How to Find Peace From Within

  Is it really possible to find peace within yourself, not for just fleeting moments, but real lasting peace? Actually, yes it is. Inner peace is a series of choices and habits that can be recognized, developed and put to use whenever you need.  Imagine yourself able to let go and completely relax at will. 

Positive Thinking

 Did you know optimists are far better at recognizing new opportunities and staying motivated to reach their goals? They often excel in life, not because they have super-human skills or strengths, but because they have a strong faith in themselves that fuels their drive and determination.  This allows the universal laws to work through them and with them, to manifest their goals and dreams. Positive thinking is the primary component of inner peace. When you feel good about yourself and your ability to handle situations in life, inner peace and calm is the natural result.

 Fortunately, optimism is more than just an inherent personality trait, and positive thought can be developed and used by anyone. In order to restructure our thought patterns however, we first must become aware of them.  

Techniques for Developing Lasting Peace

 Meditation is a great way to discover and change our thought patterns.  In a meditative state, you naturally enter a place of inner calm and serenity.  As you relax and distance yourself, you can view your thoughts as an observer. You’ll see patterns emerge and from there; you can work to restructure how you think. 

 Meditation teaches you how to be fully present and aware, a key to inner peace. When you are here now, fully and completely within the present moment, you are free. Think about it.  How much time do you spend each day worrying about what might happen or what has already passed? Living in the past can lead to feelings of regret and living in the future creates anxiety and uncertainty. Peace happens in the now; that place of full and present awareness that meditation provides.

 With regular practice, even just a few minutes per day, you will come to a place where you can enter a meditative “here an now” state at will. Imagine being able to just turn off stress at any time. Wouldn’t that be great?

 Self-hypnosis is another tool that brings you to a fully relaxed state. As a bonus, suggestions can also help reprogram your subconscious beliefs, turning negatives into positives. Affirmations and visualizations can then help reaffirm these new empowered beliefs.

 What we believe shapes who we become and the actions we take. Developing a new, empowered set of beliefs, leads to inspired actions that boost self-confidence and provide a greater overall sense of peace and contentment.

 As you experiment with different techniques, keep a journal. It’s a great outlet for your thoughts and emotions. In time, you can look back and see at a glance how much you’ve grown.

 Finally, peace – like happiness, is a choice we can make moment to moment. In times of struggle, we can condition ourselves to seek the silent center; the eye of the storm where all chaos falls away and we are better able to access our inner wisdom and higher guidance, regardless of what surrounds us in the outer world. 

Churning of the Ocean

Once Saraswati goddess of knowledge was pleased  with the dance of Urvashi and gave her a garland that represents wisdom. Urvashi thought that wisdom or gnana is worth sharing with others. It should be shared with others especially to some one who is great and selfless and only then can he pass it on to others. She then gave to the great sage Durvaasa who is known for his anger, but he has used his anger to initiate good actions.    

   Durvasa thought that the great gift of wisdom from Saraswati should be given to some one who is only busy in seeking pleasures of the senses.  What is the use of external pleasures if he is ignorant of the bliss he has within himself. So he gave it to Indra, which is from the root word Indriya meaning senses.

   Indra who represents the one who is always dwelling in the world of sensual  pleasures (Swarga) considered the the garland of wisdom as worthless.   He said he was used to wearing costly and precious jewels, gold and gems. It is a prestige issue. What will the other Gods think of us if we wear this garland of flowers? So he dropped the garland and stamped under his feet.

   The enraged sage (Durvasa is the manifestation of Shiva the Awareness) cursed Indra that having ignored intellect, may he and his companions lose the power of health, beauty, wealth, courage, knowledge and so  become mortal  and die.

   Durvasa did not take back his curse  though Indra pleased for forgiveness and so Indra sought the help of Brahma and saraswati.

   Indra was advised by Brahma and saraswati to churn the ocean ksheer sagar. Saraswati told  Indra that to enjoy a heavenly life, one should have back up of Wisdom. Without it Indra may still be in heaven but all the happiness will only be for a short time. Having made a mistake, to get back happiness permanently in heaven, churn the ocean called Ksheer Sagar. To do this, Saraswati asked Indra to take the help of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva to provide the snake Vasuki and the Man-dhara mountain to churn the ocean. Equally important is to get the help of the demons , the Asuras  in this churning process to get Amrita and become Immortal. 

What does this symbolize?

     The ocean of milk is the ocean of the mind, which has the never ending waves of thoughts and emotions. Mandhara, the mountain represents concentration. The word Mandhara contains two words "man" (mind) and "dhara" (a single line) which means holding the mind in one pointed focus.  The snake Vasuki also called Ananta represents the eternal time, we take to undergo this process of evolution. 

  

The mind is not stable because it always wanders. This mind has to be pulled inwards like the tortoise which pulls its body into a tough shell. Only through discipline in life can we attain the state of the Tortoise. We should have control over the senses like the tortoise which holds the mountain.

    The Asuras represent negative energies like anger, jealousy and hatred. But this energy can be used for purifying the mind. So this churning action of the ocean of the mind means to get the mind in one pointed concentration, by unifying  the net positive and negative energy within a long time scale (to be patient in respect to time).

 
Deadly Poison:

    The first thing that came out of the churning was not a pleasant result. A  deadly poison  came  out of the snake, Vasuki. The halahal or poison represents the suffering and pain we undergo at the beginning of spiritual saadhana. Do not be afraid of this strong inner turmoil. The only solution to overcome the pain and suffering is to witness it, be aware of this. This awareness is Lord Shiva. So the Gods prayed to Lord Shiva.

    Shiva appeared with Paarvati  in Abhaya or Fearless Mudra . He drank the poison and poison, drinks it but does not swallow it so that it remains in his neck. This represents the state of a person whose throat chakra is activated. The throat chakra  is the region of thyroid hormone which controls metabolism of the body. Here it means  one who  he has  control over the physiological process like hunger, sleep etc.

     We have several times discussed in Sakthi foundation web site that initially it is better to be aware of the negative qualities rather than suppressing it. When we do any practice  we would notice that several negative tendencies come to over ride it. So mere being aware of it will absorb the negative tendencies and finally one will get control over it. This is what the act of Shiva represents.

    Once we have patience in our practices, and mastered our mind,  we will get the fruits of the action. Then from the ocean of the mind, will arise  Kaamadhenu (the wish fulfilling cow). This means the Spiritual Sadhak's pursuits become beneficial to other beings of the world like the milk giving kamdhenu cow.

    The Ucchaisrava (the white horse) represents his power of his mind to puruse actions for the good of his self and the world. The same holds good with Airavata (the white elephant), which represents the inner strength of the Sadhak.  

Kaustubhamani (a rare diamond), which means he attains peace at his heart. 

   The spiritual sadak realizes that even his petty desires and wishes come true, when he gains mastery over his mind, which is represented by Kalpavriksha (the wish fulfilling tree). 

   The chandra or moon represents the clarity of the sadhak's mind.  Finally comes Lakshmi, the goddess of all wealth, who represents the inner light or the light of Atma.    Lakshmi, marries  Vishnu, the one who has complete control over his mind and senses.  The marriage of Vishnu and Lakshmi is celebrated  as Deepavali on Earth symbolized with lights. The darkness in the hearts will be filled with the  light of Lakshmi.

   The lakshmi pooja done on the previous night after cleaning their homes also applies to their hearts  from all evil tendencies will get ashta-aishwarya of Lakshmi. Only  When Lakshmi enters as light into our hearts, there will be happiness and prosperity everywhere and we will also attain Amrit. We will see about the concept of Lakshmi in more in Navarthri section.

   Dhanvantari stands for health. The vessel containing the Amrit was brought before the gods and the demons by Dhanvantari, the Divine Physician. This signifies that immortality can be achieved only when the body and mind are in a perfect state of health. This is the reason why Sakthi Foundation emphasizes to take care of health as the basic foundation to complete the life's journey smoothly.  Spiritual success is not possible in the case of a person who is mentally or physically sick.

Deeper Significance of Amrit:

The moment the awareness of Shiva dawns on us we will be able to overcome all the pain and sufferings in life and like the Tortoise (Vishnu) if we have the detached attitude to pull our mind inwards, we will get all positive qualities in us. Finally we get Amrit due to this churning or purification process of our oceanic mind. Then we attain Self Realization or Amrita, which means no death (mrit means death and A-mrit is no-death). As long as we relate ourselves to the mortal body we undergo samsara or repeated death and birth cycle. When we realize that we are the Brahman, then we get liberated and attain immortality.

    Lord Vishnu in the form of Mohini stands for delusion of the mind in the form of pride. It is the pride of achievement to which the asuras or the demons succumbed and thus lost their right to enter the world of immortality.  Pride and egoism are the last hurdles one has to overcome in spiritual life before experiencing self-realization. The pride of doing spiritual sadhana will rob us from attaining Self realization or Amritam. Only by surrendering the Ego do the Maya aspect of Brahman , do we attain Self Realization or Amritam.  

Symbolism of Shiv Ling (or Shiva Linga) in Hinduism

16:24 - 3 years ago This video is taken from the Yug Pravah Video Magazine vol 95 (online) of All World Gayatri Pariwar (www.awgp.org). Sharad Pardhiji (the speaker) is a disciple of Yug Rishi Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya who had done 24 Mahapurashcharnas (24 Lakh Gayatri mantra per year for 24 years) before founding All World Gayatri Pariwar and has written over 2700 life-transforming books touching all facets of human life. He was also a big proponent of Scientific Spirituality and has given references to scientific research from all over the world in many of his writings. He pioneered the revival of spirituality and creative integration of the modern and ancient sciences and religion, relevant in the challenging circumstances of the present times.

సరదాగా రండి ! సంపూర్ణ ఆరోగ్యం పొందండి!

సరదాగా రండి ! సంపూర్ణ ఆరోగ్యం పొందండి! ************************************************** ధ్యానం

యోగా కాదు, దైవరూపాన్ని ఊహించడం కాదు! ధ్యానం అంటే ప్రార్ధన కాదు, స్తోత్రం కాదు, నామస్మరణ కాదు, మంత్ర జపం కాదు. ధ్యానం అంటే శ్వాసమీద ధ్యాస, బుద్ధ ప్రభోధిత ఆనాపానసతి. **************************************************************** ధ్యానం చేసే పధ్ధతి

ధ్యానం అంటే స్థిర సుఖాసనంలో కూర్చొని చేతులు రెండు కలిపి వేళ్ళలో వెళ్ళు పెట్టుకొని కళ్ళు రెండు మూసుకొని సహజంగా జరుగుతున్నా ఉచ్చ్వాస నిశ్వాసలను గమనించడమే. ఏ విధమైన మంత్రాన్ని ఉచ్చరించరాదు. ఏ దైవరూపాన్ని ఊహించరాదు. మధ్యమధ్యలో ఏవిధమైన ఆలోచనలు వస్తున్నా వాటిని యెప్పటికప్పుడు కట్ చేస్తూ మళ్ళీ శ్వాసమీద ధ్యాస నిలుపుతూ ఉంటే శ్వాస క్రమక్రమంగా చిన్నదవుతూ తనంతట తానే భ్రూమధ్యంలో స్థితమవుతుంది. చక్కటి ఆలోచనారహిత స్థితిలో విశ్వశక్తి ఆవాహనం జరిగి తద్వారా నాడీమండల శుద్ధి మఱియు ఎన్నో శారీరక ఆత్మానుభవాలు కలుగుతాయి.

ధ్యానం చేయడానికి ప్రత్యేక సమయ సందర్భాలు ఏమీలేవు. పిల్లలకు, పురుషులకు, స్త్రిలకు, వృద్ధులకు అందరికి ఒకే ధ్యాన పద్ధతి. ఎవరి వయస్సు ఎన్ని సంవత్సరాలో అన్ని నిమిషాల ధ్యానం ఒక సిట్టింగ్ లో అది మినిమమ్ - ఆపై మీ ఇష్టం !

******************************************************************* ధ్యానం వలన లాభాలు

శారీరక ఆరోగ్యం - మానసిక ప్రశాంతత - బుద్ధి సూక్ష్మత - ఏకాగ్రత - జ్ఞాపకశక్తి - ఆత్మవిశ్వాసం - పరస్పర అవగాహనా - నిత్య జాగరూకత - సూక్ష్మ శరీర యానం - దివ్య చక్చువు ఉత్తేజితం - ఆత్మజ్ఞానం

******************************************************************* ఫిరమిడ్ అద్భుత శక్తి

ప్రకృతి సహజంగా ఉండే విశ్వమయ ప్రాణశక్తి ఫిరమిడ్ ఆకారంలో ఎక్కువగా ఉంటుంది. ప్రత్యేక కొలతల వలన విశ్వమయ ప్రాణశక్తి ఫిరమిడ్ లోకి కేంద్రీకరింపబడి శక్తి వంతమైన జీవ శక్తిగా మారి, ధ్యానం చేసే విద్యార్ధులకు జ్ఞాపకశక్తి, ఏకాగ్రత, తెలివి, ప్రతిభ అభివృద్ధి చెందుతాయి. అలాగే వృత్తి, వ్యాపర రంగాలోన్ని వారు అద్భుతమైన ప్రగతి సాధిస్తారు.ఫిరమిడ్ లో కుర్చుని ధ్యానంలో నిమగ్నమైనప్పుడు అన్ని రకాల అనారోగ్యలా నుండి స్వస్థత పొందడానికి, మానసిక ప్రశాంతతకు ఉపయోగపడుతుంది. పిరమిడ్ శక్తి వలన శరీరంలోని 72 వేయి నాడులు శుద్ధి చేయబడి, పని చేసే సామర్ధ్యాన్ని పెంపొందిస్తుంది. ఇందువలన దీర్ఘాయుస్షు కూడా సాధ్యం.

***************************************************************************** నోటిలోని మౌనం - మనస్సులోని శూన్యం - అదేకదా ధ్యానం - శ్వాసే కదా మార్గం.. ధ్యానం సర్వరోగ నివారిణి * ధ్యానం సర్వభోగకారిణి * ధ్యానం సర్వజ్ఞాన ప్రసాదిని.. నీ వాస్తవానికీ నీవే సృష్టికర్తవు * మన ఆలోచనలే మన వాస్తవాలు * మన జీవితాలకు మనమే కర్తలం. ******************************************************************************

The vedic meaning of Gravity

Jai Shri Krishna

Very often we are instructed by scriptures, saints and family members that we must love God. They tell us that God should be the object of our love. However, we cannot force ourselves to love God,can we? Love for God must develop naturally within our hearts and it must be spontaneous. Let us look at scientific phenomena to help us understand this better.

Isaac Newton described the law of gravity in scientific terms, but gravity has been defined differently by our Rishis. The scriptures say that gravity is applied when a small object is attracted to a larger object from which it is derive d. As the small object is derived from the larger object, it has the same characteristics

the larger object, but on a smaller scale. Therefore,when a rock is thrown into the air, it returns to earth because it has emerged from, and is a part of, the earth. Similarly a flame always burns upwards, because it is derived from the sun and therefore has the same characteristics as the sun.

The larger object is known as the ‘anshi’ and the smaller object is called the ‘ansh’. The ocean is the anshi and the drops of water are the ansh. When it rains, the drops of water fall and finally flow into the ocean because of the attraction between the ansh and the anshi. This attraction=2 0between ansh and anshi is described in our scriptures as ¡bhakti¢.

Though we may not realize it, we are on a natural journey towards loving God. Many people spend their lives searching for truth, for knowledge, for happiness. These qualities of truth, knowledge and happiness are associated with God. In the scriptures God is described as ¡sat-chit-ananda¢ , truth-knowledge- happiness. We have a natural love for truth, knowledge and happiness, and therefore strive to achieve these. This is nothing but bhakti for God.

God is the anshi and the individual soul is the ansh. Our natural tendency is to return to God, where we came from. We always strive for the best things in life. This is because in essence, we are a part of the Supreme God and therefore it is in our nature to want the best.

When realized masters see people performing bad deeds, they understand that these people have forgotten their true nature. Hence, they do not get angry, but they bless these people with the hope that they will understand and realise their true nature.

May we also realise our true nature and become one with Him.