Twin soul energy- the higher and lower mind

 Hari Aum.

As I have mentioned previously on this blog, the twin soul journey is one type of spiritual path. Like others who have experienced this journey, I too realised at one stage that this is likely to be the reason for some of the events and experiences that have occurred in my life.

I want to write down, very bluntly, what I feel many twin souls go through on the journey, some of their thoughts and feelings, some of the reasons why they may feel the need to be in separation, and possible events that may lead to a harmonious reunion. (Note: as before, I will leave this post on here for as long or short a time that I feel is appropriate).

There are, as I have already explained in previous posts, two aspects to the mind: the higher and the lower. Both are a part of the Divine, and both play a part in our spiritual evolution. The lower mind seems to act as a source of inner challenges that the higher mind has to learn to deal with to grow stronger.

So, based upon what I have seen so far, let me share the typical thoughts and feelings that exist within twin souls (at least the feminine aspect) for their counterparts.

The higher mind's thoughts and feelings towards the twin soul counterpart:

A twin soul connection seems to exist here. It is a mystery and words cannot explain it; it just exists.

There must be a higher spiritual purpose to this connection. This needs to be figured out. 

We need to act in accordance with the will of the Divine.

Let us embrace the 5D connection, and let the 3D connection manifest in accordance with the will of God, whatever that may be. 

Everything is as it should be and things will turn out well in the end because we are accepting Divine will (and not attempting to live based upon our own little wills).

The overall feelings are of love, peace, wellbeing, trust in the Divine that the protection and grace of the Divine is with one at every step (and from this, is created great courage and inner strength to continue walking the spiritual path, including the twin soul path).

The lower mind's thoughts and feelings towards the twin soul counterpart:

There are mixed feelings: anger, confusion, fear, blame, guilt, regret, denial, disbelief, outrage, desire to run/chase, desire to cut off and 'be free'. 

There is a sense of victimhood ('Poor me', 'Why is this happening to me? Why is the universe doing this to me?'). There is a huge pain related to separation (a sort of 'separation sickness') that can manifest as health issues.

There is a general sense of the unfairness and strangeness of it all. 

A sense of confusion--- "What on Earth is this?!"

A sense of anger-- "I just wanted to live a normal life (including a normal married/monastic life). Why has the universe created this?"

A sense of betrayal- "If this connection exists, why could the universe not have permitted it to manifest in a 'normal relationship'; why did this weird astral connection alone have to exist!?

A sense of fear- "People will not understand me, they will judge/blame me." "This connection is so intense, it feels scary"

A sense of suspicion - "I don't trust him/her, and with very good reason based on what has already occurred!"

A sense of feeling unwell- "This connection makes me feel ill. It is bad for my health!"

A sense of despair- "Is my whole life going to be like this? When will this end? Please God, save me!"

So, in general, the higher mind (governed by the spiritual heart) in the twin soul feels love that is unconditional for their counterpart, and accepts this as a spiritual connection that has been created in accordance with Divine will. The higher mind is prepared to trust the Divine, and its own connection with the Divine, and 'go with the flow' i.e. accept the will of God whatever that may be.

In contrast, the lower mind (governed by the intellect and lower emotions) cycles through various highs and lows as it tries to make sense of a spiritual connection that cannot be explained intellectually (as this can only be understood by experience).

This is not an easy experience as one may imagine. It is very, very difficult to handle a connection like this. Based on my own experience, I have great sympathy and empathy with every twin soul on the planet. 

I can only say, for all of us, that there surely is a higher divine purpose to this connection. And time will reveal what that is for each one of us. In the meantime, we need to tune into the higher mind and its connection with the Divine. And also, accept the lower mind and handle it very gently (as this is understandably very challenging, from a 'normal' material perspective).

Once again, I would like to say that the energy of Mother Radha in particularly is helpful to soothe twin souls in separation. Reciting any mantra or name of Hers daily grants spiritual strength and some inner peace.

Om Sri Radhikayai Namah.

Om Sri Radha-Krishnabhyam Namah.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

A collective sadhana for world peace

 Hari Aum.

I have written previously on this blog (please see post below) regarding the need to chant mantras and recite prayers for world peace based on the advice of our Gurus. 

Feb 2020:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/page/edit/803812822913447625/7314221788620127005

This is just a short post to request all readers to please dedicate even a short period of time daily for this purpose. As per Sivananda and other Gurus, this does have an effect.

This world does not belong to the negative forces that seek to destroy it. It belongs to the Divine. It was created by the Divine (not by negative, destructive energies that constantly seek war).

These negative forces appear to be powerful outwardly but in truth, this is an illusion; because they do not have the support of the Divine. Without Divine support, ultimately they will never win. 

Today, in both East and West, on our planet, there are negative forces whose actions indicate that they seek only to escalate tensions; they work against those who strive for peace. There are war-mongering people in numerous countries.

There is increasing discussion that we are heading towards another World War. This is an unthinkable situation, especially in a world that has extremely destructive (e.g. nuclear) weapons. There will be no winners in such a war; everyone will ultimately lose. Our beautiful planet with its amazing nature, ecosystems, birds and animals will be destroyed for centuries to come, in addition to the unthinkable suffering that will be experienced by numerous souls.

This is the reason the saints and sages of all spiritual traditions advise us to pray and meditate at times like this to seek Divine help and intervention.

In the Gita, Krishna says "Do your duty without expectation of any specific results. Do it as an offering to Me (and let Me decide what the results will be)." Let us trust Him. Let us repeat any mantras and prayers from any spiritual tradition of our liking for peace on our planet.

In medicine we often say that, if a patient has previously had a particular medical condition, they are at much higher risk of developing this again. The same seems to apply to humanity's propensity for wars, especially World Wars. We have already had two World Wars in around a hundred years, and multiple other smaller ones. We are apparently at high risk of another World War in the present time.

This world was not created for war. It is a place for spiritual evolution. It was not meant to be destroyed for the sake of a few egoistic individuals who wield some degree of material power. There are far greater forces at play behind the scenes. 

There are numerous saints and yogis from all spiritual traditions working to prevent humanity committing yet another horrific act of self-destruction. They say that this sort of self-destruction of entire planets has occurred previously in other parts of the cosmos and was a great tragedy. It is therefore something that they are determined to prevent from happening here. However, we too need to do our little part to support them. Please can we all therefore obey their instructions and pray for peace. 

Can we please do a collective sadhana for world peace? Every day, 5-10 minutes of chanting Om Namo Narayanaya (or other mantra/prayer as per one's inclination) for world peace. Please let us do this. 

Remember, it is not the result that matters, it is the trying that matters, it is the intention that matters in the eyes of the Divine. Let us do our best and leave the rest in His/Her hands.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

May He give good sense and peace to all beings.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S. Group chanting is powerful. If you live with people who are also interested in mantras/prayers for peace, then please chant with them as often as you are able (the individual practice should also be done daily even if it is very brief).

Also if you have a twin soul, and feel the energetic (so-called '5D') presence of your counterpart, do consider inviting them to meditate with you for spiritual progress and world peace. This is one positive action that I feel twin souls should do together (even if it is remotely)-- meditate for world peace. 

This would be the single most beneficial and useful aspect of this connection. I intuitively feel that the joint meditation of twin soul pairs (even if occurring separately in the 3D, but together in the 5D aspect) will be a useful contribution towards peace on this planet. 

How to meditate with the 5D aspect of your twin? It is very simple-- just visualise them seated in meditation next to you (in the ajna or anahata chakra space, or literally next to you if you prefer) and in the presence of the Divine (e.g. sitting at the feet of a form of the Divine that appeals to you, or before Divine Light if you prefer the formless aspect). Visualise positive energies being created as a result of your meditation that are pleasing to the Divine, and which envelop and benefit the world as a whole. And that is essentially it.

Let us hope and pray that positive peace-loving energies are victorious over the negative war-mongering ones.

Om Namo Narayanaya. Om Namo Narayanaya. Om Namo Narayanaya.

P.P.S. Related posts:

Japa yoga benefits:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/page/edit/803812822913447625/7353920146197961036

The squirrel and the bridge of Rama:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/803812822913447625/1077962471447608568

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Sri Rama: fear and courage

 Hari Aum.

In the last post on the Ramayana, we saw how Lord Rama, manifestation of Lord Narayana, reached Mithila, the place where Mother Sita, His wife-to-be resided. He took up the divine bow of none other than Lord Shiva Himself (they are One of course in reality though appear to be two separate forms) and proceeded to demonstrate His immense physical prowess by breaking it.

Imagine the scene, the drama! The bow of Lord Shiva, the great Lord, the great Destroyer, the One who is worshipped by Lord Rama Himself (and the One who worships Lord Rama in turn)-- put asunder! Broken-- just like that. The energy released, the deafening sound, the earthquake, the shock of the witnesses! The admiration at the sheer power and glory of the Divine avatar! 

Dear me, how amazing.

Yet, those of us who know the legend of Sri Rama, know some truths about Him that are less savoury. He will say that He was not to blame, but can we fully agree, can we entirely understand His perspective, and can we entirely empathise? 

Or do we feel that He should have shown greater backbone, greater courage, especially for One who can break even the bow of Shiva. 

(As devotees, there are times when we praise the Divine and times when we berate Him/Her. The moods of devotion have many flavours. Today, for some reason, I happen to be in a somewhat berating mood with regard to Sri Rama-- please do not be offended, this too shall pass!)

I am not going to explain the part of the Ramayana that I am referring to here; those of you who know the whole story will be aware of the portion that I am referring to when I ask these questions-- the events that took place towards the end in relation to Sita (this is because I am in the process of reading and writing on this blog, the entire Ramayana in a condensed form; will likely take some time though!). 

However, as I read the story, I reflect upon it, and various thoughts and feelings are generated. Some of these I feel I would like to share here (these may resonate with you-- or they may not, and that is ok. Everything does not need to resonate with everyone all the time).

So, let me continue my reflections on Lord Rama....my questioning of Him.....

Is this Rama, the divine bow-breaker, who was famous for His physical power, not the One who shivered and shook before the people of Ayodhya upon returning home from Lanka? Did He not tremble with fear at their unmerited criticism? Is He not the One who abandoned His own wife in the most appalling manner in the process?

Is this not the Lord, who is known as Satya, the embodiment of Truth, who did not dare to speak His own truth? Is He not the One who, not only tolerated and accepted the unjust public insult and humiliation of His own wife, but who actively participated in it?

An avatar with such physical strength but yet so weak at heart-- how extraordinary! He is often referred to as the 'ideal man' but is He really so?  

One who cannot even acknowledge His own Truth-- that He loved His wife and that She was not at fault (despite what the ignorant public thought)-- can there be anything more weak, anything more tragic, pathetic and pitiable than this? One feels compassion and pity, not admiration, for such a lamentably weak hero. 

To live His life pleasing those who did not deserve to be pleased, while inflicting endless pain upon His consort-- is this the nature of a true hero, an ideal man?

Can One who is so weak at heart, One who cannot admit His Truth, One who shivers and trembles within at the prospect of being criticised by others even when He has done nothing wrong and in fact, always acted in accordance with dharma-- can such a One really be called true and courageous? 

Is it possible, that His wife, Sita, so frail externally, One whom many in the world would call 'a weak woman' in appearance, actually had more strength in Her little finger that He had in the whole of His body? And was not Her heart a million times stronger and braver than His trembling, fearful one? 

After all, She underwent a trial by fire for His sake-- literally (in physical terms)! And, also mentally, emotionally and spiritually during Her lifetime. She may have been none other than an incarnation of Mother Lakshmi but She underwent a very human experience filled with some joy and tremendous sorrow. 

After undergoing numerous trials and tribulations in life, She emerged strong and powerful. In the end, though She loved Him, She had to leave Him forever-- and who can blame Her? 

For who can remain with One who is so weak at heart, so lacking in courage, so lacking in expression of His own Truth, and who inflicts such pain in the process? Who can remain with One who cannot face reality, who cannot stand up for Himself and His own divine consort and protect Her and His own honour? 

It is said in the Puranas that every man is a form of Narayana/Shiva and every woman is a form of Lakshmi/Parvati. Let us hope that this is not a reference to Their avatars as Rama and Sita. Because, it would be a tragedy for every woman to suffer as Sita did, and for every man to be as fearful and pitiably weak at heart as Rama was when it comes to living a life based upon love and truth (and facing unjust public criticism).

It would be far better if the men of the world could have the courage of Narasimha, another avatar of Narayana (who was strong both in body and mind/ heart; Who knew exactly how to protect His beloved devotee, Prahlada). And for every woman to have the good fortune of Mother Parvati, the divine consort of Lord Shiva.

I dedicate this post to Sri Rama; I know that He will not be offended by this-- because, I feel that, in His heart, He will Himself agree with every word that I have written here. I will give Him at least that much credit for acknowledging the truth.

Om Sri Sita-Ramabhyam Namah. Om Namo Bhagavate Narasimhaya.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Bala Kanda Part 8: Breaking the bow

 Hari Aum.

Om Sri Ramaya Namah.

I hope all readers had a wonderful Diwali celebration. Let us continue our study of the Ramayana of sage Valmiki.

In the previous post, we saw Sri Rama, Lakshmana and the sages arrive at the kingdom of Mithila (also known as Videha). 

Within this fortunate land, lived Sita, incarnation of Mother Lakshmi and daughter of the ruler, King Janaka. As the land was inhabited by an incarnation of the Goddess of spiritual and material wealth Herself, it was no wonder that it shone with an extraordinary divine splendour. 

The sages, accompanied by the Princes, entered the kingdom praising it for its great beauty. They made their way to an area where worship was being conducted by the King. Upon being informed of the arrival of the sages, King Janaka was filled with delight and hastened to welcome them. 

The King himself was no ordinary ruler; he was a 'rajarshi' (or 'raja-rishi'; in Sanskrit, 'rajah' means 'king' and 'rishi' means 'sage') , i.e. a kingly sage, a man of great spiritual wisdom (Self-Realisation). He embraced Vishvamitra and the other sages with great joy. Then, in accordance with tradition, he reverentially worshipped them, offering them a seat, food and drink.

After they were all well-rested, and had exchanged pleasantries, the King curiously asked about the origin of the two Princes. Remarking that they resembled the demi-gods in appearance and prowess, he asked sage Vishvamitra to tell him who they were.

Sage Vishvamitra explained that they were the children of King Dasharatha. He went on to tell the King and his entourage about the various valorous deeds performed by them including vanquishing negative forces and offering protection to the sages in the forests. He then went on to narrate the redemption of Ahalya that had occurred as a result of her meeting Sri Rama. 

The family priest and chief sage at the palace of King Janaka, Shutananda, was none other than the son of Ahalya and her husband, sage Gautama. He was overcome with joy and wonder upon hearing that his mother had received the fruit of her many years of penance, and that she had been reunited with his father.

Exclaiming that the arrival of Sri Rama was a great blessing, he praised both Him and sage Vishvamitra. Declaring that Sri Rama was very fortunate to have Vishvamitra as His Guru, he went on to tell Him about the greatness of His Guru. 

He explained in great detail how the former King Vishvamitra had decided to abandon his royal riches, and embark upon a very lengthy and extraordinarily intense course of austerities that had led to him finally becoming a great sage. (This is a long story and I am not going to explain it in full here as I want to remain focused mainly on the legend of Sri Rama Himself). 

In essence, Vishvamitra had discovered that sages had much greater powers than kings after foolishly trying to battle with one of them (the great sage, Vasishtha). He then decided that it was futile to continue to be a king and performed great tapas to become a sage. He finally succeeded after numerous  failures (including overcoming the loss of his spiritual power due to being seduced by the celestial dancer, Menaka, an apsara who had been sent by Indra to distract him from his penance).

After the narration of the great deeds of Vishvamitra was completed, King Janaka praised him greatly saying there was no end to his glories. However, as it was now dusk and time to perform the evening worship, he sought the sage's permission to depart, saying they should meet again in the morning. He then went around sage Vishvamitra along with his entourage as a mark of respect, received his blessings and left for his home. 

After a restful night, they met again the next morning in the outdoor place of worship. Vishvamitra then told the King that Sri Rama and Lakshmana were very eager to see the great bow of Lord Shiva and requested him to show it to them.

King Janaka was very pleased to hear this and told them a bit about the bow. This had been given as a gift by Lord Shiva to the demi-gods. They, in turn, had given it to King Devarata, an ancient ancestor of Janaka, for safekeeping, and the bow had remained in the care of their family ever since. It was exceptionally large and heavy and had been placed inside a strong chest made of iron. 

The King explained that he had declared that the man who could lift and string the bow of Lord Shiva alone would be a fit suitor for his daughter, Princess Sita (there is a legend that says the reason for this is that he had once seen Her lift the bow in play as a child while searching for a missing toy). 

Many kings and princes had attempted to this task desiring to win the hand of the Princess but their efforts had all been in vain. Far from being able to lift and string the bow, they had not been able to even move it. After their failure, some of them had become enraged at the perceived insult to their prowess and had attacked Mithila. The King had been compelled to seek the help of the demi-gods to defend his kingdom.

Janaka then told them about his daughter, Sita. One day, he had been ploughing a field in which some worship was due to be performed. In the furrow that he had created, he had noticed a tiny baby girl. As he and his wife had not had any children of their own at the time, they had resolved to adopt this little girl as their own daughter and named Her 'Sita' (this means 'furrow' in Sanskrit).  The baby girl had grown up unusually quickly (this was usually the case with divine beings) and was now a beautiful young woman. 

Saying that if Sri Rama could lift the divine bow, He would win the hand of his daughter, Sita, in marriage, King Janaka commanded the bow to be presented to Him. Several thousand strong and well-built men were required to perform the task of bringing the bow before Sri Rama. A large group of citizens from the kingdom of Mithila also gathered around with great interest to watch the events.

The chest was opened and the divine bow of Lord Shiva was revealed to Sri Rama. As He gazed upon it, King Janaka declared that when numerous beings with great divine powers such as the demi-gods, Gandharvas, Nagas and Yakshas had found it impossible to lift the bow, let alone string it, a mere human being could not be expected to achieve this task!   

Sage Vishvamitra now addressed Sri Rama saying "Dear child, behold the divine bow!".

Sri Rama, gazing at the bow, declared His intention to lift the bow, toss it in the air and string it! He then grasped the bow firmly in the middle, and lifting it, strung it with ease making the entire process appear like child's play. 

As He bent the bow while tying the string, it broke into two pieces due to the force that He had applied! As the divine bow broke, a terrific sound was produced (like an enormous crash of thunder) that reverberated in all directions. This was rapidly followed by a great earthquake that led to most people falling over except for sage Vishvamitra, Sri Rama, Lakshmana and King Janaka!

After everyone had recovered somewhat from the shock of these events, King Janaka addressed Sage Vishvamitra. He declared that it was simply extraordinary that this had taken place. Never in his wildest imagination could he have even contemplated such a thing happening he said! 

Saying that he was in no doubt about Sri Rama's power and glory, he declared that He would be a most fitting husband for his daughter, Princess Sita. Having secured Him as Her husband, She would no doubt be most fortunate, he declared!

He stated that he wished to immediately send his eminent ministers as messengers to King Dasharatha to inform him of the wonderful events that had occurred. They were to tell Dasharatha that Sri Rama had won the hand of Princess Sita in marriage and invite him to Mithila to have the wedding conducted without any delay!

Vishvamitra agreed to these plans and King Janaka's ministers were sent to the palace of King Dasharatha in Ayodhya. Upon hearing this news, King Dasharatha was filled with immense joy and excitement! 

He informed his own ministers, and they delightedly agreed to the alliance between Sri Rama and Princess Sita. King Dasharatha then declared that they would travel to Mithila the very next day! They would be accompanied by a number of sages and priests, carrying a great number of gifts and be protected by a sizeable portion of their army. 

The ministers of King Janaka were exceedingly pleased with the highly favourable response from King Dasharatha. They spent the night at the palace in Ayodhya while preparations were made for the journey the next day.

To be continued.....

Om Sri Ramaya Namah.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.