For Seekers by Seekers

We continue on our musings on what is right, what is wrong. Who would decide? How should we decide?

In this short discussion, we discuss a Q&A about what is ethical living. How to decide what is right or wrong?

We start with defining desire and understanding the meaning of happiness = no desires. We then separate out and understand how to reconcile the difference between the end goal of 'no desires' with 'what to do when we have desires'. We discuss karma yoga concepts again - the idea of 'prasada buddhi' - of acceptance. Examples from work life, home life and how to handle conflicts, likes & dislike...

In these lines, Sankara explains that the entire universe is seemingly real, as much as a snake is 'seemingly real' when we mistakenly look at a rope. The snake 'manifested' on the rope for our mind because we saw it wrongly - likewise the universe 'manifested' and is 'real' for us when we see it incorrectly. This causes us samsara. The snake appears not because of the rope - but because of our ig...

Buddhism is based on Hinduism & yoga beliefs. It’s easier to follow but differs in the philosophical conclusion: Buddhism does not seem to accept that there is an enlivening principle beyond body and mind. It concludes that a still body and mind produces ‘emptiness’ or ‘shunyata’ which was not acceptable to me. Advaita Vedanta provides me the most rational explanation that is in concurrence with m...

In this line Atman is described as complete - nothing to add, nothing to remove to make it complete; it is also the primordial - and the final resting home if incomplete individuals like us. We have three limitations - caused by death, ignorance and sorrow. When we realize Atman, we would overcome all these three and discover these are mental limitations. Also, the Purushottama - first amongst eve...

The Brahman / Atman is likened to the light that shines but it is superior to the sun. The sun can illuminate objects but it can never illuminate darkness. But the Atman illuminates not only the knowledge we have, but also the ignorance. We know what we know (eg I speak 4 languages) and we also know what we don’t know (eg there are so many other languages and I don’t know them!). The example of th...

Here Adi Shankara describes the indescribable- as infinite powers, unborn, unchanging, imperishable and also the foremost - serving as the intelligent & material causes of this universe

Note : My talk starts from time 06:25 after introduction by my company's HR and a colleague who attends my meditation program online. This is a 30min talk I gave at my company as part of Mindfulness@Work Initiative by our HR. Every Friday, I will be leading a virtual seated yoga, deep breathing & meditation practice to my colleagues (& their family members) during these uncertain and diffi...

Even the scriptures say that the changeless substratum, the Consciousness/ Awareness can’t be described, cant be perceived. Therefore they use the method of elimination- tell us what it is not, and when we understand all that it is not, then we also understand automatically what it is! This is the ‘Neti, Neti’ method.

Mind is also matter. Like body. We relax the body through auto suggestion & attention. Likewise we pay attention to our mind and watch the river of thoughts flow. Then we deepen the relaxation with alternate nostril breathing and deep breathing techniques. When the mind is sufficiently prepared, we then give it a simple task - to ask it to focus on the breath. Then we end the meditation recogn...

In this group discussions, 'from seekers by seekers' we discuss what is karma theory. What does it mean? What is fate? Can we change our fate? What can be changed? What cannot be changed? If something can be changed, how it can be changed in the present age and times? What we should do? What is the reason for us to follow karma yoga? What is the impact of our likes and dislikes on the work /action...

This is the group discussions held on 4/11 'by seekers, for seekers'. In this episode, we revise the first 6 chapters of the book, The Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Dayananda. Some interesting topics: - How some apply the knowledge to resolve their daily concerns, dilemmas - Discussion on what is right /wrong and a first level intro into what is Dharma - Trying to understand happiness an...

Following up on our podcast series on Pratah Smaranam, this is the summary of line 2 verse 2: The speech (and by extension, other sense organs) comes out because of the blessings from the Consciousness/Awareness principle; not only just the speech - everything in this universe (nikhila....the Sanskrit word) shines /displays its intrinsic behaviour because of the grace from it. Nobody or thing can...

This is the Bhagawad Gita group recording of our discussions. In this podcast, we discuss what is limitlessness of Awareness means. We also talk of what remains as constant in Waking State, Dream State and Deep Sleep State. And, we discuss what is happiness. When does one find happiness? In objects? Experiences? People/Relationships? Or it is in the space in the mind, when the mind is resting /bei...

In this episode we talk of Adi Shankaracharya’s Pratahsmaranam verse 2, line 1 where Shankara says that mind and speech can’t understand the Atman or Brahman because IT is beyond their comprehension.

This is a group discussion amongst a bunch of seekers who discuss to understand Bhagavad Gita, by following the book, 'The Teaching of the Bhagavad Gita' by Swami Dayananda. In this episode, we discuss chapter 5 of the book, entitled, Who am I? We are ignorant of ourselves because we don't realize that we are the very subject. The subject can NEVER be the same as the objects.  What our mind u...

Pranayama is known to accentuate what’s in our mind. If we are not disciplined, this practice of breath retention will bring out the negative thoughts to fruition. There are clearly dangers to learning pranayama with breath control without expert coaching. However, Anuloma Viloma pranayama without retaining breath, can be practiced by anyone with positive effect on health & well being.

In this line, Adi Sankara reminds us that the Atma is beyond the three states of our experience - waking, dream, deep sleep and is an observer of all these three

In conversation with two Vedanta followers, we explore what Vedanta has to offer in terms of how to interpret the current Corona pandemic situation, sharing our spiritual path & story, practical ways how Vedanta knowledge helped us in our work place, and an overview of spiritual practice (sadhana) each one follows.

In the second line Sankaracharya explains that the Brahman is Sat Chit Ananda, and is sought by people who have the wisdom to separate reality from unreal, and which is the awareness in waking, dream, sleep state.

Adi Sankara wrote ‘Pratah Smaranam’ a 3 verse Sloka with 4 lines in each verse that I use as my ‘wake up’ prayer to remind myself daily about who I am. This is explanation of verse 1, line 1

Humans use just 15% of their lung capacity. Knowing how to breathe right - the yogic 3 part breathing, we can increase the surface area for gaseous exchange by 8x and also flush out stale air from the lungs, making us more refreshed, immune to diseases. In these days of Covid 19 threat, spend ten minutes a day to breathe right and build immunity.

Yogic tradition says that if we eat twice a day, we are fit to practice asanas and begin contemplation practice; thrice then we are primarily an enjoyer /connoisseur of food and not yet ready for yoga/meditation; if we eat four times a day then we are likely to fall sick or carry some illness; and God forbid if we eat more than four times a day then we are over-eating and maybe ‘stealing’ the food...

Satchitananda is the name given to the Supreme Consciousness. If we realize the Brahman, then we overcome three limitations of death/ time, ignorance and pain/sorrow. Sat is eternal, implying no death; Chit is knowledge, implying no room for ignorance; Ananda is infinite happiness, implying no room for sorrow. Satchitananda is our nature that is why we can’t accept we are subject to death, ignoran...