Flow with Change; Flow with Life

It has been more than seven or eight months that we have written anything on this blog. Now, we are back again. Not that we went anywhere :) The persecution that is being inflicted upon Paramahamsa Nithyananda has made our faith in him stronger.

I want to start this second innings of the blog with an interesting experience I had when I visited Singapore last month. I was speaking to a friend of mine who was saying, "I do not like too many changes in my life."

When he spoke that statement, a beautiful revelation happened in me. Whenever I visited Singapore, I used to think, how come everything seems to be the same. The same people, the way they are talking is the same, the things they are doing are the same, the way they behave is the same... everything seems exactly the same. I noticed this "sameness" over a matter of 6 months when I visited Singapore thrice.

I kept asking myself, "how can everything remain the same. Whenever I come, I see the same thing?"

Now the interesting thing is, I lived in this very sameness for ten years before my sabbatical to India in November 2009. But never once, during those ten years, I felt that sameness as haunting as it was during my three visits in a span of six months.

"Why?" was my next question and the answer presented itself as a beautiful click.

The simple reason is the last one year of my stay in Paramahamsa Nithyananda's ashram in Bidadi is so eventful that everything else outside seems very static and pale. Every day, every hour, every moment, we are faced with change. The degree of change is very very high and the rate of change is equally high and we have become completely tuned to adapting to that change every moment.

Paramahamsa Nithyananda talks about chaos in order and order in chaos. This universe for example is complete chaos; yet there is a beautiful order in it. The atomic structure is complete chaos but there is an order also in it.

And that is what I had become used to - change that happens every moment. I could adapt to that change. But when I was in Singapore, I could not see that change. It looked to monotonous to me. It looked pale. Change is colorful and dyanamic and who does not like colors and dyanamism.

Life is colorful because it is dynamic and unpredictable. Being aware and flowing with this dyanamism is the only way to bring an order in that chaos and unpredictability. This is one of the most powerful teaching of Paramahamsa Nithyananda - just unclutch and flow with life. That is enough to keep oneself enjoying every moment of life, be it happiness or be it sorrow.

Watch the following on unclutching from Paramahamsa Nithyananda.

Breaking all limits: Nothing to fear; Nothing to lose

It's been a while since we wrote, amidst all the many things that were happening - "chaos" (as it may appear from outside). There was no intention not to write.

As each day unfolds, revealing many magical moments filled with ananda, I recall some words of my Master, in the light of some recent experiences in our lives. Swamiji has said many times - live the life of "Asaadhya Saadhana" - achieving the unachievable or living the impossible! This inspired me a lot because this means, being daring to dream in a grand way, and living those dreams. Even dreaming needs courage because we are so conditioned and so used to putting limitations in the way we think or operate, that it is reflected even when we envision our future. It is within the fence of our courtyard that we dare to walk around in.

And our decisions are all within the barriers of the fence. We just miss experiencing the amazing energy that is so vast and compassionate, urging us to break all limits. The vast energy is infinite and opens us to those infinite possibilities, only if we allow it to.

After meeting Swamiji, every decision, whether big or small is constantly revealing to us the infinite energy that is within us and around us. There exists no barriers, because all barriers are created by the mind and mind is our creation! So why fear? Let us walk the path unwalked. Let us think for ourselves and live life to the fullest.

Sharing by a fellow devotee - Anniversary celebrations at Ohio

Nithyanandam.

Tomorrow, Wednesday April 14, Ohio will be celebrating the third anniversary of the inauguration of the first Nithyananda Vedic Temple in the USA! Our thanks to Swamiji and Existence for this beautiful place of peace and divine energy. There are so many aspects of this Temple that make it truly live up to its name: Nithya Ananda, Eternal Bliss.

To begin, the Temple physically came to fruition only nine months after Swamiji declared that there would be a Shiva Temple in Columbus and handed over the symbolic towel. Swamiji says that when he declares something, or says it in words, it has already happened. This is evident in how quickly the Temple came about. Once the property was established, Swamiji decided that the Ohio Temple would be the home of the 7 foot tall, 6 tons Anandeshwara and Anandeshwari, the faces of which Swamiji himself carved.

The Temple is in a beautiful natural setting with two rivers flowing on its property: the State protected Olentangy River and a creek flowing into it. Paramahamasa Nithyananda declared the confluence of these two waterways the Prayag of the West. During the Kumbh Mela of April 15, 2007, Swamiji said that the confluence of these two water streams was similar to the Prayag in India and the direction of the flow was matched by that of the sacred rivers; Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

What memories we have of that two-week period with Swamiji and all the people and other beings that came to help and support the beautiful outpouring of existential energy on planet earth. For many of us, it was the first time we witnessed or participated in rituals of energizing a Temple or Moorthis. That it was performed by Swamiji, an Enlightened Master, in a small town in the US, is almost beyond comprehension. Anandeswara and Anandeswari had arrived in January, and with us were waiting for Swamiji to come to bless and anchor divine energy into them through the Prana Pratishta.

The Kumbhabhishekum, an offering to energize the Temple, is a huge service to humanity as it raises the positivity of the surrounding area, making the pure energy of Divine Existence available to all. The compassion of our enlightened master was evident in the Kumbh Mela, as Swamiji made sure to make eye contact with each passing motorist or person watching.

Swamiji told us that to give each person the possibility of one glimpse of him…for that glimpse to register and become their “Mastercard”, could allow them liberation. This Temple, the deities, the teachings, the music, the land, the Vedic tradition, has been our home, our life, our blood, our bread and butter for the past three years, given to us by Swamiji, energized by Swamiji, all an outpouring of energy known as Nithyananda.

Nithya means eternal. This land and energy will continue to exist. In the current events of uncertainty and wavering faith, the energy gifted and established here in Ohio by Swamiji will never waver. Our small minds may waver, our egos may get bruised, fear and greed may take hold, but Anandeshwara will stand strong in His intelligence. Swamiji once pointed out that even though a palace and a temple built by the same architect, with the same materials, was built at the same time, the palace crumbled and succumbed to the elements while the Temple remained standing. This is because the temple and moorthis were energized, keeping the temple intact. Happy Anniversary to the Ohio Nithyananda Vedic Temple. Happy Anniversary to Swamiji.

To all Beings: Let us hear your support! Let us feel your support! Show us your support. Continue to radiate Living Enlightenement.

For a beautiful understanding of how these moorthis and rituals can help us, see the following discourse by Swamiji on Karma and Rituals: A deeper Understanding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc__aLv5mEY

In Nithyananda’s Grace
Ma Nithyananda Bodhanaa

My gratitude to my master

The rich Vedic culture and anyone who used to propagate this culture in its full authenticity have always been attacked. And this is what has happened to Paramahamsa Nithyananda. How the world will understand this I do not know. But what I know is my experience; what I know is my transformation that has happened. That is the biggest testimony that I know and I have witnessed. No one else has to convince me about my experience and my transformation.

And with that as the base, I support my Master in these difficult times when he has been framed in such a conspiracy. The deep life solutions that I learnt and experienced during the first level meditation program (LBP1), the deeper truths about death that we consciously experiencec in second level Life bliss program, the power of devotion that we experience in third level program, the strong meditative experience that happens during Healers' Initiation ... these experiences are enough for me to be with him when he is being attacked by people who haven't even seen him once.

I guess this is the time we need to stand up for the transformations that we have had being with the Master. Every Guru Poornima, every Jayanthi, we came to express our gratitude for transformation. Now it is even more important to cut this negativity out with our positive transformation.

Everything is bliss - nithyananda, I found

Everywhere I see around

Beauty is all that I can find

In silence, I hear a beautiful sound

In blissful stillness, rests my mind.

Hitting the rocks and banks a thousand times

The river just flows on and on.

With same peace, same energy and peace

It just flows on and on and on.

From far east, comes the cool breeze

Hugging the branches, cajoling the leaves,

It kisses everything that comes its way.

Whatever comes its way, it just breezes away.

At a distance, I see the banyan tree

Chirping birds and dancing squirrels,

Sleepy owls, in one corner, I see.

A home of many, in harmony.

Their very nature is to flow, I see

In that flow, is bliss and peace.

Untouched by anything that happens around

Everything is bliss, is what I found.

Inner Transformation: Biggest Service to Mankind

Recently I was volunteering in a meditation program held by acharyas (teachers) of Nithyananda order and was witness to amazing scenes of transformation and healing. During one of the meditation, each and everyone of the few hundred participants had melted completely. I could see clearly how they easily they were able to offload the burden of suppressed emotions that they were carrying till now. It was touching to see how people opened up their Pandora boxes and by the end of the session, each and everyone (this is the first time I am seeing a near 100% audience saying this) said, "we feel light... something huge that we were holding on to till now has dissolved."

This is the greatest service that one can do mankind - personal transformation. Spirituality is often mistaken to be social service only (see the emphasis on social service). Yes, social service is one component of spirituality, or rather, one by-product of spirituality but spirituality is not just social service. Spirituality is much more than that. Like Ramakrishna says, "It is better to teach someone how to fish rather than just giving him the fish to eat."

When the inner space of a person is cleansed, it just radiates in the outer world too. All our outwardly emotions like anger, guilts, worry, fear etc. are nothing but a corruption in our inner space. During the program, almost everyone experienced the cleansing of the inner space and each one could experience the result of this cleansing in their outwardly emotions and behavior.

The very transformation in an individual attracts people towards him. When one individual transforms, his transformation transforms 10 people around him. Each of the 10 people can transform 10 more, leading to 100 individuals and so on. Just imagine the chain reaction...

What better service can one do to mankind than to teach them how to lead a blissful life. Paramahamsa Nithyananda is on this one mission - transformation of an individual to transform humanity...

For those who are not convinced with this, let me also add that Nithyananda Global Initiatives spends lot of time, energy, effort and money on various charitable activities like free food serving, free medical camps, disaster relief etc. But these services are offered as a sharing of one's own transformation.

Time to Timelessness, Place to Space

"This is the time when timelessness penetrates time. This is the moment when space descends into the place zone; brahmanda descends into pindanda; macrocosm descends into microcosm", defines Paramahamsa Nithyananda, on Shivaratri. He says this is the time when the whole cosmos creates a possibility for us to experience the Ultimate consciousness. A deep click happened in me when I heard these words from the master on Shivaratri night.

Let me pen down by thoughts.

Time and again, enlightened masters have said, "You are enlightened". But we hold on to time and place as being permanent. We want to hold on to time and place. We always are either in past or future. There is a reason for it. Because present is the always changing, always impermanent, our ego knows that it can't hold the present. That is precisely why we are never in the present moment, we are scared of staying in the present moment.


Similarly holding on to place, the world outside that we perceive as solid reality, deludes us from the space that we are actually a part of. We are part of the whole cosmic space. The whole cosmic space is within us. But we are busy grabbing places for us; putting our nameplates on as many places as we can.


Holding on to these two is pulling us, already spiritual beings, into humanly emotions like greed and fear. Being entangled in these emotions arising from our clutching on to place and time, we miss the vast, ever pervading timelessness and space that we are actually made up of, from which we originally came.


The all-pervading timelessness and space are constantly inviting us to connect back to them. They even come down to planet earth and take birth as human beings so that we can relate to them easily. These human beings (a.k.a enlightened masters or avatar) constantly remind us of the that timelessness and space. They are here only to pull us out of the clutches of time and place.


The only thing that we have to do is: be open and allow them.

Where the roots and leaves meet

At Bidadi Ashram, the home of many devotees from many parts of the world, young and old, one can see the magical coming together of technology and ancient spirituality. Some of the typical sights in ashram, which anyone who has spent time at Ashram would relate to:

-Fresh faces at sunrise, with a yoga mat tucked below one arm, guru puja kit in the other hand, streaming into the sabha for the beautiful morning routine

- Rows of laptops at meetings and the accompanying sound of keyboards in action

- Sound of evening aarati song, temple bells, fragrance of camphor and sandal

- Technical team discussions at the restaurant, members being truly international, some blonde, some NRIs, some Indians, but all dressed in Vedic costume (dhoti or saree)

- The delightful sight of an avatar draped in graceful saffron, suddenly appearing in front of you!

- Quiet faces in deep meditation under the mystical banyan tree

- Blackberries downloading emails at real time for enhanced work efficiency

- Spiritual debates and inner healing sessions

- Dancing away to the latest Nithya dance hits

- Gurukul kids playing badminton, football and other games in their playground

- Fashion accessories at Ashram - Rudraksh mala, Nithyananda bracelet, kumkum, vibhuti

- The list goes on...

To summarize, Bidadi Ashram is the most beautiful place on planet earth - where you get to experience the peak of the inner and outer worlds, with joy! After all, it's the home of God!

If you have a sight you want to add to the list, please feel free and leave your comment.

Nithyanandam!

Upanishad - Sitting at the feet of the Master

Eternity unfolds itself every time we sit at the feet of our beloved Master. Nobody has any track of time or space, as we sit in a deep silence in His presence. Indeed, this is what the ancient rishis meant by the word "Upanishad", sitting at the feet of the master. The Master's presence is like that of the sun, the rays of which simply penetrate the surroundings. If a cube of ice is put in the sun, it melts in no time.

Just like that, our samskaras simply dissolve in the intense energy field of the Master. The sun does not think about who is coming near it and then decide whether to shine or not. It shines no matter what. Master's compassion does not have logic. There is no calculation involved or an ulterior motive when the Master radiates his love and compassion. It is whether we want to allow ourselves to melt or we choose to hold back.

It does not matter what He talks, every word is like an arrow hitting our inner space and killing the demons of ego and conditionings. The Master wants our transformation, our growth, our joy. Why should he be so bothered about our growth? For no logical reason. This is called compassion.

Nithyananda Ashram - Tiruvannamalai, Shortcut to Instant Samadhi

Tiruvannamalai, the spiritual incubator of the world, ...

- the place where Shiva rests as the Mountain - Arunachala, the Linga and the Master,

- the place, the name of which when uttered, brought a 16 year old kid running towards It who later became the enlightened Master Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi,

- the place which has seen an unbroken lineage of enlightened Masters continuously grace planet earth,

- the place with the huge Shiva temple which attracts devotees from all over the world,

- the place which is now seeing the enlightenment expression of living avatar Paramahamsa Nithyananda...

This was my second trip to Tiruvannamalai with Swamiji for his birthstar celebrations (the first trip was also on the same occasion three years ago). But it felt as if I have always been there. This place has such tremendous energy that anyone, from whatever culture, creed, country, religion, tradition they are, feels at home. More than a 100 Life Bliss Engineering participants, majority of which were westerners, all of them had the same response - Its brilliant.

Its literally a home coming for anyone who goes there. Ofcourse it would be... it is Shiva's place after all or should I say the whole place is a Shiva linga, as someone told me.

This time, my trip was even more fulfilling. This is the first time I was visiting Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam Tiruvannamalai. I reached the ashram late night on 7th Jan. Let me explain you the morning of 8th Jan; this particular morning has filled my inner space with unfathomable joy and bliss.

I wake up at about 4.30 am and got ready by 5.30 am and came out. The darkness was just then being replaced by Sun's soothing morning brightness. As I come out of the ashram, I see the Arunachala formed a beautiful backdrop behind the ashram, just a few meters away. That was a breathtaking sight. The ashram is located right at the foothills of Arunachala. I kept gazing at It with awe and deep fulfillment, just looking at the beauty of the mountain. Low lying cottony clouds moved past the peak of Arunachala making it even more beautiful, as if Shiva has been crowned by them.

My awe was just the beginning. I walked a few steps, backward, without losing my sight of Arunachala. And then in my viewing pane, I see the 1008 Shiva Lingas beautifully clad in white and rudraksha and the mighty Arunachala was overlooking them.

That was the sight of my life:

Morning breeze bathing everything with its coolness, the 1008 Shiva Lingas all systematically installed radiating the energy of Arunachala, that is overlooking them like a proud father and the soothing Sun rays massaging everything around with their warmth.

My joy knew no bounds but was it the end... I don't think so.

A few steps behind me were Anandeswara and Anandeswari dressed in white, bejewelled in gems and smiling at the 1008 Shiva Lingas.

I was in instant Samadhi, seeing all this at one go. What a blessing... what an opportunity and this was not all ...

Because in a few minutes, Shiva Himself was going to step out of the Ashram to celebrate His own birthday :-)

Ah! that's it! That's all one needs for this lifetime...

(Watch Swamiji speak about His fond memories of His birthplace in this video)