67194443-SpeakingTree-in-Blogs-by-Dr-Pillai.pdf

Divine Technique: Secretive Goddess Sutra By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Oct 02, 2011

I am going to teach you a technique for manifestation from the Siva Sutra - ‘Yonivargaha Kala Shariram’. The word ‘Yoni’ in Sanskrit means the cause or the source of creation. It also means the womb and the private part of the woman. ‘Kala’ refers to action and ‘Shariram’ is the body. The Sutra says this body and the universe itself is the action of the ‘Yoni’ or the creative principle. It is a very secretive Sutra. You can keep reciting it or just meditate on the concept of creation from this principle of ‘Yoni’. ‘Yoni’ itself represents the space and the earth - these are the two ends of creation. ‘Yonivargaha Kala Shariram’ - take this sound inside and meditate at the thought level only. Then, you will understand the creation and the creative action.

Navaratri: Welcome the Goddess of Perfection By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Oct 01, 2011

What is going to happen during Navaratri is that ParaLakshmi, the supreme and primordial Goddess of prosperity and perfection, is coming back. She had been extinct, so to say, for so many centuries and Yogas. She is coming back to exercise her right to get into the world and transform it. During this Navaratri, ParaLakshmi will be the central figure for all the 9 Nights. She is also called Radha, who later came as consort of Krishna. But, initially, she was the primordial Goddess of power, beauty, and perfection. She is going to give us the ability to think thoughts in a profound way. So, it is a very important 9 Nights of the Goddess. ParaLakshmi is coming with full force. As she descends into the earthplane, you will see a lot of clean-up also taking place. But that clean-up is necessary before we achieve a perfect body, perfect mind, perfect happiness and perfect life. All this will be established by ParaLakshmi.

Navaratri: Goddess is the Ultimate Joy By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 30, 2011

The Yogis always go to the Goddess. The God has no power at all. Although he is an archetypal male, God has no power unless he is being supported by the archetypal Feminine. This is the finding of Adi Shankara, who is supposed to be the most accomplished of all mystics in the medieval period, when Hinduism was going through an intellectual revival. Shankara said that if you are completely intellectual in understanding metaphysics, you will be lost. There will be depression too as you are so disconnected from the world. Everything that the world has to offer is in the form of joy. Creation is joy. The senses are providing us a tremendous amount of joy. We should not completely denounce the senses. You need to sublimate the senses in order to get into a different state of consciousness.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

1

|

29

Everyone, whether it be a God, a mystic or a human being, have to set their relationship right with the Goddess, who is the source of joy and bliss. During Navaratri, you can connect with - Goddess Kali who compresses time, so that manifestations can be instantaneous; Goddess Lakshmi who provides wealth; and Goddess Saraswati who grants wisdom.

Navaratri: Goddess brings Success By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 29, 2011

The Goddess has been forgotten for long. Although, everybody understands in a mundane sense what the Goddess is about. There is even a saying that - there is a woman behind every successful person. The opposite of this also seems to be true. So, this concept that the woman is behind creation as well as destruction is just not a social, historical observation. It is a metaphysical truth. The Goddess is an archetypal energy, the Divine Feminine that is behind success. It anyone has to understand manifestation and wants to manifest things instantaneously, that person has to master the Feminine energy. Not the Feminine energy of the human woman, although the human woman is a mini replica of the archetypal Divine Feminine. But, for all practical purposes, one has to go to the Goddess in order to manifest abundance in life, whether you are a woman or a man. Everything that is beautiful, everything luxurious, and everything that makes you happy and blissful are provided by the Goddess. But, unfortunately, we have not learnt how we can access this archetypal feminine energy called the Mother Divine, which is within us. You can do so during Navaratri, or the Nine Nights of the Goddess.

Navaratri: Celebrating the Power of Women By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 28, 2011

‘Power and energy are not masculine, but feminine’ - this is the greatest finding of the Yogis of India. The woman is the Shakti (power). Man always wants to prove himself to the woman because she epitomizes power. She represents the power of love as well as the power of destruction. The woman can destroy and the woman can also create. She can make or mar. That is the secret behind the feminine energy. The power of the feminine is the power of beauty, expansion, fertility, joy, abundance – all these are the qualities of the feminine. The human female is a miniature representation of the archetype of Goddess. Female energy is the most powerful energy. It is a very nurturing energy, but it is also the energy one has to be really careful about. So, the Yogis wanted to use this feminine energy in order to destroy the evil and also to rebuild the world. It is only available during certain configurations of celestial timing. The Yogis eagerly watch for this time to be in harmony with the power of the Mother Goddess. Navaratri, or the Nine Nights of the Goddess, is that time.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

2

|

29

Forefathers Control Your Future By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 27, 2011

Siddhas (enlightened beings) emphasize that the most important element in human life is the destiny of the individual soul. Your soul has its own unique destiny, which is governed by your departed ancestors. Logically, it does not make sense that you should suffer for the misdoings of your great, great grandfather. But, the Siddhas claim this is Soul Genetics. This science was discovered by Yogis who wanted to modify your life on the earthplane by just understanding the dynamics between you and your ancestors. You are connected to your ancestors - both biologically as well as spiritually. Soul Genetics explains how you not only inherit your biological genes from your ancestors, but also inherit soul genes from your ancestors. So, you think thoughts that come from your ancestors and you can change them or modify them by developing a relationship with your ancestors. There are times when you can do this very successfully, and one such important time is Mahalaya New Moon. During the New Moon, the departed ancestors come to the earth plane. Until you cleanse the souls of your ancestors, you are not going to free yourself from suffering. There is a vacuum cleaner that can cleanse the souls of your grandfather, grandmother or your great, great grandfather. It is called Tarpanam; it means offering food to the ancestors. You can feed them with black sesame seeds, rice and water. This simple act will help change your destiny.

How to Perform Tarpanam >> http://www.pillaicenter.com/practicelibrary/tarpanam/ Directions for Tarpanam (Ancestral Offering) for Soul Genetics Dr. Pillai has emphasized the practice of this very simple, yet powerful ritual to perform daily, especially during the NEW MOON time. He calls this Soul Genetics. You can learn more about this by watching this short video clip. Dr. Pillai has encouraged people many times to do this ritual. He has said repeatedly that if people do nothing else, at least do the tarpanam during the New Moon. Here are two versions of this ritual. “Look inside to see which version resonates with you. Dr. Pillai has suggested to at least practicing the longer version of the Tarpanam ritual during the New Moon phase each month.” Perform either version 1 or 2 anytime between sunrise to sunset once everyday, especially on New Moon days. (It is suggested to not perform tarpanam during non-daylight time.) Do it as often as possible on New Moon days. The purpose of doing this is to release ancestors to a higher plane. When they go into the light they send you their blessing. Version 1 (short version) Materials needed:

1. raw rice or white rice flour 2. black sesame seeds (most health food stores carry this) 3. Darba grass 4. 1 coin (dime or nickle), or gold coin if you available (You may re-use the coins) 5. glass of water

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

3

|

29

Please note, if all of the above materials are not available, the bare minimum are the black sesame seeds and water. (If you cannot get black sesame seeds in your area, Dr. Pillai has said beige sesame seeds are ok; however, black sesame seeds are preferred.) The Offering

1. Place a tablespoon of black sesame seeds, white rice flower, a coin (nickel or dime) and a few small pieces of dharba grass into the palm of your right hand. 2. Take a glass of water and sprinkle a few drops over the offerings. 3. Make a heartfelt prayer to your ancestors as you pour water over your hand and say, “I invite you to take this offering, 6 generations of ancestors on my mother’s side and 6 generations of ancestors on my father’s side. Take this energy. Be healed, be at peace, cross into the light, and please don’t forget to bless me.” If you wish, you may name those family members that have passed on. Also, as you keep doing this ritual, in time you may increase up to 12 generations in each side. 4. Then pour the rest of the water over right hand and let the offerings wash off completely. (You may reuse the coin. Just rinse it off in water each time) (Note: Some people keep a container in the bathroom with this mixture and do tarpanam daily during morning shower and rinse off the mix while in the shower. Dr. Pillai has said this is ok.) Version 2 (Longer version) Materials needed:

1. sandalwood powder (you can buy at any Indian market) 2. raw rice or white rice flour 3. black sesame seeds (most health food stores carry this) 4. Darba grass 5. flowers or petals 6. glass of water 7. 18 nickels (or if using another currency, the lowest value silver coins available are fine) Prepare the offering:

1. Cut the Dharba grass into 6 equal pieces, around 4 inches long. (This represents 6 generations on both sides of your family). 2. Line up vertically the 6 pieces of Dharba grass on a plate, or large leaf, leaving a little space between each. 3. Make a paste with sandalwood powder by adding water to it, spread the paste onto the dharba grass. 4. Place 3 nickels on each piece of grass at the top, middle and bottom. 5. Sprinkle flowers over these items. 6. Place a tablespoon of white rice flour mixed with a teaspoon of sesame seeds in the palm of your right hand (don’t worry about the amount). THE OFFERING

1. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the rice flour and sesame seeds in your right hand. 2. Say the following: “I invite 6 generations of my ancestors on my mother’s side and 6 generation of ancestors on my father’s side to take this offering.” Take the glass of water with left hand and pour it over the mixture in your right hand, and let everything fall onto the dharba grass, coins and flowers.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

4

|

29

Say with a sincere heart: “Use this energy and be healed, be at peace, cross into the light and please don’t forget to bless me.” Make sure everything is washed off your right hand. You may reuse the coins, or discard everything at a river, beach or in nature. You may accumulate offering remnants and discard later.

Paths of Yoga – III By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 26, 2011

Narada Bhakti Sutra, a devotional text, says that such devotees, who have surrendered to God, need no rituals or meditations and they are not required to follow social and cultural norms. They are true renunciates, as far as their personal needs are concerned. Their focus is exclusively on God and not on their kith and kin or anyone or any other object. But, due to human conditioning of the senses and one’s addiction to sense-objects and the fickle nature of mind, one tends to forget God. Lord Chaitanya, the greatest Krishna devotee (who is considered to be Krishna’s incarnation), says, “O Govinda! Because of separation from you, I consider even a moment a great millennium. Tears flow from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I see the entire world as void.” (Siksastakam 7) There is a beautiful poetic presentation of the love life between the Lord and the devotee in Bhagavatam. Radha accuses Krishna of targeting them (Radha and the Gopis), while they cannot live without Krishna. They are hopelessly obsessed with Krishna without any freedom. What does the devotee want? He only wants to please the Lord. Through exclusive devotional service to Him, remembering His name and singing about His glory. What happens to the ego of that person? He or she no longer thinks that he has any personal life. His ego now understands, according to the Krishnaites, that he is a slave to the Lord. However, according to Shankara, the loss of individual ego leads to identity with God – ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ (I am God). But, the Krishnaites will find the second interpretation presumptuous and blasphemy. Both positions are valid and each individual can choose their own system.

Paths of Yoga - II By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 25, 2011

None of the three methods – Yoga, Jnana and Bhakti – are mutually exclusive. They overlap and can be practiced with ease simultaneously without conflicts. However, there is a hierarchy in the evolutionary process. Beyond Yoga and Jnana (Yoga can be step one and Jnana step two, but some reverse the order) is Bhakti. One cannot reach Bhakti without self-realization obtained through the first two steps. In other words, Bhakti Yoga is only for the liberated souls who no longer think that they are the body-mind existence. According to Bhakti Yoga, the realized soul, instead of remaining content with self-realization, understands that God is separate from him although God lives as a spark within him. At this time, he or she engages in loving God and surrenders to God his thought, word, action, and life. He does not live for himself. He has very little need for sense gratification, nor does he want to succeed economically or socially. From morning until evening, he or she is intoxicated with God and his love for God. By hearing God’s name, his soul melts and he immediately enters into a trance or state of ecstasy.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

5

|

29

The impersonal enlightenment experienced by the Buddhists or the Vedantists is quite different from the direct experience of God (Siva, Krishna, Yaweh, Allah, and others).

Paths of Yoga - I By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 24, 2011

Prakriti (nature of psyche) is stealing our pure consciousness. We are overpowered by - good and divine thoughts (Satva guna); action-propelling survival thoughts (Rajo guna); and ignorant, lethargic and malicious thoughts (Tamo guna). How can I get rid of the thought afflictions from the 3 gunas of Prakriti? Yoga is one way. Repeat ‘Yogas Citta Vritti Nirodhah’. These are the powerful words of Patanjali Maharishi, the Father of Yoga. After soliciting His grace, the mind will somewhat come under control. Intellectual inquiry, which is Jnana Yoga, is another method. In this method, you are involved in an inquiry of consciousness - individual versus God (or universal) consciousness. The mind is active. The inquiry of ‘Who am I’ practiced by Ramana Maharishi is a good example of Jnana Yoga. The method of devotion called Bhakti Yoga is the ultimate and most powerful of all Yogas. It gives you a jet ride to liberation from the thought process, and brings you closer to God. Bhakti is about totally surrendering to God by thought, word and action - none of the three are yours. You dedicate all of them to the Almighty. Down the road, the duality will end. You and God will merge in unity. Bhakti Yoga is primarily an image worship of God combined with praising his all-powerful nature and his infinite mercy towards creation.

Why am i Not succeeding in Life? - II By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 23, 2011

It is important to take a look at the list and do something to change the negative elements. I want to answer every item as much as possible. 1) Yes, parenting plays an important role in the life of an individual. It is important to identify negative elements and consciously rectify them. You can read the book ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’. 2) Rub Vibhuti (sacred ash) all over your body and listen to the karma-dissolving chant ‘Thiru Neela Kantam’. 3) You cannot do much about your childhood environment. You can change the current environment now. 4) Interpersonal skills are very important. No one ever succeeded without them. You should read books and consult a specialist in this area. 5) It is important to acquire technical skills in accordance with your own interest, practicality and astrology. 6) Health is very important. See a nutritionist and a personal exercise trainer, in addition to seeking medical treatment. 7) Most people are victims to jobs or businesses. You need to change your vocation karma. 8) You may be depressed. See a doctor and do more fun things like traveling, listening to music, and so on. 9) Some people are either idealistic or self-deceptive. Idealism can be allowed and it may reward you down the road, but a reality check is very important. Self-deception is a form of denial of reality and needs to be addressed immediately. 10) Find a personal trainer who can bring discipline to your life.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

6

|

29

Some of you may have known both the questions and the answers. However, your life remains the same. What to do? The clue lies with the planets. Vedic Astrology has ancient wisdom to offer to help us in the here and now. Visit the AstroVed Website for many FREE features and even a tutorial to help you begin to learn how the planets are influencing your life. It also explains some of the divine remedies you can perform to quickly resolve problems.

Why am i Not succeeding in Life? - I By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 22, 2011

Most people have this question, and there are many answers too. 1) Your parenting, as your parents did not know better and you had only negative guidance and bad role models 2) Your genetic conditioning from a bad family tree 3) The economic and social environment around you - both during childhood as well as now 4) Lack of interpersonal skills 5) Lack of technical or business skills 6) Lack of energy due to sickness 7) Doing a job or business with very little financial potential 8) Lack of interest in life 9) Idealism versus practicality, including self-deception 10) Lethargy and procrastination The above are some of the reasons for your lack of success. This is indeed a short list and, of course, more reasons could be added to the list.

Is There God? Yes, No, Perhaps By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 21, 2011

Once, a person came to Buddha and asked, “Is there God?” Buddha said, “Yes.” The person thanked Buddha and returned. Then, a second person arrived and enquired to Buddha, “Is there God?” Buddha told, “No, there is no God.” He too thanked Buddha and went away. Again, a third person approached Buddha with the question, “Is there God?” This time Buddha spoke, “I do not know.” This person thanked Buddha and left. The chief disciple of Buddha, who was close by, asked Buddha, “I heard three different answers to three different persons, and they are all contradictory. What is the truth?” Buddha replied, “All of them are true and none of them is true.” The disciple found this even more confusing and asked Buddha to explain. Finally, Buddha elaborated, “The truth is there is no truth. Everybody makes up his or her own truth. The first person completely believed in God. There was no point arguing with him, as this would have wasted my time. He wanted my approval and I gave him that. He was satisfied. The second guy was an atheist. If I had given him an argument about God, he was not going to accept it. So, I said there is no God. The third person was an agnostic and hence my reply to him. To you, I gave the answer that all of them are true and none of them is true, because the truth is there is not truth.” Everybody wants to believe in a certain truth. They create their own reality and are happy about it.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

7

|

29

The truth is ‘Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavati’. This means - you become as you think.

Two Divine Gifts: Vedic Astrology and Nadi Astrology By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 20, 2011

Vedic astrology is based on mathematics. You can compute a chart for any person if you know his birth details. Now, there are many Vedic astrology software programs on the market. The computer can generate a prediction report as well. You cannot do the same with Nadi astrology. Although, Nadi astrology discusses planetary positions at the time of your birth and at current times, it is not based on mathematics. The main difference between Vedic and Nadi astrology is that - the Nadi can tell you personal details like your name, parents’ names, your job, and so on quite precisely. It can also give you insights into your past life and what you did in that lifetime that is causing you problems. This information is very valuable. There are a few cases that I want to discuss. There was someone who mistreated animals in a previous lifetime. In this lifetime, that person was born as a veterinarian. But, past-life karma continued and the vet was accused of abusing animals by the clients and staff. There was another case of a physician who had a controversial medical practice. He is born again as a physician, but has a natural inclination to do maverick and questionable medical practices. The beauty of Nadi astrology is that it can intuit something ‘out of the blue’. For instance, there are two cases of people who knew nothing about music. One was a computer consultant and the other a massage therapist. The Nadi predicted that they will become great musicians. To make a long story short, the two went on to produce their first music CD. The most remarkable thing about Nadi astrology is the visit to the temple vortices as part of the remedy for the problems. Most people witness a sudden lift of weight from their shoulders as soon as they enter the temples and perform the remedies. Nevertheless, what Nadi astrology can’t give you is a planetary analysis. You can get it from Vedic astrology. You should know what your good and bad planets are.

God versus Money: Is God against Rich People? By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 19, 2011

We have put Money and God in opposite camps. This is the problem created by all religions. Why are the religious teachers consistently misleading people that you have to be poor in order to be spiritual? It is time that spiritual people stop condemning Money as evil, and stop associating God with poverty. God is not poor. No religion would ever say so. It is really the lack of Money which is evil. Until we correct this concept that separates Money and God, humanity will continue to suffer. The global financial emergency is also a spiritual emergency. The economists of the world won’t be able to end poverty. Their attempts are similar to putting a big band-aid on a chronic tumorous growth. Poverty is actually a disease of the soul. Prosperity is the health of the soul. Fundamentally, you are the creator of your own destiny. You become as you think – whether poor or prosperous. God is not responsible for it.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

8

|

29

Many saints including the Buddha had remained anti-material and embraced poverty, but then it was their choice. There is nothing wrong to become a Buddha or another saint who embraced a non-worldly life, but this paradigm is not for common people. On the other hand, the path of total materialism can also be overwhelming and may lead people away from God or spirituality. To correct the chronic misunderstanding, which has become a part and parcel of our human race, we need value-based education to protect us against the danger of being totally materialistic, without losing sustainability to soul and God. The solution is to a live 200% life - 100% material and 100% spiritual.

Changing Destiny: From Meat Cutter to Business Woman By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 18, 2011

There was a girl, who was a meat cutter in a grocery store, who once asked me if her destiny can be changed as she did not want to be cutting meat all her life. She asked when can i change her destiny. I said the next day morning. She wondered how. I told her that the next day she should not go to work; it is as simple as that. She said she wanted some breathing time. So, she went and talked to her family members that she was going to quit her job. They thought it was crazy to leave a permanent job. Then, she went to the boss and told him that she was going to quit her job. The boss said that for a high school graduate this was a great job and that if she quit the job and later came back, she wouldn’t have the job. Changing destiny is not all that difficult. Once you make a decision, stick on to that decision. One day, Mahatma Gandhi was having food with his wife. His wife was not supposed to eat salt. He grabbed her food, tasted it and found salt in it. She yelled at him and asked whether he can eat food without salt. Gandhi said he can. She knew about Gandhi. When he said something that was it. He declared that from that day onwards until his death, there would not be any salt in his food. She begged for forgiveness and told him not to do this as it was very difficult to eat food without salt. Not for Gandhi; when he had made a decision, that was final. The meat girl also made a decision. She quit her job after a month. Her old identity was gone. She put on better clothes and mingled with better people. She met a computer science professor who introduced her to selling computer spare parts. The meat cutter became a business woman. That is changing destiny.

Do You Love God? By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 17, 2011

God loves you. God is the very life breath – ‘prana’. Without God, you cannot breathe, and the body will drop down dead. God loves you and keeps you alive. But, do you love God? Many people don’t. They are either caught up in their own ego or lethargy, are unconscious, or have a combination of all these and many more impure principles. ‘Love Jesus’ is a profound statement. Remember, I am not asking you to love Jesus, if you don’t vibrate with his energy. It is important to find a personal God.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

9

|

29

He or she can be a human like the Buddha, Mohammed, Moses, Jesus or a godhead like Ganesha, Tara, Isis, Kali, and so on. God often incarnates on the earthplane to relate to human beings in a concrete form. It is often out of compassion that God puts Himself through human conditionings. Learn to unconditionally love God and accept whatever He gives you. It is important to surrender. Surrender has important values. Surrender will not only kill your ego, but it will facilitate God’s energy to flow through you. You are somebody now. When your ego is gone, you are nobody. When you are nobody, you are God. You are everybody. The prerequisite for success is love. Love is supreme intelligence. You can win everything with love. Hatred not only hurts others, but primarily it hurts you. Love is the remedy for all problems. The sacred ash (Vibhuti) is love itself. Put it all over your body. You will then be vibrating with love.

Secret of Using Mantras - V By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 16, 2011

‘Bija Avadhanam’ is not like any other mantra, which denotes an object other than the mind. ‘Bija Avadhanam’ is the mantra for the totality of consciousness. The practice of ‘Bija Avadhanam’ will serve to strengthen your experience of the primordial sound, ‘Om Nama Sivaya’. When you say ‘Bija Avadhanam’, you will see the mind remaining relatively stable. It will still keep moving. But then, over a period of time, you will see that you are gaining more control. The sound ‘Bija’ will take you to the first thought of the first human being. ‘Avadhanam’ will fix your mind to the first thought. The purpose of the sound ‘Avadhanam’, which means attention, is to conquer time. ‘Avadhanam’ will dissolve the drifting mind. The movement of the drifting mind creates time. When the mind does not drift, time ends. You will be timeless and blissful. Siva says that you have to do this meditation with utmost ease. You should not fight either with the attentional mind or the drifting mind. You simply sit. Say ‘Bija Avadhanam’ a few times, and let go of everything. At this point, you stop meditating. You simply observe everything in an effortless way. Accept everything that is happening to you, but do not be a party to the process. There is nothing good, nothing bad. There is nothing superior or inferior. Accept everything; abandon everything. When you have such receptivity, then you will fall into Samadhi. You will then participate and live the ‘mindless’ mind of Siva. You can do this meditation lying down on your bed as well. Keep your attention on the primordial pulse. You will be enlightened.

Secret of Using Mantras - IV By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 15, 2011

In another Sutra, Siva teaches a mantra to regulate both the attentional mind and the drifting mind. The mantra is ‘Bija Avadhanam’. ‘Bija’ or the seed represents origin - the origin of life. ‘Avadhanam’ means attention. ‘Bija Avadhanam’ means paying constant attention to the seed. Right now your attention is on your ego. It is on your karma and ‘samsara’. You are worried about money, food, relationship, and so on.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

10

|

29

The seed is the primordial thought. It is indeed the first expression of life or consciousness. I cannot completely explicate the depth of the mantra ‘Bija Avadhanam’. I can only tell you that this mantra can fix your mind. The mind force is a current that flows through your breath, the brain, and the chakras in the subtle body. This mind force comes from Akash, the sky element. Keep reciting the mantra. You will see miracles happening. Focus on the primordial pulse. Transform yourself.

Secret of Using Mantras - III By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 14, 2011

I want to teach you how to use the mantra. Put the mantra in the right eye, left eye, right ear, left ear, right nostril, left nostril, and the tongue. Put the mantra all over the body. Feel it. You will then become the mantra you are meditating on. You can use the following mantras for different areas of your life: Shreem: Mantra for Lakshmi - Use it for Wealth Aim: Mantra for Saraswati - Use it for Intelligence Kleem: Mantra for Parvati - Use it for Energy and Relationship Om Nama Sivaya: Mantra for Siva - Use it to get everything you want in life You may ask, if ‘Om Nama Sivaya’ can do everything, why practice Shreem, Kleem or Aim? ‘Om Nama Sivaya’ is like your personal physician. He can send you to other specialists depending on your need.

Secret of Using Mantras - II By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 13, 2011

Siva says that the mind should be replaced by the mantra, in essence. Your concentration is so intense that you don’t differentiate between the mind and the mantra. In other words, you are not reciting the mantra. The mind itself has become the mantra. You simply go on thinking about the mantra, endlessly. There comes a time when your ego will disappear, your mind will disappear; only the mantra will be there. This is the perfect practice of any mantra. At that level, you and the deity of the mantra are one and the same. At that time, the deity of the mantra will appear in front of you. He or she is a light being. They are ready to give you a boon. They are from Heaven. They love you and want to work with you closely. Since your mind is scattered, you are not able to unite your mind with the sound of the deity. The easiest way to succeed in life is to work with the mantras and the deities that are inside the mantras. The mantra is like an atom. You need to split it open. When you open it, you release the power inside the mantra. This is the reason why the Yogis meditate all the time. There are Yogis who have meditated for thousands of years. As a result, they have become invisible. Their body-mind got elevated to the invisible level of sound.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

11

|

29

Secret of Using Mantras - I By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 12, 2011

Tradition has said that the Siva Sutra was revealed to Vasugupta in the dream plane. Let there be no doubt that Siva Sutra is directly from Siva Himself. Usually Siva does not speak. Siva Sutra is from the God who does not speak. Siva does not speak because speech cannot conceive of God, who is free of all concepts. Siva is even free of silence because silence is also a conception. Nevertheless, Siva speaks. Silence speaks. But then Siva speaks in few words. Siva’s speech has been appropriately called the ‘Siva Sutra’ (the Formula of Siva). The formulas of Siva are short, but profound. For instance, Siva says in one of the formulas that - Mantra is Mind (Mantram Chetanam). Your mind has to become the mantra. There are no other thoughts except the mantra. In such a condition, the mantra acquires maximum power. Mind does not exist anymore, only the mantra exists. Under this condition, the practitioner of the mantra himself becomes the mantra. In other words, if you are practicing a Siva mantra, you become Siva Himself. Or, if you are practicing a Vishnu mantra, you become Vishnu Himself. One cannot find anywhere a more precise theory and practice of mantra. It is all encapsulated in 2 words - Mantram Chetanam. Put simply, you dissolve your mind in the mantra.

Divine Solution: Live and Pray for Others By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 11, 2011

Begin to live for the poor people. It will give you immense joy if you get involved in a world hunger project or any charity that helps in relieving suffering. You will gain God’s blessing and won’t be worrying any more. My final word for you is: don’t worry about your money, worry about the poor people suffering in Africa and Asia without food and medicine, and living under terrible regimes of heartless dictators. A worry of this kind will give you meaning for life. * Make money for yourself and for the poor people. * Pray and work for the ending of dictatorship and injustice across the world. * Pray for the embodiment of a world government of love and happiness. * Pray for the transformation of the body, mind and spirit into Light.

Seeker’s Guide to Understanding Ego - V By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 10, 2011

Greed Most of you know the story of King Midas. He obtained the boon that whatever he touched would turn into gold. The boon turned out to be a nightmare. Midas could not even eat. Many wealthy people are greedy. That’s why or how they became wealthy. Mahatma Gandhi held the opposite view. He believed that if you have more than you require, you are a thief. No wonder Gandhi was a poor man! Greed is a sin that hardens your heart and boosts up your ego, whereas giving and sharing open the heart and reduce ego.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

12

|

29

*** Ultimately, ego is separation from God. Ego is lack of love. You lose people, you lose love and even lose life by holding on to ego. There is a question that people have asked - Is it possible to live without an ego? No, it is not possible at all. How can you live without an ego because ego is what gives you identity? So, it is impossible to think of a situation where you won’t have ego, but you should have the ego under control. Again, there are two kinds of ego - positive and negative. Negative ego is when you are hateful, angry or separated from God. Negative ego is just complaining. Positive ego is where you identify yourself with your ego, but you use your ego to help yourself and help others. Positive ego is thanking yourself for being given an opportunity to be of service to people. This education on ego helps you to correct your own behavior and make other people to become aware of their ego.

Mind Technique: Freedom from Sorrow By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 09, 2011

Everyone basically and fundamentally is sorrowful. Happiness is, often, defined as short intervals between a continuum of sorrow. The first Noble Truth taught by Buddha says that ‘Life is suffering’. Don’t think that the Buddha was a negative and pessimistic guy. He was a Prince and heir to the throne. He was speaking for the human race, not from his personal ego. How can you get freedom from sorrow? There are many answers. A great Indian Yogi made a beautiful observation that freedom is not possible until you are convinced that this world is an illusion created by the mind. Temporarily, everyone is relieved from the illusion (of this world) when you go to sleep at night. During sleep, when the mind disappears, the world also disappears. The result is you are peaceful. Keep on saying that ‘The World is an Illusion’. The mind will believe that and you will be happy. Write this affirmation ‘The World is an Illusion’ 108 times every day. You will find there is a shift in your consciousness.

Seeker’s Guide to Understanding Ego - IV By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 08, 2011

Fanatical and Irrational Attachment to Views Once Osho told the story of some philosophers trying to escape the Russian prison. They managed to get the key to the prison and waited for midnight to set in to make their move. At midnight, the philosopher who had the key came back and sadly reported that they could not possibly use the key to open the prison door. The others asked if the key wasn’t working. The philosopher replied that the drunken prison guard had left the prison door open, and the philosopher’s problem was how to open the prison door with the key, which was already open. In reality, everyone is screwed up. Everyone has a paradigm and thinks it is the right one.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

13

|

29

You must understand that your attraction to your paradigm comes from lifetime after lifetime. It is not that you are wise or foolish right now. You have been that way always. Attachment to ideology is often irrational, and irrationality is a behavioral trait rooted in past life actions. If you are a politician now, you had been one before. I am not saying that a politician is a better breed than a janitor. Spiritually speaking, they are both sparks from God, and politically both have only one vote each. A fanatical view is a dead behavior. Life is movement. It is changing every moment. Greek philosopher Heraclites said that you can’t step into the same river a second time. But, in reality, you can’t even step in it once because it has already changed. Religion, culture and tradition are often a continuation of irrational habits. You simply accept them because you grew up with them. Change is very important for growth. Gone are the days when we rode on bullock carts, practiced in-breeding and obeyed the tribal chieftains. Democracy requires independence and free thinking. In order to self-evaluate if you are fanatical, prepare a check list of your fanaticism in the areas of religion, culture and tradition. Once you create this checklist, you may be able to change them.

Divine Technique: Invoke Grace to Solve Problems By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 07, 2011

God exists. Grace exists. Enlightenment exists. The Divine can do things more easily that your ego-self can. It is because of your ego that you stop the flow of grace. Drop off your ego; then you can get into the field of grace. You will never come to grace through your mind. Grace is beyond mind, beyond ego. What we consider luck or fortune is a gift from God. God is the supreme energy that supports life. You can enter into a very personal relationship with the God of your choice. As you begin to pour your heart into the deities, the deities will come alive. Through your own emotions, the deity becomes real to you. The mantras put you in intimate contact with the deities so that you can use the Divine help. Chant this mantra: Arut Perum Jyoti While chanting, visualize Grace Light as a vast light pouring down from heaven. The light comes down. It comes in through the top of your head. Visualize the vast Grace Light getting into every cell of the body. Feel the grace of God in every part of you. Keep seeing the Grace Light go deeper and deeper into your cells. Pick an area of your life that needs Divine grace to enter into it. Make a connection to the deity you most resonate with. Surrender this area to the deity. Say with deep feeling, “I give this problem to you. I ask for your grace to solve this problem.” Pray for grace to enter into all aspects of your life.

Seeker’s Guide to Understanding Ego - III By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 06, 2011

I must be in Control and Making Decisions and Not You Everyone wants to control the other person. It is totally a foolish idea. Someone asked me whether I had the power to know his thoughts. I said to him that I am not interested in his garbage. However, people are somehow interested in controlling others.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

14

|

29

Spouses want to control each other and their children. I am not saying that there shouldn’t be any control, although it would be a desirable state. However, humanity has not yet grown to that level. We still have a lot of animal heritage in terms of behavior. Just as the animals in homes and at the zoos are controlled, we need to be controlled. Policing, the idea of crime and punishment, evolved out of the need to control animal behavior. An enlightened person will never want to control anyone. I have read in the ‘Tao Te Ching’ by Lao Tzu that the best government is that which doesn’t govern. Once, there were 5 secretaries working in an office. One secretary was on a leave of absence, during which time the other secretaries offered to do her work. Of course, there was no prior work arrangement like that. The following morning the returning secretary threw a temper tantrum. “How can you touch my files without my permission?” she shouted at the top of her voice. In reality, what happened was that another secretary did 2 extra hours worth of work because she felt it was a collective responsibility of the office to keep the work flow current. However, instead of being thankful to this other person, the secretary who had been absent was acting mean and thought that she was losing control. A control freak is not a strong person. He or she is weak and fearful. The need to control, more often than not, is based on self-preservation. Control freaks need to do some self-analysis. “Why am I controlling my wife, child or employee? Am I dependent on them for love and service?” Everyone should ask these questions to attain freedom from the unconscious longing for control.

A Special Prayer: Love Thy Teacher By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 05, 2011

O Teacher! Please come and illumine me. Please act in me and through me. I don’t know what is right and what is wrong. I can’t tell anymore. I can be doing what I feel is right, and perhaps I am deceiving myself. Perhaps, it is all my ego and vanity. Please show me what is right, or, don’t even show me. Please just do it. Whether it brings me happiness or unhappiness, riches or poverty, sorrow or joy. Please act in and through me. I love only you. O Teacher! I love you more than anything and anyone else in all of existence. When you smile at me, the world lights up. If you frown, my world ends. If I create a block between us, through my foolishness, my pride, my arrogance, my jealousy, my fear, my self-love, then I suffer. I suffer and suffer. It is only when I remove those obstacles that I will feel happy again. But, I know that you love me, no matter what I do, because you are all love. You may be strict with me, or you may be lenient. I trust you and I know that whatever you do or say is for my own good. I have looked into your heart and seen Eternity. I know that Eternity through you will always guide me, shelter me, and protect me. O Teacher! I will do what you wish. I will do my best for all. But, even so, I am an insignificant creature, and not capable of fulfilling the ‘dharma’. Please show me. Please guide me. If I make a mistake, please correct me. But, more than anything, please love me, and let me love you. Because as we merge our beings and fuse the light, that is our reality together - that’s my completion. http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

15

|

29

That’s when I see that - I am you and that you are me. O Teacher! I am thine and thou art mine.

Seeker’s Guide to Understanding Ego - II By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 04, 2011

‘I am Right; You are Wrong’ Feeling You go for a driver’s test or a job interview. You fail. What is your common reaction? Most people’s first response is ‘feeling hurt.’ This eventually turns into abuse. You then begin to ‘speak French’ or swear. You are now satisfied because you have released your hurt feelings. Your ego feels good. Truthfully, nobody is right or wrong, or everybody is right and everybody is wrong. God created the grass, cow, tiger and human beings. The cow eats the grass. The tiger kills the cow and eats it. Man hunts the tiger. For God, there is no contradiction in all of this. I remember the closing lines from Robert Browning’s poem, ‘Pippa’s Song’ in his work ‘Pippa Passes’: ‘The lark’s on the wing; The snail’s on the thorn; God’s in His heaven-All’s right with the world!’ Don’t ever get attached to anything including your view, which you feel is 100% correct. You will then create a center. If someone says that you are wrong and screwed up, accept it gladly and thank that person whole-heartedly. Normally people don’t do this. You use swear words and challenge the other person. I remember reading that someone asked Sai Baba, “How come you are not disappointed?” His answer was, “You have a point. You disappoint. I have no point, and so I don’t disappoint.” The point is that you should be pointless. When I was explaining this once to an audience, someone stood up and said, “If tomorrow, I were to go and tell my boss I am pointless, I will lose my job.” I responded to him in the following way, “It is good that you lose your job. Your boss will be happy to lose a bad employee.” The crowd laughed. However, the guy was hurt. He couldn’t laugh because I told him he was a bad employee. If he were willing to accept that he was indeed a bad employee, he would not have felt miserable. The whole human existence is just a bunch of ego-reactions. Those who succeed are those who get beyond their ego. Don’t be passionate in arguing your case. You will lose your job, your friends, sometimes your wife.

A Daily Prayer: God is My No.1 Priority By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 03, 2011

The moment you begin to put your attention on God, then all your problems will disappear. I completed this prayer after my meditation. Read this prayer on a daily basis: God, all the sicknesses that I have manifested… God, all the relationship problems that I have… God, all the financial problems that I have… Every problem that I have… God, they are not YOUR creation, they are my own creations… I totally accept them…

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

16

|

29

God, I don’t mind all these problems as long as I am able to keep my mind on YOU… God, please keep my mind on YOU… Also, give me the ability to love YOU every second, and then adore YOU of YOUR glory… God, it is not about me… God, it is about YOU…

Seeker’s Guide to Understanding Ego - I By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 02, 2011

Many people fail in life because of their ego awareness. Let us try to understand what ego is. There are many manifestations of ego, but the below mentioned 5 categories are fundamental to understand and deal with ego awareness. I am going to illustrate each one of them. 1) ‘I’ consciousness 2) ‘I am right; you are wrong’ feeling 3) I must be in control and making decisions and not you 4) Fanatical and irrational attachment to one’s views 5) Greed ‘I’ consciousness

Everyone has a concept of who they are. Usually your identity comes from your name, your vocation, and your relationship with others. Identification with all these categories enslaves you and increases your ego identity. The truth of the matter is that you simply don’t exist. Ramana Maharishi taught the technique of inquiring ‘Who am I?’ The process involves answering for yourself this question and realizing: ‘I am not the body, I am not the mind, and I am not this. I am not that’. In the final analysis, you come to the conclusion that you are Brahman or God. Ramana Maharishi lived this all his life. However, I don’t want you to live exactly like Ramana Maharishi, just use his technique. No doubt, he was enlightened in his own way, but his health was poor. It was OK for him as he renounced all obligations and desire for action. Nevertheless, you can use Ramana Maharishi’s technique to shock your ‘I’ consciousness. Your ‘I’ consciousness is a big tension now. Carry on an inner dialogue within yourself constantly: ‘I am not this body, I am not this mind’. This will do immense good for you. In Tamil, ego is described as ‘munaippu’ - protrusion. Protrusion is existence coming out of nonexistence. Ego is separation from God.

Sea Shell Ganesha: Ultimate Protection from Floods By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Sep 01, 2011

In ancient times, Siva asked Ganesha to save the world from the Great Deluge (Pralaya) caused during the growing power of the shadow planet Rahu. Ganesha created a well and channeled all over-flowing seas into it, controlling the Deluge and saving the world. At the site of the well, the water deity Varuna created and erected a statue of Ganesha made from Sea Shells. At this site called ‘Thirupurambiyam’ in South India, Ganesha is called Pralayam Katha Vinayakar, or the Ganesha who saved the place from Deluge. This Ganesha statue receives only one Abishekam (ritual anointation) a year, and that day is on his Birthday (Ganesha Chaturthi).

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

17

|

29

The icon, 3 feet high, sucks in hundreds of gallons of honey poured on it. No milk is ever used on this Ganesha.

October 28: A New Era for Planet Earth? By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 31, 2011

We are living during an interesting time in the history of planet earth. There are important political and financial shake-ups happening everywhere. I intuitively feel that this is going to be a period of major change, as predicted by the Mayan Calendar and other astrological sources. The Mayan experts are now saying that the world can change (can it end?) as early as October 28, 2011, and we don’t have to wait for the December of 2012. There is a lot of talk about it in the U.S. among the spiritual communities. I suspect that October could be a significant month. Even September. I am writing this blog at around 5 am from San Diego. I woke up around 4 am and was drawn to a message from one of my students from Hong Kong about the September Alert by ‘Mahalas Astrology’. Somehow, I felt that I needed to know this information. I came to know that Comet Elenin will be coming near to the closest point of the Sun on September 11, 2011. This September Alert also quotes the Revelations in the Bible, “And a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the Sun, with the Moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars. She was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth.” This sign will be in our heavens on September 11-12, 2011. NASA is not particularly worried about the Comet Elenin because it is too small in size. But, we need to take these astronomical happenings seriously based on what the world has been going through over the past 2 years. “The Earth started crossing the Galactic Plane in 1998 and has continued since then moving into a higher vibration of space. If you take 1998 and add 13 years onto it, you get the year 2011. The number 13 is very important in the Mayan Calendar”, says Mahalas Astrology September Alert. Finally, I want to bring to your attention some of the dates mentioned in the September Alert: September 5th: We enter the 6th day in the Mayan Calendar which represents a new consciousness, ruled by Jupiter. September 23rd: The 6th night representing Heaven on Earth. October 11th: We move into the 7th day of Blue Monkey (is it Hanuman?) of pure wisdom. October 28th: End of the old and beginning of the new consciousness.

Your Dog is a Spiritual Being - II By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 30, 2011

You should do spiritual care for your dog. It seems very intriguing, but dogs can help remove human sins. The front part of the dog - face, neck and chest – is said to represent daytime. The rear of the dog signifies night time. Day and night together represent time. From a mystical perspective, we can figure out that the dog represents both daytime as well as nighttime. Karma you have done during day and night can get released when you feed dogs. This is a spiritual truth. There are many mysteries about dogs. Sometimes great Masters and even angels incarnate as dogs. They are there in your household to protect you. You think you are watching over your dog, but the opposite is true. The dog is your guardian angel. http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

18

|

29

You can have a real communion with your dog on the 8th Moon phase. The 8th Moon is the special period for Kala Bhairava, the deity who governs time. The divine vehicle of Kala Bhairava is dog. On this day, give your dog a bath, feed them some cashews and offer them a food item of their liking.

Your Dog is a Spiritual Being - I By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 29, 2011

Dogs are spiritual animals, despite the low level of development of their brain. The brain only processes rational reality. So, it doesn’t matter if the animals have under-developed brains. Dogs can see spirits. Spirits are everywhere, but humans can’t see them. Sometimes, the spirits don’t want the dogs to reveal their presence to the humans. So, they can even hurt the dogs. That is the time when the dogs begin to bark at the spirits. Dogs can also bring good or bad luck to the owner. They are very intuitive about things that are going to happen. You get a dog and within a few days you can have a dramatic shift in your finances, get an apartment or something of material value. Sometimes, you can also have bad luck with the dogs. Everything was going good, then you got the dog and your life began to fall apart. You might want to check objectively how your dog affected your life. Dogs are like human beings when they depart the earth plane. Sometimes, even after your dog died, you can see them in a dream or feel their presence in the dark. Their spirits are out there without being able to make a transition. There is a special ritual called Tarpanam that will help your dog to cross over, similar to the one performed for the human departed spirits.

Secret Technique: End Waiting and Delay By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 28, 2011

I am going to teach you a simple technique to deal with the frustrations associated with the wait. Momentarily, close your eyes and put your attention on the two temporal lobes. Go to the left temporal lobe that corresponds to the left forehead and move the energy to the right temporal lobe. Do this 3 times. You have to visualize the energy as light moving from the left forehead to the right forehead. Also, move the energy from the neo cortex to the mid brain. You will find a miracle happening! You are no longer bothered by the delay, whether money is not coming or you are not meeting the right person. Simply do this technique and you will find a relief immediately.

Anna, Gandhi and Politics of Fasting - II By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 27, 2011

The first prominent personality who used fasting in a secular context was Mahatma Gandhi. He used it to accomplish his political goals, and he was indeed successful. Following Gandhi’s model, several politicians in India periodically court fasting, but mostly fail. How did Mahatma Gandhi succeed, where others have failed? There are many answers. Times have changed, people have changed and values have changed. http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

19

|

29

As a spiritual scientist, I have yet another answer. It is likely that the Gods accepted the fasting of Gandhi and rewarded him because he was genuine. Fasting does work in the spiritual realm. It is through penance that Yogis and Siddhas (enlightened beings) attained miraculous powers. In the sphere of black magic, fasting is not welcome. The disembodied spirits, whether good or bad, are eternally hungry. The evil ones, particularly, will do anything for food. Today, the New Agers use fasting as a weight loss tool or sometimes to maintain good health. It is true that fasting as a method to achieve optimum health is beneficial. It is profitable to use it along with the religious calendar days of fasting. For instance, fasting on the New moon, Full moon, Eleventh moon and Thirteenth moon cleanses the mind and the soul along with the body. Fasting also teaches an important lesson. If you fast regularly, you will understand that the food anxiety is simply and largely psychological. You can manage your hunger and food habits through regular fasting.

Anna, Gandhi and Politics of Fasting - I By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 26, 2011

While Anna Hazare might have brought back mainstream attention on fasting, the historical origin of voluntary fasting can be traced to the austerity principles followed by ascetics, celibates and others who follow the monastic path. Fasting cannot be studied without its counterpart - eating. Eating gives pleasure and energy. Fasting does the opposite. It is painful and depletes energy. Stopping or cutting the food intake has a direct impact upon the control of the senses, which is considered conducive for a transcendental experience of God or soul. As long as a person is well-fed, eating as many as three or four times a day, he or she will have less inclination towards meditation and Yoga. Subsequently, fasting became respectable and came to be adopted even by householders as a religious or spiritual discipline. A fasting calendar is a prominent aspect among orthodox Hindus. Important festivals for Gods and some phases of the moon are marked as fasting times. Jainism is big on fasting; some Jain kings are known to have died fasting. Islam has one full month dedicated to fasting.

You Can Create Miracles By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 25, 2011 |

This is the time of doing, but not just human doing or action. It’s going to be pure Miracles. Miracles will occur in every area of life - wealth, health, relationships and even enlightenment. You will not find a rationale for all that is going to happen. However, you must understand what a Miracle is. A Miracle is an abnormal or supernormal happening. There is no rhyme or reason for such a happening. You may ask, “How does it happen?” It happens through faith. Faith is not simply a religious or philosophical concept or proposition. Faith, in my definition, means utter positivity without any doubt. When you have faith, Miracles will be a daily happening.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

20

|

29

Jesus wanted people to accept Him as their Savior. Even today, the evangelists pray and do things in Jesus’ name. It need not necessarily be Jesus (or the Buddha, or any other religious icon or prophet). It can be anyone that you are able to not just believe in, but trust in. You must develop faith and trust. You will develop trust when you see the Miracles happening around you. You are not going to deviate from faith and trust. Through faith and trust, you are going to accomplish all your goals.

God is OM, OM is God By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 24, 2011

According to the Indian Yogi Patanjali, God is OM. This is, undoubtedly, the most scientific description of God. Everything in the universe - from inorganic to organic life - is just a vibration. Vibration is the pulsation of life. Everything pulsates or vibrates, creating consciousness and energy. OM is the primordial pulsation. All life or non-life is the OM vibration. The sound of OM itself is divided into the sounds of AA, OO and MA. These three sounds together become OM: * AH is Siva or pure consciousness; it is pure spirit or energy without content or definition * OO is Shakti, the consort of Siva; it is energy turned into fine matter * MA is impure matter that creates the world Anyone who understands the intricacies of the vibrations of AH, OO and MA is God himself/herself. There are many interpretations of OM and AH, OO, MA, but all of them relate to one thing. OM is God. If one wants to become identified with God, one should always keep chanting OM or its constituents, AH, OO and MA. The multiplicity that we see in the universe came out of OM’s proliferation. The ultimate meditation is meditation on OM.

Compare Yourself Only with God By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 23, 2011

You don’t have to compare yourself with anyone. Comparison is the source of all miseries. A fat person looks at the skinny person and compares himself/herself with the skinny person. The “fat one” is apparently frustrated, bitter, jealous, and finally miserable. You are who you are. I am not saying you should not control your weight. You simply don’t engage in comparison. This applies to money, relationships, and other situations as well. Be yourself, try not to become someone else. However, I allow one comparison. You can compare yourself to the pure spirit of God, because you are in reality God. Doesn’t the Bible say ”God made man in his own image”? Don’t compare yourself with a movie star, cricketer, business tycoon, or someone else. Identify yourself with God. Never forget that you are God. You will not be frustrated.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

21

|

29

Be Like Krishna’s Flute By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 22, 2011

Everything happens for some good, you simply don’t know why it is good. You think that progress has been hindered. The truth is: even the mistake has something to teach you, or redirect your energy. God can do something to fix it. Maybe He would keep it that way and do something else for you. You simply accept. What is important in life is God. Everything else is secondary. If God is your first priority, then He will do anything and everything for you. Don’t question Him. Don’t expect Him to behave in ways acceptable to you. Be like a flute in the mouth of Lord Krishna. Let him play any note. Be an empty beat.

Radha and Krishna: The New Paradigm of Bliss By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 21, 2011

What gives immense joy to everyone? Senses. So, the senses have to be understood and celebrated, rather than condemned. I have found a new paradigm, which will infuse us with a better understanding of material pleasures of the world. This paradigm offers glorification of the pleasure principles - beauty, joy and ecstasy. It can give you great love, happiness, and perfection at the level of body, mind and relationships. It can literally bring a great shift in human consciousness - Heaven on Earth - which is possible through the descent of the Radha Krishna energy. It is only the Light of Krishna that is going to change the world. It is the Light that brings new hope for humanity. It is the Light of great joy. It is the Light of freedom from suffering and pain, and that which can bring Heaven on Earth. How are we going to live the Radha Krishna consciousness? All that you need to do is to dance and sing the glory of Radha and Krishna. Through that you can create a wonderful life. The very name of Krishna and Radha will transform you. Radha, the divine Feminine counterpart of Krishna, represents the creative principle. Just go on saying her name and miracles will happen. You will be transported to another level, a different realm of ecstasy. You will be able to go beyond your mind, and no meditation can give you this experience. Her name gives both material pleasure as well as spiritual transformation. Bliss and ecstasy are going to be the key words; we are not going to accept anything else. You can experience these through the power of the divine names Radha and Krishna. On Krishna’s Birthday (Janmashtami), I am 100% certain that this is what is going to change our financial problem, our relationship problem, our enlightenment problem – this one paradigm of Radha Krishna.

What is True Freedom? By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 18, 2011

It is not just political freedom or economic freedom. Political freedom and a bunch of cash do help, but they can’t give you liberation. Liberation is freeing oneself from all mental conditions. A happy thought comes to your mind, you are excited and you experience joy. The next minute the mind changes and gives you a miserable thought and you feel sad. http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

22

|

29

A Yogi is not perturbed by anything that comes into his mind. He knows that thought is unreal. It doesn’t matter whether it is a good thought or a bad thought. Remember the Yogic teaching: ”Thoughts are our guests. They check in and they check out”. We simply have to remember we are the host to the thoughts. Our true self is the ‘gap’ present between the thoughts. Keep observing the ‘gap’ that exists between the thoughts. Initially, you may not find the ‘gap’. But, eventually you will know that – ”You are the gap”.

Hunger and Taste: How to Overcome the Two Demons? By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 16, 2011

Thirst and hunger are a curse on the human race. There are people who are going through extreme starvation, with not even water to quench their thirst. Finally, one day, hunger even ends their bodily existence on this plane. This is an everyday happening in Africa and a few other third world countries. Hunger is karma. The conquest of hunger is the conquest of karma. Observe what is happening to you on a daily basis. You are a slave to hunger. You run to grab food. After you eat, you have mixed feelings - satisfaction or hatred that you ate so much. Why do we eat? We eat for two reasons - one is hunger and another is taste. Both are the needs of the body and the emotions. Observe your dog-like and cat-like response when you are presented with some dish that you like. By smelling, the tongues of animals water and they keep licking their lips before they even eat the food. This example clearly proves that hunger and taste are animal instinct and behavior. The next evolution for the human beings is to become divine. The divine beings do eat, but they are satisfied with a few drops of honey or elixir. How to control your hunger and taste? I want you to watch your hunger on a daily basis. The food attraction is uncontrollable, but it is not really so if you are conscious. You have to do two things. You should address your hunger directly: ”I know that you are driving me nuts. I am not going to go to the restaurant and order a bunch of dishes. I will satisfy the hunger with some salad or something healthy.” Whenever you are hungry, you should address your hunger. Personify hunger as a demon out there to hurt your body. Kill this demon. The weapon is your own awareness or self-consciousness. The second demon that you have to kill is taste. Address your tongue. Tell the ‘tongue demon’ that you are not a victim to the taste. Throughout the day, you should be battling with these demons many times. They will still find a way to make you unconscious and drive you to the restaurant. But remember, as long as you are aware, they cannot hurt you. The Yogis hated thirst and hunger because it distracted them from their meditation practices. They developed Yogic techniques for overcoming thirst and hunger, which can be used at a more advanced level to gain control of the senses and emotions, and at the highest level to turn the body into light.

You are the Light By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 11, 2011

There is a saying in Taoism - ‘The Sun never sets’. Beyond the clouds, the Sun is always shining. Similarly, your true nature is not flesh and blood. Your true nature is light, as bright as that of the Sun. The Sun’s light is immeasurable, totally luminous, and that is our true nature too.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

23

|

29

The clouds are nothing but our own thinking process. We tend to fall into unconscious behavior, which clouds our mind. Our miseries and misunderstandings are due to the lack of light. More light brings in more understanding. The Tamil saint Ramalingam once described that the physical body is not actually matter, but full of light. The light is blocked; once the light is realized, then matter disappears and only the light remains. Look at how Einstein even defined light as the flow of energy; when the light gets stopped it ends up as matter. There is an illusion that the light appears like matter. Unfortunately, this illusion has become our reality. However, in the Golden Age, this is not going to be the case. Humanity has to be brought back to its own nature which is – Light, Truth and Bliss. That is our real nature, not pain, frustration, debt, and disease.

Greatness of Guru and Importance of Initiation By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 09, 2011

The story of Vasistha and Vishwamitra is enlightening. Vasistha refused to accept Vishwamitra as his student, although Vishwamitra was a king. Vishwamitra gave up his kingship and meditated in a hut in front of Vasistha’s house to convince the Guru that he was a serious student. Even Jesus said that a camel can enter into the eye of a needle, but a rich man can’t get into the kingdom. Why is Jesus so hard on the rich people? Material wealth is addictive and it keeps your consciousness on your possessions. God is not the priority of the rich person. It is not even the priority of the priest; it is only his job which he does for money. So, who is closer to God? Only those who love God and are ready to sacrifice everything for God. God loves those who love Him. Then, He will descend into the earth plane as a human Guru. The way it works is that you cannot find a Guru. The Guru shows up when the student is ready. It is God himself who facilitates the process. That is why the saying that Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. It is only after the initiation by the Guru that the intense spiritual life of a person begins. Initiation is known as ‘Deeksha’ in Sanskrit. Primarily, Deeksha is of three kinds: sight, touch and mantra. In sight Deeksha, the Guru will stare into your eyes and raise your Kundalini. In touch Deeksha, he will touch your finger tips, different parts of your head, forehead, your spinal column, and so on. In mantra Deeksha, he will whisper in your ear a mantra or sound. A true Guru looks for those souls who long for God primarily and everything else is secondary. The students might not see or talk to the Guru everyday. It is not physical proximity that matters. Remote initiation is also possible. This is evident from the story of Totakacharya, who despite being a disciple of Shankaracharya, was not as learned as the other disciples. But, he served his Master with utmost dedication. Once, Totaka has gone to the river to wash the Guru’s clothes. Shankaracharya wanted to wait for him to return before starting his teachings. When the disciples started making fun of Totaka’s dullness, Shankaracharya mentally initiated him with the knowledge of all the scriptures. When Totaka returned from the river, other disciples were amazed to see the glow of knowledge around him. You may read a lot of books and practice meditation for years. Still you may or may not succeed. However, if you win the grace of the Guru, everything will happen in a second.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

24

|

29

Richard Branson: A Failed Yogi By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 07, 2011

A failed Yogi becomes a rich man, king, President, or Prime Minister. This is what Krishna wants to get across to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. If you are a successful Yogi, you get moksha and become God himself. Judging by the Kali Yuga standards, it seems you have a better trade-off if you became a failed Yogi. Then, you can become Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Ambani, and so on. I truly believe that the rich people and political leaders, although they are less spiritual or not at all spiritual in this life time, once were rishis and had failed to get enlightenment. They, probably at the end of their life time, realized that they had better not followed the rishis’ path and rather had elected to become a rich man or a king. There is scriptural evidence for the likelihood of a similar behavior, as it is in the case of the story of Queen Leela. The story is narrated by sage Vasishta to Lord Rama in the text called ‘Yoga Vasistha’, sometimes called Uttara Ramayana. King Padma, Queen Leela’s husband, was once a Yogi, a failed yogi. During the life time prior to becoming a king, he regretted spending his entire life time ‘Oming’ on the Himalayas. He was jealous of the local king who had fun in his life with wine, women, hunting, and so on. Due to his accumulated yogic power, he became king in the next life time. Queen Leela, who was then the Yogi’s wife, accompanied him as the Queen. The story of Queen Leela proves Krishna’s statement in the Bhagavad Gita that a failed Yogi becomes the king. Richard Branson is one such Yogi. He is a daredevil person in his personal life. He went on a hotair balloon, flying all over the world, risking his life. A Yogi risks his life too, fasting and living in the jungle with wild animals and poisonous insects and plants. He only cares for and believes in God, not worrying about if there is an emergency hospital just in case he had a cardiac arrest or a Western Union to receive emergency funds from relatives and friends. Yet another quality of Branson is his respect for time. When asked by a CEO’s group as to how he became so successful, Branson said that in the business as well as personal life, he valued time. ”Every second counts”, said Branson to the CEOs. For most people, not even a year counts. They have been waiting for decades to become rich or successful. Why have they failed? It is because they waited earlier, are waiting now and will be waiting. In one of my meditations, about 20 years ago, I heard a voice saying, ”Waiting is a waste of time”. “Go and be a go-getter” - this is Branson’s yoga. Be a warrior and value time. One final word money and time go together. If you waste time, you are wasting money. Read Richard Branson’s book ‘Screw It, Let’s Do It’. Also, watch my YouTube videos on Yoga Vasistha, the best teaching that I ever have given so far.

Know the Difference: Ignorant versus Enlightened Guru By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 04, 2011

Everything is changing constantly. We call this evolution. Evolution is brought about by time. Time as it progresses reveals many hidden secrets about knowledge and the material universe. What was once unknown is known now, what is unknown now will be known someday in the future. The bottom line is that everything is changing every moment. But, there are institutions that have resisted change - our religious institutions and our fanatical attachments to faith.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

25

|

29

It is time for all religionists to join together and to develop a hard-nosed look at their holy men and their teachings in their respective traditions. I know that this will create turmoil and confusion among the congregation, who are emotionally tied to their religions and beliefs. I am not professing a rationalistic theology. Religion and spirituality are beyond reason. We say God is beyond reason and logic. It is a matter of the heart and inner knowingness. I totally agree with it. But, I want to warn you about ‘ignorant gurus’. This term may be considered an oxymoron, but it does exist. We need to discriminate between ignorant gurus and enlightened gurus. Appearance

• Ignorant Guru: Fanatical, fundamentalist. Robes and beard are more important than their inner development. • Enlightened Guru: Totally free from concepts, constantly moving forward, and progressive. Robes are not as important as inner development. Politics

• •

Ignorant Guru: Follows institutional bureaucracy and hierarchy in order to keep political power. Enlightened Guru: Not attached to institutions and hierarchy. Least political.

Students

• •

Ignorant Guru: Manipulates students to stay with them through fear, guilt, and eternal oaths. Enlightened Guru: Always asks his students to feel free to quit without fear or guilt.

Ego

• •

Ignorant Guru: ‘I am God or the only one who holds the truth. Everyone else is either false or mistaken’. Enlightened Guru: ‘I am on the path, still evolving’. Respects others teachings and recommends their books and teachings.

Wealth

• •

Ignorant Guru: Wealth is bad and you should give up your belongings (perhaps to him for safe custody). Enlightened Guru: Wealth is freedom. You should save money for your rainy days.

Sex

• •

Ignorant Guru: Outwardly condemns sex, although it is contradictory to his conviction and practice. Enlightened Guru: Affirms sexuality and its divinity.

Socializing

• •

Ignorant Guru: Keeps away from socializing with students in order to keep the students in awe and wonder. Enlightened Guru: Mingles with his students and is easily accessible.

Personal Experience

• •

Ignorant Guru: Doesn’t talk about his struggles with thoughts and desires, but lies to the world that he is in samadhi and without thoughts. Enlightened Guru: Talks freely about his mistakes and shortcomings.

Donation

• •

Ignorant Guru: Donation to the guru or his institution will wash away your sins. Enlightened Guru: Donations may help, but has to be on the basis of true inner transformation.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

26

|

29

Health

• •

Ignorant Guru: Full of diseases in the body, and blames them on to the karma of the students and the world. Enlightened Guru: Talks about battle with the body and tries to be healthy.

Karma

• •

Ignorant Guru: Claims that his personal suffering is due to taking on the karma of the people of the world. Enlightened Guru: Claims that his personal suffering is due to his lack of knowledge to handle karma successfully.

Your Choice: Negative versus Positive Enlightenment By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Aug 02, 2011

I want you to ponder on the question: ”Do we have to renounce life in order to reach enlightenment?” Most religions, if not all, would say, ‘Yes’ to this question. I urge you to look at the neglect and lack of interest that churches, temples, mosques and monasteries have suffered. People are not able to relate to their religion easily, except otherwise through some form of fundamentalism, which is not a desirable option. We need to contemporize our religion, faith and spiritual practices. In order to do this, we have to discern. Particularly, we need to discriminate between positive and negative enlightenment. Desires

• •

Negative Enlightenment says: Desires are the cause for misery and the senses cause bondage to the world. Practice renunciation. Positive Enlightenment says: Life should be full of positive desires, but remain detached from everything - joy and suffering.

Ego

• •

Negative Enlightenment means: Annihilation of ego. Positive Enlightenment means: Nurture positive ego, which leads to self-esteem.

Meditation

• •

Negative Enlightenment advocates: Sit in meditation all the time. Positive Enlightenment advocates: Sit in meditation for an hour, but be mindful all day.

Life

• •

Negative Enlightenment teaches: Lead a poor life with minimum resources. Live in the moment and don’t plan for the future. Positive Enlightenment teaches: Live a comfortable life with moderate luxury. Live in the moment and secure your present and future.

Work

• •

Negative Enlightenment tells: Work is distraction from enlightenment. Positive Enlightenment tells: Work is divine and better than inaction and unemployment.

Sex

• •

Negative Enlightenment preaches: Sex is evil. Positive Enlightenment preaches: Sex is divine.

Senses

• •

Negative Enlightenment declares: Senses are evil. Emotions and fantasies are evil. Positive Enlightenment declares: Senses are nourishing, and keep them under control. Emotions and fantasies give meaning to life.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

27

|

29

Is Enlightenment a Divine Coma? By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Jul 28, 2011

“Enlightenment” has become a buzzword today. Even among the yogis and philosophers of different traditions, there is no agreement on the definition of enlightenment. Is enlightenment - emptying the mind, OR, gaining spiritual siddhi powers, OR, the conquest of death by turning the body into light? I tend to prefer the last one. We are familiar with Babaji, the teacher of Lahari Mahasaya; Babaji turned his body into light and became just 16 years old. The Tamil Siddhas subscribe to this type of enlightenment. They say that kind of enlightenment is perfect mastery over matter. It is a difficult process, but it is the ultimate enlightenment. By meditating on Shoonya (emptiness), probably you will be enlightened. But, that enlightenment is not going to help anyone, including the person who is meditating. We should not meditate on Shoonya because enlightenment is not a divine coma. If you are meditating on Shoonya, then only Shoonya will emerge. You may argue that Shoonya creates everything. Yes, it does. From Shoonya comes everything, no doubt about it. But, then you have to put in an idea or thought. You have to say what you want. But, if you make Shoonya as the goal, only Shoonya will be there. Then, you will quit your family, your country and everything. That is why, I call this divine coma as negative enlightenment.

‘i’ versus ‘I’ By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Jul 21, 2011

Everyday when you wake up, don’t just think only about your own bank account. You should dedicate yourself and your life to selfless service. The more selfless service you do, the more successful you will become. The human tendency is to think, ”Why should I have to give?” You think of yourself all the time. When you are selfish, you have boundaries. When you are selfless, the boundaries are broken and you become Universal, all becomes yours. With selflessness, you won’t lose everything. You have to understand; it means you become Divine, you become aware of ‘God’ versus having a small identity. It is most important to commit yourself to live for others. The moment you commit yourself to helping others, you will see things work. If you want the maximum results, do not be selfish. We need to have citizens in every country who are selfless; those who have no ego. We need an education system that teaches you right from the start to be selfless, so that children are geared not to develop a small identity, but a Universal identity. Then, people will start to think, ”Primarily, I’m unlimited consciousness, I’m God. I may do accounting work, but that’s a skill, a vocation. Primarily, I’m involved in the evolutionary process for this planet.” The goal for people is the journey from a limited selfish identity to an unrestricted sense of identity. A selfish identity is low self-esteem. The highest self-esteem, which everyone really is, is that you are ‘God’. So, bring more and more people to this practice. If you all join together in meditation, there is nothing you cannot change. Move from your local identity to something that is unbounded, from selfish to selfless. You should become truly dedicated to a new paradigm. Do selfless service and meditation, and miracles will happen.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

28

|

29

What is life? By : Dr Baskaran Pillai on Jul 18, 2011

Life is a combination of ego, karma, and Maya. Ego is the feeling of ‘I’ consciousness. “I am John”, “I am an engineer”, “I have a family”, and so on - understandings like these come out of your ego consciousness. Karma is one’s idiosyncratic thinking and life experience that survives through lifetimes - past, present, and future. Every individual, so to say, creates a ‘karmic thought bank’ of what they wants to think, do and experience. Sequentially, they lay it out in the context of many lifetimes during which they take birth, grow, and then die. What is not experienced in one birth is carried on to the next. Life continues, though the body changes. Maya, the third component of life, is a cosmic force that engages your senses in every lifetime. Maya makes you interested in the sexual and sensual pleasures. It is called an ‘illusionary force’ since it hides the vision of the soul. Maya distracts the attention of the individual from Selfrealization. Maya keeps your attention always on sense objects. No doubt, Maya offers a lot of fun, but it never makes you intelligent. It is important for everyone to step out of their karmic ego-identity, obsessive karmic thinking and the attraction of the sense objects. In classical Hindu mythology, ego, karma, and Maya are portrayed as demons. Lord Shiva destroys them, and liberates the individual soul from its bondage and attachment to ego, karma, and Maya. That is the purpose of life.

http://www.speakingtree.in/drbaskaranpillai

29

|

29