Hari Aum.
Yesterday (or today depending upon where one lives) was the beginning of the Solar New Year in the Vedic calendar (known as 'Vishu' in Kerala, 'Puthandu' in Tamil Nadu and 'Vaisakhi' in Punjab). It is the day when the Sun, representing the soul, enters the sign of Aries, where it is exalted. This represents new beginnings, renewed motivation and an increase in positive, dynamic energy to fulfil both spiritual and material endeavours.
I am back home after a fortnight in Kerala, India which was wonderful. I visited a number of temples related to both Vishnu and Kali in the area (places where my ancestors on both sides of the family used to worship) and conducted various pujas and homams (for the welfare of both my immediate family and the planet as a whole).
I started my sixth purascharana over three years ago at the rate of 7 malas of the ashtakshara mantra and am nearing completion in a few weeks.
This period of sadhana has been very interesting. I have learnt a lot about spiritual life during this time and would like to share some of my insights for the benefit of readers. During the course of the past three years, I have had various experiences that have convinced me beyond any doubt that there is much more to the human being than meets the eye.
As a doctor, I have learned about the human body and mind from a medical perspective. However, this knowledge pertains only to the physical body, and the ordinary waking consiousness. Modern medicine does not speak about much else.
As a yogi, I have learned the theory about the energy body and four states of consciousness (not just the waking state, but also, dream, deep sleep and the fourth/superconscious state). Three of these belong to the material realm (waking, dream and deep sleep); the fourth state is the state of Self Realisation (which is also called spiritual liberation/ knowledge of one's immortal nature as being one with the Divine).
During the course of my sadhana over many years, I have not sought any specific experiences (aside from desiring a darshan of God, which is linked with the spiritual goal). But in the past few years, these have begun to occur with increasing frequency. These experiences are merely signposts along the way. They are not the goal of spiritual life-- that is yet to be attained. But they have a use. They suggest that something is working, something is happening, something is shifting within.
I tell my patients who come to me to discuss mood-related issues (such as anxiety and depression) that the human mind is a like an iceberg (they sometimes tell me that they cannot understand where their anxious/panicky/low feelings come from as there is no obvious trigger).
Only a small portion of this iceberg is visible above the surface of ocean (this is the waking consciousness that we are aware of). However, a vast portion of it lies hidden beneath the surface of the ocean-- this is the subconscious mind.
This vast, subconscious mind contains so many things. This hidden mind has so much knowledge, so much capability-- it can be difficult to believe when it begins to manifest itself. When this occurs, we must remember that this is still in the realm of matter (not Spirit).
However, as the mind comes into contact with the mantra of the Divine, it begins to undergo some changes over time. Things that were hidden within the unconscious, subconscious mind begin to surface.
Intuition develops more strongly. Telepathy can develop. In the astral world of dreams, we begin to meet our Gurus, God and also other souls.
When we wake up, we may ask ourselves, "Is this real?", "Is this true?". The intellect that manifests in the waking state will often struggle to understand the depth of the unconscious mind and its capacities. Time often proves that these experiences were true (as events in the waking state start to be predicted in dream. We meet people or experience events in dream initially, and then those very events occur shortly afterwards in the waking state. These dreams can be a way of the Divine helping us).
"How can this happen?", "Why did this happen?" "What does this mean?" and various other questions will often occur within the intellect as it scrambles to understand the events that occur. But it is not able to fully grasp the meaning of these.
To understand, we need intuition not merely intellect. We develop our intuition through prayer, though mantra and other forms of worship. By contact with our Guru, with following the teachings of the Guru.
We will be tested by the Divine in our ability to persevere no matter what. We will pass the test if we remain sincere and committed to the yogic ethics and our sadhana.
The sixth purascharana, while challenging, has been better than the fifth. During this period, I have met people on the spiritual path who have provided me with valuable insights related to my spiritual life. I have healed a lot of past negative karma. I have discovered new aspects of spiritual life.
One experience that I have had, particularly since October 2020, is that my mind feels interconnected with another mind. It may sound odd to say this from a medical perspective, from the viewpoint of modern science. But it is not at all odd from a yogic perspective.
My mind, when I sit to meditate, becomes aware of another mind, that is significantly connected with my own (I have referred to this in previous posts as my twin soul). I have to accept and invite this mind to participate in the meditation with me. This is the only way that I am now able to contemplate the Divine.
If I resist this connection, my meditation falls apart as my mind experiences an inner battle. A mind that battles with itself cannot meditate. The mind must be at peace on some level to be able to contemplate the Divine.
There is a famous song from the Bollywood movie, 'Taal' (meaning 'rhythm'; I have not seen the movie but the songs, composed by A R Rahman are very popular and I like some of them).
In one song, the lead protagonist states "Rab sab se sona!", meaning "God is more beautiful than everyone else!". She then goes on to declare "Rab se bhi sona, ishq", meaning "More beautiful than God, is Love". (Obviously God Him/Herself is Love so nothing can be more beautiful. But the song aims to convey that love is the essence of God and the most important aspect of life, both spiritual and material).
The word, 'ishq' representing romantic feelings does not at all adequately describe the feelings associated with Spirit. However, the overall sentiment expressed in this song, is one that many on a twin soul journey can relate to.
In my case, God Himself/Herself these days, does not permit me to meditate on Him/Her without my including my twin soul in my meditation. My first thoughts when I sit to meditate are of my twin. When I invite them to participate in the meditation, I am then able to contemplate my mantra and God and not otherwise. I also feel that this is the will of the Divine. I never asked for any of these events to occur. They have occurred of their own accord.
Those on a twin soul journey, who understand this path better than me (I am still learning), say that the consciousness on our planet is undergoing a significant shift. We are at a key stage in our collective consciousness as human beings they say.
The various wars and conflicts that are taking place on our planet are a part of this shift. The yogis say that the forces of the divine and undivine are ever in battle in the material realms. Our Earth and the creatures that inhabit it, including us human beings, are also influenced by these forces.
We need to ensure that we remain attuned to the forces that are Divine, that are positive, that seek peace and harmony and spiritual progress. We need to try our best to avoid being excessive materialistic and we also need to keep an eye on our lower selves to avoid letting these get the better of us.
We need to become fit instruments of the Divine. Only then can we hope to live a peaceful life on this planet and ensure that the generations to come inherit a place worth living in.
So the pupose of this post is to say that the mind has many layers, and is capable of much more than we realise. It is unwise to deliberately seek to delve into these (as our goal as spiritual seekers is God and nothing less). But, it seems that the will of God can be that we become more aware of some of these mental layers as we progress along the spiritual journey.
And also, perseverance is vital on the spiritual path. At various stages in spiritual life, one may feel that one is crawling, walking or running-- however, whatever one feels, one must keep going. One cannot stop on this journey. Onward and Godward, as Sivananda says.
Om Namo Narayanaya.
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
P.S. A note on the twin soul bond
Each twin soul (like every other soul) has a higher mind/higher Self and lower mind/ negative ego self.
The Higher Self has positive, divine, spiritual qualities and has clarity of thought.
The lower self is filled with various heavy emotions and a number of confusions.
I have observed that the Higher Self aspects of a pair of twin souls get on pleasantly well. These two may meet in dreams and interact favourably with each other. They help each other on the spiritual path.
In contrast, the lower self of each twin soul, does not like any of the other three aspects-- it does not get on very well with its own Higher Self, and is also wary of its twin's Higher Self and lower self.
It is understandable for one's own lower self to be wary of the twin's lower self, but their Higher Self is a positive force. The Higher Self of each twin is fearless and accepts both their own lower self, as well as their twin soul's Higher Self and lower self.
Speaking of the lower self, I am reminded of an experience when, as a child, I visited a wildlife sanctuary in South India. I had gone for a morning walk with my sister and a cousin when we encountered a type of monkey called a 'langur' (pronounced 'lung-goor') sitting on a tree branch. When we stared curiously at it, it saw us and gnashed its teeth aggressively causing us to run away very quickly!
I was reflecting that the lower self of twin souls is a bit like this langur. It is hostile and unfriendly-- and as uncontrollable as a monkey! :D
In contrast, the Higher Self is a like a swan-- beautiful and very pleasant to behold. :)
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
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