the Dharma Triangle
“Peacefulness comes when we let the Natural Law manage what it is anyway managing, the whole performance of life. That means upholding our duty and answering the call of compassion.”
~ Andrew Foss, Yoga of the Planets
Have you ever wondered what your purpose in life is? Or, why some people’s lives seem to effortlessly flow in synchronistic harmony? Why is it that some people consistently emanate joy, even when faced with challenge? Why do some people “just know” what it is their “meant to do”, while others are endlessly searching for meaning? Why are so many of us caught in ever repeating patterns of the known?.. feeling trapped and scared of the future?
Yogic wisdom holds the key to answer these profound questions and offers clarity, insight and guidance for anyone seeking to unlock the mysteries of their higher Self. As my Teacher, Anand Ji often says, “small keys open big doors”.. the real question is, are you ready to step through?
There comes a point in many people’s lives where they are genuinely ready and willing to change, grow and step onto a new path ~ one that is fulfilling, meaningful and empowering. This is a moment of awakening. Yoga ~ as the Science of consciousness ~ offers guiding wisdom to anyone genuinely interested in discovering the spiritual path.
“You are the Path & the Path is You.” - Anand Ji
This kind of self-enquiry is an awakening, a realization that life can be different than living in bondage, also known as karma, which is to live as the effect of one’s past. To live as “the created”, rather than as the creator of one’s life is, from the yogic perspective, to suffer. (If you have not read the full article on Karmic Liberation, you can do so here and I recommend you do so before reading further in order to understand what karma truly means beyond common interpretations.)
Dharma - Living in Alignment with Evolution
Similar to karma, the common, “pop-culture” interpretation of dharma is a gross misunderstanding of this supreme Vedic knowledge that misses the true, inherent value and grace of this Divine teaching. Even within the Western yogic communities, there is often a lack of understanding of the profound depth and value in the study and daily practice of living in dharma.
“Dharma literally means that which upholds life.” From a typical Western perspective, this can be challenging to cognize at first, because historically the West has not yet realized that consciousness is primary and fundamental to the material world existing. Quantum physics is changing that perspective en masse. We are evolving, and increasingly realizing the profound truths expressed in the ancient Vedic teachings, which are both spiritual and scientific texts of wisdom that explain the nature of consciousness and therefore, the nature of reality.
Let us start by first dispelling the common myth that dharma is a religious ideology ~ in its true, original, Vedic form, dharma has nothing to do with religion. It has nothing to do with deity worship, morality or ritual. Though it may have been adopted and incorporated into religious belief systems, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, dharma has nothing to do with dogma. In the most ancient Vedic texts, dharma referred to the cosmic law that brought order to the Universe.
There is much confusion about dharma in the world. Similar to the Natural Law of Karma, the Natural Law of Dharma has been reduced to and misconstrued as a religious idea ~ something that requires faith in order to be relevant - but, Natural Laws (such as gravity) do not require faith to be true and relevant; and, if one deeply studies the Yog-Vedantic teachings and the Sanskrit roots of the word, one realizes that this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
The Sanskrit root “Dhr” = to bear, hold, sustain, support.
The Sanskrit root “Ma” = the sound of creation, to measure and creates the word “Manas”, which means “mind” or “thought”.
First and foremost, dharma and karma, are Universal Laws of Nature that govern life on Earth ~ like the laws of physics, they exist whether one believes in them or not. These Universal Laws are known to us through observation of Nature and affirmed via our own experience. This is fundamental to our understanding, because if we try to make karma about “good and bad”, for example, or try to reduce dharma to a religious notion of “right living”, we not only miss the point, but often end up more in fear than in harmony. When we understand them and live in alignment with them, our lives will be much more harmonious, abundant and we will flow through life with grace and ease.
The Vedas (which are some of the most ancient scriptures of Divine Wisdom known to humanity) are profound teachings on the true Nature of Reality and Life on Earth. The Sanskrit word “VEDA” = WISDOM. These are not religious texts. The Vedas are essentially “manuals” on how to thrive physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually on Earth and beyond. Filled with profound insight and Divine knowledge, these ancient sacred texts long ago explained the nature of the universe in a way that modern day Quantum Physics is only just beginning to grasp. In a beautiful and synchronistic way (as is the nature of the universe), humanity is coming full circle to this sacred wisdom through the best of modern science.
Natural = In Tune & In Alignment with the Cosmos
Dharma, which is also discussed at length within the Baghavad Gita (yoga’s seminal spiritual text), refers to the Natural order of the cosmos ~ the Universal, Natural Laws of Existence. It does not require faith to be true and, even though dharmic wisdom helps us to find great meaning in life, it cannot be simplified just as “purpose”. Dharma is not religion or what you “do” in life, but what it is, is primary to all things. This helps us to understand why our daily spiritual practice is the most important thing we can do every day.
As Within, So Without. Through yoga we discover that the experience of life is a reflection of our internal state. “Life can only ever be the way you are” ~ our state of consciousness determines our experience of life. Yoga is the Divine science of consciousness and, through Divine knowledge, wisdom, practices and technologies, teaches us how to refine and elevate our consciousness state.
What does that mean? In simple terms, if one’s life is chaotic, stressful and a constant struggle, the internal emotional, mental and spiritual state of the person experiencing life this way must be in a stressed state. Most of us have been taught to believe that if we can “fix the external world”, by finding the perfect job or partner for example, then we will be happy, but this is not how it works in truth. The person who believes they will be happy once they have their idealized version of external reality, is inevitably disappointed by the result. Until we evolve our own state of consciousness from within ~ which is something no one can do for you ~ we may have brief moments of happiness, or chemically-induced highs, but remain in struggle, suffering and bondage with karma.
This is the great healing work we all must do when we are finally ready to face ourselves and grow. This is shadow work, making the unconscious conscious. These are the roots of modern psychology, which is a word that came from combining the Greek word for “breath, spirit and soul” (psyche) and combining it with the Greek word for “speech, reason and the word” (logos). In other words, the logic of the soul, or one could say, the study and analyses of how the soul expresses (breathes) itself into physical reality through the power of the word and the mind.
By studying and embodying a truly dharmic way of living, we are becoming more integrated, aligned and whole beings. This is deep mental health therapy. This is what the great Carl Jung was discovering through his psycho-analytic work, which focused heavily on the un and sub conscious, synchronicity and dream analysis. And as Jung famously said:
“Until we make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
The Next Step - Kriya - Evolutionary Action
Kriya is the evolutionary action we consciously start to take when we are ready to free ourselves from bondage. Kriya is a Sanskrit word that means “evolutionary action”. Kriya Yoga is a practice made up of movement, postures, breathwork, mantra, tantra and meditation, which I practice and teach. It is an integrated approach to spiritual evolution because it holistically works on ALL layers of our being ~ physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual.
“Solve all your problems through meditation. Exchange unprofitable religious speculations for actual God-contact. Clear your mind of dogmatic theological debris; let in the fresh, healing waters of direct perception. Attune yourself to the active inner Guidance; the Divine Voice has the answer to every dilemma of life.”
~ Sri Lahiri Mayasaya, Disciple of Babaji and Guru of Paramahansa Yogananda
Kriya Yoga is part of a lineage that dates back to the beginning of time. Kriya Yoga Masters who have passed on these sacred and profound teachings include Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya and Paramahansa Yogananda, to name a few. As I have been taught by Himalayan Master and guru (dispeller of darkness), Anand Ji Mehrotra, Kriya Yoga is an integrated approach, that it is safe and profoundly effective for everyone ~ energy does not get stuck causing “psychic breaks” for example ~ in fact, it releases energy blocks in all layers of the being, which results in deep healing and an integrated being. With disciplined practice, it is transformational in every way. I have both experienced and witnessed this to be true.
Kriya Yoga as a spiritual technology aligns us with the Laws of the Universe. It clears the clutter and allows us to become clear channels for the Divine to flow through. Regular Kriya Yoga clears all energy channels, chakras, nadis and confusion in the mind. It stabilizes higher states of cosmic consciousness and creates heart-mind coherence. Kriya Yoga does not judge or ask anyone to give up their material life ~ it is available to every age and body. Ultimately, it guides us toward liberation from bondage, self-realization and unity consciousness.
The Sanskrit word Kriya, however, refers to ALL action that is evolutionary in nature, meaning that the action, rather than being karmic, is evolutionary action in thought, word or deed, that is aligned with Cosmic Order, Natural Laws, and Dharma.
Dharma is a living yogic path and practice, which we understand as a Divine Triangle, meaning that there are three fundamental different aspects to it, but they are all interconnected, interdependent and interrelated.
The Dharma Trikona
EVOLVE ~ Swadharma
According to Nature, within the cosmos, the primary purpose of every being is to evolve. Simply put, life exists to evolve, otherwise what would be the point? This is as true for an amoeba as it is for a planet as it is for a human. As nothing stands still in the universe, at the microscopic level, everything is in constant vibration. All atoms are constantly moving and what holds them together to create material form is a cosmic force we could call LOVE and the intention, memory and conscious awareness that observes its manifestation.
Karma means action, it is the actions we take and don’t take ~ it is our reactions, our responses and our memory. For most of humanity, karma is created and perpetuated unconsciously. Until it becomes Kriya, all action is karma, even inaction, or “doing nothing” is an act. It is important to understand that the more intelligent a creature is, the more complex it is as well; because human beings are so complex, our karmas are much more complex as a result.
However, the Yog-Vedantic teachings explain the different kinds of karma human beings experience and tell us that it is through kriya (evolutionary action) that we may transform our karma into dharma. When life is lived in dharma there is no lack, no fear, no resistance of any kind. Then, we are divinely aligned and there is only success.
Therefore, of the three pillars of dharma that make up the Dharma triangle which supports life, our personal evolution of consciousness creates the first and primary aspect of the dharma triangle.
Personal Evolution
Our primary dharma is self-evolution. This personal evolution is known as our Swadharma ~“Swa” = Self means Sanskrit. The spiritual practices of evolving our self-awareness, expanding our consciousness, transcending our limitations and letting go of our identification with the ego are all ways for aligning with our primary dharma. The greatest obstacle any of us will ever face in our lifetimes is our self, simply because it is our state of consciousness that creates our experience of life. The more “in tune” we become with our higher Self, Soul and Source, the more aligned we are with Nature allowing Life, the Divine to flow through us. However, this imperatively requires getting out of our own way…
Through our daily practices, such as meditation, yoga, time in nature, service to others, studying Divine knowledge and anything that helps us to go within and connect with our authentic true self, connect with “silence” and stillness, allows us to nurture our connection to Soul and, as a result, evolve. This is what in yoga we call our daily sadhana, which is a Sanskrit word that means “tuning”. In order to be in harmony with the universe so that we may live in the flow, we must stay in tune and that is exactly what daily sadhana is for ~ tuning ourselves to the music of the Divine, because when we are in tune, the music of life is so very sweet… Just like a guitar, for example, when out of tune cannot play a song in harmony, the mind and body are instruments of the Soul that require tuning to play properly, coherently and in harmony with the Divine.
It is a continual, daily process often related in yoga to peeling the many, infinite layers of an onion. Deconditioning and unravelling ourselves from identification with the outside material world does not mean we stop enjoying life, but that we stop looking to the material world for fulfillment and meaning. We free life from the heavy burden of making us happy and then we free ourselves to be who we truly are. When we are devoted to our primary dharma in daily sadhana, we realize that feeling of fulfillment from within so we stop looking for it “out there”. Even though it takes discipline and devotion to master this primary dharma, it is a most liberating experience to realize the transformative power of being “in tune”.
Through our daily practices, care and attention to our primary dharma, we quickly notice changes in our self and thus, our life. Simply by meditating every day, for example, our mental and emotional well-being elevates and our consciousness expands. The more we tune ourselves, the greater the flow and before we know it we are surfing the waves of Shakti with ease and grace.
2. the Need of the Hour
Wherever you are at, whichever roles you embody create the dharma of the moment. Therefore if you are a mother or father, it is clear, especially when your children are young and in your care 24/7, that the dharma of the moment is to love, nourish, take care, protect, guide and be there for your children. It’s big dharma to have children, which is why it is also often referred to as “big karma”, but how we choose to be as a parent is what makes it either a karmic or dharmic path. Any dharma of the moment requires that we are present with whomever we are with and that we remain aware, open, adaptable and ready to respond from a conscious and mature place.
An example that my teacher often gives is that if you come across a person dying of thirst in the heat and they ask you for water, do not start giving them philosophical teachings about the illusory nature of reality…give them water! Therefore, we consciously take action in co-creation with the Divine in logical and compassionate response to the moment we are living. If the people we are with socially are not of a consciousness state where they can hear and appreciate Divine wisdom, there is no point in offering it. In fact, until and unless someone asks, it is counter intuitive and counter productive to do so. Life is a series of events, many of which we cannot control. However, how we choose to respond determines which path we are on. Shifting ourselves out of karma and into dharma requires that we take radical responsibility for ourselves, action, thought, word and deed.
When one chooses to step onto their spiritual or dharmic path, one has to practice letting go of blame, victimhood, small self, ego-identity. “You made me upset” becomes, “I allowed myself to become upset” in reaction to what someone else did or said. This is never to justify or condone another’s harmful actions (there are obvious times when we must step in to prevent harm), but, this is how we take our power back ~ to be in control of the only thing we can control when in that situation, which is our response or reaction to it. This is profoundly empowering because we stop giving our Shakti (power) and energy away to other people, or “ignorant particles” as AnandJi would say, and reclaim it for ourselves. With this reclaimed storehouse of energy we think more clearly, feel better and ultimately evolve to a state of consciousness where we are able to find compassion ~ rather than judgment ~ for those who continue to behave in ignorant ways. We can have compassion without condoning their behaviour by simply seeing that their behaviour is rooted in pain, fear or sadness ~ essentially, they are out of tune.
If that sounds like a judgment, it’s not. It is discernment, not judgment. There is no condemnation of looking down on the other, there is simply the acknowledgment and understanding of the deeper, unconscious layers behind another’s point of view. When we learn to respond without reaction or judgment, we cultivate the ability to discern what truly lays at the heart of the matter. For example, upon observation of someone throwing their garbage into the woods rather than in a bin one day, a friend of mine insightfully remarked, “he must feel like garbage inside”, and I believe that is true. If one doesn’t value themselves, it’s very difficult, if not impossible, for them to value life. It’s basic psychology, but too often in our world we look only at the action itself, the surface of something, judge it, condemn it and learn nothing in the process of doing so.
Some things are really awful and horrible to witness. War is a perfect example of large numbers of people reacting to one another from states of ignorance, such as greed, fear and hatred. Revolution, such as the civil rights movement for example, can be the act of taking a “righteous” or dharmic stand for the greater good and evolution of humanity. War seeks profit. Revolution seeks positive change for society and the kind of revolution that transforms human beings the most is the revolution from within.
To practice the dharma of the moment is to revolutionize how most human beings interact with daily life. It brings self-awareness to the forefront and invites us to be conscious of the responsibility we hold as interconnected, interdependent and interrelated beings on Earth. Every thought, every action creates a ripple effect throughout the cosmos of which we, as a humanity, are scarcely aware, but of which the great yogis, seers, saints, sages, buddhas and masters have been teaching for millennia.
"Pick a flower on Earth and you move the farthest star."
~ Paul Dirac, Physicist & one of the founders of Quantum Mechanics
The dharma of the moment require us to be infinitely adaptable. It means we must be flexible in mind and open to seeing the deeper layers of reality, for what is happening on the surface is just that ~ the surface. Like the waves across the ocean, the energetic forces that created that wave extend way beyond it and at some point we need to realize this if we are to evolve beyond the ego’s addiction to drama.
The karmic forces of cause and effect are always at play; however, when we step out of living as the “triggered” effect and into loving awareness, we move into conscious co-creation with life. Now, in every moment, we are living life with purpose. Instead of running around searching for meaning and looking for a purpose for our existence, it’s all right here, right now. Every moment is an opportunity to rise to a new level of awareness, insight and fulfillment.
Life is a dance with the Divine and a reflection of our consciousness state. This realization requires presence. This is why “be here now” is such a profound statement, because the ability to be here in the now holds the potential to radically transform and elevate our entire life experience. Once we cognize this deep truth of existence, we look at life completely differently. Life starts happening “for us” instead of “to us” ~ this is a quantum leap in how one experiences life and once this is cognized and stabilized as our dominant perception of reality, then life starts happening “thru us” and this leads us to the third aspect of the triangle of dharma.
3. What to do? Divine Design & Purpose of Being
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि
In yoga’s seminal spiritual text, the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna (an Avatar of the Divine) shares with Arjuna (a spiritual warrior searching for meaning in life) a deeply profound message: “Yogastha kuru karmani” ~ which means, "Establish yourself in yoga and then act."
Krishna is not suggesting that Arjuna should do a bunch of vinyasas before acting. This statement is much deeper than that. Krishna is offering the sage advice that Arjuna establish himself in the state of consciousness that is yoga ~ unity, love, bliss and surrender of the ego ~ before he act. Action that comes from ego creates suffering and more karma. Action that comes from the state of yoga, unity and love, creates joy and true fulfillment.
Therefore, when one awakens to the heart’s call of evolution, and begins their journey toward higher purpose fulfillment in this life ~ the dharmic path ~ the first steps (as discussed above) are to establish oneself on the path of self-evolution and presence. The great triangle of dharma will not flow without first arriving at this higher state of consciousness (“higher” does not imply “better” but simply the cultivated capacity to see more. Like an Eagle that soars above, an expanded, elevated state of consciousness naturally can see more). From my own experience, I know this to be true.
The search for the meaning of life is nothing new. I’m pretty sure I had my first “existential crisis” at nine, another one around 13 and again at 17 ~ all before I had even moved out of my mom’s house. My twenties were filled with many more questions than answers, and my thirties were a bit of a blur as I tried to balance motherhood with career and creative passions ~ all the while searching for “the meaning of life” as it stared me right in the face. All I had to do was pay attention. All I had to do was surrender my own ego. “All I had to do” was…. get out of my own way…
This is not an uncommon story. Especially here in the West, where many of us are raised to focus on material success and endeavours, it seems that we exist in a kind of spiritually bankrupt state where the ego-mind is in constant existential crisis. Disconnected from Soul, severed from Spirit, indifferent to nature and oblivious to our cosmic role, most of us were not raised to operate from intuition. The rational mind reigns as the illusory supreme force which dictates for us what to do and how to do it… but, inevitably when these dictates don’t bring the results which they promise, most of us are left with a hole inside that no amount of money, status or stuff can fill. Inevitably one asks, what’s it all for? What is my purpose?
However, despite many thousands of hours on the yoga mat developing a strong physical and mental practice, it would take me decades and much time in stillness and silent meditation to realize that, no matter how hard I tried, the answers I was seeking would not come from my mind. As Anand Ji teaches in many wisdom talks: “you cannot think your way out of confusion”.
So, what to do? Yogastha kuru karmani ~ establish yourself in yoga, then act.
The state of yoga is the flow state ~ it is the state of consciousness that allows the Divine to flow through you. Life flows through you in this state of unity where there is no thought, no ego, no personal agenda, no ideology ~ only surrendered action. What is surrendered?.. the ego, the control, the “trying” to figure it all out.
It’s important to recognize that this is not a passive state. Surrender is not passive ~ it is an active and dynamic practice. Surrender is doing our daily spiritual practices even and especially when the ego mind says, “I don’t want to”, or “I’m too busy” (the ego loves to be “busy”). Surrender is slowing down all the “busy-ness”, the constant “need” to be doing something. Surrender is an elegant and eventually effortless flow state wherein we have stopped trying to control the outcome of everything we do.
In surrender, action is included, but ego is not. We are learning how to surrender the ego ~ not action ~ so it is important to recognize that this is not a “giving up” or a passive letting go, but an embodiment of the flow state as Life moving through us. As we become more and more established in the state of yoga, we begin to move the way LOVE makes us move. At first this requires effort, discipline and commitment on our part to consciously choose letting go whenever the ego-mind chimes back in (and it will!). The ego-mind is conditioned to treat life as a battle and consistently attempts to take control because of its inherent fear of the unknown ~ this is why it is a practice and a commitment we make in the beginning. However, discipline becomes devotion the more we evolve. With disciplined and devoted practice, it becomes natural to trust Life because we can now see the feedback loop of reality. As we actively grow, change and evolve, our lives consistently transform and elevate in living colour and experience within and around us in reflection. Even if circumstances have stay relatively the same for a while, how we experience them has transformed.
A butterfly births itself into the same environment in which it once found itself as a caterpillar ~ the circumstances haven’t changed around it, but now…. it has wings.
Commonly karma is defined as “what we do” and dharma is defined as “the meaning or purpose” of the action, but this a reductionist interpretation which does not capture the true essence of these cosmic laws. This is where dharma is often confused with the idea of “finding one’s purpose”, but dharma is not about helping the ego to feel stronger. Dharma is about surrendering the ego to the higher Self and allowing Divine will to move through us. The caterpillar does not think, “I want to be a butterfly”, it simply follows its Divine Design from within and pushes through the layers keeping it from becoming a butterfly. In fact, caterpillars completely liquify within the cocoon before reforming themselves into a butterfly… a true rebirth!
“Action is the vehicle through which we realize life in this dimension.” When the flower blossoms, the bee comes to pollinate it. The Law of Nature is always in place as the natural intelligence which creates, organizes, experiences and evolves life. The bee does not pollinate in order to find purpose. The bee’s act of pollination is its Divine purpose in action. Granted the human being is more complex than a bee, but both are equally vital in their roles as part of the cosmic divine play.
Dharma comes alive within and through us when we are willing to ask, “what song does the Divine wish to sing through me?” Once we have established ourselves in our Swadharma (daily spiritual practice) and are actively engaged in the practice of presence, or the dharma of the moment (need of the hour), then naturally what arises is a purposeful sense of being ~ a purposeful life. Naturally what arises is the flow state. In this state we accept what is and adapt appropriately. If there is water to carry and wood to chop, we do that, but we don’t go looking for something to do out of a restless urgency or need to feel important or worthy. Until we cultivate a sense of ease in stillness, we are forever distracting ourselves and missing Divine opportunities as they arise. Until we embrace silence, we will forever think of it as silent and the song the Divine wishes to sing through us will remain unheard and, therefore, unsung.
As a Vedic Astrologer I see this all the time. When reading a person’s birth chart, I am looking into their Soul’s eternal nature and journey. Each Soul as unique as a snowflake, no two alike, and each with a song all their own to sing. Often people come for readings because they want to know their purpose and I can help guide them toward that, but ultimately, each and every one of us have to the work from within ourselves because often (unless the individual is highly intuitive and in tune), what I see from the Divine perspective and what their ego-mind desires are not aligned… yet. This is the journey of life. This is ultimately, the great “hero’s journey”, which is the journey of the cosmic Soul remembering and realizing its true, eternal nature.
As we tune ourselves through Sadhana and synchronize our actions with the flow of life, opportunities synchronistically and naturally reveal themselves. These opportunities are signs guiding us into our higher purpose, or “mission” for this incarnation. We stop trying to come up with “a purpose” and start living purposefully and what happens is that our intuition comes online and gets clearer, stronger and more refined. We realize that surrender is not a passive “belief”. It really does require work, but it is the kind of work that ultimately benefits ALL and eventually leads to an elegant, fluid, flow state wherein the things we do are a happening rather than a doing. This is where effortless ease enters our lives and we become guided by a seamless grace continually calling us forward.
The desires that arise out of this dharmic flow state are not desires of the ego-mind. They are the call of Nature. They are the living unfoldment of the Divine, the Sacred, God, Goddess, the Universe (call it what you will) because the Universe that is everything lives inside of you, inside of me, inside of everyone. You are the Universe and the Universe is you. I am God and you are God. All is Sacred and Divine even when we cannot see it. This is what the great Vedic wisdoms shared so long ago which the best of modern science is now realizing. Space is not empty and separation is a consistently, persistent illusion ~ in truth, everything and everyone ~ even light years, galaxies and universes away from each other ~ is connected.
It is the ego-mind that creates the illusion of separation and takes us out of the flow state. Our nervous system and primary senses perceive separation, but in heightened states of consciousness and awareness, we start to see beyond perceived boundaries of physical reality. Once we open up to realities “beyond the veils” of physical reality, we experience energy. Whether we see it, sense it or feel it moving through us, as our state of consciousness expands and elevates, subtle and yet profound shifts begin to occur within us… and we discover that the more subtle an energy is, the powerful is the experience of it.
“The ego is forever at war in ‘existential isolation’ = me versus the Universe. This is a hallucination of the ego, a myth of the mind ~ a belief and not the reality of existence.” ~ Anand Ji
If we live in a state of consciousness which believes that life is a battle which must be fought, like a war, then we will exist in a state of fear and forever be seeking to control and in a state of stress. This disconnected state of consciousness is a state of extreme lack because it cannot see, sense or feel the ocean of cosmic love connecting all that is. It has not yet realized that one is a part of the whole, that nothing is everything ~ interconnected, interdependent, interrelated ~ that the whole is ultimately ONE. In mathematical terms, (to the best of my ability) it’s all ones and zeros. 1 comes out of 0 but 0 always remains whole.
In the terms of one of the most profound Sanskrit mantras from the Isha Upanishads:
Purnam adah, Purnam idam,
Purnat purnam undacyate
Purnasya purnam adaya
purnam evavashishyate.
This is full and that is full, and
this full has come out of that full.
And even though this full
has come out of that full,
that full maintains its fullness.
This one mantra encapsulates the whole Vedantic philosophy. “In just these few lines they are talking about today’s ‘new’ science, string theory, the Higgs field and the boson particle; talking about unity of multiple dimensions of reality.” ~ Anand Mehrotra, Liberation
The Vedas, which includes the Upanishads, have no author, they were not made by “somebody”. They are classified as shrutis, meaning they were heard. In modern terms we would call them a channeled text, except they were channeled by several Rishis (or seers), none of which put their names on the sacred texts. The Rishis were in a Supreme state of Unity Consciousness which allowed them to be clear vessels for the song of the Divine and the cognitions they received were shared.
You see what makes these teachings so beautiful is that there is no prophet involved. Everybody is free to realize the Divine Truths shared within these teachings. Everyone is welcome to experience their own journey of enlightenment however they choose, because the free will that has been given to each and every point of consciousness is Sacred. There is no dogma in Truth ~ it simply is the issnes that is. Tat Vam Asi ~ this is that and that is this.
The Vedas are not dogma and they do not outline ritual or worship, but rather detail specific technologies to help us gain greater insight, awareness and understanding of the Laws of Nature ~ to learn how we can align ourselves so that we may live in tune and in greater harmonic resonance with these laws. The Vedas explain in detail the science of consciousness and the different levels of consciousness available to us in our journey of self-realization. As the Vedas explain, “Once you know this knowledge everything else starts to be known. Once the knower starts to be aware of their own nature, then everything else start to make sense. Everything.” ~ Anand Mehrotra, Liberation (Isha Upanishad) Once you know this knowledge, you start to remember what free will actually is…
Who am I? What is the true nature of reality? These are the questions that illuminate the self from within. These are the questions that change the course of someone’s life forever…. for as the Self becomes more aware and present, and the state of consciousness is elevated toward and into yoga, then the Soul blossoms into being, into remembering and into knowing everything that exists beyond thought.
“For life can only ever be the way the experiencer is. Life is nothing but an experience the experiencer is having. There is no life outside the experiencer’s field of consciousness. That’s all life is. No one can experience anything outside their field of consciousness.”
~ Anand Mehrotra, Liberation (Isha Upanishad)
I urge you to pause here, reread, reflect and contemplate just how profound these statements are. They do not require your belief or any kind of leap of faith, but simply that you ponder your own life and observe how this is true.
The flow state, the yoga state is unity, love, bliss in consciousness and when this is our state of consciousness, the Universe responds in kind. Since we are the Universe, we come from the Universe and exist within the Universe as the Universe. When we change and evolve our consciousness, through our sacred and Divine free will, the life we are living must change in response. A common way of saying this is: When the way you look at things changes, the things you look at change. Yoga not only explains how this is so, but provides effective technologies, practices and deep wisdom for how to change the way we look at things.
The Universe is made up of infinite individual points of consciousness. We are each one of them. A blissful person lives in a blissful Universe. A stressed person lives in a stressed Universe. The Universe is fulfilled by individual expressions fulfilling their dharma. Humanity lives on a planet which, among many, many different things, peoples. Billions of individual points of consciousness ~ or souls ~ who live in their own Universe, and yet we are all connected. Therefore, along with our individual states of consciousness, we also have different groups of collective consciousness, such as families, communities, countries etc. We are born into and feed our energy into these groups to create mini-Universes of shared experience. There is a particular resonance within these groups, which is why when people awaken and evolve, their friends often, if not always change. Other people, who are not yet on the path, want us to stay the same because from their perspective, it reaffirms their worldview and make their ego-mind feel safe.
Of course there is the global collective consciousness of humanity, which shares a certain set of narratives such as, “we live on Earth”, but the larger the collective one speaks of, the more diverse and vast the field of consciousness that exists. Therefore, one can only imagine how diverse and vast the cosmos must be.. and yet, astoundingly, according to the Vedas and the great Masters of the Yog-Vedantic tradition and many others, the extent to which infinity exists “out there” is equal to the infinity which exists within each of us. As within, so without.
Ahum Prema. Ahum Brahmasmi
I AM LOVE. I AM the UNIVERSE.
In the Yog-Vedantic tradition we are all Gods and Goddesses and surrender is the action we must take in order to realize this state of being. In Yoga there is no separation between the spiritual and the material worlds and perhaps now one can see why for they cannot be separated even if one tried. Everything is energy and therefore everything in form is an expression of the infinite. Life for a yogi is not spiritual or material. There is the simultaneous realization of what in Sanskrit is known as Bhukti (total fulfillment, abundance and joy in the physical realm) and Mukti (liberation from bondage, suffering, karma). Bhukti and Mukti harmoniously co-exist in self-realization.
In the state of yoga consciousness, life becomes the art of fulfillment. The same way a caterpillar is meant to become a butterfly, the desires which arise naturally through us in cosmic consciousness, are desires which are meant to be fulfilled. In this flow state, life becomes a state of art expressing itself through us as Divine beings. Each and every one of an artist and our lives the masterpiece we are creating.
We may “do more”, but the “idea” of “doing” is not there. It is a happening. We are the wave arising from the depths of the cosmic ocean of consciousness, and waves that rise from the depths are massive. Instead of the tiny, little waves that quickly crash and quickly disappear like random thoughts, when we arise out of the depths of knowing who we are in truth, knowing we are the Universe, then our waves are tidal, and our waves can change the entire landscape of consciousness as they rise and fall.
In the cosmic flow of dharma, one no longer wonders what their purpose is ~ everything one does, every word one says is Divinely purpose-full. There is no more “sitting in the waiting room waiting” for life to change because we have realized that our life is who we are and the only way to change our lives is to transform who we are… to evolve our state of being and expand our consciousness, and the way we do that is through taking action that is evolutionary in nature, which is kriya.
If we are not fulfilling the first two acts of dharma, then any action that comes through us becomes karma. Any action from the ego-mind is karmic and creates suffering simply because the ego, by its very nature, is against fulfillment. You see, if the ego were fulfilled, it would not need to exist. The ego’s primary motivation is as a defence mechanism ~ in a way I suppose once could say that until we are awakened, the ego serves to keep us engaged with life. By creating a persona (mask) for us to wear in the forgetting of our eternal soul nature upon incarnating, the ego creates a kind of shield as a character to play the role of this little human avatar.
Our parents give us a name and the conditioning and programs we receive along the way shape this identity we call “I”. The “I”, however, perceives itself to be separate from everyone else, which creates the existential angst, the fear and the insecurities which then allow for dogma, in the form of top-down societal powers, to tell us what to do and who to be. And because we don’t know who we are until we awaken and remember, we believe what these false establishments of control tell us. We take on (are brainwashed in the literal sense) thought programs and beliefs via schools, culture, religion and media that tell us what life is supposed to be and look like - and - we literally buy into the idea that if we can achieve “that” (whatever “that” we have attached in ego to), then we will be happy, successful, worthy, loved, fill in the blank..
The ego persona adopts a series of belief systems to organize itself around an identity which it believes will make it feel safe and fulfilled. But, of course, the ego is never, ever fulfilled or satisfied. The ego’s desires are insatiable because it seeks fulfillment, validation and identity from the external. However, as we have explored, if our internal self, or state of consciousness, is one of insecurity and constant longing, or lack, then that is exactly what the feedback loop of reality offers back to us ~ consistently and persistently.
Once a momentary happiness has passed, if at all, then another frustration in the form of craving or aversion arise. The cycle of the ever repeating known continues… You see, it isn’t that any human being needs to learn “how to manifest”.. that is literally what we are all doing all the time.. What we need to learn how to do is evolve from within so that the life we are manifesting every single moment becomes the life we want to live. A life that expresses our Divine Design in abundance, joy, unity, love and deep, profound fulfillment as our unique masterpiece.
As long as we are coming “at life” from the ego, then something is always wrong or needs fixing or, or, or… It isn’t until we transcend the ego-mind through spiritual practice that we can see the game of life.
For it is a game. Which is not to trivialize or denigrate it. Life is sacred and comes with heaps of challenges and pain that must be honoured, for pain exists, but… from the perspective of our eternal Soul nature, this one life is more fleeting than the movie you watched last Friday night.
What happens without the grounding, stabilizing and elevating effect of a daily spiritual practice is that in our search for “the meaning of life”, we put this third aspect of dharma first. We create a purpose or mission for our lives from a place of ego and desire and we get all caught up in achieving something which we believe will fulfill us in the attainment of it, but this is backwards. We might fall in love with an idea of who we would like to be or what we would like to do under the pretence that this is who we are meant to be, but this is essentially a trick of the ego.
This doesn’t mean we should not have dreams or things we love to do. After all, it is in doing the things we love where we find the most flow and ease with life. It is true that by following one’s bliss one discovers inherent soul gifts and talents, which is beautiful, but not without challenge. Some of us are naturally attuned to our intuition and gifts, and they do bring meaning, purpose and joy into one’s life. However, without proper spiritual attunement, which creates a balanced and purposeful life, a dream can quickly become a a curse. A yogi chooses to challenge themselves daily thru disciplined and devoted practice in order to build the stamina and the ability to transcend challenge into opportunity.
There are countless examples of individuals who have realized astounding talent and success in one area of their life while another area of their life suffers immeasurably. Someone can have a wildly successful professional life and at the same time find themselves unable to connect meaningfully in their personal lives. Ego-identification creates imbalance because it has a tendency to fixate and become obsessed with the idea to which it has become attached. Someone believes they will be happy and fulfilled once married, but then that marriage becomes a source of struggle and suffering. Anything that is created from the ego-mind is founded upon an “idea”, thoughts that are intimately tied to expectations and conditions for how something “should be”, and when it doesn’t turn out the way “we thought it would”, we are disappointed and suffer the consequences of our misplaced faith. The ego-mind is attached to the outcome, which is why we must surrender the ego and the idea that we can control how life will unfold.
This requires a certain amount of faith at the start because when we first start out on this journey, we do not yet have “the proof” in our living experience. However, most of us reach a point where we have repeatedly discovered that any attempt to manipulate the external will not manifest the inner fulfilment we inherently seek. Crisis after crisis we have battled through the storms of life and wonder how we are still standing. It is in these moments, however, when we let our guard (the ego) down, that the light of the Divine breaks through the cracks.
The cracks are indeed where the light finally gets in. Maybe it’s a whisper. Perhaps it’s a friend’s wisdom. Possibly we discover a book that changes the way we look at life and from that moment on we are walking a new path. The key is to let it in ~ to create the space within ourselves where new insights can be received and for this, thankfully, there is yoga.
Our daily spiritual practices, our Swadharma, is the process by which we create the inner space for our light to shine through so it can light the path we were meant to travel. The path that is uniquely our own and welcomes the song we were meant to sing into the world.
Then our most important “job” becomes to walk it. The dharmic path unfolds with each step we courageously take without attachment to what comes next, because what is next, is unknown. We have to get comfortable with that and it may take awhile, but that’s okay. The same way that our eyes have to adjust to morning light, we have to give ourselves time to spread our wings and learn how to fly.
In yoga there is no “end” game or goal. Enlightenment is not seen as a goal to reach, but as a process of becoming more and more enlightened along the path, more and more illuminated from within. The Soul is eternal and the Universe is infinite, so how could there ever be an end? Spirals and spirals of evolution guide life onward throughout countless dimensions of reality that make up the multi-verse. Our individuated points of consciousness are drops within the cosmic ocean of consciousness into which, just like the wave, we ultimately return, but as long as we are a wave, we have the Divine opportunity to rise and in so doing, elevate not only ourselves, but the entire ocean.
We are our own masterpiece in the making, but we are also part of the whole Divine masterpiece that is Life. Every mandala created speaks to this Divine Design of the cosmos. From the atom to the planets, everything is spinning in harmonic resonance to that which it is attuned. Anyone can observe how well Nature is tuned into Cosmic Order and learn from it if they choose. Meditate on a flower and you will learn so very much about the meaning of life. There is no resistance in Nature. There is only flow. Even when human beings lay cement on the ground, plants find a way to grow through the cracks. This is our job as well ~ to grow through the cracks of the layers of our conditioned mind until we are able to shed them and break out of the cocoon that keeps us prisoner of our own ego-mind. This is the path of dharma.
Accept, adapt and acknowledge in response to the life experience that is a direct reflection of you. Then take evolutionary action again. The Divine is always listening and watching because the Divine is you. Therefore, when we hear things like, “Thy will through me”, we do no have to “run scared” thinking that we are handing over our free will to a religious overlord. When we surrender the ego we are letting go of a false sense of identity which is the result of many lifetimes of conditioning and programming. We surrender the heavy burdens and baggage of judgment, criticism and blame so we can be free. On the contrary, we are acknowledging that the Divine eternal force of creation, that is LOVE is who we are in truth.
“Thy will” is Divine will and Divine will is our higher Self, Soul and Source. When life flows “through you” in cosmic consciousness, thinking is replaced with knowing. In this knowing there is deep inner peace. We are aligned with the Laws of Nature and this creates the flow, the synchronicities and the effortless ease in living purpose we have been seeking for lifetimes. The more grounded and stable we become in cosmic consciousness, the closer we come to Unity Consciousness. The journey continues but life is no longer the same ~ we have evolved and so the life we are living cannot, by Universal Law, remain the same. Even though life will still have its challenges, for that is its nature on Earth, they now present themselves to us as opportunities for evolution and then…there is only success.
यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः
“Yato Dharma, Tato Jaya”
Where there is Dharma, there is Victory.
~ the Mahabharata
Babaji’s Cave ~ Digital Art Created by Jonah West
"The northern Himalayan crags near Badrinarayan are still blessed by the living presence of Mahavatar Babaji, a divinely appointed medium of supernal blessings on the world." - Autobiography of a Yogi, Chapter 33
