yoga is

"Yoga means union, to be in a state of yoga means to be complete within yourself"
- Sadhguru

Intellectually, I know what yoga means. Every book I read, every news I heard, indicated as such. But I cannot say that I truly know it, because it is only on the level of the mind that I understand.

A week ago during Sathsang with Sadhguru, thanks to sadhguru's grace, I went into a very quiet and peaceful stage where thoughts does not exist. I don't know exactly how long was it, could be only a few minutes, or could be a couple of hours. All I know was I saw sadhguru talking, yet I don't remember what he was talking about. It seemed like the whole world stepped aside. Hours later, not until my mind started asking a lot of questions before I realized what has happened. That's why I know there had been no thoughts. Or in another word, everything at that moment was complete within myself.

sathsang with sadhguru- part 2

One more thing that Sadhguru mentioned, was that each one of us owns a storage warehouse, called "House of Karma". In order to obtain liberation, this karma warehouse needs to be cleaned up. It may take 2 life time, or maybe 200 life time, depending on individual conditions.

As we began the spiritual process (union with Existence), Existence begins to clean house, further you advanced, faster this happened. So next time if you experienced a lot of things that are happening towards you, be happy because Existence is trying to do its job-clean house- as soon as possible.(see previous posting, freedom from this world, Aug 20, are you tired? Aug 31)

Other than daily practices that Sadhguru has instructed us. There are two very simple Sadhana that we need to do every day. Instructions as follows:

1) pick one of the 5 mantras that listed on this Sounds of Isha Album, Vairagya
http://soundsofisha.bandcamp.com/album/vairagya-1-hour-versions
minimum 25 minutes a day, sing or play this mantra in the background, so your energy reverberates with Existence

2) Consciously tell yourself, I am not the job, I am not (name), I am not the thoughts, I am not the body... through out the day. Be conscious about everything you do.

These two Sadhana are important for the ultimate liberation. It is even better to take one weekend out of a month to do a two day sadhana.

"If your goal is ultimate liberation, every breath, every step, every beat of your heart should become conscious"- Sadhguru

Sathsang with Sadhguru

So with the drum roaring faster and faster in the background, His clapping sounded like firing cannon sending thunders into the sky , the whole Mahima was reverberating like shock waves in the air. Yes we were in for a ride, only Sadhguru knows where we were going. This was how we started, a 2 day Sathsang with Sadhguru in IIIS, one day after the World Peace Day- a day of Isha Fest and celebrations with many guests coming for the first time from local communities, including mayor of McMinnville, and celebrities such as Arianna Huffington.

Sathsang means union with the truth, Sadhguru spent quite some time explaining to us what Existence is, and who we really are, not who we think we are. He indicated if you bow down to Existence, life is much easier. If you are full of yourself , you will have to pay a price.We were given several rides in the Sathsang, which took us into much higher consciousness, higher perception, this could not have been done without a live guru, that's why this Sathsang is so important for all of us.

He mentioned most of the people are so busy running in the wrong direction of life, thinking they are in control, of course he has many jokes to explain what that means.After the intense rides, a few Q/A followed which answered many a questions that we often ran into. Some sharing from meditators who went to Kailash with Sadhguru recently. During sharing, most of us were crying, because of what Sadhguru has done for these meditators during the trip. While the sharing was going on, several times we noticed that Sadhguru was sitting there with eyes closed, absolutely silent, like Kailash. This stillness brought even more tears and screaming from us.

This Sathsang was the best I have ever experienced, I was brought to a much higher consciousness level which I have never been before. First time in my life, while I was able to engage with Sadhguru's talk, I tasted the dimension of absolutely stillness where thoughts does not exist. Because thoughts does not exist, I was not sure how long had this last, by the time I began to understand what has happened, it was many hours later.

One more thing I also learned and benefited greatly, was that I came to the event two days earlier, preparing myself through activities of volunteering. Volunteering is a much underrated word today, I did not know the true meaning of it till now. A better word for volunteering, is "devoid of  yourself ". The intense two days of "devoid of myself" prior to Sathsang, has prepared me well. By the time Sadhguru first stepped into the Ashram, I was completely ready for him. Like pilgrimage, like going to Kailash, you need to let go of yourself into the process.

Having a guru is lucky, having a live guru is blessed. Having Sadhguru as a live guru, well, how can I put it? I will not miss any opportunity to be with him.

meeting Shiva

I remembered in 2012 mahashivarathri at India Yoga Center, Sadhguru encouraged us to dance with him, he said if only we are touched by divine just for a brief moment, we will be able to dance all night without being tired. I stood up unwillingly, knowing dance is never my game, I gave it a try. That was 9 PM. The next thing I knew, it was 6 AM. I had so much fun dancing that I had blisters on both of my feet. My eyes often sprouted with tears. This is life- something I have never experienced. I thought this dancing was ordinary, yet it was extraordinary in many ways.

To meet Shiva, you have to get out of your comfortable zone, step aside your like and dislike, without any judgement and expectation, simply do the ordinary thing which is called for at the moment. Like Sadhguru used to say, you have to go to the ultimate, ultimate will not come to you.

"There is no way Shiva can desert you if you are a burning piece of life"- Sadhguru

circles of compulsion

Yesterday at monthly Sathsang, Sadhguru talked about circles of compulsion, that is, we think we are in control of life, in reality, we are not, we only think we are. We only react to situations, we have been so busy catching up, busy circling and we think we are ahead, not only ahead, we want to conserve what we have accomplished.

Looking back my life, how truthful what Sadhguru had said. Until I met Sadhguru, I thought I was ahead, in control of my life.I was doing pretty well, making a good career and financial portfolio, I should be happy but I was not. After busy working for last 25 years, I honestly don't remember much of what I have done, not even last week. I do know that I have been very busy, so busy that I hardly took any time off, so busy that I did not see my kids growing up in front of my eyes. How come?

Until we transcend our awareness beyond this body and mind, we will always struggle in the circles of compulsion, always working and waiting for next moment to happen- that's why we are always behind, like dog chasing its tails, you'll never make it.

Please don't make the same mistake that I've made, meditate and do the practice every day, Sadhguru is here and now to help- if we are willing.

"Work is an expression of who you are, so who you are needs to be worked at"- Sadhguru

In the lap of master

Last several days, thanks to modern technology, we get to have sathsang with Sadhguru, who was in India Yoga Center, exactly another side of the earth. Remember? it took us two days just to get there?

One thing Sadhguru mentioned that touched me deeply, was when he talked about devotion. Devotion means devoid yourself, which means no self, only then you become one with the existence. Example was how the moth is seeking the light, it will fly around and around the lamp until it decides to go straight towards the fire, then it will devoid itself, as there is no more moth, it has become light.- this is not to interpret physically, simply think of it as a transformation process.

Towards the end, as Sadhguru concluded the sathsang, he said something so passionately which brought tears to my eyes. I think we all knew it is true, as we all have experienced as such one time or another. Following is what he said, may this blessing becomes a reality for all of us every moment.

" If you are willing, if you keep yourself as an open door, every moment I will be with you"- Sadhguru

Superman

In our society, we worship people with extra power, strength. Making use of this, Hollywood has produced movies like superman, Xman, iron man. wolf man, spider man and yes it sells. Deep in each one of us, we have this desire to expand ourselves, to break the boundaries of physical limitation, to be free.

Often we use this desire in religion, in economy, in politics, in art, in sex and in any whichever ways that we think best suit our needs. If this desire is outward bound (karma), it is devastating, because like chasing your own shadows, the harder you try, the further the shadows run away from you. But instead, if this is an inward action (kriya), then, the inward journey begins (Inner engineering, Sadhguru), it will bring satisfaction, because now you turn around and shadows is behind you.

Sadhguru once said if enlightenment is up in the moon somewhere, everybody would have gotten it by now. The truth is, it is so close within us, and we all have missed it. Before you getting yourself busy working towards your happiness, please take a few minutes and check if things that you are after, is it karma bound? or is it kriya bound? This can save you a lot time and headaches down the road.

There is too much talk about god, godman, and goddamm men, only because most of humanity has not realized the immensity of being human- Sadhguru

my guru

Fatal Fragrance

The smell of Shiva
Set me upon treacherous but eternal path

Just a snort, I was done

Eternal stuff, fatal to oneself

-Sadhguru



Sadhguru wrote this beautiful poem, not only to honor his guru, but also to document what was his experience with his guru. Depending on our own experience with Sadhguru and level of consciousness, we will know as such. There is nothing to understand or comprehend, simply be.

When I read this poem, I was speechless, what a perfect expression of my love to Sadhguru. My guru my life, how can we ever pay you back for your love and your sacrifice to us, to humanity as a whole. I bow down to you, and to your guru. How honor we are do be part of this yogi lineage.

May your journey end/ start with this poem.

consciousness

Before I met Sadhguru, I don't really know what consciousness is. How can a sleeping mind knows awareness. I have been walking in my sleep for half of a century, till now.

Every morning at dawn, a blue jay will chirp outside of the bedroom window, proclaim the arrival of consciousness, the bird is saying "you have fallen asleep, time to wake up". Then as I sit myself ready for my practice, the wind chimes will announce "let this consciousness be with you always, whatever you do". Through out the day while I was deeply involve myself at work, totally unaware of the consciousness, then a very small scene or movement will remind me that I am in and out of sleep, I know this because consciousness is witnessing the whole thing. Like swimming, for a while it is just movement, exercising, thinking, breathing, then for a brief moment, consciousness will take over, showing you what I am actually doing, or not doing while swimming.

Last week on my way to LA, while I was driving, I saw two dolphins swimming along side in the ocean, they were in and out of the water effortlessly, totally in sync with each other. I have seen this a hundred times, however, this time is very different, at that moment, I was awed by it's beauty, my tears began to flow. Existence has a way to bring our consciousness to light.

Every day, every moment, if you are aware, consciousness is always there. Like the breath, you may not notice it all the time, but now, you notice it, don't you? it is not just about inhale and exhale, it is consciousness, it is life, it is existence. . There is a man (or two) in India that hit the news recently, that he does not eat nor drink for more than 30 years. Existence can sustain him, in ways we do not understand. Jesus says man does not live by food along. Could he mean the same? The Consciousness?

"The body and mind are just temporary happenings, is the awareness of that not inspiration enough to long for something beyond?"- Sadhguru