We all believe that without the mind we cannot function In fact we function better without the mind When any of our senses perceive an object say your eye seeing a flower it is the energy behind that sensor called chakshu that comes into play Chakshu is a digital signal processor which creates a digital image of the flower and sends it to our memory This part of our mind called chitta has the ability to filter the information by comparing it other images on its data base The partly processed information is then sent to another part of the

• How the mind works?

We all believe that without the mind we cannot function. In fact we function better without the mind. When any of our senses perceive an object, say your eye seeing a flower, it is the energy behind that sensor, called chakshu that comes into play. Chakshu is a digital signal processor which creates a digital image of the flower and sends it to our memory. This part of our mind called chitta has the ability to filter the information by comparing it other images on its data base. The partly processed information is then sent to another part of the mind called manas which makes a positive identification. Even with all the computing power available today, this kind of optical identification which even a child can do, is not yet practical. Up to this point, the activities of sensory perception and identification of that experience are conscious processes. Once the identification is done, the file moves to ego, another part of the mind, which stores all our past experiences backed up with emotions. These emotion filled experiences are our samskara, and ego is their warehouse. The jump from manas to ego is an unconscious process. Ego decides for you. You express that decision and act upon that decision. This zone of ego is not under the control of your conscious, logical and rational mind. Ego never sleeps, not for one moment. Samskara drives you to take illogical, unconscious and irrational decisions. For instance, a person decides to smoke knowing fully well that it is bad for health. His action is driven by his samskara, his desire that is unfulfilled. Samskara confuses you, depresses you, disturbs you, stresses you and can kill you. This process of perception and identification of what you perceive, the process that happens between your eyes and your mind happens with your awareness, consciously. However, the process the information file takes between your mind and your ego happens without your awareness; it happens unconsciously. This process is instinctive, a legacy from our sub-human origins. It is a much faster process since the unconscious mind processes data far faster than the conscious mind, and was designed for life threatening emergencies. The only way to make this process of transfer conscious and meaningful is by bringing in awareness through meditation. Meditation dissolves samskara, frees from suffering. • PARAMAHAMSA SRI NITHYANANDA

Ananda means bliss Nanda is something that can die out disappear and related to suffering Ananda is that which can never disappear from your being it is bliss It is not joy Joy brings suffering in its wake Ananda is beyond joy It is eternal bliss Nithya ananda Pleasure is what you feel through your senses based on an outer object music a fragrance a beautiful sight physical touch When you meet nature a mountain a sea a forest you feel joy When you feel ecstasy without sensory inputs or nature not even inputs of forms of God only from

• meditation- “Arise,Awake,STOP:Goal is reached”

“Ananda” means bliss. “Nanda” is something that can die out, disappear and related to suffering. Ananda is that which can never disappear from your being, it is bliss. It is not joy. Joy brings suffering in its wake. Ananda is beyond joy. It is eternal bliss, Nithya ananda. Pleasure is what you feel through your senses based on an outer object; music, a fragrance, a beautiful sight, physical touch. When you meet nature, a mountain, a sea, a forest, you feel joy. When you feel ecstasy without sensory inputs or nature, not even inputs of forms of God, only from your inner core of energy, your atman, without any external input, it is bliss. It can be with no reason. It comes from within your being. That is Ananda. Yoga: it’s important to understand what yoga is not. Yoga is not physical exercises or breath control; these are but a part of Yoga. Yoga is union; the union with the divine; union with the cosmic power. It is chitta vritti nirodaha: it’s the cessation of the mind, to take it beyond the mind, to be one with existence. The blissful technique to unite your own self with the divine is ananda yoga, using bliss itself to unite. Life has no goal, it has only purpose. Living has a purpose. If  life is a goal it’s a rat race; even when you win this race you are still a rat. The very living is bliss when you go without a goal, only with a purpose of enjoying the path. You cannot look at God as a goal. You cannot run towards God. In inner world, logic is very different. Goals are not reached by running towards them. Vivekananda says: Arise, awake, and do not stop till the goal is reached. I say: arise, awake, stop; goal is reached. Seeking makes you tense, will make you miss your purpose. In a relaxation course you are so tense that you lose the purpose. I say accept all guilt, all mistakes, and all failures; even if you cannot accept, accept that you cannot accept. You will then relax; guilt will drop from your mind. If your mind is tense it can never stop. Only when you relax it can cease. You have to drop goal orientation. If you accept what you are, what is, mind will lose its roots- Meditation just happens. When mind is, bliss is not. It is either mind or bliss. -Paramahamsa Nithyananda

Its weird and yet it has become normal Whatever moves faster is better Communication is at the speed of light The world is a global village Electronic mails have to be responded to within the hour We all are always in a tearing hurry Doing what We are all driven by greed and fear Greed tells us that there is no time to lose Fear tells us that we are going to lose So we hurry not knowing what we are going to lose not knowing what its value is We run because we are afraid to stop afraid to

• Inner restlessness -The expressway to suffering

Its weird and yet it has become normal. Whatever moves faster is better. Communication is at the speed of light. The world is a global village. Electronic mails have to be responded to within the hour. We all are always in a tearing hurry. Doing what? We are all driven by greed and fear. Greed tells us that there is no time to lose. Fear tells us that we are going to lose. So we hurry not knowing what we are going to lose, not knowing what its value is. We run because we are afraid to stop; afraid to stop and reflect on what we are doing and why. We are afraid to be with ourselves. To be silent can be terrifying as it makes one vulnerable to oneself. A young man came to see me. He said: Swamiji, I have everything sorted out. I am building a house with a 25-year loan. By that time my daughter (a two-year-old holding his hand) will be ready for marriage. My son (an infant that his wife is carrying) will be in a good job. The house would be very valuable and we can get a lot of money by selling it. We will invest most of it and settle down with you at the Ashram. He had finished off 25 years of his life in just ten minutes. He still feels that his calling is spiritual. Is mortgaging the present for the future spiritual? This constant running is a reflection of our inner restlessness. We certainly feel we have missed out on life. Has the running been worth it? This is the fastest route to suffering, the expressway. There is good reason to plan for tomorrow, it’s important. However, let’s not forget to live today! We take ourselves too seriously. What we do in our lifetime hardly matters in the bigger picture. It is lost in the vast expanse of the universe. Things go on silently in the universe; so peacefully without any contradictions; millions of solar systems function with such beauty! Things happen in nature in spite of us not because of us. When we realize this we relax into ourselves. We feel centered in our being. There is a deep sense of trust and peace that envelops our being. When this happens, we will not find the need to hurry through our lives. Meditation helps to experience this space of relaxation and live enlightenment. • PARAMAHAMSA  NITHYANANDA

A POMPOUS professor came to a Zen Master to learn Instead of listening he started blowing his own trumpet The Master asked for tea and when it was brought started pouring a cup for his guest He kept pouring tea into the cup without stopping The cup overflowed and the tea spilt on the table Irritated the professor shouted stop can t you see the cup is full The master said so is your mind Unless you empty it what can you learn Acquiring knowledge is a transmission process For this transmission to take place effectively and effortlessly one s

• meditation :Emptying your mind for wisdom

A POMPOUS professor came to a Zen Master to learn. Instead of listening, he started blowing his own trumpet. The Master asked for tea and when it was brought, started pouring a cup for his guest. He kept pouring tea into the cup without stopping. The cup overflowed and the tea spilt on the table. Irritated, the professor shouted: stop, can’t you see the cup is full? The master said: so is your mind. Unless you empty it what can you learn? Acquiring knowledge is a transmission process. For this transmission to take place effectively and effortlessly, one’s mind has to be empty and still. Only then the teaching, learning and above all the transmission can happen. Basic knowledge that we all learn from childhood, the type that learn our three ‘R’s with, is intellectual knowledge. To read, write, and calculate we use our head, our mind, to acquire the needed knowledge. At this level of knowledge transfer what happens is communication. Another type of knowledge needs the heart to be involved; one’s head is no use here. Can you become a poet using your head; can you become a singer or a painter using your head? You need passion to be a master. The son of a potter watched his father and picked up the art. He became famous as a master craftsman. People came to him and asked to be taught the way he learnt it. He said, “I don’t know how to teach you. If you want just watch me and do.” What was merely an intellectual communication becomes collaboration between master and the taught, when the heart is involved. Spiritual knowledge is knowledge of the highest kind; it is not knowledge really but wisdom. This can neither be taught nor learnt. Spiritual wisdom, the Truth of the Universe, has to be experienced, by transmission from an enlightened Master who is willing to transmit it from his Being to your Being. At this level, it is a communion of beings, far beyond collaboration and communication. Spiritual wisdom happens; it’s not taught or learnt. It happens in the silencing of your mind. It happens when your chatter, both inner and outer are stopped. Meditation is the key to silencing the mind. No spiritual knowledge is possible without the aid of meditation. Ego fills the mind otherwise. To go beyond ego, to go beyond mind, to go beyond chatter, meditation is the answer. PARAMAHAMSA  NITHYANANDA

The rich Vedic culture and anyone who used to propagate this culture in its full authenticity have always been attacked And this is what has happened to Paramahamsa Nithyananda The truth of the video I don't know But what I know is my experience what I know is my transformation that has happened That is the biggest testimony that I know and I have witnessed No one else has to convince me about my experience and my transformation And with that as the base I support my Master in these difficult times when he has been framed in such a

• My gratitude to my master

The rich Vedic culture and anyone who used to propagate this culture in its full authenticity have always been attacked. And this is what has happened to Paramahamsa Nithyananda. The truth of the video, I don't know. But what I know is my experience; what I know is my transformation that has happened. That is the biggest testimony that I know and I have witnessed. No one else has to convince me about my experience and my transformation.

And with that as the base, I support my Master in these difficult times when he has been framed in such a conspiracy. The deep life solutions that I learnt and experienced during the first level meditation program (LBP1), the deeper truths about death that we consciously experiencec in second level Life bliss program, the power of devotion that we experience in third level program, the strong meditative experience that happens during Healers' Initiation ... these experiences are enough for me to be with him when he is being attacked by people who haven't even seen him once.

I guess this is the time we need to stand up for the transformations that we have had being with the Master. Every Guru Poornima, every Jayanthi, we came to express our gratitude for transformation. Now it is even more important to cut this negativity out with our positive transformation.