Light of the Spirit Blog

6 Questions That Puzzle Spiritual Seekers

March 16, 2019 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

spiritual seekers questions

Over the years spiritual seekers have sent questions to Abbot George, from the mundane to the philosophical to the practical aspects of living a spiritual life. This recent selection of questions and answers is shorter than some, so we will share them with you in a single blog post. You can read a wide selection of these previously printed in Satsang with the Abbot: Questions and Answers About Life, Spiritual Liberty and the Pursuit of Ultimate Happiness, which is available at Amazon.com.

1. To someone who wrote about the correct attitude to adopt toward others when interacting with them, especially those with whom the yogi has a close personal relationship.

In all relationships with other human beings we are to see the divine Self in them and realize that ultimately we are relating to the Divine Itself. The moment we think someone is “ours” ego is present and problematic. That is why sadhana is so necessary to keep our minds in the correct perspective.

2. To someone who asked about Khechari Mudra.

The khechari mudra most people talk about is solely a hatha yoga method, and a foolish and dangerous one at that. Those who “fail” to do it are fortunate.

The mudras of the yogis are solely positions of the eyes. The khechari mudra of the yogis is a spontaneous turning upward of the eyes in meditation that occurs naturally when it should. To do it deliberately is to interfere with the meditation process.

In Soham sadhana this happens naturally and can come and go during a single meditation period according to how the pranas are moving spontaneously. It happens when the sushumna is activated and the process of meditation becomes centered there. Some yogic texts speak of it as occurring when the japa of Soham enters–begins to take place in–the sushumna. Then the yogi truly is a “sky walker,” which is what “khechari” means. He “flies” in the Sky of Consciousness, the Chidakasha in the Sahasrara. [Read more…]

Raja Yoga: What Is True and What is False

March 7, 2019 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

raja yoga header

To someone who inquired about the nature of authentic Raja Yoga.

Raja Yoga is the science of Prana, the breath being the main yogic instrument for its accomplishment. It is much more than controlling or refining the breath (for real pranayama is refinement, not control), it is the Way of Unity.

Raja Yoga both leads to and is the experience of unity with the Self and Brahman. Total unity is its only goal. This is important to recognize, because Raja Yoga involves mastery of our inner and outer life, which inevitably involves the emergence of inner powers which can easily be wasted or misapplied.

Raja Yoga and yoga powers (siddhis)

It is pointless to tell a yogi to “shun the yoga powers” any more than it would be to tell a child to avoid adulthood. Certainly, an adult is subject to many more delusions and addictions than a child, and certainly has the ability to work much more harm to himself and others. Nevertheless, adulthood is inevitable.

And so it is with the yogi: these powers will manifest in him. If he keeps his eye upon the goal of liberation in Brahman, those powers will ripen into something more, into spiritual realizations, much the same way that sexual energies conserved are transmuted into far higher and greater forces within the consciousness of the yogi. [Read more…]

“Yoga: Science of the Absolute” Now in Print (Read Sample Here)

February 26, 2019 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

We have finished publication of Abbot George’s new book, Yoga: Science of the Absolute–A Commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and it is now available in paperback and ebook format at Amazon and other online outlets. For a limited time the ebook is on sale for only 99¢.

What are the Yoga Sutras?

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is the most authoritative text on Yoga as a practice. It is also known as the Yoga Darshana because it is the fundamental text of Yoga as a philosophy (though practice is discussed), one of the six orthodox systems (darshanas) of Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Religion.

There is no need to have “faith” in these texts, for their statements can be verified by any reader, as has been done over thousands of years by countless yogis in India. A virtual army of self-realized men and women have proved their veracity and accuracy. Many of them are living right now as witnesses to the truth of Sanatana Dharma, which is based on the principle that all sentient beings are destined to attain liberation-union with divinity-since they are eternal parts of the Supreme Spirit, the Purushottama.

In “Yoga: Science of the Absolute“, Abbot George Burke draws on the age-long tradition regarding this essential text, including the commentaries of Vyasa and Shankara, the most highly regarded writers on Indian philosophy and practice, as well as I. K. Taimni and other authoritative commentators, and adds his own ideas based on half a century of study and practice.

Serious students of yoga will find this an essential addition to their spiritual studies.

A Sample from Yoga: Science of the Absolute

Sutra 3: 11. Samadhi transformation [parinama] is the [gradual] settling of the distractions and simultaneous rising of one-pointedness.

This change we desire comes about only gradually as the chitta itself begins to change.

This is important to know because in my yoga pilgrimage I came across some practices that instantly produced samadhi parinama. I was impressed, even at one point telling the one who had taught a certain method to me: “This is the hope of the world.” I was wrong! The practice carried with it extremely detrimental side-effects, both physical and psychological. I saw my fellow-practitioners disintegrating in body and mind while being “happy.” After a few months I realized that I must stop the practice or get into very deep trouble.

Later I met a psychotherapist who told me of patients who had gravely endangered their mental health through that method. He had himself learned it and after only a few sessions with it realized that it had great potential for harm. Other therapists who had investigated it came to the same conclusion.

A psychologist once told me that any drastic and almost instant change in body or mind is always pathological. Time has revealed to me that he was right. So even though yogis can become impatient and wonder: “When will it happen?” the inner world is not one of instant gratification but of steady and permanent change. So for the yogi it is true: Plod Rhymes With God. A teacher of Buddhist meditation, the Venerable Sumana Samanera, said:

“First of all, three things are required here: 1. persistence, 2. persistence, 3. persistence. Without great devotion, without extraordinary patience even one who is otherwise gifted will not be able to make progress.”

Yoga: Science of the Absolute–A Commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is now available in paperback and ebook format at Amazon and other online outlets. For a limited time the ebook is on sale for only 99¢.

Chakras and Meditation: What Is the Best Practice?

February 23, 2019 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

To someone who asked which of the chakras was the best to focus on in meditation.

Meditation on a specific chakra can confine and limit the yogis awareness. What happens spontaneously alone is correct and worthy of attention. I wrote in Soham Yoga:

“Sometimes during meditation you may spontaneously become more aware of some point or area of the body, and that is all right, but keep the focus of your attention on the breath and your intonations of Soham, letting whatever happens, happen, letting the subtle energy (shakti) of Soham move where it will and energize and awaken whatever needs energizing and awakening at that moment. Since everything is formed of prana, the essence of breath, intoning Soham in time with the breath effects every part and aspect of our being, physical, astral, and causal.

There is an exception to this. On occasion, such as at the very beginning of meditation or when during the rest of the day you find your attention drifting from the breath and Soham, it can be helpful to make yourself very gently (lest you give yourself a headache from tension) aware of your entire brain (Sahasrara) area, feeling that the breath and Soham intonations are taking place there.

A short time of this awareness–just the duration of a few breaths–is sufficient, because subsequent practice of Soham sadhana will result in spontaneous Sahasrara awareness whenever that is best.”

Further Reading:

5 Useful Questions About Meditation

February 18, 2019 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

To someone who asked if Soham means “I am he” or “I am that.”

“So” is not a personal pronoun. It only means the impersonal “That.” It is a simple matter of linguistics. “I am He” is an absurd mistranslation because neither Brahman nor the Atman can ever be “He.” Only “That”–Tat as in Tat Twam Asi: You are That.

According to the Isha and Brihadaranyaka Upanishads, both Brahman and the Atman “say” Soham Asmi–I am Soham. Of course they mean the Soham Bhava which is the essential consciousness of Brahman, and therefore of the Atman.

You find Soham effective because it is your own Self. And the Self of your Self: Brahman.

To someone who wrote about whether Soham or Hamsa (Hansa) should be joined to the breath as a yoga practice.

Although there is not a single authoritative text that speaks of Hamsa as a meditation mantra, and there are many about Soham, there is a rationale behind using Hamsa. Unfortunately, the rationale is only left-brain logic, and not authentic yogic tradition. Stay with Soham.

To someone who asked if Soham contains Om.

Yes; Soham includes Om. But Om does not include Soham. (Sivananda said that Om is extracted from the Soham mantra.)

For purification and elevation of external factors in our life, Om is the ideal mantra. For inner realization, Soham is the ideal mantra.

To someone who asked about “shaktipat” gurus and their practices.

The whole shaktipat approach is very chancey and always ends in disaster. We are not energy: we are consciousness. It is energy that deludes us. That is why Patanjali never mentions kundalini or even chakras. The Nath Yogis know more about the chakras than regular yogis, but they just know about them, they do not bother with them. When the chakras manifest in their sadhana they understand what is going on, ignore it and continue with Soham joined to their breath.

To someone who asked which chakra was the best to focus on in meditation.

Meditation on a specific chakra can confine and limit the yogis awareness. What happens spontaneously alone is correct and worthy of attention. I wrote in Soham Yoga: “Sometimes during meditation you may spontaneously become more aware of some point or area of the body, and that is all right, but keep the focus of your attention on the breath and your intonations of Soham, letting whatever happens, happen, letting the subtle energy (shakti) of Soham move where it will and energize and awaken whatever needs energizing and awakening at that moment. Since everything is formed of prana, the essence of breath, intoning Soham in time with the breath effects every part and aspect of our being, physical, astral, and causal.

There is an exception to this. On occasion, such as at the very beginning of meditation or when during the rest of the day you find your attention drifting from the breath and Soham, it can be helpful to make yourself very gently (lest you give yourself a headache from tension) aware of your entire brain (Sahasrara) area, feeling that the breath and Soham intonations are taking place there.

A short time of this awareness–just the duration of a few breaths–is sufficient, because subsequent practice of Soham sadhana will result in spontaneous Sahasrara awareness whenever that is best.

Further Reading:

Add the “Dharma for Awakening” Series to Your Spiritual Library

February 11, 2019 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

Part 2 of 5 Ways to Grow Your Spiritual Library

Last week we discussed the five ways you can expand your spiritual library: Web content, PDFs, podcasts, eBooks, and printed books. Today we will highlight one of the most important sections on our website, the Dharma for Awakening series. We are working on making all of this content available in all five options.

Bhagavad Gita for Awakening—The endless spiritual treasures of this essential scripture have been mined by saints, scholars, and devotees throughout the ages. Through a unique combination of exhaustive study and scholarship, and insight and wisdom gleaned from personal experience, Abbot George Burke’s commentary offers new gems that will enrich all true seekers.

You can read this online here, or download a PDF from our e-Library. You can get an ebook from Amazon here, as well as a paperback here.

As mentioned last week, you can also find Abbot George’s ebooks on various online sites, including Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, Kobo Books, and Smashwords

Upanishads for Awakening—Sanatana Dharma in its primal form is to be found in the Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitaryeya, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, and Svetashvatara Upanishads. These eleven texts (upanishad means “teaching”–literally “that which was heard when sitting near”) are attached to the Vedas, the ancient hymns of the Indian sages, and also knows as Vedanta, the End of the Vedas. The following texts provide useful commentaries on these important scriptures. By Abbot George Burke

You can read this online here, or download a PDF from our e-Library. We plan to have this available as an ebook and in print in the near future. [Read more…]

5 Ways to Grow Your Spiritual Library – Part 1

February 3, 2019 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

5 Ways to Grow Our Spiritual Library
Growing a spiritual library is important for the aspiring yogi. The study of the books and sacred texts which deal with the nature of the true Self (spirit) and its realization is one aspect of swadhyaya, one of the “Ten Commandments” of yoga (yama and niyama) outlined by the sage Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. Food for the mind in the form of spiritual reading is a tremendous help to the yogi.

OCOY.org is itself a spiritual library, with over 1300 web pages, blog posts, PDF downloads, books and other resources, and in this series of articles we will show you some of what we have available for your spiritual library.

We endeavor to make the writings of Abbot George Burke and others on OCOY.org available in a variety of formats to suit the habits of those who read here. There are five ways to grow your spiritual library, whether digital or in print.

1.Read Online. For those who wish to explore our site and get a taste of its content, this is ideal. Be sure to bookmark OCOY.org or any pages you are reading so you can easily come back at any time. Of course you can print out the articles for reading later. Because of the length of the books available on our site, they are broken down into chapters, each with its own web page. If you want to access the full, undivided books, you can…

2.Download a Free PDF. Our E-Library has PDF’s of much of the books and content on our site, as well as other books which we share from other sources. These can be downloaded for free and read on your computer at any time, or printed out for convenient offline reading.

3.Listen to Podcasts and Audiobooks. Abbot George has made over 30 podcasts and radio interviews available in our Podcast section. In topics ranging from the yoga life, vegetarianism, monastic life, saints and spiritual figures he has known, and much more, you will find much to interest you and profit from.

Do you have iTunes? You can access our podcasts in the iTunes Podcast directory. You can also subscribe to our podcast feed, so the most recent podcast from Abbot George will be downloaded to your iTunes directory. You can also listen to our podcasts at Stitcher.

We are investigating the costs of having Abbot George’s books made into professionally recorded audio books, and hope to have them available in the future. [Read more…]

What are the Consequences of a Misuse of Free Will Regarding Negative Spirits?

January 26, 2019 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

bondage to evil - misuse of free will

To someone who objected to what I wrote in the section “What are ‘demons’?” in Satsang With the Abbot.

“Those who are devoted to the gods (devas) go to the gods. Those who are devoted to the ancestors (pitris) go to the ancestors. Those who are devoted to the spirits (bhutas) go to the spirits. Those who are devoted to me surely come to me” (Bhagavad Gita 9:25).

Those who worship or link up psychically with the bhutas go to them after death. The more those spirits gave things to them or did things for them in this world, the more karmic debt is created, and the longer they are in bondage to them.

They worship them because they have an affinity for them–they are like them. So negativity attracts and compounds negativity.

This happens in various degrees according to the intensity of the karmic connections. Furthermore, those spirits do not willingly let go of their slaves, and follow them into subsequent incarnations and endeavor to entrap them again and again.

Just because this is an ugly situation to contemplate does not mean it is not real. There are many people who deny the Nazi Holocaust because they just cannot believe that human beings could be so evil and perpetrate such cruelty on other human beings. But they did and do. And it is the same in the astral worlds.

What about “free will”?

It is the use of their free will that gets the prisoners in the condition I have described. Of course people have free will over their destiny, and it is the corruption and misuse of their free will that puts them people into these horrible situations. [Read more…]

Suffering and Karma: A Yogi’s Perspective

January 17, 2019 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

suffering karma statue

Q: May I ask, when it comes to suffering, particularly of the chronic physical type, is this all a result of inflicting such pain on others in a past life?

Karma works very exactly. Karma is extremely complex because exactly what we did must come back to us. It does not get bundled up with various types of causes and result in an unspecific form.

For example, if you inflict pain on someone, then someone will inflict pain on you. Physical illness or suffering can be caused by having neglected or or even done deliberate harm to our body in anger or some other negative emotion, including self-loathing. Unsuccessful attempts at suicide can be a cause of present pain.

Or is it a combination of that and obstacles set in place (by a higher self) to help us grow and develop?

No. Neither our higher self or God ever decide that we need “a good kicking around” for our own “good.” We do not get karmically spanked for “being bad.” The reaping of negative karma is not retribution. [Read more…]

New Books for Your Spiritual Library

January 9, 2019 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

A Brief Sanskrit Glossary and Foundations of Yoga

Light of the Spirit Press announces two new publications for your spiritual library.

The first is Foundations of Yoga: Ten Important Principles Every Meditator Should Know, an introduction to the important principles of Patanjali’s Yoga: Yama & Niyama. (Those who have read Soham Yoga: The Yoga of the Self will recognize this as a chapter extracted from this book which we now make available as a stand-alone paperback.)

Yama and Niyama are often called the Ten Commandments of Yoga, principles having a thoroughly practical basis: that which strengthens and facilitates our yoga practice.

Foundations of Yoga is already available as a free ebook download from Amazon and other online sources, as well as available for free online reading at OCOY.org.

You can buy the book at Amazon here.

The second new publication is an expanded 2nd edition of A Brief Sanskrit Glossary: A Spiritual Student’s Guide to Essential Sanskrit Terms. Both ebook and paperback versions have been updated with new valuable content.

This Sanskrit glossary contains full translations and explanations of many of the most commonly used spiritual Sanskrit terms, and will help students of the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and other Indian scriptures and philosophical works to expand their vocabularies to include the Sanskrit terms contained in them, and gain a fuller understanding in their studies.

In many books written in India with Indian readers in mind, numerous untranslated Sanskrit words and expression are found. Readers of such books will find this book invaluable, as it defines those terms in English.

(This is not a Sanskrit grammar or pronunciation guide, and does not have diacritical markings.)

A Brief Sanskrit Glossary is available as a paperback and ebook download from Amazon and other online sources, as well as available for free online reading at OCOY.org.