The Awakening of Consciousness: Kuṇḍalinī and Cakras
The science of yoga is the science of body, mind, and consciousness. Yoga is the eternal balancing principle in the universe, not a religion or dogma. The cosmic vibration, declared as OM, exists within and outside us. Human life is a precious chance within the cycle of rebirth. The human intellect can be trained endlessly, and dormant abilities within are connected to the cakras, or energy centers. The subtle body has 72,000 nāḍīs, or channels, for transmitting consciousness and energy. The mind functions between the subconscious and conscious, taking in impressions that become desires. The intellect's duty is to give judgment. We normally experience three levels of consciousness: waking, dream, and deep sleep. Past deeds create our destiny, or prārabdha karma. The Kuṇḍalinī energy and the cakra system are responsible for developing consciousness and freeing it from subconscious fears. The major nāḍīs are Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumṇā, balancing emotion and intellect. Haṭha Yoga unites these sympathetic and parasympathetic principles. The awakening of Kuṇḍalinī is a divine process of becoming wise and calm, not a physical sensation. The cakras are located along the spinal column and are psychic energy centers. They are connected to the five elements and influence the body. Mastery leads towards liberation, the union of individual consciousness with cosmic consciousness. This requires lifelong practice and guidance.
"Yoga is not a religion, it is not a philosophy, it is not a dogma, but it is the eternal principle in this universe."
"The awakening of the Kuṇḍalinī is a divine process; you don't feel it as a physical sensation. You feel happy, as if in the lap of the mother."
Filming location: Zagreb, Croatia
DVD 188
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Nothing belongs to you
Nothing belongs to you, and all things are impermanent.
Yoga's first principle is that nothing exists forever and nothing belongs to you. This truth was even accepted by those under a communist system. No wealth, friends, family, or even your own body belongs to you; all are temporary and will be taken. It is ignorance to think otherwise. Therefore, it is foolish to be sad when someone leaves. Only one reality exists—your Self or God—and all else is duality and non-reality. Everyone will disappoint you, but the Lord will not. A story illustrates this: a farmer dreamed a full life with a family, only to wake minutes later to a real family grieving a dead child. He wondered for which loss to cry. This world may be like a dream. Since nothing is permanent, do not ruin your life with sadness for what is gone. Have the memory, but do not be depressed. Be in deep rest.
"Nothing belongs to you. No wealth belongs to you, no friends belong to you, not your parents, nor your brothers and sisters, nor your husband or wife. Even this body does not belong to you."
"What comes, comes; what goes, goes. Therefore, do not be sad and do not be depressed. Be in deep rest, and deep rest is the best."
Filming location: Banska Bystrica, Slovakia
DVD 242
Bhajan evening in Jadan Ashram
The essence is the unstruck sound, the Anāhada, realized through devotion beyond form and thought. This is not an experience of the body or mind. It is beyond all attributes, beyond the forms of Rama or any shadow. It is the formless void that holds the supreme form. Neither meditation nor chanting can reach it. It is understood only through the grace of the true Guru. One must surrender at the divine feet, seeking mercy and blessings for liberation. The devotional offering is the path.
"Neither meditation nor chanting can reach it."
"Please bless me with your blessings, I request you, O Guru."
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
Bhajan singing from Jadan Ashram
The refuge lies at the divine feet. By taking refuge there, one experiences supreme truth and bliss, becoming free from the cycle of birth and death. The mind finds its steady path. The Vedas and Puranas sing of this refuge. True devotion and knowledge lead to liberation. The divine name itself brings supreme happiness. The true Guru is incomparable.
"Charaṇamme Arasattati Ratahe, Vohela Purāṇamme Gāte."
"Mannava Dhire Dhire Chalga, Gaṅgā Charanare Bai."
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
Bhajan evening in the Jadan Ashram
The senses are powerful and create the entire world of entanglement. The ten senses within the body are difficult for any yogi to fully master. The world is ensnared by their play, particularly by the lower senses like taste and procreation. All beings, from Brahma to animals, are bound by these senses. Their force is the great delusion that must be conquered.
"The senses are a powerful force of delusion; what has this entangled world become?"
"All beings of the world are under the control of these senses. What has this world become, so entangled?"
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
