Letter 2: Various

12/04/07

Dear ...,

Hello again! ...

Necessity of spiritual initiation

As you seem to have noticed, when we do spiritual practices on our own, we may indeed find that we get elevated to a certain level, but there is a point beyond which we cannot go, and we tend to get sucked back down again into the world. To go beyond it, a significant injection of spiritual power from a realised soul is necessary. It is only after this that the possibility of big realisations becomes realistic.  

Achievement of peace

Anxiety is a manifestation of a vibration in the mind. If the mind is made still, there are no more vibrations, so there can be no anxiety. Spirituality is about taking the vibrations that are the root cause of restlessness out of the mind. Antidepressants may deal with the manifestations, but not the root cause, so the problems often remanifest. One of the permanent effects of a deep realisation is the removal of the roots of the vibrations at the root of the mind. One that has achieved such a realisation is no longer prone to anxiety. This is the meaning of 'peace'.

Sincerity

When we go to see Bhagavan, we ought not to ask him for grace or peace or realisation or whatever. What we should do is ask him how we can attain that realisation or peace. Then we should do what he says sincerely, and then we will get the realisation. Bhagavan has realised selflessness, but normal people are always trying to get something from him for themselves. Bhagavan very much likes it if somebody shows selflessness by not asking for anything, and sincerity by doing the practices he recommends. Such a one, whose faith wavers not, will undoubtedly get the realisation, the peace, joy and all else that comes with it. 

The value of a saint

Different people are capable of giving different levels of help. Most people are capable of giving very materialistic help like giving someone money. Fewer people are capable of giving a higher help like intellectual help. Almost no-one is qualified to give spiritual help, which is the highest help, and the only truly meaningful help, as it is the only help that is permanent. When someone is capable of giving that level of help, we should only go to them for spiritual help rather than lower kinds of help. We should recognise the full height of their divinity and not degrade that by seeking something lower. Most people cannot grasp spirituality as they are too attached to the mind and body and so are pulled off-course when they see the possibility of gaining something on those levels. If it becomes known that a saint will give miracle cures, hoards of people seeking such cures will come crowding round, so compromising the divine work of the saint. Around a saint, seek only the highest. Keep the mind focused on the root of all ills, which is ignorance of your true divine nature. When that ignorance is burnt up by knowledge, you will get everything - the peace, the bliss, the love, the wisdom, the perception of beauty - your anxiousness will have been forgotten long, long before this.  

When samadhi is entered

Samadhi will come when the aspirant is ready. It is not something that is forced onto you. It is nothing to be afraid of. You will not die; only your ignorance will die, and you will realise your true nature as Consciousness and Bliss. It is being submerged in the Ocean of Love. Then will come the Joy. What could possibly be nicer?

The meaning of Bhagavan

The name 'Bhagavan' could be said to have two interpretations, though they are really the same if it is remembered that 'Bhagavan' refers to the energy. Firstly, it is the finest vibrations in the universe of which the grosser planes are projections. If you have read the Trimurti letter, Bhagavan could be understood as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva put together, so basically the Universal Intelligence, the substratum of the universe. The second interpretation is a person into whose mind that Intelligence has descended. The Universal Intelligence is now inside a single person. The incarnate Bhagavan is suitable for everyone, not just for a few unusual people, as everyone is in and is a part of the universe. The sun shines upon everyone; it does not choose just a few people to shine on. However, some people wander about with their umbrellas up so they do not allow themselves to be shined upon. Bhagavan accepts everyone, is for all of us, so all we have to do is accept him and not let our egos get in the way of his sunshine.

No pressure to formally accept someone as guru

No-one is expected to accept someone as a guru before they have even met him. Just go, observe everything and immerse yourself with an open heart, yearning for discerning vision and the spiritual ideal, and eventually your own heart will speak to you.

Previous divine incarnations and Hare Krishna

Bhagavan has descended before as Rama, an estimated 7000 years ago, Krishna, perhaps 5000 years ago, Gautama Buddha 2600 years ago, Chaitanya Deva 500 years ago and Ramakrishna, who died in 1886. If you read the Bhagavad Gita, each time Krishna speaks, what is written is, 'Bhagavan said,' as what was speaking was not the man Krishna, but the realisation of Bhagavan through the mouth of Krishna. Each time Bhagavan descends, he comes to do a certain work with a special teaching and manifests more of a certain quality. What these are depends on the necessity dictated by the then environment. Rama is considered the embodiment of dharma, perfect in every way. Krishna is considered the stealer of hearts, the embodiment of love. 'Hare' comes from the verb root 'to steal,' so 'Hare Krishna' means 'Krishna,' steal away the imperfections from my mind, or simply, 'steal my heart'. Krishna is not a man that lived 5000 years ago, neither is he a blue boy with a flute in some picture; he is the love in your own heart, and Rama is the Truth, the Dharma. Many Indian people simply visualise that pure love within themselves in this form as it is easier for most to love a personified object than something abstract which is their own Self.

This mantra became famous when it appeared in the revelation of Chaitanya Deva, and Chaitanya told people to chant it. Chaitanya needed to revive spirituality in India at the time, and he did this by spreading devotion by getting people to chant 'Hare Krishna'. In time, as always, spirituality becomes corrupted, and later generations are not as spiritual as earlier ones, so the message loses its purity, but then comes another Bhagavan. Our Bhagavan also received this mantra in revelation. It was not passed to him by his guru, but came directly from the Supreme, so it is now new with new power for those that have come into contact with him. We ought not to be put off because it contains certain words that carry for us a certain connotation. Where does this aversion come from? It will ultimately be seen that it comes from the ego and its aversion to something in the past. We ought to be trying to live in the present without aversions and attachments. This mantra is not that of old anyway, it is now little more than three years old.

Meditation for beginners

Japa, the repetition of a mantra, is the type of meditation usually recommended for new people. If the concentration is focused somewhere, it should be on the heart. The power invoked in the mantra will do the work, and also attune you to Bhagavan.... The heart is the gateway in the psycho-physical organism for love and bliss, so if it is opened, these things will be experienced more. It is also the root of the mind, so concentration on this point will still the vibrations and more peace will ultimately be experienced. Every time a vibration is silenced, we take one more step towards realisation.

...

With lots of love,

Hare Krishna,

Koji