Patanjali in his yoga sutras has laid out eight fold path for enlightenment The first step is Yama loosely translated as discipline This means tuning yourself to the ultimate it is not a set of dos and don ts It is a set of instructions to tune yourself to your Self Within this Yama the first step is Ahimsa Ahimsa means non violence with understanding Ahimsa is not a moral condition but a technique If you are established in non violence even wild animals when they face you will turn peaceful You will radiate love and compassion Patanjali says If

• To Love is to be non violent

Patanjali in his Yoga sutras has laid out eight fold path for enlightenment. The first step is Yama: loosely translated as discipline. This means tuning yourself to the ultimate; it is not a set of dos and don’ts. It is a set of instructions to tune yourself to your Self. Within this Yama the first step is Ahimsa. Ahimsa means non violence with understanding; Ahimsa is not a moral condition but a technique. If you are established in non violence, even wild animals, when they face you, will turn peaceful. You will radiate love and compassion. Patanjali says: If a man is established in non violence, in his presence, enemies and animals will drop their animosity and radiate love. Sankara, the great enlightened master,  walked all over India on foot, village to village, begged door to door for food, and lived with the common man, to update himself with what was happening around him. This was required of him as a teacher, as a master. As he went he learnt from various masters, universities, and temples which are spiritual universities. He wanted to create his own University to spread his message of advaita (non-dualism), where the energy of love will speak.  In a forest on a full moon night as it drizzled he saw a frog about to hatch its baby and a cobra spreading its hood to protect the frog from the rain; frogs and cobras are born as natural enemies; when Sankara saw this he decided here’s where I should have my University where animals lose their enmity, and pure oneness and love starts happening. Once you experience this love you will never be violent; non violence, ahimsa, will happen to you. When we are established in love nothing touches us. We do not need to defend ourselves against anything. Defending is what creates the thought of offending. All countries say that they have armies only to defend themselves. Who then is offending?  The more you try to defend you enter into offense. Violence starts. Violence starts with defense. This is what Jesus meant when he said to turn the other cheek when someone slaps you. What he said is not impractical. This can be practiced. What have we achieved by protecting ourselves, except suffering? On the other hand, if you radiate love, you will be a God on planet Earth.  Can you defend yourself against death? By defending yourself you may add some years to your life; by trusting, by loving you will add life to your years.  What would you like to do, add years to your life or add life to your years?

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

At Bidadi Ashram the home of many devotees from many parts of the world young and old one can see the magical coming together of technology and ancient spirituality Some of the typical sights in ashram which anyone who has spent time at Ashram would relate to -Fresh faces at sunrise with a yoga mat tucked below one arm guru puja kit in the other hand streaming into the sabha for the beautiful morning routine- Rows of laptops at meetings and the accompanying sound of keyboards in action- Sound of evening aarati song temple bells fragrance of camphor and sandal-

• Where the roots and leaves meet

At Bidadi Ashram, the home of many devotees from many parts of the world, young and old, one can see the magical coming together of technology and ancient spirituality. Some of the typical sights in ashram, which anyone who has spent time at Ashram would relate to:



-Fresh faces at sunrise, with a yoga mat tucked below one arm, guru puja kit in the other hand, streaming into the sabha for the beautiful morning routine


- Rows of laptops at meetings and the accompanying sound of keyboards in action


- Sound of evening aarati song, temple bells, fragrance of camphor and sandal


- Technical team discussions at the restaurant, members being truly international, some blonde, some NRIs, some Indians, but all dressed in Vedic costume (dhoti or saree)


- The delightful sight of an avatar draped in graceful saffron, suddenly appearing in front of you!


- Quiet faces in deep meditation under the mystical banyan tree


- Blackberries downloading emails at real time for enhanced work efficiency


- Spiritual debates and inner healing sessions


- Dancing away to the latest Nithya dance hits


- Gurukul kids playing badminton, football and other games in their playground


- Fashion accessories at Ashram - Rudraksh mala, Nithyananda bracelet, kumkum, vibhuti


- The list goes on...


To summarize, Bidadi Ashram is the most beautiful place on planet earth - where you get to experience the peak of the inner and outer worlds, with joy! After all, it's the home of God!


If you have a sight you want to add to the list, please feel free and leave your comment.


Nithyanandam!

After a long break we're back Sincere apologies to our readers for the spell of absense After an exciting days of Swamiji's program in SIngapore we're now at Bidadi Ashram our home You will see more regular updates from us henceforth about our experiences here and the exciting things that are happening So much to say yet nothing to say - that's how I feel if you ask me to explain what it is like to be in Bidadi Ashram The rich Vedic lifestyle at the Ashram makes us wonder whether we are living in the st century or in

• At Bidadi Ashram - our Home!

After a long break, we're back. Sincere apologies to our readers for the spell of absense. After an exciting 2 days of Swamiji's program in SIngapore, we're now at Bidadi Ashram, our home. You will see more regular updates from us henceforth about our experiences here and the exciting things that are happening.

So much to say, yet nothing to say - that's how I feel if you ask me to explain what it is like to be in Bidadi Ashram. The rich Vedic lifestyle at the Ashram makes us wonder whether we are living in the 21st century or in the Vedic age, thousands of years ago. A few words in attempt to capture the Ashram lifesyle - refreshing early morning sessions at the break of dawn with Yoga, meditation, puja (prayer) and Sanskrit chanting, traditional costumes (of sarees, dhotis), ananda seva (blissful service), deities in breathtaking decorations at the temple, moments of deep reflection under the ancient banyan tree, guidance of a living enlightened Master, sattvic/Yogic food, international family with people from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures living blissfully together, dips at the healing pond with energised water, library with rich spiritual literature...... literally a Vedic renaissance happening right in front of us! And what a blessing to be part of it.




Come experience the womb of an enlightened master, at Bidadi: http://www.dhyanapeetam.org/

Watch this space for regular updates from us.
Nithyanandam!

Swami Vivekananda in one of his speeches once said I am one of the proudest men ever born but let me tell you frankly It is not for myself but on account of my ancestry The more I have studied the past the more I have looked back more and more this pride come to me and it has given me the strength and courage of conviction raised me from the dust of the earth and set me working out that great plan laid out by those great ancestors of ours The Vedic culture that many Indians take for granted

• The Gift of Vedic Lifestyle

Swami Vivekananda in one of his speeches once said "I am one of the proudest men ever born , but let me tell you frankly .It is not for myself , but on account of my ancestry .The more I have studied the past , the more I have looked back , more and more this pride come to me , and it has given me the strength and courage of conviction ,raised me from the dust of the earth , and set me working out that great plan laid out by those great ancestors of ours."

The Vedic culture that many Indians take for granted sometimes is one of the most precious gifts we are born with, as Indians. We simply take for granted the spiritual atmosphere we are brought up with. The chants that reverberate in many Indian homes, traditional sarees worn by the elderly ladies in the house, the kolam on freshly watered frontyards (designs made with flour), the fresh mango leaves that are used for decorating the entrances, the prayer alters/rooms dedicated for prayers, the evening bhajans that are played during sunset.... we take all this for granted.

It's not just taking it for granted, many so-called "modern" youth even dislike all this, in the name of blind belief or "too traditional!". Probably it's because the modern minds do not understand the science behind all this or probably because the western comforts seem too luring in front of these traditional rituals.

It is however interesting that the west is now slowly openly acknowledging the ancient Vedic wisdom. When a bunch of US guys started selling bottles of energised water in the brand name H2OM (more about H2OM here), then the word is all awed by it, including media and impactful channels like Time. In the link above, you can even see a list of celebrities posing with the bottles of H2OM water. They even have different bottles for energising different "Chakras". This is based on the scientific studies by Dr. Masuro Emoto on the effect of chants and other emotions on samples of water.

Now, if we sit back and see - the Kumbha Melas (the largest gathering of humanity on Planet Earth that can be captured by satellite images) have been happening from thousads of years based on the same concept of water being energised by the vibrations and energy of many spiritual masters meeting on the banks of the holy rivers. Infact this is why rivers like Ganga, although polluted externally are still considered "holy" and daily prayers are offered to them.

Swamiji is restoring this lost spirit of the Vedic lifestyle back into the world. He says "Bharat (India) is not just a geographical piece of land, but a lifestyle. So all those leading this lifestyle are Indians". True to His words, He is giving an opportunity for people from various countries and backgrounds an opportunity to experience and live this beautiful Vedic lifestyle that is slipping away from our hands. In His recent stunning program Life Bliss Engineering (LBE), one can see young pariticpants from world over enthusiastically participating in a range of activities starting from Vedic rituals, Sanskrit chanting, Vedic Astrology, Yoga to learning how to wear the Vedic costume of saree/dhoti, making flower garlands for deities, putting kolam etc. They are taught not just the science behind each of them, but are made to experience these truths in the energy field of living enlightened master. They are not mere rituals but techniques for enligthenment.

When we visited the Bidadi Ashram for Guru Purnima, we could see the faces of the LBE participants glowing and radiant, soaked in bliss. If you get a chance to attend the next LBE, please don't miss it. More details about the LBE program here: http://www.dhyanapeetam.org/web/international_LBE_1.asp