Sri Aurobindo has written an epic poem “Savitri” which is over 700 pages and around 24,000 lines long. Savitri is the daughter of the Sun. She meets Satyavan and wants to marry him. However, she comes to know from sage Narada that Satyavan is destined to die in a year. Savitri still goes onto marry… Continue reading How can reading Savitri help our life?
Category: Spirituality
Total gratitude
Generally we express gratitude to either God or another person when good things happen in our life. Examples are when we get a promotion or our child passes the exam with flying colors, or we get over illness and our ushered into good health. But many times when bad things happen to us we end… Continue reading Total gratitude
To be good one must be incapable of evil
Pure goodness is not when we have to make a choice between good and evil. Pure goodness can only exist in a heart which is incapable of evil. A person can move from evil to good through meditation. But to reach the self-existent good, man has to resort to consecration. Consecration is to offer both… Continue reading To be good one must be incapable of evil
Moksha vs. Transformation
Man has four parts in his being: physical, vital, mental and spiritual. When the soul is separated from his being (comprising of the above four parts of body, vital, mind and spirit) and is taken to its origin it is called moksha in the tradition. Sri Aurobindo’s yoga does not seek moksha but seeks transformation.… Continue reading Moksha vs. Transformation
Dhanurdasa
One of my favorite stories from the time of Sri Ramanuja is the story of Dhanur dasa. Dhanur dasa (he was a body builder from a lower caste) was once walking in a procession near the Srirangam temple holding an umbrella for his wife and he was so enamored of his wife’s beauty he was… Continue reading Dhanurdasa
Three gunas and their divine counterparts
Prakriti is made of three gunas: Sattva Rajas Tamas The divine counterparts for these three gunas are: Sattva becomes jyoti, spiritual light. Rajas becomes tapas, divine force. Tamas becomes sama, the divine rest and peace. #SriAurobindo #LettersonYoga
Individuality
Individuality is how a person’s ‘will’ is directed. Physical individuality: Americans during the time of the founding directed their will or energy to come out of poverty and became millionaires within one generation and it can be called physical individuality. Vital Individuality: Someone like Gandhiji or Abraham Lincoln directed their will towards social causes and… Continue reading Individuality
Four yogas
All Indian spiritual practice can be encompassed in the four major paths of yoga: Karmayoga – The problem is selfishness. To move from selfishness to unselfishness in our actions is Karmayoga. This uses the instrument of ‘will’ in action. Bhakthi yoga – To direct our energies, passions and desires to the love of God is… Continue reading Four yogas
Meaning of AUM
A – Waking state – Gross layer – Make sound from your heart U – Dream state – Subtle layer – Make sound from your throat M – Deep Sleep state – Causal layer – Make sound from your head Silence that follows AUM is the Pure Consciousness or Essence. This silence represents the Turiya… Continue reading Meaning of AUM
Turiya state
The Mandukya Upanishad says that we have 4 states: Waking state or gross level Dream state or subtle level Deep sleep state or causal level Turiya state which is the nature of our true being. The Turiya state is beyond time and space and is attainable by us here and now. #Upanishads #SwamiSarvapriyananda