Where do law of attraction teachings come from? | The Law of Karma | Be Joyful | Advaita Vedanta

January 11, 2022 ~ Tom Das ~ 5 Comments

What are now called the Law of Attraction teachings are in fact ancient teachings…

A very useful teaching: Structural and Dynamic (or functional) aspects of the ego | Liberation

January 8, 2022 ~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

This is a very useful teaching for those seeking spiritual liberation. I also have written about this here in this article: Essential teachings for liberation: we need a ‘double teaching’ as we suffer from ‘double ignorance’| The ‘two wings’ of the teaching | Buddhism | Vedanta

I bow down to my Own True Self! | Yoga Vasistha

January 8, 2022January 8, 2022 ~ Tom Das ~ 1 Comment

Here is a prayer or salutation that was read out by someone at Satsang this Thursday. It is taken from the wonderful text Yoga Vasistha, where it is referred to as a prayer:

‘Salutations to that reality in which all the elements, and all the animate and inanimate beings shine as if they have an independent existence, and in which they exist for a time and into which they merge.

‘Salutations to that consciousness which is the source of the apparently distinct threefold divisions of knower, knowledge and known, seer, sight and seen, doer, doing and deed.

‘Salutations to that bliss absolute (the ocean of bliss) which is the life of all beings whose happiness and unfoldment is derived from the shower of spray from that ocean of bliss.‘

~Vasistha’s Yoga (translated by Swami Venkatesananda)

As you can see, the prayer is naturally divided into three sections, with each one corresponding to Sat-Chit-Ananda (Reality-Consciousness-Bliss), which refers to the Self, ie. what we truly are, or Brahman, the Divine Absolute. So this is really a prayer to God, Brahman, or a Prayer to Ourself:

I bow down and worship my Own True Self!

Calm the mind | Take refuge in Sri Ramana Maharshi | Bhakti | Surrender

January 7, 2022January 6, 2022 ~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

A Message for the New Year (Ramana Maharshi’s teachings summarised)

January 1, 2022January 1, 2022 ~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

Some consider Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi’s text ‘Ulladu Narpadu’ or ’40 verses on Reality’ to be the most profound teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana.

Here in the first invocatory verse of Ulladu Narpadu, Bhagavan Sri Ramana summarises the path of knowledge:

1. Unless Reality exists, can thought of it arise? Since, devoid of thought, Reality exists within as Heart, how to know the Reality we term the Heart? To know That is merely to be That in the Heart.

In the second invocatory verse he summarises the path of Love or Bhakti:

2. When those who are in dread of death seek refuge at the feet of the deathless, birthless Lord Supreme, their ego and attachments die; and they, now deathless, think no more of death.

Therefore, in just these two verses, the entire teaching is summarised. Let us contemplate upon them, meditate upon them and realise their essential teaching!

Wishing you all a wonderful 2022!

Happy New Year!

🙏🙏🙏

The Law of Attraction Teachings – Are they helpful for spiritual enlightenment or liberation? What does Advaita Vedanta say about Law of Attraction Teachings? Tripura Rahasya

December 24, 2021December 29, 2021 ~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

Did you know that many Vedanta and Vedic texts contain what are now often called ‘Law of Attraction’ Teachings? Including the text Tripura Rahasya, a text recommended by Sri Ramana Maharshi?

Just through Being Still

December 23, 2021 ~ Tom Das ~ 6 Comments

Be still.

Just be still.

Gently,

Without force,

Allow all thoughts to subside,

In their own time,

So that only Stillness (Subject-Self-Consciousness) remains.

All doubts, confusions and questions

Will gently fade away effortlessly,

By themselves,

Just through Being Still.

Have faith in your Self-Nature

(Or Guru or God),

Know you are One and All,

And armed with this Knowing-Faith-Intuition,

Surrender,

And Be Still

Once one starts to gain experience in Being Still/turning within,

All teachings that do not encourage stillness or turning within

To discover the Pure Subject-Self/Divine Essence,

Are seen to be utterly superficial, egoic

And of the nature of delusion.

The Simple Being

That is your own True Self or True Nature

(Also known by more grandiose terms

Such as ‘Ultimate Truth’ or ‘Thoughtless Reality’ or ‘God’)

Will be revealed as simply your own Being

Or Isness

Devoid of objective arisings,

Just through Being Still.

‘You’ will discover your own True Self,

which is naturally devoid of arising objective phenomena,

just through Being Still.

Suffering will slips away of its own accord,

there being nowhere for it to attach itself to,

just through Being Still.

Bliss overflows
Infinity Dawns,
Eternity Rises,
Consuming all:
One is thrust into Eternal Life-Joy-Bliss,
One with Source (‘The Father’)

Just through Being Still

All duality is destroyed,
And with it suffering and egoity also disappear,
As the many waters of duality,
Flow into the Ocean of Unity,
(That is my Beloved Guru Bhagavan Sri Ramana,
Who is Grace,
Oneness itself)

Just through Being Still

Without Being Still,
(Also known as Self-Enquiry, Self-Surrender, Abiding as Self,
Being with God, Being with Guru, Residing in The Heart,
Turning Within, Awareness Watching Awareness, Self-Attention,
Parabhakti, Samadhi, Meditation,
Yoga, Devotion, Loving Self/God
Nididhyasana, Silence, Just Being),
Without this Sadhana (Spiritual Practice),
Know that ego-duality-confusion-suffering-samsara will continue potentially forever until the practice is undertaken.

Therefore,
Be Still.

For those who find themselves unable to practice thus,

Contemplate deeply upon this:

What will bring Eternal Joy-Peace-Happiness-Bliss?

Attending to/paying attention to that which changes (ie. various objects that arise and fall)

Or paying attention to that which never changes (the Subject-Consciousness-Self)?

Contemplating thus,

Know that attending to objects/maya simply leads to more objects/maya,

And thus more ego & suffering.

Contemplate this deeply.

Contemplating deeply, and knowing thus,
Discover what You Are:
Abide as the Self,
And Be Still.

Therefore