By Dinesh Nath

Spiritual or self-help teaching is a slippery path to walk upon. Being a spiritual teacher comes with a danger that one can have a notion of knowing without knowing. For example, i t is one thing to intellectually understand yoga is good for the healthy body but then doing it every day to keep the body healthy is an entirely different thing. Similarly, it is one thing to understand the benefit of practicing acceptance for the peace of mind then to living the acceptance.  Let's  expand upon it a bit. There are three kinds of understandings viz intellectual, experiential and existential. The first level of understanding is the intellectual understanding which is the most superficial one, like understanding of the mental phenomenon, methods of quietening the mind, and one can easily intellectually understand this knowledge or inner science which is very similar to the understanding of any other field like physics, chemistry, mathematics etc. Here the process mostly involves...

So what it means to be an ideal teacher. We all are student of life as well as serve as teachers to others at many juncture of life. Lots of people come in our contact and learn many thing about us and from us while sometime we take this formal role of teacher. I was writing my teaching philosophy and came up with following write up. Please go through and share your view on being an ideal teacher. This will help me to take different perspective as well as this exercise will help you as well to be a better teacher when situation needed. I am sure many of you remember this pic: Teaching is one of the most noble profession which is mother of all other professions. Since childhood, I have had a passion to learn anything and everything, not only knowledge but also the style of great teachers who shaped me. Now, when I look back; I find, it was not just teaching but a character-building process. This realization has helped shape my temperament to be an inspiring teac...

Last month tragic and one of the most heinous and horrific crime happened in India's capital New Delhi, a 23 year old medical student was brutally gang-raped and assaulted almost to death (and later died) by six young man including one juvenile. This incident caused country wide protest and even caught attention of foreign media. This incident also served as ignition point for and anger and rage which has been building in civilized men and women around the world about women safety and dignity. Protesters were out on street in chilly winter of Delhi and demanded for harsh punishments and fast-track court to punish the culprits of this horrific crime. A committee headed by former Chief Justice of India J S Verma was constituted for revising the laws to deal with this perverted mind set which involve in rape. Suggestions were asked from the public in general. Media houses ran debate on this issues and day in an day out more rape cases around the country was reported. All had one int...

Yama and Niyama are the do's and don'ts, or ethical disciplines, which have existed in the human race since the beginning of civilizations. Patanjanli, the father of yoga has very clearly specified these 10 commandments of Sanatana  dharma  or  Hindu  religion for  harmonious human life  but they have nothing to do with the ideas of sin and virtue or good and evil as dictated by some cosmic potentate . They are the first two level of his eight fold yoga system known as Ashtang yoga. The first two levels  are known as Yama (precepts of social discipline) and Niyama (precepts of individual discipline). Yama and Niyama are practical whether one is from the civilizations of the East of the West. By following these practical and relevant precepts, we can create a harmonious human society and  can work toward individual development of the body, mind and soul.  They are the foundation of our practice without which no spiritual p...

Adi Shankara gave road map for the success on the spiritual path. He prescribed four qualifications to gain spiritual wisdom. Once practices with sincerity and surrender, success is ascertained.   1. Viveka (Discrimination) : First qualification to walk on the spiritual path is to have viveka (power of discrimination): Discrimination between what is real and what is unreal. Whatever that changes is unreal and whatever doesn't change is real. 2. Vairagya (Dispassion): The second qualification to gain spiritual wisdom is to have vairagya (dispassion), once the first qualification (ability to discrimination between real and unreal) is gained, dispassion automatically follows it. Dispassions is not droping things in life it is just droping the feverishness to gain or get rid of something. It is simply going beyond craving and aversion. 3. shat Sampatti (Six Wealth): The third qualification to gain spiritual wisdom is to have what is called shat Sampatti (...

There is ever increasing movement waking up in India, my love against the corruption. People are just fed-up with the system, whether political leaders, bureaucrats, babus, officials and it seems this poison is rotting and eating every fibers of humanity. This problem does not only limit to the boundary of India, it pervades beyond boundaries and it pervades in the limitless mind. Cleaning the system, putting strong laws, checks and balances are necessary to run the system efficiently in just yet it is also equally important to clean up the mind and habits of people who are going to run that system. Now who are those people, it's me myself, you and all other people who are there in the system. Because we altogether make the society. Definitely higher the position one hold, higher the moral standards one need to live because of their higher positions one get the ability to influences other people lives to greater extents. Yet it's applicable to all. Reading an article in T...

Many people suffer from the sleep disorders including; not able to sleep on time and get up on time, to feeling sleepy during work, to being night owl or insomnia. This adversely affect their work, relationship as well as confidence and self respect at large. Many of us make resolution about getting up early and may end up breaking it right next morning and then being frustrated about this; while for some it has gone to an extent that they have given up the hope that they can wake up before sun rise. Though we have heard many benefits for early risers including physical, mental, emotional and of course material benefits as well. But how to strike it is the key. Lets understand some of the science behind it. Our mind body complex work in rhythm in accordance to external stimulus like light and we create our biological clock which is known as circadian rhythm . Here is the pictorial representation of normal 24 hr cycle of physiological activity. Now if you closely look into this picture ...

Just read these lines again as again. As I read these line my heart is full , throat is choked and eyes are wet. If a devotee has to express his love for his Master, perhaps so elegant words are rare to find in this universe. Sri Tulsi Das has put them in Sri Ram charit Manas (Bal kand/first canto) बंन्देउ गुरुपद परम परागा , सुरुचि सुवास सरस अनुरागा अमीय मुरीमय चूरन चारू , समन सकल भव रज परिवारू || १ || सुकृति शम्भुतन बिमल विभूति , मंजुल मंगल मोद प्रसुती जनमन मंजू मुकुर मल हरनि , किये तिलक गुण गन बस करनी || २ || Bandeu Gurupad Param Paraga, Suruchi Suwar saras anuraga | Ameeya murimaya churan charu, Saman Sakal bhav raj pariwaru || 1 || Sukruti Shambhutana vimal vibhuti, Manjul mangal mod prasuti | Janamana manju mukur mal harni, kiye tilak gun gan bas karni || 2 || मैं गुरु महाराज जी की चरण कमलों की धुल का वंदन करता हूँ जोकि सुख, सुगंध तथा अनुराग रूपी रस से पूर्ण है | वह अमरु मूल (संजीवनी जड़ी) का सुन्दर चूर्ण है, जो संपूर्ण रोगों के परिवार को नाश करन...

Have you ever noticed whenever you are happy, how is your energy level 'high' while on contrary whenever you are sad your energy level is 'low'. Or sometime even when things are alright and normal you don't feel all good and you feel something inside you is sinking. What is that something is sinking and cause a up moods, its nothing but the life force energy moving up ward or downward. Whether it's blame, sadness, loss, bad health or criticism we feel low while when we win, gain or received appreciation and recognition we feel uplifted. Its just a play of energy which is taking us on this ride of mood swings. What we can do to keep in under control, start working on the basics of life. What basics which keep our life force energy uplifted and high. Keep a check of things which are the source of energy, namely food, rest, spiritual practices, good company, a inspiring read. Food: Take good nutritious food on time. Specially at least one serving of vegetable, spro...

Have you ever ponder when you want to repose into the self and dive into deep meditation what is that hold you back? Is your mind stuck in relationship, job, guilt, anger or pleasant memory of past actions or anxiety of future, money, fame, name, people etc? Why the mind is stuck there, why it can't detach itself and repose into the self? Why the mind is jumping like a monkey and never come to rest? Let's explore it. What and where mind sticks to. Have you notice as compared to our dreams we give more value to our actions/words in waking state. Isn't it! why so? Simple reason there is strong sense in the mind for the purposefulness and permanency of the actions/words from waking state than those in dream state. We are much convinced that there is purpose for these things like your car/job/relationship/money which we see in wakeful state etc etc. While mind do not dwell much on the events happen in dream state as it is convinced that there is no purpose of all that in real ...

It's always been valuable to know what is worth knowing or otherwise we might end up wasting lots of time asking useless questions. Some says it's worth while to know from where this universe came into existence? Who is the creator of this universe? What will happen in 2012? ;-) etc etc. Here is where I will start, say you got a machine say new computer and according to manual it can run on 110 volt and suppose you plug it into a source of 220 volt or 440 volt what will happen? you know, you might end up blowing it up? And also say you got a calculator and you expect it to heat your food? how stupid it would be! Means in nutshell, it's very important to make the best use of anything, you must know what it can take and what is its capacity or potential to deliver. Isn't it? Taking this simple analogy to our life what immediately becomes important to know what our system can take? What is it made up of? What is our potential? Knowing these basic things only we would be ab...

Have you noticed when somebody doesn't trust you, what happens, how to do you feel inside? Restless, sad, angry, miserable and when somebody close to you, your family member may be your beloved one when they don't trust you, the hurt is even more deep and pain is even more intense. Isn't it? Now reverse this and see when you don't trust somebody what the other person goes through. Must be same experience of pain, sadness, anger. Have you noticed with our actions, dialogues, gestures; we keep telling the world, the people around us that I don't trust you. What kind of environment we create around us, where people are sad, angry in pain and anxious to prove their stand to you that you can trust them. That's what you want to do when you feel that somebody feels that you are a not trustworthy. What happens inside, you feel restless and want to do something or anything to prove your stand, that you are trustworthy! isn't it? So break this shackle of mistrust you...

Inception may be one of the best movie of 2010 and its good to see world is waking up to new ideas of old times (The teachings of advaita ). Movie is excellently done and starts bit slow but as your mind catch up with moves on the silver screen, it gives rise to mind shattering experiences. Movies is build on the idea that technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, that's what is claimed by the director but this is quite and old wisdom or more precisely the only wisdom one need for freedom from mind. I remember one of verse from Yoga Vashistha which states that This World-appearance is a confusion, even the blueness of the sky is an optical illusion. I think it is better not to let the mind dwell on it, but to ignore it . (1:3) Now going from the first part of this verse see if the whole objective world which we see as real is nothing but a illusory dream world and not more than that. In this dream world where we feel ourselves as body mind complex doing m...

You must have gone through some unpleasant, uncomfortable moments in life when you are not FEELING GOOD about things, about situation or about people. Whether its just about salt in food or somebody around you whom you don't want in the moment or you stuck in thick traffic or somebody behaving in a way which is disturbing you or sometime for no reason we don't feel good. The most often what we do we blame others and complain about things or people about the way we feel. And this happen to most of us and most of time without being even aware about it. So what is the way out? Here is what you can observe. Whenever you are going through some unpleasant feeling. Just give a pause to yourself and obsever what is happening inside? How is the state of your mind? Is it cluttered, agitated, heated up or heavy. In principle this is what is reflecting out (if you not ready to accept this truth say it most of the time ). So when you become aware of this disturbed state mind, just remind yo...

On the day of Guru Purnima in Chicago after grand magnificent satsang and soul soothing puja and dinner which was served as if it was heaven’s banquet when celebration was done and Guruji went to His suit and some of us from Pittsburgh Art of Living Family went there in the hope that we could get in and be with Him for sometime but all in vain there was so much of policing outside the His door so disappointedly we came back and I was walking in lobby and soon I saw 3 fellow teachers and just started following them and asked Birjoo where were those guys going :) he said to Guruji's suit and I with low heart responded हमारे लिए तो दरवाजा नहीं खुलेगा (door will not open for us) too much of policing :) then Birjoo replied that ऐसा बोल कर अपना दरवाजा ख़ुद से क्यों बंद करता है (by saying this why are you closing door for yourself). This struck me :) Next day TRM started and 11 AM Guruji came for session :) we had good time and when He ended the session again the same words struck me ag...

I saw this movie, amazing source of inspiration. Anybody who is on any kind of spiritual path and have been practicing for some time may be from 1 year to decades can see the time zapped in 2 hour in this brilliantly done movie. If you are in art of living for some time and want to see you journey including you part 1 course, advanced courses interaction with Guruji and your own ups and down perhaps you can get a overview of your journey in the movie. That’s my experience. Thanks to Bawa who shared about this on his blog. He always has contributed for the uplift of the consciousness of the people around him. Once again thanks to him as well to that unbounded pure consciousness which govern EVERYTHING and sometime called universal consciousness or sat-chit-ananda ( सत्चिदानंद ) Here are few most stunning quotes or pearls of wisdom used in the movie. 1. Everything has a purpose, even this, and it's up to you to find it. 2. This moment is the only thing that matters. ...