The Art of Self-Abidance: Finding Your True Self

 The true self is the essence of who we are beyond the constructs of ego, identity, and external roles. It represents a state of pure consciousness and unconditioned awareness that exists beyond the fluctuations of the mind and the impermanence of emotions.

Unlike the transient self shaped by experiences, relationships, and societal expectations, the true self is constant and ever-present, embodying the fundamental reality of our being.

In Hindu philosophy, the concept of “You are That” (Tat Tvam Asi) profoundly encapsulates this understanding. This phrase, found in the Upanishads, asserts that the true self is not separate from the ultimate reality or divine consciousness. It reveals that we are fundamentally one with the universal essence, symbolizing that what we seek externally is already within us. Recognizing and connecting with the true self allows us to experience profound inner peace, clarity, and a deep sense of interconnectedness with all of existence, affirming that our essence is indeed the same as the ultimate reality....<<<Read More>>>....

Unity in Diversity: Ancient Wisdom on the Interconnected Universe

The concept of interconnectedness is a profound truth that permeates every aspect of existence. From the tiniest particle to the vastness of the cosmos, everything is interwoven in a grand tapestry of life. This idea, often called the “cosmic web,” suggests that all beings and phenomena are intrinsically linked, influencing and reflecting one another. Both ancient spiritual traditions and modern science echo this understanding, revealing a universe bound by unity and interdependence.

In the rich tapestry of Hindu philosophy, the idea of interconnectedness is a fundamental principle. The Upanishads, ancient texts of spiritual knowledge, speak of the concept of “Brahman,” the ultimate reality or cosmic spirit. According to these texts, Brahman is the source and essence of everything, manifesting as the universe and all beings within it. This realization is encapsulated in the phrase “Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma,” meaning “All this is indeed Brahman.”

Another significant concept is “Atman,” the individual soul or self. The Upanishads teach that Atman is identical to Brahman, a truth known as “Tat Tvam Asi,” meaning “Thou art That.” This profound teaching emphasizes that the essence of every individual is the same as the universal consciousness. Thus, the perceived separation between individuals and the cosmos is an illusion known as “Maya.”

The Bhagavad Gita, another cornerstone of Hindu philosophy, further elaborates on this interconnectedness. It teaches that all actions and beings are part of the divine play, or “Lila,” of the universe. The Gita encourages individuals to recognize this unity and act with compassion, understanding that harming another is, in essence, harming oneself....<<<Read More>>>...

The Symbolic Meaning of Mitra-Varuna in Hindu Mythology

In the legends of Mitra-Varuna, there is more evidence that our ancient ancestors understood the subconscious mind. The symbolic meaning of Mitra-Varuna in the Rig Veda explains the nature of the Unconscious Mind.

Just as we find in ancient mythology, Jung’s model of the human psyche includes archetypes. Two examples are defined as the persona, the physical aspect of your nature that relates to the external world, and anima or animus, your spiritual nature that relates to the internal world.

Jung also recognised that a failure to integrate unconscious archetypes into the conscious mind can create destructive consequences. Negative aspects of unconscious archetypes can evoke feelings of jealousy, anger and revenge. These negative energies are then projected back on to us in the form of negative manifestations.

In his writings Jung warns of the dangers the shadow presents:

“...it is a frightening thought that man also has a shadow side to him, consisting not just of little weaknesses and foibles, but of a positively demonic dynamism." ~ Carl Jung, On the Psychology of the Unconscious

The wise sages of old were also aware of the destructive qualities that reside deep within your subconscious. One of the mechanisms they used to demonstrate this was through the esoteric symbolism in the stories of Varuna and Mitra. 

In ancient symbolism, the character of Mitra was used to represent the morning star. He is a solar deity, one of the 12 Adityas mentioned in the Rig Vedas. He is also one of the seven deities that preside over the day thus known as Lord of Light and grants wealth (of knowledge).

In Sanskrit, Mitra means “an ally” or “friend.”

The symbolic meaning of Mitra connects him with harmony and the integrity of truth that keep relationships strong. Hindus invoke this god when signing a business contract. He is also the god of friendship together with other important aspects that are required to maintain a peaceful life...<<<Read More>>>...

Puja

[Daily OM]: Forging a spiritual connection with the divine is the ultimate goal of many forms of worship. In our devotions, we transcend the limitations of our humanity using prayers, rituals, and invocations, or we seek the celestial in sacred items such as statuary, imagery, or natural objects. 

In the Hindu tradition, worshipers bond with the divine through the puja ritual. The purpose of the ritual is to create an atmosphere in which humans and spiritual beings can enjoy communion with one another. Though participants show reverence for their chosen deities, puja serves to bring the former and the latter together on an energetic level. Performing a puja ritual is thus a wonderful way to experience direct communication with the divine.

There are no limits as to whom may serve as the focal point of your puja. You need only choose a spirit guide to commune with and an object to represent them. Preparing for the puja ritual, however, can take some time, depending on the number of devotional acts you will perform. A classic puja includes 16 acts, including meditation, chanting, the reading of sacred texts, offerings of food and drink, and cleansing. You may also wish to present gifts of incense, flowers, and jewelry during the ritual....<<<Read The Full Article Here>>>...

The Alchemy of Time: Understanding the Great Year & the Cycles of Existence

New Dawn Magazine: According to the mythology of the Yuga system, there are four ages of life and time on our planet. It is important to remember there are many cycles within cycles in the Hindu Yuga system so the years mentioned next may have to do with a larger cycle than the one addressed in this article. Perhaps the huge number of years referred to below is the cycle of the solar system as it circles another star, or perhaps it is a portion of the great cycle of one revolution around the galactic centre.
The first age is the Satya Yuga or the Golden Age, according to Fulcanelli. The Hindu texts tell us that this age lasts 1,728,000 years. This is an age of extreme splendour when the beings on our planet appear to live much longer than they do now. In this age there are no wars, famines, strife or evil.

The second age is called the Treta Yuga, or the Silver Age. As in the second law of thermodynamics, or entropy, things begin to slip in this age and the beings on Earth begin to deteriorate. This slippage, at least during this second age, is the beginning of corruption, and evil is introduced into the planetary sphere. This age lasts 1,296,000 years according to the Vedic texts of India.

The third age of this cycle is called the Dvapara Age, or the Bronze Age. This is the beginning of the ‘fall’ of humanity. In this age corruption comes on more fully, evil begins to spread, and things start to fall into disharmony. This age lasts 864,000 years.

The last age is called the Kali Yuga, or the Iron Age. This age is the age we are in right now. Evil and corruption become the driving force as greed, wars, famine and disease spread across the planet like a tidal wave of death and destruction. This age lasts, according to the Hindu texts for 432,000 years....read more>>>...

The Physics of Karma You Never Learned in School

Waking Times: They say karma is a bitch. But that’s true only when you are.

Karma is the philosophy of "What Goes Around Comes Around". And karma is created with each choice we make. An action for an action.

In Hinduism and Buddhism, karma is defined as an action, work or deed. It refers to the principle of causality where the intent and actions of an individual influences the future of that individual.

The idea that past lives dictate current reality is a belief system that ties us to past lives in a negative feedback loop to repay past sins. We have to be leery of any belief system. This belief system also causes us to worry about the future consequences of our current actions. It is a dictate that mirrors the ideology of the Catholic Church that tells us to repent for our sins. It is a mindset that takes us out of our truth as co-creative beings.

Knowing who we really are is powerful. We co-create through our own energy just by being present. Everything is energy and energy flows as a waveform, as color waves, sound waves, thought waves, atomic waves, and love. Love is energy. We originate from love which comes from the Creator....read more>>>...

The Two Paths

We often use such phrases as “the spiritual path” or “the path of spiritual progress.” Sometimes we say that we are “treading” or “following” the path.

But did you know that there are actually TWO PATHS?

They are both spiritual in their essence yet, as paradoxical as it may sound, one of these paths is in fact a form of spiritualised selfishness. This is an imperfect term to use but seems to be the most descriptive and applicable.

“How can a spiritual path be a form of selfishness?” you may ask.

It all depends on the aim, goal, and motive of the spiritual aspirant.

Some seek eternal divine bliss and complete liberation and emancipation from this world of suffering and its seemingly endless wheel of birth, death, and rebirth. Their aim is to become totally and literally remerged and reabsorbed in that infinite Source from which they came. Quite understandably, they wish to escape forever from conditioned and material existence. Some of them are actively striving and diligently working towards this great goal, whilst others merely keep it in mind and hope to somehow reach it someday.

Almost the whole of the Hindu religion is focussed in this direction, as is the system of Theravada Buddhism.

This path is called the Path of Liberation. It leads to Nirvana, to Moksha, to Mukti, to Brahman. It lifts one out of Samsara – the sea of suffering, the ocean of conditioned existence – and into Nirvana, the infinite ocean of unconditioned non-existence, which is Absolute Existence itself, “the vanishing point of differentiated matter.” One rebecomes the Divine Allness.

But then there is the other path, a path which seems unappealing and uninviting to the majority. The few who tread this path do so because they have come to realise the selfishness of the other....read more>>>...

Chandra: Hindu God Of The Moon

Chandra was the original Indian God of the Moon who was later merged with the Hindu God Soma. Chandra drove the moon chariot across the sky with ten white horses. He was also considered a fertility god, since the dew which falls on the plants overnight and gives them life was seen as coming from the moon. Hence, Chandra was also prayed to when a couple wanted to have a child. Chandra is said to have been created out of the cosmic ocean of milk, which when it was stirred up by the gods and demons during a battle, Chandra floated to the surface and kept on rising. The other gods decided that Chandra should find a place amongst the sky instead of dwelling in the realm of the other deities. Chandra is believed to be the father of the planet Mercury, and in Hinduism is considered to be a male god. In the West. (The Buddha Garden)

A Word on "Pitr Dosha"

Pitra Dosh is not the curse of the ancestors, but it is a debt formed as a result of bad deeds done by ones ancestors and this debt has to be paid by the present generation either by taking the punishment decided according to that debt or by doing some specific good Karmic deeds which would help to pay this debt so that the degree of punishment may be decreased.

The results of Pitr dosha is as follows:- House peace is disturbed, Denial of Progeny, separation and problems between a husband and wife, chronic/terminal illnesses, accidents, depression, disturbed sleep, inauspicious/disturbing dreams, problems on the subconscious level, psychological problems, hidden enemies, constant change in one's profession, heavy unwanted expenses, suicidal tendencies, many hurdles in life, lots of loans taken and unable to pay off debts... What I have heard from many that these parents think nothing will happen to them or their kids... well then they don't know about karma... Karma has to be paid and this can never be avoided...read more>>>...

A Word on "Ayurveda"

Ayurveda is based on the ancient wisdom of good living. The word Ayurveda is formed from the root words of Ayu = Life; & Veda = Science (or the way).

Thus, Ayurveda is defined as 'the Science of life'. Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine that uses herbs and oils to heal and rejuvenate. Heavily influenced by the system of the same name in India, Ayurveda is widely used in Sri Lanka for a range of ailments. Essentially, Ayurveda postulates that the five elements (earth, air, ether, water and light) are linked to the five senses and these in turn shape the nature of an individual's constitution -their DOSHA or life force. These DOSHAS are referred to in Sanskrit as VATA, PITTA and KAPHA. Each has a cluster of qualities that distinguish them from each other. Disease and illness occur when they are out of balance. The purpose of Ayurvedic treatment is to restore the balance and thus good health. (Indiaoz.com)

Karmic Fire

According to Vedic philosophy, our actions determine our fate. Times of prosperity and periods of difficulty are both the result of the energy we contribute to the universe. Yet, according to tradition, we are not powerless in our quest for positive karma.

By participating in a Hindu custom called a yagya (also spelled yajna), individuals can counteract negative forces in their lives and open the door to a more harmonious future. During the ceremony, a Guru, or Vedic expert, appeals to the divine spirits for grace and intervention on behalf of someone, while others chant auspicious Sanskrit verses.

Items such as ghee butter, coconuts, sandalwood shavings and clothing are thrown into a central fire to symbolize the burning of past negative karma. By impeaching the forces of nature for a change in the tides of life, yagya participants gain strength from the practice.

Yagyas can be done for a range of reasons, including to remove obstacles, to get through a difficult period or to ensure good luck during a milestone. There are yagyas for the acquisition of a spouse, childbirth, wealth and even for helping you have a peaceful sleep. Vedic astrology is also used to predict specific areas of future difficulty that you may want to work through using a yagya. In addition to actually improving luck, yagyas have also been found to have a subtle power to affect consciousness. After having a Guru conduct a ceremony for them, people report feeling their mood lift as if their wishes for a more prosperous future are finally being heard. The most essential aspect of the invocation is making a spiritual connection with the cosmic powers.

When we make an authentic connection with the universe, our own powers to create positive change are dramatically increased. Today, yagya ceremonies are still conducted in India and elsewhere and you can have a reputable practitioner conduct one in your honor. Yagyas can be performed for you whether you are present or not, but many believe the power to be multiplied with your participation. This is all about taking action in the form of ritual to bring about change in your life.

You don't need to have a Guru in India chant for you for 3 days, you actually have the power to bring about your own change. Think about what you would like assistance with, make yourself a ritual and stick with it, the results may surprise you.

Mandala Visualisation

Practice begins at the focus between the eyes variously called Atma-Pad or Tishra Til or Third Eye, Shiva-netra, all-seeing eye or nuqta i swaida; and from this Point ascension begins. ......... Concentrate the mind on the Focus between the eyes........

Withdraw your Consciousness from the senses, from the thoughts of mind, external as well as from those already deposited within. When thoughts come, witness them as you would a procession, a parade, without marching with it, as you would watch a fire burning. Don't add fuel to it or pour oil on it, it is dying out for lack of feeding it.

Hold your restless mind steadily on one point. So long as thoughts come to your mind, it is still in a state of differentiation. When they are wholly abated and allayed, the mind will be free from fluctuations and modifications---it is then in the state of unification.

Then light like the jet of a lamp burning bright will shine forth. At first, however, the light might be sky-gray, yellow, bluish, at times cream-colored, red, milkish, at times black spots coming, at times shining like the midday sun. At the Third Eye while gazing within, one will behold the Light. .....

In time, by continuity of training the Surta [surat, attention -faculty of the soul] slowly but surely withdraws itself upward. At first Surta is diffused all over the body. As it is drawn to a focus gradually, Peace falls upon the whole body; breathing becomes almost imperceptible; sleep must not intervene; alertness must be maintained. Gradually the body becomes feeling-less. At death this process takes place involuntarily.

The whole being is gathered at the given Point or Focus, and as focalization grows powers of concentration increase. Gather together mind and soul and bring them inside, and do it over and over again. You will behold beyond the light a window, and through its narrow passage a vast field. Steadily set your fixed gaze upon it, and keep it there until you are able to see a five-coloured flower garden, and inside of it, you shall see Joti-candle or light. Its cooling rays, the light that burns and would not burn what it falls upon, are most enjoyable. When Surta, like a bee, is seated in the light, as if busy quaffing its nectar and is fully settled, it shall see the blue-coloured sky appearing like a circular disc;

With deep devotion and intense longing ascend by intent gaze of Surta and pierce through it. Jyoti still shines on. Keep looking and enjoying it with detached mind. Soon you will be hearing an unending bell sound. Get yourself absorbed in it with exceeding interest. Next you will hear the conch. Let yourself become suffused or saturated with it. In this region of Sahasdal Kanwal [thousand-petalled lotus] are seen innumerable galaxies of suns, moons, stars, gleaming, glowing, growing before one reaches and enters in the region of Trikuti. It is one thing to talk of these things, quite another to experience and enter this marvellous world and know it. It gives a new value to all the actions and relations of life. (Source: BhagatSinghThind)

The Upper Triangle

Contains the Ineffable Name. It is the AUM--to be pronounced only mentally, under penalty of death. The Unrevealed Para-Brahma, the Passive-Principle; the absolute and unconditioned "mukta," which cannot enter into the condition of a Creator, as the latter, in order to think, will, and plan, must be bound and conditioned (baddha); hence, in one sense, be a finite being. "THIS (Para-Brahma) was absorbed in the non-being, imperceptible, without any distinct attribute, non-existent for our senses. He was absorbed in his (to us) eternal (to himself) periodical, sleep," for it was one of the "Nights of Brahma."

Therefore he is not the First but the Eternal Cause. He is the Soul of Souls, whom no being can comprehend in this state. But "he who studies the secret Mantras and comprehends the Vach" (the Spirit or hidden voice of the Mantras, the active manifestation of the latent Force) will learn to understand him in his "revealed" aspect.

Source: Isis Unveiled Chapter VI

The Gunas

A Guna is a state of mind--an attitude. Attittudes are basically qualities or tones of vibration and are found in everything, especially in the human. There are three Gunas, or attitudes, from which all the more subtle attitudes are derived. The three Gunas bind your spirit to the body, keeps it here. A Guna is an earthly quality. The three Gunas are Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

Tamas
Tamas or inertia, binds the spirit by laziness, ignorance and too much sleep. It is the trickster of Jeeva, which is female or soul. Tamas attaches you to ignorance by hiding knowledge from you. Tamas dominates by suppressing Rajas (activity) and Sattva (goodness). Ignorance, laziness, carelessness, and delusion arise when Tamas is predominant. If you die while Tamas rules, you are reborn again as a Taamasika person (someone in whom Tamas is ruling). If you do anything while Tamas is ruling in your life, the consequence will be ignorance. Negligence, delusion, and ignorance arise from Tamas. Taamasika persons, living in the lowest Guna, basically experience hell. They are repeatedly born as lower castes creatures of humankind.

A Taamasika person does not really do anything. They wake up late, eat and often, take alcohol - all day. This is a very generalized statement. They are lazy and ignorant. They are not interested in learning anything, people often have a hard time changing a Taamasika person's mind. They neglect their duties, do not care about other people much.

Rajas
Rajas or selfish activity is seen in people that are chasing materialistic or egocentric dreams. Rajas is born by desires and the results of work, for example: unnecessary nice material trinkets and ego decorations. Rajas binds you to action\work. Rajas rules by suppressing Tamas and Sattva. Greed, activity, restlessness, passion, and the doing of selfish works arise when Raja is ruling in your life. If you die while Rajas rules in your life, you are re-incarnated as a person in which Rajas rules. The consequence of Raajasika action (a selfish action) is pain. Raajasika persons are reborn in the mortal world, or earth.

We often meet people that work extremely hard, they cannot stop working. Most of the time they are rich by average standards (few people in the world own cars and brick houses and PCs), care too much about their cars or houses. They would do almost anything for money. They live selfish, greedy, restless and very active lives.

Sattva
Sattva or goodness, is calm and clear. If Sattva rules in a person, they always do the right thing. Sattva binds the spirit to the body with happiness and knowledge. Sattva rules by suppressing Rajas and Tamas. When goodness and wisdom are present in your whole being, flows out from your whole self - then Sattva is ruling. If you die while Sattva rules in your life, you go to heaven, the pure world where the knowers of the Supreme live. The consequence of Saatvika action (a good action) is pure. Knowledge comes from Sattva. Those who are established in Sattva go to heaven.

A Saatvika person is sometimes hard to identify because they are so humble, they do not make it known that Sattva rules them. The saints and Yesu were Saatvika people, but Yesu rose above Sattva. He conquered the Gunas.

Those who can conquer the Gunas, according to the Bhagavad Gita, get to abide in the eternal Happiness. When you realise that you can conquer the Gunas, you are free from birth, old age, disease and death.

The Lord of Success

Ganesha — the elephant-deity riding a mouse — has become one of the commonest mnemonics for anything associated with Hinduism. This not only suggests the importance of Ganesha, but also shows how popular and pervasive this deity is in the minds of the masses.

The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. In fact, Ganesha is one of the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four) whose idolatry is glorified as the panchayatana puja.

Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The noose in Ganesha's left hand is a gentle implement to capture all difficulties.

The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke for writing the Mahabharata. The rosary in his other hand suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous. The laddoo (sweet) he holds in his trunk indicates that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman. His fan-like ears convey that he is all ears to our petition. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. And he is humble enough to ride the lowest of creatures, a mouse....(read more....)


Inspired by a kind and thoughtful gift which we received today. Our love and thanks to KR. It was greatly appreciated by both of us.

Chakra Correspondences ...

Sahasrara
Thousandfold
Crown Centre
Top of the head, just above the head
Bodyless body
True Self
Pure consciousness
Violet or white
Related to the pineal gland

Anja
Knowing
Brow Centre
Between the eyebrows, the third eye
Casual body
Contains the cause for evolution
Pure mind
Indigo or violet
Related to the pituitary gland

Visuddi
Purify
Throat Centre
Throat
Higher mental body
Sensitivity, Creativity, Intuition
Ether
Bright blue
Related to the thyroid gland

Anahata
Unstruck
Mental body
Heart Centre
Heart, centre of breastbone
To know something by heart
Air
Emerald green
Related to the thymus

Manipura
Lusterous jewel
Solar Plexus
Astral body
True self
Fire
Yellow
Related to the pancreas (islets of Langerhans)

Svadisthana
Sweetness
Sacral Chakra
Belly, below navel
Etheric body
True Self
Water
Orange
Related to the adrenal gland

Muladhara
Root support
Base Chakra
Base of spine
Physical body
Earth
Red
Kundalini energy
Relating to the gonads

Mode of Function: Abhidhamma

The mind is capable of functioning to a greater degree of inner strength and purpose, so that it is less at the mercy of its surroundings.

This mode of functioning is, in abhidhamma, also described in terms of a group of five.

1. Directing the mind to the object (vitakka)
2. Examining the object (vicara)
3. Energisation (piti)
4.Harmonising (sukha)
5. Unifying of the mind (ekaggata)

Like many abhidhamma lists, the different factors can be understood in one way as forming stages of a process:

Vitakka - the initial movement of the mind to a new object
Vicara - the mind, now firm in its direction, can examine the object in more detail
Piti - continued contact with the object draws together energies which were previously scattered Sukha - the energisation settles down and pervades the mind in a harmonious type of happiness
Ekaggata - the mind, now in harmony, can be unified and stilled at a point of focus

The factors can also be understood in terms of the five elements. Vitakka is the way in which the mind is extended to objects (earth). Vicara is the cohesion between the mind and the object (water). Piti energises the mind, raising its 'temperature' (fire).
Sukha is the harmonious vibration of the mind (air), while ekaggata, in limiting the mind to a particular focus, creates a new field in which it can act (space).

These intensifying factors are not described as skilful of themselves. They may be aspects of the functioning of the mind in both skilful and unskilful states. Perhaps because it is their nature to intensify experience, it is possible that they may become out of balance and misused, thus forming the basis for those aspects of malfunctioning of the mind called the five hindrances.

These can therefore be seen as the result of 'too much' of the five intensifying factors, which is brought out by placing the two groups side by side:

Dulness and drowsiness Vitakka
Wavering of the mind Vicara
Dislike Piti
Restlessness and anxiety Sukha
Motivation based on attachment Ekaggata

Thus dulness and drowsiness are opposed by and dispelled by the application and extension of the mind in vitakka which gives it a skilful purpose. But if there is too much vitakka, the mind has a strong impulse to action without being able to do anything, causing bewilderement and fear or 'wavering'. Wavering is thus opposed by harnessing the mind to the object. However too much vitakka and vicara force the mind to do something that it does not really want to do. Dislike of the whole process, the next hindrance, is the inevitable result.

Dislike is opposed by piti, which creates an enthusiastic interest in the object, but if there is too much energy, the mind does not know what to do with it. The energy vibrates in an unskilful way and the mind becomes restless and anxious. These states are opposed by sukha, which harmonises the energy. If the mind then finds this harmony too enjoyable, this action becomes transmuted into action based on attachment. This is characterised by anything from over-exuberance to a subtle form of excitement, which is remedied by stilling the mind at a point and focussing its energies.

The drawback of this process is that it may overreach itself, focussing the mind down too much, so that it becomes dull and drowsy once more.

A Vision Of Wisdom

In the history of Hinduism, wise men embarked upon the quest for knowledge of life, death, birth, enlightenment, and cosmic existence through rational observations. When they found no answers, they turned inward, to meditation, to achieve a direct experience of truth. These gurus, fully realized spiritual masters, abandoned the material world and brought aspirants to the path of truth through analogies and their own experiences. Aspirants sought Darsana, or communion with a guru. More than a meeting, Darsana, which in Sanskrit means 'vision,' was a precious and unforgettable experience. The tradition continued for thousands of years and the guru continues to be not only a teacher, but the sacred conduit that channels self-realization.

Embracing Darsana means one is coming face to face with that which is real, be it philosophy or the understanding of the transcendental. The Darsana of the guru is considered to be the final step. A seeker with passion, sincerity, and an earnest desire to achieve wisdom and enlightenment can only go so far on his or her own because of the limitations of the single mind. The guidance of a master or guru who embodies truth and bestows the teachings is necessary to move ahead. When Buddha was asked to quantify the efforts of master and disciple, he replied that the master's guidance is everything. The seeker, when first confronted with the guru in Darsana, cannot entirely fathom the wisdom of the teacher but must possess faith, zeal, humility, obedience, and determination. He or she must also be willing to question rather than blindly accept the teachings of the guru.

In Darsana, the disciple's mind is transformed as it is immersed in the powerful light and tranquility of the guru and the experience becomes the basis of discipline. Until, as Naagaarjuna wrote in the second century, "the fully enlightened teachers do not appear and the disciples have disappeared, the wisdom of the self-enlightened ones will arise completely without a teacher," experiencing Darsana with the aide of the wisdom and truth of a guru will remain a vital part of the search for enlightenment.