Important Points in Raja Yoga Practice

Yoga is not something we do but rather something we have. It is not that we spend 23 hours in an extrovert state and only one hour in introspective self-effort. In this sense, extroversion means to have the attention drawn by all the goings-on outside the soul. True introversion, also, does not mean to sit in a cornet and not peak to anyone, it means to pay attentin that all thoughts, words and actions are flowing in the right direction. In this respect, the churning over of points of knowledge throughout our active hours strengthens and maintains the yogic state of mind like nothing else.

There are five basic points to churn over. Create your own thought commentaries around each point.

Who Am I?
I am a soul. The body is my chariot. All human beings are souls, too, my brothers and sisters. I see them with spiritual love. Whilst walking and talking I see others as souls. Maintaining this vision I transcend all the barriers of worldly differences.

Whose Child Am I?
Just as I naturally have the awareness of being the child of my physical father, receiving sustenance and a form of inheritance, so too I can have the natural consciousness of being a child of the Supreme Father. I can reflect on the sustenance and inheritance I receive from Him.

What Is My True Religion?
No matter how much surrounding turmoil there may be, I can remember that my true religion is peace and purity. Just as people may resist conversion from their religions, I resist any attempt to pull me away from my true religion.

Where And What Is My Home?
Just as people love their homeland, I can have the same natural love for my original home, the soul world. At the same time I can be aware of my original form of light and power. In this way I can transcend any situation that faces me. I am also aware that I have soon to return home and so I must settle all my karmic accounts.

How Is The World a Drama?
With the consciousness of the cycle of 84 births, I can see my role and the roles of others in a perfect and unlimited drama. Even though others and I are playing parts, we are separate from the roles. Now that I know the Directore and story of the whole drama, there is no point in getting upset over tiny little scenes. I know the beginning, the middle and the end of the drama and so I can re-emerge the sanskaras that I had in the beginning; those of peace, love, purity and happiness.

Is It Possible To Control The Flow of Thought

Before doing any action we first have to think. Yet how much time do we spend developing the thinking faculty, the mind? With a little knowledge of the power of thought and soul-consciousness, I can remove all inner storms and enjoy a tranquil existence. With knowledge I can control any mood which and bring enormous benefit both to myself and to all others with whom I have contact.

We spend most of our time searching externally for fulfilment. This means that the soul becomes totally at the mercy of what is going on externally. If the scene is unpleasant or even if something very minor goes wrong, I become worried and upset. Through the practice of soul-consciousness and meditation, I can remain strong and content, come what may. I am a soul and I have my own store of peace from which I can draw at any time. I do not need to practise complicated breathing exercises or strenuous physical posturing. I can draw on my own experience of just being a soul wherever I am, countryside or city, home or work. Thus meditation is a continuing experience rather than a static one.

The understanding of the self as a soul is the foundation of all spiritual experience. If you have practised some form of meditation before, it is likely that you were asked to concentrate on a flower, a dot on the wall, the picture of some great saint, a candle flame or maybe even to endlessly repeat some words which are little understood. To concentrate, I must have a focus that is certain and easy to visualise. Very simple and naturally, I, the soul, on the wings of my thoughts can fly to my eternal and highest home and experience my original attributes.

As I begin to practise soul-consciousness, I learn to detach myself from the diverse and difficult situations around me and turn naturally to my home and the Father of all souls who dwells there. The mind becomes automatically controlled by this flow of peace. With the fundamental understanding of the distinctions between soul and body, the spiritual and the physical, I begin to meditate.

Consequences of the Law of Karma

Understanding the Law of Karma makes me aware that each action (or karma) causes a return, a consequence; equally, events (and their effects) can only occur when there has been a corresponding cause. This means that whatever circumstances I'm in at the moment - whoever or whatever is compelling me or repelling me and whatever I am experiencing - is the consequence of my own prior thoughts, decisions and actions. Understanding the Law of Karma gives deep significance to concepts such as responsibility and justice.

Sometimes the Law of Karma is only half understood. Someone may think helplessly, "If whatever is happening to me now is because of my past actions, then there's nothing I can do about it". But if the past created the present, the present also creates the future. Instead of being a slave to one's past, understanding the Law of Karma inspires us to actively participate in creating our own destiny.

"The first thing we do is take a breath.
Then we must give it back.
This is the rhythm of life.
This is a natural law of reciprocity
Where everything and everybody is affected.
You start by taking what you end up giving.
This is the law of cause and effect.
This unwritten law encompasses every action we perform.
This is the law of perfect justice.
We always get the return of everything we give."

What is Karma

Karma is the activity of the soul through the body; thinking, breathing, seeing, touching and moving are karmas. These take place according to the law of karma: for every action there is an equal and apposite reaction. The types of action which we do reflect our inner state, and forms our "character". Since we are responsible for our actions, we have to consider their effects on others and ourselves. Even our thoughts affect and create the surrounding atmosphere.

Meditation Practice

This is what I normally do. First of all, create a meditation spot at home whichever you think is suitable, comfortable to sit. Make sure the place that you choose is quiet as well. Listen to soft music or commentaries (I prefer to use discman). Allow your body to relax by taking a few deep breaths. Keep your eyes open, gently focusing on a point in the distance. There is no need to look at anything in particular. Turn your attention inwards and concentrate. I know it is hard to do this at first, but after a while you will get used to it. You can still hear sounds, but there is no need to pay any attention to the outside world; just let any sounds wash over you. Similarly, you may see movement but don't let your eyes be drawn to anything. Raja Yoga Meditation is not about stopping thoughts so much as creating thoughts about your true spiritual identity. Concentrate on thoughts and feel what they mean for you. Take as much time as you wish. If your concentration lapses at all, just gently coax your mind back to the thoughts and re-focus. Meditation requires practice to achieve satisfying results like thoughts will slow down or mind becomes clear and so on. By doing a little meditation every day (10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening), it soon becomes a natural and easy habit, which generously rewards you for the effort it involves. Just as simple as that. What about you?

Way To Beat Stress

We all play losing games at times and do things that are self-defeating - like not eating well, not getting enough sleep, working excessively long hours and getting too little rest. Mis-managing time is another losing game. Procastination, leaving for work at the last moment and spending too much time on low priority tasks, can considerably heighten our stress levels.

Stress results from our reaction to our physical or emotional circumstances. Since we can control our emotions, it follows that we alone can rid ourselves of the stress which besets our life. We have the option to channel our energy towards the right activity. Stress, when allowed to gnaw at us, multiplies manifold. We begin to associate the stress caused by one event, with all past similar events or situations, thereby making our current problem much larger than it actually is!

How can we become stress-proof or at least be armed to handle tension? By prioritising activities. Do not worry if you are unable to carry out all the tasks planned. Use time in a worthwhile way. Be realistic about your own capability. Tasks which are beyond your capacity can be delegated to others, while you concentrate on those which you can manage well.

Taken from a book entitled 'Self-Empowerment' by Bridget Menezes

Positive Mind Heals Body Rapidly

When my mind is positive, my body heals rapidly. My positive mind influences the healing process of my body. I had mild ashma before, now it seems that my ashma is almost gone. Before I join Raja Yoga Meditation last year, I had a hard time, that is almost every night I had ashma attack. That is why I am saying that the positive mind heals body. It really happened to me and it really helped. If I complain and ask for attention, I make the lives of others miserable, whereas, if I remain peaceful and take my medication quietly, I get the good wishes of those around me. I practice yoga meditation because I want to remain in a state of positive mind. This is where I find my inner peace. When I'm at peace, I can think positively. When I have a positive mind, I can know the difference between good and bad. Our mind is so powerful. It controls our body. If we don't control our mind properly, a negative mind will start to control our mind, and we start to get sick and do negative things. Don't let it be... Mind and body are inextricably linked and we should learn to keep our mind peaceful and our nature simple. Locked within our minds are choices about happiness and pain and the choices we make affect our health accordingly.

Raja Yoga Meditation

Raja Yoga Meditation is the means to channel good thought energy into one's mood. It means to turn the thoughts away from those of anger, greed and frustration to a far higher level of peace and contentment. To get started on meditation, all we need is 10 minutes of time a day. It is practiced with our eyes fully open. People always have no time. But can we imagine that we can sit down and gossip on the phone for hours, go shopping for hours, go clubbing for hours and so on (no obligation, okay?). I am talking from experience. Meditation brings peace. Everybody wants peace. Who else in this world do not want peace? Meditation is like a tap flowing into a bucket of dirty water. Eventually the dirt will be washed away.

Before, I used to be very emotional and I would cry over small things. I used to be stressed at work and would get sick easily. I used to take "Prozac" that the psychiatrist (doctor) prescribed to me due to my depression. I used to be depressed and always think that I am useless and always think of wanting to end up my life. I was lost for nearly two years. I don't know where I belonged. It was a terrible time for me. When I think back, I feel so dumb. Who should I blame for my depression? Nobody... I should blame myself for taking all these suffering. Oh well, the past is past. Now, I just concentrate on the now and I practice meditation. I feel at peace everytime I meditate. I try not to think about the past and future too much. Sometimes, too much expectations can lead to disappointment. While too much thoughts of the past can lead to anger and vengeful feelings. I don't want to suffer like this anymore.

Now, I realise that my depression is caused by my own self. This is my biggest realisation that has changed my life. Through Raja Yoga Meditation, I learn to know about myself more. Questions like who am I, where I came from, and other unanswered questions, all have been answered.

During the initial stages of meditation many wasteful thoughts do come. This is due to the soul's longstanding habit of thinking aimlessly. The mind has been attracted or repelled by everything and everyone. The soul has been buffeted around from one experience to another, one scene to another. I must break the negative cycles of worry, doubt and confusion within, by recharging the soul with my own original attributes of peace, purity, love and joy. I must make sure the engines of my senses are not burning up the vital fuel of inner peace.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Soul and Body Consciousness

The soul is conscient energy, aware of its own existence. Consciousness can be described as the feeling "I am" or "I exist". If you examine any thought-decision-action process, you will find that behind it, there is always the feeling: "I am something or the other".

Consciousness is thus the springboard for thought, decisions and actions. In other words, the soul reacts to external circumstances according to how it regards itself at that particular moment. For example, a surgeon is able to perform surgery when there is the consciousness of being surgeon. That very consciousness unlocks or gives the soul access to all the information and experience related to being a surgeon. The soul when it has the consciousness of being a soul is able to have instant access to its own original qualities.

There are two different basic levels of consciousness; "I am a body" or "I am a soul", the former, illusory and the latter, real. When the feeling is "I am a body", the thought process is trapped in the limitations, problems and vision of the physical identity. Its reaction to others is on the same level.

The Original Nature of The Soul

Today, I'm going to share with you about the original nature of the soul. As I mentioned earlier, the soul uses the word "I" for itself and the word "my" when referring to the body; "my" hand, "my" mouth, "my" brain, etc. "I" am different from "my" body. But, what has happened to the original nature of the soul?

I, the soul, am originally a star-like point of perfect peace and purity, twinkling in the golden-red expanse of the soul world. I am fully charged with spiritual evergy which naturally manifests as love, joy, peace and purity when I first come into this physical world. Gradually by taking many births, I become attached to the senses and the various sense objects and I forget my original attributes. Then I become a slave to five basic negative forces; ANGER, GREED, EGO, LUST and ATTACHMENT. These forces have their roots in body-consciousness, or the illusion that existence is entirely physical. My ability to control matter is supplanted by matter controlling me. Anytime I suffer disappointment, worry or anxiety, it is due to the effect of any one of these negative influences.

I forget the heights of spiritual attainment and the delights of supersensuous joy thinking myself to be a body and I search for peace and happiness through the sense organs. I mistakenly pursue worldly pleasures in an effort to regain my former state. I forget my true identity, nature, home and my Supreme Father. I know that while controlled by these negative forces, I cannot come back to my normal state of peace, happiness and bliss. They are not welcome in my internal "house". Until the vices have not control over the soul, I will never restore my original qualities of peace, bliss, love, purity and knowledge.

People afflicted by anger lose their temper and become excited at the slightest provocation. Yet, when the event is over they find 'peace' in reverting to their normal temperament. The same applies to all the other vices which are at the root of all emotional disturbances, strains, tnesions and imbalances.

If I contemplate on my original nature and do everything with the realisation "I am a soul, not a body", my original qualities reappear naturally. They are my basic attributes. It is worthless seeking them externally. It is like the musk deer running after the sweet smell of musk, unaware that it is coming from its own navel. Peace of mind is my property. It automatically flows from within me once I am soul-conscious.

Whatever thoughts are in my mind, that is the state I experience. Soul-conscious thoughts bring peace of mind. Body-conscious thoughts disturb me. It is I who decide what state of mind to experience. I can either be the essence of peace, or in a turmoil. It is I, the soul who has the power of decision. The situation should not dictate to me. Soul-consciousness is the mind's food that strengthens the intellect and keeps me beyond the influence of negativity.

That is all for today. Thanks for reading.

Causes of Anger

Ego (eg. I am right, I am perfect), arrogant, forget self original qualities, unfulfilled desires (eg. high expectations, demand), position (eg. my religion is better than yours), deception, deformation and judgemental (eg. I think you should/shouldn't...), betrayal of friendship, lack of consideration, lack of justice, insecurity, sensitivity, rejection, create principles, ignoring others view, comparing results, jealousy, stress, financial hardship, unhappy relationship, disharmony and so on.

And who causes all these? I, myself. It is because I have chosen to be angry. Nobody else. I allow the situation to control myself. Happiness is our right, nobody allow not to make us happy. Nobody can make us angry if we don't want to.

Anger

I have attended an anger management course sometime in December, 2005 at Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Centre. Mr. Arun Doshi, a retired CEO, who is also a meditator, shared with us how meditation can be used as a tool to effectively manage the force of anger. After I attended the course, I realised that anger is caused by our own self and not by other people. But how? Everytime I get angry, I check back with myself and ask myself why am I getting angry? It is I who wants to get angry. It has nothing to do with other people who makes you angry, right? It is I, myself... Anger comes in many forms and the damage done can last for years.

My sharing today is about anger. What is anger? Anger is the negation of love, which indicates that the angry soul actually needs love. It burns the soul and others in connection with it and disturbs the natural state totally. People mistakenly believe that anger can bring a situation under control thereby creating a "satisfactory situation". But when I am not satisfied with myself I cannot be satisfied with others nor can I satisfy others.

Anger is a spear that wounds feelings. When I react with anger, all I am really doing is damaging myself as well as the other. When there is preoccupation with selfish desires, plans and motives, the soul lays itself open to anger attacks or its related forms: envy, jealousy, impatience, annoyance, irritability, disgust, backbiting, sullenness, violence, contrariness, sulking and etc. Each time anger is expressed, harmful secretions flow through the metabolism causing many physical disorders, such as ulcers, heart trouble and psychosomatic problems.

Who Am I

"Human being" means the consciousness, the soul or "being" experiencing life through the body, the "human". The body is perishable and temporary, whereas the soul is eternal and without physical dimension. I give you few examples, the soul is the driver, the body is the car. The soul is the guest, the body is the hotel. The soul is the actor, the body is the costume. The soul is the musician, the body is the instrument. I can use a knife to cut a tomato. I can use the same knife to stab someone. The knife neither decides nor experiences, but can be washed easily under the tap.

Now look at the fingers which held the knife. They neither decide nor experience the actions. They too can be washed under the tap. It's easy to realise that the knife is an instrument, but it is more difficult to realise that the fingers are instruments too; not only the fingers but the arms also. The legs are instruments for walking, the eyes for seeing, the ears for hearing, the mouth for speaking, breathing, tasting, the heart for pumping food and oxygen around the body, and so on. Even the brain is an instrument used like a computer to express all thought, word and action programmes through the body and to experience the results. If every physical part of the body is an instrument, who or what is it that is using the instrument?

Very simply it is "I", the self, the soul. The soul uses the word "I" for itself and the word "my" when referring to the body; "my" hand, "my" mouth, "my" brain, etc. "I" am different from "my" body.

Arrogance and Ego

Today, I would like to share a story with you...

A mountain climber wanted to climb the highest mountain. He began his adventure after many years of preparation, and since he wanted the glory just for himself, he decided to climb the mountain alone.

He started to climb but it began to get very late, and instead of preparing his tent to camp, he kept climbing until it got very dark. In the darkness of the night, the man could not see anything and he slipped and fell. He kept falling at great speed and in those moments, fear gripped him All the good and bad episodes of his life came to his mind. All of a sudden he felt the rope tied to his waist pull him very hard. His body was hanging in the air. He screamed: HELP ME GOD!

All of a sudden, a deep voice coming from the sky answered: "What do you want Me to do" "Save me God!" "Do you really think I can save you?" "Of course I believe You can." "Then cut the rope tied to your waist..." "There was a moment of silence; and the man decided to hold on to the rope. The next day he was found dead and frozen. He was only 10 feet away from the ground.

How attached are we to our rope, that is, our ideas, possessions and way of doing things? And how strong is our faith? Just let go. Let us give up arrogance and ego and let God do His job.

Taken from a book entitled 'Self-Empowerment' by Bridget Menezes

Dadi Janki - The Most Stable Mind in the World

Today I'm going to share with you about Dadi (meaning elder sister) Janki, a world-renowned spiritual leader and she is also the co-administrative head of the Brahma Kumaris. She travels worldwide, teaching and sharing her wisdom and deep knowledge of the science of spirituality. She has dedicated her life to the upliftment of humanity. She campaigns for truth and works tirelessly for world peace. She is a woman of wisdom - a woman who in her life, through understanding spiritual truths, has come to a position of personal peace and power. She, being companion of God, sees only the goodness of each human being, awakening people to fulfill their highest potential. She has pioneered, exemplified and shared with countless numbers of people a structured and disciplined method of spiritual development that has had a profound impact on the lives of millions across the world.

In 1978, Scientists at the Medical and Science Research Institute at the University of Texas, USA examined the brain wave pattern of Dadi Janki. She was described as the most stable mind in the world as her mental state remained completely undisturbed even while performing complicated mental exercises. The EEG (Electroencephalogram) of that lady continuously showed delta waves, while she was cooking, while eating, while giving lecture, while doing arithmetical calculations, while talking, while sleeping, all the time.

At the Royal Albert Hall, London, again on October 5, 1997, 5,000 people watched a unique programme. A spiritual encounter between renowned psychic Uri Geller and Dadi Janki. For over three decades, Geller had astounded the public and the scientific community with psychic feats, which had no conventional scientific explanation. Like changing the structure of matter, halting cable cars and escalators in Germany, wiping computer tapes, bending keys, fixing broken watches, etc. In this encounter, Dadi Janki relied more on her power of silence. They sat facing each other for 45 minutes, in deep concentration. Uri praised her psychic prowess and the audience experienced a state of rapt exhilaration. "Constant practice of RAJAYOGA MEDITATION" was the answer of Her Holiness.

Other Benefits

Welcome back. Other than the benefits that I've shared with you earlier on, the topics covered in this course also lead to a deeper understanding of yourself, your intrinsic positive qualities and your innate value. In time, this understanding becomes a natural part of your day to day awareness, constructively influencing how you see yourself and how you relate to your world.

In the process of exploring these universal concepts in the privacy of your own inner world through meditation, you will come to a first hand awareness of the interconnectedness of the human family and the rights, roles and responsibilities of individuals. This is very important in your spiritual development and will give you a fresh perspective on values such as justice, freedom, respect and love.

The concepts presented in this course are simple yet profound and are accessible to individuals of all backgrounds and beliefs. Simple and honest effort is the only prerequisites for success in meditation. As in any field of endeavor, the rewards of meditation and spiritual study are in proportion to the time and effort you invest.

What is Brahma Kumaris

So, today, I would like to begin my sharing with the history and the founder of Brahma Kumaris to let you know how it started. Of course some of you might be curious about what Brahma Kumaris is.

Brahma Kumaris was founded in 1936 in Hyderabad, Sindh (now part of Pakistan, but at that time part of colonial India) by Dada Lekhraj, who had a series of visions depicting world transformation. In 1937, he formed a managing committee of eight young women and established an informal group that grew into the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University is a non-governmental organization in general category consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), in consultative status with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and is affiliated to the Department of Public Information (DPI).

This organization has its headquarters at Mt. Abu, Rajasthan, India with over 7000 centres in 103 countries, territories and islands. As a learning community, it currently has more than 800,000 regular students seeking to strengthen their ability to live by their own higher nature and to improve their contribution to society through spiritual education and reflective practices.

To trace back the founder's history, Dada Lekhraj was a successful and much-respected jeweller. In 1936, aged 60, when most of his colleagues were planning their retirement, he entered into the most active and fascinating phase of his life, during which he became known as Brahma Baba. Drawn to invest more time in quiet reflection and solitude, he began to experience a series of powerful visions that continued periodically over several months. Through them, he received new insights into the innate qualities of human souls, the mysterious entity of God and the process of world transformation. The intensity of the messages conveyed by the visions was such that Brahma Baba felt compelled to wrap up his worldly business and devote himself to understanding the significance and application of this revealed knowledge.

He spent the last 33 years of his life bringing people of all cultural, economic and religious backgrounds together to rediscover and develop the spiritual dimensions of their personal lives and to integrate this into their world. Brahma Baba insisted that his role was that of an instrument and example, and not that of a guru. He recognized God, the Being of Light, the Benevolent One, as the primary inspiration for the Brahma Kumaris and their work, and directed everyone's attention towards God. After the partition of India and Pakistan he moved with the other founding members to Mt. Abu in India, where he remained until his death in 1969.

So, that is all for today... Coming up next, I will post and share more comments about the topics on the Foundation Course and Raja Yoga Meditation that I have attended.

Introduction

The story began when a friend approached me and asked me to join this course called Foundation Course in Raja Yoga Meditation and she told me that it was free of charge. I was so curious about it and finally I joined. Ever since I joined, I never missed the lessons. I managed to complete the course of seven free lessons where I learnt the gentle art of Raja Yoga meditation and discovered new insights that helped me change the quality of my life. The word Yoga literally means connection or link. The mental connection or loving remembrance between a soul and the Supreme Soul is known as Yoga. It is called Raja Yoga because it enables a person to become a master of self.

Raja Yoga Meditation is taught in a simple but structured way through a course of seven free lessons, given individually or in a group. The aim is to experience peace and to develop positive attitudes towards our everyday lives, based upon a philosophy and meditation techniques. Raja Yoga Meditation is an easy way of taking care of the spirit, mind and body. It enables me to direct thoughts towards peaceful, positive experiences. This way, I develop a positive outlook towards everyday situations. It can be learnt and practiced at home or at work. There is no need for gurus, mantras or any physical exercise. It is practiced with our eyes fully open.

Maybe some of you might be unsure of who can practice this. Anyone in this world can. No matter what the background is - the gender, age, nationality, culture, religion, language, social status, wealth, profession, and the present state of being – none of these matters. You just need to make the choice to listen to your inner voice. Actually, Raja Yoga meditation is a way of life. It can be practiced even while doing daily activities. There is no restriction of time and place.

What are the benefits?
Stress is replaced by a deep sense of peace
Inner power is developed to change and remove unwanted habits
Renewed health and vitality
Improved relationships
Increased concentration levels
Worry is transformed into a happy state of well-being

These are the core curriculum offered topics that I learnt in Foundation Course and Raja Yoga Meditation
Understanding the Self
God and Understanding God
Understanding the Human tree
Understanding the Cycle of Time
The Story of the Rise and Fall of human souls
The Raja Yoga Meditation
The Benefits of Meditation
Getting started for Meditation
Law of Karma
Reincarnation
A Spiritual Lifestyle