions involving other people.
Ask any successful businessman how they make business decisions. I asked this question before. Most of them said they used their guts feeling.
What is guts feeling? Well, it's your intuition.
Intuition should be part of our daily evaluation process. The more you use it and trust it, the better it will serve you.
The #1 law of the mind that governs your health, wealth and happiness.
The universe is governed by law. Success is governed by law. Your subconscious mind is also governed by law.
The law of your subconscious mind is the law of belief.
Many self-help books and motivational gurus talk about the power of belief. The general message they are trying to put across is basically what Napoleon Hill had said, "What your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve".
Is it true that everything your mind believes can be achieved or it is just some kind of motivational lie? This was the question I asked myself after reading several self-help books and attending several success seminars. I also asked questions like "what if I happen to be the unlucky one" or "what if I'm not destined to be successful".
My concept of belief changed when I read the book Spiritual Marketing by Dr. Joe Vitale. You will get a free copy of this book when you sign up for my newsletter.
Strictly speaking, the statement "what your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve" should be "what your conscious mind can conceive and your subconscious mind believes, it can achieve". That's your subconscious mind power.
Here is the reason why.
Your subconscious mind power is like a magnet. It attracts things that resonate with its beliefs. To put it bluntly, if you have a certain belief in your subconscious mind, your subconscious mind will vibrate based on this belief and attract events and people that resonate with or correspond to this belief. This is the Universal Law of Vibration and Attraction. It is a law that exists whether you believe it or not, just like the law of gravity. Let me repeat. This law works on you whether you believe it or not!
If your subconscious mind believes that life is tough, surely, your life will be tough. You will meet people and events that give you hard life. If your subconscious mind believes that money is hard-earned, money will be hard earned. You will only be attracted to opportunities that will take a super-human effort to make a penny!
Let me twist the words around and repeat the previous paragraph. If your life is tough now, that's because your subconscious believes that life is tough. If you are finding difficulties in making money, that's because your subconscious believes that money is hard earn. There is no other reason and there is no need to blame other people for your tough life or your financial situation!
The message I'm trying to put across here is this:
"Your subconscious beliefs create your realities"
The above statement is probably the most important statement that one must fully and thoroughly understand in order to achieve true success in life.
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"Money is usually attracted, not pursued."
Jim Rohn
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We use our conscious mind power to conceive an idea, but our subconscious mind power to attract the result. Most people do it otherwise. They use their conscious mind to pursue the result, which often result in stress and worries. That's the difference between using your conscious mind power and your subconscious mind power.
Here is a good analogy of what your subconscious mind is like. Your subconscious mind is like the hard disk in a computer, and what your see on the computer screen is your reality or your life.
Ask yourself, where does the information on the computer screen come from? It must come from the hard disk, isn't it? If the computer screen is showing your reality, then where does your reality come from? From the above analogy, it must come from your subconscious.
What it means here is your reality or the life you are experiencing now is actually a reflection of the beliefs in your subconscious mind. Many people change from one job to another, but realize that they are still getting the same problem everywhere they go. What they don't understand is that instead of changing the external circumstances, they should change their inner beliefs. Once their beliefs change, they will be attracted to new people, new jobs and the world around them will change according to the new beliefs in their subconscious mind.
When I told the participants of my workshop that your beliefs create your realities, a common negative response I got was "I never believe in the kind of reality I'm facing, but why am I still experiencing them?"
We must understand that it is not what you think you believe that creates your reality. It is what your subconscious believes. You may think you believe that life is abundant, just because you've read some books about it. But subconsciously, you may not be convinced.
So how do you know what your subconscious believes?
The answer is fairly simple. Just look at your reality!
Your reality is the mirror of your life. It reflects your inner beliefs. If you consistently use your reality to guide yourself in reprogramming the beliefs in your subconscious mind, I guarantee your life will never be the same again.
Mind Power Explained.
Secrets of your conscious, subconscious and superconscious mind
Conscious, subconscious and superconscious mind power. Confused? Not after you've read this article!
Your mind power is more powerful than what you think. Read this:
"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
What I'm going to share with you here is not some metaphysical or new age theories. It is what Napoleon Hill has been emphasizing on.
It is an important part in the entire success philosophy.
How many minds do we have?
Technically speaking, each of us only has one mind. But this one mind has 3 parts to it: conscious mind, subconscious mind and superconscious mind. The first two minds are within us, but the superconscious mind is without. It is the mind of our extended self.
Conscious mind power
Your conscious mind is the only part of your mind that thinks. That's why most people use their conscious mind power to solve problems and to achieve their goals. However, the conscious mind power is limited, as compared to the subconscious mind power and superconscious mind power. The most important conscious mind power is the power to decide. It has the power to decide what information to enter into your subconscious mind, but most people are not exercising this power. Instead, they let rubbish enters their subconscious mind and thus garbage in, garbage out.
Your conscious mind also has the power to reprogram your subconscious mind, mainly through repetition. For instance, remember the first time you learnt to drive a car, when you had to consciously think of which paddle to step and which gear to shift? But now, you no longer have to consciously think of these actions. They have become automatic, i.e. you are able to do it subconsciously. Through repetition, you have programmed your subconscious mind. Once it is in your subconscious, it becomes automatic.
While it’s true for driving a car, it is also true for achieving success in life!
Subconscious mind power
Your subconscious mind plays many different roles in your life. As far as I know, we can classify its functions into 5 different areas.
1. It maintains and balances the well-being of our body. That's why our body is self-healing in nature. It has the power to heal any form of diseases you can think of. It is the fundamental of all so-called alternative therapies.
2. It protects us and sometimes our loved ones, from emergencies or dangers.
3. It is the mega-memory bank. It stores all our past experiences.
4. It is like a magnet. It has the power to attract things that resonate with its
beliefs.
5. It is like radar. It sends and receives information to and from the superconscious mind. This is the function that we are going to discuss further in this article.
The relationship between the conscious, subconscious and superconscious mind looks something like this.
Your conscious mind is connected to your subconscious mind, which in turn is connected to the superconscious mind. Same goes for my mind as well as anyone's mind.
From the diagram, you can see that we are all connected at the superconscious level, through our individual's subconscious mind. The conscious mind is not connected directly to the superconscious mind. We rely on our subconscious mind to send and receive information to and from the superconscious.
As your conscious mind impresses your desire upon your subconscious mind, your subconscious mind will impress it upon the superconscious mind which will then conspire to make it happen, as what Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen".
Superconscious mind power
Napoleon Hill called it the Infinite Intelligence. Scientists call it the Universal Mind. Some books or metaphysics gurus sum everything up as the Unconscious Mind. The term Superconscious Mind is widely used by Brian Tracy, and I prefer to use this term.
How is it called is not important. What’s important is what it can do for you.
These are what I know about the superconscious mind.
- There is only one superconscious mind (the Universal Mind), to which all of our minds are connected to.
- It helps you to make good decision, since it has Infinite Intelligence. It has all the answers you want, including tomorrow’s share price!
- It is the source of all true invention. Great inventors like Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein have mastered the technique of receiving great ideas from the superconscious mind. Where else you think they get all their innovative ideas from?
- It helps you achieve your goals. This is the function that I will talk more in the next paragraph.
The superconscious mind is like a mega computer that orchestrates the activities in every little computer connected to it. By impressing your goal upon your subconscious mind, your superconscious will respond accordingly. The right people will start appearing in your life, opportunities will come and lessons will be provided to strengthen you if necessary. Everything will be set in motion to help you achieve your desire. Once you truly understand the superconscious mind power, you will realize that success is not a function of luck.
Alpha brain waves
The secret passage to your subconscious mind
Conscious, subconscious and superconscious mind power. Confused? Not after you've read this article!
In case this is your first time hearing the term, alpha brain waves is one of the four categories of the brain frequencies. When your brain vibrates at 7-14 Hz, you are said to be in Alpha.
Alpha brain wave is the most mysterious brain wave that has aroused the interest of many researchers in the recent decades. You will find out why soon.
Have you ever experienced a light bulb moment when you are bathing? Or suddenly have a solution to a problem just before you sleep?
If you observe carefully, you will realize that creative ideas always come to you when you are relax, which is the time when you are in alpha.
When you are in alpha brain waves, you are relaxed and calm; your creative juice flow faster; you can recall things better, such as where you left your keys; you can learn things faster; you absorb information faster. More importantly, the best time to reprogram your subconscious mind is when you are in alpha.
Besides alpha brain waves, the other brain waves include beta, theta and delta. When you are in beta, you are conscious and alert. Too much beta frequency can make you feel stress and breathless. When you are in theta, you are in a twilight state. You are not conscious. When you dream in your sleep, you are in theta. When you are in delta, you are sleeping. You are not aware of what’s happening because you are in an unconscious state of mind.
Everyday, your brain state moves from delta (sleeping) to beta (alert) and then from beta back to delta. In between, you will experience alpha and theta.
The simplified relationship between your brain waves and your state of consciousness can be summarized in the figure below:
Whenever I draw this relationship, people always ask "Kenneth, how about alpha brain waves?"
Alpha is the bridge between your conscious and your subconscious mind.
Imagine your mind is like a house when two rooms, separated by a door.
When you are in beta, you are in the conscious room. The door is closed, so you have no access to the subconscious room.
When you are in theta, you are in the subconscious room. The door is closed, so you have no access to the conscious room. That's why most people can't remember exactly what they dream about.
But when you are in alpha, you are like standing at the door, with the door open. You are conscious, yet you have access to your subconscious. It is the best time to reprogram your subconscious mind. That's also the reason why you always have your light bulb moment when you are in alpha brain waves.
To prove this point is very simple. Everyday you dream. When you wake up, you often can't remember what you dream. But the moment you just wake up, i.e. when you are in alpha, you can still remember what you dream, but just for that short moment. The moment you are fully awake, you miss your dream again because you are already in the beta room.
If you read any self improvement book, you will learn that the best time to do your affirmation or visualization (techniques used to reprogram your subconscious mind) is before your sleep and after you wake up. By now, you should know that that's because these are times when you are in alpha.
Now I can enter alpha anytime I want because I took up an alpha meditation course, similar to Silva mind control. I have one good news for you. I found a similar but abridged course on the net and it is FREE. Surprised? Me too! You can go to www.subconscious-secrets.com/silvamind to signup for the free course now.
Affirmation
Beginners' tool to reprogram the subconscious mind.
Affirmation is one of the most basic ways to reprogram your subconscious mind.
It is simply a process of repeating your goals or new beliefs that you want to instill on your subconscious.
This can be done in the form of writing, saying verbally or mentally, listening or acting, until the statement is fixed into your subconscious mind.
If an affirmation comes from yourself, it is called autosuggestion. If it comes from other people, it is called heterosuggestion. It's that simple!
Some examples of autosuggestion include:
- repeating your affirmations aloud or mentally;
- writing down your affirmations;
- listening to your self-recorded autosuggestion tape;
- pretending to be the person whom you want to be. (i.e. put yourself in the shoe of someone you admire and pretend that you are the person.)
Some examples of heterosuggestion include:
- listening to self-help, affirmation or subliminal CDs;
- reading books and articles;
- listening to parents', siblings' or friends' opinions;
-Watching TV programs.
Like it or not, you are already practicing affirmation everyday.
When you talk, your subconscious listens. When you grumble about your life, your subconscious listens and obediently follows your instruction by giving you the kind of life that you keep on grumbling about!
So from now onwards, watch what you say, especially what you say repeatedly.
I believe very few people seriously practice autosuggestion everyday. That's why there are fewer successful people in this world.
Warning!!! If you don't auto-suggest, you will be hetero-suggested. Everyday, you hear your friends complaining that the economy is bad, it's hard to pick a good stock these days, life is tough etc.
When you listen repeatedly, your subconscious mind starts to believe that it is true. Then you will see in your reality that it's true (because of the law of attraction). Finally, you are convinced that it is true.
If you do not want to be a victim of hetero-suggestion, it's important that you do affirmation everyday.
Here are some affirmations you can do.
• Every day in every way I’m getting better and better.
• Everything is coming to me easily and effortlessly.
• I am a radiant being, filled with light and love.
• I am naturally enlightened.
• My life is blossoming in total perfection.
• I have everything I need to enjoy my here and now.
• I am the master of my life.
• Everything I need is already with me.
• It’s okay for me to have everything I want!
• This is a rich universe and there’s plenty for all of us.
• Abundance is my natural state of being. I accept it now!
• Infinite riches are now freely flowing into my life.
• Every day I am growing more financially prosperous.
• The more I give, the more I receive and the happier I feel.
You can either write or read these affirmations before you sleep and after you wake up, or record them and listen to the recording over and over again before you sleep.
The key to success in affirmation is repetition.
Your subconscious mind is like your muscle. You have to keep affirming it with things that you want.
If you are lazy to do affirmation everyday, someone else will do the job for you and the result is always not something you want!
To me, the simplest way to keep myself positive is to listen to good self-help CDs everyday on my journey to my office.
The advantage of doing that is twofold:
1. It allows me to start my day with a positive mental attitude.
2. It cleans up my subconscious mind with positive beliefs so that my subconscious is not polluted by all the negative opinions that I hear in my work space.
If you do not have any good affirmation CDs, I highly recommend the CDs from Think Right Now. Mike Brescia calls them the Accelerated Success Conditioning Programs. These programs are capable of instilling powerful thinking, beliefs and attitude into your subconscious mind. When that is done, your subconscious mind will do its part by changing your reality. There is no subliminal messages. You hear every word consciously and subconsciously. It's a wonderful program
Visualization
The language of your subconscious mind
Visualization or mental picture is the language of your subconscious mind.
If you choose to remember only one thing out of all the articles I've written, please remember this:
"Your subconscious mind cannot differentiate what is real or vividly imagined
Through repetition, the image you visualize must come to pass."
Let me illustrate this statement with a real story that I've extracted from the book "The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind".
A young pharmacist, being inspired by Dr. Joseph Murphy, began to imagine that she was in her own store, arranging the bottles, dispensing prescriptions and waiting on customers. Mentally she worked in that imaginary store.
Several years later, her work took her to a small town where there was only one drugstore. When she walked into the store she was surprised that it was exactly the store she had visualized. More amazingly, the store owner was ready to retire and was willing to let her own the store while providing her with the financial support she needed.
That's the power of visualization.
Visualization is not just seeing what you desire in your mind's eye. It is about living in your mind's eye. When I say living, I mean using your five senses to make the images as real as possible.
The best time to do visualization is when you are in alpha because when you are in alpha, you can concentrate on your inner world and fully immerge yourself in your world of visualization.
As what Jose Silva put it, the difference between visualizing in beta and alpha is like saying the word swim and actually swimming. (If you do not know what I mean by beta and alpha, please read the article The Power Of Alpha Brain Waves).
When you visualize in Alpha, you will realize that you can visualize better and the images that you visualize will be so vivid that you may end up thinking that the images are real!
The clearer the visualization, the faster it shows up in reality.
One problem that many people face when starting to do visualization is that they keep changing what they visualize before the goal is achieved. This is often due to lack of self-understanding and poor goal setting technique.
If you are still searching for the right path, you may go into different opportunities.
For example, you may go into a sales job, and you started to visualize yourself being the top salesperson in the company. But before you achieve the goal, you realized that sales is not something you like. Your goal changed and what you visualized changes as a result.
This is bad because in success psychology, we always say success attracts success and failure attracts failure. When you have a successful experience, it is easier for your subconscious mind to relate to that experience and thus bring more of such experience to you.
But if you keep having unsuccessful experiences, you will naturally fill your subconscious mind with images of those experiences, which becomes a hindrance in achieving your other goals.
In fact, one very powerful technique of goal achievement is to condition your subconscious mind with a successful past experience and convert that experience into your new goal that you want to achieve. This technique basically deceives your subconscious mind to believe that what you want has already happened so that it automatically brings forth the belief into reality. Click here to find out more.
If you keep changing what you visualize or keep changing your goals, your faith in visualization will fall and your confidence in yourself will also sink. In this case, the more you visualize, the more you fail to achieve your goals and the worse you feel about yourself. Eventually visualization becomes a tedious and unrewarding process that actually hinders your progress instead of helping you!
The only reason why visualization doesn’t work is because you are not sure of what you want. If you are very sure of what you want, visualization must work for you!
Recommended reading
How To Get Lots Of Money For Anything Fast - By Stuart A. Lichtman and Joe Vitale
Stuart Lichtman, a scientist by training, manage to simplify the process of visualization into a step by step system that everyone can use. I'm really impressed by his systematic approach to use our subconscious mind power to attain anything. I highly recommend it too.
Intuition - Subconscious Communication
How your subconscious mind communicate to you
Can your subconscious mind communicate to you?
Yes. It's through your intuition.
When you ask your subconscious for guidance or help, you may have an urge, an inspiration or a hunch to do certain task.
You may see the answer in your dream or a mental image may just pop up in your mind. Intuitively, you know that there is a message for you.
You may also be intuitively guided to read a book or talk to a person and then you found the answer from these sources.
Different people have different preferred or natural mode of receiving messages from the subconscious mind. Some are in the form of feeling, some are visual while some are auditory. Some can be in terms of external events such as books, songs etc.
I'm not an expert in this topic, but I can speak from my little experience.
For me, I usually get my messages through inner voices and external events. If I program my subconscious, I can also get answers in the form of dreams.
I truly believe that meditation can improve our communication with the subconscious mind. The more you meditate, the more intuitive you become.
The key to receiving messages from your subconscious is this: "Be sensitive to what’s going on around you and trust yourself, your own feeling and your inner voices."
At this moment, you may think that intuition is something that is unique or spiritual. Actually it is not.
In a 2-year study on decision making techniques, Dr. Daniel lsenberg, professor of Harvard Business School, discovered that 80% of the senior managers he had researched said that they preferred to use their intuition especially when making complex decisions or decisions involving other people.
Ask any successful businessman how they make business decisions. I asked this question before. Most of them said they used their guts feeling.
What is guts feeling? Well, it's your intuition.
Intuition should be part of our daily evaluation process. The more you use it and trust it, the better it will serve you.
My dear and beloved Brahmins,
Please go thro' this article between the lines, and whenever an opportunity comes, I would rather suggest to create opportunities to help our most intellectual community for employment. Remember, we are the creators of wisdom,knowledge,intellect. and now been thrown out by the governance system in our country.
For Equal opportunities Employers:
In the best interest of your organisation employ Brahmins and for a change make it as "INTELLECTUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERS' and then see the alarming and favourable differences in your organisations.
And for my dear Brahmins let "UNITY IN DIVERSITY BE YOUR WATCH WORD AND GUIDING FACTOR' whenever you interact within another brahmin irrespective of your positions and possessions.
I am sending a seperate email to Mr. Eric Bellman,thoughtfully made and may take little time for this.
Please send this message to as many brahmins as you know and can immediately and let the message get spread fast for better awareness.
Thanking you all,
Truly Yours in Brahmnic freternity and friendship.
J.K
Reversal of Fortune Isolates India's Brahmins
By ERIC BELLMAN
CHENNAI, India -- Brahmins, as Hinduism's priestly and scholarly caste, have traditionally occupied a place of privilege in India.
Brahmins have been advisers to Maharajas, Mughals and military rulers. Under British rule, they served as administrators, a position they kept after Indian independence in 1947.
But in today's India, high-caste privileges are dwindling, and with the government giving extensive preferences to the lower-caste majority, many Brahmins are feeling left out of the economy's rapid expansion.
R. Parameswaran has suffered that reversal of fortune. The 29-year-old starts every day with a prayer to the Hindu god Shiva, marking his forehead with red and white powder to let the world know he is a Brahmin. In his home village, his caste's mark brought him respect, but since he moved to Chennai, a sprawling high-tech city in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, in the late 1990s, he has found his status a liability.
In Tamil Nadu, nearly 70% of government jobs and public-college slots are reserved for people from lower castes and other historically disadvantaged groups. Although he says he graduated near the top of his high-school class and had strong test scores, Mr. Parameswaran couldn't get into any of the state engineering colleges. His family had to borrow from friends to send him to a second-rate private college.
He now teaches English at a small vocational school. On a salary of $100 a month, Mr. Parameswaran can't afford an apartment, so he sleeps in the classroom at night. "I am suffering," says the intense young man, using the exaggerated enunciation of an English teacher. "Unfortunately, I was born as a Brahmin."
Although the role of Brahmins has never been synonymous with accumulating wealth, many are affluent enough to educate their children in the better private schools. On average, members of the caste, who make up about 5% of India's population of 1.1 billion, are better educated and better paid than the rest of Indian people.
The term Brahmin has come to be used globally to describe those at the top of the heap with an attitude to match, as in Boston Brahmins. Yet close to half of Brahmin households earn less than $100 a month, according to the Centre for a Study of Developing Societies, a New Delhi think tank. For these Brahmins, the array of state-mandated preferences for other groups present a high hurdle.
The reverse discrimination is rooted in Indian history and politics. For decades, Brahmins were resented for their dominance of the government, economy and culture. Indeed, political parties in Tamil Nadu sprang from anti-Brahmin feelings. "If you see a Brahmin and a snake, kill the Brahmin first" was an old slogan.
A national constitution adopted in 1950 reserved more than 20% of government jobs for lower castes. In 1990, an additional 27% were set aside for what were called "other backward castes." Some states set higher quotas, including Tamil Nadu, which reserves 69% of government jobs for lower castes and other needy groups.
The ugliest Brahmin bashing in India ended years ago, but Mr. Parameswaran says that in college in the late 1990s, he still faced ridicule as a Brahmin. He says one student tried to break his sacred thread, a simple circle of twine Brahmins wear under their clothes.
After college, he had an internship in a state-owned chemical company, but says he was told he wouldn't be hired, as there were openings only for lower-caste applicants. He says he took exams to join national railways, state banks and other government agencies, such as the immigration department, but found most posts closed to all Brahmins except the most brilliant.
From his makeshift home where he sleeps with a blanket on a desk most nights, Mr. Parameswaran still applies for government jobs. He pulls out his latest application form and shows a visitor where he always gets stuck: the three squares where he has to write the abbreviation indicating his caste. "I want government work," he says, shaking the application, "but they have no jobs for Brahmins."
Mr. Parameswaran has tried to adapt to the lessening of caste distinctions taking place in many parts of India today, especially in cities. The changes are less in villages such as the one where he grew up some 200 miles away. There, his grandfather, who is 101 years old, still won't wear Western clothes and won't eat outside of his home for fear of mixing with lower castes.
Mr. Parameswaran's father has a job with the state telephone company and is more liberal. He dresses in shirts and pants, doesn't mind eating at restaurants and doesn't expect lower-caste neighbours to take off their sandals in his presence.
Mr. Parameswaran has had good friends from lower castes all his life, many of whom have used their communities to grab good government jobs, he says. He won't eat meat but has no qualms sharing a meal with people of any caste or creed. His 22-year-old sister, R. Dharmambal, is even more liberal, he says. "She will take non-vegetarian food," he exclaims, using the common Indian term for eating meat.
Mr. Parameswaran often visits the sister in the Brahmin enclave of Mylapore. On a recent day there, dozens of shirtless priests in the traditional Brahmin uniform of a white dhoti and partially shaved head were standing around at a Hindu-scriptures school, hoping for work. For as little as 100 rupees, about $2.50, they offered to perform complicated rituals and blessings required when any Hindu has a baby, a wedding or a new home.
"My sons can't support me, so I have to survive by performing Hindu rituals," says K. Narayana, an 81-year-old scholar. "If we had been from another community, we would have had better opportunities."
Nearby stands the Kapaleeshwara Temple, with towering gates of colourful carvings from Hindu mythology. It is one of the most important places for worship for followers of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction. The temple used to be surrounded by rows of simple single-story homes, each with its own courtyard and well so the Brahmin families wouldn't have to share water with other castes. Most houses have been replaced by concrete apartment blocks and small stores.
At the temple's back gate, Brahmins beg for spare change or look for odd jobs as cooks or even bearers of bodies to funeral pyres, normally a lower-caste pursuit.
"I see so many Brahmins begging" in Mylapore, Mr. Parameswaran says. "It's very difficult to see. It makes me totally upset."
Please go thro' this article between the lines, and whenever an opportunity comes, I would rather suggest to create opportunities to help our most intellectual community for employment. Remember, we are the creators of wisdom,knowledge,intellect. and now been thrown out by the governance system in our country.
For Equal opportunities Employers:
In the best interest of your organisation employ Brahmins and for a change make it as "INTELLECTUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERS' and then see the alarming and favourable differences in your organisations.
And for my dear Brahmins let "UNITY IN DIVERSITY BE YOUR WATCH WORD AND GUIDING FACTOR' whenever you interact within another brahmin irrespective of your positions and possessions.
I am sending a seperate email to Mr. Eric Bellman,thoughtfully made and may take little time for this.
Please send this message to as many brahmins as you know and can immediately and let the message get spread fast for better awareness.
Thanking you all,
Truly Yours in Brahmnic freternity and friendship.
J.K
Reversal of Fortune Isolates India's Brahmins
By ERIC BELLMAN
CHENNAI, India -- Brahmins, as Hinduism's priestly and scholarly caste, have traditionally occupied a place of privilege in India.
Brahmins have been advisers to Maharajas, Mughals and military rulers. Under British rule, they served as administrators, a position they kept after Indian independence in 1947.
But in today's India, high-caste privileges are dwindling, and with the government giving extensive preferences to the lower-caste majority, many Brahmins are feeling left out of the economy's rapid expansion.
R. Parameswaran has suffered that reversal of fortune. The 29-year-old starts every day with a prayer to the Hindu god Shiva, marking his forehead with red and white powder to let the world know he is a Brahmin. In his home village, his caste's mark brought him respect, but since he moved to Chennai, a sprawling high-tech city in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, in the late 1990s, he has found his status a liability.
In Tamil Nadu, nearly 70% of government jobs and public-college slots are reserved for people from lower castes and other historically disadvantaged groups. Although he says he graduated near the top of his high-school class and had strong test scores, Mr. Parameswaran couldn't get into any of the state engineering colleges. His family had to borrow from friends to send him to a second-rate private college.
He now teaches English at a small vocational school. On a salary of $100 a month, Mr. Parameswaran can't afford an apartment, so he sleeps in the classroom at night. "I am suffering," says the intense young man, using the exaggerated enunciation of an English teacher. "Unfortunately, I was born as a Brahmin."
Although the role of Brahmins has never been synonymous with accumulating wealth, many are affluent enough to educate their children in the better private schools. On average, members of the caste, who make up about 5% of India's population of 1.1 billion, are better educated and better paid than the rest of Indian people.
The term Brahmin has come to be used globally to describe those at the top of the heap with an attitude to match, as in Boston Brahmins. Yet close to half of Brahmin households earn less than $100 a month, according to the Centre for a Study of Developing Societies, a New Delhi think tank. For these Brahmins, the array of state-mandated preferences for other groups present a high hurdle.
The reverse discrimination is rooted in Indian history and politics. For decades, Brahmins were resented for their dominance of the government, economy and culture. Indeed, political parties in Tamil Nadu sprang from anti-Brahmin feelings. "If you see a Brahmin and a snake, kill the Brahmin first" was an old slogan.
A national constitution adopted in 1950 reserved more than 20% of government jobs for lower castes. In 1990, an additional 27% were set aside for what were called "other backward castes." Some states set higher quotas, including Tamil Nadu, which reserves 69% of government jobs for lower castes and other needy groups.
The ugliest Brahmin bashing in India ended years ago, but Mr. Parameswaran says that in college in the late 1990s, he still faced ridicule as a Brahmin. He says one student tried to break his sacred thread, a simple circle of twine Brahmins wear under their clothes.
After college, he had an internship in a state-owned chemical company, but says he was told he wouldn't be hired, as there were openings only for lower-caste applicants. He says he took exams to join national railways, state banks and other government agencies, such as the immigration department, but found most posts closed to all Brahmins except the most brilliant.
From his makeshift home where he sleeps with a blanket on a desk most nights, Mr. Parameswaran still applies for government jobs. He pulls out his latest application form and shows a visitor where he always gets stuck: the three squares where he has to write the abbreviation indicating his caste. "I want government work," he says, shaking the application, "but they have no jobs for Brahmins."
Mr. Parameswaran has tried to adapt to the lessening of caste distinctions taking place in many parts of India today, especially in cities. The changes are less in villages such as the one where he grew up some 200 miles away. There, his grandfather, who is 101 years old, still won't wear Western clothes and won't eat outside of his home for fear of mixing with lower castes.
Mr. Parameswaran's father has a job with the state telephone company and is more liberal. He dresses in shirts and pants, doesn't mind eating at restaurants and doesn't expect lower-caste neighbours to take off their sandals in his presence.
Mr. Parameswaran has had good friends from lower castes all his life, many of whom have used their communities to grab good government jobs, he says. He won't eat meat but has no qualms sharing a meal with people of any caste or creed. His 22-year-old sister, R. Dharmambal, is even more liberal, he says. "She will take non-vegetarian food," he exclaims, using the common Indian term for eating meat.
Mr. Parameswaran often visits the sister in the Brahmin enclave of Mylapore. On a recent day there, dozens of shirtless priests in the traditional Brahmin uniform of a white dhoti and partially shaved head were standing around at a Hindu-scriptures school, hoping for work. For as little as 100 rupees, about $2.50, they offered to perform complicated rituals and blessings required when any Hindu has a baby, a wedding or a new home.
"My sons can't support me, so I have to survive by performing Hindu rituals," says K. Narayana, an 81-year-old scholar. "If we had been from another community, we would have had better opportunities."
Nearby stands the Kapaleeshwara Temple, with towering gates of colourful carvings from Hindu mythology. It is one of the most important places for worship for followers of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction. The temple used to be surrounded by rows of simple single-story homes, each with its own courtyard and well so the Brahmin families wouldn't have to share water with other castes. Most houses have been replaced by concrete apartment blocks and small stores.
At the temple's back gate, Brahmins beg for spare change or look for odd jobs as cooks or even bearers of bodies to funeral pyres, normally a lower-caste pursuit.
"I see so many Brahmins begging" in Mylapore, Mr. Parameswaran says. "It's very difficult to see. It makes me totally upset."
I LOVE YOU,YOU LOVE MEAT-HENCE WECAN'T MEET ?
Some relationships run aground on the perilous shoals of money, sex or religion. When Shauna James’s new romance hit the rocks, the culprit was wheat.
When they prepare orecchiette with broccoli, he adds anchovies to his serving.
What role do you think food plays in relationships?
I went out with one guy who said I seemed really great but he liked bread too much to date me,” said Ms. James, 41, a writer in Seattle who cannot eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
Sharing meals has always been an important courtship ritual and a metaphor for love. But in an age when many people define themselves by what they will eat and what they won’t, dietary differences can put a strain on a romantic relationship. The culinary camps have become so balkanized that some factions consider interdietary dating taboo.
No-holds-barred carnivores, for example, may share the view of Anthony Bourdain, who wrote in his book “Kitchen Confidential” that “vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans ... are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit.”
Returning the compliment, many vegetarians say they cannot date anyone who eats meat. Vegans, who avoid eating not just animals but animal-derived products, take it further, shivering at the thought of kissing someone who has even sipped honey-sweetened tea.
Ben Abdalla, 42, a real estate agent in Boca Raton, Fla., said he preferred to date fellow vegetarians because meat eaters smell bad and have low energy.
Lisa Romano, 31, a vegan and school psychologist in Belleville, N.Y., said she recently ended a relationship with a man who enjoyed backyard grilling. He had no problem searing her vegan burgers alongside his beef patties, but she found the practice unenlightened and disturbing.
Her disapproval “would have become an issue later even if it wasn’t in the beginning,” Ms. Romano said. “I need someone who is ethically on the same page.”
While some eaters may elevate morality above hedonism, others are suspicious of anyone who does not give in to the pleasure principle.
June Deadrick, 40, a lobbyist in Houston, said she would have a hard time loving a man who did not share her fondness for multicourse meals including wild game and artisanal cheeses. “And I’m talking cheese from a cow, not that awful soy stuff,” she said.
Judging from postings at food Web sites like chowhound.com and slashfood.com, people seem more willing to date those who restrict their diet for health or religion rather than mere dislike.
Typical sentiments included: “Medical and religious issues I can work around as long as the person is sincere and consistent, but flaky, picky cheaters — no way” and “picky eaters are remarkably unsexy.”
Jennifer Esposito, 28, an image consultant who lives in Rye Brook, N.Y., lived for four years with a man who ate only pizza, noodles with butter and the occasional baked potato.
“It was really frustrating because he refused to try anything I made,” she said. They broke up. “Food is a huge part of life,” she said. “It’s something I want to be able to share.”
A year ago Ms. Esposito met and married Michael Esposito, 51, who, like her, is an adventurous and omnivorous eater. Now, she said, she could not be happier. “A relationship is about giving and receiving, and he loves what I cook, and I love to cook for him,” she said.
Food has a strong subconscious link to love, said Kathryn Zerbe, a psychiatrist who specializes in eating disorders at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. That is why refusing a partner’s food “can feel like rejection,” she said.
As with other differences couples face, tolerance and compromise are essential at the dinner table, marital therapists said. “If you can’t allow your partner to have latitude in what he or she eats, then may be your problem isn’t about food,” said Susan Jaffe, a psychiatrist in Manhattan.
Dynise Balcavage, 42, an associate creative director at an advertising agency and vegan who lives in Philadelphia, said she has been happily married to her omnivorous husband, John Gatti, 53, for seven years.
“We have this little dance we’ve choreographed in the kitchen,” she said. She prepares vegan meals and averts her eyes when he adds anchovies or cheese. And she does not show disapproval when he orders meat in a restaurant.
“I’m not a vegangelical,” she said. “He’s an adult and I respect his choices just as he respects mine.”
In deference to his wife, Mr. Gatti has cut back substantially on his meat consumption and no longer eats veal. For her part, Ms. Balcavage cooks more Italian dishes, her husband’s favorite.
In New York City, Yoshie Fruchter and his girlfriend, Leah Koenig, still wrestle with their dietary differences after almost two years together. He is kosher and she is vegetarian. They eat vegetarian meals at her apartment, where he keeps his own set of dishes and utensils. When eating out they mostly go to kosher restaurants, although they “aren’t known for inspired cuisine,” said Ms. Koenig, 25, who works for a nonprofit environmental group.
Though the couple occasionally visit nonkosher restaurants, Mr. Fruchter, 26, a musician, said he has to order carefully to avoid violating kosher rules. “We’re still figuring out how this is going to work,” he said. “We’re both making sacrifices, which is what you do when you’re in love.”
MORE THAN DINNER? Shauna James doesn't eat gluten. Daniel Ahern adapted.
At Impromptu Wine Bar Cafe in Seattle, Daniel Ahern makes gluten-free dishes like polenta fries.
What role do you think food plays in relationships?
Even couples who have been eating together happily for years can be thrown into disarray when one partner suddenly takes up a new diet. After 19 years of marriage, Steve Benson unsettled his wife, Jean, when he announced three years ago that he would no longer eat meat, for ethical reasons.
“It had been in my head a long time, but I could have done a better job of talking about it,” said Mr. Benson, 46, a math professor at Lesley University, in Cambridge, Mass. Ms. Benson, who is also 46, and devises grade school curriculums, said she worried her husband would judge her if she continued to eat meat, “but we talked it out and he is not proselytizing.”
Another concern was whether she would be able to cook vegetarian meals that would meet the nutritional needs of everyone in the family, including their teenage daughter. “I wanted us all to eat the same thing for pragmatic, household economy reasons, but also because that’s part of being a family,” Ms. Benson said.
So, she cooks vegetarian dinners and makes lunches for herself and her daughter that include meat. She and her daughter have “meat parties” when Mr. Benson goes out of town, she said.
“There’s this feeling that if we eat the same thing then we are the same thing, and if we don’t, we’re no longer unified,” Dr. Zerbe said. She and Dr. Jaffe said sharing food is an important ritual that enhances relationships. They advise interdietary couples to find meals they can both enjoy. “Or at least a side dish,” Dr. Zerbe said.
For people who like to cook, learning to bridge the dietary divide can be an enjoyable puzzle. Ms. James, the gluten-averse writer, eventually found a man who did not love by bread alone. On her first date with Daniel Ahern, in 2006, she told him that she was gluten-free; he saw it as a professional challenge.
“As a chef, it has given me the opportunity to experiment with new ingredients to create things she can eat,” said Mr. Ahern, 39, who works at Impromptu Wine Bar Cafe in Seattle. Ms. James said she fell in love with him after he made her a gluten-free salad of frisée, poached egg and bacon. They married in September.
Since then, Mr. Ahern has given up eating bread at home, though he still eats it when he goes out. For her part, Ms. James has begun eating offal and foie gras, which were once anathema. “We’ve changed each other,” she said.
Some relationships run aground on the perilous shoals of money, sex or religion. When Shauna James’s new romance hit the rocks, the culprit was wheat.
When they prepare orecchiette with broccoli, he adds anchovies to his serving.
What role do you think food plays in relationships?
I went out with one guy who said I seemed really great but he liked bread too much to date me,” said Ms. James, 41, a writer in Seattle who cannot eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
Sharing meals has always been an important courtship ritual and a metaphor for love. But in an age when many people define themselves by what they will eat and what they won’t, dietary differences can put a strain on a romantic relationship. The culinary camps have become so balkanized that some factions consider interdietary dating taboo.
No-holds-barred carnivores, for example, may share the view of Anthony Bourdain, who wrote in his book “Kitchen Confidential” that “vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans ... are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit.”
Returning the compliment, many vegetarians say they cannot date anyone who eats meat. Vegans, who avoid eating not just animals but animal-derived products, take it further, shivering at the thought of kissing someone who has even sipped honey-sweetened tea.
Ben Abdalla, 42, a real estate agent in Boca Raton, Fla., said he preferred to date fellow vegetarians because meat eaters smell bad and have low energy.
Lisa Romano, 31, a vegan and school psychologist in Belleville, N.Y., said she recently ended a relationship with a man who enjoyed backyard grilling. He had no problem searing her vegan burgers alongside his beef patties, but she found the practice unenlightened and disturbing.
Her disapproval “would have become an issue later even if it wasn’t in the beginning,” Ms. Romano said. “I need someone who is ethically on the same page.”
While some eaters may elevate morality above hedonism, others are suspicious of anyone who does not give in to the pleasure principle.
June Deadrick, 40, a lobbyist in Houston, said she would have a hard time loving a man who did not share her fondness for multicourse meals including wild game and artisanal cheeses. “And I’m talking cheese from a cow, not that awful soy stuff,” she said.
Judging from postings at food Web sites like chowhound.com and slashfood.com, people seem more willing to date those who restrict their diet for health or religion rather than mere dislike.
Typical sentiments included: “Medical and religious issues I can work around as long as the person is sincere and consistent, but flaky, picky cheaters — no way” and “picky eaters are remarkably unsexy.”
Jennifer Esposito, 28, an image consultant who lives in Rye Brook, N.Y., lived for four years with a man who ate only pizza, noodles with butter and the occasional baked potato.
“It was really frustrating because he refused to try anything I made,” she said. They broke up. “Food is a huge part of life,” she said. “It’s something I want to be able to share.”
A year ago Ms. Esposito met and married Michael Esposito, 51, who, like her, is an adventurous and omnivorous eater. Now, she said, she could not be happier. “A relationship is about giving and receiving, and he loves what I cook, and I love to cook for him,” she said.
Food has a strong subconscious link to love, said Kathryn Zerbe, a psychiatrist who specializes in eating disorders at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. That is why refusing a partner’s food “can feel like rejection,” she said.
As with other differences couples face, tolerance and compromise are essential at the dinner table, marital therapists said. “If you can’t allow your partner to have latitude in what he or she eats, then may be your problem isn’t about food,” said Susan Jaffe, a psychiatrist in Manhattan.
Dynise Balcavage, 42, an associate creative director at an advertising agency and vegan who lives in Philadelphia, said she has been happily married to her omnivorous husband, John Gatti, 53, for seven years.
“We have this little dance we’ve choreographed in the kitchen,” she said. She prepares vegan meals and averts her eyes when he adds anchovies or cheese. And she does not show disapproval when he orders meat in a restaurant.
“I’m not a vegangelical,” she said. “He’s an adult and I respect his choices just as he respects mine.”
In deference to his wife, Mr. Gatti has cut back substantially on his meat consumption and no longer eats veal. For her part, Ms. Balcavage cooks more Italian dishes, her husband’s favorite.
In New York City, Yoshie Fruchter and his girlfriend, Leah Koenig, still wrestle with their dietary differences after almost two years together. He is kosher and she is vegetarian. They eat vegetarian meals at her apartment, where he keeps his own set of dishes and utensils. When eating out they mostly go to kosher restaurants, although they “aren’t known for inspired cuisine,” said Ms. Koenig, 25, who works for a nonprofit environmental group.
Though the couple occasionally visit nonkosher restaurants, Mr. Fruchter, 26, a musician, said he has to order carefully to avoid violating kosher rules. “We’re still figuring out how this is going to work,” he said. “We’re both making sacrifices, which is what you do when you’re in love.”
MORE THAN DINNER? Shauna James doesn't eat gluten. Daniel Ahern adapted.
At Impromptu Wine Bar Cafe in Seattle, Daniel Ahern makes gluten-free dishes like polenta fries.
What role do you think food plays in relationships?
Even couples who have been eating together happily for years can be thrown into disarray when one partner suddenly takes up a new diet. After 19 years of marriage, Steve Benson unsettled his wife, Jean, when he announced three years ago that he would no longer eat meat, for ethical reasons.
“It had been in my head a long time, but I could have done a better job of talking about it,” said Mr. Benson, 46, a math professor at Lesley University, in Cambridge, Mass. Ms. Benson, who is also 46, and devises grade school curriculums, said she worried her husband would judge her if she continued to eat meat, “but we talked it out and he is not proselytizing.”
Another concern was whether she would be able to cook vegetarian meals that would meet the nutritional needs of everyone in the family, including their teenage daughter. “I wanted us all to eat the same thing for pragmatic, household economy reasons, but also because that’s part of being a family,” Ms. Benson said.
So, she cooks vegetarian dinners and makes lunches for herself and her daughter that include meat. She and her daughter have “meat parties” when Mr. Benson goes out of town, she said.
“There’s this feeling that if we eat the same thing then we are the same thing, and if we don’t, we’re no longer unified,” Dr. Zerbe said. She and Dr. Jaffe said sharing food is an important ritual that enhances relationships. They advise interdietary couples to find meals they can both enjoy. “Or at least a side dish,” Dr. Zerbe said.
For people who like to cook, learning to bridge the dietary divide can be an enjoyable puzzle. Ms. James, the gluten-averse writer, eventually found a man who did not love by bread alone. On her first date with Daniel Ahern, in 2006, she told him that she was gluten-free; he saw it as a professional challenge.
“As a chef, it has given me the opportunity to experiment with new ingredients to create things she can eat,” said Mr. Ahern, 39, who works at Impromptu Wine Bar Cafe in Seattle. Ms. James said she fell in love with him after he made her a gluten-free salad of frisée, poached egg and bacon. They married in September.
Since then, Mr. Ahern has given up eating bread at home, though he still eats it when he goes out. For her part, Ms. James has begun eating offal and foie gras, which were once anathema. “We’ve changed each other,” she said.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Symbolism and Significance of the seven horses of Lord Surya:-
Lord Surya is the sun god in Hinduism. Important scriptures and mythology associated with Hindu religion contains several depiction of Lord Surya riding seven horses. The seven horses are known as Harits. Ratha Saptami is an important festival dedicated to Lord Surya riding seven horses.
In Hindu Mythology, Lord Surya rides across the heavens (sky) in a chariot drawn by seven horses. The horses symbolize the cosmic rays, which radiates warmth and life. As they move across the skies, they remove darkness and usher in light. The seven horses also symbolize the seven colors of rainbow.
The reins of the horses are firmly in the hands of Aruna (Sun God). The reins are the seasons and Aruna makes sure with the reins that rays of the sun sustain all living beings. The seven horses are also said to represent the seven days of the week.
The seven horses are often referred as Harits and sometimes instead of horses they are depicted as seven mares. Occasionally, they are also depicted as one horse or mare with seven heads.
Lord Surya is the sun god in Hinduism. Important scriptures and mythology associated with Hindu religion contains several depiction of Lord Surya riding seven horses. The seven horses are known as Harits. Ratha Saptami is an important festival dedicated to Lord Surya riding seven horses.
In Hindu Mythology, Lord Surya rides across the heavens (sky) in a chariot drawn by seven horses. The horses symbolize the cosmic rays, which radiates warmth and life. As they move across the skies, they remove darkness and usher in light. The seven horses also symbolize the seven colors of rainbow.
The reins of the horses are firmly in the hands of Aruna (Sun God). The reins are the seasons and Aruna makes sure with the reins that rays of the sun sustain all living beings. The seven horses are also said to represent the seven days of the week.
The seven horses are often referred as Harits and sometimes instead of horses they are depicted as seven mares. Occasionally, they are also depicted as one horse or mare with seven heads.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Cooking the books
Meaning
The deliberate distorting of a firm's financial accounts, often with the aim of avoiding the payment of tax.
Origin
Cooking seems a rather odd choice of word to convey fraud. The Oxford English Dictionary lists a dozen or so meanings of the verb cook, ranging from 'prepare opium for use' to 'make the call of a cuckoo' and, of course, 'prepare food by the action of heat'. Tucked away at the bottom there is also the meaning - 'present in a surreptitiously altered form' and it is that use of cook that was used in the coinage of the phrase. The allusion appears to be the changing of one thing into another, as in the conversion of food ingredients into meals.
This usage dates back to Tudor England and it was used by the Earl of Strafford in his Letters and dispatches, 1636:
"The Proof was once clear, however they have cook'd it since."
The verb was in common use by the 18th century and its meaning was used explicitly with regard to finance in Tobias Smollett's The adventures of Peregrine Pickle, 1751:
"Some falsified printed accounts, artfully cooked up, on purpose to mislead and deceive."
Apart from in the expression 'cooking the books' this use of 'cook' has disappeared from the language and the expression, while still being used occasionally, had itself became increasingly uncommon throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The preferred euphemism for the manipulation of financial statements came to be 'creative accounting'. This is first recorded in the 1960s and is attributed to the US comedian Irwin Corey, as in this example from the Middlesboro Daily News, May 1968:
'Professor' Irwin Corey claims his CPA [Certified Public Accounts] isn't exactly crooked - but the government's questioning him about his "creative accounting".
The numerous corporate fraud cases of the 1990s turned public opinion against the semi-admiring tone of 'creative accounting' and journalists stopped using it. That, and the transformation of bookshops, which now seem to sell more coffee and cakes than they do books, has brought about a revival of the term 'cooking the books', which looks like staying with us for some years to come.
Meaning
The deliberate distorting of a firm's financial accounts, often with the aim of avoiding the payment of tax.
Origin
Cooking seems a rather odd choice of word to convey fraud. The Oxford English Dictionary lists a dozen or so meanings of the verb cook, ranging from 'prepare opium for use' to 'make the call of a cuckoo' and, of course, 'prepare food by the action of heat'. Tucked away at the bottom there is also the meaning - 'present in a surreptitiously altered form' and it is that use of cook that was used in the coinage of the phrase. The allusion appears to be the changing of one thing into another, as in the conversion of food ingredients into meals.
This usage dates back to Tudor England and it was used by the Earl of Strafford in his Letters and dispatches, 1636:
"The Proof was once clear, however they have cook'd it since."
The verb was in common use by the 18th century and its meaning was used explicitly with regard to finance in Tobias Smollett's The adventures of Peregrine Pickle, 1751:
"Some falsified printed accounts, artfully cooked up, on purpose to mislead and deceive."
Apart from in the expression 'cooking the books' this use of 'cook' has disappeared from the language and the expression, while still being used occasionally, had itself became increasingly uncommon throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The preferred euphemism for the manipulation of financial statements came to be 'creative accounting'. This is first recorded in the 1960s and is attributed to the US comedian Irwin Corey, as in this example from the Middlesboro Daily News, May 1968:
'Professor' Irwin Corey claims his CPA [Certified Public Accounts] isn't exactly crooked - but the government's questioning him about his "creative accounting".
The numerous corporate fraud cases of the 1990s turned public opinion against the semi-admiring tone of 'creative accounting' and journalists stopped using it. That, and the transformation of bookshops, which now seem to sell more coffee and cakes than they do books, has brought about a revival of the term 'cooking the books', which looks like staying with us for some years to come.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Relationship With a Spiritual Master:-
A child living with his family who does right by his family in honouring his mother and his father reaps a reward--for that mother and father are going to gladly see to all his needs in the emotional, intellectual and material world. But if the child negligently begins to play with the emotions and intellect of his mother and father by not living up to their expectations, they will be relieved when he is old enough to leave home and be on his own. During the time he is still at home, they will, of course, talk with him and work the best they can with the negative vibrations he generates, as their natural love for him is a protective force.
As it is with the parents, it is much the same with the Spiritual Master. A devotee coming to his Master who is evolved, honest and able is first asked to do simple, mundane tasks. If they are done with willingness, the Master will take him consciously under his wing for a deeper, inner, direct training, as he fires him to attain greater heights through sadhana and tapas. This darshan power of the Master will then be constantly felt by the disciple. But if the disciple were to turn away from the small tasks given by his Master, he would not connect into the deeper darshan power of the Spiritual Master that allows him to ride into his meditations deeply with ease. If the devotee breaks his flow with the Master by putting newly awakened power into intellectual "ifs" or "buts" or--"Well, now I know how to meditate; I don't need you anymore. Thank you for all you've done. I've learned all you have to offer me and must be on my way"--or if he merely starts being delinquent in his efforts, then the Master-disciple relationship is shattered.
Still a certain darshan power goes out to him, but the Master no longer consciously inwardly works with him as an individual. He knows it is too dangerous to work with this fluctuating aspirant, for there is no telling how he might take and use the accumulating power that would later be awakened within him. The Spiritual Master makes such a one prove himself to himself time and time again and to the Master, too, through sadhana and tapas. Sadhana tests his loyalty, consistency and resolution. Tapas tests his loyalty as well as his personal will, for he does tapas alone, gaining help only from inside himself, and he has to be aware on the inside to receive it. A wise Master never hesitates to put him "through it," so to speak.
A Master may give tapas to a self-willed disciple who insisted on living his personal life in the ashram, not heeding the rules of his sadhana. He may say, "Walk through all places. Stay out of the ashram for one year. Walk through the Himalayas. Take nothing but your good looks, your orange robe and a bowl for begging at the temples." From then on, the Master works it all out with him on the inside for as long as the disciple remains "on tapas." Maybe the Master will be with him again, yet may be not; it depends entirely on the personal performance of the tapas.
This, then, is one of the reasons that it is very, very important for anyone striving on the path to first have a good relationship with his family--for the Master can expect nothing more than the same type of relationship eventually to arise with himself or between the aspirant and some other disciple. As he gets more into the vibration of the Master, he is going to relax into the same behavioural patterns he generated with his parents, for in the ashram, many of the same vibrations, forces and attitudes are involved.
A child living with his family who does right by his family in honouring his mother and his father reaps a reward--for that mother and father are going to gladly see to all his needs in the emotional, intellectual and material world. But if the child negligently begins to play with the emotions and intellect of his mother and father by not living up to their expectations, they will be relieved when he is old enough to leave home and be on his own. During the time he is still at home, they will, of course, talk with him and work the best they can with the negative vibrations he generates, as their natural love for him is a protective force.
As it is with the parents, it is much the same with the Spiritual Master. A devotee coming to his Master who is evolved, honest and able is first asked to do simple, mundane tasks. If they are done with willingness, the Master will take him consciously under his wing for a deeper, inner, direct training, as he fires him to attain greater heights through sadhana and tapas. This darshan power of the Master will then be constantly felt by the disciple. But if the disciple were to turn away from the small tasks given by his Master, he would not connect into the deeper darshan power of the Spiritual Master that allows him to ride into his meditations deeply with ease. If the devotee breaks his flow with the Master by putting newly awakened power into intellectual "ifs" or "buts" or--"Well, now I know how to meditate; I don't need you anymore. Thank you for all you've done. I've learned all you have to offer me and must be on my way"--or if he merely starts being delinquent in his efforts, then the Master-disciple relationship is shattered.
Still a certain darshan power goes out to him, but the Master no longer consciously inwardly works with him as an individual. He knows it is too dangerous to work with this fluctuating aspirant, for there is no telling how he might take and use the accumulating power that would later be awakened within him. The Spiritual Master makes such a one prove himself to himself time and time again and to the Master, too, through sadhana and tapas. Sadhana tests his loyalty, consistency and resolution. Tapas tests his loyalty as well as his personal will, for he does tapas alone, gaining help only from inside himself, and he has to be aware on the inside to receive it. A wise Master never hesitates to put him "through it," so to speak.
A Master may give tapas to a self-willed disciple who insisted on living his personal life in the ashram, not heeding the rules of his sadhana. He may say, "Walk through all places. Stay out of the ashram for one year. Walk through the Himalayas. Take nothing but your good looks, your orange robe and a bowl for begging at the temples." From then on, the Master works it all out with him on the inside for as long as the disciple remains "on tapas." Maybe the Master will be with him again, yet may be not; it depends entirely on the personal performance of the tapas.
This, then, is one of the reasons that it is very, very important for anyone striving on the path to first have a good relationship with his family--for the Master can expect nothing more than the same type of relationship eventually to arise with himself or between the aspirant and some other disciple. As he gets more into the vibration of the Master, he is going to relax into the same behavioural patterns he generated with his parents, for in the ashram, many of the same vibrations, forces and attitudes are involved.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
You are the Best guide for your Savings.
No question and doubt about it, when you are talking
about money, it can get confusing. This fact is even
more true if you're just starting out and money isn't
the most plentiful thing in your life. One golden rule
you should learn whether you're starting out or not is
always put some money away in savings. Now if you're
saying but I can only afford to put ten or twenty
bucks of a pay into savings, hey that's better than
nothing over the course of a year. Now once you start
saving the next procedure is to find the very best
savings account for your money, and needs.
Often when you first start out with your savings, a
regular account at the bank will work. Once you've
built up a reasonable sum there you can then start to
shop your savings around to ensure your money is
working for you. How does your money work for you?
Simple by earning interest, and there are different
savings accounts that earn different amounts. To make
the most of your savings you need the best savings
account to watch your money grows in
multiplications,insted of adding.
Something a lot of people don't realise if that a
money market account is actually a type of savings
account. While they do usually require a minimum
balance be kept there, they generally earn a much
higher return than your regular savings bank account.
If you're sitting on five hundred to one thousand
dollars you might consider this to be the best savings
account.
If you're someone who lets money burn and leave a
hole in your pocket, the best savings account in the
whole world isn't going to help. You need someone else
to take care of placing some money into savings each
pay, rather then leaving it up to you. Often your
employer will be able to transfer a certain amount
into your savings account from each pay9this can be
done by increasing your own contribution of Provident
Fund). This way you won't even notice the funds gone,
and will just grow accustomed to the amount you have
in your checking account.
Now having your employer deduct savings is a very
unique way of saving, another unique option is a
savings program on a credit card. There are some cards
available that will actually round up your purchase
amount and deposit that amount into a savings account
for you. If you're someone that absolutely loves to
shop this could add up quick, pending you can afford
to pay off the credit card bill each month.
Whether you have a large or small sum you want to work
with in your savings account no question your banker
is your best resource for information. Most branches
have individuals who do nothing other than advise
people on savings and investment, these should be your
first point of contact when you want to find the best
savings account for you. Of course, even more
important than finding the right account is starting
the saving process, get that part started and the rest
is smooth sailing.
And always remember:-
"PROVIDENCE IS BLISS ONLY IF YOU ARE PRUDENT IN
SPENDING"
No question and doubt about it, when you are talking
about money, it can get confusing. This fact is even
more true if you're just starting out and money isn't
the most plentiful thing in your life. One golden rule
you should learn whether you're starting out or not is
always put some money away in savings. Now if you're
saying but I can only afford to put ten or twenty
bucks of a pay into savings, hey that's better than
nothing over the course of a year. Now once you start
saving the next procedure is to find the very best
savings account for your money, and needs.
Often when you first start out with your savings, a
regular account at the bank will work. Once you've
built up a reasonable sum there you can then start to
shop your savings around to ensure your money is
working for you. How does your money work for you?
Simple by earning interest, and there are different
savings accounts that earn different amounts. To make
the most of your savings you need the best savings
account to watch your money grows in
multiplications,insted of adding.
Something a lot of people don't realise if that a
money market account is actually a type of savings
account. While they do usually require a minimum
balance be kept there, they generally earn a much
higher return than your regular savings bank account.
If you're sitting on five hundred to one thousand
dollars you might consider this to be the best savings
account.
If you're someone who lets money burn and leave a
hole in your pocket, the best savings account in the
whole world isn't going to help. You need someone else
to take care of placing some money into savings each
pay, rather then leaving it up to you. Often your
employer will be able to transfer a certain amount
into your savings account from each pay9this can be
done by increasing your own contribution of Provident
Fund). This way you won't even notice the funds gone,
and will just grow accustomed to the amount you have
in your checking account.
Now having your employer deduct savings is a very
unique way of saving, another unique option is a
savings program on a credit card. There are some cards
available that will actually round up your purchase
amount and deposit that amount into a savings account
for you. If you're someone that absolutely loves to
shop this could add up quick, pending you can afford
to pay off the credit card bill each month.
Whether you have a large or small sum you want to work
with in your savings account no question your banker
is your best resource for information. Most branches
have individuals who do nothing other than advise
people on savings and investment, these should be your
first point of contact when you want to find the best
savings account for you. Of course, even more
important than finding the right account is starting
the saving process, get that part started and the rest
is smooth sailing.
And always remember:-
"PROVIDENCE IS BLISS ONLY IF YOU ARE PRUDENT IN
SPENDING"
Muladhara, The Realm of Memory
The chakras do not awaken. They are already awakened in everyone. It only seems as if they awaken as we become aware of flowing our energy through them, because energy, willpower and awareness are one and the same thing. To become conscious of the core of energy itself, all we have to do is detach awareness from the realms of reason, memory and aggressive, intellectual will; then turning inward, we move from one chakra to another. The physical body changes as these more refined energies flow through it and the inner nerve system, called nadis, inwardly becomes stronger and stronger. The muladhara chakra is the memory center, located at the base of the spine, and is physically associated with the sacral or pelvic nerve plexus. Mula means "root" and adhara means "support," so this is called the root chakra. Its color is red. It governs the realms of time and memory, creating a consciousness of time through the powers of memory. Whenever we go back in our memory patterns, we are using the forces of the muladhara.
This chakra is associated also with human qualities of individuality, egoism, materialism and dominance. Man lives mostly in this chakra during the first seven years of life. This center has four "petals" or aspects, one of which governs memories of past lives. The other three contain the compiled memory patterns and interrelated karmas of this life. When this chakra is developed, people are able to travel on the astral plane. It is complete within itself, but when the first two chakras are charged with gross, instinctive impulses and developed through Western education, with its values and foibles which contradict Hindu dharma, they can create together a very strong odic force which, when propelled by the worldly will of the third chakra toward outer success and power, can dominate the mind and make it nearly impossible for awareness to function in the higher force centers, so great is the material magnetism. Men living fully in these lower three chakras therefore say that God is above them, not knowing that "above" is their own head and they are living "below," near the base of the spine.
You have seen many people living totally in the past--it's their only reality. They are always reminiscing: "When I was a boy, we used toÆ’ Why, I remember whenÆ’ It wasn't like this a few years agoÆ’" On and on they go, living a recollected personal history and usually unaware that they have a present to be enjoyed and a future to be created. On and on they go, giving their life force energies to the task of perpetuating the past. The muladhara forces are not negative forces. Used and governed positively by the higher centers, the powers of time, memory and sex are transmuted into the very fuel that propels awareness along the spinal climb and into the head. Similarly, the mature lotus blossom cannot in wisdom criticize the muddy roots far below which, after all, sustain its very life.
The center of man's reasoning faculties lies in the second, or hypogastric, plexus below the navel. It is termed svadhishthana, which in Sanskrit means "one's own place." Its color is reddish orange. Once the ability to remember has been established, the natural consequence is reason, and from reason evolves the intellect. Reason and intellect work through this chakra. We open naturally into this chakra between the ages of seven and thirteen, when we want to know why the sky is blue and the "whys" of everything. If very little memory exists, very little intellect is present. In other words, reason is the manipulation of memorized information. We categorize it, edit it, rearrange it and store the results. That is the essence of the limited capacity of reason. Therefore, this center controls the muladhara, and in fact, each progressively "higher" center controls all preceding centers. That is the law. In thinking, solving problems, analyzing people or situations, we are functioning in the domain of svadhishthana.
This center has six "petals" or aspects and can therefore express itself in six distinct ways: diplomacy, sensitivity, cleverness, doubt, anxiety and procrastination. These aspects or personae would seem very real to people living predominantly in this chakra. They would research, explore and wonder, "Why? Why? Why?" They would propose theories and then formulate reasonable explanations. They would form a rigid intellectual mind based on opinionated knowledge and accumulated memory, reinforced by habit patterns of the instinctive mind.
Source K.H.M
The chakras do not awaken. They are already awakened in everyone. It only seems as if they awaken as we become aware of flowing our energy through them, because energy, willpower and awareness are one and the same thing. To become conscious of the core of energy itself, all we have to do is detach awareness from the realms of reason, memory and aggressive, intellectual will; then turning inward, we move from one chakra to another. The physical body changes as these more refined energies flow through it and the inner nerve system, called nadis, inwardly becomes stronger and stronger. The muladhara chakra is the memory center, located at the base of the spine, and is physically associated with the sacral or pelvic nerve plexus. Mula means "root" and adhara means "support," so this is called the root chakra. Its color is red. It governs the realms of time and memory, creating a consciousness of time through the powers of memory. Whenever we go back in our memory patterns, we are using the forces of the muladhara.
This chakra is associated also with human qualities of individuality, egoism, materialism and dominance. Man lives mostly in this chakra during the first seven years of life. This center has four "petals" or aspects, one of which governs memories of past lives. The other three contain the compiled memory patterns and interrelated karmas of this life. When this chakra is developed, people are able to travel on the astral plane. It is complete within itself, but when the first two chakras are charged with gross, instinctive impulses and developed through Western education, with its values and foibles which contradict Hindu dharma, they can create together a very strong odic force which, when propelled by the worldly will of the third chakra toward outer success and power, can dominate the mind and make it nearly impossible for awareness to function in the higher force centers, so great is the material magnetism. Men living fully in these lower three chakras therefore say that God is above them, not knowing that "above" is their own head and they are living "below," near the base of the spine.
You have seen many people living totally in the past--it's their only reality. They are always reminiscing: "When I was a boy, we used toÆ’ Why, I remember whenÆ’ It wasn't like this a few years agoÆ’" On and on they go, living a recollected personal history and usually unaware that they have a present to be enjoyed and a future to be created. On and on they go, giving their life force energies to the task of perpetuating the past. The muladhara forces are not negative forces. Used and governed positively by the higher centers, the powers of time, memory and sex are transmuted into the very fuel that propels awareness along the spinal climb and into the head. Similarly, the mature lotus blossom cannot in wisdom criticize the muddy roots far below which, after all, sustain its very life.
The center of man's reasoning faculties lies in the second, or hypogastric, plexus below the navel. It is termed svadhishthana, which in Sanskrit means "one's own place." Its color is reddish orange. Once the ability to remember has been established, the natural consequence is reason, and from reason evolves the intellect. Reason and intellect work through this chakra. We open naturally into this chakra between the ages of seven and thirteen, when we want to know why the sky is blue and the "whys" of everything. If very little memory exists, very little intellect is present. In other words, reason is the manipulation of memorized information. We categorize it, edit it, rearrange it and store the results. That is the essence of the limited capacity of reason. Therefore, this center controls the muladhara, and in fact, each progressively "higher" center controls all preceding centers. That is the law. In thinking, solving problems, analyzing people or situations, we are functioning in the domain of svadhishthana.
This center has six "petals" or aspects and can therefore express itself in six distinct ways: diplomacy, sensitivity, cleverness, doubt, anxiety and procrastination. These aspects or personae would seem very real to people living predominantly in this chakra. They would research, explore and wonder, "Why? Why? Why?" They would propose theories and then formulate reasonable explanations. They would form a rigid intellectual mind based on opinionated knowledge and accumulated memory, reinforced by habit patterns of the instinctive mind.
Source K.H.M
Monday, February 11, 2008
ARTICLE PRESENTED BY K.SRIRAM ON KNOWLEDGE SHARING.
Sub-prime lending refers to lending to subordinated borrowers who do not qualify for the best available market rates due to poor credit history. There is an additional risk-premium attached to this rate to cover default risk (incidence of which is greater) to the lending institutions. Sub prime lending is risky for both lenders and borrowers due to the combination of high interest rates, poor credit history, and adverse financial situations usually associated with sub prime applicants.
Now, what happened (in the recent past, from Aug'07) is that the assets (homes, condos etc…) that were used as a mortgage for this sub-prime lending have since fallen in value (due to the bursting of the housing bubble) and therefore have lost substantial value albeit o/s mortgage balance remaining constant (unchanged) i.e. incl higher interest rate due to riskier funding. Therefore, borrowers had defaulted and banks (incl. inv banks) had taken a huge hit on their P&L and even when the bankers wanted to liquidate the mortgages for foreclosure etc, they recovered only a portion of the o/s balance and the remaining UNCOLLECTIBLE (BAD DEBTS).
A few consequences in US economy in light of these incidents:
1.Economic Recession
2 Sliding $$$$$
3.Inflation
4.FedRes printing money to ensure market liquidity in inflationary times (akin to what happened in the 70s), leading to a potential stagflationary economy.
5.This looks like more of a cyclical correction in the middle of a long-term bull market.
6.Investment banks haven't yet recovered on short-positions on certain derivative instruments (CDOs i.e. collateralized debt obligations / CMOs collateralized mortgage obligations)
Knowledge Sharing
Dear Sriram,
A nice and useful presentation in crisp and condensed manner.
While you are right that sub prime lending is closely related to FIs (Banks), lending money to unqualified borrowers (with poor credit history), I have just one? to ask-Why banks tempt and encourage such borrowers with killing rate of interest. In fact its banks that are responsible for such unethical practice and conduct and invite troubles for themselves and to the borrowers.
Just because banks are dumped with money from investors/depositors. Does it mean they will lend it to any Tom, Dick & Harry of unreliable in nature with bad financial/credit history? What a malady of circumstances and situations!!!!
Mind you, it is not only that the banks levy, super premium rate of interest to its borrowers with poor credit history, but also loads the borrowers with unbearable processing, documentation; pre-EMI fees etc. etc. and ultimately end up with bad debts or NPA to reflect in their P&L and B.S. In fact genuine borrowers with clean track record and credit worthiness are also very badly affected and hit as a result of the bank’s this kind of attitude and approach(This ‘am referring to Indian scenario) particularly by foreign banks and banks under the management of private sector .The element of financial burdens passed on to the borrowers in the interest rate is also jacked up with,over riding commission/out of pocket expenses to be passed on to the so called DSA’s/Recovery Agents(comprising of group of thugs) employed by the banks for their unethical role.-Thank God the Reserve Bank of India has now put a ban on such recovery Agents being deployed by the banks for recoveries, as a result of some of the affected ones having approached the court of justice.
There do exist unhealthy competition on the part of the banks to lure the borrowers to lend money with different rate of interest and other charges “fine printed in terms and conditions” more so with more fine printed with “conditions apply”-offering the borrower to wear the noose, on his neck the borrower being unaware of this. The charges levied by banks even for a little delay in payment of EMI by way of penal interest, delayed payment charges etc are indeed murdering like, of the borrowers.
To set right matters in the right perspective and to extend a sigh of relief to borrowers, the Apex Bank (RBI) should come out with strict guide lines to all banks with stringent penalty provisions for defaulting banks and standardise the ROI for all types of lending and nominal other charges (if at all warranted.). Banks on their part should lend money only after thorough credit worthiness verification, financial standing and backgrounds of the borrower instead of merely satisfying with Identity proof and residence proof of the borrowers.
As far as Home loans are concerned, the bank is no way and absolutely at any risk whatsoever , as the lending sum is restricted to 80% of the property value, and the real scenario being the property value is on spiralling escalation and the bank takes the custody of the original property documents towards financial security. Even on home loans, RBI guidelines and restrictions on ROI and other hidden costs needs to be standardised nominally and introduced for compliance by banks and other lending institutions for strict compliance as this too is as of now under the whims and fancies of banks and lending institutions. The floating rate of interest, the fixed rate of interest being offerred by banks and FIs are a mere gimmick to throw mud and dust in the eyes of borrowers to make them blind folded.
A very simple concept that contains solution to the problem is “Let a man live he will not run away, attempt to kill a man he will run away to escape-the attitude and approach by the banks and FIs are of latter in nature which has got to be eliminated under the control and guidelines of Government/Reserve Bank. If the Government and Finance Ministry is not able to work on this small issue effectively and efficiently how can they look forward to have a growing and efficient overall economy of our country?
Please take note that “Bad debts” are created by banks due to their own “bad” actions and approach and make the bank weak, and we do have instances to our knowledge that such weaker banks merging with stronger banks by way of M&A.Let not the history repeat again as “Self survival is the best survival.”
As far as USA is concerned, all said and done, China just started opening its wide mouth to swallow and gulp USA economically and its symptoms are already visible, it may not happen overnight, but will sooner than later.
Of the US consequences referred to by at No.4, it is highly dangerous and will add to the economical agony of US and put them in peril. The main source of revenue to US by way of sale of arms and nuclear products will also bear set back as their monopoly on these will also be put to constrain.
I think it would be appropriate for me to add an article posted by me in my blog titled “OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL” with comments from readers as it relates to Economics and ‘am sure you will find it interesting to read.
“The other things being equal” - A good old Economics clause.
My economics teacher used to apply the above clause, ampty number of occasions while conducting Economics class. Those days, being an immature lad with the lack of grasping power added with inadequacy in command over English language, I hardly could understand anything out of his class lecturers.
Later after entering into commercial activities and own business, I started reading books on Economics and articles related to Economics, I started knowing little more about it and have come to a conclusion that “ THE OTHER THING BEING EQUAL” being used in economics seems to have become “THE OTHER THINGS ARE NEVER QUITE EQUAL”. Observe the contrast.
In the present global scenario trade negotiations by countries, by and large looks more like a barter relationship rather than being modern market transactions. Countries are up to mischievous stand to exert as much as they can to extract in the form of not only concessions and advantages but also in the form of information unconnected with the trade negotiations (an unethical conduct). They make short-term alliance and agreements of short while existence to suit and accommodate their convenience. They even conceal relevant information, instead reveal irrelevant information and the end result looks more like a “modus vivendi” burying the principles of “modus operandi”to be based on the logic of economics and trade justice.
There appears to exist uncertainty on agreements arrived at (as I have read in the press reports recently) over the recently held Hong Kong ministerial summit. Please take note that developing countries are no longer going to be succumbed into bartering their interests, leading to economic imperfection and such a situation can either delay or defer decisions, creating economic imbalance. The need of the hour is to make a viable, acceptable trading system by all countries. The existing market solutions will not fit into all cases mainly as a result of power relationship amongst the countries and lack of symmetric of information and this impede the clean flow of simple economic models envisage. It’s now evident that “THE OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL” will not work out.
While open trade by all countries should be a welcome concept, may place some developed countries into unacceptable position and this can further impede the infrastructure development, Industrial policies connected with economic development and growth of developing countries. As one size may not fit and suit all, what exactly will fit and suit to which country, will continue to remain a matter of intense debate. As open trading system is mostly a good thing and an acceptable solution for economic development, the barter relationship by countries, existing in the present trade negotiations must be put an end and instead countries should commit themselves to provide free market access in all goods to all developing countries keeping in mind -as the saying goes-You have a right to be protected against the rich and not against the poor. Hence it’s for all countries to keep their fair trade options open within the framework of ethical negotiations keeping in mind “LIVE AND LET LIVE” concept.
Look…. In to-days business scenario anything and everything depends on various policies of the countries, viz economic policy, financial policy, Trade policy, commerce policy, industrial policy, bilateral policy so on and so forth. Therefore its essential for countries policy makers to bear in mind all considerations favourable to developing countries are taken care of and to ensure fair policies are compiled and framed for compliance. Let’s work together to achieve global economy wherein every country will participate and once the global economy is brought to rich, individual economy automatically comes within the reach of richness in economy.
J.KANNAN
Posted by J.KANNAN at 9:23 PM
2 comments:
Anonymous said...
An article very well written and presented. I only wish that countries give a serious though in open trade transaction in the suggested manner to make desired end to meet for benefit of all economically developing countries
a policies and plan in mind to make should done within the frame work suggested and nothing is bad by making a good effort to achieve the end results acceptable and useful to the majority of the human society and ultimately to the benefit of world nations.
Anonymous said...
you can make an excellent comments provided you go through the entire topic written patiently, absorb revel at portions ultimately I hv to agree in total with the presenter Let me go through the post entirely and send my detailed comments The topic needs to read well before offering comments.
PS: Looking forward to comments/feedback for improvement.
J.K
Sub-prime lending refers to lending to subordinated borrowers who do not qualify for the best available market rates due to poor credit history. There is an additional risk-premium attached to this rate to cover default risk (incidence of which is greater) to the lending institutions. Sub prime lending is risky for both lenders and borrowers due to the combination of high interest rates, poor credit history, and adverse financial situations usually associated with sub prime applicants.
Now, what happened (in the recent past, from Aug'07) is that the assets (homes, condos etc…) that were used as a mortgage for this sub-prime lending have since fallen in value (due to the bursting of the housing bubble) and therefore have lost substantial value albeit o/s mortgage balance remaining constant (unchanged) i.e. incl higher interest rate due to riskier funding. Therefore, borrowers had defaulted and banks (incl. inv banks) had taken a huge hit on their P&L and even when the bankers wanted to liquidate the mortgages for foreclosure etc, they recovered only a portion of the o/s balance and the remaining UNCOLLECTIBLE (BAD DEBTS).
A few consequences in US economy in light of these incidents:
1.Economic Recession
2 Sliding $$$$$
3.Inflation
4.FedRes printing money to ensure market liquidity in inflationary times (akin to what happened in the 70s), leading to a potential stagflationary economy.
5.This looks like more of a cyclical correction in the middle of a long-term bull market.
6.Investment banks haven't yet recovered on short-positions on certain derivative instruments (CDOs i.e. collateralized debt obligations / CMOs collateralized mortgage obligations)
Knowledge Sharing
Dear Sriram,
A nice and useful presentation in crisp and condensed manner.
While you are right that sub prime lending is closely related to FIs (Banks), lending money to unqualified borrowers (with poor credit history), I have just one? to ask-Why banks tempt and encourage such borrowers with killing rate of interest. In fact its banks that are responsible for such unethical practice and conduct and invite troubles for themselves and to the borrowers.
Just because banks are dumped with money from investors/depositors. Does it mean they will lend it to any Tom, Dick & Harry of unreliable in nature with bad financial/credit history? What a malady of circumstances and situations!!!!
Mind you, it is not only that the banks levy, super premium rate of interest to its borrowers with poor credit history, but also loads the borrowers with unbearable processing, documentation; pre-EMI fees etc. etc. and ultimately end up with bad debts or NPA to reflect in their P&L and B.S. In fact genuine borrowers with clean track record and credit worthiness are also very badly affected and hit as a result of the bank’s this kind of attitude and approach(This ‘am referring to Indian scenario) particularly by foreign banks and banks under the management of private sector .The element of financial burdens passed on to the borrowers in the interest rate is also jacked up with,over riding commission/out of pocket expenses to be passed on to the so called DSA’s/Recovery Agents(comprising of group of thugs) employed by the banks for their unethical role.-Thank God the Reserve Bank of India has now put a ban on such recovery Agents being deployed by the banks for recoveries, as a result of some of the affected ones having approached the court of justice.
There do exist unhealthy competition on the part of the banks to lure the borrowers to lend money with different rate of interest and other charges “fine printed in terms and conditions” more so with more fine printed with “conditions apply”-offering the borrower to wear the noose, on his neck the borrower being unaware of this. The charges levied by banks even for a little delay in payment of EMI by way of penal interest, delayed payment charges etc are indeed murdering like, of the borrowers.
To set right matters in the right perspective and to extend a sigh of relief to borrowers, the Apex Bank (RBI) should come out with strict guide lines to all banks with stringent penalty provisions for defaulting banks and standardise the ROI for all types of lending and nominal other charges (if at all warranted.). Banks on their part should lend money only after thorough credit worthiness verification, financial standing and backgrounds of the borrower instead of merely satisfying with Identity proof and residence proof of the borrowers.
As far as Home loans are concerned, the bank is no way and absolutely at any risk whatsoever , as the lending sum is restricted to 80% of the property value, and the real scenario being the property value is on spiralling escalation and the bank takes the custody of the original property documents towards financial security. Even on home loans, RBI guidelines and restrictions on ROI and other hidden costs needs to be standardised nominally and introduced for compliance by banks and other lending institutions for strict compliance as this too is as of now under the whims and fancies of banks and lending institutions. The floating rate of interest, the fixed rate of interest being offerred by banks and FIs are a mere gimmick to throw mud and dust in the eyes of borrowers to make them blind folded.
A very simple concept that contains solution to the problem is “Let a man live he will not run away, attempt to kill a man he will run away to escape-the attitude and approach by the banks and FIs are of latter in nature which has got to be eliminated under the control and guidelines of Government/Reserve Bank. If the Government and Finance Ministry is not able to work on this small issue effectively and efficiently how can they look forward to have a growing and efficient overall economy of our country?
Please take note that “Bad debts” are created by banks due to their own “bad” actions and approach and make the bank weak, and we do have instances to our knowledge that such weaker banks merging with stronger banks by way of M&A.Let not the history repeat again as “Self survival is the best survival.”
As far as USA is concerned, all said and done, China just started opening its wide mouth to swallow and gulp USA economically and its symptoms are already visible, it may not happen overnight, but will sooner than later.
Of the US consequences referred to by at No.4, it is highly dangerous and will add to the economical agony of US and put them in peril. The main source of revenue to US by way of sale of arms and nuclear products will also bear set back as their monopoly on these will also be put to constrain.
I think it would be appropriate for me to add an article posted by me in my blog titled “OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL” with comments from readers as it relates to Economics and ‘am sure you will find it interesting to read.
“The other things being equal” - A good old Economics clause.
My economics teacher used to apply the above clause, ampty number of occasions while conducting Economics class. Those days, being an immature lad with the lack of grasping power added with inadequacy in command over English language, I hardly could understand anything out of his class lecturers.
Later after entering into commercial activities and own business, I started reading books on Economics and articles related to Economics, I started knowing little more about it and have come to a conclusion that “ THE OTHER THING BEING EQUAL” being used in economics seems to have become “THE OTHER THINGS ARE NEVER QUITE EQUAL”. Observe the contrast.
In the present global scenario trade negotiations by countries, by and large looks more like a barter relationship rather than being modern market transactions. Countries are up to mischievous stand to exert as much as they can to extract in the form of not only concessions and advantages but also in the form of information unconnected with the trade negotiations (an unethical conduct). They make short-term alliance and agreements of short while existence to suit and accommodate their convenience. They even conceal relevant information, instead reveal irrelevant information and the end result looks more like a “modus vivendi” burying the principles of “modus operandi”to be based on the logic of economics and trade justice.
There appears to exist uncertainty on agreements arrived at (as I have read in the press reports recently) over the recently held Hong Kong ministerial summit. Please take note that developing countries are no longer going to be succumbed into bartering their interests, leading to economic imperfection and such a situation can either delay or defer decisions, creating economic imbalance. The need of the hour is to make a viable, acceptable trading system by all countries. The existing market solutions will not fit into all cases mainly as a result of power relationship amongst the countries and lack of symmetric of information and this impede the clean flow of simple economic models envisage. It’s now evident that “THE OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL” will not work out.
While open trade by all countries should be a welcome concept, may place some developed countries into unacceptable position and this can further impede the infrastructure development, Industrial policies connected with economic development and growth of developing countries. As one size may not fit and suit all, what exactly will fit and suit to which country, will continue to remain a matter of intense debate. As open trading system is mostly a good thing and an acceptable solution for economic development, the barter relationship by countries, existing in the present trade negotiations must be put an end and instead countries should commit themselves to provide free market access in all goods to all developing countries keeping in mind -as the saying goes-You have a right to be protected against the rich and not against the poor. Hence it’s for all countries to keep their fair trade options open within the framework of ethical negotiations keeping in mind “LIVE AND LET LIVE” concept.
Look…. In to-days business scenario anything and everything depends on various policies of the countries, viz economic policy, financial policy, Trade policy, commerce policy, industrial policy, bilateral policy so on and so forth. Therefore its essential for countries policy makers to bear in mind all considerations favourable to developing countries are taken care of and to ensure fair policies are compiled and framed for compliance. Let’s work together to achieve global economy wherein every country will participate and once the global economy is brought to rich, individual economy automatically comes within the reach of richness in economy.
J.KANNAN
Posted by J.KANNAN at 9:23 PM
2 comments:
Anonymous said...
An article very well written and presented. I only wish that countries give a serious though in open trade transaction in the suggested manner to make desired end to meet for benefit of all economically developing countries
a policies and plan in mind to make should done within the frame work suggested and nothing is bad by making a good effort to achieve the end results acceptable and useful to the majority of the human society and ultimately to the benefit of world nations.
Anonymous said...
you can make an excellent comments provided you go through the entire topic written patiently, absorb revel at portions ultimately I hv to agree in total with the presenter Let me go through the post entirely and send my detailed comments The topic needs to read well before offering comments.
PS: Looking forward to comments/feedback for improvement.
J.K
"Guru(Master)-The Spiritual Teacher:-
The Guru Gita, verse 17 aptly describes the "Guru" as "dispeller of darkness" - "Gu" means -darkness "ru" that which dispels".
Though the word "Guru" is often misused to refer simply to any teacher or instructor, a true God- illumined Guru is one who, in his attainment of self- mastery has realised his identity with omnipresent spirit. Such a one is uniquely qualified to lead others on their inward spiritual journey. The nearest English equivalent to Guru is the word "Master".
The Master is the awakened God, awakening the sleeping God in the disciple.Through deep vision, a true Master sees the Lord himself in disciples and is amongst all men, the best of givers, like the Lord himself,his generosity knows no bounds.
The infinite understanding,the infinite love,omnipresent,all-embracing consciousness are the qualities embedded in a true Master.
In Adi Sankara's (a rare combination of a Saint,scholar& greatest philosopher)own description of a Master is "There is no known comparison in the three world for a True Master. If the philosopher's stone to be assumed as truly such, it can only turn iron into gold not into another philosopher's stone.The venerated teacher, on the other hand , created equality with himself in the disciple who takes refuge at his feet. The Guru(The Master) is therefore peerless-nay transcendental.
The God created universe runs by orderly cosmic law, and the Master-disciple relationship is rooted in that law. It is divinely ordained that who seeks God shall be introduced to him through a true Guru When a devotee sincerely desires to know God, his Master comes and only one who knows God can promise his disciple"I shall introduce God to you". A true Master has already found his way to God, therefore he can say to his disciple" Hold my hand and I will show you the way."
The Master-disciple relationship encompasses the disciplines and principles of right action which the disciple must follow, to prepare himself to know God. When the disciple with the help of the Master, perfects himself, the divine law is fulfilled-The Master introduces him to God.And Loyalty to the Master is the first principle of the covenant between Master and the disciple.
"Life is like a swiftly flowing river"-This is said by a unique and great Master, and when you seek God swim against the current of worldly tendencies that pull your mind toward limited material and sensory consciousness,make efforts and constant efforts to swim upstreams every moment and if you relax the strong current of delusion will carry you away.
As contained in vedic scriptures spiritual efforts of the disciple constitutes of 25% of the spiritual forces required to bring the soul back to God,25% is given through the blessings of the Master and 50% is bestowed by the grace of the God.Therefore the disciple's effort is equaled by the Master and the God is doing as much as the Master and disciple together.
Even though the disciple's efforts is but one quarter of the whole efforts,must go ahead and do fully his part and not to wait to receive first, the blessings of God and that of Master. As the disciple puts forth his utmost effort to do his part,the Master's blessings and God's grace will automatically reach him.
And in the divine words of the great Poet Kabir:-
The Master is great beyond words,and great is the good fortune of the disciple.
May the grace of God and blessings of the Master be showered upon one and all.
PS: Pl use the word devotee/disciple as appropriately as applicable pl.
compiled from YSS readings.
The Guru Gita, verse 17 aptly describes the "Guru" as "dispeller of darkness" - "Gu" means -darkness "ru" that which dispels".
Though the word "Guru" is often misused to refer simply to any teacher or instructor, a true God- illumined Guru is one who, in his attainment of self- mastery has realised his identity with omnipresent spirit. Such a one is uniquely qualified to lead others on their inward spiritual journey. The nearest English equivalent to Guru is the word "Master".
The Master is the awakened God, awakening the sleeping God in the disciple.Through deep vision, a true Master sees the Lord himself in disciples and is amongst all men, the best of givers, like the Lord himself,his generosity knows no bounds.
The infinite understanding,the infinite love,omnipresent,all-embracing consciousness are the qualities embedded in a true Master.
In Adi Sankara's (a rare combination of a Saint,scholar& greatest philosopher)own description of a Master is "There is no known comparison in the three world for a True Master. If the philosopher's stone to be assumed as truly such, it can only turn iron into gold not into another philosopher's stone.The venerated teacher, on the other hand , created equality with himself in the disciple who takes refuge at his feet. The Guru(The Master) is therefore peerless-nay transcendental.
The God created universe runs by orderly cosmic law, and the Master-disciple relationship is rooted in that law. It is divinely ordained that who seeks God shall be introduced to him through a true Guru When a devotee sincerely desires to know God, his Master comes and only one who knows God can promise his disciple"I shall introduce God to you". A true Master has already found his way to God, therefore he can say to his disciple" Hold my hand and I will show you the way."
The Master-disciple relationship encompasses the disciplines and principles of right action which the disciple must follow, to prepare himself to know God. When the disciple with the help of the Master, perfects himself, the divine law is fulfilled-The Master introduces him to God.And Loyalty to the Master is the first principle of the covenant between Master and the disciple.
"Life is like a swiftly flowing river"-This is said by a unique and great Master, and when you seek God swim against the current of worldly tendencies that pull your mind toward limited material and sensory consciousness,make efforts and constant efforts to swim upstreams every moment and if you relax the strong current of delusion will carry you away.
As contained in vedic scriptures spiritual efforts of the disciple constitutes of 25% of the spiritual forces required to bring the soul back to God,25% is given through the blessings of the Master and 50% is bestowed by the grace of the God.Therefore the disciple's effort is equaled by the Master and the God is doing as much as the Master and disciple together.
Even though the disciple's efforts is but one quarter of the whole efforts,must go ahead and do fully his part and not to wait to receive first, the blessings of God and that of Master. As the disciple puts forth his utmost effort to do his part,the Master's blessings and God's grace will automatically reach him.
And in the divine words of the great Poet Kabir:-
The Master is great beyond words,and great is the good fortune of the disciple.
May the grace of God and blessings of the Master be showered upon one and all.
PS: Pl use the word devotee/disciple as appropriately as applicable pl.
compiled from YSS readings.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Training from A Satguru (Spiritual Master):-
Several thousand years ago, a yoga master was born from his own realization of the Self. He was born from his search within, where he found Absolute Existence deep inside the atomic structure of his being. This master's realization came as he controlled the mind and penetrated through it to the very core of its substance. After Self Realization, his mind opened into its fullness of knowing. This knowledge he then imparted, as needed, to the students who came to him curious or eager to solve the philosophical and metaphysical puzzles of life. The first esoteric universities formed around the master in this way. Other masters have since come and gone. Each in turn battled and conquered the fluctuating mind and penetrated into the depth of being. Students gathered around them in a most natural sequence of events. Each master brought forth from his intuition the related laws and disciplines needed so that they, too, might attain Self Realization, emkaef, as it is called in Shum, the language of meditation.
This is known as the guru system of training. It is personal and direct. An advanced devotee is one whose intuition is in absolute harmony with that of his master. This is the way I teach, not in the beginning stages when my devotees are probing the subject matter for answers, but after they have conquered the fluctuation of the patterns of the thinking mind. When they reach an advanced level of control and rapport with me, they have become shishya, dedicated their lives to serving mankind by imparting the teachings of Advaita Ishvaravada--the nondualistic philosophy of the Vedas, the basic tenet of which is that man merges into God.
Advice can be given freely, but unless the seeker is dedicated to the path of Eternal Truth, it is taken only on the intellectual plane and quoted but rarely used. Therefore, the wise guru gives challenges--spiritual assignments known as sadhana--advice, spiritual direction and guidance merge with the aspirant's own individual will. This causes daily, recognizable results from actions taken to produce accomplishment physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. Each seeker sets his own pace according to his character, his ability to act with care, forethought, consistency and persistence in the sadhana given to him by his guru.
There are five states of mind. Each one interacts somewhat with the other. The conscious mind and the subconscious mind work closely together, as does the sub of the subconscious with the subconscious, and the subconscious with the subsuperconscious. The superconscious is the most independent of them all. Being the mind of light, when one is in a superconscious state, seeing inner light is a constant experience of daily life. To attain states of this depth and still function creatively in the world, a solid training under a guru is requisite.
The power to meditate comes from the grace of the guru. The guru consciously introduces his student into meditation by stimulating certain superconscious currents within him. The grace of the guru is sought for by the yogis and is well understood by them.
Source KHM
Several thousand years ago, a yoga master was born from his own realization of the Self. He was born from his search within, where he found Absolute Existence deep inside the atomic structure of his being. This master's realization came as he controlled the mind and penetrated through it to the very core of its substance. After Self Realization, his mind opened into its fullness of knowing. This knowledge he then imparted, as needed, to the students who came to him curious or eager to solve the philosophical and metaphysical puzzles of life. The first esoteric universities formed around the master in this way. Other masters have since come and gone. Each in turn battled and conquered the fluctuating mind and penetrated into the depth of being. Students gathered around them in a most natural sequence of events. Each master brought forth from his intuition the related laws and disciplines needed so that they, too, might attain Self Realization, emkaef, as it is called in Shum, the language of meditation.
This is known as the guru system of training. It is personal and direct. An advanced devotee is one whose intuition is in absolute harmony with that of his master. This is the way I teach, not in the beginning stages when my devotees are probing the subject matter for answers, but after they have conquered the fluctuation of the patterns of the thinking mind. When they reach an advanced level of control and rapport with me, they have become shishya, dedicated their lives to serving mankind by imparting the teachings of Advaita Ishvaravada--the nondualistic philosophy of the Vedas, the basic tenet of which is that man merges into God.
Advice can be given freely, but unless the seeker is dedicated to the path of Eternal Truth, it is taken only on the intellectual plane and quoted but rarely used. Therefore, the wise guru gives challenges--spiritual assignments known as sadhana--advice, spiritual direction and guidance merge with the aspirant's own individual will. This causes daily, recognizable results from actions taken to produce accomplishment physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. Each seeker sets his own pace according to his character, his ability to act with care, forethought, consistency and persistence in the sadhana given to him by his guru.
There are five states of mind. Each one interacts somewhat with the other. The conscious mind and the subconscious mind work closely together, as does the sub of the subconscious with the subconscious, and the subconscious with the subsuperconscious. The superconscious is the most independent of them all. Being the mind of light, when one is in a superconscious state, seeing inner light is a constant experience of daily life. To attain states of this depth and still function creatively in the world, a solid training under a guru is requisite.
The power to meditate comes from the grace of the guru. The guru consciously introduces his student into meditation by stimulating certain superconscious currents within him. The grace of the guru is sought for by the yogis and is well understood by them.
Source KHM
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Osho on Ego
Change happens when you start dropping the conflict with existence. That is the only meaning of all the great religions when they emphasize, 'drop the ego.' They are saying drop the conflict.
The ego is nothing but all the tensions that you have created around yourself. And in the first place there is no need to create it.
To grow real roses is difficult, you can purchase plastic roses. They will not deceive you, but they will deceive the neighbors – that is the point of the ego.
(Source: Creativity: Unleashing the Forces Within)
Change happens when you start dropping the conflict with existence. That is the only meaning of all the great religions when they emphasize, 'drop the ego.' They are saying drop the conflict.
The ego is nothing but all the tensions that you have created around yourself. And in the first place there is no need to create it.
To grow real roses is difficult, you can purchase plastic roses. They will not deceive you, but they will deceive the neighbors – that is the point of the ego.
(Source: Creativity: Unleashing the Forces Within)
Idol Worship -An ideal worship.
What is an idol but a piece of matter, from the point of view of an ignorant man, whatever may be his wealth, position or titles? Yet, the devotee feels the Presence of God within that material substance. The wise sage allowed him to 'play' (pray) with it, as a child might play with a doll.
The child gets its training in mother craft; the devotee gets to know that God indeed does dwell in even that piece of matter. Then, he turns around and sees the sun, moon, etc., and realizes that even as God is the Indweller of the idol, He is the indweller of the sun, moon, etc.
Why did not the sage advocate such a practice of the Presence of God, without prescribing idol-worship as a preliminary? For the simple reason that the human mind is more ready to associate Divinity, pure and untainted by prejudice, with the idol than to see God in the face of a child.
There is another important angle. Idol worship should lead us on to meditation on the Absolute. Without the first step of idol worship, meditation on the Absolute is impossible.
And, if we do not extend the frontiers of divinity beyond the idol, we may get stuck there. Hence, even in the method of worshipping idols, our ancient seers had introduced elements of adoration of the Nameless and the Formless Being.
In the 'mantras' they provided for the worship, they wove expressions like, ‘I bow to the All Pervading,’ ‘I bow to the Eternal’ which are obviously irrelevant to the personalized form of God (eg: Rama or Krishna, who are historical personalities) the devotee worships.
Again, they declared that mental worship of the chosen deity was superior (when we are ready for it, of course!) to gross external worship, and that Para Puja (a way of adorning the Omnipresent God through all our thoughts, words and deeds) was superior to all other forms of worship.
Swami Venkatesananda
What is an idol but a piece of matter, from the point of view of an ignorant man, whatever may be his wealth, position or titles? Yet, the devotee feels the Presence of God within that material substance. The wise sage allowed him to 'play' (pray) with it, as a child might play with a doll.
The child gets its training in mother craft; the devotee gets to know that God indeed does dwell in even that piece of matter. Then, he turns around and sees the sun, moon, etc., and realizes that even as God is the Indweller of the idol, He is the indweller of the sun, moon, etc.
Why did not the sage advocate such a practice of the Presence of God, without prescribing idol-worship as a preliminary? For the simple reason that the human mind is more ready to associate Divinity, pure and untainted by prejudice, with the idol than to see God in the face of a child.
There is another important angle. Idol worship should lead us on to meditation on the Absolute. Without the first step of idol worship, meditation on the Absolute is impossible.
And, if we do not extend the frontiers of divinity beyond the idol, we may get stuck there. Hence, even in the method of worshipping idols, our ancient seers had introduced elements of adoration of the Nameless and the Formless Being.
In the 'mantras' they provided for the worship, they wove expressions like, ‘I bow to the All Pervading,’ ‘I bow to the Eternal’ which are obviously irrelevant to the personalized form of God (eg: Rama or Krishna, who are historical personalities) the devotee worships.
Again, they declared that mental worship of the chosen deity was superior (when we are ready for it, of course!) to gross external worship, and that Para Puja (a way of adorning the Omnipresent God through all our thoughts, words and deeds) was superior to all other forms of worship.
Swami Venkatesananda
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
The Many Levels of "LOVE"
Those wondering how they could ever live with zero tolerance for all discord and disharmony need only realize that people are naturally tolerant with those they love. The good mother tolerates all the little problems her beloved infant brings into each day. The loving wife tolerates the faults and actions of her husband. A true friend tolerates another friend's foibles and even rough words. If we learn to love, we automatically learn to have perfect tolerance for those we love. The ancient Tirukural reminds us, "When friends do things that hurt you, attribute it to unawareness or to the privileges of friendship" (805).
Love comes in many forms. There is physical love, magnetic attraction. This is dualistic love, because if the other person responds, you feel very good, and if he does not respond, you don't like him. That is not the kind of love that is all encompassing. It is a very narrow form of love. It broadens a little bit with emotional love, which is the second kind of love. You love someone because he makes you happy, or you express love to make other people happy. But if someone doesn't make you happy or you are trying to make someone else happy and he just won't be happy, then you don't like him anymore. That is also a dualistic form of love. It is not all encompassing. Physical love and emotional love are companions.
Then there is intellectual love, which comes in and breaks it all up. In the intellect, if you love somebody and he doesn't agree with you, then you don't like him. That interrupts the physical love and the emotional love. Arguments start, sarcasm begins to well up. These are all forms of partial love. People experience this every day.
Spiritual love is the fourth kind. Somewhat hard to come by, it is the love from the soul body. Spiritual love transcends physical love, emotional love and mental love. It transcends all kinds of feelings. It has a feeling of its own, which is called bliss--the ever-flowing energy from Siva out through your body, the ever-flowing energy from Siva out through your mind, the ever-flowing energy of Siva out through your emotions. Caught up in that ever-flowing energy, you can truly say to everyone, "I love you." And what does you mean? You means Siva, because you are seeing Siva in each one. What are you looking at when you say that? You are not looking at the body. You are not appreciating or depreciating the intellect. You are not even bothered about the emotions, whether you are liked or not liked, because you are seeing Siva emanating out through the eyes, emanating out through the aura, emanating out through the skin. Siva is there, and you are living with Siva.
This great, Supreme God of all the Gods is limited in one respect: He cannot take Himself out of you or anyone else. So mentally say, "I love you," then ask yourself the question, "What does you mean?" Does you mean you like the body of the person? No. Does you mean you like the emotions of the person? No. Does you mean you like the intellect of the person? No. Does you mean you like somebody as long as they are always pleasing to you, always agreeing with you, never upsetting you, never pulling away from you? No. It means that you love their soul. It means that you love Siva inside of them. The light within their eyes is Siva's light. The light that lights up their thoughts is Siva's light, and that is what you love. That love is all encompassing. That love is not partial love, half love or just a little bit of love given when it pleases you. It's not magnetic love; it's not intellectual love. You are not putting any demands on the other person at all. You are not expecting anything back. It is love for the sake of love.
There should be a unique English word for spiritual love, but there is not. In Sanskrit we do have a word for divine love: prema. Therefore, we have to adjust our thinking when we say, "I love you," to this all-encompassing, beautiful love that radiates throughout the universe--the perfect universe where everything is in harmony and order. And even if it is seemingly out of harmony, you know it actually is in harmony because you are in the state of consciousness where harmony is, where peace is, where bliss is. Therefore, your Saiva Siddhanta religion can work in your daily life.
Source KHM
Those wondering how they could ever live with zero tolerance for all discord and disharmony need only realize that people are naturally tolerant with those they love. The good mother tolerates all the little problems her beloved infant brings into each day. The loving wife tolerates the faults and actions of her husband. A true friend tolerates another friend's foibles and even rough words. If we learn to love, we automatically learn to have perfect tolerance for those we love. The ancient Tirukural reminds us, "When friends do things that hurt you, attribute it to unawareness or to the privileges of friendship" (805).
Love comes in many forms. There is physical love, magnetic attraction. This is dualistic love, because if the other person responds, you feel very good, and if he does not respond, you don't like him. That is not the kind of love that is all encompassing. It is a very narrow form of love. It broadens a little bit with emotional love, which is the second kind of love. You love someone because he makes you happy, or you express love to make other people happy. But if someone doesn't make you happy or you are trying to make someone else happy and he just won't be happy, then you don't like him anymore. That is also a dualistic form of love. It is not all encompassing. Physical love and emotional love are companions.
Then there is intellectual love, which comes in and breaks it all up. In the intellect, if you love somebody and he doesn't agree with you, then you don't like him. That interrupts the physical love and the emotional love. Arguments start, sarcasm begins to well up. These are all forms of partial love. People experience this every day.
Spiritual love is the fourth kind. Somewhat hard to come by, it is the love from the soul body. Spiritual love transcends physical love, emotional love and mental love. It transcends all kinds of feelings. It has a feeling of its own, which is called bliss--the ever-flowing energy from Siva out through your body, the ever-flowing energy from Siva out through your mind, the ever-flowing energy of Siva out through your emotions. Caught up in that ever-flowing energy, you can truly say to everyone, "I love you." And what does you mean? You means Siva, because you are seeing Siva in each one. What are you looking at when you say that? You are not looking at the body. You are not appreciating or depreciating the intellect. You are not even bothered about the emotions, whether you are liked or not liked, because you are seeing Siva emanating out through the eyes, emanating out through the aura, emanating out through the skin. Siva is there, and you are living with Siva.
This great, Supreme God of all the Gods is limited in one respect: He cannot take Himself out of you or anyone else. So mentally say, "I love you," then ask yourself the question, "What does you mean?" Does you mean you like the body of the person? No. Does you mean you like the emotions of the person? No. Does you mean you like the intellect of the person? No. Does you mean you like somebody as long as they are always pleasing to you, always agreeing with you, never upsetting you, never pulling away from you? No. It means that you love their soul. It means that you love Siva inside of them. The light within their eyes is Siva's light. The light that lights up their thoughts is Siva's light, and that is what you love. That love is all encompassing. That love is not partial love, half love or just a little bit of love given when it pleases you. It's not magnetic love; it's not intellectual love. You are not putting any demands on the other person at all. You are not expecting anything back. It is love for the sake of love.
There should be a unique English word for spiritual love, but there is not. In Sanskrit we do have a word for divine love: prema. Therefore, we have to adjust our thinking when we say, "I love you," to this all-encompassing, beautiful love that radiates throughout the universe--the perfect universe where everything is in harmony and order. And even if it is seemingly out of harmony, you know it actually is in harmony because you are in the state of consciousness where harmony is, where peace is, where bliss is. Therefore, your Saiva Siddhanta religion can work in your daily life.
Source KHM
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