Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Importance of Swadhyay


Sankirtan doesn’t solely mean singing Baba ji’s Bhajans only. One very important "S" of Shiv Yog which is often overlooked in Sankirtan is actually “Swadhyay”.

 Swadhyay, a Sanskrit word, means self-study. “Shiv Yog Swadhyay " is a compilation of selected powerful ancient stotras including Guru Stuti, Devi Stuti, and Shiv Stuti has a very purifying effect and helps one progress rapidly in Sadhana.  It means Swadhyay should be read and sung aloud in the morning or evening daily without a miss.

Baba ji himself says "there won’t be any harm if you don’t listen to my Bhajans but there will be a deficiency if you don’t do Swadhyay daily".

Swadhyay books are available at every Divine shop during shivirs and also at Ashrams.

Often we tend to ignore it saying we don’t have time or the setting isn’t right. Take out 15-20 minutes daily for the Swadhyay which includes:

1. Guru stuti - Thanking the Guru who guided you.

2. Devi stuti - 1, 2 & 3 in which you thank the 3 Maha Devis and say their 108 names in the process. They are the devis whom you worship during Shree vidya.

3. Mahishasur Mardini - singing in appreciation for Goddess Durga who nixed the devastation wreaking devil called Mahishasur who misused the powers given to him by Shiva.

4. Lingashtakam - singing praises of the Nirakar or shapeless form of Shiva i.e. the Shiv Ling.

5. Shree shankracharya krit shree Shiv Panchakshar strotram - "Nagendra haaraya.................."

6. 21 times recite Mahamrityunjaya Mantra.

If one can do all of these 6 there is nothing greater than that. But if there is time limitation the first two must be done at any cost i.e. GURU STUTI and DEVI STUTIS.
Often we think that Shivyogi have to do Sadhana (meditation) only but unfortunately we can’t call ourselves "Complete Shiv Yogis" until we do this aspect i.e. Swadhyay daily without a miss.

To increase your concentration, healing powers and to enhance the efficiency of the Sadhanas swadhyay can’t be overlooked at any cost.

Do Sadhana and Sankirtan daily without a miss at a FIXED TIME in your POOJA ROOM and see your Sadhana take you to exceptional magnitude.

Monday, January 2, 2012

ISHAN SHIVANAD JI'S NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE



NAMAH SHIVAY
With love  
The whole universe is made up of energy. Science says that everything can be broken down to the smallest unit of matter which is an atom or the sub atomic particles to be precise. You and I, we are the same; well at least quantitatively.
The infinite energy of the universe


But then the question that if everything is energy, What gives form to that energy? Who decides that this should be gold, or that should become, a mountain? Scientists say that at the dawn of time i.e. when Earth was being formed, the volcanoes and earthquake rocking the surface, the incipience of life was a freak accident, a remarkable coincidence, when certain materials, at a certain specific time combined, life was formed. Then evolution took over and now just beings and incidents are leading to other transformations. Hence the continuity.
Was The Big Bang a coincidence?
But Babaji says nothing is a coincident. Everything which we see around us comes from the consciousness.
He says that the thoughts of humans shape the matter around them.


We decide the form and amount of infinite abundant energy of the universe in our lives.
There’s no good or bad everything is relative.
When a man says to Babaji that person X is bad, Babaji says X is not bad; X is just bad to you. He may be perfect to his son.
Another says the economy is bad; No it is not bad. There are people raking in the millions, the economy is just bad for you.
Yet another says his body is sick. Babaji says you made it sick.
Still another says Shani dev is bad. Baba ji says he is just bad for you, the planets as usual are spinning in their orbits.

The universe is doing its job, giving you the raw materials, the energy to run the body, this mind ,consciousness etc.  Now what you make of this life Babaji says is “entirely your call”.

His philosophy is simple You are the creator of your own DESTINY. And this makes sense as whatever is around us is the product of our thinking. This hotel where I am sitting first must be someone’s dream which he manifested. This laptop I use came from a person’s head. Even this software was in someone’s head before it came in my computer.


Earlier people talked about the body and the mind. Mind they hailed as a phenomenon of the head, but now gene studies in neurology and psychology have proven that the body and mind have an absolute symbiotic relationship i.e. they are interlinked. You think and the body will be affected as in the case of dreams or the anxiety caused by probability. And vice versa, your body affects your thoughts as in the case of women being cranky during their monthly cycles or a teenager high on testosterone.
Everything around is the brainchild of our consciousness. Before the physical happening, everything takes place first in the mind. The mind is perpetually liberating multifarious thoughts called the "Stream of thought".
Such is the affect of the mind on our body that if somehow one conditions or programmes behaviour, it becomes completely automatic, as in the case of driving. It happens on its own, or negative thinking in some, they have programmed themselves in such a way that it happens on its own. With our subconscious programming, our belief systems continue to live, influencing everything from health to disease. Thus, knowingly or unknowingly we create.
So this would mean that if my head creates all that is around me ,my body my relations my work , and if somehow I can change my mind, I can change my life . And this is exactly what happens when a person follows Shiv Yog. But exactly how does life change? Babaji changes our belief systems and everything gets transformed. For the same reason Babaji lays great stress on the power of choice. He says choose your thoughts, choose your life. Nothing is a time pass. To every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. Train yourself in such a manner that in the fight of impulse and reasoning, always and I repeat ALWAYS reasoning must win. Only then can we consciously reverse our subconscious programming and truly become a man of reason rather then an animal of instinct and impulse.
I would like to share what I observed in Africa. I was studying the behaviour of lions when an epiphany occurred --- of how alike human and animal social behaviour is. A fascinating behaviour to be seen whenever you observe a herd of lions or a pack of wolves or herd of any animal is that in a group, there will always be an alpha male, and a constant fight amongst all males to become the alpha male. Alpha is a rather unstable title, because as soon as a younger and stronger male comes he will chase away the old alpha and become the new alpha. Being an alpha would mean, having all the females of the group and dominating the herd and the weak males. And not far from there pack, you will always see a pack of the same species comprising of the weak males which have been chased away, having been deprived of the female company, staring at the alpha with a rather sad and traumatized look waiting for their chance to get even and as if the alpha has not got enough problems. Whenever a herd meets another herd they try to kill each other, they cannot tolerate the other. If an alpha meets another alpha, they will not rest till one of them is killed. Same species although, killing each other for nothing but supremacy of the herd.
This you may think is a rather animal instinct to make herds and then dominate, fight if the opponent is weak otherwise flight if he is strong. But this can be seen in all around you. Each man lives his life and has a constant desire to become an alpha, to dominate as many people as he can, make a herd, then become its leader, throw away those people which he does not like, while all the time displaying his wealth and power and name to dominate the weak, which may be his employees or family or his servants, and if someone stronger comes along then scurrying away, cursing him, holding a grudge and then waiting for the time to once again flight or flight. To dominate gives a sense of superiority which fuels the animalistic lusts. In different ways the mind tries to be alpha , we look around judging all the time ,discriminating however and whoever we can, to become superior in our own mind. We mentally make a group and judge how and in which way people are bad or different as then in those ways we will be good or better or an alpha. We make up our herd. The thumb rule then is zero tolerance for the other heard, whoever is not doing what I am doing must be stupid. Same species but ready to kill just for the supremacy of the herd.
Take example of names, just a means of identifying one another, but it has become so much more. People see it as a status symbol, sense a matter of pride in surnames, in their gotra and then dominate and discriminate accordingly that you are of a low caste I am of a high cast, my name is this I am of that herd you are of the other herd. We are men but we don’t let go of the animal instinct. Babaji says we must outgrow these primitive belief systems.

What is a gotra ?

Gotra we say is the name of that Rishi from whom we have descended. And where did those Rishis descend from?  From that infinite energy of the universe , the infinite energy I pray to ,the infinite energy known by many names ,the infinite which I call Shiva , so who do I descend from ? None other then Shiva. To what science agrees is you come from energy, you will go back to energy , everything that is , is energy. And that is why Babaji says take the wisdom of society not the social evils. If I hold on to my name, then I must discriminate against those who are not my herd. Let me tell you however, there is no such thing as lower cast, it is just a name, there is no such thing as high caste it is just a name  and a man is defined by his actions not by his name. The various casts just lead to prejudice and judgement triggering the animal behaviour of herd mentality. Evolution is very important ,and it is time for all of the Shiv Yogis to evolve .I am the child of infinity and I must associate pride with where I come from and not be disillusioned by what is created by a primitive need to become an alpha. Remember what I think so shall I become.

There must be one world, One consciousness, one religion of unconditional love, acceptance and evolution. And that is why at the dawn of 2012, the year of great change and transformation I as a Shiv Yogi resolve to evolve myself completely.
And to start Babaji with his unconditional love has given his name which he achieved through great sadhna and understanding. The name Shivanand. Shivanand which is the one dear to God, the one who comes from God , the one who will awaken the God within , the one who walks the path of Shree Vidya sadhna , the one who believes that he can create his destiny , the one who see God in all , the one constantly evolving ,the one who believes in innovation and invention, , the one always connected, the one above impulse and the one who loves and care .
One does not become a son by mere biology. Prahlad became the son of lord Vishnu through choice. The day I was born to Babaji I was called Ishan Ratra.


"The day I chose to evolve to become his son truly, I became Ishan Shivanand."

What I think I am, what I think is what makes me, and I know I am the son of the universe, I must use my energy and potential in growth, development, evolution and not in fuelling my animal instincts of fight or flight.

 I invite all Shiv Yogis to become my brothers and sisters, to unite under one common God, the infinite energy---- Shiva ,under one common religion Shiv Yog, under one common father , our beloved Baba ji, with one common name Shivanand.  Let us all Resolve to make this year, the year of great change and evolution, and I start this resolve by first evolving myself of all that is animalistic, by becoming a Shivanand---the child of light.

Lots of blessings from Babaji and Ma
Happy New Year !
May this year bring to you great abundance and divinity    
Love you all
Namah  shivay

Ishan Shivanand