Death :)

Yesterday, "I" underwent a fairly routine medical procedure. "I" won't go into the details because my health and wellness is not the subject of this post or this blog. Anyway, as "I was lying on the hospital bed in the room, "I" felt the "Inward pull" to practice a very essential exercise of the spiritual life which "I" have at times neglected.

As "I" am witnessing liquid flow from the bag of anesthesia into the IV in my hand, the thought came, "What if I died right now?" Now this was not a likely outcome given the commonality of the procedure, but still "I" began to pretend that death was upon my being.

"I" began to "let go" of all the adult "games" that we play in this life. As "I" contemplated college, my job, my family, this incarnation, and all of the possessions and accomplishments associated with my being, "I" simply questioned, "Am I ready to let all this go?"

It was a very calming experience. Simply letting all of the involvements of my being float away like waves upon the ocean, "I" felt a sense of peace and serenity that was truly beautiful.

"I" watched the nurse press a needle an IV into one of my veins, and as the mild pain came, it was beautiful. It was all the WILL of The One. "I" was witnessing this body feeling pain and being in this usually unpleasant situation, but "I" was content and unattached. The suffering was dedicated to Brahman as the Bhagavad Gita commands us to do.

I do not tell this story to boast about my spiritual development. "I" am still a beginner on this path like so many other souls. If you find yourself in a similar situation as the one "I" have described, try this exercise if the Guru within calls you to do so.

However, One does not have to be in such a situation to practice this exercise. It may be done during meditation time as well.

If you find attachments, fear, or anything else that is part of this illusory reality still has a hold on you, do NOT be discourage. This is simply the Guru at work showing you direction for spiritual development. Whatever you are feeling during this exercise, do not suppress it. Just BE with all your thoughts, emotions, etc. If you feel the need to cry, then do so in a free and guiltless manner. Use the profound energy of this exercise to face your death in ALL of its fullness while not suppressing or holding anything back.

Truly, death is beautiful. For death is not the end at All. However, life is beautiful as well. Buddha says, "Cling to neither birth or death". So we must cherish them both as the Beautiful processes that they are. God/Brahman/The One truly emanates such a beautiful illusion.

May these writings be dedicated to The One who is the writer of them all.
-Acintya Bhakti


"Rain water falling upon the roof of a house flows down to the ground through spouts shaped grotesquely like a tiger's head. One gets the impression that the water comes from the tiger's mouth, but in reality it descends from the sky. In the same way the holy teachings that come from the mouths of godly men seem to be uttered by the men themselves, while in reality they proceed from God."-Ramakrishna

Love: The Ultimate Means to Union with Brahman

"The astrolabe of the mysteries of God is love." -Jalal-uddin Rumi

"God is love." -1 John: 4

"Learn to look with an equal eye upon all beings, seeing the one Self in all." -Srimad Bhagavatam

"Those who speak ill of me are really my good friends. When, being slandered, I cherish neither enmity nor preference, There grows within me the power of love and humility, which is born of the Unborn." -Kung-chia Ta-shih

Any soul who seeks Enlightenment; Union with God, Realization of the Self, must grow in the power of Love. Love is unstoppable and has no wants, selfishness, or faults. The devotee of Brahman/God/The One must not simply be filled with love, but must BECOME LOVE. One must simply BE LOVE.

True love of The One entails much suffering for the ego, but we, who understand the true nature of ourselves to be the Atman, must not feel that We are suffering. The Atman does not suffer. It is pure being consciousness bliss (sat-chi-ananda). In this way, when life provides suffering, the Soul should merely witness the suffering and dedicate that suffering to Brahman in love.

"The worth of love does not consist in high feelings, but in detachment, in patience under all trials for the sake of God whom we love." -St. John of the Cross

Complete and inexhaustible love of God consists of absolute devotion to Brahman, patience when facing afflictions, never returning evil with evil, no self-pity, and the calm unattached mindfulness of Brahman's presence in ALL. To do this, one must see EVERYTHING for the Divine Action that is truthfully is.

One must forgo any ego-will and fully submit to the Will of the Universe, which is a Will so complex that our ordinary rational minds cannot comprehend or understand it.

This process takes time, and we have NO control over the process. One must not get upset with faults and impurities, but rather see that God is showing the soul the areas where spiritual work needs to be done.

One of the most effective ways to grow in Love of God/Brahman/etc., and it is difficult for the beginning devotee, is to SURRENDER all trying, planning, and notions of control. One should not "try" to get enlightened, but rather listen to the Guru within for guidance. According to Buddha, we are NOT in control, so we need not try to plan things or worry about how life will work out.

Each incarnation is completely predetermined by the The One who is ALL Knowledge, Truth, & Love.

May these words be dedicated to Brahman, who is the writer, the reader, and absolutely ALL.

Love to ALL who are reading. Feel free to participate in discussion or to follow this blog. This blog is but another means for Our Enlightenment.

Love,

-Acintya Bhakti   

BE Here Now

This timeless moment is filled with infinite love and joy.
Do not let the activity of the world take away your eternal calm center.
There is no reason to worry about the future or to dwell on the past.
The Universe is holding US in its loving arms in the Eternal moment of Now.
All we have to do is SURRENDER to the Divine Will of Brahman which is in Complete and Total control of it all.

http://www.ramdass.org/episode-57-living-dying-spirit/

 "When you are fully present in the moment, there is no anticipatory fear, no anxiety, because you are just here and now, not in the future. When we are resting in our souls, death is just closing a chapter in a book."
– Ram Dass

WE are all Here and We are not going anywhere. Birth and Death are just circles.
Love to you all.
Namaste.

-Acintya Bhakti

Who am "I"?

Ramana Maharshi- "I am pure Awareness."

Buddha- "As long as one feels that he is the doer, he cannot escape from the wheel of births."

Gandhi- "To cease feeling that we are something is to become One with God."

Shankara- "It is ignorance that causes us to identify ourselves with the body, ego, the senses, or anything that is not the Atman.

These potent quotes all illustrate a central concept. What we typically define ourselves as, especially in the western world, is inaccurate. From these quotes we realize that we are not our bodies, ego, senses, thoughts, or anything at all except pure Spirit.

So if we aren't the doer, and all we are is a Pure Aware Spirit, then we have no control because we are not doing ANYTHING except witnessing this Divine play.

The "I" concept is not real. It's a falsity created by the rational mind. It is the ego that tricks us into thinking we are making choices and in control of our destiny. In actuality, there is no "I" at all. It is God/Brahman/The One/ that is playing every single role.

The One is your teacher at school, It is your parents, it is "you", and it is ALL. So naturally, the challenge becomes getting calm and centered enough to just BE. One must simply watch the wondrous role that Brahman is playing through this body that Our spirit is existing through.

The beauty of it is we are ALL that same spirit behind every human being. So every moment is God interacting with God. It is The One dropping the One off at school, or The One kissing the One in love.

For those who are reading feel free to share in open discussion or to follow this blog if "you" feel the voice inside saying to do so. Peace and Love to ALL. Namaste.
-Acintya Bhakti

Non-attachment to Coverings

This past weekend, the Universe provided me with a valuable reminder that "I" knew, but I was simply forgetting to apply in each moment. I was cooking in the kitchen at the restaurant where I am employed, and my boss kindly came into the kitchen to help me out.

To make a long story much shorter, his preferred way of doing certain things sometimes conflicts with the way that "I" do them. So he is telling me not to flip this fish yet, not to turn these vegetables up so high, etc, etc. "I" should have just laughed the whole thing off and continued witnessing the ONE doing everything, but of course "I" got "caught up" listening to that puny ego in the back of my head.

So "I" found anger, annoyance, and frustration creeping in and trying to disrupt my center. All the impurities came roaring back. I tell this story to illustrate a valuable concept. This concept is non-attachment to the "coverings" of sentient beings. "Coverings" may be defined as personality, intelligence, views, appearance, and all the other illusory aspects that makeup each being.

My error was forgetting that Brahman is ALL. Every single being, object, etc. emanates from the ONE. "I" know this, but "I" simply forgot. The goal is to train ourselves to be calm and mindful enough to REMEMBER how it all really is. We have to treat every single being as a sacred manifestation of the Divine ONE and honor them as such. To properly do so, we have to extricate ourselves from these attachments we have accumulated that affect how we treat and react to people. We must respect everything and have deep compassion for all beings no matter their circumstances.

For more information on attachments, consult this podcast by Ram Dass.

Peace and Love to All. Namaste.

-Acintya Bhakti

 

The Beginning

This blog is for all beings who are on the beautiful path of The Great Way. This blog is intended to be a medium for US all to share our experiences, progress, trials, highs, lows, etc. while undertaking the journey towards enlightenment. The point of this blog is for us all to uplift each other through the dark nights and the bright days of this journey in order to promote spiritual growth, increased awareness, and greater awakening into the ONE of which we are all manifest. More posts will be coming in time. Feel free to leave comments as this blog will be ONE of pure love and kindness towards all sentient beings. To all those who read this, please share this blog with others who are on this path or leaning towards it in order that we may all raise the loving and unified vibrations of this Infinite Consciousness. Peace and Love to ALL. Namaste.

"How shall I grasp it? Do not grasp it. That which remains when there is no more grasping is the SELF." -Panchadasi