Bhoomananda Foundation

In this talk, Swamiji discusses spirituality and meditation. The human body is an instrument in the hands of the mind and intelligence. Because our mind, intelligence and ego are spiritual, spirituality becomes an indispensable subject for everyone. Spirituality is the science and art of enriching, empowering, elevating and expanding one’s own mind and intelligence. The purpose of meditation, and...

In Yoga Vasistha Ramayana, sage Vasishtha says that the entire grossness and solidity that the world appears to present, is not a reality; it is only a myth. The wakefulness, along with the objective universe, disappears in sleep. The whole scenario is within the body. The solidity or grossness attributed to the world objects is not true. The subject-object distinctions totally disappear in sleep....

Swamiji says that Bhakti or devotion is a development in the inner personality of man. Devotion is something which rests completely in the mind. So, unless a devotee takes up introspection, devotion is not going to increase. Enquiry into the Self alone will give true shape to one’s devotion. One must enquire into the Self, understanding that God is no other than the synonym of the Self. The inner...

In this talk, Swamiji, enlightens us about knowledge and the whole structure and treasure of knowledge. Existence and knowledge can be divided into two categories- Object knowledge (bodily and external) and Subject knowledge (mind and internal) There are three categories of knowledge–Pratyaksha (object knowledge gained by the senses), Paroksha (knowledge we get about the factors within the body. H...

Swamiji says that Vichara is a process, a pursuit, a habit, a discipline, a powerful medicine, for the long-standing disease of worldliness. A seeker must spend sufficient time in doing Introspection. Everyone suffers by the impacts of the world. The focus of a seeker must be to make the impacts light and dissolve them. One has to imbue into the mind such thoughts, introspection and inputs, by din...

Swamiji enlightens us about a conversation between King Sikhidhwaja and his wife Choodala in Yoga Vasishtha Ramayana. Choodala, a Self-Realized knower, believes that the spiritual goal can be attained by Vichara. Sikhidhvaja believes the goal is only attained by hard austerity and goes away for many years to the forest to perform austerities. After years, through a conversation, Choodala is able t...

The human body stops growing at the age of 21. The mind, intelligence and ego are the inner constituents which have to be cultivated and nourished throughout one’s life. The intelligence should do truthful introspection, introspection in which truthful elements are sought, employed and understood. The intelligence is the one factor which can influence the mind. The mind can be strengthened and pro...

Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha, in this Talk, speaks of the supremacy and excellence of the human intelligence and describes Truthful Introspection as the highest human activity. Vichara shapes the character, behavior and interactions of a human being. This art of thinking, where the intelligence is directed rightly through introspection alone, will not allow the mind to host unwanted thoughts and the e...

Swamiji Nutan explains that every activity in our life can be transformed into Yoga by embracing the Yoga attitude. Even the deepest sorrow can be transformed to Yoga, as exemplified by Arjuna during the Kurukshetra war. Whenever we encounter danger or difficulty, a seeker should view it as an opportunity for growth. Without challenging situations, the mind cannot expand or ascend to higher dimens...

Nutan Swamiji explains that there is often confusion between religious and spiritual concepts among a vast majority of people. Not everyone will be able to understand the subtle truth, and many may not even care for it at all. Religion defines a general code to guide society and keep it on a moral track. It is based on beliefs such as the rebirth of the soul, heaven and hell, and the theory of kar...

How spirituality has to be pursued, its effects, why people do not pursue it are some of the questions Swamiji poses and answers in this beautiful talk. Vichaara is truthful introspection in which only the mind and intelligence are at work. In meditation all thoughts are dissolved but in vichara they are vibrant and we reflect upon them. Going into the mind, making the vichara intense and sharp, t...

Poojya Swamiji says that the purpose of meditation is to purify and sublimate the mind. A seeker has to watch his mind and its interactions during the Pre and post meditation periods. The mind breeds desires and impurities like anger, fear, jealousy, possessiveness, ego, desires etc. One has to cultivate the right way of thinking and work on all the negative traits of the personality. A Sadhaka ne...

In this track, Swamiji exhorts seekers to take to the austerity of spending time devotionally, piously and with attunement with whatever he/she reads and try to understand it. Knowledge is a great austerity. It helps the seeker in bringing about sublimation, correction, fulfillment and refinement in his personality. Knowledge is the deepest faculty and constituent in the human personality. Mundako...

In this talk, Swamiji says that it is the consciousness that has formulated our body, shaped our senses, imbued them with their respective powers and it is through these senses that the consciousness extends itself to become the infinite, endless world of variety. The first access we have to the consciousness is through the mind. Once a seeker understands that mind is the fulcrum in his Sadhana, t...

In this short message, Swamiji categorically states that a spiritual aspirant must introspect on whether his own Sadhana is wholesome. Introspection is an inner mental process which is most essential pursuit for a seeker of Truth. It is only by a process of constant introspection that a seeker can realize the Ultimate Truth. Manana (introspection) is the greatest worship, the greatest tapasya and...

Quoting an important verse from Kathopanishad, Swamiji says that we are born in this world with a set of organs which have only an outgoing capacity. So, man sees only the outside glory, the outside display which is fleeting. But a rare man understands that there is a power inside which animates and activates the body and the senses. He becomes introspective and through this pursuit realizes the S...

Swamiji, in this track, emphasizes the significance of Tattva-Manana in the life of a seeker. Tattva Manana means deliberation within oneself by engaging the mind and intelligence. It is the practice by which one cultivates desirable qualities and eliminates undesirable qualities. Introspection is the only way to understand one’s own inner personality. Swamiji stresses that our mind and intelligen...

In spirituality, the introspection is on the mind and intelligence themselves with a view to making them more and more qualitative, reformed, refined, and cultured, says Swamiji. Everyone should develop a habit of generating a dialogue between their intelligence and the mind with a view to infuse the benefits into the mind’s structure and the mind’s activities. A seeker must develop the habit of m...

Poojya Swamiji, in this talk, states emphatically that every seeker must take to the habit of introspection. Whatever is read or heard, one must take to thinking deeply about it. Introspection can be about the nature of the world, our life and one’s own personality. Swamiji urges seekers to take verses from scriptures and introspect over them till the concept becomes clear in their own minds. He a...

Poojya Swamiji speaks about the importance of ‘thinking’ or ‘Introspection’ for a seeker. Repeated thinking over a concept is a great Sadhana which has a direct impact on the mind. Whenever you come across a concept, you keep revolving it in your mind until you become that. Swamiji stresses on the fact that a seeker misses the Truth only because he does not take well to the Sadhana of introspectio...

Swamiji thunders, “Is there not a presence in your body? If there is a presence, why don’t you realize it? It is there – otherwise you would have been dead. You are not dead. So you are alive. What makes you alive? Something within the body. What is that? A thought arises, it subsides. Another thought arises. It is that source from which the emergence and subsidence, both take place, both are faci...

One must take to the jnana-drishti and judge matters on the basis of spiritual wisdom alone. Any experience is inner and subjective. Based on the fact that something is experienced in the sentient mind as a sentient note, is not the entire world simply Brahman, and not a matter-energy aggregate? Swamiji explains. Slokas chanted in the track दृष्टिं ज्ञानमयीं कृत्वा पश्येद्ब्रह्ममयं जगत् । सा दृष्ट...

Repeated introspection over what we have read or heard from scriptures and great people will allow those values to get infused into our system. This is viveka, and then dispassion or vairagya develops over time. Slokas chanted in the track इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ । तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥ (Bhagavad Gita 3.34) भोगा न भुक्ता वयमेव भुक्ताः तपो न तप्तं वयमेव त...

When by spiritual or philosophical introspection, the mental activities, mental functions, become subtler, feebler, lighter, slower, there comes a stage when there is cessation, and the whole introspectional process will come to be still. In the same manner, as the mind is active and vibrant now, it will become non-vibrant, buoyant and still. It is a state of a wonderful absorption. Slokas chanted...

In this track, Swamiji exhorts seekers to practice infusional introspection. When the intelligence does this introspection, the mind becomes stress-free and peaceful and the intelligence becomes more perceptive. This introspection is the secret of Spiritual Sadhana. The intelligence must be applied repeatedly on the subtlest of things–the Soul. PR 05 Feb 2016