Light of the Spirit Blog

Podcast: Evolution (Material and Spiritual) and What It Means for the Yogi

September 22, 2020 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

Evolution (Material & Spiritual) and What it Means for the Yogi

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(If you don’t see the player above, visit this link to listen to the podcast: Evolution (Material and Spiritual) and What It Means for the Yogi. The podcast is 40 minutes long.)

In a new podcast, our friend Jonathan Mahoney asks Abbot George Burke the following question:

From Robe of Light, we have the quote: “The drama of creation simply stated is this. God breathes forth this vast universe. Slowly, it comes out and evolves according to set patterns. Then, after a precise measure of time, he breathes it back in again, involves it and vanishes. This he does eternally.” So could you give us your definition of evolution and how it relates to the individual?

Abbot George begins by describing the ages-long process of “involution,” the manifestation into and mastery of material creation, and the increasingly conscious process of evolution, “to move out of” materiality in our return to God-consciousness. In particular he speaks of the later stages of human evolution, where we move from outer awareness to inner awareness, and from outer dependency to self-reliance and responsibility. At that point we become capable to evolve ourselves consciously through the practice of yoga sadhana.

Robe of Light is available to read or download at OCOY.org, or as a paperback or ebook at Amazon.com.

Advise on Abhyasa: Sustained (Constant) Spiritual Practice

September 2, 2020 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

More from our series “Wisdom of Sri Gajanana Maharaj of Nashik”

A few words of advice on abhyasa (practice)

Now, I shall say a few words regarding abhyasa (practice). Some persons carry on the japa of Soham for some time, but owing to want of intensity on their part, when they find that they are not making marked progress, or when they do not see any visions, they give up the practice, thinking that fate is against them. Or if they carry on the japa, they do it merely mechanically without any heart in the matter.

If our mind is unsteady, if it does not feel any joy in the contemplation of Soham, we should ask ourselves the question: Why do we not enjoy pleasure in doing the japa? The obvious answer is that it is our own lack of faith that comes in the way, and bars us from getting this joy. There is also another thing. Thousands of bad impressions have been accumulated in our mind through the course of previous births. How can all these impressions disappear at once?

In the case of those whose bad impressions have been cleared away to an appreciable extent, if they carry on the practice they will get some spiritual experiences sooner or later according to their merit. If any bad desires have beset their mind in this life, the continuous contemplation of Soham will gradually destroy all those desires in this very life. In the next life the remaining bad impressions and bad desires, and kama (desire), krodha (anger) and lobha (avarice), generating them or generated by them, will surely disappear. You should have no doubt regarding this in your mind. You may have no faith in me, but you must have faith in Soham.

Soham is the real path of knowledge (Jnana Marga). Owing to this, egotism disappears. In the path of knowledge, the sadhaka’s consciousness becomes more and more comprehensive, until it becomes all-pervading. But all this is nothing but the play of the “I,” and Soham teaches this very principle.

Thus, in the path of knowledge one becomes all-pervading and one with the universal Being.

For unknown words, see A Brief Sanskrit Glossary on our website.

NOTE: Atmaprabha, from which this blogpost is taken can be found in Appendix One of our publication Soham Yoga. Other teachings of Sri Gajanana Maharaj can be found in Chapter Three of Soham Yoga.

You can also read Soham Yoga on our website here.

More about Abhyasa:

How We Can Deal with the Storms of the Mind: Abhyasa and Vairagya

When Will I Attain the Goal?

August 26, 2020 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

time passing–When will I attain the goal?

More from our series “Wisdom of Sri Gajanana Maharaj of Nashik”

Q: When will a sadhaka reach the ultimate goal of human life?

My friends, such doubts are bound to assail the mind. To entertain various doubts and misgivings is quite natural to the mind. As long as a person is alive, his mind will always be full of thoughts, good or bad. Hence it is futile to wait till the mind abandons all mistaken thoughts and doubts. People who think that they will not be able to make any progress in spiritual matters until this inflow of thoughts is stopped should pay particular attention to the following illustration.

There are bound to be innumerable waves on the sea. If a person thinks that he will swim in the sea when all these waves are stopped, will he ever be able to swim in the sea? He will surely come to know that the waves will never stop and he will never be able to swim. Similarly, every person who wants to follow the spiritual path should not wait for the disappearance of all thoughts, but should start the contemplation of Soham and try to keep his mind fixed upon it. He should not allow his mind to be diverted from it by the waves of thoughts.

As long as a person identifies himself with this body these doubts and thoughts are sure to assail him and cause disturbance. A sure way to escape from the clutches of these thoughts is to develop the feeling that we are not the body. It is the nature of mind to carry on the continuous play of thoughts. The mind (manas), the intellect (buddhi), and the chitta are all inside us. Buddhi is the power which enables us to determine or discriminate. The mind is always fickle and moving from one idea to another, and when the mind concentrates upon something it is called chitta. A sadhaka, therefore, should concentrate upon Soham and thus turn his mind into chitta. If he continues this practice for some time, his mind will gradually gain in calmness and ultimately will become one with Soham and with the inherent, everlasting bliss which is the real nature of Soham, and thus his chitta will become chit (consciousness). Once this stage is attained, that person will experience unlimited joy. Such a person is easily able to identify himself with all persons with whom he comes into contact, and with all circumstances in which he finds himself placed. His peace of mind is never disturbed, and he is always immersed in everlasting and unchanging bliss. He attains the goal, and the real purpose of human life is fulfilled. [Read more…]

Tuning Into God: Growing in Knowledge Through Spiritual Life

August 22, 2020 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

Growing in Knowledge through spiritual life

Part 2 of the Eighth Ode of the early Christian writings, the mystical Odes of Solomon. (See part 1 here.)

Hear the word of truth, and receive the knowledge of the Most High.

The Word of Truth is spoken in the depths of our spirit; it is not something spoken by any human being: it is the voice of God that has always been speaking to us, but which we were unable to hear. Again we see that interior life is absolutely indispensable, otherwise we will remain blind, deaf and mute in the inner kingdom of the spirit. Therefore: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.… Work out your own salvation,… for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:5, 12-13). And God does not fail.

Your flesh may not know what I am saying to you, nor your garment what I am showing to you.

To be “carnally [fleshly] minded” (Romans 8:6) is to be blind to things of the spirit. “As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (I Corinthians 2:9). So our five body-garments: body, emotions, desires, mind, intellect and will, have no idea what awaits the liberated spirit. But our spirit even now knows, because “we have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16).

Keep my secret ye who are kept by it; keep my faith ye who are kept by it.

However, when we do come to know the full life of the spirit, we are not to speak of it, for it is a secret between us and God. What we need is not to brag about it and expound our spiritual life to others, but to “keep faith” with God, Who will then keep us secure in the spirit.

“My beloved is mine, and I am his” (Song of Solomon 2:16). “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine” (Song of Solomon 6:3). It is between the spirit and God alone. [Read more…]

Evolutionary Status: Where Am I?

August 15, 2020 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

To someone who asked how he could determine his present evolutionary status.

One of the besetting dilemmas of the human being is the fact that we do not evolve harmoniously and simultaneously on all aspects of our being. Consequently we can be evolved highly in one aspect and quite unevolved in another. So we do not have an overall level of evolution.

This is why yoga sadhana is so important. It begins to harmonize the many levels and aspects of our being and to develop them in a sure and steady manner–when the sadhana is carried on continuously.

Furthermore, evolution is a condition of the relative aspects of our being. Its only value to enable us to know our true Self by the development of Atmajnana. Since each one of us is totally individual, the way this all unfolds is equally individual.

Yogananda said that the most important teaching in his autobiography was the statement of Swami Sriyukteswar Giri: “Everything in future will improve if you are making a spiritual effort now.”

Sri Yukteswar-evolutionary status

Further Reading:

What Is Atmajnana?

August 12, 2020 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

What is Atmajnana?

More from our series “Wisdom of Sri Gajanana Maharaj of Nashik”

Once a gentleman who had a long conversation with me, said, “Maharaj, you have explained to me the meanings of avyakta, samadhi, dhyana, prarabdha, sanchita, and kriyamana. I have been enlightened on these subjects, and have clearly understood them. I know Sri Jnaneshwar has said that all skill and all arts are useless. There is only one thing: that is jnana (knowledge of the Self).

“I have not clearly understood what is really meant by Atmajnana (knowledge of the Self), Atma Sakshatkara (realization of the Self), and spiritual progress. I know that all things cannot be properly explained by mere words, or wordy explanations so as to carry conviction beyond doubt. Still, words seem to give at least an approximate idea of the thing, though they may fall short of carrying absolute conviction with them. Lord Sri Krishna has said, ‘Oh Arjuna, all actions are useless without the knowledge of the Self.’ Please explain the matter in a way that I can easily understand it.”

Myself: “You have put a very nice question. I like your questions. I shall try to explain the matter as best as I can. But why should I take the trouble for nothing?”

The gentleman: “If I understand the matter thoroughly, I shall by continuous repetition of the Soham mantra, with your grace, obtain the knowledge of the Self. Will this satisfy you?” [Read more…]

Open Your Heart Through Purification and Meditation

August 9, 2020 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

open your heart

A continuation of our series of postings on the early Christian writings, the mystical Odes of Solomon, written in Apostolic times.

Open ye open ye your hearts to the exultation of the Lord, and let your love abound from the heart and even to the lips.
To bring forth fruits to the Lord–a holy life, and to talk watchfully in his light.
Rise up and stand erect, ye who were sometimes brought low.
Ye who were in silence speak, for your mouth hath been opened.
Ye who were despised be lifted up, now that your righteousness has been lifted up.
For the right hand of the Lord is with you, and he will be your helper.
And peace hath been prepared for you, before your war ever happened.
Hear the word of truth, and receive the knowledge of the Most High.
Your flesh may not know what I am saying to you, nor your garment what I am showing to you.
Keep my secret ye who are kept by it; keep my faith ye who are kept by it.
And understand my knowledge ye who know me in truth; love Me with affection ye who love.
For I do not turn away My face from My own, for I know them.
Before they came into being, I took knowledge of them, and on their faces I set My seal.
I fashioned their members. My own breasts I prepared for them, that they might drink My holy milk and live thereby.
I took pleasure in them, and I am not ashamed of them.
For my workmanship are they, and the strength of My thoughts.
Who then shall stand up against My handiwork? Or who is there that is not subject to them?
I willed and fashioned mind and heart, and they are Mine. And upon my right hand I set My elect ones.
And My righteousness goes before them, and they shall not be detached from My Name, for it is with them.
Pray and increase, and abide in the love of the Lord;
And the beloved ones in the Beloved, and those who are protected in him Who lives, and those who are saved in him Who was saved.
And ye shall be found incorrupt in all ages, on account of the Name of your Father. Alleluia.
–Eighth Ode of Solomon

Open ye open ye your hearts to the exultation of the Lord, and let your love abound from the heart and even to the lips.

The necessary thing here is to open our hearts, then everything will follow as it should. But what is the heart? Not the organ that pumps blood, but the very core of our being which is the pure consciousness that alone is spirit. We need to open our consciousness, our spirit, but a multitude of things are in the way: body, emotions, desires, mind, intellect and will: all of which have been distorted by our chaotic earthly experience.

They are meant to be instruments for our evolution, but instead they are instruments of stagnation and often regression rather than progress. Unless they are purified and made responsive to our spirit it will never be fully opened because they are like mountains of debris under which it is buried. Not only that, but they are continually being mistaken by us for our spirit and erroneously called “me” by us daily. [Read more…]

Breaking False Spiritual Bonds

August 2, 2020 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

Broken Chains - freedom from false gurus

To some people that found after twenty years that the guru they had been following was a fraud.

First of all, please accept my deep and sincere sympathy for this terrible shock that has come to you. I myself followed with total faith more than one false guru and practiced several worthless yogas that led nowhere. So I know your suffering.

It was not any external person or factor that led you to seek God, but your own divine Self. Therefore I ask you to not let this discourage you. In similar situations, many people have simply given up the search for liberated consciousness, but that is a grave mistake. They were seeking God, and God is still there and still to be sought and found.

Please only do what your heart, your inner Self, tells you. But I would like to share with you what I have found to be true:

God alone is the Guru. Anyone who claims to be a guru is either sincerely mistaken or a fraud. In no case should they be listened to.
You are an irrevocable part of the Infinite being; your divine Self cannot be taken from you. In your inmost being there is always arising the call to return to Infinity.
In life we oftentimes seek for something and become disappointed in our failure to gain it. We do not quit. We find another avenue and go on. It should be the same in our spiritual life. We should turn from the mistaken endeavor and keep on seeking. There is nothing else to do, because finding God is the only purpose we shall ever have.

It took me many years and a great deal of disappointment and disillusionment, but finally I found a practice that has proved to be true, and that every day since has blessed my life. I have written about it in my book Soham Yoga: The Yoga of the Self. You might want to try it, and I will be glad to answer any questions you might have regarding it.

But do not trust my word: trust your own inner guidance.

God is yours and you are God’s.

Further Reading:

What If I Don’t Have Faith?

July 29, 2020 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

More from our series “Wisdom of Sri Gajanana Maharaj of Nashik”

Gajanana Maharaj on Faith It might be asked: Is there any use in carrying on the japa of Soham without faith in its efficacy?

The answer to that is that the repetition of the japa will always be useful, even though done without faith. It will never do you any harm. No doubt all the shastras and saints lay stress on faith, and hence the above statement will appear contrary to their teachings. However, if you go deep into the matter and observe minutely, you will easily be able to reconcile the two statements.

Without having faith–although it may be in the subconscious mind–no one will be induced to practice the japa. As soon as a person begins to repeat the japa, faith is there accompanying the japa like its shadow. If we carefully follow this argument the seeming contradiction will cease to trouble us. A real mumukshu or devotee will never be deceived by the seeming contradiction, and will never allow his mind to be disturbed and turned away from the path. [Read more…]

The Unmanifest (Avyakta)

July 22, 2020 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

Gajanana Maharaj on the Avyakta

More from our series “Wisdom of Sri Gajanana Maharaj of Nashik”

The power of the Avyakta is such that it will more than suffice for solving all possible difficulties in your worldly life

If you repeat the Soham mantra in your mind, by continuous practice your mind gets concentrated upon it. The concentration may be called dhyana. If this force is uninterruptedly stored up in your heart, be sure that you have obtained the goal of human life.

Somebody might say, “We have carefully listened to what you have told us. But what would be the use of all this for solving the practical difficulties of our actual life in this world?” No doubt this question is very important.

If your difficulties remain as they are, all this effort of japa and concentration would be useless and good for nothing. But I say this with all emphasis, that once you get the experience of the Avyakta, in any way or by any method, the power of the Avyakta is such that it will more than suffice for solving all possible difficulties in your worldly life. There is no necessity of your trying anything else for that purpose. You should only try your best to obtain the experience of the Avyakta by any method you like. Once that is done, you will get such a power that it will either drive away all possible difficulties which beset you, or all difficulties will automatically disappear. [Read more…]