Tagged: question

Question: How do I know what is best for ME?

I really enjoy reading your articles. I want you to shed more light upon being open to life. I have grown a lot in the last few years but I still feel that I get stuck in situations and that one thing which I find hard to get out of. If I am in a situation, and I am confused, thinking takes over and it’s hard to get out of it. It’s hard for me to take a decision. But I also don’t want to give up on this whole process of taking any decision and just live with what is. Then I say, but I want this ! As a result, I don’t find myself living fully and I find myself caught in this mental web. This in turn impacts my life, my energy. How to come out of this and gain more clarity, focus and know what I really want and live my life accordingly ? How do I see and know what is best ?! Is it that what I have is best for me or should I go according to my desires and wishes?
Thanks a lot for this blog !

Thank you for your question.
Notice the entanglement of the “I.”
I am stuck. I want this. I want to make sure, it is “right” for ME. I want to make a decision. I want you to explain to me…

As long as that knot of “I-ness” is within you, there is no chance to see the knot. How do you see it? By keeping a distance…

Because you like this blog, today I will share with you, one of the valuable “secrets” of the masters…
Here it goes: “You can get what you want in Life, by changing course…. If the path you walk always lead to yourself, you’ll never get anywhere.” (Kung Fu Panda – “Secrets of the Masters” 2011 movie.)

That was the concise answer to your question.

Now let me add the “fluff” for there may be an expectation to write more stuff.
There is no formula to get rich, famous and beautiful. This is Life; not the “office world” mentality of getting what “I want in Life.” For that, we have other “secrets” that people are willing to buy; but even though they applied those “secrets” to their own lives, they are still looking for something more permanent to “achieve.” That is how all the religious stuff became fashionable (eternal achievement) and to make it more palatable for the masses, it was renamed as “spirituality,” but it may be another business venture indeed.
It is important to grow up from that mentality.

Life is not there to protect your  personal “interest.” Life has its own course for every individual. It is magically threaded in a web of occurrences (serendipity is the label in fashion) for our idea of individuality is only one part of what is.
We are individuals but we are not. The mind cannot understand that to make a sound “decision.”

There are many ways to “make decisions” in Life. Thinking is just one of them. It may use reasoning, logic, previous experiences. It touches the most superficial layer. Wishes, desires are other options. Throwing dices is another, and I may add, as effective as any of the former. I like my gut feeling.

It works something like this: I go to a restaurant and I feel that the mushrooms are not ok to eat. I just leave them. My friend asks: WHY don’t you eat your mushrooms? I answer: Because  a little bird told me not to do it.  Then, I go to the market and see organic, all natural, 100% “pure” apple juice. The bottles are made of glass so I can see the contents. The color of apple juice differs from a clear one to a darker one. Which one is good for ME? I get the bottles close to my gut and feel for a response. There is no voice speaking to me. I have to feel my gut.
Sometimes apple juice is sweet, others not a sweet, few times it is almost like apple cider. If I thought that apple juice has to be sweet to be good for ME, that is pure conditioning.
Heck, I may take a glass of the apple cider thing before I return it. Who knows, that was “good” for ME?

And here it comes another “Secret of the Masters.”

By helping ME (going out of your circular path)  you help YOURSELF.

So, is there such a thing as “helping others”? That is only “ego support 101.”
But… if you think that this is a formula to be “successful in Life,” and apply it to be rich, famous and beautiful… I assure you that there is no better way to get to hell, faster and risk-free,  guaranteed…. 🙂

That is enough writing before misunderstanding appears.

Question: Will awareness free us from adapting to unnatural structures?

[….]And the human brain was, ultimately, what made the species survive by doing the most unnatural things, like creating societies revolving about agriculture, territory claiming, wars, patriotism, family, father-mother + children, monogamy, and all the things that required the structures that the ego must free itself from in order to feel existence as an awareness experience. So, the question is, how can humans be aware if being aware is precisely what frees them from adapting to the unnatural structures designed to survive when the habitat is not the original one? Please, the issue at hand is not a light one, but it is certainly, I believe, central to the whole matter at hand.

Thank you for your question.
Your question is: How can humans be aware, if being aware is what frees them from adapting to an unnatural structure which is designed for humans to survive, when they are not living in their original habitat?

Short answer: This is not about “humans.” This is about “you”, a human being. You will fully know the experiential answer when AWARENESS happens to you, otherwise; we could indulge in  intellectual answers. I give you an answer, you make up another question, and the game goes on. You could accept the answer by believing in me, which is worthless; or you can reject my answer by adding more intellectual premises, which is worthless as well. Worthless for what? For inner change, which is the central matter to the whole blog. 

Ahnanda is in the process of awareness and he has a “life” in the “office world” as well. What is the issue? None.
Being aware does not mean to reject an “unnatural structure.”
When we are not aware, we believe that the “unnatural structure” is Life itself, or we believe that an “unnatural structure” is “bad” and we must fight against it by promoting the opposite.

Being aware does not mean to be “for something or against it.” When we are not aware, we make judgments, choices based on our own conditioning, believing that our conditioning is the “right” thing.

For instance, I mentioned that Buddha wasn’t vegetarian. Some will believe that Ahnanda said that Buddha ate meat. That is not what it was said. Buddha ate what he ate, but he did not define who he was by giving himself a label (vegetarian.) That is awareness. When we lack awareness we believe that by eating what Buddha ate, we will be the same as him. 

Awareness is not a choice. It is not a decision, thus; to say “how can humans be aware,” is not congruent with the nature of awareness. Awareness happens and when it happens, we may choose to ignore it and play the “pretending game.”
They key is to observe if there is rejection in what we used to perceive or on what others perceive, for we may believe that we now “have the truth.”

In the last article Ahnanda suggested to be more in tune with Nature. “Humanity” may not be interested in this, but few humans will, if that is their calling. In that contrast of living in Nature and society new awareness may emerge. We grow through Life experiences, not by just reading or listening to words of wisdom. That is why in some spiritual systems a disciple will live with his master/ guru to assimilate teachings through the disciples’ own experience. Nature is such a master.

If you are used to eating heavy amounts of sugar through different food items and a doctor tells you that “sugar is bad for you, don’t eat it” you may stop adding sugar in your tea, milk and lemonade out of fear or respect for the authority. If you are removed from that environment and only eat fruits and vegetables, and only drink natural spring water, there will be a process of adaptation; but through that, awareness about your previous diet will be obvious. If you are “naturally” used to the new diet perhaps you are aware of a change in your health, then you cannot go back to the former diet unless, you are only forcing yourself to eat “healthy food” (label), then your own repression towards “non-healthy” will take you back there. Most will feel “bad” about it; but they are not aware of the process. To eat healthy is an inner calling due to some personal experience. It is not something to be imposed from the outside. We discover what is healthy for us. That is genuine learning.
If you feel like drinking a soda you may; although if the change in you is real, you may not be able to finish drinking the soda bottle… too much sugar! You are AWARE by experience. This is no longer theory, intellectual knowledge.

For most individuals, awareness is about going to extremes. For instance, someone may feel upset because he feels that the environment and people are not allowing him to fully express who “he is,” he feels that he is living with a “filter.” Therefore, that awareness will take that person to the extreme. This person will act as being completely “unfiltered.” That person is not aware of a process, hasn’t experienced what is in between the extremes. However, going through both extremes will help him discover a balancing act. This cannot be taught by another. It is personal. It needs to be experienced while aware of the process, then we know.  🙂

Question on Destiny and reader’s comment

1.”I want to ask a question. If my destiny is already decided that I will fail in an exam. I pray to god to fulfill my wishes. I worshiped him …but I failed in the exam, because it was written in my destiny. I also worked hard to pass that exam..where I am wrong. Please help me…”

Thank you for your question.
Who is that “I” that you are referring to?
Is it your body? Is it your mind? Search for that “I” in all places first.
If you find it, then observe how “failing” or not failing in an exam will affect that “I.” Why is an exam so important for that “I”?
The “Office world” has priorities that are deep inside our minds. But, those priorities are only valid depending on what we decide the “I” to be.

Most will not go into this basic thing. Most will take it for granted that “I have to achieve to become better”. This is compliance with a dream which we believe to be the only “reality”. Whether you “have” (achieved) money, power, love, enlightenment, happiness and any other “good” label that you can imagine; observe if your Life is fulfilling for you, if you are enjoying it. Passing a test is not part of this. You can pass it or fail it, but fulfillment is not a consequence of that.

You “know” that destiny is already made. What is the reason to pray to a God then?  Change in Life is done through DOING, but that is not done by someone’s ego. You studied “hard” and did not pass. The “I” was trying to get his agenda of “success” going. It did not happen. Someone else may not have studied as hard as you did; but he passed.  Then we believe that “Life is not fair” when it doesn’t move according to our conditioned wishes.

The “I” feels “bad” when hearing about destiny being already made, but it may be that this “I” is just another creation of the mind, an illusion even though compelling, even though it appears “real”, it is an illusion.
Your destiny is woven together with others, with the Totality. We are together in this, although it appears that we are separate just because of our separate bodies and conditioned minds.

Please observe that the problem created by your mind is inferred in the words: “failed, work hard, and wrong.” Those words are creating hell in your mind. Failure does not exist in Life when there is a fixed destiny. Failure is an invention of the “office world.”

It is a game my dear. Don’t take it seriously. “You” are still alive, breathing. Passing an exam could give you more money, more “office world stuff,” to enhance the illusion of the “I.” That is not “bad”. But if you believe that game to be “real” rather than a game, then you are destined to suffer.
That is why, awareness is the key. Awareness is the help that you may be looking for.

Best wishes,

2. “I am so appreciative of your rare sense. Krishnamurti (no followers please) comes to mind. The spiritual supermarket grows larger and more insipid daily. You are refreshing.”

Thank you for your kind and honest words. Some individuals have seen Alan Watts in these writings. Others, have seen Osho and yet others, Krishnamurti. We align with a particular writer because we understand their viewpoint as they put words to our own realizations. Many will try to put Ahnanda’s sharing into a bottle of a well known label: Ahnanda is Non-duality, Hinduism, Osho-ism, and any other “truth.”
Ahnanda does not share “truth” for that conveys falsehood as well. He shares his experiences and a different perspective. These perspectives may have encountered other writer’s paths, but at the end of the road, Ahnanda’s path is unique, just like everyone else’s.

Yes, the “spiritual supermarket” is filled with salesman offering “solutions” when there are no “problems”. Offering “Life changes” when Life is change by itself.
However, the spiritual supermarket has a role in Life. They give hope and inspire others to get out of their comfort zones, although with a  “small/large fee” attached. For most that is part of the conditioning that “you get what you pay for”.
In Ahnanda’s experience, anything that has been of great value in his Life, has always been free of charge.

Best wishes.

Question: How does change happens without “making it” happen?

You have mentioned that just observe yourself without intention to change it and change will happen.I am confused how change will happen if we don’t think about changing it. For ex if I have anger and i just observe myself and don’t try or even intend to change anger to calmness or peace, how can this change in consciousness happens on its own.

Thank you for your question for the common good.
Did we observe that consciousness changes all by itself?
Believing in Santa Claus was a stage of consciousness, which changed into not believing in him.
Were you upset when that change happened? Did you feel that someone lied to you?
We can apply the above example to all the beliefs that we have acquired.

Life is change, we are Life itself, thus we will change. It is obvious. There is no moment when “we” are the same, “we” are always changing, evolving, except when we hold onto beliefs of being a static self. We make it a dogma.
Have you observed that?

Are you the same as 10 years ago? Are you the same as a month ago? Are you the same as a day ago?
Not a chance. Matter of fact. Do you see that?

The great belief is that the “I” has to do something to change things. The great belief is that “there is something wrong with me and I must change it.” “I need to become better.”

All we can change is behavior, but not our inner feelings.
Lost in that belief, we start “doing” things to get us to “improve.”

It was shared before, that there is no energy “inside” us, which is “good or bad.” Those are just labels that we have given in our dualistic consciousness.

Have you seen a game of ice hockey? Is to play hockey “bad”?
Anger is the energy used to play most sports. It is a re-directed energy. Are sports “bad”?
Sports are channels to redirect anger.

Please observe this in you:
If you label any energy inside you as “bad” it is obvious that you may want to do something to “get rid of it.” That means rejection. Anything that you do at that moment will be rejecting something, “which is.”
Do we see that?

If you are completely AWARE when anger happens, it is that realization how anger could go away.
I am saying, “it could go away” for perhaps to experience suffering as the consequence of acting in anger will be needed. That experience will teach us for sure. The same as when someone discovers of having a disease because of anger.

Is suffering bad, then?
NO. If we are AWARE.
If we are not AWARE, then we call it “bad luck,” or “God has punished me, “ or it is my “karma.”

Let us get away from that mentality of “good and bad.”

Have you noticed how the natural anger of youth goes away all by itself as we get older?
Have you?
What have you done to make it happen?

How are you going to learn about the energies inside you if you don’t observe it?
Do we think that by labeling something as “bad” and to repress that will be the solution?

Life is about experiencing to know. To be AWARE and not to “know theoretical knowledge” is how we assimilate Life, that brings change in consciousness not some human or “divine” method.

Experiencing means to BE. When you ARE you know.

Experiences in Life have a range. We go from believing in Santa Claus to not believing in Santa in one Lifetime or in many. There is no goal, nothing to attain. It goes from one side of the range of experiences to the other side and then vice versa. There is a moment when we are full of “I.” There will be a moment when we are not. It just happens. Appreciate that for it will change.

As our “I” diminishes, we have no issue in understanding the above.
As our “I” increases its size, we cannot understand the above, for we think that we “have to do something” to make a change.

To have a “big I” is not “bad,” but just a state of consciousness which will change all by itself through the assimilation of Life experiences. Suffering will be experienced for sure, but that is not “bad” either, but just a means to change.

To have a “small I” is not “bad” but just a state of consciousness which will change all by itself through Life experiences. As we evolve, so our “I” will grow in pleasure, until it needs to decrease its size, that is when suffering comes in.
Do we see the pattern? Just like the 4 seasons. One goes after the other automatically, uncalled for.

All of the above are merely experiences. Nothing to reject, nothing to avoid.

It is about Balance. Harmony.

Balance is not something that we could learn in a “spiritual class” but something that we become attuned to it as we live life in AWARENESS.
Balance does not reject, does not have the aim to become “better or worse,” it is a state when our feelings, our thoughts and our actions are heading in the same direction, without purposely trying to make it happen.

Observe. Become AWARE that is all. Do not judge, label or add moral values to it. OBSERVE, become aware.
If you “do” that without “doing” it , but when it just happens naturally, you will not be confused. You will know.
Until then.

Question by reader: How much God will help me?

Dear brother How much is my effort and how much assistance does my god father bestows upon me apart from imparting knowledge in my spiritual journey to become perfect. As you know to become perfect I have to make full effort to remove impurities. When I become pure with my own effort then what is gods role? Become pure and then become yogi.??

Dear reader,
Thank you for your question. It all depends on your belief system and how much of that belief system do you understand. Nevertheless, the outcome will be another belief. 🙂

Let me clarify.
In most monotheistic religions, there is the belief of a God that “helps” others. However, at the same time there is the belief in the “law of karma,” that is there is a consequence for every action.
Let me ask you: Can God go against the law of karma to “help you”? Or is the law of karma not sufficient to go against the will of God to “help you”?

Please reflect on the following: Why God is going to “help you” when there is the law of karma?
Now that we have put things into perspective, let me ask you: Why believers of different religions believe that God is going to help “them” believers exclusively? 🙂 Probably because of a belief. 🙂

Now, let me share my experience.
In my experience “Divine help” has been there. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to “survive” up to a certain level of awareness. However, more than “making effort” (effort for what?) it was about sincerity and honesty with myself.

Spirituality is about finding your own self, so you can forget about it.. 🙂

Spirituality for avyakt7 has never been another mundane thing where you compete with others or push yourself to the limit or try to demonstrate others about your capabilities, so they can see that “I am making effort.” That is a mundane take on spirituality. There is no “goal” that avyakt7 has to “achieve.” That is just plain ego. Please see that your quest for “perfection,” that struggle will not allow you to relax and to let things happen at their own time. Spirituality is a matter of consciousness. To wake up early, to “do” certain things which you may call “effort” are just means to help you gain greater consciousness, but greater consciousness is not something to “achieve,” it is something that happens once your honest, sincere desire to know yourself as a means to help others is put in practice over sometime…then the law of karma kicks in, that is, you receive Godly help. 🙂 “Magic” happens at that point.

As you know, “knowledge” is that help that you want to receive from God. However, that “knowledge” is not something that you “study.” It is something that you apply in yourself so greater understanding occurs and then your consciousness will start changing.

Theoretical knowledge is of no help.

Please review the meaning of “perfect” in Spirituality. According to BapDada in your religion, perfection means completeness.
You are already complete, but you may not be aware of that; that is why greater consciousness is needed.

Dear reader, please learn to live with unconditional sincerity. Practice virtuous living and extend that with all beings, eradicate all duality from your mind, celebrate the equality of things and then, your every moment will be in truth; that is God will be with you in your perfection!

Best wishes!

Reader comment and another reader question

“Dear Avyakt7,

I wanted to share something that happened to me in terms of shift in consciousness. Its festival time in India and lots of celebrations take place like any other geography at this time of the year.

The OLD Me: When I used to observe people who dance either during the Ganesh festival or during Garba Ras (navrathri) was all “These people are in body consciousness and they do not have a clue of why they are dancing etc.. Again no fault of people who have expressed their feelings from the BK world.

The New Me : These people are all my fellow beings who are just having a great time celebrating and being joyful- Can i not soak in to their joy and feel great about it? If I knew dancing I would have been glad to go and dance along with them. Once this shift in consciousness happened internally, experienced a never before feeling of oneness and world family.

A small step nevertheless but for me a significant one. It gave me a lot of joy just being there and observing myself go ” AHA”…

I just wanted to share this because without this blog I don’t think that this would have been possible. I just have a different understanding of what Bapdada has been trying to tell through the murli’s.

Many Many thanks for helping me understand the self better.”

Dear reader,
Thank you for sharing your experience. Glad to know that you feel the improvement! Learning some dancing moves could enhance your joy! 🙂

Perhaps next time you could observe the inner chattering in yourself (which you have described.) Perhaps, your mind dialogue will not be there with opinions. Perhaps next time just joy for the sake of it will be in your consciousness so the external joy harmonizes with the internal. That would be joy without words… 🙂

Dear reader, please keep in mind that this blog is about spirituality and that spirituality is the same but only explained with different words by different teachers.

What you understood from BapDada before was due to your state of consciousness. What you can understand now is also due to your state of consciousness. Some may see things that you don’t; others may not see what you see. That is the game.

Thank you for your continuous support and my best wishes for that spiritual progress.

Q: “I would like to know who is in charge of this blog. May I know it or it has to be incognito? I thank you in advance for your answer.”

Dear reader,

Sure, you can. It is “me.” “Me” is a nobody.

Best wishes! 🙂

Announcement and Questions

Dear souls,
There is a new name for this site: “Exploring the Depth of Spiritual knowledge.” Therefore, here we will explore different views from different religions and different philosophies, different perspectives. It is my experience that spiritual knowledge is the same but yet different for it comes from different views and experiences. When we acknowledge those views, magically that openness will help us to understand our own faith. How?
Because when we see something from different perspectives, we can have a more accurate picture. A higher understanding.

Questions and comments are always welcome. Hopefully those questions will be for the common good of all.
That is your part, dear reader.

The domain name to find this website has been changed to avyakt7.com to reflect that change, although bkgyan.com is still up until May of 2014.

Best wishes to all!

Avyakt7

Questions:

1. om shanti brother , it been long time you share post on the site , we are always eagar for your daily enlighted post.

Dear soul,
Thank you for your kind words.
Avyakt7 is back! 🙂 Avyakt7 will resume writing tomorrow. Look forward to seeing what the role will write.. 🙂
Please note the new domain name: avyakt7.com which will replace the previous one bkgyan.com as part of the current changes.

Best wishes!

2. Sister Shivani said that when we are letting off the things like – insulting behavior, pain, sadness by believing that these are the reflection of our own karmas. And by letting off we are settling our karmic account. Q1But does not it mean that even if I also insult someone then also I might think that I am settling into the account.. Some day the receiver would have also given me the same energy and now I am reflecting the same upon him/her?? Q2 what about that person’s karmic account who is insulting me ??? At the same time I am settling my karmic account by letting them off but that person is increasing his/her karmic account isn’t ?? Then what is the solution for this ?? – KK8

Dear soul,
Let us not confuse ourselves with more concepts and theory. You will settle a karmic account when whatever is happening no longer bothers you a bit, that is, there is no experience of duality; that is neither attraction nor repulsion. You will be neutral and thus capable of sharing your loving self. This is to be a detached observer.

Increasing your karmic accounts is not “bad.” Nothing is “bad” in the unlimited Drama nor good. It is neutral but we perceive things in duality (bad and good.) As a matter of fact, when we are honest in our spiritual endeavors that “increase” of karma may be a significant factor in settling other karmic accounts later on even the one which was not settled before. You may learn this through your own experience.

If you enter the ocean with high waves, you will be acting foolishly if you walk straight to let the waves of the ocean hit you so others can see you that you are not afraid of the waves, to look “strong,” or for other reason. This is the “straight” black or white knowledge of settling karma. If you dive underneath the waves of that ocean, you will be safe and will pass with “honors.” This is a lesson from Nature which applies to our own spiritual nature.
We need egoless-ness to do this. Less ego means less karmic accounts.

Best wishes!

3. Omshanti: I want to know that if I can still read the murly and remember baba without following all shrimat. I am really confused in my life.

Dear soul,
Don’t confuse yourself. Do as you can according to your capacity. To neglect yourself the experience of reforming the self is to close the door for further spiritual experiences which will come at your own pace as long as there is honesty in your heart.

Best wishes!

4. Om Shanti. When i am siiting for meditation in front of red light ( the oval shaped red Light bulb type brought from BK centre) than i am foccusing on that bulb only and projecting my thought to that bulb only.And sometimes feeling that rays of light coming out from that bulb to me. here i am exchanging the energy with this bulb only thinking this as SIV baba. Is it ok…Plz guide me.

Dear soul,
Meditation is to move your consciousness to a different experience. There is no need of a light bulb to remind you of God. If God is in your heart, then connect with your heart. Let the feelings flow without other external things.
When you learn to ride a bicycle, little training wheels may be needed. If you depend on those training wheels, you will not know what is like to ride a bicycle.
Best wishes!