Call Me by My True Names

Do not say that I'll depart tomorrow
because even today I still arrive.

Look deeply: I arrive in every second
to be a bud on a spring branch,
to be a tiny bird, with wings still fragile,
learning to sing in my new nest,
to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower,
to be a jewel hiding itself in a stone.

I still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry,
in order to fear and to hope.
The rhythm of my heart is the birth and
death of all that are alive.

I am the mayfly metamorphosing on the surface of the river,
and I am the bird which, when spring comes, arrives in time
to eat the mayfly.

I am the frog swimming happily in the clear pond,
and I am also the grass-snake who, approaching in silence,
feeds itself on the frog.

I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones,
my legs as thin as bamboo sticks,
and I am the arms merchant, selling deadly weapons to
Uganda.

I am the twelve-year-old girl, refugee on a small boat,
who throws herself into the ocean after being raped by a sea
pirate,
and I am the pirate, my heart not yet capable of seeing and
loving.

I am a member of the politburo, with plenty of power in my
hands,
and I am the man who has to pay his "debt of blood" to, my
people,
dying slowly in a forced labor camp.

My joy is like spring, so warm it makes flowers bloom in all
walks of life.
My pain if like a river of tears, so full it fills the four oceans.

Please call me by my true names,
so I can hear all my cries and laughs at once,
so I can see that my joy and pain are one.

Please call me by my true names,
so I can wake up,
and so the door of my heart can be left open,
the door of compassion.

Thich nhat hanh - author

Inner Goodness

Caring and sharing,
is for the bold and daring,
to rise up to ones own source of goodness,
brings forth the juice of joy,
and the bounty of radient love.

Email is PKatariya@hotmail.co.uk..enjoy!

Contemplation

What are we searching for in life?
What are we seeking by fulfilling our desires?
Is what we seeking materially and spiritually one and the same?
Is what we seeking causeless, everlasting joy and love?
If we drop the seeking, what remains?

Rising in Love - From Form to Formless

Here i am quoting some poetry written by milkmaids in the glory of their beloved krishna. It is a taste of what is devotion and love when it moves from just love for an individual (a person, object, nature) onto unconditional and eternal love of life itself. The word krishna can be replaced for life, in this context the milkmaids have come to this state of divine devotion through letting go of themselves completely to the historical form of krishna.

"Wherever my eyes may fall, Krishna is all they see;

The bowers, the forest, and the river yamuna,

the sky and the dark clouds,

all the different colours are full of krishna.

People exclaim "this is a new idea"

Whether i am mad or they are blind i cannot decide.

The love of Krishna is beyond words;

i see him, only him in the sky and water and lands,

In the animate and the inanimate.

Neither Brahman nor maya exist, neither the individual

or soul no time;

Nor am i conscious of myself; all that is, is krishna, the son of

nanda.

How can i ever express the longing of my heart?

Who can? In what way?

I thought i could possess hari, but he possessed my heart.

I see him everywhere, in all directions"

This state of devotion towards life, seeing the divine in all expressions (people, nature, sky etc) is a possibility for all beings. We have to open our hearts and let go of our individual personality and its defences to something we can share ourselves to unconditionally with love and surrender. In this poem it was for Krishna, for you it could be something or one which is close to your heart. Worship the divine, the formless in this, with no doubt or criticism. Giving and sharing and building up your love into divine love. In the different traditions this object of worship could be a statue, a rock, a tree, a mountain, a person or guru. It doesn't matter what we open ourselves up to but the quality and longingness of our hearts. May divine love radiate in all hearts,as one and the same!

Everlasting joy of this moment - Osho

"Have you ever seen the

night going?

The midnight and its song?

The sunrise and its beauty?

we are behaving more like

blind people?

In such a beautiful world

we are living

in small ponds

of our own misery

Otherwise there is

so much joy around us

you have just to be

aware of it and

to become a participant

and not a spectator

Philosophy is speculation

Zen is participation,

Participate

in the night leaving,

participate

in the evening coming

participate in the stars

participate in the clouds

Make participation

your whole lifestyle

and the whole exsistence

becomes a joy and ecstacy

You could not have

dreamt of a better Universe"

OSHO

The Balanced Paramahamsa (swan) -Awareness, equanimity and Love

Awareness(one wing) Love (One wing)

Equanimity (Trunk)

Awareness

True awareness is just presence, knowing what we truly are in essence is one, always is untouched and undifferentiated

Witnessing the appearing duality of the mind without identification, individuality, just seeing is the pure witnessing consciousness

Being aware of your own true nature that is present as everything, whilst still operating in the world of duality is awareness in action.

Remembrance of self awareness when you get lost in our own thoughts, helps stabilize the divine awareness which is beyond conscious or unconsciousness.

Awareness Just Is.

Equanimity

Equanimity in its natural state is the very presence of oneself. This presence always Is untouched and undifferentiated oneness in all moments, even when the mind is agitated and lost in duality.

Whilst witnessing the mind duality, we do not identify with any extreme of the mind and keep our minds centered on just witnessing, just seeing what is appearing and disappearing in our minds and our lives circumstances(Love-hate,Poverty-wealth) without attachment or aversion is equanimity.

Being present as out witnessing consciousness whilst outpouring the one energy of Love to others, whilst seeing the unity in diversity is equanimity.

Love and awareness merges as one, is true equanimity, in which also equanimity merges. Just Be.

Love

AS pure presence there is no separate ness. Seeing that there is only one is Love.

Even if we see things appearing as different to us in our minds, we know in our hearts we all are the same and interconnected as the deepest level is unconditional love.

Love that doesn't come or go, doesn't crave or hate, love which is always present, even if we are unaware of it, Is divine love.

Feeling in our hearts all of creation is part of us, closer to us than our thoughts and swirling emotions, this is love which ascends to divine Love.

Lose the "I" and "you", "me" and "mine", merge as one means no opposites or extremes. This is untouched, equanimity, unconditional love.

Love always Is. Remove the words, concepts, thoughts , objects of love, equanimity and awareness, and there they are as ur very self.!

Duality (Genesis 8.22)

"As long as Earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night,
will never cease"
(Genesis 8.22)

The nature of this world is duality. Day and night may seem contradictory but actually is complementary. So is success complementary with failure. However, mans mind becomes identified with one aspect of duality and identifies and clings to it. The nature of things is duality and soon success turn to failure, inwardly or outwardly. Man not understanding the nature of this world becomes frustrated with change and tries to control his environment, only to stumble and fall as his understanding of life is separate to the true nature of the world, body and mind.

So with life comes death, with youth comes old age, seeing and realizing this apparent duality is nothing but different aspects of oneself is liberation from duality itself. Once we truly understand and experience our truth beyond duality, then even though we still live in a world of duality we will be able to not only accept lifes duality but see the oneness of our very self which transcends all, whilst being in all!

Man in Gods Image

"So God created man,

in his own image,

in the image of god,

he created him,

male and female he created him"

(Genesis 1.27)

Like the sun which can be reflected in many lakes and appear as millions of reflections around the earth but the sun is always One. Likewise the one absolute spirit which for namesake can be called god appears in its infinite reflections as humans, animals, nature, planets and space. However, these mere images have no separate reality and just appear separate because the nature of manifestation is duality.

If we superimpose the idea or separateness or we realise we are one with god, we still remain as god in essence eternally in forgetfulness or remembrance. It is just a play of memory. Man searches for god because he is confined to his intellect which differentiates and creates a separate world of "I" and other. Letting this go, man realizes he himself is god which permeates itself eternally. Otherwise mans dilemma is like a fish thinking it is thirst and searching for water whilst it is in and permeated by water. Likewise, man thinks what is the nature of god and desire god outwardly whilst he is permeated by God with no distinction of Inside or out..

The sense of separateness and distinction of other is the only obstacle in seeing the reality and essence of oneself in this very moment! Let the remembrance of oneself marinate in oneself, drinking the juice of what oneself is, remain as eternal presence.

Recognizing our true self to Letting go as the Self

I feel letting go in faith can only occur when we realize ourselves beyond our identification with thought, emotions and the root cause of disillusion of being a separate individual. Once we experience we are the one who SEEs the play of change in this world and the inner world of thoughts and emotions but we are not limited to this, we come to recognize ourselves as the space in which all thoughts, emotions occur in. They appear for some time and then disappear , just like the space in a room, objects may appear in the room and then be removed but the space in the room remains. If we knock the walls of the room down, the space in the room is one with the space outside. In truth there is no inside or outside space, the space was always one even when appearing to be separate. This is like how the essence of what we are is the same as the essence of everything, separation is an illusion and a superimposition of the mind. Letting go in the realization that we are ONE, not as an intellectual knowledge but as an intuitional feeling, is leaping into faith of ones undoubtable experience of oneself.
How can we reach this stage? how can we plan to reach this stage in our disillusioned state?? a longing, an intensity to dissolve into what is beyond our intellectual understanding has to take place. This will take us to insights, practising techniques, all to purify our sensitivity to our bodies and minds so we can see the true nature of what we call ourselves. Seeing what IS, what we Truly are, Knowing this, We automatically surrender and let go in the seeing of THIS!

Relationships to Oneness

Relationships with others in the deepest sense is the discovery that others are non other than yourself. Relationships can be a mirror in which we can what we truly are, by seeing things as they truly are and not projecting images of what another is.



In reality there is no such thing as bad relations, bad or good relationships all appear to the dualistic mind, which projects a certain image of other according to their own expectations of that person and their own past. To go beyond a projected relationship which has no depth in it, we have to first become aware of our images we carry of the other and the image we project of ourselves to others. Realizing we are interacting as just mental images with each and other, we see we never really feel oneness with another.



The seeing of the other as a part of us, not separate no matter whether they are physically present or not is seeing true love and is what we all consciously or unconsciously long for. So how can we have relationships beyond just mentally projected images meeting one and another. First we have to explore our own mental projections, the nature of our minds.



Are our thoughts, emotions really us or are they just appearing in us due to social, genetic, and environmental influences.



Realizing we are beyond thought and emotions and we are the space in which thought and emotions appear, we automatically face ourselves from projecting our thoughts onto others. Being open in the moment with a person will give a healing space in which others may also be able to stop clinging to their own projections and expectations and instead share the moment with each other, not as an separate entity but seeing the complete unity in each other in this very moment. This very seeing is love and has a healing effect which calms and soothes all aspects of relations. Only by seeing the unifying depth of relations, can we become truly grateful in the relative aspects of relations with one and another be it close relatives, children, a stranger or nature.



Spiritual relations are relations in which the other has no mental blockages and doesn't expect or try to project his desires on the other. This type of relationship helps both persons come to a mutual and unifying space in which essence we are ONE. Spiritual relations can come from nowhere with anyone or anything and leave at anytime, but they never leave us as they touch the essence of what you are. We can now see the essence of our friend in the sky, as the birds singing, in the wind, in the warmth of the sun..his presence is eternal and always present in every situation and environment. This type of relation uplifts us and helps us spiritually progress to see what we truly are is the one that is in everything and everyone.

Now relations with others become a natural outlet for the overwhelming joy we carry inside. We can then share our happiness with anyone or anything at any spontaneous moment in time. We are no more projecting of how a relationship should be, but accepting the diverse aspects of the relationship however they are. No more demanding of love and attention from the other but acceptance and sharing of our happiness is the real divine play in this world and the highest expression of our human capabilities. I will post gazing techniques which can be done with a friend or partner and help to see the depth and being of others. This will be posted under gazing technique.

Contemplation of the changing nature of the world

You keep seeing change, Change in lifes Circumstances, Change in your body, thoughts and emotions, You know you cant fnd no permanancy and security in this everlasting environment of change.NOW SEE if the one always SEEING change EVER changes???

Wholeness

How can we as seperate individuals in our mind control the whole? Mind is just a expression of the whole, now return back to the wholeness which you already are!

Changeless Changing

Everything changes for the best, even though in the moment we are unable to grasp the significance of change. As the changeless, which we are, we can clearly see this life and the entire universe's drama in birds eye view! Whatever this bodies destiny, let it be! For a fragment of the mind cannot control the whole! Let us allow the body-mind to express itself in its natural state of joy, wisdom and love!

Unconditional,eternal,all pervasive Love

To share our love to everyone unconditionlly is the flowering of human exsistence and our own essential nature. To share our joy and love without any reserve only leads to tenfold increase in joy an love within ourselves. To be reserved on love is foolish, for we cannot lose anything by giving unconditional love, we ony lose our false expectations and beliefs of what love is.

Unity in Duality

Our thoughts are spinning, our emotions are whirling, what sees all this, is free from this, being our nature, it sees all this, come from that which it is, IS is its nature, relax as this, realize this, becomig free from the manfestations of this, play with this, you are this ,never to be touched by this or that!

Meaning of life

There is no meaning to life, all meaning is created in the mind. In the infinite number of lives we live, we live for the joy of living, to share the joy of life, is the purpose of life itself.

The untouched inner sky

Thought created from the vastness of ourselves, like a cloud appearing in the sky. The cloud can be light, the cloud can be heavy and thunderous. But the sky in which the clouds arise and subside remains untouched. So is the beauty of ourselves, from the everchanging manifestations of clouds to the unmanifested sky. I am!

Relationships Built in oneness

Being with a person you know or a complete stranger, drop all ideas and projections you have about them. Once you are aware of your projections of that person and ideas about them based on past experiences, let them go. No be with them without no idea or projection of who they are and without expectation to gather ideas about hem. Just being with them in openess and receptivity, see is there really a seperate "you" and "other"???
This can be done with any objects, a tree, flower, table, moon, whatever you like!

Meditation using music

Listening to music, become immersed to all the melodies of the music. Once the music ends, feel the silence that is present. Now once again listening to music, feel the silence that surrounds and permeates the melodies.
So in life be totally immersed while simultaneously experiencing the inner silence that permeates out thoughts, actions and the outer experience of the world!
Thus realize the silence of oneself!

The inner Witness

Truth being the ability to see, we all carry this clarity of just seeing, but we hold onto what is seen as the truth. What is seen, just a temporary object, soon disappearing, our heart again longing for truth to regain. Watching, Just watching, in the silence of our unborn nature, we see this play of life arising and disappearing, Laughing in joy only the observer remains.

Cleansing breathing technique

Being with one self, breathe in and out with your whole body. Breathing in, feel your whole body filled with life energy.Breathing out feel the silence, nothingness, the presence of oneself.
Breathing in and out with full vigor, immerse yourself in breathing. Let all thoughts, emotions, sensations submerge into your intensity of breathing.
After 10-15 min of constant conscious breathing,return to the natural rythm of breathing. Feel the energy outside of you and inside of you as the same one energy. The whole body breathing naturally, your individual energy merging with universal energy. Let the one energy pervade your body,your mind. Feeling this energy, see you are not serperate from it. Lose all boundaries, all ideas of being a seperae energy or individual.Seeing your natural breathe, see how you are energetically connected to the whole through breathe. Seeing this lose your idea of seperation. Let all negative or positive thoughts, emotions etc melt in the energy of the whole.
Steps;
1.10-15 min of constant vigourous breathing using the whole body
2.Then become aware of your natural breathe
3.see energy within the body and outside as one
4.relax with yourself letting all thoughts and emotions dissolve into this one energy of awareness.
5.Just be

Seeing life as a movie - Meditation technique

Let the attention be at a place where you are seeing some past happening and even your form, having lost its present characteristics, is transformed.
This technique helps us go beyond our unconcious identifications with our actions in the past, thoughts about them in the present and ultimately transforms us to see beyond our limited self.
Past happening of when you was a child, growing up, adulthood can be seen like a film happening in the backaground of the mind. Be a witness to the past and its identifications with emotions of joy, happiness, sadness, anger etc. within you. Let the past happening play like a film within you, releasing all past feelings and identifications with your past projected self.
Let all thoughts and emotions be witnessed without being identified with them. If you become identified with thoughts and emotions once you become aware return to just watching them like a film! Dont judge your thought or emotions, situations, people or circumstances. Just witness everything objectively, like a story. Spending time to see our past experiences and future expectations objectively we cleanse all identifications with past actions and emotions and allow the space for us to come to realize ourselves in this present moment.
See the you who has no personal story! Laugh at the drama of so called life, what a engaging, dramatized and illusory story the mind creates! Now living fully in the moment,float in the river of life!
Tips; many times in this techniique you may get caught in your personal story and lose the ability to witness your thoughts and emotions objectively. Whenever you become aware of this return to just witnessing. A good meditation technique to improve concentration and the ability to witnessing includes vipassana meditation, awareness techniques which i will be posting shortly.

Moving from Superficiality to Spirituality - the Journey back home

In the depths of the mind we always feel a lacking and a sense of belonging to something permanantely. This sense of lacking and looking for fulfilment to be whole happens to the whole human race. In terms of society, we look for fulfilment in relationships, money, power, position, security, and possessions. The spiritual seeker is also looking for fulfilment in religious dogmas, meditation, yoga and the 101 other things they believe in to become whole. However, this fulfilment, sense of permanent wholeness is never found. We always seek for the other or something to fulfil us and make us whole, even clinging to spirtual practices in belief we will be whole.

The absurdity of this situatuion is that an seperate entity, "I" as the mind and body is trying to achieve wholeness. The only way to come to a state of peace and realization is to see that the very "I" as a sepearte individual is the obstacle as you are already whole. Realizing you are the goal of your so called fulfillment and search we can finally relax and be at peace as our self.Therefore the only thing needed is to be able to see our thoughts of desires, emotions without aversion or clinging and allow them to arise and disappear in there own manner. This very seeing creates a space where we can realize our true nature.
We become aware, we are the very awareness itself, the very conciousness itself. We are like the sky which can contain clouds but is beyond clouds and is not limited or disturbed by them.As such thoughts and emotions arise in us, but we are aware of this and also infinently beyond.The Sky can be full of clouds or can be clear, but it still remains the sky. Likewise we can be full of thoughts or can be empty of thoughts, either, or,knowing the true nature of ourselves, we remain as the self,

These truths if understood with the mind can confuse us and lead us to trying to justify them using logic and creating more thoughts. In the hearts of a mature seeker they will ring a bell in their hearts of a long forgotten rememberance. For such a seeker, reading and listening about our true nature slowly opens us up to experiencing this reality. For such a seeker trust and devotion in words which indicate truth or someone who has experienced themselves can guide the way. However, the journey can only be walked by the individual as it is he himself who has to become aware of himself.

For the person who reads about our true nature and becomes confused, the desire to know oneself over other material and psychological desires has to take priority. This can happen by introspecting and contemplating if the desires you have fulfilled and are still seeking to fulfill have ever given you the lasting happiness we all conciously or unconciously are looking for. Looking at our successes, we feel it was lacking and temporary in nature. Looking at our failures, we see regret and guilt has never helped us move beyond. The spiritual seeker now searches for a higher understanding beyond the duality of life by becoming open and receptive. To be joyful beyond reason, logic, motive, circumstances is the bath in which a seeker longs to remain in. For such a seeker yoga and meditation techniques can provide us a space where we can really investigate who we are. We become more aware of our body processes, thoughts and emotions. We become aware of our inner spaciousness and ability to witness things without mentally labelling and associating it with the past.

AS our witnessing capabilities grow we can see thoughts and emotions likes waves in a ocean. Arising and disappearing spontaneously and naturally but being the witness we are never stirred. Waves of thoughts and emotions can arise and dissipate but what we are remains. Realizing what we are is which always remains, creates us to remember the presence we are in this very moment. Now we think we exsist as a seperate entity, when looked into we disappear into presence, just presence residing in everything as everything.