Meera's Bhajan

daras bin dookhan lage nain!
daras bin dookhan laage nain.
jab te tum bichhre piy pyaare, kabahu na paayo chain.
sabd sunat meree chhatiyaan kanpe, meethhe laage bain.
ek tak takee panth nihaaroo,bhai chhmaasee rain.
birah bithaa kason kahu sajanee, bah gayee karbat ain.
Meeraa ke Prabhu kab hon miloge,dukh metan sukh den.


Translation

My eyes burn with longing
for a glimpse of you.
My beloved, since You parted from me,
I have never had a moment's peace
When I hear thy voice
my heart beats faster
for your voice is so sweet
I gaze fixedly at the path which you will come by,
Each night without Thee seems like six moths..
To whom shall I exress my sorrow?
cutting through my heart?
Mira says, Oh my Lord, when will You meet me again!

Various Paths Of Yoga.

Bhakti Yoga

The path to the center through Bhakti or Devotion and Love for the Supreme is Bhakti Yoga.

Bhakti is the manifestation of supreme love for God. Intrinsically, this divine love is immortal bliss. By attaining It, a man becomes perfect, immortal, and satisfied forever. On attaining That, a man does not desire anything else; he grieves no more, he is free from hatred or jealousy; he does not take pleasure in the vanities of life; and he loses all eagerness for self promotion.
-Narada Bhakti Sutra

The individual is dissolved in the Lord and thus achieves salvation.

Great examples of Bhakti Yoga are the Sufi's,Meerabai,Tulsidas, Jesus , who said, "Thou shalt love the Lord Thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first the great commandment". There are countless others who , through their unquestioning and intense love for the Almighty reached the centre!

The Way Of The Yogi

The Yogi is one who uses the myriad paths of Yoga to reach the centre or realise Brahman, which,loosely translated, means 'The Soul'. The goal is Yuj or Union with Brahman. There are various schools of Yoga; there are also different combinations of methods; but the destination is the same. Every path of Yoga has it's ardent followers; each path ultimately leads to success if followed faithfully and correctly; and each person finds one which is suitable for him/her depending on where they are in their spiritual evolution.
According to the Advaitha tradition; the Union, when it does happen; reveals to the Yogi the perfection and 'completeness' of everything and once that happens there is nothing to achieve. Ramana Maharshi simply and aptly says-"Self is only Being -Not being this or that. Simple Being..BE and there is the end of ignorance"

Perfection is already present; but we do not realise it.

Or as the Upanishad says-


Om Poornamadha Poornamidam Poornaatpoornamudachyate
Poornasya Poornamaadaaya Poornamevaavashishyate
Om Shantih Shantih Shantihi

Translation
OM - That is ‘whole’. This is ‘whole’The ‘whole’ becomes manifestWhen the ‘whole’ is negated What remains is again the ‘whole’OM, Peace, Peace, Peace

Here the 'Whole' refers to the complete perfection of all that IS . Nothing is taken away or added. Things are perfect as they are.

Sound Meditation.

There are several ways to meditate with sound. Sound Vibrations have the ability to guide you to the centre. Chanting is one of these. Chanting a Mantra or a Shloka releases vibrations that are meditative. The chanting of OM with complete concentration is a complete meditation in itself. Similarly there is Qur'anic chanting in Islam and Buddhist chanting, which invoke a deep sense of peace. The sound has to surround and encompass you until you are one with it's resonance.

Tibetan singing bowl meditation.

The Way of the Sufi.

The way of the Sufi is the way of the Heart. He calls God his Beloved and in this quest for the Beloved everything else is negated or has no attraction for him. He travels the spiritual path, Tariqat, purifying himself for the time when he and The Beloved are one. The goal is Fanaa, the state of the self having passed away in God.
He first empties himself of all negatives qualities and desires. Then he polishes away the tarnish of the self and attachment to it. Adorning the self with Divine attributes; the attributes of Truth; comes next. Then, finally the self passes away and only the Beloved remains. The Sufi reaches the center....
The mystical Path of the Sufi has ritualistic music and dance as important elements. The music; usually the beutiful poems of Sufi poets like Rumi; set to music; are always about searching for the Beloved and the ache of the seperation.
The ritualistic dance is one of great ecstacy. The Sema ceremony; the ceremony of ritualistic dance is popular among the Mevlavi order; founded by the followers of the Sufi poet and mystic, Jalal Ud Din Mohammed Rumi. They are famed as the Whirling Dervishes.

This takes you to a Sema ceremony

Listen to a Sufi Qawwali

The Dance Of The Dervish

This digital image was done by me on Corel Painter Pro and Wacom Intuos3 tablet. :)

For more on the Dervish and their practises do visit http://www.dankphotos.com/whirling/

Sufi Poetry

Rumi

I thought of you so often
That I completely became you
Little by little you drew near
And slowly but slowly I passed away


Footprints but come to the ocean shore
Therein no trace remains

look at love how it tangles with the one fallen in love
look at spirit how it fuses with earth giving it new life
why are you so busy with this or that or good or bad pay attention to how things blend
why talk about all the known and the unknown see how the unknown merges into the known
why think seperately of this life and the next when one is born from the last
look at your heart and tongue
one feels but deaf and dumb the other speaks in words and signs
look at water and fire earth and wind
enemies and friends all at once
the wolf and the lamb the lion and the deer
far away yet together
look at the unity of this spring and winter manifested in the equinox
you too must mingle my friends since the earth and the sky are mingled just for you and me
be like sugarcane sweet yet silent don't get mixed up with bitter words
my beloved grows right out of my own heart how much more union can there be

Mullah Nasruddin's practical faith!

Mullah Nasruddin was a Sufi. There are numerous stories about him that are wise and humurous! A man who never took himself seriously...a receipe for a happy life!!!



An Answered Prayer
God will provide, Nasruddin told a man that complained that all his money, twenty silver pieces, was stolen. Really? I doubt it, said the man skeptically. Well, come, I'll show you, said Nasruddin leading him to the communal place of prayer. God, please give this man back his twenty silver pieces!! yelled Nasruddin upon entering. Please, God! He is a good man, and this stolen money was all he had!!! He kept on shouting and imploring God, until the upset and annoyed congregation made a quick collection, and gave him the cash. You may not understand the means, said Nasruddin handing the man the money, but I'm sure you trust the end...

Having said that!

I do not mean to discourage or disparage Healers in any way. To each his own. I am more drawn to teaching so I focus more on that. And I do not mean to imply that going to a healer is not helpful; it definitely helps to activate and accelerate the removal of blockages and promote healing. But a lot of the work has to be done by ourselves and there has to be a commitment to work on ourselves otherwise the healing will not be permanent and the problem will recur; certainly through no fault of the healer.

Working On Ourselves

It isn't our business to live anybody's life, or to die anybody's death, except our own. Not to save anybody's soul, nor to put anybody in the right;... but to be still, and to ignore the false fine frenzy of the seething world. To turn away, now, each one into the stillness and solitude of his own soul. - D.H. Lawrence

I am constantly asked why I do not take up healing work and confine myself to teaching. It is because I firmly believe that each of us should take on the responsibilty for our own healing and spiritual growth. While we can depend on masters and teachers to show us the way we cannot expect them to do our work for us. When we are shown the way it is upto us to follow the path and fight our demons and move towards the light. No one else can do it for us, no matter how many healing sessions we go to! It's hard work, no doubht, because when we think we've conquered a demon, it pops up it's head again when we're least expecting it! This where Reiki and other holistic healing systems and meditation come into play. There has to be a combination of awareness and the use of these tools. We need to know and recognise the demons we are fighting and also have the focus and determination to rid ourselves of them. When we meditate we automatically clear ourselves of negativity and also shrink the demons. :) This is motivation enough to continue down the path till we see that we and the world are ONE or BRAHMAN .
To read more about Brahman do go thru the Upanishads. I am adding a link.
http://www.hindunet.org/scriptures/mahavakyas/index.htm

Reiki For Your Intentions,Goals And Desires.

This outward spring and garden are a reflection of the inward garden.
Mevlana Rumi

What Rumi means is; whatever goes on inside you is reflected in your external circumstances. When our emotions and thoughts are unsullied and clear; when we are not in turmoil; when right thought and right action prevail ; our external circumstances match that inner gloriousness. When we live with a feeling of abundance and joy, abundance and joy come into our lives. This is where 'Attitude Of Gratitude' comes in! The universe gives us more to be grateful about! There's more about this in the section on the FIVE REIKI PRINCIPLES.

Having said that, Reiki is often used to energise and manifest goals and desires. There are specific techniques taught in a Level Two class that deal with this. But, of course, the small print says that our goals and desires manifest ONLY if they are what we need and deserve at this point and ONLY if they do not interfere with the larger good of everybody and everything else; which makes huge sense!

To give Reiki to your Goals and Desires, write them down on strips of paper, fold them and draw the Symbols on the back. Give Reiki to these for about five to ten minutes a day. Have a box in which you can keep these slips and Reiki the whole box for about ten minutes a day!

Use a clear quartz crystal and after cleansing and energising it with Reiki and the Symbols, programme it to send energy to the intention. You can keep the slip of paper underneath it!

CLEAR QUARTZ CRYSTALS

While these tools are specific to Level Two I always encourage my Level One students to do this without the symbols. Reiki is from the highest source and so there's no reason to assume that it will not work without the symbols.

Another thing to watch out for with desires and goals is not to cling to them. The best way to block a desire from manifesting is to think about it 24/7 and imagine that your happiness depends on it. Never going to happen.

Take a tip from the new James Bond.He says he doesn't care if his martini is shaken or stirred! He doesn't even care if it isn't a martini! Now that's non clinging for you. :)

But have fun with the intentions! Just remember though; true joy has nothing to do with anything external.

KARUNA REIKI

BUDDHA OF COMPASSION

Avalokiteshwara is the Buddha of Compassion.


'Karuna,' in Sanskrit, means Compassion. Karuna Reiki is a system of Reiki that was created by Reiki Master William Rand as a result of his extensive work and research with healing methods. During his many years of practice he came across various systems and symbols that were being used by healers. He studied the systems and worked with the energy levels of the different healing symbols and incorporated the ones he found to have the best energy and formulated an attunement process by which one could access these symbols and use them in healing. He called the new system Karuna Reiki. The method of healing is the same as in Usui Reiki with the additional use of Karuna Reiki symbols.

In his own words ‘I did not originally intend to create a new system of Reiki, but starting about 1989, I began being given non-Usui Reiki symbols and attunement techniques which were claimed to have benefit. I filed these symbols away along with the attunement processes that were included with some of them and also began experimenting with some of them. After a number of years, I had quite a collection and many of my students began asking me about these "additional symbols" and wanting to know if they should use them. In the winter of 1993, I gathered together a number of my best students, many of whom were spiritually sensitive, to experiment with the additional symbols, try them out and decide which were the most useful. We asked for guidance and through this process came up with a set of symbols that seemed to have the best energy. We also experimented with an attunement process to go with them. Later I was guided in the further development of the attunement process and this eventually evolved into a new system of Reiki. Throughout the process, I prayed for help from the Higher Power and asked that I be connected to a healing energy that would be of greater benefit. I did not channel any of these symbols myself. They came from other Reiki masters. In 1995, I was guided to more clearly define the system and to name it Karuna Reiki® which can be defined as the Reiki of Compassion. While some of the symbols in Karuna Reiki® are the same as those used by other schools and systems, because the attunements are different and the intention is different, the energies that are connected to Karuna Reiki® are unique to the system

‘Karuna’ is an important concept in most spiritual systems. Buddhism considers it a prerequisite for Satori or Enlightenment. ‘Karuna’ is compassion and as we develop it we find ourselves more in tune with the universe. Healing comes naturally. We see oneness in all of creation.

Karuna Reiki is not a substitute for traditional Reiki. In fact it is taught only to level two practioners of Usui Reiki and the Karuna Reiki mastership is given only to Usui Reiki masters.

There is a definite difference to the feel of both the energies. Karuna feels softer and more enveloping but the healing is deeper with a combination of both systems. There is a faster and more concrete spiritual growth which I think is the ultimate purpose of any holistic healing system.

There is also more self growth as energy blocks surface and clamour for attention! As we deal with these and clear them off with healing we experience many changes in ourselves and life situations. We are forced to look more deeply at issues that are causing stagnation in our development and work more diligently at cleansing and healing with faster and more concrete results. Working with issues of self growth is not always comfortable but with Karuna Reiki we are able to look at ourselves with compassion and see clearly what we need to clear off and what to bring into our lives. By incorporating Karuna Reiki with Traditional or Usui Reiki we are that much more empowered. And I think that right now we need all the help we can get!

ALTER

This is an alter I have at home. I light a candle in front of the Buddha intending that the entire house be filled with positive energy.The candle holder is a Himalayan Rock salt crystal. More on the benefits of these crystals at www.fengshui-ci.co.uk/tipofthemonth.asp
.There's a Tibetan singing bowl on it. (on your right) It produces a healing sound when it is played; that is also energising for the chakras. So does the Tibetan hand bell.(on your left)
For more on Tibetan Singing Bowls go to- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing_bowl

Mandala Meditation

Mandalas are a representation of the cosmic creation in a geometric form. The word literally means cosmos. Used in Tibetan Buddhism it is related to the Yantras of Hinduism.

Mandalas are used for meditation to induce stillness of the mind. The focus should be from the outer to the inner concentrating on the centre.The way to meditate is to gaze at the mandala with your eyes relaxed.

This is mandala that I painted, just to give you an idea.

Visual Meditation

VISUAL MEDITATION

Temple bells die out.The fragrant blossoms remain.A perfect evening!
Haiku by Matsuo Bassho.

Such a wonderful image painted with words. Perfect to meditate upon. Bring the picture alive in your mind and exclude all else!

Why Meditate?

Nan-in, a Zen master, was approached by a learned professor who wanted to know what Zen was all about and why anyone should adopt Zen. The master asked one of his disciples to bring tea for the guest. He poured the tea into the cup and kept on pouring till the tea overflowed and the puzzled professor pointed out to him that there was no more place in the cup for it to hold any more tea. Nan-in told him that his mind was like the cup; overfull with notions and ideas and conditioning and unless he first emptied it of all that was already in it there was no use trying to understand what Zen was! "Empty your mind of all it's conditionings first", he said.

One way of emptying your mind is to meditate. There are so many different forms : all you need to do is find one that you are comfortable with and 'empty your cup of tea' :)

And it's never too early to start!!!

For the wanderer whose destination is enlightenment.

"Being neither teacher nor guru, and since from the first not a thing is ,the most one can do is to offer a glimpse or help point the way. In the end it resides in you"

The Wanderling

Do wander into his labyrinth of a website if you are interested in Zen ,Advaitha or any kind of path to enlightenment. I say this knowing that you might never wander back here!!

http://www.geocities.com/the_wanderling/awakening101.html

Power Places

I had a class for two interesting young men a couple of days ago. They were both from different cultures, countries and back grounds but amazingly there were so many aspects that bound them. Really heart warming to see that we aren't all that different after all. There's still hope,people!
During the class we were discussing 'power places'. Places that exist on our planet ( probably all over the universe; Mars probably has a couple of craters that are more comfortable than others. But I'm being facetious!) where there is a lot of positive, vibrant energy. In earlier ages, when people built temples or other such structures of sanctity and worship they would check to see if the place was a 'power place' They made sure the vibrations were positive and strong. This was true of every ancient culture, be it The Egyptians with their Pyramids, Hindus with their temples , Mosques dotted all over the ancient Arab cultures, the Celtic Druids with their Stonehenge, Shamans with their sacred spaces, Machu Pichu in Peru; I could go on and on.
Sadly the practice of studying the energies of a place before building a spiritual centre seems to have died out; happily we now seem to seeing something of a revival. Vaasthu Shastra (Vaastu- physical environment and Shastra- knowledge/ text/ principles) is now making a big comeback in India. Science explains Power Places with magnetic energy fields. Beyond the scope of this little article; do look it up if you're interested.

MAKING YOUR OWN POWER PLACE


You can make your own sacred space with Reiki and a few other aids. Find a comfortable place in your home or garden where , generally, you will be able to spend time alone, or be able to sit meditatively with 'like minded' people. Sit quietly till you feel calm and relaxed. You can now do your Chakra meditation or any other meditation. Connect to Reiki and ask for the space to be filled with positive energy, ask for peace, harmony and beauty to fill the space. Allow Reiki to flow as long as you sit there. Do this for a few days and over a period of time you would have created a power place to enhance the effects of your meditation and Reiki. You can also energise your power place further by lighting incense or candles. Placing an alter or crystals in the space will also enhance the energy and give it a sense of sanctity.

Chakras

Aspects Of The Chakras

Root Chakra

Location: Between our legs facing downwards.

Colour: Red

Indian name: Muladhara

Gland governed: Adrenal. Deals with the excretory system and also blood distribution. It has a dominating influence on body temperature.

Mental-emotional aspect: It is our rooting chakra. Gives us the will to live life enthusiastically.

Malfunctioning results in: Lack of enthusiasm and stamina. Life is viewed as a burden. Over functioning often results in aggression, violence and a need to dominate.

Sacral Chakra

Location: Two inches below the navel.

Colour: Orange

Indian name: Swadhishta
Gland governed: Gonads. Deals with reproductive system and its organs

Mental-emotional aspect: Balances the yin and yang, i.e., the masculine and feminine aspects present in everyone. Our relationship with other people and our sense of self is also controlled by this chakra.

Creative expression of being is dealt with by the sacral chakra.

Malfunctioning results in: Unfulfilling relationships, uncertainty, lack of confidence and emotional paralysis.

Solar plexus

Location: Upper part of the abdomen.

Colour: Yellow.

Indian name: Manipura

Gland governed: Pancreas. Controls digestive system. Associated with lower back. Plays an important role in the digestion of food. The pancreas secretes insulin, which regulates the amount of blood sugar in the body. So this is an important chakra for diabetics.

Mental-emotional aspect: This chakra plays an important role in the formation of our personality. It is also our mood center. When the chakra is open we feel joy and inner richness but a blocked solar plexus results in gloom and depression. This acts as our shock absorber where trauma shocks are absorbed so that we do not collapse.
Malfunctioning results in: A desire to manipulate and control. Frequent mood swings occur resulting in an unstable personality

Heart Chakra

Location: Centre of the chest

Colour: Green

Indian name: Anahata

Gland governed: Thymus. Organs – heart, lower areas of the lungs. Regulates circulation. Also strengthens the immune system.
Mental-emotional aspect: Unconditional love, emotional warmth and sincerity, generosity. A very important chakra, this is at the center of the chakra system. Once this chakra is open its helps in the healthy functioning of the other chakras.

Malfunctioning results in: A desire to manipulate and control. Frequent mood swings occur resulting in an unstable personality.

Throat Chakra

Location: The throat.

Colour: Light blue

Indian name: Vishuddha

Gland governed: Thyroid. Governs the neck, throat, ears, trachea, bronchial tubes, upper lungs and esophagus.

Mental-emotional aspect: Communication and creative expression. An open throat chakra helps us to effectively communicate our inner-most thoughts and feelings without fear. Creativity is also an aspect of this chakra. Outward expression of this creativity requires an open throat chakra.

Malfunctioning results in: Inability to express oneself. Fear of and dependence on the opinions of others resulting in withdrawal into oneself.

Third Eye or Forehead Chakra


Location: Centre of the forehead

Colour: Indigo

Indian name: Ajna

Gland governed: Pituitary. The left eye, nose, ears, sinuses, cerebellum and the central nervous system, all come under this gland. .

Mental-emotional aspect: It is our intuition centre. An open third eye chakra results in a composed mind. Advanced intellectual skills when this chakra is healthy.

Malfunctioning results in: An over dependence on rationality and the intellect and a lack of spirituality. There is a rejection of everything that cannot be proven scientifically. A considerably large block in this chakra causes a low intellect and a confused mind. The person will be overly materialistic.


Crown Chakra

Location: Top of the head

Colour: Violet

Indian name: Sahasrara

Gland governed: Pineal. Affects the upper brain and right eye.

Mental-emotional aspect: Spirituality. A sense of unity with the divine. The consciousness is completely calm and open.

Malfunctioning results in: A feeling of separation and a feeling of being abandoned. An uncertainty and lack of purpose ensues. Such people could become hyper active since they feel they have to justify their existence.

Chakra Meditation With Reiki

Chakra Meditation With Reiki

Energising the Chakras ensures holistic health. All aspects of our being are governed by the Chakras so when they are cleansed and energised we become more balanced and whole.

Chakra meditation can be done by Reiki practioners with the inclusion of Reiki , for others as a breathing excercise.

You can either sit or lie down comfortably,connect to Reiki, and start breathing deeply.

As you breathe in visualise the breath going to the Crown Chakra first. You can visualise the breath in the colour of the Crown Chakra, which is violet. As you breathe in visualise the breath coming out through the Chakra and cleansing it. Then breathe out. Breathe into and out of each Chakra at least ten times.

After you finish with all the seven Chakras, ending with the Root Chakra, you will feel completely rooted and energised. This can also be done for individual Chakras, for example, if you are feeling disconnected or physically drained, do the meditation for only the Root Chakra. Or if you feel you need more spirituality in your life concentrate on the Crown. Be guided by the aspects of the chakras.