Meditation and Dreams: Share your experience [Archive]

GRH

07-09-2008, 07:21 PM

Tell me about it. Let us share our experiences in meditation:yes:
Share your interesting Dreams....

Which does the greatest good among the things mentioned below?
1) Faith in God?
2) Non-Believer Sceptic
3) Service to Mankind
4) Live in Harmony with Nature
5) Scientific invention
6) Getting Rich
7) Self Discovery and introspection

1) Self Discovery and Introspection-- looking within should lead to looking without. By discovering the true nature of our lower self, we discover the higher Self...

2) Faith in God(?) or some conception of the divine-- by breaking down the illusion of self and becoming enlightened to Self, we begin to realize a universal harmony, a cosmic dance which we are just the most minute part of and we realize that our own meaning and existence is part of this cosmic ebb and flow...We seek outside of ourself and have faith in something greater...

Herein, 3 & 4) Living in harmony with nature coupled with serving mankind-- this arises as our own shackes of ego break down. By having faith outside of our own self, we become swollen with compassion and love, we seek to express this divine love through positive karma, by both helping others and living in harmony with the universe.

As for Getting Rich or Scientific Inventions, these may have their place, and certainly, wealth and science can bring great advances to mankind. But these are largely ego driven pursuits, thus of less interest to me. The mind of a skeptic is very beautiful, skepticism represents a certain amount of rationality, and the skeptics have much to add to any discussion. We are all pictures that come in different frames.

As to meditation, dreams, etc. my own spirituality has been influenced by psychoactive substances and an almagamtion of Eastern and Western thought. My dreams are sometimes crazy and would merit several more posts, time allowing. That said, I almost always dream lucidly.

sesame

07-10-2008, 09:44 AM

A Wise Man once told me that in dreams, we (the soul) gets dissociated from the physical body and moves around. Once I fell asleep while trying to meditate. While meditating, I was in savasana (the corpse posture); ie, lying down, very relaxed all over the body, all muscles loose... no worry left in the mind... a certain feeling creeps in the brain like it is being washed with cold water. It is better than real sleep, as the body and mind are both relaxed.

Anyway, I fell asleep and entered a dreaming state. I saw the exact room, the mat I use for yoga, there was light in the room. I was floating midway in the air. As I looked down, I saw ME, lying spread eagled below! I looked back at my own face from above and wondered, "I am dreaming". Then I tried to float out of the window, into the outside world. But something was pulling me back into the room. Soon I was sucked back into the flesh body lying on the mat. And I woke up.
This dream made me rethink a lot of my fixed notions, and I dont consider this a false imagination of the mind. It was too realistic and philosophical.:innocent:

sesame

07-10-2008, 03:04 PM

But the questions here are:
1) does he also forget of being human?
2) does he also forget of ever having a body?
3) If the Ego is dissolved, then who is asking the questions?
4) And to whom?
5) If there is no ego or previous memory, then where from comes the concept of "who" (=identity), where (=place), I am (=existence), when (=time) and finally, I (=ego)
Without any ego, there is no such thing as I, we, here, AND you, there, this or that. With an ego, there arises a feeling of separation from the rest of the universe. Me (I) and the rest of the world.
The bubble of I-ness or ego differentiates me from the outer world.

Even though I support Vedanta theory, I support the I-ness theory of Yoga and stand aside from Vedanta in the final stage. I dont want to be dissolved or annihilated into the Infinite. I wish to retain my separate identity. But... we can discuss about that at a later stage.

At its purest, ego dissolution negates the concept of "human" and "body" alike. Even the premise of asking questions becomes silly. You become the question, and you become the answer simultaneously. You become all that ever was, is, and is to be. "You" (in the formal sense") simply ARE...Simply EXISTING.

Here we will diverge, as the final implications of Vedanta I hold close and have experienced. This is where I have gotten into conflict with much Western religion, that perptetual attachment to identity. I think many come close, but they wish to deny the final truth, out of their own selfish desire to retain that fundamental sense of ego...That fundamental sense of being something "special" and "separate." That said, it is a nice attachment to cling to, and I fault nobody for it. But I'm not convinced that "I" in the sense that I currently perceive myself to be will ever exist beyond this moment. The remainder of this philosophical discussion would probably be better suited to your meditation thread, Sesame.
The Vedanta says that the Absolute Consciousness, Brahman, being one without any second is the only thing that really exists beyond all this illusion. Since this Impersonal All-pervading Entity is the source of all bliss, it is the purpose of all individual souls to finally merge into this Brahman and lose their unique identities. The analogy is this...

Individual souls, like you and me, while investigating the Nature of Truth, go nearer and nearer to the Purest state of Consciousness which is Brahman. It is like: tiny toys made of salt, enter the vast ocean full of salty water, trying to measure the depth of the ocean. In doing so, they dissolve into the ocean and become part of it.

God or Brahman is pure and infinite Joy, immeasurable Love and timeless in nature and the Source of everything. But He or Brahman (in Vedanta) is not God in the sense we are used to. It is beyond that scope. God has the World and Devotees with him to rule over. But Brahman is all inclusive. Where Brahman is, there is no second being or object, there is only Brahman. Nobody meets Brahman, but merges into Him. The Worlds dont exist in Brahman. It is Absolute Unity into the Source. (beyond name, form or duality). Advaita Vedanta= Non-Dual Essence of the Vedas.
Therefore, some proponents of Yoga have said, Brahman is a mountain of sugar and I am an ant who loves to taste sugar. I have no intention of becoming the mountain, but to taste it for ever and ever. This can only be done by purifying one's consciousness to the finest degree, but retaining some king of ego to maintain a pure yet, separate identity. The Yogi's pure ego is not to be confused with the desire-infested ego of a worldly man. It is called Nija-bodh. Nija= I am, bodh= consciousness. It is like a fine bubble that allows him to maintain a separate identity or personality in spite of being so close to All-pervading God. The Yogi's ego is a means of self protection from permanent dissolution.
I prefer the Yogi's fate more than that of the annihilated Vedanta Philosopher. God was, Is, and will be forever. What benefit is there if my identity merges and vanishes into Him? There will be no change. So, why not maintain a separate identity and yet enjoy His immensity? Is that not a better choice?

Vedanta's ultimate state: Brahmavid Brahmaiva bhavati. => The knower of Brahman becomes Brahman Himself. (ie, the small ego merges into the Infinite)
Yogi's Ultimate state: Kaivalya. Keval= Only. It means I become free from dependance of everything. The objects of the world, nature, universe, Gods, whoever,...I dont need anything. I become a Liberated soul, free from everything forever.

From my point of view, the Yogi remains and yet is free.
And the Vedanta Philosopher becomes free, but remains no more

ila

07-10-2008, 06:02 PM

sesame

07-11-2008, 03:29 AM

Sesame, I have read about others that experienced this same thing. It must feel quite eerie upon waking and then remembering an out of body exprience. What were your conscious thoughts and feelings upon realizing that you had such an out of body experience?ila, it felt great. Strange, unfamiliar, but thrilling. I want it to happen again and again.;) The reason behind such a wish is... people are accustomed to most phenomena of the known world. As as the years go by, they gradually become bored and tired of having the same experiences again and again. Its much like a broken record playing away the same tune. So when we face some hitherto unfamiliar phenomenon, we may feel fear, trauma, revolt... whatever, but still get attracted to it at the same time. Thrill, romance, twist, amazement... give us the punch we need to emotionally rejuvenate.

Another time another dream. This time I was consciously trying to get an experience for days. But everytime I fell asleep, I dreamt of silly, irrelevant things. This time, I had recently read Carlos Castaneda's "Journey to Ixtlan" and wanted to look at any part of my body in my dream.

This dream only lasted for 10 minutes. Ok, here goes:
I was sleeping on my bed. In my dream also, I "woke up" in my bed. I turned around and looked below. I saw the exact tint and design of the bed sheet. I couldn't see my face or the rest of my body, it was like "out of focus". But I saw my right hand! It was there... green in colour... glowing with radiant green energy. :p
I looked at it again and again. I was (say) 2 feet above bed hanging in mid-air in a horizontal position. I was unaware of my dream body. I was just looking. Then, I was outside in an instant, & I didnt know how I got there. I saw the road glittering with electric lights. I was moving through the trees that bordered the road. The leafy parts of the trees were foggy. As I moved ahead through the trees, I felt like passing through the same greenish cloud that constituted my hand.
The next thing was a yank and I woke up in my old bed!

sesame

07-12-2008, 03:30 PM

Ok, this one is of a more serious nature. Altered state can be brought about not only be drugs, but also by intense meditation... and incantations. I want to relate about one of my own experiences brought about by Vedic incantations.
A powerful Holyman out of sheer kindness taught me an incantation. I checked out the Sanskrit verses and considered the incantation or mantra to be incorrect from a grammatical sense. All my life I had been a doubting ass :p. Anyway, after six years, out of desperation to catch a glimpse of the astral world, I decided to try out the mantra. I arranged for a clean empty room, sat down for japa (repeated incantation) on a clean blanket upon the floor. I faced East as prescribed. I started at 12 midnight and completed 6000 incantations by sunrise. During the incantations, my mind became quite empty, only the mantra could be heard inside my head. I repeated this for 3 days and nothing extra-ordinary happened during the sessions. I was pretty frustrated and blamed the faulty mantra (and the ignorance of its sourse, the Holyman) for my failure. As tradition commands, the Yogi should go on practicing with unswerving faith and concentration, without giving a single thought to success or failure. :D That is so... not easy!
Anyway, on the dawn of the sixth day, a really peculiar thing happened. I had completed the incantation for the night, and was putting things back to places... cleaning up the room. Then I laid down for the some rest. Suddenly an irregular blotch of white light came out of the wall and headed straight for me. All my strength vanished, muscles all over my body stopped obeying my frantic commands... I was paralysed and helpless... to top it all, my breathing stopped! Only my eyes worked, I looked fixedly at the light and started to ask for help with the same incantation. The light passed slowly over me and entered the opposite wall. Slowly my breath returned, then after two minutes, I could move my hands and feet.

Inference: Due to the incessant repetition of the mantra for long hours at a stretch, which is not a normal human behavor, my mind slowly entered an altered state. On the sixth day, I became conscious of some form of energy and that trauma pushed my bodily functions to a shutdown, temporarily. After that, I stopped the practice and never again witnessed such a light.

ila

07-12-2008, 03:40 PM

Inference: Due to the incessant repetition of the mantra for long hours at a stretch, which is not a normal human behavor, my mind slowly entered an altered state. On the sixth day, I became conscious of some form of energy and that trauma pushed my bodily functions to a shutdown, temporarily. After that, I stopped the practice and never again witnessed such a light.

But isn't the idea behind meditation and reptition of a mantra for the mind to enter an altered state? Could it be that the mantra really was faulty and that caused your bad experience? Or perhaps you were trying too hard or expecting too much and pushed your mind to an altered state that it was not prepared for?

sesame

07-13-2008, 02:38 AM

Personally, I think, the experience was neither good, nor bad but above such things. Its an astral experience in the physical plane. That is very rare. The light actually materialised in the physical plane and I felt it with my whole body.
I was unprepared for such an experience, so I freaked out. May be I will try it again; this time I wont get traumatised :D

About the mantra: I have observed that there are many mantras in dialects or root syllables that work perfectly. These are all grammatically flawed. How do they work then?
Actually a mantra is simply a vessel of sound that contains the power of the Seer who utters them. If the Seer has power, the mantra performs what it is designed for. Mantras dont work for the doubtful.;)
Shraddha-vaan Labhate Gyanam = those who have faith attain wisdom. :p

ila

07-13-2008, 11:33 AM

If the Seer has power, the mantra performs what it is designed for. Mantras dont work for the doubtful.;)
Shraddha-vaan Labhate Gyanam = those who have faith attain wisdom. :p

Or is this just a teaching method to get the pupil to try harder?

sesame

07-13-2008, 11:35 AM

Of course there is a catch for the sceptic. But I dont think real effort is ever wasted. He who is above everything takes care of that. ;)

grossseeking

07-13-2008, 09:27 PM

Tell me about it. Let us share our experiences in meditation:yes:
Share your interesting Dreams....

What do you meditate on? What is the highest good? What moral value propels you?

Which does the greatest good among the things mentioned below?
1) Faith in God?
2) Non-Believer Sceptic
3) Service to Mankind
4) Live in Harmony with Nature
5) Scientific invention
6) Getting Rich
7) Self Discovery and introspection

The highest good is to be in anytime, to live, live, live, to participate of the being in anytime, anywhere forever because human being is not for death but to live. To participate of the being, but we don't have the power to make the things go how we want, because the things are how are them and not how we want, and for that , for the fact that we came not first, but the reality come first, and them reality make the rules, because we want to make the rules, but we can't, we only can recognize the rule and in all aspects of reality, wich means: respect always the totality consider and not to impose.

That's why we can't make the things of reality how we want, we ony can recognize, and not have the power to change the rules of reality, we can make laws near to reality rules or not near, but we have the responsability with the reality, human being is not an animal without conscience, them we have responsability for and with teh reality, and for that is that we have not to impose our rules, we can recognize what happen to us, but human being have to search responsability with the reality because the reality comes first and them the human being.

We are what we are and how we are.
It's only sad that we want to eat lies, our lies, to make us happy for a moment, but is not true happiness, and is not true good.

Moral values is to have freedom, but also freedom to make the good and thats is also refered to not lie to us in our mind and heart , yes that we can be in sometimes not conveniently responsable or we can't know very7 well the things in the way we are, it can happen, we don't have to make us fault, only we have to be sincerily and to search true with all aspects of reality not only a few.

ila

07-15-2008, 05:06 PM

One of the most common dreams that people have is being naked in public. I used to have dream about being naked in public and trying to hide from view or at least trying to cover myself up. In the last few years though every time I dream of being naked in public I don't try to hide or cover myself. I find that I like to be naked in public and sometimes even revel in the fact that I'm naked and no one else is.

So this is an invite to all amateur psychologists to analyze what this really means. My own interpretation is that I no longer care what people think of me and that I have dropped all my inhibitions.

sesame

07-15-2008, 06:03 PM

People can see the same dream for different reasons. Its very personal.

I dont believe in everything the famous Austrian naughty boy Sigmund has said. He was obsessed with sensuality. He saw sexual desires flying everywhere, like the Rishis of yore saw God everywhere! He actually wanted to make his point and wouldnt listen to anything else. Furthermore, I believe in Franz Anton Mesmer's method of hypnotism more than Freud's psychoanalysis. It takes great skill and will-force to perform Mesmerism on somebody. And it requires just a degree to slap your opinion on somebody and call it psycho-analysis! The ancient and noble art of hypnotism is on the verge of becoming extinct.

Ok then, Ila, you were bothered by something about yourself, something that made you feel vulnerable and exposed. It must have been something mental or physical... I cant tell; but now you have gotten over that fear. You have reasoned with your own fear and put it to rest. So now you 'like to be naked in public and sometimes even revel in the fact that I'm naked '. You are now totally comfortable with the issue, and feel good about it.

Joke: Hey, it could be your liking for Ladyboys! You were afraid that people might out that you love ladyboys. Now after talking to so many real Tgirls, you understand and appreciate them, and feel proud of it.;)

What do you say? :hug:

ila

07-15-2008, 06:26 PM

Sigmund has to be taken with a lot of grains of sand. He had more sexual hang-ups than anyone I can think of. I think he was actually in love with his mother and hated his father for being married to his mother. He saw his father as a rival for his motherâ€™s affection and was irreversibly scarred. That is why he related everything back to sex. He would have been a much happier man if hadnâ€™t had such a big Oedipus complex.

I have never been a believer in hypnotism. I have heard that there two types of people that cannot be hypnotized â€" the very stupid and the very intelligent. A friend once tried to hypnotize me and he was not successful. I leave it to the reader then to judge into which category I fall.

I do believe that you are right about my dreams of being naked in public as revealing a fear of something that I have finally overcome. Maybe it was that I was afraid people would find out about my love for Tgirls. Although that wouldnâ€™t explain why I had the same dream for years and even before I had ever thought of Tgirls. Perhaps it was a series fears that I had to overcome and Iâ€™ve finally worked through all my fears.

sesame

07-15-2008, 07:16 PM

I have never been a believer in hypnotismplz, explain why?:eek:

ila

07-15-2008, 08:10 PM

plz, explain why?:eek:

The explanation is coming, but it won't be right away. I'll have it on here, hopefully, within 24 hours.

GRH

07-15-2008, 08:21 PM

What I know of dreams suggest that there is a Jungian archictecture to our dreams, this architecture is suggestive of a larger, overlying "universal consciousness." That is not to say that we all dream in the same way, or that symbols from one dream equat to symbols from a different person's dream. But I agree, your getting over the fear of being naked would suggest that you have some issue that you have sense moved beyond.

I have heard that another archetypal dream is losing a tooth. I have had this sort of dream once or twice. But it's a very popular archetype. Similarly, in our own culture, the idea of being publicly humiliated is a familiar archetype.

A recurring dream that I have had over my entire life is that of flying...But instead of flying in the stereotypical way of flapping my arms, I actually manage to fly by kicking my feet back and forth. It's a very strange dream sensation, to float by "walking" on air. :) More to come later...

sesame

07-16-2008, 05:14 AM

A recurring dream that I have had over my entire life is that of flying...But instead of flying in the stereotypical way of flapping my arms, I actually manage to fly by kicking my feet back and forth. It's a very strange dream sensation, to float by "walking" on air. More to come later...In dreams the faculty that pins us down to everyday Reality, namely, Reason is repressed. So we do all sorts of things in our Dreams, that we cannot while awake.

But flying is a different matter. It is more associated with freedom than escaping reality. You become lighter, freer and you take off, getting rid of the shackles of gravity. I have dreamt of flying many many times. And I love the feeling, even after I wake up. Its as if the feeling remains with me at the pit of my stomach. (like the feeling of taking a Ride in the Giant Wheel or that of a free fall) In my dreams, I become much lighter and I jump higher and higher if I try to walk. Next I begin to run in great leaps and then I am being hurled at great speed covering huge distances.:D

ila

07-16-2008, 10:00 AM

ila

07-16-2008, 04:00 PM

plz, explain why?:eek:

I should start by saying that it is possible for people to be hypnotized. The effects of hypnotism depend on the willingness and motivation of the person being hypnotized. What I donâ€™t believe is that hypnosis is useful.

Hypnosis is at its worst when it is used to create false memories. False memories are those memories that are induced into a person by a hypnotist that has taken the subject back to an earlier time in his/her life and created memories of events that simply did not exist. False memories have been used by law enforcement to convict people of crimes that did not happen. The end result of this is a living hell for those that are wrongly accused and convicted of crimes that did not happen and all because of false memories.

The ancients of many lands used hypnosis, especially in India, Persia and Mesopotamia for the purpose of meditation. Perhaps western civilization should study hypnosis as practiced by the eastern religions. Maybe then our civilization can come to better understand it. A proper understanding then should lead to hypnosis becoming useful. Until then I will not believe that hypnosis in the west is useful for anything other than entertainment purposes.

sesame

07-16-2008, 04:52 PM

Hypnosis is the result of a strong disciplined mind exerting force (like force fields emanating from a magnet) on a weaker mind. In nature hypnotism is used by various insects, fishes and pythons to lure prey into convenient vicinity. I have confirmed news of childbirth under hypnosis, without anesthetics! Numerous psychiatrists even to this day use it to heal deep rooted fears and complications in patients minds. I have seen snakes and chickens being hypnotised. Really!

A man saw a venomous Cobra; he went near it, the snake raised its hood, ready to strike. The man started to coax the snake, talk softly to it, (I dont know if the snake heard him!) all the while looking straight at it's eyes. He brought his head at the level of the snake's and kept looking fixedly, eyes locked. The snakes fierce attitude melted away, the man again talked and patted it and slowly put it in his bag.

I have also seen jungle folks hypnotising a ferocious leopard into a stunned state. At the end, the big cat simply turned and left! Unbelievable, eh?

You can try this at home. If you see any dog that is angry, simply look into it's eyes and dont pull away or blink. In the end, the dog will turn it's eyes away and leave. The effect will be greater, if your eyes are at the same level as the animal's.

In Yoga, there are six preparatory cleansing acts. Tratak is one of 'em. Yogis practice it by looking fixedly at a small piece of stone or metal for hours. They dont blink and their eyes dont water. Of course, they are masters of this technique.:respect:

sesame

07-19-2008, 01:10 PM

I have used Hypnotic eye technique on wild animals... dogs, monkeys, buffalo, snake... but only to keep them from attacking me. It really works.

When I was a little boy I tried to hypnotise my cousin. He just fell asleep.:lol:

ila

07-19-2008, 01:16 PM

A man saw a venomous Cobra; he went near it, the snake raised its hood, ready to strike. The man started to coax the snake, talk softly to it, (I dont know if the snake heard him!) all the while looking straight at it's eyes. He brought his head at the level of the snake's and kept looking fixedly, eyes locked. The snakes fierce attitude melted away, the man again talked and patted it and slowly put it in his bag.

I would think that this technique is similar to what we see in the old news reels of 'snake charmers'. I'm not sure that I would want to try it though.

sesame

07-19-2008, 02:00 PM

I have caught snakes with bare hands scores of times. But that has got little to do with hypnotism. Its rather the quickness of my hand, and keeping the snake distracted by some movement of the other hand. In this conjuncture, let me warn those who are enthusiastic, never mess with big adult snakes. As such, dont mess with snakes at all. Baby snakes can also deliver deadly doses of neurotoxin. Fully developed adult snakes and ancient ;) snakes are quite intelligent and some are really proud ones. If you irritate a snake, it generally acts shy. But Big ones get offended and attack straightaway. Some snakes can spit poison over a distance of 15 feet! If that gets in your eyes, you will end up blind. Snakes like S. African Black Mamba "run" and strike people on the head or face! Yeah, really, no kidding there. They like to bite on the face. And adult humans die in a matter of minutes.

Cobra bites are loaded with neurotoxin. This poison attacks the central nervous system and paralyses it. People can't breath and the heart stops pumping blood. So death comes swiftly. I know of a reckless fellow who was handling a venomous snake. He got bit in the arm and taken to the hospital. But no antivenom was available at that time. He was immediately put in a heart lung ventilator machine. After 72 hours of being unconscious, he came to. What an amazing stroke of Luck! The neurotoxin present in the venom attacked his heart and lungs and temporarily paralysed them. The heart-lung machine supported him during that time. After 72 hours, the poison dissolved and became ineffective and the bodily functions returned to normal. This is nothing short of a miracle.

GRH

07-20-2008, 10:38 AM

Sesame, and for everyone else who has posted any interest in this thread...

I am curious about the nature of your dreams? Do you dream lucidly? Do you dream in the third person or in the first?

ila

07-20-2008, 10:50 AM

Sesame, and for everyone else who has posted any interest in this thread...

I am curious about the nature of your dreams? Do you dream lucidly? Do you dream in the third person or in the first?

I always dream in the first person. Sometimes my dreams are so lucid that I have very vivid memories of them. I have also been is stressful situations in my dreams and woken up thinking that I'm glad it was only a dream and not real life. Other times I've woken up with pleasant memories and wishing that what I had dreamt was real.

sesame

07-20-2008, 05:53 PM

I dream in first person most of the time. Whatever I see in my dreams, or whatever I do, I see or do them myself (with my dream body).

But sometimes there is one more dimension; that is the witness. I move around in those dreams, I talk and eat and smell and hear... but there is someone watching over the whole scene, including me. That witness is also me. I watch myself as a character acting out my part in the dream. But that witness is very unemotional, he just watches patiently and never intervenes, neither judges things as "thats good", "this is bad".

There are also some dreams that are quite distinguished from the ordinary ones. These are symbolic dreams. In these dreams, I battle against evil... look for something important... meet special people... get hints that may help me with problems... :p These are rare; and I usually remember every single detail.

Sometimes I feel as if life itself is a long dream.:innocent:

sesame

07-21-2008, 06:13 PM

I was feeling a little uneasy about posting my real picture in this forum.
Since most of my friends (people who need to see me) have seen it by now, I am replacing it with an alias avatar. ;)

Hank, I'm not as brave as you are in this regard.:yes:

Note: People here are really protective about their identity. The issue is so sensitive that most like to keep their gender hidden. So, I am taking off my image quite unblushingly. :innocent:

SSL

07-22-2008, 08:10 AM

Since most of my friends (people who need to see me) have seen it by now, I am replacing it with an alias avatar. ;)You looked like one of my friends on that picture, too bad i didn't save it ;)

sesame

07-22-2008, 09:03 AM

You looked like one of my friends on that picture, too bad i didn't save it Muahuahua..ha ha:lol:
Gotcha there.;)

sesame

07-22-2008, 09:28 AM

When I get ill, I avoid medicines. I detox naturally and get well with yoga practices. Natural healing is sometimes slow and sometimes lightning fast. It depends on the level you work on. I consider depending on just my body and mind for everything as one kind of freedom. The less I want from outside, the happier I am.

I sometimes use herbs that purify blood and improve circulation. Fresh herbs from the market, or your secret garden :p work best, avoid capsules if you can. I almost always make use of the six purifying principles of Yoga to get back to sound health.

They are:

Neti
Dhauti
Basti
Tratak
Nauli
Kapalbhati

Tratak is purifying the gaze of the eyes. I have somewhat explained it earlier along with hypnosis. Basti is cleaning of the large intestine. Most people here must be familiar with enema. Basti is similar to that, only it goes much deeper into the body. It goes upto the colon.
I may explain the other steps some other time, depending on public interest.:)

GRH

07-22-2008, 05:13 PM

Alright, to answer my own question several posts back...

I am usually lucid in my dreams, but I seldom bother to alter the dreamworld. I believe the dream exists for a reason, so I try to let that purpose unfold. However I am almost always aware that I am in a dream. Sometimes if I awaken from a dream that I have not concluded, I can will myself back into that dream so that I can finish it. I generally dream in the first person, but sometimes in a narrator, third person construct.

I've had a couple of bad dreams the past two nights. LONG, CONVOLUTED dreams. Dreams that I could bore you with a thousand details of if I were so inclined. Last night's dreams involved traveling vast distances, reuniting with family, only to have my mother die in these weird subterranean tunnels that were full of nooks, crannys, bars, restaurants, etc. And there was also this strange and elaborate building connected to all this...It's a building that I have been too before in my dreams.

The dream from the night before involved a cookout at my family's house. My grandmother was there, which is odd, because I NEVER dream of her, and she's been dead for several years. At any rate, she wanted me to go cook these fish on the grill. I wasn't happy with this, because I'm a vegetarian, but I agreed. I tried to get the flames adjusted just right on the grill, and everytime I got close, my grandmother would use a little remote control to make them flame up intensely, nearly burning me. (Yes we had a pretty antagonistic relationship in real life.) Well, her trying to singe my flesh pissed me off, so I went in the garage and got a chainsaw. I started cutting down all of the shrubs, bushes, and flowers in her backyard. I was like, "I'll teach you, bitch!" She started screaming and sent my grandfather after me. At thi point, the chainsaw morphed into a weird spinning blade at the end of a chain. I was able to swing this device around my head like a mace. I began swinging it at my grandfather and told him I had to finish my job of destroying the yard. The irony is, my grandfather's backyard is one of my favorite places in the whole world...In reality, I couldn't dream of destroying it.

sesame

07-22-2008, 05:53 PM

I have been in one dream all through the night, quite often.
I woke up several times in between and kept returning to the same dream situation again and again. Sometimes I have seen the same Landmarks in many of my dreams. Viz, A ruin, with tigers, lions and snakes crawling all over the place. There are ancient caves and statues here and there. Its like a lost Greek city.

P.S.: Control your anger, GRH, you are too leery and violent in your dreams. Many years ago I saw my mother die in one of my dreams. I cried in my sleep. When I woke up with tears running copiously all over my face, I found my Mom in perfect health. What a respite that was! Phew!

GRH

07-22-2008, 09:47 PM

I'm generally not so violent in my dreams...Interesting, both nights I took a sedative to help me attain sleep...Both nights I had bad dreams. I have taken this sleep aid before...And as best I can recall it created very vivid and bizarre dreams...

But that said, I can have very bizarre dreams without any help. I have dreamt of hell and demons and very graphic violence. I have dreamed entire films in my head where I pass by character once in a dream and have them recur later in the dream...EVERYONE is connected, and every person's actions play into the larger drama. At any rate, I have weird dreams at times.

As for recurring scenes, I have this happen frequently. There are buildings and cities that I visit that I have never visited in real life. Perhaps the strangest such dream moment is this little shack in the middle of the woods. It's on the property of Stone Mountain, and my mother used to take me there as a child. The thing is, I've dreamt of this shack many times before...I can almost picture it now. But what I don't know is if this building is actually real. It's a weird merging of reality and dreams...I'm not sure where the two separate in the case of this building. I believe there is some importance to this location, otherwise it would not recur in my dreams. Perhaps someday the larger significance will be known to me.

sesame

07-23-2008, 05:34 AM

I'm generally not so violent in my dreams...Interesting, both nights I took a sedative to help me attain sleep...Both nights I had bad dreams. I have taken this sleep aid before...And as best I can recall it created very vivid and bizarre dreams...I think that the chemicals released by the sedatives block certain nerve centers, mess with the ionic exchange of the synapse-s (The junction between two neurons, axon-to-dendrite). This in turn distort our perceptions and induce horrendous dreams.

So, dont unleah harmful chemicals into your system. Long term use of sedative & analgesic drugs damage the:

Central nervous system CNS
Heart
Kidneys
Pancreas
Genitals

I am not being paranoid here, I am stating facts.

GRH

07-23-2008, 07:28 AM

Well, not that this negates what you're saying Sesame, but perhaps it will put your mind a bit at ease, especially regarding my history...

The sedative I've been taking the past couple of days is a non-addictive one prescribed by my physician. That doesn't make it "safe," but it makes it a lot better than benzos or street drugs.

And last night, I have yet another dream with my grandmother. She is there and trying to give me a dresser and bedroom suite out of their house. I don't know if my grandfather was there or not. As I said, my grandmother has been dead for several years now, and yet I've dreamed about her more the past few nights than I have in all the years since her death. Do you think there is a larger meaning to this? Could the dead be coming in my dreams as an omen that another is about to be taken (probably my grandfather)?

sesame

07-23-2008, 07:58 AM

dresser and bedroom suite out of their house....
I had to finish my job of destroying the yard.
The irony is, my grandfather's backyard is
one of my favorite places in the whole world...
In reality, I couldn't dream of destroying it

What do I know about your dreams? They belong to you. But I can tell you my hunches as I read your dreams.

Dreams are sometimes considered to be imbibed with occult significance. But I think everything is inside one's own mind. One part of the mind is pure (the good angel) and another part is tarnished (the devil). They fight constantly against one another. Sometimes Good prevails, sometimes Evil is victorious. So, it is possible that your own Good part is trying to communicate with your conscious level.

So the heritage that you really received from your Grand-Folks is not a Suit or a House or something else. It is the unspoilt body and tender mind that you are battering on right now. Forgive my bluntness, but thats what I felt. Just like you were destroying your Grandpa's garden with the chainsaw, you have been destroying your good health for getting high. But what kind of a High is that, which sucks you down to the Lowest Low?

Can you remain High for ever? Think of a way that affords you that luxury.

Love, sesame.:hug:

sesame

07-23-2008, 06:42 PM

What is regret anyway? Its a realisation of a mistake.
And admitting ones folly. Its a symptom that the Good part of our mind, the fresh green innocent core is still there hidden deep down somewhere.

"Repent, and you will be saved" :p The most common idea in Christianity is regret and repentance. The Christian mystics went to great extents in their penance. Consider the self inflicted punishments of Opus Dei (The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei).

Repentance = soul is alive. But I dont like to linger on the feeling of remorse and waste away the rest of my days. Thats a folly in itself. So if you feel bad about your mistakes, its a good sign. But if you are obsessed with guilt, its bad to the extent of being stupid.

Doing something disgusting and not feeling any remorse for it is not an act worthy of much praise. That signifies an insensitive mind that has hardened (and deadened).

GRH says: I have known many addicts over my years, and many of them claim to regret nothing. In my estimation, the drug steals their desire, knowledge, and will for anything better than chasing that high. Without the desire, knowledge, or will for a better life, it's easy to not regret a sometimes miserable existence.

Description of Images:

Prayer
OMG Ouch Opus dei self-punishment!
Drunk Girl happy
Same Drunk Girl sad ;)
Drug controls the addict

GRH

07-24-2008, 12:00 AM

In regards to my dreams, my wife brought a very interesting interpretation to the table. One, being that the fish cooking/chainsaw dream represents spirituality, and that my grandmother has tried to get me to cook fish (be a "good Christian") but it is something I'm not particularly good at, and I always have problems with it (the flames). Thus I lash out and try to blaze my own path, but my family is there to try to stop me. Interesting if nothing else...

My own thoughts are...

My grandfather is not in the best of health and he's in his mid eighties. I have never dreamed about my grandmother before, until now. I wonder if the souls of the dead sometimes come back to help beckon the soon-to-be-dead towards the light. Perhaps while hanging around, my grandmother has visited me in a few dreams and tried to bring a message or two.

GRH

07-24-2008, 12:05 AM

Alright Sesame, you'd be proud of me...

Tonight I read some Upanishads, including the Katha Upanishad. Then I turned out the lights, lit a candle, and attempted to meditate for awhile. Towards the end, I engaged in some stretching...I don't know if it's "formal" yoga, but it's body work type of stuff that I used to do with my friend Michael, at least as best I could remember. All the while, I still tried to keep my breath focused and my mind on a simple mantra. I then concluded with some more seated meditation.

All of that said, "How do you meditate, Sesame?" And I don't mean that as in how YOU personally do it, but how does a beginner...Well, begin? I've read books and scripture on it, but even with knowledge, I feel awkward in a way, it's difficult to know exactly how to start.

sesame

07-24-2008, 05:14 PM

How do you meditate, Sesame?" And I don't mean that as in how YOU personally do it, but how does a beginner...Well, begin?I'm always proud of you, my friend. I like the way you think and express yourself. About your choice of Upanishad, I have something to say. My personal favourite is the Swetashwetara Upanishad. Its full of Yogic thoughts and hints. Next is Mandukya Upanishad. Its the smallest Upanishad and yet the subtlest one. It describes the four states of mind in great detail. There is a very good video in Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNruveUaeRg) that explains it with Simple Diagrams. Then there is Mundaka Upanishad which tries to describe the Soul as perceived in meditation. There is a book called "Ten Upanishads" by Sri Aurobindo, its the best. Also read the "Abhyasa Yoga/ Dhyana Yoga" chapter if you can lay your hands on a Gita. In fact, if you can find a Gita, which appears to be a war manual :p, Read Sankhya Yoga, (ie, chapter 2) it describes the immortality of the Soul in great detail. That said, ;) I will move on to meditation.

Meditation is nothing but concentration. The one-pointedness of the mind. The mind is constantly being bombarded by stimuli coming from the sense organs. So, if you imagine the attention of the mind as a beam of light, it is scattered into a 1000 parts by the multiple stimuli. We can stop this mind tossing by choosing only one stimulus or internal thought and focus the whole mind on that only. This may sound difficult in the beginning, but it is possible.

First prevent the mind from getting distracted by the senses (this is called Pratyahara= withdrawal in Patanjali's Yoga sutras).

Next you stick to one feeling or thought only. (Dharana= retention) As stray thoughts arise in the mind due to habit, focus again and again on the single thought.

Next the thoughts become rarified and only one thought remains. (Dhyana = meditation) It is comparable to the flame of a Lamp that does not flicker, but burns brightly and remains absolutely still.

Next is the final state called samadhi = Trance. The ego merges with the subject and perceives It as "Myself". There is no more any Observer and Observed, but Consciousness or Knowledge or Direct realisation.

Note that in real life there is only indirect knowledge. You (the observer) and the subject that you observe are separate. In samadhi, you become the subject and directly assimilate all its secrets.

This is meditation.

GRH

07-25-2008, 12:51 AM

My personal favourite is the Swetashwetara Upanishad. Its full of Yogic thoughts and hints. Next is Mandukya Upanishad. Its the smallest Upanishad and yet the subtlest one. It describes the four states of mind in great detail. There is a very good video in Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNruveUaeRg) that explains it with Simple Diagrams. Then there is Mundaka Upanishad which tries to describe the Soul as perceived in meditation. There is a book called "Ten Upanishads" by Sri Aurobindo, its the best. Also read the "Abhyasa Yoga/ Dhyana Yoga" chapter if you can lay your hands on a Gita. In fact, if you can find a Gita, which appears to be a war manual :p, Read Sankhya Yoga, (ie, chapter 2) it describes the immortality of the Soul in great detail. That said, ;) I will move on to meditation.

I read Mandukya tonight and I read Mundaka last night. As to the Gita, who could NOT own a copy? :) And who could be dense enough to think it a book about war? There is some really beautiful imagery in it, particularly when Krishna reveals his ultimate Being to Arjuna. I have copies of Ramayana and Mahabharata, but they are condensed retellings of the original epics (written by Buck I believe, he studied the original texts pretty thoroughly). Out of curiosity, have you studied the original texts of either of these epics? Given that Mahabharata comes in around the 5,000 page mark, I'm glad to have the condensed retelling. :)

Thank you for your wonderful description of meditation.

sesame

07-25-2008, 04:53 AM

Gita as you know it, is not a separate book but part of Mahabharata. Its the advice that Krishna gave to his Disciple and friend Arjuna, to motivate him to fight ( against the immoral.) When Arjuna saw the endless lines of great warriors he will have to face, he was a bit shaken. Among his enemy lines stood members of his own family, whom he loved and considered dying or living like a pauper, rather than killing them in battle. Arjuna let go of his weapon and sat down inside his chariot, mentally losing the very urge to battle. Krishna, on seeing such cowardly mood enveloping Arjuna, lead the chariot to the middle of the battle field, between the warrior lines gathered to kill each other. And then He adviced Arjuna about the nature of the soul, Karma, the path to wisdom, Vedanta, Yoga, Devotion and God ... and showed him the situation from the standpoint of Eternity. That is the gist of Gita.

sesame

07-25-2008, 05:07 AM

The original verses of Mahabharata is fast disappearing from the face of the society. It has become a rare thing to come by. People dont have time for Philosophy anymore, life is so fast! The Zip zap zoom world of consumerism only considers mammon, worthy of attention!

Yes, I used to take notes from Giant, heavy books, each a separate chapter of Mahabharata! A whole Shelf was dedicated in the National Library to Mahabharata. But unfortunately, the last time I needed to consult the original books, I couldnt find any! The whole shelf has mysteriously disappeared after the Library was renovated!

I saw very old prints of two chapters in the second hand market, but the price was too high. Officially, the complete volumes translated by Haridas Siddhantabagish is out of print.

sesame

07-30-2008, 03:12 AM

Tamaso ma Jyotirgamaya
Asato ma Sadgamaya
Mrityor ma AmritanGamayeti.

-Upanishad.

Lead me from darkness to Light.
Lead me from delusion to Truth.
Deliver me from death to immortality.

GRH

07-30-2008, 07:22 AM

The names are currently escaping me, but last night I read the "Food to Joy" Upanishad as well as the "Six Questions" Upanishad that is oft paired with the Mundaka. The "Food to Joy" was an in particularly good read.

sesame

07-30-2008, 07:56 AM

The Main Upanishads are:

Aitareya Upanishad from Rigveda

Kena Upanishad from Samveda

Chandogya Upanishad from Samveda

Brihad-Aranyaka Upanishad is the most important, from White Yajur Veda

Svetasvatara Upanishad is from Yajur veda (my fav)

Katha Upanishad from Yajurveda

Taittiriya Upanishad is from Yajurveda

Isha Upanishad from White Yajurveda

Mundaka Upanishad from Atharva veda

Prashna Upanishad comes from Atharva veda

Mandukya Upanishad is essence of all upanishads***, Atharva veda

The names are currently escaping me, but last night I read the "Food to Joy" Upanishad as well as the "Six Questions" Upanishad that is oft paired with the Mundaka. The "Food to Joy" was an in particularly good read.
Food to Joy Upanishad? What Upanishad is that? To which Veda does it belong? I have never heard of it!

sesame

07-31-2008, 01:23 PM

Acting is more or less a common factor of life!

A holy man once told me that we are all pretending most of the time. We are performing in front of our relatives, friends and even to ourselves!

We hide our real thoughts and feelings from everyone. We are afraid or ashamed of other people, or may be we dont want to hurt them. So we put up an appearance of happiness and harmony even though our opinions dont concur.

"Doubt whom you will, but never yourself."
If we doubt our own beliefs, we can no longer continue with our lives in a usual manner. There will be a great conflict or mental breakdown. To avoid this, the mind, which is a conglomerate of thoughts, and quite inventive, adapts a strategy to continue usual life. It starts pretending to itself and starts denying the disrupting issues, as if they dont exist. It is with great control over the mind, can we dare to face the Reality of ourselves.

There is constant strife inside every one of us!
Sometimes we notice it from afar, or we miss the whole internal drama.
I am in control! These are my own thoughts. I am the doer.
Who controls whom? If you are in control of your mind,
then, who are you? Does the body control the mind?
Or is it the mind that controls the body? ;)

GRH

07-31-2008, 02:54 PM

Alright, I read Taittiriya (From Food to Joy) and Prashna Upanishads the other night. The "From Food to Joy" is derived from a little subtitle thing the author had written in, that stuck in my mind a lot better than the Indian name. Last night I began the Chandogya.

sesame

07-31-2008, 03:03 PM

Read Sri Aurobindo's 10 upanishads. Nothing can be better than that. He was not only a good author but a Highly accomplished Yogi. He understood first hand what he was saying. Indians consider him as a Rishi, sage, seer; the same as the authors of the Upanishads.

Read the translation of Swami Sishya Samvad (http://www.advaitaashrama.org/publication/book-details.php?bid=174) if you can find one. Dialogues between the Master and Disciple. The master being the great Yogi Swami Vivekananda and disciple Saratchandra Chakraborty. Its philosophy in motion and the language is just like me and you conversing! Its that simple! The english name is "Talks with Swami Vivekananda".

ila

07-31-2008, 03:29 PM

Read Sri Aurobindo's 10 upanishads.

Sesame, what are the upanishads? I have seen you mention them several times in the last few days. This is the first time I have ever seen the term and I would like to know more.

sesame

07-31-2008, 04:46 PM

Upanishads are solid chunks of direct esoteric knowledge. :drool:
Straight from the Seer's mouth. No mediators! The most powerful Yogis of ancient India put down their feelings, hints and realizations about the Infinite Omnipresent Impersonal God in the Upanishads. You may consider Upanishads as the essence of all Vedic knowledge. There are 4 Vedas. The principal Upanishads are derived from the 4 vedas. Later Gists of Knowledge about various disciplines of philosophy such as Yoga, came to known as Upanishads. Like the Yoga-Sara-Upanishad, etc. But they are considered lesser to the eleven I have mentioned above.

Brihadaranyaka-Upanishad is the most significant and perhaps one of the Largest of the Upanishads. Brihath= Large, Aranyaka= Forest life (of the Yogis). Upanishad, the word needs clarification.

Upa + ni +sad.
Upa= nearness, or reaching somewhere or knowing about something.
Ni= with clarity, uncloudedness, certainty;
sad or sath= Truth, Unwavering, Unshakable, Everlasting. Sat is a root word synonymous to Om or Tath or That meaning God impersonal.

If we add them up, Upanishad means Clearly Knowing God.

Later on, Upanishads came to be regarded as the basis of pure Lore, collectively called the Vedanta philosophy.
Veda =To know, Anta= end. The end of Veda= the essence of Veda. It primarily includes Upanishads & Gita.

Indian Knowledge

Yogishwara ==> Veda (undifferentiated) ==> Upanishads ==> 4 Vedas ==> Ramayana, Mahabharata epics ==> 18 Puranas ( Bhagavat Purana = imp) ==> Tantras

Yogishwara = Yoga Adepts of unimaginable capacity
Yoga + Ishwara. Ishwara= supreme master or god.

sesame

07-31-2008, 05:16 PM

Veda

Many thousands of years ago, the Vedas were in undifferentiated form. And it was verbally propagated from Master to Disciple. The master uttered it and the disciple memorised it. No written manuscripts were there. Everything was retained in memory, generation after generation. So vedas were also called Sruti= to listen.

Even earlier, it was not even uttered. The Guru directed the disciple to go through rigorous austerities and mental exercises. The student became aware of the Truth within himself. Truth is self evident!

In each veda, there were 4 parts: Samhita (for esoteric rituals), Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishad. The Knowledge part became the Upanishads. As the memory and retention power of human beings became poorer in later ages, Philosophers couldnt remember all of the veda. So, Sage Vyasa divided Veda into 4 parts. Rik, Sama, Yajuh and Atharva. The Atharva part was not counted among the Vedas by some of the Philosophers. So some called Veda as Tri-Vidya = Three Knowledges. Its interesting to note that Ayurveda and early Tantra originated from this neglected Atharva Veda. Yoga was always there in the Vedas and the Upanishads. Seer Patanjali, himself a Yoga Adept, organised and compiled it. He also left very insightful hints in it about Alchemy, Surya-siddhanta (Solar science) and molecular evolution. The time of Patanjali is exactly 1000 years before Adi Shankaracharya (805 AD).

Seer Vyasa cut out the 4 vedas, clearly compiled the Upanishads, wrote the epic Mahabharata and the historic-storyline-volumes called Puranas, packed with philosophy hidden behind stories. Vyasa came many thousands of years ago. Its very interesting to note, that Vyasa is one of the six immortal Yogis in Hindu philosophy. He was the grand master or most knowledgable sage of the Dvapara age. He is still alive, so they say! :D

ila

07-31-2008, 05:17 PM

Thanks sesame. This is all very interesting. It would seem to me that there is more than a lifetime of study in all the Upanishads. This then leads me to the question of whether or not it is self study or do one have someone to guide him/her through all this learning? If so is it formal teaching as in classroom study or informal one on one teaching? There is so much to learn.

sesame

07-31-2008, 06:10 PM

Hamsam Yatha Ksiram Iva Ambu Madhyath.

Just Like a swan picks up the essence from milk and the water is left behind!

The full poem goes like this:

Ananta shastram bahu veditavyam,

Unending are the scriptures, many things are fit to be learnt.

Swalpam Tathayur Vahavascha Vighnah

But human lifespan is so little, and there are so many distractions or hurdles.

Yat sara-bhutam tad-upasitavyam

So, pursue only the essence of all knowledge.

Hamsam Yathaksiram Ivambu Madhyat.

Just like a swan extracts milk from the watery emulsion.

rhythmic delivery

07-31-2008, 07:04 PM

i used to have a dream where all my teath fell out, it happened regularly but hasn't happened in ages now. in another recuring dream i have i be walking along and gravity seems to be getting weaker by the second and with each step i bound higher and higher and it gets harder and hader to land again, fucked up or what?

jimnaseum

07-31-2008, 11:55 PM

Dreaming about broken teeth has sexual connotations I've heard. uh-oh.
for a sexual health yogi asana, exhale and try to touch your navel to your anus.
Here's my dream. It happened after I was prescribed some wild psychiatric drug. I'd woken up inside dreams, but never like this. I had to kind of lay back and let the dream take me where it wanted to go. I got to a basement hallway in an apartment building, and I could see outside that it was late afternoon. Beside the exit, was a laundry room with lots of washers and dryers, and a little bed and a couple of pieces of furniture, and this was my room. It was a complete mess, so I decided to clean it up. I started seperating clothes into piles and then I asked myself "do I really need to do laundry in a dream?" That shattered my dream and I woke up.

sesame

08-01-2008, 02:24 AM

Beside the exit, was a laundry room with lots of washers and dryers, and a little bed and a couple of pieces of furniture, and this was my room. It was a complete mess, so I decided to clean it up. I started seperating clothes into piles and then I asked myself "do I really need to do laundry in a dream?" That shattered my dream and I woke up.
The Oracle of Delphi:

Clean up thy mess!

Straighten up thy things.

Sort out your jumble, Jimbo! :D

jimnaseum

08-01-2008, 02:11 PM

I am well aware that the only sins in this life are mine, but that doesn't make it any easier.

sesame

08-01-2008, 02:20 PM

I am well aware that the only sins in this life are mine, but that doesn't make it any easier.Sins? Sins? What is a sin? That action which causes us to repent later is a sin.

All of us are guilty of such actions.
During this whole week, I was considering "if life and its actions are predestined, you know, by Fate, then all our appointments and dialogues are preplanned. We are only doing the acting. Then who is the sinner?"

I came up with some intriguing answers from the Gita. But first, tell me what you think.

sesame

08-01-2008, 03:27 PM

I am looking forward to a fresh breath in the wild.
I am just tired of this monotonous routine,
the boring repetitive city life.
So, here is the appropriate poem:
- by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Good-bye, proud world! I'm going home;
Thou art not my friend, and I'm not thine.
Long through thy weary crowds I roam;
A river-arc on the ocean brine,
Long I've been tossed like the driven foam;
But now, proud world! I'm going home.

Good-bye to flattery's fawning face;
To Grandeur with his wise grimace;
To upstart Wealth's averted eye;
To supple Office, low and high;
To crowded halls, to court and street;
To frozen hearts and hasting feet;
To those who go, and those who come;
Good-bye, proud world! I'm going home.

I am going to my own hearth-stone,
Bosomed in yon green hills alone,-
A secret nook in a pleasant land,
... ... ;)

I will soon be there. Peace. :heart:

sesame

08-14-2008, 04:36 PM

Which Book to read?
Bordo Thodol will appear gibberish.
Dhammapada is too vast.
Jataka stories are all about moral values, cleverly narrated.

Find something about Vipassana meditation instead. Its easy and direct and the substance of Dhammapada and the real teaching of Buddha.
The flowery branches of Buddhism... Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana came much later. The essencial teaching of Buddha is Yogic Meditation. For the first 500 years after Buddha's passing, there were no images of Buddha. Buddha forbade ritual worship. He said, "Follow the enlightened path and become Buddha yourself!" But knowledge comes with hard practice. And common people only wanted to worship the Enlightened One, not become Him! So after 500 years of referring Buddha as images of Bodhi tree, or the Ladder, or with symbols, finally his image was carved out of stone. And the era of ritual worship began in Buddhism. Gradually in Vajrayana Buddhism, the whole religion became ridden with numerous Deities, yabyum and Tantric rituals! Rituals are representatives of the difficult yogic accomplishments. Then came rituals that represented preceding rituals... gradually the rituals lost their real meanings! The yogic steps that were the essence, were soon forgotten, replaced by chants and postures and deities that were quite irrelevent!

After the end of the Pala era, the Buddhists who could, took refuge in forests, most wise ones found their way to Tibet (follow the silk route) and the rest were either killed or converted to Islam. Bihar, which was the main seat of Buddhism, became a killing ground for the Buddhists. The famous Nalanda University was burnt to ashes. The Islamic word "Booth-Parasti" meaning "Idol worship" was coined during this period by the conquerors. "Booth" means "Buddha". The monasteries were lavishly decorated with idols of Buddha and numerous other deities. The gold hidden in the monasteries were the sought after items. Also, the Hindu Kings turned their backs to the fallen Vajrayana Buddhists. They were fed up with the Tantric sexual orgies and frequent abortions of vajrayana nuns! This resulted in a huge population of social outcasts! 500 years ago, (from now) Sri Chaitanya absorbed them back into the mainstream of the society and this in turn resulted in a sudden increase in the Vaishnava population. Thus Buddhist Vipassana became extinct from India, centuries ago, vanished without trace with the Pala Dynasty. The Buddhists came back later, but the Jem of Vipassana was long lost, only the skeleton of Buddhism remained. Though, I must mention the Buddhist Lamas deep in the Himalayas. They must have retained it somehow.

Ajapa sadhana has always remained with the great Hindu yogis of the Himalayas (another form of Vipassana). Hints are also in the Gita. Chapter 4, verse 29. Sewing up mantras with the inhalation and exhalation is a very ancient technique of the Yogis of yore, even before Patanjali. Recently, Vipassana has reappeared again. Hints about it are scattered in Dhammapada. This wonderful meditation remained hidden among the Buddhists of Thailand for many centuries.

For basics about the spirit, Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Sankhyayoga is a treasure chest. The Upanishads are great too, but there are so many and they are sooo vast. I like Shvetashvatara Upanishad Not only does it describe the Absolute Consciousness, but also gives hints about Yoga in gradual stages. Wisdom without real experience is of no use. So a basic knowledge and consistant practice are both necessary.