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Dedicated to Sri Sarada Devi
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Living in the Awareness of God

(Adapted from the article "Going Beyond Samadhi" by Sri Swami Chidananda in the Divine Life E-Magazine, February 2006)

We have been told of four classical yogas—Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Raja yoga, and Jnana yoga. However, the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita place before us not four yogas, but eighteen yogas. Each chapter is entitled as a yoga of this or that kind. "Everything in life is yoga" seems to be the truth that the Lord is trying to place before us.

When a yogi sits in a special asana to meditate— ingathering all his mind, taking it up and focusing it upon the supreme objective, Brahman, and then losing himself in a deep, transcendental, intense, super-conscious state—it is called Samadhi. In Samadhi, one is not aware of anything external, not aware of time and space, not even aware of one's own body. One transcends everything; one is established in the intense inner awareness of the supreme, eternal Reality only.

When Samadhi becomes, as it were, one's permanent, natural state—sitting, standing, walking, running, working, resting, talking, eating, drinking—at all times—one is said to be in Sahaja Samadhi.

In how many ways can we try to consciously practise such awareness? To be constantly in a state of awareness of the great Reality would be a worthwhile subject to explore. Here are some ways to consciously practice such awareness:

(1) One could start by practising the awareness of the Reality dwelling within you as your indweller: "I am never apart from Him. We are always one. He is always with me. He always shines within me." This is one way of living in this awareness.

(2) Another way is by cultivating, practising, the awareness of His presence as the indweller of all beings, and in all things. He indwells everything. Every object enshrines Him. Every creature is a living, moving temple of the Divine. He is enshrined in their heart. This is actually stated by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. That is the second way—living in a state of awareness of that Reality as the indwelling Divinity in all beings, and all things. He is in fire, earth, water, air and ether or space. He is in all the panchabhutas (five elements).

(3) The third way—being aware of His all-pervading presence: "Wherever I am, whatever I am doing, whatever I am engaged in, I am doing it in Him, because he is everywhere. He surrounds me, envelopes me. I live in Him, move in Him, work in Him, have my being in Him, and act in Him as a fish does within the vastness of the ocean waters that encompass it from all sides." This is a third way.

(4) A fourth way is to be aware that, "I of myself can do nothing. I can act only because His power is vibrantly present, coursing through all my nerves and blood stream, my limbs, hands and feet, my eyes and ears—through everything. Otherwise I am like a limp, rag doll, a puppet. I can do nothing. It is His power that enables me to do everything. That power alone is the real dynamic factor within me. By God's power I live, by God's power I see, by God's power I speak, by God's power I move about, by God's power I act and do all things." This is a fourth way in which one can be in a constant state of awareness of His presence.

(5) There is a fifth way—by bringing in a certain feeling that my entire life and activity is a continuous, unceasing act of adoration, and worship: "I am constantly worshipping; I am constantly adoring. Everything I do is nothing but His adoration, because I am in His presence. Therefore, I constantly adore Him through life and all that I do in my life." One can bring about this awareness through evoking within the heart this sublime spiritual feeling (bhava) of adoration.

(6) There is yet another way: "I offer up unto Thine feet, O ever-present Divinity, every little thing that I do, every little action—everything I offer up unto Thee. Nothing is mine. All is Thine. I am Thine. My life is Thine. What I do in my life is also Thine." Thus there is an unceasing, constant act of offering everything to Him as a votive offering: "Everything that I do, all my activities, the least as well as the greatest, the most insignificant as well as the most important, are like so many flowers which I keep on offering at Thy feet—a continuous flower offering at Thine feet." This is yet another way one can keep up this unbroken awareness and make everything in one's life God-oriented.

All these methods one must be aware of—these various ways of being in a constant state are almost like Sahaja Samadhi, living in a state of awareness of His divine presence. All these things one should practise, making one the prominent method according to our taste, temperament and inclination. This is the great yoga and this is what requires to be done.

May the Divine Mother bless us all to live in such a manner! May the supreme grace of the Divine and the benedictions of the Holy Mother enable us to do this right now—from this moment!

Location: U.K.

Re: Living in the Awareness of God

Very uplifting, indeed!

Re: Living in the Awareness of God

Brother Vriju,
You have given us much to ponder. Thank you.

Location: North Carolina

Re: Living in the Awareness of God

Thoughts:

I recently a statement from a Western spiritual teacher, that the greatest sin is in trying to tell God what to do. This makes total sense to me.

With that being said and with that assumption, then the implication is to live ones life with an attitude of surrender to God...which also makes sense...but the puzzle (for me) is... does that make one passive in the activities of life?...

I believe that the answer lies in the same principal taught by Mahatma Gandhi...the principal of satyagraha (spelling?) in which, he states, there is nothing passive about it...which implies power....

Life then becomes the balancing act (?) of surrender and proactivity (?)...am I stating the problem correctly...any thoughts?

Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

Re: Re: Living in the Awareness of God

There is nothing passive about self surrender. It is an active act of allowing the Divine will to flow through us. It is becoming the perfect instrument in the hands of the Mother. It is renunciation of our pettiness and our small egos and to become one with the Divine will. When we have realized the Divinity within ourselves then we have true self surrender.

As Sri Ramakrishna taught us to pray, we should pray to the Divine Mother and ask Her to let us have the true spirit of self surrender. It is sadhana (spiritual practice) that evolves into self surrender.

The proactive issue that you talk about is doing karma yoga. Working and not being attached to the reward of the job that is done. At the end of the goal remember karma yoga and true self surrender is all the same thing. (I have yet to get there…)

Re: Re: Re: Living in the Awareness of God

Brother Paritosh says:
"I have yet to get there"

Comment: I have a strong feeling that
you are on the right path.

However, we must always remember the Words of our Beloved Master,
Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsadeva:

"The Divine Mother wants to continue playing with Her
created beings. In a game of hide-and-seek the running
about soon stops if in the beginning all the players
touch the 'granny'. If all touch her, than how can the game
go on? That displeases Her.
Her pleasure is in continuing the game."


Om Tat Sat

Nahabat Guestbook

Re: Living in the Awareness of God

Namaste Brother Paritosh,
So good to hear from you. and yes...I think you have hit it. Thanks...
Also,Would what I am talking about be the same as the Siva/Shakti principles...?

Location: North Carolina

Re: Re: Living in the Awareness of God

Surrender itself is the most intense prayer, Says Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. Sri Fhanindra tells me that saints like Swami Ranganathananda or Swami Bhuteshananda who were possessed by the Holy Spirit in the form of Mother Kali due to their surrender to HER, get no respite in life till death of the physical body. Mother gets Her work done through Her. I got this thought of no respite about Swami Ranganathananda, his intense karma. Then Sri Fhanindra explained. Such sattvika souls then return to Mother's lap, once Her work is done. So there is no passivity in surrender. Read about Girish Chandra Ghosh. One another saint we both had long association with was Swami Ijyananda, who was a disciple of Swami Vijnanananda- Ramakrishna's disciple. The power of the Holy Spirit that worked through Him was of Shiva, said Sri Fhanindra. Once He himself said to me, we are mrityunjayas, we have conquered death and another time I had the feeling he was a being from another realm.
Regards.

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Replying to:

Namaste Brother Paritosh,
So good to hear from you. and yes...I think you have hit it. Thanks...
Also,Would what I am talking about be the same as the Siva/Shakti principles...?

Location: Guwahati, Assam, India