Living Without Desire in the World Today
“Desire” is the usual translation of the Sanskrit word kama, which means desire, passion, or lust. Desire arises from the ego and is always “I want” with little regard for the principles of spiritual life or the ultimate consequences of fulfilling such desire.
How a Vegetarian Diet Affects Your Yoga Practice
You cannot lessen the effect of yoga, but you can certainly lessen or even prevent your responsiveness to it and the effect it will have on you. Therefore you should understand responsiveness to yoga practice and the Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet.
The Vakhs of Lalla Yogeshwari: An Introduction
Lalla Yogeshwari, also known as Lalleshwari or Lal Ded (Mother Lalla), was a great fourteenth-century yogini of Kashmir. She created a form of mystic poetry called Vatsun or Vakhs (from the Sanskrit Vak, which means Speech) that were the earliest compositions in the Kashmiri language.
More Wisdom of Sri Gajanana Maharaj of Nashik
The following teachings of Gajanana Maharaj of Nashik are very important, especially the first about the effect of Soham sadhana on the mind.
The Role of Sound in Meditation
Consciousness is the root of sound–is innate in sound. Sound, then, is the direct means to return our awareness to the inmost level of our being and put us into touch with consciousness itself.
Raga and Dwesha: Key Concepts in Yoga You Should Know
Two of the most important words in analyzing the dilemma of the human condition are Raga and Dwesha–the powerful duo that motivate virtually all human endeavor. Buddha, in common with all philosophers of India, continually refers to them, so an understanding of their import is essential to us.
You Are the Guru
All spiritual life is self-initiated from within; we are both guru and disciple as Krishna and Arjuna symbolize in the Bhagavad Gita. Ultimately the yogi must be guided by the Divine from within his own consciousness. The God-illumined mind becomes our guru.
Who Is God? The Yoga View
In the Yoga Sutras the word for God is Ishwara–the Lord, Ruler, Master, or Controller possessing the powers of omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. Ishwara is the Supreme Power, Parameshwara. It is toward this Ishwara that our life is to be directed if we would attain … Continue reading
Thieves and Robbers: False Indicators of Realization and Authority
The different experiences that can be mistaken for spiritual progress and even enlightenment can arise from all five of our bodies (koshas). And in each case they are the result of distortion and malfunction in those bodies produced by false yoga practices that delude the aspiring yogi.