Questions on Laughter

We analyze many things. But how often have we analyzed our own laughter? How often do we laugh? And when we do, why do we laugh? Do we laugh at others or at ourselves or about some thing?  How often do we laugh without any reason? Are all people laughing without any external reason insane? 

 All most all the time, it is at or about something external. No surprise then, that the English language has many synonyms for laughter, depending on the external reason and the intensity(of laughter). Here are few examples:

1.  snicker , snigger, giggle  = stifled laugh at someone, usually in derision. 
2. cackle. guffaw  = laugh loudly, boisterously again at someone or thing etc.

But unknown to most people there is another kind of laughter, known to practitioners of Yoga. When the nadis (subtle energy tubes in the etheric body) are purified through 7 types of pranayama and the etheric patches removed by the cosmic energy freely flowing through the Brahma Randhra (also called Bindu, Bindu chakra) through the regular practice of meditation, then there results another type of laughter, which emanates naturally, pure and free without reason. Such laughter comes just like hunger - without no reason - and is an expression of the spiritual progress within. One laughs then, in joy and frequently, not 'at' anything, but just so. 

 Keep laughing...

       

Dedicated to the Sadguru

The beautiful song of yesteryears as experienced (and interpreted) by a disciple:

Tu is tarah se meri zindagi mein shameel hai

jahan bhi jaun yeh lagta hai teri mehfil hai

tu is tarah se meri zindagi mein shameel hai



Yeh aasman yeh badal ye raastey ye hava

har ek cheez hai apni jagat thikane pe

kahin dino se shikayat nahin zamane se

yeh zindagi hai safar tu safar ki manzil hai

jahan bhi jaun yeh lagta hai teri mehfil hai

tu is tarah se meri zindagi main shameel hai



Tere vager jahan mein koi kami si thee

batak rahi thee jawani andheri rahon mein

sukhoon dil ko mila aahke teri bahon mein

main ek khoyi hui mauj hoon tu saahil hai

jahan bhi jaun yeh lagta hai teri mehfil hai

Check out the the song sung by Rishi Nityaprayag

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnmMisVr-hY&feature=related

Spiritual Masters of India - Bhagwan Nithyananda

In a series of posts I hope to do over a period of time, this is the first. When embarking on a spiritual journey, the distance is to be covered by the sadhak(aspirant) alone. However, it helps if the sadhak can find satsang(good,noble company) along the journey which not only helps in staying oncourse to the destination, but also inspires one and increases the intensity of the yearning to accomplish the goal.  Also, a Guru (an individual who has completed the journey and is hence able to guide others) becomes essential, to avoid pitfalls along the way. My posts on this blog aim to provide satsang by writing about or pointing to links of literature on spirituality, spiritual men, meditation and techniques. 

 The first post is about a Sadguru [Literal Meaning: True Master; Implied Meaning: A being who has achieved perfection and hence is liberated from the shackles of (re)birth & death] BhagwanNithyananda who manifested this physical plane from around 1897 - 1967. Read about him here - Bhagwan Nithyananda

Arziya

Mahrammat Mukaddar Ki Karde Maula (Arziyaan)

Arziyaan from Delhi-6 is another perfect Sufi rendition from A.R. Rahman. After 'Khwaja' and 'Haji Ali', this song stands in line with the  philosophical Sufi approach. However as an experiment, probably, A.R. Rehman adds another Advaita Vedanta ting to the song through sufi-voice Kailash Kher. The song, being completely Sufi (sung by Javed Ali), has another stanza which appends terms like Maya which are inherent to Vedic philosophy. Prasoon Joshi continues to talk about the essence in your self is what your Guru takes you to (which reminds me of Shaktipaat) in those lines sung by Kailas Kher. 

Overall, this song has been a gift for me which brought out with great intensity the rememberance of my Guruji who have done both things for me - brought Noor to my life journey (here I am talking about life journey of my soul) and repaired my Mukaddar in true sense and paved a way to achieve my self.

I recommend everyone to hear this song.

References:

[1] You can find good meaning here: http://opalodyssey.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/maulamagic1/

[2] A good musical review is http://musicalized.blogspot.com/2009/01/arziyaan-maula-maula-delhi-6.html

Classification of Karma

The theory of karma....

Here is a layman's answer to the question by a layman... One of my friend had the question about the present life and its equations to prarabdha... whatever I read, I wrote... but nevertheless, appended few references, which I believe are authoritative.

As per my limited knowledge, karmas are divided into three divisions - Sanchit, Prarbdha, Kriyaman Karma. You are referring to the Kriyaman (Agami) karma. Sanchit is like a BANK of karmas done in lot of Janmas we have gone through... so its a repository. Out of that we debit some amount for our upcoming jnama - this is known as Prarabdha(example like we go to trip, we take some cash, TCs, credit cards etc.). After executing all the bhogas of this karma (after our money is over, and credit card fails) we have to leave this world for this jnama. However from this jnamas, we will add another set of karmas (through our credit cards etc.) to our Sanchit... But if we stop taking such a credit... we will not add karmas to our sanchit, which means we will enjoy/go through the remaining bhogas next jnama and so on... (Nishkaam Karma)

Gradually or by Krupa of ShriSaad Guru, our sanchit will get exhausted and the whole purpose of going through the cycles will get over...

[2] There is another beautiful analogy also. The granary represents the Sanchita Karma; that portion taken from the granary and put in the shop for future daily sale corresponds to Agami; that which is sold daily represents Prarabdha.
The whole lot of Sanchita Karma is destroyed by attaining Knowledge of Brahman or the Eternal. It can be greatly modified by entertaining lofty, divine thoughts, and doing virtuous actions. Agami Karma can be destroyed by expiatory rites or Prayaschitta; and by removing the idea of agency through Nimitta Bhava (attitude that one is an instrument in the hands of God) and Sakshi Bhava (attitude that one is silent witness of the actions of the senses and of the mind).

References
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prarabdha_karma
[2] "The Three Kinds Of Karma " - Sri Swami Sivananda - http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Karma/id/22810