ABOUT THE PROCESS
The whole story of Arunachala is the story of woman, the story of feminine Energy.
The story says that when Devi (the supreme goddess and consort of Lord Shiva) was meditating, the feminine shakti (Energy) was awakened inside her being, and she became enlightened!
Please understand, although Devi is already a woman, the story says that her feminine consciousness was awakened and she became ardhanareeshwara.
How is this possible?
Understand, the feminine consciousness is not just present in the female body. Each one of you, whether you are physically a male or a female, is carrying the feminine Energy.
Awakening this feminine Energy is enlightenment.
The feminine consciousness has two aspects: the mother aspect and the beloved aspect.
Enlightenment means experiencing both the beloved aspect and the mother aspect in you completely.
If you are just a beloved, you will be materialistic, outgoing.
If you are just a mother, you will be introvert, caring, compassionate.
But experiencing both aspects can awaken a new consciousness in you; you experience complete fulfillment.
**If you lack the mother dimension, naturally just the beloved dimension cannot fulfill you. If you lack the beloved dimension, just the mother dimension cannot fulfill you.
The body and emotion both will have fulfillment only when you experience both the dimensions.
A person who can experience and express both dimensions is ardhanareeshwara.
Please understand, ardhanareeshwara does not only mean a person who is half male and half female. Ardhanareeshwara is a person who has experienced both dimensions of feminine qualities.
When a man becomes enlightened he becomes a leader; when a woman becomes enlightened she becomes a mother and a beloved, she radiates both these dimensions.
The Arunachala story says that Devi expressed both her dimensions; she experienced and radiated ardhanareshwara consciousness.
Understand, the feminine consciousness can be grasped only by living in it.
That is why the story says: Whoever listens to this story, may you all become Devi!
Only if you become Devi can you understand this sutra, this process.
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1:
Whatever you know of as feminine consciousness, meditate on that. Not only the physical structure, even your body language, your mental set-up, your thinking, your feeling, everything has to arise from feminine consciousness.
Carry this meditation with you this whole morning.
Step 2 (afternoon session): Please sit upright and tie your blindfolds. Understand, no movement in the body. Intense Devi Energy… Just see, instead of you, Devi is seated in Samadhi…intense feminine Energy. I will guide you. I will do my job also!
Let your awareness be on the navel center. Whatever sounds are going into your being, allow them to happen.
Devaah uchuh:
*Namo devyai mahaadevyai shivaaye satatam namah Namah prakrittyai bhadraayai niyataah pranataah sma taam Raudraayai namo nithyaayai namo gauryai dhaathryai namo namah Jyotsnaayai ch'induroopinyai sukhaayai satatam namah…*
(Salutations to the supreme Devi, who is ever auspicious… who is the primordial cause and the sustaining power… who is terrible… who is eternal… who is the supporter (of the universe)… who is of the form of the moon and moonlight and happiness itself…)
(after 20 minutes of chanting) Om shanti, shanti, shantihi! Relax… with this beautiful mood go and rest
Recently in Malaysia a devotee asked me, 'Give me the essence of your message in Malay.'
In Malay I know only one phrase, korankan laju – go slow. I knew that phrase only because I had seen it on the road signs! So I gave her that as my message - korankan laju. Slow down!
The Zen tea ceremony is nothing but this. It is a way to slow down and be aware. Having a simple cup of tea can also become a powerful meditation if you use it in the right way. Does everybody have their cup of tea..?
Now, slow down completely. Be aware of every movement.
Your brain is saying, 'Move the right hand. Pick up the cup, it is hot. I think it will be tasty. The smell is nice.'
Continuously your mind is giving commands.
Be aware.
In your brain the commands are getting created, traveling through the brain grooves, going to different parts of the body. Whatever information comes inside is getting processed and converted to action.
Normally you are aware only of the effects; now be aware of the entire process.
Your mind is saying, 'What nonsense I am doing! Instead of just drinking the tea and throwing the cup away, I am sitting with this cup for half an hour!'
Because your mind is always hurrying, hurrying, hurrying… Be aware of the whole thing.
Understand, it is not easy to observe the body and mind when you are in movement. If you are just sitting you can observe them.
But here you will be moving the body also. So maintain the awareness throughout.
Be constantly vigilant about every thought that happens – even each broken thought. Sometimes a thought will arise, 'What a foolish thing I am doing sitting here!'
But even before that thought is completed, another thought arises, 'Hey, keep quiet. I am doing this as a meditation.' Be aware even of those broken thoughts.
The whole thread which goes on for half an hour till you finish the tea, just be aware.
See, unless you become the canvas, you will not know the whole painting.
If you are watching the painting, it will be only part by part by part.
Become the canvas, then you know the whole painting. Because you are bigger than the painting.
In the same way, you are bigger than the thought flow.
The thought flow is simply happening inside you.
Only when you become consciousness, will you know the whole thought flow.