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

January 8, 2022January 8, 2022 ~ Tom Das ~ Leave a 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!

Q. What is the fastest way to liberation for most people? (Answer = The path of Love)

August 19, 2019August 12, 2019 ~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

The fastest way to liberation through Love

Fill your life with love become love.png

Loving gratitude leads to freedom

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Bow, bow deeply

October 8, 2018October 8, 2018 ~ Tom Das ~ 5 Comments

Bow to life,
Bow deeply,
Feel gratitude for the gifts God gives us,
And everything that comes our way
Is a gift from Him

Bow deeply,
And fall in love,
Fall in love with Life,
Allow Her to take you,
Overwhelm you,
And show you Her treasures.
Allow life to make you whole,
Make you clean,
Clean from outside through to within.

Bow deeply,
Bow to life,
Gratitude pouring in,
Taking you over,
One with Him,
Cleasing you,
Purging you of negativity
Ridding you of illusion,
as Love takes over.

Now Love takes over,
It compels you to bow,
And delights you,
Moves you this way and that,
A willing servitude,
All a gift,
Flowing with gratitude,
Flowing with bliss,
So thankful,
Only Her.

Now where are you?
Where are you to be found?
At first you were the lover
-that (subject) which was loving,
But now, where are you?
Where have you gone?
Where is the lover?
Where is the loved?

The distinctions have been lost:

We were once thrown and tossed by the oceans,
This way and that,
But now there is only Ocean,
Throwing Ocean,
This way and that.

We were once the Lover,
Loving God,
Loving life,
But now there is only Him,
Loving Himself,
Playing, toying,
And Still and Unmoving,
Only love.

How can I bow to Him,
When there is no me,
and no Him?
How can I love life,
when there is no love,
and no life?
Only Him,
Only Life,
Only Love.

Yet still
I bow deeply

PRAYER AND GRATITUDE

September 28, 2018August 2, 2018 ~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

Q. What is the best spiritual practice for a busy mind?

May 19, 2018May 1, 2018 ~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

Q. What is the best spiritual practice for a busy mind?

Tom: I don’t know exactly which practice is right for you. That is for you to find out.

What do you feel drawn to?

As we have already spoken about this before, the main thing for you is that you try something for a significant amount of time to see if it has a beneficial effect before dismissing it.

For an especially busy mind I would recommend trying physical exercise, singing, dancing, chanting a mantra, praying and devotion to God/something.

Also stay away from TV/media and adopt a diet that is as plant-based as possible.

These are all suggestions, not directives.

This allows the mind’s positive and negative energies to balance and for peace to arise, which in turn facilitates stillness and deep insight.

Poetry: the vision of the Highest

December 29, 2017November 24, 2017 ~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

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If it feels right for you:

Keep your mind on the vision of The Highest,
Fix your mind on
that which is Most Holy,
that which is Resplendent in its Perfection,
that which is Total Grace,
Total Bliss and Love,
that which is Immutable,
Unhanging,
Untouchable,
Immovable,
Ever-present,
And that which does nothing,
But through which all things are done,
And in which all things reside.

I invoke your presence,
Through uttering your Holy Name,
Through thinking of your transcendental form,
Through bowing and prostrating again and again and again,
Through prayer and gratitude and chanting songs of your greatness,
Through allowing your Love and Light to fill me up.

You are that which giveth and taketh away,
You are the wish-fulfilling tree,
You are the remover of all sins,
O ever-mercifull Lord!
You are non-seperate from me,
No different to Me in Essence,
Inherently pure,
Always in my Heart.

All is already nothing but Your Will,
All movements are nothing but your expression of Lila,
the Grand Play of the Divine made Manifest.

I bow to You,
The Highest,
Most Holy:
My heart weeps cleansing tears of pain and joy at the mere thought of Your Name and Form.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya Namah Om
(Om, I bow to you, my Beloved, Lord of Life and Light in all Beings, I bow to you, Om)

How do I deal with craving sense pleasures and neglect of spiritual practice?

October 5, 2017September 17, 2017 ~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

unplug

Q: What would you say to someone (me) who persistently or often craves and desires so that remembrance of the Self seems to get neglected for spells, like it is sometimes a second priority? Presumably it is good to analyse the desire and see that the pleasure from it cannot be lasting and suffering from not always getting the desire is inevitable and see that there is a greater happiness in the absence of craving?

Tom: What does your heart say?

Q: That I neglect my heart feeling because I look to the Self as being outside the body embedded as oneness in the appearance of the world outside. I have actually just been watching your video with Roger Castillo where you talk about the yogic practise of abiding in the I AM . I used to be a lot more devotional early on in my seeking, now I feel I neglect that aspect, thanks Tom.

Tom: Be with your heart ❤ Don’t neglect the powerful devotional instinct if it moves you. Fall flat on your front and prostrate yourself if need be. Pour out your heart and soul in prayer, if moved to. Weep and worship, if called. And let me know how you’re doing ❤🙏❤ Many thanks for your questions 🙏