"The real study, in religion, is first-hand experience of God.”

"We have said that the orthodox Hindu regards the Vedas as his highest written authority. Any subsequent scripture, if he is to regard it as valid, must be in agreement with them: it may expand them, it may develop them, and still be recognized, but it must not contradict them. They are to him, as nearly as any human document can be, the expression of divine truth. At the same time it would be a mistake to suppose that his allegiance to their authority is, in the final analysis, blind and automatic. If he considers them the word of God, it is because he believes their truth to be verifiable, immediately, at any moment, in his own personal experience. If he found on due examination that it was not so verifiable, he would reject it. If he found that any part of it was not so verifiable, he would reject that. In short, he conceives that his faith in the Vedas is as well founded, and on grounds exactly as critical, as in the natural scientist's belief in any physical law. And in this position these very scriptures themselves, he will tell you, uphold him. The real study, they say, is—not study of themselves—but study of that `by which we realize the unchangeable'. In other words, the real study, in religion, is first-hand experience of God."

"For the study of the Vedas, according to long tradition, and even according to the Vedas themselves, one must have—as Yajnavalkya had—a master, or guru: `Approach a teacher', says the Mundaka,1 `with humility and with a desire to serve.' Elsewhere we read: `To many it is not given to hear of the Self. Many, though they hear of it, do not understand it. Wonderful is he who speaks of it; intelligent is he who learns of it. Blessed is he who, taught by a good teacher, is able to understand it.' 2

The function of the `good teacher', as Hinduism conceives it, is twofold. He of course explains the scriptures, the spirit as well as the letter; but, what is more important still, he teaches by his life—by his little daily acts, by his most casual words, sometimes even by his silence. Only to be near him, only to serve and obey him in humility and reverence, is to become quickened in spirit; and the purpose of the study of the Vedas is not merely or primarily to inform the intellect, but to purify and enrich the soul:

Pleasant indeed are the study and teaching of the Vedas!
He who engages in these things attains to concentration of mind,
And is no longer a slave to his passions;
Devout, self-controlled, cultivated in spirit,
He rises to fame and is a blessing to mankind.3

We have said that the orthodox Hindu regards the Vedas as his highest written authority. Any subsequent scripture, if he is to regard it as valid, must be in agreement with them: it may expand them, it may develop them, and still be recognized, but it must not contradict them. They are to him, as nearly as any human document can be, the expression of divine truth. At the same time it would be a mistake to suppose that his allegiance to their authority is, in the final analysis, blind and automatic. If he considers them the word of God, it is because he believes their truth to be verifiable, immediately, at any moment, in his own personal experience. If he found on due examination that it was not so verifiable, he would reject it. If he found that any part of it was not so verifiable, he would reject that. In short, he conceives that his faith in the Vedas is as well founded, and on grounds exactly as critical, as in the natural scientist's belief in any physical law. And in this position these very scriptures themselves, he will tell you, uphold him. The real study, they say, is—not study of themselves—but study of that `by which we realize the unchangeable'. In other words, the real study, in religion, is first-hand experience of God."

The Spiritual Heritage Of India: A Clear Summary of Indian Philosophy and Religion, pp. 29-30,
Swami Prabhavananda, Vedanta Press (June 1979)

1. I. ii. 12.
2. Katha, I. ii. 7.
3. Satapatha Brahmana, Madhyandini sakha, XI. V. 7, Swadhyaya prasamsa, I.

> We are all united by the Great Mother within us, the Devi who is our
> Inner Guru. It does not matter how She communicates and guides
> us, whether directly or indirectly. The Devi will gather ever more real
> yogis over time. We have all the evidence to gather them so that
> they will one day help and support our Mother in this great battle.
> Let us witness the beginning of a collective of real yogis who will
> slowly but surely fulfill Her Vision and Message to humanity!
> Please be patient for this collective of conscientious and
> concerned yogis to grow and gather strength over the years. May
> the falsehood and nonsense that has taken over SY be a constant
> reminder of what is at stake, and that we are the only ones left to
> protect and propagate Her Vision and Message. So "Keep in touch
> with the real Yogis" here.
>
> Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:35 pm

Dear All,

SYs keep talking about Self-realization as if they are experts. After spending years in the collective i realized the poverty of Sahaja Yoga Self-realization. Even today i am still conditioned by my days in SY collectives though i have come a long way. But somehow i still unconsciously remember/retain the residue of the shallow knowledge of Self-realization that most decades-old SYs regard as 'sacred', a collective mindset that is incurably permanent since few have had the opportunity to escape the self-deception of ignorance. Thus i regard myself fortunate in that sense.

The other day i had a deep introspection that kept me awake through the night into dawn. For hours i did not sleep as i entered deeper within myself and tried to identify/confirm/reinforce that the Shakti within me is indeed the essence of Aham Brahmasi (i am Her/Brahman). i felt that i was drifting further towards the Other Shore, away from the shallow bank that many SYs are rejoicing.

i have been doing such introspection quite regularly now (but that one just mentioned was on a really deep level). Thus it is necessary to live daily in two modes, the external mode to deal with humanity and the internal mode that is the true sanctuary and solace.

This fleeting experience of Aham Brahmasi can neither be shared nor explained, only experienced in solitary silence.

However, i am compelled to give others a bearing of my position lest i drift too far alone. i hope SYs will learn much from the little they have had in knowledge so far. i sincerely desire they break free from the conditionings of their collective and dip their toes into the Ocean of Consciousness. That will give me much joy as i know others will benefit from realizing and identifying themselves with the Shakti within, a subject that is not in the official manual.

So to prove my point i am quoting those who know much more about Self-realization than the majority of SYs. i never heard SYs writing about such facts despite years in collectives. i know they equate knowledge of the subtle system as the sign of a self-realized soul. i am saying such a belief/conditioning is the source of ignorance and shallowness in our collectives. It is indeed sad to see so many SYs rejoicing on the banks, oblivious of the Ocean of Aham Brahmasi.

jagbir

Is Enlightenment Personal?
The Self as Satyam-Shivam-Sundram (Truth, Consciousness, Beauty)

The spiritual path is difficult from one perspective because the Self, the ultimate Reality that we are, is not clear to us as individuals. Some people say that Enlightenment is not personal. That is just a fashion statement. Enlightenment is as personal as it gets. The Self is both personal and impersonal. It is personal because it is you. How can it be any more personal? It is impersonal because its existence (your ultimate nature) is not dependent on time and space bound relationships.

As a mind/body, we are subject to the whims of nature and circumstances (karma). This clouds our understanding. So the teacher or a friend whom we trust is needed to tell us that our nature is not that of the body. Suffering is natural to the body because it is subject to physical forces. When the sages use the word body, they include the mind. The mental body is also a body but more subtle, made up of more subtle matter, but still matter.

So the Body is one thing and the Atman is another.

Bhagavan Krishna, in fact, points this out to Arjuna in the Hindu scripture, The Bhagavad-Gita.

The Atma is neither born nor does it die at any time, nor having been it will cease to exist again. It is unborn, eternal, permanent, and primeval. The Atma is not destroyed when the body is destroyed. (2.20)

Just as a person puts on new garments after discarding the old ones, similarly Atma acquires new bodies after casting away the old bodies. (2.22)

Weapons do not cut this Atma, fire does not burn it, water does not make it wet, and the wind does not make it dry. (2.23).

If we understand this dualism, we will not have to understand nondualism. Nondualism is not an understanding but our essential nature. The nature of Atman is nondual because Atman is Being- Awareness resting in its own nature. We cannot conclude this logically but only by Being That. That Knowing transcends logic.

If you know the Self, what does it mean? You cannot know the Self as an object. You are the Self. Therefore, it is always the Self knowing It Self. The mind cannot fully grasp this unless it has become transparent and fully saturated in the Self, where it knows that it is only the Self knowing itself through it. Patanjali says the same thing about the nature of the Self. Ultimately, the Seer rests in his own nature. That is the highest Samadhi. Self is Samadhi. Self is Nirvikalpa, beyond imagination and thought. Self is Sahaj or natural and always visible to itself as pure being despite imagination and thought.

In Hinduism, the Reality is often referred to as Satyam-Shivam- Sundram. Truth-Consciousness-Beauty. That which is of the nature of the ultimate truth, pure consciousness, and the essence of beauty is the Self. One's own Self. It is of such overwhelming beauty because the devotee who worships the God or the Self with all love and might and with desperation suddenly realizes that the devotee and God are in essence identical. The seeker had been looking for something that constituted the core of his/her very own Being. Imagine the shock! First the shock, and then the smile. Of course, how could it be anything else? The Lord always sits in our Heart as our own Heart.

This Realization is one of supreme beauty. The one that you had been longing for has been here all along as your own Self. Self is empty of all concepts. Its nature is that of completion that is devoid of all longing. Its nature is that of utter fullness that has nowhere to flow out to, being One without a second. The ancients called it Sat-Chit-Ananda. It has no basis for comparison and no reference point. We can say that it is the essence of beauty and bliss.

Love to all

Harsha

http://harshasatsangh.net/blog/index.html

NOTE: If this page was accessed during a web search you may wish to browse the sites listed below where this topic or related issues are discussed in detail to promote global peace, religious harmony, and spiritual development of humanity:

www.adishakti.org/
www.al-qiyamah.org/
www.adi-shakti.org/  — Divine Feminine (Hinduism)
www.holyspirit-shekinah.org/  — Divine Feminine (Christianity)
www.ruach-elohim.org/  — Divine Feminine (Judaism)
www.ruh-allah.org/  — Divine Feminine (Islam)
www.tao-mother.org/  — Divine Feminine (Taoism)
www.prajnaaparamita.org/  — Divine Feminine (Buddhism)
www.aykaa-mayee.org/  — Divine Feminine (Sikhism)
www.great-spirit-mother.org/  — Divine Feminine (Native Traditions)

"Now, the principle of Mother is in every, every scripture - has to be there." Shri Mataji, Radio Interview 1983 Oct 01, Santa Cruz, USA