Ashram Blog
Shelter from the Storm
The fall season is coming. The light of the sun becomes less and less, the weather outside becomes colder. Sitting inside, in a comfortable place, protected from the elements outside, how fortunate we are. We can see that strong wind and chill outside - we are aware of it but we are not much affected by it. We can only imagine what it must feel like to be in that... read more
Coming Out of Our Comfort Zone
Human beings are not the victims of situations and circumstances. The person who moves forward with their mission or goal with conviction and determination lives a meaningful life. If I have firm resolve, if I am committed to being a good human being, there is no excuse not to practice and live a virtuous life. The mind will suggest all kinds of... read more
Cultivating Vibrations of Gratitude
All over the world there is so much calamity, so many natural disasters, wars, and famine. Here we live in a comfortable, clean and safe environment, in good health. There is enough to eat, we have shelter, and enough to cover ourselves. There is enough for our friends and families. No bombs are exploding next door. Our water is clean, our air is clean. We, truly, are blessed. How often do... read more
Sowing the Seeds of Our Own Happiness
We are all looking for happiness in every endeavor we engage in. No matter what we do, the ultimate goal is always to experience fulfillment of some kind that results in happiness. Most of the time instant gratification is mistaken for happiness. This new found happiness is short lived, it is not everlasting. Where and how to find that peace and happiness that is always with us should... read more
The Most Precious Thing
I meet many people who say, “Babaji, I’m anxious - my mind is racing. I cannot stop my mind from thinking negative things.” Yes, we all want to be happy and calm and enjoy the abundance in our lives, but our minds can often keep us in negativity, depression, fear or anxiety. The mind is restless, by nature - it is either in the past or in... read more
Encountering the Mystery
Life is a mystery. Beauty lies in the mystery. Sacredness lies in the mystery. Love lies in the mystery. Poetry lies in the mystery. We look at a beautiful flower. We appreciate its color, its fragrance, the arrangement of the petals. Sweetness comes to our heart through the experience. Then our mind jumps in. We name it, we dissect it, we compare it, we think of what... read more
Babaji’s Message for the New Year
Om
We all want to live with peace and happiness, away from struggles of any kind. How can we bring contentment into our lives?
There is a story from the ancient Vedic scriptures that guides us. Once upon a time, the devas (gods), demons and humans were fighting amongst themselves. The world was falling into chaos. Finally, a group went to seek the help of Brahma. the Creator. As... read more
Silence Under the Sound
There are two aspects to everything in life. If we pay attention to just one part of our life, and neglect the other part, we get stuck and can't go anywhere. Just imagine, you are lying on your back, looking at the sky. You are aware of the vastness of the sky. A little plane appears. Your mind immediately becomes focused on the plane, and begins to... read more
True Giving
In Sanskrit the word “giving” is Daan. To be able to give is considered one of the greatest virtues. But giving of what? What can you really give to somebody? Of course there are all kinds of presents that you can buy, but the true gift is giving of yourself. This requires looking at yourself. True giving can only happen when... read more
Introduction to Aghor Mantra
In the Aghor tradition, a mantra is given by the Guru when the student seeker is ready to go deeper in his or her spiritual practice. Beej mantras are like the seeds of a banyan tree - they are smaller than mustard seed but have enough strength and power to produce a mighty tree and a countless number of trees, provided they grow in fertile ground and are nurtured in the... read more
The Sacredness of the Words We Speak
The Divine Mother resides within us in the form of Speech - Vageshwari. When we honor the presence of the Divine through our speech, peace and beauty are created around us.
Our voice is one of the greatest gifts that we are given. Paying attention to what you are saying, why you are saying it, and what you seek to accomplish by speaking is a spiritual practice that... read more
3 Protections of the Buddha
It is said that when Buddha set out on his spiritual journey, he sat under the Boddhi Tree in deep meditation for three days and three nights. When he emerged, he shared the wisdom that arose from within: There is suffering. There is a way out of suffering. His monks went forth spreading his message: Buddham sharanam gachami Dhamam sharanam gachami Sangham sharanam... read more
Kalpavriksha – The Wish Fulfilling Tree & the Nature of Our Mind
In the scriptures there is mention of a tree called Kalpavriksha – the Wish Fulfilling Tree. Sitting under this tree, whatever one wishes for will manifest. As the story goes, a man was walking on a hot, sunny day. He was tired, and when he saw this beautiful tree, he went to sit in its shade. As he sat there, he thought, “It would be so nice... read more
Seva – The Highest Spiritual Practice
Being of service is the best sadhana.
The purpose of sadhana - spiritual practice - is to acknowledge that which is higher - the Higher Self, the Divine. When we are engaged in sadhana, we are not thinking of the small self, our worldly self, the self which is going through ups and downs, the story that we live. When we are doing our sadhana, we go... read more
What Keeps Us from Meditation? The Four Lassos of the Mind
The very moment we begin to bring a new practice or discipline into our life, like meditation or a healthy daily routine, our heart rejoices but our mind feels threatened. The very nature of the mind is to be free and undisciplined, and an undisciplined mind subjects us to its excessive cleverness. Although part of us knows what is good for our well-being, through excessive cleverness we... read more
The Wings of Knowledge and Action
Knowledge and action are like the wings of a bird in the sky. Without one, the other remains incomplete. Knowledge, like a map, will not take you anywhere without action. You must make the effort to explore and experience something in order to truly understand it. Without action, knowledge becomes a burden. Ignorance is bliss: it’s better to “not know” then to “know” and not act on that knowing. Purification of the... read more
Cultivating a Spiritual Practice: Dig One Well Deep, And Keep Digging
In this day and age there are so many spiritual practices to choose from. It's good to invest some time in finding a practice that our heart and mind can agree on and then sticking with it. The tendency is to keep jumping from one thing to another instead of staying with one practice. We do something for a few months, then something else comes that looks more... read more
What is Aghor?
The very meaning of Aghor is “that which is not difficult, that which is not complicated, that which is whole.” Aghor sahaj hai, saral hai, sugam hai. Aghor is inborn - that which we are born with, inherent. Aghor is easy to comprehend. The path of Aghor is easy to walk on. What is our inherent nature? Our natural state that we are born into is wholeness. When we came on this... read more
Living Our Dharma – Responding Instead of Reacting
How do we live in the world without losing our peace? If somebody has insulted you, what do you do? The immediate impulse is usually to snap back, to get even. We want to protect our honor, but this “honor” is such a false notion of the Self. If we allow ourselves to react, while it may feel good in the moment, the effect will bring even... read more
The Purpose of Meditation – Flowing Inward is the Work
To come back to the Self is to acknowledge that you are absolutely whole and complete unto yourself. Nothing is missing, and nothing from outside is needed to fulfill you. You are totally self-contained. You are absolutely still. This is the purpose of meditation—to see the Self, to be with the Self. The moment your attention goes elsewhere, you begin to flow out. We are... read more
Everyday Spirituality – Picking Pearls
Instead of picking pebbles, we have to learn how to pick pearls. This is a spiritual practice in and of itself. We often fall into the bad habit of “picking pebbles” - focusing on negativity. We criticize ourselves or we get stuck on negative things that we experience or that we hear or read. A person who is bringing spirituality in their life, who is acknowledging the... read more
Acknowledging the Guru – Bowing to Something Higher
It is an act of Grace when we turn towards something or someone that we can bow to from the depth of our heart. The mere act of bowing is acknowledging something higher and realizing that I am not in control. Having the remembrance of something higher sets us free from our expectations of ourselves. Establishing a Guru peeth, the seat of the... read more