Ishavasya Upanishad: Mantra 4

a. The Āyur-Veda is related to medicine and health, and belongs to the Ṛg-veda.

..The realization of love is the experience that those longings for perfection were in fact a search for totality, for the whole...Because all is divine, because God is perfect, all is perfect, only when you love you feel that there is nothing to change, nothing to obtain, nothing to reach. Man exerts to make everything around him perfect, but love shows you the perfection that lies inside you... as your, because every being is potentially divine... and God is perfection."amṛto bhavati" - the devotee experiences immortality"... only when you realize love you caress immortality...Realizing love does not imply having reached anything, divine love rather means to rid oneself from a world of ideas, concepts and beliefs that we have created around the reality of ourselves. Because divine love is when the mind falls and disappears in the heart. To live a life from the head is to grow old, it is to die a little more every moment...Love is a state of absolute absence of the mind...This is why it is not utilitarian or exploitative, it is not afraid; the mind and everything that characterizes it shines in its absence...Living a life of divine love, in God, without ideas or concepts about nothing, is to live experiencing eternity every moment...You realize the moment as inseparable from eternity, as its manifestation, as an interaction between the two...Life in divine love is not to grow old but a constant flow of eternity, which gives great value to the present moment... the moment of divine love is not inside the history of the world, it is without time... it is uncountable...It is not that he who has not loved - dies, but that he had never lived...When you love, you live every moment in the present, and when you savor the moment without concepts, without ideas, without beliefs, without interpretations, you have realized immortality...To love is to live. You can say you truly live only in those moments in which you have loved. Life cannot die...He who loves has savored the nectar of immortality.

 

The human mind does not have the subtlety required to assimilate and digest the śāstras . It reads them from the illusory world of ideas, so that it only sees in them the reflection of its own ignorance and egoism. The intellect does not absorb the śāstras , but rather, projects upon them its own ideas, concepts, interpretations, and conclusions concerning them. Our irresistible tendency to remain in the security of the known does not allow us to risk the pursuit of the truth. Therefore, in order to study the holy scriptures, the expert direction of an enlightened guru is essential. Without the assistance and appropriate guidance of an authentic spiritual master, we will only misinterpret the scriptures.

अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद्देवा आप्नुवन्पूर्वमर्षत्‌ ।

अन्यथा पातित्यशङ्कया। १३anyathā pātityaśaṅkayā |Translation:Otherwise, the risk of fall and degradation exists.Commentary:In the Bhagavad-Gita (16:23) lord Krishna says:yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjyavartate kāma-kārataḥna sa siddhim avāpnotina sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatimHe, who neglects the sacred scriptures injunctions and acts according to his own desires, does not reach perfection, or happiness, or the supreme goal.The sacred scriptures are a divine and transcendental message, words of God, neglecting them is to neglect God... and if we neglect God, religion or spiritual life is out of the question...The previous verse says that the sacred scriptures should be protected, while this verse talks about the danger in neglecting them, meaning that, indirectly, there is certain reciprocation between man and scripture...Man protects the sacred scriptures, they protect the human being... man keeps dharma, and dharma protects humanity...Hinduism sometimes refers to the sacred scriptures as "Veda mata" or "mother Veda", as they contain within them the guidelines and basic teachings in the art of living, for humanity. The sacred Vedic scriptures guide humanity according to dharma; they are the very base and roots of dharma... if these are neglected, dharma will be forgotten, which will mean the degradation of humanity...Scriptures give great importance to the familiar and social order...Hinduism gives great importance to the family as the base of society, which divides it into four social orders (Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Sudras), and four orders of a spiritual character (Brahmachary, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, and Sannyas).If religion and the sacred scriptures are not protected, the danger exists that every fall, obviously not for the saint or the enlightened one, but for the church and its congregation, for the collective, the public, the familiar order, and eventually, for society and humanity at large...

1d. Karṇika: A very special type of initiation in which the master whispers the mantra into the ear of the disciple.2. Ajapā or “not pronounced”: Mantras that are not spoken aloud but are internally repeated. They can be subdivided in the following way:2a. Upāṁśu or "silent": Mantras that are internally visualized in the form of the word written in Sanskrit letters.This can be repeated with great attention but without any vocalization.2b. Manasa or "mental": Mantras that are repeated only at the mental level.dhiyā yad akṣara-śreṇyāvarṇād varṇaṁ padāt padamśabdārtha-cintanaṁ dhyānaṁtad uktaṁ mānasaṁ japaḥ ||82|| "The repeated and intense practice of a deep contemplation and meditation on the meaning of each and every one of the syllables of the mantra in one’s own heart as one progresses slowly from one syllable or part of the mantra to the next, while mentally reciting it, is called manasa-japa.”There are those who prefer the mental repetition of the mantra; others prefer semiverbal japa and still others are inclined towards clear verbal repetition.Although we respect all the opinions of all the different masters and authorized ācāryas it is advised within our paramparā to practice verbal japa, at least during the first years, in the light of this verse of Naradīya-purāṇa said by Prahlāda Mahārāja, and cited by Haridas Thakur in the Caitanya-bhāgavata Ādi Khaṇḍa (16, 283):japato hari-nāmānisthāne śata-guṇādhikaḥātmānaṁ ca punāty uccairjapan śrotṛn punāti ca"He who chants the holy names of the Lord aloud is one hundred times more elevated than one who chants it silently because those who chant silently purify only themselves, while those who chant aloud purify both themselves as well as those who listen".3. Likhita-japa is the written repetition of the mantra. The writing of the mantra purifies the mind and focuses it with great ease, sharpening considerably the capacity for concentration. The spiritual consequences of likhita-japa are extremely beneficial. Although likhita-japa does not replace japa with a mālā, it can be practiced in addition. One should keep aside a notebook and a special pen solely for this practice, and before beginning the session, one should have a bath and put on clean clothes.

His Holiness Śrī Śrīmat Kapīndra Swami

It is important to clarify the differences between hatÌ£ha-yoga and other methods of exercise. One of the most notable attributes of haá¹­ha-yoga is that it brings the mind as well as the body into the practice, simultaneously integrating and influencing both the physical and mental aspects. Unless one directly experiences the āsanas, it is difficult to understand that each posture gives more than just the physical benefit alone; it also has an internal aspect that stimulates concentration, relaxation and observation.To continue, we may distinguish a few of the many characteristics that set hatÌ£ha-yoga apart from other, more conventional, methods of exercise.In the practice of hatÌ£ha-yoga:1.        Haá¹­ha-yoga pays special attention to all the stages of breathing, including retention.2.        Movements are performed slowly and the body becomes completely still once the posture or āsana is attained, with the exception of cyclic movements, such as sÅ«rya-namaskāra, the Sun Salutation. Postures are released gradually, and there is an avoidance of abrupt movements.3.        Relaxation is emphasized and given the utmost importance. Śavāsana, or the corpse pose, is carried out before and after each posture.4.        Concentration notably develops and continues to improve along with progress in the practice.5.        Awareness is developed through observation and attention to the muscles and limbs that can be relaxed during the āsana and by being attentive to all sensations before, during, and after the practice of a posture.6.        Efforts should not be exaggerated; the yogi knows that progress only lies in persistence.The Sun SalutationBefore starting any session of āsanas, one should warm-up the body and the muscles. For this purpose, various sequences of postures, called viṅyāsas, are used. One of the most classic and well-known series is sÅ«rya-namaskāra, or the “Sun Salutation”. This is a series of āsanas that alternates between backward and forward bends, performed in a continuous and dynamic way. Every movement is synchronized with the breathing. Not only is the most recommended method of warm-up exercise, but it constitutes a yogic practice in itself.

तद्धावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठत्तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ॥ ४॥

irājantīm abhivyaktāṁ vraja-vāsī janādiṣurāgātmikām anusṛtā yā sā rāgānugocyatethe type of devotion that is found in the habitants of Vraja is called ragatmika bhakti, devotion which is in the same tone as this is called raganuga bhakti.Meaning that the activities that the bhakta manifests in this last type of bhakti does not depend on the scriptures, unlinke vaidhi. However, it is very important to understand that even though that for the enlightened the scriptures do not have the same finality that they have for the student, the saint does not cast them away but he protects them, through his behavior.Meaning that the life of the enlightened becomes the most clear exposition of the holy scriptures.The completely enlightened saint, or jivan mukta, liberated in life, does not abandon the scriptures, rules, regulations and austerities that are recommended in the vedic scriptures.Bhagavad-gita (18:5)yajïa-dāna-tapaḥ-karmana tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tatyajïo dānaṁ tapaś caivapāvanāni manéñiṇāmHe should protect the sacred scriptures - the sacred scriptures should be protected.From whom? From what?First of all, from all those "religious"...The religious people in the world have been the only ones that used holy scriptures in order to control and exploit the masses... the religious united with the politicians, created "holy" wars, crusades and terrorism in the name of God... for the world the "religious" and what I call "the man of religion" seemed the same, for me they are completely different...The first is he who transforms religion into religiosity, he uses it egoistically for his own benefit, in order to satisfy the anxieties for power and his thirst for control...The second is called "the man of religion" because he, his heart belongs to religion... the phenomenon called religion happens in his heart.....The first is dedicated to religiosity, the latter - to religion.

The thing is that the human being lives with the anxiety that he needs something to be completed. This something that he looks for in careers, competitions, contests, Olympics, and lotteries, whether running after a title like the most beautiful in the universe, or a running after a stupid ball in order to win some cup or at least a medal. Why? We feel that we are lacking something... we feel that we are missing something... our sensation of shortage and imperfection comes from ignorance, our ignorance about ourselves and what we really are.

bhavatu niścayadārDhyādūrdhvaṁ śāstrarakśaṇam |Traducción:Toda persona, incluso después de haberse establecido firmemente en lo trascendental, debe proteger las Sagradas Escrituras.Comentario:Cuando nos referimos a determinadas escrituras como sagradas o reveladas dentro del contexto de la religión sanatana-dharma, nos estamos refiriendo a los Vedas, Rig, Yajur, Sama y Atharva, o los cuatro textos sánscritos que constituyen la base de las sagradas escrituras.Su autor es Vyasa, quien es considerado una encarnación literaria divina de Vishnu, quien escribió toda la literatura védica, es decir: los Upanishads, los Puranas etc. ...Los Vedas incluyen:En el Bhagavad-gita (2.42), el Señor Kṛṣṇa dice:yām imāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācaṁpravadanty avipaścitaḥveda-vāda-ratāḥ pārthanānyad astīti vādinaḥkāmātmānaḥ svarga-parājanma-karma-phala-pradāmkriyā-viśeṣa-bahulāṁbhogaiśvarya-gatiṁ prati"Las personas ignorantes se apegan excesivamente a las floridas palabras de los Vedas, que recomiendan diversas actividades fruitivas con el objeto de alcanzar la elevación a los planetas celestiales, la consiguiente buena cuna, poder, etc. Como ellos están ansiosos por disfrutar de los sentidos y de tener una vida opulenta, dicen que eso es todo lo que hay."En aquel texto del Gita se nos recomienda específicamente no convertirnos en unos eternos esclavos fanáticos del libro...Sin embargo, muchos exageran al creer que Kṛṣṇa nos insta a tirar las Sagradas Escrituras, a abandonar por completo los libros sagrados, a deshacernos de ellos. En este verso, Narada nos da la guía apropiada al respecto...La vida religiosa y espiritual, la mística, consiste en un terreno oculto para quien vive en la ignorancia...Quien ignora es como alguien que no ve...Las Sagradas Escrituras consisten en mapas para ciegos...Al igual que mapas, la utilidad de los libros sagrados es para quienes no saben o no conocen el sendero...Son valiosa ayuda en el sendero del alma y no deben ser desestimadas...Para el iluminado, para quien se ha realizado, las escrituras no serán de la misma utilidad.

Aṣṭāṅga-yogaAṣṭāṅga-yoga is another name for this ancient wisdom. In the second pada, or chapter, of the Yoga-sūtras of Patañjali, it is explained that the process of rāja-yoga is subdivided into “eight limbs” or aṣṭāṅga. This discourse of the sage Patañjali, along with its six principal commentaries listed below, is the most respected and authoritative work on yoga:The eight steps lead the seeker through a process of preparation and evolutionary development that will create the ideal situation for enlightenment to take place. The eight steps are: yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi.Yamas and niyamasLike other religions, Hinduism requires its adherents to keep certain observances and established norms of conduct, which are called in yoga, yamas and niyamas. These are not rules intended for a certain group of people in a particular time or place, but universal norms applicable to every person, place and time.Rules and regulations are of central importance, since they form the foundation which supports the structure of our spiritual life. This path of realization is an internalization that leads us to the depths of our interior world. By rooting ourselves in the tenets of yama and niyama, we are purifying, sweeping and cleaning our interior, since nobody would feel inclined to enter into a dirty or impure place.It must be noted that these sacred vows help us cultivate befitting attributes to create the foundation or the appropriate situation for the Transcendental to manifest within us. This preparation consists in the adoption of a system of moral and ethical principles that governs all aspects of life for those who take refuge in the sanātana-dharma. The yamas have a more prohibitive character, and provide us with moral and ethical foundations, while the character of the niyamas is more practical and constructive and its purpose is to create physical and mental foundations.Patañjali mentions yamas and niyamas explicitly in his Yoga-sūtras (2.

 

There are many who prefer to limit themselves to hearing or speaking about the experiences of saints or sages, without really aspiring to these experiences themselves. This search for convenience is just another of the great tragedies of humanity. One’s life and oneself cannot be obtained secondhand, or learned about from a stranger. Each of us is solely capable of directly unveiling the mystery of our own life, a mystery that can be revealed only in utmost intimacy.

Chapter 13Guru-yogaAlthough the great majority of us have only had the help of books, lectures, workshops and courses as we take our first steps on the path of religion and spiritual life, sooner or later we will reach that level of development in which we awaken to our need for a guide, for someone more advanced than we are, to show us the way: someone who knows the ways of the heart, its shortcuts, and its obstacles. In Hinduism, we call this guide the guru or spiritual master, the one who symbolizes for his disciple the highest ideals of this noble religion. If we take into consideration the fact that the Sanātana-dharma religion does not have an administrative center or a doctrinal authority such as the “Holy See” of the Vatican or the “Rabbinate” of Israel, that exercises control over all the organizations and missions that serve its community of believers, we understand the great significance of the role of the guru in Hinduism. Within Hinduism, the sacred guru-śiṣya or guru – disciple relationship actually fulfills the function of preserving the religious principles. The word guru is a Sanskrit term, and thus this concept belongs completely to the Vedic tradition and the Sanātana-dharma religion. I don’t believe that it would be honest to use the term guru to indicate a person who teaches a philosophy or a point of view completely foreign to Hinduism.In the Kaṭhopaniṣad (1. 3. 14) it says:uttiṣṭhata jāgrataprāpya varān nibodhatakṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayādurgaṁ pathas-tat kavayo vadanti"Rise, awaken, having found the great enlightened masters, one attains understanding. The sages have said that the path is sharp as the blade of a knife, difficult to traverse and hard to travel. "In the Mahābhārata (Śānti-parva 3.26.22), we find the famous phrase "The transcendental wisdom flows through the guru”. However, this concept is not limited to the sacred Vedic scriptures or to Hinduism. Practically every classic religion or orthodox spiritual path suggests, proposes and goes so far as to advocate that we accept the guidance of a credible and authorized spiritual master who belongs to a paramparā, or a line of disciplic succession, as an essential requisite for all who seriously aspire to spiritual evolution.

Hinduism is a fusion of religion with philosophy. It is hard to demarcate where one ends and the other begins. Religion without philosophy can decline to cheap religiosity or blind faith, and philosophy bereft of religion can fall into simple meaningless mental speculation...The message of the Upaniṣad continues to be that of transcending the internal fracture that we project, accepting life just as it is, in both its manifest and unmanifest aspects, and going beyond both the body and the soul as a whole...Reality is one; however, the mind divides...Manifest Brahman is nature, our physical body and all that we can experience through our senses. Manifest reality is the objective plane, while the unmanifest refers to the subject that lies behind the phenomenal world. Manifest and unmanifest refer to our own mental and sensory experience of the reality, rather than to the reality itself, they refer rather to a way of perceiving or grasping than to the perceived and grasped. Sambhūti is the world experienced through the relative mind and senses where everything is seen as parts, fragments and pieces, as separate entities and objects, a broken reality. Asambhūti refers to what has not been born, or has not been expressed in the world of the names and forms. It is important to understand that the Upaniṣad tries to lead us to an appreciation of both of them or of the Totality, in which there is no real difference between the two. In fact, manifest and unmanifest are nothing but an illusion, the duality created by the ego. The disappearance of the ego is fusion or yoga... What we perceive as nature, with its changing forms and diverse states, is the one and only eternal, changeless Self.Sambhūti and asambhūti do not correspond to two different physical states but to different experiences of the soul... reality is the Whole...The unmanifest consciousness realizes itself in self-manifestation... the unmanifest manifests itself, but not in order to return to the same unmanifest. Rather, it is a return which is a conscious transcendence; to hide and lose itself while expressing and discovering itself.

anejad ekam manaso javiyonainad deva apnuvan purvam arshattad dhavato 'nyan atyeti tishthattasminn apo matarishva dadhati

लोकवेदेषु तदनुकूलाचरणं तद्विरोधिषूदासीनता। ११lokavedeṣu tadanukūlācaraṇaṁ tadvirodhiṣūdāsīnatā |Translation:Performing secular and sacred activities, one only performs those which are favorable, and maintains oneself indifferent toward the negative actions.Commentary:During my life I knew many religious people who never know a religion... and also many people who know religion living and acting cruelly and anti-religiously.That led me not to accept religions but to love religion, I noticed that those who had realized in their lives the ideals of religion do not seem very religious...Favorable is everything that in one way or another contributes to create the appropriate situation for the blossoming of love, which gets us near to our true nature or God... negative or unfavorable is exactly the contrary, everything that takes us far away from the pure consciousness and of divine love. In other words, the good and the bad are directly related to what helps or hinders the development of our Bhakti... Rupa Goswami, the great bhakti-yogi of the Guadiya lineage of Sri caitanya, mentions in the second verse of his book Upadesamrita, the nectar of instruction, the principal obstacles that hinders the proper development of bhakti in the heart of the bhakti, meaning, the activities that are considered unfavorable.atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś caprajalpo niyamāgrahaḥjana-saìgaś ca laulyaṁ cañaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyatiBhakti can be destroyed especially by the following six faults: 1) eating more than is necessary, or accumulating more funds than is required; 2) striving too much for mundane things that are not obtained easily; 3) talking about mundane subjects without necessity; 4) following the rules and regulations of the scriptures only for continuing them as matter of tradition and not in order to develop spiritually, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and work in an independent or whimsical way; 5) associating with people with mundane inclinations that are not interested in development or evolution; 6) aspiring mundane achievements.

 

As long as opposites exist, there will be conflicts and we will continue to flee from one extreme only to rush headlong to the other, striving to obtain what we like and to reject what we don’t like.

Hearing this, some may wrongly assume that the practice of karma-yoga lessens our enthusiasm and causes indifference toward our daily tasks. However, observing does not mean adopting a tamasic attitude towards life. In reality, exactly the opposite happens. Although we are liberated from a feeling of obligation, which is always related to others, there arises within us a deep sense of responsibility, which is always directed within, towards ourselves. Never forget that duty relates to the other, while responsibility relates to oneself. Working with the feeling that God is the authentic authority, we develop a deep, mature, and internal work ethic. Only then are we able to act free of egoism, without the expectations that blind us, hinder our spiritual development, and make us think more about our personal benefit and interest than the work itself. Through the art of action, we easily transcend the great obstacle of attractions and aversions on the spiritual path.We may read countless books on spirituality and enroll in innumerable courses, workshops, and seminars. We may study different techniques and methods of concentration. We may have visited all the sages, spiritual masters and enlightened beings of our times, and even know them personally. However, none of this can give us a better understanding of such subjects as the spirit, meditation, enlightenment, and God. No matter how intelligent and educated we may be, unless we have reached a certain level of purity, the subtle spiritual truths, the wisdom of the soul, will remain beyond our grasp. Indeed one of the major consequences of a life lived according to karma-yoga is this internal purification which is essential for the attainment of spiritual knowledge. We can clearly comprehend only what we deserve, and it is through karma-yoga that we become worthy of the treasures that viśva-dharma offers us. We are accustomed to knowing something if we are able to memorize it, explain it and describe it. However, in religion it is very different. In religious and spiritual life, we only know what we are able to live by. That is exactly the meaning of karma-yoga in our lives, to prepare us for the moment that the revelation of the Truth will arrive, so that we will not merely explain and describe it, but be capable of living in accordance with it.

Translation:

Kuṇḍalinī-yoga considers the cleanliness and purification of the sādhaka in all his different aspects to be essential. Therefore, the sādhana of this yogic path includes kāya-śuddhi or "the cleaning of the physical body”, nāḍī-śuddhior "the purification of the nāḍīs" and citta-śuddhi or"mental purification”.Kāya-śuddhi:physical hygiene is one of the mostbasic requirements of all spiritual practice. The fundamental method is snāna or the washing of our body.Within kāya-śuddhi we find the practice of thevinyāsas andāsanas of haṭha-yoga, whichtones the nervous system, giving it the capacity to withstand the intensity of the awakening and ascension of thekuṇḍalinī.Nāḍī-śuddhi: There are various different methods to purify the nadīs, which can be both samanu and nirmanu, with or without the repetition of thebīja-mantras.In nāḍī-śuddhi different types of mudrās and bandhas are used to regulate the flow of the vital energy. Kriyās andprāṇāyāma exercises are also employed.Citta-śuddhi: In mental purification, japa or the systematic repetition of the mantra is used. Citta-śuddhi occurs as a natural consequence ofdhāraṇā or concentration.To begin our path on the way of kuṇḍalinī, it will be necessary to strengthen ourselves and purify our intentions, because as long as our attitude is that of aspiring for personal gains, then no matter how much we practice, the divine power will not awaken.Therefore, development within this yoga implies a renunciation of our attitude of exploitation and any egoistic desire to obtain health, mystic powers, fame, etc.Since the practice of techniques will evidentally beinsufficient to purify us, it is necessarywhen undertaking this path and its different techniques, to develop the spiritofkarma-yoga, or selfless service.Thus, one can practicekuṇḍalinī-yoga by offering a glass of water to the thirsty, helping the needy or giving food to the hungry.Until we open our heartsand embrace selfless service as an integral part of our lives, we will not know purity.And without this appropriate foundation to create the propitious situation it will be very difficult for anything to really happen.

dhāraṁ prathamaṁ  cakraṁsvādhiṣṭhānaṁ dvitÄ«yakamyoni-sthānaṁ dvayor madhyekāma-rÅ«paṁ nigadyatekāmākhyaṁ tu guda-sthānepaṅkajaṁ tu caturdalamtan madhye procyate yoniḥkāmākhyā siddha-vanditātasya madhye mahā-liṅgaṁpaścimābhimukhaṁ sthitam"First (in sequence) is the adhara (mÅ«lādhāra) chakra and the second is svādhiṣṭhāna. Between the two (mÅ«lādhāra and svādhiṣṭhāna) there is the seat of the yoni called kāma-rÅ«pa. The lotus of the four petals in the anal region is called kāma. In the center of the lotus is the kāma-yoni, which is worshiped by the siddhas. In the center of this yoni is located the mahā-liṅga facing back. ”Yogacūḍāmaṇyupaniá¹£ad (6b-8)The first center in the human being is the last for the animal kingdom; it is the place where the animal ends and the human begins. Lying coiled in the mÅ«lādhāra-cakra is the kuṇḍalinÄ«-śakti, the divine potential of the individual. Therefore, it is no a surprise that in the beginning a great part of the practice is directed towards this center.The mÅ«lādhāra-cakra is associated with our survival as a bodily form, as well as with our relationship with physical nature. It is intimately related with sex, as a means of procreation and the continuation of the species.Due to its link with the instinctive mechanisms, it allows the automatic behavior and unconscious habits which are necessary for survival.From this center, we receive the vital energy we need to face or evade the dangers that threaten us. We also acquire the essential discipline to accept essential limitations to be able to maintain ourselvesin good physical condition.This first center, together with the seventh, constitute the two polarities that make up a sophisticated energetic structure. Here lies the brahma-granthi or "the knot ofBrahmā".Although it is the lowest chakra, themÅ«lādhāra should not be underestimatedor considered an inferior center of lesser significance.As we develop spiritually, our connection withthe first chakra acquires more importance.

The Self is motionless, and even faster than the mind. The senses cannot reach Him because He goes before them. In His quietude, he exceeds the speed of any runner. Because of this, Matarishvan, the activities of every living being is maintained.

... Do not waste it on small and egoistic aims. It is a crime to waste your life, using it only as a means to achieve goals, to satisfy your instincts. Do not use your life just for the struggle to obtain food, shelter and sex.... Rise high and fly… not like one more in the flock who flies just to seek food.... Rise higher, experience the nearness of the clouds, and you will see that from there, your egoic reality will seem very insignificant…Never forget that one who has lived in a constant pursuit of egoistic profits and objectives will depart this world in great bitterness, for no one has ever been able to take anything with him when he leaves. Reaching the end of life with empty hands after having only lived to gain and accumulate, will certainly be a very sorrowful and painful experience. It is the death of a seed that never blossomed. However, one who lives a life of service shall depart in gratitude for having tried to contribute, even if only in a small way, to beautify this world and the lives of others....All human beings, and even their names, will come and go; it is our actions that will remain. Leave golden footprints as you pass through this world so that future generations will be inspired and know that beautiful people passed through here. Never forget that life is not a means to achieve something; it is everything.Karma-yoga invites us to make ourselves accessible and to surrender ourselves to the Transcendental Consciousness. When we are possessed by That, our activities cease to be reflections of illusion, ego and mind, of ignorance and imperfection, and become expressions of Light and Truth.Pay attention to your heart, seek the treasure of your soul and be assured that if you are present here, it is because life - existence, the absolute, God - wishes to do something specific through you.One of the paradoxes of mysticism is that all karma-yoga possesses the same value and is equally important because it is transcendental. However, when we see work as a service, we cannot ignore the fact that a particular service may surpass the rest in importance.

It is very interesting, in relation to this verse, to analyze the impediments to developments and evolution of our bhakti for those who begin their first steps in the path of bhakti-yoga.The first is atyahara, or eating or accumulating more than is necessary.The second is prayasa or making exaggerated or ridiculous efforts to aquire mundane objects and dedicate oneself to activities which are completely opposed to the development of bhakti-yoga.Parjalapa means losing our valuable time talking about unnecessary topics or talking about the faults and defects of others, frivolous conversations.Niyamagraha is extremely interesting because it means to fulfill the rules and regulations that religions demands without true search, but as a matter of tradition and habit alone.Jana sanga is associating and have friendship with people of mundane mentality that are not interested in religion and spiritual development... and laulya or coveting the so called success of mundane achievements...Later Rupa Goswami offers us in verse 3 of the same scripture, six advices to develop our bhakti and simultaneously to overcome its difficulties, which can be considered favorable for our growth and development:utsāhān niścayād dhairyāttat-tat-karma-pravartanātsaìga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥñaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyatiThere are six principals that are favorable to the development of bhakti: 1) be enthusiastic; 2) make effort with confidence; 3) be patient; 4) act according to the rules and regulations that bhakti recommends; 5) abandon the company of pseudo-religious people, and atheists; 6) continuing the footsteps of the Gurus and previous spiritual masters. These six principals make sure, without any doubt, the complete success of pure devotional service.In the Bhagavata Purana, Hiranyakashipu asks his son Prahlada who was a very pure devotee... what is the most important thing you have studied? And the answer of prahlada was (Bhagavata Purana 7:5:23):śravaṇaṁ kértanaṁ viñṇoḥsmaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanamarcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁsakhyam ātma-nivedanammeaning, the young bhakti described in detail the nine different paths of bhakti:1. Hearing the name, and the stories regarding the Lord.2. Chanting His glories and repeating his name.

Dhritarashtra dijo: Oh Sanjaya, habiéndose reunido, mis hijos y los hijos de Pandu, en el campo de batalla de Kurukshetra con deseos de luchar, ¿qué están haciendo?

..La verdadera enfermedad es la desconexión de la humanidad de su centro, de Dios... La miseria humana es el síntoma y mientras continuemos buscando apoyo en la ciencia y la tecnología, refugio en partidos políticos o doctrinas políticas continuaremos sufriendo...Mientras el hombre no se reinstale en la esencia de lo que es, en el centro, en Dios no habrá esperanza...La alternativa de la sociedad humana es a nivel de conciencia...

Commentary:

The lotus flower symbolizes the evolution and development of the universe, the seashell symbolizes the five elements or pañca-bhūta, the disk represents the cosmic mind andthe mallet the cosmic intellect. His vehicle is the loyal Garuḍa, Lord of the birds. To Viṣṇu are attributed six different divine glories: jñāna or knowledge, aiśvarya or mystic powers, śakti or potency, bala or power, vīrya or virility, andtejas or radiance.Goddess: The goddess of this chakra is the goddess Rākinī, who is found seated on a two-foldlotus. Her color is blue and her three eyes are reddish. She is heavily adorned with beautiful ornaments. Her protruding teeth give her a ferocious aspect and in her four hands she carries a hatchet, a trident, a lotus flower and a drum. She is the goddess of the vegetable world, suggesting that vegetarianism is essential to transcend this center.atraiva bhāti satataṁ khalu rākiṇī sānīlāṁbujodara-sahodara-kāntiśobhānānāyudhodyatakarairlasitāṅgalakṣmirdivyāṁbarābharaṇa-bhūṣita-matta-cittā"It is here, in the svādhiśṭhāna where Rākiṇīalways dwells. She is of the colour of a blue lotus. The beauty of Her body is enhanced by Her uplifted arms holding various weapons. She is dressed in celestial raiment and ornaments, and Her mind is exalted with thedrinking of ambrosia." Ṣaṭ-cakra-nirūpaṇa(17)Element: Ap-tattvaor water. All liquid in the universe is an expression of the water element. It can be expressed on the macrocosmic level as the seas, lakes or rivers, or on the microcosmic level in our organism as the secretions of the alimentary canal, in the salivary glands, in the blood plasma and the mucous membranes. The relationship of the element of water with the svādhiśṭhāna chakra helps us to understand the connection of this center with fluids such as the circulation of the blood, the urinary excretions, bile, lymphatic fluid, transpiration, saliva, mother’s milk, etc. It is related to the tongue, the appetite, the reproductory apparatus and assimilation. It controls the sexual hormones and has an influence on the bladder, the kidneys, the sexual organs, the blood, the lymph and the gastric juices. When this element positively influences a person, he develops positive feelings towards others.

From this mantra to the eighth, the Upanishad describes the Self, the soul or Brahman. This kind of upanishadic descriptions are spiritual treasures and eternal religious monuments of the humanity, because as they constitute direct testimonies of the experience of the Truth, they transcend the borders of the mind, as well as of traditions and cultures.

The sole objective of yogic practice is to create the appropriate conditions, to offer an opportunity that the divine, the transcendental may occur.

It is impossible to give a clear and explicit definition of a ṛṣi, a being who has ceased to be someone and sees all as his own subjectivity. To imbibe the sacred words of these transcendental beings is the best and perhaps only way for us to gain a glimpse of who they were and be able to perceive something of their greatness.

Brihaspatir uvaca, yajnavalkyam yandav kuru kshetram devanam deva-yajanam sarvesham bhutanam brahma sadanam

Motion is a purely physical phenomenon that is defined as the change of position in space undergone by bodies of a system, relative to themselves or to other another body that is used as a reference point. For this definition we draw on mechanics, which is the branch of physics that describes the movement of bodies and their evolution in time, when subjected to forces.

I also wish to offer my reverences to all my venerate dśikṣā-gurus or instructing spiritual masters, who, through their valuable practical teachings about the various aspects of the Sanātana-dharma, have left eternal imprints on my soul:

brahmāṇḍaṁ vāruṇaṁ cātha

The Self is motionless, complete in the tranquility of his perfection because, just as we have pointed out, motion includes evolution, change and transformation in space and time, and Brahman is immutable as it is transcendental to these... the omnipresent is obviously static, as it is present in every place, and as there is no place where it is absent... that is to say that the term "motionless" in this mantra does not have to be understood as a limitation of God, but rather on the complete contrary, it refers to its omnipresence. It remains absolutely clear that the omnipresent can be only that which does not undergo changes of any kind and is essentially static, although this motionlessness is related to its preexistence...

Nārasiṁhāgama (Sarvoktāgama or Sarvottarāgama)

This practice should be performed in complete mauna or silence for an hour or so, until one has written the mantra 108 times. The mantra of our Iṣṭa-devatā can be written in any language.4. Nāma brahma is a powerful practice that consists in writing the mantra on a specific object and then worshiping it like a deity. In India there are yogis who write the name of their chosen aspect of God on a piece of paper or wood and then proceed to worship it. There are saints who write pages of the mantra daily and offer these pages to a sacred river like the Yamuna or the Ganges.5. Vishwa Dharma Mālā: There was a very special moment in my life in which the sacred Vishwa Dharma Mālā or "the mālā of universal dharma" was revealed to me. It is one of the most significant treasures that I have received, though it cannot be revealed openly how and from whom. All that is related with the Vishwa Dharma Mālā cannot be explained publicly, because it is a practice that must be received personally from the spiritual master. Moreover, it is not recommended for those who are not strict vegetarians. What can be explained is its difference from the mālā that we are all familiar with, which is that the Vishwa Dharma Mālā does not permit distraction. This feature helps us very much to advance in mantra-yoga. Its mantric structure is pure, so that its consequences are perceived immediately. I do not advise that one should practice the Vishwa Dharma Mālā seeking to obtain results, but rather as a means of preparing the proper mental atmosphere for meditation, something which arises as a natural and spontaneous consequence of this sacred practice.Types of mantrasAccording to their meaning, mantras can be divided into two groups, nirguna and saguna.1. Nirguna mantras: Nirguna mantras are abstract, representing life, existence, the Whole and not a specific form of god. They do not invoke a deity or a God in particular.This class of mantra demands an elevated power of concentration, and typically consists of a single syllable.

We are a journey that is initiated when we take ourselves seriously, and which concludes when we cease to perceive ourselves as something separate from reality. The ego, or the feeling of being apart from everything and everyone, is no more than an absurdity, an illusion.

It is not an easy task for the western mind—accustomed to authors like Spinoza, Schopenhauer, Sartre, Hegel, Nietzsche—to determine whether yoga is, or is not, a philosophy.

Upon reading the Upanishads we frequently find apparent "contradictions", just as in this mantra, because the part, when it tries to relate itself to the Whole from its own perspective, that is, taking itself as a part, is only capable of grasping fragments and pieces, never the Totality... When seeing parts, without realizing the Whole, they appear contradictory. However, upon realizing the Complete, or upon seeing in Totality, we realize these polarities not as contradictory but as coherent and complementary... Because in spite of the diversity and multiplicity in movement that we perceive through our senses, only the reality is... only the existence is... The whole, which we call Brahman...

b. Upāsanā-kāṇḍa: This section explains the different types of worship and can be studied in the Āraṇyakas, which emphasize the esoteric aspects of the rituals. If we compare the Vedas with the human body, the karma-kāṇḍa might be compared with the extremities of the body of the Vedas, while the upāsanā-kāṇḍa would be its heart. It is intended to help one to concentrate the attention on the Supreme and develop devotion to God.

..No existe posibilidad de lamentación ni aflicción para quien se encuentra sumergido en el océano de dicha del néctar de la devoción...En el Bhagavad-gita (2.1), Kṛṣṇa dice:śrī-bhagavān uvācaaśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁprajïā-vādāṁś ca bhāñasegatāsūn agatāsūṁś canānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ"El Señor Bendito dijo: Mientras hablas con palabras sabias, te afliges tanto por lo que no es digno de aflicción. Aquellos que son realmente sabios no se afligen ni por los vivos ni por los muertos."Y posteriormente en el capítulo 18, en el famosísimo verso 66 Kṛṣṇa dice:sarva-dharmān parityajyamām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajaahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyomokñayiñyāmi mā śucaḥEs decir entrégate Arjuna y... mā śucaḥ... no te aflijas... no temas o no te preocupes...Nada puede causar miseria, dolor, lamentación o aflicción a aquel que se ha situado en Dios tal y como lo dice el Ishavasya Upanishad en el verso 7:yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtānyātmaivābhūd vijānataḥtatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śokaekatvam anupaśyataḥ"¿Qué puede causar miseria o aflicción al iluminado que ha realizado que todo y todos son su propio Ser, cuando dondequiera que mire sólo ve unidad?"Na dveṣṭi o "ausencia de odio".El odio es frecuentemente el preludio de la violencia. Es utilizado para manipular a las masas antes de ir a una guerra, se le inculca a la población de determinada nación el odio hacia otro país, raza o sistema político. Es muy frecuente la demonización de la nación enemiga de tal manera que los habitantes del otro país sean considerados realmente enemigos.Se dice que generalmente se odia aquello que no podemos poseer, controlar o manipular...Cuidémonos del odio porque se trata de un fuego que no quema al odiado sino que a quien lo porta en su corazón, quien odia es realmente digno de lástima porque se trata de un tipo de agresividad o violencia interna que sólo se percibe a sí misma, que escucha sólo su propia voz.

To escape from the enslavement of desires it is impossible and unnecessary to repress, control or dominate them; we need only situate ourselves in the now, in this moment.He who is under the control of the mind and its requirements does not live; he only prepares to live. The slave of the desires lives preparing himself for happiness, for peace, for bliss, for love and to live. He lives in constant hope and expectations of a future satisfaction. However, no future, no matter how promising, can alleviate our loneliness, fears and anxieties in the present. Desires drag us away from the now; they are a rejection of the present and thus, of reality. By desiring, we are escaping from the now. There are persons whose attachment is not in the present but is of a nostalgic character. Attachment is not love but desire, and thus it is time. Attachment stems from the past and is projected towards a future, it originates in what was and is directed towards what we would like to be. Love belongs to the sphere of reality and therefore it exists only in the present. It has the vitality of the real, the now. It is clear that desires are an obstacle for love, which cannot manifest in one who lives surrendered to the requirements and whims of his mind.Bhakti does not consider anyone as a spiritual master who has not transcended the demands of his mind. It does not accept as a guru or spiritual guide one who has not overcome the earthly appetites. As we can appreciate in the words Rūpa Gosvāmī in the first verse of his Upadeśāmṛta: vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁjihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegametān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥsarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt"Only that person who has transcended the impulse to speak, the impositions of the mind, the impulse to anger and the requirements of the tongue, the stomach, and the sexual organ, can accept disciples in any place of the world.

Brahmarṣi: The sages that belong to this specific group are brāhmaṇa sages who have realized Brahman and are learned in the Veda. Important brahmarṣis are Vyāsadeva, Vasiṣṭha, Viśvāmitra and Yājñavalkya.