Ishavasya Upanishad: Mantra 7

” “Where, like men cleansing corn-flour in a sieve, the wise in spirit have created language, friends see and recognize the signs of friendship: their conversation retains the imprint of the blessed sign imprinted."“With the (help of the) sacrifice (they, i.e. wise) followed the path of the speech. They discovered her entered into Rsis. They brought her and divided (her) into many places.”“One man has never seen Vāc and yet he sees: one man has hearing but has never heard her. But to another she has shown her beauty as a tender well-dressed woman to her husband.”Vāc refers to Herself in first person in theṚg-veda (10. 125. 5) in the following way:ahám evá svayám idáṃ vadāmi / júṣṭaṃ devébhir utá mânuṣebhiḥyáṃ kāmáye táṃ-tam ugráṃ kṛṇomi / tám brahmâṇaṃ tám ŕṣiṃ táṃ sumedhâm"I, verily, myself, announce and utter the word that Gods and men alike shall welcome. I make the man who pleases me exceedingly mighty, I make him a sage, a seer and a Brahmana.”Statements such as the power to make a man a brahmana suggest to us the relationship of vāc with the sacrifices and rituals. The power of ritualistic language is capable of converting a person into a brahmana in the ceremony of initiation.The relationship betweenvāc and the ceremony of initiation or diksha is very clearly confirmed in the following verse of theKauṣītakī Brāhmaṇa (7. 1)vāg dīkṣā vācā hi dīkṣate prāṇo dīkṣito vācāvai dikṣayā devāḥ prāṇena dīkṣitena sarvānkāmān ubhayataḥ parigṛhyātmann adadhata tathoevaitad yajamāno vācaiva dīkṣayā prāṇenadīkṣitena sarvān kāmān ubhayataḥ parigṛhyātman dhatta“The consecration is speech, for by speech is he consecrated. The consecrated is breath; by speech as the consecration, by breath as the consecrated, the gods having encompassed all desires on both sides, confer them upon themselves. Similarily the sacrificer also by speech as the consecration, by breath as the consecrated, having encompassed all desires on both sides, confers them upon himself.

.. El bhakti nos conduce a través de un proceso de sublimación desde los deseos terrenales y mundanos, pasando por deseos y aspiraciones espirituales las cuales se transforman luego en una intensa atracción por Dios y la iluminación...En el sutra número cuatro, mencionado anteriormente, se menciona la palabra labdhvā o "ganar" y en el cinco, prāpya u "adquirir"...Mientras prāpya nos sugiere un esfuerzo con el objeto de adquirir algo, labdhvā nos da la impresión de un ganar o ser bendecido por la gracia divina sin esforzarse...La religión no puede ser un esfuerzo cuyo resultado será el amor a Dios, ya que consistiría en un mero negocio "calculativo"...Prāpya o "adquirir" no significa que si nos comportamos cumpliendo con todas las sugerencias de Rupa Goswami y Prahlada Maharaja, el resultado seguro será el más puro y elevado amor divino...El amor no es mercancía que puede ser comprada con oraciones, ceremonias o ritos, no es el resultado de manipulaciones humanas...Todos los consejos que encontramos en las sagradas escrituras son sugerencias que al ser puestos en práctica nos ayudarán a crear el ambiente interno, la situación propicia como para que la realización del amor divino ocurra...Podemos regar nuestro jardín, extraer la maleza y la mala hierba, fertilizar la tierra, pero no podemos sacar las flores de la tierra o hacer algo para que éstas salgan a la superficie. El césped y las flores crecen por sí mismas, sólo podemos ayudar a crear la situación propicia... y esperar adecuadamente... Lo cual es meditar...Entonces es importante situar las cosas en su lugar, ambos son importantes, aunque no hay nada que podamos hacer en orden de obtener el amor divino o la iluminación como resultado, es de vital importancia esforzarse para crear la situación propicia para que la gracia divina descienda sobre nosotros ...La sadhana nos abre, nos hace accesibles...Na śocati o "no se aflige"... La aflicción es una creación mental producto del apego al cuerpo y a todo lo que ilusoriamente está conectado a éste.

The sage Suta in the Skanda-purāṇa (5.121.19-20) further emphasizes the importance of the Purāṇas

यस्मिन्सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मैवाभूद्विजानतः ।

Evolution has not ended; reason is not the last word, nor is the rational animal the supreme figure of nature. Just as man has emerged from the animal, so will the superhuman emerge from man.

The king knew and was perfectly well aware of the Pandavas virtue and the sanctity of the place. He knew perfectly well that the Pandavas virtue, influenced even more by the sacredness of that place of pilgrimage, can compel them to decide to leave the fight and by that avoid bloodshed, pain, death and violence...

तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः ॥ ७॥

brāhmaṁ purāṇaṁ prathamaṁ

...”naiva kiñcit karomītiyukto manyeta tattva-vitpaśyañ śṛṇvan spṛśañ jighrannaśnan gacchan svapañ śvasanpralapan visṛja ngṛhṇannunmiṣan nimiṣann apiindriyāṇīndriyārtheṣuvartanta iti dhārayan“A person in divine consciousness, although engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving about, sleeping and breathing, always knows within himself that he actually does nothing at all. Because while speaking, receiving, evacuating, or opening or closing his eyes, he always knows that only the material senses are engaged with their objects (and that he is aloof from them).” (Bhagavad-gītā 5.8-9)The karma-yogī offers his service in a spirit of giving and surrender, with deep love and attention. Any work performed according to the wisdom of karma-yoga will always be engaging and interesting, because boredom is simply due to a lack of observation...An excessively egoistic person cannot work without contemplating the compensation and benefits he will receive. He cannot detach his mind from his anticipated reward. Since all goals only exist tomorrow, the search for results prevents us from locating ourselves in the present. Pursuing benefits converts us, inevitably, into “tomorrow-ists”… It disconnects us from the present, wresting us from the now, from reality...Ultimately we begin to understand that meditation cannot be disconnected from our lives: it does not come to an end when we open our eyes. The ‘art of action’ in karma-yoga is an invitation to transform our actions into meditation in movement. We occupy the hands with work and labor, while the mind flows toward the Divine, emptying itself and becoming dissolved in God....The karma-yogī acts without any emotional involvement, which allows him to have a deeper and more coherent view of life. Actions do not hinder the internal silence or the mental and emotional equipoise of the karma-yogī. Free of anxiety about the results, he acts without a calculative mentality. There is no place for deception or the feeling of being utilized or exploited. The karma-yogī lives without expectations, so there is never any disillusionment or frustration. He can perform his work like a bank teller, neither overjoyed when there is a large deposit, nor dismayed when there is an even greater withdrawal.

The Vedic scriptures shed ample light upon the greatness of the sages:

In this stage, one realizes that it is impossible to conceive of anything of more value; one is not shaken, even in great misery.

yasmin sarvani bhutanyatmaivabhud vijanatahtatra ko mohah kah shokaekatvam anupashyatah

También en el Javalopanishad 1: 2 se describe al lugar de Kurukshetra como un Yajna-sthali, es decir, un lugar destinado a sacrificios, tanto para los devatas o semidioses, como para todas las entidades vivientes. En el Sat-Patha Brahmana se dice:

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.

The ego or the idea of “I” is related toseparation, but not to individuality. Individuality, as the word indicates, refers to that which is indivisible. Wherever there is division, there will be conflict; therefore the ego is a conflictive phenomenon. Generally, we confuse the experience ofseparation with individuality.Perceiving as personality disassociates us from the universe, while from individuality, we are conscious of being an integral part, in deep harmony with all-that-is. Personality or character is something acquired, while individuality is an expression of existence. The experience of separation which we call the ego is a social phenomenon having no relation to individuality.When we are asked to identify ourselves, most of us will offer a long list of all we have been told that we are: Carlos, Juan, Sonia, Maria, Chilean, Argentine American, brave, beautiful, unpleasant, weak, clever, ugly, attractive, a doctor, a teacher, a mother, a father, etc.  None of the ideas that we find in this list were our own discovery; they are all external conclusions. We are the opinions about who we are  which are held by  other people, such as our parents, uncles, aunts, in-laws, neighbors, friends, enemies, colleagues, teachers, and husbands or wives.Our true birth as persons began the day a young couple approached our little crib and managed to convince us that our name was Juan, Manuel, George, Mary, Sonia or Ruth. That day a long process began, through which a series of opinions about who and what we were, was planted in our mind, and the most important thing is that we accepted to take part of the process. Without becoming aware of it, from the moment that we placed the authority about what we were into the hands of others, we lost our freedom and became slaves.  By permitting someone from outside of us to determine what we are, our entire life is inevitably directed towards the other, towards others. We feel, think, speak and react only from this collection of memories of ideas and opinions that we have acquired, and which we call “I”.

For its part, Bṛhad-dharma-purāṇa offers a list with the following 18 Upapurāṇas:

 

When we think or say: “I am sad” or "I am angry", we identify with our emotions, and when we think or say "I am tired”, we identify with the physical body. Regardless of what we identify ourselves with, the moment that we set limits around what we consider to be the “subject”, we place something within those borders and then relate to everything outside those limits as if it were an “object”, or something “objective”. However, our identification is ultimately with an idea. The “I”, or ego, has a mental character; it is the mind, which has situated itself as the subject. Concentration is related to the object, meditation refers to the subject and samādhi transcends both.Since the ego is an idea, after all, and our mind has adopted the position of the subject, it is essential to observe the mind. By focusing the attention on the mental activity, without identifying with the thoughts, but watching them attentively, we are taking two very important steps. In the first step, by disidentifying with the mind, we realize that we are not what we observe, and we shed our false identification with the mental contents. This directly affects the egoic phenomenon, as we cease to conceive of the ego as subject, and situate it as object. In the second step, meditation, we situate ourselves in the now, where all that is happening unfolds.Meditation is making contact with the present moment, it is to relate to what is happening now. Our fear of situating ourselves in the present is the main obstacle to meditation, since we dread finding ourselves thrust abruptly into a dimension filled with uncertainty and insecurity, in which we have no control over what is happening. For this reason we continue to reject the now by escaping from this moment.All spiritual practice is an effort to create the ideal condition for enlightenment to occur. Our ability to establish ourselves in the present, in the now, is an essential part of this condition, since from the point of view of consciousness, this moment is the only real time there is.

Translation:

Pāñca-rātra means "related to five nights" which relates to a story about five nights of offerings performed by Lord Narāyāṇa (Ṣatpata-brāhmaṇa 13.6.1), or to another story which mentions that this knowledge was heard by five gods (Ananta, Garuḍa, Viṣvaksena, Śiva and Brahman) in five days (Vihagendra-saṁhitā 1.31-34)., or, according to other traditions it may mean ‘five-fold knowledge’ which is explained as tattva (reality,elements, cosmology), mukti-prada (related to liberation), bhakti-prada (related to devotion), yaugika (related to yoga), vaiṣayika (related to the objects of the senses).(Nārada-pañcarātra 1.44-47) or sāñkhya, yoga, vairāgya (dispassion), tapas (austerity),and bhakti (Śāṇḍilya-saṁhitā 4.80). These are the* most authoritative scriptures, consisting of 108 texts of a devotional character which are dedicated to Nārāyaṇa. These Āgamas place more emphasis on the worship of the deities than on the performance of the sacrifices or yajñas, even those mentioned in the Vedas. One of their principal teachings is that the Absolute manifests and communicates lovingly with the earthly plane, in order to offer the souls of this stratum an opportunity be associated with, or to put it another way: to allow the infinite to approach the finite. God adopts five different forms to allow beings of the earthly world to interact with Him. These five forms are Para (highest), Vyūha (emanation), Vibhava (incarnation), Antaryāmin (indweller) and Arca (form of worship). The seven groups of pāñca-rātras are: Brahmā Brāhma **, Śaiva, Kaumāra, Vāsiṣṭha, Kāpila, Gautamīya, and Nāradīya .

Listening will not be really effective if we do not dedicate time to reflect on what we hear, to digest it. Each day, in solitude, it is essential for the spiritual aspirant to deeply contemplate the implications for his life of what he has heard. Reflecting on what we have learned from the spiritual master is extremely important, because from that reflection, self-inquiry arises. In religion we only really know something when we are able to live according to it. Thus, we can be highly informed, yet completely ignorant, if we unable to live in a way that is coherent with what we have heard.3. Nididhyāsana or ‘Vedantic meditation’:vijātīya-dehādi-pratyaya-rahitādvitīya-vastu-sajātīya-pratyaya-pravāho nididhyāsanam "Nididhyāsana is a continuous flow of understanding that is uniform with the nondual Brahman and free of non-uniform concepts such as the body, etc." (Vedānta-sāra, verse 192)“…Nididhyāsana must be practiced continuously by those who desire liberation, until the moment that all incorrect understanding has been removed from the mind.” (The Bhāṣya on the Bṛhad-āraṇyakopaniṣad by Śaṅkarācārya, verse 2.4.5)It involves a deep contemplation of the teachings and the received knowledge. In this way, one assimilates the truths until the concepts acquired through the intellect are transformed into reality. Theoretical philosophy is transformed into experience. Nididhyāsana is a meditative search for the very roots of consciousness, because in it, we experience existentially what we have learned from the spiritual master and the Holy Scriptures. Nididhyāsana is a process in which knowledge is transformed into wisdom, and the theoretical, into an experience of a subjective character.If śravaṇa means to listen to the scriptures through our guru, then manana is to internalize them, and nididhyāsana is to experience them as the truth and to live according to them.Ātma-sākṣātkāraĀtma-sākṣātkāra, or the direct perception of the Self, refers to the self-realization that is the natural consequence of the three previously indicated practices.

Indramātra (the author of the Ṛg-Veda 10.53)

2. The Shoulder stand, or sarvāṅgāsana (literal translation: all-limbs posture)Recline on your back, facing upwards (photo number 12). Join your legs. Leave the arms parallel to the body, with the hand palms facing downwards, touching the ground (photo number 13). With the arms against the floor, inhale and flex the feet upwards. Exhale and without separating the back from the ground, raise the straight legs until they form a straight angle with the trunk (photo number 15).Inhaling again, lift the buttocks and the lower back by pressing in the waist and pressing the hands on the floor. Raise the legs straight over the head, upwards and simultaneously backwards. Keeps the hands firmly supported on the ground, pressing the palms against the floor (photo number 16). Stretch the legs together towards the back, with the toes touching the ground, as much as you can, until the trunk arrives at the vertical position, pressing the chin against the chest (photo number 18). Place the elbows against the ground, bringing them as close as you can to each other. Flex the forearms and place the hands on the back (photo number 19). Bring the knees to the forehead, the heels towards the buttocks, and keep the soles of the feet parallel to the sky (photo number 20).As you exhale, straighten the legs upwards, first the knees (photo number 21), and then, next, the calves. Firmly place the elbows against the ground, supporting the back with both hands (photo number 22).Stop moving and keep the āsana in calm and silence. Breathe effortlessly, deeply and slowly, using the diaphragm and abdomen. Keep the eyes closed. Relax the body as much as possible. Stay in the posture between 30 seconds and 10 minutes, gradually increasing its duration.3. The Fish or matsyāsanaRecline on the back, facing upwards (photo number 23). Join your legs, with the arms straight under the body, so that the buttocks rest on the forearms and the hands. The palms of the hands, facing downwards, should be as extended as possible. Keep the elbows close to one another (photo number 24).Point the toes outwards, stretching the body from the feet to the top of the head (Photo Number 25).

 

The last class (Śaiva) is in turn divided into the Śaiva-siddhānta which developed in southern India, and the Pratyabhijñā system of Kashmir Shaivism in the north.

In repression, the efforts are concentrated in the struggle, the large part of our energy and attention is utilized in resistance, in shoving our weakness inside. You strengthen your exterior to act as if you have renounced, while pushing your weaknesses inside, trying to hide them, where they will be stored in your subconscious. Your desires will not stop seeking to be expressed. This is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (3. 6):karmendriyāṇi saṁyamyaya āste manasā smaranindriyāthān vimūḍhātmāmithyā’cāraḥ sa ucyate"Without a doubt, he who represses the organs of action but whose mind dwells in the objects of the senses, is a confused and is called a hypocrite."If you direct your efforts only to combat your mind, perhaps you will win today, but if you waver or feel weak tomorrow, all the work of years will fall, as it will not have a sufficient base or true foundation. For this reason, in austerity all our focus is directed towards attention, observation.We attentively observe our reactions, our body and instinct, our thoughts and imagination, our feelings and emotions. Only by observing, will it be possible to truly see clearly the suitable doors that can open, the proper paths to travel, just as we can see the doors that are not suitable to open nor much less cross, and the paths that are not appropriate to travel. Śaṅkarācārya saw this and for this reason he said... "One has evil inclinations, it is said. But knowing them, one can avoid them.” Because to transcend our disabilities, to go beyond our lower nature, is a natural consequence of observation. Repression is imposed upon the exterior, austerity springs from comprehension, from the interior realization. Repression is a type of self-torture, while discipline is meditative. Like a gardener who seeks to water the roots of his trees, this wisdom searches our roots, the subjective, and therefore it does not direct our attention only to the external behavior. It does not involve having or not having, doing or not doing, it is not only in our behavior, but in the well-being of its source.

..Only when we understand the authentic reason for our misery we reach that state that our sadness is because of our forgetfulness of God ...

”The flourishing of the Pancharātra tradition was very important both for Vaishnavism, as well as for the spread of the Sanatana-dharma religion. According to this tradition, the Absolute, the transcendental manifests in five different forms: Para, Vyūha, Vibhava, Antaryamin and Archa, so that His devotees can associate lovingly with Him. The expansion of the Pancharātra came to satisfy the need of devotees for more closeness and intimacy in their relationship with the heaven than was offered by worship within Vedic ritualism.Bhakti is examined throughout the Puranas and the Bhagavad Gita. The latter would be the first text to use the term “bhakti” explicitly, to indicate the way of devotion. Among all the Puranas, none more than the Bhagavata Purana would develop such an exquisite manner of describing the wisdom of bhakti. The way of devotion possesses an immense literary treasure available to anyone who wishes to penetrate its depths. Among its principal works we may mention the Śāṇḍilya bhakti sūtras, Nārada bhakti sūtras, Nārada pāncarātra and the Bhakti rasāyana.The principal development of the monotheistic attitude of bhakti occurs within two religious currents: Vaishnavism and Shaivism. The former dedicate their devotion to Lord Siva, while the latter channel their emotional feelings towards Lord Vishnu, Lord Kṛṣṇa, or another of his incarnations. A significant development of bhakti may also be found within the current of Shaktism, in which devotion is channeled towards different aspects of the Devi, or the divine mother of the universe.With the passing of time, different devotional traditions developed in the North and in southern India, each with its respective characteristics and different ways of appreciating bhakti.Devotion flourished in southern India, manifesting itself among the devotees of Siva as a marvelous theological system called Saiva Siddhanta. The Nayanars, 63 saints and devotees of Siva, led the devotional movement. Their message was that the authentic wisdom can be born only from devotion and worship of God. These 63 saints came from different sectors of society; some were kings, others soldiers and some were from the lowest castes. Their names are: Anaya, Adipaththa, Aiyadigal Kaadavarkon, Amaraneedi Nayanar, Appudhi Adigal, Arivattaya, Chandeshvara Nayanar, Dhandiyadigal, Enatinatha, Eripaththa, Eyarkon Kalikkaama, Gananatha, Idankazhi, Ilayankudi maranar, Isaignaniyaar, Iyarpagaiar, Kaari, Kalikkamba, Kaliya, Kanampulla, Kannappa Nayanar, Karaikkal Ammeiyar, Kazharchinga, Kazharir-rarivaar, Kochengat Cholan, Kootruva, Kotpuli, Kulachchirai, Kungiliyak Kalaya, Manakkanychaara Nayanar, Mangayarkkarachiyar, Meiporul Nayanar, Murkha, Murti, Munayaduvaar, Muruga, Nami Nandi Adigal, Narasingha Munayaraya, Nesa Nayanar, Ninra Seer Nedumaara, Perumizhalaik Kurumba, Pusalar, Pugal Chola, Pugazh Thunai Nayanar, Saakkiya, Sadaiya Nayanar, Saththi, Seruthtunai, Sirappuli, Siruttonda, Somaachi, Sundarar, TirugnaanaSambandar, Tirukkuripput Tonda, Tirumular, Thirunalai Povar Nayanar (generally known as Nandanar), Tirunavukkarasar (generally known as Appar), Thiruneelakandar, Tirunilakanda Yaazpaana, Tirunilanakka Uruttira Pasupati, Vaayilaar and Viralminda nayanar.

What can cause misery or illusion to the enlightened one, who has realized that everything and everyone is his own Self, when wherever he looks, he only sees unity?

Purify yourself: cleanliness and purity will determine how high you will fly.

 

It should be pointed out that the first lines of this Upaninṣad are commonly called śanti-mantras, or mantras of peace. It is an ancient Vedic tradition that every Upaniṣad, in general, must begin and end with these most powerful śanti-mantras.

vetam uraittānum vetiyan ākilan

svasti nas tārkṣyo ariṣṭa-nemiḥ

Or just as it is confirmed in the Kena Upaniṣad (2.5): bhūteṣu bhūteṣu vicitya dhīrāḥ pretyāsmāl lokād amṛtā bhavanti..."Seeing the Self in every creature, the sage who leaves this relative and dual world attains immortality"..."What can cause misery or illusion to the enlightened?"...The cause of misery is the way we see ourselves... that is, the ego...Because along with our acceptance of ourselves as separate parts of the whole we develop desires and goals which are in total discord and disharmony with the whole...Our ambitions are completely disconnected from the flow of life...Wherever your desires will not be more than swimming against the current of existence, you will suffer...because the small drop will always be frustrated if its goals are in conflict with the ones of the ocean...All its pain comes from resisting the powerful flow of life, "sarva dharmān parityajya", means to surrender to the whole and agree to relax and flow together with the whole...But the ego is not pleased with relaxation because he is himself tension, the "I" is a contraction...It is necessary to understand that our actions are not disconnected from those of other human beings or from those of the animals, our actions are not separated from the movement of the atoms, the stars and the galaxies, the obstacles in perceiving this reality are of conceptual, emotional character. By emotional I refer to an almost obsessive attachment to our belief and creed in a completely separated and disconnected "self" or "I"... due to this illusory belief our activities and lives appear to be completely independent of all the rest of existence... as something separated from the rest of the universe...The cause of misery is the ego... it consists of ignorance of what we really are... and this ignorance shows us limitation wherever we look...And wherever there is limitation, there will be suffering, pain and misery...who has realized that everything and everyone is his own Self"...Especially in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions explain to us that before the creation there was nothing... except.

Commentary:

Although when we sit on the beach to watch the sea we see waves, froth and bubbles, in the end, we know that the ocean is water, and because it is water, all that is born from it will essentially be... water...

From our first day on this planet, we began to hear different ideas about ourselves. Slowly we have come to accept them, since they come from persons whom we consider to be infallible authorities. In this way, over time, we have been accumulating concepts and conclusions about who we are, beliefs which stem from our parents, brothers, uncles and aunts, grandparents, friends, neighbors, classmates, teachers, colleagues, employers...The ego is this collection of external ideas and opinions about our identity; it is the subject we believe ourselves to be, but not who we really are.

“Seeing that the Vedic sacrifices performed by the four priests had a purifying effect on human beings, he divided the one Veda into four so that the sacrifices would continue.”

“The Śruti and the Smṛti are undoubtedly My teachings. O fair one, while offering your oblations, abide by these (Śruti and Śruti). O Devī, one cannot attain Me, even with all of his possessions, if he surpasses My teachings.”

"... to the enlightened one, who has realized that everything and everyone is his own Self"...

arvadhÄ«sāká¹£ibhÅ«taṁbhāvātÄ«taṁ triguṇarahitaṁsadguruṁ taṁ namāmi"I offer my most humble and respectful reverences to the Sadguru, who is the very bliss of Brahman and who brings the most sublime bliss. He is absolute, he is knowledge itself personified. Transcendental to duality, all-penetrating like the sky, and the object of the great conclusion of the Upanishads, "Thou art That”. He is one, eternal, pure and stable. He is the witness of all thoughts. He is higher than all the modifications of the mind and the body and free of the three gunas."  Sri Guru GÄ«tā (89)And I say that the disciple must open himself because the door to that which the master wants to show us is found in our innermost depths.

If someone threatens to shoot our belly, we don't say: "o, he wants to shoot my stomach or abdomen!" ... it doesn't matter which part of the body is being aimed at, we would say: "someone threatens to shoot me" or "someone threatens me".

The development of tolerance leads us to acceptance, with which we are capable of renouncing the habit of judging and condemning ourselves, as well as others. To live wisely is to live with acceptance. Only in this way do we experience life as it really is, and not as we wish that it would be. Without going beyond the pairs of opposites, there is no possibility of observation, since as we look, we are hoping to see things as we want them to be. Acceptance is essential for meditation to occur.It is a chain in which the consequence of tolerance will be acceptance, and this will lead us by the hand to śraddhā or faith. Only a being of unconditional acceptance is capable of surrendering to God, because he experiences faith in existence.3e. Śraddhā or belief, faith:śāstrasya guru-vākyasyasatya-buddhy-avadhāraṇamsā śraddhā kathitā sadbhiḥyayā vastūpalabhyate“The sages define śraddhā or faith as the acceptance of the truth of the scriptures and the words of the guru. This faith makes possible the realization of Reality." (Viveka-cūḍāmaṇi, verse 26)gurūpadiṣṭa-vedānta-vākyeṣu viśvāsaḥ śraddhā“Śraddhā is faith in the assertions of Vedānta as taught by the guru.” (Vedānta-sāra, verse 24)Śraddhā means trust in the spiritual master, in the sacred scriptures, in God, in oneself, and in life. The mind is our defensive, protective, resistant attitude, and therefore it creates our walls, making it our principle obstacle to surrender. Śraddhā is not a mental state, but a form of being. The realization of the Self calls for an absolute submission, a total reliance on the very essence of existence. Śraddhā is the swimmer’s feeling of trust in the water; that when he jumps from the diving board, even if he submerges at first, he will finally rise up and float in the water. It is that trust that relaxes him. Have you ever seen what happens to a person who cannot swim? Lacking confidence in the water, his body stiffens, becoming hard and rigid. This is the main obstacle to his keeping afloat.

Rātrī Bharadvājī (the seer of the Ṛg-Veda 10,127)

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.

In the same way, if you hug someone you won't say that your arms are the ones who hug... if you drink a glass of water you don't think that your hand has brought a glass of water to your mouth, and so forth...

Love acts like a powerful acid capable of dissolving the ego. A life with love is lived in the absence of the artificial center that we believe ourselves to be. Just as the cold is dispersed with the appearance of heat or the darkness dissipates before the light, the ego cannot remain in the presence of love, because they are incompatible.The ego is false; love is truth. The ego is fear; love is courage. The ego is to possess; love is to be possessed. The ego is illusion; love is reality. The ego is a social phenomenon that belongs to the mass, while love blossoms in the individual.We have all heard that God is love…however I will say that it is the opposite. …love is God. …Those who say that God is love consider a religious person to be one who believes in God. I say that love is God, because for me a truly religious person is one who loves. It is not God, but love that makes us religious. My religion does not rest upon faith or belief in God, but on love. The order of my religion is not that first I believe in God and then I will love, but the reverse. To love is the only possibility we have of knowing what God is. Love is God, because the very essence of consciousness, of Brahman, of the unity that lies at the base of creation, is love. Therefore to love is to associate ourselves with God, and the intimacy of this association will be directly proportional to the depth of our love.Bhakti-yoga and the desiresOn the devotional path, it is essential to try to reduce the efforts, time and energy that we invest trying to satisfy our senses. The value of the human life is incalculable, but ignorance leads us to waste our precious time, intelligence and attention striving to gratify our passing fancies. Our devotion and attraction towards the divine will be diminished if we dedicate ourselves to indiscriminately satisfying mundane desires. Pure love implies truly transcending mundane desires, as is indicated in the Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu (1.

“And now, during this era, the seventh time cycle, called vaivasvata-manvantara, the seven sages are: Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Kaśyapa, Gautama, Bharadvāja, Viśvāmitra, and the seventh one is the son of the godly sage Ṛcīka, namely Jamadagni.”

In the ordinary state of consciousness, your exsperience is that you hug and drink because the body and all its different members are considered to be manifestations of the same entity... you... We recognize that behind the different parts of the body and its various functions there is one and only being and that the different members of the body move while having you as a center...

14) The word mudrā can be translated as “gesture”, or "seal." In the Tattva-cintamanī (1.12) we find the following:modanāt sarva-devānāṁdrāvaṇāt pāpa-santateḥtasmān mudreti vikhyātāmunibhis tantra-vedibhiḥ“Because it delights (modana) all the devatas, and melts (drāvaṇa) all the sins, therefore, it is called mudrā by the munis, the knowers of the Tantras.”Mudrās are mental, emotional, devotional or aesthetic postures or gestures that constitute a language capable of expressing different attitudes or internal states. These “gestures” have been carefully passed from generation to generation, from master to disciple, and are a great help in the process of awakening the kuṇḍalinī, as they channel the energy that is produced by the practice of āsanas and prāṇāyāma towards the chakras. Similarly, the mudrās tend to direct the vital energy from the individual plane towards the universal, acting to induce the fusion of the individual prāṇa with the cosmic ocean of prāṇā. The most valuable effects that its practice brings about are: emotional stability, interiorization and a high capacity for concentrating and balancing the pranic energy. According to ancient scriptures on classical yoga, the most important mudrās are the mahā-mudrā (Photo number 230), mahā-vedha (Photo number 231), khecarī, uḍḍiyāna, viparīta-karaṇī-mudrā (Photo number 233), vajrolī-mudrā, śakti-calana-mudrā and śāmbhavī-mudrā.The word bandha means a key, lock or a knot. The bandhas consist in conscious and voluntary physical contractions which are smooth yet intense, and occur in the different corporal regions. They permit us to conserve, utilize and manipulate the pranic energy generated by the āsanas and the practice of prāṇāyāma, and are a great help in the attempt to awaken the kuṇḍalinī-śakti.The practice of bandhas benefits the muscles, the internal organs, the circulatory and nervous system, the brain, and on the energetic plane, the nāḍīs and the chakras. Performing bandhas also prevents the loss of vital energy by directing it to the suṣumṇā-nāḍī, from which the different chakras are activated and vitalized. The bandhas regulate the flow of pranic energy in the manner of a switch that controls the passage of energetic electricity.

Although the ice-cream reaches your mouth it is you who enjoys, although your knee hurts it is you who have stumbled and fallen. When we recognize that the hands, the mouth, the tongue, the legs or the knees belong to you, the attention focuses in you...

vāg utsṛṣṭā svayambhuvā

  The value of various types of service will vary according to the aspect benefitted, be it physical, mental, emotional, astral or spiritual, and how long this benefit will last.  It should be remembered that in life, what is adequate becomes ordinary before what is good, and what is good becomes mediocre before what is better. A hungry man may receive aid to fill his stomach, but after twenty four hours, the hunger will return. A poor family may receive money, but this will also run out sooner or later. Service to humanity in the form of money, food, healthcare or education is good. However, the most elevated service that a human being can offer is to transmit spiritual wisdom, since its benefit will be eternal. The best service that can be offered to the needy is not to relieve them of their problems, sorrows and distress, but to give them the wisdom they need to overcome them. Therefore, we should grow, evolve, develop, mature and aspire to wisdom, not with the aim of obtaining fame, appreciation, admiration, esteem, honor or wealth, but to help those who yearn for the Light. The needs of the poor can be met by any wealthy person; the needs of the sick, by any physician, but the true disease and pain of the spirit can only be alleviated by a man of wisdom. The true hunger and thirst of the soul can only be appeased by the sage.The spirit of the karma-yogÄ«The karma-yogÄ« is transformed into a active quill in the hands of Divinity. Instead of a distraction, his work becomes a poem that connects him to Totality....Our attitude towards our work greatly influences its quality. It is the spirit that lies behind the action and not the work in itself that will determine whether we are performing karma-yoga or not. This will in turn cause us to experience our work as either tedious and boring, or as a pleasurable activity. For example, consider the mother who pleads daily with her son to take out the garbage. The long stairway with its three flights of stairs seems interminable to the boy, and he procrastinates, grumbling that it is too difficult and he is too busy.

Similarly, in our experience of the world of names and forms we experience an infinity of entities as being completely separate from each other, however, in the transcendental state of consciousness, or enlightenment, the experience is that each and every one of us are members of the same body which is the manifestation of the only Self or God...

Each of the Vedas consists of four sections:

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

The etymology of the word purāṇa is ‘purā api nava’ which means “ancient but ever new”*. This is a collection of texts whose unique form of narration allows an average person, living in this degenerate era of Kali, access to the teachings of the Vedas.

According to the way most of us usually think of it, study consists in the accumulation of information and the storing up of knowledge; therefore a good memory is very useful for this effect. However, possessing a large quantity of information does not make a person more developed, evolved, or intelligent than others, and much less a sage. Our knowledge has not been a great help to humanity: we know a great deal about war, but not how to avoid it, we know enough about science and technology to destroy the planet, and we know the exact causes of our self-destruction, but we do not know how to stop it, with our information and knowledge we can go to other planets or destroy the world but we cannot love more, we cannot be more compassionate or more generous people. The fact that I know a lot about sports does not transform me into a sports star; neither does knowing about art make me an artist. Similarly, those of us who dedicate ourselves to religion and spirituality should be careful, because the fact that we have memorized a large number of verses and ślokas of the sacred scriptures does not indicate anything with respect to our spiritual level. Information and the knowledge are superficial, they only reach our mind and our intellect, but they don’t reach us.There are those who are illiterate, but not ignorant, and there are those who are ignorant, but with a highly well-informed ignorance. Studying is of schools, high schools, universities, professors, doctors, students, note-takers, the intellect and the mind, while learning involves observation, reflection and meditation. The study of the sacred scriptures and the Self is far more related to learning than to what we ordinarily think of as studying.While learning is a matter of attention and observation, study only involves the intellect and memory. Study and instruction are the training or drilling of our minds, it is a process of programming to which we submit at a very early age with the objective of converting us into efficient and useful people, which would be excellent if we were computers or robots, instead of human beings.

Beyond the different names and forms and the diversity, we center in the in the Self, the center of existence...

athitā muni-puṅgavaiḥ“Being helpful in mantra-yoga, chiefly only two postures (āsanas) have been accepted, which are svastikāsana and padmāsana. Āsana-śuddhi (purification of āsana) is done by differentiation of āsana, purification of āsana and practice of āsana. The object on which a sādhaka should sit has been variously specified by the sages in Vedas and tantras..." (Mantra-yoga-saṁhitā, 38.1-2)4.Pañca-aṅga-sevana or the service of the five aṅgas or limbs: Pañca-aṅga-sevana consists in the daily reading of the Bhagavad-gitā and the Sahasra-nāma, or "thousand names of God", as well as the recitation of stavana, or chants of glorification; kavaca, or mantras for protection; and hṛdaya, or hymns of glorification to our Iṣṭa-deva, which are intended to open the heart.The natural consequence of this very powerful method is the directionalization of our attention towards God. The intent of sadhana is not to obtain God as a result, nor is it a form of exchange by which we procure enlightenment. The divine experience is not an acquisition but it is something that happens by divesting oneself of all possessions. Any spiritual practice is intended to create the propitious situation for the celestial to happen to us, to allow something of God to occur in us. This is the idea that lies behind Pañca-aṅga-sevana.gītā sahasra-nāmānistavaḥ kavacam eva cahṛdayaṁ ceti pañcaitepañcāṅgaṁ procyate budhaiḥ svopāsanā-‘nusāreṇagītāyāḥ paṭhanād dhruvamsahasra-nāmādhyayanātsva-paddhaty-anusārataḥ stotrasya kavacasyāpihṛdayasya ca pāṭhataḥyoga-siddhim avāpnotiyogī vigata-kalmaṣaḥ “Gītā, sahasra-nāma (thousand names of the deity), stava (chanting), kavaca (mantras for protection), and hṛdaya (hymns of glorification) have been enumerated by the erudites as pañcāṇga (five organs). By daily reading of Gīta according to one’s own sect of worship and recitation of sahasra-nāma, stava, kavaca and hṛdaya according to one’s own sectarian procedures, a yogi divesting himself of impurities achieves yoga-siddhi (fulfillment of yogic aims)……" (Mantra-yoga-saṁhitā, 40.

This story emphasizes the importance in relating ourselves harmoniously with our environment without violating its laws. We must use the faculties we possess that plants and animals lack; in other words, our intellect must be engaged in assuming responsibility, not in destroying the planet. That implies evolving in the same way that nature evolves. It implies acting from nature, as nature itself. Whoever aspires to peace, happiness, health, and environmental integration, must change his abusive attitude toward nature for a relationship of respect, appreciation, and admiration.

 Although the relationship of master to disciple is one of love, it is not based on sentimental attachments. It surpasses attachment, transcending and going far beyond it, because the master-disciple relationship is much deeper than the emotional plane, being supra-emotional and transcendental. Moreover, it is not intellectual, but spiritual, as it is a relationship not of minds, but of souls. The guru and the disciple are connected beyond time and space. Wherever the disciple is, he can invoke the presence of his master through the repetition of the pranati mantra with faith and devotion, and he will immediately find himself near to his eternal guru maharaja.The Role of the MasterThe role of the spiritual master has never been completely understood in the West. Most people identify the master solely with a provider of knowledge, wisdom and information, one who performs a service similar to a professor at a college or a teacher at school. However, the master’s true role is not constructive in nature. In reality, the true service and assistance of the guru, which is expressed in many diverse ways, is destructive, as it divests the disciple of his ego. As the mind is transcended, the guru eliminates the unreal, he destroys all our ideas, beliefs and concepts about ourselves. The main teaching and the primary message of the guru is not verbal, but through example. I am referring to the dynamic aspect of the master, in which he is called an acarya or "one who teaches through example”. In the Kulārṇava Tantra (17. 11-12) it says:svayam ācarate śiṣyānācāre sthāpayaty apiācinotīha śāstrārthānācaryas tena kathyate carācara-samāsannamadhyāpayati yaḥ svayamyaḥ ādi-yoga-siddhatvādācārya iti kathyate"He (the ācārya) behaves (ācarate) according to the dharma and establishes his disciples in the ācāra; he incorporates the different qualities mentioned in the śāstras, for this reason he is called an ācārya. He who teaches all around him, both creatures that move as well as those that don’t (carācara), due to his perfection in the original yoga, is called an (ācārya).

Each and every one of the branches of yoga offers different practices in order to create the appropriate situation in which this awakening to the self as the center and origin of all there is, could happen... Just as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (10.8):

All human beings possess some degree of concentration, so as to be able to keep the mind focused on an object or an idea for a few moments. Since concentration is the prelude to meditation, true spiritual development requires a very high level of concentration.6.1.                TrāṭakaTrāṭaka means in Sanskrit, “to fix the gaze”. It is not, as many believe and teach, a method of meditation. Rather, trāṭaka is a highly recommended concentration exercise that helps one develop the ability to focus the attention, and it is one of the classical techniques of dhāraṇā. Although its principle benefit is to strengthen concentration and promote relaxation, it is also considered to be one of the six purification practices or á¹£aá¹­-karmas.Trāṭaka consists in concentrating the attention on a single point, which can be a deity, the symbol Oṁ, a chakra, or a yantra, although the flame of a candle is typically used. This technique is used in haá¹­ha-yoga, as well as in jñāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga and kuṇḍalinÄ«-yoga. Trāṭaka is one of the most efficient methods for balancing and calming the mind and developing our internal vision.Technique: With a straight back, sit in siddhāsana or any other comfortable meditative posture and face the flame of a burning candle, looking at it steadily without blinking (photo number 400). After gazing at the flame for one minute, close your eyes, relax the ocular muscles and visualize the flame of the candle in the ājña-cakra or the anāhata-cakra for one minute (photo number 401). After the internal image fades away, go back to gazing at the flame for one minute without blinking. If the eyes tear up, close them and then repeat the exercise. As you become accustomed to it, you will gradually be able to increase the time spent gazing at the external flame, and you will also begin to visualize the internal flame more clearly. At first, countless ideas, thoughts and mental chatter will arise. Over the course of time, however, you will experience greater tranquility (photo number 401b).

..Tal y como lo dice una bellísima oración hindú:Twameva mata cha pita twamevatwameva bandhuscha sakha twamevatwameva vidya dravinam twamevatwameva sarvam mama deva deva"Sólo tú eres mi madre y mi padre, sólo Tú eres mi amigo y mi amada compañía, sólo Tú eres mi sabiduría y mi riqueza; oh Señor Supremo, sólo Tú lo eres todo para mi." En el más elevadísimo estado de para-bhakti, el devoto ve sólo a Dios tras este mundo de formas y nombres... Al ver joyas, aros, anillos, medallones, brazaletes y monedas sólo ve el mismo oro... Al ver platos, jarros, jarrones, vasos y tazas sólo ve la arcilla de la cual todos están confeccionados...Al observar el mundo fenoménico sólo ve a Dios... o mejor dicho ve un mundo divino... Aquí el bhakti se funde con el jñana porque se produce la realización directa que sólo Dios realmente es... sólo la vida... la realidad es...El Sanatana-dharma no es politeísta porque no acepta la existencia de más de un sólo Dios, sin embargo tampoco es monoteísta porque no acepta la existencia de un sólo Dios... de acuerdo al hinduismo sólo y únicamente Dios "es" ... Si algo desvía tu atención de la Realidad única... señal que te haz quedado dormido... que estás prestando atención a un sueño... a una fantasía... una ilusión... a algo que no es, que no existe en realidad... No luches con aquello que no es, mas bien ignóralo... sé indiferente...Por ejemplo, fantasías como tus creencias ilusorias son capaces de desviar tu atención de la realidad... Lo que crees ser o las fantasías imaginarias acerca de ti logran desviar tu atención de lo que verdaderamente eres... Dondequiera que el verdadero devoto mira, sólo ve a Dios... Por lo tanto nada puede desviar su atención de Dios... En realidad, para el auténtico bhakta, la vida y la existencia son divinas... Krishna dice el Bhagavad Gita (8.14):ananya-cetāḥ satataṁ yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ tasyāhaṁ sulabhaḥ pārtha nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ"Yo soy fácilmente accesible para quien me recuerda constantemente sin desviación, ¡oh, hijo de Pṛthā, para el devoto constante!"Y

aham sarvasya prabhavo,

The Chakras – Their Functioning and Characteristics catur-dalaṁ syād ādhāraṁsvādhiṣṭhānaṁ ca ṣaḍ-dalam nābhau daśa-dalaṁ padmaṁhṛdaye dvādaśārakamṣoḍaśāraṁ viśuddhākhyaṁbhrū-madhye dvi-dalaṁ tathāsahasra-dala-saṅkhyātaṁbrahma-randhre mahā-pathi“It has been said (of the six psychic centers) that the mūlādhāra, the central base, has four petals.Svādhiṣṭhāna, the center of oneself, has six petals.Maṇipūra, the center of the navel, has ten petals. Anāhata, the heart center has twelve petals.Viśuddha, the center of purification, has sixteen petals, and bhrū-madhya, the center of the space between the eyebrows, has two petals. In the greatpath of the brahma-randhra (the opening at the crown of the head) is found the lotus of a thousand petals (sahasrāra-cakra)."Yoga-cūḍāmaṇy-upaniṣad(verses4b-6a) The meaning of the word chakra in Sanskrit is "wheel" or "disc", which suggests the idea of a circular movement.The chakras rotate in a clockwise direction. They are swirling vortexes of consciousness, transformers of energy from and toward the astral body or liṅga-śarīra. The chakras consist of a system of centers of activity which are intended to receive, assimilate and transmit the vital energies, and by which the prāṇa organizes its flow.In the astral body there are myriad chakras in the feet, in the hands, in the knees, the fingers, the shoulders, and other parts of the body; however, there are seven which are most relevant: mūlādhāra, svādhiṣṭhāna, maṇipūra, anāhata, viśuddha, ājñā and sahasrāra.Each chakra has its owncharacteristics and esoteric symbolism which help us to focus our attention on that center.The seven most important chakras are located along the suṣumnā-nāḍī. The chakras cannot be seen with our physical eyes, but what we can perceive with our sensesare their corresponding centers in the dense body, which can be found in the spinal chord and the nervous plexuses.

mattah sarvam pravartateiti matva bhajante mam,

The Upaniṣadic ṛṣis, or sages of ancient India, came to tell us long ago that there is no such thing as one world or material reality, and another reality of a spiritual kind, there is no such thing as this material world and another world of absolute or transcendental nature, but that reality, life or existence, is one and indivisible...

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ।।

In dreams we create worlds and we see various people, yet the only thing that we actually perceive is our own consciousness in the state of sleep with dreams. However, the consciousness of oneself, the dreamer, remains present as the observer. In the same way, this reality of names and forms, of apparent diversity is a divine dream in which the Self or absolute reality remains as the sole observer who transcends the dream. The omniscient and omnipresent self is both the dream and its observer. When we fall asleep, we lose waking consciousness and begin to dream from the moment that we consider the dream to be real; that is to say, from the moment that we identify with the dream. In the same way, the ego is a symptom that we have abandoned the position of observer and are identifying with the observed.

You are not the thoughts, but they are youFebruary 20th, 2010oṁoṁoṁ  oṁ gaṁ gaṇapataye namaḥoṁ guṁ gurubhyo namaḥom aiṁ sarasvatyai namaḥ oṁ saha nāvavatu saha nau bhunaktu saha vÄ«ryaṁ karavāvahai tejasvi nāv adhÄ«tam astu mā vidviṣāvahai oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥhariḥ oṁ tat satThe great question, or at least one of the most important questions for any religious person, for any seeker—I would say for any dreamer of freedom, for anyone who yearns for freedom, for all who live with this yearning—the main question is:  is freedom possible? And what does this freedom mean? What is it? It is not just freedom as it is conceived of on the surface.There is a lot of talk of freedom, especially when we are speaking about politics. There are those who think, hearing the word freedom, that politics is being discussed. However, freedom from communism or imperialism, freedom from the Chinese or the Arabs or the Jews, or from my husband or wife, is not true freedom, because in this type of freedom, we are still completely focused on other people, on the “other”. It is external and superficial. It is what might be termed “material freedom.”Much introspection is needed to understand that while it is not possible to change what happens, what is important is that the one to whom everything happens, changes the way he sees it. Or as they say, it is not about trying to change what is happening to you, but about changing your attitude towards what is happening.So, when we are speaking in this sense about freedom, when we are speaking of true freedom, we are speaking about freedom from ourselves. Is it possible to be free of our behavior patterns, to be free of this mind, which is what we are, or at least what we believe ourselves to be?It is a mind made up of pain, misery, fears, ambitions, complexes and desires, and everything   in it has been added by others. And all of this is what I believe myself to be, or what I am, let’s say, speaking in terms of facts.

budha bhava-samanvitah

El egoísmo y el apego son un tipo de ceguera, es decir, cubren el intelecto, nuestra visión de la realidad. Es interesante que la palabra Sanjaya en idioma Sánscrito literalmente signifique "aquel que carece de apego o rechazo". En el contexto del presente relato será el secretario del rey Dhritarashtra, con este nombre, del cual se servirá el rey ciego para informarse acerca de los acontecimientos en el campo de batalla. Si tomáramos en cuenta el nombre del sirviente llegaríamos a la conclusión de que éste fue elegido por el monarca para obtener información fidedigna sin interpretaciones ni prejuicios. Sanjaya fue el hijo de Gavalgama e íntimo amigo de Arjuna, el poder de la visión divina le fue otorgado nada menos que por el mismo Sri Vyasadeva, fue este poder lo que le hizo posible narrar desde la distancia al rey Dhritarashtra los acontecimientos en Kurukshetra; un dharmatma, es decir un alma que vivía estrictamente de acuerdo al Dharma, un maryada, o un alma que vivía de acuerdo a los más estrictos principios de moral, un sastra-jna, o un perfecto conocedor de las conclusiones finales de las escrituras védicas.

The Matsya-purāṇa (53.65) defines the Purāṇas as possessing pañca-lakṣaṇa or the “five distinctive characteristics” in the following way:

..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.