Janmashtami greetings

 Hari Aum.

The celebration of the birthday of Lord Krishna is coming up in two days time. Based on the Vedic lunar calendar, the date falls on August 26 this year. 

A very happy Janmashtami to all readers. May Lord Krishna bless us all with the capacity to keep up our spiritual practices. May He bless us and the whole world with devotion and spiritual wisdom. 

As usual, in celebration of Janmashtami, the books on the life of Lord Krishna that I had written a few years ago will be available for free download from Amazon for a period of five days (i.e. August 26th- 30th inclusive, starting from 12 am PDT). Please see below for the link. (There are four books in total. The last book, Yogeshwara, contains the Uddhava Gita.) 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Vishnupriya-Devi/author/B07B95YQCV?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1724517017&sr=8-2&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Just to say, I am currently in the process of preparing my next installment of the Ramayana series for this blog (was hoping to have published it by now but was unable to due to travel and then getting Covid-- was not as bad as two years ago but still fairly unpleasant).

On a public health note, please keep an eye out for your local government/ medical advice regarding the Mpox virus-- as many of you may be aware, this was declared a 'public health emergency of global concern' by the WHO around ten days ago. There is obviously no need to panic but common sense is needed-- and this would mean keeping an eye on the situation and following our local public health guidelines regarding taking preventative measures etc.

This is a UN article on the subject:

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1153361

On a more positive note, I am glad to say that I passed my recent dance exam (with actually quite decent marks to my surprise!) and received some encouraging feedback from my teacher. I have been therefore been permitted to continue my studies and progress to the next year which I am happy about (of course, 'happy' can be a strong word after a two-hour class of what can feel almost like military training but still!)

In the midst of viruses, wars and various other troublesome issues on this planet, I feel it is very important to maintain one's sanity through a combination of spiritual practice and enjoyable hobbies!

Speaking of wars, there unfortunately seems to be no sign of any of them abating currently. Let us therefore continue our prayers for the relief of suffering and the general wellbeing of everyone. May sanity prevail, however long it takes. 

In accordance with the advice of Gurus of all spiritual traditions, let us do daily chanting and singing of the names of whichever deity we like for our own wellbeing and that of everyone.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

Om Namo Narayanaya. 

May Lord Krishna bless us all.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S. I watched the 'Kalki 2898 AD' movie on Netflix a few days ago and found it quite interesting (not too pleased that the sequel will only be released in three years time though!). 

It paints a very grim and grisly picture of a future Earth at a much later stage in Kali yuga, the present spiritual age of quarrels and war (unfortunately our scriptures, the Puranas, do describe a significant deterioration over time). The Earth is shown to be devoid of clean air or water or even sunshine. And then, of course, an avatar of Narayana appears-- this avatar is called Kalki (the one yet to come in this spiritual age; His name is pronounced as "Cull-key").

After watching this movie, I felt extremely grateful for the simple things in life that I often take for granted, such as drinking water, relatively clean air, sunshine and plants! This movie really reminds one that we cannot take anything in life for granted.

Unfortunately, the depressing reality of our world today is that there are places where people currently suffer intensely in a way that is not far-off from that portrayed in the movie. This is why our Gurus tell us to keep up spiritual practice every day, no matter what happens within or without in our lives. 

The mantra of God gives protection to us and to others-- that is a simple fact of life according to them (and many of us would have found this to be true in our own experience of life).

It is also useful to remind ourselves that, although there is much that is negative about this Kali yuga, our Puranas declare that this is the best time (of all yugas) to be born as a human being. 

No other yuga/period of time produces such rapid results from spiritual practice as this one (we are still talking about decades of practice though, of course-- just not thousands of years of practice as the longer-lived people of previous ages were apparantly expected to do!). It would be nice to make full use of our current birth in this Kali yuga and thus attain the spiritual goal (and hopefully not be compelled to be reborn at a later stage when the situation is likely to be much worse than it is at present).

On that note, I am still continuing my current purascharana at a steady seven malas per day. And I'm also keeping up some singing/bhajan/kirtan and devotional dance as part of my worship as this combination currently seems to work for me. 

I hope and pray that you too are keeping up your own daily spiritual practice and that this is going well. 

Om Namo Narayanaya. 

Hari Aum Tat Sat

Brahmacharya and Kundalini

 Hari Aum.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Brahmacharya is a Sanskrit word that consists of a combination of two words-- Brahman and Acharya. It literally means the activity or conduct of the Supreme Being, Brahman. And a key feature of Brahman is the absence of any worldly desire. 

One who has fully conquered all material desire is called a true brahmachari. According to Sivananda, only one who is fully enlightened can be called a true brahmachari. The state of samadhi is attained when one become free of all worldly desires.

The Upanisads famously declare "Tat Tvam Asi" i.e. "You are That (Brahman)". And, "Aham Brahmasmi" i.e "I am Brahman (applies to each one of us)". 

The great Guru of ancient times, Adi Sankara, declared 

"Brahman satya, Jagat mitya. Jivo Brahmaiva Na Aparah."

Meaning: "Brahman alone is true/real, the material world is a (temporary) illusion/false. The individual soul (Jiva) is no different from Brahman (the Supreme Truth/Being)".

But despite these declarations, we still feel that we are jivas, individual souls. And we are full of worldly desires. We cannot be perfect brahmacharis right away even if we want to be-- because we are yet to recognise our oneness with Brahman/the Supreme.

To overcome our material desires, as spiritual seekers, our Gurus advise us to practice brahmacharya to the best of our ability based upon our individual life circumstances. This involves paying attention to our minds, the number of worldly desires that we have and managing these in a spiritually beneficial way.

Brahmacharya for a spiritual seeker is often associated with control of sexual energy in particular. Yogis regard the desire for sex as the most powerful desire in existence (as it is, after all, associated with creation). Handing this desire is one of the greatest challenges of spiritual life according to them (and many of us would probably have experienced this ourselves, particularly if we have been walking the spiritual path for a while).

The yogis tell us that sexual energy is a manifestation of the divine energy called the Kundalini (that rests in most people in the energy centre at the base of the spine). This is the energy of God. It is a sacred energy. Contrary to widely-held beliefs in both material and spiritual circles, there is nothing impure, wrong or dirty about sexual energy in itself. It is a pure energy. 

However, to be expressed as a pure energy, this Kundalini/sexual energy needs to be handled with the divine qualities of ahimsa/non-violence and satya/truthfulness. (When it is expressed with hatred, violence, exploitation and falsehood, unrighteous behaviours such as rape and cheating occur which lead us spiritually downwards.)

Not all spiritual seekers are obliged to express their sexual energy. Some choose to be lifelong celibates. And that is perfectly fine if that is their true calling in accordance with the will of God. This is one form of 'brahmacharya' meant for those living monastic lives in the yoga tradition.

However, the majority of spiritual seekers (both in ancient and modern times), do choose to express their sexual energy. Usually this is within the bounds of a long-term relationship or marriage. Many Gurus, including Sivananda, have stated that householders/people who are married/in relationships, are also expected to practice brahmacharya, or control the expression of sexual energy. Aside from practicing ahimsa and satya, they advise doing so by being moderate in sexual relations (the definition of 'moderate' depends upon on the couple) and learning to see the divine in our partners.

There are many people today professing that sex can be a spiritual path. I would politely disagree (and I would respectfully recommend avoiding anyone offering to teach sacred sex as there are a large number of false and dangerous 'Gurus' in the world today who are ever ready to exploit gullible spiritual seekers; we hear of this regularly in all spiritual circles). 

It is true that sexual energy is a pure energy. And sex therefore can indeed be a sacred, pure act. But the spirituality of sex cannot be taught to anyone. Anymore than spirituality in general can be taught to anyone.

Spirituality has to arise from within (you cannot learn to be spiritually hungry anymore than you can learn to be hungry for material food). Spiritual desire comes as a result of the grace of God. And when it manifests, it begins to encompass everything on its own, be it eating, sleeping, working, sex and pretty much all actions in daily life. 

To allow spirituality to arise naturally from within, the Gurus say that one of the best paths is the combination of mantra recitation and karma yoga (service of humanity). Prolonged regular practice of these two techniques enables us to become firmly established upon the spiritual path.

Some say that sexual thoughts gradually reduce as spirituality increases. Others say that the awakening and activity of the Kundalini energy within them, creates intense sexual thoughts (this is more so when the Kundalini is active in the lower chakras). So, the expression of sexual energy may increase or decrease at different times in spiritual life depending upon the will of God and our karma (for example, whether or not we are destined to have children etc). 

As the Kundalini can only be controlled safely by the grace of God, the Gurus tell us that it is essential for us to adhere to regular spiritual practice, to recite our chosen mantra or name of God every day.  Our ishta devata, or favourite form of the Divine, helps to direct our Kundalini energy gradually from the lower chakras/energy centres towards the higher ones (such as the heart and the forehead chakras).

Before I conclude, it would be remiss of me not to mention twin soul sexuality. What a tricky topic this can be. What is the technique to practice ahimsa, satya and brahmacharya when one has such a complex soul connection? 

Twin souls, as I've mentioned previously, have a strong energetic/astral connection. Their energy centres or chakras are interconnected, and as a result of this, they also have a strong sexual connection. This is felt when they are in each other's presence, but also when they are miles apart. In many cases, this energy is never acted upon in a physical sense. 

In fact, the main purpose of this connection is said to be to trigger an awakening of the Kundalini in each other; in other words to cause a spiritual awakening. 

My current understanding is that the practice of ahimsa and satya for twin soul sexuality is for them to privately acknowledge to themselves that this connection exists (without any violence towards themselves or any unhealthy guilt or shame regarding this). And, the practice of brahmacharya for twin souls involves being sexually faithful to their chosen life partners as long as they remain in those relationships. 

Ultimately it is up to each spiritual seeker, including twin souls, to learn to manage their own Kundalini or sexual energy. It is up to each one of us to find a way to direct this sacred energy, given to us by the universe, upwards towards the higher energy centres or chakras for the sake of spiritual progress. 

And, as we do so, it helps to remember that this is a gradual process that can take much time and patience. And also, that sexual energy is a manifestation of the divine Kundalini-- in other words, it is a pure energy, the source of all creation and should be treated with the respect that is due to any other divine energy.

Om Sri Shaktyai Namah.

Om Sri Durgayai Namah.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat. 

Harmonising two realities and the spiritual work of twin souls

 Hari Aum.

I was reading an interesting book by a spiritual teacher called Swami Giriraj recently in an attempt to understand the goings-on in my life. This book is about twin souls. It contains some very sensible, mature and grounded messages (twin flame energy is generally the exact opposite-- volatile and explosive, anything but peaceful and grounded, so this book is quite useful).

(This is a link to it:

https://www.amazon.com/Reunion-Your-Flame-Swami-Giriraj-ebook/dp/B0D7LDLSQ3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=L1WM12TW0WZL&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cyJJMemgJTB9spVU94uJCw.q5NmBfq_DFGXblfxwZ-myihFxcenArglLbrr-jqy53c&dib_tag=se&keywords=swami+giriraj+twin+flame&qid=1723494013&sprefix=swami+giriraj+twin+flam%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-1)

In this book, the Swami says that the universe expects two main things from twin souls:

1. To evolve spiritually: qualities such as empathy, understanding, patience, truthfulness, unconditional love and courage need to be gradually developed.

Cultivation of a connection with the Divine is the cornerstone of this spiritual evolution. 

2. To serve humanity (the twin souls influence each other in this service, either directly or indirectly, regardless of whether or not they are in each other's external lives)

Twin souls' external and internal realities gradually become completely different from each other as the journey progresses. At some stage, living two competely different realities becomes impossible. 

In fact the universe goes out of its way to make it impossible by reminding twin souls of the existence of each other virtually constantly (through signs, synchronicities, dreams etc). It becomes intense and unrelenting-- almost like being hounded by the universe to embrace this divine reality.

Why is the universe so determined to bring twin souls back into each other's lives? Especially if they were/are already walking the spiritual path. What is the need for this intense pressure mentally, emotionally and spiritually?

The answer is because they teach other something of spiritual value. They learn things about themselves and the universe that they would not have done were it not for this connection. A very important part of this learning occurs when they are physically apart (as I have discovered).

Much learning also occurs when they encounter each other in the physical world (of this I know less at present).

The development of the qualities of truthfulness and courage is especially important when it comes to twin souls harmonising their external and internal lives. Without these two qualities, it becomes impossible. These are divine qualities, and it is only when twin souls connect with the divine within themselves, that they are able to really express these with conviction.

At every step in this jouney, the twin soul invokes the blessing, protection and will of God. "Thy will be done" becomes the mantra of life. And, as it is not an easy journey in any way, the universe becomes the support of life.

There is no question of the continuation of any rejection or negativity in this path as it is far too intensely painful. It is very common for twin souls to reject each other and separate for prolonged periods (during which they grow and develop individually in all aspects of life). 

However, they then discover that the pain that they inflict upon their counterparts (for example, by rejecting them or the truth of the connection), rebounds upon them with interest (as the saying goes, it is like 'cutting one's nose to spite one's face'-- extremely foolish indeed--unless one enjoys suffering greatly which few of us do!). 

No twin soul with half-a-brain cell, would be daft enough to reject their counterpart in any way, shape or form, especially once the depth of the connection has been felt and revealed to them by the universe. The connection has to be acknowledged in all its dimensions-- physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. This brings huge inner peace.

The outer reality (some call this '3D') and inner reality (some refer to this as '5D') need to both be respected and harmonised. Sooner or later (and at a time and in a form ordained by the universe), they will need to have some type of physical presence in each other's lives. 

Twin souls often have karma with other souls (possibly arranged before they took birth); they need to respect their own karmic connections and those of their counterparts. This is the only way to hope for any form of peace within.

Dealing with negative and toxic people is a part of the twin soul paradigm. Often their childhoods are not rosy, their karmic social connections are not too pleasant. These provide fertile ground for the cultivation of the spiritual qualities mentioned previously that are needed to progress on the spiritual path-- including especially conviction, courage and faith in the protective aspect of the Divine.

The love experiened by twin souls from God and from each other (even at a great distance) heals their lives. Along with the many challenges, this path has many blessings too. 

So, in summary, twin souls are not created by the universe just for amusement-- there is some serious work expected from them. This is a spiritual path. Although it is not officially a monastic path, the irony is that it often ends up taking the twin souls to the heights of detachment-- there is no other way to survive it, especially the separation phases.

It is actually quite ironic to think that I met my twin soul in my early 20s when I was about to embrace the path of external monasticism. They converted me into a householder and I married someone else, evidently as destined by God (marrying someone other than one's twin soul appears to be the norm for this type of connection based on what I have seen, read and also myself experienced). 

I had the impression that they were not really interested in this connection when the separation occurred years ago (and that their interests, in fact, lay elsewhere) and so felt this was the right way forwards at the time. 

And then, in recent years, they re-entered my life in the astral realm, and it seems this was in order to teach me real renunciation. I have had to practice detachment and renunciation on this twin soul path on a level that feels far more intense than anything that I feel I would ever have experienced as an external monastic. 

So the universe has, on one level, made a monastic out of me after all. But not in the way I expected (far more intense). And also, it has made a spiritual lover out of me-- and again, not at all in the way that I expected.

This is the only path I can think of that involves practicising two polar opposite feelings-- intense affinity with another human soul along with intense renunciation of them. Very strange indeed. I had no idea that such a thing was even possible until recently. The only way by which one can reconcile these two opposites in one's life is by the grace of the Divine.

May the Divine guide twin souls to achieve harmony between their inner and outer realities and experience inner peace as a result. And also, may the Divine guide us to evolve spiritually and act in tune with the will of God at all times.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Twin souls-- a Universal spiritual plot

 Hari Aum.

This is another post for any twin souls out there (who are wishing they were not-- which frankly, appears to be the majority!). Having discovered this very odd subject around three years ago, I continue to feel fairly mystified by the whole thing. However, while this is generally not a particularly amusing topic at all (quite the reverse most of the time), every now and then, I admit I do see a slightly funny side to it!

It feels like a complete set-up by the universe, a perfect universal plot in fact. A weird situation where people live in two worlds. There is an inner world, and an outer world-- which do not mirror each other at all! I feel compelled to write a little play about this today (it may resonate with some twin souls out there too)! 

The celestial realms: Lord Vishnu and His great devotee, Narada, are in conversation. 

Vishnu: 

"Narada, you are renowned for your capacity to create mischief in the universe--and all for a good purpose of course! As you are aware, I have utilised my powers of illusion, Maya, to create the vast material realms. Amongst the creatures that I have made, the human being is the most fortunate as he/she alone can know Me and obtain everlasting peace and bliss."

"My Divine Lila in the material realm involves souls who utilise their free will to feel separate from each other and from Me. They forget Me and forget themselves too."

"Amongst the many souls that I have made, there is a certain type which has a very similar counterpart. I have called them 'twin souls'. These souls have an astral (mind-based) connection which tends to bring them together. However, it is My desire that they spend a very lengthy period apart-- a decade or two on average, or perhaps a lifetime or more! This is needed for their spiritual development!"

"My dear Narada, what would your suggestions be for Me to ensure that they remain apart in this manner? I require some very effective and infallible strategies to counter their strong connection!"

Narada (feeling gratified and delighted):

"My dear Lord, I am deeply honoured that You have chosen to ask me, Your humble servant, for an opinion on this matter!"

"Knowing the human mind as well as I do, I would propose the following to ensure that these twin souls remain well and truly apart for significant durations of time in accordance with Your wishes."

"First and foremost, it would be wise to create some significant differences between them. For instance, make them such that they belong to different cultures, religions, temperaments and ages. This itself will go a wonderfully long way in creating doubts and confusion in them as to why any affinity should exist at all!"

"Secondly, for good measure, do ensure that they encounter each other in circumstances where it is virtually impossible for them to see a future together-- for instance, they are monks/nuns, married, preferably with dependents or with elderly or unwell relatives who rely upon them. This will create the highly desirable qualities of guilt and anxiety in them at the mere prospect of uniting in any way, shape or form!"

"And last, but certainly not the least (this may actually be the most effective of all!), please do ensure that You create in them such an overwhelming sense of discomfort whenever they encounter each other, that they are unable to remain in each other's presence!

There should be such an intense sense of tension and attraction between them that there should be  absolutely no question of them daring to make any eye contact (as that would let the cat out of the bag!); heaven forbid any actual conversation! In fact, they should eventually reach a stage where the mere hint of each other's physical presence in the vicinity, causes them to make a hasty retreat in the opposite direction!"

"This, my dear Lord, in my humble opinion, would be a most excellent and guaranteed formula to achieve Your noble purpose of keeping these twin souls apart for their own spiritual good!"

"And, having achieved this separation, at just the right time, my Lord, You could create additional confusions and mystify them further by various methods-- for instance by creating odd dreams, revealing strange synchronicities, and by conjuring up other suitable mystical muddles that Your wonderful Maya is so talented at!"

"Having gone through this terrible experience lasting several years, I can guarantee that these twin souls will be at their wits' end and will come running to You alone for help-- who else can they turn to, after all?! 

Surely this will be one of Your most effective tools in turning these souls to the spiritual path and helping them achieve the spiritual goal of life!"

Vishnu (smiling approvingly):

"Well, Narada, I knew that I could rely on you! I must say that I am always tremendously satisfied by the invaluable help that you render to Me in My various divine Lilas. It is no wonder that you are famous as one of My dearest devotees!"

Narada (smiling modestly and bowing):

"You are really too kind, my Lord! I am, of course, always delighted to be of any service to You!"

Om Namo Narayanaya!

Hari Aum Tat Sat.