First Friday Yoga Sutras, 7:00-9:00pm, Nov 5
Abhyasa Ashram
505 Hooper Drive
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548

5:00-6:00pm Hatha Yoga with Carolyn Reynolds
6:00-6:30pm Silent Meditation
6:30-7:00pm Light food and snacks
7:00-9:00pm Yoga Sutras and related discussions

Complete calendar of activities, maps and directions
http://abhyasaashram.org

Faces of Nondualism
By Swami Jnaneshvara

This paper is created to help the participants of the Center for Nondualism and
Abhyasa Ashram better understand the wide range of principles and practices
related to Nondualism (The paper will be revised from time to time to make it
ever more clear). Although there is ultimately only one Nondual reality, people
approach the direct realization of this through a variety of faces. Following
are brief descriptions of many, if not most of these approaches. By exploring
the breadth of approaches, we can better understand our own chosen path to
direct experience of the Nondual Reality, Truth, Source, or other such ways of
denoting this. Individual seekers will find much greater depth within his or her
own tradition.

http://www.swamij.com/pdf/nondualism-paper-101105.pdf

Thanks to the efforts of Hashim Nasr of Lebanon, we are starting the process of
making some of the articles available in Arabic. The first of these is now
online and can be seen here:
http://www.swamij.com/arabic.htm

In loving service,

Swami Jnaneshvara

From Merging with Shiva
by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

WILLPOWER IS THE FUEL

You need a tremendous, indomitable will to make a reality of your quest of
realizing the Being within. Unfoldment doesn't take a lot of time. It just takes
a lot of willpower. Someone can go along and sit at attention, and concentrate
and meditate for years and years and years and, with a minimal amount of
willpower, constantly be distracted, constantly be complaining and constantly be
unsuccessful. Another person can have the exact same approach and over a short
period of time be extremely successful, because he has will. The previous way he
lived his life, the previous things that he did, he handled in such a way that
that willpower was there, or his awareness is a manifestation of willpower, and
he goes soaring within on this will.

Will is the fuel which carries awareness through all areas of the mind, that
spirit, that spiritual quality, which makes all inner goals a reality.
Unfoldment does not take time. It takes a tremendous will. That will has to be
cultivated, just as you would cultivate a garden. It has to be cultivated. Those
energies have to all be flowing through, in a sense, one channel, so that
everything that you do is satisfying, is complete, beautiful.

Discover the will. Back to the spine. Feel the energy in the spine. There is no
lack of it, is there? The more you use of it, the more you have to use of it. It
is tuned right into the central source. When you become aware of the energy
within your spine and within your head, you have separated awareness from that
which it is aware of, for that is awareness itself, and that is will. We are
playing with words a little. After awhile we will gain a new vocabulary for this
kind of talk, but right now we are using our old-words' way of looking at it,
because our subconscious mind is more familiar with these words. Energy,
awareness and willpower are one and the same. When we are subconsciously
conscious that we are a superconscious being, and the subconscious mind has
accepted the new programming that energy, willpower and awareness are one and
the same thing, when the subconscious mind has accepted the fact that the mind
was all finished long ago in all its phases of manifestation, from the refined
to the gross -- then the subconscious begins working as a pure channel, so to
speak, for superconsciousness. Awareness can then flow in a very positive, in a
very direct, way.

You want awareness to be renewed. The first step is -- don't try to go to the
Self; you haven't realized it yet -- go to the spine. Feel the spine. After you
realize the Self, you go deeper than the spine, you go into the Self and come
back. Before you realize the Self and have that samadhi -- attention,
concentration. Concentrate on the energy within the spine. Go in. Awareness,
energy and will are all one. Come slowly out again and you have all the
willpower you need to finish any job that you've ever started, to make
decisions, to do things and handle your external life in a very positive way, so
that it does not capture awareness and hold it steadfast for a period of time,
deterring you on the path of enlightenment.

Like every day, every minute, and every moment of our lives, today appears to be
a time of transition, in this case into a new year, although there is only a
continuous "now". Let us also remember the changeless reality in each of these
moments.

On transitions:
http://swamij.com/podcast/061230-transitions.mp3

Swami Jnaneshvara

Like every day, every minute, and every moment of our lives, today appears to be
a time of transition, in this case into a new year, although there is only a
continuous "now". Let us also remember the changeless reality in each of these
moments.

On transitions:
http://swamij.com/podcast/061230-transitions.mp3

Swami Jnaneshvara

Our next meditation retreat at Swami Rama's ashram in Rishikesh, India will be
March 2011. If you would like to participate, please register soon.

Info:
http://www.swamij.com/calendar/rishikesh-retreat.htm

Registration:
http://sadhanamandir.org/IntensiveSwamiJ.htm

In loving service,

Swami Jnaneshvara

Abhyasa Ashram Newsletter:
Local activities, online meetings, retreats, other programs
Update: January 5, 2011
Complete schedule is at:
http://www.meetup.com/abhyasa-ashram/calendar/
http://www.abhyasaashram.org

Abhyasa Ashram
School of Self-Awareness in the
tradition of the Himalayan masters
505 Hooper Drive
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548

**********************************
CURRENT EVENTS
**********************************

FIRST FRIDAY, Jan 7, 7:00pm
7:00pm - 9:00pm: Monthly Yoga Sutras discussion. We use Yoga Sutras as a
starting point, but usually expand into other lively discussions. Join us at
5:00pm for systematic meditation, including hatha postures, relaxation,
pranayama/breathing and meditation itself, followed by light food at 6:30pm.

WED, Jan 5: 12:00pm: Conscious Living Discussion
FRI, Jan 7, 7:00pm: First Friday Yoga Sutras
SUN, Jan 9, 10:00am: Center for Nondualism held at the ashram (topic "Letting
Go")
SUN, Jan 9, 12:00pm: Painting party
MON, Jan 10, 4:00pm: Bhagavad Gita discussion
   6:30PM: Dinner at Bombay Masala
WED, Jan 12, 12:00pm: Conscious Living discussion
FRI, Jan 14, 7:00pm: Mantra Mela: Group chanting of some traditional mantras,
   including Gayatri, Mahamrityunjaya, Panchakshara, and Om mantras.

DAILY: Daily meditations include:

6:30-7:30am: Meditation #1
   6:30-6:35: Daily Mantras
   6:35-7:00: Hatha, Relaxation, Pranayama
   7:00-7:30: Meditation
11:00-12:00pm: Meditation #2
   11:00-11:30am: Hatha, Relaxation, Pranayama
   11:30am-12:00pm: Meditation
5:30-6:30pm: Meditation #3
   5:30-6:00pm: Hatha, Relaxation, Pranayama
   6:00-6:30pm: Meditation
9:00-10:00pm: Meditation #4
   9:00-9:05: Daily Mantras
   9:05-9:30: Hatha, Relaxation, Pranayama
   9:30-10:00: Meditation

**********************************
ASHRAM NEWS
**********************************
RENOVATION: We have had a painting party this past Sunday, Jan 2. Everybody had
a lot of fun and we got the meditation hall painted. There is still more to do,
so we will do it again this Sunday, Jan 9 at noon (We'll also have food
together).

MEMBERSHIP: We have three levels of involvement in the ashram, which are
described here:
http://swamij.com/abhyasa-ashram.htm#membership

**********************************
ONLINE Satsang
**********************************
We have once again started online discussions. Look here for details:
https://sites.google.com/site/abhyasaashram/online

**********************************
SPECIAL EVENTS
**********************************
FEBRUARY in FLORIDA (2011): Info is here:
http://www.swamij.com/calendar/feb-in-florida.htm

**********************************
MEDITATION RETREATS IN INDIA:
**********************************
March 2011
November 2011
Details are on the website:
http://www.swamij.com/calendar/rishikesh-retreat.htm
Registration:
http://sadhanamandir.org/IntensiveSwamiJ.htm

**********************************
OTHER PROGRAMS (Details TBA)
**********************************
April 2011: Sydney Australia, sponsored by Mark Breadner:
http://www.yogacoach.com/

**********************************
CENTER FOR NONDUALISM
**********************************
A Community for Nondual Religion, Yoga, and Philosophy
Providing a "Sunday Alternative" for the Emerald Coast
SUNDAY, 10:00-11:00am
Meetings are held at, and are sponsored by the ashram with no rental charge.
WEBSITE:
http://www.centerfornondualism.org/
NEWSLETTER:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Center-For-Non-Dualism/

It may be true that at one stage of "growth" one needs to accept who he or she
is, but at another stage that same self has to be left behind as NOT being who
he or she is, but only a false identity veiling the True Self, the Atman or pure
Consciousness.

http://swamij.com
http://abhyasaashram.org
http://www.meetup.com/abhyasa-ashram/

Abhyasa Ashram Newsletter:
Local activities, online meetings, retreats, other programs
Update: January 14, 2011
Complete schedule is at:
http://www.meetup.com/abhyasa-ashram/calendar/
http://www.abhyasaashram.org

Abhyasa Ashram
School of Self-Awareness in the
tradition of the Himalayan masters
505 Hooper Drive
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548

**********************************
CURRENT EVENTS
**********************************

SECOND FRIDAY, Jan 14, 7:00pm
7:00pm - 9:00pm: Mantra Mela. Join us at 5:30pm for systematic meditation,
including hatha postures, relaxation, pranayama/breathing and meditation itself,
followed by light food at 6:30pm.

FRI, Jan 14, 7:00pm: Mantra Mela
SAT, Jan 15, 6:30pm: Vegetarian Potluck
SAT, Jan 15, 7:00pm: Movie night: Swami Rama video on Superconscious Meditation
SUN, Jan 16, 10:00am: Center for Nondualism (topic avidya/ignorance)
SUN, Jan 16, 12:00pm: Painting party again
MON, Jan 17, 4:00pm: Bhagavad Gita discussion
..6:30PM: Dinner at Bombay Masala (if closed, then Thai)
WED, Jan 19, 12:00pm: Conscious Living discussion (likely the end of the book)
FRI, Jan 28, 7:00pm: Drumming and music. Bring drums and percussion instruments.

DAILY: Daily meditations include:

6:30-7:30am: Meditation #1
..6:30-6:35: Daily Mantras
..6:35-7:00: Hatha, Relaxation, Pranayama
..7:00-7:30: Meditation
11:00-12:00pm: Meditation #2
..11:00-11:30am: Hatha, Relaxation, Pranayama
..11:30am-12:00pm: Meditation
5:30-6:30pm: Meditation #3
..5:30-6:00pm: Hatha, Relaxation, Pranayama
..6:00-6:30pm: Meditation
9:00-10:00pm: Meditation #4
..9:00-9:05: Daily Mantras
..9:05-9:30: Hatha, Relaxation, Pranayama
..9:30-10:00: Meditation

**********************************
ASHRAM NEWS
**********************************
RENOVATION: We have had a painting party these past Sundays, Jan 2 and 9.
Everybody had a lot of fun and we got the meditation hall painted. There is
still more to do, so we will do it again this Sunday, Jan 16 at noon (We'll also
have food together). During the coming week or two we'll install the floor. If
you would like to help with that, please let Reggie or I know. Reggie will
manage the floor installation.

MEMBERSHIP: We have three levels of involvement in the ashram, which are
described here:
http://swamij.com/abhyasa-ashram.htm#membership

**********************************
ONLINE Satsang
**********************************
We have once again started online discussions. Look here for details:
https://sites.google.com/site/abhyasaashram/online

**********************************
PERSONAL COACHING
**********************************

Our approach to training is mostly individual, one-to-one as the way Yoga
meditation and contemplation has been traditionally been taught for thousands of
years. Personal coaching is available by appointment most days at 9:30am or
2:30pm. Please call or write to schedule a time.

**********************************
SPECIAL EVENTS
**********************************
FEBRUARY in FLORIDA (2011): Info is here:
http://www.swamij.com/calendar/feb-in-florida.htm

**********************************
MEDITATION RETREATS in INDIA:
**********************************
March 2011
November 2011
Details are on the website:
http://www.swamij.com/calendar/rishikesh-retreat.htm
Registration:
http://sadhanamandir.org/IntensiveSwamiJ.htm

**********************************
OTHER PROGRAMS (Details TBA)
**********************************
April 2011: Sydney Australia, sponsored by Mark Breadner:
http://www.yogacoach.com/
(I arrive in Australia April 28, and depart Australia May 12)

**********************************
CENTER FOR NONDUALISM
**********************************
A Community for Nondual Religion, Yoga, and Philosophy
Providing a "Sunday Alternative" for the Emerald Coast
SUNDAY, 10:00-11:00am
Meetings are held at, and are sponsored by the ashram with no rental charge.
WEBSITE:
http://www.centerfornondualism.org/
NEWSLETTER:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Center-For-Non-Dualism/

We have just been formally notified by the US Internal Revenue Service that
Abhyasa Ashram has been approved as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Although
the seamless nondual reality of Atman and Brahman are unaffected by such things,
let us share joy in this special moment, as we all share in the joy of the smile
of a baby.

In loving service,

Swami Jnaneshvara
http://abhyasaashram.org

(8 1/2 x 11, B&W, 272 pages) For quite a few years people have been asking me
about having a printed copy of the Yoga Sutras pages on the SwamiJ.com website.
Because of the print-on-demand technology provided by Lulu.com, this is now
available. This "book" is virtually a copy and paste of the pages from the
website. There has been some slight reformatting to make things fit well, but it
is basically identical to the website. From time to time I will likely update
this "book" as the website is updated. I sincerely hope that you find this
useful in your journey of meditation. I have attempted to make the translations
and descriptions as practical as possible so that you may easily incorporate the
principles into your daily meditation practice.

In loving service,

Swami J
(Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati)

Living the Yoga Sutras:
Practical Translations and Discussions

To purchase by print-on-demand through Lulu.com:
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/living-the-yoga-sutras/14846063

Other shorter books:
http://stores.lulu.com/swamij

(A)Para Vidya within Sri - YouTube video, Time: 4:48
By Tripurashakti Brahmacharini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mtItpMwYYY

Para Vidya is the Supreme Knowlegde
Apara Vidya is mere knowledge

SriVidya

There is only little to know.
All there is to know...is knowing itself.
All there is to know...is the One who knows, The One who is hiding beyond all we
know as mere knowledge.
All there is to know...is the Unity that flows within all mere knowledge
disguised as diversity.
All there is to know...is the knowledge of Sri, the Vidya of Sri.

Without a beginning, without traveling Her beauty began to flow within three
cities.
Without leaving Home She looks over Her appearing journey, reflected as the
three cities.
Within Her Unity She started to dance not needing a reason or a desire, because
She is all there is.
Within that moment beyond time and without a cause, the effect known as Her
manifestation seemed suddenly born.
Within that moment without breaking up in duality, diversity appears within many
layers.
Her Unity all of a sudden knows many concepts, forms and flows.
Within Her All Knowing perspective without loosing Her awareness, Avidya seems
to be able to veil Her beauty.
Then knowing Her true nature seems rapidly forgotten, we are left behind with
mere longing, and mere knowledge.

Mere knowledge is built within the appearing laws of the three cities,
for knowing Her you need to know the whole journey that started from Her Home.
Mere knowledge relies on time, space, and causation,
for knowing Sri you also need to merge into the point from where these three
illusions arose.
Mere knowledge is made of sense perception,
for knowing Sri you also need to expand to the One who is able to witness not
necessary using a mind.
Mere knowledge is contained within the colored samskaras,
For knowing Sri you need to let go of all that is labeled as 'mine' and
individuation itself.
Mere knowledge is exchanged within the realms of waking, dreaming and deep sleep
for knowing Sri requires awareness over the dance between the three and what is
beyond.
Mere knowledge is collected in the outside and stored within,
for knowing Sri you need to experience the flow from most subtlest to the
grossest, and search for True knowledge within.
Mere knowledge contains objects, forms, and concepts and is saved as a
possession,
for knowing Sri you need to surrender your gathered collection to be absorbed by
the formless itself.
Mere knowledge is gained,
True knowledge reemerges from the forgotten, never lost, ever present,
For knowing Her you need to go beyond mere knowledge.

The one longing for True knowledge will one day be introduced to the Vidya of
Sri.
The one who does the practices will be lead to the Vidya of Sri.
The one who contemplates on Her nature, will be shown Her flow and dance within
the three cities and from where She sees them all.
The one who expands with self-awareness will see their role within Her
existence.
The one who meditates on Tripura will be absorbed by Her beauty to know Her
Vidya, the highest Vidya of all.
The one who unravels Her secret knows that all Her cities and from where She
witnesses them all, are one and the same.
The one who surrenders themselves into Her wonder, will be left in awe, will
merge into her Vidya,
There will be nothing else left then Sri...ooh Srividya, this is the little
there is to know.

Dear Friends in Australia,

I will be in the Sydney, Australia area April 30 - May 8, 2011 as a guest of
Mark Breadner. For information about the programs, please see this flyer and
click on the link that is there:
http://www.swamij.com/pdf/australia2011.pdf

I hope to see some of you with whom I have corresponded, but not yet met face to
face.

In loving service,

Swami Jnaneshvara

Guru and the Light Within
by Swami Rama

An excerpt from:
http://swamij.com/swami-rama-guru.htm

If you prepare yourself to know the higher knowledge, then you will deserve. To
deserve means to increase your capacity. You want to put the entire ocean in a
bucket. The ocean is there. You can have it, but you do not have the capacity.
When you deserve, you will have the capacity. The Lord, the Reality, the Truth,
is always within you. You simply have to become aware. You can make sincere
efforts to work with yourself.

Don't be disappointed with failures. When you start to make sincere efforts and
start to practice, you will find light on the path. The light itself will guide
you. The light of consciousness is within you. If you ignore that light, the
guide outside you, the external teacher, will be of no use to you. He will make
you a slave. Every individual has certain notions. He also lives with his
notions. He creates a following and millions of people are swayed and misguided.

Do you know what a guide means? The word guru has been vulgarized. Such a pious
word is being misused. I call it guide. Do not depend much on guides. It is
better for you to prepare yourself and remain awake. The scriptures say to wake
up from the deep sleep of ignorance. Remain fully awake, remain conscious, and
go on learning. Never close the door of learning. The day you close the door of
learning you become ego, ego, ego.

Though unconfirmed in the media, I have been notified that Sathya Sai Baba has
left the body.

Swami Jnaneshvara
Abhyasa Ashram
http://abhyasaashram.org

Here is the official announcement (from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher
Medical Sciences) that Sathya Sai Baba has left the body.

http://srisathyasaihealth.wordpress.com/

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is no more with us physically. He left his earthly
body on 24th April, 2011, at7:40 a.m. due to cardio-respiratory failure.

Bhagawan Baba's Body will lie in state at Sai Kulwant Hall for two days (Monday
and Tuesday). Arrangements will be made for Darshan after6:00 p.m. today, at Sai
Kulwant Hall.

We appeal to all not to rush to the hospital, but to remain calm and have
Darshan in an orderly manner.

- Director, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram.

A new sign has been put up on Abhyasa Ashram thanks to the loving efforts of
Shanti Sheena Cannon, who both designed the logo and acquired the sign. Photo is
on the home page of the ashram site:

http://abhyasaashram.org

Is yoga a religion? No. Is yoga merely a fitness program for the
material/physical body? No. Patanjali (codifier of yoga) describes yoga as
regulation of mind so that you can experience your underlying true nature. Do
any of you feel the cultural/social squeeze of yoga being in a third, middle
ground, that is at neither the pole of absolute theism or absolute materialism?

Swami Jnaneshvara
Abhyasa Ashram
505 Hooper Drive NW
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
http://abhyasaashram.org

Activities updates for Abhyasa Ashram are announced through the ashram
newsletter at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AbhyasaAshram/

Details are also at Meetup.com and the Facebook Events of Swami Jnaneshvara:
http://www.meetup.com/abhyasa-ashram/events/calendar/
https://www.facebook.com/swamij

This is very important information for yoga practitioners and teachers.
Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice
ISBN-10: 0195395344
ISBN-13: 978-0195395341
http://amzn.to/mMVSaP

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Product Description
Yoga is so prevalent in the modern world--practiced by pop stars, taught in
schools, and offered in yoga centers, health clubs, and even shopping
malls--that we take its presence, and its meaning, for granted. But how did the
current yoga boom happen? And is it really rooted in ancient Indian practices,
as many of its adherents claim?

In this groundbreaking book, Mark Singleton calls into question many commonly
held beliefs about the nature and origins of postural yoga (?sana) and suggests
a radically new way of understanding the meaning of yoga as it is practiced by
millions of people across the world today. Singleton shows that, contrary to
popular belief, there is no evidence in the Indian tradition for the kind of
health and fitness-oriented ?sana practice that dominates the global yoga scene
of the twenty-first century. Singleton's surprising--and surely
controversial--thesis is that yoga as it is popularly practiced today owes a
greater debt to modern Indian nationalism and, even more surprisingly, to the
spiritual aspirations of European bodybuilding and early 20th-century women's
gymnastic movements of Europe and America, than it does to any ancient Indian
yoga tradition. This discovery enables Singleton to explain, as no one has done
before, how the most prevalent forms of postural yoga, like Ashtanga, Bikram and
"Hatha" yoga, came to be the hugely popular phenomena they are today.

Drawing on a wealth of rare documents from archives in India, the UK and the
USA, as well as interviews with the few remaining, now very elderly figures in
the 1930s Mysore ?sana revival, Yoga Body turns the conventional wisdom about
yoga on its head.

REVIEWS:

"Singleton's radical, meticulously documented, sensitive analysis makes
perfectly clear that what has come to be regarded as a veritable icon of Indic
Civilization -- postural yoga -- is, in fact, unambiguously the hybrid product
of colonial and post-colonial globalization." --Prof. Joseph S. Alter,
University of Pittsburgh. Author of Yoga in Modern India: The Body Between
Science and Philosophy

"Mark Singleton has written a sweeping and nuanced account of the origins and
development of modern postural yoga in early twentieth-century India and the
West, arguing convincingly that yoga as we know it today does not flow directly
from the Yoga Sutras or India's medieval ha?ha yoga traditions, but rather
emerged out of a confluence of practices, movements and ideologies, ranging from
contortionist acts in carnival sideshows, British Army calisthenics and women's
stretching exercises to social Darwinism, eugenics, and the Indian nationalist
movement. The richly illustrated story he tells is an especially welcome
contribution to the history of yoga, demonstrating the ways in which an ancient
tradition was reinvented against the backdrop of India's colonial experience."
--Prof. David Gordon White, University of California, Santa Barbara. Author of
The Alchemical Body, Siddha Traditions in Medieval India

"Yoga Body by Mark Singleton is a scholarly exploration of how modern yoga, as
currently practiced in countless studios, gyms, and schools across the country,
evolved [...] In essence, this very popular form of yoga was greatly influenced
by modern physical practices, not just traditional spiritual or mystical ones.
Singleton makes a cogent argument backed up by references from many studies and
sources [...] a work of merit that sheds a great deal of light on the
development of modern yoga [...] an important contribution to our understanding
of yoga." --San Francisco Book Review

"Mark Singleton [...] asks a big question: Where did modern yoga come from? His
reply will no doubt disturb a lot of folks [...] as Singleton clearly and
convincingly demonstrates, the physical practice of today is less than 100 years
old, and it has very little to do with either Patanjali's or Krishna's teaching.
Instead, it's the product of such disparate elements as British colonialist
policies in India, 19th century physical health movements in Europe and India,
the invention of the camera, and the reformist programs of Indian yoga teachers
like Shri Yogendra and T. Krishnamacharya. This book, an invaluable source on
modern yoga, should be on the reading list of every serious student and teacher
training program." --Richard Rosen in Yoga Journal."

Practice Means to Awaken the Conscience
Swami Rama
http://swamij.com/swami-rama-conscience.htm

You will have to practice for a long time. "Abhyasa-vairagyabhyam tan nirodhah."
Practice means repetition of the same thing again and again and again to form a
strong habit. Habits are motivation in life. If you do not have determination to
attain that which should be attained, if you are not constantly aware of the
Reality, how can you practice? You will feel lazy and you will not be able to
sit in meditation.

There is one alarm in your system, something coming from within that guides all
the time. There is one teacher within that you call your conscience. Whenever
you want to do something that should not be done, immediately from inside
something says, "Don't do that." It silently says "no." It is not a part of
mind. Rather it is your conscience that is telling your mind, whispering to your
mind. You have been avoiding that. Habit patterns are so strong that the voice
of silence, the voice of the conscience, is not heard. You do not need anyone
from outside to tell you what not to do. You know that you should not lie; yet
you lie. Once mind listens to these secret whispers, then you are introduced to
the real teacher within, your own conscience. All teachings are meant for that
day when you start listening to your conscience. It does not mean that you
should not listen to the external teacher who is teaching you. Your teacher is
trying to make you aware that there is something within you, a teacher within,
who is a great friend. No matter who you are, your conscience is always there.
If you learn to listen to the voice of the conscience, you can transform your
whole personality. That conscience knows everything. No book can teach you; no
teacher can teach you. Conscience knows and knows that it knows. Even when you
go to a teacher to ask something, you draw your own conclusions and follow your
conscience.

But you do not always listen to the teachings of your conscience. In fact, you
are constantly killing your conscience. According to the great books of wisdom,
the greatest sin of all is to kill your conscience. After some time your
conscience stops talking to you because you do not listen to it. You have
ignored your conscience so much that it has become silent. It continues to
witness your actions but does not say anything. Learn to listen to your
conscience. Most of the time you are confused by your mind. Sometimes your mind
plays tricks on you and pretends to be your conscience. Mind says, "I can steal
some of his money. Nobody is watching me. Why does he need to have millions of
dollars? If I steal only one hundred thousand dollars, so what?"

Mind is different from conscience. Your conscience always wants to help you to
improve yourself and unfold your inner being. Mind always tries to persuade you
not to practice. You know that it is not good for you to avoid your practice,
and yet the mind says, "Come on. Postpone it until tomorrow." Postponement is
the nature of the mind. Some students do their practice for some time and then
they leave it. After some time, they start doing it again. Then they say, "Okay.
Let us vacation for some time, honey. Let us not do any practice." Again they
start practicing. I call those who postpone enlightenment indefinitely
fourth-class students.

Mind always leads you toward your habits, your senses, and sense objects.
Perhaps you like to eat fish, but the doctor has said not to take it. The
doctor's advice has been heard by your conscience. Your mind does not want to
hear it and does not care for doctors. "There are many doctors. Why should I
listen to them? Let me have some fish today. Nothing is going to happen to me."
Your conscience speaks to you all the time. Conscience is like a mirror that
shows you your face exactly as it is. When you look at yourself in the mirror,
the mirror does not create anything for you. It is like a thermometer that
registers heat and cold. It tells you who you are, what you are, and what you
should be. Whenever you want to do something, your conscience says, "Do not do
this. It is not good. But your mind says, No. Let me do it."

Conscience cannot be false. It never misguides from the very beginning. Even a
bad man who is considered to be the worst person in society is not misguided by
his conscience. But you fail to listen to your conscience, and ignore your
conscience because of bad habits. When your conscience becomes dim, your reason
does not function properly and it misguides you. When reason misguides, the mind
cannot function and becomes crazy. All your actions and speech are disoriented
and you cannot function properly. Perhaps you are doing something and suddenly a
distressing thought intrudes. You are temporarily distracted and then you come
back. Then, another thought comes and you go another way. You misuse the time
and opportunity you have of being a human being. You have all the potentials and
all the means but you misuse them. I always ask my students to listen to their
conscience when they feel weak in the beginning. The first few days they start
to condemn themselves. I say, "This is not the way. There is a wonderful part of
you; there is something beautiful in you; there is something very special in
you. Why do you not try to see that thing?" Practice means to awaken the
conscience, to allow the conscience to speak to you. When your conscience
awakens it says, "Look, do not repeat that again and again and again." By
repetition you have formed a strong habit. Your conscience and that habit fight
constantly. Your habit wins and conscience loses. After some time, conscience
stops talking to you. Conscience tells you things all the time and conscience
knows, but you do not know your conscience. The voice of your mind is very loud.
The voice of the conscience comes from silence. The first step of enlightenment
is to follow the conscience and not the mind. At the highest level of
consciousness, conscience becomes brilliant.

Anybody who has started listening to the conscience is very close to the
Reality. Your conscience is within you. It is not an external friend. All your
external friends amuse you. A friend within is real company. You say, "Two's
company and three's a crowd." When you and your conscience are there, there are
two and they are real company. When the mind, the third, comes, then it becomes
a crowd.

When you start practicing you will stumble many times. I have stumbled many
times, even despite having a great force behind me—my master, several other
sages, and the grace of God. I had a fire within so that no matter how many
times I stumbled I would get up again. I did not give up. You give up too soon.
You close your eyes and if you do not see anything in meditation, you say, "My
method is not good. My mantra is not good." You go on collecting mantras. You do
not do meditation but you have a long collection of mantras. You have wasted so
much money, and you have not done any real meditation. In abhyasa and
meditation, on this path of enlightenment, you have to be very patient and
strong and persistent. When a child stumbles, she gets up again because she
wants to walk. It is her right to walk. It is your right to walk on the path and
finally reach the goal. Do not postpone it for the next lifetime. Do it here and
now, in this lifetime. You do not attain anything overnight; you will stumble
many times like a child stumbles when she starts learning to walk. When you
practice you will experience, and when you experience you will find that
conscience is strengthened and guides you again and again.

Out of curiosity you always want to learn something new. When you learn
something that you did not know you say, "This is a wonderful thing that I have
learned." You do not want to practice what you already know. The truth is you
will not acquire any knowledge in your life that you have not already acquired
in your childhood. You already have the basic principles, the guidelines, and
the foundation of your knowledge, but you do not practice. To practice it is not
necessary to create a rigid discipline. You should just observe and understand
how to use the knowledge that you have.

Gradually you can practice. Technique alone does not help. The basic principles
needed are sincerity, faithfulness, truthfulness, and punctuality. Even if you
know the technique of throwing something at the target, if you do not practice,
it will hit somewhere else. Practice is necessary and practice makes perfect.
Slowly increase your limit. Do not force yourself to sit for two hours one day,
and then do no practice at all for a week. That should not be the way. It is
said that a first-class student can attain this state of mind in three months'
time, while conducting all his duties, a second-class student in six months, and
a third-class student in three years. A fourth-class student can never attain.
If you regularly practice and watch your practice and the condition of your
mind, you can do it. The question is how much importance you give to your
practice. How much anxiety do you have for your practice or for other things?
What is important in your life? Do you really want to transform your personality
and improve yourself, or do you only want to improve your conditions? If you do
not improve yourself, your conditions and your environment will never be
improved. It is better to improve yourself so that your conditions and
environment do not become malignant to you. To improve your conditions, first
learn to understand your essential nature by understanding the various levels of
your being and by developing control over mind and its modifications.

There are various paths to the same mountaintop, but there is only one
realization. There are various ways and methods to attain that. The path of
action or the path of the world is as perfect as the path of renunciation. In
the path of action you learn not to be attached and perform your duties. In the
path of renunciation you learn to renounce all that you think is yours and to
devote all your time and energy toward Self-realization with a one-pointed mind.
It is a very difficult path. It is rare to be a renunciate. Only a fortunate few
can truly walk on the razor's edge of the path of renunciation. It is a very
sharp and very narrow path. It is easier and more common to be in the world, to
live in the world, and yet remain above. There is no difference at all. Do not
condemn yourself because you are in the world, or think that you cannot do
anything. Learn to discipline yourself; learn to organize yourself; learn to
understand your resources; learn to know your inner potentials; and learn to
make a schedule for life. "This is my aim and I have to attain this. All my
resources should be applied for attaining the aim of life."

The way of adjustment leads you to contentment. The way of adjustment is the way
of the world—the way of action, the way of karma. You learn how to function in
the external world. You understand that you are a citizen of two worlds—the
world within yourself and the world outside, and you learn to create a bridge
between these two worlds. You have not to be lost in the world, yet you have to
unfold yourself to that extent where you can realize your real Self. You no
longer identify with the objects of the world or with your mind. You learn to
understand life as it is with all its currents and cross currents. You
understand how to live in the external world and how to compose yourself so that
you remain with your center all the time.

Most people follow the path of action. They live in the world, which is full of
charms, temptations, and attractions, and they are constantly blasted by the
opinions of others. Someone says you are good and someone else says you are bad.
There are two extremes. To constantly be tossed by the suggestions of the world
so that you spend all your time executing the opinions of others is dangerous.
Likewise, you can isolate yourself and say, "Now I don't want to listen to the
world because my whole life I have listened to the world. I am not going to
listen anymore." This might lead toward egocentricity or cripple your process of
growth. You have to evaluate the opinions of all if you live in the world. Are
you being selfish when you are not listening to others? Is the other person
selfish? If he is not selfish, listen to him. If someone is selfless and loves
you and says, "These days you seem to be isolating yourself," listen to that
person. If you say you don't want to listen to anybody, it is not possible. How
can you live in this world? You can do it not through the help of samnyasa, but
with the help of vairagya.

New Swami Rama Teachings Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/271403196208369/
This group is a place for sharing and discussing the teachings of Swami Rama of
the Himalayas.

For many people, a meditation tradition is like a restaurant; they have a
"favorite" for a while, but from time to time drop this restaurant and replace
it with a new favorite restaurant. Actually, a meditation tradition is more like
a fine wine; it improves with age.

~Swami Jnaneshvara

To the serious student, there is only one real book to study and learn from--the
greatest of all books--and that is the very manuscript that you, yourself, are.
This manuscript has been written by you; you are the author of your life. If you
want to learn, this is the book from which you must study!
~Swami Rama

The only real sin in life is to kill your own conscience. If you do not kill
your conscience then you'll never commit mistakes, because your conscience will
guide you wisely. But the more mistakes you commit, and the more you blame and
condemn yourself, the more you hurt your conscience. The conscience is the clear
mirror within you; it is not your mind, urges or your emotions. Don't allow your
conscience to be enveloped by the dust of ignorance, and don't shatter or damage
your conscience, but keep it clear by listening to it. The conscience is very
helpful in dealing with your mind and its problems.
~Swami Rama

The pinnacle of the wisdom and practices of the ancient sages of Yoga is
contained in the terse twelve verses of the Mandukya Upanishad, which outlines
the philosophy and practices of the OM mantra.

It has been said that the juice of the Vedas is in the Upanishads, and the juice
of the Upanishads is in the Mandukya Upanishad. OM Mantra is also suggested as a
direct route to samadhi in the Yoga Sutras. The teachings of the Mandukya
Upanishad are well worth deep study, discussion, reflection and contemplation.
By faithfully and intently engaging these twelve verses, all of the other
written and oral teachings can be explored as expansions of the foundation
principles and practices encapsulated in this succinct summary. It is not only a
most insightful writing, but also a complete outline for sadhana, enlightenment
practices. The OM Mantra is a roadmap of the entire process of sadhana and a
most practical tool for Self-Realization.

http://swamij.com/mandukya-upanishad.htm

Verses of Mandukya Upanishad:
Verses 1-2 describe the Self and the Absolute.
Verses 3-7 explain the four levels of consciousness.
Verses 8-12 outline the four aspects of AUM.

The Self and the Absolute (1-2):

1) Hari Om. Om-ity-etad-aksharam-idam sarvam, tasyopavyakhyanam bhutam bhavad
bhavishyaditi sarvam-omkara eva. Yaccanyat trikalatitam tadapy omkara eva.

All is OM: Hari Om. The whole universe is the syllable Om. Following is the
exposition of Om. Everything that was, is, or will be is, in truth Om. All else
which transcends time, space, and causation is also Om.

2) Sarvam hyetad brahmayam-atma brahma soyamatma catushpat.

Atman has Four Aspects: All of this, everywhere, is in truth Brahman, the
Absolute Reality. This very Self itself, Atman, is also Brahman, the Absolute
Reality. This Atman or Self has four aspects through which it operates.

Four Levels of Consciousness (3-7):

3) Jagarita-sthano bahish-prajnahsaptanga ekonavimsatimukhah sthula-bhug
vaisvanarah prathamah padah.

First is Waking / Gross: The first aspect of Atman is the Self in the Waking
state, Vaishvanara. In this first state, consciousness is turned outward to the
external world. Through its seven instruments* and nineteen channels* it
experiences the gross objects of the phenomenal world.

4) Svapna-sthano'ntah-prajnah saptanga ekonavimsatimukhah praviviktabhuk taijaso
dvitiyah padah.

Second is Dreaming / Subtle: The second aspect of Atman is the Self in the
Dreaming state, Taijasa. In this second state, consciousness is turned towards
the inner world. It also operates through seven instruments and nineteen
channels, which engage the subtle objects of the mental realm.

5) Yatra supto na kancana kamam kamayate na kancana svapnam pasyati tat
sushuptam. Sushupta-asthāna ekibhutah prajnanaghana evanandamayo
hyanandabhuk chetomukhah prajnastrityah padah.

Third is Deep Sleep / Causal: The third aspect of Atman is the Self operating in
the Deep Sleep state, Prajna. In this third state, there is neither the desire
for any gross or subtle object, nor any dream sequences. In deep sleep, all such
experiences have receded or merged into the ground of undifferentiated
consciousness. Here, one is filled with the experience of bliss, and can also
find the way to clearer knowledge of the two preceding states.

6) Esha sarvesvara esha sarvajna esho'ntaryamy-esha yonih sarvasya
prabhavapyayau hi bhutanam.

Find the Experiencer: The one who experiences all of these states of
consciousness is the omniscient, indwelling source and director of all. This one
is the womb out of which all of the other emerges. All things originate from and
dissolve back into this source.

7) Nantah-prajnam na bahih-prajnam, nobhayatah-prajnam na prajnana-ghanam na
prajnam naprajnam. Adrishtam-avyavaharayam-agrahyam-
alakshanam-acintyam-avyapadesyam-ekatma-pratyayasaram, prapancopasarnam santam
sivam-advaitam caturtham manyante sa tm sa vijneyah.

The Fourth Aspect is Turiya: The fourth aspect of Atman or Self is Turiya,
literally the fourth. In this fourth state, consciousness is neither turned
outward nor inward. Nor is it both outward and inward; it is beyond both
cognition and the absence of cognition. This fourth state of Turiya cannot be
experienced through the senses or known by comparison, deductive reasoning or
inference; it is indescribable, incomprehensible, and unthinkable with the mind.
This is Pure Consciousness itself. This is the real Self. It is within the
cessation of all phenomena. It is serene, tranquil, filled with bliss, and is
one without second. This is the real or true Self that is to be realized.

Four Aspects of AUM (8-12):

8) So'yam-atma adhyaksharam-omkaro dhimatram pada matra matrasca pada akara
ukaro makara iti.

Those Four are the Same with "A-U-M" and Silence: That Om, though described as
having four states, is indivisible; it is pure Consciousness itself. That
Consciousness is Om. The three sounds A-U-M (ah, ou, mm) and the three letters
A, U, M are identical with the three states of waking, dreaming, and sleeping,
and these three states are identical with the three sounds and letters. The
fourth state, Turiya is to be realized only in the silence behind or beyond the
other three.

9) Jagarita-sthano vaisvanaro'karah prathama matra. apteradimatvad-vapnoti ha
vai sarvan kamanadisca bhavati ya evam veda.

The Sound "A" is Waking / Gross: Vaishvanara is the consciousness experienced
during the waking state, and is A, the first letter of Om. That simple sound of
A is first and permeates all other sounds. One who is aware of this first level
of reality has fulfillment of all longings and is successful.

10) Svapna-stahnas taijasa ukaro dvitiya matrotkarshadu-ubhayatvad- votkarsati
ha vai jnana-santatim samanasca bhavati nasyabrahmavit kule bhavati ya evam
veda.

The Sound "U" is Dreaming / Subtle: Taijasa is the consciousness experienced
during the dreaming state, and is U, the second letter of Om. This intermediate
state operates between the waking and sleeping states, reflecting some qualities
of the other two. One who knows this subtler state is superior to others. For
one who knows this, knowers of Brahman, the Absolute Reality, will be born into
his family.

11) Sushupta-sthnah prajno makras tritiya mtr miterapiter va minoti ha va idam
sarvam-apitisca bhavati ya evam veda.

The Sound "M" is Deep Sleep / Causal: Prajna is the consciousness experienced
during the state of dreamless, deep sleep, and is M, the third letter of Om. It
contains the other two, and is that from which the other two emerge, and into
they recede or merge. A knower of this more subtle state can understand all
within himself.

12) Amatras-caturtho'vyavaharyah prapancopasamah sivo'dvaita evamomkara atmaiva
samvisaty-atman-atmanam ya evam veda.

Silence after "A-U-M" is the True Self: The fourth aspect is the soundless
aspect of Om. It is not utterable and is not comprehended through the senses or
by the mind. With the cessation of all phenomena, even of bliss, this soundless
aspect becomes known. It is a state of nondual (advaita) reality—one without a
second. This fourth state, Turiya, is the real Self or true Self. One with
direct experience of this expands to Universal Consciousness.

I like to recirculate this around the time of a coming new year as a reminder
about the nature of transitions.

Transitions: New Years and New Moments
in Life and Meditation
Swami Jnaneshvara
http://swamij.com/podcast/061230-transitions.mp3

The transition from one year to the next year happens in an infinitely short
moment that is actually non-existent in time. So too, there are transitions in
the moments of life and the moments of meditation. Mindfulness of transitions in
daily life and during meditation time is extremely useful on the spiritual
journey to enlightenment. The recording ends with a 15-minute guided
contemplative meditation on Transitions, which begins at 54:42. (Length 1:09:25)

Have a wonderful 2012.

In loving service,

Swami Jnaneshvara

The mind assumes an image of the beloved according to the concept therein, and a
time comes when the image and object become one. When the mind is restless, the
senses are also distorted. But when the mind is fully one-pointed, it is neither
excited nor distorted, but is in a state of equilibrium. The image within it is
imagination. The infatuation repeats the mental image, but yogis or children
remain unaffected because their minds are free of the imagery.
~Tripura Rahasya

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Calendar
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Ashram
http://abhyasaashram.org

Consciousness alone is the object of its own awareness. I am that consciousness.
It alone is the entire universe. All this is experienced through consciousness
by the illumination of the self.
~Tripura Rahasya

-------------------

Abhyasa Ashram Satsang
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Traditional Yoga
https://www.facebook.com/groups/30540138586/

Calendar
http://www.meetup.com/abhyasa-ashram/events/calendar/

Ashram
http://abhyasaashram.org