Nothing in existence is completely uniform. There are always modulations. Therefore, the original substance is also not completely uniform, leading to this creation.
There is a constant strive for equilibrium, balance, peace. Once peace is attained, stillness sets in and is enjoyed. This peace only lasts for a while, then imbalances appear again – fluctuations in whatever media this peace appeared. This could be physical, mental, or spiritual. Slight shifts appear and the peace is lost again.
Efforts must be made to regain the peace, the stillness, the equilibrium.
Friday, September 18, 2026
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
The Narada Bhakti Sutras
Written by sage Narada
With my Commentaries (C:)
THE NARADA BHAKTI SUTRAS
Sutra 1. Now we expound the love of God.
C: Hindu scriptures in general start with the word “now.” This represents a new beginning, a new chapter in the teachings on the path to Self-realization. Different scriptures deal with various aspects of this path. Here we are dealing with the important subject of love of God, the One.
Sutra 2. It is the higher love for “This.”
C: “This” indicates all that can be experienced in this world. “This” is manifest aspect of the One. The higher love for “This” is the love for the most subtle aspect of existence, for the One, the metaphysical aspect, the creator behind all of this.
Sutra 3. The nature of the love is Amrita.
C: Amrita is nectar, blissful and divine nectar. It is sweet and all-fulfilling, all-satisfying, completely without darkness, deeply satisfying, and it is making the recipients immortal in their words and deeds. Immersed in this Amrita they become one with ever-expanding love.
Sutra 4. By attaining It, a person becomes perfect, immortal, and fully satisfied forever.
C: Fully embrace one of the many forms of the One. Let the love carry you beyond the surface of this form to its divine aspect, the innermost light and radiance within.
Sutra 5. On obtaining That one does not desire anything else; one does not grieve; one does not hate nor delight. One is without enthusiasm for any material end.
C: Once the divine Light gets revealed in your chosen object, you give up the search for it in all objects and remain focused on It alone, being fully satisfied in body, mind, and spirit.
Sutra 6. By knowing “That,” the devotee becomes intoxicated, peaceful, and delights always in the Self.
C: Nothing else is needed to bring complete satisfaction to the devotee. “Devotee” is used here in the sense of someone being truly devoted to one particular form of creation. This form could be a person, a statue, a rock, a plant, or any other manifestation that you can experience through the senses and mind.
Sutra 7. Devotion to the One is not for one’s own gain; its basis is self-restraint.
C: Gaining power, money, or influence can never be the reason why someone worships a particular form of the creator. In fact, renunciation of attachments to all forms will result from pure devotion to the One. When liberation occurs, the cage opens and you find yourself in utter freedom.
Sutra 8. Self-control means renunciation of worldly and ritualistic practices.
C: Finding complete satisfaction in one’s blissful Self results in a natural giving up of all worldly and spiritual practices and activities. The need for them simply is not there any longer.
Sutra 9. Otherlessness to the One and indifference to the opposite.
C: Self-control also means seeing no more separate aspects in this creation and therefore the power of the opposite to pull you away from the One vanishes. You steadfastly remain in the light.
Sutra 10. To give up all other dependence is called otherlessness.
C: Attachment to the notion of “another” leads to feelings of pleasure and pain. Pleasure, when the attachment is formed; pain, when the attachment is broken. However, if only the one Self is seen in all, no more pleasurable or painful attachments can form.
Sutra 11. To act in accordance with the One’s injunctions, ignoring what is against them, is detachment.
C: The One’s main injunction is to only see the One everywhere. This leads to complete detachment from all the tempting forms the One emanated.
Sutra 12. Practice the law by following the scriptures even when you are rooted in them.
C: Don’t confuse other devotees by advising them against what they read in the scriptures. Let them follow their own path to Self-realization.
Sutra 13. Otherwise, you stand in danger of falling back.
C: Believing yourself to stand above the scriptures and therefore above their writers can reignite attachment to your ego, making you feel superior to others.
Sutra 14. While in the world, attend to the necessities of life like other people.
C: Don’t make a big show of your accomplishments on the spiritual path. Remain humble and live your life as before.
Sutra 15. Now are described the marks of the love of the One according to various schools.
C: Various teachers have described certain marks of the love of the One in various devotees/followers.
Sutra 16. Great delight in worship is the chief characteristic of love of the One according to Vyasa.
C: Dedicating one’s actions as worship to the One is the most all-incumbering worship a devotee can do.
Sutra 17. Great joy in hearing the sacred stories of the One constitutes the mark of love, according to the teacher Gargya.
C: All religious scriptures have stories about the One and the One’s representative amongst the people. These are a true delight to listen to.
Sutra 18. According to Shandilya, delight in the actions of the One is a mark of devotion, if it does not interfere with the delight in Self.
C: As long as only the One is seen, this delight is unsullied. Once one sees “another” in the One’s actions, then one has lost the connection to one’s true Self.
Sutra 19. Narada says that the mark of devotion is a dedication of all outer and inner actions to the One and feeling of great pain in the event of forgetfulness of the One.
C: The current only flows one way. Being carried away by it is true bliss. Once one steps out of it because of inattentiveness, then one longs to be back in the river of devotion. This longing is truly agonizing.
Sutra 20. So it is.
C: So is the mark of love of the One described by several teachers.
Sutra 21. As the Gopis of Brindavan.
C: The devotion of the gopis of Brindavan was extraordinary. All they could think about was Krishna. He was the only object of their love. In their hearts and minds there was no room for anyone or anything else. They were completely lost in his overwhelming beauty.
Sutra 22. In their case there was no ignorance of the divine majesty or forgetfulness of the knowledge of the One.
C: They were simple milkmaidens with no knowledge of scriptural subtleties. They only knew that they loved Krishna with all their hearts. It was a deep and honest bond that left no room for another. Krishna was theirs and they were Krishna’s.
Sutra 23. Without these conditions, it would be an affair of the senses.
C: There was nothing sensual about their affair. It was pure love exchanged in millions of innocent ways.
Sutra 24. In the case of sensual love, a lover is not happy in the happiness others find who love the same object.
C: Love that demands anything in return is a business where goods change hands. When there is pure love, then one’s only desire is for the beloved to be genuinely happy and at peace.
Sutra 25. Devotion is better than rituals and better than dry intellectual knowledge of the nature of the soul and the One.
C: Devotion is the sweet fuel that helps propel one’s spiritual progress. Dry intellectual and analytical studies of scriptures lead to fatigue, frustration, and dissatisfaction.
Sutra 26. Love of the One is its own reward.
C: Love is the longing to be with the beloved. Since the One is identical with one’s own Self, therefore this longing is to be with oneself.
Sutra 27. The One does not favor the proud; the poor are the One’s favored ones.
C: Egotism is not a mental state that moves spiritual progress forward. The humbler one is, the quicker one advances on the path to liberation.
Sutra 28. According to some philosophers, release is only possible through knowledge.
C: True knowledge comes only after one experiences the Self. Before that, knowledge is dry and can lead to conflict.
Sutra 29. Some philosophers declare that knowledge and love depend on each other.
C: If there is true love for one of the manifestations of the One, then there is deep knowledge and understanding of it.
Sutra 30. The holy son of Brahma (Narada) holds that devotion is both the end and the means.
C: The author of the Narada Sutras again stresses the importance of true devotion on the spiritual path.
Sutra 31. As is evident in the case of the palace of a king and food, etc.
Sutra 32. You do not please the king by knowledge of the palace, nor does a knowledge of food satisfy your hunger.
C: One must come before the king and deal with him personally. One must eat the food to satisfy one’s hunger.
Sutra 33. Therefore, by the candidates to liberation, love is ever to be pursued.
C: What more can be said? Pure love is the path, and pure love is the goal.
Sutra 34. The holy teachers sing of the paths to that love.
C: Love the One incessantly and It will reveal Its all-consuming love to you.
Sutra 35. Renunciation of sense-pleasures and also of attachment and association is a means.
C: Freedom from all encumbrances is the means and the goal of the spiritual path.
Sutra 36. Ceaseless worship is another.
C: Never stop honoring the divine creation that exists and that you are a part of.
Sutra 37. To hear of the holy attributes of the One and sing of them with others, is also a means.
C: Fill your mind with thoughts of the One and share them with others. This is true worship of the One.
Sutra 38. But the chief means is the favor of the spiritually great or the grace of the One.
C: On the spiritual path the fastest progress is possible through the grace of the guru instigated by the grace of the One. It is said that when the One is pleased, It will show you the guru, and if the guru is pleased, they will show you the One.
Sutra 39. The company of a holy person is rare, difficult to access, but ever fruitful.
C: The company of the guru is invaluable. It involves commitment but it is always fruitful, even if one is only engaged half-heartedly.
Sutra 40. The One is found only by the One’s grace.
C: Grace is the reward for your dedicated efforts on the spiritual path.
Sutra 41. Holy persons abide in the One. They are identical for want of difference.
C: The same Self dwells in all of them and they only reveal the One to you, even if they have different methods.
Sutra 42. Work for – strive after the grace of the One.
C: The manifestations of the grace of the One are the true teachers. To be in their good graces means to have an in with the One. Being in their company is like being in the company of the clear reflection of the One.
Sutra 43. Everywhere and at all times avoid the company of the wicked.
Sutra 44. Such company will give rise in your heart to pleasure desire, anger, delusion, forgetfulness of the truth, death of discriminative reason, and further rebirths.
Sutra 45. Like waves which swell rapidly in the sea at the time of the incoming tide, the above psychological aberrations grow in the soul, as a result of the company of the wicked.
C: Like a rotten apple can spoil all other apples in a fruit bowl, so the company of bad people can corrupt the mental state of those who are pure and wholesome.
Sutra 46. Who goes beyond Maya? Who goes beyond Maya?? They who give up mundane association; they who serve the great-hearted ones; they verily become spiritually unselfish.
C: Going beyond Maya is seeing beyond the physical reflection in the mirror and perceiving the pure state of the One. Service and devotion are essential elements on the spiritual path.
Sutra 47. They who love the solitary place; who root out the binding forces of the world; who go beyond the function of the three gunas; who are indifferent to the maintenance of their possessions and are unconcerned about what they do not possess.
C: The true solitary place is found at the center of the mind, where stillness and equanimity reign supreme. The qualities of the three gunas are like a person’s blueprint, inherited from their parents. Possessions are what someone has acquired in this life, and which will have to be given up at some point, voluntarily or by force. Detachment is called for on the spiritual path.
Sutra 48. They who renounce the fruit of their actions, and also give up performance of rituals, they pass beyond the pair of opposites.
C: It seems like a contradiction from a previous sutra. On the path to liberation all fruit of one’s actions must be renounced, and one’s hope for help from higher forces by performing rituals also needs to be given up.
Sutra 49. They who give up even the scriptures, and practice absolute devotion,
C: The scriptures are roadmaps established by experienced travelers in the spiritual domain. But, they are the view of those particular people. Once the truth has been found, the roadmap is no longer needed. One does not go against such scriptures, however, so as not to confuse other seekers.
Sutra 50. They go beyond and help others to go beyond (the ocean of suffering).
C: Once someone has found the way out of the birdcage of restrictions, one wants nothing more than to help others find their way into freedom also.
Sutra 51. The nature of love is indescribable.
C: Love can only be experienced. It cannot be explained to someone else.
Sutra 52. It is like the tasting of delicious food by a dumb person.
C: Once someone tastes sugar, one knows its true nature. The same with love. Feelings of love leave a very long aftertaste in someone’s mind and heart.
Sutra 53. To some, who are deserving, it can be revealed.
C: Those who have practiced Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love, in a selfless way, will experience the ecstasy of the bliss of the One.
Sutra 54. The love (of the One) is without attributes, based on no desire, increasing every moment, unconditioned, highly subtle, and in the form of experience.
C: It may sound strange that this love is described as without attributes. But attributes would be restricting this love, and this love is without restrictions. The only attribute it allows is fathomless bliss.
Sutra 55. Having attained it, one sees it (only), hears it (only), and thinks of it (only).
C: It is as if a drop of water fell into the ocean and now is completely immersed in water from all directions. Whereas before it was a separate entity, falling from the clouds, but now it is resting in the comfort of its boundless natural home.
Sutra 56. Devotion is of three kinds, according to the threefold nature of people and the threefold nature of devotion.
C: Expansion (sattva), Activity (rajas), and Contraction (tamas) are the three natural forces that are found everywhere in nature.
Sutra 57. The first of these conditions produces higher spiritual good than the second, and the second is superior to the third.
C: People with all three attributes can attain the divine love. Sattvic people are more open, rajasic people are more active, and tamasic people are more reclusive.
Sutra 58. Love of the One is easy to attain by the devotee.
C: Love is an easy path to go on. Most people are familiar with it. Most people have loved someone or something in their lives. Therefore, it is easy for them to focus their love on an aspect of the One.
Sutra 59. Love does not stand in need of proof because it itself is proof.
C: Love is an experience. Therefore, there is no need to proof that it is real because a person is feeling it and is aware of it. Therefore, it is real.
Sutra 60. Its nature is peace and supreme bliss.
C: Love is the intense longing to be with the beloved. It culminates when oneness with the beloved is experienced. Then natural peace and tranquility set in.
Sutra 61. Having surrendered themselves, their world and the Vedas, the devotees must take no notice of worldly gains or loss.
C: There is only the One. In the One there are no distinctions of high or low, gain or loss, coming or going. Nothing but the experience of ongoing bliss remains.
Sutra 62. The devotees need not give up their active life in the world on completion of their devotion; they are expected to surrender the fruits of their actions.
C: Actions must be performed for the maintenance of this creation. All of the One’s emanations are designed to produce humans in whom the One can witness Its own magnificence. There is nothing personal in these emanations and actions.
Sutra 63. Do not give yourself up to women of easy virtue or wealth or the atheistic doctrine.
C: Never give over your power to anything or anyone. Remain in your center at all times and at all places. See all as necessary emanations of the One, designed for a higher purpose that you may not understand right now.
Sutra 64. Egotism and domination must be given up.
C: Carving out your little corner of the world will not lead to true happiness and peace. Expand your circle of life to include all of existence. Then you will experience communion with the One.
Sutra 65. Submit your actions to the One and express your feelings of anger, pleasure, or egotism to It.
C: Consider the One a mirror in which all of your life can be seen and experienced. Talk with that mirror, yell at it, curse it, love it. Consider this mirror as your only companion in life. Other people and things are only emanations of the One that are here to help you advance on the spiritual path towards oneness with It.
Sutra 66. Love – love alone – love expressing itself in constant service, worship, and communion. Love which transcends its three forms.
C: The One emanated and developed all this so that It can be with Itself. It created objects and beings that you get attracted to, to love, so that you can find a way back to Itself and find the bliss of union with Itself.
Sutra 67. Devotees who have a community of their own are considered to be specially blessed.
C: To be surrounded by like-minded people helps to strengthen your resolve to find the One.
Sutra 68. Such devotees, living in a community, talking of the One with tears and deep feeling, purify their families and the whole world.
C: These devotees remind the people around them of the power of the One and of the need to follow a spiritual path to gain a true understanding of this creation.
Sutra 69. The devotees, by their intimate contact, add holiness to holy places, merits to right actions, and render sacred books doubly sacred.
Sutra 70. Because they have acquired identity with the One’s spirit.
Sutra 71. The spirits of their ancestors rejoice, the angels dance, the earth is blessed by them.
C: These devotees invigorate ancient holy centers and add to the present day understanding of religious scriptures.
Sutra 72. Caste, culture, beauty, wealth, birth, and profession are meaningless to believers in the One.
Sutra 73. Because they are all of the One.
C: When the One in all is seen and experienced, individual parts of this creation have very little meaning to the devotees.
Sutra 74. Do not depend on discussion.
C: Do not try to convince others that your path is the path for them. Show them by expressing your love without wanting anything else in return.
Sutra 75. For reasoning is endless and not always fruitful.
C: Discussions about the details of the One that can be found in religious and philosophical texts do not lead to the love of the One. Only love and devotion can bring you to It.
Sutra 76. Respect the scriptures of devotion and follow their directions on life in the light of that knowledge.
C: Listen to scriptures like this one with an open mind and practice what it suggests. The results will astonish you. Give up trying to understand the One before you have had the experience of the One. First experience, then understand.
Sutra 77. Giving up pleasure and pain, profit and loss, and waiting for time of consummation, even a fraction of a second must not be wasted.
C: You are looking for happiness, peace, and true bliss. Neither of those can be found in the realm of duality. Eagerly anticipate oneness with the One and soon you will find yourself immersed in It.
Sutra 78. Cultivate non-violence, truth, purity, compassion, and faith.
C: Purity of mind, purity of intensions, and faith in the One. That is all you need on the spiritual path. Hurting others only hurts you, because all there is, is the One.
Sutra 79. With all one’s mind, one must worship the One at all times.
C: Think of the One constantly. Meditate on the One persistently. See the One everywhere. That is the path and the goal.
Sutra 80. Thus worshipped the One speedily reveals Itself to the devotees and becomes an object of their experience.
C: There will come a time when the One reveals Itself to you in your chosen form. Then you will experience Its awesome power and powerful presence.
Sutra 81. The path of love is the highest path. Love of the One is supreme; devotion to the One is devotion to the eternal truth.
C: The path of love is the most fulfilling path. To experience the blissful unity with the One is the outcome of the spiritual path. Now you are at peace with yourself.
Sutra 82. There are eleven different phases of devotion: Love of the grandeur of the One, love of Its beauty, worship of the One, meditation on It, service to It, the love of It as a friend, a child, as a spouse, loving It in full self-surrender, awareness of unity with It, and the feeling you cannot live without It.
C: This devotion is all-encompassing. It begins in the morning when you again become aware of your surroundings and ends at night when you fall asleep and surrender your awareness to your sleep state.
Sutra 83. This is the unanimous opinion distinct from the babbling of immature souls, of such teachers of devotion as Kumara, Vyasa, Shuka, Shandilya, Gargya, Vishnu, Kaundilya, Shesha, Uddhava, Aruni, Bali, Hanuman, Vibhishana, and many others.
C: The babbling of immature souls wants to divide the world into power centers, based on individual desires. Truly great souls only want to unite and bring about the realization of the oneness of the One.
Sutra 84. Those who have faith in this gospel of all-including bliss, by Shri Narada, will have the love of the One. They will have the dearest love of the One’s heart.
May the blessings of Shri Dada also rest with the reader.
Om! Om! Om!
With my Commentaries (C:)
THE NARADA BHAKTI SUTRAS
Sutra 1. Now we expound the love of God.
C: Hindu scriptures in general start with the word “now.” This represents a new beginning, a new chapter in the teachings on the path to Self-realization. Different scriptures deal with various aspects of this path. Here we are dealing with the important subject of love of God, the One.
Sutra 2. It is the higher love for “This.”
C: “This” indicates all that can be experienced in this world. “This” is manifest aspect of the One. The higher love for “This” is the love for the most subtle aspect of existence, for the One, the metaphysical aspect, the creator behind all of this.
Sutra 3. The nature of the love is Amrita.
C: Amrita is nectar, blissful and divine nectar. It is sweet and all-fulfilling, all-satisfying, completely without darkness, deeply satisfying, and it is making the recipients immortal in their words and deeds. Immersed in this Amrita they become one with ever-expanding love.
Sutra 4. By attaining It, a person becomes perfect, immortal, and fully satisfied forever.
C: Fully embrace one of the many forms of the One. Let the love carry you beyond the surface of this form to its divine aspect, the innermost light and radiance within.
Sutra 5. On obtaining That one does not desire anything else; one does not grieve; one does not hate nor delight. One is without enthusiasm for any material end.
C: Once the divine Light gets revealed in your chosen object, you give up the search for it in all objects and remain focused on It alone, being fully satisfied in body, mind, and spirit.
Sutra 6. By knowing “That,” the devotee becomes intoxicated, peaceful, and delights always in the Self.
C: Nothing else is needed to bring complete satisfaction to the devotee. “Devotee” is used here in the sense of someone being truly devoted to one particular form of creation. This form could be a person, a statue, a rock, a plant, or any other manifestation that you can experience through the senses and mind.
Sutra 7. Devotion to the One is not for one’s own gain; its basis is self-restraint.
C: Gaining power, money, or influence can never be the reason why someone worships a particular form of the creator. In fact, renunciation of attachments to all forms will result from pure devotion to the One. When liberation occurs, the cage opens and you find yourself in utter freedom.
Sutra 8. Self-control means renunciation of worldly and ritualistic practices.
C: Finding complete satisfaction in one’s blissful Self results in a natural giving up of all worldly and spiritual practices and activities. The need for them simply is not there any longer.
Sutra 9. Otherlessness to the One and indifference to the opposite.
C: Self-control also means seeing no more separate aspects in this creation and therefore the power of the opposite to pull you away from the One vanishes. You steadfastly remain in the light.
Sutra 10. To give up all other dependence is called otherlessness.
C: Attachment to the notion of “another” leads to feelings of pleasure and pain. Pleasure, when the attachment is formed; pain, when the attachment is broken. However, if only the one Self is seen in all, no more pleasurable or painful attachments can form.
Sutra 11. To act in accordance with the One’s injunctions, ignoring what is against them, is detachment.
C: The One’s main injunction is to only see the One everywhere. This leads to complete detachment from all the tempting forms the One emanated.
Sutra 12. Practice the law by following the scriptures even when you are rooted in them.
C: Don’t confuse other devotees by advising them against what they read in the scriptures. Let them follow their own path to Self-realization.
Sutra 13. Otherwise, you stand in danger of falling back.
C: Believing yourself to stand above the scriptures and therefore above their writers can reignite attachment to your ego, making you feel superior to others.
Sutra 14. While in the world, attend to the necessities of life like other people.
C: Don’t make a big show of your accomplishments on the spiritual path. Remain humble and live your life as before.
Sutra 15. Now are described the marks of the love of the One according to various schools.
C: Various teachers have described certain marks of the love of the One in various devotees/followers.
Sutra 16. Great delight in worship is the chief characteristic of love of the One according to Vyasa.
C: Dedicating one’s actions as worship to the One is the most all-incumbering worship a devotee can do.
Sutra 17. Great joy in hearing the sacred stories of the One constitutes the mark of love, according to the teacher Gargya.
C: All religious scriptures have stories about the One and the One’s representative amongst the people. These are a true delight to listen to.
Sutra 18. According to Shandilya, delight in the actions of the One is a mark of devotion, if it does not interfere with the delight in Self.
C: As long as only the One is seen, this delight is unsullied. Once one sees “another” in the One’s actions, then one has lost the connection to one’s true Self.
Sutra 19. Narada says that the mark of devotion is a dedication of all outer and inner actions to the One and feeling of great pain in the event of forgetfulness of the One.
C: The current only flows one way. Being carried away by it is true bliss. Once one steps out of it because of inattentiveness, then one longs to be back in the river of devotion. This longing is truly agonizing.
Sutra 20. So it is.
C: So is the mark of love of the One described by several teachers.
Sutra 21. As the Gopis of Brindavan.
C: The devotion of the gopis of Brindavan was extraordinary. All they could think about was Krishna. He was the only object of their love. In their hearts and minds there was no room for anyone or anything else. They were completely lost in his overwhelming beauty.
Sutra 22. In their case there was no ignorance of the divine majesty or forgetfulness of the knowledge of the One.
C: They were simple milkmaidens with no knowledge of scriptural subtleties. They only knew that they loved Krishna with all their hearts. It was a deep and honest bond that left no room for another. Krishna was theirs and they were Krishna’s.
Sutra 23. Without these conditions, it would be an affair of the senses.
C: There was nothing sensual about their affair. It was pure love exchanged in millions of innocent ways.
Sutra 24. In the case of sensual love, a lover is not happy in the happiness others find who love the same object.
C: Love that demands anything in return is a business where goods change hands. When there is pure love, then one’s only desire is for the beloved to be genuinely happy and at peace.
Sutra 25. Devotion is better than rituals and better than dry intellectual knowledge of the nature of the soul and the One.
C: Devotion is the sweet fuel that helps propel one’s spiritual progress. Dry intellectual and analytical studies of scriptures lead to fatigue, frustration, and dissatisfaction.
Sutra 26. Love of the One is its own reward.
C: Love is the longing to be with the beloved. Since the One is identical with one’s own Self, therefore this longing is to be with oneself.
Sutra 27. The One does not favor the proud; the poor are the One’s favored ones.
C: Egotism is not a mental state that moves spiritual progress forward. The humbler one is, the quicker one advances on the path to liberation.
Sutra 28. According to some philosophers, release is only possible through knowledge.
C: True knowledge comes only after one experiences the Self. Before that, knowledge is dry and can lead to conflict.
Sutra 29. Some philosophers declare that knowledge and love depend on each other.
C: If there is true love for one of the manifestations of the One, then there is deep knowledge and understanding of it.
Sutra 30. The holy son of Brahma (Narada) holds that devotion is both the end and the means.
C: The author of the Narada Sutras again stresses the importance of true devotion on the spiritual path.
Sutra 31. As is evident in the case of the palace of a king and food, etc.
Sutra 32. You do not please the king by knowledge of the palace, nor does a knowledge of food satisfy your hunger.
C: One must come before the king and deal with him personally. One must eat the food to satisfy one’s hunger.
Sutra 33. Therefore, by the candidates to liberation, love is ever to be pursued.
C: What more can be said? Pure love is the path, and pure love is the goal.
Sutra 34. The holy teachers sing of the paths to that love.
C: Love the One incessantly and It will reveal Its all-consuming love to you.
Sutra 35. Renunciation of sense-pleasures and also of attachment and association is a means.
C: Freedom from all encumbrances is the means and the goal of the spiritual path.
Sutra 36. Ceaseless worship is another.
C: Never stop honoring the divine creation that exists and that you are a part of.
Sutra 37. To hear of the holy attributes of the One and sing of them with others, is also a means.
C: Fill your mind with thoughts of the One and share them with others. This is true worship of the One.
Sutra 38. But the chief means is the favor of the spiritually great or the grace of the One.
C: On the spiritual path the fastest progress is possible through the grace of the guru instigated by the grace of the One. It is said that when the One is pleased, It will show you the guru, and if the guru is pleased, they will show you the One.
Sutra 39. The company of a holy person is rare, difficult to access, but ever fruitful.
C: The company of the guru is invaluable. It involves commitment but it is always fruitful, even if one is only engaged half-heartedly.
Sutra 40. The One is found only by the One’s grace.
C: Grace is the reward for your dedicated efforts on the spiritual path.
Sutra 41. Holy persons abide in the One. They are identical for want of difference.
C: The same Self dwells in all of them and they only reveal the One to you, even if they have different methods.
Sutra 42. Work for – strive after the grace of the One.
C: The manifestations of the grace of the One are the true teachers. To be in their good graces means to have an in with the One. Being in their company is like being in the company of the clear reflection of the One.
Sutra 43. Everywhere and at all times avoid the company of the wicked.
Sutra 44. Such company will give rise in your heart to pleasure desire, anger, delusion, forgetfulness of the truth, death of discriminative reason, and further rebirths.
Sutra 45. Like waves which swell rapidly in the sea at the time of the incoming tide, the above psychological aberrations grow in the soul, as a result of the company of the wicked.
C: Like a rotten apple can spoil all other apples in a fruit bowl, so the company of bad people can corrupt the mental state of those who are pure and wholesome.
Sutra 46. Who goes beyond Maya? Who goes beyond Maya?? They who give up mundane association; they who serve the great-hearted ones; they verily become spiritually unselfish.
C: Going beyond Maya is seeing beyond the physical reflection in the mirror and perceiving the pure state of the One. Service and devotion are essential elements on the spiritual path.
Sutra 47. They who love the solitary place; who root out the binding forces of the world; who go beyond the function of the three gunas; who are indifferent to the maintenance of their possessions and are unconcerned about what they do not possess.
C: The true solitary place is found at the center of the mind, where stillness and equanimity reign supreme. The qualities of the three gunas are like a person’s blueprint, inherited from their parents. Possessions are what someone has acquired in this life, and which will have to be given up at some point, voluntarily or by force. Detachment is called for on the spiritual path.
Sutra 48. They who renounce the fruit of their actions, and also give up performance of rituals, they pass beyond the pair of opposites.
C: It seems like a contradiction from a previous sutra. On the path to liberation all fruit of one’s actions must be renounced, and one’s hope for help from higher forces by performing rituals also needs to be given up.
Sutra 49. They who give up even the scriptures, and practice absolute devotion,
C: The scriptures are roadmaps established by experienced travelers in the spiritual domain. But, they are the view of those particular people. Once the truth has been found, the roadmap is no longer needed. One does not go against such scriptures, however, so as not to confuse other seekers.
Sutra 50. They go beyond and help others to go beyond (the ocean of suffering).
C: Once someone has found the way out of the birdcage of restrictions, one wants nothing more than to help others find their way into freedom also.
Sutra 51. The nature of love is indescribable.
C: Love can only be experienced. It cannot be explained to someone else.
Sutra 52. It is like the tasting of delicious food by a dumb person.
C: Once someone tastes sugar, one knows its true nature. The same with love. Feelings of love leave a very long aftertaste in someone’s mind and heart.
Sutra 53. To some, who are deserving, it can be revealed.
C: Those who have practiced Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love, in a selfless way, will experience the ecstasy of the bliss of the One.
Sutra 54. The love (of the One) is without attributes, based on no desire, increasing every moment, unconditioned, highly subtle, and in the form of experience.
C: It may sound strange that this love is described as without attributes. But attributes would be restricting this love, and this love is without restrictions. The only attribute it allows is fathomless bliss.
Sutra 55. Having attained it, one sees it (only), hears it (only), and thinks of it (only).
C: It is as if a drop of water fell into the ocean and now is completely immersed in water from all directions. Whereas before it was a separate entity, falling from the clouds, but now it is resting in the comfort of its boundless natural home.
Sutra 56. Devotion is of three kinds, according to the threefold nature of people and the threefold nature of devotion.
C: Expansion (sattva), Activity (rajas), and Contraction (tamas) are the three natural forces that are found everywhere in nature.
Sutra 57. The first of these conditions produces higher spiritual good than the second, and the second is superior to the third.
C: People with all three attributes can attain the divine love. Sattvic people are more open, rajasic people are more active, and tamasic people are more reclusive.
Sutra 58. Love of the One is easy to attain by the devotee.
C: Love is an easy path to go on. Most people are familiar with it. Most people have loved someone or something in their lives. Therefore, it is easy for them to focus their love on an aspect of the One.
Sutra 59. Love does not stand in need of proof because it itself is proof.
C: Love is an experience. Therefore, there is no need to proof that it is real because a person is feeling it and is aware of it. Therefore, it is real.
Sutra 60. Its nature is peace and supreme bliss.
C: Love is the intense longing to be with the beloved. It culminates when oneness with the beloved is experienced. Then natural peace and tranquility set in.
Sutra 61. Having surrendered themselves, their world and the Vedas, the devotees must take no notice of worldly gains or loss.
C: There is only the One. In the One there are no distinctions of high or low, gain or loss, coming or going. Nothing but the experience of ongoing bliss remains.
Sutra 62. The devotees need not give up their active life in the world on completion of their devotion; they are expected to surrender the fruits of their actions.
C: Actions must be performed for the maintenance of this creation. All of the One’s emanations are designed to produce humans in whom the One can witness Its own magnificence. There is nothing personal in these emanations and actions.
Sutra 63. Do not give yourself up to women of easy virtue or wealth or the atheistic doctrine.
C: Never give over your power to anything or anyone. Remain in your center at all times and at all places. See all as necessary emanations of the One, designed for a higher purpose that you may not understand right now.
Sutra 64. Egotism and domination must be given up.
C: Carving out your little corner of the world will not lead to true happiness and peace. Expand your circle of life to include all of existence. Then you will experience communion with the One.
Sutra 65. Submit your actions to the One and express your feelings of anger, pleasure, or egotism to It.
C: Consider the One a mirror in which all of your life can be seen and experienced. Talk with that mirror, yell at it, curse it, love it. Consider this mirror as your only companion in life. Other people and things are only emanations of the One that are here to help you advance on the spiritual path towards oneness with It.
Sutra 66. Love – love alone – love expressing itself in constant service, worship, and communion. Love which transcends its three forms.
C: The One emanated and developed all this so that It can be with Itself. It created objects and beings that you get attracted to, to love, so that you can find a way back to Itself and find the bliss of union with Itself.
Sutra 67. Devotees who have a community of their own are considered to be specially blessed.
C: To be surrounded by like-minded people helps to strengthen your resolve to find the One.
Sutra 68. Such devotees, living in a community, talking of the One with tears and deep feeling, purify their families and the whole world.
C: These devotees remind the people around them of the power of the One and of the need to follow a spiritual path to gain a true understanding of this creation.
Sutra 69. The devotees, by their intimate contact, add holiness to holy places, merits to right actions, and render sacred books doubly sacred.
Sutra 70. Because they have acquired identity with the One’s spirit.
Sutra 71. The spirits of their ancestors rejoice, the angels dance, the earth is blessed by them.
C: These devotees invigorate ancient holy centers and add to the present day understanding of religious scriptures.
Sutra 72. Caste, culture, beauty, wealth, birth, and profession are meaningless to believers in the One.
Sutra 73. Because they are all of the One.
C: When the One in all is seen and experienced, individual parts of this creation have very little meaning to the devotees.
Sutra 74. Do not depend on discussion.
C: Do not try to convince others that your path is the path for them. Show them by expressing your love without wanting anything else in return.
Sutra 75. For reasoning is endless and not always fruitful.
C: Discussions about the details of the One that can be found in religious and philosophical texts do not lead to the love of the One. Only love and devotion can bring you to It.
Sutra 76. Respect the scriptures of devotion and follow their directions on life in the light of that knowledge.
C: Listen to scriptures like this one with an open mind and practice what it suggests. The results will astonish you. Give up trying to understand the One before you have had the experience of the One. First experience, then understand.
Sutra 77. Giving up pleasure and pain, profit and loss, and waiting for time of consummation, even a fraction of a second must not be wasted.
C: You are looking for happiness, peace, and true bliss. Neither of those can be found in the realm of duality. Eagerly anticipate oneness with the One and soon you will find yourself immersed in It.
Sutra 78. Cultivate non-violence, truth, purity, compassion, and faith.
C: Purity of mind, purity of intensions, and faith in the One. That is all you need on the spiritual path. Hurting others only hurts you, because all there is, is the One.
Sutra 79. With all one’s mind, one must worship the One at all times.
C: Think of the One constantly. Meditate on the One persistently. See the One everywhere. That is the path and the goal.
Sutra 80. Thus worshipped the One speedily reveals Itself to the devotees and becomes an object of their experience.
C: There will come a time when the One reveals Itself to you in your chosen form. Then you will experience Its awesome power and powerful presence.
Sutra 81. The path of love is the highest path. Love of the One is supreme; devotion to the One is devotion to the eternal truth.
C: The path of love is the most fulfilling path. To experience the blissful unity with the One is the outcome of the spiritual path. Now you are at peace with yourself.
Sutra 82. There are eleven different phases of devotion: Love of the grandeur of the One, love of Its beauty, worship of the One, meditation on It, service to It, the love of It as a friend, a child, as a spouse, loving It in full self-surrender, awareness of unity with It, and the feeling you cannot live without It.
C: This devotion is all-encompassing. It begins in the morning when you again become aware of your surroundings and ends at night when you fall asleep and surrender your awareness to your sleep state.
Sutra 83. This is the unanimous opinion distinct from the babbling of immature souls, of such teachers of devotion as Kumara, Vyasa, Shuka, Shandilya, Gargya, Vishnu, Kaundilya, Shesha, Uddhava, Aruni, Bali, Hanuman, Vibhishana, and many others.
C: The babbling of immature souls wants to divide the world into power centers, based on individual desires. Truly great souls only want to unite and bring about the realization of the oneness of the One.
Sutra 84. Those who have faith in this gospel of all-including bliss, by Shri Narada, will have the love of the One. They will have the dearest love of the One’s heart.
May the blessings of Shri Dada also rest with the reader.
Om! Om! Om!
Purity
Purity in mind. Purity in Intentions. That’s where it’s at.
Whatever you are involved in, practice purity. Seek the purity in all situations. Don’t find the faults, find the purity. Elevate every discussion to the level of purity, no matter how trivial the subject might be. Nothing is too trivial to benefit from the search for purity.
Purity is the essence behind all words, all deeds, and all thoughts. When you cannot find the purity in your efforts and discussions, then you need to dig a bit deeper. Be assured, you will find it underneath all activities of body and mind.
All religions attempt to unearth this purity. So do all philosophical and political systems. Purity is always the essence in everything we do, think, desire, and create.
What is unconditional love but purity in heart, the unadulterated feeling of pure and selfless immersion in another? All spiritual paths prescribe purity as their main means of achieving lasting peace and happiness.
Pure thoughts are always encouraged. What are pure thoughts? They are, first of all, selfless thoughts. They are most certainly not greedy thoughts, or demanding thoughts. They are not thoughts of: “give me, give me, give me, I need, I want, I have to have.”
No, pure thoughts are: “what do you need? What can I do to make your life a bit better? How can I help you in achieving your dreams in life?”
Pure thoughts are always selfless thoughts. There are no hidden agendas in pure thoughts. Pure thoughts flow effortlessly from the higher self through the subconscious mind into the conscious mind. They are not in any way altered by the thought and emotion patterns in our mind. They flow in purity through us into the world.
Pure thoughts have only one agenda: to be helpful, to assist life in expressing itself fully. Pure thoughts are always extending a helping hand to others. They are also very much like a snowplow in removing obstacles from the path so that all can walk safely along the road of life.
Whatever you are involved in, practice purity. Seek the purity in all situations. Don’t find the faults, find the purity. Elevate every discussion to the level of purity, no matter how trivial the subject might be. Nothing is too trivial to benefit from the search for purity.
Purity is the essence behind all words, all deeds, and all thoughts. When you cannot find the purity in your efforts and discussions, then you need to dig a bit deeper. Be assured, you will find it underneath all activities of body and mind.
All religions attempt to unearth this purity. So do all philosophical and political systems. Purity is always the essence in everything we do, think, desire, and create.
What is unconditional love but purity in heart, the unadulterated feeling of pure and selfless immersion in another? All spiritual paths prescribe purity as their main means of achieving lasting peace and happiness.
Pure thoughts are always encouraged. What are pure thoughts? They are, first of all, selfless thoughts. They are most certainly not greedy thoughts, or demanding thoughts. They are not thoughts of: “give me, give me, give me, I need, I want, I have to have.”
No, pure thoughts are: “what do you need? What can I do to make your life a bit better? How can I help you in achieving your dreams in life?”
Pure thoughts are always selfless thoughts. There are no hidden agendas in pure thoughts. Pure thoughts flow effortlessly from the higher self through the subconscious mind into the conscious mind. They are not in any way altered by the thought and emotion patterns in our mind. They flow in purity through us into the world.
Pure thoughts have only one agenda: to be helpful, to assist life in expressing itself fully. Pure thoughts are always extending a helping hand to others. They are also very much like a snowplow in removing obstacles from the path so that all can walk safely along the road of life.
Saturday, September 5, 2026
That elusive Spark
From time-to-time new influences enter our lives. New thoughts arise. New or old acquaintances contribute some surprising information to our daily humdrum. We notice something out of the ordinary. We perk up. We take notice. A bright light flashes across our sky of understanding.
That “something” new or different could be anything. It could be a discovery or a new strain of understanding. It could be something that we see, hear, taste, touch, or smell.
Whatever it is, something about this “something” strikes a chord in us, in our deepest awareness of existence. It rattles us. It changes the trajectory of our lives forever. Our lives will not be the same afterwards. Something had hit us hard. And it left an ongoing impression in our being. We remember it periodically, with awe and reference.
This “something” is the spice of life. It is really what we are looking for in life. Without it there would only be monotony. There must be something in existence that wakes us from our comforting slumber. There has to be, otherwise we would still be slumbering as a single brain, single cell organism in the swamps of this planet. Something made us crawl out of the mud. Something powerful kicked us out and/or propelled us towards something greater.
That “something” new or different could be anything. It could be a discovery or a new strain of understanding. It could be something that we see, hear, taste, touch, or smell.
Whatever it is, something about this “something” strikes a chord in us, in our deepest awareness of existence. It rattles us. It changes the trajectory of our lives forever. Our lives will not be the same afterwards. Something had hit us hard. And it left an ongoing impression in our being. We remember it periodically, with awe and reference.
This “something” is the spice of life. It is really what we are looking for in life. Without it there would only be monotony. There must be something in existence that wakes us from our comforting slumber. There has to be, otherwise we would still be slumbering as a single brain, single cell organism in the swamps of this planet. Something made us crawl out of the mud. Something powerful kicked us out and/or propelled us towards something greater.
Friday, September 4, 2026
The Center
The focus is always within. The Innermost. The Highest. Where there is stillness. Where there is peace. Where there is lack of movement. Where there is freedom. Where there is respite from the storm of life: the oasis in the inhospitable region of the dualistic mind. Where the wind of life cannot wreak havoc any longer.
The Center is:
The fountain of perfect radiance and bliss.
The cosmic black hole that subdues all vacillations.
The trusted lynchpin that secures my meditative realizations.
The curious conscious silent witness of my heroic existence.
The hidden unperturbed mysterious witness behind the thinking mind.
The unknowable substance that appears lifeless to the mind, but that is the root cause of all subsequent causes.
The gap you fall into between two activities, two thoughts, two fluctuations of the mind.
The hollow echo of the sound of being.
The quiet wisdom gained by distilling all acquired knowledge.
The sudden impact of a realization that shatters all preconceived notions.
The radiant pure love that emanates from a compassionate heart.
The flow of awareness into a place of stillness.
The flow of awareness into radiant emptiness.
The Center is:
The fountain of perfect radiance and bliss.
The cosmic black hole that subdues all vacillations.
The trusted lynchpin that secures my meditative realizations.
The curious conscious silent witness of my heroic existence.
The hidden unperturbed mysterious witness behind the thinking mind.
The unknowable substance that appears lifeless to the mind, but that is the root cause of all subsequent causes.
The gap you fall into between two activities, two thoughts, two fluctuations of the mind.
The hollow echo of the sound of being.
The quiet wisdom gained by distilling all acquired knowledge.
The sudden impact of a realization that shatters all preconceived notions.
The radiant pure love that emanates from a compassionate heart.
The flow of awareness into a place of stillness.
The flow of awareness into radiant emptiness.
The Emptiness
The emptiness is not really empty, it is filled with the presence. This presence is behind all the surface experiences life conjures up moment by moment. Life squeezes consciousness out of the forms it creates. It forces consciousness to emerge. Life’s will and determination brings about the sizzling experience of consciousness.
This drive towards consciousness is at first rudimentary. It is self-perpetuating and builds upon itself, which leads to higher and more and more sophisticated lifeforms. It coaxes the highest experience of consciousness out of what at first appeared to be lifeless chunks of a consortium of minerals hurtling through space. Consciousness: the highest, the most perfect, the unsurpassable, the purest, the most scintillating, the eternally blissful!
The drive – that is where the cause of it all lies. This drive is contained in every seed. The drive is in the seed; the tree emerges from the seed; the tree produces more seeds, containing more of the drive. That is how life moves forward from lower, simpler lifeforms to higher, more complex ones. Gradually. From simple to complex. From plants to animals. From animals to humans.
What comes after humans? So far, we have had several iterations of humanoids. Can there be another one? I don’t know. There will be one, if it is needed in the evolutionary drive of life.
This drive towards consciousness is at first rudimentary. It is self-perpetuating and builds upon itself, which leads to higher and more and more sophisticated lifeforms. It coaxes the highest experience of consciousness out of what at first appeared to be lifeless chunks of a consortium of minerals hurtling through space. Consciousness: the highest, the most perfect, the unsurpassable, the purest, the most scintillating, the eternally blissful!
The drive – that is where the cause of it all lies. This drive is contained in every seed. The drive is in the seed; the tree emerges from the seed; the tree produces more seeds, containing more of the drive. That is how life moves forward from lower, simpler lifeforms to higher, more complex ones. Gradually. From simple to complex. From plants to animals. From animals to humans.
What comes after humans? So far, we have had several iterations of humanoids. Can there be another one? I don’t know. There will be one, if it is needed in the evolutionary drive of life.
The Truth
A particular philosophy that I came across states that since this creation is infinite, its parts or components can be arranged in infinite ways. Where does that leave the struggle for the truth? What is the truth at any given time and place, when the facts can be arranged in infinite ways to suit an infinite number of perspectives and needs?
A simple example would be a cow: to the butcher it only matters how many steaks and other cuts can be extracted from its body. To the shoemaker it only matters how much leather can be harvested. To the dairy industry, only the amount of milk the cow gives matters. In India, the cow is regarded as symbol for “mother” and therefore is sacred.
These are the various truths about the cow from various perspectives. The butchers’ truth is meat; the shoemakers’ truth is leather; the dairy industry’s is milk.
Same cow. Different truths for different needs.
This applies to the entire universe that surrounds us. This universe is like one enormous cow that means different things to different people at different times and different places.
A simple example would be a cow: to the butcher it only matters how many steaks and other cuts can be extracted from its body. To the shoemaker it only matters how much leather can be harvested. To the dairy industry, only the amount of milk the cow gives matters. In India, the cow is regarded as symbol for “mother” and therefore is sacred.
These are the various truths about the cow from various perspectives. The butchers’ truth is meat; the shoemakers’ truth is leather; the dairy industry’s is milk.
Same cow. Different truths for different needs.
This applies to the entire universe that surrounds us. This universe is like one enormous cow that means different things to different people at different times and different places.
The Day of Atonement
Today is the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. People are asked to atone. Atone for what, and ask forgiveness from whom?
Atone for the wrong they have done and ask forgiveness from them whom they have wronged in the previous year. Atonement has nothing to do with YHWH. YHWH does not ask for atonement from people. How could He? He himself always forgives people, all the time, irregardless of their circumstances. And He forgives immediately. He does not wait until October 4th to forgive them. No, He forgives them as soon as people have trespassed against Him, instantly. He does not remember from one moment to the next. He does not have a long memory. In fact, YHWH has the shortest memory in existence. He does not remember from one moment to the next. That is how He is able to forgive and forget the many wrongs people commit against Him constantly.
People commit crimes against YHWH all the time, in thought and deed. YHWH sees that and forgives it immediately, so that people have a chance for redemption. People commit constant trespasses against YHWH, but YHWH does not want to bind them with feelings of guilt. He wants people to see the error of their ways immediately. These trespasses against YHWH do not accumulate over one year and then get forgiven in bulk. Not at all.
What gets forgiven on the Day of Atonement is the trespasses against neighbors, friends, and acquaintances that people have accumulated over the course of the last year. In order for these trespasses to be truly forgiven, people need to approach the ones they have wronged and with sincerity ask for their forgiveness. Only then can the slate be wiped clean. Sitting in temple and feeling “atoned” is not doing the complete trick. It may make some people feel better about themselves, but that alone does not make the tension between the ones they have wronged and themselves go away.
Somewhere in the Bible is written that before approaching God and sacrificing to Him, one should clear the bad feelings with others so that one can approach God with a clear heart.
Atone for the wrong they have done and ask forgiveness from them whom they have wronged in the previous year. Atonement has nothing to do with YHWH. YHWH does not ask for atonement from people. How could He? He himself always forgives people, all the time, irregardless of their circumstances. And He forgives immediately. He does not wait until October 4th to forgive them. No, He forgives them as soon as people have trespassed against Him, instantly. He does not remember from one moment to the next. He does not have a long memory. In fact, YHWH has the shortest memory in existence. He does not remember from one moment to the next. That is how He is able to forgive and forget the many wrongs people commit against Him constantly.
People commit crimes against YHWH all the time, in thought and deed. YHWH sees that and forgives it immediately, so that people have a chance for redemption. People commit constant trespasses against YHWH, but YHWH does not want to bind them with feelings of guilt. He wants people to see the error of their ways immediately. These trespasses against YHWH do not accumulate over one year and then get forgiven in bulk. Not at all.
What gets forgiven on the Day of Atonement is the trespasses against neighbors, friends, and acquaintances that people have accumulated over the course of the last year. In order for these trespasses to be truly forgiven, people need to approach the ones they have wronged and with sincerity ask for their forgiveness. Only then can the slate be wiped clean. Sitting in temple and feeling “atoned” is not doing the complete trick. It may make some people feel better about themselves, but that alone does not make the tension between the ones they have wronged and themselves go away.
Somewhere in the Bible is written that before approaching God and sacrificing to Him, one should clear the bad feelings with others so that one can approach God with a clear heart.
The Poet
The poet has to dig deeper,
Find a way to the essence.
What essence? The essence of life.
The essence that’s driving it all.
The essence beneath it all.
The beyond the beyond.
The beyond of it all.
To point to the beyond
For the benefit of all.
To unearth that which is hidden.
Hidden underneath the myriad forms
That this universe projects.
“How magnificent is this pearl!”
“How fabulous was the play!”
“How marvelous is this dish!”
“How excellent is that design!”
The poet points to the essence beneath.
Even to the essence of a simple fly
That scrounges to find its daily meal.
The essence that should be our only zeal.
It’s the poet’s alone, not everyone’s too?
Builders are needed, and cooks and so on.
Not all can spend time in the unknown
Finding out about the great beyond,
Or the world would simply collapse.
The wheels have to keep turning.
The world needs to keep spinning.
The sun needs to keep shining,
So Life keeps on living,
Still, the poet keeps on digging,
Looking for the pure golden essence beneath.
Find a way to the essence.
What essence? The essence of life.
The essence that’s driving it all.
The essence beneath it all.
The beyond the beyond.
The beyond of it all.
To point to the beyond
For the benefit of all.
To unearth that which is hidden.
Hidden underneath the myriad forms
That this universe projects.
“How magnificent is this pearl!”
“How fabulous was the play!”
“How marvelous is this dish!”
“How excellent is that design!”
The poet points to the essence beneath.
Even to the essence of a simple fly
That scrounges to find its daily meal.
The essence that should be our only zeal.
It’s the poet’s alone, not everyone’s too?
Builders are needed, and cooks and so on.
Not all can spend time in the unknown
Finding out about the great beyond,
Or the world would simply collapse.
The wheels have to keep turning.
The world needs to keep spinning.
The sun needs to keep shining,
So Life keeps on living,
Still, the poet keeps on digging,
Looking for the pure golden essence beneath.
The Ghost in the Machine
What machine am I talking about? The machine is the human brain. Actually, it is the brain of all living creatures. A tree does not have a brain. An insect does. Grass not. Worms do. Flies yes. Birds yes. Mammals yes. Fish yes. Someone has called lower lifeforms one-brained beings, more developed lifeforms two-brained beings, and humans three-brained beings.
This someone was Gurdjieff, a philosopher and mystic, who was active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. This simple distinction of beings into one, two, or three-brained is useful to get a sense of the difference between the various beings on this planet.
There is a ghost in all of these machines, whether one, two, or three-brained. The ghost is the mysterious experience of consciousness. Neurons fire and all of a sudden there is the flash of consciousness. It comes out of nowhere. It sparks itself into existence when there is the recognition of the organism’s existence. In humans this recognition is: “I am, I exist.”
What that recognition is in the one or two-brained beings, only they will know for sure, because only they are experiencing it. It is probably a less clear version than that of the three-brained beings, the humans.
On the surface the brain is like a machine, with observable parts. Currents can be measured. Pictures can be taken showing activity in its various sections. But where in it is that ghost located, exactly? That ghost of consciousness?
There is a mirror that reflects the experience back to the observer and that is when the ghost appears. “Ah,” it says, “that is me!” It finds itself in the experience. It finds itself caught in this feedback loop. It finds itself in a house of mirrors, only seeing itself reflected. That is a highly blissful experience. If you find that you alone exist in everything you are experiencing, wouldn’t you say that that is the greatest experience of your life? If you’d find yourself reflected in the faces of all other people? Your beauty reflected in all beautiful things in existence? You alone exist and you alone are endlessly reflected back at yourself. That is the feedback loop in which consciousness sparks itself into existence. Then there is a “you.”
What or where is that mirror? It is a mirror in which all of the expressions of life are reflected. It is the mind, the instinctual, the feeling, and the thinking mind. The three-fold mind belonging to the three-brained being, humans.
In lower lifeforms there would be the instinctual and feeling mind in two-brained beings, and the instinctual mind in one-brained beings.
This is very simple way of visualizing a matter that is quite complex. There is also the matter of the nervous system that is highly developed in humans and that helps enormously with this feedback loop. The clearer the sense perceptions – the sensing of something – the clearer the mind can reflect the world.
This someone was Gurdjieff, a philosopher and mystic, who was active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. This simple distinction of beings into one, two, or three-brained is useful to get a sense of the difference between the various beings on this planet.
There is a ghost in all of these machines, whether one, two, or three-brained. The ghost is the mysterious experience of consciousness. Neurons fire and all of a sudden there is the flash of consciousness. It comes out of nowhere. It sparks itself into existence when there is the recognition of the organism’s existence. In humans this recognition is: “I am, I exist.”
What that recognition is in the one or two-brained beings, only they will know for sure, because only they are experiencing it. It is probably a less clear version than that of the three-brained beings, the humans.
On the surface the brain is like a machine, with observable parts. Currents can be measured. Pictures can be taken showing activity in its various sections. But where in it is that ghost located, exactly? That ghost of consciousness?
There is a mirror that reflects the experience back to the observer and that is when the ghost appears. “Ah,” it says, “that is me!” It finds itself in the experience. It finds itself caught in this feedback loop. It finds itself in a house of mirrors, only seeing itself reflected. That is a highly blissful experience. If you find that you alone exist in everything you are experiencing, wouldn’t you say that that is the greatest experience of your life? If you’d find yourself reflected in the faces of all other people? Your beauty reflected in all beautiful things in existence? You alone exist and you alone are endlessly reflected back at yourself. That is the feedback loop in which consciousness sparks itself into existence. Then there is a “you.”
What or where is that mirror? It is a mirror in which all of the expressions of life are reflected. It is the mind, the instinctual, the feeling, and the thinking mind. The three-fold mind belonging to the three-brained being, humans.
In lower lifeforms there would be the instinctual and feeling mind in two-brained beings, and the instinctual mind in one-brained beings.
This is very simple way of visualizing a matter that is quite complex. There is also the matter of the nervous system that is highly developed in humans and that helps enormously with this feedback loop. The clearer the sense perceptions – the sensing of something – the clearer the mind can reflect the world.
There is only the inner Journey
To be thankful for being alive is the highest form of worship. Simply to be thankful to be alive and to know it. To appreciate every moment fully. To savor it. And to extend this feeling of gratitude into every action. The honor to be able to sit here and type these words. The incredible fact that I am reading these words on the computer monitor. This feedback loop of action and consequence, of cause and effect is most astonishing.
In this feedback loop lies the miracle of consciousness. To do something and then to know that it exists outside of me. I can think about a lot of things, but only through taking actions can I see these thoughts materialize. That is the miracle of creation. And the miracle of knowing about it. The knowing takes place inside of me. Not outside. Creation exists outside, awareness inside.
Yes, a tree exists in the forest without me knowing about it, but it has no consequence to me. It does not influence my thinking, my awareness, my consciousness. Correction, just now it did as a generic tree in a generic forest.
Whatever I can think of, that becomes a reality for me. My thoughts and feelings create my world. Some say, I dream the world into existence. That may be true, but it all starts with me. Without me existing, there would be no world to experience. Would there be a world at all? I don’t know. Certainly not the world that I am experiencing. Probably some other world.
And so it goes on, round and round. It all orbits around me. I am the center of my universe. But I am not the creator of me. And I am not the creator of the universe. I may dream it into being in a particular shape, but its substance I did not create, and I don’t know what that substance is.
Well, I think I know. It is energy with particles. Tiny particles that have tiny electric charges. Some particles attract, others repulse. Over time friction arises which leads to the Big Bang. I don’t know why scientists have not come up with a better name for it. Big bang implies that there was something to hear. I doubt that, because the universe created its own space when it exploded and without space there is no sound as we know it.
Anyway, I shifted my thinking mind away from feeling grateful. I could think forever about the state of the universe and will end up right where I left off: in the knowing that I exist, which makes me ecstatically happy, or as it is so aptly put by the Vedic sages: the Self is Sat-Chit-Ananda, Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. What more can be said?
In this feedback loop lies the miracle of consciousness. To do something and then to know that it exists outside of me. I can think about a lot of things, but only through taking actions can I see these thoughts materialize. That is the miracle of creation. And the miracle of knowing about it. The knowing takes place inside of me. Not outside. Creation exists outside, awareness inside.
Yes, a tree exists in the forest without me knowing about it, but it has no consequence to me. It does not influence my thinking, my awareness, my consciousness. Correction, just now it did as a generic tree in a generic forest.
Whatever I can think of, that becomes a reality for me. My thoughts and feelings create my world. Some say, I dream the world into existence. That may be true, but it all starts with me. Without me existing, there would be no world to experience. Would there be a world at all? I don’t know. Certainly not the world that I am experiencing. Probably some other world.
And so it goes on, round and round. It all orbits around me. I am the center of my universe. But I am not the creator of me. And I am not the creator of the universe. I may dream it into being in a particular shape, but its substance I did not create, and I don’t know what that substance is.
Well, I think I know. It is energy with particles. Tiny particles that have tiny electric charges. Some particles attract, others repulse. Over time friction arises which leads to the Big Bang. I don’t know why scientists have not come up with a better name for it. Big bang implies that there was something to hear. I doubt that, because the universe created its own space when it exploded and without space there is no sound as we know it.
Anyway, I shifted my thinking mind away from feeling grateful. I could think forever about the state of the universe and will end up right where I left off: in the knowing that I exist, which makes me ecstatically happy, or as it is so aptly put by the Vedic sages: the Self is Sat-Chit-Ananda, Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. What more can be said?
The story of Joseph
Joseph was a spoiled child. He was the most handsome of his siblings. His father favored him over his other sons. Joseph felt privileged and he acted so. That brought out his brothers’ ill feelings towards him; they resented his grandstanding, his showing off of his “superior” looks and intelligence.
They despised him and planned to get rid of him. Some wanted him killed. Others just wanted to sell him into slavery, which they ultimately did. Joseph ended up in Egypt as the slave to an influential couple with a large household. His beauty caught the eyes of the wife, and she desired him. He refused and she claimed he had made advances towards her. He proclaimed his innocence, but he was thrown in jail on her testimony.
Meanwhile, his father had been informed of his death that his brothers had staged, with blood on his coat to prove that he had been killed by a wild beast. The father never gave up hope that Joseph was still alive somewhere.
While in prison, Joseph correctly interpreted a prophetic dream by the pharaoh. This brought him into the graces of the pharaoh, who rewarded him with an appointment to a high office.
During the next famine, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to purchase grains. Joseph was in charge of Egypt’s food supplies at that time. He recognized his brothers whom he had forgiven, but they did not know him. He revealed his identity and eventually his whole family came to Egypt and began living there. His father’s name had been changed from Jakob to Israel, and Joseph and his elven brothers became the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel.
And then the whole episode of the Exodus from Egypt with Moses occurred to one of the next generations.
They despised him and planned to get rid of him. Some wanted him killed. Others just wanted to sell him into slavery, which they ultimately did. Joseph ended up in Egypt as the slave to an influential couple with a large household. His beauty caught the eyes of the wife, and she desired him. He refused and she claimed he had made advances towards her. He proclaimed his innocence, but he was thrown in jail on her testimony.
Meanwhile, his father had been informed of his death that his brothers had staged, with blood on his coat to prove that he had been killed by a wild beast. The father never gave up hope that Joseph was still alive somewhere.
While in prison, Joseph correctly interpreted a prophetic dream by the pharaoh. This brought him into the graces of the pharaoh, who rewarded him with an appointment to a high office.
During the next famine, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to purchase grains. Joseph was in charge of Egypt’s food supplies at that time. He recognized his brothers whom he had forgiven, but they did not know him. He revealed his identity and eventually his whole family came to Egypt and began living there. His father’s name had been changed from Jakob to Israel, and Joseph and his elven brothers became the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel.
And then the whole episode of the Exodus from Egypt with Moses occurred to one of the next generations.
This Moment
This moment is here
And yet it is not really here.
Bits and pieces of yesterday
Are floating around in my mind
Pictures and sounds of yesterday
And of days gone by,
But not completely bye bye.
I hear them, I see them
They are with me
Coming mostly uninvited
Taking up space in my thoughts
Telling me about all the stupid things
I did once and feeling stupid
once again.
This is agony all over
Over what?
Something that happened thirty years ago?
Forty? Fifty? And still it bothers me?
I am here with my mind
Conjuring up all those images,
Sounds, and amorphous projections.
Some from movies, some from music
Some from my own sights.
All is memory, the carpet of the past
Woven by the sights and sounds of life.
And yet it is not really here.
Bits and pieces of yesterday
Are floating around in my mind
Pictures and sounds of yesterday
And of days gone by,
But not completely bye bye.
I hear them, I see them
They are with me
Coming mostly uninvited
Taking up space in my thoughts
Telling me about all the stupid things
I did once and feeling stupid
once again.
This is agony all over
Over what?
Something that happened thirty years ago?
Forty? Fifty? And still it bothers me?
I am here with my mind
Conjuring up all those images,
Sounds, and amorphous projections.
Some from movies, some from music
Some from my own sights.
All is memory, the carpet of the past
Woven by the sights and sounds of life.
Vajra and Bell
With Vajra, the thunderbolt, cut through the veil of deception, the fog of ignorance, the morass of delusion.With the bell, attract all good and pleasant qualities, happiness and peace; while warding off the forces of darkness, ignorance, delusion, deception.
Vajra and Bell. Thunderbolt and Bell.
Open the door and invite realization to enter, while warding off the encroaching dark forces.
Hold open the door to realization, sustain/extend the opening with the ringing of the bell so clarity and innate bliss can continue uninterrupted as the experience of the pristine mind, in the pristine body, as the expression of pristine speech.
Vajra and Bell. Overcoming the active mind that is the screen over the calm awareness underneath. Stilling the mind-stuff.
Vajra and Bell. Thunderbolt and Bell.
Open the door and invite realization to enter, while warding off the encroaching dark forces.
Hold open the door to realization, sustain/extend the opening with the ringing of the bell so clarity and innate bliss can continue uninterrupted as the experience of the pristine mind, in the pristine body, as the expression of pristine speech.
Vajra and Bell. Overcoming the active mind that is the screen over the calm awareness underneath. Stilling the mind-stuff.
What are the Benefits?
There always has to be a benefit in all that I do. What do I gain from doing something, anything? When I scratch my back, I relieve an annoying itch. When I eat something, I relieve a hungry stomach.
When I meditate, I find relaxation and peace. Without a benefit at the end of an activity, I would not engage in it. What would be the point?
To find happiness and comfort, I travel down many avenues in life, from material to spiritual ones. Light ones and dark ones. Some are wide open; others are like a tunnel. It doesn’t matter what kind; ultimately, they are all my avenues, not someone else’s. And only I can gain the most benefit from them. Nobody else. My experiences, my benefits, my growth, my life, my impact in this existence.
Someone once said that freedom of choice is the choice of either moving towards a purpose or away from it. That is similar to what I am saying. What benefits me most in life is finding a groove that leads to a meaningful purpose.
When I meditate, I find relaxation and peace. Without a benefit at the end of an activity, I would not engage in it. What would be the point?
To find happiness and comfort, I travel down many avenues in life, from material to spiritual ones. Light ones and dark ones. Some are wide open; others are like a tunnel. It doesn’t matter what kind; ultimately, they are all my avenues, not someone else’s. And only I can gain the most benefit from them. Nobody else. My experiences, my benefits, my growth, my life, my impact in this existence.
Someone once said that freedom of choice is the choice of either moving towards a purpose or away from it. That is similar to what I am saying. What benefits me most in life is finding a groove that leads to a meaningful purpose.
Thursday, September 3, 2026
The Thesis
Life is uncalculatingly valuable.
Life is undeniably sacred.
Life is humiliatingly special.
Life is perplexingly precious.
The drive is always toward the center of life. The inner life. The presence is the center of life. Deep within, where there is stillness. There is emptiness, but not the presence of nothingness. There is complete emptiness of forms. Total vacuity of feelings. All-pervading hollowness of hopes and dreams.
There is all-consuming stillness. Everything seems frozen. A frozen, inhospitable landscape. And yet, underneath there is the unexpected glimmer of life. Hopeful energy stimulates life, and the universe breaks out, needs to break out. Cannot be kept contained, ever. Is desirous to break out, again. Wants to reveal its spectacular nature once more. Reveal itself. Self-expression. “Who can I be?” That’s the motivation. “Who can I be when I shed all restrictions and chains?”
Total freedom to express itself. Free to express the glory.
Life is undeniably sacred.
Life is humiliatingly special.
Life is perplexingly precious.
The drive is always toward the center of life. The inner life. The presence is the center of life. Deep within, where there is stillness. There is emptiness, but not the presence of nothingness. There is complete emptiness of forms. Total vacuity of feelings. All-pervading hollowness of hopes and dreams.
There is all-consuming stillness. Everything seems frozen. A frozen, inhospitable landscape. And yet, underneath there is the unexpected glimmer of life. Hopeful energy stimulates life, and the universe breaks out, needs to break out. Cannot be kept contained, ever. Is desirous to break out, again. Wants to reveal its spectacular nature once more. Reveal itself. Self-expression. “Who can I be?” That’s the motivation. “Who can I be when I shed all restrictions and chains?”
Total freedom to express itself. Free to express the glory.
There are only a few important aspects to the spiritual life:
1. God is great.
2. God provides.
3. Do good and be good.
Or
1. Do right and be righteous.
2. Have pure intentions, pure mind, and faith in God.
There is not much more one needs for a spiritual life. The direction is clear. The goal is clear. The emphasis is clear. The path is wide. The gate is open. You will be received with wide open arms when you get over the threshold. There is the light, the immersing light. Enter into it and be at peace, a deep and lasting peace. All your troubles will be gone, they are no more. The past has brought you here and so it is no longer any of your concern. There is no more letting go, there is only accepting of where you are, of what you are. Accepting of your spiritual nature. Accepting of your innate beauty. There is no more “inner” and no more “outer” beauty. There is only your beauty. You were made in this beauty, and you have returned to this beauty. The journey of development in the ephemeral world has come to an end. It had been an inner journey, from the grossest to the most subtle aspect of your being. You had been thrown out into the physical world and had followed the breadcrumbs that the grace of life has placed for you along your path. And you have wondered at the miraculous circumstances which you have encountered at times. And you have prayed and called out to God, to the protectors, to the guides. You have done everything you could to get here, and now you are here. Now you are facing the innate beauty of life with the innate beauty that you are. Now you are one with it.
This Moment
This moment is here
And yet it is not
really here.
Bits and pieces
of yesterday
Are floating
around in my mind
Pictures and
sounds of yesterday
And of days gone
by,
But not
completely bye bye.
I hear them, I
see them
They are with me
Coming mostly
uninvited
Taking up space
in my thoughts
Telling me about
all the stupid things
I did once and
feeling stupid
once again.
This is agony all
over
Over what?
Something that
happened thirty years ago?
Forty? Fifty? And
still it bothers me?
I am here with my
mind
Conjuring up all
those images,
Sounds, and
amorphous projections.
Some from movies,
some from music
Some from my own
sights.
All is memory,
the carpet of the past
Woven by the
sights and sounds of life.
And the Truth will shine through
And the truth will shine through
It’s inevitable. The end is always the same as the
beginning. The truth started it all and the truth will end it all. And there
will be an end to it. To what? To the light of our sun. It is destined to burn
itself out. It will happen at some point in time. There is no doubt about it.
And then this planet will die. The dark night will set in. There will be frozen
ice masses covering this planet.
What will happen to all the souls evolving on planet earth?
All those souls that strived to attain perfection in the experience of the One?
Perhaps there will be another planet in another region of this universe – perhaps
quite similar or not at all – where the souls can finish their training and
evolution.
Why think about that now? Because it helps in finding out
which present day philosophy and theosophy makes sense. If human life still
exists in one Billion years on this planet, then any spiritual system has to
account for the whereabouts of all those souls.
First of all: something exists. That is undeniable. I exist.
You exist. This universe exists.
How existence came into being is a mystery. How this
universe came into existence is the subject of many philosophical and religious
systems. There are many believers following these various systems.
One aspect is beyond belief: what exists now, exists now. That
is all that can be said with absolute certainty. Nothing else can be stated
with the same kind of certainty.
Is existence “eternal”? Whatever has a beginning will have
an end. Was there a beginning to existence? It is easy to say that existence
has always been around and therefore will always be around. That is speculation
and shows the limitations of the mind to conceive of true nothingness.
But then, nothing can come out of total nothingness.
Something had to have been there to instigate this creation. What that
“something” is (or was) is the fascinating subject of all philosophical and
religious musings. In fact, it is also the subject of scientific thought.
I call it the One. This implies that there is only one true
force in existence from which all else flows. Why this One is compelled to
become the creator is the subject of much debate and speculation within the
various religious and philosophical systems.
It appears that humans are the only lifeform on this planet
capable of contemplating the mysteries of existence. Humans question everything
in their environment. Humans question the point of their existence. “Why are we
here?” “What is our purpose in life?”
A person can choose from all those various thought systems
and attempt to get their answers through them. Or, a person can make their own
inquiries and find their own answers.
Finding your own answers is like reinventing the light bulb.
It can be done and may lead to new and novel ideas about existence.
It is important to respect all the various religious,
philosophical, and scientific endeavors. They all are attempts to understand the
mysteries of existence.
But, while searching for answers, it would be unproductive
to mix the various systems to fit one’s personal likings and preconceptions. Many
different paths are offered, and a person should stay the course until the path
leaves them, which means they no longer need the path.
So, pick a path that suits you. Listen to your heart most of
all. If you find happiness, then stay with that path. If not, find another. Just
because you were born into a family with a certain religious tradition does not
mean you will find happiness with it. But you must honestly try your own tradition
first, before wandering off. As the saying goes, the grass always looks greener
over there.
The truth inspired all those various religious and
philosophical systems. Some may be so old that their truth can barely be seen
through the many layers piled on over the years. But it is there, you just have
to do some extra work to dig it up again.
The truth always shines through.
To be in the Moment
To be in the moment is to be here, right here and now. There is no deviation from the place or time here and now. In the center – always in the center – flowing in the center of the stream of consciousness – it’s even swifter in the middle of the stream, away from the edges – can’t see the shore any longer – like the wide Mississippi – going on – going along – a bit faster than the Mississippi – the stream of consciousness – always remaining connected – in the stream – meditation is the inward looking at this stream - merging with the stream – allowing for the stream to become more noticeable – like the eye of a hurricane – forever so still – unmoving but always dancing.
About the One
Can I venture an opinion on the One? Based on my personal experience?
It’s pretty simple: I am conscious of my own existence. I am
conscious of my thoughts and feelings. I am conscious of my actions, such as typing
these words. I am conscious of my wondering about existence. I can search the field
of my mind and see where the limitations of my mind are. I cannot go beyond the
mind. At the outer reaches of my mind where there is expansion, there is blissful
awareness. At the inner reaches of my mind where there is concentration, there
is blissful consciousness.
The expansion and the concentration. My mind vacillates between
these two extremes. It shifts back and forth between them almost instantaneously.
What they both have in common is the bliss component. There is blissful concentration
and there is blissful expansion.
I experienced that for the first time in a dream when I was
about 12 or 13 years old after having practiced my own form of “staring meditation”
for a short while. I felt as expanded as the whole universe and as concentrated
as the tip of a needle.
If I am in any way similar to the One, then the One should
experience something similar in its being. And I should be similar to the One,
because the One originated me, brought me into existence. Or did It? Maybe I am
similar to the One, because I am of the same substance as the One, like a single
drop of water in a vast ocean is not different in substance from all the water surrounding
it. Maybe the One needs physical bodies to experience the bliss of contraction
and the bliss of expansion. Or perhaps It
only needs the minds of entities for these experiences?
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