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!

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.!

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.

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.