Prolegomenon
This world is like a rose garden bristling with thorns, you are not at the mercy of deities, you are at the mercy of your own perils. What needs to remain in your mind is the awareness of your individual ego. In this article we will explore some yoga principles, describe a very subtle but powerful excersise, and inform the reader of the pitfalls to be avoided. The content is free, and kept as a brief as possible for ease of use. I will not emphasize the faults of new-age gurus, as it should become apparent to most practioners that my warnings, though very infrequent, aren't minor issues. The content is presented as a warning about abuse of priviledge, and as a benefit for the solemn practitioner.
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Some Warnings
You may have heard that India is a very quirky country, and in a general sense is somewhat of a spiritual supermarket. Many people go to visit thinking they will find a swami or guru that will help them overcome their spiritual angst, but too often get bamboozled without having noticed it until further in their spiritual careers. The crux of the issue is that India is much like a Walmart of spirituality; there are hidden gems that you will never uncover, and much of what you will find is only cheap plastic or a polluted mockery of yesteryears. There are many charlatans all over the world that will asks you for money in return for your salvation, much of which you should already be familiar with. There are many names to list, all of whom insist on having your money to be near them and attain a new mind. I will avoid going through all of them here, as there are only a handful of popular buffoons pretending to be swamis for your cash. However, It applies to all of them: yogis, gurus, pundits, or preachers... they are all deceiving you. Unfortunately, once you drink their coolaid, you've already invested enough as to feel like never letting go. It is the result of losing part of your individuality and money. In otherwords, hardly anyone wants to die to a lie and it is difficult to comprehend one has gone that road. On this page you will find good options for your spiritual progress that will help you avoid scammers, and plagiarists.
False Gurus
Sadguru is one of those culprits who people love to visit, because of his white beard and funny gimmickry. He's along the same lines of other popularisers who don't care about your love for others. In an different era, they would have simply been dubbed as occultists, however the correct term today might be psychological manipulator. Just watch some of his videos on youtube, and you will notice the silliness of the whole act after some patience.
As a general rule, try to grasp this premise: there are no more saviours, don't wait for swami's help or guruji to remove your sorrows. It ain't happening like this anymore.
It's really up to you to be more serious about the next steps you need to undergo. Whether you are a sikh, christian, muslim, or jewish you may still benefit from it.
As a caveat, since I am a muslim, I ought to inform you that salaah (the islamic/prophetic prayer) is the most important to evolve spiritually, but people don't express this aspect of things in its completest sense. It might be needless to say that if you're performing salaah as you should, then you do not need so-hum, as the prayer of the prophet is more than so-hum. There is no replacement. So-hum however will lead you to a state of bliss, even as a muslim it will only enhance your spiritual journey, but it is not your religion like salaah. There's much to say regarding this topic, and will leave that to scholars as it isn't the focus of this article.
My intentions here are to provide you with a guideline on how to practice meditation to propel you further in your station.
I'd like to inform you of some useful exercises and what to avoid, in order to achieve some tranquility and a sharp focus. This article is going to be to the point, and contains a table of contents for your perusal. There is nothing tricky, or bewildering about the material here, it's simply a matter of practice for your attention to shift towards your inner being.
I'll provide this book freely, use it as you please, but don't hurt anyone with this knowledge or it will repay you severalfold. You might see a boon out of it, but don't collude with the devil by pretending you're something you are not, as does such the likes of Sadguru. As they say in Québecois, "we don't work for the devil, but only his step-brothers", implying the false notion that "maybe we won't be so damned if nobody finds out". This is a free journey, the price is exhaustion.
Table of Contents
- Mantras understood
- The meaning of sadhana
- The value of spirituality in religion
- So-Hum is magnificent
- How to perform So-Hum meditation <– were you looking for this ?
- Wait guru...
- Avoiding superpowers :)
What are Mantras?
The term mantra itself refers to the practice of repeating sound-vowels, or what is dubbed as seed-sounds. They are brought together to give a concise aphorism or content for the mind to unravel. Think of it like a very compressed mathematical equation, made up of phonics. In this case, mantras are symbolic expressions through simple sounds. For instance, think of Einstein's energy conservation formule which reads "E=mc2", it's a very short and gorgeous equation that packs a wallop of information (quite literally as well). For someone to comprend this equation, they need to understand many concepts in maths and physics very keenly, otherwise it may simply remain a gorgeous equation with little to no value to them. With mantras, the the mind intuitions the concept into application through meditative repetition. It takes time, but it works.
What is sadhana?
Sadhana is a word people will not delve into very often, and I have found that many so-called teachers won't even utter the word to you as it reveals a little trickery about their state of affairs. It is in essence something that implies a consistent spiritual practice. It may or may not be of greatness, or imcomplete, so it is very quizzical to see many Jains/Hindus dismiss the Islamic religion for its sadhanas, namely salaah, zhikr, wudu, etc. In Islam, it is comprehensive, meaning combined for you from the start. It is also said to be perfected, as it was revealed to the final messenger (pbuh). Salaah may have also been a practice exclusively reserved for nabis and rassuls (prophets), or rishis as it is referred to in Jainism (Hinduism).
To provide you a contrast with other words, in the movie "Passion of the Christ" by Mel Gibson, which has quite a profane exposition of violence, there is one moment in the film describing the enormity of salaah, by which they convey Jesus to be holding onto a tree for support while being overwhelmed by a messsage from his Lord, where he is prostrating and praying for guidance. It is the same practice, but provided as a perfection in the Islamic tradition. It is the practice of the prophets, in most traditions.
What is religion?
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What is So-Hum
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So-Hum meditation
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What is a Guru?
The term guru is a very heavy word, even greater than genius. However, it is missused, and abused by everybody to mean anything. Think of an "apple genius", or a "sadguru", it has little to no meaning anymore. A sadguru is yourself, or within. It's an internal guidance mechanism, and has nothing to do with another person. It is your internal voice for that matter, and the presence of God. It is not the same, meaning you or God's directions are not intermixed. The islamic hadith that says "Know thyself, and you will know Allah", is reflected in every scriptures of the universe. It's quite a tragedy to see people fall astray from this beautiful description of the soul and it's relation to the divine source. Although a soul is different from the divine origin, however you may wish to word it. God is otherwordly, or beyond the beyond. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you are a spark of the creator, where the soul or supreme state of enlightenment is Allah, it goes beyond you or anything you can understand. We simply say, that it all belongeth to Allah, and that He is The Unique in the realest sense of the word. So it is a miracle, and a clear sign for you to know that The Divine Presence can be found within an individual.
There is however a third element that many people often disregard, it is Iblis, the condemned. We all hear his voice as well in the same spot. Don't disregard this, as there are many Gurus who will profess one way or another that there is possibly, or maybe not something akin to devils or hell, but it is true, as real or moreso than this world.
So here is the crux of the problem, this spiritual center is powerful, but has no direction in of itself, unless you are perfectly guided by a guru. It is difficult to distinguish true from falsehood, mainly because it is permissive only in the Anahata (heart chakra). While you are in the Anahata, you may experience all sorts of nonsense, and it can be very confusing, therefore it is disallowed in the vedas for even pure reasoning might confuse you there.
In Islam, it is said that the universe is not large enough to contain The Lord Almighty, however God is found within the vessel or the abode of the heart. It is also the place where Iblis (a great devil) has been given respite until Youm Al-Qiyamah (the day of reckoning). Therefore, in every tradition, from Buddhism, Jainism, even Christians, and Jewish people, the emphasis of practice is a multilateral one. Compassion tempers wisdom, but knowledge guides the believers.
There are a few decent teachers around, who teach you the basics at no cost to you (that means zero rupees/dollars). They often have a normal vocation, and don't care about your religion. They typically want to know if you're decent person to begin your journey, and offer you their condolences if they believe you ain't cappable. They might encourage you to feed the poor with some of your money, and tell you not to travel unless you must do so to make a living or gain important or critical knowledge otherwise unavailable to you in your own locality.
How do avoid superpowers
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